Open Changing Hands

[Tanell]

20th day of Summer, 515 AV
8th bell of the evening

The cards and the small accompanying book seemed to glare out at her from the table where they sat. The card box held her new deck, the acquisition of which had been both exciting and sorrowful. Replacing a deck so well loved as her previous one, familiar and imbued with her energy so that she knew the cards and they knew her as well. It was like losing a friend, but the edges had frayed, the images faded, and though they might have served her, they no longer reassured others that what the Konti said was based on her cards.

So with a heavy heart she had bid farewell to the old deck, setting them aflame with a prayer to Avalis and a nod to Syna. Hot ashes rose from the flames, floating off into the endless sky around the peaks that she called home.

Parting with them had been difficult, but finding a new deck, that was worse. None of the decks in Lhavit had been anything like the decks in Mura, the images, the names, all of them different, unfamiliar. She would have to learn an entirely new system, not just new cards. It was quite the deterrent for Tanell, which is how she found herself staring at the cards from across the room.

They had been pretty cards, when she finally found them, delicate purple on the backs, fading to white in the middles. They had been passed over for the most part, no touch of others lingered on their paper. The other side of the cards had been entrancing, locking her gaze as she looked upon them seeking every detail. Despite the lack of familiar imagery, she had connected with the cards, their beauty, the vivid depictions, she had known almost the instant she touched them that they must be hers.

Yet, still they sat untouched upon her table, awaiting her favor, and, although it was slow in coming, it did eventually arrive, the out of place deck a constant reminder that she needed to see them, to begin to know them.

A daunting task indeed, but one she needed face, sooner rather than later. If she did no work this season, she would be quite troubled in the season to come, and most who came to her wanted their future read, not their past, so she needed to turn to her cards and learn what knowledge they might depart.

Folding under the pressure she mounted upon herself, she tucked her self in at the table, shifting her chair until she could see out the window she sat beside. There, a view of the day to accompany her work, though perhaps she should have gone outside, where she might attract a customer with her work.

She wasn't really skilled enough to do a read on the fly with new cards anyway, so it didn't really matter, although she did have a few women who came by with more regularity, they would surely allow her the time she would need to read new cards.

They would know well enough by her open door that she was more than happy to read for them, hopefully word would spread, though she should probably make her home more distinct, for those that were referred to her. 'The house with the open door' wasn't really a great distinction, especially not when the season was so warm.

She forced her attention to return to the task at hand, her cards and her welfare required her attention. It was worthy even of a prayer to her the mother who had marked her with favor.

"I search for you, mother, in this ever shifting world. I seek your guidance as I approach a new task. The fortunes of others are unclear to me, for while your gift allows me to seek their past, often others seek to behold their future. It is your sight that guides me, your strength that forges a path. So I ask you to lend me your strength and your sight as I attempt to follow in your footsteps. May we always find what we seek, mother." The prayer was simple, and not dissimilar from the prayer she offered before doing a reading for another.

It was a good prayer, though, an offering to the one who had marked her, to her father's wife, to her mother. Though they were far now from the first Konti, they were all born through the union of Laviku and Avalis.

Her attention shifted back to the work she ignored, the deck and the book, calling her name, haunting her with their presence as they awaited her exploration. It was not easy, but as she reached for them her excitement grew. They really were lovely cards, and the book had been a kind gift from the shopkeeper when Tanell had mentioned the vast difference between the Konti tarot and the Lhavitian tarot. She reached for that first, a reading of the information, or at least a glance at the introduction to the cards was likely to help a great deal.

The book was in common, but Tanell felt sure that her grasp of the language, especially such as she used so frequently with her customers, would be easily deciphered.

[Kaik Leyr]

OOCDon't forget to add a time stamp Never mind, I thought I didn't see it.

Of all seasons summer was the one Kaik hated the most. The heat was as unpleasant as the pests that came with it. However, what made summer horrible were the memories of seasons past.

The feeling of blood dripping from his hands accompanied the heat. No matter how long it had been the sensation of taking a person’s life never left the Dollmaker. He gripped his right arm, black ink wrapping the entirety of the limb.

