[Flashback] And all the king's daughters... (Lakara, Shri)

[Selvaria]

Timestamp: 16th of Summer 489 AV Selvaria dashed away, speeding fast through the road. She was wearing a loose white midriff and short pants that her mother made, and these flapped against the wind. Her heart was pounding, from the rush and excitement. Their father had let them have time on their own, and there was nowhere else she wanted to go to besides the sea. She followed the tracks to the docks, sprinting as fast as her legs could carry. She was slowly starting to have awkward angles in her body, owed to a growth spurt. If anything else, she was perfectly healthy. Being by the ocean made her feel healthier. Selvaria squinted as the ocean's horizon came into view, then she smiled, a really big smile. She was panting really hard by the time her dainty webbed feet touched the waves of the sea. She paused, bent on her knees as she gasped for breath. She laughed to herself, a tiny high-pitched laugh. She looked back and from a distance, she saw her mother and her sisters Lakara and Shri. She waved at them happily. Lararia, their mother, told her that she was born in the sea. Selvaria, or Sheva, as her family members call her, thought that this was the reason why she felt at peace whenever she was close to the ocean. It was like coming home, returning to the arms of a lover. She waddled and stepped into the waves, foams embracing her knees. Without waiting for her mother and sisters, she dipped herself into the water and an expression of joy teared through her face. She glanced back at them one more time and clawed at the air, as if that would make them hurry faster. She shouted, "Come on, the water is cool!" before diving her head into the shallow water, feeling the cool massage of the sea waves upon her hair. She lifted her head swiftly and swept her shoulder-length hair back. It was getting a bother, keeping her hair long. If only she could convince her father to let her wear a shorter 'do. She swirled and sat on the beach, body swaying as the sea pushed her along the shore. She waited for Lakara to come and sit by her as she rubbed her hands on the sand, picking up broken shells and throwing them away, farther into the ocean. "What took you so long?" She asked and pouted. "Sheva, you were in such a hurry!" Her mother returned her frown with a smile. Sheva stood and embraced her sisters before rushing to her mother's side. "Let me tie your hair for you, so it does not get in the way," Lararia smiled. Sheva happily obliged, and turned to her sister, Kara "Aren't you very excited that we get the whole day out here!?" She was enthusiastic, bubbly even, that their mother had to stop her from moving too much. "How about you Shri?" She was very giddy, that much they could tell. "Mum," she suggested, "why don't you teach us how to dive the depths of the sea?! Or we could go see corals and fishies and baby fishies." She thoughtfully counted the numerous things she wanted to do, "And, and... later we could pick up shells, the pretty ones! I want a pretty starfish!" She yelled happily. She bounced away after her mother tied her hair in a neat bun on the top of her head. "Well, Lakara, Shri," She turned to her sisters, both of them younger than her, "What do you want to do? If you ask me, I want to swim all day." She stretched her hands out and felt the salty wind caress her face.

[Lakara]

Lakara squinted ahead of her as she watched her sister race down the road ahead. She tugged on her mother's hand, willing her to walk a little faster. Lakara was still very young, two years her sister's junior, and Lararia was reluctant to let her out of sight, let alone out of reach. She saw Sheva reach the edge of the water, and she pulled on Lararia's hand again. "Hurry up Mum! And you Shri!" Her voice was light and full of excitement, and her mother smiled before increasing her pace. Even though it was a tiny increase in speed, little Kara, as she was often called, was almost running beside her now, almost tripping over her own feet when she returned Sheva's wave. When the trio finally reached the edge of the beach, Kara attempted to remove her hand from her mothers grasp. When it slid out of Lararia's grip, she proceeded to rush to her sister looking back and motioning for Shri to run with her. Her shoulder-length hair flew out behind her as she went. She couldn't wait for it to grow long like her sister's; Kara thought it was beautiful. She hadn't run far, but all the same, the little konti was out of breath by the time she reached Sheva's side, returning her hug with a grin. "And I only have little legs!" She watched as their mother gathered Sheva's hair up to tie it, fingering her own and attempting to pull it back. It was too short though, and slipped out of her grasp. Her sister's excitement was catching, and Kara couldn't help but give a little jump and clap her hands together. "Yes! It's going to be fun!" She too turned to Lararia when Sheva began to list activities. "I want to see fishies!" She clapped her hands again, in the way that only young children do. "And shells! I want a pretty shell! And a starfish! And an anenmerie!" She frowned for a moment, confused by the word she had tried to pronounce. Her mother gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "An anemone sweetheart." Kara smiled and looked round for Sheva, but her sister had already raced off again. She gave a little gasp and made to grasp Shri's hand. If she took it, then they could chase after Sheva together. "I want to..." She nodded. "I want to swim too!" She beamed up at her older sister. "But you have to stay with me, and you too Shri, I don't want to swim on my own." She mimicked Sheva, stretching her arms out before her. She wasn't entirely sure why, but if Sheva did it, the Kara would try too. "But we can't swim all day...we have to find a starfish!"

