Closed [The Rearing Stallion] Crossing paths

[Tatiam]

9th day of winter, 512 AV

Tatiam was in a good mood. Leaving the Bazaar with half the amount of artwork than she had brought with her at the beginning of the day, the fruits of her labor clinked in her pockets as she headed home. Once inside, she put down the paintings that hadn't been sold, counting her daily profits with a proud grin on her face.

This needs to be celebrated, she decided, having already chosen how, where and when. And so, less than a few hours later, the artist was already cheering the bards and dancers, laughing with other patrons and drinking heavily amidst the lively atmosphere of the Rearing Stallion. Little did she know that a familiar fellow traveler would arrive then, one she had yet to meet properly.

[Ayanna]

Ayanna had just arrived in the city, fresh off the boat she had the rolling gait of someone on the sea. She had yet to get her land legs back, not that she was even sure she wanted them back. She found that the sea had something that called to her, and she enjoyed it.

So used to the life of the sea was she that being in a city filed with people was quite daunting. She found herself sticking to shadows, something she did usually in cities. She had forgotten to put her hood back over her face when she stepped into the city and had suffered the consequences. The harsh glares and women rushing their children from her, the snide comments and insults.


Surprisingly though it wasn't as bad as it was in other cities, the fact that a Sym was on their council seemed to do wonders for tolerance, and the fact that few Sym's would go this far for a woman undoubtedly helped her a lot. But still she pulled her hood over her face to hide it from those who still could not stand her race, it wouldn't be that hard to shove her into a wall or the street where she could easily break bones. Ayanna found though that she could not ignore the insults, as she never could.

They hit hard, she was reminded that to others she was ugly. Hideous, a freak of nature. These were things she could ignore when high on the mast, next to a topsail. Or lying in the crows nest. But here, on the sidewalk surrounded by people all too ready to tell her what was wrong with her it came rushing back. Her hand reached into her bag and grabbed at her mirror, she forced herself to release it. She couldn't check her image here.

Following the instructions given to her by the guards she had no trouble finding the tavern she was looking for. She stepped into it and was assaulted with the sounds of revelry, it took her eyes no time at all to adjust to the darkness, and well it wasn't darkness at all to her eyes. In fact it was quite bright in there, although it was a comfort from the sunny day outside.

Ayanna stood there looking around for either an empty table or perhaps a familiar face.

[Tatiam]

