Closed Encounter At Rainbow Falls (Kelski)

[Boo Beckett]

Timestamp: 8th of Spring, 516 AV

Boo rather enjoyed the crunch of snow underfoot, though dead leaves would always remain his favorite. There was something about that satisfying crackle that never failed to ignite a little cheer in his heart. Spring had apparently deemed Lhavit worthy of a few more days of snowfall, yet it was an undertaking usually discarded by midday, the crisp, white coating in full retreat as greens and browns of the surrounding area took hold once more. Regardless, the air down here beneath the peaks was an overcoat cooler.

Khana Rayastai had encouraged Boo to make the five mile trek through the Misty Peaks, securing his interest with the mention of various points of curiosity along the way. One in particular had caught his fancy; the Rainbow Falls that played host to a certain kind of fish that Boo was certain he had never heard of before. Still, when not getting to grips with his new job at the Okomo Villa, he had set about filling his spare time with treks and recon missions around his newly adopted city. Lhavit had proven a gracious host indeed, both endearing yet confusing to a first timer like Boo, who still had not discarded his awe and amazement of the place.

But today his focus was on the Trail of Waterfalls, and of course this Rainbow Falls that Khana had spoken so highly of. The walk was easy going, since some helpful fellow at some point in time had seen fit to lay the path with raised wooden planks. The footing was a little precarious here and there where melted snow stubbornly remained under the guise of icy patches. But the observant traveler could pick his steps safely enough if a suitable amount of care was given.

At various points along the trail, the path delved into sections of the forest, hinting at a more dense and mystical domain that laid beyond. Boo had heard mention of the dangers lurking in Kalea's interior, fueling his thankfulness that ocean travel was a thing. Still, he had noted that not all Lhavitians heeded the same warnings, even spotting a pair of hunter type men who earlier had been swallowed up beyond view in the forest. He could only assume those men knew what they were doing, or else were likely never to be seen again. Despite his automatic fear of anything that resided beyond his comfort zone, Boo could not help that familiar feeling of curiosity from creeping in through whatever weak spots his mind had left accessible. Was the wilderness really as unforgiving as they said it was? Or maybe it was merely a tactic designed to keep the nine thousand or so Lhavitians in place, so they could continue in their roles, all part of the greater and grander scheme of city life.

His pondering on the matter came to a halt, his focus instead shifting to the rising sound of what sounded to him like distant heavy rain. It intensified as he pressed on, before he realized the source was in fact a waterfall. It sounded like it was quite a large one, the crashing water filling his ears, though for now still out of sight. Instead he had come upon what appeared to be a picnic area, various crafted tables dotted about and interjected with poles sticking out the ground with small hooks in the sides. The poles were each partnered with a bucket, Boo left with no idea what either was for. He did not concern himself with that little puzzle for now.

The waterfall was up ahead, and he was quietly excited as he approached.

[Kelski]

Pretending to be human sucked. Kelski really hated it. But she tired over and over again because she wanted to make friends and wanted to it in among the Lhavitians where almost all of them where human. They did human things. They spoke common. None of them shared flights with each other or explored tidepools or talked about fishing by swooping out of the sky and plucking fat trout out of the bay.

By the Gods she wanted a friend that she could have those conversations with.

Instead she'd been in the place where humans gathered to eat and had sat down next to two old men. They'd been talking about fishing. Not her kind of fishing, no, but human fishing where they took a pole and a line and sat on the bank trying to entice fish to bite with a pole. There were big one that were caught and consumed and even bigger ones that had gotten away. It seemed Rainbow Falls was the place to go do this human fishing and Kelski was keen to try it out. She'd arrived early, before anyone else and before the light, unafraid to be traipsing about before sunrise on her day off. She had this notion in her mind that if she fished all day she'd have a story to add to the old men's stories and maybe if they came to the restaurant again, and sat in the same spot as she'd seen them do many times, she could join them and tell stories with them.

It had looked like such fun...

She longed to be with someone or a group, telling stories, belonging, and just maybe the fisherman would let her be with them for a while. Maybe they would laugh at her antics like they did at each other. But first she had to experience antics. She had to catch and loose 'big ones'. She could see the Sartu rainbow trout lurking just below the water and had to figure out how to lure them onto her hooks.

Kelski had set herself up at the bottom of the falls where the biggest pool of trout was. Dressed in worn clothing - a simple skirt and blouse with sandals - she was perched on large boulder big enough to hold five people overlooking the pool. Beside her in a squirming mass was a pile of earthworns she'd dug to bait her hooks. Turned earth and moved smaller boulders revealed where she'd acquired her worms. There were also small berries gathered to add to the hooks, adding some color to attract the fish's attention.

Kelski had eavesdropped carefully on the old fisherman, noting when each bragged about what he'd baited his hook with and how. She had each technique stored in her mind, even though they made little sense. Three colorful berries, one fat worm? Two worms one berry? Huh? Double hooks made no sense to her nor did three or four prongs. She knew what prongs were in the jewelcrafting sense, but not necessarily in the fishing sense. It was frustratingly hard to learn a craft by overhearing old man talk. But Kelski was trying.

She wound the line back in, checked the hook and almost hissed in predatory bird frustration as she saw the fish had eaten all her bait off her hook and left it bare. She carefully placed a berry on the hook, threaded the worm on and then added another berry for good measure. Tossing the line back out, Kelski carefully waited, knowing that the fisherman had mentioned patience was the hardest part of this sport. Sport? How could they even call it that? Kelski could have had a belly full of fish by now hunting them in her normal kelvic form.

Frustrated, she blew a loose lock of dark hair mingled with white out of her eyes and leaned back. She looked around, noting it was getting lighter, and wondering if anyone else would show up to fish. She couldn't hear anyone, not that she'd be able too over the roar of the waters. But the sound had gotten easier to deal with the longer she sat there. It was more of a background noise now and she could hear a bit of birdsong and the morning calls of some sort of waterbird up stream.

Stretching, Kelski turned her attention back to the water. She was beginning to wonder if all the stories the old men told each other were true.

[Boo Beckett]

Sadly for Boo, the only stories weaved by old men that he had heard came from Uncle Varin, which meant they were predominantly about ghosts, spirits, or anything else closely resembling things from that corner of the vast world. Varin had been mostly business, with an occasional break in his otherwise stoic exterior to reveal the soft underbelly of a more soulful man underneath. It was fair to say that Boo had inherited more from this small side of Varin's personality than both his parents combined, no mean feat considering he had not left Syliras with his Uncle until he was fifteen.

Boo had come around a strategically placed rock that had obscured Kelski from view further down the water's edge, where the wider pool that played host to the waterfall's end game narrowed and calmed for a distance, before culminating in a much more relaxed reservoir where the kelvic practiced her fishing. Here the fish seemed more content and less agitated, flitting from spot to spot in their domain with all the grace of a bird in the sky.

Boo had little experience of fish, save for remarking on their flavor whenever they should happen to inhabit his plate at supper time. He could not help but stare in wonder as the trout meandered about oblivious to the watchful gaze of this newest arrival. The waterfall meanwhile had been quite impressive in its own right, the vast flow of water from the peak above slamming so hard into the base below that it foamed and bubbled like an overflowing and boiling saucepan. The constant crashing of water on water seemed to echo all about him, the noise trapped between the wall of the peak itself and the forest that he and the path had emerged from.

Moving along the water's edge, Boo took in all the details he could, observing the natural order and beauty to things and wondering, in their right mind, how anyone could ever hope to replicate it. Bards sang sonnets dedicated to beauty and grace. Artists conjured images that captured the essence of a place. But in truth, they each paled in comparison to the real thing. Moving away from the waterfall towards the smaller pool, it was only then that Boo noted the figure perched on the rock up ahead. His interest fluttered all of a sudden, like a murder of crows startled from their nesting place. A woman no less. This of course was an opportunity too good for Elsa to pass up.

"Well isn't she a pretty one," she began in her usual sardonic tone, that always managed to sound accusatory rather than simply stating fact. Boo had gotten used to Elsa's sudden entries in a given situation, having come to the realization that she only appeared when it suited her. In other words, as far as Boo was concerned, it was a completely random occurrence. Still, now that she had chosen this particular moment to grace him with her presence, he knew that at least for the next few minutes or so, or until she grew tired of playing with him, he would have to endure the stuck up madame.

"You're not actually going to talk to her are you? We both know how that usually goes." She had been lounging on a nearby rock, just big enough to allow for her to prop herself up on elbows, her legs stretched out in front of her and crossed at the ankles, while those pursed lips curled at the edges in what Boo could not decide was either a smirk or a snarl. He settled on both. Meanwhile the rest of her face, as always, remained obscured by that oversized hat she favored and was never seen without.

"How what usually goes'? He almost sounded offended, but was more curious regarding her assessment. "I'll just say hello, introduce myself, and whatever else comes to mind. They call it being friendly you know?" Boo knew she was simply trying to get a rise out of him, but he flashed her a devious grin regardless. He had to admit, sometimes it was a little entertaining to spar with Elsa, even if he usually wound up on the losing side.

"Pfft. They talk a lot of shyke if you're asking me. Being friendly is hugely overrated. Friends are just a list of people waiting to let you down. And they always do." Boo actually felt a stab of pity, momentary as it was. Elsa could be so depressing at times, but he wondered what experiences could leave someone so devoid of hope in life. As for him, he liked to consider himself an optimist, the guy who always tried to find the bright side of things. Failing that, there were still always lessons to be learned, memories to hold onto, and experiences to take away. Yes, life was not bad at all, if you only knew how to frame it in a more forgiving light.

Elsa had apparently gotten lost in her own thoughts, leaving Boo to approach the kelvic on the rocks unimpeded. His footwork was far from clumsy, yet neither was he by any means the most graceful creature. Even a fellow human could hear him approaching, which might even have been the man's intention. After all, it simply would not do to go around sneaking up on people.

"Excuse me," he issued once satisfied he was within a good range to do so. The woman was turned to the water so that he only had a side profile to go on. The dug up worms were to her opposite side from Boo, so he could only make out the line in her hands that was lowered into the water. It did not take a genius to figure she was fishing, though if asked by a passerby, Boo would have been at a loss to tell them the first thing about it. He decided he would one day like to learn, though for now his agenda was merely as he had stated to Elsa; an introduction and a greeting. A fine entry point to any conversation, even if he did think so himself.

[Kelski]

His voice startled her and she jumped a bit, almost dropping the long pole she clutched in her hand. Kelski was never good with first time introductions. She was always restless, nervous, and took a moment to settle unless it was someone she knew really well or was familiar with. She gave herself a small shake, turned fully towards him, still maintaining a grip on her pole.

The Kelvic met his brown eyes with her steel grey ones and offered him a friendly smile as she took a moment to study his features. Kelski was good at noting detail and she traced the line of his arched eyebrows first. Then her eyes trailed down to his jawline and noted how tall he was. She'd had to tilt her head up and up and up just to meet his gaze.

"Hello. I'm just doing some fishing, trying it out as humans do it. I hope I'm not in your spot or anything. I didn't take any of the fish yet. They haven't seemed to want to bite yet even though I think I'm doing it right." She added, starting to pull in her line and check the hook. She did so as Boo watched and checked the blank hook. It was empty. The Kelvic swore.

"I had a worm on it. I think they nibbled it off along with my berries." She explained and then reached for another from the worm pile and carefully slid the squirming nematode back on the hook with a few berries. She tossed it back in carefully, waiting to see Boo's reaction. Was he mad? Was this his spot? Was she doing it wrong? The Kelvic felt her usual pressure when meeting someone new. What to say? What to do?

"I'm Kelski. Do you fish? Want to join me? It's quiet this morning... I mean quiet besides the waterfall." The girl actually blushed, almost fluttered, then thought how stupid her words sounded. She never did this right. What to say now? She wanted to keep talking. The jeweler had almost no one to talk too and she tended to mess it up when she did have a chance.

"If this is your spot I can leave. I was just trying it out. There's some men you see... old men... they talk often about fishing at breakfast around their table at the tea house. And I've wanted to talk to them forever. But I'm not that brave. I thought if I got some fishing stories I could join them at their table and tell them and maybe laugh with them. They have a good time." She said, looking at Boo hoping he'd understand.

[Boo Beckett]

Is it just me, or did she just shake? Boo had been watching her as he approached, dismayed somewhat at having startled the woman. But he had noted that little shake, fleeting as it was, that just seemed a little sideways of normal to him. Maybe it was simply a shiver from the morning chill. It certainly was a little on the cold side if he was honest, the thought causing him to draw his coat a little closer out of habit. He wondered in that moment if fish were sensitive to the cold. It was not as if they could do much about it, or perhaps they had some kind of biological mechanism in their bodies that helped. If so, he did not have the slightest clue about it.

His pondering on fish warmth was short lived, instead the woman proving to be apologetic that she might have taken his spot. He had no rod or bait to go with his lack of fishing skill, but he supposed the woman was merely being courteous. In fact she had flashed him a smile that seemed friendly enough, and so he drew himself a little closer so they did not have to talk too loudly over the thunderous waterfall back down the stream. As he stepped closer, Kelski drew up the line to her rod, it emerging from the water's surface with nothing to report. Instead she drew his attention to the apparent theft of her bait, some sneak thief fish having made good his escape after the heinous robbery it had committed.

His memory jerked just then, convinced that Kelski had said, 'Trying it out as humans do it.' While the fish had been a little stingy with the woman, Boo's curiosity meanwhile had taken the bait, finding himself intrigued as to what she might be. Human was a broad enough term that could well encompass a variety of people, so maybe she was from some far off exotic land where perhaps the fish were a little easier to catch. Of course he had no notion of her being a kelvic, nor would he unless told directly. In the grand scheme of things it was safe to assume he had probably crossed paths with a couple of them before. But he had never knowingly sat down to have a conversation with one, until now.

Kelski offered to leave then, had this indeed been his spot. He was about to correct her on that, but the woman's words kept spilling out. Something about old men and their stories and breakfasts and tea houses. He was quite lost by now, waiting patiently for her to pause so he could at least put an end to her concern that this might have been his very own rock for sitting upon, not to be shared with anyone else.

"Actually this is my first time to the waterfall. Rainbow Falls!" he announced, as though the name had eluded him and only now returned. A splash of movement drew his gaze to one of the famed salmon, nosing at Kelski's bait for a moment before thinking better of it. Boo kicked himself inside, noting the coloration of the fish and putting that and the name of the waterfall together for the first time. "Sorry to hear you're not having much luck. Maybe the way humans do it is flawed? Um, how else would you do it?" His question was genuine enough, even if it had come out a little direct. Boo had always seemed to lack a filter, and in some ways he mirrored Kelski's directness when it came to talking to strangers.

"My name is Boo by the way. Pleased to meet you. Kelski was it? I only just arrived here several days ago. I've been out exploring and such you see? Just trying to get a feel for the place and the surrounding area. I've heard a few things about the places around here, but better to see for yourself than rely on hearsay, don't you think?" He became acutely aware that he was rambling then, taking the pause as an opportunity to sit down on the rock next to Kelski. Not too close to impede her fishing efforts, but enough that they could continue to talk without having to yell.

It was then that he was able to give her a proper look, taking in the details of her unique features from the vantage point he now claimed. It struck him first of all, when perhaps her hair, skin or eyes might have been foremost in most people's assessment, how she seemed to talk with a guarded mouth. Even the smile she offered before was quick and gone in a moment, as though she lacked confidence in the words she spoke and did not want them to fall out of their own accord. Adding to that, as well as the way she spoke, almost childlike in a sense, it gave off a strange feeling to Boo that he could not quite put his finger on.

If he had to settle on a theory right there, one was that perhaps some unearthly soul had taken up residence in this woman's body, and was learning to use it for the first time. But while there was that slight flavor of awkwardness about her, at least from the perspective of a human, it was a thin veil to something more vibrant and alive underneath, like a vein that flowed with lifeblood and pulsed with fiery intent. Of course, Boo had no idea the woman was as much an animal as a human. Perhaps he had been picking up on that wilder side without ever realizing. Perhaps this Kelski was just different, and his human mind sought to label it for fear of losing sleep that night. Everything in its right place, order over chaos.

Right?

