Closed [Zongjie Warren] Meeting New People [Caelum]

[Selva]

Day 4, Season of Fall, 513 AV Selva had finally decided that it was time to stock up on her medical supplies. The other day, when she was questioning the gate guards about the attractions in the city, she was given directions to the Zongjie Warren, where many things were sold all day. The morning was fairly routine, if she could call two days of the same morning preparations a routine. She grabbed her bag, emptied it of most it's contents, and left the Pearl House to begin her day. Finding the Warrens was a bit difficult, taking her much longer than she had expected to walk for. Selva kept losing herself in the city, and having to ask for directions from other pedestrians. The others were fairly helpful though, and kept guiding her in the right direction. Once she finally arrived, she found the crowds a bit easier to navigate than the empty streets. The crowds of people bumping into each other, walking around, and bartering created plenty of sound for Selva to gain a very clear picture of her surroundings. The next part however, would be the difficult part. Her gift didn't grant her the ability to read, so Selva needed to ask about everything that didn't have an easily identifiable shape. She approached a few stalls, one at a time, and asked what each of them was selling. It wasn't until about half a bell that she found a stall selling various herbs that she could use. Selva began picking up each bottle of herb, and asking the stalls owner what it was. She could tell that the owner was trying to accommodate her, but was becoming quickly agitated by her constant questioning. She resorted to smelling the contents of each bottle, in hopes to find familiar smells.

[Caelum]

The Zongjie Market was one of the crowded places Caelum had learned to avoid. Touching people was unavoidable and he inevitably was brushed, bumped into, and his ranuri otherwise triggered and tugged by the constant influx of needs and desires. The little girl chasing after her dog, braided pigtails flapping against her back when she whizzed past him, needed to catch her floppy eared mutt before he got lost in the crowd. Caelum suppressed a sigh and whirled about, long legs easily out distancing the child, and he ended up ducking half under a perfume maker’s stall to haul the hound out with a firm grip. The puppy wriggled happily, licking at his chin, until Caelum dumped him gently into the child’s waiting arms. (Being returned to his favorite person was essentially all the dog needed in the world. Caelum made mental note of this and, not for the first time, considered getting a dog.) The girl stared at him with round, blue eyes, dumbstruck by the elegant and ethereal curve of his horns shining in Syna’s light. He smiled at her, unable to help it, satisfied with the accomplishment of this minor rescue, and tipped her a wink from a golden eye before wandering off again. He missed the curious glance given him by the stall keeper, the sleeping side of his mind automatically contributing such a look to the standard array of interests offered an ethaefal in their divine form. That, at least, he was accustomed to. It took a full bell for Caelum to find what he was looking for. This was due to several things. The first thing was that he searched at the market’s edges rather than the more direct path of walking through. It was easier to avoid accidental contact with strangers that way. The second reason was because, despite his best efforts, he nonetheless was touched by one more person and got derailed. It was a middle aged Akalak with a harassed look in his eyes and Caelum purchased a few sausage rolls from a nearby food stall. He casually offered the Akalak one under the pretense of having had eyes too big for his stomach. It was more than just the nourishment of a hot breakfast that met the man’s needs, the greater share of satisfaction coming from having caused the Akalak to rest for a minute, take time to do somewhat for himself, and to remind him that there was still kindness in the world like that of a stranger sharing his food. The last sausage roll was double wrapped in a clean handkerchief and tucked into a pocket as Caelum came to a stop at a book stall at the market’s edge. With a care that was almost reverent, he mulled through the books; but the majority of them were either blank for journals and ledgers or too common to house what he sought. While he waited for the book seller to complete his transaction with another customer, Caelum’s eyes wandered over to the apothecary stall. He watched for a minute while the young konti with the cloth tied over her eyes interacted with the busy owner and ultimately began to sniff delicately at various jars. A quick glance at the bookseller told him that it would be a while and he turned toward the neighboring tent. “What is it you’re searching for?” He asked the konti without preamble, stopping near her in a casual slouch. His voice was low and warm, accented with something far, far away.

[Selva]

"I'm looking for teas. Though the smells here aren't very distinguishable. Could you tell me which one of these is sundyra water and burn salve?" The konti continued to open and sniff bottles, without waiting for a confirmation. However, after a few bottles had been opened, Selva turned to the man next to her, and stared at him, almost as if she was looking through the cloth on her eyes. She made no attempt to explain the action, and after another chime, she did a quick circle around him. Just another moment of staring, when she clapped, very close to his face, like she were throwing something. Looking as though she had just made a slight fool of herself, the Konti again returned to opening and sniffing the bottles, making as little noise as possible. A lot was on her mind, but the big question was why there was something on the man's head. It certainly didn't seem like a hat that she had ever seen. The best she could explain it to herself was that the man had goat horns, but somehow she knew that these ones were much more elegant, and most likely not used for the same thing a goat uses theirs for. Perhaps he was a shape-shifter? Or it could be some other kind of magic. There was a lot that Selva still had not seen, and this was her first time off of Mura. It was also difficult for her to tell what race others were, as she could only tell general outlines of others around her. Though that helped none whatsoever with her curiosity, and though she kept opening bottles and inspecting their contents, her mind was on the objects around the mans head. Selva quickly blurted "Do you mind if I touch your head?"

[Caelum]

Caelum tilted his head and focused on the bottles in the young woman’s hands. It was a simple matter to differentiate between the two with a fully working set of eyes and within a matter of moments he lifted the appropriate set of bottles. Before he could place them into her hands, however, the konti was turning circles around him. When she clapped close to his face, he blinked and the smile he had been wearing wiped itself away. He cleared his throat, a touch irritated and more than a bit bemused. “Hold out your hands,” he suggested quietly. Assuming her conmpliance, he placed the sundyra water in her left hand and the burn salve in the right. The right hand bottle was larger than the left. “The larger one is burn salve,” he explained. “You must use an interesting labeling method. Mistakes in teas and salves, herbs and potions can be disastrous. How do you distinguish once they’re in your kit?” He paused significantly. “I don’t know if I’m comfortable with you touching my head. Why do you want to?”

[Translucent]

Congratulations On Your Hard Work!

Selva:
Withheld pending Konti Gift resolution.

Caelum:
XP:+1 observation
Lores:


Notes: Not much here, but there you go.

As always PM me if you have issues.