Good and Bad

Sometimes the most enlightening conversations are had between complete strangers. (Arysana)

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The Diamond of Kalea is located on Kalea's extreme west coast and called as such because its completely made of a crystalline substance called Skyglass. Home of the Alvina of the Stars, cultural mecca of knowledge seekers, and rife with Ethaefal, this remote city shimmers with its own unique light.

Good and Bad

Postby Cassandra Southwind on January 3rd, 2014, 4:08 am

Hubris. It took her a moment to remember the word, and when she did she realized that it was the most perfect one. Cassandra had always assumed that it was a divine tradition to keep mammalian Tavan. She did not know if there was a god of birds, but she did know that Laviku had gifted the world with fish and dolphin and all variety of sea creature alike. Could the preference really be a human device? And what of people who were not human?

"It is true. Dolphins are... intelligent. Playful. Loyal." All somewhat inaccurate words. But the point was made. "Everything a good person is. But..."

She hated to contradict Sana, and so contradict herself. Truly she did not know what she thought of the matter, had never considered it outside of her own self-preserving musings. Part of her delighted in the prospect of sorting out her own thoughts, but another part dreaded the rabbit hole they might venture into for it.

Or maybe they had already fallen in, and there was no use resisting the conversation's course until it reached its proper end. Cassandra had enough drink in her to start on animals and their value, however she was not prepared to face the nagging possibility of the topic of more sentient things. Any redeeming reason for why a person might kill an animal could not be related to why a person might kill a person.

Still, she hesitated to pick up her drink again. She knew too well the risk of drowning in it.

"Fish are a gift from Laviku. When we eat them, we honor Him. They serve that purpose, and the dolphins serve a different purpose." She was speaking slowly, for while she shared Arysana's desire to perfectly articulate her beliefs, she did not have the vocabulary. Neither was she nearly as concerned with offending Sana as Sana seemed to be; Cass already respected the other woman for her depth of thought and would not insult her with trivial pleasantries. "No, I am thinking every creature has a purpose, which is given to it by the gods. People that eat cows and birds do not mistreat these animals, in the way people mistreat people for flaws that they perceive. Unless death is a mistreatment. In that case, I mistreat many fish."
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Good and Bad

Postby Arysana on January 4th, 2014, 3:12 am

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Thoughts | "Speech"

Sana groaned and rested her head on the counter. Just as she thought she was getting somewhere, Cassandra made a good point. For someone who was not large in faith of any kind or sort, she'd never quite cared for or thought of The Divine. "Right," she said finally, lifting her head and crinkling her nose. "The Divine creates beings for purpose," she nodded slowly, then, trying to figure out how everything was sorted and fit within her mind.

Going along with Cassandra's words, Sana gave a short nod and giggle, "I, too, mistreat quite the many animal." When her laughter dissolved she was quite to take another drink, nodding slowly as she thought things through. "Is there a line drawn, however?" She asked, slightly out of depth with the topic. She'd prayed to a God once or twice, when a loved one died or started a new chapter in their life.

But in terms of living and acting to 'honour' a God, the most she thought that she did was keep the meat and life of birds sacred. "Like," the noise she made was disgruntled, and she rested her drink on the couter as she rubbed her neck, "Killing fish for need versus doing so for pleasure."

She frowned, slowly working away the fog that had once more blanketed her mind. A life living on her own whims and thoughts had proved to leave her quite shallow and sheltered, it seemed. "Surely" the was a short pause as she sought the God's name, "Laviku, does not take pride in over fishing? And the killing of a number of fish that is more than to satisfy the mouths needed to be fed?" She felt her words become drawling and babbling, though she paid little mind and gave a single small piece.

"In Wind Reach, all birds are sacred. None are to be eaten, nor harmed in any way. They are kin, should their body bear good meat or not. That is our way to honour them-" She paused and flailed, was there a Divine that was given homeage to? Or was it perhaps the Wind Eagles themselves? "The word of the Wind Eagles are law. It is they that we honour by keep the flesh of a feathered beast sacred." She nodded slowly. Yes, it must be the Wind Eagles.
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Good and Bad

Postby Cassandra Southwind on January 5th, 2014, 5:54 pm

Cassandra's desire to hold back from drink did not last long. Maybe she did not know exactly what the Common word pleasure meant, or maybe she knew exactly what it meant. Either way, the thought of killing for it brought the glass to her lips. At least she was finally realizing how frustrating this was for the woman on the other side of the conversation; Cass almost felt bad for not noticing the little signs sooner, for allowing herself to be consumed in her own turmoil.

She drank a little more than she ought have, leaving only the last of the sugary orange beverage to dilute beneath the ice. Allowing Sana her turn, she put a quiet finger up for the server to see.

