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Coming from the heels of a wish from the head of the Damascus University, the esteemed scholar – Amos of Yoshiyahu – has summoned all scholars and any who wish to partake to join him in a week long effort as he tries to consolidate any available records of important historical events that has happened over the last decade in Judea. Many responded to the call, leading to the more private people of Damascus to shut their doors and glance warily at the visitors. But many still, have taken advantage of the visitors to make a profit, setting up small makeshift stalls opposite the university to earn off the tired and hungry scholars who had spent far too long in the dimly lit library of the university
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Coming from the heels of a wish from the head of the Damascus University, the esteemed scholar – Amos of Yoshiyahu – has summoned all scholars and any who wish to partake to join him in a week long effort as he tries to consolidate any available records of important historical events that has happened over the last decade in Judea. Many responded to the call, leading to the more private people of Damascus to shut their doors and glance warily at the visitors. But many still, have taken advantage of the visitors to make a profit, setting up small makeshift stalls opposite the university to earn off the tired and hungry scholars who had spent far too long in the dimly lit library of the university
Gathering of Smarts Event - Judea
Coming from the heels of a wish from the head of the Damascus University, the esteemed scholar – Amos of Yoshiyahu – has summoned all scholars and any who wish to partake to join him in a week long effort as he tries to consolidate any available records of important historical events that has happened over the last decade in Judea. Many responded to the call, leading to the more private people of Damascus to shut their doors and glance warily at the visitors. But many still, have taken advantage of the visitors to make a profit, setting up small makeshift stalls opposite the university to earn off the tired and hungry scholars who had spent far too long in the dimly lit library of the university
Amarissa held the small basket in her arms and frowned towards the University library. They had been in there for hours. She had been sent with lunch for Caleb but considering she had not been able to successfully deliver breakfast, she was less than hopeful at her chances of catching him for lunch. Surely her brother would be hungry by now?
Trying to pass the time, Amarissa walked through the small stalls that had been set up across from the University and conversed with the merchants. It had just so happened that they had come to visit the University and inquire about getting Caleb enrolled right before a scholarly meeting. Regardless of the University's decision on his admittance, they were enthusiastic about him joining the meeting and Caleb and his father saw this as a chance for him to prove himself. As such, Caleb had been pouring everything of himself into this conference and Amarissa could not help but worry for his health.
"How much is this?" Amarissa asked curiously about a small light blue amulet that had caught her eye. She was trying to keep her eye out for anyone she knew but had so far been unsuccessful in that department.
She was wearing a light blue mitpahath over a slightly darker sadhin with white and gold accents and appropriate underlayers. A leather belt wrapped around her waist, securing her coin belt.
She wished briefly that she had stayed home, it would have perhaps been less boring in Ammun. Still there was still so much she had seen and done and so much to still see here. If only she could drop of Caleb's lunch and continue on her own adventures.
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Amarissa held the small basket in her arms and frowned towards the University library. They had been in there for hours. She had been sent with lunch for Caleb but considering she had not been able to successfully deliver breakfast, she was less than hopeful at her chances of catching him for lunch. Surely her brother would be hungry by now?
Trying to pass the time, Amarissa walked through the small stalls that had been set up across from the University and conversed with the merchants. It had just so happened that they had come to visit the University and inquire about getting Caleb enrolled right before a scholarly meeting. Regardless of the University's decision on his admittance, they were enthusiastic about him joining the meeting and Caleb and his father saw this as a chance for him to prove himself. As such, Caleb had been pouring everything of himself into this conference and Amarissa could not help but worry for his health.
"How much is this?" Amarissa asked curiously about a small light blue amulet that had caught her eye. She was trying to keep her eye out for anyone she knew but had so far been unsuccessful in that department.
She was wearing a light blue mitpahath over a slightly darker sadhin with white and gold accents and appropriate underlayers. A leather belt wrapped around her waist, securing her coin belt.
She wished briefly that she had stayed home, it would have perhaps been less boring in Ammun. Still there was still so much she had seen and done and so much to still see here. If only she could drop of Caleb's lunch and continue on her own adventures.
Amarissa held the small basket in her arms and frowned towards the University library. They had been in there for hours. She had been sent with lunch for Caleb but considering she had not been able to successfully deliver breakfast, she was less than hopeful at her chances of catching him for lunch. Surely her brother would be hungry by now?
Trying to pass the time, Amarissa walked through the small stalls that had been set up across from the University and conversed with the merchants. It had just so happened that they had come to visit the University and inquire about getting Caleb enrolled right before a scholarly meeting. Regardless of the University's decision on his admittance, they were enthusiastic about him joining the meeting and Caleb and his father saw this as a chance for him to prove himself. As such, Caleb had been pouring everything of himself into this conference and Amarissa could not help but worry for his health.
"How much is this?" Amarissa asked curiously about a small light blue amulet that had caught her eye. She was trying to keep her eye out for anyone she knew but had so far been unsuccessful in that department.
She was wearing a light blue mitpahath over a slightly darker sadhin with white and gold accents and appropriate underlayers. A leather belt wrapped around her waist, securing her coin belt.
She wished briefly that she had stayed home, it would have perhaps been less boring in Ammun. Still there was still so much she had seen and done and so much to still see here. If only she could drop of Caleb's lunch and continue on her own adventures.
The moment news had been delivered about the congregation of scholars at the University of Damascus in Judea, Zoser had done his best to express the importance of attending such an event, all the while attempting to contain his almost adolescent excitement towards such a venture.
A loyal man, he had done his duty at every behest of the Pharoah and the Queen, maintaining immaculate records within the Evening Star Palace and offering advice and input when needed. However, he had carefully crafted his case for the venture that would take him away from Cairo for quite some time, promising to relay any new information that may benefit the kingdom.
The journey had been incredibly long - from Cairo to Alexandria by riverboat, Alexandria to Israel by ship, Israel to Damascus by caravan - but ultimately, Zoser held the belief that it would be entirely worth it. It had been over a decade since he last stepped foot in a true University, and his mind was alight with excitement and curisosity.
In the long days leading to his arrival, he took the time to read what few references existed in Egypt regarding Judean culture. The fallout in the region from the conflicts between Egypt and Greece was still prevalent, according to some texts, and he had the expectation that he may not be greeted with open arms, at least outside of the University. Still, his accolades from his time at the University in Athenia were not exactly something those in Damascus could turn their nose up at, despite being Egyptian-born.
Tensions were palpable as the caravan arrived and once past the distrusting eyes of the boarding house owner and the hushed whispers in the streets about his otherness - his height, his skin, his dress - he found sanctuary within the walls of the University at last.
In all truth and honesty, Zoser's command of spoken Hebrew left a lot to be desired, not only in his pronunciation but in what must have been the egregious sin of having a thick, Egyptian accent. He was blessed however in being able to read, write, and understand the language as spoken by others, and he hoped that he made at least some connection with animated gestures and small notes that he could scrawl out to get an idea across.
All in all, the first two days since arriving had been rather uneventful, working in small groups through sections of the archives. There had been a quiet smugness about him as he wandered through the stacks of stored scrolls - the archives of the Evening Star Palace were far brighter and more organized, though they had the added benefit of lofty ceilings and more natural light. Still, as they consolidated the records, Zoser found himself wildly distracted as he found himself enraptured by the long history of the region as it stretched back over several thousand years. Of course, not all were reliable and there were countless contradictions throughout, but he had to commend the Judean people on their recordkeeping.
The hours had slipped away from early morning into the height of the day and the scholars that joined him broke for their midday meal, leaving Zoser alone for a brief moment to finish a particularly interesting set of stories involving the people of Israel and the old kingdoms of Egypt - a tale he had heard before but in a different retelling.
Venturing out of the lamplit archives into the scorching sun, Zoser waited beneath the shade of the portico and adjusted the himation and crested fibulae that indicated his education within the Athenia Scholeío over his linen tunic. It was a distinctly longer and far more modest cut than he was used to, thanks to some advice from a few lightly scandalized scholars on the first day within the walls of the University. It was proof that there was always something new to be learned.
He must have been an odd sight, regardless, though being considered 'other' was something he had been used to most of his life. Eighteen years of being side-eyed as an Egyptian in Greece, then another ten years of being viewed with suspicion as an Egyptian returned from Greece. One week being an oddity in Judea would not kill him, not when there was so much to be gained by this venture.
Once his eyes had adjusted, he descended the stairs at a light trot and made his way towards the booths that had sprung up along an adjacent street, the smell of fruit and something roasting over an open fire causing his mouth to water. This pop-up market did not seem as busy as he suspected, with only a few scholarly-stoled individuals milling around and hardly any other figures.
Once he secured a handful of dates to quell his hunger slightly, he continued through the stalls, trying to find the source of whatever meat was being cooked, but he found himself distracted by some of the stalls bearing clearly Judean trinkets, a trap for any scholar who was playing tourist like himself.
Zoser took the opportunity to enjoy the shade beneath the stalls one at a time, sharing brief salutations between popping a date into his mouth intermittently. Many of the stalls held objects that bore the same symbol, two triangle intersecting to make a star - the symbol of the faith in this region, a faith that bore one god. Zoser hoped to share more conversations with the local scholars about the faith, though naturally their suspicions had yet to be quelled.
Stepping beneath another stall along this route, a Judean woman wearing a flattering shade of blue stood admiring a pendant. As the merchant glanced over at the towering Egyptian, Zoser offered a friendly smile and a slight wave before admiring some of the talismans. In an attempt to be friendly, Zoser offered in heavily accented Hebrew, "It matches."
Realizing that he probably should have clarified a bit more, he gestured between the dress and her pendant with a slightly faltering smile. It was an attempt at friendliness, and so far such attempts had been quite hit or miss.
His eyes fell on her basket of food, however, and widened. He then gestured at the basket, "Did you find that here? In the market? I can't find the smell."
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The moment news had been delivered about the congregation of scholars at the University of Damascus in Judea, Zoser had done his best to express the importance of attending such an event, all the while attempting to contain his almost adolescent excitement towards such a venture.
A loyal man, he had done his duty at every behest of the Pharoah and the Queen, maintaining immaculate records within the Evening Star Palace and offering advice and input when needed. However, he had carefully crafted his case for the venture that would take him away from Cairo for quite some time, promising to relay any new information that may benefit the kingdom.
The journey had been incredibly long - from Cairo to Alexandria by riverboat, Alexandria to Israel by ship, Israel to Damascus by caravan - but ultimately, Zoser held the belief that it would be entirely worth it. It had been over a decade since he last stepped foot in a true University, and his mind was alight with excitement and curisosity.
In the long days leading to his arrival, he took the time to read what few references existed in Egypt regarding Judean culture. The fallout in the region from the conflicts between Egypt and Greece was still prevalent, according to some texts, and he had the expectation that he may not be greeted with open arms, at least outside of the University. Still, his accolades from his time at the University in Athenia were not exactly something those in Damascus could turn their nose up at, despite being Egyptian-born.
Tensions were palpable as the caravan arrived and once past the distrusting eyes of the boarding house owner and the hushed whispers in the streets about his otherness - his height, his skin, his dress - he found sanctuary within the walls of the University at last.
In all truth and honesty, Zoser's command of spoken Hebrew left a lot to be desired, not only in his pronunciation but in what must have been the egregious sin of having a thick, Egyptian accent. He was blessed however in being able to read, write, and understand the language as spoken by others, and he hoped that he made at least some connection with animated gestures and small notes that he could scrawl out to get an idea across.
All in all, the first two days since arriving had been rather uneventful, working in small groups through sections of the archives. There had been a quiet smugness about him as he wandered through the stacks of stored scrolls - the archives of the Evening Star Palace were far brighter and more organized, though they had the added benefit of lofty ceilings and more natural light. Still, as they consolidated the records, Zoser found himself wildly distracted as he found himself enraptured by the long history of the region as it stretched back over several thousand years. Of course, not all were reliable and there were countless contradictions throughout, but he had to commend the Judean people on their recordkeeping.
The hours had slipped away from early morning into the height of the day and the scholars that joined him broke for their midday meal, leaving Zoser alone for a brief moment to finish a particularly interesting set of stories involving the people of Israel and the old kingdoms of Egypt - a tale he had heard before but in a different retelling.
