food and light. (open)

[Dor]

The Lhatvian was delivered a wide eyed look when he pointed at her and declared her kelvic. That look, once accompanied by the arch of her eyebrows, was easily translated into any language. It meant: no shit, jack. Needless to say, she maintained that expression through his announcement that she was naked. The corners of her mouth were twitching in threat of another smirk, delicate features overlaid by skin virtually untouched by the light of day and so nearly translucent. The shadows of bones could be glimpsed beneath, enhancing the tattered china doll image. Her smirk broke free the moment he blushed, teacup shoulders shaking lightly with silent laughter as he stripped off his robe. That laughter erupted into startled splutters when he tossed the robe at her, dropping her pack to awkwardly catch the article of clothing. “Really?” Suspicion narrowed lightless eyes, but she made no attempt to return the robe to him. Rather she clutched at it, fingering the material between her fingers, admiring in much the same manner as the falcon had admired the jade kina. “The coin’s worth that much?” She fell silent, probably contemplating how many more jade coins she could steal from foolish humans who let them drop in the street. Her accent was decidedly foreign and far, far away, her Common base but her voice throaty and deceptively soft as down. It grew muffled as she spoke while pulling his robe over her head. “I’m from up there.”

[Dhatzu]

Recovering from the initial shock, Dhatzu's curiosity was now his motivation. His eyes still cast downward, he replied, turning the jade kina over and over in his hand. "You are borrowing the robe, not purchasing it. You may keep the coin." His acknowledgment of her modesty seemed pointless, as she seemed in no hurry to cover her nudity. The acolyte's head remained tilted, but his gaze strained at the edge of his field of view, taking a guilty peek as the naked ....girl, donned his robe. Her flesh was as pale as cream, and as smooth. No line indicated where even a portion of her alabaster skin had been colored by sunlight. Its quality was almost unnatural, but as beautiful as a the surface of a glazed vase. Once the kelvic had slipped on the robe, Dhaztu tilted his head up to meet her gaze. The milky coloring of her face accentuated the penetrating nature of her dark eyes, as fierce as when she bore the falcon's shape. All was framed by the wavy tangle of a crimson mane. A traditional beauty she was not. But, she possessed an exotic attractiveness that held Dhaztu's gaze, maybe a little too intently. As she answered his question, the acolyte noted even the unusual timbre of her voice. Her response was not what he expected, nor did her quip truly address his inquiry. But Dhatzu would not push her. He feared, just as when she had worn the peregrine's feathers, that if he overstepped his bounds, she would fly off. This creature was far too unique to let slip away. "I am Dhatzu. I was just going to buy a treat, would you like one?" The acolyte felt awkward making his offer, as if he was not sure whether to consider the kelvic a bird that looked like a girl, or a girl that looked like a bird. But he wanted to come up with something quick, before she got away. The young man looked down again at his bared torso, and back up to the girl perched on the barrel. "Um, do you happen to have any clothes in that pack?"

[Dor]

“We made a bargain, Dhatzu of Lhavit,” the girl declared with unexpected force. Bare feet touched the ground, sliding her from her perch atop the barrel. His light blue robe dwarfed, but she had it cozily wrapped around her all the same. The color caused her to think of hydrangea flowers and skies so blue they could break your soul. She stepped up to Dhatzu in order to study him from a new angle. Due to the difference in their height, she was forced to cant her chin up in order maintain eye contact. Young, she decided, and held up by a strong, flexible skeleton. A slow, sideways tilt of her head left her eyes traveling down to linger on the slip of starlight across silver scars. Shiny. It registered a heartbeat later that he was likely a warrior and a hasty step backwards was made, placing her just outside of arm’s reach. “A deal,” she continued, hands rising to curve against the night air as if grasping for the right word, a better means of communication. This language was not her first and one might imagine that her truest language had nothing to do with man-shaped mouths. “One jade coin,” she pointed at that still in his hand. “For one removal of jesses. Nothing with clothes.” She was quiet for a beat. “Blue or otherwise. My pack?” She glanced down at her pack and then back up at him. Dark eyes narrowed. “Maybe. You want your robe back,” she deduced. “Only you just gave it to me. What do you mean by treat? Something sweet?” A gleam of hope limned her expression. “You can have your robe back for something sweet. Agreed.”

