Secret of Understanding

The soft rain falling outside makes the inside of the Wayfarer all the more inviting. The wind occasionally blows hard against the door, but it's not stiff enough a breeze to move the sturdy thing. There's not many people inside this late. Most have tottered off to bed, but there's a pair of men seated at a table far from the fire. They talk in a deep guttural language to one another, but very quietly so as to not draw attention to what they're saying.

The first man is handsome, in fine clothes that suggest wealth, his long black hair is cut around his shoulders and his black eyes seem to catch easily to the movements inside the inn. Most of his attention is on the man in front of him.

The second man is clearly of Xian descent. He has a raven perched on his shoulder which scans the room for him, and occasionally shifts just enough to give proof that it's alive.

Rain or shine, a certain courier didn't mind. The front door was shouldered open and shut with a muddy boot as a cloaked, scarred mul'neissa with a medium sized crate in her arms comes in. They slide over to the bar and drops the package down for the barkeep, them talking to her for a brief moment.

She doesn't respond, but she holds out a hand and taps her index finger into it. They sigh, nod, and drop a few silver coins into her outstretched hand. One is handed back, her gesturing for a drink and sliding into a seat to rest from the long walk from the city proper.

So much so she doesn't take stock of the room just yet.

Aya does not often travel so far into the wilds, at least not as a destination. Current times, however, are rather different, and information not always found in the most convenient, nor clean, of locations. The wind and rain of the wilds are more than enough to make the trappings of the Pointe to feel all the more cosmopolitan in comparison and worth a brief respite. Thus she steps in before the recently-shouldered door closes, in the wake of the other.

Seyardu's room was in the inn north of of the gates, the atmosphere not unpleasant to the Sith-makar. It was simple and pleasant, and a good place to sleep when one would be going back and forth from Mictlan. Not that she was doing that much of late. The rain was not a bother, but they still needed to sleep. So when the silverscale was heading into the building, she was pretty much drenched, and spent several minutes at the door so they would not drip all across the floor.

The sight of the two at the fire did not escape her however, Nor did Aryia where she sat.

Jinks yawns and stretches dramatically as he descends the tight spiral stairs from the floor above, sliding into his studded adventuring coat just before hitting the ground floor. "Food! Something hearty, please; I am but skin and bones." He calls, smiling wide as he crosses the common room floor and flips a coin to the innkeeper behind the barricade of the east corner counter. He scans the room and hums cheerily to himself before finding a table near the kitchens. Eager, clearly. He begins reaching into pockets and retrieving rings and other assorted pieces of jewelry he begins sliding and pinning into place across his person.

The crow on the Xian man's shoulder lets out a soft sound at the arrival of Aryia, and he stops talking, his eyes flickering toward her as she sits down and then returns his attention to the man he is seated with. "We should talk another time; a familiar face enters."

The second man looks around the room, and smiles softly, handing something to the Xian man under the table which is taken. "Take this, and give it to your friend when you have the time. Tell him it is free... for now." A wide smile and then the man rises to his feet, passing close to Aya as he makes his way toward the door. The man only stops when he realizes that there is a sith-makar in his way and politely nods his head. 'Peace on your nest, may I get by?" <abyssal>

Aryia gets her drink and sips at it, having a moment to herself. Though, her attention slides to movement about the room. She raises a hand towards Seyardu and smiles, glad to run into them once more. Though misses Aya (it's hard to actually catch her at in the first place) and acknowledges Jinks. However, she pauses her drinking as her eyes land on the Xian man. She blinks, stares, then pretends whatever was at the bottom of her cup was far more important to pay attention to.

Aya is never certain what to expect she might encounter in this bit of refuge in the wilds. The courier she followed inside, if just by timing, is familiar. Most others present are not. The low conversation draws an ear, and then the departing (nearing?) man draws an eye. At least until the sith greeting to one behind her causes her to turn back towards the door.

