PM to join [Atri's Place-Garden] Relax, it's just a question

[Delani Denusk]

Timestamp: 48th Summer 513, post-muster (Eleret, Jared, Brodon)

Much had been discussed as Mathias allowed everyone a turn to introduce themselves. Too much of it verged on overwhelming for the mature woman as she gathered herself near the door leading back into the little Inn. She was watching for a particular young man to depart from the party as well, a young man by the name of Jared.

He was easy to spot amongst the other adventurers, his curly mop of brown hair standing out against the covered skulls or womanly locks around him. Too, the long, youthful face gave him away as many of the others bore the lines of travel and experience. With an easy-going smile, Delani stepped towards him before he could go further and offered a bow of her head to him in simple comraderie.

"Hile, Jared." She said in typical fashion, the matronly tone as gentle as her smile. "You are a long ways from home, hailing from Zeltiva. I hope your trip was safely managed." The banter was simply to gain his attention long enough while the others of the party did as they would. The pleasantly warm air kept the atmosphere from becoming stifling.

Holding her hands before her to keep the natural urge to sign in check. The ruin of her right was held on the outside, covering the fingerless glove that contained her left hand. "I have never travelled to Zeltiva, I am afraid, nor it seems might I have the opportunity to now, but that will be fine." Her head tilted a little downwards and to the side, letting one of those bright and intelligent eyes level with him. "You are very brave to want to join in this adventure, young man, especially for claiming lack of experience. Yet, you are a product of the University? While I don't have a particular need to hear the alphabet spoken backwards, I am curious of the histories you know, and the gods you have been taught. Perhaps you would indulge my intrigue and share some of it? The Drykas have great respect for intelligent minds...I am sure what skills you may lack in other forms may be made up for via the knowledge you have acquired."

"And you needn't try to impress, young man. I am simply curious." She smiled. "If I've nothing else in this life, it is a lust for knowledge."

x

[Jared Costavos]

They seemed friendly enough. If anything has rowdy outburst had been the meanest thing said all evening. As he stood he made a quick thanks to Ovek under his breath before attempting to step forward and wincing horribly. He had pins and needles. He hadn't been sitting right ever since his introduction and now it was coming back to bite him as a thousand million tiny pins ran up his leg whenever pressure was put onto it. Jared didn't know if he was being a wimp but he really really didn't like the feeling. After some tentative steps and even more whimpering Jared was finally free of the terrible, terrible discomfort of pins and needles leaving him with the difficult question of what to do next. Some were staying, others leaving. His gut was telling him to leave. Well it wasn't his gut. It was his mind still, in part, fearing his immediate discovery as a big, fat, useless fraud to which the only punishment was imminent ridicule and throwing out of the expedition into the streets where he would either return home to his father disgraced or die on his own. It was a no-brainer. However as he headed back to the inn he was intercepted by a lady. He recognised her. She had been the first to introduce herself after Matthias. And as she hailed him Jared couldn't help but realise that he had forgotten her name. It had happened already. He had always been terrible with names and now he had managed to forget the name of the very first person of the expedition who wanted to speak with him. “Hail,” He started wrongly copying her greeting “eh, um, m-miss.” He struggled trying fruitlessly to remember her name. She mentioned Zeltiva and for the first time since he had set sail from her harbour he missed it. He did. The familiarity of it's streets, the bonesnapper winds of the winter, the calm heat of summer, it was a strangely nostalgic moment and he might have even felt a tiny prick sting his eyes. The mention of the trip was met with much less nostalgia. The pirate ship had smelled rotten, the pirates sailors had been mean drunks each end everyone of them and he had been confined to his quarters one too many times while they engaged in piracy strange activities. “I'm here so the trip wasn't a c-complete disaster.” He replied with a nervous chuckle. Jared could not mask his surprise when she called him brave nor could he mask how he felt when his crippling sense of modesty set in. Jared did not feel altogether brave. Jared had been pushed into this by his father as a clear way to rid the man of his embarrassment of a son. Jared couldn't help but avert his eyes. He felt like a liar again. A cheating coward in a nest of noble knights. “Brave is the people who are risking their lives to take us there. Brave is the people who will be fight creatures and Myrians alike just to keep us safe. I'm just a guy with quill and parchment.” Jared replied somewhat downhearted. “Parchment nobody else will be able to read either.” Jared added under his breath, Then she took a favourable turn in her speech. Jared perked up at the mention of history and Godly knowledge. He knew those things. He actually did know these things and if he could tell her some then she would like him, right? His interest piqued even more when she informed him she was of the noble horse peoples of the Sea of Grass. A full Drykas, wow, he'd only ever met one and that was in passing. He'd only later found out when he asked his mother why the man had been so tattooed. Oh, this was so exciting! “Oh!” He exclaimed suddenly bring a palm up to hit himself in the head as if to try and kick-start his brain “You are Delani, right?” Jared, for the first time, sounded genuinely excited. “I am really sorry. I'm just terrible with names which is, you know, kind of funny because I'm great at remembering other names like the names of Gods and stuff you know but I suppose Godly names are a bit more important, you know? Not that your name isn't important but , mean, you know, you wouldn't smite me for forgetting, would you? Would you?” Jared's babbling ended with a distraught sigh. “Oh, I'm really sorry. I've just went and babbled your head off, haven't I? You came over here for an intelligent conversation and I've either sat here like a strangled mute or babbled like an unintelligible idiot. I'm very sorry but if you are a God in disguise would you just smite me now?” After a small pause he added “I'm kidding by the way.”