[Shri]

Shri watched as her big sister ran down the road. She squinted her little eyes, trying to see how far Selvaria had gotten. She started to get excited as they got closer to the sea. She wanted to get there faster, she tried to run but Lararia held her little hand tight. When Lararia increased her speed, Shri ran. She tripped over her little feet, and tears started coming. "Mommy..." Lararia pulled her up, and kissed Shri's cheek. When they finally got to the edge of the beach, a huge smile exploded on Shri's face. Her mother let go of her hand, and she started to run with her sister Lakara. She was careful not to trip again. As she ran, her blonde hair flew behind her. As she started to reach the waters edge, she noticed that she was out of breath. But that wouldn't stop her. She ran until she met up with her two sisters in the water. She was running high-speed toward, and when she got there she splashed into the water. Wet sand filled her mouth, the taste was disgusting. She spit it out right away, and cleaned her mouth out with water. "Puuuuuuh" Shri watches her mother tie Selvarias hair. She doesn't try it herself, because she knows her hair would be to short for that. She grabbed Lakara's hand, when she reached for it. "I want to swim! And I want to see the little fishies! And...And I want to do everything!" Shri exclaimed, reaching her arms high above her head.

Picture of Shri

[Selvaria]

Lararia was a truly devoted mother. She loved her daughters, Selvaria and Lakara, and later, when she was added into the family, Shri. The three girls were not far away from each other when it came to age, likes and dislikes. Though the three were unique, and it was easy to tell them apart, she all gave them equal attention. Garamon and Fere was pleased with their wife and daughters, but had secretly been wishing for another male in the family. This did not make them love the girls any less, however. They were firm and just as fathers, and though they were not avid followers of Laviku, they allowed the children go to the shores of the Suvan Sea, provided that they are accompanied by Lararia. The children were growing fast. Sure they still loved to play more than anything else, but Lararia knew that the time has come to slowly teach them the ways of the Konti. Mura was far from Riverfall, and one day she will have to bring the children to visit the White Isle. She watched silently as the children played by the shore and slowly told them tales about Mura, how other Konti lived and how the Varanti family is known for being excellent fish breeders and pearl divers. The story fascinated Selvaria, who could not wait to see the world under the sea. "Your father will not like it very much," Lararia told them, "If I bring you out to sea." "But you must see for yourselves the world that Laviku has blessed us with. Riverfall," she swept her hand towards their home, "is half of who you are." She looked at them one by one, "When you are ready, I also want you to learn about Mura, not just through my stories, but by being there yourselves." And then their mother slowly readied herself, hummed and told them the tale about the Vian tree, "Pale blue and silver shimmers in the moonlight," she sang slowly. Selvaria was not really very excited to hear about a tree that did not grow underwater, but she was fascinated by her mother's voice. So she hummed along - tried to hum along - encouraging Shri and Lakara to join. She followed the story that had already been told to them as bed time stories, Konti myth passed on from mother to daughter. "Pale blue and silver shimmers in the moonlight," Sheva joined, "the vian tree grows its trumpet flowers during spring." "In Summer the yellow round fruit turns ripe into blue," they sang, "And on fall the petals and leaves fall under the lover's moon." Lararia longed for Mura in her heart, and her tears welled up in her eyes. Selvaria knew that their mother could get emotional whenever she remembered Mura, but she didn't want to show her younger sisters any tears. She wasn't a crybaby, not anymore! As she held the tears back, her lower lip trembled lightly. Mura must be a very beautiful place. "Come, mum, let's go to the sea. Maybe you will feel less lonely in the company of fishes." Sheva tugged at Lararia's arm. She looked at her sisters to check if they had been crying. If they shed a tear, or appeared to be on the brink of tears, she will console them as well, "Don't be sad," she'll say, and pat their heads. It was her way of fighting off the feminine emotions, acting the big sister. Lararia will then gently wipe her tears with a finger and smile her gentlest of smiles. They loved it when she looked very happy. "I am not sad, Sheva, instead I am happy. Happy that I am sharing this spiritual moment with three beautiful Konti." "Well, shall we all go dive? Are you ready?" Lararia stepped into the waters and joined her daughters, she seemed joyous to be in the ocean, and she waded away from the shore, enjoining her little daughters to join her, "Slowly, feel the waves. Embrace the sea and you shall be one with it." Breathing underwater should come natural to all of them. Sheva was the first to swim towards their mother, body swiftly adjusting to the tides. She motioned for the other young Konti to come, assured them that mum will be there to guide them if need be. "We won't be swimming too far away from the shore, but we'll go far enough for you to catch glimpses of schools." Fishies! At this, Selvaria showed great anticipation. She was already waddling her legs in the water, her hands whirling to balance herself. Slowly, they edged towards the heart of the sea - or at least, as far as they can. "Trust your bodies, my daughters, swimming should come naturally to all Konti." They still have all their heads above water, but they have moved to a deeper part of the shore. Selvaria dove her head into the sea and, in true fashion of being a show off, tried to do a full turn underwater. "Look at me," she even managed to brag. She was not very successful, but she managed to turn on her side. "That is great Selvaria, but try not to overexert yourself. The day is long and I don't want you tired before noon!" Lararia chided. Their mother also encouraged Shri and Lakara, reaching out two arms to them, "That is great Kara, don't fear." They did not really have to cling to their mother if they were confident enough to stay afloat, "You are doing well, Shri."

