The Pearl Sands in the Fall Light[open]

[Vyalomn]

Timestamp: 11th day of Autumn, 510
Location: Beach, south of Mura's harbor

The noon light shined on Vyalomn's dampened skin as she floated in the calm waves. The peaceful flow of the waves soothed her; the chaotic, busy sounds of the busy harbor and city could not be heard over the gentle splashing of the tide. Another wave hit, and so she blinked, the water spilling over her head. Surfacing again she smiled, the cool waters being so refreshing.

With a stroke of her arms she eased into an upright position and looked back to the pearl-white sands where she left her belongings. With a sigh she forced herself to swim back. After another wave passed her and broke ahead, she swam in with the tide being careful not to get caught up in the currents.

The chill of the wind set in a bit, her bare, wet figure shivered a bit. It certainly had begun to cool with the change of the season. Vyalomn rung out her hair the best she could, and let the breeze take care of the rest.

Looking to the sun on high she said, "Time to head back," in a dull tone. To exercise her talents for the pleasure of others, a dream job some would think. To have her spirit bound, to have to dance and sing to get by took away from the meaning and release she gained. Her afternoon swim cooled her off for the time being. With a light grunt she bent over in her unmotivated state and snatched up her undergarments, easing them over her still damp form.

Vyalomn's eyes opened a bit, the chill being amplified with the wet clothing. She wiggled around in her garments to no result. She padded herself sparingly with the ends of her skirt, watching the cloth darken and become all the more transparent with each swab. Her brow perked in annoyance. Turning her head back to the sea and sun, she couldn't help but take a deep breath, the beautiful image soaking into the thickest fabric of her memory. The smirk grew to a grin, her small time devotion to work was worth the income to sustain her life for this.

After a few moments of allowing the water to evaporate, Vyalomn fully dressed herself. She combed through her hair with her fingers, having nothing on hand but the clothes on her back. Her other belongings were waiting at home for her when she'd come back to clean up for work that night, and the next. Her fine, locks puffed with the dried roots, but were restrained by the moisture remaining.

Vyalomn began her way back up the beach toward the harbor. With her hair blowing back in the growing wind, she hummed a tune to mimic the symphony of the crashing waves upon the shell barrier. Making out the faint steps she had made earlier, Vyalomn followed the path back to a world she was too familiar with.

[Nari]

Nari sat against the wall of a building overlooking the beach, her back propped against the rough stone. She wasn’t sure which building it was, but then again, she didn’t really care. She had taken her sandals off and placed them beside her, and her cloak was left at home. This was as nude as she ever got in public, but it still felt glorious. The sun warmed her skin, and the sand scratched her toes. Even the wall behind her added to her appreciation of the afternoon, its strength and slight dampness pressing against her back and protecting her from the strengthening breeze. Strands of hair came loose from the knot at her neck, tickling her cheeks. In the background, the sound of boisterous people milling in the harbor gave a completeness to the day that made her feel more real than she’d felt in almost a season. These were her experiences, no one else’s, and she would treasure them for their honest clarity.

Nari continued breathing deeply and regularly, her mind slowly describing the scene around her in as much detail as she could manage- using every sense so she knew she was inside her own body. She opened her eyes to add sight to her catalog of impressions, glimpsing another young Konti heading her way. This wasn’t unusual on Mura, of course, but something about the girl’s look struck a chord with Nari. Maybe it was how her hair and clothing were soggy and disheveled, yet she looked oddly graceful and at peace- a sign of the same appreciation of life to which Nari clung firmly. Or perhaps it was the song that was being hummed- a tune that brought the shoreline to her eyes and ears though she was no longer looking at it and was far enough away from the waves that they were hushed. Either way, Nari felt a tug of affinity toward this woman and acted upon it, almost instinctively.

“Hello,” she said shyly, scrambling to her feet. She looped her sandals through one finger as she rose, nervously biting her lip. It had been a while since she approached someone without a genuine reason. “How was your swim?”

[Vyalomn]

Her eyes kept to the sand, she was in a bit of a trance, focused on the ever repeating pattern of the sand grains. She watched her light steps-left, right, left, right-but never did look back to see what marks she left. Vyalomn knew better than to dwell on the past, and so she pushed forward.

Her humming was quiet, yet rich in tone. The volume growing with each step. Such a song in words would be most entertaining. The distant sounds of the city were faint, but still of annoyance to Vyalomn. She hummed but a bit louder to drone it all out. A surprising noise struck her, another voice. She had no intentions of finding anyone on the beach, so out of the way from the "worthwhile" sites of the island. She stopped humming and her head shot up to the source. Her pale lips parted slightly as her whole form perked up to present herself properly to the intruder of her peace.

“Hello,” she said shyly, scrambling to her feet. She looped her sandals through one finger as she rose, nervously biting her lip. It had been a while since she approached someone without a genuine reason. “How was your swim?”

Vyalomn slowed her walk as she drew closer, eventually stopping a few feet from her. She made sure to leave a bit of space between them; there was plenty of air to share, and no need to hover over the other. She blinked for a moment, staring at at the woman above her. Vyalomn could sense the shyness about her, the awkward air about them. She knew the feeling all too well.

She was hesitant in her speech, but welcomed the conversation.

"It was," she paused, wondering how to answer. She could spill her guts or be brief like the rest. Call it a leap of faith, but Vyalomn was willing to take a chance with this new face. "It was relaxing. The waves are gentle today, and I really wish I could have stayed a bit longer. Unfortunately, I need to be getting back to the city. I have a performance tonight, well; I will be performing, near the central fountains. I dance and sing at..." her voice trailed off not wanting to dominate over her. She started again, "I am Vyalomn. I don't think we have met. Who are you?" Her voice was calm and a bit raspy from the cool water. She must have been swimming for some time.
Vyalomn was dry now, her clothes were still drying and her hair was still damp.

[Nari]

Nari waited, staring at the other Konti with the wide-eyed interest most commonly associated with children. A conversation! A real conversation! Not ‘What are you doing, Nari? It’s well past dusk’ or ‘Could you be a dear and check on my daughter one more time today? I just get so worried.’ The hesitation from her new acquaintance was noticed with a trace of guilt- what good was a conversation if it was forced upon another?- but Nari pushed aside the unpleasant feeling, deciding that she was easy enough to ignore if one so wanted, so therefore this must be a consensual chat. With that thought firmly in mind, she focused her attention on the woman’s words.

"It was," she paused, wondering how to answer. She could spill her guts or be brief like the rest. Call it a leap of faith, but Vyalomn was willing to take a chance with this new face. "It was relaxing. The waves are gentle today, and I really wish I could have stayed a bit longer. Unfortunately, I need to be getting back to the city. I have a performance tonight, well; I will be performing, near the central fountains. I dance and sing at..." her voice trailed off not wanting to dominate over her. She started again, "I am Vyalomn. I don't think we have met. Who are you?" Her voice was calm and a bit raspy from the cool water. She must have been swimming for some time.

A sharp intake of breath gave away Nari's facination as she listened. To have enough poise and confidence to dance and sing in front of strangers would be a gift from Avalis, indeed. Her pupils dilated, and she could almost see the swarm of people surrounding her, some eyes judgmental and some awed, as her vision spun and dipped fluidly— Stop it! she shouted at herself. That isn’t real; That wasn’t me!

A heavy blink was all it took to force herself out of her own mind- luckily, she had just meditated so the lapse was brief enough that she only missed a part of the phrase concerning where the performance was to be. It could probably be overlooked if Vyalomn wasn’t watching too closely- or at least, Nari hoped it was overlooked. At least there was plenty of distance between them, lending her some much needed security.

“Well met, Vyalomn,” she said sincerely in the pause of conversation. “I have noticed such peace as comes from a combination of solitude and nature is often overlooked within the walls of Mura, what with the influx of trade and tourism. And it is a dangerous pastime in most other places throughout Mizahar. But never mind that. I, at least, am glad to find someone who enjoys it as much as I do. To me, it is…soothing to be away from critical eyes sometimes. Don’t you agree?”

After waiting for the assumed response, Nari waved her hand broadly in front of herself, toward the bustling of the city streets. “Oh, but I don’t wish to keep you here when you have a performance to display. I should be heading back, as well. If you wouldn’t mind, perhaps we could walk together? My name is Nari, by the way. I should have probably told you that already."

[Vyalomn]

Youth's ignorance crossed over Vyalomn's expression after noting Nari's little trance. Her right brow perked up slightly, but she behaved herself and listened on. Her eyes grew wider, shocked that the little sister who was so quiet a moment ago had so much to say, or would dare to start off so openly to a stranger. Then again, the world is a strange place as Vyalomn had observed in the ways of the tourists.

Nari's domination in the conversation passed quickly, and Vyalomn started off by taking a deep breath to respond the mouthful of questions and comments Nari spewed forth. Nari's comment of Mizahar had caught Vyalomn's attention, she would peruse this comment.

"Hello, again, Nari." She pronounced the name smoothly, and continued, "It would be nice to head back together, it is getting dark, after all. And yes, it is nice to escape that busy atmosphere, and," she almost scoffed at the irony of Nari's comment, "such 'critical eyes'."

