Stargazing on a Rooftop (Closed)

[Asara Willow]

Her golden eyes narrowed very slightly when he didn't offer her his hands. She stepped forward warily, expecting some remark to come from him as she took one of his hands herself. She made sure to use a gentle touch as she stroked the texture of his skin and examined the stark contrast of his sporadic black nails against his fair skin. It was odd, different. His mother would have had to be the Symenestra parent if he showed human traits. Was that really possible?

She released his hand as he began speaking of the stars and tilted her head to listen better. He spoke of them the way she felt of them... He sounded like he knew more about them than she did, and she wanted to have that knowledge as well.

Her head tilted back so she could look at the flickering stars. She heard him speak, her ears just barely picking up his soft mumble. A frown wrinkled her brow briefly. But what was Lhavit? And why did he sound so endearingly wistful when he whispered of it? "All I know is that they do not change... They are always there for me to look at, to watch. I named them, but I've wanted to learn their real names. The Common ones. I can't..." She fell abruptly silent, unable to admit to her inability to read Common. Her eyes glittered brightly with the same excitement he spoke with. "What do you know of them?"

After all, prior to coming to Syliras, the stars were the only beautiful things she'd seen. She loved them dearly.

[Seven Xu]

Seven's gaze hardened as the woman took his hand anyway. He let her get her fill of gawking at his nails before yanking the hand away and pocketing it again. If he were feeling particularly saucy he would have been harsher in his wording; this woman should have recognized, sympathized with his preference to keep some things to himself. "Please." a defiant scarlet glare bored into gold as his hushed voice cut through the night air. "Don't." Would this girl simply try to take everything she was denied?

Thankfully, the topic at hand had been changed to the twinkling points of light over their heads. Seven gracefully took a step backward and focused on the stars above. The lines on his face smoothed as Seven's scowl dissolved. "I know some," he admitted, pale lips hanging open for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. "I enjoy plotting out the skies on charts, the location of the stars from season to season - they do change, you know. Not much, but they do move across the sky.

"It's said that more was known about them before the Valterrian," Seven's voice lowered to a whisper and he motioned for Asara to follow him as he began to walk through the cramped, short streets that made up the Gate District. "It is hard to find knowledge on much of the theory now. I keep my eyes open, though." Another pause, and Seven turned to check over his shoulder at the Symenestra woman. Of course. She was interested in the romance the stars held, as many others were. It was not surprising. "It is nice that you have made up some of your own constellations. Could you tell me about them?"

[Asara Willow]

She felt like she had done something wrong, and she frowned just a bit. She thought about what she had done and tried to understand why it had offended him so much. Did he not see? She envied him for his appearance. Maybe he found her brash.

Slowly, Asara withdrew into herself. It was like the spider that backed away at meeting another, larger one that the Symenestra found herself mimicking. It was a lazy recoil, defensive and relaxed. She expected something harsher than just his tone which would have helped her understand his discomfort. After all, he was both a lovely creature of the night as well as a strong creature of the day. He should find comfort in his appearance.

When he began speaking of the movement of the stars, Asara was fascinated. She wanted to understand them, to know what they were and why they fancied themselves so pretty that they removed themselves from the reach of even her long arms. He knew names? She wanted them. She'd find books on them and learn to read while studying the stars and their patterns.

When he gestured for her to join him, she hesitated. After the awkward moment she had sunk into her usual calm depression. She would have said sorry for invading his space, his privacy, but the idea clashed with the voice that told her she had every right to take what she wanted from a half breed. Still, Asara muttered her apology quietly in Symenos before following him.

"They are just fanciful images I created in the sky whenever I was bored," came her soft reply in Common. Her eyes were lowered as they walked, her a foot behind him. "Whatever takes my fancy I will draw in the sky. I've always wanted to know their real names, but I can't figure out what the real constellations even are. Mapping the sky seems like tedious work... But a very rewarding one as well."

She tilted her head at him, lifting her eyes just enough to meet his gaze briefly before her gold optics flashed away. She wondered if she'd be around long enough to see the stars shift. Surely, new stars would be the most wonderful thing. She considered trying to name them all.

"What is Lhavit? A star?" She asked him suddenly.

[Seven Xu]

Seven had noticed her aversion to him as soon as he made it clear she was not to grab him without his permission and forced himself to ignore it, rather than apologizing as he usually would have in such an awkward situation. To anyone outside his head it appeared his intentions were to make her feel guilt for the unwanted contact, but in fact he was as mortified as she was for snapping at her. Besides, he had gone this long without interrogating her with questions of her origins and her reasoning for being so far from Kalinor - if he remained polite and quiet, the urge to acquire information from her would remain controllable.

