[The Great Bazaar]New beginings to a new life [Open]

[Shanti]

Timestamp: 30th day of Fall, 510 AV The Great Bazaar

Shanti closed the wooden door to her small apartment behind her, the silver key creating a soft click as the bolt locked in place. It was depressing to stay in her small apartment, there were no windows, and unless she had a candle lit it was dark all the time. Even in the day. Tossing the key into her bag, she made her way down the hallway of apartments. She knew none of her neighbors, but she never made it a point to meet them. Her heart sunk as she thought things over; she was lonely. No matter how much she tried to fight it, her Kelvic personality craved companionship and to follow orders without question. Shanti sighed and pulled her blonde hair behind her shoulders. She was wearing her favorite dress, a dark emerald green dress that shifted from black to green when it hit the light. It was an expensive dress, when she had first bought it, but now it was practically worthless. It was worn, the hem was starting to unravel, and there were small stains dotting the dress in strange places, though they weren't noticeable unless you were examining the dress from up close. She also wore her shoes, the same ones sandals she wore all the way to Syliras from her home in Alvadas. They were getting thinner by the day. Her long, tanned fingers fished around in her leather bag in search for her gold coins. Relief washed over her as a finger brushed over the cool metal. She had only brought ten with her. They, themselves, were wrapped in a cloth coin purse to keep the jingling noise down, but the thin material did nothing to keep the coolness of the gold from entering her finger. She was headed to the Bazaar, her only intent being to purchase some new shoes, and maybe a few candles. Candles were being used up quick, in her dark apartment, since she was too poor to afford something with a window. Finally, she had made it to the Bazaar. It was crowded, and the voices joined together until they were a low roar in her ears. Beggars, merchants, knights, and common folk all filled the space. It was more crowded than she had thought it would be. She licked her lips, apprehension flowed through her body. I still have some candles left, I don't need new sandals yet, they still cover my feet, and I have plenty of candles to last me 'till tomorrow. Maybe longer. But... Shanti sighed. She needed to do this now. There was no avoiding it; she couldn't keep running away from people anymore. With nervous, small steps, Shanti entered the Bazaar.

[Guido Faragas]

Worthless. Guido Faragas scowled as he examined the tiny piece of rough pottery that lay on the palm of one hand. The small sack that he was gripping tightly in his other hand contained several similar pieces – all parts of the same jar. He had found the shards in a muddy dig in the forest the previous day. The site had appeared promising with clear signs of early habitation and the first pottery finds had left him in a state of excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately, the remains of the pot were all that the site contained: a wasted day followed by a dour trudge back to the city with his silent father. Even so, he had hoped that he might sell the pieces to a collector in the city: but they had all sneered or laughed. The pottery was common, coarse and contained no surface inscriptions – indeed, there was nothing about it to interest a serious collector. So, he had chanced the Bazzaar, where he had occasionally managed to offload similar items in the past. However, today no-one was buying. The refusals hadn’t even been polite. He might as well throw the sack in the river.

Head down, he pushed his way through the crowded bazaar. He kicked a few stones with his brown leather boots, still scuffed from the previous day’s muddy excavation. His long limbs ached – archaeology sounded glamorous but, in truth, it was back-breaking work. Muddy, dirty, damp and typically unrewarding. The odd real find and a genuine interest in history were the twin lures that kept him coming back - that and loyalty to his father.

Engrossed in his thoughts, head down in contemplation – it was scarcely surprising that Guido did not notice the woman until he was almost upon her. He just managed to pull himself up in time but lost his grip on the piece of pottery he held in one hand. His frantic grab for the falling piece failed and he slipped during his retrieval attempt, ending face down at the woman’s feet. He levered himself up from the floor, first seeing a pair of worn sandals, then the frayed hem of a dark green dress and finally, golden blond hair and tanned skin.

Guido went bright red. Given that his face was smeared with dirt and mud as a result of his fall, he must have presented a rather comical sight. “Sorry,” he stammered, his green eyes blinking rapidly. “I did not...I fell...the pot...sorry...er...hello.” A broad smile spread across the youth’s face.

OOCHope you don’t mind me dropping in here

[Shanti]

OOCLol, no it’s fine. I was hoping someone would join me. :]

Shanti's shoes made little noise as she walked through the Bazaar, but it wouldn't have mattered with the buzz of people talking all around. Her fingers clutched her bag closer to her, the thought of thieves and con men were making her re-think coming down here. Suddenly, there was a loud thump as someone fell down right before Shanti's feet. Startled, she backed up a few paces before actually looking down at whoever had fallen. It was a man, around 20 or so, with messy black hair and sharp features. While he mumbled something about a pot and being sorry, Shanti pushed her bag back behind her and fumbled with the strap nervously. "It's, ah, it's alright." She wasn't sure what to say to the man. Should she introduce herself? Should she walk away? Her eyes flickered around the area before finally resting on the man's dirty face. She pulled her blonde hair behind her shoulder, something she did when she was nervous, and spoke. "Are you alright?" She glanced over to her left once again, and spotted a Knight eyeing them cautiously. Having decided that nothing was wrong, he went back to giving someone directions.