Venturing out of the lamplit archives into the scorching sun, Zoser waited beneath the shade of the portico and adjusted the himation and crested fibulae that indicated his education within the Athenia Scholeío over his linen tunic. It was a distinctly longer and far more modest cut than he was used to, thanks to some advice from a few lightly scandalized scholars on the first day within the walls of the University. It was proof that there was always something new to be learned.
He must have been an odd sight, regardless, though being considered 'other' was something he had been used to most of his life. Eighteen years of being side-eyed as an Egyptian in Greece, then another ten years of being viewed with suspicion as an Egyptian returned from Greece. One week being an oddity in Judea would not kill him, not when there was so much to be gained by this venture.
Once his eyes had adjusted, he descended the stairs at a light trot and made his way towards the booths that had sprung up along an adjacent street, the smell of fruit and something roasting over an open fire causing his mouth to water. This pop-up market did not seem as busy as he suspected, with only a few scholarly-stoled individuals milling around and hardly any other figures.
Once he secured a handful of dates to quell his hunger slightly, he continued through the stalls, trying to find the source of whatever meat was being cooked, but he found himself distracted by some of the stalls bearing clearly Judean trinkets, a trap for any scholar who was playing tourist like himself.
Zoser took the opportunity to enjoy the shade beneath the stalls one at a time, sharing brief salutations between popping a date into his mouth intermittently. Many of the stalls held objects that bore the same symbol, two triangle intersecting to make a star - the symbol of the faith in this region, a faith that bore one god. Zoser hoped to share more conversations with the local scholars about the faith, though naturally their suspicions had yet to be quelled.
Stepping beneath another stall along this route, a Judean woman wearing a flattering shade of blue stood admiring a pendant. As the merchant glanced over at the towering Egyptian, Zoser offered a friendly smile and a slight wave before admiring some of the talismans. In an attempt to be friendly, Zoser offered in heavily accented Hebrew, "It matches."
Realizing that he probably should have clarified a bit more, he gestured between the dress and her pendant with a slightly faltering smile. It was an attempt at friendliness, and so far such attempts had been quite hit or miss.
His eyes fell on her basket of food, however, and widened. He then gestured at the basket, "Did you find that here? In the market? I can't find the smell."
The moment news had been delivered about the congregation of scholars at the University of Damascus in Judea, Zoser had done his best to express the importance of attending such an event, all the while attempting to contain his almost adolescent excitement towards such a venture.
A loyal man, he had done his duty at every behest of the Pharoah and the Queen, maintaining immaculate records within the Evening Star Palace and offering advice and input when needed. However, he had carefully crafted his case for the venture that would take him away from Cairo for quite some time, promising to relay any new information that may benefit the kingdom.
The journey had been incredibly long - from Cairo to Alexandria by riverboat, Alexandria to Israel by ship, Israel to Damascus by caravan - but ultimately, Zoser held the belief that it would be entirely worth it. It had been over a decade since he last stepped foot in a true University, and his mind was alight with excitement and curisosity.
In the long days leading to his arrival, he took the time to read what few references existed in Egypt regarding Judean culture. The fallout in the region from the conflicts between Egypt and Greece was still prevalent, according to some texts, and he had the expectation that he may not be greeted with open arms, at least outside of the University. Still, his accolades from his time at the University in Athenia were not exactly something those in Damascus could turn their nose up at, despite being Egyptian-born.
Tensions were palpable as the caravan arrived and once past the distrusting eyes of the boarding house owner and the hushed whispers in the streets about his otherness - his height, his skin, his dress - he found sanctuary within the walls of the University at last.
In all truth and honesty, Zoser's command of spoken Hebrew left a lot to be desired, not only in his pronunciation but in what must have been the egregious sin of having a thick, Egyptian accent. He was blessed however in being able to read, write, and understand the language as spoken by others, and he hoped that he made at least some connection with animated gestures and small notes that he could scrawl out to get an idea across.
All in all, the first two days since arriving had been rather uneventful, working in small groups through sections of the archives. There had been a quiet smugness about him as he wandered through the stacks of stored scrolls - the archives of the Evening Star Palace were far brighter and more organized, though they had the added benefit of lofty ceilings and more natural light. Still, as they consolidated the records, Zoser found himself wildly distracted as he found himself enraptured by the long history of the region as it stretched back over several thousand years. Of course, not all were reliable and there were countless contradictions throughout, but he had to commend the Judean people on their recordkeeping.
The hours had slipped away from early morning into the height of the day and the scholars that joined him broke for their midday meal, leaving Zoser alone for a brief moment to finish a particularly interesting set of stories involving the people of Israel and the old kingdoms of Egypt - a tale he had heard before but in a different retelling.
Venturing out of the lamplit archives into the scorching sun, Zoser waited beneath the shade of the portico and adjusted the himation and crested fibulae that indicated his education within the Athenia Scholeío over his linen tunic. It was a distinctly longer and far more modest cut than he was used to, thanks to some advice from a few lightly scandalized scholars on the first day within the walls of the University. It was proof that there was always something new to be learned.
He must have been an odd sight, regardless, though being considered 'other' was something he had been used to most of his life. Eighteen years of being side-eyed as an Egyptian in Greece, then another ten years of being viewed with suspicion as an Egyptian returned from Greece. One week being an oddity in Judea would not kill him, not when there was so much to be gained by this venture.
Once his eyes had adjusted, he descended the stairs at a light trot and made his way towards the booths that had sprung up along an adjacent street, the smell of fruit and something roasting over an open fire causing his mouth to water. This pop-up market did not seem as busy as he suspected, with only a few scholarly-stoled individuals milling around and hardly any other figures.
Once he secured a handful of dates to quell his hunger slightly, he continued through the stalls, trying to find the source of whatever meat was being cooked, but he found himself distracted by some of the stalls bearing clearly Judean trinkets, a trap for any scholar who was playing tourist like himself.
Zoser took the opportunity to enjoy the shade beneath the stalls one at a time, sharing brief salutations between popping a date into his mouth intermittently. Many of the stalls held objects that bore the same symbol, two triangle intersecting to make a star - the symbol of the faith in this region, a faith that bore one god. Zoser hoped to share more conversations with the local scholars about the faith, though naturally their suspicions had yet to be quelled.
Stepping beneath another stall along this route, a Judean woman wearing a flattering shade of blue stood admiring a pendant. As the merchant glanced over at the towering Egyptian, Zoser offered a friendly smile and a slight wave before admiring some of the talismans. In an attempt to be friendly, Zoser offered in heavily accented Hebrew, "It matches."
Realizing that he probably should have clarified a bit more, he gestured between the dress and her pendant with a slightly faltering smile. It was an attempt at friendliness, and so far such attempts had been quite hit or miss.
His eyes fell on her basket of food, however, and widened. He then gestured at the basket, "Did you find that here? In the market? I can't find the smell."
Maeri had been excited for her trip to Damascus. She and her mother had traveled by themselves to the town in which she’d be living if Amiti and she got married. It was so strange to think that this was where she’d be living in the near future. Likely the next time she came to Damascus, she would not be moving back home. There was something about the thought that was vaguely terrifying, but she pushed that to the side. Instead, she focused on how there were so many new things for her to explore in the city. In fact, they had happened to be visiting at the same time as a scholar was visiting Damascus University. This meant that many people had come to the city to take advantage of all the people who were visiting.
That day, Maeri and her mother had decided to go out to investigate the stalls that had been set up across from the university. Maeri was wearing brand new clothes that her mother had bought especially for their trip. As Maeri browsed through the wares that had been set out for the visitors, she couldn’t help but think that Amiti was likely inside the University. She knew that he would appreciate a visit from such a renowned scholar. Maybe she would run into him here. The thought made her smile. Although they were still awkward around each other, he did seem well suited as a husband. The awkwardness would hopefully fade in time, that’s what her sisters had suggested anyway.
Just as Maeri turned to see what was at the stall behind her, she spotted Amarissa just a few stalls down from her, talking to an unfamiliar, and apparently foreign, man. That struck Maeri as odd, as far as she knew Amarissa didn’t know any foreign men, but if she did, Maeri was keen to be introduced. She didn’t know much about places outside of Judea, but she was fascinated to learn. Maeri hurried off to her friend’s side, leaving her mother browsing at a stall of died cloth.
“Amarissa!” Maeri greeted her friend brightly. “I didn’t know you were in Damascus; I didn’t expect to see you here.” Maeri grinned widely. It was always a pleasure to see Amarissa, and unexpected surprises were always so much fun. “And who’s your friend here?” Maeri asked looking over at Zoser, then back to Amarissa. “Where is he from? I bet it somewhere very interesting.” Maeri spoke very quickly in her enthusiasm, unaware of the man’s tenuous grasp on the Hebrew language.
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Maeri had been excited for her trip to Damascus. She and her mother had traveled by themselves to the town in which she’d be living if Amiti and she got married. It was so strange to think that this was where she’d be living in the near future. Likely the next time she came to Damascus, she would not be moving back home. There was something about the thought that was vaguely terrifying, but she pushed that to the side. Instead, she focused on how there were so many new things for her to explore in the city. In fact, they had happened to be visiting at the same time as a scholar was visiting Damascus University. This meant that many people had come to the city to take advantage of all the people who were visiting.
That day, Maeri and her mother had decided to go out to investigate the stalls that had been set up across from the university. Maeri was wearing brand new clothes that her mother had bought especially for their trip. As Maeri browsed through the wares that had been set out for the visitors, she couldn’t help but think that Amiti was likely inside the University. She knew that he would appreciate a visit from such a renowned scholar. Maybe she would run into him here. The thought made her smile. Although they were still awkward around each other, he did seem well suited as a husband. The awkwardness would hopefully fade in time, that’s what her sisters had suggested anyway.
Just as Maeri turned to see what was at the stall behind her, she spotted Amarissa just a few stalls down from her, talking to an unfamiliar, and apparently foreign, man. That struck Maeri as odd, as far as she knew Amarissa didn’t know any foreign men, but if she did, Maeri was keen to be introduced. She didn’t know much about places outside of Judea, but she was fascinated to learn. Maeri hurried off to her friend’s side, leaving her mother browsing at a stall of died cloth.
“Amarissa!” Maeri greeted her friend brightly. “I didn’t know you were in Damascus; I didn’t expect to see you here.” Maeri grinned widely. It was always a pleasure to see Amarissa, and unexpected surprises were always so much fun. “And who’s your friend here?” Maeri asked looking over at Zoser, then back to Amarissa. “Where is he from? I bet it somewhere very interesting.” Maeri spoke very quickly in her enthusiasm, unaware of the man’s tenuous grasp on the Hebrew language.
Maeri had been excited for her trip to Damascus. She and her mother had traveled by themselves to the town in which she’d be living if Amiti and she got married. It was so strange to think that this was where she’d be living in the near future. Likely the next time she came to Damascus, she would not be moving back home. There was something about the thought that was vaguely terrifying, but she pushed that to the side. Instead, she focused on how there were so many new things for her to explore in the city. In fact, they had happened to be visiting at the same time as a scholar was visiting Damascus University. This meant that many people had come to the city to take advantage of all the people who were visiting.
That day, Maeri and her mother had decided to go out to investigate the stalls that had been set up across from the university. Maeri was wearing brand new clothes that her mother had bought especially for their trip. As Maeri browsed through the wares that had been set out for the visitors, she couldn’t help but think that Amiti was likely inside the University. She knew that he would appreciate a visit from such a renowned scholar. Maybe she would run into him here. The thought made her smile. Although they were still awkward around each other, he did seem well suited as a husband. The awkwardness would hopefully fade in time, that’s what her sisters had suggested anyway.
Just as Maeri turned to see what was at the stall behind her, she spotted Amarissa just a few stalls down from her, talking to an unfamiliar, and apparently foreign, man. That struck Maeri as odd, as far as she knew Amarissa didn’t know any foreign men, but if she did, Maeri was keen to be introduced. She didn’t know much about places outside of Judea, but she was fascinated to learn. Maeri hurried off to her friend’s side, leaving her mother browsing at a stall of died cloth.
“Amarissa!” Maeri greeted her friend brightly. “I didn’t know you were in Damascus; I didn’t expect to see you here.” Maeri grinned widely. It was always a pleasure to see Amarissa, and unexpected surprises were always so much fun. “And who’s your friend here?” Maeri asked looking over at Zoser, then back to Amarissa. “Where is he from? I bet it somewhere very interesting.” Maeri spoke very quickly in her enthusiasm, unaware of the man’s tenuous grasp on the Hebrew language.
