2017-12-10: Sales Upon Sales

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=====================<* November City - Market Street *>======================

November City is the greatest and the largest of the Seed Cities. When it appeared after the Night of Falling Stars, it was already a large settlement, built by the survivors of that day quickly. It has since grown enormously, appealing to people in the Badlands in search of some security and the refugees from failed and lost Seed Cities. Market Street, its main thoroughfare, demonstrates this. On the outskirts of the city, shantytowns and shacks pop up along the street, gradually becoming the larger buildings in the heart of November.

The street is named for the huge market that has sprung up across it, occupying the three and four story brick buildings along each side. It's a wide, paved road (a rare thing in the Badlands) and connected to Central Station, where all of the railways come. Here, one can find anything they want. The laissez-faire nature of November City's government makes the black market an open one, and this is one of the few places where ARMs and stolen goods from Aveh and Kislev can be bought with ease.

There are also saloons, taverns, restaurants, and hotels to be found. November City is a true melting pot, where Drifters from across Filgaia mix with foreign merchants and locals of every class. Men wearing suits brush by peasants in homespun, while Drifters and knights bump into each other. The police force usually prevents outright gunfights in the streets, but November City's officials are infamously easy to bribe.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFi2pwQRRzQ
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

The Caravan Kinship's grand opening had been spectacular. It had brought a lot of business in, and was a good way to connect to the people. It had been a while since their last big event, however, and Jacqueline decided it was time to change that - with things as they'd been these days, she needed something to cheer her up. The bounty on her head was something she couldn't ignore, of course...but if she was going to let it stop her from doing what she wanted, and from making the world a better place, then she might as well go ahead and turn herself in.

They were back in the same square the Grand Opening had been held in. It was a familiar location with plenty of room for the Carakin - the Caravan Kinship's large, wheeled vehicle that served as a mobile living quarter sand storefront - and everyone's stalls, making it a good place to set up. Seeking to outdo her own efforts, the area had been decorated in a manner perhaps more fantastic than last time with bright, energetic decorations.

Before anyone gets too concerned, Jacqueline had everything okayed beforehand. None of her signature gaudy color combinations here, much to her chagrin.

Still, everything looked great. It was sure to attract attention, if the advertisements she had spread around town hadn't already. Who could resist the irresistable pull of sales? If there was one thing she knew about Drifters...and people in general, really, it was that they were always looking for opportunities to save money.

The Carakin was in proper advertising form, with its shelves folded out and bearing a veritable rainbow of potions and other miscellaneous wares, and everyone's stalls were arranged in a circle in front of it, around a series of tables that had been set up for people to sit down and eat whatever food items they had purchased.

While, of course, being surrounded by the sight of all the wonderful products on display. It was an ingenious idea.

Jacqueline can be found near the Carakin itself, arranging and replacing some potions on its shelves. From the look on her face, she's having a good time...

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Catenna has been kicking herself all day for not being able to get down to Riesenlied's aquifer soon enough to be able to help save the statue of Schturdark. She should've known better to be distracted.



        YESTERDAY EVENING

"Cucco, you complete me!!" Catenna gushes as she hugs the fluffy white globe of bird close. Several more of them flock around her in a loose cuccoon.

Underground, her friends are fighting for the fate of Filgaia.



        TODAY

I should've been stronger, Catenna reflects. Even if Cucco is very fluffy...!

Worrying about it will do her no good, however. All she can do is look forward, and concentrate on her work. That work has brought her to the kitchen, today. Behind her, several pots stew cheerily away, a couple of clay pot-like ovens giving off slow whisps of smoke and steam. The smells radiating from behind the kitchen counter are vibrant, aromatic and layered with complex spices, the likes of which never appear in the cuisine of Ignas.

This is something else, and the menu confirms it, hung as it is beside Catenna herself as the woman takes up station at the serving counter with a smile.



                              CaraKin's Kitchen!

        Today's Specials:

        1. Zortroan lamb rogan josh, served with cauliflower rice

        2. Spicy chickpea chana masala served over jasmine rice
                        [No Animal Products!]

        3. Tandoori cucco with tomato-cucumber raita

                   Tiffin available for your takeaway needs



<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

        For once, Lunata isn't hosting in the open food patio of the CaraKin, in part because she's been terribly under the weather as of a few days ago. The already pale girl with the pale-white hair is looking a little blue in the face, as she seats by Jacqueline's side bundled up in a blanket, despite the desert heat.

        "Hmmnf... I'm so glad you two came back safe..." whispers Lunata.

        ...

        Curiously, Ge Ramda is cuddled up in a cocoon-like sleeping bag next to her, with a big bag of compress and a thermometer sticking out of its mouth.

        Liches get sick too?

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin is trying something new. With the puppies probably attracting a lot of kids...Kourin has decided to help them. She's making snowballs (safe, soft snowballs!) for the kids to play with. Maybe a snowman!

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.

There is another set of bright and rich colors among the booths, of course--the sorts of colors that come in the many combinations of soft petals on numerous flowers. Kaguya's flowerbeds are arranged to great effect on a table, with work gone in to make elevation vary, to show off combinations to best effect. Prominently placed of course are orange blossoms with many long petals, stretching to curve back towards the stem, but near them are also brown-petalled blossoms, beautiful even through drab colors--though they have deep, sharp thorns. Near that, too, are yellow flowers, springs of petals that bunch up with thin stems. THen there are blue petals that spiral out from the centr stem, unfolded in bloom... with even wickeder thorns.

Around them are a few more; pale green blossoms here, and deep red there. All of them are quite exotic, unfamiliar surely to almost any in Ignas because until Kaguya came, they didn't ever grow here. There's a dizzying variety... And ironically for a stand with so much life, the one tending it is a thin, pale girl who wears illness on her sleeve, as if all the life that isn't in her has gone into her flowers. ...She's also dressed in long sleeves, loose somewaht baggy attire, with sturdy boots. Pale green is her top, lighter tans her pants, and she has blonde hair. ...Also, of course, pointed ears and very pointed canines. She might be a Beastwoman.

But she's sitting here with her flowers, flipping through a book as she stays in her chair. She is obviously not walking around because duh.

...She has also--despite her sympathy for the girl--been rather avoiding a certain Lunie. She doesn't want to catch whatever she and Ge Ramda have. Can ghosts be contagious??? Regardless, the mysterious Kaguya, her clothes reminiscent to those who know to look of Elru, waits.

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

        Similarly, Shalune isn't actually manning her store today, too injured and tired out from the antics of Wayside to really have the werewithal to perform any significant amount of commerce. Not that it really matters in the end - Big Shal, acting as part of her stall's stands with several rows of merchandise folded out of its chest, appears to be as good a guard and shopkeep as you could ever ask, and the array of odd components and gadgets whirr and clunk as they're ever so carefully set out by the golem.

        The pink-haired mechanic is wearing her hat, ringed with bandages peeking out of the bottom of it, and a wan but undefeated smile on her face. She's left her coat off - the poor thing is a little too ripped, and sorely in need of repairs - but has a thick and comfortable sweater in a vibrant mix of yellows and reds, with more bandages on one arm peeking over the back of her hand.

        Right at this moment, she's cuddled in a drape over Lunata's shoulders, absolutely not caring about the thought of picking up whatever illness the waitress has. "Hee... we didn't succeed, I guess, but we're safe," she affirms at the same time Lunata says it, watching the alchemist bustle a little. "... you shoulda seen Jay. This big gribbly thing popped up and she just sorta went for it, full bore. Our daughter's growin' up courageous, Lunie," she sing-songs lazily.



        ... wait, there are a lot of problems with that statement she just made...

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

         Yesterday was a pretty awful day for Arleph Ardan and the general continuation of the planet. LET'S HAVE A SALE!
 
         While not, strictly, being part of the Carakin group, Aleph have deals with the group. Adverts, deals for some raw materials as well as distribution. This, of course, means that he should be here.
 
         With a ... a... sale. The word tastes funny in his mouth.
 
         So Arleph Ardan, beneath a wide banner proudly declaring: 'DOCTOR ARLEPH ARDAN'S WHOLESOME SYMBOLOGICAL GOODS' brandished above him, flashing lights around the letters and a table filled with such numberous boxes, bottles, folded sets of clothing by one side. They have colorfull stickers on them, declaring several precentages off!!
 