Kaik leaned on the wall of a nearby building and looked to his left side. There stood his most dear creation, Arya. Under normal circumstances the two would have stayed home, but of course a problem had arisen. During a trip to his home somehow Lina, another wooden creation, got out of her master’s belt pouch. Luckily only a short distance away from her, Kaik checked his pouch to find Lina not there. Now he searched among the crowds looking for his tiny doll.

With decent observation Kaik spotted a small figure on the ground who could only be his doll.

Lost, but without fear Lina walked the streets without being stepped on. While small Lina had been just large enough for passersby to notice and avoid while continued on thinking it better to ignore such things.

As the under developed mind of golem dictated, Lina walked into the open door of a nearby house perhaps in search of her master. It would be without doubt the stranger sitting at her table would have noticed the doll had she just looked up from her book.

The Dollmaker was quick to reach Lina, but not fast enough to have stopped her entering the house. Without thinking of the consequences of just entering a stranger’s home, Kaik rushed into the open entrance. With a stunned face Kaik looked at the stranger in front of him. Arya stood behind Kaik not capable enough to understand the situation that had begun for her master.

“Um...um...I’m so sorry, I- I just...barged in here...er this...is um.” Without thought he picked up Lina and placed her on his shoulder. “I didn’t mean to...well I came to find this one here,” he pointed to Lina. “I really am just...sorry I just entered your home like this.” His eyes darted to the side when he met her eyes.

The stranger was yet another being Kaik was not familiar with. If he had to guess she seemed related to the Charoda, who worked the port, given the gills and scales and yet beyond that she seemed resembled a human.

She looks quite beautiful, yet so...different. I feel like I should know what race she is, but I just can’t think of anything. Why’d you have to enter someone’s home of all places, Lina? I really hope she doesn’t start screaming.

Boxcode by Yra

[Tanell]

There was a little prewriting in the book, a sort of explanation of how the cards got their paintings, what the process meant to the author and artist. That wasn't the part Tanell wanted, she turned the page, settling more comfortably into her seat.

Here, this was better. Before you do anything else, get to know the deck, shuffle the cards -- or not, as you desire -- and close your eyes and choose a card. Stop reading after this paragraph, do not begin again until you know the card. Look at the image until you can see it, eyes open or closed, fall into the card and feel it, if you are adventurous, interact with it. After you are done, return to the book. Without lifting her eyes, Tanell reached across the table, continuing to scan the words on the page even as she followed directions. Her hand found the cards, and she knocked them across the table, spreading them into an arc across the open space.

She lifted a card, one that she just happened across, and lifted her eyes finally from the book. They did not fall upon the card, though. Instead on a small wooden doll that seemed to be walking in its own right, functioning as thought living. Animated.

So what was it doing here? The girl, or she assumed from the hair and dress, smiled softly, a emotionless face that really was more unsettling than pleasant.

Tanell set aside her book, tucking the card into it to hold her place, and leaned forward into her seat to better see the child before her. Before she could inquire aloud, her question was seemingly answered by a man who rushed headlong into her cottage, his momentum pulling the hood down from his face.

He was pale, and rather grim faced. Not much taller than herself, and after a moment he seemed to grow stunned, perhaps at his own sudden entrance. Nerves broke his words strangely as he scooped the doll child up, placing her on his shoulder in a manner speaking of muscle memory and habit more than intent.

"I really am just...sorry I just entered your home like this," he finished, his gaze darting away from her as she finally managed to catch it with her own. She had hoped that he would see she was not so upset as he seemed to assume she would be, but it seemed to have done no good.

"It's quite alright, sir. The door was open, after all, an invitation to many an unexpected guest. I will admit, though, most people usually knock." She softened the teasing words with a smile, standing up to properly greet the man.

"You look quite flustered, perhaps I can offer you a seat, and a chance to cool off some?" The offer extended, Tanell gestured to a seat, stacking the spill of cards back into a neat pile while she waited for him to decide.

