First Impressions (Open)

[Vetiveria]

Corbin appeared to be lost in thought for a few chimes, but Vetiveria didn't mind. She'd been chided enough for being lost in her world to know how easily time flew when one was thinking. A quick glance to the sky made her notice the sun's position; it was already late afternoon, assuming the sun's position could be trusted in this city. "Oh, that's perfect! I do have a house, but it was so late when I got into Alvadas last night, nevermind found the Sanity Center, that was all I managed. I'll definitely need a job to keep it." She paused a moment before speaking again."Is there anything else specific you'd like to know about the vantha and our city?"

[Corbin]

"I wouldn't know where to begin" Corbin said truthfully "Why don't you start. Is there something in Avanthal that you really like. A statue, something like that?" His reason for not knowing where to begin was mainly due to not having expected to get this far in their conversation.
I ought to be more positive

[Vetiveria]

Something she really liked... an easier question would have been what didn't Vetiveria like. She was very proud of Avanthal, and many of the walks she'd taken as a child had been just to admire the city's beauty. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out where to begin. The Ice Palace, Mirror Lake, The Windward Boardwalk, Frostpoint Lighthouse, Whitevine Hold... A statue... Ah, the Sculpture Yard! She hoped she hadn't been lost in her thoughts for too long; it probably had been a question expecting a quicker reply. "In Avanthal, we have a Sculpture Yard. It's a beautiful place, filled with pieces made of every material you can imagine, though I like the ones of ice best. At the heart of it all is a gazebo made of icestone with benches. You can see everything from there; it's amazing. A lot of the art is based on wildlife - whitetail, hares, foxes, frost hawks, and even the bears of the Icewatch. When new pieces are accepted into the yard, there's a ceremony and everyone attends, even our Queen Morwen. It's an honor. Every member of Skyglow I ever knew dreamed of their work being in the Sculpture Yard." She smiled fondly as she thought of the artists she had known. When she'd been much younger, she'd mistakenly wanted to be an artist, but that was not the Hold she had been born into; now she shook her head at her foolish young self. The delight of speaking about her city had almost overtaken her, and she nearly forgot to keep up with Corbin as they walked the streets. "At the back of the yard is a statue of Queen Morwen. It was created by Pavic Skyglow - he was the best artist our city had ever known - and she is beautiful; it looks just like her, or so I've been told. I never have seen my Queen up close, but many a winter day I'd go there to feel comfort while our Queen was away. Surrounding her are leaders of the Icewatch from years past. So that's... one of my favorite places." She smiled again and turned to Corbin. "Your turn..." Her smile faded and she looked down. "I'm afraid I don't know where to begin either... I really don't know anything of your people." Her tone was apologetic and she hoped he wasn't offended.

[Corbin]

Corbin looked down at Vetiveria. She was several heads shorter than him, her legs unable to keep up with his long strides. She was forced to take two steps for every one that he took. He decided it was rude to cause her discomfort and slowed his pace to make things easier for her.
He ran through his mind everything he knew about the Kelvics, most of it gleaned from his Mistress.
"Kelvics have two forms, we can freely change between our Human and animal forms. You probably know that already, though." He thought more on what he knew "We act differently from Humans. We often reflect the natures of our 'animal' side. Generally, wolves are social and usually have no trouble interacting with other wolves, while owls are are more solitary and they tend to sleep a lot during the day.
"I met a few Kelvics, briefly. Two of them were wolves and was was a snow leopard. From that I can only imagine that Kelvics can be any kind of mammal or bird." He racked his brain for something else, relieved to have something else to tell her "Certain things carry over to our human form, such as pointed canine teeth, or the verticle pupils of a cat. We always have enhanced sense in either form." He searched but could not think of anything else "My knowledge ends there" he told her, sighing. He looked at her "You spoke of the sculpting yard. I know there are several different holds, and that Avanthal is the capital of sorts. Which hold to you come from?"