"Lhavit is a city." Seven remarked, turning away from Asara to focus on where he was going. His voice had flattened with his expression. So she had heard him. "It's in western Kalea, close to Kalinor. They call it 'the floating city of stars', and the Alvina Zintila resides there." There was a forced vacancy in his voice as he spoke of his former home, as if one was speaking objectively, rather than recalling fond memories. "The city sits on a mountaintop, and you can get a clear view of the stars from there."

A hand reached over his shoulder and into the bag to nab one of the apples he had bought from the bazaar. Lifting it to his lips, he bit down and tore a small chunk from the fruit. Seven let the acidic juice play over his lips before licking it off and chewing on the soft white flesh. He was desperate for a change of subject, but the streets seemed rather dull and devoid of interesting life as they approached Traveler's Row. A refuge for those that were only in the city for a short period of time, although the buildings seemed nicer on the outside than his small apartment in the balmy belly of the citadel. Looks were nearly always deceiving; besides, for the first time in a long time he had actually wanted to return to his humble abode. There was a draw to actually do so, now.

"Tell me more about your constellations," His voice was lofty, the apple satisfying his hunger that he had built up during a long day. Again, Seven attempted to take control of the conversation. "Perhaps they're even more interesting than other interpretations."

[Asara Willow]

Asara kept her pace with him, the intention to pay more attention to his body language than her random, somewhat satiated curiosity. She'd discard the incident for now, file it away for later when she was alone again. The complexities of his reaction were utterly confusing to her. The intricacies of etiquette had to be observed if she was to have any friends in this frightening city.

Her mind focused entirely on the apple Seven had pulled from his bag. She watched him eat, masking her hunger, to see if he'd eat it the same way she did. Surprisingly, the young adult took a bite out of the apple, something Asara had never done until she had properly made her fruit into a mushy ball. How utterly fascinating.

At his description of Lhavit, a place he had spoken of in longing, she frowned. His tone was quite empty, like a recitation. There was no feeling in it, no sense of loss, and it was a startling change to how he'd spoken before, yet she bit back her question. She was too nosy, digging in a personal area for answers she probably didn't deserve. She hadn't earned his trust at all, it felt like. She couldn't possibly ask a question until he passed one off on her.

And there it was again. The question of the stars... Embarrassment flooded Asara, and she found heat forming in her moon pale cheeks. He may have been making her feel guilt, but he was also bringing out the side of her no one else had ever bothered to coax out.

"I name them in Symenos," she replied softly. She sped up to walk somewhat next to him now. "I can name them in this language if I think about it enough. If the streets weren't so cluttered I'd show you them, I'd trace them for you."

As she spoke she tilted her head back to frown up at the sky. At this point she'd only seen the hand of the Archer notching the Arrow. A sense of loss filled her at the sight, for a strange reason.

"Lhavit sounds like a beautiful, wonderful place... Is it as densely populated as this city? I think I'd enjoy going there one day..."

Suddenly, she tilted her head at him and smiled in the friendliest way she'd known how. In a way, it was how she smiled at Zafkil, for no one else had earned a smile from her yet. She spoke her next words delicately, trying to make a compliment out of them to warm him up to her.

"The name 'Seven' suits you... It is very unique. I am glad you skipped the prefix... The word is not a compliment to any who bear it, and while I cannot emphasize, I do sympathize... Your name should embody your ingenuity and intelligence, and not be a reference to your blood..."

This time she fell silent after speaking and lowered her gold gaze, feeling, for once, like she was not as bad off as others.

[Seven Xu]

The girl had asked again of Lhavit. This time, Seven had dismissed the question all together. He would have control of the conversation, and he would keep it from probing into his past. The wounds were still too fresh, having been opened a couple of times since his prayer to Viratas that night in his room. Seven's expression darkened and his father's voice seemed to resound in his head. That of a stern man, who cared little for emotion getting in the way of life goals. A man that had decided Seven's path for him using deceit. Admittedly, finding himself in Syliras had not been something Seven regretted. If the ends were to justify the means, perhaps someday, his father would be forgiven. A dismissive sigh escaped Seven's chest and his ears barely picked up on the compliment the Symenestra had paid him.