Not to be blasphemus, but even the temple in Damascus did not compare to the city’s university. A single story, sprawling wonderland of knowledge, Amiti was as proud of the building as though he was its architect. It was here that he’d learned Greek, an acceptable amount of philosophy, and, most importantly, it was here that had shaped him into the respected senator he was now.
In each of the thirteen classrooms, he’d sat at one time or another, often in the front row, rather than the back, so that he could gain as much knowledge and understanding as possible. Not every man came out of this place a wiser and learned soul, but most did and he was not an exception. He’d striven to be one of the best, even though his vocation was not that of scholar. He was certainly one as a hobby and thus the pride of the university burned bright within him.
Amos of Yoshiyahu had sent out a mass summons that was irresistible to Amiti. He’d swept into the library of the university and had been delighted with the task given to him. Diligently putting his nose to the grind, he was not surprised when Zoser appeared within their midst, but he was simultaneously annoyed and pleased. It was clear from the foreigner’s presence that he thought enough of the university to come, but, as expected, thought it a little beneath him. Amiti decided on the spot that he disliked the man but had the manners not to say so.
Like everyone else on the second day, he broke from his task in order to take the midday meal. Instead of going home, he’d gone to a favored stall for falafels and was on his way back to the university to eat in the shade of the building when he spotted Amarissa and Maeri, of all people, speaking to Zoser, again, of all people. The man was Egyptian. Speaking to good, sweet, single Judean women.
Obviously he was going to have to sort this out straight away. He made a mental note to warn Amarissa’s father that she needed a better eye kept on her. She seemed to be forever getting separated from her family and this, of course, was the result. Riff Raff had found her. As far as Maeri went, she would soon be his business and he meant to put this naive girl on her guard about foreigners. Both of the women were pretty, Amiti felt, and that made them targets for men like Zoser, who he could only imagine would do wicked Egyptian things to them. Whatever that was going to be. He didn’t know, because, of course, he wasn’t a wicked Egyptian.
Striding over to the group, he made the mistake of taking a bite of falafel right before he reached them. The result was that he had to finish chewing before he was able to address Zoser in Coptic, Zoser’s native tongue, with, “I see you found something other than food to occupy your time?”
To Maeri and Amarissa, he greeted them in Hebrew with a polite ‘hello’ but wasn’t going to ask why or how they were even here in the first place. Not in front of Zoser. It’d look bad if he appeared not to have a complete grasp of what was going on in his city. He didn’t, obviously, but the Egpytian didn’t need to know that.
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Not to be blasphemus, but even the temple in Damascus did not compare to the city’s university. A single story, sprawling wonderland of knowledge, Amiti was as proud of the building as though he was its architect. It was here that he’d learned Greek, an acceptable amount of philosophy, and, most importantly, it was here that had shaped him into the respected senator he was now.
In each of the thirteen classrooms, he’d sat at one time or another, often in the front row, rather than the back, so that he could gain as much knowledge and understanding as possible. Not every man came out of this place a wiser and learned soul, but most did and he was not an exception. He’d striven to be one of the best, even though his vocation was not that of scholar. He was certainly one as a hobby and thus the pride of the university burned bright within him.
Amos of Yoshiyahu had sent out a mass summons that was irresistible to Amiti. He’d swept into the library of the university and had been delighted with the task given to him. Diligently putting his nose to the grind, he was not surprised when Zoser appeared within their midst, but he was simultaneously annoyed and pleased. It was clear from the foreigner’s presence that he thought enough of the university to come, but, as expected, thought it a little beneath him. Amiti decided on the spot that he disliked the man but had the manners not to say so.
Like everyone else on the second day, he broke from his task in order to take the midday meal. Instead of going home, he’d gone to a favored stall for falafels and was on his way back to the university to eat in the shade of the building when he spotted Amarissa and Maeri, of all people, speaking to Zoser, again, of all people. The man was Egyptian. Speaking to good, sweet, single Judean women.
Obviously he was going to have to sort this out straight away. He made a mental note to warn Amarissa’s father that she needed a better eye kept on her. She seemed to be forever getting separated from her family and this, of course, was the result. Riff Raff had found her. As far as Maeri went, she would soon be his business and he meant to put this naive girl on her guard about foreigners. Both of the women were pretty, Amiti felt, and that made them targets for men like Zoser, who he could only imagine would do wicked Egyptian things to them. Whatever that was going to be. He didn’t know, because, of course, he wasn’t a wicked Egyptian.
Striding over to the group, he made the mistake of taking a bite of falafel right before he reached them. The result was that he had to finish chewing before he was able to address Zoser in Coptic, Zoser’s native tongue, with, “I see you found something other than food to occupy your time?”
To Maeri and Amarissa, he greeted them in Hebrew with a polite ‘hello’ but wasn’t going to ask why or how they were even here in the first place. Not in front of Zoser. It’d look bad if he appeared not to have a complete grasp of what was going on in his city. He didn’t, obviously, but the Egpytian didn’t need to know that.
Not to be blasphemus, but even the temple in Damascus did not compare to the city’s university. A single story, sprawling wonderland of knowledge, Amiti was as proud of the building as though he was its architect. It was here that he’d learned Greek, an acceptable amount of philosophy, and, most importantly, it was here that had shaped him into the respected senator he was now.
In each of the thirteen classrooms, he’d sat at one time or another, often in the front row, rather than the back, so that he could gain as much knowledge and understanding as possible. Not every man came out of this place a wiser and learned soul, but most did and he was not an exception. He’d striven to be one of the best, even though his vocation was not that of scholar. He was certainly one as a hobby and thus the pride of the university burned bright within him.
Amos of Yoshiyahu had sent out a mass summons that was irresistible to Amiti. He’d swept into the library of the university and had been delighted with the task given to him. Diligently putting his nose to the grind, he was not surprised when Zoser appeared within their midst, but he was simultaneously annoyed and pleased. It was clear from the foreigner’s presence that he thought enough of the university to come, but, as expected, thought it a little beneath him. Amiti decided on the spot that he disliked the man but had the manners not to say so.
Like everyone else on the second day, he broke from his task in order to take the midday meal. Instead of going home, he’d gone to a favored stall for falafels and was on his way back to the university to eat in the shade of the building when he spotted Amarissa and Maeri, of all people, speaking to Zoser, again, of all people. The man was Egyptian. Speaking to good, sweet, single Judean women.
Obviously he was going to have to sort this out straight away. He made a mental note to warn Amarissa’s father that she needed a better eye kept on her. She seemed to be forever getting separated from her family and this, of course, was the result. Riff Raff had found her. As far as Maeri went, she would soon be his business and he meant to put this naive girl on her guard about foreigners. Both of the women were pretty, Amiti felt, and that made them targets for men like Zoser, who he could only imagine would do wicked Egyptian things to them. Whatever that was going to be. He didn’t know, because, of course, he wasn’t a wicked Egyptian.
Striding over to the group, he made the mistake of taking a bite of falafel right before he reached them. The result was that he had to finish chewing before he was able to address Zoser in Coptic, Zoser’s native tongue, with, “I see you found something other than food to occupy your time?”
To Maeri and Amarissa, he greeted them in Hebrew with a polite ‘hello’ but wasn’t going to ask why or how they were even here in the first place. Not in front of Zoser. It’d look bad if he appeared not to have a complete grasp of what was going on in his city. He didn’t, obviously, but the Egpytian didn’t need to know that.
Amarissa was trying to decide whether to buy the pendant or not when she heard a heavily egyptian accented voice say in hebrew that it matched. It took her a moment to truly understand what he said and tilting her head with a confused look, he seemed to realize he'd been to vague when he gestured to her dress and then the pendant. "Oh.." she said softly, her cautiousness at speaking with strange, egyptian men keeping her from being overly friendly. Still she gave a brief smile and nod and glanced back at the item in question.
When he spoke again and mentioned the smells coming from her basket, she looked at him a bit more cautiously. Would he try to steal it from her? Was that acceptable in egypt? She had heard stories but had never actually interacted with an egyptian man. She knew Cain probably should have escorted her to drop off Caleb's lunch but he was too busy with another object of desire.
"Um.." she uttered "for my brother." she explained though she realized it was just as cryptic as his earlier comment about the pendant. "food from home" she tried to clarify, giving a sad sort of 'I'm sorry' smile. She was just about to try and recommend a food stall he might like when Maeri was suddenly at her side. How did the girl do that?
"Maeri!" Amarissa said with a grin and quickly greeted her friend with a side hug. "Yes, for my brother Caleb, we are trying to enroll him in the University! Such good timing, Yahweh wills it it seems" she said very quickly in Hebrew that had a bit of an Ammunian accent. As Maeri mentioned her 'friend', Amarissa looked over a bit guiltily, realizing he may or may not have caught what had been said in the excited hebrew.
"I..I do not know" she admitted and blushed slightly, still staring at the man with slightly wide and cautious eyes. He was certainly not harsh on the eyes. His features well refined, his body seemingly well muscled. She wondered if he was a fighter as well as a scholar. She also wondered why he was here. Surely Judea was far from a safe place for an Egyptian.
"Egypt...I would assume" she whispered quietly into Maeri's ear. She smiled cautiously at the man. Not unaware of how it could look to talk to a strange man with no chaperone present, Amarissa was about to cautiously inquire about his origins when Amiti burst into the small stall area. It was starting to get a bit crowded here for Amarissa's liking.
As Amiti spoke to the man in a different language, Amarissa could not help but pick up on the brisk, nay even cold tone. While more recent interactions with the man had revealed a kind and perhaps even tender side, this tone brought back memories of years past. She wondered if at that time he'd meant to sound cold of it as a younger man it had simply been his default tone. It was, rather odd.
She dipped her head in respectful greeting to Amiti and carefully sidled closer to Maeri and a step or two away from the egyptian. She was in no mood to watch an incident go down but hoped at the same time that no one would get hurt, especially the stranger. They were after all a people of hospitality, if private. She was impressed that Amiti seemed to command the man's language with such ability and watched curiously how the man would respond.
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Amarissa was trying to decide whether to buy the pendant or not when she heard a heavily egyptian accented voice say in hebrew that it matched. It took her a moment to truly understand what he said and tilting her head with a confused look, he seemed to realize he'd been to vague when he gestured to her dress and then the pendant. "Oh.." she said softly, her cautiousness at speaking with strange, egyptian men keeping her from being overly friendly. Still she gave a brief smile and nod and glanced back at the item in question.
When he spoke again and mentioned the smells coming from her basket, she looked at him a bit more cautiously. Would he try to steal it from her? Was that acceptable in egypt? She had heard stories but had never actually interacted with an egyptian man. She knew Cain probably should have escorted her to drop off Caleb's lunch but he was too busy with another object of desire.
"Um.." she uttered "for my brother." she explained though she realized it was just as cryptic as his earlier comment about the pendant. "food from home" she tried to clarify, giving a sad sort of 'I'm sorry' smile. She was just about to try and recommend a food stall he might like when Maeri was suddenly at her side. How did the girl do that?
"Maeri!" Amarissa said with a grin and quickly greeted her friend with a side hug. "Yes, for my brother Caleb, we are trying to enroll him in the University! Such good timing, Yahweh wills it it seems" she said very quickly in Hebrew that had a bit of an Ammunian accent. As Maeri mentioned her 'friend', Amarissa looked over a bit guiltily, realizing he may or may not have caught what had been said in the excited hebrew.
"I..I do not know" she admitted and blushed slightly, still staring at the man with slightly wide and cautious eyes. He was certainly not harsh on the eyes. His features well refined, his body seemingly well muscled. She wondered if he was a fighter as well as a scholar. She also wondered why he was here. Surely Judea was far from a safe place for an Egyptian.
"Egypt...I would assume" she whispered quietly into Maeri's ear. She smiled cautiously at the man. Not unaware of how it could look to talk to a strange man with no chaperone present, Amarissa was about to cautiously inquire about his origins when Amiti burst into the small stall area. It was starting to get a bit crowded here for Amarissa's liking.
