The Pearl Sands in the Fall Light[open]

[Vyalomn]

Vyalomn's attention passed between Nari and the shrinking distance between them and the business of the harbor. Vyalomn couldn't help but smile at the thought of sweet smelling and bright, soft things, let alone the thought of being able to create them! She looked forward and slowed her steps as much as possible to delay their arrival without making the effort so outright.

Her initial words dragged out, "Well...I'm not sure there's much else to know about me..." Her lips stopped and twisted between the phrases. She conintued, "I already know how I loathe the business of the city... and moreso the conformity of it. Really, the one thing you need to know about me is that I want to leave from here. That is about it actually...I cannot bring myself to it though. I mean, I cannot just up and leave Mahd'vi, my home...and what would I do for food and such?" She stopped in her tracks and pushed her hands through her hair. Silence fell for a second and then, "There is just so much out there to see, but there is also just so much in my way...it is not fair." Vyalomn's words faded into a whisper in the flowing breeze. The waves crashed and foamed over her voice near the harbor's rocky break point. She kept together and looked back to Nari. "I feel no call, I just lust to see. I feel so vain. Maybe that is why I stand out so much..." Vyalomn's attention fluttered between this world and the past. What impressions of the past had been burried so deep and forgetten that somehow, even now, vexed this girl?

[Nari]

Nari closed her eyes, letting the breeze tickle her cheeks and her companion's words take shape beneath her eyelids. "It wouldn't be the first time a Konti left the Isle without direction and with some hesitation," she commented slowly. It wasn't her place to try to convince Vyalomn to leave or stay; it was merely interesting to present arguments for both sides. "You make a living dancing here, why not use dance to earn mizas for food and lodging elsewhere in the world? You have talents and skills, I'm sure, that could be used in your benefit, if that is not to your liking. A wanderlust can fester like a wound, turning a person bitter and dampening even the beauty around them, or so I've been told. It may be better to give into it, instead."

Shrugging, Nari continued to follow Vy's pace, figuring the woman would know their location better than Nari herself since she'd never been there before; though she was starting to hope they were getting nearer to their destination. It was getting darker, and Nari was just the slightest bit paranoid, even in Mura.

"Could you not take your sister with you? It would be safer that way. And, as you have pointed out to me, it is not always bad to stand out, especially if your sister doesn't mind the attention either. It could be turned to your advantage if you didn't think of it as a curse. Or so I believe, at least," she continued, dipping her head to hide her slight blush. She wasn't usually so candid toward others. Advice wasn't exactly her forte. "Have you ever spoken to her about leaving? Perhaps she has a place she would like to see, where you could go together and begin your travel abroad. It couldn't hurt to dream together, rather than alone, even if neither of you are quite ready to turn that dream into a reality."

[Vyalomn]

Her head drooped down a bit, her bangs sliding forward and being pressed back. "I have not given it that much thought, but I figure I still have time." She pulled her hands together and twiddled her fingers about, shifting her eyes between the nearing harbor, sands, and Nari. "I have a feeling...but it is just a feeling...a sort of incompletion of myself, I am lacking. Perhaps I could find myself out there, in the whole world. I have heard so many stories, but they might just be stories, and that is why I am afraid, really. I would enjoy company, but I cannot burden my sister. She is so happy here. I just cannot compare to her."
The golden glow from the distant braziers began to show on the sands before them-the business, even at the falling dusk, still exciting-and Vyalomn lifted her head, taking in another breath. Her stature shifted upward, arms to her sides, head high, chin up, and those ever piercing eyes darting forth. Her lips hung loose together and she turned to Nari. "Ready for some fun?" A hormonal intoxication possessed the air about Vyalomn's presence. She carried herself in such a magnificent way among the crowd. The people waited to take a look up close, only to want to take another as she passed. So many did notion to her beauty with their native gestures, the courteous grunts and occasional whistles. The gestures, though thinly spread in this white city, thinned further towards its core, and thus Vyalomn's presence earned no more methods of lust, but a great measure of disdain.
Her first step onto the city's stony ground created a slight clank, like that of a horse's hoof upon the stone, and thus her strut continued, a streak on the white earth.

[Nari]

Nari understood where Vyalomn was coming from- she really did. It was frightening to feel like a part of one’s self was missing, like a person didn’t know all of who they could be. But life in Mura was peaceful, pleasant- conveniences not to be taken for granted in Mizahar. Safety and security weren’t simply discarded, especially when a Konti had a life with meaning, a routine that wasn’t easily broken. There were ways to force the uncomfortable feelings to the back of one’s mind, ways Nari had perfected over the years. It seemed a little forward to mention these things to Vy and could perhaps be taken as patronizing, so Nari kept her mouth shut. She knew little of Vy’s life and shouldn’t pretend like she could truly compare. While she was contemplating the right words to say in response, Nari noticed the change run through her companion’s body- her features, her movements, even her attitude. It seemed almost defiant, like joy turned into rebellion. The stares that followed in Vyalmomn’s wake were disconcerting to the shorter Konti as she tried to keep close, to not be left behind in the throng. There was a mixture of desire, derision, and fascination. The first thought to pop into Nari’s mind was a scent to match the feelings she was experiencing. Perhaps stint green flowers to match the heady attraction from the crowd, nookta for the beauty and self-confidence Vy was expressing, bilberry rind to lend an acidic punch in response to the disparaging undertone, and….Oh, no. Her mind had wandered again. “Fun? Oh, yes,” she said breathlessly, trailing in Vy’s path. Hopefully, she hadn’t waited too long to respond. She felt nearly invisible to the crowd, but Vyalomn would undoubtedly take it amiss if she didn’t pay attention. “This is even more exciting than I’d first believed. I’m also feeling a bit nervous, though I do not know why. You're the performer. I’m only watching, after all. Well, and practicing with you if you have the time, but that will be private. It will be private, won’t it?” A wave of anxiety flowed through Nari, her eyes widening at the thought. She was babbling, and she knew it. New idea: a change in topic. “Have you ever made special clothing to dance in?” she asked hesitantly. She obviously knew nothing about dancing or Vy herself, but she hated sounding ignorant.

[Alice]

Vyalomn

Experience: 1 Swimming, 1 Singing, 2 Hospitality, 5 Conversation
Lores: Relaxation, Opening Up, Being Bold, Discomfort, Trusting Others, Loathing Home, Feeling Incomplete

Nari

Experience: 1 Meditation, 5 Conversation, 2 Philosophy, 1 Observation
Lores: Relaxation, Being Overwhelmed by a Vision, Discomfort, Encouraging Others, Experiencing the Unexpected, Nervousness

Comments

A beautiful thread! I love the interaction and the change in behavior of the two. It is obvious they benefit from each other’s comments. I’d have loved to read about the rest of the evening. If Vyalomn ever comes back, you’re free to continue.