The Svefra knew little about the divinities and governments of this Wind Reach place, and the truth (which she would never tell the Inarta) was that she did not care. Still, though she was not familiar with most other forms of worship Cassandra knew enough that they were all different. The sanctity of creatures of the sky did not completely escape her, anyway. Birds were majestic in their own right, and talented enough to swim in thin air.
"I understand. Their purpose is not to be eaten. Even more so than the purpose of dolphins." It was a strange and difficult truth, but there it was. Cassandra's inebriated mind felt a little defensive for it. "It may be that Laviku is more generous with the creatures of his domain. But those that over-fish, as you say, do face the worst of his wrath."

The server arrived and she interrupted herself to say,
"You make the Dark and Stormy? The one with the rum and the beer?" Answered with a patient nod, Cass pointed at herself and at Sana without looking at the state of the latter's drink. "Two, please."

Not a beat was skipped in getting back to the topic at hand. Cassandra was, perhaps, too eager to elaborate.
"But what of needless death? Of animals, I mean. Do the gods despise a hunter of hares for the wolf he kills in his own defense? And- and what of the woman who destroys a spider which might have bitten her friend? These creatures act with the purpose of the Divine, and we destroy them for our own benefit. Are we expected to... eat them?"
I will be slow posting through this Spring. :( Sorry for any inconvenience or delay.
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Good and Bad

Postby Arysana on January 8th, 2014, 1:03 am

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"Speech" | 'Thoughts'
Sana took the new drink with a grin, downing the last few sips of her second before wrapping her fingers around the cold glass set before her. She regarded Cassandra with a keen eye for a moment, wondering how close she was to reaching her limit - whether she was heavy or light, or some strange in-between like herself. There was a slight sway to Sana's own form, a strange little smile that played on her lips as she found that her company's words were taking picking up quite the fervor.

Of all things that she'd have thought could happen that night - to start a fight, drink to oblivion, vent to the poor bartender, or perhaps run into an old friend - befriending a stranger and beginning a discussion about the worth of life of other creatures and consequently having her contemplate giving up eating any sort of meat was nothing of the sort. Her mind soon took to the matter than Cassandra had brought up, blinking slowly as she tried to place thoughts with words and produce coherence.

"Self defense," She said finally, taking a sip of her drink, her nose crinkling at the taste. "I don't think a death dealt-" She gave an odd articulation to the words, forcing herself to speak slower and more clear as drink set in. There was no worry that Cassandra was quite competent with her Common, but Sana had no wish to test how much. "-in self defense is 'needless.'" She set down her drink and took note of her hands, gave spending a half tick too long trying to discern whether or not there was a tremble to them. "It depends on your definition of 'needless'. Though moreso, the Gods' definition of the word."

She rolled her shouldered and frowned, glancing back and forth between the drink and Cassandra several times, debating whether she wished more to speak than drink. If she'd eaten something substantial prior, this very well wouldn't have been an issue. "Would the God or Goddess forgive an action taken if the person thought that they were doing right?" She gestured to the Svefra before taking another sip, "Like killing a spider to save a friend, or a wolf because they thought it may prey on another?"
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Good and Bad

Postby Cassandra Southwind on January 11th, 2014, 4:38 am

Cassandra had been drinking recreationally since she was fourteen, as was the custom of her pod and their frequent bonfire parties on various city shores. Though still quite young in the scheme of things, she considered herself versed in most manners of drink. She was, perhaps, too confident in her own ability to hold liquor--nonetheless, she was hardier than most girls her age. Whatever the case, the care Sana took in being understood was well worth the effort. While Cass would not be passing out any time soon, her mind was wandering.

A deep exhale preluded her response, followed by a deep sip and another sigh.
"Gods see a person's actions before their intentions. Thinking a thing is right does not make it right."

She wondered if she was being too argumentative. This encounter would probably become one of the most memorable ones she would have in this dying year, and she found herself a little more invested than she ought to have been. Because Sana was validating what Cass had done, without even knowing it; in the secret conversation within the sinning Svefra's own mind, this woman was telling her that she could be forgiven, if her intentions were good. But Cass could not be forgiven. She would not abide it.

"All gods are different," she added defensively. "There are gods of nature and gods of life, but there are also gods of war and gods of death. Now I am thinking that a person will be hated or loved by any god for anything they do. Our opinions--human opinions, not god opinions--are what a person sees every day. That is called law."