         It's too bad that Arleph himself, currently, is a tall man covered in bandages, covering half of his face in them, with is usual big hat, long coat over a corner of the establishment.
 
         Jay insisted to not take the mysterious corner of the area. Arleph think that robs half of the mystique of selling symbological items.

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        While the merchants of the Caravan Kinship go about their businesses, Ethius - pointedly not a merchant - seems to be left to his own devices milling about the crowds of November City attending the event. The sting of Malfi's blade against his side continues to sting every so often, but he hardly lets it stop him from continuing to make his rounds. His fellow travelers appear to be enjoying themselves in this situation to the fullest. Their minds seem about as furthest as possible from the struggles for Filgaia and the threats that surround this world.
        Ethius does not seem keen to allow himself much in the way of respite. The man never seems intent to relax. Can he even smile? With the lower half of his face hidden under that yellow bandanna as always, he continues along his way.
        Up and down the crowds he walks, but he cannot help but feel overwhelmed. Shyness? No, that's not it. It's always like this... here. Here in November City? No, everywhere that he can remember upon this dust ball of a continent. Whatever it is, he can't rest. Everything keeps grabbing his eyes. Everyone does, in some form or another.
        What is he out here, among people he seems to scarce actually belong alongside, seeking? Maybe that's just not important right now.

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

"Whoooooooa..."

Carina lives for events like these. Not sales, necessarily, but hang up enough colored lights and it's a party, you know? She'd missed the grand opening (SOMEONE had to man the store counter back home, grumble grumble) but here she is, to SET RIGHT WHAT ONCE WENT WRONG.

Yeah!!

Speaking of yeah, before the ponytailed young woman can get very far into the dazzling array of prices and values, she is unconsciously guided towards something by a mysterious force. What is that something? Destiny, perhaps?

"Oh mannnnnnn, destiny smells delicious," she says out loud, not making any freaking sense as she leans forward towards the savory offerings, fists clenched and mouth watering. This isn't one of the greatest days of her life just yet, but it's already in the running!

"They all look so good, what do you recommend?" she finally asks. And then, shamelessly: "I don't think I can pronounce any of those names, either..."

Carina Wynne
Carina stands at an above-average height for a woman in her early twenties. Her build is slim and fit but not particularly muscular, aside from definition in her arms if one looks closely. She holds up her bright blonde hair in an impressive waist-length ponytail, though strands of hair keep sticking out despite obvious efforts.

Carina's favorite non-work-related outfits involve dressing light for the Badlands heat with a combo of a midriff-baring sleeveless shirt, some scrappy denim shorts and a multi-pocketed long vest. Tools can be found within, along with the occasional emergency snack. If one looks carefully, a holstered revolver can be glimpsed on her hip, beneath the vest. She completes the look with some plain but sturdy-looking boots, along with matching brass bracelets on each wrist.

Her face and overall body language are both very expressive. They default to friendly and open, but are easily swayed by dramatic events and occasionally even undramatic ones.

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

On the one hand, Matilda had been considering helping out with the food since Lunata is apparently quite ill; on the other... she's been in a holding pattern recently and can't really afford to skip out on the large potential payday of a CaraKin event. She's set up next to the mysterious 'beastwoman'(?) with her flowers, her stall holding all manner of compounds, potions, and extracts.

The compounder has added to her wardrobe today as well! Though she tends to favor blacks, whites, greens, and deep blues, today she's added a bright red scarf to her ensemble, wrapped loosely around her neck.

Looking over to Kaguya, Matilda says, "You have a very lovely spread today," softly. "I'm surprised some of these are still this lovely... in a desert so inhospitable, I'd expect much of this to have long wilted..."

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
"Ohhhh," says a woman in an expensive dress. "It's a tandoori... what... what's a raita, exactly?"

EARLIER

A pencil-necked quartermaster in the Guard asked Margaret, skeptically, "Do ALL of your plans really need a new bespoke outfit? We're not made out of Gella, you know."

"First of all," Margaret says, "shut up, and second of all, I bet I could sell you for parts, and FINALLY, yes, they do."

THAT'S WHY

Margaret is wearing an immaculately tailored winter dress which has integral corsetry in order to make her seem even more like a line drawing of a saloon dancer. It's honestly a little too much, though a lot of that is her towering elven height. Also not helping is that her current posture is not very dignified.

"I'm hypnotized. I can't continue on... ohhh, this is like when I was exposed to 'that stuff', darling, do you remember that?" Margaret says, with the air of someone belatedly remembering this. She is saying this to someone with her. "I don't suppose YOU know what we mean?" Margaret asks Catenna with a wink.

Then she leans forwards. "But seriously," she says, "I need that tandoori cucco. I need it inside me. Nnnnnnnow. How much."

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

YESTERDAY

Cyre stares at the devious cuccoon enveloping a certain brown curry mistress.

"Man," he huffs and twitches his ears dejectedly. "I'm fluffy too, you know..."

NOW

Cyre seems to be in a... Not a particularly super foul mood, but he certainly looks a little bit crestfallen. The news of the Statue of Schturdark being destroyed seems to have done a number on his good cheer. Part of him wants to blame Riesenlied for it. But then...

Well.

How the hell does he blame anyone for 'act of horrifying tentacle monster?'

Like, after Cyre had been horribly manhandled not once but TWICE by horrible tentacle monsters, it becomes sort of difficult to throw shade onto anyone in particular for failing to take one into account.

"The cucco is good," Cyre says from near Catenna's CaraKitchen. He's manning a booth that seem to be fully stocked with a variety of herbs and spices, and also sports a pair of comfortable cushions across from where he's seated. There's a sign, it reads: BASKAR SPIRITUAL CONSULTATIONS: 10 GELLA.

Cyre pauses as Margaret floats in, the siren scent of delicious curry suspending her by her nose. "Oh," he says. "It's you. Hi again."

It's the bizarrely muscular makeup lady.

He could never forget.

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

A snowball flies and BAFFS into Margaret's head. Kourin busily scolds the child that threw it, not noticing who the other woman is...

<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

        There is someone else with Margaret. That someone is White Knight Leo, who hasn't even gone to the trouble of putting on something that's not a uniform. He knows the Caravan Kinship is sheltering a deserter, but Margaret convinced him that a more subtle approach was necessary with this one. Leo seems to have rationalized it as 'beating up merchants is bad for publicity, even if they are harboring a fugitive sympathetic to the Lord of Calamity'.

        This explains what he is doing peering at the chalkboard menu, dangerously oblivious to the imminent threat of whatever disease felled a lich. "What is a tandoori?" Leo says. It sounds strange. "And is a cucco a chicken that is less likely to kill its own kind, and more likely to kill a person?"

        Leo grew up on a farm. His parents had chickens. He knows there are rules which must be followed to keep the feathered jerks happy, content, and well-behaved. He also seems puzzled by Margaret's infatuation with this mystery dish, but Margaret is a strange individual.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Welcome to our kitchen," Catenna says with a polite smile and a nod as Carina gravitates towards the culinary services window. The priestess-chef briefly adjusts the front of the white apron she's wearing over her elegant Zortroan dress. Even the apron has a pattern of crisscrossing sashes and fastener rings about the waist.

Gesturing to the sign, she taps one of the items. "I would recommend the rogan josh. It is a dish from southern Elru, made with lamb and a very rich gravy of chilis and spices," she explains with a small dip of her head. "If you prefer not to eat meat or dairy, however, you may enjoy the chana masala - it is made with chickpeas and spices. Both of the dishes have some spice to them."

That's about when Margaret appears. Catenna blinks a couple of times at her. "...If I say 'cumin seeds,' will I be wrong?" she asks tentatively. "As for the price, it is ten gella for any of the meals here."

Nevertheless, she sets to work preparing a plate for the extremely insistent Priestess of Althena. She sets the chicken out on a plate, following with a little bowl of generously-diced chunks of cucumber and tomato in what looks like a yoghurt of some sort. "A raita is a dressing," she explains as she carries the plate over to Margaret, pouring her out a glass of a milky-looking beverage. "It cools the mouth down nicely between bites of the chicken. So will this drink - it's called lassi."

Catenna garnishes the glass with a mint leaf. "It's mint-flavoured," she says with gentle cheer.

Leo draws a pleasant enough smile from her. The Knight may be a champion of a strange god, but he's also a customer, and reputedly a man of great honour. "A tandoor is a type of oven from the part of Elru my people come from. It is sort of a clay cylinder. It smokes the food as it cooks. I am not sure I can compare a cucco to a chicken, as I have not heard of a chicken!"

