RP:A Much Needed Break

This is a Devout's Guild RP.

Summary: Khitti and Zahrani happen upon each other in Cenril while on their own separate shopping trips and Zahrani takes Khitti to her home and introduces her to some of her family members in the Isran Collective.

The Marketplace District, Cenril

Zahrani || The day is growing late, but with the bustling summer traffic and the sunset coming later every day, many shopkeepers and stall owners stay open longer before they head home for evening. A feline paladin walks among the crowd, wearing a sleeveless shirt and lighter armor. Occasionally she would stop and greet familiar faces amongst the merchants; some human, some elven, many of them fellow felines. The jaguar woman walks alongside a 10-year-old tiger lass carrying a bo staff, the child built like a younger version of Zahrani. The two speak in the Isran Collective’s primary feline language, before they are interrupted by a large male feline with grey fur and a braided silver beard and mane. Rani embraces the old man, who had been tending a stall with a younger tattooed male feline. The younger man bears a symbol of Lithrydel’s Sea Goddess upon his neck, indicating that he may be a sailor. His stock of diverse pickled vegetables and cured spiced meat would reinforce this. The felines have their food preservation down to a science, and they are a major food seller for many of Cenril’s sea-faring merchants, dealing primarily with deckhands and rank-and-file sailors who didn’t have as much easy access to high-end rations as their superiors. The adults converse about the challenges their enclave may face in the coming days, while Raahin – the young tigress – watches and listens. She glances up to see one of the feline lookouts on a nearby roof, offering a subtle smile and nod to the teenager surveying the market for any signs of trouble. ~Having a lookout~ is one of the first lessons the felines of the Collective learn. Their prior experience with slavers, and sometimes malicious law enforcement, has taught them thus.

Khitti needed a break from… well… pretty much everything, right now. She did so by traipsing about Cenril’s well-known weapons shop. Blades of all sorts shimmered in the low light of building, their metal bodies kept free of their sheathes in order to further entice buyers. There were even axes and hammers of all shapes and sizes too, of course, but these weren’t what interested Khitti. Perhaps if she were still a vampire, she might seek out a greathammer--for they too peaked her interest--but she was certain she’d not the muscle nor the energy to lift such a thing. No, instead, her olive-green line of sight was focused on weapons similar to Tenbatsu Kaji. The katana was strapped to her back as per usual, the only thing on her person right now that might aid the redhead in being perceived as one of the realm’s warriors. All the blades of elven-make were exquisitely crafted, some left plain in design, while others had words and symbols of the elvish tongue and culture carved into them. It was one of these that Khitti chose to inspect, the wakizashi the perfect companion to her katana. The weight was tested, a few swings of the short sword given, and a grin offered to the shopkeeper, “I’ll take it.” The intricate designs had called to her, she couldn’t possibly pass up the opportunity. The weapon, now within its sheathe, would be strapped to her waist, and money handed over, before Khitti headed out the shop. Those same green eyes now glanced about as the night’s crowd passed her by in the street, the denizens of Cenril scurrying along like the rats that needed to be purged from Lithrydel. Now where was she going to go?

Zahrani concludes her conversation with the old male feline, while the younger seacat offers Raahin a short errand in exchange for a bit of coin. He hands the tiger lass a sealed barrel with ropes for shoulder straps, the container filled with fermented spiced vegetables. He points to a produce merchant and explains in their native tongue that the human woman had sent in a bulk order for her pantry. “She’ll offer you a discount on fresh produce if you run them to her for me.” Raahin eyes the cask, then nods, accepts the coin, and straps it to her back before walking up to her paladin mentor, “Let’s get some fruit and vegetables over there.” The panther woman nods, bidding farewell to their brethren at the preserved food stall. As they arrive at the produce lady’s stall, the middle-aged woman does her best to not gush over the littler feline. As Raahin converses with her, Zahrani casts her cyan gaze down the road, spotting a familiar redhead popping out of the weapon shop. Should Khitti and Rani’s eyes meet, the feline would smile warmly and wave her over. Her student dutifully places the order of preserved veggies on the table for the merchant, who offers the discount promised by the sailor. Some denizens of the city turn their nose up at the cats, while others absolutely adore them and actively help them. Fortunately, the human stallkeep is the latter.

