Open Don't Ask What's In The Soup And You'll Be Fine...

[Kitchi]

The faint bitterness in the young girls voice surprised Kitchi and for a moment it lingered on her face before her attention turned back to the newcomer. The conversation continued around her and she partially listened to the way Kanri spoke about the language, the pride and certainty that resided in every Inarta when they spoke. The words started to tumble forwards as they were described in the other tongue. Kitchi however started to pay attention to the newcomer, he was unusual and it fascinated her. She noted how unkempt he kept himself, stubble scruffy and long ashen hair. Indeed down to the clothes there seemed a feeling of comfort over aesthetics. He wore loose, dully colored clothes with little decoration and Kitchi found herself comparing it to the more elegant clothes the Inartan wear, with beads and glass woven into the fabric. Admittedly her style was more practice then the elegance that most inartian’s wore but it was nowhere near as plain as the newcomer’s clothes and of a much softer fabric, did he have nothing to change into? Kitchi tossed the idea around in her head, she was used to having indoor and outdoor clothes but perhaps his traveling had prevented that? Had he travelled for long? Her eyes finally fell upon the pattern dancing across her left arm, she didn’t recognise it but tattoos were not uncommon.
"So, this would be feather biscuit?" String queried as he pointed towards one of the bowls, it was an obvious mistake but Kitchi remained silent as she watched the bowl spin slightly. Kanri seemed happy to take the lead in teaching and Kitchi was in no rush to interrupt, besides she would probably mess it up she reasoned. "The language of the Isur can be difficult to speak... it is often uncomfortable to converse in." this puzzled Kitchi, she knew new languages were always difficult but was this language special? Something which separated it into a league of its own? The stranger had certainly picked up some words of Nari easily, was it due to the comparative ease to his own language? Or some previous learning? Kitchi almost froze as she realised what she had missed, he had called it an Isur language, he was an Isur? The race was still unfamiliar to her and little information jumped to mind as she considered the name but she logged it for future use with a reminded to research them.
"Broth circle... Bowl" He begun to speak again and gestured to the spinning piece.
"Flat Top... Table" He rapped the wood with his knuckles.
Strig pointed to the Inarta who were still waiting in line for their food.
"Outsiders... Inarta." The words were almost rough to the ears and Kitchi attempted to recite them into memory. He was right, the sounds were very different to Nari words.
Kitchi pondered her explanation for joining, although she found the conversation interesting, after all it wasn’t every day that she conversed in Common, she had very little by way of contribution to the conversation.

[Enria]

Enria slumped into the dinner queue, her stomach growling in wild protest. She had been walking in the Bay earlier and had forgotten to take anything with her. Out the corner of her eye she noticed a strange looking man who didn’t seem from around here point at the queue she was standing in and say something. A part of her was interested at what he said but her thoughts on the matter were interrupted by another rumble of her stomach.

Enria turned her attention back to the queue. The queue seemed long which irked Enria’s patience. On her walk back from the Bay she had been imagining the broth and how mouth watering it would taste to her lips. Enria loved food and how you could take such raw ingredients and mix it to create something new and refreshing. It was just a shame Enria never learnt to cook properly, as she had the feeling she would enjoy it. All this thought of food made her hunger more pressing.

But it was not just the thoughts of food on her walk back from the Bay that plagued her mind. It was here standing in the queue for her food, what Enria thought was a neverending queue, that her craving for food seemed to intensify. The assault on her nose with the smells of the warm broth wafting around her. Her eyes almost widened like a child in a sweet shop. The queue shifted more but not enough to Enria’s liking. She began distracting herself by twirling her hair or loosing braiding a few strands.

Once she collected her food from the service hatch and began scouring the place for somewhere to eat. The place was littered with people chattering away like a congregation of birds on a bird feeder. Enria’s head moved from side to side searching for somewhere to sit. Her eyes landed back on the stranger and for the first time, Enria realised that two Inartas had gathered around him. One face she did recognise was Kitchi.

Enria stood awkwardly trying to decide whether she should interrupt the conversation with her presence. She sighed and began slowly walking towards the group. She balanced the tray on her right hand before she tapped her friend’s shoulder with her left.

[Kanri]

Kanri noticed another Inarta who had flocked to the table. The foreigner was drawing a lot of attention to himself. It was sort of funny. She nodded to the other woman as she sat down and turned her attention back.

The words of he was using, the Isur language, were long and slower indeed. She listened carefully and tried to mimic him, but felt like she was only going to evoke laughter. She tried anyway. It didn't sound right, even with her own ears. She thought she might be putting stress on the wrong syllable. Or saying everything with too shrill of a voice. Or just generally saying it wrong…She laughed a little at herself. She wasn’t expecting too much anyway.

