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Saranzaya The streets are a-bustle with people, and after finding a temple that did not mind busking in front of it, Saranzaya has set up. Dressed in brightly-dyed wool that hugs her form, the young woman with black eyes and brown hair is singing and dancing.

The song is old, likely a folk song, telling the story of the monarch, the only heir, and the unsuitable suitor. And the suitor is currently challenging a fae to a game of wits. Her dance is graceful and sinuous for the fae, and then bright and lively for the suitor, going back and forth.

Bright Journey With a graceful saunter, Bright Journey is in a sprightly mood. The day is cool and breezy, cloudy but not completely overcast, and with a toss of herr long pink hair, the young woman flits from stall to stall in the Temple District hunting for interesting things among the offerings for sale. She's looking through the jewelry and trinkets on offer (sure to please the gods of Great Forks, or so the sign reads) when the sweet singing voice wafts over the murmurs of the crowd not too far away. She hums a couple bars as she's looking, but her interest in the wares wanes long before the suitor's game of wits comes to a close, so she slips through the crowds and down the street to see who's singing.

By the time she's emerged from the crowd to listen to the song, she's humming an occasional descant. It's in time enough to make it clear that she at least knows the tune.

Saranzaya There is a bowl and coins within it, and some trinkets in it from the appreciative crowd. But it's the descant that catches her attention, and she starts to look for the person humming it. Surreptitiously, though. ANd she has an idea, her eyes skimming over the part of the crowd that has the pink-haired woman in it.

Still, her movements are graceful and agile, and the story eventually comes to an end, with the monarch finally accepting the heir's suitor, and the pair of lovers to share their first kiss.

Afterwards, she bows gracefully and smiles to the crowd, "Thank you! Thank you." her accent of Riverspeak sounds Western, closer to the sea, perhaps?

Bright Journey Bright Journey is by no means the only person clapping as the performance draws to a close, and she's also not the only one to toss a few coins into the bowl. As the dancer thanks everyone, though, she's the only one to sing a few bars of the refrain again, her voice pitched low and sweet.

"I come afar o'er earth and sea/To offer suit which pleaseth thee..." She hums a few more bars, her voice trailing off again.

As some of the crowd starts to drift away, the pink-haired woman offers a perfect pearly-white smile. Her Riverspeak definitely tastes of further east, possibly, though it's hard to tell exactly. Perhaps the Hundred Kingdoms, but definitely more rural. "That was very nice. I haven't heard that one since I was a girl."

Saranzaya Saranzaya's eyes light up at that. "/You/ were the other singer! Oh, wonderful. I heard the descant, the heir's voice echoing, twining through the battle to kelp her beloved, but couldn't figure out who was singing it. One moment," she says, and takes some more coins from a pouch to add to the bowl, and then goes to the temple door, "Here's what I collected. You get a quarter, as we agreed." The acolyte nods and takes out the appropriate amount.

"There we are," she says to Bright. "Doesn't do to let debts go unpaid," she says. "And wow, it's amazing here. So many temples, so many different people to see. Much cheerier than Nexus was!"

Bright Journey Bright is still smiling, and nods in appreciation as Saranzaya takes care of her business with the temple, and offers a smaller, but no less heartfelt smile at the mention of Nexus. She runs her fingers through her hair, considering her reply.

"Mmm, yes," she finally says, slowly nodding. "I confess I don't remember all that much of Nexus. I was a little girl when Mum and I left there. But I remember she was glad to get away, and what little of the place I -do- remember wasn't much fun, I admit. Though I don't think I actually heard that song until later. Still, I love this place far more." She gets a fond, faraway look for a moment. "I didn't move here until I was...starting a new life for myself, I suppose you could call it," she says with a bit of a chuckle. "But it -is- amazing. Have you just arrived, then?"

Saranzaya "Yes. Just got in a day or so ago, and so far it looks like a lot of possibilities!" She offers a sharp grin, and says, "I'm Saranzaya, and what's your name?" Her voice is bright, "I suppose I could just call you Pink--that hair is gorgeous!--but I'd rather know your name." There's a faint brush of /something/ from behind, soft-furred and warm.
Bright Journey "A day or so ago! Oh, that reminds me of my first time here," the young woman replies. "I got here without much more than the clothes on my back and a bow in hand, I admit, and I was hunting meat and skins for a night's place to stay." She smiles again, a fond memory once more. She certainly doesn't -look- much like a hunter now, to be honest--her clothing is too well-made, her bearing too regal for such things. Though with a second look, it's obvious--she's curvaceous, sure, but not as soft as she first appeared.

"Anyway, a pleasure to meet you, Saranzaya! Please, call me Bright Journey." She unconsciously runs her fingers through her luxurious pink hair again, and as she does so she blinks for a moment, catching the fox tail from behind Saranzaya for a moment but clearly not quite sure what exactly she saw. Still, she's not so gauche as to point it out, if she even actually saw anything beyond her imagination.

Saranzaya "Certainly, Bright Journey! And if you've been here a while, would you mind if I ask you questions? Where might I find a place to work and stay? Or what you like about this place? Anything?" Happy, delightedly so, the young woman walking closely to her.

"Any advice would be greatly appreciated--I'd be quite grateful--and I would love to have a friend here."

Bright Journey "Oh, I've been here for a fair few years now," Bright replies with an easy grin. "There's plenty of inns about, of course--if you know anything about Great Forks you know there's an -absurd- number of temples and cults, and every single one has their holy days. And people come from all around for the big ones, especially, so unless the very largest are happening it's not hard to find a place to stay for the night.

"As for work, well, you're a fine singer and dancer, and certainly easy on the eyes. I'm sure there are places which would..."