Khitti || One Khat would soon see the other and return the wave. Khitti pushed her way through the crowd, doing her best to avoid getting trampled or run over by the ever-present carriages that sped through the area without a care in the world besides raking in more coin as she headed towards the marketplace district of the city. “Doing some shopping too, eh?” Raahin was offered a wave and a ‘hello’ as well, but she left the younger feline to her own devices for now, letting her tend to her task of choosing the discounted fruits and vegetables. “Oi… sometimes I hate the warmer months. Cenril’s crowded enough as it is and more just seem to pile in to hoard the beach. I can barely breath walking around here some days!” She said this with a smirk, a shake of her head, and a shrug. “Can’t imagine Rynvale’s doing much better right now either. Anyway… how are things?” As she awaited a response, Khitti kept watch on the people around her as she often did when places were a bit crowded--you could never be too careful, you know. She spied the occasional, aforementioned Cenrilians that showed their distaste of the felines; Khitti didn’t hesitate to give them a dirty look in response.

Zahrani offers a light chuckle at Khitti's comments on the crowds, giving a wry smile and responding with, "Our Enclave just sees it as more opportunities. We’re used to crowds and living in tight spaces. More tourists means more income for the Collective.” Raahin, meanwhile, picks out a bag of wheat bulgur, some fresh herbs, a package of strawberries for making jam, and some root veggies. Her ears continue to pivot like fuzzy satellite dishes while she finishes her business with a smile, ignoring the more cynical passersby yet keeping an ear out for trouble. It seems tonight is a night for it. A strange human man walks through the crowd, eyeing Zahrani from a distance while she spoke with her Guild leader. He blends in well with the crowd, a knife hidden in his sleeve, but alas, his staring has given him away to the teenaged feline acting as their lookout. She signals to Bruiser, the old grey male, then draws his attention to the man stalking their favorite paladin. As the potential assailant flows with the crowd towards the panther, the large grey male catches up, grabbing the cloaked individual by the shoulder in a friendly gesture before saying audibly, “My friend! Long time no see; let’s grab a drink, you and I.” He then whispers something about tearing the man’s ears off if he tries anything, and the man fearfully complies. Zahrani, meanwhile, heard every word, her face neutral as Bruiser intercepts the would-be attacker away from the crowd and into an alleyway. Turning back to Khitti, the panther’s smile returns as she says, “If you’re a feline, or friends with us, there are few places safer than this marketplace.”

Khitti tilted her head, somewhat like a dog when it’s confused, a crimson brow lifting somewhat at Zahrani’s words. The loudness of the area masked Bruiser’s words from making it to Khitti’s ears and so his good deed of guarding Zahrani went unnoticed. “Indeed. The racism that runs rampant around here is vile… I’m sorry that’s something you have to deal with. I had to as well, way back when.” She offered the feline a sympathetic smile, “But, I imagine the rest of the Collective is just as capable as you are.” They were, of course, and Khitti would know this had she spotted the impending doom that had been the almost-assailant. “Speaking of being capable… look at what I bought!” The newly acquired wakizashi was removed from her hip and offered over to Zahrani. “I don’t know elvish, but I’m going to do a bit of research at home to see what the symbols and whatnot mean. I’ve been meaning to get a partner for Tenbatsu Kaji--I’ve always been better at dual-wielding.” As she let Zahrani look it over, she shifted her attention towards the younger of the two felines, a smile given again to Raahin, “If you want some baked goods to go with that jam, my bakery’s just down the street.” She pointed in the general direction of her shop and then continued, “We bake so much every day, there’s always plenty of leftovers. The majority of it goes to the orphanages closest to Cenril, but we can make extra if you all would like some to be ready for when you go on your shopping trips. We’d just need a little bit of advanced notice, is all.”

