Care for a Drink? {Hilana}

[Dreyfus]

☬ 23rd of Ash, Year 122, A.o.S ☬
Company: ??? | Thoughts: ??? | Mood: ???

☬ The Luxium, it was a unique city to say the least. Dante had been in the city for a while now, but never really had a chance to sit and take in those around him. Dante never got the chance to absorb the culture and soak up the people. Walking the streets, his chest showing through a loosely buttoned linen shirt and in a pair of comfortable shorts and sandals, the vampyre was trying to get a feel for the people of the Solunarium.

It was a typical city on the outside just like Zaichaer, but he knew better, he knew there was more to this place than just being a jewel in the desert. He wanted to truly dive into the heart of the people of the city. It was a way to understand his surroundings better, by getting a feel for how the land feels. The Luxium was still an interesting place to live, even if he believed it to be a charade for foreign eyes. He knew much or at least all he wanted to know about the city from the books he read, and a few personal accounts from traveling merchants.

In any case, it was a pleasant place if you knew where to go and had the coin. Though he was rather off put by the stares. You think they hadn't seen a man with hair like his before. Well the more he thought about it, they probably hadn't. All in all, he smiled at the thought, continuing to move through the city. He found himself meandering through the busy streets listening and watching, etching every detail he could into his mind. From a spectator's point of view, he seemed like a tourist taking in the sights, but in reality, Dante was making notes of the type of businesses that lined the road.

He was so wrapped up in his observations of the city that he didnt even notice the figure coming at him. The collision was undoubtedly unavoidable. ☬

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Hilana Chenzira]

It had been a busy couple of days for her. Between the active night of hunting wild sheep for sacrifices on the eve of the Equinox, the actual act of performing the sacrifices themselves, and the following gatherings, not to count being busy with her job, and studying in the evening... Hilana loved it. A good night's sleep made up for missing a whole one, and her usual energy was back and in good stead.

But it was time to close the shop for the day, and she left Sweet Remedies, heading out into the bustling streets of Port Vasta. Her black and white python was draped across her bare shoulders, enjoying the sun as his tongue flickered, tasting the scents of the air. He had spent the day lounging on a branch, or lounging on Hilana's shoulders, or sleeping in her lap while she was in a chair, but the snake had no need to spend extra effort unnecessarily. Still, he was aware of the crowds, his coils resting over her shoulders.

Her long black hair was piled up in a wild, messy bun atop her head, a few tendrils of curls brushing her neck and and the body of her companion who rested there. She wore her usual attire; a short, undyed linen sleeveless shirt that exposed most of her midriff, though her darker skin was covered in a layer of white linen bandages, wrapped from the shirt and down to shapely hips, where her full, multi-tiered cotton skirt dyed in shades of pale purple that faded gradually into a darker blue swept along with each step. Despite her speed, the hems were long enough to brush the sands, obscuring her sandals. She still bore a bandage wrapped around her right bicep. Her rucksack rested on her back, albeit empty, as Tiaz wished to hang out with her.

She was already thinking about dinner tonight, and perhaps stopping to get something instead of cooking, though she really should use up the rest of those--- "Oof!" she made a sound as she collided with the man whom she had not seen coming, distracted though she had been. That was akin to running into a bloody bull, because the slender girl effectively bounced right off of him and landed on her behind in the sand, looking up to see just whom and what she had hit. Accident though it may have been, who it was determined how careful she had to be with getting up. And to her utter surprise, it was a foreigner. Peregrini, then.

Hilana had spent most of her time in the Luxium, and yet... she'd not seen someone quite like this before. Between his tanned skin and blond hair, factoring in the attire, that was quite different. A tourist, maybe? Either way, she got to her feet quickly enough, brushing the sands off of her skirts. "I am sorry," she spoke to him in barely-accented Common. She was, perhaps, used to speaking it with strangers. While Common was widely taught, not too many of the denizens of the city used it unless necessary, and when they did, the accents could be heavy. This girl's, not so much. She inclined her head in apology. "I was not watching. Are you alright?"

