Open [The Knirin Gardens] Reflections

[Malla]

Summer, Day 64, 513 AV 7th Bell It was still rather early, but Malla had woken up soon as the sun had risen so she could start to look around again. The scroll with the map and advertisements she had gotten on her way in sat next to her as she knelt by the clear lake in the gardens. She had found a nice spot under a tree and a bit from the gazebos built on the lake. Of course there weren't too many up and relaxing at this time of day, but there were a few. Some children playing, a few other visitors gawking at the beauty of the gardens, and some grown Akalak practicing their weapons. The few Akalak nearest to her gave her a few not too conspicuous glances every now and then, but she ignored them. She could appreciate the beauty of the gardens like the other visitors to Riverfall, but at the same time she was rather detached. The scent of wisteria drifted to her and a small smile came to her lips; her mother's favorite flower was wisteria. Yes, she had been accepted as a Drykas, but she still held to her Konti upbringing and that was passed on somewhat to her daughter. The woman sighed and gingerly touched the wooden bird pendant on her necklace. She missed her parents and everyone else in her pavilion. But they were all long gone by now, only partly because she was much longer lived, age-wise, than Drykas. The humidity was starting to get to her when added to the heat from the early sun. It was a good thing she got here early, before the sun was high in the sky. She rather wished she could wear something more weather-appropriate, but she still felt she had to hide her scales and Windmarks. She sighed heavily then glanced around, noticing the two Akalak nearby were talking at this point and catches one of their looks, the tall man smiling charmingly to her, but she just turned back around and moved to have her feet over the water. She was in awkward position, but it would fit her means. She quickly slipped her boots off, rolled her pants up to her mid-calf then quickly stuck her legs that she revealed into he water. Yes, the water was very clear, but she was relying on people not approaching her if they saw her form the gazebos to her left and right or if they were just wandering the gardens. She rested her elbows on her legs, her chin in her hands and let her legs swish about in the water, slowly with the sun and water causing her scales to glisten.

[Duce Hazimari]

He enjoyed walking through the garden at this time of day. It was nice...Peacful and beautiful as the sun made every thing look so elegant as if he were dreaming. He loved to come here to get away from the world and its daily noises. Duse had just finished wrestling with some of the children. His jaw hurt from a mean punch that caught him off guard. He was leaving to go find something else to entertain himself with. Maybe even go treat himself to a pastry from the bakery. "She is looking this way..hehe Maybe she is lost. I would love to give her directions to my place." He over heard one of the guards say. He shook his head in disgust. He really didn't like the muscle bound idiots. Especially the one's that didn't think with the heads that was on their shoulders. He walked quietly around the two to see what "beautiful maiden" It would be this time. Most women the guards tried to talk to were the lost idiots that needed directions to Riverfall. He couldn't help but smile at the image in his mind. A women asking for directions to Riverfall after passing the gates and getting well into the city. He turned his head in the direction that the two guards were looking. He was surprised. This one was actually pretty. She was a Konti sitting over by the lake. Her silver hair covered her face as she held a flower in her hand and played with a pendant around her neck. He couldn't help but stare. Her scales glittering catching him in a trance. "I'm going to do it." The comment of one of the guards bringing him back to reality. "No..not this one." Duse quietly said picking some of the flowers that resembled the one in her hand. After picking what he felt was enough, he made his way past the guards who were bickering over who would make an attempt first and over to the lake where she was sitting. He was nervous. "Shake it off and fix your face. You've fougt men three times your size with way more experience than you. Pull it together." He reassured himself...Then again those men didn't say no to trying to punch his face in. "Hey. I see you like those flowers..so I picked these for you. My name is Duse pleased to meet you.". He gently placed the flowers down by her side making sure not to get to close to freak her out, and glanced back over to the guards who had the same awestruck expression as the kids that he just had finished "Showing who wasn't afraid of anyting." to.

[Malla]

Malla was simply looking into the lake by this point, wondering how she could look so young, so delicate, with everything she had done. As it was, even her upbringing wasn't something that made for delicate people. So why must she look like she was someone who wouldn't last a single chime in a fight? It really was honestly frustrating to her to have to work with that. Yes, looking like she needed to be protected was useful in it's own way, but not at the same time. The only thing she had going for her was that, those who immediately knew she was Konti, probably knew that the blonde, scaled women knew how to at least use a suvai. At least most did. "Hey. I see you like those flowers..so I picked these for you. My name is Duse pleased to meet you." The unexpected voice, which she only halfways recognized as familiar, caused her to jump up quickly and stand up as tall as she could, looking like she might very well try to tackle the person who snuck up on her. She didn't do well with people coming out of no where. She pressed her lips together, before the face registered and she remembered it was the Akalak from the beach yesterday. Only then did she really hear his words and look down tot he flowers, then back to him with a raised brow. "Firstly, don't sneak up on me. Secondly, thank you for the flowers...I think. And, lastly, I thought your name was Duce? Or did you suddenly change your name? If yes, then maybe you should have gone with something much different than your actual name." The Konti crouched down a moment to take the flowers up then straightened, a curious look on her face. "Do you know what type of flowers these are?"