Zahrani sighs, offering a nod of understanding regarding Khitti’s comments on racial bias against others, “As sad as it sounds, we know how to deal with it due to a lot of experience. The silver lining is; it helps us find our true friends in this city.” The lady running the produce stall overhears the panther’s comment, offering a polite wave and a doting smile, “I hope to find myself among them, dearie. Yer Matriarch has always done right by me, and I know good folk when I see ‘em.” Raahin smiles at the human woman, before collecting her groceries in two bags and hoisting them up with her staff. Yellow eyes turn to Khitti as she mentions ‘her bakery,’ her eyes widening slightly before she says, “You own the ‘Ginger Snapped?’ Grand-Mother was wondering if you were hiring. There’s a couple in our enclave who are skilled bakers, but they mostly get by working at the docks...” She and Zahrani both look down at the wakizashi the Templar presents, the paladin eliciting an impressed whistle before saying, “That...is a gorgeous blade, my friend. Would you like to walk with us back to our Enclave?”

Khitti gave her own nod of understanding in return to Zahrani, “Very true. That’s how I ended up with my Lithrydel family. They didn’t give a damn if I was a vampire or not back then--and it held true with being a necromancer at the time as well. You were certainly among that group of people that didn’t give one iota about it too.” Another smile is offered, this one a bit brighter than the last. “I do! And we’re always hiring! I’d be glad to add more to our ranks,” Khitti said to the young feline. “They can stop by any time and be shown around the kitchen if they’re interested. My head cake decorator, Albert, takes care of the back of the house while I’m away from the shop--and there’s no interview needed.” Khitti trusted that Zahrani’s people were very skilled, and even if there happened to be places where they were lacking, the Enclave’s bakers could be trained on whatever suited their needs. The short, elvish sword was retrieved from Zahrani’s grasp carefully, and restrung up in its proper place at her side, “It’s not a holy sword or sentient like Tenbatsu Kaji, but it’ll certainly do. There’s been too many times lately where I’ve needed a smaller weapon and had to rely on just my magic instead. It… doesn’t always go well, especially if someone just happens to have anti-magic abilities.” The redhead made a bit of a face at the thought, then shrugged, “I’d be happy to walk you back. You’ve told me so much about the Enclave but I’ve still yet to see it.”

The Isran Collective's Enclave, Cenril

Zahrani looks down at Raahin, “Lead the way, then.” With a grin, the 10-year-old hoists the bo staff up behind her, carrying the groceries like a yoke and walking through the crowd. Rani follows close behind, presumably with Khitti in tow. As they venture into the lower-income portion of the city, the crowd gets thinner. They eventually reach a well-lit side street, little more than a wide alley. The buildings here are old, some of them run-down and peeling, but the streets appear to be clean and surprisingly scarce of rats. Eventually the street takes them to what appears to be an old hotel, refurbished to act as a living complex for most of the Isran Collective. Catwalks could be seen connecting the hotel with surrounding buildings. Bruiser stands next to the main entrance, a wide archway with an office adjacent to it. In his deep baritone, he speaks with a thick accent, “Welcome home, Zahrani. Raahin-torun.” He uses an affectionate suffix akin to ‘grandchild’ for the tiger lass. His eyes rest upon Khitti, the greymane reaching up to stroke his beard before calling into the office, “Matriarch; we have a guest.” Just as soon as the words left his maw, a similarly-aged feline woman steps out, wearing a simple dress and a headscarf over her ears. Shrewd amber eyes take in the Templar, her fur black with traces of silver. “Welcome. I am Roahin. I recognize you from around town. You own the bakery on near the market, yes?” She escorts them through the entrance, and Khitti would see that the center of the hotel is a large courtyard, complete with a large communal cooking firepit and dining area. The windows all facing into the courtyard also make the Enclave an excellent killbox, should any intruders with malicious intent try to storm the place. The felines chose their home well.

Khitti did indeed follow along behind Zahrani, her booted steps noticeably audible now that they’d diffused themselves from the crowd. There was no judgement on Khitti’s features as they wandered through the part of town that rich folk would not dare set foot in, for fear of destroying their image. Once they reached the hotel, the catwalks were eyed with curiosity, but her attention was soon diverted away, first to Bruiser, and then to feline matriarch. “Hello, Roahin. My name’s Khatja, but everyone calls me Khitti.” Secretly, she hoped that somehow, in some way, her name wouldn’t be viewed as offensive, as she was very much not an actual feline. “And, I do. I was just telling the little one here that we’ve room at the bakery, for those that wish to work. It’s a good pay and they can bring back whatever goods they wish once the day’s done.” She paused, suddenly quite unable to find words to make small talk, so instead, she offered the matriarch a faint smile as she went over things in her mind that she might say, if there was the chance to do so before she took her leave.

