Closed A Beachside Meeting[Naadiya]

[Moritz Craven]

Moritz was unsure in what way he was being confusing, he tended to be pretty literal and if anything over explained things, so in what way he wasn't explaining himself he found himself unsure. Clearly though from the woman's words she felt confused by what he said, and that lack of understanding between the two seemed to further prove this point... Rather than speaking to this Moritz simply shrugged in response, not finding it to be an actual question, and continued about what he had been doing.

When she then tried to further clarify the odd phrase or term Moritz had not heard and had misunderstood he waited calmly for her to finish, nearly getting verbal whiplash as she jerked back and force from one thing to another in an attempt to explain something. If she found him obtuse and hard to understand then did that mean she understood her own words or felt they were finely tuned weapons of explanation? Moritz was unsure how, and while he might meander on a topic at least he was consistent in his approach and cadence and sure of what he was saying.

Eventually he did understand what she had been saying, though only after digging through it awhile and trying to piece things together from her illogical explanation which used an explanation to explain something which also required explaining, which then also included a item needing explaining to explain the prior point, and so on.

"Ah, okay. I don't think I've heard that one before. I suppose that makes more sense than the literal pick up I thought you meant. I haven't really been romantically involved with anyone before, which is probably why I've not heard the phrase. I mean I was pretty young when I left Lhavit, barely out of school, and since coming to Syka I've been pretty busy... I suppose I kind of skipped over that time where people normally experiment with... So I never had the chance to have that apply."

After heading off to finish his food work and returning with both Naadiya's food plate and his own fruits and veggies, Moritz nodded at her request and headed off to find a clean table to set the plates at. Putting them down opposite each other Moritz gave the woman a chance to sit down before walking around and sitting before his own plate, picking up a piece of yellow fruit he could tell was pineapple with a bite while giving her a chance to speak.

At her question Moritz shrugged again, thinking over her words.

"I mean I drink water and things, but if you mean alcohol... I never really got the appeal, and never really tried. I can grab you another one though, if you like. As for drinking... Why do you partake? Maybe if you could explain your reasoning, it would better help me decide if I wanted to try. What are the effects you feel from it for instance? That could also be helpful in further understanding it."

As they were sitting and beginning to eat Moritz chewed a few more morsels, but was not in a rush to devour his food as he was at times and so popped a single piece into his mouth at a time and slowly chewed it.

Hearing her name Moritz nodded in reply to avoid speaking with food in his mouth, chewing another small bite, and swallowing a moment later.

"I arrived late this past summer, so I've only been here a few seasons. How about you, how long have you been here for?"

Waiting for her to respond Moritz popped another piece of food into his mouth with his fork, taking a moment to spear a specific chunk he then pulled off into his mouth before slowly chewing his food up. He tried to meet the woman's eyes as she spoke, but often found his gaze wandering off to other places such as the beach, sand, water, and people moving nearby who caught his attention. Periodically he would make sure to meet her gaze, remembering people tended to find it important even if he still didn't really understand fully why.

Waiting for a lull in the conversation Moritz tried to bring up some earlier topics in more detail, remembering the odd explanation Naadiya had given.

"So you were speaking about picking up people. How does that work exactly? Perhaps you've had some experience with it? If I'm going to try it at some point I suppose I could use some advice or pointers. I mean I'm almost three, I should probably get on that sometime soon..."

Having said this Moritz looked off in thought for a moment, considering back where he had been a year ago when he turned two, and how he had both changed and not changed since then. In many ways he was the same, but in many ways he was not. He felt, or at least hoped, he had changed a good bit since coming to Syka. But then he still had new avenues to grow and learn and expand himself.

"Hmmm... You had specified you were not hitting on me, so you felt the need to indicate what it was not... Which implies you thought it might be seen as this... Is this something, what we are doing, a common way of hitting on someone then?"

WC: 895

[Naadiya]

