[Theo's Farm] Weightless [Seodai]

[Vanos Strongarm]

Would Vanos eventually settle here and have himself some Isur version of Denvali children? He furrowed his brow in thought at this possibility as he looked down to the table and away from Seodai. Vanos had plenty of years to seriously think about settling down and starting a family, he wouldn't have to do it right away. But the young human that was across the table from him had a much shorter time frame to start populating the world once more. "Isur don't travel far, it is true. But certain of us have left Sultros to seek out the vorld and see vhat is out there. I come to vork on road from Denval to rest of the vorld, but know that it vill not be complete in my lifetime. A lot has to be done. More Isur, if it is to be strong road." Vanos looked back over to Seodai with a smile. "Both Isur and Denvali have low numbers of people. Population growth important, but so is personal growth. Do you grow here, on farm, vith uncle? Vhat did parents vant you to do, that vas not on farm?"

[Seodai]

"I've lived here with Uncle Theo since I was just a kid," Seo replied simply, with just a touch of evasiveness to his tone. He shrugged one slim shoulder lightly. "I'm not sure what they wanted me to do." Except stay out of trouble. Stay safe. Stop bleeding. "But it doesn't matter, really, because I was never good at anything until I came here. I love the farm. Bala, Theo... these things are just life, now. Denval. I can't imagine anything else, any other way of living." Seodai quietened for a moment, pensive, and then he piped in with one more comment before stilling his tongue and leaving the floor to his guest, as was more polite anyway. "Do you like Denval? Are you happy here?"

[Vanos Strongarm]

The Isur wondered what the moment of pause was for as the human ceased speaking. The facial expressions of humans were difficult to read, not only because Vanos had no way of interpreting the subtle signs of facial movement but was unable to understand how such a malleable face could express so much with so little movement. He heard Denvali speak of how someone "looked" angry or someone "looked" sad but the person was far from appearing that way. Perhaps it was just another human culture thing that Vanos had to shrug off. He had gotten this far in the world without learning such subtle cues, he would be fine if he continued down this ignorant road. "Denval good. Good people here. Good vork - a lot of vork to do, and this I am happy vith. Though Denval is far from everyone else, like Sultros. Just less fires and people are taller. Vill be good vhen Denval is back with rest of vorld. To trade. To see." He grinned as he looked down to his table for a moment before looking back up to Seodai. "Vould love to see vorld. Travel. See sands and lands of nothing more than giant trees, or the huge vaters of the sea. These, Isur only see in books and hear about from elder Isur. Ve do not see those from Sultros. Snow. Rocks. Mountain. Fire. That is vhat Isur see and vhat most Isur see all their lives."

[Seodai]

Seodai's mind was filled with the images, the pictures Vanos painted with his words. He had thought about the larger world, of course, the things he would never see on the shores of Denval. Perhaps he'd even wondered. What would it be like, elsewhere? He really couldn't imagine a city much different than Denval; a place where the men weren't introduced to weaponry from the moment they were weaned, a place where a common identity urged them all to strive towards their best, if only to protect Denval. They were a military society through and through, it was how they had survived. Some of the civilizations he had heard about sounded entirely uncouth, wild. Some sounded interesting. None appealed enough to draw him away from Denval. After all, who would help Uncle Theo with the farm? And, if the farm suffered, who would feed the people? In that vein, Seodai wasn't sure how he felt about the road. Some touted it as the solution to all of their woes, but he wasn't convinced. While the outsiders who did make it to Denval generally fit in without much discord, they were still outsiders until they earned their place. If the city was suddenly flung wide open to traders and visitors from other places, how would that mesh with the fabric of their city? Seodai was skeptical, but not unkind, and so he entertained the Isur with a slight smile. "It all sounds so nice." Seodai didn't point out that Sultros sounded as nice as any other place, if only because it carried the connotation of different just as well as any other. "Well, in any case, welcome to Denval, Vanos. More food?"

[Vanos Strongarm]

Vanos held up his hand to not have any more food; while his stomach was still hungry he thought it would be rude if he were to eat far more than a regular human guest in Seodai's house. He smiled over to Seodai as he sat back more comfortably in the thin chair that seemed to, for the moment, contain his body with nothing more than a groan and creak when Vanos shifted his body around. "Thank you, and no thank you," Vanos said as he blinked at the own blunder that he recognized himself. "I am good. Food good, do not vant to eat all you have to offer. Denvali vill starve if I eat everything that is offered to me." The Isurian chuckled softly and gave his head a nod. “Perhaps one day you vill see the vorld. Not I am guide for tour, all I know is Sultros and that is place ve cannot visit,” Vanos groaned inside his mind at the thought of trying to get a human past the gates for a visit. It was not that Sultros was xenophobic, more so that they tended to make others not feel as welcome as Vanos felt when he was brought here to Denval. “Farm vill not need as much vork during winter, yes? Perhaps Theo can find someone to help, vhile you visit places and see what outside of Denval. Not scary place as everyone think. Just not go alone, ya?” Before Seodai could reach over and grab his plate and glass, Vanos picked them up himself and walked over to the kitchen. He was not sure where to place them so he gently placed them on the counter beside the sink as he looked up to Seodai as he looked over to the collection of food that was ready for the Isurian to take back to Denval. “Thank you again for ... Denvali hospitality. If you ever come to city, come to forge and I show you vhat I do. No sun on my back, but I have heat of sun in forge!”