Closed White Bird, Red Bird

[Dust]

Spring 31, 513 AV early afternoon The day was bright and clear, the Riverfall architecture all but glowing and the waters glittering in the bright sunlight. It could almost be said to be warm, at least when one stood in the light; standing in the shade, it soon became apparent that cold was still the dominant principle, at least for a while longer. Dust very much appreciated the sun's warmth after a season and more of cold; fortunately, a great many of the pathways threading through the Knirin Gardens were open to the sky, and she didn't have to decide which was a greater priority. Basking in the sunlight would probably have won. Dust had picked up on rumors earlier that day, talk of some marvelous and strange plant found in the Gardens the day before, something entirely unfamiliar to the denizens of Riverfall. The raven Kelvic was quite interested to see the plant that had caught the curiosity of much of the city -- it must be a nifty thing indeed! That she didn't know where in the Gardens it was didn't faze her -- Dust figured she'd keep looking until she found it. She didn't have to be back to Sanctuary until evening, anyway. As she roamed through the Gardens, Dust noticed that a lot of people tended to be going a particular direction -- indeed, as she watched, she thought they might be converging towards a particular spot. Whatever had that much interest was surely worth checking out -- it might even be the odd plant she'd come here to see. She inserted herself into the trickle of people walking that way... which soon grew into a stream, as more converged from different paths... and then a crowd, standing around and waiting their turn, as the numbers of sightseers exceeded what the path had width to readily carry. Not even the impatient ones dared stray off the path in this particular area, and Dust wasn't going to be the first one to do so. Dust loitered in the knot of people, occasionally leaning up on her toes in vain attempt to estimate how long she'd have to wait. Most of the humans were just too much taller than her -- never mind the Akalaks. The pale-haired woman huffed to herself, and after a few moments began seriously wondering if some strange plant was really worth all this fuss.

[Uopa]

Uopa's jaunt to the Knirin Gardens started as a group effort. The party initially consisted of herself, her lover, Kanto, and her nephew, Javird. However, by mid-morning, the Inarta found herself standing all alone by the lake from which the gardens took its name...or was it the other way around? Which had come first? The lake or the gardens? Regardless, she was on her own, having sent the two cranky boys home. "My feet hurt," complained Javrid, after only two bells, which was interesting coming from a little boy who could normally be found racing around and around and around, for bells at a time, until he was told to settle down. Suddenly, he had tired feet. More than likely, he was bored. "I'm hungry," complained Kanto, even though they had enjoyed a sumptuous morning meal just three bells earlier. "Me too!" Javrid had instantly joined in, and at that point Uopa sent them on their way. "Please, just...take him home," she had nearly begged, "and stay there with him. I think I'll remain behind and investigate that rumor Nimi told us." So here she was, all alone, standing by the crystal clear lake, wondering where she should begin looking for this mysterious new plant a gardener had recently discovered. However, by simply standing and watching the walkers pass by, she began to have a good idea where she should be headed. Climbing a particularly pretty terraced trail, Uopa soon found herself aimlessly wandering around, more so than aiming for a certain destination. She was still following the flow of patrons, sort of, but along the way she was enjoying the beauty of the seasonal blooms. She really loved this time of the year and, in particular, coming to the gardens to see the new growth. The glassblower often used the shapes she found in nature as inspiration for her works of art. It was a shame she couldn't share it with Kanto. Oh well. His loss. As she continued to meander, she began to feel less and less on her own. Soon enough she was, for lack of a better word, surrounded! She was suddenly being funneled forward toward this rare and wonderful specimen. Like it or not, she was now in this for the long haul. I have to be getting close, she reasoned, after about a bell in line, just as a rather large Akalak bumped into her, nearly sending her to the cobblestones below her sandaled feet. "Well, that was just rude," she remarked, in the common tongue, to a pretty, blonde-haired woman standing behind her. "Unique plant or not, there was no need for him to be so pushy. It's not like the plant is going to simply pick itself up and walk away. Is it?" "Did you hear that, honey?" an older woman remarked to her equally aged companion, having heard the Inarta's words. "The plant walks!" "For the love of the gods above," Uopa lamented as she rolled her eyes skyward and let slip a frustrated sigh. "This better be worth the wait."