As Amiti spoke to the man in a different language, Amarissa could not help but pick up on the brisk, nay even cold tone. While more recent interactions with the man had revealed a kind and perhaps even tender side, this tone brought back memories of years past. She wondered if at that time he'd meant to sound cold of it as a younger man it had simply been his default tone. It was, rather odd.
She dipped her head in respectful greeting to Amiti and carefully sidled closer to Maeri and a step or two away from the egyptian. She was in no mood to watch an incident go down but hoped at the same time that no one would get hurt, especially the stranger. They were after all a people of hospitality, if private. She was impressed that Amiti seemed to command the man's language with such ability and watched curiously how the man would respond.
Amarissa was trying to decide whether to buy the pendant or not when she heard a heavily egyptian accented voice say in hebrew that it matched. It took her a moment to truly understand what he said and tilting her head with a confused look, he seemed to realize he'd been to vague when he gestured to her dress and then the pendant. "Oh.." she said softly, her cautiousness at speaking with strange, egyptian men keeping her from being overly friendly. Still she gave a brief smile and nod and glanced back at the item in question.
When he spoke again and mentioned the smells coming from her basket, she looked at him a bit more cautiously. Would he try to steal it from her? Was that acceptable in egypt? She had heard stories but had never actually interacted with an egyptian man. She knew Cain probably should have escorted her to drop off Caleb's lunch but he was too busy with another object of desire.
"Um.." she uttered "for my brother." she explained though she realized it was just as cryptic as his earlier comment about the pendant. "food from home" she tried to clarify, giving a sad sort of 'I'm sorry' smile. She was just about to try and recommend a food stall he might like when Maeri was suddenly at her side. How did the girl do that?
"Maeri!" Amarissa said with a grin and quickly greeted her friend with a side hug. "Yes, for my brother Caleb, we are trying to enroll him in the University! Such good timing, Yahweh wills it it seems" she said very quickly in Hebrew that had a bit of an Ammunian accent. As Maeri mentioned her 'friend', Amarissa looked over a bit guiltily, realizing he may or may not have caught what had been said in the excited hebrew.
"I..I do not know" she admitted and blushed slightly, still staring at the man with slightly wide and cautious eyes. He was certainly not harsh on the eyes. His features well refined, his body seemingly well muscled. She wondered if he was a fighter as well as a scholar. She also wondered why he was here. Surely Judea was far from a safe place for an Egyptian.
"Egypt...I would assume" she whispered quietly into Maeri's ear. She smiled cautiously at the man. Not unaware of how it could look to talk to a strange man with no chaperone present, Amarissa was about to cautiously inquire about his origins when Amiti burst into the small stall area. It was starting to get a bit crowded here for Amarissa's liking.
As Amiti spoke to the man in a different language, Amarissa could not help but pick up on the brisk, nay even cold tone. While more recent interactions with the man had revealed a kind and perhaps even tender side, this tone brought back memories of years past. She wondered if at that time he'd meant to sound cold of it as a younger man it had simply been his default tone. It was, rather odd.
She dipped her head in respectful greeting to Amiti and carefully sidled closer to Maeri and a step or two away from the egyptian. She was in no mood to watch an incident go down but hoped at the same time that no one would get hurt, especially the stranger. They were after all a people of hospitality, if private. She was impressed that Amiti seemed to command the man's language with such ability and watched curiously how the man would respond.
Zoser could not tell if it was the smells from her basket in particular or if it was the smells from all the market stalls around them, but without regard, it made his stomach rumble. He had been guilty of this before, working through normal dining hours when engrossed in a project. Already, he was behind schedule when it came to finding a bite to eat, and had it not been for the other scholars breaking from their duties within the university, there is a good chance he would have remained in there for an unknown amount of time, if undisturbed, completely neglecting many human necessities.
Still, it was easy to notice the moment that the woman seemed to be caught off guard. While she was pleasant in her response, there was still a notable sense of defensiveness native in her stance and reserved smile.
Ah, right. There were cultural differences. Of course.
Zoser was a wise enough man to take a reasonable step backwards and to look away slightly after pointing out the similarity in color between the pendant and her dress before he asked about the food. In many cases, it was an exit strategy. He may have been overly friendly, even for an Egyptian, but he still knew the proper time to find an exit strategy in uncomfortable situations.
As the woman in blue noted that the food was from home, not from the market, Zoser made a slightly exaggerated 'ahhhh' and nodded in understanding. After all, it was only human to gesture when words were not enough. He began to bow, placing a hand across his chest out of a respect and what he hoped was semi-universal thanks for her at least giving him a few words. He started to take a few steps back and then away when he was essentially blocked into the stall by an even younger woman who greeted the woman in blue cheerfully in Hebrew.
Zoser, doing his best to keep up with at least the key phrases and words they used, managed to affix a congenial if confused smile to his expression as he heard their conversation. His smile faltered only slightly as he caught on very quickly to the fact they were talking very much about him, despite his proximity.
This feeling was familiar. As a child, he felt this as a young Egyptian boy in Athenia, with other young boys speaking so boldy in Greek in front of him, knowing or hoping he did not understand. Those memories stung a little bit, but he swiftly reminded himself that without such instances, he would never be standing here in Judea.
"Yes, Egypt," he replied, finally piecing together the spoken words. Life would have been much easier if it was all written out. The sounds of the Hebrew language seemed almost harsh compared to his native Coptic - though he knew that others thought similarly of Coptic itself. Still, he understood enough of that.
Finally able to offer his polite bow, he crossed an arm across his chest and bent at the hips, one foot placed back in an almost stereotypical Egyptian stance, as was seen in much of their artwork. When he stood straight again, towering over the women, he sidled back a little further. The less they thought of him as a threat, the better.
He pointed to himself, almost childishly, but added, "I am Zoser, a scholar from Egypt. It is nice to meet you two."
Silently, he cursed himself for how painfully stilted his words must have seemed, his embarrassment showing in how forced his smile was. In truth, he was likely just as uncomfortable as they were, though he was trying to be friendly. "Just visiting for the University, to help."
In that very moment, the stall was crowded even further by a relatively familiar face - a man by the name of Amiti who also helped with the ventures at the University. His smile of discomfort softened slightly as he started to greet the man with a broad 'ahhh' before he was caught off guard by the Judean's use of Coptic. His expression faltered, immediately catching the tone and approach used with the words.
"Ah, Amiti. Well met. Oh, ah, not entirely," he started in Coptic, trying to recover while switching back to Hebrew briefly so as to not seem secretive in his conversation, "I asked where she found such nice food, but it is not from the market. Then I met her friend." He gestured lightly to the younger woman who joined them. Seeing Amiti's expression, he was starting to feel distinctly uncomfortable as he added, "I will keep looking, I believe."
He nodded slightly to both of the ladies, his naturally friendly expression in place before catching Amiti's glance once again. At the moment, he was relatively blocked into the stall. He was a strange man in a strange land. If he committed some faux pas, he was unaware of it. Yet, having been in such close connection with the nobility and royalty of Egypt, despite his status as a relatively lucky bastard, orphan scholar, he knew a moment when apologies and ingratiating was necessary.
"I do not mean any harm, friend," he offered in Coptic, both lightly in his tone but sincerely in his words to the Judean scholar. His hands instinctively showed both palms forward, what he hoped was a universal symbol of disarmament. "I hope you believe me."
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Zoser could not tell if it was the smells from her basket in particular or if it was the smells from all the market stalls around them, but without regard, it made his stomach rumble. He had been guilty of this before, working through normal dining hours when engrossed in a project. Already, he was behind schedule when it came to finding a bite to eat, and had it not been for the other scholars breaking from their duties within the university, there is a good chance he would have remained in there for an unknown amount of time, if undisturbed, completely neglecting many human necessities.
Still, it was easy to notice the moment that the woman seemed to be caught off guard. While she was pleasant in her response, there was still a notable sense of defensiveness native in her stance and reserved smile.
Ah, right. There were cultural differences. Of course.
Zoser was a wise enough man to take a reasonable step backwards and to look away slightly after pointing out the similarity in color between the pendant and her dress before he asked about the food. In many cases, it was an exit strategy. He may have been overly friendly, even for an Egyptian, but he still knew the proper time to find an exit strategy in uncomfortable situations.
As the woman in blue noted that the food was from home, not from the market, Zoser made a slightly exaggerated 'ahhhh' and nodded in understanding. After all, it was only human to gesture when words were not enough. He began to bow, placing a hand across his chest out of a respect and what he hoped was semi-universal thanks for her at least giving him a few words. He started to take a few steps back and then away when he was essentially blocked into the stall by an even younger woman who greeted the woman in blue cheerfully in Hebrew.
Zoser, doing his best to keep up with at least the key phrases and words they used, managed to affix a congenial if confused smile to his expression as he heard their conversation. His smile faltered only slightly as he caught on very quickly to the fact they were talking very much about him, despite his proximity.
This feeling was familiar. As a child, he felt this as a young Egyptian boy in Athenia, with other young boys speaking so boldy in Greek in front of him, knowing or hoping he did not understand. Those memories stung a little bit, but he swiftly reminded himself that without such instances, he would never be standing here in Judea.
"Yes, Egypt," he replied, finally piecing together the spoken words. Life would have been much easier if it was all written out. The sounds of the Hebrew language seemed almost harsh compared to his native Coptic - though he knew that others thought similarly of Coptic itself. Still, he understood enough of that.
Finally able to offer his polite bow, he crossed an arm across his chest and bent at the hips, one foot placed back in an almost stereotypical Egyptian stance, as was seen in much of their artwork. When he stood straight again, towering over the women, he sidled back a little further. The less they thought of him as a threat, the better.
He pointed to himself, almost childishly, but added, "I am Zoser, a scholar from Egypt. It is nice to meet you two."
Silently, he cursed himself for how painfully stilted his words must have seemed, his embarrassment showing in how forced his smile was. In truth, he was likely just as uncomfortable as they were, though he was trying to be friendly. "Just visiting for the University, to help."
In that very moment, the stall was crowded even further by a relatively familiar face - a man by the name of Amiti who also helped with the ventures at the University. His smile of discomfort softened slightly as he started to greet the man with a broad 'ahhh' before he was caught off guard by the Judean's use of Coptic. His expression faltered, immediately catching the tone and approach used with the words.
"Ah, Amiti. Well met. Oh, ah, not entirely," he started in Coptic, trying to recover while switching back to Hebrew briefly so as to not seem secretive in his conversation, "I asked where she found such nice food, but it is not from the market. Then I met her friend." He gestured lightly to the younger woman who joined them. Seeing Amiti's expression, he was starting to feel distinctly uncomfortable as he added, "I will keep looking, I believe."
He nodded slightly to both of the ladies, his naturally friendly expression in place before catching Amiti's glance once again. At the moment, he was relatively blocked into the stall. He was a strange man in a strange land. If he committed some faux pas, he was unaware of it. Yet, having been in such close connection with the nobility and royalty of Egypt, despite his status as a relatively lucky bastard, orphan scholar, he knew a moment when apologies and ingratiating was necessary.
"I do not mean any harm, friend," he offered in Coptic, both lightly in his tone but sincerely in his words to the Judean scholar. His hands instinctively showed both palms forward, what he hoped was a universal symbol of disarmament. "I hope you believe me."
Zoser could not tell if it was the smells from her basket in particular or if it was the smells from all the market stalls around them, but without regard, it made his stomach rumble. He had been guilty of this before, working through normal dining hours when engrossed in a project. Already, he was behind schedule when it came to finding a bite to eat, and had it not been for the other scholars breaking from their duties within the university, there is a good chance he would have remained in there for an unknown amount of time, if undisturbed, completely neglecting many human necessities.
Still, it was easy to notice the moment that the woman seemed to be caught off guard. While she was pleasant in her response, there was still a notable sense of defensiveness native in her stance and reserved smile.
Ah, right. There were cultural differences. Of course.
Zoser was a wise enough man to take a reasonable step backwards and to look away slightly after pointing out the similarity in color between the pendant and her dress before he asked about the food. In many cases, it was an exit strategy. He may have been overly friendly, even for an Egyptian, but he still knew the proper time to find an exit strategy in uncomfortable situations.
As the woman in blue noted that the food was from home, not from the market, Zoser made a slightly exaggerated 'ahhhh' and nodded in understanding. After all, it was only human to gesture when words were not enough. He began to bow, placing a hand across his chest out of a respect and what he hoped was semi-universal thanks for her at least giving him a few words. He started to take a few steps back and then away when he was essentially blocked into the stall by an even younger woman who greeted the woman in blue cheerfully in Hebrew.