Tatiam was swaying on her stool, her mug spilling as she drank from it and dropped it down on the counter carelessly, a light laughter following right after. Under high intoxication, the young woman was exhilarated, lost in blissful oblivion, sweetly untroubled, carefree,... Her state went beyond what words could describe, and she didn't bother with them much at that moment. No matter how many years she had spent regularly speaking the common tongue, at that time, it was like a strange, remote and forgotten dialect, one she barely knew, her foreign accent more than evident. "S'more!... Baord-man, you! S-... S-sing! Oll' gads be damnt!" Music danced with her troubled, chaotic heart. It was surrounded by mists and fogs,--mysteries that she loved--and in very little time, she'd come to accept it. But it was hard to deal with; Time and thoughts melt together, can't find a sense of them anymore. Dreams reflect reality better than reality itself does. Nothing stable to trust in, no assurance, no pillar to lean on. Heart stuck in a maze, looking for comfort in the strangest places, finding solace when I least expect it, and falling back whenever I get a good look at reality again. It was frightening, really, but there was nothing that she could do about it. Only music knew how to lull her back into passivity, but the truth was that she had some singing of her own to verbalize. Despite the lack of control over her voice, the unrestrained shouting prevailing over a sense of harmonious melody, Tatiam still conveyed a cry from the soul; Although conveniently hidden among the loud chatter of the patrons, the bustling noise of the kitchen and obviously, the bard's music itself. The unsteady stool managed to keep her sitting for a good moment, until a nearby customer passed by just as the bronze-skinned woman stretched to get her mug, and inevitably fell down. Back on her feet in a matter of seconds, her ego a little ruffled, she took the man's collared shirt in her hands, gabbling insults to protect her image. For Tatiam wasn't your average woman: She wasn't a vulnerable, easily affected, victimized, or helpless person. Or at least, she didn't want to be. Then again, she had met a number of capable women in her journeys as well. She believed that dictated behaviors according to one's gender were just another excuse to discern one from another, something that was part of society, like nobles' manners, knights' code of honor, some culture's traditions, tribes' rites. From the moment that she had left her own, she freed herself from those boundaries. There was nothing expected of her anymore, and she had already disappointed even before that, for who she was didn't conform to their prospects. Let them, she thought, almost relishing in knowing eyes were turned to her, and comments were exchanged. Let them judge, I can't care about it. Gripping more tightly at the guy's shirt, her piercing amber eyes digging into his, she made it a point--no, an example--not have anyone try to mess with her. That pride-like-armor always cost her many potential companions with such demonstrations, but oft she would be left in peace, the message proven effective. The man obviously backed off, he wasn't one of those jackasses wanting to get into a fight with some drunk girl, so he simply went on his way as he had meant previously. The drunk girl, well, she stood there, her stool still on the ground, her mug either spilled of its content, or maybe skillfully snuck away during her encounter, for she couldn't see it... The party hadn't stopped because of her, and more patrons brushed Tatiam as they ordered beer or approached the dais where the bard performed, or got closer to the hearth, unconcerned. The mixed-blood reluctantly walked away from the scene and went towards the entrance, where the tables weren't full and the customers spoke quieter, noticing a familiar face in the process. "Ay... hey, Aya, eez it?" mumbled Tatiam with a hint of discomfort for her poor memory. "Heeeyy," she voiced with more confidence as she recognized the young woman's face, bending slightly to peek under the hood. An arm went around the petite woman's shoulders, guiding her towards a table as she signaled some maid for two beers. "Am shure ah know you," sang the foreigner, her voice wavering, "You... wait, you weir an that boawt too? Right? Aaah,... Whut Ad' giv' t'sail again..." Her cinnamon hair, braided and wrapped under a scarf, fell past her waist and swayed at the rhythm of her gait. Tatiam smiled like an innocent child, having almost completely forgotten the incident from just a couple of minutes ago. Like a--albeit clumsy--gentleman, she pulled the chair for Ayanna, then sat in her turn, all eyes for the rare and unconventional beauty of the younger woman. "Haow did you get heere? Did you... Hav' you been heere since thiz sommer?" she slurred, her stare a little hazy from the alcohol.

[Ayanna]

A rough push from behind her sent Ayanna into the tavern, she didn't stumble. She was far too graceful to stumble, but her steps might have been longer than normal to compensate for the momentum. She stuck close to the entrance and leaned against a wall, a dark figure in a cloak. Her arms were hidden by the fabric, thankfully. She didn't pose much interest to the patrons of the bar.Ayanna scanned the tavern, like most it wasn't the cleanest place to be, and the place stank of sweat and beer. But it could be worse, she supposed.

The room was bright as a summers day to her eyes, making it a simple matter to scan the crowd. Her ears tuned out the bard's playing, which left something to be desired in a sober listener. Her eyes scanned the room until they locked onto someone she knew. They had traveled together sometime ago.

The woman was drunk. Not something she hadn't seen before. Ayanna herself avoided drinking, rash decisions resulted in death for her kind. But just because she didn't do it didn't mean she disapproved of it. She watched the woman as the man bumped into her and her easy temper flared.

Ayanna had rarely been on the receiving end of that temper, and never at the physical part. Tatiam had understood very early that Ayanna was defenseless against unarmed combat, the woman had never hurt her. In exchange Ayanna had never been mean to her.

Eventually Tati finally saw Ayanna lurking in the shadows by the door, her tell-tale dark purple cloak wrapped around her form. Although in the darkness she supposed her inferior human eyes wouldn't be able to tell the difference between dark purple and black. Which had been the point for her buying the color cloak.

