[The Cubacious Inn] A place to hide (open)

[Hayii]

The girl had sat silently with a thinking look on her face when Hayii spoke. The storyteller wasn't sure why she said it all; rationally speaking, a person you owed an apology was just as likely to be a rat as any stranger, but this thought didn't appear before she'd done the deed already. Seems like I'll have to trust her now, if only for a couple of seconds... Having a backup plan would be nice, though. Hayii examined the room in search of an escape route, trying to look nonchalant, as its inhabitant picked up a few more things from the messy floor. There was an open window on the far wall. It wasn't exactly big, but she was fairly certain she'd gotten skinny enough to pass through it. The height shouldn't be a problem if she just landed correctly; the two girls had only walked up one staircase on their way to the room.

The other girl effectively stopped her guest's row of thoughts when she mumbled that Ionu had been kind. She seemed very certain... maybe Ionu was indeed the one responsible for the change in her fate. She didn't know much about the being though she'd heard her master speak the name multiple times when talking to others about this Alvadas city. She'd been very curious, but hadn't even considered asking; a good slave asks no stupid questions.

Hayii was shocked as the girl opened the door and asked the bellboy for bathing equipment. There seemed to be two possible reasons for this action: she was either being genuinely nice, or she was trying to lull the runaway slave into a feeling of false safety before she captured her and returned her to her owner. The first opportunity sounded stupidly optimistic, but on the other hand, if she wanted to turn her in, there were certainly smarter and more obvious ways of doing so. But why would anybody be friendly to an attacker? Her head was so full of thoughts she didn't protest when the other girl steered her towards the bed.

The girl asked for her name. Hayii wasn't sure if answering truthfully was a good idea, but on the other hand, she'd just told the girl her whole shyking life story. What difference would a name make? "I'm... Hayii," she said with an almost toneless voice, not glaring at anything exact, but glaring nonetheless.

After what felt like bells of silence so thick you could feel it, realization suddenly hit the former slave. She was no longer lowlier than a free person - she was one herself. In a way, this girl was her equal, and Hayii could turn the table if she wanted to.

The eyes that now locked on the other's were a bit tighter now, though she tried hard to keep that from happening. Anger crackled faintly in the corners of her voice as she asked, "And who are you? Why do you bother to help me, if that's indeed what you're - " She was interrupted by the bellboy's appearance. He leaned against the door opening, trying to catch his breath. He must really need some extra tips, Hayii thought; his clothes didn't seem to be much more worth than hers, and he looked pretty starved, too.

"Your bath... is ready... and the oil... is out there..."

Hayii thought for a moment about whether she should tip the boy - she was rich now and could easily afford it, and he seemed like he was trying hard to get out of whatever unfortunate situation he was in. On the other hand, his poverty was his own fault; if not in this life, then in a former one. She wouldn't mess with another's destiny.

She began to think about what she'd do now. Bathing was a good idea, and if she also got some new clothes, she wouldn't be easily recognized - especially not if she found a way to hide her Mark. Maybe this girl had a spare dress she could buy; and if she hadn't, maybe she could ask the bellboy to buy one? Hayii would pay, of course. But afterwards... she'd have to leave. She'd caused too much of a ruckus to stay safely, no matter how different she'd look if He came to ask for her.

[Clarity Tess]

Clarity’s anger spiked when the Hayii began questioning her in a heated tone. Maybe it was just the overgiving but this girl was in no place to be angry. Scowling she opened her lips to reply. The service boy ran in before any words could spill from her lips like venom from a vial. Her mood lightened greatly when she caught sight of the boy. Quickly she was at his side, a smile on her face as she ruffled his hair. “You’re so cute!” She beamed and pulled him into an embrace. The boy’s eyes widened at the random act and stiffened in her arms. Feeling quite content in this position Clarity showed no signs of letting go any time soon. “M-madam?” The boy stuttered out. Maya chose this time to jump off the bed and prance over to her owner. She stuck her nose up and sniffed the boy generously. Giving a loud wailing mew the kit meandered over to Hayii, throwing her fur against the legs of the former slave loving and giving a particular look to her owner. Clarity’s mood switched again and she snatched up the kit and placed it on the bed. Leaning slightly she began having an argument with Maya, who kept flicking her gaze lazily between Hayii and the boy. “Is this normal?” The boy whispered to Hayii. Once more Clarity found herself dawning a new disposition and sprang to the bed. “You want to know who I am.” She shouted, lifting a wailing Maya into the air. “I am Clarity the Great and this is Maya the Terrible!” Maya proceeded to bite her owner’s hands sending the girl collapsing in tears. Blubbering miserably on the sheets she pulled the cat near her. “Why do you hate me?” She sobbed. It had to be the most pathetic sight to see but Clarity was hardly aware of her consciousness.

[Hayii]

The other girl boldly went over and hugged the lad, telling him how "cute" he was. She wondered whether she'd been wrong in assuming him to be a bellboy; nobody'd be that forward to someone they didn't know very well. However, these thoughts were quickly dismissed when she saw the guy's reaction - his whole body had stiffened, and he glanced nervously at the hugger. The onlooker's brows furrowed to form a questioning expression; why would anybody hug a stranger? Either this girl was just incredibly bad at hiding emotions, or Hayii was currently in the hands of a complete lunatic.

The lunatic option turned out to be the true one as the girl suddenly let go of the boy, snatched the cat that'd been twisting itself around the former slave's legs and placed it on the bed. And started arguing with it.

"Is this normal?", the bellboy breathed in Hayii's direction. She was just about to about to answer that she knew no better than him when the crazy girl raised her kitten into the air and yelled their names to the two onlookers. Clarity, huh? the non-crazy girl thought to herself, smirking. What an ironic name to give a lunatic...

The shouting girl suddenly shattered into a puddle of tears. Inbetween the sobs, some syllables were forced out, forming the question "Why do you hate me?" Hayii wasn't sure how to respond, so she turned her eyes to the bellboy. He stood in the doorframe, the weirdness of the events involuntarily dragging him outwards, forcing himself to stay. When he noticed Hayii's eyes on him, he held out his hand, wordlessly asking for the tips the insane girl promised him. Hayii agreed with herself that she'd have to pay him; he'd been promised the money, and the other girl didn't seem sane enough to give him them now.

She wouldn't pay him immediately, however; she was scared of what the crazy person would do if they were alone. So instead she turned her attention back to the shamelessly sobbing girl, deciding with herself that she'd try not to let her act be affected by the girl's... condition; being surrounded by calmness might lessen her eruptions. Hayii said with a neutral voice, "I don't hate you. I just wanted to know who you are and why you're helping if that's even what you're doing to help me determine whether I can trust you."

Wanting to get out as fast as possible without angering the girl so she'd turn her in, Hayii once again spoke. "Also, do you have some spare clothes I could buy?"

OOCYou just couldn't resist doing the Lion King pose, huh? (: