Open Cooling Off

[Rayala]

20th of Summer, 515 A.V. Rayala was wandering the paths of Kenash, making a map in her head of the city. Of course she might still get lost, but going around at least once made the most sense. Though she wouldn't go around once in one day, it was too hot for that. The humidity of this city was going to take some getting used to, even if Mithan was certainly enjoying it. She pushed a hand through her hair, looking around before her eyes fall on a plaza she hadn't quite realized she was on the outskirts of. The first things to fill her eyesight were palm trees and statues. There were some of the cushy seats she kept seeing scattered throughout the plaza as well, people sitting on them and talking or eating and drinking. Clearly this was a space for leisure, like most of the city seemed to be. She was about to walk on by, but she stopped again as she noticed that everything wasn't just situated on land but in a shallow pool. The water glistened softly, mosaic flooring glittering up from beneath. As soon as she noticed some people dipping their feet in the water or paddling about, her mind was made up and she walked closer. The woman paused near the edge of the pool, looking around carefully at the others. It seemed like a decent mix of people, so she wouldn't stand out so much. While she noticed some people paying, most came with food or drink in hand after paying, otherwise they went directly to a seat. It seemed the seats had to be paid for. She managed to fight back the want to roll her eyes, finding that whole idea of paying for a seat ridiculous, but as she didn't need to use one of the plush couches... Rayala sat down at the edge of the pool, taking her boots off so she could stick her feet in. Only once her feet were in the cooling water did she roll up her pants. She leaned her head back, the sun shining on her face and causing her to close her eyes. It only took a few ticks before let out a puff of air, sitting up fully to undo her corset, grumbling a bit to herself the whole while. Once it was off, it was laid next to her boots, her stomach and the scar across it being set free. She brushed her hand over the mark on her stomach, frowning briefly before giving and uncaring shrug. It didn't much matter if anyone saw her scar, it simply meant that she lived life to the fullest. At least, that was what she would tell people if asked. She laid back against the rimming of the pool, her arms behind her head and leaving her feet swirling in the water. Maybe she would go in more after a while, but for now she was content to just let herself lay there. While the sun still beat down on her, the water was nice and refreshing; a brief respite she could need.

[Rayala]

After some time, Rayala sat up to look around at the people again. Plenty of the women seemed to have simple or ornate hand fans, clearly some sort of fad for the season. Even if there were one too many having them, she had to admit it was a rather useful tool. Though she would use it more for hiding behind than actually fanning herself, but more of the women seemed to enjoy using it for decoration than functionality. Perhaps she would pick one up sometime, to blend in more with the locals. It didn't take long for her to notice that two of the fan-wielding women were glancing over to her every now and then, whispering to each other behind their overly decorated fans. Raya only rolled her eyes and looked to her feet as they continued their slow swirling in the water. The inked thorns and leaves on her foot seemed oddly fitting to be in the water, the light rings coming out from her movement. It was an interesting balance to be sure. Yet the only balance there seemed to be the water and the design she had for Cheva. She stood out among the decadence of the city, she knew that. She also knew she could probably easier blend in with the slaves with how she dressed and acted. But adjusting to the life took time, so they surely had to see their far share of outliers, right? The only issue was, as she looked around again, she was one of the few people not sitting on one of the water surrounded seats or dressed in bright summer colors. The woman pursed her lips some moments before a faint grin came to her lips at a thought. They wanted to point out those who were clearly not locals? They wanted gossip? Well, how could she not oblige? Rayala stood up, on the dry part of the plaza, placing her hands in the air as if resting on an unseen partner's shoulder and hand. That was about as much as she knew about dancing, and only that because of Markus having insisted she learn the right holding position. Slowly she began to move her feet, softly humming as she spun about. She moved between people if they were near, not taking her eyes off a spot slightly above her in the air, giving the illusion that she was dancing with some man. Of course she wasn't the most graceful when it came to dancing, so she almost tripped over her own feet a few times, but that didn't discourage her. She kept moving about to the song in her head, faintly echoed by the humming. People were probably looking and whispering, but she didn't care. That was the point after all, give them all someone to whisper about to their inner circles. Of course she didn't believe she was dancing with anyone - if she was, she'd assume he would help her not trip so much - but if the people watching thought she did? All the better. People tended to leave those who saw things others didn't alone, and that was what she wanted most. With that in mind, she continued dancing (and stumbling) with the air.

[Chione]

Since Chione had arrived at Kenash she was hungry for information. What was she supposed to do to become a citizen? Where was the housing for Freeborns? Where could she get food? Where could she get clothes? She had to find everything she needed in order to live comfortably (or thereabouts) in the city.