How thoroughly odd, she thought. It really is like a language barrier almost, or talking to a child who also very clearly not a child. Naadiya could hardly imagine the logic that would lead someone to hear the phrase “come on” and somehow let their thought run so wild they would think the person was asking to mount them. A different kind of ‘mounting’ altogether, But I suppose saying so would throw him into another hurricane of confusion. she mused, not wanting to even broach that topic with the Kelvic. And then he did it. Suddenly, Naadiya felt like she was about to give a teenager an explanation of the birds and the bees. No thank you. Next topic please. She may have grown up with younger siblings, but Naadiya never learned to talk to children. She lacked the patience and saw little reason for the euphemisms adults often used to protect the young’s innocence. She’d always spoken to her sisters as if they had been of an age with her, and as the widest age gap had been of only five years, she usually got away with it. Part of her wanted to pity the boy in the seat in front of her. Now she couldn’t help but think of him as but a boy despite his size. Had he skipped out on the pleasures in life or were they just not to his liking? How old could he be? He said he’d just left school… Not exactly, he said he was young when he left Lhavit and had just left school when he left. But he didn’t mention when he’d actually left Lhavit. Unless he meant that he had come here direct from Lhavit. That is such a bizarre way of talking about his age today. How quickly does he grow? That would probably be rude to ask… But it doesn’t really seem like a lapse in social niceties would be something he’d take offense to. He spoke of them as if they were topics one learns about but doesn’t touch. She did not know enough about the lifespan and aging pace of a Kelvic, and had never heard of ‘okomos’ before meeting Mortiz so didn’t want to guess at something she knew so little about. Naadiya had met a few of the shapeshifting people, but with as little as she knew, one thing she did know was that they were essentially as different from each other as the animals they could transform into would be. Naadiya wondered if asking whether there were many okomos in Lhavit would be a normal thing to ask or if that would sound as ignorant asking if there were many Benshira in Wadrass. In her seat, Naadiya chewed as she thought of how to answer his question. Or rather, how to answer in a way that didn’t leave him more confused. Even as she tried to think of it, Naadiya realized it was hard to decide the words to describe the effects of alcohol in a positive note. Why did she drink? Why did she smoke? Why did she take thrills in the pleasures of the flesh? And how could she describe these sensations to someone who could not compare them to each other. “Well, some people say alcohol gives them courage. I find the sensation is more like it just lowers a person’s perception a little, or a lot depending on how much you drink and your own tolerance level. It might sound like a negative, but slightly lowered perception allows you to enjoy the moment without focusing on the potentially negative, overwhelming, or distracting thoughts that might come to mind. Thoughts like: ‘Will I be judged?’, while at a social gathering might be lessened with a drink, letting the person relax and let themselves enjoy the party, that’s why people like to drink in large groups so much” Naadiya swirled the liquid in her glass and ate a bit more, waiting for the alcohol to settle in her stomach and do its job. “But, of course, like most things in life… too much of a good thing can spoil the pleasure. You must start slow and make sure your stomach is not entirely empty or the alcohol will go to your head too quickly.” Thinking the Kelvic might not understand the expression, Naadiya explained, “if someone says that alcohol has ‘gone to your head’, it means you are drunk and have had too much. This might lead to slurring of your words, stumbling, even vomiting… Have you met Artik yet? He is a prime example of the use and… sometimes abuse of alcohol.” “I suppose you could see those reactions as close to when someone ingests a poison, but you shouldn’t fear alcohol like a poison. If a person were to, for example, drink an absurd amount of milk, they would also throw up. Even water, I suppose.” “Hey this is pretty good, by the way,” she gestured towards the plate as if realizing for the first time that he’d been the one to cook it. “I just got here in the beginning of winter, but this is probably the mildest winter I’ve ever had. The only ‘extreme' that seems to come here is the 'extremely wet’ type of weather. And even that doesn’t seem to last. Is it always like this?” THREE. Her mind stopped. He is ALMOST three, not even three years old yet! Don’t be an idiot, they age much faster. Stop comparing to what you know or you will always be surprised. Hoping her face hadn’t registered shock, Naadiya noticed the man was looking off into the blue and not really focusing on her. Was it immoral to teach a three year old how to flirt? Deciding that if nothing else it might be entertaining to later witness her teachings come to life, Naadiya drained her glass and tapped it with her dye-stained almond shaped nail. “How about this, I will try my best at explaining the delicate art of ‘picking up’, but I will definitely need another drink and I will need you to have a sip as well. Eat up, we don’t want it go to your head.” Word Count: 1035

[Moritz Craven]

Moritz nodded along as Naadiya explained alcohol and why she partook. While he had been offered it a few times since coming to Syka he had never felt much in the way of interest in it, but hearing someone else explain in depth the merits and demerits of the substance and partaking was of interest. If nothing else Moritz preferred to gain information about something before experimenting himself with it, and so any new info to clarify things was of interest to him.

Drinking alcohol... Gave people courage? While also lowering their ability to perceive things. He was unsure he liked the idea of that, Moritz feeling strongly about being on control of his faculties and being aware of what was going on around him to avoid being snuck up on, attacked, or taken advantage of... As for courage, he rarely felt an issue with lack of courage, and the things he feared he felt was for good reason.

"Probably then not a good idea to say go into the jungle after imbibing. Lacking fear and the ability to perceive things fully, that seems a good way to end up something snack or walking into something bad. As for courage... Do you feel a lack of courage stops you from doing a lot of things? I mean if I want to do something, I think I would just do it... But maybe that's just me. I think maybe humans tend to over complicate things at times... I suppose it makes sense... Sort of... Its kind of tough to say."

Pondering it a bit more Moritz canted his head as he thought, reviewing her words more fully before continuing his assessment.

"I suppose part of that though is I just don't really like large crowds or groups of people. I prefer open spaces, and talking to people one at a time. I think I do better talking to a single person than a large group. That's a lot to keep track of, multiple people speaking at once, going back and forth, confusing really.... And a lot to take in all at once. And made all the harder if your senses are dulled by the drink."

In between speaking Moritz slowly chewed away at the food on his plate, not in a rush but still seeming to consume the vegetable matter at a prodigious speed. By the time Naadiya was even close to making a dent in her food Moritz was down to a few pieces of food which he parsed out more carefully a bite at a time to avoid finishing to much before her.

Moritz shook his head in the question about Artik, though he was unsure if he had simply not met him or if he just did not know the mans name. Still, the downsides of drinking seemed not too fun. Almost like being sick. Not being able to talk properly, throwing up, having trouble walking, all things he did not think he would enjoy.

Why then if there were so many downsides did people drink so much? It didn't make much sense to him. But then, he supposed, perhaps it was simply an alternate reasoning for doing it? The drinking was a means to an end, and the possible end was more valued than the possible downsides.

The result was a complicated dance of human behavior which resulted in something or other of value.

The idea of consuming too much of something and becoming ill seemed a bit odd, but then perhaps he did have a hardier stomach than most.

"Me personally, I just stop taking something in if I have enough. I don't recall I've ever thrown up from eating or drinking too much of something... But then I can't really recall having an upset stomach either, I suppose perhaps my gut is pretty strong. But then even if that is the case, if you drunk too much water you don't have trouble walking or talking or such, so it doesn't sound exactly the same..."

Popping the last piece of food into his mouth Moritz nodded, considering the woman's words.

"I mostly helped, Stu did most of the cooking and final bits. I'm not quite up to making full dishes, at least not very often, most of them are made by Stu. But thanks all the same."

"The weather seems more or less the same the entire time I've been here, but I think that just has to do with location. I don't know that Syka really has proper seasons... As for Winter, I don't think anyone has experienced a proper one of those of late, Morwen has been gone since before I was born so I've never really seen a good one."