[Dreyfus]

☬ 23rd of Ash, Year 122, A.o.S ☬
Company: ??? | Thoughts: ??? | Mood: ???

☬ The impact was enough to cause the vampyre to take a step back. He never saw her coming, and it seemed she didn't see him either. At first, his instinct was to lash out as his eyes flared at the girl, but he could see that she was being cautious of him, as he towered over her. She had no reason to fear him as he had no intention of hurting her, the collision doing most of that for him.

Her words drifted into his ears as she fixed herself and hesitentley looked up at him. Shaking his head he waved off her apology, he was wasn't paying attention and should have been, kneeling down to aid her the best he could, given he was much sturdier than she was. He could look at her and tell she was frightened, or at least taken aback by him, and he couldnt blame her. He bowed to the sunkissed woman with a sigh, extending a hand to aid her to her feet.

"Don't worry about it, it was my fault for not giving enough room for others to walk by." he said, crimson eyes lowering to look at her. She was a rather skiing beauty, a natural gem, the vampyre fighting the urge to turn her into a nightwalker like himself in order to preserve her timeless beauty. However it would be rather rude of him, and that wasn't what he was here for.

"It would take an act of the gods in order to do harm to me. Besided there's more to me than meets the eye my dear." he chuckled, though it took no time at all. Within mere moments, his arm had reformed thanks to the powers of Vitalis, but she need not know that much about his.....uniqueness. ☬

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Hilana Chenzira]

Hilana smoothed her skirts now that she was upright again, the black and white python around her neck and shoulders starting to coil and tighten from the collision and the resulting movements. One of the girl’s hands came up to touch its body as if to reassure it, and the reptile relaxed along her shoulders once more. She gently scratched under its chin with a finger. She looked like any number of the citizens here, considering the range of appearance for the Vastii, but there was no doubt that she was in fact native. She wasn’t wearing any of the largesse that would indicate someone of rank; the only jewelry the girl seemed to be wearing was a mixture of copper and silver studs and rings in her ears.

She listened to his accent, her head tilting as she took him in properly and listened to his speech, but she wasn’t confident enough in placing it. But when he bowed to her, she curtsied to him, her long cotton skirts splaying in the movement, though there was fabric enough there that nothing, not even her toes, were revealed. When she released the cloth, it settled back down, slinking about her legs and settling, not unlike some of the skirts the dancers wore when they were entertaining in the tabernas. “I was also distracted, and I wasn’t watching,” she said as she inclined her head. She was fine, the snake was fine, he was fine. Apparently, no harm, no foul.

Though when he said it would take an act of the Gods for something to harm him, she tilted her head. Maybe the sun was playing tricks on her, but she could have sworn that she saw crimson there, if briefly. Still, the Vastii let it go, and she smiled brightly up at him. “My name is Hilana. May I ask from where you come from? I am afraid that I do not recognize your accent.” She could usually recognize some of them, but this one was definitely escaping her.

[Dreyfus]

☬ 23rd of Ash, Year 122, A.o.S ☬
Company: Hilana & her snek | Thoughts: Must learn about the Solunarium | Mood: Intrigued, Curious

☬ She was charming, endearing almost, and the vampyre couldn't help but find the woman interesting. He saw the serpent coil out and seemed to come to find the reptile cute. The woman curtsied to his bow, admitting she too was at fault, but it was of no concern to the vampyre. She introduced herself as Hilana, a bright and cheerful smile gleaming up at him. He smiled back and tilted his head, his long golden locks swaying over his shoulder.

The woman inquired as to where he was from, as his accent was out of place. He liked the curiosity in her eyes and as he fixed his lips to tell her, he contemplated what all she may know, after all, news of what happened in Zaichaer surely has spread by now. With a polite smirk, well as polite as he could manage, he turned his face away for a moment. Unlike other people he encountered in the city, she seemed to have a genuine interest, as many citizens tolerated him, but held some suspicion in their eyes when engaging with him.