[Guido Faragas]

The blonde woman appeared nervous – toying with her hair and glancing around the crowd as she spoke. It was hardly surprising in the circumstances, Guido reflected. After all, it probably wasn’t every day that someone fell at her feet. Although.... as he took in her golden eyes and tanned skin, he could well believe that a few probably had. She spoke pleasantly and with concern. He felt even more embarrassed – it would have almost been preferable if she had shouted at him and bid him continue on his way.

“Oh, I am fine. Nothing wrong - just a little dirt and a couple of grazes. I have had far worse in the past. Not that I usually fall over: well, not very often anyway.” The words spilt out rapidly and left him a little breathless. He brought one hand up to his face and rubbed at some of the dirt, only succeeding in smearing it over a wider area. “It is kind of you to inquire. It was entirely my fault, I am afraid. I was engrossed in this...er...piece of pot.” His hand opened to reveal the piece of plain pot. It didn’t look like something anyone would be engrossed in, he reflected silently. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him to save any further embarrassment.

“It is an interesting piece,” he continued, digging himself further into the hole he was knee deep in. “It is of great historical interest. I found it on one of my digs – I am an archaeologist. Guido Faragas at your service.” He gave a polite bow and beamed the woman a wide, disarming smile.

[Naledi]

There were so very many people.
The girl slunk into the Bazaar. It was crowded and she began to feel claustrophobic. The ceiling seemed out-of-place in such an enormous area and suddenly she longed to see sky. But she had come here for a reason and a determination gripped her weak mind.
Skylar, her master, wanted her to wear clothes.
The girl looked this way and that, seeking a stall selling cloth or material. Her eyes slid over everything else - spices, intricately carved wooden ornaments, bread that made her mouth water with hunger (she hadn't eaten in a while). At last she spotted a stall laden with material of every texture and hue her dusty imagination could dream of. They were beautiful - cobalt, scarlet, mustard, olive, beige, gold, silver. Transfixed, she stood in front of the stall until the peddler asked impatiently, "Are you looking to buy something, Kelvic?"

Said Kelvic blinked a few times, reality coming back to her. "How much for a piece that's... um... four by two metres?" she asked quietly.

The peddler laughed, but not unkindly. "More than you can afford, I'm afraid," he said gently, and turned to another customer.

It was true. The girl had no money at all. She cursed herself for coming here anyway. Why did she leave Skylar...?

She turned and started back the way she'd come, jostled by the throng of people. She could smell food from across the Bazaar and sweat and the general scent of a crowd. She wanted to morph so badly... but Skylar had forbidden it, and Skylar's word was law. Just the thought of her Master made a rush of affection flood through her. She'd be seeing Skylar soon.

She had to stop suddenly as the man in front of her dropped something and stopped to pick it up. Stepping around him, her eyes travelled up to the woman in front of him. She stopped again, frozen.

This woman is a Kelvic, she thought. She'd seen other Kelvics around, but no other feline Kelvics. Studying the woman, she noticed her beauty, the way she held herself. She wondered if the woman periodically changed into whatever her cat form was. The girl missed being a cat.

She stood nearby, staring, lost in nostalgic thought.

[Avner]

OOC: fine, i just won't post.

[Dusk]

Moderator's Note: Avner, i've sent you a note regarding your character sheet. Also, this post is inappropriate for this thread and has nothing to do with what's going on or involves any of the characters in it. This post should be either heavily edited, or deleted. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

[Guido Faragas]

The blonde woman was silent. Guido felt a little uncomfortable, not wishing to say more until he was spoken to. He glanced around the busy bazaar, still holding the piece of pot in his hand and he was suddenly aware that someone else was standing close by, also staring at the blonde woman. The new arrival was a slim dark-skinned woman with reddish-brown hair and startling amber eyes. She was silent, her eyes focused on the golden-eyed woman.

Guido gave a brief nod to Naledi, in an attempt to attract her attention. “Greetings, can I help you?”

[Naledi]

The girl gave a start as she was addressed, muscles tensing, eyes feral. She was unsure what to say for a second before she remembered that generally it was acceptable to answer questions politely. She glanced at the dark-haired man, tearing her gaze and her thoughts from the woman, and tried to answer. More than ever now her thoughts were feline.

"Um, no, that's okay," she said meekly. "I didn't mean to stare."

[Guido Faragas]

Guido couldn’t help but stare at the girl’s eyes. It wasn't just their amber colour but the size of the eyes that was highly unusual. His own emerald globes often attracted comments but their glow was nothing compared to the orbs of the new arrival. Intriguing.

“Are you looking for something in the bazaar?” He inquired in a polite voice. “It is a huge place and easy to get lost. I come here quite regularly, so I may be able to help if you are looking for something in particular.” He continued to finger the pot in his hand, absent-mindedly tracing its edge with one finger.

“My name is Guido. Guido Faragas. I deal with...” He glanced at the pot in his hand. “Antiquities. Historical artefacts and the like.”