While chronologically Moritz was nearing three, physically he was much older in appearance, which included the various desires and needs of his physical age. Looking at Naadiya for a moment she seemed pleasant and attractive enough, more so perhaps than many of the other woman he had met since coming to Syka. But then he had spent a lot of time either with his employer, older woman, or Verusk who physically were quite different from a human.

Pulling his attention back to her Moritz nodded along, finishing off his last bit of food and standing while grabbing his empty plate.

"Sure, I can do that. I'll just ask Stu for another drink. Honestly though, the whole thing seems a bit complicated."

Considering it from his own perspective, Moritz found it odd. If an animal found someone attractive and wanted to mate, they would just ask, and either get it accepted or turned down. Sometimes there was more to it than that, some dancing and what not, but not all the drinking and things for certain. It seemed a lot of things would be easier if humans did the same rather than the complex dance of picking people up... He didn't really get it, but he supposed he should learn and that for whatever reason humans preferred the odd dance of words over someone just asking the question outright, so perhaps it was just a common cultural thing...

Moritz supposed if he wanted to find someone interested in mating he would need to learn this odd human mating dance. Having left Lhavit so young he had missed much of it, and had not seen much picking up of people back home. His mother and father had an odd relationship with a clear power balance, and while his mother was marrying a woman around the time he had been leaving it seemed more of a business arrangement than anything else.

Heading off with his empty plate Moritz found Stu and told him the woman wanted another pair of drinks. He spent a chime or so helping to wipe and clean things up while Stu finished whipping up the drinks before the man was done. Not long later Moritz took the finished drinks back out to the woman and sat with her, offering the new drink before sitting back at the table with her and placing the other near the middle of the table.

"I feel like it'd be a lot simpler though if you could just ask what you want, rather than dancing about on it. Humans kind of over complicate things. But then I've never been picked up or picked up someone, so perhaps I'm not the best judge of the concept."

Taking a sip of one of the drinks Moritz considered the taste, not particularly liking it. It seemed oddly sweet and other things, and not particularly pleasant. If anything it was too strong in terms of flavor, though he didn't feel anything else from it...

WC: 1,283

[Naadiya]

