Welcome to Gaia! ::

"I like it. It's very nice."

Mehndi laughed again at Tanee's remark. "It is. I would change it every once in a while, but Ashet likes it this way. So it stays!"

She tried to look very mysterious as Tanee asked her question. "Yes, if you don't cut it, it will get long. But--" and here, Mehndi lowered her voice drastically. "I know a way that can make your hair longer much quicker than that. Do you really want longer hair... I don't believe we've properly introduced ourselves. I am Mehndi, the head of the Aashraya."

"Well, hello Tanee." She laughed at Tanee's description of the building. "It is. and I have a feeling you may be head of something soon... you've got something about you. Some sort of aura." She laughed again as Tanee continued. "That is good to know. You wouldn't want to offend someone by accident, would you?"

"I would!" Aquinas was ignored by Mehndi. Her focus was on the Tabula now.

"Please, come inside." Mehndi turned and walked into the dark interior of the imposing building. Candles were the only source of light save for the small slits of sunlight that filtered through the arabesque latticework adorning the walls in rows. Incense smoke wafted through the room they now found themselves in, it's source a few lit sticks growing out of an offering of an assortment of brightly coloured flowers.

Aquinas stuck his tongue out at Tanee as she looked at him. He was not in a good mood. No one was really paying him any attention. Dutifully, he sulked into the Aashraya after Mehndi and Tanee, and yawned as though he did this sort of thing everyday. He watched Tanee become enamoured with a small group of flowers that was placed in front of a large, wooden statue, incense swirling around it. Well, he supposed he could be happy for her. After all, that was the apparent reason for the trip. Tanee's, anyway.

Mehndi, instead of answering Tanee, strode past her and the flowers and up to the statue, lifting her arm languidly and ringing a small, golden bell three times before closing her eyes and murmuring something quietly. She opened her eyes again, long lashes in motion, and turned to Tanee. "That's an offering. I offered those flowers to Ar'ose. He is the God of Fidelity, along with his brothers, Adialle and Adeloi. I offer so that they may be appeased, and bless us with good fortune today. I think we will need it."

Mehndi smiled slightly at Tanee's question. "I hope we have the good fortune to be able to say that my suspicions were correct." She laughed as Tanee mentioned adventures, and mythical demi-gods and other such things. "We will go on a sort of adventure, I suppose. But not quite as physical as the one Herakles undertook. A more... mystical adventure, if you will."

As Tanee fingered the key-shaped something that Mehndi could see only the faint outlines of, she started. "Why, yes, if you would like. Offerings can be flowers, but they don't have to be. Sometimes you have to think about what the God would like, and make an offering accordingly. I believe that Ar'ose does appreciate flowers."

Tanee's face-making at Aquinas reminded her that the man was still there. "You may go now, Aquinas. Or, better yet, stay here and wait. Then you can take Tanee home when we are finished." Mehndi turned back to Tanee. "We are going to do some magic."

Laughing lightly at Tanee's general tendency to reduce the world to flowers and related instances, she decided they should get started. Hopefully Tanee did have a predisposition to magic. It certainly felt that way to Mehndi, and she wasn't the head of the Aashraya for nothing. Otherwise... the day would turn out to be a disappointment.

"Yes, we. See, I'm pretty good at magic myself. And I can usually tell when someone else will be good at it too. And I think you will be good at it, once you've had some training. Let's see... we can begin with any instances in which you think you might have used magic. Were there any times that something happened and you don't know how it did? Where you made something happen without knowing what was really going on?"

Mehndi listened attentively as Tanee detailed the instance.

"That's perfect! Exactly what I wanted to hear."

She quickly walked over to the statue underneath which sat the offering of flowers. Bending down, Mehndi murmured a few words asking for forgiveness. But this was important, and she was sure the Gods were with her in this.

She was at once back to where Tanee stood, holding a small, white bloom in her palm. "Tanee--"

And, as if time had sped up, the flower wilted into a tiny brown, withered bud before their eyes.

"Do you think you could bring this one back to life?"

Mehndi let out a little squeal of delight as she saw-- and indeed, felt-- the flower begin to come back to life. She almost clapped before realizing she still held the little bud in her hands. Looking down at it for a moment, it continued to grow after the momentary lapse, this time due to Mehndi rather than Tanee, and the petals spiraled out slowly to peek out from the still only slightly open green of the stem. Looking back up at Tanee, Mehndi's eyes were sparkling.

She held out the small bloom, offering it to the young Tabula. "Here. Take it."

"Oh!" She had almost forgotten the purpose of the entire exercise in the excitement. "Tanee. I expect you to come to the Aashraya and attend some classes so that you can develop your magic. Otherwise it will wither away, like the flower. But you won't be able to get it back. Oh no..." She was getting a bit carried away. "Anyways. I will tell Aquinas to arrange for your transport. So you just have to show up. Easy, right?"