Petting the Kitty (River EA)

[Ali ibn Farid]

Ali chuckled, smiling at that. "Hmmm. I suppose it's good that I don't have too many things. If I got a cat, there's only so many places it could hide. Or get into. As long as she stayed out of my armor, I suppose... I expect a cat wouldn't like the smell."

And then the kitten found its way into his sleeve. "Urk..." Ali froze, uncertain, as she began making her way up his sleeve, only to get stuck as the passage was too tight. He stayed there, frozen uncertainly, the kitten in his sleeve. How delicate was she, anyway? His eyes flickered to Sora. "Uh... is she okay?" He asked, eyes wide as the kitten flailed about.

[Soraya al-Menjari]

Soraya smiled and gently pulled Sheera back, the process taking a minute with the little claws getting stuck. "She is fine. She must have just thought there was something up there, or thought it was a shady spot; Even with the shorter hair like this, my cats at home certainly don't tend to spend most days lounging in the sunlight."

Finally the kitten was out and soon seemed right as rain, sitting on Sora's lap and cleaning itself. "Can you pour some of that drink out for me?"

[Ali ibn Farid]

"Oh. Good." Ali chuckled sheepishly. "I suppose a kitten must not be quite so delicate as I'd imagined just then. They do seem to grow into cats often enough, and those are tough. I've just never been this close to one before." He chuckled softly as Soraya reclaimed the little climber, and settled her back on her lap.

"Certainly." Ali agreed. His hands were competent as he sorted out the cups, and as he poured the liquid into one. He leaned a little closer, hoping by smell and sight to identify it.

[Soraya al-Menjari]

Whatever is was, it was brown like coffee... but nowhere near as dark. It had a sort of woody and earthy smell to it, and he could tell by the cup that whatever it was had been chilled.

"I suppose they're fragile enough, but you're right; Once kittens are old enough they will always explore and climb and roughhouse, so I imagine they kind of have to be at least a little sturdy."

She unwrapped some of the olive loaf and a small jar of mint jam, unsweetened and with a bit of spice to it that she spread onto the bread slices for them.

[Ali ibn Farid]

"That sounds fun, actually." Ali smiled. "I enjoyed a bit of roughhousing as a child. Probably a bit too much." The latter was said ruefully. "Sometimes scrapes with other youths in the neighborhoods grew a bit too serious. But I survived, I suppose."

Ali's chest rose and fell as he inhaled the scent of the foods. "This is wonderful, Soraya. Ah, what drink is this? I admit I don't recognize it." The mint jam, though, that was certainly a treat; Ali could almost feel his mouth watering as she prepared it.

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"Oh, that? It's called 'tea'! From the Empire of Rokugan. Supposedly from the lands of a people called the "Ya-sue-key". I bought it from a Dahabi merchant who had a box of the leaves in his store, and I just had to have it. Luckily I can read a bit of Rokugani, so I could tell a little bit about where it came from, which is utterly fascinating to me."

Finished with the bread slices she set them out on napkins between them, keeping Sheera from exploring them by putting her arm in the way.

"Tutt. I brought you a small snack Sheera, so be patient."

[Ali ibn Farid]

"From Rokugan?" Ali's eyes went up. "Your family must do business with them, eh? I saw the Moto you sponsored. She had quite a good showing today, as I expected."

He laughed, watching the antics of the kitten. "Here here, little one." Reaching out, he picked up the kitten, plopping her in his own lap.

"What about Rokugan is it that fascinates you?" Ali asked, waggling his fingers again to distract the kitten. "I know so little about it. Only that the Moto came a long ways to be here from there."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"Actually, the Moto aren't from Rokugan, at least not most of them. The Moto have been nomads in the eastern part of the desert for a long time, but one of the tribes from Rokugan made friends with them, and some Moto went back with them to their Empire, if I am to understand correctly. As to my fascination..."

A sheepish smile crossed Sora's face, "I had an instructor growing up who had originally been from Rokugan, a woman who gave me my singing lessons. And she was the most beautiful and fascinating woman I have ever met in my life. She even gave me some scrolls she had brought with her from her people's Empire, treatises on religion and etiquette there, mostly. And a strange journal."

[Ali ibn Farid]

"Mmm. I can see how you could become fascinated, then." Ali smiled fondly at her. The kitten on his lap settled down, curling up. "Both because of that history, and that instruction... you sing, princess?" He asked suddenly, the smile growing. "I would like to hear that sometime, if you would show me."

But that wasn't the only piece of information that caught Ali's attention. "A strange journal?" He asked, his eyebrows going up. "That sounds like a mystery. I happen to like mysteries. What was in it?"

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"I am not sure it is a mystery so much... I just think people in Rokugan must live very different lives than us. It wasn't something my tutor talked much about, even when asked. The journal is of one Saiyuri Bayushi, one of those samurai they say are the nobility in those lands. ...such strange terms and concepts, talk of the sin of desire and the duty of utter loyalty, as well as the return of samurai to those lands with the Moto tribesmen. It feels like the young woman who wrote it must have led such a precarious and stressful life."