It's another day in the Bazaar. Merchants hawk their wares, bards play on the street corners, shoppers peruse wares (and haggle over prices), and children occasionally get in the way as they scamper about in play, drawing disapproving glares from the glassware salespersons and the patrols.

Natilie walks into the Bazarr, with a splitting headache from drinking too much the previous night.

A couple of lupine guards turn their heads as the pretty 'yote walks by, but reluctantly return to their business – and to making sure the Zelaks don't get into trouble.

Roho stands at a stall, bartering over a small porcelain trinket. The merchant is describing its lush colors and beautiful sheen with great enthusiasm, though the object is quite clearly dull and white.

Natilie looks around the Bazaar for a certain cart, every so often mumbling somthing about Jupanis and high alcohol tolerance.

Roho nods to the merchant, "A sunset? Perhaps ten shekels… "

Natilie args as she starts to feel that dizzy spell that everyone says they never have, yet they always do somehow.

Natilie sees this nice cart to lean against. Rest at last.

Roho haggles a few more moments, and then pays the shopkeeper, taking away his new prize.

Natilie walks over to the cart she spotted, and notices a Fennec haggling, and buying this ugly, useless trinket.

Natilie walks over to the Fennec, "Do you know where the fruit seller is?"

A few cubs in the brown uniforms of the Temple Scouts (accented by red sashes) march by, led by a harried-looking female lupine, her own uniform having a few food stains on it, and her hair a mess. Nonetheless, she looks very stern as she leads the cubs by, keeping her gaze straight ahead, as if she were wearing blinders.

Roho starts briefly at the voice, "Me? Oh, umm… I'm not sure offhand. Smells like it's that way," he points off to his right. He smiles, and says to himself, "A new shiny, Zoltan will love it," as he tucks away the ugly ornament.

Normally, there would be fruit sellers everywhere, but that has changed a bit since the shortages … and since many of the fruit merchants were of Eeee descent, and many of them have moved on elsewhere in light of recent developments.

Roho's stomach makes a brief gurgling, and he realizes he didn't eat yet today. He turns to the Yelf, "I'm going to go try to find it, now that you mention it… "

Natilie starts to feel dizzy again, and instead of walking up to the Fennec and talking to him nicely as she started to, she trips on her own foot and falls on him!

Several persons nearby gasp in astonishment at the falling coyote!

Roho makes a little squeak as the body falls against him, dropping the ornament in the middle of putting it away. It crashes into many pieces on the hard-packed ground, but at least Roho manages to catch the coyote.

Natilie ughs and blinks a couple of times. She looks to see where Roho caught, and quickly stands up.

Roho helps the coyote to her feet, "Careful there… are you okay?"

Natilie brushes herself off and looks at Roho.

Natilie grrs, "My head is gonna explode! I need to get all this out!"

Roho takes a step back, "A headache? I can give you something for that, I guess… "

Natilie looks at Roho and slugs him one!

Roho almost looks surprised before he collapses in a boneless heap, next to the remains of the glass.

Natilie smiles, "Now I feel better."

Natilie looks at the Fennec, "I guess I better help him."

There are several more gasps, and it looks as if the altercation may be attracting the attention of the Guards.

Roho remains senseless on the ground. Really old fennecs aren't known for being able to take a punch too well.

Natilie helps the Fennec up and kind of drags him to the Bard's Guild.

… Some while later, at the Bards' Guild …

Natilie drags Roho's body up to her room as fast as possible to avaoid suspicion.

A coyote dragging an unconscious fox. Compared to some of the weird antics of other bards here, it doesn't get so much as an eyebrow raise, once it's clear the fox is still breathing.

Roho blinks groggily and stirs a little several times during the trip, but apparently decides it'd be better to remain unconscious until he gets where he's going.

Natilie unlocks the door to her room and drags the fennec in, placing him on her bed before shutting the door.

Natilie's room is very plain, with a large bed so she can roll around while sleeping, a large dresser, and a few broken guitar strings.

Natilie looks to the fennec and sighs, "Poor thing… I really didn't mean to hit him."

After a short while, Roho stirs again, and notices that he's not moving anymore. He doesn't sit up yet, though. What on Sinai happened? I think I'm going to have a remarkable shiner for a while…

Natilie sits on the bed next to Roho and pets his ears.

Natilie hmms and pulls the sheets over Roho.

Roho blinks and sits up at the petting, immediately lying back down as his head decides better of things. "Ugh. Who's there?"