Naadiya stopped for a second to sincerely ponder whether she had been drinking more than normal since her arrival at Syka. It was true that while she was with Artik, they both often ended up having a drink or ten but she didn’t find herself getting sick, stumbling over or waking up in a weakened state frequently. Either her tolerance was growing, allowing her drinks more, or something in the water had restorative properties because she could not get enough of it. She chugged water with enthusiasm multiple times a day, sometimes with citrus juices squeezed in or a drop of honey or a muddled herb. All of those also being options that sounded like they would go great with a couple thimblefuls of a harder spirit. “No,” she replied “I would not recommend getting drunk off in the jungle. Or anywhere away from safety, really, though people do it anyway, it’s not the smartest course of action and I recommend you steer clear as well. I would also say, avoid drinking too much if you need to actually do any task that is very cerebral… It can slow your thought process and reaction time… But finding that sweet spot of just enough that your worries seem to no longer weigh you down is very satisfying. You can get a light bubbly feeling in your stomach that I guess you could describe as a light, simmering excitement. The key is to be somewhere you do no feel threatened, by either environment or inhabitants. Oh! I would also recommend only doing it when also in a positive headspace. If you are already sad, drinking too much will only make it worse.” Taking a few more bites, she swallowed before replying. There was something… either a spice, herb or some type of seasoning she’d just tasted that just did not work for her. A musty, hard flavor almost a curry but not quite, but it was too vague, too new and covered up by other flavors and Naadiya couldn't end up pin-pointing it. She took another sip of her drink to wash the flavor away. Another benefit of the booze was it made things taste better. Tastes and smells she normally would frown at became duller and less perceptible. Naadiya took another sip. Maybe it had come from something that had been cooked on the same grill. Sometimes such things happened and despite wanting to shut off her tastebuds at times, certain flavors were very persistent. She couldn’t name the spice, Naadiya hadn’t spend enough time by the cooking fire when she was growing up and consequently never really learned how to cook. Luck had been on her side when her father betrothed her to men wealthy enough to have their own cooks, but maybe that too was a double edged sword for even in her adult years she never learned how to balance flavors to suit a palate. Like most people, she could cook something over an open flame, usually animal flesh or stew. And Naadiya had also committed to mind some basic food preparation while out in the desert, she was not likely to die from uncooking a certain root. She could survive off of her own cooking but Naadiya couldn’t say that she would enjoy it. The bad part of eating at bars and taverns was you had little control of the food preparation and so sometimes things did not go according to plan. She had ordered in too nonchalant of a way, merely pointing to something that looked good at a nearby table. In her defense, she had little else to go by, having never been there to eat before. A written menu could only give so much information and even great paintings could not truly tell you what the dish they depicted tasted like. And the good part about eating in bars and taverns was... That you have little control in the food preparation. It came ready. Determined to find if the unpleasant flavor was coming from one particular part of her meal, Naadiya began to eat it in separate sections. focusing on one color at once. Naadiya chewed each bite for a good amount of time, dividing the flavors in her mouth and swallowing. “You’re not wrong, of course,” Naadiya leaned back in her chair a little, rubbing her left shoulder and thinking, “Humans can definitely be complicated. But if you are observant, the intricacies of human behavior can be very informative, and while they are also quite layered, they are not so hard to understand. ‘Just doing something’ can be as foolish as stumbling drunk into the jungle or ocean, in a social setting. Unless success is not your goal, in which case why even try?” There were many unwritten laws of social behavior amongst the Benshira… even some that were written. But Syka seemed to lack much expectations of any of its citizens in ways of perceived morality or humility, she had learned that fairly soon after she moved to the coastal town. Every new person she met, added more information to the image Naadiya had of Syka in her mind, should she ever need to describe this place to someone who had never been to these shores. As Moritz listed the many reasons for why he might make for an awkward party guest, Naadiya tried to imagine what he did when Tendays came around. Some people avoided the celebrations altogether, she knew. Naadiya herself had missed the ones that had come and gone this season, but she’d heard stories of them. “So, you think you don't like large crowds, but you might find that you feel considerably less uncomfortable in group scenarios if you have a couple of drinks. Social anxiety is not exclusive to Okomos and some people treat their own symptoms with a little fun in their cup! I myself enjoy group settings, the dancing, the singing, instruments playing and intellectual discussions in equal measure to bawdy jokes and lascivious gossip! Oh Gods, I miss Wadrass…” But then confusion showed on the Benshira face. “How can you have never thrown up before?!” Naadiya asked, again forgetting that the man sitting in front of her was not as old as he looked. But still!, how could he have gone almost three years of his life without ever having experienced food poisoning. Almost positive that she had zeroed in on the one vegetable that had not been to her liking, Naadiya ate around those pieces. There was enough on her plate that she doubted she’d be able to actually finish it and thankfully most of it was honestly quite good. She wondered if the Okomos had particularly strong stomachs. The only time she had ever seen a goat throw up was after it had eaten some type of flower, but Naadiya was pretty sure even she would have immediately vomited had she eaten that flower. Her uncle had once told her that camels and horses could drink strong beers and many even liked it. Did the goat family also like a dark brew? They shared such similar eyes with the camels, maybe this was another similarity. “Ask Stu if he has any dark wheat ales, you might like that more than a fruit drink, this one is honestly too sweet for me as well but that could be somewhat remedied by a good squeeze of lime. You may still prefer the dark ale though, I’ve heard its much loved by horses, cows, and camels. It might be just what your taste buds desire and it’s also not as strong as something like rum which I suspect is what is in this drink. Who knows, I think I might have found your drink of choice!” Naadiya smiled thinking how funny it was that on both sides of the table each person thought the other was quite odd. She may not have known much about the mating habits of okomos but Naadiya knew many animals that had mating rituals one could not help but consider bizarre or interesting. “I’m not so sure it’s only a human thing. When some female snakes mate, they can each do so with even as many as a hundred males at once. And have you heard of giraffes? They have very long necks and almost geometric prints on their hide… Well the way a male will find out if a female is ready for some fun time is by gently hitting her side with his head, then she urinates and he will take a drink to decide if it's a yes or a no… If I saw someone doing that at a bar, I would definitely think something crazy was about to happen. I think every species thinks the others have odd behaviors, most likely.” She took a sip of the fruity concoction. Stu always made things either fruity or very potent, but maybe he made drinks in just the potency that you needed at that moment and in truth her drink really did just need that one extra zing of sour or bitterness. Looking back over at the bar, she saw a small container with lime and lemon wedges and took two for good measure. With a twisting, crushing motion of her hand, she dripped the pale yellow liquid into the cup and used her finger to mix its contents. Another sip and a satisfied smile came to Naadiya’s face. The perfect blend of tart and sweet and sour and fruity and yummmm. “Right…so, I wouldn’t say that drinking is a sure way of achieving your conquest. It’s only a tool to do the main job which is find a level of comfort and interest between the two (or more!) people. But being in a more relaxed state makes one more open to new social interactions.” Even as she spoke, Naadiya noticed how much she was starting to sound like one of the aunts of the tribe. “And also, you cannot assume that if someone asks to buy you a drink, that it is a tactic towards some type of romantic interaction, that might get you into trouble or broken hearted. But you will learn, I guess that comes with trial and error. In any case, it is a good indication that the person wants to socialize, so if there are other signs present as well, you could feel more comfortable making your attempt. If you were to just walk up to a human girl and ask her to sit on your face, you might find you get a fist meeting your lips rather than anything sweeter.” Word Count: 1771

[Moritz Craven]

Moritz nodded along as Naadiya commented on his own comment, listening as she agreed and added onto it with her own musings. Nothing he did not inherently know, but still an additional viewpoint. However one comment she made he was unsure he agreed with, and thinking it over he took another sip of drink and pulled a face before responding.

"Getting drunk here though... I think that's you assuming that the settlement is truly safe. I'm not so sure I would agree with that assessment. I mean, the jungle is right there. Someone not taking proper care could easily get dragged off by a beast or eaten or something. Its not like Lhavit where you can travel for miles without truly seeing actual wilds untamed by people. You go to many steps in the wrong direction and your off the path and into the thick of things. Its safer than the jungle, being here in the settlement, but I don't think I would feel safe alone without other people near who are better skilled. Its why when I train on the beach and run I pick a spot near other people in case I need help."

At the word cerebral it took Moritz a moment of comparing the word to context in the sentence and to other words he knew to get what she meant, though was unsure he was familiar overly with that particular word. Something to do with... Something being... Thinky? Or taking thinking? But then if drinking impaired thinking, perhaps that would be even worse for him should he get drunk.

"Yeah if drinking impairs thinking, I am not sure I would come off too well... I get people angry enough as it is, and that's with me actively thinking and trying to work stuff out and what their gonna do or respond, and what not to say. Sounds like a drunk me would be less filtered and less thought out... And I'll admit I'm not the best at either of those tasks to begin with. I barely understand half the time now why someone gets ticked off, let alone with less thinking."

Thinking on this Moritz took another sip, trying to avoid making a face but ending up making a different one than before and so still failing at the task.

He was not feeling anything yet, and looking introspectively he was unsure when he would. Did it take one drink? Two? Was he supposed to feel something right away? Or was he feeling something and just not realizing it? He was unsure which, and that just made the situation all the more confusing. He had not gotten drunk before though, so had nothing to really measure it against. His speech felt fine... But then, if his thinking was addled would he even notice if it was not.

