How Bazaar! (EE, Thoroughfare)

[Ali ibn Farid]

"I do carry water..." Ali murmured. But of course, that wasn't the substance of what she said. He shifted, turning on the barrel to face her more directly. "It's a wonderful city, to be sure, one I'm honored to call my home. I greet my neighbors, and they greet me back. I grew up here, not far from the maze... what a place that is."

He shook his head. "But not everyone here is happy. And it is not without its malcontents. There's joy and pain, happiness and sadness. Celebrate the good, but the bad..." Ali's lips pressed together a moment. "Well, it falls to good people to do something about that."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

Frown, frown... The woman was nearly pouting, though had a more serious look about her as she took another bite of the spiced stuffed bread.

"I... still. I will take what you said in mind. It's not as if I'm totally oblivious; My father always said the guards were for my protection, after all. If the city were so peaceful, that would not have even been necessary. I guess I just... expect better. I know I would be ashamed if I was someone running the affairs of the city and people visiting and living here could not feel safe."

[Ali ibn Farid]

Ali gave her another of his gentle smiles. "It's not that bad, so long as there are people willing to do good things. And the city has those..." He sighed, "-even if I wish there might be more."

Reaching into his robe, he pulled out the wrapped leaf from before. "For example, a kindly guide thought ahead, and bought a bit of baklava to split with the beautiful young woman he's been spending the evening with. That's something, right?" He flashed Soraya a grin, eyebrows going up.

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"Baklava is certainly something indeed..."

Her frown melted a little before she finished on the last bite of the spiced meat bun.

"And if it's anything like that meat bread you got me, then I look forward to it indeed, even if I have had baklava back home. Something about being here and the rusticness of the atmosphere and cooking is very pleasing."

[Ali ibn Farid]

"Yeah..." Ali smiled. "There's something about festival food that's more fun. Like it's part of the celebration, even if it's the same sort of thing you have back home."

He offered her the leaf, with a "Careful, it's sticky." And while the leaf protected one's fingers, the inside was sticky with drizzled honey. Compared with the sort she'd likely had, this baklava was crispier, crunching satisfyingly between the teeth.

"Tell me a bit about your home." Ali said. "Where is it? I've lived here all my life, but there's still some districts I've scarcely seen."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

She took it carefully, more than used to handling such foods daintily so as to be proper.

"Oh, you know the Dahabi manor district, surely. The quaint houses off the river to the northwest of here. The one we live in is the blue stone one with the large gardens in the back. The trees and water do keep things so wonderfully cool during the summer. It's hard to miss I imagine, being between a sort of white and pink stone house and a more sort of beige one."

Indeed, if he HAD seen it, it likely would have been memorable.

[Ali ibn Farid]

Ali's brow creased as he did his best to think. "Yes... I... I believe I know the one. I'm fairly sure, anyway." He smiled wryly. "I'm not often in the Dahabi manor district. I've been no more than a handful of times. But yes... I know the one you're talking about."

He gave her a look with raised eyebrows. "You live there? That's..." He shook his head. "I can't imagine what that would be like."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

Sora looked at him curiously as she nibbled at the baklava, "No? It's just a house. You have been in houses before, no?"

[Ali ibn Farid]

Ali snorted. "Yes, I've been in houses before. But there's houses, and there's houses. Mine, you have to climb to get into." He shrugged. "Fortunately, I'm a pretty good climber, by necessity if nothing else."

Another shrug. "A house like that... I'd be curious to see the inside of one, someday."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"Houses and houses... a curious phrase. Still, perhaps you can come to my house some time, indeed! I would love to have you be able to meet my pets, maybe try on some outfits and get your opinion on them, that kind of thing."