Zahrani helps Raahin carry her groceries to a large kitchen that looks out at the courtyard, where the child’s mother could be seen, tending a fire. She offers a warm embrace to the paladin, and a nuzzle of her forehead to the little one. Roahin offers a kind smile and a dip of her head to Khitti, “A pleasure to meet you. That is a generous offer.” She beckons for the templar to follow her, striding quite gracefully to the kitchen door and scanning the interior for another feline. “Atakan. Are you still in here?” From a nearby table, a hairless feline (similar to a Sphinx cat) turns his green eyes to the threshold. In a low tenor, he responds after washing his hands, “Yes, Grand-Mother?” Upon seeing Khitti, he realizes why he was called. He offers the redhead a warm smile, doing his best to hide any nerves, “Ah, welcome. I’m just about to get some sourdough out of the oven. It’s one of my specialties.” With deft, insulated fingers, Atakan grabs a flat oven peel, sliding it into the woodfire oven and pulling out 3 loaves of fresh and scored bread. As soon as they’re out and resting on a cutting board, he grabs three more from his table and slides them in. “You’ll want those to cool a bit before cutting in. Tempting as it is to start eating some now,” he offers a knowing smile. Felines aren’t fans of sugar, but even they appreciate the simple pleasure of a fresh loaf of bread still crackling from the temperature change out of the oven.

Khitti || The smell of freshly baked bread hit Khitti’s nose and she was soon mentally whisked off to a land where she could freely eat as much bread as she wanted without gaining weight. It was a shame that wasn’t something that had lingered after her vampirism was cured, but Khitti had been incredibly skinny and malnourished before her undeath took hold, and the bit of weight that had been granted to her by way of her pregnancy had been welcome. She dipped her head in a nod of hello to the feline baker, eyeing the bread as it cooled, “It smells amazing!” It was all she could do to keep from leaping at the table and eating the bread, regardless of the warning or the fact that… well… this was not her home and it was not her bread to just eat willy-nilly whenever she wanted. But, Khitti managed to convince herself to hold back, with promises of her own bread-filled binge-eating when she got home. The woodfire oven was eyed with awe, Khitti’s appreciation for it voiced. “I’ve not seen one of those in a long while. Drargon, in Frostmaw, let me use his when I lived at the inn for quite awhile. I’ve got a magic one, on the ship I live on, and in the shop. Mainly for efficiency. That and I think the ship’s captain would appreciate it if I didn’t burn down his home,” she said with a smirk. “And speaking of home… I probably shouldn’t stay too long here. Brand’ll assume I went and got myself kidnapped again. And I’m sure you all would like to get on with your dinner anyway!”

Zahrani | Atakan nods in understanding, "Of course. It was nice to finally meet you. I'll stop by the bakery tomorrow with a couple loaves; I look forward to the possibility of doing this for a living." The man and his cousin had grown tired of working at the docks, but their absence would make room for others better suited to fill the gap. Raahin waves goodbye to Khitti, before assisting her mother in preparing the evening meal. Zahrani and Roahin escort the templar to the entrance, while the elder cat adds, "Farewell. And if you ever need to train others in your guild with our beloved Rani, our courtyard is available. It would mean she would not be far, and would give us opportunities to learn."

Khitti nodded at Atakan with a smile, “Sounds good. We’ll be happy to have you there!” She was hopeful that the felines would find it to their liking. Khitti had created the bakery/restaurant as a safe place for anyone, and kept it free of the bigots that still made their way around Cenril. A wave is returned to the young cat before she’s following along with Zahrani and her matriarch, “Of course. I’m sure our students in the guild could learn a lot from your family as well.” Khitti’s guildmate was given a goodbye hug, as per usual, and a smile given to Roahin before she set off to head to the wharf.