It was, however, bigger than she thought. As such, finding things was more difficult and was complicated by her lack of understanding of the Common tongue. It also didn't help that Eypharians were disliked unless they held the title of slave. It was all she could do to hold her head high and keep the Freeborn brand displayed as clearly as possible to keep the two-arms and dwsa away.

Out of all the sights to see in the city, the Fountain Plaza was especially interesting despite its strangeness. It seemed like it was one of the popular watering holes for upper and middle class alike, so she decided to check it out. Ladies (and men) graced the seats that were placed in the shallow pool, some even dipping their toes in the cool water as they lounged in the shade.

Many of the women held fans, ranging from fairly simple designs to incredibly gaudy details that made the Eypharian wonder if anyone in Kenash had a sense of style or if their eyes had been gouged out by some animal forced to gaze upon the fans. The women enjoyed gossiping to each other behind the fans, an effective tool to keep others from reading lips. Perhaps she'd have to get one herself.

She quickly noticed that several of the aforementioned gossiping women were glancing at her, and all at once she felt so very foreign. Her six arms and patches of light skin against dark were what she assumed the subject of the discussion, if it wasn't the way her hair was wrapped up in one of her bright silk scarves -- the blue one, to be precise. She'd also donned her cotton dress to save time in getting ready.

Chione also noticed that she wasn't the only person being stared at. There was another girl, paler than she, who looked as if she was dancing with a partner that didn't exist. It was difficult to tell if she wanted those around her to think she was mad, that she believed someone was dancing with her.

The many-armed woman placed her mid hands on her hips and frowned. What was she supposed to do when faced with this sort of situation? She was no dancer, but she felt as though she should help the stranger by giving her someone real to hold onto.

She kicked off her shoes and entered the pool, confidently making her way over to the stranger. She reached around with one hand and placed it in the small of the woman's back while another hand clasped her new partner's. She would expect a bit of stumbling due to her sudden arrival, but did her best to catch the pale lady with her low hands and steady her.

"Awioth-eniya," she said, "Hello."

High Arumenic | Common

[Rayala]

There was a point where she might have actually cared what those surrounding her thought, but that time was not now. While this could prove to back track her plans of easily getting information, it could also help her in the long run. She was better on her own, and this was certainly making people keep a wide berth. At least until the six armed woman started her way. Rayala nearly paused but decided to keep up her facade, doing her best to ignore that she did see her. Though, for all she knew, she was actually hallucinating. She never really saw too many more-than-two-armed people, and when she did she always assumed she had been slipped something. This time was no different other than that she hadn't touched a drop of alcohol or anything else since she got here. And she hadn't exactly been near anyone today for them to drug her. When the woman put her hands on her, Rayala jumped a bit, freezing in place and looking to her with widened eyes. So she's real. She has six arms, two skin colors, and is real... she thought as she looked to the woman, then down to where her hands were on her before up to her face. The woman wasn't much taller than her, maybe just an inch or so, which was rather reliving. If she was much taller, she would probably be somewhat imposing with her many arms. It was also clear this woman wasn't a local. Of course she did appear of higher stature with how she held herself, but that could be because of how she was brought up or simply because she was local. Rayala was more inclined to believe the former. Her gaze flitted briefly to the scarf on her head, almost wondering if there was something strange about her hair, too, before to her face as she spoke. Raya had yet to move herself. "Hello," she replied, pausing before whispering, glancing to the other around briefly. They all seemed to notice the woman. At least she assumed so since they were looking between her and the space in front of her. "You're real right? Just want to make sure I haven't actually lost it. 'Cause, well, that'd be sad," she gave a faint grin at that, looking to her more curiously than anything. While the woman was an oddity to her, she could be useful at some point. Why be rude before she knew? Plus, the fact she actually walked up to her was intriguing in itself. After another few ticks, she shrugged to herself and would start to try and move about in the same steps she had been using before, only this time with the new, hopefully real, partner.

[Chione]

Chione was almost insulted by the woman's reaction. Did she think of her as some kind of freak? Had she never seen one of her people before? Perhaps it was her skin, and she was afraid it was contagious. Whatever it was, her pride was hurt.

As the stranger began to speak she had to watch her lips, trying to translate the words from Common to Arumenic. Her own lips moved as she mentally repeated the sounds and tried to identify them. Real, right... Lost it... You talk too fast... Sad? Oh! You're asking if I'm real! Okay, got it.