Zoser, doing his best to keep up with at least the key phrases and words they used, managed to affix a congenial if confused smile to his expression as he heard their conversation. His smile faltered only slightly as he caught on very quickly to the fact they were talking very much about him, despite his proximity.
This feeling was familiar. As a child, he felt this as a young Egyptian boy in Athenia, with other young boys speaking so boldy in Greek in front of him, knowing or hoping he did not understand. Those memories stung a little bit, but he swiftly reminded himself that without such instances, he would never be standing here in Judea.
"Yes, Egypt," he replied, finally piecing together the spoken words. Life would have been much easier if it was all written out. The sounds of the Hebrew language seemed almost harsh compared to his native Coptic - though he knew that others thought similarly of Coptic itself. Still, he understood enough of that.
Finally able to offer his polite bow, he crossed an arm across his chest and bent at the hips, one foot placed back in an almost stereotypical Egyptian stance, as was seen in much of their artwork. When he stood straight again, towering over the women, he sidled back a little further. The less they thought of him as a threat, the better.
He pointed to himself, almost childishly, but added, "I am Zoser, a scholar from Egypt. It is nice to meet you two."
Silently, he cursed himself for how painfully stilted his words must have seemed, his embarrassment showing in how forced his smile was. In truth, he was likely just as uncomfortable as they were, though he was trying to be friendly. "Just visiting for the University, to help."
In that very moment, the stall was crowded even further by a relatively familiar face - a man by the name of Amiti who also helped with the ventures at the University. His smile of discomfort softened slightly as he started to greet the man with a broad 'ahhh' before he was caught off guard by the Judean's use of Coptic. His expression faltered, immediately catching the tone and approach used with the words.
"Ah, Amiti. Well met. Oh, ah, not entirely," he started in Coptic, trying to recover while switching back to Hebrew briefly so as to not seem secretive in his conversation, "I asked where she found such nice food, but it is not from the market. Then I met her friend." He gestured lightly to the younger woman who joined them. Seeing Amiti's expression, he was starting to feel distinctly uncomfortable as he added, "I will keep looking, I believe."
He nodded slightly to both of the ladies, his naturally friendly expression in place before catching Amiti's glance once again. At the moment, he was relatively blocked into the stall. He was a strange man in a strange land. If he committed some faux pas, he was unaware of it. Yet, having been in such close connection with the nobility and royalty of Egypt, despite his status as a relatively lucky bastard, orphan scholar, he knew a moment when apologies and ingratiating was necessary.
"I do not mean any harm, friend," he offered in Coptic, both lightly in his tone but sincerely in his words to the Judean scholar. His hands instinctively showed both palms forward, what he hoped was a universal symbol of disarmament. "I hope you believe me."
Once Amarissa and the man had explained that he was, in fact, Egyptian, Maeri’s face lit up. An Egyptian! Maeri had never met an Egyptian before. She only knew the stories, which admittedly never put the Egyptians in a very good light, but the one in front of them certainly didn’t look that scary. At least not any more than any other strange man. For a brief moment, it occurred to her that perhaps she shouldn’t be talking to a strange man, but she wasn’t technically talking to him, only Amarissa, and besides, it wasn’t like she was alone with him. The man’s confirmation that he was, in fact, from Egypt despite the fact that she had not spoken directly to her made her think of a plan. Perhaps if she asked Amarissa questions about Egypt indirectly he’d jump in and answer them, and she’d be able to learn everything about Egypt that way.
Maeri was trying to figure out what to best ask first when the small group was joined by Amiti. She was glad to see him. They had made the trip all the way to Damascus so that she could spend time with him and his family. From Amiti’s expression, it seemed like he was not so pleased to see her, or rather, he wasn’t pleased to see Zoser. Maeri looked on in awe as Amiti spoke to the man in his native tongue. She didn’t know that Amiti knew Coptic, but it definitely raised her estimation of him as a potential husband. She wondered if he’d be willing to teach her some Coptic so that she might be able to teach their future children.
Still, Maeri caught Amiti’s sharp tone towards the Egyptian. She hoped that she might never be at the receiving end of that tone, it didn’t seem very pleasant. She followed Amarissa’s lead as she stepped away from the two men. Maeri was surprised when the man responded in Hebrew. Surely if he was talking to Amiti, it would be easier to speak in a language that they both knew? Maybe Amiti didn’t speak Coptic as well as it seemed like he did? Maeri wasn’t entirely sure.
It was at that moment that a blur of fur hurled itself towards the group. It appeared that Maeri’s mother had lost a hold of the leash on which they had been walking Maeri’s dog, Rayla. She bowled through the space in between Maeri and Amarissa’s skirts sniffing around at the two of them in recognition, her nose hovering for a moment on the food that Amarissa had brought. Then, she took off again before Maeri had even had a moment to reach down and grab Rayla’s collar. Rayla bounded the couple of dog lengths between Maeri and Zoser, jumping up on the foreign man, tail wagging furiously. “Down Rayla!” Maeri called at the dog, to no avail. The dog’s front paws remained resting on the Egyptian’s leg, as Rayla bounced excitedly on her back legs.
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Once Amarissa and the man had explained that he was, in fact, Egyptian, Maeri’s face lit up. An Egyptian! Maeri had never met an Egyptian before. She only knew the stories, which admittedly never put the Egyptians in a very good light, but the one in front of them certainly didn’t look that scary. At least not any more than any other strange man. For a brief moment, it occurred to her that perhaps she shouldn’t be talking to a strange man, but she wasn’t technically talking to him, only Amarissa, and besides, it wasn’t like she was alone with him. The man’s confirmation that he was, in fact, from Egypt despite the fact that she had not spoken directly to her made her think of a plan. Perhaps if she asked Amarissa questions about Egypt indirectly he’d jump in and answer them, and she’d be able to learn everything about Egypt that way.
Maeri was trying to figure out what to best ask first when the small group was joined by Amiti. She was glad to see him. They had made the trip all the way to Damascus so that she could spend time with him and his family. From Amiti’s expression, it seemed like he was not so pleased to see her, or rather, he wasn’t pleased to see Zoser. Maeri looked on in awe as Amiti spoke to the man in his native tongue. She didn’t know that Amiti knew Coptic, but it definitely raised her estimation of him as a potential husband. She wondered if he’d be willing to teach her some Coptic so that she might be able to teach their future children.
Still, Maeri caught Amiti’s sharp tone towards the Egyptian. She hoped that she might never be at the receiving end of that tone, it didn’t seem very pleasant. She followed Amarissa’s lead as she stepped away from the two men. Maeri was surprised when the man responded in Hebrew. Surely if he was talking to Amiti, it would be easier to speak in a language that they both knew? Maybe Amiti didn’t speak Coptic as well as it seemed like he did? Maeri wasn’t entirely sure.
It was at that moment that a blur of fur hurled itself towards the group. It appeared that Maeri’s mother had lost a hold of the leash on which they had been walking Maeri’s dog, Rayla. She bowled through the space in between Maeri and Amarissa’s skirts sniffing around at the two of them in recognition, her nose hovering for a moment on the food that Amarissa had brought. Then, she took off again before Maeri had even had a moment to reach down and grab Rayla’s collar. Rayla bounded the couple of dog lengths between Maeri and Zoser, jumping up on the foreign man, tail wagging furiously. “Down Rayla!” Maeri called at the dog, to no avail. The dog’s front paws remained resting on the Egyptian’s leg, as Rayla bounced excitedly on her back legs.
Once Amarissa and the man had explained that he was, in fact, Egyptian, Maeri’s face lit up. An Egyptian! Maeri had never met an Egyptian before. She only knew the stories, which admittedly never put the Egyptians in a very good light, but the one in front of them certainly didn’t look that scary. At least not any more than any other strange man. For a brief moment, it occurred to her that perhaps she shouldn’t be talking to a strange man, but she wasn’t technically talking to him, only Amarissa, and besides, it wasn’t like she was alone with him. The man’s confirmation that he was, in fact, from Egypt despite the fact that she had not spoken directly to her made her think of a plan. Perhaps if she asked Amarissa questions about Egypt indirectly he’d jump in and answer them, and she’d be able to learn everything about Egypt that way.
Maeri was trying to figure out what to best ask first when the small group was joined by Amiti. She was glad to see him. They had made the trip all the way to Damascus so that she could spend time with him and his family. From Amiti’s expression, it seemed like he was not so pleased to see her, or rather, he wasn’t pleased to see Zoser. Maeri looked on in awe as Amiti spoke to the man in his native tongue. She didn’t know that Amiti knew Coptic, but it definitely raised her estimation of him as a potential husband. She wondered if he’d be willing to teach her some Coptic so that she might be able to teach their future children.
Still, Maeri caught Amiti’s sharp tone towards the Egyptian. She hoped that she might never be at the receiving end of that tone, it didn’t seem very pleasant. She followed Amarissa’s lead as she stepped away from the two men. Maeri was surprised when the man responded in Hebrew. Surely if he was talking to Amiti, it would be easier to speak in a language that they both knew? Maybe Amiti didn’t speak Coptic as well as it seemed like he did? Maeri wasn’t entirely sure.
It was at that moment that a blur of fur hurled itself towards the group. It appeared that Maeri’s mother had lost a hold of the leash on which they had been walking Maeri’s dog, Rayla. She bowled through the space in between Maeri and Amarissa’s skirts sniffing around at the two of them in recognition, her nose hovering for a moment on the food that Amarissa had brought. Then, she took off again before Maeri had even had a moment to reach down and grab Rayla’s collar. Rayla bounded the couple of dog lengths between Maeri and Zoser, jumping up on the foreign man, tail wagging furiously. “Down Rayla!” Maeri called at the dog, to no avail. The dog’s front paws remained resting on the Egyptian’s leg, as Rayla bounced excitedly on her back legs.
He felt like he’d caught Zoser in some sort of compromising position and had now soundly thrashed the man in public. That would teach an Egpytian to try and get under the robes of good Judean girls. Except that Zoser immediately looked apologetic and held up his hands in a sort of submissive gesture while saying that he’d not meant any harm at all. Something about food and Amiti cut a sharp glance toward Amarissa; specifically her basket. His squared shoulders dropped just a fraction as Zoser further took the wind out of his sails by assuring him that he was, in fact, being totally innocent.
Short of outright accusing Zoser of impropriety, Amiti could do nothing. However, he was feeling just a bit like a bull gotten loose in the market; all bluster and no sense. This was something he never wanted to be. Exhaling loudly, he let his shoulders drop and he clasped his hands in front of him. His expression was still a bit concerned, but the indignant anger was gone.
“I apologize,” he said, also switching to Hebrew, since it seemed that’s what Zoser was wanting. It didn’t enter Amiti’s head that Zoser had done this for the benefit of the women.
"I do not mean any harm, friend. I hope you believe me." Zoser’s ability to be charming was not lost on Amiti, who sighed again, cast his eyes down to the flat stones of the street and the brought them back up to Zoser.
“Please forgive me. This is Maeri of Yonita and Amarissa of Rishona. We are-” before he could explain what kind of relationship he had with either of them, or even subtly insinuate that Zoser would do better to focus on his books and not women, a half familiar ball of fur flew out of nowhere, barking and yapping happily.
Amiti stepped back, having been on the receiving end of this dog’s affections once already. His then new immediate reaction was to grab the dog by its collar and yank backwards. Thankfully he hadn’t told Zoser his relationship to Maeri yet, or Zoser might have assumed this dog was meant as further insult. Though he couldn’t pretend he was terribly upset about Zoser’s clothes and the dirt now staining them, but he also didn’t want this man to come away with a bad impression of Judea, or Damascus in particular.
Maeri’s call for Rayla to get down was distant as Amiti’s cheeks flamed in embarrassment, like this was his dog. He turned and glanced at both women, pushing the dog toward them with a “Here, take her,” and then turned back to Zoser. “I am exceedingly sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
The situation had entirely turned around, from him feeling only self righteous, to embarrassed.