"Peace on your nest sir. Yes, of course." Seyardu replies quickly, stepping off to the side and continuing to bat some more of the water out. She did see the hand and waved back to Aryia, with a nod to Jinks, and the man at the fire, though it was the least dip of her head she could manage.

"Lady Comfort herself," Jinks cheers, twisting a final silver band, intricately carved, into place on a pinky. He holds his arms wide and leans back to make room for the kitchen girl to set a steaming bowl down before him. "Or are you Thul come to tempt me?" His smile turns lopsided and he offers a wink before the server retreats. "Ho," he greets the rest, lifting a hand before he sets ravenously into the stew.

At his table the Xian man shakes his head, watching Aryia as she stares into her cup. The man at the door makes his exit with one last glance into the room. A soft smile on his lips as though he knows something others do not. Then he is gone. Karasu sighs and in the common tongue speaks up. "Rather than ignore me, perhaps you would care to join me instead?" He's clearly talking to Aryia.

Wow, this cup is really interesting. Especially how there's already half the drink gone and-

Aryia cringes and slowly sighs. After a moment's hesitation, she slides from her seat, takes a few strides, and plops herself down across from the Xian man.

She raises a simple hand in greeting.

Aya dips her chin in a nod to the sith-makar before her attention shifts. En route to the counter, she offers another nod of greeting to her fellow mul'niessa before inquiring of some sustenance from the clerk. A glass of wine and candied meats, of all things, though her tone suggests that she does not have high hopes on some or all of that being available. Diluted grog may have to suffice.

Finally her clothes were at least not going to leave a puddle wherever she went. And she stepped out from the entrance with a package underneath one arm, over to the fire to stand next to, and hopefully dry off.

"Peace on your nest." She says, mostly to Aryia. "You are still making deliveries this late? I would assume you finished for the day by this point."

Jinks is a hungry gnome, apparently, and has a coin slapped on the table waiting for the kitchen girl when she checks on the common room. A second bowl is in (and on) order. He's not above eavesdropping, though, and is one to appreciate a bit of dinner theatre.

Karasu lifts his hand, and it seems that the server was expecting this because she immediately brings out a tea service. The man pours a small amount of water - steaming hot - from the pot and tries it as she walks away, and apparently satisfied pulls a small white pouch from his sleeve and pours it into his pot. After a few moments of long silence he pours the tea out, and arranges from his pocket a few rice balls with some sort of black-green wrapping. "Peace on your nest Seyardu. That is your name." He nods to the sith-makar and slides the tea pot and the other cup toward Aryia. "Tea?"

What was that? Aryia glances to the side to find Aya nodding at her, the former mul'neissa blinking a few times. When... when did Aya get here? Why- How did Aya just always pop up like that?

She sighs and weakly smiles towards her, a hand raised in a hello.

Aryia shrugs her shoulders. "Peace on your nest. Last one wanted something sent out here. Paid alright so I took it, I don't mind the walk," she gestures to Seyardu. <Handspeech>

He figured out Seyardu's name. Aryia purses her lips and fidgets with her drink, watching the tea brew. The offer is met with an equal measure of surprise and skepticism. A glance is stolen towards Aya. If something were to happen, at least the other mul'neissa was here. Taking a hazard, she nods and slowly pushes her mug away, her pouring out her own tea into her cup. A motion. "Thanks." <Handspeech>

To those that would know, Seyardu was on edge the moment her name was mentioned. But to most, she was still relatively calm. "Peace on your nest. I suppose that makes sense. Do you make habit of looking for other people's information like that? You have not even mentioned your own, still." She replies.

Jinks issues a contented sigh and heads back upstairs, leaving the two empty bowls on the tabletop to be cleared.

The Xian man glances subtly at Seyardu, taking a small drink of his tea and taking a small bite of his food before responding. He's not rude enough to talk with food in his mouth, so it takes a long moment. "I do. And I have not." His simple response leaves a lot to be desired, and his raven makes a reproachful noise at him. He glances at the bird in question before subtly shaking his head. "I am Karasu Himura."