Natilie says, "Me. =)"

Roho recognizes the voice, from the bazaar, "Okay. So, who are you? And did someone hit me?"

Natilie elaborates, "I'm the one who hit you."

Roho ahs, "I see. Well, everything I own is in the pouch I was carrying. Help yourself, there's not much there."

Natilie blinks, "Why would I bring you to my room, watch you to make sure you don't die, and start petting you if I was going to rob you? I'm not that cruel and heartless!"

Roho looks completely confused, "Then why did you have to knock me out to bring me to your room and make sure I didn't die?"

Natilie says, "Well… see… "

Natilie sighs.

Natilie says, "Okay… "

Natilie says, "I was walking through the Bazaar with this nasty hangover, I tripped over you, and the headache got worse, so I had to hit something. That something was you."

Natilie frowns, "I'm sorry… the only way I could try to repay you in part is to make sure you live."

Natilie smiles.

Roho drapes one of his arms over his eyes and chuckles dryly. "May I recommend something inanimate next time?"

Natilie says, "Sure thing. Just rest for now, okay?"

Roho frowns slightly, "Am I free to leave?"

Natilie blinks, "Leave? Are you sure you can leave at all if you tried?"

Roho shakes his head, "I'm not at all sure. I haven't been punched in a very long time." He closes his eyes, and dozes off for a few minutes. He wakes up, and doesn't seem to have even noticed he fell asleep.

Natilie hmms. "Perhaps it's best if you stay here tonight."

Roho blinks, "Well, what is the time now?"

Natilie shrugs, "I dunno."

Natilie says, "What I do know, is that you're staying."

Roho frowns again, "Perhaps I could get some friends to assist me home… "

Natilie shakes her head, "Nope. You're staying."

Roho's frown deepens, then he gives up and laughs, "I guess arguing would be rather pointless. I don't have much of a bargaining angle, here."

Natilie says, "You lost your bargaining angle by buying that ugly trinket in the Bazaar."

Roho rasps, "Ugly? The merchant assured me it was quite lovely… "

Natilie blinks, "Never trust a Bazaar merchant.

Roho nods, "Perhaps. But what else can I do?"

Natilie hmms and nods.

Roho sighs, "Well, fortunately I didn't," he dozes off for a couple more minutes, "have to pay too much for it."

Natilie tries to keep the fennec awake. "I hope you don't have a concussion."

Natilie says, "By the way, my name is Natilie."

Natilie shakes the fennec's hand.

Roho offers a paw out from under the sheet. "Roho. And I hope so as well; that'd be unhealthy at my age."

Natilie nods.

Natilie properly shakes Roho's paw, instead of grabbing at the sheet.

Roho chuckles, "Well, what is it you do, Natilie? Other than attack shoppers."

Natilie says, "Well… I'm a bard. I play music around town and try to make some sort of a living, but somehow it never really works out."

Natilie says, "I came up with this universal truth: Whatever bad that can happen, will happen."

Natilie smiles, "I call it Natilie's Law. =)"

Faint strains of music that barely creep through the walls – and wouldn't even be noticeable except to someone specifically listening to them (or having ears like Roho's) lend hints as to the location.

Roho nods, "Well, I believe one makes one's own luck." He lies back, and listens to the faint strains of music…

The music sounds pretty enough … then hits a sour note … and starts again. So it goes. It sounds like someone is practicing, not entertaining, per se.

Natilie says, "Ouch!"

Natilie wonders if that was her friend, Envoy, who was playing. =)

Roho dozes quietly off as he listens for the music.

Natilie strokes Roho's ears gently.

Natilie says, "Poor old guy."

… the next morning …

Outside the door of Natilie's room, footsteps can be heard in the hallway.

A black Khatta walks down the hall, arms full of boxes, and futilely checking a list to make sure he has the address right…

Natilie opens her eyes from a spot on her floor where she curled up last night.

Just as the Khatta checks his list, he absently bumbles into the ladder that someone has carelessly left leaning up against the wall. It tips over, knocking a bucket of paint in the process. A lady rabbit bard sees the start of trouble, and squeals in alarm, out in the corridor.

Roho is lying on his back on the bed. Apparently, from his breathing, he's already awake.

Roho hears the squeal, and quickly sits up on the side of the bed. Immediately he doubles over, holding his head in both paws, "Oh, yeah."

