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 Posted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 4:07 pm
Itotia listened, but was distracted by the flora once more. Touching the petals allowed her to control the conversation, because it gave her an excuse for silence. She was actually quite grateful that Aseara took her out for this type of talk. It meant no fear of being overheard, or no power play of Aseara being her retainer. It was a discussion, in an open place, where both could say whatever they needed without any repercussion.
Yet Aseara seemed keen to push for an answer, and Itotia wasn't ready to simply throw away her life, despite the fact that this time she had a choice. That alone was something that left her considering, but she couldn't quite shake her trust, so she kept silent even with the offer of a bargain. The walk wasn't over yet, and so her decision wasn't set to be made.
"Very well." another short sentence, and Itotia lifted her hood to cover her head once more.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 8:52 am
Aseara let there be silence between them when Itotia didn’t answer her question directly. If she needed time then Aseara would give it to her. She just hoped she could get an answer before the dance; she did still need to know if Itotia wanted to do it. Until then, Aseara enjoyed the flowers too leaving Itotia’s side some times to bend down and examine some of the flowers. She followed Itotia’s pace, never going before her or straying too far behind. Once they returned to the entrance of the gardens again, Aseara covered herself up.
“Time for the castle.”
Aseara left the gardens and headed towards the castle. The houses that surrounded the castle were all noble homes, Aseara moved through them quickly trying to avoid getting seen by anyone who might recognize her. Once she started seeing guards posted around she knew they would be reaching the gates to the palace soon so Aseara didn’t slow down until they were safely within the palace walls. Once there she headed towards the large open doors where all the visitors could come through. There were a few tourists around, most foreign but a few Obans who had traveled to see the inside of the royal court as well.
“We’re here,” Aseara whispered quietly. “We kind of just walk around looking at things.” It was mostly a linear path through a few halls and some rooms before exiting out of the castle again.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 9:01 am
Not being asked a third time, Itotia let her hood cover features as she pondered the offering. There were a few things to consider. First, was the dance Aseara had requested her assistance with. It was a chance to show off their newest dancer, but it also might be a fun opportunity for Itotia herself. There was a keldari here, which meant that maybe she would be able to use the snake to show off the new race, documenting their strength compared to their own.
It would be interesting indeed to train the snake to 'bite' others and have her dance as a the foreign, untouchable beauty.
The thought made her smirk.
A soft hum of recognition to Aseara's guidance was all that filled the air as Itotia followed the dancer. As Aseara moved faster, Itotia glanced around with curiosity, surprised at the structures of this land. It was all so...refined, much like the sanctum back home. She only had a small glimpse at the place, but nothing really felt as overwhelming as the location here.
And then she saw the palace.
Itotia froze, lips pursed at such a sight ahead of her. She forced herself to move as Aseara entered, and kept her head down as her fingers shook.
"This is where your leaders live?" she finally voiced, skepticism lacing each word.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 9:12 am
Aseara glanced back at Itotia, “It’s where the King and his family live.” She didn’t use the word leaders in return. She rather liked the thought that the Gods and Goddess were the leaders and not the King himself. Nuri did however respect and listen to the King, so she respected him but did not see him as her leader.
The wind girl moved to lay her hand on the wall made of tiny pieces of glass. The mosaic was beautiful, the details intricate. It was depicting some sort of King and his wife. Perhaps the first King of Oba? Aseara eyed it a bit more before moving on to another wall which held some paintings. Aseara chuckled low, this whole tour was only meant to impress.
“I don’t think we’ll be seeing any royals or even officials on this little walk.” These were the empty parts of the palace for a reason after all and she was sure that none of the officials would want to deal with the foreigners that came here. The King would certainly not show up here either. Aseara wondered if Nuri had ever seen the King, she wondered what he looked like.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 9:30 am
Itotia wasn't certain what to think. This was all so blinding, and made her mind ache a bit. This was nothing like her home, where her own leaders lived in gentle dedication to their own gods. This screamed corruption and misuse, as if the leaders here were simply basking in their own wealth without concern to their people. Naturally, when one had an army to fight their wars, there was little need to get down and dirty with the minor issues of the people.
This was nothing like the sanctum, like their own leaders and their own dedication. Itotia didn't know what to think, but she was not impressed.
Her hands began to quiver at the thought.
A scoff left her lips at the comment of the leaders, before Itotia shook her head.
"Naturally, why mingle with the people when you have servants to take care of those roles..." She dare not say it out loud, but Itotia felt as if these Kings and Queens saw themselves as gods, and held themselves above all others. It was nothing like her own leaders, who were servants who dedicated their entire life to the protection of their people. These leaders probably saw little to no war, no threat, and only needed to lift a finger to take someone's life.
