[Nature's Nurture] New Day, Same Old Shyke. (Veldrys)

[Delayni Vesse]

8th, Fall of 512 A.V. Midday If one were to take inventory of Delay's disagreements with health, then they'd more than likely lose patience very quickly. The list is lengthy, and includes everything from broken bones to materializing-out-of-thin-air bruises and across the board again. The instances in which these wounds were recieved are equally vast. There was the usual lost bar brawl, bad-tempered slave trader, overzealous auction attendee...then there were the more interesting ones. This time, for example, was certainly one for the books. The feline had been minding her own doing nothing in particular when, out of no where, she was attacked by a hunter. A chase, fight and awkward conversation later Dela found herself needing the attention of a doctor...again. Delay walked into the large building and immediately felt out of place. Her pelt was far from clean, thus contrasting with the white walls. Perhaps shifting elsewhere'd be best... Nodding, the spotted feline walked up to the front desk. She looked up, noting that the assistant had to peer over the table's edge to see her. "Sorry." Delay heaved herself up, placing both paws onto the table's top. The young assistant--probably no more than a student herself-- smiled, chirping at Dela as she spoke. Very delibrately, the cat leaned over and licked a sizeable cut on her right leg. Delayni always found it amazing how two people of completely different species could understand each other without using any words. This time was no exception. After the assistant directed her to a small room to the left of the desk, Delay showed her appreciation; she rubbed gently against the leg of the woman, letting out a purr before she smiled and left. Now alone, Delay jumped onto the bed. Originally, she had planned to shift here, but a small flower caught her attention before she could put effort into shifting. Delayni purred softly as she turned her body completely towards the window, forgetting all about the room entryway that would, surely, soon hold another visitor.

[Veldrys]

Since Veldrys had come to the surface, he’d had to treat a wide variety of races. Symenestra no longer made up the majority of his patients. There had been humans, Isur, a Dhani or two, even a Charoda. Since he had started working at Nature’s Nurture Jamoura had been added to the mix as well. As Delay entered the building, he was just bandaging the arm of a furry little girl that had hurt herself while playing. The child stared at him with wide brown eyes while he treated her. She had never seen a man like him before, with snow white skin, silver hair and eyes like two jewels. She couldn’t resist the urge to poke him to see if he was real.

It was just then that a nurse entered the room. The little Jamoura girl abruptly let go of Veldrys, looking slightly embarrassed, and both Symenestra and Jamoura turned to face the door. “Doctor”, the nurse said. “When you are done, there’s another patient waiting for you next door. I hope you have some experience with animals. She seems to be a Kelvic, and she’s still in her animal form.” The Symenestra arched an eyebrow as he heard this, but then he nodded. “I’ll be with her in a minute.” He turned back to the little girl. “We are done. Your arm is as good as new. Be more careful next time though.”

Once the child had left, he made his way to the room where Delay was waiting. As his gaze fell on her, lying on the bed, he abruptly froze, and his eyes widened. She was a cheetah! Lucette! Lucette, his mate, had come back to him! He’d thougth he’d lost her forever when she had disappeared into the forest! “Lucette”, he whispered and felt tears forming in the corners of his eyes, but then he noticed that her features were slightly different.

She was not Lucette. “I’m sorry”, he murmurred, unable to hide his disappointment completely. “I took you for somebody else. I’m Veldrys, and I will be taking care of your wound. Can you shift? It would make treating you easier. Please nod if you can. If you feel too weak, shake your head, and I’ll see what I can do. The cut will have to be cleaned, and you’ll need a few stitches as well.”

[Delayni Vesse]