[Dust]

People fidgeted. People fussed. They shifted their weight back and forth, craned their necks -- and in at least one case collided with one another in the process, momentarily focused on where they weren't rather than their immediate surroundings. Dust turned to look as the woman with vivid red hair grumbled at her -- then grinned brightly as she heard another voice up ahead treated the commentary as a True Statement of the plant's characteristics. This person wasn't taller than Dust -- quite the reverse, in fact. Someone who wasn't big and blue, and gave every evidence of sharing the raven's frustration at standing in line. Dust gladly took up the conversation she began. "Iiii don't know. Just standing here isn't fun at all," the Kelvic observed, a complaint more typical of a child or teen than the young woman she appeared to be. She leaned out over the landscaping to look down the line in front of them. "I'm not sure anyone's actually moving... anywhere..." Straightening back up, she shrugged to the woman. "This's boring. I can come back tomorrow or something. Unless it really does walk," Dust added, giving her another grin, "it'll still be here!" She concluded the sentiment with a shrug. But, that said, she didn't immediately turn around and start moving against the flow. Instead, she studied her new acquaintance's red, red hair, her expression thoughtful. People were by definition way more interesting than plants. "...Heeey, are you Inarta? You look kinda like Chalce."

[Uopa]

"Why, yes...yes I am," Uopa proudly replied as she focused on the woman speaking to her, disregarding both the rude Akalak and the foolish, elderly couple. "I'm not familiar with Chalce. You would think I would be, too, since Inarta's are so rare in this city." Looking away now, she surveyed the relentless line once more. Was this really going to be worth the wait? She could always come back another day, once interest in the specimen waned. At this rate, the entire day was going to be wasted waiting and, to be honest, the Inarta's time was far more valuable than that. "The name is Uopa, by the way," she offered with a small smile as she returned her attention to the female. "What do you say we give up on this little party and enjoy the rest of the park? We can always come back another day. It's not going anywhere anytime soon." "I wouldn't count on that," the elderly gentlemen warmly addressed the Inarta as if this were the first time he was seeing her. "We were just informed that the plant actually walks!" "Seriously?" Uopa lamented as she let slip a sigh and another round of eye rolling. "I...I was the one...it was a...I was making a...oh, for the love of the gods above...I'm out of here!" she groaned. Stepping out of the line, Uopa proceeded to climb over the hip-high, rock wall that was currently corralling the crowd. Enough was enough. She had better things to do with her time. "Are you coming?" she questioned the fair-haired woman as she extended a hand toward her. "I'm pretty sure if you remain, you'll be celebrating your next natal day here," she added with a bright smile. "It's now or never!"

[Dust]

"Oh. Well, I don't think she goes out much," Dust assured the Inarta woman. She paused as the woman considered the line before them and the people around them, then smiled brightly at her introduction. "I'm Dust!" the Kelvic supplied in return. "And yeah... I'm done with just standing here." Her grin brightened as the woman clambered up onto the rock wall, and Dust reached up to accept her hand without a hint of a second thought. "Natal day?" she echoed of the unfamiliar term, once her feet were firmly in place atop the wall. Like the rest of Riverfall's architecture, it was a sturdy and solid construction, not in the least perturbed by the two women now atop it. Heads turned to regard them with varying shades of surprise -- disdain, in the case of some; envy, from others who wished they'd thought to do the same; even a sort of relief from those who were now two places closer in line to their objective. "Let's go!" Dust affirmed wholeheartedly -- but letting the Inarta lead, as she was of a mind to keep her company. And as they went, it didn't take long at all for Dust to pick up her prior thread of conversation. "Do you keep birds like Chalce does? That's supposed to be an Inarta thing, right? Like the hair?" Belatedly, she realized a little more context might be in order, given that Uopa had professed no familiarity with the other Inarta. "Chalce -- her full name's Chalcedony -- she's in charge of the mews at Sanctuary. I help her with it!" Dust concluded proudly.