" My name is Dreyfus, Dreyfus Monteliyet. I am from Zaichaer, I was lucky enough to escape the carnage of the city. Unfortunately, my family wasn't as fortunate as I was." he answered, though now that he was thinking about it, he didn't even know if his family actually made it out of there alive. But he wasn't in a position to care at the time. He couldn't save them now even if he wanted to. His eyes softened at that realization, but soon brightened when he looked back down at the woman.

"If you wish to know more, I wouldn't mind telling you about the place, over dinner, it's the least I can do to make up for colliding into you. I won't take no for an answer." he suggested, bowing a bit, the feint glow of his Vitalis, Kinetics, & Negation runes illuminating the darkness within his open shirt. "You can pick the place, and I'll handle the bill." he said gesturing to the many places to eat around them. ☬

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Hilana Chenzira]

Hilana knew full-well how the citizens of Solunarium were. Especially those who lived in the capital and maybe knew nothing but the capital their whole lives. Outsiders were regarded with suspicion; and that was fair and natural: the isolationist kingdom rarely saw strangers until recently. But the Vastian girl had been exposed to many and more from her travels in the desert, and from being around the docks and convoys going and out of the main shipping port of Tertium; and that exposure and unconventional upbringing it awakened a thirst for knowledge of the world outside her own. Not necessarily because she wanted to see it - she already knew it was apparently swarming with Orks, and that was unacceptable to a Vastii like her - but because she was curious about it.

Zaichaer. Arvaelyn had mentioned the place, and now there was apparently more of an opportunity to find out about it… and as strange and different as this Peregrinus was, Hilana was hard-pressed to pass it up. “I heard a bit about the calamity there, in passing, but as you may have noticed by now… not much information comes in and out of these lands. Still, I am sorry for the loss of your family and your home,” she inclined her head solemnly to him. The snake’s tongue flickered where he was resting about her bare shoulders.

Hilana noticed the glow between his skin and the dark fabric of his shirt, and that made her wonder. Was that of a Rune? Or something to do with that crimson flash she thought she saw earlier? Either way, he wasn’t giving her a reason to be nervous to the point that she felt unsafe, especially in the city. There were a few times that her family’s Caste came in handy, but this would have been one of them. “If you would not mind talking about it, I would be very interested to hear of it,” she admitted. “I always wonder of the lands beyond our borders. Except maybe the Commonwealth, but just about everywhere else…”

She wasn’t sure how his grip on the Vastian language was, but it did not matter. Port Vasta had many places where Common went on the menu, what with sailors and newcomers. Not that that was too much of an issue; Hilana was always happy to translate and explain things if questions were had about the food. “I would be delighted. This way, then, if you will,” she led the way back into the busy street, her long skirts sweeping the sands as she led the way. It was easy to see that those were bandages wrapped around her midsection, though why she had them was another story altogether.

Hilana pushed open the door to one of the tabernas that was busy enough to indicate it was popular, but not so busy that one couldn’t hear themselves think in it, much less have a conversation. But from there, she spoke to the host in Vastian, and they were led through the taberna and up a flight of stairs to a rooftop patio. There were less people here, even though it had plenty of shade from a rooftop pergola with a canopy, and the breeze coming off of the water helped, even with the sun in the sky. But in all due time, that would start shifting over the horizon. Menus were brought up, and the waitress came to take their drink orders, and Hilana requested one of the berry wines. She would take Dreyfus’ too, before heading off to go and get it for them. “How long have you been in Solunarium?” she asked him, the menu open in front of her, but her eyes were on him. "How are you liking it?"

Curiosity may have killed the sandcat, but satisfaction brought it back.

[Dreyfus]

☬ 23rd of Ash, Year 122, A.o.S ☬
Company: Hilana & her snek | Thoughts: Must learn about the Solunarium | Mood: Intrigued, Curious

☬ "I wouldn't mind that at all. I'd be glad to share my life abroad." Out of all of the people he tried to interact with and speak to, Hilana was the first to truly engage with him. Granted he knew he could easily ascertain information just by draining one of their blood, but that would cause concern and unwanted attention, and in foreign lands, he couldn't take the chance. He would have to play this right, as she could be useful in the long run. He could however appreciate her curiosity for what lay beyond these rigid borders, to which he nodded and smiled.