[Duce Hazimari]

"Firstly, don't sneak up on me. Secondly,thank you for the flowers...I think. And lastly, I thought your name was Duce? Or did you suddenly change your name? If yes, then maybe you should have gone with something much different than your actual name.". He really didn't know how to take that response. Most people just say thank you and then he is gone. He stood quietly for a moment trying to figure out why she would think that he was Duce until it registered that they shared the same body. "Oh..err you must be talking about my brother." He said dissapointed that he lied to the girl, but he and Duce decided that know one should know about them because of what they may think of them. "Do you know what type of flowers these are?". She asked finally picking up the small bouque that he picked. "No...not really, I just thought that by the way you were looking at that one, they really meant something to you.". She was tough he could tell. No one has ever intimidated him like this let alone succeeded in doing it...He liked it. "So what are they?...May I sit.". He asked guesturing to the ground next to her.

[Malla]

"Oh..err you must be talking about my brother." Malla raised a brow at the man's reply, looking him over for a moment and took a small step closer so she was more so in arm's reach. Nothing off him either. She studied him for a moment before finally nodding slowly. "Well, Duse, in that case, I'm Malla." She chewed her lip right after saying the name she'd given herself, since it was still strange to say and would probably take a while to actually get used to. She looked to the purple flowers, still attached to a bit of their tree branch it seemed, that she now held, smiling lightly. "No...not really, I just thought that by the way you were looking at that one, they really meant something to you. So what are they?...May I sit.". "Wisteria. They look a lot like a...group of grapes, no?," she asked, still looking to the flowers clustered together and hanging off the small branch. She looked up to the tree they were under a moment, but this tree only had green leaves and pink flowers in it. She realized that for him to have seen how she felt about the the flowers, he had to have been watching her...but at least he wasn't being as boisterous as the other Akalak she had spoken to. So far it seemed Duse was similar to Duce in that aspect. After a few moments, she sat back down, nodding, "If you want to, I don't see why not. The chances of me pushing you in the river are slim." She shrugged and rolled her pants up a bit more, to her knees, revealing more scales that entwined up her legs and glistened in pastel hues, but sticking her legs back in the water. She set the flowers next to her then tilted her head back and looked up to the Akalak, to see if he did plan to sit or not.

[Duce Hazimari]

"Well, Duse in that case, my name is Malla.". He liked her name. It was short and strait to the point unlike the other women whose name was as long as the trip from Riverfall to Syliras. He couldn't tell what it was about Malla, but he enjoyed the little conversation that they were having...even if she was giving him a cold shoulder. " Wisteria. They look like...a group of grapes, no." He leaned over to get a good look at the flowers. She was right they did look like a group of grapes. They reminded him of his father and the purple robes that he wore. He was nervous and didn't know why? He could see the guards snickering out the corner of his eye as he stood there at attention as if he were speaking to a guard. "Yea..they do." "If you want to, I don't see why not. The chances of me pushing you into the river are slim." He laughed at the thought at her pushing him into the river. "I wouldn't be surprised if you did. You look like you can handle yourself pretty well in a fight." He sat down next to her, but layed lower so he would not tower over her. He watched as she rolled up her pants leg revealing more scales and placed them in the water. "Beautiful.". He said not realizing what he had said. He looked back up at the tree sheilding them both from the blazing sun.

