>>5988543The tension in the room is thick, thicker than the smoke around you or the carpet beneath you—somehow more tangible than anything else. The thing is: there is tension, but not fear. You’re not ARROGANT—you don’t’ think of this feline fellow as BENEATH you—but you’re also simply not afraid of him. You can transform into a more fearsome feline than he on a whim. You have been in too many tense negotiations, for higher stakes, with more powerful and dangerous opponents on the opposite side. This ‘tabaxi’ cannot command a dire werewolf or a treant. He is not a Dragon King or Ranger Commander. He cannot transfix you with his gaze or trap you on a distant satellite, far from Earth.
>16“…You are strong, half-elf.”
“I am, sir,” you agree. “Stronger than anyone else in this room.”
“Hey now,” Zith-Zi says. “let’s not get carried away, ya’ little—”
“I’m bigger than you,” you interrupt her.
Zith-Zi pouts a little, and a moment later, Udarji laughs and slaps he knees.
“Fine, fine, you may have your victory,” he says, “and your shirin. But I will have my coin. AT least, I will have some.”
“Yes,” you agree, and put forth your offer.
When you leave, your coinpurse is lighter, but not so light as it might have been. Rather than parting with ALL your coin—or nearly all of it—you spend half of it, keeping a respectable amount for more traditional purchases wherever silver and copper are accepted—and even a single gold coin.
>+4 White Shrin, +4 Green Shirin>-Some wealth“You know,” Zith-Zi muses aloud, hands on hips and a thoughtful expression on her face, “you’ve changed, you know that?”
“Have I?” you ask, then smile. “You know, actually, yes. I do know that. I have.”
“It’s a good look on ya’,” she says.
“Oh. Uh, thank you,” you say, still a little flustered by such an earnest complement from the lieks fo Zith-Zi.
“Kinda’ sexy,” Carazzi adds, 'innocently'.
Both you and Zith-Zi give you a look, and then Zith-Zi looks to you, stabbing a finger at her doppelganger.
“That one’s NOT from me, got it?” she says. “that thought? NOT mine.”
You remember what Carazzi once shared with you—that Zith-Zi had once harbour an affection more than friendly for you, and simply smirk.
“Come on,” you say. “We have what we came for, and our carriage awaits.”
“Hopefully not LITERALLY, huh?” Carazzi says. “It’s gonna’ be a bit of a walk…”
One of the downsides of bringing a magic-resistant entity is the lack of teleportation to take you home. That means no instant transport to the Hill, but then again, the carriage isn’t waiting quite THAT far out.