"It is both equal parts beautiful and ugly beyond this land you call home." he noted, allowing the woman to lead the way to the place they would converse over dinner. He made sure to keep pace with her, taking in her attire and her mannerisms. He noticed the bandages that secured her abdomen and wondered if she had been hurt. He thought about using his Vitalis rune to mend her, if he even could. She would be the perfect test subject to see just how far his healing capabilities could go, if they were anything like Venetia's.

When they arrive, his brow quirked a bit as he couldn't quite place the dialect she was speaking. It sounded interesting as it danced within his ears, but he knew the longer he stayed in the Solunarium, he would eventually pick up their tongue. The place she picked seemed to be quite the spot for the locals, as it was busy but not too busy to where one would be overwhelmed by the noise of others. Being led to the rooftop, the two found a spot that would allow them to converse with ease.

He ordered the same as Hilana and glanced over the menu before turning his attention to the woman as she inquired of him. "I haven't been here long, I arrived on the 16th of Ash, so I'm still getting used to your home. I can say, despite the lack of hospitality, I find myself enthralled with the place. I too share a fascination with lands abroad, so I'm eager to sink my teeth into the culture here. If I may ask, what is it like here, from a local's perspective?"
he posed, putting his reconciliator methods to good use. ☬

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Hilana Chenzira]

“That would be true of most places, isn’t it? Half beauty, half ugly. Though perhaps it is all in the way one looks at it. One man’s sin is another’s delight, no?” She could get back to what he had said on their way in now that they were settled. The bandages around her midsection, nor indeed around her upper arm, didn’t seem to be bothering her too much, and they were clean to the outside - there was no indication of blood within the bandages, so she may have already been in a state of healing. Still, it could also just mean that the bandages were fresh, after all... The python remained in place about her shoulders, and apparently she wasn’t about to move him despite the fact they were sitting at a table. Reptile worship really was a thing here.

If he chose to browse it, the menu was written in Common, with names and short descriptions of dishes ranging from vegetarian, to seafood, to those with meats - chicken, lamb, pork, and beef. Hilana had picked the place while considering not only its quality and how busy it was, but that its menu appealed to a wider range of tastes. This way, there was something for everyone. She’d never had anything off here, but then again, Hilana was not particularly picky about food, courtesy of her upbringing. When food was presented, even if it was scorpions, it was eaten.

Especially if it was scorpions.

She was attentive as he mentioned that he had only been there a few days, considering his answers and questions in turn. “Did you come by barge from Tertium? How did you find it?” she asked him in turn. “Solunarium proper is a bit more closed off from those outside the Kingdom than Port Tertium,” Hilana explained. “There are less Peregrini here, so it will take people time to get used to you, but sands settle over time... and so do its people,” she offered with a smile. “I would imagine that many lands beyond here are more akin to melting pots, where differences are respected and perhaps praised, but blending in here will get you further, faster.” It was gentle advice, and he could take it or leave it, but she was not criticizing - her own attire was different to many of those around her. On the other hand, she was Vastii, and she could get away with much more. Besides, she was also not hanging around the fancier districts, now, was she?

It was a broad question, and Hilana considered further on how to elaborate. “Your Caste here determines pretty much everything for you. Where you can go, what you have access to, what is expected of you. Money can get you far, but depending on what you want, no amount of money can get you access to it if you do not have the right connections through your Caste. There are some exceptions to the rule; but they are called exceptions for a reason. Few things are impossible, but you have to work that much harder to get to them.” Race was another thing entirely, and she had a feeling that Dreyfus may already have found that one out.

