[Blue Gem]Mussel to Eat, Muscle to Massage(Litani)

[Nailah]

8th of Summer, 513AV Sweat dampened her back, the cool spray from the nearby falls doing only so much in the rapidly heating midday weather. Nailah plucked her hair up irritably and twisted it until it was bunched enough to not loosely. It stayed for no more than a few sparse chimes of walking before she was once more plucking her hair out of her face. Speeding her pace up, the young woman looked from her map to the buildings, trying to make sense of the directions. The city was a tad too big for her, there were too many places one could go, and so many ways to get lost within the city. Nailah should be keeping herself busy, training or picking herbs, something more useful than this but she wanted to explore the city too. She felt the beading of sweat along her hair line, and plucked at her shirt waving it to create air as she finally found the building she was looking for. -- The Blue Gem was chilled compared to the outside, and it was as if she had stepped into the water. Glass, wood, and rock blended together smoothly and the shadows of the sea denizens danced at her feet. A Konti manned a small desk in the front, and the smell of food, and soft conversation floated through the otherwise silent halls. And Nailah made her ways towards the desk with wide eyes. “It’s very…pretty.” She said finally, smiling at the other Konti’s nose, “You…have a dinner?” “Yes, will you need a room as well?” “…unfortunately no.” “Follow the hall to your right,” she said with a grin, “If you change your mind come see me, we might have a room available.” Nailah nodded and followed the instructions to find the restaurant. Like what she had seen of the Gem so far it was a large spacious room, with high glass ceilings. Elegant chairs and tables placed carefully around the room, each at a spacious distance from each other with a small bar in the center. Waiters moved easily from table to table but the room was far from filled but it was filled with the more aquatic races in the city. It was more comforting than any well meanings she had been given in the city, and she found a seat at the bar instead of a table. Enjoying the camaraderie of the nearby Konti and gilled Akontak. Settling in she waved the nearest waiter down without moving her gaze from the table, and after a short inquiry ordered a small snack tray. Ledger-1SM for snack tray

[Litani]

It was a luxury. No two ways about it. A luxury, pure and simple.

Litani smiled to herself slightly as she stood before the doors of The Blue Gem. Its renown had reached her ears even in Syliras; Maybe they could teach you to love seafood here, Alder, she thought with a chuckle, shaking her head. Doubtless, it would never happen. For many reasons.

With a deep breath and an internal steeling of spine, she strode into the establishment and inquired after their fare. The last few days had been long and her thirst was great... and it was long past time it was slaked. With the proper directions, Litani found her way to the very same bar that housed Nailah. And there, in the common room, she found herself laying eyes on the first Konti she had seen - other than herself - in a very long time.

Her blonde, willowy form lingered in the door frame for a long moment. Before her were the faces and skins of all those like herself, children of Laviku, born to the waters in a way that those of land could never appreciate. Charoda. Konti. Even Akontak. She took a deep breath and found herself holding the exhale. What did you think? This would be home? Wordlessly, she chided herself. They may be your kind but they are not your kin... and thank the Gods that water is thicker than blood.

Despite her internal monologue's restlessness and cynicism, Litani stood observing the bar area with eyes that were merely calm, contemplative, and serene. Whatever internal debate was going on, none of it was visible to the outside... save, perhaps, for how long she stayed standing there. But then, as if she could sense that she needed to make one kind of decision or other, she delicately cleared her throat... affixed her smile... and slid confidently into the room.

A small distance away from Nailah, Litani took up a place at the bar and ordered a glass of white wine. Once so served, she considered the rest of the room's occupants with a subtle smile perched thoughtfully on her lips. And, never one to shirk from the obvious challenge, she caught Nailah's eyes at one point and raised her glass in a faint toast to the other woman. "T'is good to see one of Mura, sister," she said smoothly, sipping from her glass in a congenial way that invited conversation but did not force it if unwanted.

[Nailah]

Nailah turned bright pink when their eyes met, and looked away quickly, embarrassed. Silently she stuffed a piece of food in her mouth and nodded, letting an odd silence hang over her. Her gaze flickered from the other Konti’s forehead to her food, then back again, and swallowed thickly. “…yes.” She answered, long after most polite conservationists did, “Have you been…here long?” Small talk is always strange if there wasn’t a reason behind it, she thought while she awkwardly shuffling her food around. After a moments she scooted her chair a bit closer, once she was a smaller distance away, Nailah gestured to the plate and spoke to the other Konti’s chin. “Would you…care for a bite…sister?” The word felt foreign on her tongue, it had been nearly over a season since she had called another sister. Many Konti here preferred to go by their name but it brought with it the strong warmth of nostalgia. “I’m Nailah…and yourself…sister?” Now she was simply enjoying the word as it rolled easier, and plucked up another bit, smiling gently at the plate while she spoke. After a beat she raised her hand for a glass of water, and drank it slowly, to fill the silence in-between the questions and answers. But as she raised her glass she caught sight of the other woman’s hand, and set down her cup abruptly, “…you are…a healer?”