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Ordinarily, Jacqueline would've preferred Lunata stay within the safety of the Carakin...but after what happened yesterday, she isn't surprised that Lunata would prefer to stay where she can keep an eye on her and Shalune.

"'Daughter'?" Jacqueline asks with a smirk, setting a bottle down onto the shelf and glancing over to Shalune. She then chuckles sheepishly to herself. "I don't know if I'd call it courage, though...honestly, I wasn't even thinking. I saw what was happening and just...ran."

She shakes her head then turns away from her shelves, taking a moment to scan the area. She looks at the turn-out with an approving nod. Her friends seemed to be doing well...

And it looks like Arleph decided to set up, too, despite his condition. She'd offered him a ride here along with some basic treatments, though whether or not he actually took her up on that is a different matter entirely.

She looks at the people gathered, and, well...

White Knight Leo and Margaret are here. Her opinion of the former was...undecided, but she was not a fan of the latter. Still...everyone was welcome with the Carakin. That was their motto, and she intended to stick to it. As long as they didn't cause any trouble, they could stay as long as they liked.

She glances toward Kourin, to see if she's noticed...and then to Lunata, who she hopes doesn't. Or at least doesn't do anything about it.

On the plus side, there's someone who isn't a member of Althena's Guard around. That's something to smile about!

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

        There's a sniffle and a gasp as Lunata wipes at her nose and covers her mouth as she sneezes and coughs. "What kind of idiot catches a cold in the desert...?" She shivers further, looking towards Catenna. "Ohh, some spicy curry sounds good right now, but I'm not sure it'd stay down..."

        She listens in on Shalune with an agog kind of face. "... a 'gribbly thing'? Ughh, I knew there was something terrible underneath that waterway after all..."

        Meanwhile, a robed young woman was looking around somewhat surreptitiously, looking nervous and skittish as she -- spots Jacqueline and walks towards her. "H-hello..."

        The voice sounds somewhat familiar, and as she peeks her hood down a little, Jay recognises her as Sibyn, one of the young Metal Demons staying in Wayside. She hasn't ever been outside before!

        "... I'm-- er--" she clears her throat, clearly anxious.

        She hands her a note.

        It seems to be a note for some medical supplies, including some frequent prescriptions that she needs for her comatose brother.

        "... Miss Riese told me to try to be... brave and come out here... to-- to-- mingle," Sibyn answers very lowly, flinching as a snowball gets thrown somewhere.

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

"Why would someone not want to eat meat or dairy?" Carina asks, appearing genuinely new to the concept, "I mean, they're delicious!"

She had until then was mostly absorbed by taking in the delicious delights before her, but now notices Margaret and Leo. The blonde's eyes go wide because they look, huuuh, impressive would probably be a good and polite word.

The Beastman nearby recommends chicken. Carina's head turns and her eyes linger on the spiritual consultations sign. "Hey, is spiritual consultation sorta like fortune telling? There's something I wanna know. Hold on just a sec!"

Catenna is happy to explain her strange cuisine and the ovens related to it. "This is so cool!" Carina says with a big grin. She likely has already forgotten the details.

"Okay, I'll take the Josh Rogen, then!" she decides, pumping a fist.

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
Margaret doesn't look at Cyre as she says, flatly, "Hi." A snowball hits her hair, sticking flakes in the black tresses. Margaret's head snaps around and she stares at --

The child.

She smiles at the child, a little weakly. Then her eyes spot Kourin and the smile dies.

"I love cumin," Margaret tells Catenna, immediately smacking down two five-gella coins with a clang! Her lips purse as she settles down, raising up a fork and sticking it into the meat immediately. She slices a bit out as Catenna pours, saying as she does, "This is really just astonishing. Mmmghph-"

Into her mouth it goes. Her eyes roll back and she shivers for reasons unrelated to any chill in the air. "Ofhg bff ffh goddefh" she moans.

After swallowing, she breathes flame for a moment. Not (quite) literally. "I think they're a different breed. The Ignas cucco is bustier than the chickens you'd know, darling."

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin watches Margaret spot her. Kourin closes her eyes, and rises up, shooing the child to go back to playing. She's spotted Leo, now, as well, and the bottom feels like it's falling out of her world.

She doesn't move. She stands stock still, breathing deeply.

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.

...The book's pretty interesting, but when Matilda starts talking to her Kaguya looks away from it. She doesn't even look back as she slips her bookmark into place and closes it. The book goes right onto her table behind a display--obscuring its title--and her attention stays on Matilda. She smiles at her. "...Glad you like them," she says, mixing bravado and shyness in pretty good combination. "It's definitely work. In these conditions, I have to give them a little extra help, even with these soil formations."

Which of course, she can do. It's something. A beat, "...I like deep colors anyway. Did I tell you I like your scarf?"

Yes. She has said that. More than once.

The snowball doesn't catch her attention, but her eyes do flicker over to the young woman in the robe, spotting her and blinking her strange green eyes at her. "!"

<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

        There is a part of Leo that--sometimes--doesn't know when to relax. Some people might say that is in fact 'most of Leo', but this is a piece of him that's been to war, and knows that it's best to keep alert in uncertain situations. The Kinship are welcoming enough, but they're still suspicious. Leo manages to merely look 'uptight' as he finishes perusing the menu, and turns to Margaret again.


        Something goes flying at his subordinate. Leo turns, tracing the path, and--

        *paff*

        Oh. Just a small child throwing a snowball. Leo offers the child a much less awkward look than Margaret. "Don't throw those at passers-by," Leo says. "Only throw them at others who have joined the field of snowball battle." Then he notices the woman standing next to the child, and his throat constricts. He knew this was going to happen, but it's still a punch in the gut nevertheless. Leo turns away from Kourin, folds his arms, and rejoins the conversation. "Bustier?" Leo says. Working Designs tries to level out the moment of tension with some jokes, as only they know how. "So the Filgaians bred them for breast meat? I didn't know they liked b--"

        That voice. Leo recognizes it, and stops in mid-sentence, looking at the strange, cloaked woman approaching Jay's stand.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"There are those who feel it is more ethical to not eat those things," Catenna explains to Carina with a small incline of her head. "It is important that all people feel comfortable with what they eat - at least, it is to me."

Setting down Margaret's place, Catenna nods to Carina. "A wise choice," she compliments as she reaches for the large pot beside her. Dipping a heavy spoon into it, she ladles out a hearty helping of the rich orange dish. Even before she's handed it over, the aromatic spices tease the senses. A serving of vegetables follow; it looks like rice, but it actually turns out to be deliciously tender cauliflower. Quickly she adds a couple of pieces of flatbread to the plate, following up with a glass of creamy mint lassi and sliding the whole dish to Carina. "Here you are! The drink will help you if you find it overly spicy."

As she accepts the coin Margaret offers up, Catenna watches as the woman takes a bite of the spicy cucco. Her smile grows a little wider, still mild, but adding a touch of light to her eyes. "Yes, the cucco is rather full in the breast - at least, in Ignas. And you are in luck: Cumin is used in many foods where I am from. Including in the spice mix of that very dish you are eating."

Mostly she's just trying to keep Margaret thinking about nummies rather than Kourin.

Her eyes dart towards the woman wandering over towards Jay's stand, then over to Leo. "Can I get you something?" she asks politely.

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

"Uhhhh, it's kind of like that," Cyre says as his advice is SUMMARILY IGNORED in favor of some guy named Josh Rogen. "Mostly I communicate the teachings of the Guardians and the way of the Baskar, but I mean, if you want some advice, I could try some old-fashioned soothsaying." It's not like he DOESN'T know how to read the cucco bones like some kind of weird necromancer.

And then Margaret gets hit by a snowball.

Ha-ha

Well, he shouldn't laugh. She did kind of save their lives back there, once.

Beat.

"Oh," Cyre suddenly says to Leo. "Hey. It's the guy who came with us up the Cage Tower. And the one who... Where else did I see you?" He squints, rubbing at his chin.

Somewhere... Where was it?

Huh. He can't remember.

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

        "I think the deal is most people would kinda run away, rather than towards," winks Shalune as she gives Jacqueline another of those light grins. She's-- feeling the aftereffects of some concussion, and while she's been given a relatively clean bill of health, at least long-term, she's having to treat herself a little gingerly, full of aches and ains in the aftermath. "Mmm... I guess we never actually managed to do much about it, though. ... I dunno what can be done, but at least everything's still workin'..."