She paused for a few seconds and started again, "It is dangerous to swim in the rest of the world? I mean, have you visited the mainland? Wait, I'm sorry. I don't mean to intrude on your business; we just met...you seemed interested in my dancing. Would you like to come? Maybe I could show you a few steps. Ehh...wait, I am sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. What are you doing this evening?" Her calm turned to nervousness, but the welcoming kind. The air about them was taking on a friendly feel, and Vyalomn even ventured to take a few steps closer to Nari. Her eyes brightened up and a smile broke across her now rosy face.

Her inner thoughts circulated: You are a big girl now; it is time to take a hold of your life. Get out there are start anew.

[Nari]

Nari dropped her head, listening to the whistle of the breeze and taking comfort in its cool brush against her skin. The question was harder to answer than she thought. She almost wished she hadn’t mentioned her thoughts on solitary excursions, but then she may not have been able to walk with Vy- and a potential friend was worth this vague ache. She took a deep breath before responding. “The rest of the world is dangerous, yes. Going off alone, especially. Horrible things can happen to innocent people,” she said with a wince. “I’ve seen it. It’s my gift. And yet I still want to leave, to find where I fit in. Mad, isn’t it?”

A self-deprecating snort caught in her nostrils. “You know, most others find me strange. Are you sure you’d want to be seen in public with me, at your performance? I mean to say, I’m very interested, and have no plans for this evening. I would love to watch you. And afterwards, if you’re not busy and wouldn’t laugh, try a step or two myself. But I wouldn’t want to be a nuisance.”

“And I suppose you must enjoy people looking at you since you’re a dancer and all. I probably shouldn’t have said anything about escaping the looks of people,” Nari commented blithely, trying to keep up with the other Konti's longer legs. Standing next to the young woman made her feel short, almost unnoticeable. It was not a totally unpleasant feeling- rather like being safe in obscurity. The sand crunched between her toes as the pair made their way toward the harbour. “Do you perform every night?”

[Vyalomn]

Vyalomn sensed Nari's discomfort. Her warm expression withdrew and she kept looking forward, hiding her now blank visage. Her feet began to drag through the sand leaving the fading imprint of her dragged heels. The discomfort circulated and grew.

Given the awkward feel, Vyalomn felt little need to suppress awkward thoughts. "It is far from a bother. It would be nice having someone I know, well, more than my customers, watching. I do perform often, just about the streets, sometimes in a group. I need to be out there a lot to keep a steady income. Really, I am not sure if there is something about me, too, which is detouring, that makes me work harder. I do have a reputation for being loose, and I admit to it, but I can be so lonely at times, and growing up... Maybe there is a rumor I have yet to hear. My point is, I am more worried of you being in shame to know myself."

Vyalomn took slow notice to Nari's efforts and gradually slowed her steps. "My sister and I, we, well I do not like the masses too much. We had lost our mother a while back, and it was odd not having a mother like the rest. Certainly others are lacking mothers, there are many dangerous out there, as you have said, and it does happen. Its common nature does not help the pain however... It makes me wonder why they look at me some times. It is odd to talk about, for others, they cannot truly understand. I wonder about a lot really. You wonder too. 'Mad, is it not?' It is not, so I think. But, I cannot help but question if fate is so absolute as our champion sees, or can we mold our own fate? It is scary really, to be trapped in time's grasp." Her voice trailed off as did her gaze, the reaching harbor appearing over the lunging cliffs overlooking the open sea. "Everything can seem so strange to unbiased eyes...or so true. Yet that truth can be so odd in itself for being such and... Excuse me, I had not realized... W-why would you say you are strange? You are friendly once you begin to warm up to someone, and you do look quite pretty. You carry a high concern for life, and such wisdom. I'm sorry for the questions!" She broke off in a loud, embarrassed tone, "I always do this, and really must stop."

[Nari]

Nari listened to her companion with growing indignation for her. It was no way to grow up, shunned for being yourself without even a mother to protect you from the harsh evaluation of your own race. “I don’t understand,” she began. “Not many Konti women get married, yet most are not without children- and many by multiple men. What are we, if not a particularly loose race? It is our way, and nothing of which to be ashamed. They have no right to judge you. I would be proud to be seen with you, and tonight I will cheer you on quietly from nearby. That is, as long as it won’t distract you. Do you have to get ready for your show? I could wait, and meet you there, if you'd like.”