Another small smile, and perhaps to a nocturnal eye some semblance of a warm blush. "Oh ... thank you. Most think a number for a name is peculiar." Seven didn't think of his name as a number, but, he didn't really consider it as a Symenestra would, either. The soft sound of the consonants in his short name were often reserved for those of the 'fairer' sex.

"You can speak of your constellations in Symenos," The smile returned to Seven's face. While he may not understand much of what she would say, he enjoyed the sound of the language. It was far more graceful than the Common tongue, and the potential to pick up a few every day words would only be beneficial to him. Stopping beneath the shrouded darkness of a stone wall that made up one of the housing buildings of Traveler's Row, Seven slid down to his haunches and pressed his back against the cool, rough stone. "Tell me,

"When you look at these stars, what do you see?" Seven's worn leather boots dug into the compact dirt beneath him, balancing himself before laying his arms lazily over his bent knees. His back remained arched, shoulders poised carefully against the stone wall and his satchel hanging between him and the building. Despite muddied blood, Seven had adopted the grace in his small body that belonged to those of lighter bone and longer limb. Seven was atypical in every way, and yet he carried himself and his demeanor reflected that of a polite young human. And as it should - he lived in Syliras, after all. It was not beyond a knight to flay a Symenestra for doing little more than shooting a dirty look at nobility.

Seven's crimson stare moved between Asara and the night sky above with a content smile.

[Asara Willow]

This time, Asara caught the dismissal. A small smile curled her lips gracefully as she became even more inquisitive. She would stop asking though. His past was not her business, she'd assume. She didn't even recall her own past. At that her gold eyes glittered mysteriously. Envy at him for knowing his own life washed over her for a moment. Until her piercing eyes saw the colour darkening his cheeks.

Asara pursed her lips to hold back a chuckle. When he spoke of how peculiar his name was, she tilted her head slightly before responding. "Seven isn't so peculiar... It is a Human name, but in Symenos you'd be Talvaren. It's a pure blooded name that would signify change. You should be happy for it. It's better than mine. Asara for the dawn. I don't even like the sun." Her voice sounded with her disdain. It was true that she disliked the sun. It burned her fair skin, and the humans were active more at that time. Day made her uncomfortable.

When he crouched down, she copied, moving as gracefully as him, but placed her hands on the ground, splaying her long fingers. Her arms were too long to comfortably fold on the thighs of a thin, narrow body. It was also the position of a waiting hunter, the poise belonging to the watching predator. She smiled brightly at his apparent interest in her star pictures, but she didn't want to put him at an advantage. So she compromised.

"I'll put them as close as possible in Common for you. It would be lovely to learn some of your inherited language in case you met another Symenestra one day. You do well, as it is, but your..." A frown furrowed her brows again as she thought. The word she sought she knew in Symenos, but she'd not learned it for Common. "... Structure is lacking. It chops. I'll help you with that. If you want, of course." She smiled afterwards, showing she meant no bite with her words. Then she turned her gaze to the sky and her pale gold eyes flashed in the light of the beautiful moon.

"At midnight the full moon sets itself in a ring of stars. I believe it would be the Crown in Common." She let out a loose string in the creeping of Symenos. "Nyash Konenvret."

She turned her eyes to Seven and smiled at him. She wanted to know something, if he could give her something in return if she helped him learn Symenos. After all, it would be horrible if she was asked to read something for someone and had to suffer the scorn of being unable to read Common. "There are more. I have made several during the night. Would it be fine if I asked you to help me with something... Personal?"

[Seven Xu]

Seven took another small bite from his apple; a nibble, chewed well and swallowed. While he didn’t rely on his weak venom to break down his food and could digest plant material – fruits, vegetables, lentils: it was impossible for Seven to eat meat without getting sick. His body would immediately reject it.

“The dawn also signifies change, in a way.” Seven grinned cryptically, “Either way, Asara is a nice name. You shouldn’t frown when you say it.”

There were questions burning in Seven’s mind. What did she know of Kalinor, of the Symenestra, that he did not? It was likely she was a wealth of knowledge, advantageous to keep close. Seven also felt some responsibility to keep the girl safe. Stalking about the rooftops in the dead of night was a sure-fire way to garner attention of one of the countless knights that roamed the fortified city at all hours of day and night. The color flushed Seven’s cheeks again and he candidly bit his lower lip at her mention of his fragmented Symenos.

“Heh.” A nervous laugh rose in Seven’s throat, “The only Symenos I know is what I’ve memorized from The Viratassa. There isn’t much for conversational language in such a text, as you probably know.