        She lifts from Lunata's shoulders, giving the waitress an affectionate pat before she bobbles over in the direction of Catenna's kitchen and slips inside. "Mind if I steal a bit for Lunie and Jay?" she asks Catenna brightly, and then with a faint grin and a light salute, not to mention a flagrant abuse of CaraKin power, she sneaaaaks three of the bowls away, balancing on one her arm and holding onto the other two as she sweeps them back towards the childhood-friend-trio. She might not be Lunata, but she's been trained at bussing plates too, y'know. She's covered dinnertimes.

        "Here you go," she offers as she distributes them, finding her way into a deckchair nearby as she kind of hunkers protectively over her own bowl, apparently content to protect her bowl as the world goes by. "... it's not their fault, really," she admits to Lunata, frowning. "I mean, um. From start to finish, that musta been a heck of a surprise."

        She catches sight of the Metal Demon giving Jacqueline a prescription, and her smile picks up, this time with a rather sympathetic smile. "Hey. Don't worry, okay?" she adds with a wink. "You're safe here. The CaraKin's for everyone, y'know? ... how are things lookin'?" She doesn't really feel the need to add more details to the question, preferring to leave it open-ended - after all, it's pretty obvious what the main topic is.

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        Suddenly, Arleph seems to have himself a customer at his booth! A tall, white-haired, strange, rough-lookin' fella... oh, no, that's just Ethius. A ways off from some of the tension inherent among certain visiting customers over at Catenna's food booth, the Symbologist stands with his hands folded behind his back as though he were standing at attention before the bandaged doctor.
        "I am very interested in the goods you have on sale." The words are spoken with that same tone of voice that seems too scripted, too comfortably spoken at the usual pace, to be natural. (This seems to be true of almost anything he says.)

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"You're not an idiot, Lunata...really, 'cold' is a bit of a misnomer..." Jacqueline replies, offering her friend a kind smile.

"But, hm...you should probably eat something, even if it's just a small portion..." She considers.

"...Yes, well, I suppose that's true...I... did everything I could, but...it wasn't enough." Jacqueline replies to Shalune. Her smile fades a little bit, but something happens shortly after to distract her. As she's thinking about this, a nervous-looking young woman approaches.

Jacqueline is a bit surprised to see who it is, though it doesn't show on her face. While she had never spoken with Sibyn personally, she had seen her around Wayside before. Jacqueline is patient - when Sibyn starts speaking Jacqueline waits for her, and when she decides to hand over the note instead she takes it with a nod and looks it over.

"You've come a long way. You've done a good job so far." She replies with a smile, then turns around. There's a stack of bags nearby and Jacqueline takes one, using the note as a reference to pick out the requested items.

"The total will be..." Jacqueline lists off a price - it's fair, especially when one considers the sale going on. "The bag is complementary."

With that, she holds the bag out toward Sibyn.

She considers asking about how Wayside is doing after...everything, but fortunately Shalune is there to ask them for her. She would've liked to stay longer...but they had this place reserved, and it would've been costly to miss out on using it.

She accepts the bowl of curry from Shalune, and then glances toward the source.

Catenna - and Cyre, of course - is offered a smile, and then she looks toward Leo and Margaret and then Kourin, before looking back to Catenna and Cyre meaningfully.

Essentially, saying they might be trouble and to keep an eye on them for Kourin's sake.

Arleph in the corner gets a look from Jacqueline, too, but this one is meant to be interpreted more as 'get ready to skedaddle, just in case'.

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

"... It's nice to hear no matter how many times you say it," Matilda replies to Kaguya, before the introduction of snowball warfare to the situation. She resists the urge to laugh -- for the most part, successfully, though a twinkle does enter her eye and she has to cover her mouth before she does start laughing. She takes a few breaths in through her nose, getting herself calmed down.

After a few moments, her gaze turns over to the food. ... She really shouldn't abandon her post to go get food. She -- really shouldn't. It's hard to keep the longing out of her gaze, though, as she looks over toward Catenna's delicious food.

Kaguya's blinking seems to draw her attention back away from the food, though -- she glances over at the Beastwoman(?), and asks, "... What is it?"

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
Margaret becomes powerful as her presence causes others suffering! She points her fork towards Kourin for a moment, but this isn't apparently a spell.

"Well they do longer flights," Margaret says around a bite of the juicy meat. "I don't know what to compare them to." Margaret is thinking, clumsily, of parakeets, but has only seen such horrific things in the distance or in smugglers' holds.

She sucks on the tines of her fork, which glisten with creamy sauce, and... looks at Cyre and then at Leo again, brow furrowing as if to say: Huh??

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

        Lunata scratches her cheek and blushes just for a moment, turning away from Jacqueline's kind smile if only because she doesn't want to show off the bashful look on her face! "Y-yeah... well... at least I have your meds... oh, careful, okay, Lunie--"

        She looks towards the cloaked woman with some surprise, but watches as Sibyn clumsily works her coin purse and says, "E-err, one, two... three..." spoken like someone who's not really dealt with gella transactions before. "There."

        She doesn't appear to have spotted Leo walking towards her.

        "... my brother's still-- well, stable, I guess, but he hasn't woken up..." Sibyn murmurs. "But I'm sure, eventually... well-- until then, all I can do is wait patiently."

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

Carina turned her head right as someone near her was hit by a snowball. Whoops! She misses out on that particular drama, or perhaps the opportunity to turn this into a full-on snowball fight.

She slides a 10-gella bill on the counter. "Aw, thanks, ma'am, that's mighty considerate of ya!" she says as the mint lassi is added. She takes the dish of Josh Rogen with a smile, poking her fork into it and preparing herself a biiiig bite.

CHOMP.

Man, thank the Guardians for the mint lassi, huh? She takes a gulp.

To Carina's credit, she doesn't spit her bite out, because she does have some spice tolerance. She does, however, reevaluate her subsequent bites.
Shehe then slides right over to Cyre's booth, as announced, continuing to remain oblivious to the drama, at least mostly. "I think I missed something and now these guys are talkin' about chicken boobs or somethin'? But anyway, I wanted to ask, I got a weird letter from my sister and I'm kinda worried about her, and I wanna know if she's all right? Her name is Melody Wynne and she has short black hair and she's yea high and her favorite food's burgers and her favorite color's red and she's afraid'a ghosts so if she turned into one it'd probably be a whole big problem..."

She stops, twirling a pinky finger in her ear, looking as worried as she claims to be, and then takes a few more bites of lamb.

"Do you think that's enough material for soothin' some says?"

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

Carina turned her head right as someone near her was hit by a snowball. Whoops! She misses out on that particular drama, or perhaps the opportunity to turn this into a full-on snowball fight.

She slides a 10-gella bill on the counter. "Aw, thanks, ma'am, that's mighty considerate of ya!" she says as the mint lassi is added. She takes the dish of Josh Rogen with a smile, poking her fork into it and preparing herself a biiiig bite.

CHOMP.

Man, thank the Guardians for the mint lassi, huh? She takes a gulp.

To Carina's credit, she doesn't spit her bite out, because she does have some spice tolerance. She does, however, reevaluate her subsequent bites.

She then slides right over to Cyre's booth, as announced, continuing to remain oblivious to the drama, at least mostly. "I think I missed something and now these guys are talkin' about chicken boobs or somethin'? But anyway, I wanted to ask, I got a weird letter from my sister and I'm kinda worried about her, and I wanna know if she's all right? Her name is Melody Wynne and she has short black hair and she's yea high and her favorite food's burgers and her favorite color's red and she's afraid'a ghosts so if she turned into one it'd probably be a whole big problem..."

She stops, twirling a pinky finger in her ear, looking as worried as she claims to be, and then takes a few more bites of lamb.

"Do you think that's enough material for soothin' some says?"

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

         Arleph is indeed here. He also, may or may not, be giving occassional glance over at Cyre's stand. Pft. Fortune telling.
 
         The Wounded Symbologist is keeping an eye on Leo as well, catching a glismp of Jay's own warning. When he looks back, Ethius is there. Arleph blinks. This man is doing this shady thing as well as he breath, he didn't even notice him come around.
 
