[Inclement Weather] Tough Hands (Tavaltia)

[Risa Moontide]

(24th of Summer, 511AV)
The sun was setting. The mountains and caverns around her were dripping with orange light. Fala wanted to return to the boat, or so his longing whistles suggested, but Risa wasn't going to attempt the treacherous hike back to Thunder Bay just to get some sleep. Besides, her ankle ached from the latest mountain climbing attempt. After she fell an Inarta advised her to try a leather worker for a harness to keep herself from falling again. A rumor that someone here could help is better than doing nothing, she guessed.

Risa stepped inside the bar, abrasive music greeting her like beach-side wave. he room was filled with Inarta, most of whom were up and dancing to the live band. The sound of the many drums, glass blown maracas, and even the elegant string instruments accompanied the lyrical singing, though the language was not one Risa knew more than the words she overheard moving through the streets. Light streamed out in colors from the lamps covered in painted glass, leaving a... peculiar pattern around the room. Risa almost found herself staring at the different patterns, but some dancer bumped into her and jarred her from the distraction.

The music was so loud it drowned out Fala's whistling even, as she slowly petted his head to calm him. Risa looked throughout the room at the many patrons. She wasn't sure how she'd even find this leather worker, especially in this crowded room. she walked over to the bar itself asked for a mug of rum, wanting to just feel more comfortable. Having no rum she took just a cheap beer and sat with her back to the bar, looking over at the patrons. She couldn't help but feel like an outsider here.

[Tavaltia]

Tavaltia walked up to the bar and found an unusually dressed woman in his seat at the bar, he was a regular here, and everyone that came here knew that, which means that either she wasn’t from here or she was really drunk, and either way he didn’t want to deal with it. In Nari he says “I’m not sure who you are but If you wouldn’t mind your in my usual spot.”

Sitting down immediately next to her he looks her up and down and this time in common says “You’re not from around here are you?”

It’s almost like she had spent less than a season in the mountain, she was tan, even a little sun burnt, odd around here. “So stranger what brings you to Inclement Weather? We don’t see outsiders often in Mt. Skyinarta, let alone in our bar.”

He looks at the bartender someone he has known for a while and waves, the bartender passes him a drink, his usual drink, a rather heady drink known for knocking out some of the patrons with a weaker fortitude and threw it down like it wasn’t even the slightest problem. “One last thing. What’s it like out there?”

[Risa Moontide]

Risa sipped the beer in small fast gulps that were exceedingly further apart. She disliked the taste of this northern malt, but it wasn't as though any other could really be called enjoyable. Drinking was about these Inarta around her, enjoying themselves. It was about the people. Risa just looked over the people enjoying themselves, dancing to the noise that felt more like stormy waters than the musical symphony of violins, harmonicas, and accordions she was used to. She also watched as the man appraoched, tired eyes baring giving her a glance, and began speaking in the Inarta tongue.

Risa stared up with blank eyes, trying to gleam some understanding from the man. His tone was cordial and confusing, like he was questioning but expected no answer. He must have realized his words fell like rain in this confusing atmosphere because he nearly immediately seated next to her, this time speaking in common and eyeing her more closely. A grin and a wave of relief washed over Risa, He speaks common! and she replied cheerfully, "No, I'm not. I'm here to see the sights, meet the people, and climb this mountain. This bar seemed like another island along my path."

The hefty draught the man downed stung the air with its vibrancy. While he quickly downed his drink Risa held hers to her nose, letting both the smell sail up and Fala dip his beak into the brew. His feathers ruffled and he shook his head, never liking the beer either. Risa giggled at the small bird as the man asked his final question.

"Out there? In the world?" Rise let the question float in her mind a second longer, and looked away from this stranger. What WAS it like at there anyway? That's what she was here to find it, wasn't it? She looked back at his strange hair, the tendrils falling on either side of his head, as carefully braided as her own this day. This was a different place, but her chance to find out just what it was like. "Well, the world I know is nothing but the water and beaches. It's a simple place, an easy place. But for what it's like out there? That's why I'm here!"