“The crown, I like that.” An amused smile crept across Seven’s lips, keen canines making a point to dig once again into his lips. The thought of Leth himself wearing a crown of stars was ... cute. Perhaps Zintila had fashioned it for him as a gift. He let out another, more relaxed laugh and Seven found himself relaxing in the flow of their conversation. Before he had a chance to urge the girl to tell him more of her imaginative constellations she caught his attention with a peculiar question.

“Personal?” He repeated in an airy tone, brows a shade darker than his snow white hair raising beneath his shaggy bangs, “I suppose so.”

[Asara Willow]

She watched him take another bite out of the apple, feeling the uncomfortable pressure of her fangs against her lower lip. She knew she could deny hunger for a little while longer yet, it wasn't excrutiating at this point... Yet she still wanted it. So she reached for the little pouch at he small waist and pulled out three gold mizas.

"Can I buy that..?" She felt embarrassed at asking for his apple. She didn't know if he was as hungry as she, and if he said she was she'd do the right thing and let him keep the apple. She hadn't ever wanted to inconvenience anyone, and Seven did not deserve to starve while she mushed his apple.

At the mention of her name meaning change as well, Asara glanced down at her long-fingered pale hands. To her opinion, the name was wrong for her. She looked nothing like a day creature, and if she tried to, the sun would burn her skin. Still, she'd seen the truth in Seven's cryptic words and she gave him a faint smile.

The smile faded at the mention of the Viratassa...

"I've never actually heard of that book before..." Asara admitted nervously. While it was true, in a sense, she was sure she'd probably read it before the... nightmare began in the Wildlands. He spoke like she should have read it by now. Her smile became as uneasy as his and she had to look away, glancing up at the sky again. She was planning to explain her next constellation to him, the Archer.

"I um..." Asara fidgeted, feeling even more uncomfortable here, at this juncture. She didn't know how to ask this. She didn't want to know if he'd laugh or anything. "I can't... read Common... And I wanted to so I can learn the true names of stars..." She felt she had to justify her reasoning for needing a working knowledge of written Common, but she kept out that she would probably need this knowledge for traveling. "Please... Don't tell anyone if they should inquire..."

Asara looked down at the ground, keeping her eyes low when she asked another question. "Would you care to learn more about my constellations..?"

[Seven Xu]

An unmistakable sound rose in Seven’s throat and his head tilted sideways to eye Asara mid-bite. The giggle was almost too feminine to escape a male’s throat, but when it subsided he removed his lips from the fruit and wiped off the shining red-green skin before handing it to the girl. Seven’s stomach would have easily denied the girl, but his mind was tarnished by guilt when he realized she was as hungry as he. “You don’t owe me anything.” He grinned, the taste of bittersweet apple juice still lingering on his thin lips. Seven had never witnessed a full-blood eat, and his eyes remained on her, intrigued.

“You’ve never heard of the Viratassa?” Seven’s brows crept skyward once again. One boot dug further into the dirt at his feet as his thighs burned with discomfort in remaining in his prone position – a vexation that carried over to his facial expression. “It’s a book of the teachings of Viratas … you know who Viratas is, don’t you?” The white-haired halfblood’s voice had risen in his trepidation. Who was this woman of Widow Descent who had little idea of the very basics of her culture?

Asara’s confession softened him again and he exhaled, licking the burning juice from his lips before pressing pale fingers to his mouth to dab off any remaining moisture. Seven was no means a teacher, but he had been taught to write Common and Lhavitian by his father; it couldn’t have been too difficult. “I can teach you Common.” There was a pause in Seven’s thoughtfulness, “And perhaps, a few other things as well.” Seven’s thin upper body twisted and he balanced himself as he rifled through the canvas satchel. Prying eyes would notice the food he obtained from the Bazaar, as well as a couple of books and a mess of paper in what could loosely be defined as a notebook. Fingers groped around for a pencil before snatching the notebook and pulling it out. Finally, Seven’s thighs were given the release they craved as his bottom hit the street and he sat with the book open and in his lap on a clean page.

“You tell me of your constellations, and I will write them out for you in Common.” Seven offered, pencil already looping dark graphite along the unmarred page. “This is your name,” His hand scribbled out ‘Asara Willow’ in fairly legible handwriting. Then, beneath it, he wrote ‘The Crown’. “Your first constellation – The Crown,” a finger indicated to the text as he spoke.

“Keep going.”