[Dhatzu]

She spoke again. Her Common was heavily accented, and about as limited as his. Her throaty, insistent tone only intensified her unusual presentation. In truth, the kelvic defied definition, refusing to fit into any category Dhatzu had at his disposal. The Night Walker had observed people from the shadows since childhood, over heard their secrets, studied their behavior. But the girl, she was unique. Though small and slight in stature, with no form of weapon natural or man-made, the young woman exuded an air of confidence that bordered on intimidating. Dhatzu's eyes did not leave hers as she examined him, his gaze following as she suddenly took a step back, as if she detected some contagious disease upon his skin. Her strange movements, the broken way she spoke, reminded the acolyte of the falcon. Curious, cautious, self-assured. A girl who is a bird, Dhatzu finally concluded, feeling the need to assign the woman some form of classification. "Very well, a deal is a deal." The acolyte conceded, tucking the coin in a small pocket in his pants. "And, no, I don't...I mean, you can wear the robe, until you can change into your clothes. You do have clothes, don't you?" He had only assumed she had clothes. Then a crack of realization opened in the young man's understanding. "You could not ...change into a human, because of the jesses. So why would you need clothes?" He concluded out loud, answering his own question. "Keep the robe, at least until we can get you some clothes." He took a step back away from the shop window. Seeing a glimmer of expectation when he mentioned treats, the acolyte made a proposition"Yes, Come on, lets get something sweet first. Then, if you wish, I will help you get some clothes." He gestured with his hand to follow him. The kelvic was big on bargaining, trading favor for favor, and wondered why. As he waited to see if the falcon girl would accept his offer, Dhaztu looked back at the crowd meandering through the plaza. His sincere hope was that they would not pass any Shinya on the way to the sweets shop. It would be difficult to explain why he was shirtless, as a naked girl wearing his robe walked next to him. Nevertheless, he hoped she would accompany him. She was quite intriguing, and he did not feel he could leave her to fend for herself in the strange city.

[Dor]

“Dhatzu,” the girl who was a bird said with bemusement. “Why would I need clothes? Save for, for..” She cast about for the appropriate word while sinking down to scoop up her pack and the discarded jesses. The pack she slung over her shoulder and the jesses were the victim of a vicious look, but she kept them in hand while falling into step with him. “For defense against the air,” the weather, she meant to say. The climate. “And then I’ll just put on feathers.” A sidelong glance was snuck at the acolyte as she stuck her tongue into her cheek, choking back the sickle curve of a smile. This was due to the fact that she was teasing him. She did have clothes. The pack contained half of her belongings, the rest stashed in safe and terribly high mountain roost as it was exceedingly difficult to cart it all about while on the wing. It was also true that she had noticed his earlier blush and veiled glance. Humans were hysterical. The sparkling sprawl of the Floating City was absorbed with both caution and fascination, Dhatzu’s silent summation of her nature being highly accurate. There was not a great deal of grace in her when she walked, but walking was not what the soul in her had been built to do. “Dor,” she finally offered with a hand spreading over her chest, the overlong sleeve of his robe falling back.

[Dhatzu]

"Well, Dor," Dhatzu exclaimed, "you can't walk around Lhavit naked, it just....isn't done." The young man did not have a better answer than that. He didn't even know if there was a law against being nude in public. There didn't seem to be a need for one, everyone wore clothes in public. Even bare chested, Dhatzu strode with an unconscious swagger that came with the respect even shinya acolytes were afforded by those of lower social status. In reality, his eyes kept darting to the faces around him, looking for anyone who might know him. His glances also shifted to the girl who wasn't really a girl next to him. She sure did look like a girl, in every way. As he recalled how she first appeared sitting on the barrel, his gaze slipped away from her. Taking his belt, which he had been carrying in his hand, Dhatzu draped it over his shoulder. The acolyte spoke up, trying to sound knowledgable. "There are others like you in the city, shifters, I mean." He had not, in fact, met any, or at least that he knew of. "I have never seen them walk around naked either." It was then that he realized he had been focusing a lot on the subject of nudity, and quickly changed the subject. "There," Dhatzu pointed to a small, nondescript shop in a row of similar small establishments. There was a sign painted above the door with the image of a round pastry swirled with icing. In the window, lit by orange light, a selection of baked goods were displayed. Reaching the door, the man opened it, and a familiar small gong sound rang out. He gestured for Dor to enter before him. "After you."

[Dor]

“Sounds like a people problem, not a kelvic problem,” she reasoned with a frown nettling her brow. Smiles were a rare and rusty sight, this present expression somewhere between consideration and consternation familiar to her face. Without warning, she slowed her steps, bare toes curling against the plaza floor. It was so she could watch him walk. The way a person walked could be defining and it was also one of the hardest aspects of character to alter. Dhatzu’s walk told her a handful of potential heresies, among them being that despite his apparent modesty – at least insofar as she seemed to be concerned – he was not ashamed of his shirtless appearance. Nor should he be, in her opinion, but it was clear as the night sky above them they did not see eye to eye on most things. “Skinwalkers aren’t called clotheswalkers,” she pointed out as if that explained everything under the stars. There was a visible hesitation when he opened the door for her, thereby winning a strange look. Either nobody had ever held a door for her in her life or the only one who had left a lasting impression. Impossible to read, the expression dissolved in another second anyway as she finally stepped into the shop. A gulping breath brought the warm, sweet smells rolling down her throat and placed a bounce in her step as she went straight to the counter to peer down at the selection.

