[Flashback] A Rough Start [Gabrielle]

by **K'Sabe** on November 10th, 2011, 7:30 pm

Bending down in the knee deep crystal clear water she picked up a smooth polished dull ebony stone, so well polished it was very thin, if she gripped it in her hand she would probably break it in half. Now that she'd pulled up and fastened her dress she got several creases that made for perfect pockets to hold her findings. Placing her black rock down she looked up at Gabrielle again. "Not really," Sabe said, pondering on how to explain her gift. "It's more so that I can sense feelings in the air, emotions of others, but it is not very specific, I can sense the general emotions but not the myriads of differences there is or pinpoint exactly who feels what." A bit lengthy explanation but Sabe was still sorting out her gift herself and to explain it to someone else was a tad difficult.

Another half of yourself? It seemed both amazing and a bit hard to grasp. Sabe did love animals very much but she still hadn't had one of her own so she could develop that special bond that could perhaps resemble the bond between a tavan and a Svefra. "That must be a wonderful thing, I take it a lot of Svefra doesn't want to leave the sea is because they have tavans?" Sabe said and smiled at the mentioning of Kairo's protective nature. "Well, though extreme, it shows he really likes you." The young dolphin chattered in it's high voice and turned around and cast up a wave with his tail, it engulfed Gabrielle, drenching her entirely. The wave reached Sabe as well and splashed up over her legs and to her stomach. After the initial surprise Sabe broke out into a bubbly laugh as an answer to the girl's giggles and Kairo's whistling laugh.

"He's certainly playful," She said when she stopped laughing, dolphins were one of her favourite sea living animals, one reason was their conniving and playful nature. "Hey there Kairo, nice to meet you." Sabe said with a smile in Kontinese. She felt it was a bit rude to talk to Gabrielle's tavan in another language than the girl understood, but she wanted to greet the dolphin in her own language as well. "I'm sorry if I offended you by talking to your tavan in a different language, I just greeted Kairo in my mother language," Sabe said and smiled apologetically towards Gabrielle, hoping she hadn't offended the Svefra girl.

by **Gabrielle Seawind** on November 11th, 2011, 12:55 am

"I'm not sure if it's because of our friends, but lots of Svefra become very uneasy when away from the sea. I don't know how to explain it... but we have escorted some lands men over the sea, and they acted like the sea could take their life at any time, as if they couldn't trust the seas. That's probably how we Svefra feel about the land... the sea is just so much easier to believe in."

The young girl wasn't offended at all the fact that Sabe spoke to Kairo using another language, and shook her head quickly to convey that thought. Kairo answered Sabe in his own language as well, and Gabrielle wondered if he could understand her -- or if he understood any human language for that matter. He often acted like he knew the meaning in her words, but he was a dolphin, and she mused if he simply took in the context of things. Nevertheless, he was smart dolphin, and there was a chance he could understand human language. Kontinese was a language he had never heard before, but he did do a good job pretending he knew what she was saying (or maybe there was a natural connection between animals and the language of the Konti that Gabrielle didn't know about).

Gabrielle took a glance at Sabe and her tavan before deciding to turn around and quickly run down the length of the beach. She knew she didn't go very far from them and that if she turned around, she still had a very good view of Sabe and Kairo. She just wanted to feel the sand hit her feet as she took quick strides, and even if she was only knee-deep, she felt that it was a bit more difficult to run in the water. She glanced to her side and saw that Kairo had swum after her, leaving Sabe behind. He gave her another playful splash, albeit much weaker, before swimming off towards his pod. Gabrielle gave him a wave of the hand before resorting to her activity of searching for the most beautiful stones.

Then she saw it: a smooth round pebble that glittered in the light. The pebble was slightly transluscent. It wasn't a pearl or anything just as valuable, but just a beautiful tiny stone that resembled the gems by Rak'keli's statue. It wasn't the most attention-grabbing of what was in her collection so far, but at least she was able to replace what she had to give back earlier. Excited, she started to run back to Sabe, the pebble in her hands. As she ran, she could feel the small collection in her pocket jingling, and she mused that she probably had enough for a necklace. Later, she would ask her mother to teach her how to fashion them into one, and she would have something to remember Mura by.

She stopped right in front of Sabe and showed off her discovery. "It looks just like the ones you took from me!" she said, but with no hint of hard feelings. Her statement sounded a bit off, as if the gems from before were really hers and Sabe had stolen it, but it was a trait of the Svefra culture that she still had not differentiated from what was acceptable in other races. For Svefras, what you found was yours, and someone else could take it as their own if they had the strength to.

Gabrielle had a huge smile on her face as she tucked the stone in her pocket, along with the others. "I think I've gotten enough... I should probably head back to my family," she said. Aside from that, it felt uncomfortable to be in drenched clothes, and instead of stripping bare, it would probably be a better idea to simply get a new set of clothes. Gabrielle seemed to think for a while before saying, "You know, you're really nice! I think I overheard that some of your people are going to head out with us towards the mainland... you should come as well, you know, live a little." Again, she saw no harm in her words, though other people would find it offensive.

by **K'Sabe** on November 16th, 2011, 12:44 am

Sabe looked after the girl and the dolphin swimming after her and then headed back out to the sea, a deep longing gripped the Konti at the sight of the dolphin. It could very well be Laviku's influence on her race but Sabe had an urge to follow the animal for awhile, to see the world underwater again, the waving seaweed and agile fishes swimming about and the special tickling feeling of your gills taking over the breathing from your lungs.