Nah. So what if she seems different. I kinda like that about her. Boo concluded that what he was getting from Kelski was a combination of spirit and charisma. Sure, she spoke in a manner that was a little strange to him, but that was hardly detracting from the fact that she was immediately interesting and unique. And all this came before he had even considered the white streaked hair, like a ghost peeking through curtains, or the steely eyes that seemed to weigh and measure with such efficiency that it left him feeling as though he would be wasting his time telling anything but the truth. That in itself was a liberating feeling.

Feeling encouraged by the company he kept at present, he turned his attention back to the rod in Kelski's hands, noting a slight bob on the line. Yes, he did not have the slightest idea when it came to fishing, but he was very decided in that moment that he would very much like Kelski to tell him all about it. "The line! I think I just saw it move. Err, so what happens next?"

[Kelski]

She liked his voice. It was pleasant and compelling, though he had an odd mannerism that had his eyes seemingly going distant a time or two as if he listened to the world or voices beyond her hearing. Humans were like that, Kelski knew, dialoging in their head or growing lost in their thoughts. He must be someone important and skilled to think deeply.

The girl pushed a lock of mixed colored hair out of her eyes as he introduced himself and offered him a smile in response. Boo was an unusual name. One she dwelled on for a moment before his other words hit her. New. He was new to the city. She knew what that was like. She wasn’t exactly ‘new’ but everything still felt strange and unusual. She was new to experiences, not the land. The land, she’d learned, was far more welcoming than its people.

“Boo… it is good to meet you. Yes. Kelski. I have no last name like most here do. I know what it is like to be new. But you will find these lands welcoming. I have. Though the people are colder. The land is more familiar to me these days, but the newness is in the experiences.” She said, glancing pointedly at her fishing pole and offering him another smile. Her smiles were not forced and reached her eyes which lit up and warmed despite their steel grey coloring.

As he gave her a deep and good look, Kelski took that opportunity to do the same with him. She found him appealing in a way that she usually didn’t notice in people. His features were even and easy on her eyes and she searched for the word to describe it. It came to her in a moment. Handsome. He was fit without being bulky. He was tall without being intimidating. And he had animated eyes that reminded her of other Kelvics. She inhaled and smelled Okomo on him. Kelski had told no one but Okomo smelled delicious. She’d hoped to find one weakened or down that she could sample. Though being a Sea Eagle who adored fish, the raptor also loved taking the occasional sheep – especially lambs – and sometimes the wild goats she found higher up in the hills. They didn’t always find sheer footing and sometimes they fell, making her hunting easy. Her enhanced senses delighted as a Kelvic in her new companion’s appearance and unique smell. And she was glad he sat down beside her.

Company!

It was something the Kelvic loved more than anything else. Here was one person that was wholly focused on her and talking to her. It warmed something inside her and she laughed suddenly knowing why cats purred with a complete conviction. Instead of purring though, she tucked her head against her shoulder and nibbled at it in a preening motion, soothed and happy he’d joined her.

However, he kept looking at her as if he was looking for something. Worse yet he seemed to look into her as if expecting to see something she didn’t understand. What did he expect to see? She shifted slightly as the line tugged and Boos attention thankfully turned to it. Kelski gripped it, jerked it suddenly in what she thought would be ‘setting the hook’ and then tried to carefully pull it in.

A stripped clean hook gleamed at her. The Kelvic swore again and set about repeating the process of rebaiting the hook and tossing it out into the water.

“At least I know they like the worms.” She said with only a slightly frustrated grimace.

Then she turned to Boo. She took a deep breath and started again quietly. Her words were slower now, well-paced, and easier to understand. It was as if she had gotten her words more organized in her head. The deep breaths she’d carefully taken had helped a lot. “You are new here, but you look like you have been a human for a long time. I… I am new to trying this human fishing way, and new to this being more human. Your people fascinate me. I’m sorry I … talk a lot but it is because I’ve had such little practice at it. I find it hard to approach people and meet them in the city. Everyone has already met each other and have bonds formed.” Kelski said, taking a deep breath. She felt she was doing much better at this communication.

The word bond warmed her heart and filled her with a longing she barely understood.

“I sometimes go to watch people and how they act at the tea house in town. I go there on my break from my apprenticeship work. Master Li makes us take an hour break when the sun is directly overhead and eat. Mostly I just change out this body for wings and go hunt. Fish like this are easy to catch with my wings and talons. But sometimes I go to that tea house.” She said, speaking slowly but loud enough for him to hear her over the distant roar and indeed slow enough for her to interrupt.

“There are these men that gather at that tea house every day. I like to sit next to them at a different table. I listen to how they talk to each other. They have been a… “ She lost a word there for a moment, unsure how to describe the men. “Like a pack of wolves… or a gaggle of geese… together for a long time. I’m sorry, I don’t know the word. Sometimes I don’t have the right words.” She said apologetically. Then she continued. “Their hair is gray and their skin is full of wrinkles and they do not work anymore because they claim they are in their ‘golden years’. I’m not sure how a golden year is different than a regular year, but I’ll figure it out eventually. They are old like Master Li. And they grow tired easily. But they come here and do this and they talk about it. They laugh and tease each other and have such joy. I thought….” She said, trying to explain herself better….

“I thought if I could learn to do this too that maybe sometimes they would let me join them and then they would talk to me and laugh with me and tease me as well.” Kelski explained, touching the pole and seemingly trying to move the hook around with its worm so that it twitched and jerked like a real worm would underwater without being impaled on a hook.

“So what happens next? I catch a huge fish, but it gets away after I have a long hard fight with it, and then I have a story to tell the old men and maybe next time I see them I can lean over and add my story to theirs and maybe they will invite me to their table and ask me my name and I can tell them other stories and we will become friends?” She said, suddenly realizing how…. stupid her plan sounded now that she’d voiced it out loud. It truly was ridiculous. She looked appalled for a second and then shook her head.

“I didn’t realize how stupid it sounded until I said it. It is stupid isn’t it? I’m learning to fish so I can make friends with people who are not like me and probably wouldn’t like me anyhow. Being human is hard. But being Kelvic is very lonely, Boo. How do you go about making friends?” She asked, shifting so that rather than sitting with her legs folded under her pooled skirt she was sitting on the big rock with her knees suddenly up. The skirt pulled away from her legs to puddle across her waist, revealing long muscled bare lengths of legs and nothing underneath. Kelski had no shyness about her body and seemingly didn’t notice that her bare legs, part of her posterior and most of her lady bits were revealed to her companion as she wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on the top of her knees. Her body hair was as white as her skin.

The pole was still clutched in her hand, but she looked young and somewhat tired in that moment.

[Boo Beckett]

If only the bird woman had known the truth of the matter, that his occasional glances at something far off were nothing more than unexplained constructs of a frail mind. Well, was it really fair to call it frail? Frailty was weakness, and weakness was to be filtered out and cast down, or else death. The weak did not survive Mizahar. How could they? It was one thing to go traipsing around the wilderness and getting eaten by a long list of adversaries, all quicker, deadlier, and much hungrier than a human like Boo. Then there was the simple fact that people were, honestly, a rarity in the grand scheme of things. What remained after Ivak's little outburst, now found themselves huddled together in makeshift towns and cities, building upwards in most cases, (or downwards too, it should be noted), but rarely outwards, convinced that safety was theirs and survival guaranteed.

But no. Mizahar was a deadly existence, wrought with dangers of such cunning, such design, that it was a wonder the Valterrian had not finished the job. Weakness indeed. So then, why might his mind not have been frail? It was an easy assumption to label somebody who conversed with chickens and imaginary women as, well, frail of mind. But might they suppose, just for a moment, that the very concept of creating something to withstand or survive something else, was in fact a strength? A rather strange one perhaps. But for all the times Boo had been caught talking to someone that was not there, or even seen glancing at something, as Kelski had witnessed, the fact remained that he was still here, keeping on keeping on.

But ho hum, carry on. So what if Boo was a survivor? Tomorrow he might pitch a fall over the peak and that would be that. Besides, there were far more interesting things unfolding in the present, such as how two souls from such vastly different walks of life, (or wings perhaps), had found common ground here beneath the industrious waterfall that never seized nor slowed in its endeavors to survive and, well, keep on.