         "Ah, Ethius." Arleph rasps out, waving a hand over. It's, obviously, covered in circles. Pretty advanced ones, at that. "Feel free to browse, then! It is all on... sale!" He adds, cheerfully, a bit fake, reaching over for a bottle of water among three others. "This, for example, is an Extra Capacity water bottle. It contains twenty time it's own volume would indicate it would! Or, this!"
 
         Arleph picks up a small brush. "This is for more the furred adventurers: This brush will attract dead hair strands directly to it like a magnet. Reduce grueling grooming hours to mere minutes!"

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin, seeing no escaping this, finally steps forward towards Leo and Margaret. She doesn't speak. Neither does she surrender, of course. Just...steps forward, and waits to see what they're going to do.

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        The way Ethius can go from being a vaguely unsettling, out-of-place ambience to a sudden abrupt participant in the picture tends to throw just about anyone off-guard. He politely allows Arleph to run down the gamut of goods on sale. Ethius is notably not a Beastman, so he should not hold much interest in the small brush in any way, shape, or form, unless there is something going on when the men of the CaraKin are doing their laundry.
        This may also be another Ethius Coveting A Random Coffee Cup Of No Significance-style situation again as he just... do eyes have fingers? He must be eye-fingering the bristles of this amazing loose hair brush-magnet with a scrutiny that, by the second, seems less and less 'curious customer' and more 'wary skeptic,' or--
        Arleph will notice Ethius' eyes shifting off to his left, as he watches Kourin walk forward.
        He neither says nor does anything as of yet.

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.

"Oh. Uh... Well--" Kaguya is suddenly watching snowballs for a moment at Matilda's answer, flushing slightly. ...But through the corner of her eye she sees the longing for food, and hmmms for a moment. She shouldn't leave her flowers either. Which means...

Kaguya gets an idea.

But Matilda looks her way and she answers, "Oh--Oh, nothing, I just know her. It's... not a big deal." She decides not to call attention to Sibyn in the middle of all this, but she has met her. But from there she can tell--even she can read the tension about Kourin and the others, and she she eyes Leo and Margaret both for a moment. ...She doesn't linger on it though, instead deciding after a moment...

"Hey Atida, watch the stall for me? I wanna grab some food. You want something?" Caaasual as can be. She's good at this, maybe.

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

"Oh. Uhhhhhhh." Cyre just sort of... Well. He reaches under his desk and pulls up a porcelein bowl. It seems to contain... bones? Yes. Those are bones. "Okay, so I'm not exactly sure I'll be able to... Really do anything SPECIFIC with just that. Can you give me anything about the letter she sent you, maybe?"

<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

        Cyre addresses Leo. "Ah, yes," the White Knight says. "And the... Mountain Palace, was it? You had that trick parachute." What was his name? He can't remember. Apparently some sort of heathen fortune-teller? Leo saw plenty of those on Lunar, but of course none who claimed to commune with the Guardians, for obvious reasons. "What is 'chickpea chana masala'?" Leo says, to Catenna, as if pronouncing an incantation. Is that what he wants? Possibly?

        He's trying to watch Sibyn out of the corner of his eye, and he catches a few things about a brother. She must be the one from outside Adlehyde. A Metal Demon, here? She must have walked here from Wayside, noted sanctuary for outcasts and misfits. (Why it hasn't become infested with bandits is a mystery to Leo. Maybe the Demons eat them?)

        Kourin is moving closer. Leo does nothing, turns back to Catenna. "I suppose I will have that," Leo says. "That thing I just mentioned."

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

        Shalune is very protective of her food, apparently as a matter of course; she stays hunched over enough that her hair even risks ending up in the curry, even if some of it is currently tamed by a combination of bandage and beanie, but only once she's gotten one of the bowls situationed first on Lunata's lap, and then on Jacqueline's.

        She does at least look over, puffing up pretty solidly at Jacqueline's skimming a little too close to self-deprecation. "Um. I mean, giant tentacle monster that talked into people's minds. I think you can chalk this one up to 'if I'm still standin', I won by default'," she points out as she waggles a fork in place. "And you sure did more than I did. Uuu, I can't believe how quick I got plucked outta the air," she complains lightly, as if she didn't, um, crash the Little Dipper all under her own power. As the opening volley, even.

        If there's one thing the mechanic is good at, though, it's endless cheer - and she pumps her fists a little as she gives Sibyn an encouraging grin. "It's okay! You've just gotta wait this stuff out. But don't forget that good feelings help people get better, right? You should spend some time talking to him, all 'hey, it's gonna be alright, you're gonna be fine'. Oh, oh, or maybe 'Hmph, when are you gonna get better? Grump!' I bet he'll be able to hear you either way."

        Something makes her look aside to where a certain ~couple~ are hesitating, or at least one of them is - and without any embarrassment whatsoever, she cups her hands. "Miss Matilda~a, Kags, if you wanna get somethin', Big Shal can watch your stand too!" she calls across the central ring of the CaraKin, and ever so helpfully, the golem gives a thumbs up. And a-- wink? Improbably, the light in one eye goes out for just a moment.

        Let's not think about Big Shal being a shipper.

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

The smoothest. Matilda nods to Kaguya without hesitation, saying, "I'd like some of the roganjosh... really, Kaguya -- thank you for this." She moves a little closer to Kaguya's stall, trying to situate herself, and then --

-- Big Shal offers (or is offered) to watch both of their stalls, instead. Matilda has to think about this for a moment -- but only a moment, as she calls, "AH -- certainly!" and forms up to Kaguya's side.

After a few moments, she reaches out for her hand, moving to hold it gently as the pair are given a (dubiously-earned) break from staffing their stalls in favor of delicious food.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Turning back, Catenna smiles at Shalune and urges, "Please do. I hope Lunata is beginning to feel better."

Clasping her hands loosely together, the chef-turned-priestess nod thoughtfully back at Margaret. "I see. The cuccos here, at least, can be very pleasant, despite their reputation. Some of them are downright affectionate, and most fluffy."

The look from Jay is spotted. Catenna glances back at her, inclining her head just slightly, but she doesn't lose that smile. Instead, she turns back to Carina, accepting the bill and tucking it away. "Catenna," she says. "You are most welcome. Please have a lovely day."

Not that it's likely for her. Catenna can feel the tension beginning to build as Kourin makes her approach. The Zortroan woman's eyes move from her friend and back to the pair of Lunarians at the stand, her smile fading away.

Fortunately, Leo doesn't make it a fight. The smile Catenna offers him is not large, but serves to show her appreciation. "Of course," she says as she begins to serve up a bowl of rice. "It is a vegetable dish, Sir Leo... they are cooked in a gravy with hot peppers and many spices, some vegetables and onions. They are quite delicious, and most good for you." As she speaks, she ladles out some of the dish across the rice bed; the plump little chickpeas are saturated with a rich, reddish-orange gravy, like little morsels of spicy deliciousness.

The dish is duly served up to Leo; she adds, of course, the cooling mint-cream drink everyone else got. "I hope it is to your liking."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline smiles and nods toward Lunata. She hoped her medicines were helping, at least. And then Shalune...

"...I...I don't know. It's hard to think of it as a win, but...perhaps this isn't the best time to talk about it..." Jacqueline replies. Her attention returns to Sibyn shortly, and she accepts the payment from her.

Jacqueline takes a moment to mentally add it up in her head and, with a nod and a smile, stows it away.

"Thank you." She says with a polite bow of her head. She then nods in agreement with Shalune's encouragement.

"Yes...I'm sure he will awaken, someday. Until then...do your best to make sure he has a welcoming environment to awaken to." She replies.

Admittedly, Jacqueline wasn't too sure if it was possible, after this long...but she wasn't going to do anything to disparage Sibyn's hopes, either.

She takes a moment to smile and give a friendly wave toward Matilda and Kaguya as they leave their stands to go grab some food.

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

         Arleph notably was also trying to be loud enough for the Knight Leo to hear him. It seems he have failed in that regard!
 
         He lets Ethius look over the things. The brush do have several circles and symbols imbeded into it. It seems, at first glance, do what it says on the tin if he takes a moment to look at them. He watches Kourin as well, before looking back at the table, waving over a box.
 
         "This, is a PTK -- A Primary Toilet Kit. Everything you need to not smell like a cow in the wildnerness, cleaning water tools, cleaning YOURSELF off. It is very useful, indeed!"
 