[Malla]

Malla smiled at his agreement then followed his glance to the other Akalaks, wondering at their snickering but so long as they stayed over there, she was fine. Actually, that was probably a good argument for keeping this Akalak over here. She looked back into the water, letting her legs move about slowly. She liked this lake and the beach, but she was still having to look around the rest of the city to find other places of worth. Already she could guess they would deal with water and open spaces. The woman looked up to Duse at his laughter, blinking a bit. "I wouldn't be surprised if you did. You look like you can handle yourself pretty well in a fight." Confusion and surprise would be the two emotions written on her face. That was new. She frowned then as she thought further and eyed him warily, trying to figure out what he was trying to do. She watched him sit and lower himself more, glad that he seemed to be trying to not be too tall...but, still, that didn't clear the wariness from her eyes. "Beautiful." His next comment caused her to lean a bit more forward, her arms resting on her legs again. When he looked up to the tree, she turned her gaze back to her reflection in the water, though made sure to keep him in the corner of her eye. He seemed innocent enough with his comments and actions, but that didn't mean she was going to not watch him. Malla also didn't have much intent to speak, if the man wished to, he would and she would reply. Her thoughts would start to drift again as she looked into the mirror-like water. There would be no exact path her thoughts followed, they would just meander from one thing to the other: Riverfall, her old home, whether she should stick to her tent, and various other things. After some time of silence, she would murmur, "So why did you come over here?," only half-realizing she had spoken aloud.

[Duce Hazimari]

"So why did you come over here?," Duse continued to keep his eyes closed pondering the question himself. Why did he come over here? He opened one eye and looked over to the guards who were paying them no attention now...So why did he stay? Let alone ask to sit. The only answer he could think of was the truth. "Well other than those two bufoons over there...I really don't know...I just thought that maybe you could use some company. He picked up a flower close by and twirled it his hand as he continued to look up at the tree. The leaves looked like a maze to him, constantly blocking his o messing up his line of sight once he got a good way into his game forcing him to start over. He looked down to Malla who was now bent foward with her arms over her legs. Was something wrong? He hoped that he didn't offend her in a way. "Are you Ok?" he asked leaning foward to see if the problem were else where. She looked fine...but then again he wasn't a doctor. His stomach quietly rumbled signalling that it was time to eat. He had forgot that he was on his way to the bakery...was she hungry? He certainly had enough for both of them to eat. He decided to wait for her first response to see if she was alright first, then he would see if she were hungry. Even if she wasn't he wanted to get her away from here. He didn't think the guards liked that he had come and conversated with her, and he was sure of it by the angry looks that he was getting from them. He looked away from her. He really didn't like staring at a person for too long..it just made him uneasy to watch a person for no serious reason, and made him feel that someone was watching him as well.

[Malla]

Malla couldn't help but laugh, only softly, though. "Think I need protecting, Duse?," she asked then grinned only, "But company isn't too bad a thing, at least as long as it's not someone who is only frustrating." She idly looks up to the gazebos on the lake, head tilted as she watches the few people wander about on them. She had started to chew her lip, thinking, when she heard the Akalak's question and looked to him with furrowed brows. "Yes...why shouldn't I be?," she asked, not quite understanding why he would ask. She really should learn more about Akalak's, maybe then she wouldn't be as confused by them and their actions. Or maybe she should better go to a human city instead...that could work. Humans she understood, other races not so much. Even Konti seemed a mystery to her, since most seemed so peaceful and calm. She frowned a bit at that thought and the one that followed; she didn't much fit any place. Her thoughts were shaken off when use looked away, causing yet more confusion in her. She mentally shrugged it off after a moment and looked back to the water, starting to chew on her lip again when her thoughts started moving deeper again. OOCSorry for short post, think writer's block has attacked momentarily.

[Duce Hazimari]

"Think I need protecting, Duse?," Once again he was not ready for that response. "N..N..no I don't I was only trying to be a geltemen." He really had not ever met a woman like her. She was ruthless and spoke with such force. He was surprised at how blank she had his mind at the moment, that he almost missed her speaking. "But company isn't too bad a thing, at least as long as it's not someone who is only frustrating." "Oh...I didn't know that I was bothering you. I could leave if you'd like. Was he really that fustrating? Hmph maybe she liked talking. He on the other hand was the quiet type. Really didn't like to be seen nor heard. He looked over to the kids who were now playing a new game,and then to the guards who were now paying them no attention. She was safe. Perfectly fine on her own. So he wouldn't be surprised if whe requested him to leave. He stretched his long body relaxing his stiff joints still making sure not to appear too tall, and angled his legs to where he could easily pop up if she asked him to leave. "Yes...why shouldn't I be?," It took him awhile to figure out that she was responding to when he asked if she was ok, and looked back down at her. "You kept covering your legs so I just was making sure you weren't hurt is all. Just caring making sure you were ok." He hoped he wasn't making her uncomfortable. He had that affect on a lot of people. They just didn't feel right around him and would move or demmand that he leave. He went back to finding mazes in the trees again. His stomach quietly gurgled demanding to be fed for a second time. He wanted to ask her if she wanted a bite to eat, but paused seeing that it would be rude if she requested that he did leave.