"Hmm.... How do you know when its working? I don't seem to feel any different yet... If I seem to be acting weird, free feel to let me know, I'm not sure I'll be able to work it out myself otherwise... Hmm..."

While Moritz felt he was overall an observant person, he was unsure how much he really saw when looking at people. Either he was less observant, or he just wasn't understanding what he was seeing... Or was seeing less by seeing the same thing, sort of how using his Iraso sight he saw more than others, and by comparison they were seeing less than him...

"I mean I guess, but I feel like I do pay attention, I just don't see the same things as others. But then at the same time I do see things others don't or can't see... Which seems a bit confusing to me. Even outside of accounting for the things I see that others literally can't see."

As the woman then went on to talk about social anxiety and fear of crowds Moritz frowned, trying to work out what she was talking about and where she was getting that from. When had he said that? Puzzling backward he tried to remember his own words, and recalled saying something about not liking crowds... And preferring one on one conversations... Realizing then the misunderstanding caused by her taking his words in a different way from how he had said them Moritz smiled for a moment, shaking his head.

"Uh, I think you misunderstood me. I said I did not like crowds, and preferred one on one conversations, not that I could not do it or had a fear of group ones. Dislike of something and a fear or whatever, those are two totally different things."

Trying to work out how to explain what he meant Moritz pointed at the food on her plate.

"For instance, say you dislike spicy things. Does that mean you are afraid or spicy peppers? Or avoid them walking through a room? No, its just a preference in how you eat. If you can control what you take in, or eat, you will avoid them. Or... Say you speak and read one language, and someone uses another you have very little understanding of, you would then prefer one you know better. Avoidance or dislike is not the same as fear of something. I don't like crowds because its too much at once, so I can't understand it well. Trying to jump from one person to another, all talking at once, going from one topic to another, its just very confusing. So I tend to stay on the edges, away from thick crowds, where I can figure stuff out better. Well unless a random Verusk lady drags me onto the dance floor..."

For Naadiya, it seemed to Moritz, drinking helped her to interact with people... But Moritz was unsure drinking would have the same effect on him. She also seemed to be missing some place, though he was unsure where.

"You miss where? Is that where you are from? I don't think I've heard of it. I'm just curious, if you miss it what made you end up coming here? I left since I had something I needed to do, but most of the people I've spoken to don't seem to mind being here over the place they left, or at least don't miss the old place."

At her query on his lack of vomiting Moritz simply shrugged, unsure what to tell the woman. He had not realized it was that uncommon until the current conversation when the subject had come up repeatedly in relation to drinking. Soon after that though she seemed to be trying to convince him to drink more, or at least advising him on more things he should drink... He vaguely knew of ale, but like before his last drink he had not tried it before, and simply noted the information for later as something he should perhaps try if it came up. He was not averse to trying new things, and if he was going to try something he preferred something he was unsure he would like or dislike over something he was fairly certain he did not particularly like and perhaps somewhat disliked.

"I mean, you can always ask Stu to alter it if you don't like it, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Hearing them talking, having been out at the bar, Stu came over to see the two talking. "Wait Moritz, which drink did you take of the ones I gave you? I handed you hers first, did you give that to her or did you drink it."

Moritz paused, looking down at the drink which was about two thirds drained due to regular sips during the meal and their talking. Holding up his hands he tried to recall, mentally picturing the route the drinks had taken... He had set this one here, and this one here... And had come from this direction, facing this one... Which meant before he turned away from the bar the one he had been drinking had been in... Holding up a hand Moritz spoke again.

"Uh... This hand. The one you handed to me on this side, while I was facing the bar."

Putting a hand to his forehead Stu shook his head, chuckling for a few moments before speaking while still laughing. "Moritz! That was hers! You drank hers! You've never drunk before, and she's a regular, so I know how she likes them. I put less sweets in hers, and double the alcohol in hers as the one I made for you or her first one since she was just getting eating. Yours was sweeter, and half as strong! And that's the one she's drinking!"

More finding it humorous than being angry Stu waved his hands before walking off. "I'll make you another one Naadiya, less sweet. Just give me a chime."

With that Stu returned to the bar, still chuckling to himself, occasionally glancing at Moritz. Moritz for his part glanced down at the drink, but hadn't realized before there had been a difference. At this point though he had polished off most of the drink, and taking two large sips quickly finished off the last bits of it while making a face still.

"Oh... Well I guess thats why yours was too sweet. Stu is usually good at that sort of thing."

As Naadiya spoke on various animals mating Moritz nodded along, unsure where she was going with the tale but finding the tales odd. She also mentioned several animals Moritz had never heard of before and that he was having trouble picturing.

"A giraffe? Whats that? Wait if they have coloration, isn't that to hide? How are they gonna hide if their head is stuck way up there?"

In Moritz mind he was picturing something vaguely horse like with but with a long neck sticking straight upward. He was unsure what the point of such a thing was, or where she would have seen one, but simply focused on the other points he did not understand.

"I'm pretty sure if you randomly peed on someone in a bar or otherwise, they'd get pretty annoyed. I think I've learned that if nothing else from watching human behavior. Of course if you headbutted someone they'd probably also not like that... And most humans have pretty soft heads... "

He vaguely recalled something on the one point from when he was little, someone picking him up and handling him and refusing to put him down, but he had been quite young a the time and not as in control of his bladder then and he had asked repeatedly to be put down without them doing so which he felt made it their fault not his.

If nothing else Naadiya seemed to be a wealth of information on animal mating, though he was unsure how or why she knew such specifics.

Meeting the woman's eyes for a moment Moritz considered what all she had said, but was unsure what she meant on some points and unsure what to say on some others.

