Closed Late Night Strolls (Halin'a)

[Shan Mandara]

14 Summer 514 AV Shan hadn't spent any time above the water until she had arrived just last season to the city of Zeltiva. Now, almost all her time was spent above the waves, and not necessarily by choice. The Charoda resented the fact that those that lived on land set so many rules for outsiders wishing to stay in the city, especially for those staying an indefinite amount of time. She also hated the fact that she'd have to get used to it in the end since she was the one who had set up this journey in the first place. She couldn't just up and leave, could she? Her pride wouldn't allow that. 'Though the thought is sometimes rather tempting...' Shan had determined that this was all just a terrible case of home sickness and so decided to go the where she could be the closest to home without actually leaving the city: the bay. Before long the sun, that had at once hung at the highest point in the sky, began to set. By the time Shan left the bay and begun the trek to her cottage, all that was left of the light were dim shades of blue and purple. It wasn't even a few minutes before Shan began to realize some things: 1. A wet body makes for wet clothes 2. Wet clothes stick uncomfortably to one's body with no hope of drying 3. Streets and alleyways look completely different in the dark. It was the last point that would cause the most trouble for her as Shan began to go down wrong streets, walking further from the docks toward the city center and toward the light of a few buildings open late. The buildings, which turned out to be bars, were filled with the sounds of jolly drunk men and the occasional bar fight. Shan figured that it was probably best to not try and ask for directions. She simply just turned around, trying to retrace her steps back to the docks so she could once again try to find a route back home... 'Now where were those docks again?' She thought as she wandered through the dark narrow alleys, refusing to believe that she could be lost in the large port city.

[Halin'a]

Halin'a groaned softly, rubbing the back of his neck as he stretched while walking. He really needed to remember to quit falling asleep in his mortal seeming if he wasn't horizontal. Waking up and having to disentangle his horns from a bunch of rope was not his idea of a good time. Now he had a slight crick in his neck, although it was rapidly fading under Leth's light. As Halin'a strolled through Zeltiva, he nodded and smiled to those he knew, and ignored those who only knew him through Loveless; those ones tended to stare outright, even though he was no longer an unusual sight, since he'd been living in Zeltiva since the beginning of Winter last year. They stared because they only saw him as a whore, a warm body to be bought, and usually they never imagined that even prostitutes had a life outside of their work. Halin'a spotted someone ducking down and alleyway, and normally he wouldn't have bothered following-- lots of alleys were used as shortcuts and other, less innocuous, venues-- but this particular person was a race that Halin'a had never seen before, and he was curious. Not to mention the person had seemed to be wandering around with no real destination in mind-- perhaps they were lost? Halin'a followed them down the alley, stopped several feet away so as not to seem a threat. "Hello?" he called. "Can I help you?" When he got a good look at the person's features, he mused that one of these days, his damned developing hero complex was going to get him killed, if those teeth were anything to go by.

[Shan Mandara]

As a general rule, Shan tended to stay out of sight until absolutely necessary. She had learned during her time in the city that even though Shan had never seen a human before coming here, most humans have never seen anything like her either. This often made for uncomfortable stares and poking and yelling and screaming and anything else negative that would make Shan feel even more alienated than she already was. It was already dark and Shan was already cold and disoriented; she didn't need any human spectators poking fun at her and she wouldn't show any weakness... Despite the not-quite-small jump she made and the tiny yet high-pitched sound she let out. Shan used quick steps to back up against a wall before letting out a warning hiss, flashing her pointed teeth as she assessed the new character. Her teeth may no longer be useful for what they were designed for but they were one heck of an intimidation weapon, especially since the Charoda carried no real weapons with her. The person she faced was bigger than her, probably stronger than her, and- "Oh s**t!" Shan cursed in Char before quickly switching to a polite Common. "Sorry, but I think I'm lost... If you could just point me in the direction of the docks..." Shan's Common was unsure and accented but hopefully understandable. She didn't dare ask for more than a general direction since she had basically threatened this rather large human who, for some reason, had a large set of horns atop his head, horns that she couldn't take her eyes away from. The way that the things were curled around the man's head made her think that he probably couldn't use them as a weapon, but they hinted that there was something other about him. Just as Shan had her pointed teeth and unnatural quickness, this not-quite-human could have a few tricks up his sleeve. Besides, Shan probably wouldn't be able to tell the horned human where she lived anyway, with her mental map made up of landmarks that she could no longer recognize, and she wasn't sure she wanted him to know where she lived anyway. 'In fact, it probably wouldn't even help to know the direction of the docks.' Anyone could see that the Charoda had worked herself up quite a bit into her fight or flight instincts and the frightened girl would probably bolt at any minute.

[Halin'a]

Halin'a held his hands out in supplication, showing that he wasn't a threat. "Easy," he soothed. "I'm not gonna hurt you. My name is Halin'a. I am an Ethaefal." He slowly moved one hand to point in the direction of the docks. "The docks are that way, but I can take you to them if you want me to. Or I'll turn and wall away. I don't want to harm you." The Ethaefal kept his voice calm and steady, as if talking to a startled animal.