         Then he reach over to one side of the table, lifting it up. It's a small cylinder, made of wood. "THIS, however, is my NEWEST MAGICAL CREATION. It is not, as many would try to make you believe, a tool used to rip the fabric of reality asunder to mask off something you don't want known or something very petty in common Ardan Symbological Convenience Goods, no sir."
 
         He lifts a finger, dramatically.
 
         "It's just someone to cool water. Observe."
 
         Arleph pluck open one of the bottle, pouring into the cynlinder. It fizzles, it pop, crack and an omnious glow around it with the circles activating... and what is inside is some mysterious iced slushed snow.
 
         "Truly, miraculous!"

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

        Lunata lets out a little chuckle, perhaps a little too rueful, but... she reaches out to Jacqueline with a pat of her hand, even sick as she is. "I'll work harder next time... so you and Lunie can have more support."

        Sibyn nods slowly, perhaps with her knowing as much as Jacqueline does that the chances of him awakening may be quite slim, but... hope is a powerful strength that she hasn't had to depend on before.

        It's a bit strange.

        She does finally catch the eyeing from the corner of her own eye, though, and--

        --it's with a gulp of courage that she turns and faces Leo.

        She gauges him for a moment, looking up towards him... before-- she bows very deliberately and slowly, in a sign of respect.

        "W-White Knight Leo... I do not know if you remember me, but-- the stay of your hand is what allowed my brother to live to this day."

        She looks up again, still pensive and full of hesitation and anxiety.

        "... I've, I've been taught to be apprecative, and I want to honor that decision of yours. Thank--"

        There's that slightly panicked hitch again.

        "Thank you."

        Mentally she kinda gets ready to run if something then goes wrong, but at least she gets it out.

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

"Yeah, that's me. The guy with the parachute and the wind and, most recently, lasers." Lots and lots of lasers. You don't even know how many lasers Cyre's got now. He's got lasers for days.

Lasers for days.

"Name's Cyre. I'm a Priest of the Guardians, particularly Fengalon of the Winds. And you're that Leo guy, right? The one with the goddess who wears codpieces and really racy underwear?"

His only impression of Althenean worshippers are Kourin who is small and adorable, Margaret who seems like the type who would do both of those things, and Talise, who told him that she did those things to begin with.

YOUR FAITH IS NOT REALLY WELL REPRESENTED, LEO.

"Anyway, chickpea chana masala is a curry dish made with chickpeas. It's good and spicy and savory, and you can eat it on bread or on rice. Give it a shot."

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
Margaret keeps digging in. She watches Cyre through slitted eyes as Leo asks more questions; she takes a drink of the lassi because her tongue is actually starting to sting. She is not seated at all like a classy lady. Indeed, it seems that between the snowball and the approach of Kourin she is regressing to some kind of more primeval habit.

Then she looks towards Kourin. As she approaches, Margaret speaks to her accusingly. Her tone is judgmental. The actual words may surprise the woman if she stops to think about them:

"Did you put that child up to that? You should be ashamed."

Then she picks up the yogurt-vegetablly thing and starts eating it. She says something else to Kourin but it's through food so it is not intelligible. Especially since she is disciplined enough to not spit it out.

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.

"Roganjosh, okay. Hey, it's fine!" Kaguya starts to rise, picking up her cane from where she set it against the table so she can lean on it--but at that point, Big Shal is offered. Shalune calls to them and Kaguya blinks and then beams--even better. Though uh--did the--did the Golem...

Kaguya grins at Big Shal. +5 Kaguya approves.

The small Veruni at that point starts takes Matilda's hand and starts over. It's not going to take very long to reach Catenna and the... Others, who are here. She glances up out of the side of her eye at Leo. ..Very, very far up. "Hey," she says. He's not human, so he's automatically at least kind of cool. "Hey Matenna!" she greets cheerfully, leaning on her cane. "One roman josh and one hanna masala? It smells great." Names? Names she forgets constantly. Words? ...Well, some of those, too, despite also being dressed in a subtly-Elru sort of pattern. She... loses a little bit of her look as she glances over at the series stuff happening with Leon... and then proceeds to straighten a little. It's fine. It's totally fine. Totally. SUper fine.

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin frowns. "No. If I wished to fight you here, I would do so directly. There is nothing to be gained from such a petty prank..."

She sighs. "Though I suppose it is the sort of thing that might occur to you, after all."

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

"It's Carina, actually," Carina answers Catenna. A beat. "Oh wait, you meant your name. Hey, they sound alike! That's neat! You have a lovely day too!"

Cyre seems unsure about Carina's request. She continues looking in his direction insistently, however, despite having some major misunderstandings about his line of work. Maybe spiritual guidance will have to be offered in a more roundabout way.

"Oh yeah! Sure." Carina looks through her bag while Cyre and Leo chat. A moment later, she pulls out another 10-gella bill and a folded up letter. "Hey, here it is!"

Cyre probably didn't expect getting the letter proper, but hey, why not. It's actually very succint, written in large letters: "I won't be sending letters for a long while, sorry! If you get in trouble, this belt will help you! -Melody <3"

"She's a Drifter," Carina explains, "I don't have the belt with me, though. Should I go get the belt??" She leans forward, eyes wide and fists clenched with high levels of earnestness.

<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

        Leo's ears twitch a little as Cyre speaks. "I am he, yes. And you would do well not to disparage the Goddess's wardrobe," he says, a little curtly. He goes back to watching as Catenna assembles the strange dish. It reminds him of a thick stew, though he's never seen one poured over rice like that. It smells good, but more like the things they serve to nobility than the simpler fare he's used to. He inspects the dish, picks up the spoon, and takes a bite.

        Leo's eyes water, just a little, as the heat hits him. He swallows, and goes back for a second bite, as if trying to determine if he likes it. Finally, a judgment is rendered: "Spicy! A bit rich, though I'm certain many people enjoy both richness and spice. Isn't that right, Guardswoman--"

        Oh, Leo thinks, looking around and seeing Margaret confronting Kourin. He should do something. Sibyn is moving up to him, now. Leo fixes his gaze on the Demon, and his face is like stone. It is probably unnerving for Sibyn, still getting used to human mannerisms. "Honor it by honoring the Goddess," Leo says. "Live simply and virtuously in this life, because neither you nor your brother will get another."

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

When it comes to Kaguya, Catenna's learned to just let the girl call things whatever she wants. It's her way, after all.

"Oh, hello, Kaguya. I will have that for you right away," she assures. Smiling, she sets a couple of bowls out and begins to fill them up one by one - Matilda's bowl gets the cauliflower rice and a helping of delicious spiced lamb curry, while Kaguya gets the dish with no animal products, spiced chickpeas cascading across delicious jasmine rice like little treasure bundles packed with flavour.

As she slides the dishes to Kaguya, she urges, "Please let me know what you think of them." She's about to say something else, but--

But Leo reveals his spice tolerance. The dish is not overpowering, objectively, but also has just enough spice to surprise. The shamaness bows her head shallowly. "Many dishes from southern Elru are so, yes. If you find it too spicy, please have a sip of the drink. It will cool your tongue quite nicely."

Catenna presses her lips together, then, eyes darting towards Margaret and Kourin. She clears her throat softly, as if to silently urge peace.

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
"By the Goddess," Margaret answers Kourin, "did they teach you that at Heresy and Abandonment School? Was there a course? The cheek of you."

She dips some bread into the sauce. "Are you turning yourself in or are you just hoping we put on a big show at the shop so your friends will all say nice things about you and run off Mean Old Margaret, the Hound of Hell. Well, tough."

To Catenna, she says, "Give Betrayal McPoutypuss a plate and I'll pay for it."

She leans over to say to Leo quietly, but not as quietly as she thinks, "That should keep her busy for a few minutes. She looks hungry, probably from not being able to get food."

