Open Fresh Off the Boat

[Shikoba]

5th of Winter, 513AV

Calls went on overhead, as the crew went about finishing settling the merchant ship down for their stay; tying up loose ends here and there and making sure that everything was in tip top shape. Tip top shape... one of many Common expressions she had learned over the course of her travel from Ahnatep, which also included a greater variety in her cursing vocabulary, more than a little to Rinathwa's chagrin.

She had left her desert homeland during late summer, having talked her way onto a merchant's ship, a sloop, working alongside the sailors in exchange for her passage. It had taken her some time to make her way to the city of Nyka, the merchants stopping in various ports to buy and sell their wares. At first, she had mostly kept to herself; being that not only was she cautious of strangers, but as a Chaktawe, she had an unintentional effect on them that tended to make them nervous around her. It was probably the eyes. That was what they usually said anyways. However, she was able to befriend a few of the crew here and there, and there were times when Shikoba would even venture into storytelling. She wove tall-tales for her small audiences, of wondrous sea creatures she had heard in their songs, and some from her own dreams. It took her little time to forget the reason she had set out on such a journey in the first place.

Thinking back, she would consider her decision of leaving so suddenly rash, though it had been encouraged by her Guardian; a great surprise to her. He had told her, really told her, that she needed a change. Perhaps it had been that moment of curiosity, which had led to her larceny, making friends in the lower circles or how she had been caught in bar fights. Shikoba herself, thought of it as a great opportunity to see lands beyond her own, and a smaller part of her would admit, that it was a chance for her to leave some painful memories behind.

Breathing the sea air deeply, the Chaktawe gathered her luggage and looked for the captain. After greeting him, she inquired him of where she might be able to find some lodging, and thanked him for allowing her passage. She said her farewells to those she had befriended, sharing a few laughs, handshakes and well-wishes. Without looking back, she disembarked the ship.

One of the first things she had noticed during the voyage, was that it grew increasingly cold, the farther they went north. It was likely due to the fact that she had grown up in the deserts of Ekytol, and it became cooler as they went. Now that it was winter and that she now walked the streets of a more Northern city, Shikoba shivered. 'I hope that I become accustomed to this blasted weather... and quickly!' She had been thoughtless and unprepared for the difference in climate, so despite her efforts of bundling up in every article of clothing she owned, she still felt a chill, more so than those who had grown up in such cities.

"The Safehaven Hostel," she murmured under her breath, glancing around at the nearby buildings. The locals she passed by gave her looks of distrust and suspicion, which did not bother her so much as made her feel more exhausted. It was a tiring thing, being under suspicion wherever you went. What surprised her though, was to notice that other travellers, such as herself, also fell under the distrustful gazes of the city folk. 'It's.. not just me?' Perhaps it was silly, but she felt a bit relieved at the thought.

Not wishing to lose her way on her first day, Shikoba hesitantly asked a shopkeeper of where she might find the hostel the captain had spoken of. She was met with sharp eyes, as he gave her directions. Wryly, she thought, 'And he doesn't even know of my past transgressions...' recalling her theft at a fruit stand during a passed season. Shaking this from her mind, she thanked him politely in her accented Common, and set off towards the Hostel.

[Ursa]

• 5th of Winter, 513 AV •

Ursa sighed when his bare foot made contact with the clay beneath him, baked into rock. The hard ground was as cold as ice, as was the frigid winter air. The night promised snow, but not until the next morning. Ursa hadn't gotten very far since he left on his own, but a slight chill was nothing to fret about. His porcelain hand swept one of his thick locks away from his stoney eyes. He continued down the darkened alley, shrouded in cool shadow.

The alley was silent, and Ursa listened to the evening wind carry soft sounds from the coast, just a few miles away. He fluttered his dress with the wind, and he flowed through the breeze, stepping quietly and keenly. His dainty feet carried him silently, leaving him no distraction from his thoughts.

Ursa was excited to start on his expedition, but didn't know where to begin. He wondered how someone could begin a journey of self-actualization. He struggled to figure out his goal. Ursa wandered between buildings and through tiny puddles. He recalled the words of his mother, spoken in a smooth hush. "Our people can become anything that we'd want to be. We just need to see it first."

A monk, dressed in the sacred robe of Skerr stepped by Ursa's shade briskly, obviously in some sort of hurry. Whether it was the night's cold air or a pressing task, the tall woman with very little hair needed to move quickly. Ursa watched her stride away with determination and grace and wondered to himself what it must be like to be such a powerful force. He imagined himself being directly involved with the Celestials, standing up for his beliefs and fighting to make Nyka a better place. Ursa considered briefly that this may be a goal for him to achieve. He didn't worry about his height. Ursa knew for sure that he could be anything he wanted, if he tried hard enough. For now, though, all he needed was to get out of Nyka and explore.

Ursa wandered some more, this time in search of a place to meet adventurers like himself. He remembered hearing about the Safe Haven Hostel, a place of rest for travelers that was nested in the Celestial quarter. It would certainly be a good place to look, though the walk would be long. He considered the length of his trip and also considered taking a bite from his reservoir of clay. His soft muscles ached and he wondered if he was becoming stiff and worn, but decided that his fatigue had come from walking more than he had ever treked before. His meal would have to wait until he arrived at the Hostel.