[Shan Mandara]

Shan narrowed her eyes at the man talking to her like she was a startled seahorse. Did she give off the vibes of an animal? 'And what in Laviku's name is an Ethaefal?' Whatever this creature was, it didn't seem to be all that threatening if he was going cooing at her rather than startling her from the shadows. The fact that Shan seemed to be overreacting kind of stung her, making her feel naive not only as a person in a new city, but mostly as a person on her own for the first time. 'It's not just me... It could have happened to anybody and it could have been that murderer who mauled someone just three days ago.' Now that she knew the way to the docks, or at least the right direction, Shan thought that maybe she'd be able to get on the right track. "I'd like you to leave, I think I can find my own way." The Charoda's speech was slightly snappy, still a little put off with her embarrassment before she deflated slightly, giving out a small sigh. "Or at least that's what I'd like to say. I think it'd be best for you to show me the way if you have the time. I think I'll get even more lost on my own and better be found by a questionably friendly stranger than something spookier lurking around for something exotic." Shan had no idea if the Ethaefal would understand what it was like to be stared at freely just because you were something different. 'But then again he walks around with horns on his head. Something like that's quite hard to miss.' Shan felt an uncomfortable awkwardness as she began to follow the man. Awkwardness, she decided, was better than terror, but she still felt the need to strike up conversation. "The name's Shan by the way and as you can tell-" '-Or maybe not...' "I'm a Charoda if that means anything to you." Shan was still cautious despite her attempt at conversation and her willingness to follow the Ethaefal, especially with the history her race has had with non-Charodae, but she would be lying if she didn't admit that she was curious about someone who was finally not human or Charoda.

[Halin'a]

Halin'a was slightly surprised at how easily the female agreed to follow him, but perhaps she was just desperate. As they walked, she introduced herself as a Charoda, and Halin'a felt himself perking up in interest. "I haven't met a Charoda, but I've heard of them," he said amicably. "I thought most Charodae lived underwater?" As they walked, Halin'a-- used to stares-- ignored the ones sent his way. He was certain they made quite the sight, a son of Leth and a Charoda walking side-by-side. Still, that was no excuse for rudeness, and he made certain to glare heavily at those who did not avert their gazes after a moment. Really, you would think that living in Zeltiva, the city with a widely-known and highly-respected university, would convince people to at least attempt to display better manners. Then again, the city was also a port city, and with port cities came sailors, many of whom didn't much care for politeness.

[Shan Mandara]

Shan was shocked to hear that there was knowledge of her people in Zeltiva, or anywhere in fact, and felt an admiration for the knowledge this city would undoubtedly provide her with. She didn't mind sharing about her race and would probably do so with a bit of pride. "We rarely leave the water, that's true, but we are not ignorant to the fact that there is more to the world than Charbosi... It's just that the things we face on land are not always... welcoming." The young girl's face scrunched up at the thought of the snake people or the bloodthirsty warriors of the jungle. "We sometimes trade with others but I'd never actually even met a human until last season." She wondered if that would show just how secluded the underwater race was since you couldn't walk half a mile in any semblance of civilization without seeing a human. "But an... Ethaefal..." Shan was pretty sure she butchered the term slightly beyond recognition. "That's something I've never heard of. What does that mean, exactly?" While the fact that being a Charoda was obvious on sight, Shan would have just thought the man a pretty human had it not been for the horns.

[Halin'a]

"An Ethaefal is a soul who fell from the realm of either Syna, goddess of the sun, or Leth, god of the moon," Halin'a explained. "I am a son of Leth; during the night, I look like this." He gestured to his body, especially to the horns and hair. "During the day, I lose the horns and my hair changes color, and I just look like a very tall human." "What is it like, living underwater?" Halin'a asked curiously. "I haven't spent much time in or on water, not since I fell and had to swim in from the Suvan Sea."

[Shan Mandara]

Shan's eyes widened like a child told for the first time that the sky is not always blue. Once again she is surprised by the magic the world contained. Not only was there a realm below the water, but also one among the stars. She winced and then shrugged when the Ethaefal mentioned that he lost his horns every morning, imagining horns breaking off his head and then slowly regrowing every night. "Sounds painful..." Shan perked up at the thought of her underwater city, or even just being underwater at all. "I know there is a lot the land has to offer, but it is so hard to leave the sea. The world is always changing and nothing stays the same." Shan didn't mention the fact that this was mostly due to the unique coral manipulation abilities of Charodae; that buildings could be erected in mere days if enough experienced Charodae really wanted to. "Everything glides, more like a world of dance than of swimming, and it's filled with every color worth seeing." Shan may have been a bit biased, but she sometimes, almost literally, felt like a fish out of water. "But, of course, there's danger as well. A lot can happen at a depth where the light doesn't touch. Charbosi, however, is a little safe haven. I guess most sea creatures are intimidated with us. They know to stay away." That was a lie hidden only in a bit of truth. Most Charodae would never hurt another living being and, in all honesty, Shan believes that her people have somehow forgotten how to be the fierce warriors we were before the Valterrian. Despite having been fairly truthful so far, Shan knew better than to try and give away all the vulnerabilities of her people, especially the fact that they depended (way too much) on the Iyvess for protection. Shan, in turn, asked him about his previous life. "What was it like to live with the stars? Do you know why you fell?" The girl's tone was more solemn, hushed in a way. While she had left her world voluntarily, she couldn't imagine that falling from the sky would be a willing choice.

[Halin'a]

"It's not, really," Halin'a reassured Shan. "More like a Kelvic's transformation-- instanteous, and painless." The Ethaefal smiled softly at the enthusiasm the Charoda showed when talking about her home, and he listened intently. "It sounds lovely," he said fervently. "If I had gills, I would like to visit Charbosi." When she asked about his former life, Halin'a's smile turned sorrowful. "It was amazing," he said softly. "There were few worries, and much company. I really... It was indescribable." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I got careless; that is why I fell. I knew the stories, of the rips and holes in both Syna and Leth's domains, but I thought that surely, such a thing could not befall me, to slip from my god's realm. Clearly, I was mistaken."