[Uopa]

"I don't keep any currently. It's sort of a challenge at the moment, considering where I live and who I live with, but, yes, as with most of my people, I am skilled in the handling of such beautiful creatures." She paused now and regarded the woman walking next to her. She seemed nice enough, although, there was something about the way she walked and the way she spoke that seemed just a little off. It was as if she was wearing a pair of boots that were completely broken in and utterly comfortable, yet worn on the entirely wrong foot. She also seemed to have a familiar look in her eye that reminded Uopa of the very topic of their conversation. "Although, I do remember a time, not that long ago," she began to inform the young woman as they crossed an expanse of freshly cut grass, "observing an Inarta who was not so very skilled. He nearly has his hand taken from him as the great bird he was trying to control sliced into his wrist and then into his fingers, severing at least two tendons along the way. It was horrific...and a shame...but mostly for the bird. It was only doing as it knew to do, nothing more. It was the handler's fault. He was a bit of a pompous ass, if you ask me." Uopa grew silent now as they continued to walk around the park. It was a truly beautiful day in an idyllic setting, but, for some reason, it just wasn't enough to keep her going. She was losing interest fast. She needed something exciting to do! Perhaps her companion had a thought or two on the matter. "So...what do you like to do for fun?" she inquired with a twinkle in her eye.

[Dust]

So, keeping birds was an Inarta thing -- the woman's reply cemented that quite nicely. Dust beamed at Uopa as she called them beautiful creatures. "So you kept them before?" she asked, skipping down the path and dodging around another poor soul on pilgrimage to wait in line to maybe see the plant that didn't walk. "What kind of birds?" The Kelvic looked after him for a moment after he passed them, then turned to Uopa as she started her story. Appropriately, she shivered a bit at the Inarta woman's description of the unfortunate man's injuries. "That's bad," Dust commented, looking briefly at her own hand and then shaking her head. "I still find the big ones a little scary, though I try not to let them know that. Most of them wouldn't be interested in me anyway, not unless I was injured and grounded, but it's still... weird... working around them and all." She grinned at Uopa. "But fun!" Which practically segued into the woman's next query, though they walked on for a bit first, the Kelvic slowing at irregular but frequent intervals to investigate whatever plants (especially flowers), interesting rocks, and brightly-colored insects which caught her eye. She didn't linger for long at any of them, not letting Uopa get too far ahead -- and hopefully not inspiring her to impatience, either. Dust had been watching a black-spotted orange beetle trundle over her hand when Uopa raised another question; the blonde woman looked up at her with a brief "Hmm?," then bounded forward to rejoin the Inarta. "For fun?" she echoed, tipping her head and seeming a little stymied by the question. "Well... I don't know..." Dust replied, after due consideration. The beetle wandered its way around the side of her hand, and she turned the limb over to watch it march over her palm. "...Everything?" The more operative question seemed to be, what didn't she have fun doing? "I like stories," she offered, trying to come up with something more specific to tell the woman. "And words. Words are fun!"

[Uopa]

"To answer your question from earlier, growing up, my family and I had a few wedge-tails, several reds and whites, and even a gorgeous golden," Uopa informed the young woman as they continued to walk. "My father is an Endal," she disclosed, with a bit of pride in her voice, before simplifying her words by adding, "He's an eagle rider...just in case you don't know what an Endal is. I shouldn't assume you do." Walking a little further, the Inarta returned to the topic of fun. "So, you like stories, huh? And words, too?" She paused for a moment, both in her steps and speech, before asking, "Do you know any good stories? I mean, any really good stories?" At this point, she excitedly gripped the girl's forearm. "Why just the other day I was telling my nephew a tall tale involving a female Akalak! Imagine that! What a tall tale indeed, regardless of recent events here in Riverfall." Letting the girl go, the Inarta continued along the path set out before them until she found herself slowing in her steps once more. She was hungry and her feet were growing tired from all this walking. "What do you say we take a break and get us a little something to eat? My treat!" she insisted as she craned her neck around to see if there were any vendors in the area. From her experience, there was usually one, if not two food stalls set up during the Spring season. "Then, as we eat, we can decide what to do with the rest of our day...that is...if you would like to spend a little more time together." She paused once more and regarded her newfound friend. Well, at least, she hoped she would be a friend. "You know. I really do need a few more female companions in my life. Between my nephew, my lover and his brother, and my sister's husband and his three sons...there are just a few too many males in my world. I have two sisters, but one is in Wind Reach and the other, well, I hardly ever see her...and she lives here. I mean...it's just...oh...listen to me going on and on. I wouldn't blame you if you dashed off this very chime. I'm blathering at this point, aren't I?"