[Vetiveria]

Vetiveria was relieved when Corbin slowed his pace. She hadn't wanted to complain, but her legs had started to hurt from taking longer strides than her frame was suited to. She listened with interest; most of it she already knew, but their enhanced sense applying to either form was new knowledge. Then she realized she still wasn't aware what kind of animal Corbin was; she hoped it wasn't rude to ask. "What are you? I'm guessing a bird, from your eyes." Her eyes turned a soft blue at his question, as she realized how much she missed the others of her hold. Knowing she had needed to leave for the sake of her mental health was only a slight source of comfort as she wondered what the others thought of her leaving. She quickly decided it was best just not to worry about it because she had no way of knowing what they thought. "I'm part of Whitevine Hold. The hospitals and schools of medicine are Whitevine's. We are a house of healers, dentists, veterinarians, and even masseuses. I hope to be a skilled herbalist someday." Maybe even a healer, she added as a thought to herself.

[Corbin]

Corbin nodded in approval "I've tried out some alchemy myself. I force myself to concentrate and everything around me begins to blur into each other" he ducked low as a signpost materiallsed at head level. When he glanced back it was gone "I'm a raven, by the way. I don't mind you asking" He turned right as the way ahead of them transformed from an open path to a set of houses.
"So how much about herbs do you know?"

[Vetiveria]

Vetiveria tilted her head; alchemy wasn't something she had heard of before, which intrigued her. "Alchemy sounds interesting. I don't think that's highly practiced in Avanthal. What is it, exactly?" She followed as the path led to a group of shops that they had passed near the beginning of their walking, and she began to realize just how truly unpredictable the city was. "I'm still a beginner. Neither of my parents specialized in it, so... Simple teas are about all I can make." She smiled sheepishly. "But I hope to find some helpful books and perhaps someone to teach me while I'm here." She was somewhat looking forward to spending time at the library in the future, assuming she could find it.

[Corbin]

"What is alchemy? It's..." he tried to avoid the compicated description in his head "Effectively you open a door which lets Djed flow through, and focus it on a certain material." I hope she understood that "The Djed warps the materials properties, changing it. The materials can decay and return to their original form." that seemed to describe how it was done, but not actually what it was. Ok, so-watch the post! ow...Blasted piece of...stupid thing...
He winced and rubbed his arm. This city seemed to go out of its way to hurt him while he was thinking
""Alchemy is a form of World Magic...Specifically making new materials from ones you have on hand. I have a little knowledge of it. I admit I'd hoped you could teach me a thing or two, but you obviously did not know about it. Maybe..." the idea that struck him seemed descent to him, and beneficial "Perhaps we could teach each other what we know? I could show you what I know of alchemy and you could show me herbalism."

[Vetiveria]

Vetiveria considered his offer. Alchemy sounded interesting, and she wondered if it could be useful in advancing her medical and herbal skills. On the other hand, she knew magic could be dangerous; what she'd seen of the Djed storm's effects back in Avanthal had made her somewhat wary of it. She decided that she wanted to research it a bit further on her own to decide if it was a skill she could trust herself with. "I'd like to think about learning alchemy a little more." She smiled. "But I'd be happy to show you the basics of herbalism sometime." The streets finally seemed to change a little less frequently as the sun began to set, but a glance downward revealed them to now be made of fur. That's new. It feels very odd to walk on, Vetiveria thought to herself. It didn't seem she would have far to go on the new ground as she noticed the sanity center at the end of the street. She remembered being told the sanity center was the only stable part of Alvadas, and she felt relief as her legs were growing tired from following the streets in circles. Now, hopefully, the streets will stay long enough for us to get there.

[Corbin]

"That sounds good" he looked ahead at the sanity centre. It would not be long before they would arrive there. If the city stayed still, that was. It occurred to him he didn't know where he could find her later to hold up to their agreement "Is there somewhere we could meet later? A inn or tavern, something similar?"