"Yes. I am ri- real. Real," she said. She spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly. It wasn't that she thought the girl was stupid. She was merely aiming to master the Common tongue. "You are not 'lost it'." Her mode indicated honest, but it was difficult to convey it with only a few hands free. It wasn't like the woman was going to understand anyways.

The stranger was pretty and more or less kind. A foreigner, unless she really was mad. When she began moving the Eypharian did her best to mirror her steps. She'd never danced this way before; dancing was something she preferred to stay away from unless she was just observing.

She kept her low hands resting on her partner's hips as they made their way through the shallow water. "I am Chione. What is name?" she asked. While the stranger only had two arms and was inferior to her, it wouldn't do to be rude to the first potential ally in the city.

High Arumenic | Common

[Rayala]

Rayala raised a brow as the other woman began to move her lips. Maybe she just was trying to understand her better, though when she finally did reply a relieved smile to came to her own lips. "Good to hear. Though can't say I've ever seen someone quite like yourself," she replied, making her voice sound more curious and faintly awed. She wasn't really in awe or anything really, but the inflections in her voice and on her face would give the impression. There didn't seem to be much of a reaction to her skin since, for all she knew, that was normal. She looked to the woman's arms as they moved, furrowing her brows and clearly not certain what to make of that. But she figured it couldn't be important, some people gesticulated rather much so it made sense for someone with extra hands to. At her introduction, she smiled, replying in a friendly tone. "Rayala. Nice to meet ya, Chione. You new here, too?" Seeing as she had bothered to introduce herself, Raya figured it was a safe bet that she wasn't local. Unless she was just friendlier than the people currently at the plaza, since the whole city couldn't be as...difficult as those people. Since neither of them were particularly skilled at dancing, there was definitely to be a lot of stumbling. Enough so that Raya started to watch their feet, trying to not step on Chione's or trip over anything. Of all the things she knew how to do, dancing was not her forte. But, honestly, no one really took time to learn how 'properly' dance in Sunberth. And the few who did were certainly not the majority; stealing and defense were much more useful. After a short while, she stepped back, laughing softly. "I think it's clear neither of us really knows what the petch we're doin'. Maybe best to stop before we end up in the water and all tangled up," she said, laughter still in her voice and pushed a hand through her hair, one hand resting on her hip. "Even so, much better than dancin' with air," she added in a whisper, glancing around to those nearby, just to make sure they were out of earshot. Thankfully it seemed that most, if not all, were keeping a safe distance.

[Chione]

By Dira, did all foysha feel the need to speak so quickly? This one was harder to understand than the others, but from the way she sounded and the expression on her face indicated curiosity and a bit of awe. That fluffed Chione's feathers enough to make her smile. It was not a kind smile, only a prideful smile.

The foysha was named Rayala. It was a pretty name for a lesser creature. She pitied the girl, only having two arms and unable to decorate her words with them. She could tell she was having trouble figuring out the meanings behind her gestures and gave her what could be interpreted as an apologetic look.

"New, yes. I am. You also. How long?" she inquired. She was trying to ask how long Rayala had been in Kenash, her high hands doing their best to covey the message. However the girl's eyes had relocated to their feet, so conveying modes and meanings were useless.

The Eypharian started watching their feet as well, frustration building inside. How was she such an awful dancer? She had to get better. "No, no. Don't put your foot the- Watch it, azmashe!" she hissed (albeit quietly), "I'm not a doormat! Don't walk all over me, good gods."

As agitated as she was and despite taking it out on her partner, she wasn't truly angry at her. She watched the human step away from her and she allowed her arms to fall. The foysha was laughing, but not at her. Or perhaps at them both? She didn't blame her.

When Rayala ran a hand through her hair, Chione realized just how pretty she was -- even for a two-arm -- and barely kept herself from pulling the woman back into her embrace. It took her a few ticks to notice that her partner was talking. Something about tangled up, and air?

"Air cannot tangled up, Rayala. We tangle if we dance too long," she explained. What was she thinking? Perhaps she was actually mad. She took the woman's hand and led her to the edge of the pool, sitting down and leaving her feet in the water.

"You live here, work? Where?" Even though her grasp of Common wasn't very strong, she still felt she had the skills to ask basic questions. It was only a matter of getting the words right and putting them in the correct order.