She was waving her glass in her hand, the ice sloshing precariously around in the dark amber drink.
"Sana... Do you care? Do you care what the gods think, or do you speak of them because I do? Perhaps it is Hubris, but perhaps it is more wise also. It is not the gods who punish, not usually. Perhaps it is useless to wonder what they think. It is more important what people think."
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Postby Arysana on January 12th, 2014, 7:29 am

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"Speech" | 'Thoughts'
She almost choked on her drink at the deepening of the conversation, which, by that point, Sana thought was sufficiently intense enough. Actions before intentions, that was what Gods and Goddesses see. It was backwards for Sana, herself, who lived and worked with those who were avid in the practice in magic. In such circumstances, intention weighed far greater than outcome.

Though one was well within their right to be mad should the journal they lent someone come back encased in ice, the sentiment and knowledge that said person was merely trying to copy what was described in the other's journal placed the act in a far different light should it have been a rival attempting to set back learning who did so."Acting for the sake of people is important, I agree with. If you do not act accordingly to the wishes of those who rule a city, you might find yourself jailed. But there is always a step further to consider," she said, nodding slowly. At least, as far as she was concerned it was a slow nod with a thoughtful look, with the drink and the lighting playing tricks om her mind, there was more of a frown and a strange jerk to her movements.

"Whether or not they live to serve the Gods, or live to serve the city, or the world, or their family. Sometimes the worship of a God or Goddess would fit well in their lives... others not. Such as myself - as you asked, I speak of Gods only because you brought them up. I hold most in high esteem, I just see none relevant to my life. I live for myself and my own selfish curiosity. A God or Goddess that values kindness or integrity will not value me, but one who favours the pursuit of knowledge might. It's as you said, what makes you loved by one can make you hated by another. It may indeed be best to act by the people and then by the Gods, if you are not marked."

She felt like she was giving a drunken rant. Scratch that, she was giving a drunken rant. "There are a hundred thousand people in this world. What chance is it that some minor act will draw the eye of the divine? I mean, Syna or Leth or Zulrav will likely catch you if you do something horrid," She took a quick look to the Svefra's hand, the movement almost falling her as she took on a dizzy spell. Along with the little spell, her words were disjointed, and a jump in logic came. "But you're Svefra. You're different."
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Postby Cassandra Southwind on January 14th, 2014, 2:34 am

Cassandra's hand shot out to Arysana when she staggered, hovering at her arm in case she needed steadying. Though it turned out that her strength was not needed, the older girl still put an arm around her companion when she saw a man attempt at their periphery. The pair's combined state of intoxication might have seemed like a prime opportunity for even a moderately respectable suitor, the Svefra was sober enough to put a hard glare on her bright blue eyes and stop him in his tracks. On another night she might not have interfered before Sana had a say, but Cass was feeling selfish that night.

It was the marked hand that lifted her glass to her mouth again. She felt vicariously parched in the wake of Sana's ramblings, the thoughts and opinions of a nonreligious person on a religious matter. Cass caught herself entertaining the idea of being godless, of living only for herself, but the idea only roiled like temper in her gut.
"Different," she echoed sadly, and the proud pattern on her wrist writhed.

It was then that Cassandra definitively decided that she needed to tell someone about the thing that had been weighing on her for the greater part of the night. It had been boiling low in her, ever since Arysana had spoken of can'ts and won'ts and friends and guilt.

"Two shots," she said to the passing barkeep. "Something sweet. Then water."

She separated from Arysana so that she could look at her properly.
"Laviku cares not about birds and spiders. He cares about the sea, the creatures in it. He cares about devotion, and sacrifice, and... and family. I am lucky, to have my morals put out for me by Him." But they weren't. If they were, she would not feel so guilty about what she had done. No, she required a human element to sort things out, and Arysana was clever and just present enough to serve that purpose. Like her own little oracle. As the shots came round, Cass raised hers like a toast. "Others must wonder. Others must make laws. But not I. I am different."

Should Sana show hesitance, Cass would assure her that the tab was hers and do the honors of tipping the glass for her. As the saccharine burn faded from their throats, she gave a good laugh and comforted the girl on her shoulder. The following question made an attempt at the hypothetical, but it was, perhaps, too heavily disguised by frivolity.

"What if you killed a person? Forget gods." The Fratavan word was not the most polite one to use. "What do the laws of people say about that?"
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Good and Bad

Postby Arysana on January 15th, 2014, 2:54 pm

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"Speech" | 'Thoughts'
'Two Shots,' she'd said, and Sana's eyes widened. She wasn't inclined to drink further, but there was a clipping to Cassandra's words, and a steadfastness of her character lead Sana to to swallow her words of object, and firm her form as well as she could. Even still. she'd have preferred to be the one handling the tab - if only as a vote of thanks for the dispelling of unwanted company a few ticks before, and the short support than she'd been lent. The water sounded good, though.