“Do you know any pronunciation pointers for me?” Kanri asked Strig.

“I’m Kanri, by the way,” Kanri introduced herself to the new person briefly. She briefly caught up the woman sitting down. “We’re discussing the differences between our languages.”

This man, Strig, was drawing quite a few admirers. If she went somewhere else, Kanri hoped she wouldn’t draw so much attention. Maybe she could pass for being a normal human and then people wouldn’t ask her questions. Not that she didn’t love talking to people. But getting conversations started sometimes was awkward. And having a bunch of people crowd around her would be a bit terrifying. What if they got mad and attacked her? She realized she was making a big deal out of nothing. Overactive imagination, everyone called it. The likelihood of her leaving Wind Reach was slim. Maybe someday though…

“So, what brings you here, to this city? I have never met anyone… quite like you. Especially with your weird, I mean, different arm,” Kanri asked Strig then. “I mean, we get visitors all the time and all of them have really incredible backstories. It just gets you thinking about where they might have been and done and why they traveled to this particular city next.”

[Enria]

Enria regarded Kitchi for a moment and smiled; before turning her smile to the rest of the small group. A young girl, with neck-length dark red hair and a strangle twinkle in her hazel green eyes, gave her a polite nod which Enria took as a sign that she could sit and join in with the conversation. Sliding herself delicately into the seat beside Kitchi, she tried to tune into the conversation. It wasn’t long before the young girl addressed her again.

“I’m Kanri, by the way. We’re discussing the differences between our languages.”

A warm and genuine smile played on Enria’s lips once more; it was a thoughtful gesture that Kanri would think of catching her up. Especially since Enria had turned up late to the party.

“Hi Kanri, my name is Enria.” Enria offered in common; she thought it polite in case the stranger didn’t speak Nari.

After, her little introduction to the group Enria followed Kanri’s attention, until her eyes lay upon a set of cold blue eyes that almost reminded her of the sky. His eyes shadowed as if he hadn’t slept in a long time, but his eyes seemed to have this intense energy like waves of a river in a storm. Enria raked her eyes over him, noticing the markings that adorned his left arm. It was only then that Enria wondered where he could have come from. She hadn’t heard of much beyond Wind Reach, though she was aware that there were places that existed beyond her nest. Kanri spoke once more, scattering Enria’s thought which flocked like birds to the sky.

“So, what brings you here, to this city? I have never met anyone… quite like you. Especially with your weird, I mean, different arm,” Kanri addressed him. “I mean, we get visitors all the time and all of them have really incredible backstories. It just gets you thinking about where they might have been and done and why they travelled to this particular city next.”

Kanri seemed to be asking all the questions, Enria didn’t know she seeked. But once the words had graced the air, she couldn’t help but long for the answer. Though, she thought that his arm was not different nor weird but intriguing like it held long awaited clues to a story that Enria hoped to hear. Enria waited patiently for an answer, her attention seemed entranced by the stranger; much like everyone else at the table, she seemed to be one of three engrossed in what he had to say.

[Strig]

OOCSorry about the delay guys :’) Strig noticed another Inarta approach the table, he was beginning to draw attention to himself now, he could feel the backward glances of other Inarta at their tables, and could feel a twist of resentment off more than one of them. Strig suppressed a shudder. The Inarta who sat down was attractive, with rich red hair tumbling besides her pale face, she moved with a quiet and free confidence… he cast his eyes down before he could be accused of staring. The girl Kanri introduced herself but seemed a little intimidated as well, perhaps she wasn’t as used to all of this company… A part of him wondered how she would fare away from home, but he wasn’t able to afford the thought too much time as Kanri had asked him another question. “You need to remember that Isuran is a clear language, if you cannot make whatever you say simple and easy to understand, then don’t bother to say it at all… most foreigners make the mistake of complicating things that they say.. but the important thing is to be brisk… brisk and clear.” She spoke a little fast and he couldn’t catch all of the words, but the meaning was clear enough ’What brings you’re here?’ What indeed? Strig mused. With a smile, the Inarta pulled his sleeve back and revealed his left arm. It looked as if it was carved from gemstone, although he knew that no mortal tool could ever dent the material. Even in the relative darkness of the eating hall, candle light shimmered on the edges, a rich crimson light reflecting onto his face. Noting the expressions on the others faces, he reached to pick up his wooden and bowl and pressed his thumb firmly against the edge. When a pulled it away, a deep spiralled fingerprint was on the wood, so finely dented that it appeared to have been there when it was first made. The subject of why he left Sultros wasn't one that he wanted to explore, at least not to three people he had only just met... so Strig tried to divert the conversation slightly. “I came here with another Inartan to study archery” he said simply, frowning, it wasn't precisely the truth, but it certainly wasn't a lie either. “It’s a skill that I heard your people excelled at.. if possible I’d like to bring what I’ll learn back to my people someday... Strig looked at Kanri and shrugged, “If you ever decide to let yourself leave here… Sultros is an easy place to get to if you know the way… just travel across the eastern sea to where people speak common- the Devali… then go south until they speak something else… look for the tall mountains and the ruined stone roads…” He smiled and looked at each of them at the table, unable to shift the idea that he was being a little rude. Looking at the other two girls, his smiled faltered. “Forgive me” he coughed, extending both of his arms, one hand to each of them. “I didn’t catch your names? Are you two from Wind Reach as well?”