At that moment, Itotia knew she would never bow to a false King. She was, however, smart enough to never voice such a thought out loud while a prisoner in these lands.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 9:39 am
“Indeed.” Aseara whispered glancing at Itotia and motioning her to follower her as they went down the hall. Almost all the door were closed with a guard posted in between the doors. The guards eyed them from the corner of their eyes but did not say anything. They weren’t the first foreigners to come through. Aseara turned into one of the open doors and was surprised to see the place was a small library of sorts. Three guards were posted in this room watching out for thieves. Aseara glanced around but did not stay too long; she didn’t liked being watched so closely.
Instead she went out of the room a few moments later and waited for Itotia before moving on down the hall to the next large room. “I wonder if people actually try to steal from this place…” In her mind it wasn’t exactly the smartest thing one could do. “Let’s finish this tour quickly and pick somewhere to stop to eat and drink.” Aseara was thinking in the poorer sections of town where there would be no way for them to be recognized. At least Itotia could see the good and the bad of the city, but there she would be able to remove her hood completely.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 10:00 am
Itotia too looked at the guards, but she made sure she was enough paces away to be out of direct reach. They seemed keen to look her way, but she kept her head low so her eyes wouldn't glow. It would be just her luck to catch attention of guards, and as a result have Afsana come and bail her out.
Even she wasn't that stupid.
As they moved down the path, Itotia became more uncomfortable with the idea of their travels, mostly because she felt like every guard was keen to watch her alone. It was most likely because she kept her head down and her body covered, but they didn't see more than a stranger stalking through their castle.
So when Aseara offered for them to leave, she made no move to disagree and instead simply nodded and gestured for her to lead the way.
Being out of this...overwhelming building would help her relax and maybe think over the second part of Aseara's offer. And so, she made no fuss as they moved out and even kept pace with Aseara.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 12:28 pm
Once out of the palace, Aseara took a different route then the one they’d taken before, one she rarely took unless she wanted to escape. Here the homes began to be less neat and clean, much more stacked and old then the homes of the nobles. Here the Wind girl removed her hood completely; there was no need to hide here. Yes a few people might look at them but for the most part everyone kept to themselves and didn’t bother anyone else. The place might look dangerous but it was only truly dangerous when the lights were out. They’d be home by then.
Aseara found her usual little hole in the wall place and entered, the barman waved her in and she took a seat in one of the empty chairs at a table.
“This place might not look like much but they have good food.” It was also probably one of the cleaner places that she’d been to while exploring the city. A waitress came by, flitting over to them with two cups and a jug of water she left on the table for them to use as they pleased.
“What can I serve ya?”
“It’ll be some green with your house sauce and a bit of bread on the side please.” The waitress nodded and turned towards Itotia.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 12:37 pm
12/20
Itotia followed, noting the dust that picked up on the ground and the homes that began to tilt a bit from their weight and age. It seemed as if they were journeying to a new world, one much unlike the palace they just came from. It was a poor area, yet still much more extravagant than her settlements back home. It made her think over why so many people cluttered together in such a dry and arid place.
As they neared the bar, Itotia followed Aseara inside and slowly settled into her place. Her back was straight, and her posture screamed a girl ready to make a break if needed. However, she set her hands on the table in an effort to seem lax, and listened to her company as she spoke.
Itotia froze when the waitress moved forward, and blinked as Aseara spoke about the meal. She had never ordered a meal in such a location, and had no idea what the locals enjoyed eating. She debated refusing the meal, a bit because of her confusion but mostly because of her lack of trust, but instead just shifted awkwardly a long moment. Finally, with a bit of a cringe, she took a breath and turned to the waitress.
Keeping her eyes down and her face shaded, she all-but-painfully spit out, "...what would you suggest?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 1:08 pm
It was clear that Itotia was tense and even then saying Itotia was tense was putting it lightly. Aseara knew the Yaeli needed to get out more, see more, and trust more. All things that would take time, all things she hoped Itotia would have once she had taken over and thrown Afsana out. Before the waitress could say something, Aseara quickly glanced at the board hanging behind the bar to see what was today’s special. She didn’t think Itotia was very picky and she knew the waitress enough that the woman would get her exactly what Aseara had ordered.
“Chef special,” she intervened quickly. The waitress nodded and went off to give the order. Turning to Itotia she added, “I didn’t think you’d appreciate simple greens. Chef special has a bit of meat and is better than what I am eating.” The Wind girl didn’t eat any kind of meat.
“I can’t wait for all this mess to be over,” Aseara sighed softly and poured herself and Itotia a glass of water. “Hopefully the water is drinkable.” She’d come here before and the water had been dirty, that was probably the one thing she didn’t trust since it was also the most expensive thing to acquire. If ti was no good then she’d stick to wine.
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Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 3:43 pm
13/20
Itotia's eye snapped away from the waitress as Aseara spoke up, and she resisted the urge to snark at the girl for ordering for her. After the initial spark of outrage, the girl realized that Aseara really was justified in ordering, as Itotia had no clue what was even available.
When Aseara continued to explain her reasoning, Itotia resisted the urge to snap. It was clear the other girl was trying, and trying hard, which was commendable. Maybe, if they both tried, this type of relationship could be a bit different. Beside, Itotia knew Aseara was not Afsana, and that alone was something that formed a small bridge of trust.