Kelski spoke of the newness of experiences, Boo immediately seizing on that point as though she had solved some age old riddle for him. She was precisely right of course. Experience of new things, fledgling undertakings and calculated risks and gambles. Risk versus reward, taking a chance, letting the chips fall where they may. It was all about experience, the collection of them helping to define a person, or at the very least heavily suggest their leaning one way or the other when it came to forming opinions and such. Lhavit had of course been throwing experiences at him since he got here. It had all been something of a rush really, having had little time to truly stop and reflect. It seemed apt that now, under the crashing waters that hastily descended from the peak above, time seemed to slow and a relaxing calm sneaked in as part of the mist that rose from the river.

The movement of the rod had presented a small crack in the conversation, a natural and comfortable silence descending on them as they both watched the hook emerge from the water, sans worm and berries. Apparently the first fish had got the word out that free food was being served. Boo chuckled at Kelski's comment. At least she has a good sense of humor about it. Of course, she might have simply been making a statement. He did not know, nor think of it that way. "What else do you suppose fish like to eat," he asked, realizing he had no idea.

Despite the opportunity to take stock and look at events leading to this day, Boo instead found his attention drawn back to the woman he now sat beside. It was not so much drawn; rather he had fund himself hurling it at whatever walls the beginnings of a conversation between strangers might have put up. But not so with the kelvic. Beyond her initial floundering almost in getting out her words - he had loved the apparent awkwardness of that about her - it had seemed to him more like she was getting things into position, or dusting off a tool that had not been used in a while. Now, while her words still almost came as though fueled by the waterfall, it was more a case that she had so much to say that it was trying to get out at once, just as quickly as he tried to take in every word, decipher their meaning in groups, or even just hang on to one word here, or a syllable there, purely as a result of being fascinated by the way she said it.

He had not even stopped to question why he had taken such an avid interest in the woman. Was it that he sought company so keenly as Kelski did? It had never really been a itch he had needed to scratch. Before, with just Uncle Varin for company, usually their social interactions were purely a means of gathering information or simply being polite. It was with their true clientele, ghosts and spirits, that conversational prowess truly shone. Even then, it was more a tool than a talent, Varin having shown Boo the semantics of vocabulary and how it could be wielded and manipulated. Ultimately though, spiritists were strange folk, to put it mildly. The dealings with the dead left them a little out of touch the with the norms and etiquette of today's society, if it could even be called that.

The end result was that Boo in a crowd wilted like a sun starved plant. But put him in a one on one, and he could flourish. It was that bond that could be formed, the intimate relationship of two strangers who opted to present the other with their full attention. There was something to be said for people like that. Take Kelski for example. She might well have formed her opinion of humans in a general sense, governed by whatever experiences life had deemed fit to teach her. But essentially, giving of herself to a complete stranger was a completely unjustified and crazy thing to do. Just as well then that people did not really think in those terms. Instead, she had taken her chance, letting her chips fall where they may. How very human of her.

Though of course she had laid a trail of clues even a dummy could trip over and understand. The mention of wings and talons was probably as much clue as he could ever need, unless by some cruel twist of fate it transpired that she was a costume designer. Fancy that. But he was smart enough to understand. She was not human. She was...well, a bird? Naturally the revelation only served to intensify his interest, wondering how he had got so lucky to finally meet and talk to a kelvic. He had known what they were, well, the very basics perhaps. But to meet one! Not in the sense that he wanted to poke her with a stick while taking notes, or asking banal questions. But instead he felt, what was the word? Privileged. And even more so, it occurred to him that he was doubly fortuitous. He was not fixated on the woman because she was a kelvic. No. He had felt the draw to her much earlier than that. It was clear to him now, that he was fixated because this kelvic before him was Kelski.

All these thoughts and observations swirled round his head like a maelstrom, leaving him feeling giddy for a spell. As such, he was content to let her continue, explaining her conundrum concerning a drove of old men that sat around a tea house holding court each day. It puzzled him at first that she would be so inclined to be accepted into their gang, where there might have been far more compatible options in Lhavit. But he sensed that it was not so much the men themselves, but rather what they shared that enticed her so and left her longing. Camaraderie? Perhaps. But he dared to wonder if it was something more simple than that. Friendship then. Yes, he could see that, even related somewhat. With Varin and his wife eliminated from his past, (good riddance to the latter though), there was certainly a hole needed filling of late.