[Kanri]

As Strig answered her question, Kanri immediately began to doubt having a future with speaking Isurian. A clear language? Where you didn't bother saying extra things you did not really need to say? That sounded rather boring. Kanri was much like a songbird that could just twitter away for hours without much thought to what she was talking about. Although, that probably wasn’t something to be proud of. In fact, most of the time, she worried she would chase people off with her chattering, and frankly didn’t care.

Then, at her beckoning, he pulled back his left sleeve and held out his arm to shine in the torchlight. The light bounced off of it but also went through it, like it held its own inner fire. And it was blood red, like the color of a sunset through the smoke of a forest fire. It was beautiful and strange. Then, strong as the rock itself or even more so, he left a thumb print in his wooden bowl. Kanri's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"Wow... look at that..." Kanri whispered, in awe. What if she could mold her glass like that? An ability like that would make her life infinitely better and people would respect her from everywhere! It'd be so cool!

He went on to explain that he had come to the city with another Inarta to study archery. But if he had been with another Inarta to start with, then couldn't that Inarta have taught him? Maybe they had been only half-decent at it, in comparison to most Inarta. That would make sense. They'd be just like Kanri, in that regard. Poor guy looks like he got abandoned by the Inarta too.

The man began to talk to the other Inartan women then and Kanri relaxed and sat and listened. She didn't mind letting other people talk... sometimes...

[Enria]

“You need to remember that Isuran is a clear language, if you cannot make whatever you say simple and easy to understand, then don’t bother to say it at all… most foreigners make the mistake of complicating things that they say.. but the important thing is to be brisk… brisk and clear.”

Enria tilted her head to the side, so the stranger was an Isur. She’d heard tid bits about the Isurs but had never come across one, until now. She continued to listen to his information, finding her interest growing even more. But it was when he pulled his sleeve to reveal something so intricate but powerful like a fire trapped in solid glass, its light and beauty matched that of any rare gem, Enria’s eyes lit up. She eyes never faltering as she watched as he picked up his bowl and placed his thumb along its edge; as he pulled away, it revealed a small indent of a fingerprint that looked like it had always been there. Enria let out an astonished gasp, her fingers reached out ready to trace the mark he left. But she stopped herself just short of the bowl and retreated her hand to her side, offering a small apologetic smile to him.

Enria had learnt that he had come, with a fellow Inarta, to study archery; her ears pricking up at the mere mention of the word archery. Her mind wondering about how good an archer this man was; but there was something else that caused her mind to wonder about the man sitting at the table. He seemed to have something a little odd about him, like his eyes seemed to be battling with a storm of its own. Enria felt sure he was hiding something. After all, where was the Inarta, who came with him, now? And if he had been abandoned by the Inarta, why? Enria bit her tongue; it was not her business to intrude into something he clearly did not wish to talk about.

He turned to Kanri and offered her simple directions to Sultros. As he described the way, Enria could almost picture the journey and her heart started soaring with the idea of leaving her nest. A part of her longed to see what he had described and experience it first-hand but another part of her warned her of the dangers that lie beyond Wind Reach – she was not ready to leave, especially not on her own. Though it was food for thought, perhaps one day she would fly away somewhere.

He then turned his attention to her and Kitchi, offering a hesitant smile and Enria offered a warm smile back to him.

“Forgive me” He spoke and extended a hand each to both her and Kitchi. Enria took his hand and shook lightly before letting her hand fall from his; she was unsure what the typical custom was when introducing yourself. “I didn’t catch your names? Are you two from Wind Reach as well?”

“I’m Enria and this is my good friend Kitchi, we’re both from Wind Reach.” She offered, once more in common,while gesturing a hand toward her friend. “I’m sorry, you are?” Enria raised her eyebrows, she was intrigued to learn more about him but first things first, she’d settle for his name.