"Thank you..." she finally said, softly, as she pushed the glass of water away at Aseara's comment, before thinking over her words slowly. This was the safest place they had, and it was clearly time for some honesty.
"You could leave, you know. Go somewhere a bit more hospitable and start your own dance hall. You have an eye for it, or at least a bit more brains than others." It was casual, and a start to a discussion, even if it was something that they had spoken of in the past. The last time, however, was full of anger, and this was simple curiosity and a bit of tolerance, something they both hadn't had before.
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Posted: Tue Mar 22, 2016 10:03 am
"I could," Aseara agreed, but things were never that easy. "Nuri, the Oban who came to see me is in the army. I don't think he'd ever want to be too far away from home. I respect that, I enjoy Oba and I wouldn't want to take that away from him." Nuri had a duty to the army, she didn't think he would ever leave it and Aseara didn't want him to do so. He did what he enjoyed the most and that was what was important here.
"If I opened up a place in Oba well, I'm not even sure how that would go." Afsana would try her hardest to cut her down. She also didn't think she had the money to even start her own place, she hadn't realized how expensive things were until she'd seen Afsana's books. Nobles wouldn't want to come to some shady looking place and if they didn't come then she had no clients and no money. Raelar might help her, but there was a limit to how much he could help her.
"I don't think I'd return home either," she was over that. "And there isn't really another place that's quite as viable as Oba I don't think. Granted I've never been to Yael so I'm not sure, you'd have to tell me." Aseara shrugged. "I don't want to leave, if I leave there are a bunch of girls who will get the short end of the stick. Afsana can't continue to act as she does, someone needs to stop her." If that person was Aseara, then so be it but she would not let the abuse continue.
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 12:01 pm
14/20
The yaeli debated if she should take her hood down, curious on the type of reaction she would get here. If she were perfectly honest, it was a bit thrilling to be rebellious, and so she played with her hood before brushing it back. It didn't uncover her hair, but her dark skin and glowing eyes were clear from the shadows as she rested her chin on a palm and listened to Aseara. Maybe, in another time if they were different people, this comfortable companionship could become a reality. However, Itotia couldn't ignore the itch to run and hide, even as long as it had been since she first arrived.
Taking a deep breath, Itotia leaned back in her seat.
"Yael is simple. We don't do...this." was her response as she lifted her palms and just gestured around, "You mainlanders focus on the material things...I'm surprised your gods have yet to spite you for such selfishness."
Gentle, no aggression, but there was a hint of befuddlement in her tone. She really didn't understand why the gods let them get away with lavish selfishness, when on their home they focused on building up as much good luck as they could. It was just another example of how the mainlanders, the monsters they were, lived in such sin.
Itotia furrowed her brow at the comment of the girls.
"Everyone abandoned you, I could see as much. Why still fight for them when they clearly have no intent to do the same?"
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 12:28 pm
“Perhaps we’re not all as selfish as you believe us to be,” Aseara shrugged. Everyone at the Red would end up being orphans if Afsana decided to kick them out and too many had already been sent away. Aseara had been an orphan and she did not wish it upon anyone else, even Afsana herself. Though she did wonder where the Oban would go once the Red was in her care, Aseara hadn’t really given a thought to what would happen with the old woman or where she would go. Though she didn’t want to think about it and pushed the thought aside.
“I was an orphan once,” the wind girl cringed; she was not fond of speaking of her past. “Anyone thrown out of the Red is an orphan and it’s downright cruel to send a mother and her child out onto the streets.” Someone had to do something. “Who else is there to protect them? Perhaps I am not friends with everyone in there, but someone needs to step up because no one else is.” Again Aseara shrugged. “Someone has to stand up for those who will not fight.” They were all afraid and wouldn’t act unless prompt.
The waitress returned with the food, placed them down and was off again. Aseara dug in right away munching down her salad with hunger. When she was done her mouthful, she paused. “You don’t think they are worthy of saving?”
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Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2016 12:46 pm
15/20
"Your leaders live in golden palaces while your poor live...here."
Waving her hand, Itotia gestured to the atmosphere around them, as if Aseara wasn't aware what was going on. She waited while Aseara spoke, but her eyes weren't sympathetic at all. Instead, they hardened.
"Seems as if we aren't the only ones to fear the mainlanders, you really have reason to fear each other. Yael is not perfect, but we are humble and dedicated to our cause, and we do not have a government of protectors who are more keen of themselves than the people..."
She paused as the food came, and ignored the look from the waitress when she caught the glowing eyes. Instead, she poked a bit at the food before gently lifting it to taste. Her ears twitched under her hood as Aseara spoke up.
"I think there is a difference between saving and coddling. Being independent and living in conditions that are unfavorable do not hurt others, it helps them learn how to survive. Maybe those girls need to see what it is like to actually fight for their life, to understand how strong they are."
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