The woman's voice was slurred, words running together. Which was bad when talking to someone with only the basic understanding of common. But Ayanna figured out her speech, eventually. Ayanna nodded when she correctly identified her, surprising seeing as how drunk she looked.

Patiently, although the slightest twinge of annoyance at having to deal with someone who was drunk, which thereby usually meant stupid as well, Aya nodded at her next question.

Startled, and a little apprehensive at the sudden gesture of affection Ayanna stiffened when Tati's arm circled her shoulders. Ayanna avoided touching people most of the time, humans were inherently stronger than she was. They could accidentally cause her harm without meaning to. And Tati was drunk, she could easily fall, bringing Aya down with her. But Ayanna let herself be guided, albeit unwillingly, to a chair that was pulled out graciously for her.

Tati's face shone with innocence typically attributed to a child. Aya knew she was not as innocent as the smile told but at times she could be. But in their world who could ever truly be innocent except for the young? Ayanna descended into the chair, her hands hanging idly over the opposite thighs. Humans clasped their hands in their laps, that wasn't quite comfortable for her, so this was the compromise.

"No, I've only just arrived here." Delicate as she was her voice showed that as well, her voice was a spider web in a breeze, a piece of gossamer floating away. "I stayed on the boat a little longer, I find I quite liked the sea. We came back to Syliras early this morning. I had to travel to the gates in the midday sun. Dreadful." Her speech wasn't the fast paced talking some races liked to do, no it was slow and careful, trying her best not to miss a word or put her native language into the sentence, something that would gain a curious inquirer if any were listening.

[Tatiam]

Quietly, the young human listened to her companion, her voice soft and fragile and touching Tatiam in ways that she didn't usually allow herself to be. Sensitive and creative, the mixed-blood would usually keep that aspect of herself for the times when she made use of it, in her paintings; But with Ayanna, it seemed essential to allow that part to transpire, if only a little. Or so she had taken a habit to. "Sawrry tah' hear that," she responded with a compassionate smile. Reminded of her friend's sensibility to light made her remember other weaknesses of the Symenestra. The smile fainted softly, and Tatiam decided not to voice her apology despite her honest feeling for how she handled her earlier. Shyke, I'm such a klutz... Leaning on the table, the young human observed the pale violet-eyed beauty, sighing slowly. "Ah liike tah sea too... Bawt A'm stawk heere... styoopid me... It's nawt soh bad, bawt, well, Ah guess you waudn't mind tah dawkness..." Tanned features looked pensive for a moment, before her pale eyes rolled back towards the cloaked woman. "You plan on stayin' heere for ah while?" Tatiam asked with a tinge of hope. It was a good moment to have a friend around, for the artist had been rather lonely since she arrived to the city. Sure, there were always means to have fun, or meet new faces, but the young woman was at a... peculiar stage in her life. If Ayanna was paying attention, she would have probably been able to notice a few hints. Heavy drinking was one, though it wasn't exclusive to her feeling helpless. "Wer you lookin' foh someone? If A'm in you' way..." carefully, Tatiam glanced over at Ayanna with genuine concern.

[Ayanna]

Ayanna was always struck by how Tati listened to her, with her full attention. As if what Aya had to say was important. As if she mattered. It made her warm a little inside, it had also made Aya seek out the mixed blood woman often when she was seeking companionship. Or in need of someone to simply listen to her.

Ayanna gave a tentative smile in return to Tatiam's compassionate one, again the woman's kindness towards her shocked her. She was used to being hated, disliked and abhorred. This was a woman used to people spitting on her and trying to kill her, not to people being kind towards her.

Ayanna smiled at the mention of the sea, she really did love it. Even if the storms could kill her. But it didn't matter, she could die as easily anywhere else. Even in her own home city she could die simply by falling off a walkway. At least on the sea she was somewhere she loved.

"Yes, the darkness is favorable." Ayanna mused, thinking of the painful rays of sunlight lancing her sensitive eyes. How humans could stand to go out in the day, how they liked it, she would never know.