She made sense of Cassandra's words as best she could, a lag coming as her drink inhibited her mind and thoughts, nodding rather dramatically along with her few short statements. When it came time to take the short, she was inherently glad to have the woman so near, the mere act of tilting her head back and taking the gulp enough to have her sway quite some bit, with her expression contorting at the burn that ran down her throat something childish.

But then the question came, and Sana was just about bawled over. "The laws of killing," she tried, the not liking the way it sounded from herself. She pressed her lips and clasped the bench, a hand resting lightly on Cassandra as she pushed her mind into valuing thought over balance. "There are so many." She swallowed, opening her mouth and closing it as she tried to figure out where to start. "Illegal in Lhavit, not in Wind Reach," A look passed her, then, before she pressed on with answering.

"If done in self defence," she trailed, trying to separate the mush and fog that was within her mind. "Then excusable, but for no reason - no excuse." She frowned, "Death still not a certain punishment." From what memory served her, the abuse and killing of the Okomo was the only thing to guarantee death.
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Postby Cassandra Southwind on January 19th, 2014, 6:40 am

And is a symenestra a person? The following question halted behind her lips, begging for the catharsis in the confession. It was comforting to know that opinions were divided on the matter of killing, for although she was curious Cass did not feel personally confined by any single city and its laws. But from what little she had heard of that particular race—the race of the man whose throat had been acquainted with the edge of her knife—she wondered if the general consensus was more unanimous.

But that wasn't the point, anymore. Cassandra's own guilt and false subtexts were just selfish elaborations to the true discussion that had unfolded between her and Arysana. Now was not the time for catharsis, and then had not been the time for an extra shot. The Rest was nearly over; the bar was waking again with the second half of night. No, now was the time for a tab to be paid, leave to be made, and a poor drunk girl to be escorted home by the person who had put the drink in her.

"That is rather fair," Cass replied with a deep nod, shuffling through her bag until she found the day's profits. Parting with a handful of kina, she continued, "I am thinking it is a bad idea to stay longer. You... we drank more than is good." When she slipped from her stool it was not elegantly, but she recovered quietly from her short stumble and held a hand out to Arysana.

It was the least she could do, for the woman who was more intelligent than the drink in her blood and more thoughtful than she seemed to give herself credit for. If she had not been entertained, Cassandra may not have insisted.
"Let me help you to your home. It is time for you to rest, do you agree?"
I will be slow posting through this Spring. :( Sorry for any inconvenience or delay.
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Cassandra Southwind
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Good and Bad

Postby Arysana on January 21st, 2014, 2:07 pm

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"Speech" | 'Thoughts'
Fair, was it? Sana frowned at the strange patch on the wall, willing the writhing spot to stop moving, before her own jerky nod to herself gave a not-so-subtle self acknowledgement of her stupidity in accepting so much drink. She had work to attend to, at some point. Maybe. Did she? Or didn't she? She couldn't remember. She didn't want to remember. She was quite happy in her little daze, entertaining herself as she listened to Cassandra's lovely words with that full and unyielding accent of hers.

Even when she spoke of how much a of a bad idea it was to dwell any longer in the pla-What? Sana gave her brand-new-dearest-friend-the-whole-of-Lhavit a look that was incredulous. Opening her mouth quite widely as she processed the suggestion to leave, she struggled to quite understand the reason for the offered hand for several long ticks. "But," she drawled, taking Cassandra's hand as she stood herself up and tall - in her own opinion, that is, without too much swaying and appearing at least somewhat gathered in her senses.

Any further complaint died before it touched her lips, thoughts of nestling herself in her bed becoming quite foremost in her mind. "Bed sounds nice," she paused for a further moment, expression shifting to a childish contortion as she checked herself with a free hand, before finding herself satisfied that she was all still there.

She ambled off on her way, then, pausing and using Cassandra as a mobile support post as she thought herself able to walk unaided before finding that she really quite wasn't, at least three times so in the short venture to the door of tavern. "My, my uh home is that place," she struggled frowning as she thought long and hard with exaggerated gestures. She needed to say it before she forgot it, and opted to drop into the home of her parents. What a way to 'make them proud'?. "With the magic... Respite. Of the Towers. Towers' Respite." When she'd finally mustered the address, she'd half forgotten why she needed it in the first place, glaring at the door as though it was the cause for her problems.

She gave a giddy grin before opening the door, gesturing once more flamboyantly before managing a short curtsy without falling herself. "It," She tried, look of joy faltering before it returned. "Was a pleasure to meet you."
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Arysana Elthorne
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Arysana
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