[Dreyfus]

Company: Hilana & her snek | Thoughts: Must learn about the Solunarium | Mood: Intrigued, Curious

☬ Her words were very insightful. She was doing her best to relay the lay of land to him, which caused the wheels in his head to turn on how he would infiltrate this society. It wasnt so much hard work, but who you know that could allow you to gain influence. Granted for someone like him, he would have to work hard, if not harder to break through the paranoia of these people. When she asked if he arrived by the Tertium, he smiled and nodded. "Yes I was grateful to those tha aided in my evacuation. They guided me as I found my way here."

His eyes leveled with hers as he rubbed his chin before turning to look over the view from up on the rooftop. His eyes turned back to the woman and a faint smile fell on his face. "I come to find it rather hard to blend in when i dont even know how. I'm still trying to learn the culture here, but I havent had anyone willing to show me." he ran a hand through his golden tresses as he let out a light chuckle. "To be rather honest you are the first person to show me such kindness."

She further explained how exactly things worked in the city, and that piece of information seemed to pique the vampyre's curiosity. It seemed now that he realized the breath of his task and just how difficult it was going to be to achieve. A level irratance flashed on his face, his eyes flashing red before calming and subsiding. He held his chin in his hand as he pondered the possibilities of just how he could go to infiltrate the nobility.

Looking to the cheerful woman he leaned in. "If I may ask, how would one even gain a class? I was fortunate to find work as a guard for a local inn around here, but I aspire to much more than mere hired muscle." ☬

---

"Common Speech"
"Silandris Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

[Hilana Chenzira]

“Was it a long journey? What route did you take?” Hilana asked him curiously at the mention of his trip here. “What drew you to Solunarium?” She understood from a previous talk of it that Zaichaer was quite anti-magic, and Solunarium was perhaps the most opposite of that that one could get. There were many more places that were easier to settle in, and closer, than the isolationist kingdom, so she wondered what prompted him to begin such an undertaking.

“Something I would advise you to try is to make your way to the Forum in Port Vasta. Get yourself a snack from a market stall, then sit in the shade and watch those who go by,” the girl told him as Tiaz’s tongue flickered, the python’s movements along her shoulders lazy and slow. “Look at their attire and how they dress, and then you can head into the Bazaar and find something similar. Tunics and belts are usual, but there are other fashions to be found.” Hilana explained. “It is understandable but not unexpected, sadly.” She regarded him across the table, taking him in with those big brown eyes of hers that made her look younger than she was.

“I did not grow up in this city, but in Sands and in and out of Tertium. But I’ve been here a while, so I understand it. A Peregrinus that stands out is considered strange and unusual, and unusual means that you attract attention. Attention is not always a good thing here.” While she was unbothered, it was a gentle warning, and it had been something her guardians had told her. But for Dreyfus, the stakes were much higher because he was not a citizen, and his rights were less than even those of a servus in the eyes of the law.

She listened to his question about the classes. “Well, you technically have a Caste. You are considered Populus Peregrini, but this means you are not a citizen of Solunarium. In order to become a citizen, you must go to the Church and convert to Varvaerynism, our religion,” Hilana began. “This is a bit of a long process, and as a result not many Peregrini complete it, even if they have been here for generations and are otherwise absorbed into the Kingdom. But doing so does have its advantages. Once the Church has approved, then you would become a member of the Populus Plebeia. If you have considerable funds at your disposal, you could buy your way into the next Caste, which is Populus Equestris. But that requires a substantial amount of money to get into, and furthermore, to keep."

The waitress arrived at that moment with the berry wines. Hilana thanked her with a ‘Gratias’. “Have you decided on what you would like to order?” The Vastian woman asked the two strange dining partners, speaking in Common for Dreyfus’ sake. “The chef’s choice for today is lamb giouvetsi.”

“I will have that, please.” Hilana nodded. The waitress inclined her head to the girl, and turned her attention to Dreyfus for his own selection as the herbalist clarified the dish to him. “Lamb giouvetsi is a stew with pasta, tomato sauce, and other vegetables in it. Sometimes it is made with beef or veal, and I have seen it done with chicken or sandcock... but that is less common.”