If he was so inclined to stay, she would offer him a cup of tea, the fire in the hearth already warming the kettle full of water, just by proximity in case, as it happened, company arrived. With her work being what it was, she found it best to be prepared for guests so long as she was home.

[Kaik Leyr]

Unlike what he had expected to happen the stranger calmly eased Kaik’s distress and even offered him a seat.
Having not expected such hospitality the Dollmaker began to suspect the intentions of the stranger.

I don’t understand. Just because a doors open doesn’t mean you can just waltz into a person’s home.

Before thinking too deeply into his situation Kaik greeted the woman, “Right, I didn’t think to knock,” he smiled awkwardly, “I’m...Kaik, nice to meet you.” He gave her a slight bow.

Now that she was standing, the Animator noticed how short the stranger was even compared to himself.

With the situation under control Kaik had no real reason to stay in the house, yet curiosity compelled him to stay. He accepted the offer for a seat with thanks and sat down while Arya stood closely to his side. “Oh, tea? That would be...I’d be grateful for some, thank you.”

Given time to think Kaik thought of why exactly the lady was alright with barging into her home. With what little she had said he could figure out that she received guests regularly, so that had to mean the house was a store of some kind, although the appearance of the house did not say that. Along with appearances was the lack of any kind of goods which could only mean the establishment offered services. Conjecture would not give him the answers he needed, so naturally he would simply have to ask.

In order to step into what he wanted to know Kaik asked about the deck of cards on the table, “Were you um...expecting other guests? I just assumed that you were gonna play a game with those cards.”

Without thought he placed his hands unto the table with the tattoos of his right arm visible.

Questions of stranger herself began to trickle into Kaik’s mind. Trying not pry too much into the history of the lady he asked a single question, “I was wondering...I’m not familiar with who you are er...no wait that’s not how I should word it...I wanted to know what race you are.”

If I want to learn more about her, then I should offer something about myself. She probably knows I’m human so...well she doesn’t know about animation...I think.

“If you want I could answer questions about these little ones,” he gestured to the two dolls, “it’s a um...exchange of information. Would you be okay with that?”

Boxcode by Yra

[Tanell]

A darting bass cried suspicion to Tanell, perhaps a more normal response to her offer than she was willing to admit. Those who knew her, or had met her first outside of her home did not react poorly to her welcome, although in fairness he had done nothing to act on suspicion, the dark notes of the feelings taking a background position to the woodwinds of curiosity and perhaps surprise.

After a moment, he seemed to gather himself, prey to his curiosity perhaps? He bowed gently, offering his name and a proper greeting, and Tanell returned in kind, a curtsy, a gentle nod, and her name.

"My name is Tanell, it is a pleasure to meet you, Kaik." She spoke the language well enough, but with the lacking tone of a second language. If the man stuck around, or caught her on the right topic, he might notice that she began to slip. The basis of her common was her work, and the interactions it required. Too far beyond that, and she was likely to fall into a struggle.

She placed the kettle over the fire, bringing it with any luck, quickly to a temperature for tea. She waited by the hearth, examining the man and his odd companions while she waited. She noticed again, how pale the man was the skin beneath his eyes dark, serving only to add to his strangely frail seeming.

Two dolls accompanied him, one perched comfortably upon his shoulder, the other bald and marked with what Tanell might have called scars on a living creature. She was mildly perturbed by their presence, but they seemed harmless enough, sitting quietly beside their... beside Kaik. She did her best to ignore them, or at least to keep her discomfort private. It was just, something in the blankly smiling faces...

She moved about, gathering the small cups and the jars of tea, setting them upon the table. She had four cups, but she didn't assume the smaller of her guests were even capable of drinking tea. If she didn't set them spots at the table the dolls might be offended, worse yet Kaik might take offense. Deciding it was best to air on the side of caution, she brought the extra cups.

The cards, she realized at his question, still took up residence on the table top, and she pushed them further aside as she considered the best answer to his inquiry.