"As long as it takes to find another Svefra to take me out onto the sea again. But I'm curious about Syliras as a city as well, their council of nine has a Symenestra on it, did you know that?" At the last part Ayanna's eyes shone with the information, she had learned it earlier that day and like any Sym she loved to get new information, she loved to learn. And she loved to share what she learned, to educate someone else. Her face brightened for a few moments as she shared that piece of information.

It would take her awhile to learn about this city, so she'd need to hang around for some time. It was a comfort to know she would have at least one friend while she stayed here, that was more than she got in many cities. Usually she was alone.

"Oh no! Tati I was looking for you." Aya gave the woman a smile, reassuring her that she was in fact not in the way. Tatiam had been the only person Ayanna had known in the city, therefore the only person she was looking for.

[Tatiam]

It was nice to see a familiar face, someone with whom Tatiam could be herself without fearing the consequences. Despite that they only knew each other for two seasons, they had bonded quickly while traveling by each other's side for days on the Suvan. It was a friendship that went through many situations, and Ayanna had still accepted the mixed-blood regardless of it all. That meant a lot to Tatiam, it made her show a more civilized side, one that didn't need to prove anything or protect her paranoid sense of vulnerability. Ayanna had her own vulnerabilities and strengths; And for both young women, they were placed in very different aspects of themselves, seeming to complete each other so. There weren't a lot of persons Tatiam would give anything for, but the Symenestra was part of those few. She recognized the younger woman's frailty, a well-known sensibility that Tatiam wanted to preserve in her, and perhaps even prevent damages similar to those she had endured herself. To her, Aya was a pure manifestation of beauty. A living work of art. The weaknesses made her even more wonderful, and real... Her finesse, the delicacy of her expressions, her wispy voice, such grace could not be without the flaws of a mortal, even more so critically brittle... Nodding attentively, Tatiam watched her friend carefully. "Ah... Yeah, A' did," she voiced a little more clearly. She smiled softly at the whimsy fascination Ayanna expressed, amethyst eyes shining with a fleeting delight. "I hav'n't seen a lot of Symenestra around, but... It's a start, right?" Not only was sobering up a little too fast to her liking, but by then it made her realize that the bard was absolutely excruciating for her ears. The artist couldn't suppress her impulse, and looked pointedly towards the annoying bard, even if she couldn't get her message across. Sighing, she returned to her seafaring companion, mulling over Ayanna's plans and intentions. Tatiam was dragged out of her thoughts when the short woman answered, which provoked quite an unreserved smile, one Tatiam wished she could have held back more. "You knew wher' to find me huh!" she laughed approvingly before sitting back in her chair, looking a little more involved as she began to talk. "Well I was thinkin'... If you want to visit, I can show you around. I know when the places are less crowded, and you wouldn't get lost with me. It's an impressive city, it's not small," she voiced with a hint of enthusiasm at the idea of spending quality time with Ayanna. "An' if you haven't made any... sort'of arrang'ment for your stay, yet, then don't. Wel- No, I mean... Do as you want,..." Now that was the softest she could be. Invitations formulated so her friend wouldn't feel forced to accept or refuse any choice that would make her feel uneasy. Or at least, that was what she was going for, if only clumsily. "...But my bed is yours, if you wan' it. I often just fall asleep on the floor nowadays anyway," half-joked the painter. "It wouldn't cost you anythin', and that's what friends are for, right? And the scent of paint is a lot better than anything else around here..." Most pigments Tatiam used were of mineral and botanical origins, some came from spices, soil, rocks, flowers, plants, sometimes insects... It still ended up giving a much better scent to her apartment than the buildup of sweat and normal activities from the thousands of citizens in the streets of Syliras. "But don't- Don't say anything yet. Think about it, or just tell me if you found a place t'stay already, I don't want to impose anything on you. I just figured, we lived on a boat together,..." Tatiam's voice faded, her tone caring and thoughtful. "So you're going back to the sea as soon as you can? I haven't been to the docks in the past... weeks!? Whew, been a while, wonder if Kirvan came back when I wasn't lookin'... Maybe you could travel with him again."