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He felt like he’d caught Zoser in some sort of compromising position and had now soundly thrashed the man in public. That would teach an Egpytian to try and get under the robes of good Judean girls. Except that Zoser immediately looked apologetic and held up his hands in a sort of submissive gesture while saying that he’d not meant any harm at all. Something about food and Amiti cut a sharp glance toward Amarissa; specifically her basket. His squared shoulders dropped just a fraction as Zoser further took the wind out of his sails by assuring him that he was, in fact, being totally innocent.
Short of outright accusing Zoser of impropriety, Amiti could do nothing. However, he was feeling just a bit like a bull gotten loose in the market; all bluster and no sense. This was something he never wanted to be. Exhaling loudly, he let his shoulders drop and he clasped his hands in front of him. His expression was still a bit concerned, but the indignant anger was gone.
“I apologize,” he said, also switching to Hebrew, since it seemed that’s what Zoser was wanting. It didn’t enter Amiti’s head that Zoser had done this for the benefit of the women.
"I do not mean any harm, friend. I hope you believe me." Zoser’s ability to be charming was not lost on Amiti, who sighed again, cast his eyes down to the flat stones of the street and the brought them back up to Zoser.
“Please forgive me. This is Maeri of Yonita and Amarissa of Rishona. We are-” before he could explain what kind of relationship he had with either of them, or even subtly insinuate that Zoser would do better to focus on his books and not women, a half familiar ball of fur flew out of nowhere, barking and yapping happily.
Amiti stepped back, having been on the receiving end of this dog’s affections once already. His then new immediate reaction was to grab the dog by its collar and yank backwards. Thankfully he hadn’t told Zoser his relationship to Maeri yet, or Zoser might have assumed this dog was meant as further insult. Though he couldn’t pretend he was terribly upset about Zoser’s clothes and the dirt now staining them, but he also didn’t want this man to come away with a bad impression of Judea, or Damascus in particular.
Maeri’s call for Rayla to get down was distant as Amiti’s cheeks flamed in embarrassment, like this was his dog. He turned and glanced at both women, pushing the dog toward them with a “Here, take her,” and then turned back to Zoser. “I am exceedingly sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
The situation had entirely turned around, from him feeling only self righteous, to embarrassed.
He felt like he’d caught Zoser in some sort of compromising position and had now soundly thrashed the man in public. That would teach an Egpytian to try and get under the robes of good Judean girls. Except that Zoser immediately looked apologetic and held up his hands in a sort of submissive gesture while saying that he’d not meant any harm at all. Something about food and Amiti cut a sharp glance toward Amarissa; specifically her basket. His squared shoulders dropped just a fraction as Zoser further took the wind out of his sails by assuring him that he was, in fact, being totally innocent.
Short of outright accusing Zoser of impropriety, Amiti could do nothing. However, he was feeling just a bit like a bull gotten loose in the market; all bluster and no sense. This was something he never wanted to be. Exhaling loudly, he let his shoulders drop and he clasped his hands in front of him. His expression was still a bit concerned, but the indignant anger was gone.
“I apologize,” he said, also switching to Hebrew, since it seemed that’s what Zoser was wanting. It didn’t enter Amiti’s head that Zoser had done this for the benefit of the women.
"I do not mean any harm, friend. I hope you believe me." Zoser’s ability to be charming was not lost on Amiti, who sighed again, cast his eyes down to the flat stones of the street and the brought them back up to Zoser.
“Please forgive me. This is Maeri of Yonita and Amarissa of Rishona. We are-” before he could explain what kind of relationship he had with either of them, or even subtly insinuate that Zoser would do better to focus on his books and not women, a half familiar ball of fur flew out of nowhere, barking and yapping happily.
Amiti stepped back, having been on the receiving end of this dog’s affections once already. His then new immediate reaction was to grab the dog by its collar and yank backwards. Thankfully he hadn’t told Zoser his relationship to Maeri yet, or Zoser might have assumed this dog was meant as further insult. Though he couldn’t pretend he was terribly upset about Zoser’s clothes and the dirt now staining them, but he also didn’t want this man to come away with a bad impression of Judea, or Damascus in particular.
Maeri’s call for Rayla to get down was distant as Amiti’s cheeks flamed in embarrassment, like this was his dog. He turned and glanced at both women, pushing the dog toward them with a “Here, take her,” and then turned back to Zoser. “I am exceedingly sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
The situation had entirely turned around, from him feeling only self righteous, to embarrassed.
Amarissa had quietly observed the situation between the two men seem to calm slightly and had attempted to give the egyptian a kind, sympathetic smile. She was still unsure of his intentions but she did not feel like he meant harm exactly. He seemed to be as unsure about all of this as everyone else in the stall. The poor merchant for his part seemed mostly relieved that a brawl had not broken out in his stall. His wares were fragile after all and it didn't matter whether they were broken by a jew or egyptian, the result was the same. He seemed to offer quiet prayers to Yahweh and keep his head down.
Amarissa dipped her head respectfully upon Amiti's introduction of her and Maeri. She noticed his pause at explaining how he knew them and found it slightly amusing for a reason she couldn't quite put her finger on. When the ball of fur known as Rayla burst into the scene and onto the egyptian. Covering her overly amused smile that threatened to break into a laugh with the edge of her mitpahath, Amarissa turned slightly and offered apologies to the merchant who seemed more nervous about the presence of the two men then the wayward dog.
Turning back to the situation at hand, Amarissa felt the need to help set things back on a straighter course. Taking a somewhat bold step forward, Amarissa cast a pleasant smile at both men and offered the basket to Amiti. "Lord Amiti, would you do me the greatest favor and insure that my brother Caleb receives this? I fear if I wait for him to emerge I might be a pile of bones upon the ground." she said with a good natured chuckle that hoped to release some of the tension in the air. "Sir," she noted to the egyptian kindly, "it was good to meet you, I hope you find what you seek among our sacred texts." Backing away graciously, she wrapped an arm around Maeri who was still holding the excited-able puppy. "Shall we find her handler? I'm sure they're worried sick" Amarissa noted with a concerned smile.
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Amarissa had quietly observed the situation between the two men seem to calm slightly and had attempted to give the egyptian a kind, sympathetic smile. She was still unsure of his intentions but she did not feel like he meant harm exactly. He seemed to be as unsure about all of this as everyone else in the stall. The poor merchant for his part seemed mostly relieved that a brawl had not broken out in his stall. His wares were fragile after all and it didn't matter whether they were broken by a jew or egyptian, the result was the same. He seemed to offer quiet prayers to Yahweh and keep his head down.
Amarissa dipped her head respectfully upon Amiti's introduction of her and Maeri. She noticed his pause at explaining how he knew them and found it slightly amusing for a reason she couldn't quite put her finger on. When the ball of fur known as Rayla burst into the scene and onto the egyptian. Covering her overly amused smile that threatened to break into a laugh with the edge of her mitpahath, Amarissa turned slightly and offered apologies to the merchant who seemed more nervous about the presence of the two men then the wayward dog.
Turning back to the situation at hand, Amarissa felt the need to help set things back on a straighter course. Taking a somewhat bold step forward, Amarissa cast a pleasant smile at both men and offered the basket to Amiti. "Lord Amiti, would you do me the greatest favor and insure that my brother Caleb receives this? I fear if I wait for him to emerge I might be a pile of bones upon the ground." she said with a good natured chuckle that hoped to release some of the tension in the air. "Sir," she noted to the egyptian kindly, "it was good to meet you, I hope you find what you seek among our sacred texts." Backing away graciously, she wrapped an arm around Maeri who was still holding the excited-able puppy. "Shall we find her handler? I'm sure they're worried sick" Amarissa noted with a concerned smile.
Amarissa had quietly observed the situation between the two men seem to calm slightly and had attempted to give the egyptian a kind, sympathetic smile. She was still unsure of his intentions but she did not feel like he meant harm exactly. He seemed to be as unsure about all of this as everyone else in the stall. The poor merchant for his part seemed mostly relieved that a brawl had not broken out in his stall. His wares were fragile after all and it didn't matter whether they were broken by a jew or egyptian, the result was the same. He seemed to offer quiet prayers to Yahweh and keep his head down.
Amarissa dipped her head respectfully upon Amiti's introduction of her and Maeri. She noticed his pause at explaining how he knew them and found it slightly amusing for a reason she couldn't quite put her finger on. When the ball of fur known as Rayla burst into the scene and onto the egyptian. Covering her overly amused smile that threatened to break into a laugh with the edge of her mitpahath, Amarissa turned slightly and offered apologies to the merchant who seemed more nervous about the presence of the two men then the wayward dog.
Turning back to the situation at hand, Amarissa felt the need to help set things back on a straighter course. Taking a somewhat bold step forward, Amarissa cast a pleasant smile at both men and offered the basket to Amiti. "Lord Amiti, would you do me the greatest favor and insure that my brother Caleb receives this? I fear if I wait for him to emerge I might be a pile of bones upon the ground." she said with a good natured chuckle that hoped to release some of the tension in the air. "Sir," she noted to the egyptian kindly, "it was good to meet you, I hope you find what you seek among our sacred texts." Backing away graciously, she wrapped an arm around Maeri who was still holding the excited-able puppy. "Shall we find her handler? I'm sure they're worried sick" Amarissa noted with a concerned smile.
Zoser's forehead felt tight, though he managed to keep his actual eyebrows under control at his interaction with Amiti. Their first meeting had been far from on the best of terms, and the circumstances for their continued interactions at the University left a distinct air of awkwardness between them - primarily on Zoser's end.
Even by certain harsh, Egyptian standards, Amiti had proven to be quite an intense man, between his beliefs and his vision of how things should go under all circumstances.
His brows only moved again when Amiti offered the last thing he expected:
An apology.
"All is well," Zoser offered in Hebrew, with a tenuous smile and a few breaths of a laugh that were tinged with lingering nervousness. He even offered a slight nod to the wary merchant behind his stand, who had eyed them with a mixture of suspicion and nervousness. Zoser's lips fell slightly more lopsided.
All knowledge he had of Judean suspicion of outsiders paled to the actual experience of it. All civilizations relied on trade and yet it seemed that the Judeans took interactions with others the way any person would take a bitter medicine - out of necessity and not liking a single moment of it.
There was a slight realization in the moment as Amiti seemed to begrudgingly introduce the two women who stood beside him. Ah, of course! A slight hint of understanding mirth trickled through his smile as he realized his unknown folly. If these women were family members - or one of them a spouse - Amiti's sudden apprehension-laced appearance made total sense. As a result, Zoser took the tiniest step back as he began to offer a formal bow to them, only for his part in the introduction to be broken by the sudden blur of fur that appeared between the women then suddenly bounded toward him.
Zoser did not mind dogs, but was unfamiliar with them entirely.
In Egypt, cats were preferable and far more amenable to living among people. They required less and tended to simply enjoy company in the same manner as men who lounged in opium dens and brothels. Company was nice but not necessary. Dogs were usually kept outside of the town for hunters and such, not within the city as companions for the most part.
Anxious to some extent but not comfortable showing it, Zoser let out another bubble of relatively nervous laughter. He smiled, yet his eyes were a slight bit wider than usual out of discomfort and disappointment that one of his few 'appropriate' outfits was now likely ruined. Blinking a bit as the young woman, Maeri, fussed at the dog, Zoser glanced up a moment then made the ever brave decision to reach down and rather awkwardly pat the dog on its back, despite its jumping.
"Hello, little friend!" he offered to the creature in a voice saved for animals and small children, before he watched Amiti secure Rayla by the collar and pass the creature off to Maeri. A few lingering awkward laughs later, Zoser offered in slightly stuttering Hebrew, "it is fine, it is fine," as he leaned down in an attempt to dust away the distinctive paw marks on the the linen at his knee. It was useless. He sighed slightly but shrugged his shoulders.
"There was no death. No one was dead."
As he said the words, his brow furrowed as if replaying the phrase and wondering if he used the right phrase to indicate that no 'harm' had been done in this circumstance. Clearing his throat as he hoped he used the words correctly in Hebrew before glancing around slightly awkwardly as he tried to catch the Lady Amarissa's words.
By the gods, Judeans spoke so quickly.
Knowing that the Lady Amarissa spoke to him but only able to take a few guesses as to her good intentions, Zoser nodded slightly with a smile and a small wave, pretending to have caught it all. The flurry of the moment made it a little more difficult to understand Hebrew.