[Lakara]

Lakara had taken to running up to the edge of the water, then running away again as the waves drew near, giggling all the time. When their mother began to talk of home, she turned on the spot, stepping slowly in a full circle, so that she could see all the way round her. Her little brow furrowed in confusion; she didn't understand how she could be half a place; her mind was too young to grasp the concept her mother spoke of. Though when she heard 'Mura' she perked up. It was a place that Lararia had often told the children about, and Kara wanted to see it. "Can we see it tomorrow mommy?" Her words were full of childish innocence; she didn't understand just how much of a trek it was. Lararia smiled at her daughter and patted her head gently. "Not tomorrow darling. But soon." She then began to hum. Kara looked sideways at Sheva, who encouraged Shri and herself to try too. She tried to follow her sister, but she couldn't remember the words. Even though the story had been told to them many times, the young Konti still couldn't grasp putting the words into song. So instead she settled for humming, though even that didn't quite follow correctly. Her humming was, well... "Hum hum hum..." She replaced each word with a literal 'hum', managing to sometimes find the right note. Although she did join in with the one line she could remember properly. "In Summer the yellow round fruit turns blue." She had missed the 'ripe into', but all the same she was proud of herself, and she turned to her mother with a grin. But her face fell when she saw shining tears in Lararia's eyes. Her lips pouted and her eyes too began to tear up. She sniffed when Selvaria patted her head, and then hugged their mother, smiling now that she was too. Lakara watched Sheva swim out to their mother, before turning to Shri. She reached for her hand again, and then began to wade into the water. When they were deep enough to start swimming - which really wasn't very far considering that they were both so small - she let go, and attempted her first proper swim. She was surprised that she could do it, nowhere near refined yet, but it was certainly passable as good swimming. She swam to her mothers arms, looking round to make sure that Shri was still with her, and then watched Selvaria's try at a turn. "Yay! You're so good Sheva! Show me!" She was clapping again, splashing everyone around her as she did so. "Steady Kara. Don't splash your sister." Lararia was smiling, though she still kept her eyes on Sheva who was further away from her than the other two. Kara then pushed away from her mother, out of the safety of her grasp. She swam to Selvaria's side. beaming at her older sister. "Are there any fishies?"

[Selvaria]

OOCI hope Shri doesn't mind that I'll go on ahead and post. Jump in anytime!

They faced the sea waves and bid the shore goodbye as Lararia told them, "We are just as great under the water as we are on land. You may want to adjust yourself to the method of breathing, though it should come naturally to you." Selvaria dipped her head into the water and held her breath before exhaling, eyes glazed with wonder about breathing underwater. When she popped her head out of the sea, she exclaimed, "Try it, Kara, Shri!" She barely finished her laugh when she disappeared underneath a rolling wave. She kept her distance near their mother, but she was quite energetic, moving to and fro. She used her arms and legs to hold her position, but never really staying still. She would lift up her head and point out underwater objects to her sisters, "Look, I saw a pretty shell!" She dived for it, propelling her body deeper in the water, arms reaching out for the shiny object that caught her eye. She realized that it was actually a crustacean sitting in the ocean bed, so she tossed it back immediately. She swam up, and Lararia gave her a kind, but reprimanding look. "Now, Sheva. Don't go picking up every shell that you deem fancy. The sea houses many living things, and we must learn how to respect them." Sheva learned how to be polite with nature from her mother, though it took Lararia a few more tender reminders before Sheva stopped her antics. Sheva liked pointing out solitary fishes that wandered near them, showing them to her little sisters by giving chase. They were not very far from the shore, through the sea bed was already a good distance away from their feet. "Alright, everyone stay close to me." Lararia said, and with that she dove underwater. She spoke to her daughters by signaling with her hands, allowing them to swim underwater on their own. Selvaria loved being underwater. It was as if she was Konti because of this, and this alone. Her body was at ease under the sea, never mind that she still needed a little practice when it came to balancing herself. She loved swimming in circles, arching her body and twirling around. Their mother saw to it that they enjoyed themselves. She even showed her children the various colorful corals. And they played point-at-the-prettiest-thing-you-can-see. "Look but don't touch," their mother signalled. Selvaria swam beside Kara and smiled at her younger sister, before taking her little sister's hand and urging her to go nearer a school of fish. The swam quietly, bodies imitating the calm of the sea. They observed the fishes and the corals at a good distance, and Selvaria was all smiles. She was proud of the sea for being so wonderful and so beautiful. Although she felt a little curiosity for what lies ahead... far beyond the corals, deeper where the ocean was dark and blue. More pretty things, perhaps? She reached out a hand to the sea anemones, all of them soft and colorful. She was startled when a few angelfish came out, and withdrew her searching hand. The fishes were not disturbed with their visitors, and some of them swam by Lararia and her daughters, parading their pretty colors. Everything under the sea is so beautiful, Sheva thought, and Laviku rules them all.

[Lakara]

Lakara watched with wide eyes as Selvaria ducked under the water. Despite their mother's words, the younger Konti had done all she could to keep her head out of the sea. It wasn't nerves as such, Kara was anything but scared of the sea, but there was a little niggle of anxiety. What if she couldn't actually breathe under the water? She had never done it before. They were of course, the thoughts of a very young Konti, who didn't understand that she would be able to, due to the fact that she was a Konti. When Sheva momentarily resurfaced, laughing and encouraging them to join her, Kara took a deep breath and let herself be swamped by the same wave that her sister had now vanished under. She peered round under the water, and released her breath in relief when she spotted Sheva again. Her eyes widened and she automatically drew in a breath, her mouth forming a little 'O' of surprise when she found it to be like breathing above water. She grinned at her sister before resurfacing, seeking out their mother, who smiled and nodded. The young Konti took great delight in exclaiming over the fish that Selvaria chased her way, marveling at the often vibrant colouring. She tried to swim after one too, but after a look from her mother, she stopped. Lakara was growing ever more confident, helped along by the boundless energy of her older sister, so when Lararia dove under the water, she didn't hesitate to follow. She stayed closer to her mother than to Selvaria, smiling as she watched her sister twirl and spin through the water. When Kara tried it, she ended up the wrong way up, though managed to right herself with a mad flailing of limbs. She didn't seem to be as in tune with the sea as the rest of them, but she still managed to keep up. When Sheva reached for her hand she grasped it, and she let herself be led through the water. She looked intently at everything that was pointed out to her, and she especially loved seeing the tiniest fish swimming through the corals. She was amazed at how the fish just swam right next to them, and Kara had to resist the urge to reach out to them. She pulled on Sheva's hand, asking if they could go closer to the corals.