[Brodon Windriver]

'Oh, this is perfect!' Brodon celebrated to himself. Both of the people he wanted to talk to were now speaking together. Delani had mentioned a visit to the ships, and the young man...'Jared? wasn't it?'...was there as well. He wanted to coordinate a joint visit to the ships with Delani. He needed to get his hawk, 'Arrow', familiar with them, and to urge the owner, who he assumed was Mr. Syka, to provide a unique, color-coded perch on each vessel, with a like-colored flag. Arrow would quickly make the connection, so with nothing more than a Nari chirp, Brodon could send the bird to any individual ship on command, with whatever message needed to be sent. Arrow had been used as a messenger many times and only needed to know what to look for.

He also wanted to speak with Jared about several things. Among them, his mention of knowledge regarding gods and associated lore. Also, the possibility of getting some sort of tutoring with his common. He had had a supposed "tutor" provided him by his benefactor in Yahebah, but the man's common was nearly as bad as Brodon's had been. The third thing was spontaneously inspired as he watched the guy get all flustered as he trapped himself with his own words.

Delani cast a quick look in his direction as Jared fumbled for unneeded clarification, giving Brodon a friendly, but knowing, smirk which served to remind him of his own verbal gaffes from earlier that same evening. Brodon could not help but chuckle at Jared's virtual replay of his own social ineptitude. He realized his mistake as Jared apparently heard him and got a hurt look, no doubt thinking Brodon was laughing at him.

Brodon raised his hands in the universal wave of apology. "No, no, I am being very sorried, Jared? is your name? I was only being remindful of myself not being the most good of wording with being around the p-pretty...girl...womens!" Now it was his own turn to grow flustered, at fumbling for the proper term. He turned slightly away with embarrassment, his face reddening. He sighed and turned back with a laugh, "My mother was said to me that if I was keeping to blush so much, my face would be sticking in this color."

He had gotten the impression from Jared's earlier introductory remarks that the young man had nearly zero self-confidence. But the mention of formal schooling gave him to think the fellow would have many currently intangible contributions to make. It was just a matter of bolstering his sense of self-worth. He thought that perhaps he might offer to bunk with him. He had no doubt the young man felt certain he'd be the last man out and that someone would be "stuck" with him, and resent it. This would only compound things. But it could not come off as pity either. There needed to be a legitimate reason.

And there was. "Jared? I...uh...was hearing of your say...ing...that you are knowing much of things of god...like...things." He grimaced at his obviously erroneous sentence structure. "I was wonderful if you were not bunking with a someone yet? I can see...no...YOU can seeing I am speaking poor common speak..." he rolled his eyes, knowing that had been wrong as well. "You had university...ness in your schoolings, and maybe I can be help...helped by you? If you have not being bunked yet? I would be happy for trading in whatevers I can show you how to...do...what...ever...I can?" He ended up unsure whether this had been a question.