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        As Ethius watches Arleph's demonstrations, it is impossible to get a read on whether Ethius is impressed, or otherwise... reacting to much. Every display, every detail, every declaration seems to be met with that same stare. Is there something on Arleph's face? (There isn't, but the question is worth asking by the narrative to quash this common question.)
        Just as Arleph finishes turning water to slush, he might see that Ethius has left in practically the blink of an eye.
        The hair brush he was appraisingobsessingworking out some kind of prolonged acid trip over is left to hang off the edge by its handle, balancing so delicately that it rocks back and forth at the very edge of the counter.
        Some moments later, a snowball flies towards Kourin's upper back...?!
        If she looks behind, she might see that Ethius is holding onto one of the provided snowballs the ice mage has created for the enjoyment of the youngsters. He is a sore element that sticks out among the children. He is not a youngster.
        He has not been known to indulge in much in the way of amusement, or... anything. His eyes are closed, shielding the world from those eyes that seem to keep taking, taking, taking, and not give back much in turn.
        "Miss Kourin." Ethius speaks simply, bereft of humor, distaste, or much other than just simply saying her name.
        "I do believe the children wish to continue their play."
        The kids around him seem confused. Who is this strange, grown man?
        "May I be allowed to request the production of extra items in which to facilitate further play?" He asks. One of the children nod. A few others also do so, because they don't quite understand this strange man's love of using the overly complicated way of saying things like 'moar snowballz pls'

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

        "Hey man, I'm not the one who told me what she wears," Cyre sniffs. "And I'm not disparaging it! She's a goddess. I think all women should be allowed to wear whatever they want. If she wants to wear exotic underthings, then as a goddess, she should be allowed to do that and we all just have to live with her decision to do so. Right?"

After all, how could a goddess ever be restricted in the things she's allowed to wear!? It doesn't make sense!

Beat.

"Right, uh," The cat-priest takes the little letter and scans over all of the single line of writing that's written there. He squints and frowns and then shrugs. "Yeah, I'm going to guess that-- oh hold on." He picks up the bones, puts them in the cup and rattles them around vigorously before pouring them onto the tabletop. "Okay, yeah. I'm guessing she's going to be drifting through someplace that she doesn't want to be traced or she's heading far away either because she's pursuing ADVENTURE or because she found something that someone wants and so they're chasing her. Or she found someone she fell in love with and decided to elope? Hm. The bones are cloudy today."

Beat.

"Oh, but the belt she gave you is probably magical or something. I wouldn't mind seeing it. We do have a symbologist onboard."

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin, for the first time, gets heated. "I have committed no heresy," she says. "You have no right to bring my friends into this!--" Then Ethius steps in to intervene, and Kourin frowns, shaking her head. "I...I cannot. Not...not until I can be certain that you, my friends...will face no danger on my account..."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"It's alright, Lunata...you can't help getting sick." Jacqueline replies, looking down as her friend pats her hand. She knew how sick Lunata was at the moment. That gesture meant infinitely more because of it.

And then, Sibyn. Jacqueline watches her as she turns to approach Leo, but does not interject. Instead, she watches quietly as Sibyn thanks him, and Leo's response...

...Well, it was harsh, but fair. Jacqueline couldn't blame him for it.

What she could blame, though...

"My apologies, I'll back in a moment."

Jacqueline walks away from her stall, moving toward where there's trouble brewing.

"We'll be alright, Kourin." Jacqueline says, resting a hand on her friend's shoulder and offering her a reassuring smile.

She then glances toward Margaret. She's not...angry, but there's a more authoritative look to her than she likes to put on.

"I'm going to have to ask you not to disparage my employees, Miss Margaret. We welcome everyone here - but we must ask you give us the same treatment." She says. She isn't standing in a particularly aggressive manner...she's being stern, but civil.

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

        Shalune watches the argument with an almost detached air, her eyebrows raising as she chews on her curry and approaches a curled-up ball of alchemist. Is she worried at all? Perhaps she's just gotten used to this scene between the shamans and the Guard playing out each time the Caravan opens for business, and has gotten to the point where she's simply that able to gloss over it.

        "Well... okay, so 'win' is a real bad word. But I think there's a point where you're beatin' yourself a bit too much, y'know?" she puffs as she fusses over Jacqueline's mental state. "I mean, I can't think of many people who could cope with that all on their own, while hurt, while tired out." She does at least nudge Lunata gently, offering her a grin in turn. "And you won't get better if you're worrying, y'know? We'll all go together next time. Promise."

        She watches Sibyn's thanks to the White Knight, and this time breaks into a dazzling grin of a smile. "Ehehe. That was great. You did really good," she encourages brightly.

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

        Lunata kind of shies away from all the arguments, sweating a little as she dabs her head and takes up a little of the food Shalune's brought back to her. "... yeah... I promise, you know..."

        Sibyn also steps away as things get a bit more heated, glancing towards Ethius and then Margaret and Kourin. She-- nods wordlessly towards Leo, bowing her head again, before Shalune nudges her as she says, "... I still... it's still tough, but I'm trying."

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda... kind of has no idea what to do, honestly. She'd already kind of made her peace with the idea of waiting for customers in silence at first; Big Shal's intervention has given her an excuse to move forward, but she has exactly zero idea what to do with it. She grips Kaguya's hand a little tighter... and once Kaguya orders, she shifts on her feet awkwardly.

As Margaret addresses Kourin, she scoots a little closer to Kaguya and away from everyone else. She elects not to say anything about that, either; truthfully, the Guard presence here... kind of seems to sit poorly with her.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

To Shalune, before she leaves, Jacqueline...sighs defeatedly, nods, and offers her a smile.

"...You might be right. I'm sorry." She says, then chuckles. "...Riesenlied told me I should be kinder to myself, and let everyone support me...it really is a hard lesson to learn, but...thank you, Shalune. I do appreciate it..."

And then everything else happens.

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

"It would be weird if goddesses DIDN'T dress super weird," Carina weighs in on the theological debate, wisely.

She nods vigorously to Cyre as he offers his reading, her eyes still wide. She totally seems to think this is worth ten gella. "Aw, jeez, that's ALL worrying stuff..." Yes, even eloping. "These are some grim bones."

He then offers another suggestion, one that might be more promising.

"Oh yeah! It has some symbols on it, and we figured, y'know, they might be symbol symbols. Took turns putting it on and it didn't do nothin', though. Might be worth a try."

She looks over her shoulder, as if her house was right there. It's not. "Bit of a ride getting back home. Uuuugh, and I got all those errands, though. Are you guys gonna be around much longer? If I can have someone look at it another day. Or if someone could swing by?"

She thumbs to herself, grinning. "My family runs the Wynne Chester store. I promised myself I wouldn't advertise while I was here, but too late, I guess. It's sorta like what you guys have going on, but it doesn't move around? And it sells armor and clothing even though you guys don't really seem to have that much'a that?"

She shrugs. "So really, it's completely different."

She looks over her shoulder again, to the ongoing unrest. "Hey, what's going on back there? Why are these weirdoes being all weird?"

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
"Yes because I'm going to cut up all your infidel friends, eat the tender parts, and smoke the remainder because I'm actually a demon from the last goddess era," Margaret says to Kourin, rolling her eyes with malice aforethought. "I came out here to EAT and to go SHOPPING and now you're here huffing at me. UGH!"

To Catenna, Margaret says, "You agree with me, right? I came out here and have treated none of you --" Her voice suddenly raises four volume levels, "I AM NOT A WEIRDO, MISSY! I'm feeling VERY ATTACKED RIGHT NOW!"

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.

Kaguya at least doesn't seem to mean anything by it. "Thanks," she says to Catenna, and sniffs her food warmly, though... she has to take her hand away from Matilda's to take it, given her cane. She compensates by continuing to stand close to her. "Mmm, much better." A beat, "I'll totally tell you--"

It's getting ugly. And... It's... "?" She glances oer to the others, though Jay steps in. And that's at least something. She mutters under her breath to Matilda, "Awk-waaaard..." Her opinions on religion would probably upset the Guard at least as much as the other comments though. So instead she looks to Shalune and attempts to share a look before scooting back over to her table. "C'mon, Atida." And then finally, "Religious debates really aren't my thing..." Though she pauses, "It's cool, Fourin. We're not gonna let anybody push you around too much."

She starts cane-walking away towards a table. Margaret sure seems mad but... Well, Jay can handle it. It's not Kaguya's problem.
+Vote: Kaguya has voted for you.

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

"IT'S CALLED A FREE SPEECH, I WAS DOIN' A FREE SPEECH," Carina shoots back, frowning. "SORRY THO', I'M JUST ON EDGE LATELY."

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Tilting her head to one side, Catenna turns pale grey eyes on Margaret. "I am not sure who that is," she says levelly. "However, that will be unnecessary on your part; please, save your gella." Even as she speaks, she's sliding another bowl into place and dividing it up between the soft cauliflower rice and the aromatic rogan josh.