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Zoser's forehead felt tight, though he managed to keep his actual eyebrows under control at his interaction with Amiti. Their first meeting had been far from on the best of terms, and the circumstances for their continued interactions at the University left a distinct air of awkwardness between them - primarily on Zoser's end.
Even by certain harsh, Egyptian standards, Amiti had proven to be quite an intense man, between his beliefs and his vision of how things should go under all circumstances.
His brows only moved again when Amiti offered the last thing he expected:
An apology.
"All is well," Zoser offered in Hebrew, with a tenuous smile and a few breaths of a laugh that were tinged with lingering nervousness. He even offered a slight nod to the wary merchant behind his stand, who had eyed them with a mixture of suspicion and nervousness. Zoser's lips fell slightly more lopsided.
All knowledge he had of Judean suspicion of outsiders paled to the actual experience of it. All civilizations relied on trade and yet it seemed that the Judeans took interactions with others the way any person would take a bitter medicine - out of necessity and not liking a single moment of it.
There was a slight realization in the moment as Amiti seemed to begrudgingly introduce the two women who stood beside him. Ah, of course! A slight hint of understanding mirth trickled through his smile as he realized his unknown folly. If these women were family members - or one of them a spouse - Amiti's sudden apprehension-laced appearance made total sense. As a result, Zoser took the tiniest step back as he began to offer a formal bow to them, only for his part in the introduction to be broken by the sudden blur of fur that appeared between the women then suddenly bounded toward him.
Zoser did not mind dogs, but was unfamiliar with them entirely.
In Egypt, cats were preferable and far more amenable to living among people. They required less and tended to simply enjoy company in the same manner as men who lounged in opium dens and brothels. Company was nice but not necessary. Dogs were usually kept outside of the town for hunters and such, not within the city as companions for the most part.
Anxious to some extent but not comfortable showing it, Zoser let out another bubble of relatively nervous laughter. He smiled, yet his eyes were a slight bit wider than usual out of discomfort and disappointment that one of his few 'appropriate' outfits was now likely ruined. Blinking a bit as the young woman, Maeri, fussed at the dog, Zoser glanced up a moment then made the ever brave decision to reach down and rather awkwardly pat the dog on its back, despite its jumping.
"Hello, little friend!" he offered to the creature in a voice saved for animals and small children, before he watched Amiti secure Rayla by the collar and pass the creature off to Maeri. A few lingering awkward laughs later, Zoser offered in slightly stuttering Hebrew, "it is fine, it is fine," as he leaned down in an attempt to dust away the distinctive paw marks on the the linen at his knee. It was useless. He sighed slightly but shrugged his shoulders.
"There was no death. No one was dead."
As he said the words, his brow furrowed as if replaying the phrase and wondering if he used the right phrase to indicate that no 'harm' had been done in this circumstance. Clearing his throat as he hoped he used the words correctly in Hebrew before glancing around slightly awkwardly as he tried to catch the Lady Amarissa's words.
By the gods, Judeans spoke so quickly.
Knowing that the Lady Amarissa spoke to him but only able to take a few guesses as to her good intentions, Zoser nodded slightly with a smile and a small wave, pretending to have caught it all. The flurry of the moment made it a little more difficult to understand Hebrew.
Zoser's forehead felt tight, though he managed to keep his actual eyebrows under control at his interaction with Amiti. Their first meeting had been far from on the best of terms, and the circumstances for their continued interactions at the University left a distinct air of awkwardness between them - primarily on Zoser's end.
Even by certain harsh, Egyptian standards, Amiti had proven to be quite an intense man, between his beliefs and his vision of how things should go under all circumstances.
His brows only moved again when Amiti offered the last thing he expected:
An apology.
"All is well," Zoser offered in Hebrew, with a tenuous smile and a few breaths of a laugh that were tinged with lingering nervousness. He even offered a slight nod to the wary merchant behind his stand, who had eyed them with a mixture of suspicion and nervousness. Zoser's lips fell slightly more lopsided.
All knowledge he had of Judean suspicion of outsiders paled to the actual experience of it. All civilizations relied on trade and yet it seemed that the Judeans took interactions with others the way any person would take a bitter medicine - out of necessity and not liking a single moment of it.
There was a slight realization in the moment as Amiti seemed to begrudgingly introduce the two women who stood beside him. Ah, of course! A slight hint of understanding mirth trickled through his smile as he realized his unknown folly. If these women were family members - or one of them a spouse - Amiti's sudden apprehension-laced appearance made total sense. As a result, Zoser took the tiniest step back as he began to offer a formal bow to them, only for his part in the introduction to be broken by the sudden blur of fur that appeared between the women then suddenly bounded toward him.
Zoser did not mind dogs, but was unfamiliar with them entirely.
In Egypt, cats were preferable and far more amenable to living among people. They required less and tended to simply enjoy company in the same manner as men who lounged in opium dens and brothels. Company was nice but not necessary. Dogs were usually kept outside of the town for hunters and such, not within the city as companions for the most part.
Anxious to some extent but not comfortable showing it, Zoser let out another bubble of relatively nervous laughter. He smiled, yet his eyes were a slight bit wider than usual out of discomfort and disappointment that one of his few 'appropriate' outfits was now likely ruined. Blinking a bit as the young woman, Maeri, fussed at the dog, Zoser glanced up a moment then made the ever brave decision to reach down and rather awkwardly pat the dog on its back, despite its jumping.
"Hello, little friend!" he offered to the creature in a voice saved for animals and small children, before he watched Amiti secure Rayla by the collar and pass the creature off to Maeri. A few lingering awkward laughs later, Zoser offered in slightly stuttering Hebrew, "it is fine, it is fine," as he leaned down in an attempt to dust away the distinctive paw marks on the the linen at his knee. It was useless. He sighed slightly but shrugged his shoulders.
"There was no death. No one was dead."
As he said the words, his brow furrowed as if replaying the phrase and wondering if he used the right phrase to indicate that no 'harm' had been done in this circumstance. Clearing his throat as he hoped he used the words correctly in Hebrew before glancing around slightly awkwardly as he tried to catch the Lady Amarissa's words.
By the gods, Judeans spoke so quickly.
Knowing that the Lady Amarissa spoke to him but only able to take a few guesses as to her good intentions, Zoser nodded slightly with a smile and a small wave, pretending to have caught it all. The flurry of the moment made it a little more difficult to understand Hebrew.
Maeri smiled as the Egyptian bent down and pet Rayla. She was always so eager to make new friends and Maeri couldn’t help but encourage the dog’s adorable behavior. Of course, Amiti seemed to think otherwise. Maeri was very disappointed that her potential conversation with the Egyptian was over as her dog was shoved towards her, with instructions to take the dog off somewhere else. She had been hoping to have a chance to hear more of the conversation between him and Amiti, she had always been so curious about people from other cultures. Had the foreign visitor been a woman, she knew that anything Amiti said wouldn’t have been able to take her away from a conversation with this newcomer. As he was a man, it wouldn’t have been proper for her to stay and talk to him, just for the sake of her own curiosity
Maeri had already been bringing the dog back towards where her mother was standing, just a little ways away, when Amarissa joined her, slipping her arm around Maeri’s waist in a familiar way that made Maeri quite happy to have her friend with her once again. The instructions that she gave left Maeri very confused. Maeri stopped and looked up at her, forehead wrinkled. She must have misunderstood what Amarissa had said. “Rayla’s my dog. You know that. You’ve met her before.” Maeri wasn’t sure why Amarissa didn’t seem to recognize Rayla. She had found the dog wandering around in the marketplace in Israel only last month and returned her to Maeri before she had been lost entirely in the angry crowd.
Rayla yipped and pulled at the end of her leash as they stopped, trying to get back to Maeri’s mother. “I was just taking her back to Eema. She’d been holding her for me when I spotted you.” Maeri then grinned widely. “You should come over and say hello. We can tell you all about the plans that we have for my engagement.” Maeri grabbed Amarissa’s hand and dragged her the few stalls over to where her mother was perusing some lengths of cloth.
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Maeri smiled as the Egyptian bent down and pet Rayla. She was always so eager to make new friends and Maeri couldn’t help but encourage the dog’s adorable behavior. Of course, Amiti seemed to think otherwise. Maeri was very disappointed that her potential conversation with the Egyptian was over as her dog was shoved towards her, with instructions to take the dog off somewhere else. She had been hoping to have a chance to hear more of the conversation between him and Amiti, she had always been so curious about people from other cultures. Had the foreign visitor been a woman, she knew that anything Amiti said wouldn’t have been able to take her away from a conversation with this newcomer. As he was a man, it wouldn’t have been proper for her to stay and talk to him, just for the sake of her own curiosity
Maeri had already been bringing the dog back towards where her mother was standing, just a little ways away, when Amarissa joined her, slipping her arm around Maeri’s waist in a familiar way that made Maeri quite happy to have her friend with her once again. The instructions that she gave left Maeri very confused. Maeri stopped and looked up at her, forehead wrinkled. She must have misunderstood what Amarissa had said. “Rayla’s my dog. You know that. You’ve met her before.” Maeri wasn’t sure why Amarissa didn’t seem to recognize Rayla. She had found the dog wandering around in the marketplace in Israel only last month and returned her to Maeri before she had been lost entirely in the angry crowd.
Rayla yipped and pulled at the end of her leash as they stopped, trying to get back to Maeri’s mother. “I was just taking her back to Eema. She’d been holding her for me when I spotted you.” Maeri then grinned widely. “You should come over and say hello. We can tell you all about the plans that we have for my engagement.” Maeri grabbed Amarissa’s hand and dragged her the few stalls over to where her mother was perusing some lengths of cloth.
Maeri smiled as the Egyptian bent down and pet Rayla. She was always so eager to make new friends and Maeri couldn’t help but encourage the dog’s adorable behavior. Of course, Amiti seemed to think otherwise. Maeri was very disappointed that her potential conversation with the Egyptian was over as her dog was shoved towards her, with instructions to take the dog off somewhere else. She had been hoping to have a chance to hear more of the conversation between him and Amiti, she had always been so curious about people from other cultures. Had the foreign visitor been a woman, she knew that anything Amiti said wouldn’t have been able to take her away from a conversation with this newcomer. As he was a man, it wouldn’t have been proper for her to stay and talk to him, just for the sake of her own curiosity
Maeri had already been bringing the dog back towards where her mother was standing, just a little ways away, when Amarissa joined her, slipping her arm around Maeri’s waist in a familiar way that made Maeri quite happy to have her friend with her once again. The instructions that she gave left Maeri very confused. Maeri stopped and looked up at her, forehead wrinkled. She must have misunderstood what Amarissa had said. “Rayla’s my dog. You know that. You’ve met her before.” Maeri wasn’t sure why Amarissa didn’t seem to recognize Rayla. She had found the dog wandering around in the marketplace in Israel only last month and returned her to Maeri before she had been lost entirely in the angry crowd.
Rayla yipped and pulled at the end of her leash as they stopped, trying to get back to Maeri’s mother. “I was just taking her back to Eema. She’d been holding her for me when I spotted you.” Maeri then grinned widely. “You should come over and say hello. We can tell you all about the plans that we have for my engagement.” Maeri grabbed Amarissa’s hand and dragged her the few stalls over to where her mother was perusing some lengths of cloth.
He was relieved, to say the least, that Zoser didn’t seem to find much offense in a totally offensive situation. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he stepped awkwardly forward, like he was going to help the other man dust off his clothes, also laughing just a bit out of relief and embarrassment, but then pulled his hand back. What on earth was he doing? There was no way he was going to touch Zoser, let alone wipe at the man’s thighs and knees. He wouldn’t have even done such a thing for his own friend.
“She’s done that to me,” he said unhelpfully and then shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose. “The dog, I mean. Not Maeri. Maeri’s never...never mind.” Skies above, but this was going badly. Now everyone in the university would know about what had happened and he’d definitely be involved in that gossip. Him and his intended’s dog. That dog.
Amiti shot a look at Rayla as Maeri led her away. There would most definitely be rules about the animal when they got married. Hopefully she didn’t intend to bring Rayla but even he wasn’t that naive. That puppy would be living in his home and would act every bit as unruly without training. Well. That would be fixed, make no mistake.