"It isn't so much that I was expecting company, not anyone in particular, but I do have a few people who tend to stop in to see me. Of course, people like yourself, are a welcome surprise when my home is the closest thing I have to a shop at the moment." She paused, the softest of whistles began at the kettle, and she decided she would leave it a moment or two longer before retrieving it. "The cards are not for a game, unless you don't believe in divination, but rather they are a tool to help one to read the future." She elucidated, hoping she had managed well enough to help him understand the situation.

The kettle had begun to cry in earnest, and so Tanell turned, gathering a cloth to protect her hand from the heat of the kettle, and pulled the iron from the heat. It wasn't until she turned, kettle in hand that she noticed the black markings on his arm, their nature was foreign to her, although, she considered they might be formed similarly to the patterns of scales that marked her own body, or perhaps it was the favor of a god she was unfamiliar with?

Before she could raise her voice to the necessary words, he asked another question of her, a fumbling, halting question, the music of his curiosity growing to dominate the others, all but for something she couldn't place, timid and flighty as the sound was.

"My people are called Konti," She informed him, smiling gently. "Have you not heard of us before? The women of the white isle?" She shruggged, it was no offense if he had not, it was just curious to her that in such a diverse city he hadn't had a similar conversation previously. Given a moment to speak while he considered her words, she put voice to her question of before.

"The markings on your arm are quite interesting, were you born with them?" She inquired, following thought down the logical path, for both of her similar marks were given to her by right of her birth.

"Would you be okay with that?" He finished the offer with a question. Tanell nodded, accepting without further comment as she placed the kettle on the stone table, leaving the cloth over the metal hand grip so that they might pour it soon.

"I have teas from the Mhakula Tea House in the jars there, the dawn, and sunrise blends. There should be some fresh mint outside as well, if that would suit you better?"

[Kaik Leyr]

When Tanell spoke there was an oddness to it that Kaik could not help but notice. It would be rude to address her tone of speech so Kaik left the topic alone.

Feeling somewhat nervous Kaik picked up Arya and placed her in his laps. The silent doll looked up from where she sat to look at Kaik. With the doll so nearby the Dollmaker began to calm down. He began to rub the doll’s head as if to thank her for the security she brought.

As he looked toward the fire and kettle memories began to flash by him. Reminded of Maeki and the studio his hands began to curl into fists.

Where are you Maeki? What happened to you? I wish I could meet you again.

There was a similarity in how Tanell carried herself compared to most Ethaefals. He nearly laughed thinking how many races were so similar to her own. It was an odd thing to laugh about, but he could not help but it was hilarious. Trying to hide his chuckling he looked out to the nearby window so Tanell could not see him.

Chimes past and on the table were jars of tea and cups, but it confused Kaik as to why there were four cups for two people. The moment of confusion faded quickly as he realized the cups were for his two dolls.

“I uh...appreciate your consideration, but just two cups will be fine. They can’t exactly drink or eat anything.” To prove his point he traced over the simple curve that was supposed to be Arya’s mouth.

This really does remind of the studio. If she tried to feed cake to them, then it would be a perfect replication of that day.

When talk of the cards began Kaik felt it was odd Tanell felt the need to push the cards away. He did not think it was necessary to do so, but disregarded the thought as he listened to her words.

Okay...so this is a shop. And she offers divinations? Hmm...Ellen really loved these kind of things. I’m already here, so maybe I should ask for a divination. Well I can’t really leave a shop without paying for something, she even offered tea after all.

“If that’s the case...after some tea, I’d like to have my future read. What’s the price for that?” He asked.

Finished with answering his question, Kaik’s curiosity was still not sated as he wondered what interesting information there could on the Konti. “I’ve heard the name Konti before, but I don’t really know much about your people. Do you mind telling more about your people?” His mind now more focused on the topic began to notice something in what she said. “You said ‘the women of the white isle’? Are there no men among your people?”

Perhaps too engrossed in the conversation Kaik failed to notice how visible his tattoos were. When Tanell brought up the subject instinctively he wanted to hide his arm, but resisted the urge having figured it would bring more suspicion if he did so.