[Shri]

When there mother started speaking to the girls, Shri turned her head quickly to listen. She ran toward Lararia, and hugged her around the leg. She loved the way her mother always spoke, the way she loved nature. She loved hearing things about Mura too. With her mothers words, Mura sounded like it was so close, yet so far away. Shri wondered where it was, and what it looked like. 'It must be beautiful' She thought, 'Mother always speaks about it' Shri let go of her mother, and waited for Lararia to sing more of the song. She watched as her mother and Selvaria sang. It was a beautiful melody, she started to sway her tiny body. She didn't know all the words so she hummed, or tried to hum. The hums didn't sound very good to her, so she tried to sing the words. But it didn't exactly work out well. Instead of saying the correct words, she sang the first ones that came into her mind. The song became one about the water, and the fish, and her breakfast when she sang. She sang just quiet enough, so that the others could here her, just not know what she was singing. Shri watched as Sheva and Lararia entered the water. She grabbed Lakaras hand, and together they began to walk into the sea. The water was a little cold, so she walked slower than the rest. When the water was deep enough to swim, she watched Lakara swim for the first time. Shri dived into the water, and began to move her arms and legs. Her sisters were better swimmers then her, but she wasn't bothered by that fact. She swam into her mothers arms with Kara. A little shriek came from her as Kara splashed everyone. Shri closes her little eyes for a moment. When she opens them, Sheva is gone. She starts to worry, but then Sheva comes up from the water. She calms down, and dives underwater herself. She is afraid to breathe, because she has never breathed under water before. Her face becomes blue, and she rises above the water. After seeing her two sisters do so, she dives under the water again and tries to breathe. It works! She bursts up out of the water and grins. She follows her mother as she swims farther away from the shore. Shri twirls under the water, copying her sisters. She's enjoying twirling until she feels like she's going to barf. A little fish swims up to her, and Shri is a little shocked. She reaches her hand out to touch it, but the fish quickly swims away. She frowns a bit. She takes her mind off of the fish, and glances around the sea. The colours are vibrant, and she wants to just touch everything.

OOCNot really happy with my post

[Selvaria]

OOCWelcome back Shri! I learned from Goss that we can speak underwater, let's do that.