[Dhatzu]

Dhatzu was fully engulfed in playing the part of tour guide to his new acquaintance. It took the young man a few steps before he noticed Dor had fallen behind. He slowed, turning back to look at her. She stood there clad in his ill-fitting robe, her dark eyes gazing at him curiously, a slight scowl etched in her face. She was not impressed by him, that much the acolyte could surmise. Dor was not like other girls, or other people for that matter. In the few chimes he had known her, Dhatzu had concluded that she was the strangest person he had ever met. This only made her more intriguing, though her standoffish nature was not promising. He sensed she was just as likely to take wing and fly away at any moment as she was to remain in his company. He waited for her to catch up again, and they continued towards the shop. It was apparent as well that the falcon girl drew a distinct line between their kind. Human, Kelvic. Skinwalkers. Clotheswalkers. Her words were cryptic but not entirely lost on the human. The acolyte reassessed his approach to Dor. More consideration was required, for the view she had of the world was not the same as his. She could soar through the sky and preen her feathers and tear a rabbit apart with her hooked beak, how could the two of them not be different? Resolved to try less to impress Dor, and more in actually understanding her, Dahtzu watched the hesitation as he held the shop door open for her. He wondered, as again she cast him an odd look, if etiquette was something lost on a kelvic. Shrugging, Dhatzu followed her to the counter, encourage by the spring in her step. The acolyte stood next to her, gawking at the baked goods. In short order he located his preference, and when the elderly baker's wife approached with a wizened grin, the acolyte pointed to a triangular pastry with a drizzle of glaze. "That one, the cinnamon one please." He requested in lhavitian. Turning to Dor, the young man spoke again in Common. "Does anything look good to you? What would you like?" He glanced at the falcon girl, more questions accumulating as he again studied her wild appearance. It was not overt, but when one looked at her loose, crimson hair and her nearly translucent skin, it was apparent she was not ordinary. Her darting eyes too, were just a little too reminiscent of her avian form. Not wanting to appear to be staring, Dhatzu quickly turned his gaze back to the pastries.

[Dor]

Dor had her hands gripped about the strap of her bag where it cut horizontally across her chest. It was an effort to keep from spreading her hands against the counter and smudging those clean, shining lines. When Dhatzu spoke Lhatvian, her head turned to stare. It was recognized as that language which hummed through the city, resonating against the steep cliffs and growing lost and dissonant in the fog. “Lhavit’s language?” She questioned. Returning her attention the pastries, she continued her study. Truth was she wanted them all. “Honey,” she decided and brought her regard to the shop keep. “Please,” was added not as an afterthought, but as a deliberated bargaining chip. “Dhatzu, how do you say please in the star language?” He seemed willing to answer her questions so far, so she kept loosening them from her lips one by one to see how long the warrior’s good will would last. Her mediocre Common and outlander mannerisms might allow for an impression of dulled wits; but in truth she was young and foreign, but a far cry from addled. This Dhatzu of Lhavit with his good taste in colors for clothing and unfortunately (though fortunately for her) soft edge when it came to bargaining struck her as being knowledgable. If nothing else, he was bound to know more of Lhavit than she; and that was a whole city’s worth more than what she held in her head. It was an excuse to continue conversing, of course, but she was going easy on herself.

[Dhatzu]

Dhatzu had to admit feeling a slight thrill. This place was one of his favorites, for it seemed to tickle all of his senses. Probably the most powerful was the aroma that hung in the air. The scents of sweetbread, fruits, cinnamon and honey lingered tantalizingly on every inhaled breath. The gorgeous array of sweet threats teased his eyes, every shape and size, generously draped in a variety of sugary coatings. Even the sound of the small door gong, the clanging of pots and pans in the back kitchen enhanced the experience. And the friendly faces of the owner and his wife, always eager to serve. The strange woman at his elbow only heightened the excitement of the visit. The acolyte watched as the girl made her order and turned a question towards him. She spoke his name with a lilting accent, spoken in a manner he had never heard. He readily repeated the lhavitian word for please, adding the phrase for thank you as well, speaking clearly . The old woman placed each of their pastries on a square of thin, waxy paper and handed them to the young patrons. The acolyte slid several jade kina across the counter towards her. As if giving a live demonstration, Dhatzu deliberately repeated the lhavitian version of 'thank you'' to the baker, bowing his head slightly. Then he glanced at Dor to see if she would follow suit. Once they had received their treats, Dhatzu led Dor back out into the plaza. He raised the cinnamon pastry to his face, sucking in a lungful of its delicious smell, before taking a healthy bite out of it. Looking again at the wild girl, Dhatzu filed through the growing list of questions that continued to compile regarding the kelvic. Some were too personal to ask at this point, others he feared would make him appear ignorant or foolish. Her eyes were penetrating and hinted at a keen, observant intelligence. Though Dor came off as unfamiliar with the customs of Lhavit, or of humans in general, he believed she was equally adept at seeing through his attempts at elevating himself in her eyes. Though the woman gave him no indication that she needed him for anything, the young man wanted to be of any assistance he could. He hoped in the process to learn more about the fascinating stranger. "Dor, what would you like to see? Do you need to find a place to stay?" Dhatzu suddenly wondered if the falcon girl slept in a bed as a human, or perched on some rocky aerie as the raptor.