[Strig]

The women appeared amazed with Strig’s arm, or rather what he could do with it. Even though it was his intention to impress, it still struck him as strange just how extraordinary it seemed to them. Any child in Sultros could have done what he did. A part of him wondered what they would be like outside the safety of Wind Reach, how they would react to the many strange things that the continent had to offer… He could see Kanri’s smile falter when he described the Isur language to her… something told him that it wasn’t quite what she was expecting. The other women were named Enria and Kitchi, however Enria seemed far more interested in what he was doing. He could still see the fear in their eyes, or was it excitement? The wild lands outside of the cities could instill either in someone, sometimes they couldn’t even be told apart. ““I’m sorry, you are?” Strig just realized he was just asked a question. He took a moment longer then he probably should have, his eyes glazing over the round bowl that now bore his thumbprint. Titles and names were meaningless here, it would take more than a night to explain the political complexities of Isur life, longer still to explain his Clan’s role in it… The Sultros Clan.. the true leaders of the Isur people. “I’m… Strig.” He finally said. “Just Strig.” The conversation was beginning to make him feel nervous, and he could feel a yawn building up in his chest. It’s far better to leave while you are among friends than overstay your welcome and be kicked out. Strig stood up abruptly, bowing deeply to all of them. “I beg your pardons, Inartan ladies, but I think it best if I retire for the night.” He looked at each of them with a polite smile. ”It was a pleasure to have conversation this night.” Turning around, he left the overwhelming din of the hall, carefully rewrapping his gemstone arm before arriving to the door. With one last look behind him, Strig opened the door and vanished into the dark.

[Enria]

Enria looked at him, silently and patiently waiting for an answer. He gazed at his bowl which could now be identified by his thumbprint. She silently wondered if she would ever be able to recognise the bowl again. The conversation had seemed to hit a lull; had she asked a sore subject? She couldn’t see why, after all a name is just a name.

“I’m… Strig.” He answered. “Just Strig.”

Enria thought it was an unusual name but he was an unusual man. She caught his eyes again and she felt herself wanting to ask if he was okay. He looked exhausted. But before she could voice her concerns to him, he stood up and bowed to them. Her brow furrowed with confusion. It seemed he was leaving but why? Had she upset him? And what was with him bowing to them? No one in Wind Reach bowed to each other; unless you were a performer who bows after amazing an audience. Enria felt a flutter of nerves as she began to worry whether she had driven him away; was it something she said or were there just too many people and he couldn’t cope? Strig smiled as he spared a look for each of them. Though Enria thought it felt a little forced out of politeness, it could just be that he was too tired to give a genuine smile but Enria still felt unsure.

“I beg your pardons, Inartan ladies, but I think it best if I retire for the night.”

Enria felt relief wash over her as he silenced the questions running around her head. It seems he was tired after all so it was nothing she said or did. He was most likely tired after travelling to Wind Reach.

”It was a pleasure to have conversation this night.”

Enria smiled and said goodbye, though she was unsure he heard her. A part of her still felt like she was missing something; perhaps missing the chance to have learnt more about him and the Isurian culture. She smiled to Kanri and Kitchi and turned back to her meal, trying to make sense of her short interaction with him.

She turned to face her friend who had also return to her meal and whispered, “Do you think it was something I said?”

Enria wasn’t sure if she meant it as a joke or if she really did seek reassurance over his abrupt exit. She decided it was meant as a joke to lighten the mood and keep up conversation. She turned to Kanri and felt a small pang of guilt for having ignored her and focused on Strig. She brushed it off; they were all focused on him.

“So Kanri, what do you do?” Enria asked the first thing that came to mind. She looked at her friend Kitchi who had fallen quiet. Enria gave her a small nudge with her elbow to encourage her back into the conversation and out of whatever daydream she appeared to be in.

[Kitchi]

Kitchi waved goodbye to the strangers sudden exit, remaining silent as she had for much of the brief conversation. The next thing she noticed was Enria's elbows digging into her side and she glanced at her uncertainly. Kitchi had been very out this conversation and she was not entirely sure what she had wrapped herself into inside her own mind.
“Good question." She twisted her eyes towards Kanria "Kanria, I've seen you around but I don’t' think we've spoke yet” Kitchi smiled at the small redhead. The girls hair was unusually dark, almost seeming to have splatters of brown in the artificial light that surrounded them in the noisy room. Kitchi wondered if Kanri was proud of the darkness of her hair or if it irked her not having the vivid red that was expected of the Inarta. Kitchi's blue eyes cast around the room again, Strig seemed to have completely dissapeared from the room, should she follow his actions? It had been usually sudden however Kitchi hadn't really been fully aware of the conversation around her so it would be less unusual for her to depart. Another part of her argued to remain, she felt bad for having invaded Kanri's conversation with Strig although not entirely sure why, Strig did not seem particularly bothered by their arrival and the language barrier interested, did it Strig? Was he just bored of speaking Nari? Kitchi shrugged turning her attention back into the conversation once more.