At first, Delay took no notice of the other standing in the room; she was far too preoccupied. The foilage outside had an odd shape to it, making it captivating to the feline. Her tail flicked in interest. However, as the doctor spoke, Delay jumped. She had forgotten where she was momentarily, and, thus, braced for the worst. After all, last time she had been at ease in her true form, she had been attacked. After a brief realization, she calmed. Her tail dropped, and her shoulders hunched. "Sorry." She patiently listened to him speak. His voice was soft and easy on the ears, only breaking form to reveal a sort of accent. She hadn't come across such an accent before. This one was smooth and hypnotizing, almost as though the man was speaking through a trance. Upon further inspection, Delay realized she had yet to encounter a race such as his. He was lanky, with appendages much longer than anyone she'd ever seen before. And, even beneath his layer of robes, he seemed deathly thin. Even more deathly was his pale complexion, which was only rivalled by his light hair. His skin looked like the Eyktolian sands when hit by the morning sun: soft and white, sometimes even blindingly so, and even though it burnt your eyes to look at, you could never pull your eyes away. Delay tilted her head in a half nod, baffled and in awe. He was no child of the forest, nor of the burning sands. Even if he was, then a very clear joke was put forth at his expense. Even after Dela had shifted, her face wore the same look. She gathered herself, though, just in time to recover. "No, no." She smiled lightly. "I'm sorry to disappoint." Which she was, truly. She figured that whoever he had taken her to be clearly was important to him, and Delay knew the hurt that came with such a loss. She pulled the bedsheet up around her body, tying it off above her breasts. "Delay." She nodded, her voice also picking up with the subtle, harmonic Vani accent. As he spoke of her treatment, Delay found herself lost in his appearance, and the mystery of it, again. Nodding as he finished, she raised her hand. "Would you," She glanced at him once more, making sure not to offend. "Would you mind?" She really only wanted to feel his skin, so anywhere would do. Hand, face, foot...whatever made him comfortable. She just felt compelled to investigate, to make sure he was solid rather than a ghost.

[Veldrys]

„No, don’t be sorry“, he replied. Unlike her he didn’t smile. Lucette’s loss was still too fresh. „You haven’t done anything wrong. You just aren’t her.“ While her cheetah form greatly resembled Lucette‘s, she looked completely different as a human. Lucette had brown hair and nearly golden eyes, but this woman had red hair and brown eyes. He was glad that she had been able to shift. He wasn’t sure if he would really have been able to cope with a near identical copy of his lost love.

„Delay.“ He nodded as she introduced herself. He couldn’t help but notice that she spoke with an accent. She wasn’t any more a native of this place than he was, but he couldn’t figure out where he had heard such an accent before. „Would I mind what?“ he asked, confused as she raised her hand. For a moment he wasn’t sure what she wanted, and then it occured to him that she had asked for permission to touch him.

„Feel free.“ He extended a slender, long fingered hand that ended in black claws. Had she been a human – a real human – and asked to touch him he would have been at least slightly uncomfortable, but she was a Kelvic. Kelvic were simpler beings. They were curious and constantly felt the need to touch things. In some aspects they reminded him of children.

„I’m a Symenestra“, he explained in case she didn’t know. By now he had as good as overcome the shock of seeing her in her animal form and was calm again. „You can look at me some more later on, when I’m done treating the wound. I could even tell you about my people if you like that.“

He pulled his hand away again so that he could prepare everything he needed. He placed a bottle of alcohol on a small table next to the bed, a needle, some very fine thread and a container with a salve. „I’ll need to clean the wound first“, he explained as he poured some alcohol onto a piece of cloth. “This may sting a little. Could you tell me how you got hurt?“

[Delayni Vesse]

Her. Delayni dropped her gaze. Sometimes, she hated being right. She wondered if his "her" was the same as hers, or, rather, one of them. A stolen mother? Lost sister? Perhaps even a friend who outgrew his use? Whatever the relation that was whisked away, Delay was still empathetic with the doctor; it all hurt the same. Raising her eyes to his hand, the cheetah gently brushed her fingertips against his skin. At first glance, he looked like a walking statue. She was expecting a cold, smooth feel to his skin. Even after dismissing that thought, she thought he might even feel a bit more...buttery or fatty than others, like the top layer of his skin wasn't connected. After all, that is how he looked; his skin looked a bit see-through, as though it let the sun's rays through rather than catching it. He, however, felt like she'd expect anyone might. Delayni tilted her head. Looks can be deceiving, then, I guess. "That'd be nice." She nodded, still watching his hand as he pulled it away. My people? There's more? Delay knew it was naive and childish to think he was the only one of his kind, but she just couldn't picture it. Hundreds of thin, pale creatures with gemstone eyes, all speaking in the same flowing tone. The Kelvic shivered at the thought; she couldn't decide whether it was fascinating or just eerie. As he placed his supplies on the table, an especially daunting object caught her eye: a needle. Delay narrowed her eyes. She and sharp objects had never really seen eye-to-eye. A soft, slight chuckle broke through her clenched teeth as Veldrys mentioned a minor sting. Pain was something that, as a slave, one learns to accept. At one point or another, one even hopes for it; pain was a simple part of an equation, one slaves couldn't live without. Add one more whip's lash, add another smile to one's agenda. Multiply the speed of your service linearly, subtract a hunger pang. Who said Kelvics couldn't do math... "I was sitting in the forest and got attacked by a hunter. He threw something at me." Delay tilted her head as she returned her attention to the wound. She tried to remember what exactly had hit her, but couldn't be sure. After all, she had, like a true cheetah, fled almost immediately after feeling endangered. "I think it was an axe," She shrugged. "I guess it doesn't matter, though, does it?"