Bright's voice trails off as Saranzaya drifts a little closer than conversation distance. Or, well, a little closer in places more staid than Great Forks, at least! "Well, anyway. I was just wandering about and looking at the stalls, seeing if anything caught my eye. Why don't you come join me? I'm not sure I could show you all of the city in just an afternoon, but we can try." She laughs. "And maybe dinner later, if you're up for it."

Bright pauses, thinking a bit. "As for why I like it here...well, there's a couple reasons. I like the vibe. It's -alive- in a way many places aren't, though there's times I like the quiet, too, and just curl up with a book. I guess the best part is there's enough weirdness here that no one judges me, you know?" She chuckles again. "At least not to my face. But they're pretty accepting here, which I appreciate."

Saranzaya "I'd love to join you! Shopping is a delight, and dinner sounds heavenly," Saranzaya replies. "And yes, I know there are places that would...and if I have to, well, I will. Would rather not, but there are worse ways to make a living," she says.

"It must be nice to have a place that is home. Right now, mine moves all the time. Enough that I think home is really people and not a place, you know?" She smiels, "What sort of books do you like to read?"

Bright Journey The smile on Bright's face is more bemused than anything else. "I wasn't suggesting THAT sort of place, my dear. Don't worry on that account.." Her voice trails off as the pair begin to make their way down the street, toward a gaggle of stalls on the other side of the square. "Come on, let's take a look over here. I bet there's at least one good place I haven't discovered yet."

As the pair walk, Bright answers more of Zaya's questions. "Anyway. I have to admit I'm terrible at the whole moving around thing. Really, I should be moving around more than I am, though I -do- have some plans in motion. For now, though, I live with a friend of mine in her mansion. It's easy to get along with her, we don't keep any of the same hours." She laughs. "But seriously, home is...well, I know what you mean. I've made plenty of friends here, people who really understand me in a way my mum and the people of my village never would have. It's been a long and winding road.

"As for books, you're going to think I'm ridiculous, but I have been collecting all kinds. Adventure and romance, as you might expect, but sometimes old history books. Even sorcery." At the word sorcery, she turns and looks intently at Zaya's face, gauging her reaction.

Saranzaya "Oh, I'm not worried," Zaya says with a smile. "Besides, the girls would rather I just sing and dance to get /their/ clients in the mood, not have me compete for things."

She walks to the stalls with Bright, and one of the headscarves, she looks raptly at. Gaily-dyed patterns on the fabric, and she reaches out to touch gently. "Oh, I should get this," she whispers. "What are you looking for?"

Hearing the books, she laughs, "Oh, those are fun. I read a few too many romances when I was younger. Still love them. But...sorcery? Oh, I'd love to read about it, sure, but can you really learn /sorcery/ from /books/?"

Bright Journey Bright has a brilliant smile on her face as she turns to study Zaya for a moment. "Oh, you'd be amazed by what one can do to learn sorcery. I know someone who learned it through dance, and I assure you it works. I actually really put it together for the first time not by reading a single word on a page, but just...by talking to people, and understanding how we communicate. There's a whole mystical reality underneath the one we see, and I caught...a glimpse. Just a small one. But it was enough. I actually was reading a few sorcery books the whole time, but I only really -got- what they were trying to say much more recently. It's a lot more complicated than just reading the book, or even understanding it. Just like with chatting, there's a..." She sighs, trying to find the words. "There's a whole other layer that's really impossible to convey. Everyone's path is different and that's all right. It's whatever speaks to -you-.

Speaking of, well, speaking to people..." Bright grins conspiratorially, then leans over towards the vendor selling those fine headscarves and engages in a jaunty conversation. Within just a few minutes, her masterful wordsmithing has turned a comment on the fine quality of his wares to a discussion of how her lady friend sporting such a scarf would surely drive business his way. It's so quick and natural-sounding it almost goes by too fast to follow, but soon she's handing over what's surely a pittance in coin in exchange for a lovely headscarf which she happily presents to Zaya.

"A lovely scarf for a lovely lady. And please, don't think you need to get anything for me. You just got to town, consider it my gift."

Saranzaya Saranzaya looks to Bright and means, taking the scarf and styling it around her neck, letting the ends go down her chest. She arches her body and shows off her curves, and beams, licking her lips slowly as she watches Bright Journey carefully, deliberately showing off. "Thank you very much," she says, "And I would not dream of rejecting a gift. Perhaps...I might give a different kind of gift instead?"
Bright Journey Reading Bright Journey is -incredibly- difficult. Her poker face is very, very good, and it took every last mote of Essence spent and Zaya's feminine wiles flexed in order to crack Bright's facade. It's right about the moment that Zaya licks her lips that she sees Bright really respond for just a moment before her natural politeness kicks in.

To be sure, Bright is all about being polite and proper, never an offensive word spoken nor hair out of place. But just for a moment, underneath the genteel behavior is a pair of rainbow eyes drifting downwards for a moment, a catch in her throat at just the right time. She's not a -stone-, after all. Blink and you'll miss it, but there's no denying the desire is there.

Zaya's suggestion catches Bright up short for a moment, and it's clear the implication isn't lost on her. She takes a moment to bring the idea on board, so to speak, and when she speaks, her voice is softer, a lilting contralto Zaya hadn't heard before.

"...I'm glad you like it, Zaya. Is it all right if I call you Zaya? Why don't we go have dinner, and get to know each other a little better?"

Saranzaya "Zaya is what I like to have my friends call me," she says. "And I am very happy to have you as my friend. What do you like to be called?" Her voice is almost a purr as she smiles. "Lead on, and I look forward to everything. And if I may be so bold? You live at a mansion....do you think I may sing for loding there for the night?"

She reaches her hand to take Bright's, and there's another brush of foxtail. And the evening will be filled with talk and questions and answers....