"Hmm... Relaxation? Honestly, all of this seems the opposite of relaxing to me. Being drunk enough, but not too drunk. But also the right kind of drunk... And of some similar level I suppose as the other person... All to make a mood which then may or may not lead to something, or a path upon it. I feel like you just explained to me the procedures on how to build a house from scratch, starting with trees and raw iron to forge tools, and are now telling me its a simple thing. Although, I guess I sort of get some of it... But less so then why people drink if that isn't there goal... That makes even less sense. Plus I mean what if one or the other person spends all that time, but the other has no attraction to the other, that almost seems guaranteed to create those broken feelings. It just seems very... Whats the word... Inefficient. Surely a lot of time is wasted on this."

Looking down he noticed his drink was empty, but was unsure if he was drunk or not. Was he supposed to know? Or not? He didn't particularly feel any different... Sort of like being at the Arbor, but even more confusing.

Her last comment though completely lost Moritz, and it took him a bit to understand what she meant.

"Hmmm.... Wait what?"

Moritz tried to work that one out, but admittedly was having some trouble with it. Why would someone ask that? I mean I guess if they aren't trying to mate properly... Though is it mating if child creation isn't possible? Apparently, though that still seems an odd thing...

"Yeah no, I would assume that wouldn't... Be a good thing to ask for at random. Still though, I think if you could find out the base amount of info, like if someone even finds you attractive, that would save a lot of trouble. Since your probably not gonna try and mate with someone you have no attraction at all with, even if you enjoy talking to them."

WC: 2,182

[Naadiya]

Naadiya looked around and gestured with her arms to the whole bar. “Obviously it’s safe enough in town that the Founders not only built a bar but also feel comfortable enough letting the locals drink their fill… Are there risks? Of course. Risks come with everything in life, I suppose. You may be struck by lightning anytime it rains or suffer a heart attack in your sleep never to wake up. If you are going to let the small risk of a giant beast catching you just at the moment you have one drink too many keep you from ever trying, you may be in greater need of the liquid courage than you think.” Naadiya took a bite and after she’d swallowed, she tilted her chin up doubtfully, “I have never been to Lhavit, I haven’t actually done much traveling outside the desert until recently and most of that was by boat. But while the desert is not as full of life as the jungles here are, it can be just as deadly and yet that doesn’t keep people from drinking. Those who can afford, even give their livestock beer. In twenty six years I have only heard of one man who let the alcohol lead him to death in the desert, and he had a slew of other problems, poor man. Alcohol is like a sharp knife, can it hurt you if mishandled? Yes. Can it even cause death? Less likely but yes. But its usefulness outweighs the chances of something dangerous happening. Would you refrain from cutting vegetables because you might cut a finger?" “Uhm….you consider yourself to be filtered…?” her tone was a little incredulous, but her smile wasn’t snide, “Hah! Maybe you should be careful of how much you drink…. Like extra careful.” She laughed at his facial expressions, her own having by now gotten much more well practiced. “Oh I think it’s starting to work already and I will ‘free feel’ to let you know if you need to be careful, but I think you are still fine. Drink some water though, just in case, remember to always drink water.” Nodding, Naadiya said nothing as Mortiz tenaciously tried to explain the difference between the meanings of the words 'fear' and 'dislike'… She couldn’t really see why he had chosen to do so, as she hadn’t used the word fear. What had been his trigger word? Anxiety? Was this an Okomo reaction or just a man’s simple insecurities bypassing the conscious thought and seeping to the surface? Deciding she did not want to invest the time of explaining the differences between the meanings of the words ‘fear’ and ‘anxiety’, Naadiya just raised her eyebrows and let him talk, thinking of how she had woven rugs that were older than her new vocabulary teacher. Instead she let herself dream lazy thoughts of the desert. Naadiya could almost feel the hot wind on her face and she smiled distantly. Turning her smile back to Mortiz, Naadiya sipped her drink again and sighed nostalgically. “Wadrass, it's somewhere in the desert,” she said vaguely, the Benshira were very secretive about the exact locations of their peoples hubs. “It is a place that changes with the seasons as much as with the people that dwell there at any given point. One day it may seem huge and sprawling and the next it is a ghost town. We travel the desert most of the year and meet for holidays. I don’t miss the place as much as the life I had, I suppose. The bonds I shared with people, mostly. But I left because that was all mostly broken. If I went back it wouldn't be to the same place I remember. Why don’t we talk about something else?” At just the right moment, the mishap with the drink swap came to light. Naadiya was so used to thanking Syna when things went her way unexpectedly or not, but the Goddess had, by now, long left the sky. Thank you Leth. Naadiya figured it was meant to be, better for her to not get too drunk. A nice buzz was all the she needed, this wasn’t really the occasion for heavy drinking. Leaning back and turning to Stu with a smile she thanked him but declined another drink, “You know what Stu, I already drank most of this one and between that and the food I’m starting to feel like a large jar with liquid sloshing inside and I already know I’m going to want water soon.” Stu looked at her with a quizzical look in his eye but nodded and smiled “As you wish.” Settling back in her seat, Naadiya looked at Mortiz and replied, “I had an uncle who used to teach me about animals, but I have to admit, I don’t know everything about giraffes. I would image they would hide among tall trees or some such vegetation, right? With a neck like a trunk.” With a confused nod Naadiya wondered if Mortiz had already peed on someone. She would do her best not to judge but he spoke as if he had learned from experience that he should not urinate on humans, and a statement like that was bound to bring questions to mind. But that might a whole can of worms she was not enough sure she could handle so Naadiya called back to the bar tender. “Hey Stu, do you mind if we get that water with lemon and honey.” The man looked her with an easy laugh, “would you like a reed straw for that, your royal highness?” “I mean, I can see you are mocking me but yes I would love a reed straw. I’m taking care of my voice and the lemon and honey do wonders for the throat.” “Aren’t you supposed to have it with hot water, though?” “Oh gods, I can’t have a hot tea now I’ll start sweating, its too warm out. I’ll just use my beautiful new reed straw to stir the honey vigorously until it dissolves in the water.” Stu brought a tray to the table with a jug of water, a small pot of honey and a plate with a few wedges of limes and lemons and Naadiya thanked him. He took the dinner plates back on the same tray. Naadiya poured herself a cup and asked if Mortiz wanted water himself, if he did, she’d serve him a glass. In her own glass, Naadiya dropped a dollop of the sticky golden goo and a squeeze of lemon. Back in Eyktol, she would have to watch how much citrus she consumed, as it had a tendency to dry out the throat if drunk in excess, and she loved a tart lemonade. But in Syka, the air was so humid, Naadiya had encountered no such problem as of yet. While Naadiya had almost always found the intricacies of human attraction somewhat of a naturally inherent knowledge she’d been born with, she knew not everyone felt such topics were as easy to comprehend and she could imagine that for a Kelvic, it was all the more so confusing. Naadiya could hardly say ‘it will just come naturally’, ‘you’ll know when you know’ or some other similar phrase. She could only sympathize. “Some things just come natural to some people, you have your own talents I’m sure. You just need to find someone who makes you not feel like you are entirely inept. Which, quite frankly my dear, you are. Maybe another virgin! Or another Okomo Kelvic? Someone who notices the same things you do and doesn’t notice the things you don’t? She might not even mind being urinated on or have you randomly ask her if she wants to skip all the ‘waste of time’ as you put it. There is a twisted sandal for every broken foot, my grandmother used to say.” Clearing her throat, Naadiya took a couple of sips of her honeyed lemon water. She drank very slowly, knowing her bladder was already reaching its limits. “I would say that most, but not all, women I have met would say that if you think putting in an effort at wooing them is an inefficient waste of time, they would probably think the same of you. You will meet someone who you will want to go out of your way for, to leave your comfort zone in the hopes that they meet you half way. Sharing a drink is not necessarily ‘wooing’ but trust me, if you asked someone you were interested in, who was also interested in you to share a couple drinks, they would definitely see that as ‘wooing’… Well I can only speak as to what a human woman might do.” Yawning again, Naadiya took another sip but her stomach was already fighting back. Too full, way too full. “I should probably get going though, my bladder is about to burst and I still want to get my loom set up before I start getting ready to turn in for bed. How much do I owe you guys?” She opened her purse and pinched out a few coins to pay for her meal, then asked if they would want any help cleaning up. At the inn, Tazrae always insisted on her not needing to help with any type of clean up but it was ingrained in Naadiya to always ask, never liking to leave behind a mess of her own making. Stu refused her help and still refused when she insisted, “I’m taking your money, that is enough help. Thank you! Enjoy the rest of your night!” Naadiya grabbed her bag full of isuas yarns and hung it once more on her shoulder. “Where are you staying? I’m going East, to the Protea” she asked Mortiz. “We can walk together if Stu doesn’t need you to clean up.” If Mortiz decided to stay, Naadiya would pat his shoulder and say her goodbyes, again apologizing for having made their first encounter awkward, though in her mind, that was still his doing. Word Count: 1677