He was quite decided now that he did not care much for these old men. That they had not already welcomed Kelski into their group - any group would have been vastly improved with the additional of the kelvic - was to their ruin. They would live the remainder of their days, exchanging silly stories about fish and gods knew what else, never knowing that a table away sat probably the greatest story of all. And that was before even getting onto the topic of her being a kelvic. Speaking of which, he was glad to hear her confirmation on that front, putting to bed that outside chance that she had been dressing up as a bird all along.

For now she seemed condemned to her fate, to sit alone in that tea house for the rest of her days. She had said plenty on the topic, now drawing her knees up to her chin in resignation it seemed, though one hand still stuck to the task of handling the rod. Boo took the opportunity to offer some words of his own. After all, he had quite a bit to say himself on the subject.

"Well, I have to disagree with you. I don't think it's stupid at all to want something. Stupid would be wanting something so bad, but doing nothing about it." She won a quick smile from the man as though to punctuate his point. "I think the problem you have is one of perspective. For example, you claim to be fishing for friends. Well, it's working from where I'm sitting, in a manner of speaking We could be friends if you'd like. Then we could go sit in your tea house and laugh at our own stories. I mean, I don't know much about you, or you me. But the thing is, I would like very much to get to know you. So if that's something I want, and maybe something you want too, then we'd both be stupid if we didn't do something about it right?"

The sound of slow, sardonic clapping greeted his suggestion, as Elsa stepped out from a craftily placed rock. Though he could not see her gaze, he felt it for the accusing stare it was, burrowing into his silly little mind and no doubt laughing mercilessly at his frail attempts to bridge the gap with this woman. "Boo, sweetheart, dear. You almost make me want to cry with all the sentiment. But honestly, you're wasting your time with this feral creature. Tsk, she's not even wearing any underwear." She added that last part as an afterthought, as though casually remarking on something of little importance. But of course Boo found himself glancing anyway, more to debunk the rumor than for getting his kicks. Lo and behold though; the wretched woman was right!

Boo could feel the heat in his face, his cheeks turning up the red so that he himself might have been cut from the same cloth as Elsa's dress. He stared directly forwards so rigidly, and with such a determined look on his face that he only managed to communicate that something was very wrong. Sweet Leth's beard! At least I can't be accused of trying to get into her underwear, since SHE'S NOT WEARING ANY!"

"Not to mention Leth doesn't have a beard. Or your pet kelvic, apparently." Ignoring the fact Elsa had heard his thoughts, Boo followed Elsa's line of sight before realizing what she had meant. If it had been possible to turn any more red, Kelski might have thought he had burst a vessel. By now it was certain the damage was done. She would see him acting all bent out of shape, would then realize the mistake on her part, before casting at him a torrent of abuse for having goggled at her bits and pieces not once but twice. Furthermore, she would ensure Boo understood he was every bit the wretch, with not a morsel of gentlemanly conduct available to him for not having saved her shame and fixing the problem earlier on. At least that's how it went in his head.

Searching inwardly amidst a real sense of panic for a way out, he stumbled on the very appealing idea of simply running off, hoping that Lhavit was big enough that they would not cross paths again. No no, that would not do. Maybe he should just say something, get it over with, and hope the whole ordeal would be forgotten. Fat chance. He knew maybe as much about women as he did kelvics, but some part of his brain told him a woman would not let this slide. There was nothing for it then. He would have to throw himself off the peak after all.

Suddenly, there was a twitch of movement in the stream below. Kelski's rod jerked, then suddenly a splash. Boo stared down intently, seeing the flicker of movement as a fishy part poked out, then disappeared again. But the rod was tugged with it, before another splash signaled that this fish might not yet have wriggled free. Boo leaped up, stabbing a finger towards the fish with one hand, while waving the other one around in an apparently random fashion. The relief of the change in situation boiled over. He actually did a full turn on the spot, so animated he had become, not even realizing that he was yelling now with a manic look on his face.

"Fish! FISH! It's a petching FISH!!!"

[Kelski]

Kelski

Experience: Observation +3, Fishing +3, Socialization +3

Lores: Socialization: Meeting Boo, Boo: Crazy and has an imaginary friend