[Tavaltia]

Water and Beaches, sounds almost as consistent as the inside of a mountain. Tavaltia knew that’s why he wanted to leave, and it sounds like enough reason for anyone to want to leave their old life. “The mountain is a wonderful type of climb, relaxing and happy, you feel as if you can see the whole world once you reach the top. I can see why you would want to climb it.” He will look around, close his eyes for a moment and listen to the Music. “I can understand why you would want to stop here as well the music is great and the booze is strong. So what’s the story of why you chose this wonderful mountain in your travels, and what got you travelling in the first place. I’ve never had the chance so, it interests me.”

After a moment Tavaltia looks at the bird and asks “may I” holding his hand slightly raised “I have a bird of my own, but I don’t take her out in public often, she sometimes tries to eat other people’s birds. I’m learning falconry you see, and I am still training my falcon. She’s sweet, but she doesn’t really have a total grasp on the don’t attack other people’s pets quite yet” Tavaltia smiles at the small bird on her shoulder and starts using some of the tone’s of Nari that involve whistling, sounding almost like a bird himself to make sure it knows that he means no harm.

[Risa Moontide]

On his words Risa could see the mountain again, could imagine the impassible stone walls above her. It looked marvelous, her goal before her feet. To see the whole world... Stone was hard against her hands, much harder than the wood and water she'd rather have against them. But at the same time, the stone was warm.

"I don't think there's any easy answer to why. I just felt... I needed to see the world before I found myself helping take care of a school of kids, tied to my ship tighter than any sail. I want to see the world, so what better place to start than a mountain you can see the world from?" Risa leaned back in her seat, letting Fala hop into the man's hands. She took another quick sip from the weak brew, just looking blankly off, her mind beginning to track the flicker of light and patterns on the ceiling.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my name is Risa Moontide. I didn't ask for yours yet. This cute guy is Fala, and he's pretty much harmless." Risa looked back at the guy's red locks, letting the hardy smell of leather permeate her senses. "I definitely like your hair. Any chance you could teach me how you get the braids like that?"

[Tavaltia]

“I understand, seeing the world is important, I haven’t seen much yet, been in this mountain, is my home, but it lacks something. I have seen what you can see from here. But there are no other homes in sight.” He will sigh lightly and for a few moments say to himself

“I spend my life in this mountain and though it is my home, I want to see the world around me, to know this home is truly my own.”

“He is an water bird, no?” he will stroke Fala on the back of his neck with the back of two of his fingers. “I apologize for my bad Common though. My name is Tavaltia, I am a leatherworker” As she looks at his hair he asks her “I know what hair is, but what is braid?” as he sounds out the last word. “If you point out which piece it is I can teach you, but I’m not really sure what it is.”

He gestures at his hair, holding up some of the parts that are actually braided and some of the ones that point upwards, obviously confused about what Risa meant. He will stroke Fala again. “you may as well be bird with some words.”

[Risa Moontide]

Risa's mug was below the half mark, she found herself drinking in deeper gulps as the warm glow began to cloud her mind and tongue, drowning out the ill flavor with its potency. She grinned at the man's own tongue, his heavy not from drink but from the unfamiliar words that passed his lips. Her own voice already had a higher crest and lower tide, weaving up and down musically like the words of the songs that already filled the room. "A water bird, he is! You can tell from his thick feathers. Fala's actually quite the diver as well, and he swims better than I do!"