[Veldrys]

„Are you worried about the needle?“ Veldrys asked as he noticed the way she looked at it. His voice was exceptionally gentle. “I promise that it won’t hurt a lot. I’ll be careful, and I’ll work fast.” With that he fell silent and cleaned the wound. As he had said, it was a little unpleasant as the alcohol came in contact with her wound, but it was more or less tolerable, and it wasn’t too long before he put the cloth away again and reached for needle and thread.

“If it makes it easier, you can look away”, he told her. “Think happy thoughts. Think about the hunt, about fresh meat or lying outside when the sun is shining.” Lucette had always liked that. She had nearly lost her mind on the ship that had taken them from Denval to Taldera because there hadn’t been any fresh food, only dried meat and some old vegetables that held little appeal for a predator such as her. But he shouldn’t be thinking of her now. He had a patient …

Having a needle go through her skin turned out to be a little more unpleasant, but it too was more or less tolerable. At least it wasn’t as bad as having an axe thrown at you. Veldrys looked slightly shocked as he heard this. “I’m surprised that you aren’t any worse off”, he remarked.

He couldn’t help but wonder why she had been attacked. Had the hunter thought her a threat? It seemed likely, but why hadn’t she revealed herself as a Kelvic? It might have helped.

He put the needle away again and proceeded to put some salve onto the wound. “Done”, he told her. “You should be careful for the next couple of days so that the wound heals properly. It might also hurt for a while.” He briefly turned around and put his things away.

“I can tell you about my people now”, he offered. “If you are still interested and if they don’t suddenly have another patient for me.”

[Delayni Vesse]

As the alcohol soaked into her skin, Delay flinched. It wasn't so much that it hurt, but more of that it just felt so foreign. It felt as though her skin was bubbling, sizzling like food over a fire. The discomfort was only momentary, though, as Veldrys pulled the clothe away and cold air rushed over the now-clean wound. "Eh, needles," She trailed off, tracking his every movement as he worked. "I don't like them too much." Then again, who does? You never see people in taverns strike up conversations about how much they love needles. "But I'm fine." Even though she put on a brave face, the feline still found herself following his advice."Even the sun cannot bleach the snow." She casted her eyes away as she repeated the robotic saying she'd heard so many times before. Whenever Nina, her previous master, got restless or scared, her mother would whisper the sentence in a sing-song voice to the child. The desert cat really didn't understand what 'snow' was, nor did she grasp the true meaning of the saying, but she had learned that it was synonymous with comfort. "He was a lousy shot." Delayni shrugged, though she was sure to make it a slight movement; she didn't want to break his concentration or worsen the injury. Her eyes did not look at him while either of them spoke, though. Instead, she had glued them to the wall beside her. That way, there would be no chance whatsoever of catching a glimpse of the needle. "Already?" He wasn't lying when he said 'quickly.' Delay glanced at her arm, twisting it to look at the thread that weaved her skin together.Wow.Nodding absentmindedly, Delay took loose mental notes. Be careful. Days to heal. Pain. Three simple directions, what could be so challenging with following them? Her attention was caught once more when he brought the conversation back to his people. She eagerly looked up at the physician, smiling mildly as she did so. Her arm fell gently to her lap as she nodded. "Thank you," She attempted to mimic the name he had said earlier, though she had trouble. 'S''s and their combonations were always a trouble for her; they seemed to harsh, and didn't assimilate well into the Vantha's song language. "Symenestra, right?" Eh, it would do for now.

