Open Chronicles The Lonesome Rabbit

Torie didn't usually frequent marketplaces. Her enormous appetite usually required a more wholesale vendor, like a butcher or a slaughterhouse, and her enormous belly usually didn't fit down the narrow rows of stalls or crowds of people. But today was an exception. There was something here that just smelled so good she just had to try it, no matter how inconvenient marketplaces were, and no matter how small a morsel it would be. She raised her head to sniff the air, doing her best to judge the direction of the wind through her whiskers and keep her belly from dragging in the dirt - she was a druid in tiger form, but in tiger form she'd eaten so much she looked more like a striped bear. A very well-fed striped bear. People stopped when they saw her, forced to take a wide berth around her wide girth. She didn't move very fast either, plodding along at a waddling pace, forcing those behind to walk into oncoming traffic unless they wanted to walk along in slow motion behind her.
"My purse!" she heard someone cry in the distance, and instinctively one of her paws went to the coin sack around her neck, partly buried in the fuzzy ruffs and fat rolls under her chin. World be praised it was still there. After all if she lost all her money she would have to hunt for a living! Or find another job. Both choices involved far too much effort for Torie's tastes.

Torie followed the rabbit fellow with her bright orange eyes as he circled around her, at least as far as her fatty neck rolls and puffy cheeks would allow anyway. When he disappeared from sight behind her she was worried, but then realised there was nothing back there to steal, unless he planned to remove her tail. She did her best to stop said tail from lashing nervously behind her.
When he finally reappeared on her right Torie sat down, splaying her back legs out on either side of her roly-poly body. Being in tiger form this brought her head up a little higher and she was able to look the tall rabbit-folk in the eye.

"I am!" Torie said. "Looking for food, that is. How'd you know?" Of course she knew how he knew. She was always looking for food. Well, when she wasn't sleeping or working anyway. She sniffed the air again, whiskers trembling on either side of her pink triangular nose. "Can't you smell that? Something smells delicious!
"What about you? Looking for more jewels?" she said, and winked knowingly.

Markets were Ipatiy's main prowling ground for many reasons. Her family being merchants meant she was always on the look out for interesting trade and ways to make more money, connections and get your hands on interesting items from exotics lands. In addition it was a place also to flex her other skills, a bit of sly pick pocketing here, perhaps a poising of a target out having a nice drink and much more, provided you could remain under the radar.

Fortunately people didn't consider a maid to be a threat, her actual shopping spree making it seem like she was just getting items for the local lord or who ever her employer was, sadly it seemed customers were on guard today, herself catching the sound of someone 'missing their coin purse'. "It would appear I have competition today.... I wonder what rodent is messing up my shopping trip". Ipatiy slowly following the sounds of gasping shoppers realising they are missing money. Her violet gaze being cased upon a rather large cat looking individual and a nearby beast kin of sorts, herself catching mention of 'jewels' in the process.

"I must say your fur looks fantastic, probably best not to eat that rabbit folk in front of you and dirty it". She bluntly joked upon getting closer, to insert herself into their conversation.

Percy Slayer Torie

"Aw, thank you!" Torie said to Ipatiy, bright eyes beaming. "It's been a while since I had it properly groomed. I'm glad I don't look too revolting yet.

"You're giving me bad ideas," Torie said to Ipatiy, then looked Percy up and down. "I'm sure you would taste delicious! Rabbit is a lean meat though, and can give you indigestion. Maids on the other hand..." She grinned at Ipatiy.

The rabbit-fellow had that look in his eye as he looked Torie up and down. That look a young girl might get when walking into a pet store and seeing a cute puppy. Some people found her cute. Others looked at her like an abomination. It was good to know she was in the company of the former. Subconsciously she had been holding in her belly to stop it from looking so big, so it was with relief she felt her muscles relax. The fuzzy spare tyre around her middle expanded impressively until it swallowed most of her rear legs.

To Percy's offer she said: "That would be wonderful! For you to buy me something, I mean. Markets are fun and all but very overwhelming!" Not to mention exhausting with all that waddling. "I'm Torie by the way. I'm a druid. What are your names?

"Also, you're a maid, right? If you're not opposed to cleaning animals, perhaps I could employ you for some grooming? All the tools you'd need I keep in my satchels," she said, indicating the bags over her flanks. Then she looked around. "Not here though... perhaps somewhere less of a thoroughfare?"

Ipatiy quirked at eyebrow at the rabbit folk as they indicated to the satchel to their side, it seemed rather.... large for a person of his appearance. Herself giving the man a returning nod, narrowing down that apparent pickpocket that had been making a fuss around the market. But that would be all, no need to get into conlfict with a fellow professional as of now.

"Food is always something to be interested in, though that offer for exotic meats might be a welcoming challenge". Would be interesting to see what the rabbit folk considered exotic. Turning back to the large cat women Ipatiy gave a short bow at her 'clever' observation. "Indeed I am a maid, my name is Ipatiy Kozlov and currently I do not have an employer, I'd be more then capable of grooming you and taking care of other basic needs you may have... for a price". "If mistress were to permit it perhaps we could combine said grooming and sampling exotic food and head to a restaurant of sorts". She offered, already falling into maid mode.

Torie
Percy Slayer

Ipatiy Kozlov said:

If mistress were to permit it perhaps we could combine said grooming and sampling exotic food and head to a restaurant of sorts. She offered, already falling into maid mode.

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"Oh, please don't call me mistress. You make me sound like a baron's bit-on-the-side. How about we go out as friends, and I'll pay you for any services. Like a good friend would!"

Percy Slayer said:

Sure! It would be an honor to eat with lovely ladies such as yourselves. Any ideas?

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Torie gave Ipatiy a sideways look, her small ears wiggling excitedly. She turned back to Percy with beaming, toothy smile.

"Actually, I just came from an inn where they let me sleep the night. Inns often turn me away, but I'm sure they'll have me back. Only problem is the food is boring. But restaurants don't let me in! Not usually, anyway."

“I apologise I am simply used to calling my employer by a title not by name, but if you wish to be more casual so be it”. As for a place to eat, the maid putting a hand to her chin.

”Perhaps if not an actual establishment maybe we could order the food and find a nice place to sit down? Perhaps at the river or a park”? She offered to both members present.

Torie Percy Slayer