"My dear daughters," their mother spoke in Kontinese. Her voice was clear, though somewhat garbled. They have learned a little of the White Isle language from their mother, but most of the time they spoke in Pavi. "This is the sea, the beautiful sea." She smiled. Even if Lararia's words were slightly dissonant, they still sounded very beautiful. She was graceful underwater, composed as if she had spent many days under the sea. "The Varanti of White Isle are famous for their diving skills, and I hope that you will all learn as much from me, as I did from my mother." Lararia beckoned the young girls to come closer to her, and they all enjoyed the myriad of colors and variety of life before them. "We are the daughters of Laviku and Avalis." There would be a time for her to tell the children more about Avalis and Laviku, but it was not the ripe time for that. For now, she wanted her children to appreciate the sea just as much as their father taught them to appreciate Riverfall. There was pride in her important words, "We are blessed by Laviku and guided by Avalis. We are Konti." She looked at her dearest daughters, searching their faces to see if they were ready for what she was about to teach them. Selvaria was the most hopeful, she anticipated this lesson for a very long time. Though they were deep in the ocean, Syna's rays reached out to all of them. Sheva looked up, marveling at the crystal clear water. Everything down here was perfect! She swirled and swooped around, feeling better more and more. "We are going out into the heart of the sea, mother?" The eldest among the young girls asked. "Not quite, Sheva," Lararia answered, "But we will dive farther, down where the pretty fishes lie." She touched her daughter's cheek. "Let go of your fear." Lararia hopefully told them, "Here in the sea, you can trust Laviku to protect us, his daughters." She encouraged them to swim, showing her children how to maneuver their bodies in the water. Sheva fought to imitate their mother, as if her pride depended on it. She made sure that her posture was correct, letting her body settle in the seawater like it belonged there. Her webbed hands softly waved to and fro, her legs joined in the rhythm. Their mother was right, she thought. Konti were better in the sea than in land. Having scales and webbed hands and feet and gills made so much more reason now. Selvaria accepted all of this into her being, accepted what she was. A while later, after realizing that Pavi didn't sound as nice underwater, she talked in Kontinese, "We are going deeper?" She looked at her sisters, encouraging them all to do better in case they were having a hard time. "We will stay at a convenient depth." Their mother answered, "And there you will see the bountiful life that we exist in harmony with." She dove forward, arms reaching out. Sheva followed suit, her legs crossing in paddles, arms outstretched. It was nothing more than a sight-seeing thing really. But to Sheva, an intimate detail of her life unfolded before her. I am very happy to be here, she thought to herself, I am very very happy to meet all of you. If only the fishes could hear her, understand her joy. Would they welcome her? And as a school of deep blue fish swam past, she thought that one of them turned and looked at her in the eye. Did she love the sea so badly to imagine such a thing? She concentrated, pried her eyes away from the fishes and focused on her mother. She must keep up, must not let herself get behind. She rocked towards Shri, her hair swimming with her. "Are you doing great?" She checked on her little sister. "I hope you're having a great time!" After this she veered towards Kara, and spoke kind words as well, "You're keeping up!" She loved praising her younger sisters, it always made her more responsible, older. She wanted to show them that she was strong, and that she strived to be just as lovely as their mother yet as tough as their father. Sheva's greatest strength lay in her self-assurance. She exhibited this by the independent way she carried herself. She paid attention to how their mother's legs sway, to the manner she undulated forward, to the pattern of her arm strokes. It wasn't so hard to imitate Lararia. Diving deeper came naturally to her, and Sheva felt like it wasn't just because she was Konti. There was something else tugging at her, like an umbilical cord she was connected to. Maybe she was just very excited? Lararia beatifically smiled at all of them, and showed them the fantastic underwater world. "Tune your hearts to the songs of the sea, and it will tell you its secrets. Have faith in Avalis, have faith in Laviku. See the beauty of all the things around you." Their mother waved her hands among fishes and various aquatic animals. They seem to respond to her, as if greeting her a warm welcome. Something about their mother's gestures felt very familiar to Sheva. She watched with sparkling eyes, observing the plants and animals of the sea. Whatever it was that sparked great curiosity in her, it didn't matter yet. Sheva's gills flapped happily at her mother's words. The sea was truly wonderful, colorful. She hoped that her sisters appreciated it too.

[Lakara]

OOCSorry it took me forever.
I’m not overly happy with my post – I think I just need to get back into the hang of things. And hopefully my subtle hints about how Kara didn’t take to the water as well as the others didn’t go un-missed.

As their mother began to speak to them once more, Lakara ceased tugging on her sisters hand and turned to pay attention. They moved closer to Lararia. Kara became distracted by the huge array of colour and life, her mother’s words not fully registering in the Konti’s young mind. She sensed a sudden rise in excitement from Sheva and her attention was pulled back to her family. She smiled, now also feeling the excitement at going deeper into the water, the anticipation of seeing so many more wonderful things. She watched Lararia carefully, before scrunching up her face with concentration to try and mimic her movements. Their mother was graceful, gliding effortlessly before them. In contrast, little Kara was choppy, she couldn’t get her arms and legs to work in sync. She glanced back at Shri, to see how her younger sister was faring, and then to Selvaria. Her older sister seemed to have picked up the technique almost immediately, and Lakara doubled her efforts to reach her older sisters side. Lakara followed her sister and their mother down again, falling behind just a little, next to Shri. She was too young to fully appreciate the intricate web of life that was uncovering itself before the Konti. To her, it was more of a pretty spectacle, the dancing colours of the fish sparkling as they passed. When Sheva swam near to her, Kara carefully observed her older sister. She seemed to be flowing through the water as effortlessly as their mother. ”It doesn’t work properly for me.” She was frowning, her words referring to her slightly un-coordinated limbs. She seemed to be the last of the sisters to have herself synchronised and it frustrated the young Konti. She pushed herself forward with a little more force than necessary and her limbs moved together in one fluid motion. Her little scowl dissipated, a smile working its way onto her mouth. It had taken her longer, but something had finally clicked into place. She swam closer to their mother, marvelling at how the creatures of the ocean seemed to respond to Lararia’s very being. Lakara moved back over to where her older sister was, holding onto her arm. The sea was pretty, and the young Konti was happy to be there. She felt at home in the ocean, and while her eyes didn’t have to same excited sparkle of Sheva’s, she was enjoying herself all the same.