[Veldrys]

As Delay informed him that the hunter had been a lousy shot, the Symenestra laughed. „I’m glad to hear that. I hope that he continues to be a lousy shot. And yes, already. Your wound wasn’t that big. I’ve seen far worse in the time I’ve been a doctor.“ He watched her as she inspected the stitches and remarked, „You’ll need to come back here in a few days to have them removed. That will be fairly painless though.“

„And there’s no need to thank me. I’m here to help.“ He smiled very lightly, pulled a chair close and sat down so that he would be more comfortable while he talked to her. It would likely take a while to tell her everything.

„Symenestra, yes“, he confirmed. „You’ve pronounced the word almost correctly. We have our own language as well. It’s called ‚Symenos‘. My people live far from here, in Kalea. Our city is called Kalinor, and it’s underground. We don’t live in trees like the Jamoura. We don’t have square houses made of stone that stound on the ground like the houses of the humans either. Our houses are round and hang from the ceiling. There are no streets in Kalinor. Our houses are connected by thick ropes of silk. We don’t have gardens either, only mushrooms, moss and lichen, things that don’t need light to grow.“

He looked away for a moment as he remembered his old home. He couldn’t have stayed – there were too many things wrong with the way Kalinor was run – but sometimes he missed it nevertheless. On the surface he would always be an outsider – there were so few people like him – but in Kalinor he had been one among hundreds. Only his attitude had set him apart from them.

„Can you imagine a place like that, Delay?“ he asked as he turned back to her.

[Delayni Vesse]

"I'll save the date." Her mouth twitched lightly. Though she did enjoy the company of most physicians, the feline would always take walking around over visiting a doctor. She snuck another peek at the light thread that held her skin together. It felt bizarre, like the foreign object would snake off of her at any moment. Perhaps that was just what she was wishing would happen, forcing her body to try and make it happen. Looking back at the man in front of her, Delay was struck with something of an odd question: would these stitches feel the same on his skin? Would the thin thread agitate the skin of other races the same way it agitated hers? Surely, with his thin skin, it felt much more apparent than with her own. Once, while in a Syliran market, Delay had seen a pale woman with scales; how would one sew those together? Not comfortably, that is for sure. Basic thoughts and questions such as these fascinated the simple-minded creature. In fact, after facing much racism and down-play towards kelvic intelligence, Delay was sure they were the only questions she could ever attain. So, as the Symenestra spoke once more, only straightforward questions presented themselves.She minded her manners, waiting until he seemed finished to barage him with her inquiries. "Symenos," She nodded, attempting to cover up her harsh consonent pronunciation. "What does it sound like? Does it sound more like Vani, or Common?" There was only a slight pause in between questions, which served more for her own purposes than his; she wasn't as quick as wording questions in the common tongue as in her native tongue. To cover up the stuttering silence in between, Delay threw in an answer to his question. "I can, but only barely. Are the homes large? How do they stay attatched to the ceiling? Surely they are heavy." Face twisted in curiosity, Delay tilted her head. It wasn't often she got to learn about a new people, and she really rather not waste the opportunity. However, so many questions were buzzing about inside her head that it made it hard to focus. What do they do in their free time? Do they have holidays? Where would they celebrate them? Do they all have the same looks? So many questions, so litle time... "You can see in the dark, then? Since there isn't much light?"

[Veldrys]

„I’m not sure if my language sounds like Vani“, Veldrys admitted. „I don’t speak Vani. Are you from there, Delay? From Avanthal?“ He paused for a moment so that she could answer his question before he continued, „Symenos isn’t anything like Common though. Common is a harsh language, at least to the ears of a Symenestra. Symenos is much softer. It’s a beautiful, entrancing language, almost like music – although I’ve been told that some people find it a little eerie.“

He said a few words in his native language to her. „That was Symenos“, he explained. „It was a prayer to our god, Viratas. Have you heard of him? He is the god of family, of community.“

As Delayni admitted that she could barely imagine a place like Kalinor, the Symenestra smiled a little. „I suppose it’s hard to imagine. When I was still living in Kalinor, I found it hard to imagine a place like the Spires where the sun always shines and where everything is green.“

„Our houses are about the same size as yours. I’m not sure how exactly they are attached to the ceiling though. I think they use really thick ropes. And yes, I can see in the dark. Can’t you? That other Kelvic I used to know, she had no problem at all at night.“