Risa's eyes tracked Tavaltia's face as she spoke, trying to make sure the words were understood. Her hands instinctively mimed out her words as well, diving in and out of an imaginary ocean. "Your common is very good compared to most here! Here..." Risa stood up and moved her own hands slowly, slowly picking out one the braids in his hair. She peered closer, just noticing the red string woven in. The color of it was lost among his own natural hair. "This string is how you get such tight braids? It's very interesting. I would lov-"

"... You said leather worker! I came here looking for you actually!" Risa was speaking much faster now, more excitable by her fortune. "I told you I was climbing but I keep getting hurt and I heard you're the best and you have the parts I need so I need your help with getting a way to not hurt myself and I..." Risa blushed, realizing he probably wouldn't be able to follow her quickened outburst. She looked down for a second, collecting her thoughts, before she looked back into his face. "Hm... Can you help me climb?"

[Tavaltia]

This woman spoke quickly then slowly then quickly again, Tavaltia did the best he could but sometimes he just got lost, though he caught on very quickly why the woman was playing with his hair. Grabbing the piece of hair that she had a rather tight hold on and was jerking back and forth and pulling it out of her hand. “String”, pulling out the braid and taking the silk out of his hair, “Not make good Braid,” Rebraiding the hair without the silk in it. “I do many times, get much better”, unbraiding and rebraiding his hair again, all of this happening in the space of a minute.

He had caught very little in her outburst only the word’s leather worker, and climb, but that was enough to get him started. “Harness?” He will hold up his braid, “Good harness have many braid. I make you Harness.” Tapping himself on the chest, “How you help me? Leather is job, cannot do for free.”

He orders up another shot, and downs it, this woman was crazy, and he needed a break from her. And a shot does wonderful things for slowing people down. Ordering another one, he will hand it to her.

[Risa Moontide]

Risa's eyes were wide when he yanked the hair from her hand. I think... he's being short with me? I must be acting like a child. Risa's face was reddening, only a small part from the drink she had nearly finished. She sat back in her chair, hands moving moving on their own against her glass, a nervous beat drummed against it. This time she failed to follow him as his hair wove together in that strange Inarta fashion. Her mind quickly went to work on the pattern, trying to study the flow of hair and his fingers' fast movements, but she wasn't sure how clearly she had gotten it.

His words on leather working were now the foreign ones. Braids? She'd never seen much leathers, now that she thought of it. Sometimes winter clothes were leather-sewn and she'd seen a couple leather coats, but had no idea what it took to work with it. Regardless he seemed to know what she was looking for. Risa reached into her bag, rummaging inside until she brought up a long salted fish, holding it before Talvatia. She tried to speak more cautiously, to force understanding, "I fish. I can give the food in trade. I have a bit of coin too. What do you think?"
oocI'm still working on getting Risa a career with the Valintar on another open thread so I'm not sure if this is the correct way to go about this. If I'm making money from fishing I may have more than the three miza's by now as well. Hurray for continuity!

The shot he handed her was much heavier than anything she was used to. Risa bowed her head in thanks and smiled, taking a quick sip from this new drink. The brew overpoweringly strong, drowning her tongue in its hearty flavor. Risa quickly swallowed down the oddity, but her body responded angrily with a coughing fit. Burrowing her face into her shoulder Risa coughed loudly, sputtering the drink a bit as her hand bounced while holding it.

After regaining her composure Risa set the drink on the bar top, next to her now empty first mug. She knew she had to try to finish it or she'd feel rude, but she was to give herself a second to catch her breath.

[Tavaltia]

Tavaltia laughed, he saw that the drink was far too strong for her, and he had been hoping for that. he knew that almost no one could out drink him, and after a few drinks almost no one had self control, at this point he knew why she was here. But he wanted to know more, he hadn’t met many outsiders before, and even then only for a short while. So he wanted to take every chance to get to know her that he could, and people were just more honest drunk.

Tavaltia will start attempting small talk, though not knowing much of the language he starts with simple phrases, he knew that eventually the words he said wouldn’t matter, “So where is carefree beach, only beach I know have many walrus, they often try and kill you, Not very carefree.” He looked at her carefully, and judging by her size she was a bit of a lightweight, which is good. “You no have walrus?” he says’ while offering her another drink