As he headed towards the center of the holy city, the chill in the air grew sharper and the wind became even more unruly. This drop in temperature was overridden by the increasing amount of people that sped past him, clutching their cloaks to their chests and cantering past on horses. Ursa felt not so frigid and clung to the thick shadows that lined the walls and gutters of the city. It was not that he was trying to hide himself and his malleable form, for he knew that he was not the only inhuman to be found. He simply did not trust the night. For one thing, he did not want to stay out too late past curfew and get caught by the patrol or find himself in the crossfire of a deathmatch of zealous monks. Also, a young Pycon like himself would struggle in a battle, should some mad collector attempt to steal him away or if he were to find himself being watched by a night animal.

Ursa arrived at the famed Lovers' Bridge and hesitated. The bridge was empty tonight, completely free of the typically spry couples that dared to cross it. This silence created a thick fog of suspense for Ursa as he gazed into the gap below, the legendary Aperture. Ursa inflated his body as he tensed his muscles. He leaned forward and stared even further into its black reaches. Though his vision did not allow him to pore deep into the crevice, he certainly felt a presence from something down below. He knew not what it could be, but he knew that it saw him. Ursa closed his eyes and opened his mind, waiting for his Lance to perforate his thoughts and deliver a message from the unseen. His eyes then flicked open as he retreated from that sort of probe. Then, he hurried across the bridge to the Celestial square, wondering if he was really alone. The Safe Haven was not too much further, and Ursa decided that he needed to be hidden from the darkness.

[Shikoba]

oocSorry for the wait! My internet cut out right before I could post this. *sighs*

Despite the directions she had been given, it still took her quite some time to find an area that even resembled a main street. There was barely a soul in sight, the people who had populated the street seeming to have vanished from the roads. 'Ah!' She recalled something that the sailors had mentioned as they had near the city. Sailors, she had learned, tended to be a superstitious group, and the tales they had told where at times quite chilling.

"You do not want to be caught in the streets after dark," one had said in whispered tones. "They say that terrible things will happen..."
She had asked what could be so terrible about being caught out in the streets at dark, but the crew's expressions only darkened, her questions going unanswered. Left to wonder for herself, she had assumed that there was perhaps a underground group of some sort. However, she was beginning to reconsider her assumption, feeling a strange sort of creeping notion up her spine. This, along with the fact that there weren't many people in the street, let her take off her gloves. An odd sort of relief washed over her as she did; sensations of air currents and movements caressing her senses. But... There was still something that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand... she just couldn't discern what it was. Warily, she quickened her pace, until she saw a bridge; one she presumed to be the Bridge of the Beginning.

It was made of stone and had the look of something that had seen its seasons. As she approached, she noticed something odd. There was a group of people, dressed in robes, that seemed to be dumping something over side. It wasn't until she was closer, that she realized that they were throwing good food and other small things into what seemed a bottomless pit.

Having grown up in the desert, at times with a scarce amount of food, she was shocked by such an act. 'What are they thinking? While others are starving, they waste food that is still good!' However, despite her bordering outrage at their actions, she did not wish to call unwanted attention to herself on her first day in the city, at least no more than she had already received as an outsider.

Keeping her head down, and slumping over slightly, she attempted to slip past them, her steps relatively light. However, as she was about midway across the bridge, she heard someone call out in her direction. Due to her removed gloves, she was alerted to when one of the robed figures began moving towards her. "Where do you think you're going?" came a brightly toned, lower male voice. It was resonant, one that carried easily through the air, the kind that had the makings of a great storyteller, and one that she would have admired, had it not contained a hint of a whine. She kept her eyes averted, knowing that it was something that most found unsettling; and an unsettled, nervous person, or creature, tended to be of the unpredictable sort.

"I am on the way to the Safehaven Hostel," she replied politely. Perhaps it was her accent, or simply her appearance, but in any case, something seemed to urge him on, as he stepped closer. With her current, slumped posture, he was only slightly taller than she, and she felt the disturbance in the air as he reached to tilt her chin back. "It's disrespectful to not look someone in the eyes when you are talking to them. Even children know tha- petch!" he trailed off as he caught a full load of her entirely black eyes, immediately dropping his hand. Deciding to play up on his apparent surprise, she straightened to her full height, and looked down at him with a toothy smile.

"Why, Master Awahtoklo," she began, the swear of her native tongue rolling of her tongue, musical and exotic, "You seem to be... shocked." It was unlikely that this... Azmashe, as an Eypharian might call him, knew the meaning behind what she managed to pass off as an honorary title. He still seemed caught, and she hoped slightly intimidated. She had specifically chosen the particular swear, for it meant, "He who leaves none for the crows," which was fitting, considering his and his companions' actions.

As a newcomer to the city, she had not realized that it was a custom offering. Instead, taking advantage of the robed man's momentary silence, she continued with the same polite tone, "Now if you'll excuse me, I would like to make it to the Hostel before complete dark," turned aburptly, and hurried off before he could decide what to do next. By whatever luck, she did not know, the other Awahtoklo, seemed to have been too preoccupied with their wastefulness, and she easily made her escape. Still, just as a precaution, she did not slow from her quickened pace until a few chimes later, her long strides taking her farther away than she initially realized.

Walking, she took a calming breath, before a small chuckle escaped her lips. It was the times when she purposefully attempted to intimidate someone that amused her. In this case though, it was the fact that she had used her native tongue to insult someone without their knowing, her mischievous nature peeking out for the briefest of moments. Beginning to take in her surroundings, she found herself before an old building. If memory served her right, as it always did, it matched the description that she had been given by both the Captain and the shopkeeper.

Stepping up to the door, she hesitated.
"Well... this should be interesting."