[Moritz Craven]

Moritz shrugged, moving to take a sip of his drink before remembering it was empty and simply shrugging again.

"Safe, safe enough, its all relative. I'd still prefer to have my wits about me though. Maybe at a tenday when there are lots of people around, safety in numbers and all that, I wouldn't mind. Of course then I'd need to be even more sociable so... But in general, I prefer having my full senses and faculties. If I see it coming and something gets me, that's mostly on me. No reason to make it all the more likely by dulling yourself on drinks."

Part of this was Moritz natural risk averse nature, but part was also his own feelings of inadequacy in regards to combat and fighting. Finding himself weak in that regard, he did not much want to be made all the more weak and vulnerable.

"Ah but with blades, if its a good blade and you know how to use it and take care cutting yourself isn't too likely, no matter what your chopping up. But If I was cutting them with a rusty knife that's liable to injure me, I might stop and find a better blade or get that one fixed."

At Naadiya's sudden serious question Moritz met the woman's eyes before nodding.

"I think plenty of things I decide not to say. I would call that a filter of sorts. And sometimes I just decide to not say anything at all, and listen instead. Or to shrug, or nod. Sometimes like when people say something their annoyed I don't already know, though I've no idea how I was supposed to have known it before. Which I find kind of funny, since all the time I find people hearing one thing or thinking I said one thing, when I clearly said something different. Though once I know it, assuming I figure out why it annoyed them, I consider that for next time and use that to adjust what I say. Which is where the thinking comes in."

While Moritz had a vague idea of what a desert was, the specifics were a bit vague in his mind. Some place hot and dry... And sandy... Sort of like Syka, but drier.

He was more interested though as Naadiya spoke of her family or such things, though from how she changed the topic and did not return to it after Stu arrived and left it seemed she was not too keen on speaking more. That and her outright saying she wanted to talk about something else, that also keyed him in...

Moritz sat silently and looked out over the ocean during the back and forth between Stu and Naadiya, letting it progress where it would.

While he accepted a glass of water and sipped slowly at it he did not add any honey, not partaking of meat or animals products himself though understanding that others did.

At some point the topic turned back to him, at which point Moritz met the woman's eyes, and resulted in him giving an actual laugh for a moment. As he found one point of her words funny.

"Hmmm... So I need experience to gain experience, but I can't gain experience until I already have it. That's not confusing at all..."

"As for Okomo Kelvic, that'd be a bit limiting. I think there was maybe one other in Lhavit where I'm from, but I don't think I've heard tell of any others. So probably not too common of a Kelvic. And whose to say an Okomo Kelvic would be just like me. Are you the same as other humans or what not that you met, just because your of the same type? "

Thinking for a bit Moritz tried to think what he was natural at, but not many things came to mind.