A torrent of mixed emotions welled up in him as he struggled to speak. Pain, shame, sadness, but above all anger began to muddle his mind. He said under his breath, “Maybe I was born with these marks.”

That’s what Mellisa would say. We’ve always had these marks. We’re just killers and monsters.

Kaik shook his head and said aloud, “Um...no these...these are just tattoos. They’re decorative...art for the body. Usually they’re to make us...remember a particular memory.”

Trying to keep up his appearance Kaik tried to act like the marks meant nothing to him and move unto a new topic. “The sunrise blend would be nice. Thank you. So...did you want to ask any question about these two?”

Boxcode by Yra

[Tanell]

A peal of the clearest bell, a note of happiness, perhaps joy, directed towards her and then gone again in no more than a moment. The sound so pure it caught her off guard, and she faltered mid motion, just a slight hesitation, flowing smoothly once more after. She did turn to see him, seeking the cause of his merriment.

Kaik's face was hidden, turned out the window and away from her. It was not her business, regardless, so she did not inquire after the cause. Only moments passed before his gaze returned to the table.

"I uh...appreciate your consideration, but just two cups will be fine. They can’t exactly drink or eat anything.” Tanell found herself hovering once more, the graceful flow of movement that had driven her before halting, a delicate blush tinting her cheeks. His hand feathered across the wooden smile of the doll in his lap, the motion a happy distraction for Tanell, allowing her to hide her own face as surely as Kaik had hidden his own.

He had offered before, the questions of the dolls, and though she had done her best to be polite, her curiosity would not be so easily abated. "I did not want to be rude.. I was unsure." Silence reigned, settling between them like the falling of night. "The.. girls? Toys?"The words escaped her, she knew it, she could pull easily a handful of equivalent words in Kontinese, "Dolls, mannequins, marionettes, a million words, none of them of use."The Konti words were only just given breath, an exclamation of her frustration with the unfamiliar barrier of language. "I'm sorry," She explained quickly, "My common is, unfortunately limited to what I use in my trade, I speak fairly enough on a number of topics, but beyond those I fall short. I do not believe toy is the correct word, but I do not have another to offer." She draped the words through the space, feeling them hang in the air an open ended question.

"Did you carve them yourself? Carving is a lovely skill, I hope to learn it some day. I had some exploits with a carving knife in my past, but none in recent years." Her explanation made, and her question asked, she turned back to the task at hand, tea. She removed the extra cups, returning her attention to his questions, more pressing than the inquiry of her own.

"Usually a few Kina, less on a simple question and an easy spread, more on a complex issue, but today I have new cards. They are strangers to me as I am to them, so it will likely take more time for a less accurate divining." She would offer him a discount, accounting for both their time and the issue of the unfamiliar cards. "If you would like me to read anyway, I could do so for a half Kina."

Done then with the clearing and the setting, Tanell finally found herself a seat, joining the man and his dolls at the table at long last. She took a deep breath, the action providing enough relief that her shoulders lifted in the stretch of her body and her eyes fell shut in bliss.

Did tending to others always cause her such stress? She thought not, perhaps the unconscious strain of the dolls caused it. All the same, she was glad to be sitting to tea now, the activity always one of peace.

"The Konti are, indeed, all women. The union of Laviku and Avalis bought, ah that is, brought the first Konti into the world. The power of the two gods graces all Konti, our mother giving each Konti a special gift, and our father marking us with his blessing." She showed him her arms and hands across the table, tilted her brow so that the scales there, too, might catch the light. "We are marked distinctly, scales and gills not the only sign of our heritage, but our coloring as well. I doubt I have ever met another Konti with hair darker than mine, we all share a light color. Of hair and skin and eyes. Although, I imagine the scales speak more than enough."

Anger pounded its drums through her mind at the mention of the mark on his hands, and so after making note that the coloring of the skin was called a tattoo, and was considered art, she abandoned the topic for the pouring of tea instead.