[Dust]

OOCFinally, a reply for you! Sorry it took so long... Wedge-tails, reds, whites, golden... birds, obviously, but what kinds of birds weren't immediately clear to the audience. Dust tipped her head, blinking quizzically at Uopa as she spoke, a puzzlement only partially lightened by her mention of 'eagle rider'. Endal. She hadn't picked up that specific word before, and added it to her lexicon. "So are all of those kinds of eagles -- the golden and the red and such? I know golden eagles. They're big birds. Scary, too!" she declared, though in a rather too-cheerful timbre for any true assertion of fear. Before she could mention that Chalce's twin was an eagle rider too, the Inarta woman switched back to their other topic. She latched onto Dust's arm, to the blonde's great surprise, though Dust made no move to escape her hold. She blinked, then grew thoughtful at the question of stories. "Mm... I don't know, really. But I bet I know some! What do you think makes a story good?" She thought about it for a moment, as Uopa continued on and the Kelvic followed distractedly in her wake. "I could tell you..." Her voice trailed off as she wracked her brain for a story, any story. Any story... "... the one about the squirrel and the monkey, maybe?" Uopa talked and talked and talked, and Dust didn't mind at all. "I would like that!" she replied. "It's a long walk back to Sanctuary, and I'd have to walk. It'd be good to eat first. And I'd like to talk about stories. Or something," she added good-naturedly, entirely amenable to other subjects of discussion. The Kelvic wrinkled her nose a bit as another thought occurred to her. "Besides, Van'd be happier if I can tell him I wasn't out in the city alone, when I get back." Any one of those considerations would probably have been enough by itself; all of them together made a definite decision for Dust. It was her turn, then, to grab Uopa's hand, tugging her along the way down the path towards the food stalls. "So, what do you want to eat?" she prompted. The Kelvic recalled something else she wanted to ask about, too. "You said you don't keep birds anymore, so what do you do instead?" Speaking of other subjects.

[Uopa]

OOCI'll see your 21 days and raise you ten more! So there! OMG! Really? Did I really just make you wait almost a month for a reply? Kill me now. Uopa was actually having fun! Not just a good time. No. Not just a sunny day in the park filled with random chatter with a perfectly good stranger who didn't seem the least bit driven off by her rambling tongue. Nope. Fun, with a capital F! And it felt good. No. Actually. It felt great! "I no longer keep birds, because, well, as I mentioned earlier, my living situation won't permit it. I'm in the Baywatch Apartments, down by the water, and, well, there's barely enough room for myself, my partner, and our little one. So, instead, I keep myself occupied with my trade. I'm a glassworker at Artfire Glassworks," she proudly informed her new friend as they made their way towards the park's central plaza where food would most likely be available. "I work there with my aunt, who is obviously also an Inarta. You'll have to meet her. She's a lot of fun," Uopa continued to blather on as they skirted around the large burbling fountain in the center of the space, eyeing up their options for lunch as they went from one stall to the next. "So, how about you? What do you do with yourself most days?" she suddenly switched gears, redirecting the conversation to something other than herself. "Are you an employee of The Sanctuary? I know so little about the location. Please, enlighten me. As I said, I've wanted to visit, but just haven't found the right time to go. Actually, now that I think about it, are visitors even permitted inside? I honestly do not know," she openly admitted as she paused at a particularly tasty looking 'something-on-a-stick' stall. "Oh! How about two of these? Whatever they are? They smell delicious! Don't they?" Uopa suddenly exclaimed with a bit too much excitement in her voice. "Oh. Just listen to me. You'd think I hadn't eaten in days. I'm almost as bad as Kanto."