How Bazaar! (EE, Thoroughfare)

[Ali ibn Farid]

"Me too." Ali nodded. He smiled as he both watched and saw her enjoying the food. "Especially at a time like this. It's hard, sometimes, watching people. But in a festival, everyone's happy."

He shifted a little on his barrel, turning to look at Soraya. "So... what brought you out here, today? With no guards, or at least none coming to bagel-ify me." He cleared his throat. "Around here, you don't often see someone... well..." He gestured at her with his skewer, waving vaguely up and down.

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"Someone well?"

Head tilt, chew, swallow.

"Do you mean to say there has been a sickness going around? That would be dreadful news with this festival upcoming."

[Ali ibn Farid]

"What." Ali blinked. "No, I mean someone who wears those kinds of clothes and jewelry. Someone obviously from a different part of town."

He gave her a wry smile. "Usually, the only princesses we see here are on palanquins and surrounded by a whole squad of guards. And then there's you. It feels like a story, or something."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"Oh."

As she looked a bit more, she did notice not many others as fashionable or well accessorized as herself.

"...is my standing out a problem then? I wasn't really aware..."

A slower, more thoughtful, bite of the bread.

[Ali ibn Farid]

Ali paused, grimacing. "Well... it will get you noticed. Sometimes that's alright, I mean, I've had a fun time tonight." He flashed her a quick smile. "But supposing I'd been a charming robber? Or worse, a kidnapper or the like? Your dress, manner, and beauty all mark you as a target to those sorts, miss."

Another smile, this one gentle. "Just be careful, is all I mean to say."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

Her eyebrows went up, looking out around the Bazaar, "What about the guards and such though? And people would not just stand aside and let such a thing happen. There may be some rotten apples out there, mister Farid, but I think most people in this city must be kind and decent folk."

[Ali ibn Farid]

Ali looked at her a moment, and then nodded with a smile. "I hope you are right, miss al-Menjari. And I dare to think you might be. There are many decent folk in the city, or at least folk who just need a chance to be decent."

His lips quirked. "Still, my mother always liked to say 'a moment of caution avoids a lifetime of regret'. Better safe than sorry. Perhaps learn how to use a knife... or a swift knee to the groin." He mimed the motion as best he could on his barrel. "That's a good one."

[Soraya al-Menjari]

"Hm... well, I did have a tutor teach me how to use a knife once. Most dreadful, but I have at least a rather pretty one in a sheath buried somewhere in my room back home. Carrying that around the city though... it seems so extreme."

[Ali ibn Farid]

Ali nodded. "You hope to never use it... but, well, you'll be able to if you need to. Personally, I found the training rather enjoyable. Fun, I might even say. And I'd wager the knife goes well with your outfit."

He gave her a nod. "If you want to refresh your skill, I have some skill at arms. I could show you sometime. Less the knife, but sword, or bow, or wrestling..." A brief mental image of rolling about with Soraya came to mind, far from unpleasant... Ali cleared his throat, smiling gently.

[Soraya al-Menjari]

Her frown did not fade, "Living like that seems like no way to live though; Always having to be cautious and have backup plans in case something goes wrong. Needing to carry a weapon even if you don't intend to use it. It feels like needing to carry around bandages in case you hurt yourself, or water in case you get dehydrated. This is Medinaat al-Salaam, not the great desert or some Ghul's lair; The peace is kept and laws are upheld..."

She trails off, seemingly having stopped eating the bread half way through.