[Eleret]

The party began to break apart as people split off, some to depart, some still conversing in small groups. Eleret was left with a great deal to contemplate after everything was said and done, from everyone's introductions to the mysteries of Syka to what additional supplies she needed to add to her list. It was proving rather difficult to get her thoughts to settle on any one of those topics, as the Konti drifted towards the edge of the garden; she might have to sleep on it all and sort it out in the morning. The entry to the inn, she saw as she approached, was occupied by several people. Two of them were the humans whose introductions she had missed, early on; one was the boy she had been sitting next to, the one who was so anxious. Or... excited, now, Eleret thought as her steps slowed to approach the knot of people; there was a distinctly floral scent which seemed to radiate from him, and he was quite animated with his babbling. Which was much more pleasant to be around than his earlier anxiety. Eleret paused on the edge of the little gathering, listening to the boy wrap up his spiel with a small smile. His demeanor was kind of endearing, when he wasn't panicking. The man with them then spoke up, asking for help with his Common -- and while Eleret's automatic inclination was to offer her own help as well, she felt it better not to impose. It would, she thought, do the boy good to be asked. She turned to the woman instead, offering a lopsided and apologetic smile. "Excuse me," Eleret said quietly. "I hope I do not interrupt too much, but I did not catch your name earlier..."

[Delani Denusk]

Delani smiled indulgingly at the boy as he spoke briefly of his trip from Zeltiva and the fact that it wasn't a complete failure. Jared was clearly out of his element, up a creek without a paddle as the saying went. Her mind went back to yesteryears when she'd had a run in with a charoda tangled in some nets. He'd been...odd, too. Him and Jared would have gotten along fabulously.

When his self-degrading words were murmured under his breath, his eyes averted as he spoke them, the drykas laughed a little at his expense. "Young man, you should really stop being so self-depravating. It is fairly unbecoming. I was trying to afford you a compliment, but if you'd rather continue your march into demeaning drunkenness, by all means, be my guest." It must have hit the nail on the head, her words, for he quickly diverted into something more interesting just as Jared joined the conversation.

Her jade eyes turned on him, almost seeing the want from the younger fellow to be included as well. It almost made Delani feel like she was a shepherd to these...children. The thought sobered some of her humor quickly and she returned her attention to Jared. "Yes, I am Delani." She provided.

When he began to speed off on a tangent about his memory, she allowed another of those indulging smiles, and listened. Courteousness quickly dissolved, however, when he asked if she was a god, Delani actually clutching her belly and throwing her head back in true amusement the likes of which had not been felt in...in ages at least! "I am not a god, young man. I'm just a woman seeking understanding. Why don't you take a breath and calm yourself a moment or two? Brodon is a very nice young man and he clearly wishes to speak with you. I would be happy to translate, if he does not mind." This said referrentially when Brodon at last interrupted, his horrible Common released once again to them. If Brodon did allow her to translate, he needed only speak in Pavi and she would tell what was said in return.

Soon thereafter, the Konti approached and the jade stare of the Marked woman fell on her. Between translations, Dela answered Eleret. "That's alright, dear. I'm Delani of Denusk. There were quite a few names to learn. I'll admit, I've already forgotten a few." She gave a disarming grin, the kind which sang of someone worthy of trust.

OOCSorry about the delay, I honestly forgot I needed to reply

Person 2

Person 3

[Delani Denusk]

oocSkip Jared, guys. We need to move this forward

[Brodon Windriver]

Brodon was hopeful, but unsure. His fellow youngster, Jared, did not display unwillingness, but there was a marked lack of confirmation whether he accepted Brodon's proposal or not. His hesitance gave Brodon to believe that he may yet still need to find a bunk mate come the morning of the expedition's departure.

He turned now to the new arrival. She had similar features to the woman he had shamed himself before in the Red Bazaar of Yahebah. It was odd, the cycle of things. One of the first friends he made when he left home was a Dhani. At first, the man had been hired to kill him. Then, through mishaps and misadventure, they had become fast friends. So when Brodon had met a lovely young Dhani woman, he had been quite taken by her and assumed her attitude to be benevolent. In his vulnerability, she had robbed him.

So when he saw another, very similar looking, woman in the bazaar, he had thought her to be another thieving Dhani woman, and had confronted her with behavior just short of overt violence. The odd looking pronged dagger she wielded and the visible scales did not take away from his inclination to assume the worst. His embarrassment and regret had been profound when he'd found out she was a Konti, a race he was largely unfamiliar with, and not a Dhani at all.