A scoop of the sunrise blend for him into the bottom of his cup, she preferred the twilight dawn now, the deeper flavors suiting the evening far better for her tastes. Careful not to splash, her guest and her cards alike, she poured the steaming water over the loose leaves of their drinks. Breathing in deeply the scent of tea carried on the steam like the scent of flowers on a breeze.

[Kaik Leyr]

It seemed silly to Kaik that Tanell thought it rude to ask about his animations when he offered to answer such inquiries himself. Not knowing what to say moments go by until words escaped the Konti. Unsure of what exactly she wanted to say he let her ramble on by herself. When frustration reached its peak a flurry of foreign words were slung at Kiak, who could only assume it was not insults.

Quickly explaining the sudden use of her own language and giving him an apology, Kaik finally spoke, “It’s alright. You’re common was fine, at least in this instance. Toy is...a suitable word to use, I guess.” The Animator felt like there was something more to what she wanted to ask so he went on to say, “Although toy is a fair enough word to use...I think...the more appropriate word is golem. Toys don’t exactly have a soul after all...these golems are the work of magic.”

“Oh, yeah...I did carve them myself. It’s...a nice skill, yes...I hope you do learn the skill.” Talking about carving made him attempt to pull out his carving kit only to remember he left it at home.

The offer made seemed quite the deal to Kaik who expected much more so he accepted right away. “That seems fair enough, yes I’d like you to read the cards. Let’s just get it out of the way first,” he took a few topazes from his pouch and counted the amount before placed them on the table, “there you go...let’s do the divining later though.”

After much time Tanell took a seat at the table which made Kaik more awkward than he already was. In contrast he could see Tanell felt relaxed as she stretched out and let out a breath of relief. Kaik could only hope the tea was settle his nerves.

Wow...I’m learning so much about the Konti. Well it isn’t that much, but it’s a lot more than what I knew of the race. I know that all gods and goddesses are not bad, but...I should just listen to what she says regardless.

Fascination filled him entirely as he got a better look at the scales that covered her arms and face. Still somewhat nervous he only glanced at her face for a moment. Letting Tanell finish her explanation Kaik asked his questions, “May I ask what gift you have? And with those gills...are the Konti...hmm how phrase it...are they well acquainted with the water like Charoda are?”

The fragrance of tea was a welcomed smell Kaik was quite used to. Although used to the particular brand Maeki had, he still enjoyed the smell just the same. Waiting for the tea to cool down he tried to come up with something to talk about. “So um...what are your thoughts on Lhavit?”

Boxcode by Yra

[Tanell]

"Gal-golem." She tested the new word, apparently the one she had been searching for, "A golem, has a soul? I'm afraid I don't know that word either, soul. But your companions are golems, and they are made from magic?" She paused, trying to sort the unfamiliar concepts in her mind, "Some would consider my divining magic, is your magic similar? Do the gods lend their power to you in order to create your golems?" Having reached the extent of her minuscule understanding of the dollmaker's magics, she was forced to turn her attention to the explanation of his carving.

It was an explanation that lent itself to action, and he moved in such a way that she assumed something would happen, but instead he reached for something it seemed was not there. He rushed to cover the mistake, taking her offer at her word and placing the offered kina on the table between them.

Her offer was fair, so she felt no guilt taking the topaz off the table and slipping them into a similar pouch of her own. What struck her odd, though was doing so before reading for him, or rather so far in advance. They would do it later, but when? After tea? Once they had run out of other things to talk about? It was just sitting there, to be forgotten until later, which was cause for concern, she did not want to cheat him out of his money.

She would just strive to remember, and hope he did the same.

"My gift, it rings music that lends itself to understanding the feelings of the people around me. It is vague with strangers, and more clear with people I see most often. My sisters at home can never hide when they are upset with me, but that does not stop me from upsetting them." She added the personal bit to soften the blow of the knowledge. It was often something that caused people a fair bit of concern once they were privy to the knowledge. It was something she tended not to tell strangers, preferring to wait until she knew about how one would react to the news.

