A Feathery New Friend (Nowa)

[Iliana]

23 of Fall 511 AV It was a partially cloudy morning and Makutsi had blessed Illiana with plenty of puddles for her performance this day. Illiana was busily setting up her stage in front of the Temple of Ionu, humming softly under her breath as she did so. There was a lightness to her steps as Iliana worked spreading out the water from the nearby fountain. Her hands still dripping, Iliana ran her fingers through her blue hair and looked up brightly at the partially covered sky. It is a good day! thought Iliana, stretching her arms over her head. With a laugh of youthful mirth she went back to preparing her stage, checking on the puddles and adding her res to the water as she worked. When she was finally prepared she jumped up on the rim of the fountain close to the top hat she used to collect any mizas the crowd my grant her for her performance. With a smile Iliana extended her arms and waited while a crowd began to form, all of them wondering what this blue haired girl was about to do. When enough had gathered, Iliana let out a bright cheer and fell backwards into the fountain. Then, with water drenching her form she leapt from the fountain and spun into the center of a ring of puddles, the water in them seeming to shimmer for a moment as she landed. With a graceful bow Iliana allowed her hair to fall over her face. Then, in one quick movement she swung her frame around into a spin, sending droplets of water cascading from her hair and clothing and causing ripples to form in the puddles. Thus Iliana began her dance, twisting and turning her body in well practiced sequences, flowing from one form to another. From time to time she would step into a puddle, sending water arching up into the air far higher than should be possible. Her smile bright and glowing, Iliana danced for the crowd. She danced for herself, but more than anything, Iliana danced for Makutsi. Her might light with her arm, Iliana sent out a prayer to the goddess of rain and oasis, asking that goddess' eyes would turn toward the performer as she danced to her glory.

[Nowa]

Nowa found the day somewhat colder in the air, but a bunch of nice breezes from it. Nowa may have flew around the entire city twice now, it was so hard to stop with such great conditions. All the same, he couldn't fly forever. He looked to the city, in search of somewhere to land. He noticed a crowd of people gathered near a fountain, and decided to fly in and take a look. That many people had to be looking at something interesting, and maybe it was food. Good chefs would sometimes make their way out in public to show off their work or cooking skills. Nowa swooped in, and landed on a nearby building. They seamed to be gathered around a girl today, dancing at a fountain. Nowa watched for a bit, and found himself watching the dance, why was she dancing? A person put a coin in the hat near her. Why did he do that? Was that hat there just for coins? Was that why she was dancing? Nowa didn't want to interrupt, but he wanted to ask. He scanned their auras, not sure what he'd even find. Most of them seamed content to watch, a few even impressed? Was dancing an art? They looked at it that way... and that would explain the coins. A museum has an entrance fee, and people pay restaurants for food. But, why don't they pay before watching the dance? What if they walked away? Nowa looked to the dancer, she seamed to be happy dancing. And... something else. She was setting things in the ponds, and doing things with the water! It was, very strange. It seamed familiar to what Miro did, except his came from no-where, did she make the puddles, too? He shuddered a bit, could she make a cage of water? How very strange, and curious. Now Nowa wanted to ask even more questions! ...though, crowds of people tend not to like Nowa's talking. He decided to wait, she had to finish her dance eventually. Maybe they'd leave, and then he could follow her somewhere she'd be alone? It would be like hunting, but for questions.

[Iliana]

With a final twirl, Iliana spun to a stop, her hands over her head and her chest rising and falling with each breath. Her smile was bright and full of good cheer, and her heart soard with the clouds as she heard a few meger rounds of applause here and there. I really have to think of a better ending than that, thought Iliana as she lowered her arms and skipped to the fountain, It needs something flashier at the end. Something that will really finish off the performance with a bit of flair. Pulling at her wet clothes she though, I really must find a way to justify getting so wet for every performance, but everything I have tried does not seem to work out... With a sigh Iliana picked up the top hat to see a few sparse coins at the bottom. Perhaps just enough for a hot meal in the evening. Tossing her blue hair, still wet from her soak, over her shoulder Iliana set out toward the inn in hopes of finding a warm fire and a hot meal there.

[Nowa]

Nowa watched the dance, and even cawed as the crowed applauded the end. "Cra-woo!" He wasn't a huge fan of dancing, but 'manners are important all the same' said the bad man. All the same, it was done. The lady began to walk off with the hat, and now was his chance to follow. He flew from perch to perch, never putting himself below head level. He continued to watch her aura, for strange things shooting out twords Nowa. He followed this way until she passed an area that didn't have anyone in sight. Nowa didn't think about ear-shot, but he didn't see anyone, and that was what he was waiting for. He decided to speak up then, and hope she didn't run off. "Hey, dan-ser! I wan' 'o ask you 'ings." He wondered if she'd even see him, people sometimes looked around and never saw him. Maybe adding where would help? "Up here! Cra-woo!" He was certain his questions would only lead to more, but he wanted to ask all the same. It was a strange thing to him, he wanted to know more.