“Don’t stop talking and asking questions,” Nari demanded breathlessly in response to Vy's embarrassment, digging her feet into the sand to stop moving and reaching toward her acquaintance before she caught herself. Her hands halted mid-grasp, pausing briefly in the air before falling to rest at her sides, sandals still dangling from two fingers. To hopefully cover her mistake, she bent over to don her shoes before they arrived at the approaching harbor and continued speaking in a more level tone. “You have many ideas in your head, ones that you should be able to express, even if it’s only to me. We have something in common, you and I. We both question our not-quite-ideal circumstances, and we’re both searching for answers that we cannot quite grasp. You are strange because you are an orphan searching for companionship. I am strange because I use Avalis’s gift, sometimes too much, and lose myself- I forget what I’m doing and even who I am. We are the same as our race in almost every way, yet they respond to our slight differences with aversion. I thank you for your compliments. You, as well, have fine qualities about you. You are deep, or so it seems to me. Independent, for you take care of yourself with the income you get from dancing. And you find joy in the little things that you can, like swimming on a lovely evening, even if you are not always happy.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she added, belatedly. “I don’t pretend to understand the pain of losing my mother, but I do know how it feels to have people stare at you as you pass. It is unpleasant, and you shouldn’t have had to add that to your grief.” She shook her head slowly and tilted it to one side, looking up at Vy with sardonic amusement. “Such heavy conversation for two near-strangers to be having, isn’t it? Will you be able to dance freely after speaking thus?”

[Vyalomn]

As Nari stopped, Vyalomn turned sharpy to hear her words head on. She barely minded Nari's attempted gesture, and understood her cover up. Vyalomn looked hard at Nari, her critical nature exposing itself. Her face was still for some time till the last of Nari's words. She fought the coming flood but it was too much...

Her lips pulled back into a strong, full smile. Rich laugher overcame her rasping voice and she looked to Nari with her brilliant, excited eyes. "E-e," the words almost failed to escape her, "Eh-I'm so sorry!" Vyalomn stood still bending down a bit laughing. "I-I'm so sorry, oh wow... Yes, excuse me please. Uhm...I think we crossed the boundary of deep conversation a while ago. And really, it is no bother; please do not be so hard on yourself! Yes, it can be weird having everyone look at me, but it is never an embarassment. Well, it can be, but I enjoy it so much I usually completely forget!" Vyalomn's throat cleared with a quick cough. She shook away the feeling and looked back up to Nari with a full and friendly smile.

"Really, everything you said was fine, I am not offended. I just thought I was starting to rake over the whole conversation! I can be such a mouth some times... except about, well, my mother. I am not ashamed, and it is quite alright you thought otherwise." Vyalomn approached her coming statements in a calm, almost ignorant tone, “She was murdered, actually. I really do not remember much so...Mahd'vi does, my sister. I forget if she is working tonight. She might be floating around otherwise, and I think you two would like each other."

She pushed the hair back from her face in vain as the wind blew it forward again. She closed her eyes and laid her head back. After a moment of silence, having left the last statement so open, she popped her head back up to Nari. "Two things: One, how well can you move in that dress? Two, I would like to hear more about you." She turned back toward the harbor and began to walk. "There is a bit of a walk between the beach and my home, and I am really in no hurry. So we have time to talk, and...dance, maybe..." Her words trailed off in a foreboding fashion. What had Nari gotten herself into?

[Nari]

Nari started, surprised as the first stream of laughter bubbled from Vy’s lips. She was certainly not expecting such a pleased response to her words, but it wasn’t unwelcome. She smiled in response, looking up with gleaming eyes from beneath her lashes. “I’m glad we’re on good terms,” she said glibly, shrugging. “If your sister is anything like you, it would be interesting to meet her. “ She pressed her lips against another apology, her shock at hearing the term ‘murder’ diminished by their earlier words. It was probably better to let that subject fade away anyway. Besides, she realized that she quite enjoyed the easy talk between herself and the other Konti and would rather pursue lighter topics.

Relaxing into the silence that permeated the middle of the conversation, Nari arched an eyebrow when Vyalomn’s tone changed again so soon. “Oh, dancing so soon?” she asked, shocked. It seemed to be her default emotion throughout this encounter. Nothing about Vy was as she expected at first glance. She grabbed a handful of the skirt of her dress and swirled it in front of her legs. “I haven’t had a problem moving in it before. I prefer my breeches and shirt for working, but this is comfortable enough for other activities.” She was certainly nervous, but she couldn’t deny that she was excited to try something new, too.

She paused, wondering what information would be innocuous and good to share as they continued on their way. “I make perfumes,” she offered carefully, her sandals rasping against the stones as she walked. She hadn’t even noticed when they started following streets. “And garden a bit. I spent most of my youth learning about plants, and I’ve helped dye thread for blankets and wall-hangings. What about yourself? You are a dancer and have a sister named Mahd’vi, but I’m sure there is more to you than that? I’d like to know.”