The elf looks a touch surprised once again as his name is offered. She closes her eyes, trying to keep the name in her head. Lips moving to silently repeat it before nodding to her self. Finally, she sips on her tea. "So. You're a long way out from Alexandria." <Handspeech>

"Speaking with someone else, of something else that is likely none of our business. I feel asking what it was about would not accomplish much." Seyardu sighs. At least she had a name, or one given by the man, at least. "I just hope that it is business that is upstanding." She adds.

"I am where my business leads me." Karasu responds evenly enough, eating his repast slowly. So that he is never eating and talking at the same time. "You are right, my dealings are none of your concern." His eyes meet Seyardu's and for a moment those black eyes of his are unfathomable. "However not illegal if that is your worry. He is a nobleman who procured an item once procured by some adventurers and now considered a bit of an artistic element. He wishes to sell it to an interested party."

Now that Aryia wasn't hot headed, it's clear as day she's an awkward duck. She glances between Karasu and Seyardu while drinking her tea. Not entirely certain how she feels about it but was imbibing it nonetheless. The topic went over her head, and she shifts in her seat uncomfortably. She didn't have anything to add, at the moment.

"Well, perhaps I missed a word. would think none of our business." She added, shaming her head and pulling a bit at some cloth to hold it out near the fire. "Yet you speak more of it regardless. It is difficult for me to read people, but the more time I spend here, the more I feel that I should err on the side of not trusting."

Karasu met the sith's gaze again evenly, pausing with his food. "The last time I refused to explain myself, your companion threatened my life. I thought it prudent to be more forthcoming this time." It was a logical explanation, and that said, he returns to his meal peaceably enough.

Aryia couldn't hold it in anymore. "Then why are you so fucking hard to talk to? I thought I was a brick wall but I didn't realize I'd meet my match talking to a wall of metal. I had to threaten you because it was pissing me off with empty answers and deflection." She didn't look angry as she gestures, per se. Just kinda flubbing out a lot of stuff that was bottled. <Handspeech>

"She did not threaten your life, nor would I let her take it. A broken arm or nose perhaps, but that seemed fair, given your suspected occupation." Seyardu says, looking down to the man evenly. "I would have likely mended it right afterwards regardless. But even myself, who struggles with understanding others, I have a understanding of the basics of context. And at some point,it becomes detrimental to remain silent given what is thought. You did nothing to dissuade."

"I was born in Charn." Karasu says with his hands, each move lightning-quick. His black eyes are narrow as he looks at her. "Perhaps you then might understand that discretion is part and parcel with how I was raised? My family were assassins for the Charneth, and I was trained to become their successor." In a single motion of his hand he dismisses his own words and coolly rises to his feet, unsettling his raven who flaps their wings to keep balance. Then, with a few more he continues. "If I am metal it is what I was forged to be." <handspeech>

"I may be Charn raised but not like you have," she gestures back with a frown, no where near as fluid, as if she was still fresh to the language. "I was bottom rung, chattel. If you have a secret it'll get whipped out of you." <Handspeech>

"I do not wish to delve into what I know of Aryia, but she can speak of what she wishes." Seyardu nods. "Though I must say, that if you were truly raised in Charn, you should have a better understanding of how the subjects brought up can be worrying, or infuriating to some. This is the context I speak of. Most outside of the place have poor opinions of their practices, and for good reason."

Karasu makes a pushing-away motion with his hands. "It is you that do not understand. One that can not keep secrets, and another who can not understand the necessity of them." He looks at Aryia, his gaze distant a moment and then he shakes his head again. "If you can not understand then how can I trust /you/?"

With that said, he leaves, leaves his food. Leaves his tea. Simply walks out the door with the raven displeased and disgruntled on his shoulder.

-End