[Iliana]

Iliana stopped a moment when she heard the strange words call out to her. Glancing back over her shoulder she saw no one, so with a shrug she turned and began to continue on, but then another call made her turn once more. "Up here! Cra-woo!" Spinning around, Iliana cast her gaze upward, her blue hair settling around her face. "Who is calling where?" She called out in return. Tilting her head she spun on one foot in a complete circle, her hair fanning out as she came to a stop and held her hands out for balance (she at times made herself dizzy). After shaking her head to clear it the girl looked around once more. Finally her eyes spotted the Raven perched just out of reach. "Are you calling for me my feathered friend?" Iliana smiled brightly, looking up at the raven with her soft blue eyes, "For if you are you have called well, and here I am!" Laughing she skipped closer to the bird, looking up at him intently.

[Nowa]

He watched her spin about and search, not quite sure if she'd find him even with that. She then looked right at him, and even spoke. He flapped his wings about to draw more attention as he spoke again. " 'ood! You 'ound ne!" He wasn't bothering her to train her in finding things, though. He had questions, too. Returning to a pre-flight sitting, he asked away. "How did you nove wa'er in your dance? I saw you 'ix yourself in!" He had to be ready for strange reactions, she could always try and 'ix herself with him like Miro did.

[Iliana]

Iliana blinked in surprised. The raven actually did talk! For a moment Iliana wondered at this, looking up at the raven curiously. Then she pondered his question. He noticed my reimancy? Iliana knew this to be no ordinary bird if it noticed what she had done with the water, and she had thought she had taken such care as to make it unnoticeable. So, with a laugh and the smile of one who had just been caught she answered, "Oh you saw that did you? My you must be a very smart bird to have seen through my tricks, or maybe I am not so well at them as I thought." Giggling softly Iliana ran her fingers through her blue hair, releasing her morphing as well. The roots of her hair began to change, shifting from a light blue to her usual blonde color. The change began at the roots and slowly picked up speed as it spread down in streams to the tips of every hair until Iliana was her usual blond self. Looking up at the raven she winked, "I added a bit of my own res to the water so that when I stepped I could push the water up as far as I liked." The girl thought a moment, "Though I do feel that I could have done more than I did, but I just cannot think of what..." Iliana scrunched her features in thought, absently twirling a blond hair as she did so, "Maybe a bit of snow somewhere in the act perhaps?"

[Nowa]

Nowa continued to watch this strange person, and her aura (for tricks.) She seamed surprised he knew, but a lot of people found Nowa surprising. She answered, but very little. The answer didn't make any sense of what happened. A trick? A trick was simple, this was more... or was it simple to her? Her aura did something strange once more, and Nowa prepared for flight, only to see her hair change instead. Another trick for her? Was this something more? She had so many tricks, a tricky person. She was being honest, and distracted by herself. Maybe she'd answer more questions then. "Your Res? Wha' is Res? How do you do 'hat? You did your hair, 'oo! Very 'ricky 'erson!" Maybe she'd think it a compliment instead, but he wanted an answer. Her comment wasn't enough. He continued to watch her, ready for flight. His wings would get tired if he held them up for too long, maybe he shouldn't take too long.

[Iliana]

Iliana laughed at the flood of questions from the strange bird. Still smiling she stepped back a bit and held her hands close together. Scrunching her eyebrows together she focused on her djed, calling out a bit of res to form in her hand. She blinked in surprised as she felt the sudden draw on her energy. I must have been more tired than I thought... Shaking her head, Iliana smiled up at the Raven, "I do it just like that! I just think, and concentrate really hard and the Res comes out and forms what I envision." Scrunching her eyebrows once more she willed the res into a gaseous from. Then, bringing it close to her her lips Iliana blew a stream of air between her hands, and straight through the ball of vaporous Res. Willing the Res to move with her air flow, she willed it to collect more air as it blew past Nowa, creating a light breeze to ruffle his feathers. Laughing she spun in place and gave a half bow, "Ta'da!" Straigtening, Iliana pulled at her blond hair, "And I do much the same with my hair. If I concentrate I can change small things about myself, either my hair..." Closing her eyes Iliana summoned her will once more, focusing on her eyes. When she opened them they were still blue but now possed slitted pupils with flecks of gold in on the iris, "Or even my eyes can be altered however I imagine."

[Nowa]

OOCNowa would be less paranoid if someone didn't try catching him earlier with the same magic. Nowa continued to watch closely, focusing more on the auras then his physical sight. He watched the Res spread out, and then start flying twords him. He flew off, not letting it reach him, and circled around a bit before finding new perch. "Ta'da!" Nowa wasn't sure how to treat it. Her aura didn't seam threatening, but maybe she didn't think a cage was a threat? All the same, he wanted to know more. He watched as her aura shifted again, and her eyes changed. He knew her eyes changed before he saw them, but the change itself still surprised him. She had many tricks, he had to be careful. He was glad to know her aura, he could find her in a crowd if she was hiding. How would the other birds stay safe? Well, just crows around here. No need to save the crows. "Do no' cage Nowa! I an a free 'irdy!"