The paint spills all over the boxes, and onto the Khatta's head, "Ack! Figures… " He checks the door he's next to, gives a shrug, and decides that this must be the place…

This is followed by the sound of a box being knocked over, and a collection of junk falling out of it, belonging to someone moving out … some of the junk including a large bag full of marbles that rattle and spill out onto the hallway floor. A few roll under the doorway to Natilie's room, and on in, bouncing against an interior wall.

Natilie gets up quickly and looks over to the corner where the items rolled to.

Trying very hard ( but not very successfully ) to dodge the marbles, the Khatta knocks on the door.

Natilie hmms and walks over to the door, "Yes?"

Thecat spits out some technicolor goo, "I have a package here for a mister, uh, Roohoo?"

Natilie pulls out her dagger.

Roho blinks, "Me? Who knows I'm here?" He pauses, "Jynx?"

Natilie hides her dagger under the palm of her hand, and then opens the door with her other hand.

A black cat with a painted head and arms full of boxes waits on the other side of the door, "I have a package here for some old fox guy; I was told I could find him here?" He tries to keep his balance on the marbles.

Natilie says, "Umm… yeah. Just leave the package here."

Roho stands up, wobbling a bit, "Hang on a second. Is that you, Jynx?"

Jynx drops the boxes down on the floor hard, "Gladly, but I need someone to si-, huh?"

Roho chuckles, "Of course it is; who else knocks over half the building to drop off a package?" He smiles, "Remember me from the Savan?"

Natilie places her dagger back in her pouch, "I take it you two know each other well, then?"

Jynx blinks, thinking hard, then it comes to him, "Oh yeah! You're the old blind fox guy, I remember you." The cat wipes some of the paint from his face, "So what have you been doing?" He looks at the yelf, "Well, we're acquainted."

Roho nods, "We've met." He shrugs at Jynx, "I've been here and there. You had a package for me?"

Jynx nods, "Right there, a gift from someone who came into the shop the other day."

Natilie says, "Perhaps you would like to come in too? Heck… we'll have a party… "

Jynx shrugs, and walks on in, "Don't mind if I do, I need a break." He plops down onto the floor, not bothering to look first.

Roho hms, and walks over to the package. With a shrug, he slits it with his claws, and opens it.

Jynx motions to the boxes, "Some weird fox thing sent it, said it was special."

Roho chuckles, "Fox… thing? Must be Pawtuxet." He reaches inside, feeling around.

Natilie rubs her eyes, "Who is Pawtuxet?"

Roho rasps, "An old friend, who I just recently re-met."

It feels like a fairly sturdy ceramic … something. A decorative flowerpot, it seems. It certainly has interesting textures to it. Perhaps that was Pawtuxet's intent, since the blind fox can't appreciate its visual appearance.

Natilie ahhs.

Roho smiles at the object. I guess she remembered that she'd been unable to pay me for fixing her leg, those years ago.

Natilie says, "Is he cute?"

Natilie smiles to herself.

Roho chuckles, "She, Natilie. And I don't know, really. When I met her, I was already blind. But she's very kind."

Natilie darns, "Oh well… "

Jynx yawns, "Well, she must like you alot then, that's one of our more expensive pieces." He then looks to the rest of the boxes, and heaves a large sigh, "Well, I better get along," he hands Roho a clipboard, "just sign this."

Natilie says, "Jynx… Is that your name?"

Natilie points to the Khatta.

Jynx grimaces, "It's a nickname. My real name is Feli."

Roho signs the offered paper. By placing an unreadable scrawl, right in the middle of the page. Whoops.

Natilie says, "Alright, Feli, do you know where Roho lives?"

Jynx chuckles at the paper, but takes it anyways, "Good enough. Do I know where he lives? I'm afraid not, I just met him for a little while in the jungle." With that, the Khatta stands, "I'll see you two another time, I still have to deliver these boxes." He waves, and moments later is tripping out the door.

Natilie shuts the door and looks over at Roho, "I think it's time we get you home."

Roho nods, "I think I can go, myself. I don't feel dizzy anymore."

Natilie says, "You sure?"

Roho nods, "I think so." He puts his paw on the door latch, "Thank you for not leaving me in the Bazaar… "

Natilie says, "It's okay… Sorry for hitting you and knocking you down in the Bazaar."

Roho nods, "Well, next time we meet, I'll remember to duck." He grins, and slips out the door.

Natilie sits down on the bed and watches a bunch of dust fly up into the air, and down into her nose! "AAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"