Feeling the water caress her skin always made her feel calm, now the clear water started gaining a slight chill compared to its normal warmth as winter closed in but for one used with the water it was possible to swim for much longer. The salty smell mixed with flowers and fresh air was mesmerizing almost and the warm sun shining down, reflecting in Sabe's scales was enough to make her never want to leave. But she snapped out of it and focused her gaze at the sand, picking up another rock, an almost round smooth polished dove grey stone.

"They are beautiful," Sabe said as Gabrielle stopped by her, showing off stones that looked very much like those given to Rak'keli. Sabe looked at her own collection and in some strange way they reminded her of her appointment. "I should get back too, my cousin will get upset if I'm late, she lacks a large amount of our race's rumoured calm." Sabe said and chuckled, it was actually strange that a girl so outgoing and enthusiastic as Toscaya could fit in better on Mura than Sabe herself did.

The Svefra's blunt comment didn't upset Sabe, she readily accepted her own short comings and after spending 29 years on Mura she was very much naive and ignorant of the rest of Mizahar. She had actually had thoughts on sometime seeing more of the world, not travelling but more going to one city and explore it and then maybe return to Mura, she knew the White Isle always would call her back home.

For some reason though she had always held back and stayed in the city, maybe she feared actually leaving or was she just too comfortable here where she was at home and was no stranger? Sabe wasn't sure but this could give her an opportunity to take control over that and visit another place. Her mother and sisters would for sure try to stop her, not understanding the interest Sabe held in things not found in Mura and Toya would be jealous of her and try her best to come as well. Unfortunately Toscaya, though old enough to decide herself was a student at the Opal Temple working on becoming a healer and gaining a mark from Rak'keli so she couldn't just take a vacation.

"Gabrielle," Sabe said talking quickly so she wouldn't change her mind. "Is there place on your ship for me too? I'd like to visit the mainland as well. Syliras I think but I'd need passage to Zeltiva first as I think that merchants travel to Syliras from there." She asked hoping to get a yes and ignoring the small part inside her that was hesitating.

by **Gabrielle Seawind** on November 17th, 2011, 9:26 am

The young Svefra blinked and seemed to give it a thought. She hadn't actually expected Sabe to accept her invitation, and it was a very abrupt and impulsive one, and she didn't get the impression that Sabe wanted to head out to the mainland any time soon. Sabe seemed to be speaking in a hurry, as if she wanted her decision out in the open as quickly as possible. Gabrielle wondered if this was really what the Konti woman wanted. Nonetheless, a grin spread out on Gabrielle's childish face as she nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course you can come along! I wouldn't offer if you couldn't," she said in reply. "Zeltiva's next on our route, so you're in luck." She honestly didn't know if Zeltiva was on route if you were heading towards Syliras by foot since didn't have much knowledge about the lands, but she said nothing. "We're leaving tomorrow morning, so that should be enough time for you to get your stuff and everything... look for me at the harbor tomorrow, alright?"

Gabrielle gave another excited grin. She had found a new friend, and she was going to have the added joy of being able to spend more time with her out in sea! Gabrielle was going to introduce her to everyone else in the dolphin pod, and maybe see how a Konti actually breathes underwater.

The young Svefra scratched her arms uncomfortably, feeling her drenched clothes stick to her skin. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sabe! Maybe while we're out in sea, you can teach me a thing or two about painting!” Earlier that day, Gabrielle had taken notice of her belongings, and saw that Sabe was a painter. After saying her piece, she turned around and started to run towards what she assumed was the direction to the harbor.

When she was a short distance away, she turned around once more and gave the Konti woman a hurried wave of goodbye. Then, she was off on her way once more, excited about the next morning. She couldn't wait to show her family about her new collection, and tell them that her newfound friend was going to sail with them to Zeltiva.

by **K'Sabe** on November 18th, 2011, 1:39 am

"Great, thank you." Sabe said smiling, eyes glittering. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." She was nervous of course, and not entirely sure this was a good idea but it was also a sort of good nervousness, she was excited to see something new and on the way there she would have Gabrielle. Despite knowing her for only a few bells at the most she liked the girl and hoped they would stay friends even as they parted later on.

Treading out of the water Sabe headed for her stuff by the rocks, waving back at Gabrielle on the way. Out of the water she also loosened her belt and let her dress down after taking her small collection and placed it on the ground. Sabe's dress was mostly wet on the skirt only, compared to the Svefra who'd been drenched by Kairo, she still wanted to change to a dry one before meeting Toya.

As she picked up her drawing stuff and her stone and shell collection Sabe wondered how Toscaya would take it, the young Konti would probably get jealous and a bit cross at her cousin but in the end be happy for her. At least Sabe hoped it would lead to that. Though she feared her mother's reaction the most, Sabe was well over mature age but still Kya'ni held much authority over Sabe.

At times like these she wished Sai had been alive, her oldest sister always had a nack of getting their mother to understand, or try to understand Sabe's point of view. But Sai wasn't here so this time Sabe had to do it alone. Of course she would leave anyway but Sabe wanted to leave on a good note.

Entering Mura again Sabe walked home quickly and went into her room to drop of her things and quickly change clothes then she would head for the Forest Meridian house were Toya most likely was already waiting.

by **Cachet** on December 11th, 2011, 9:30 pm

K'Sabe :

Gabrielle Seawind :

Conclusion:A very nice social thread. I enjoyed reading it.

Anything seem out of place? Any questions please feel free to contact me ASAP.