Her smile is almost stingingly polite as she moves along the counter to set the bowl out. "Kourin is one of our partners, and our friend," she says, "and therefore entitled to a free lunch."

In steps the Kinship's most inscrutable member. Catenna clears her throat again, the bowl of food left for Kourin. Yet it's Jay who steps in, chiding Margaret before Catenna can say much more.

The shamaness gently clears her throat as Margaret starts shouting again. "Excuse me," she says mildly. "All of you, I would ask you to calm down."

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
"I'll give her free speech," Margaret mutters to Leo and anyone within ten meters. "Free between the eyes, maybe!"

She humphs with great force and turns to hunch over the remains of her food and eat it. It seems, somehow, much less savory now. At least she's getting plenty of bread.

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

"WHAT!!" Carina gasps out.

She turns her head back to Cyre. "No, seriously, what'd she mean?"

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin just...stands there, breathing deeply, glowering. "My friends are not infidels," she says icily. "I will thank you not to speak of them again in such a way. Many of them are deeply faithful. Althena never taught us that she was the only goddess. You will not suggest such again."

<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.

"I'm totally an infidel," Kaguya can't help but chime in in passing. "But I still like her." A helpful, chin-up look at Kourin before she scoots farther with Matilda.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Actually, infidel would probably describe me, relative to our visitors," Catenna concedes with a shrug, "as I /am/ a Priestess of Celesdue. However, each person's faith is their own business/"

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

"Uhhhhh," Cyre just--

You know what no

He's telling fortunes this is going to happen

"It's a figure of speech meaning that means I think she wants to put a mouth on your forehead or something? I don't know. Anyway, grim bones or not, we'd be glad to take a look at that belt for you. Might unlock the secrets to making it work, yeah?"

"And uh, well. We're merchants. Advertising isn't against the law. Bring some of your stuff too, might be worth looking at."

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        Ethius is still holding a snowball. One child has the courage to actually try and tug at the man's wrist in order to claim the snowball for themselves. The younger ones seem to remain innocent of the theological verbal dust-up going on between the whole lot of them. They're just here to play and look at all the neat stuff and maybe beg mom andor dad andor anyone else to buy the neat stuff in a world that seems like it's quickly withering away from ever having neat stuff (or anything else) ever again.
        "Miss Kourin." Ethius repeats once more, adding no further words to this preface.
        Moments later, he bends his wrist down for the snowball to be taken from him by the child.

<Pose Tracker> White Knight Leo has posed.

        Leo nods to Sibyn, seeming satisfied with her answer. Kourin's behavior seems to be getting stranger and less characteristic, and to make matters worse, some of those around her are...

        Leo frowns. It's not quite a scowl, but it's getting there. "You are in no position to give orders," Leo says, his attention suddenly snapping onto Kourin with laser-focus. "I would keep that in mind, if I were you." He sets what's left of the curry on the counter, as he suddenly doesn't feel like finishing it.

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
Margaret is not leaving any of this stuff here now. She gives Kourin another death glare which has no actual lasers behind it, but her mouth is full.

Then she tilts her head towards Kaguya with a smug expression, as if she has somehow won something.

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

        "That's enough, okay?" frowns Shalune as she pipes up - but towards Kourin, and not anyone else. "... I ain't gonna turn anyone away just 'cause they think I'm an infidel, 'specially cause I kind of like staying in business. If we keep fussin' like this every time, that's gonna be worse for the Carakin in the future. I think, anyways," she adds after a moment, with a soft huff of air that turns into a quiet grin. "You're in the CaraKin now, that's all that matters. No need to keep openin' up old wounds."

        She's picked herself up off her chair, thankfully stifling a rather unladylike noise behind a hand as she places her empty bowl to one side, and puffs as if double-checking what she's about to do. Which would be surprising, given it's Shalune.

        Turning to Margaret and Leo, she nods. "Um, no hard feelings, ma'am, sir. Religion's been kinda a hot button lately, y'know? If it'll smooth things over, I'll do some free ARMs work for you, or-- well, if you see a doodad or two you like the look of, just lemme know."

        Apparently, Shalune can actually act as a shopkeeper sometime... even if, if you know how she works, that isn't really much of a bonus at all.

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

"Hey Margaret," Cyre calls loud enough for Margaret to hear. "Leo's not eatin' his food! You should ask if you could finish it! I mean, otherwise it'd just go to waste, and that ain't right! Curry needs to be respected!"

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

"Wait, she was hitting on me?!" Carina lowers her voice, blushing furiously. Now she DEFINITELY doesn't look back.

Talking about the belt is a good distraction, though. "Well, y'know, I didn't want to jab on about my thing during your thing, right?"

Cyre speaks up again. Carina forgets that she definitely wasn't looking back. "Yeah, curry respect's important!"

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin's hands tighten into fists. She doesn't escalate things further...but her eyes are wet with tears.

<Pose Tracker> Margaret has posed.

 
"I should've left you to be eaten," Margaret calls back to Cyre.

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

"I am not curry, Margaret! That is very rude!" Cyre huffs and turns back to Carina with a shrug. "Well, yeah maybe a bit. But why don't we park our things next to each other, and then customers looking for armor can go looking for food and other things too. And vice versa. We'll both get more business that way! It's not like we're competing with each other, right?"

Beat.

"Hey Catenna, do you think octopus curry would be any good?"

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Excuse me," Catenna says, clearing her throat and folding her hands on the countertop. She locks her eyes on Margaret. "Within the past five minutes you have gone out of your way to be extremely dreadful first to my friend, and now to Cyre. I claim no familiarity with what Althena preaches about decency to others. However, you are demonstrating none of it. Stop this now and be at peace. I ask you this as your chef."

Cyre asks her something a little incongruous. Catenna lets out a slow breath through her nose.

"It can be good," she calls back. "Some of the seaside Zortroa eat it."

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

"Well, you'd have to park your stuff next to my store, 'cause like I said it doesn't move around," Carina says, slumping forward onto the booth. Her eyes light up as she realizes something. "Oh wait! Yeah, I COULD just move some armors around. That's not a half-bad idea. We got a cart for stuff an' things, maybe I can borrow it."

"Mmm, now I wanna try it out," she says of octopus curry. But wait! She still has a dish to finish! She continues digging into it, more carefully than earlier.

She doesn't move from Cyre's booth as she eats, because sitting at the tables right now sounds like an AWKWARD AS HECK proposal.

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

        Kourin might yet hear footsteps come up from behind her. If she looks behind her, it's none other than that strange man, Ethius, once again. Usually when he wants to come up to someone, he just... puts himself there. There is none of that sharp, wasteless movement on his part.
        His posture visibly slackens, eyes still remaining closed as he keeps his hands folded behind his back.
        "Your concern is appreciated." He says to her. He turns his head back vaguely in Arleph's direction. (The hairbrush is still see-sawing at the edge of the countertop.)
        It's not clear why.
        "Shall you retire of the day?"

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline folds her arms in front of her with a frown. Neither of the two Guardsmen...really acknowledge her.

"Kourin, please. It's alright." Jacqueline says, glancing back at her friend. While she appreciated the loyalty, Shalune was right. She's silent for a moment, and then asks,

"Could you go grab a crate of potions from the Carakin from me? It's a ways in there, so it's fine if it takes a while..." She says, trying to subtly give Kourin an excuse to disappear for a little while if she felt she needed it.

And then...

"Cyre, please don't needle her any further." She says, and then, to Carina, "Oh, but yes, ma'am, if you wanted to show off anything, I'd be glad to allow that..."

As for Leo...

"She is not, but I am. Again, I would like to ask that everyone here treat everyone in a welcoming manner. Everyone." This last bit was stressed more toward the rest of the Caravan Kinship, than any of the Guard.

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

"All right! Thanks ma'am, whose... name I don't know!" Carina stops eating to tell Jacqueline, raising a BIG SWIRLY THUMBS-UP for her.

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

         "Just," Arleph mumbles, scratching is good side of his chin. "Probably shouldn't sell fireworks here, huh..."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

It was...hard to keep up a stern, authoritative face when faced with that level of enthusiasm. Jacqueline glances toward the side, offering Catina a smile.

"I'm Jacqueline Barber, leader of the Caravan Kinship. Pleasure to meet you!" She replies.

<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.

"Chawina Wymme," Carina swallows, then she tries again, "Carina Wynne! Nice to meet ya!"

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin silently retreats, nodding to Jay gratefully. She...won't be back for some time.