"I am not so familiar with Charoda, although I have heard they are people of the sea. Konti can live underwater indefinitely, another gift from our father Laviku, we have gills." She lifted her hair from her neck to show him, piling the mass of blonde hair in a bun atop her head before she remembered that her assortment of bows had been left at home with a number of other frivolous items she had abandoned to keep her travel light. She took an uncomfortable breath through her gills flaring them open for him to see.

After time had passed for him to see, she allowed her hair to drop, careful that the the length fell down around her hips and not into her tea.

"I quite like the city, it is nothing like home, far less quiet, but beautiful in its own right. It is near to the water, which I quite enjoy." She looked to the man, who seemed to search for more to say, so she offered him a path. "Have you been in the city long? I have only been here a few seasons, but I find it quite welcoming. Do you find the city is suited to your craft, your magic?" Finished speaking for the moment, she lifted her cup to her lips, not drinking the still hot liquid, instead tasting the steam and letting it wash away the dry feeling in her gills.

[Kaik Leyr]

Kaik expected to be questioned more about the unfamiliar things Tanell had been told about. In fact he expected any normal person to be at least curious when it comes to the mysterious subject called magic. It was the same curiosity that had brought the Animator into magic.

Having much experience explaining what Animation did not prove useful to him when it came to the actual concept of magic.

“Soul means...it’s what makes up you and me...our personalities, our everything, that’s what a soul is. And the word magic is a...broad term, I guess? I’m not familiar with the workings.” He looked down at Arya, who sat on his lap. “They also have souls, yes...but, no they aren’t made of magic. They’re souls were made because of magic...and is this getting complicated for you? It’s fine if you’re having trouble understanding, magic is not an easy thing to understand.”

Making sure Tanell had kept up with what he said, he continued his speech. “I can’t really say if your divining is similar to my...magic. My magic is...okay so there are different types of magic, world and personal, but among those are all sorts of magic. My magic is called Animation...it can create life, simply put. And um...it uses the Dj-...let’s just say magic. I use magic surrounding me-...sorry, I’m trying to explain years of learning in just a few chimes.” Taking a long breath he spoke once again. “Let me just answer your last questions. The Gods lend me nothing when I create my golems.”

How did I begin talking about magic so easily? She doesn’t seem to hold significant knowledge of what I do and I should keep it that way. Needed to answer her questions not tell her a speech.

Tanell took the coins without complaint and Kaik would have it no other way. He considered it a fee for the information that would be exchanged instead of the divining, though he still did want his fortune read by the end of their conversation.
Unlike most Kaik was not as concerned that the Konti could somewhat understand his feelings for he has seen magic that is one step above that, Auristics. Still there had been a speck of worry when he remembered the anger he felt just moments ago.

“I see. I understand what your gift is...I kinda find it interesting you interpret feelings as music. So um...what kind of music do I sound like right now?” It amazed Kaik how calm his words were beginning to feel, perhaps because his curiosity had overcome his nervousness.

He marveled at the features of the Konti as he imagined what it could be like to just live in the water. “That’s-that’s amazing! To just...live in the water just like on land.” Trying to ease his excitement he talked about the Charoda. “You haven’t heard of the Charoda? I’m sure most of people around here would have heard of them. They have some reputation after working at the port.”

For a chime the mage’s mind went black as she talked about the city and its beauty. When she stopped he looked for something to say as if in apology to spacing out, but she had already began speaking. “Yes, I’ve been in Lhavit for quite some time. It’s my birthplace.” He tried to smile, “it’s good the city is treating you well.” His smile faded. “Lhavit is...lenient or accommodating to my magic. I can’t be too obvious about it, like a golem the size of a house...I wonder if that’s poss-...er what was I saying? Oh right, I can keep it somewhat hidden like these two and everything is fine...probably...I’ve talked with a councilor with them, so it should be fine.”

Kaik watched as Tanell looked like she was drinking the tea, so he tried to take a sip of his own. Quickly he put down the cup with a yelp luckily not spilling a drop. Pain still lingered in his tongue, but he talked anyway, “Shall we um...start this divining?”

Boxcode by Yra