"I'm pretty good at tumbles and flips and things, though not as good as that Verusk dancer by any measure. Though I don't think that by itself is all too employable or useful besides avoiding for things."

At Naadiya's comments Moritz wondered if the woman was speaking more about falling in love or mating? It had begun on the latter, but now she seemed to be speaking more on the former. Romance didn't require love, as he knew from his own mothers marriage just before he left, but mating did not require per say romance or love, did it? Or were they all being used interchangeably when one or another was meant? He was unsure, but did not think he would work it out tonight.

"I think I'm past you in the bungalows, but I should probably stay around for a bit and help clean up. Thanks for the offer though. Have a good night Naadiya."

WC: 796

[Naadiya]

Naadiya narrowed her eyes slightly, trying to work out the details of her knife analogy before replying in a way that Mortiz would understand her meaning. “No, try looking at it again, because now all you’ve done is add in two other variables to muddle up the comparison. One of the new variables being the skill of the person holding the knife and the second being the quality of the blade. Alcohol=knife. Rust or dullness, fall under ‘quality’. Just like knives, not all drinks are created equal and some will have you feeling worse than others just because their own quality. Now that can be affected by the skill of the brewer and the ingredients involved and a whole bunch of other things but we don’t need those extra variables to add needless confusion. And of course the more experience you have with alcohol the better get at holding your liquor, just as the more experience you have wielding a knife would make you better at cutting something safely.” She had never had to explain something that she had felt so instinctive, to someone who had an entirely different set of instincts and in such great detail… Had she gone into too much detail? She hoped she hadn’t confused him in the process. If she had, Naadiya might just have to call it quits. Maybe explaining things to people was not her strong suit. Thank Syna she had no aspirations to return to the desert as one of the many barren aunts that went around herding children between their lessons. Looking at the Kelvic, Naadiya amended her idea of him. Perhaps his mind was so crowded with thoughts that they pushed upon each other to get past the filter between his mind and mouth. The conversation went on and eventually Mortiz was actually laughing. Naadiya’s eyes widened in surprise but only for half a second. Had she even seen him laughing yet? When he spoke he often seemed monotoned or just very leveled and controlled. This may have been the first real burst of emotion she’d seen from him. He wasn’t wrong though and she nodded, agreeing with him. “It’s a conundrum for sure… a conundrum is another word for a confusing problem, by the way. But to that, I have no explanation or solution, sadly.” Mortiz’s words seemed liked Naadiya may have ruffled him a bit, so she tried to smooth it over. “Well, I didn’t say that okomo Kelvics are all the same or all alike… at all actually… But yes, I still think that it would be senseless to say that one would not likely have many things in common with someone who shared the same background and upbringing as them. You may not have had to deal with a romantic relationship yet, but trust me, a million and twelve things can get in the way of things being smooth without there being hurdles to get over, and every little difference between the two of you might become a hurdle in of itself. It won’t happen with every difference, or even every time, but occasionally you might find yourself filled with anger because someone seems to have a different definition for certain words in their minds or are simply stuck doing things a certain way from years of repeated behavior, repeated behavior that does not mesh well with your own…. There are a myriad of daily annoyances that can be avoided when both people are operating with the same set of experiences built in. But there is no set rules denoting what will or won’t work in terms of love, when it hits it hits. Lust too, I suppose, though often more inconveniently timed. It’s all in the chemistry of romance, and that's pretty much a mystery to most…” “As someone who has been married to a person from almost my exact background, I can confirm that you are right to a degree, we did not work out despite the commonalities. But as someone also currently in a complicated situation with someone that has quite a different background than myself, I can also attest to the fact that many of the little annoyances that come just from him seeing things a certain way or not noticing certain things that I do or him being used to doing things a certain way.. well can slowly eat away at the positive parts of the relationship as well….” When she had said her goodbyes to both Mortiz and Stu, Naadiya made her way back to the inn alone. She could feel the blister on the bottom of her heel rubbing on her sandal and knew she’d have to getter better shoes soon. Some of the locals had already worked up leathery callused feet, but Naadiya’s were still unused to walking barefoot. I should soak them as soon as I get home. She decided, then found her way to the cobbled stone path that lead to so many spots in the coastal town. Word Count: 833

[Cleon]

Grade Award!

Moritz:

Skills: Running + 3, Endurance +3, Socialization + 5, Cooking +2, Rhetoric + 3

Lores: Running: How to maintain pace, Running: Runner's stitch, Running: Jogging across a sandy beach, Running: Using momentum to turn, Running: Alternating between controlling your breathing and gait, Cooking: Destemming a pepper, Cooking: Dicing peppers for salsa, Alcohol impairs critical thinking, Alcohol can give courage, Alcohol dims perception, Alcohol can make you sick, Naadiya: misses Waddrass, Naadiya: Dislikes spicy food, Naadiya: Lives at the Protea Inn



Naadiya:

Skills: Embroidery +1, Design +1, Observation +5, Weaving +1, Singing +2, Rhetoric +4

Lores: Embroidery: Stitching out a tiny flower, Design: Plotting out a pattern, Weaving: Working isuas into a loom, Moritz: Bartender at the Tidepool, Moritz: Kelvic Okomo, Stuvantis: The bartending counselor, Rainmere: Jilted lover, Moritz: Lives at the Bungalows, Moritz: Okomo Kelvic, Moritz: Three years old,

Extra: - Mild scrape on your forearm (Should heal in a few days with treatment)
-Slight bruising on hip (Should fade away in a day or two)
- Torn Skirt

Notes: I greatly enjoyed the thread guys. You both did a lovely job, and I look forward to reading more from you in the future.

Feel free to pm me with questions or concerns about your grade, and don’t forget to edit your grade request!