So he was little reserved in his approach to this Konti, Eleret, before him now. The way the pattern of events had gone, she should be planning to attack or steal from him. Or he was about to find out that there was yet another light-skinned, blonde-haired and slightly scaly-skinned race.

Still, it was slowly sinking in that all of any one race was not to be judged by the behavior of one member. But his posture was a little defensive as he extended an hesitant hand to her. "And I am Brodon of being from also Drykas people. I am being thinking to say I am from the Yahebah people though as also. I dress for the being like them and have been gotten using to their ways."

[Eleret]

Delani and Brodon, Drykas. Eleret smiled warmly back at them both, noting the differences in their welcomes -- diffidence from the man, but not the woman. "I heard of Drykas," she replied, reaching out to accept Brodon's hand in a gentle but assured shake. "You know Yahebah? My friend, she is from that city. I am sorry she could not come; I think she would like this. This journey, this search," the Konti remarked, delight and interest brightening her expression. "Maybe you can tell me about the city, the people, some time later?" Open, amiable, sincere in her interest; hopefully in just being herself, Eleret would help put him at ease, for they would be spending a good deal of time around one another in the future. All of the expedition would. She shifted her attention to include both Delani and Brodon. "If it is not... if you are okay with, I would also like to learn about the Drykas. I do not meet them in Mura or Zeltiva, and I have not gone so far east before." Clearly, the prospect of meeting new people and learning about their cultures was one Eleret welcomed. The Konti considered them both for a moment, tipping her head thoughtfully. "I would be happy to talk about Mura or Zeltiva, to make it trade."

[Delani Denusk]

OOCI'm sorry I've been lacking on posts, guys; been trying to handle some stuff and it's kept my PC posting kinda slow

It quickly became apparent Jared's discomfort with this all. For one reason or another, the young man opted out of their conversation, and the party altogether (later to not be seen on the ships for that matter), leaving the three to talk alone. Delani, thus, put all of her attention on her two current comrades: Eleret, and Brodon.

Brodon's weak common was nearly impossible to understand by the Drykas. She would have preferred keeping conversation with him in Pavi. Still, even she had to learn the language at some point; he would most certainly need some assistance. "Brodon, you and I should sit sometime. We can work on your dictation in Common then. I am sure it will be easier on the rest of the team." She spoke and signed in the native tongue before quickly returning to Common to address the Konti before them.

"Dear, I will be glad to share some of our culture. I've never been to either location, myself, but have heard tell of the beauty of Mura and the native Konti. My cousin is one, you know. I have not yet observed a likely bunkmate; perhaps we can arrange such and discuss this during down times?" The woman offered kindly, folding her hands before her, that same welcoming smile adorning her features. "Have you been to Zeltiva recently, if I may ask? Have you heard any news of...events along the border between Cyphrus and Sylira?" The woman was careful with the question, should the other be sensitive on the matter or had heard of the events that were transpiring in the Sea.

Common

Pavi

Thoughts

NPC

[Brodon Windriver]

Brodon nodded to Delani, fully aware that she was right. He responded in welcomed Pavi to the comments she directed at him. "Yes, I know. And I would embrace any opportunity to receive some tutoring in common. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for one of our party members to "sift" through my gibberish. The problem is that it's made up of so many different approaches, from so many different cultures, that I always seem to be selecting the wrong context and structure for every part of speech that I employ. You'd think I'd get "lucky" half the time, but it sure doesn't seem to work out that way."

He had to consider Eleret's presence, however, and did not want to put her ill at ease with an unfamiliar tongue. Though he was hesitant to drop his social guard in front of her, he had no desire to offend her. He gave a grin, which quickly became a grimace as he returned to common speech. "I am sorry...full?...for talk in Pavi, miss Eleret. But my speaking of common..." he sighed and rolled his eyes, "...well, you have been hearing it too much. I am needing...for...relaxment. When I am...not being...hurrying up, I can be doing better."

He looked at the two women for confirmation that this had not been too terribly phrased. He saw no eyes rolling, or brows furrowed from the attempt to read through his muddled speech, so he continued. "But when I...am being...with companies, and...am knowing I make...AM making mistakes...I am getting fluster...rated...and want to be hurrying up...for getting it over with."

He felt pretty good with this last bit, but still his face reddened slightly, "...and I am wishing I was not so blushing so much!"