High Arumenic | Common

[Rayala]

Rayala only smiled in return to the prideful look on Chione's face. At least she guessed right, though she doubted there were many protest any compliment. Even fewer would be unaffected by it; at least she assumed so from her experience. Though the apologetic look caused her to raise a brow, not quite understanding what she had missed. But she brushed that off as Chione replied. "Not long. I know enough to get back to where I'm stayin' and the gates, but not long enough to know much more," she replied, speaking a bit slower for the other woman's benefit. By then it was overtly clear that she was still working on grasping the nuances of common. Though she couldn't say she was much surprised with that since the woman's background was still a mystery. Usually those who looked other than simply human didn't speak common, or at least they didn't speak it well. But her saying she was new slightly dampened her spirits for a moment. At least until she realized that being friendly to new people would be just as beneficial, hopefully, in the long run. In any case, it didn't hurt to have a nice conversation with someone human-ish. Raya couldn't keep back a grin at the woman's irritated hissing. She had no idea what she was saying, but she assumed it was cursing of some sort. "You ever seen cloth get tangled 'cause of a breeze? Wind can get tangled, but...didn't mean that. Meant us, what you said." The fact she felt the need to explain that air couldn't get tangled made her wonder if Chione thought she had, in fact, lost it, which made her wonder why she was still talking to her. She looked her over, a bit warily, though went with her as she led her to the edge of the pool. As she followed, she took in the strange patterning on her skin again, once more wondering on that. After making certain that her corset and boots were still near, she hopped just enough to pull her feet under her so that she could perch on the edge of the pool. Her arms rested on her knees as she swiveled her head every which way, checking the surroundings again. It seemed most of the people, while still not getting up to have a chat with the two, were moved on to other things, other conversations. Rayala nodded to herself, looking to Chione as she belatedly caught her words. "Oh, yes, live. Work...waitin' to hear back on that. Hopefully soon, otherwise, this," she held up her right hand to show her still healing Freeborn brand, "Won't do shyke for me. You 'ave a job or place to live yet?" She looked over her hands to try and spot a brand or bandage or something to give away that Chione had visited the right place yet. At least, she highly doubted she was a slave as of yet, unless she knew less about slaves than she thought she did.

[Chione]

Chione simply snorted at Rayala's attempts at explaining to her that wind could indeed become tangled. However, since she was speaking mostly in Common a good chunk of it went right over her scarved head. Silly girl, wind tangled cloth! Wind didn't have a solid form!

The foysha was obviously suspicious of something. Where was she from, and what caused her to be constantly on the alert? She needed a good massage to decompress. She'd seen what high amounts of stress could lead to if not properly released.

Her answer was a little slow, a little distracted. The Eypharian narrowed her eyes at the woman. She needed to relax. Perhaps she'd invite her over at some point, put her six arms to work and help the poor thing relax.

"I live at the Terraces. Work is coming, I massage. Mortal Solace, maybe, or Den." She lifted her low right hand, displaying the still-healing brand of a Freeborn. She'd taken the bandage off early, hating the sensation of the cloth against the injured skin. It stung a little bit every now and then, but it was tolerable.

"You need massage, Rayala. Bad. You are tight. In here," she said, the index finger of one of her mid hands gently touching the woman's forehead. "You need calm."

High Arumenic | Common

[Rayala]

She sighed at the sniff, not too surprised the many armed woman either disagreed or didn't follow. There were actually very few, she supposed, that would actually agree with her. Not just on the wind getting tangled, either, but many other 'odd' musings of her's were likely to be written off. Some would likely call her mad even, but she preferred the term 'creative'. Her eyes lit up a bit at Chione mentioning she was a massuese. "Funny enough, that's what I'm hoping to do, too. Better the Den, though, more fun," she grinned at that. Of course it would be more interesting than working with injured people and healers, but it would also help her glean more information. At least she was assuming it would; people tended to have loose tongues in a pleasure house. She looked down tot eh brand as the woman presented it, nodding. "Kind of figured ya had one when you said 'Terraces'. It's Freeborn livin' only from what I've heard," she murmured, glancing back to her feet just on the edge of the pool, hovering over the water. She seemed to maybe be contemplating putting her feet back in, but was more focused on the leaves, thorns, and stem wrapped around her foot, leading to a rose on her ankle. Rayala frowned for a moment before looking back to Chione, blinking at her words, her eyes crossing a bit as she tried to look to the woman's finger. "See, I give massages 'cause can't afford luxuries like that, Chione," she replied, chuckling briefly. Of course to her it was more than a little bit amusing for someone to think she needed to relax. As far as she was concerned, she couldn't relax all the time, only sometimes. And those times usually involved some sort of intoxication, but for now she needed to keep an eye out until she knew the area better. At that thought, she cocked her head to the side, nearly resting it on her shoulder. "What makes you think I'm not relaxed, though? I feel pretty fine right now." A soft smile accompanied her words as she looked Chione over curiously before focusing on her face again.