“You’re right,” he said quickly, taking a step back from Zoser so that they now had an adequate amount of distance between them. “Shall we get some food and go back inside soon? There’s more work to be done.” Maeri was pretty. Maeri was sweet. Maeri was a disaster with that dog and must be kept away from a scholar who would spread things abroad about the university. Luckily she had Amarissa with her and her mother. A quick glance in their direction assured Amiti that they were shopping and would hopefully stay out of trouble.
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He was relieved, to say the least, that Zoser didn’t seem to find much offense in a totally offensive situation. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he stepped awkwardly forward, like he was going to help the other man dust off his clothes, also laughing just a bit out of relief and embarrassment, but then pulled his hand back. What on earth was he doing? There was no way he was going to touch Zoser, let alone wipe at the man’s thighs and knees. He wouldn’t have even done such a thing for his own friend.
“She’s done that to me,” he said unhelpfully and then shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose. “The dog, I mean. Not Maeri. Maeri’s never...never mind.” Skies above, but this was going badly. Now everyone in the university would know about what had happened and he’d definitely be involved in that gossip. Him and his intended’s dog. That dog.
Amiti shot a look at Rayla as Maeri led her away. There would most definitely be rules about the animal when they got married. Hopefully she didn’t intend to bring Rayla but even he wasn’t that naive. That puppy would be living in his home and would act every bit as unruly without training. Well. That would be fixed, make no mistake.
“You’re right,” he said quickly, taking a step back from Zoser so that they now had an adequate amount of distance between them. “Shall we get some food and go back inside soon? There’s more work to be done.” Maeri was pretty. Maeri was sweet. Maeri was a disaster with that dog and must be kept away from a scholar who would spread things abroad about the university. Luckily she had Amarissa with her and her mother. A quick glance in their direction assured Amiti that they were shopping and would hopefully stay out of trouble.
He was relieved, to say the least, that Zoser didn’t seem to find much offense in a totally offensive situation. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he stepped awkwardly forward, like he was going to help the other man dust off his clothes, also laughing just a bit out of relief and embarrassment, but then pulled his hand back. What on earth was he doing? There was no way he was going to touch Zoser, let alone wipe at the man’s thighs and knees. He wouldn’t have even done such a thing for his own friend.
“She’s done that to me,” he said unhelpfully and then shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose. “The dog, I mean. Not Maeri. Maeri’s never...never mind.” Skies above, but this was going badly. Now everyone in the university would know about what had happened and he’d definitely be involved in that gossip. Him and his intended’s dog. That dog.
Amiti shot a look at Rayla as Maeri led her away. There would most definitely be rules about the animal when they got married. Hopefully she didn’t intend to bring Rayla but even he wasn’t that naive. That puppy would be living in his home and would act every bit as unruly without training. Well. That would be fixed, make no mistake.
“You’re right,” he said quickly, taking a step back from Zoser so that they now had an adequate amount of distance between them. “Shall we get some food and go back inside soon? There’s more work to be done.” Maeri was pretty. Maeri was sweet. Maeri was a disaster with that dog and must be kept away from a scholar who would spread things abroad about the university. Luckily she had Amarissa with her and her mother. A quick glance in their direction assured Amiti that they were shopping and would hopefully stay out of trouble.
The situation, it seemed, had resolved itself fairly well. No one had taken lasting offense and the participants parted company on good enough terms. Amarissa glanced back as she walked away with Maeri and noticed Amiti leading the Greek away to find food. She hoped Amiti remembered to give Caleb the basket of food she'd handed off. He had taken it in such a distracted manner and hadn't even really acknowledged she'd given it to him beyond taking hold of it. She assumed he was still out of sorts from his initial encounter of the Greek and the ensuing discussion and embarrassment of Maeri's boisterous dog.
Speaking of the dog, Amarissa could not help but laugh at Maeri's confusion. "I know you silly goose" she said in a lowered and semi conspiratorial tone "I just meant we should get her back to whomever was holding her for you" Amarissa clarified while running a gentle hand over the excitable hound. She smiled as Maeri seemed to jump to the next topic easily enough and followed along happily. Maeri certainly was a handful at times. Just like her canine companion it seemed.
Amarissa's smile grew wider as Maeri invited her to come and spend time with her and her family to discuss the preparations for the upcoming engagement. As they approached her family, Amarissa greeted each in turn respectfully. "Yonita" she said with a broad smile "Mother was saying it had been too long! Maeri was just telling me that your family has been making plans for the joyous occasion?"
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The situation, it seemed, had resolved itself fairly well. No one had taken lasting offense and the participants parted company on good enough terms. Amarissa glanced back as she walked away with Maeri and noticed Amiti leading the Greek away to find food. She hoped Amiti remembered to give Caleb the basket of food she'd handed off. He had taken it in such a distracted manner and hadn't even really acknowledged she'd given it to him beyond taking hold of it. She assumed he was still out of sorts from his initial encounter of the Greek and the ensuing discussion and embarrassment of Maeri's boisterous dog.
Speaking of the dog, Amarissa could not help but laugh at Maeri's confusion. "I know you silly goose" she said in a lowered and semi conspiratorial tone "I just meant we should get her back to whomever was holding her for you" Amarissa clarified while running a gentle hand over the excitable hound. She smiled as Maeri seemed to jump to the next topic easily enough and followed along happily. Maeri certainly was a handful at times. Just like her canine companion it seemed.
Amarissa's smile grew wider as Maeri invited her to come and spend time with her and her family to discuss the preparations for the upcoming engagement. As they approached her family, Amarissa greeted each in turn respectfully. "Yonita" she said with a broad smile "Mother was saying it had been too long! Maeri was just telling me that your family has been making plans for the joyous occasion?"
The situation, it seemed, had resolved itself fairly well. No one had taken lasting offense and the participants parted company on good enough terms. Amarissa glanced back as she walked away with Maeri and noticed Amiti leading the Greek away to find food. She hoped Amiti remembered to give Caleb the basket of food she'd handed off. He had taken it in such a distracted manner and hadn't even really acknowledged she'd given it to him beyond taking hold of it. She assumed he was still out of sorts from his initial encounter of the Greek and the ensuing discussion and embarrassment of Maeri's boisterous dog.
Speaking of the dog, Amarissa could not help but laugh at Maeri's confusion. "I know you silly goose" she said in a lowered and semi conspiratorial tone "I just meant we should get her back to whomever was holding her for you" Amarissa clarified while running a gentle hand over the excitable hound. She smiled as Maeri seemed to jump to the next topic easily enough and followed along happily. Maeri certainly was a handful at times. Just like her canine companion it seemed.
Amarissa's smile grew wider as Maeri invited her to come and spend time with her and her family to discuss the preparations for the upcoming engagement. As they approached her family, Amarissa greeted each in turn respectfully. "Yonita" she said with a broad smile "Mother was saying it had been too long! Maeri was just telling me that your family has been making plans for the joyous occasion?"
It was almost just as surprising to receive the apology as it was to hear the Judean man seem to echo his own nervous laughter at the general awkwardness of the situation. Judea seemed a place where issues of error were simply covered over, much like a crack in a wall that did not receiving repairs but instead simply used paint to hide the worst of it. Compared to the openness of the Egyptian culture, this culture shock had been far more extreme than his time in Greece and returning to Egypt.
Still, as the women began to drift away from the newly-relieved merchant's stall, Zoser offered them a slight nod of his head as they departed. Amiti offered to assist him with finding food and Zoser's brows raised in interest and he offered a soft smile before dipping his head in thanks, echoing it with words, "I would be very much in your debt. Thank you."
Zoser allowed Amiti to lead them away, the sound and scent of the market offering a number of distractions along the way. Out of the corner of his eye every now and then, he glanced over to the stoic man, uncertain of his words for one of the few times in his life. This land was bizarre to him. Did they like small talk?
"Are they part of your family, Councilman?" Zoser offered in Hebrew, hoping to start the long road to remedying whatever relations between Egypt and Judea he had managed to produce in his short time here so far.
There was a relatively decent distance between them as they walked, and Zoser's eyes caught on the smudges of his fabrics flashing each time he took a stride. It might do well to change before returning to the University. In his experience, cleanliness was a highly important trait among the Judeans - something he found out in the hardest way possible in his first few hours after stepping foot there.
"Will the dirt offend back at the University? Should I change?" Zoser asked in Coptic, knowing he would be able to more fully express himself in his native tongue and that Amiti would have a better chance of understanding him than the other way around. "As you know, I am far less than familiar with what is acceptable and unacceptable among you and your people. If there is a way for me to remedy any of the offenses I have made since arriving - for I know there are many - I would certainly like to try. Even if it starts with simply changing out of sullied clothes into others."
He offered the last part with a touch of humor mixed with the genuine nature of his concern in his expression.
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It was almost just as surprising to receive the apology as it was to hear the Judean man seem to echo his own nervous laughter at the general awkwardness of the situation. Judea seemed a place where issues of error were simply covered over, much like a crack in a wall that did not receiving repairs but instead simply used paint to hide the worst of it. Compared to the openness of the Egyptian culture, this culture shock had been far more extreme than his time in Greece and returning to Egypt.
Still, as the women began to drift away from the newly-relieved merchant's stall, Zoser offered them a slight nod of his head as they departed. Amiti offered to assist him with finding food and Zoser's brows raised in interest and he offered a soft smile before dipping his head in thanks, echoing it with words, "I would be very much in your debt. Thank you."
Zoser allowed Amiti to lead them away, the sound and scent of the market offering a number of distractions along the way. Out of the corner of his eye every now and then, he glanced over to the stoic man, uncertain of his words for one of the few times in his life. This land was bizarre to him. Did they like small talk?
"Are they part of your family, Councilman?" Zoser offered in Hebrew, hoping to start the long road to remedying whatever relations between Egypt and Judea he had managed to produce in his short time here so far.
There was a relatively decent distance between them as they walked, and Zoser's eyes caught on the smudges of his fabrics flashing each time he took a stride. It might do well to change before returning to the University. In his experience, cleanliness was a highly important trait among the Judeans - something he found out in the hardest way possible in his first few hours after stepping foot there.
"Will the dirt offend back at the University? Should I change?" Zoser asked in Coptic, knowing he would be able to more fully express himself in his native tongue and that Amiti would have a better chance of understanding him than the other way around. "As you know, I am far less than familiar with what is acceptable and unacceptable among you and your people. If there is a way for me to remedy any of the offenses I have made since arriving - for I know there are many - I would certainly like to try. Even if it starts with simply changing out of sullied clothes into others."
He offered the last part with a touch of humor mixed with the genuine nature of his concern in his expression.
It was almost just as surprising to receive the apology as it was to hear the Judean man seem to echo his own nervous laughter at the general awkwardness of the situation. Judea seemed a place where issues of error were simply covered over, much like a crack in a wall that did not receiving repairs but instead simply used paint to hide the worst of it. Compared to the openness of the Egyptian culture, this culture shock had been far more extreme than his time in Greece and returning to Egypt.
Still, as the women began to drift away from the newly-relieved merchant's stall, Zoser offered them a slight nod of his head as they departed. Amiti offered to assist him with finding food and Zoser's brows raised in interest and he offered a soft smile before dipping his head in thanks, echoing it with words, "I would be very much in your debt. Thank you."
Zoser allowed Amiti to lead them away, the sound and scent of the market offering a number of distractions along the way. Out of the corner of his eye every now and then, he glanced over to the stoic man, uncertain of his words for one of the few times in his life. This land was bizarre to him. Did they like small talk?
"Are they part of your family, Councilman?" Zoser offered in Hebrew, hoping to start the long road to remedying whatever relations between Egypt and Judea he had managed to produce in his short time here so far.
There was a relatively decent distance between them as they walked, and Zoser's eyes caught on the smudges of his fabrics flashing each time he took a stride. It might do well to change before returning to the University. In his experience, cleanliness was a highly important trait among the Judeans - something he found out in the hardest way possible in his first few hours after stepping foot there.
"Will the dirt offend back at the University? Should I change?" Zoser asked in Coptic, knowing he would be able to more fully express himself in his native tongue and that Amiti would have a better chance of understanding him than the other way around. "As you know, I am far less than familiar with what is acceptable and unacceptable among you and your people. If there is a way for me to remedy any of the offenses I have made since arriving - for I know there are many - I would certainly like to try. Even if it starts with simply changing out of sullied clothes into others."
He offered the last part with a touch of humor mixed with the genuine nature of his concern in his expression.