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 Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2024 5:28 pm
Maia 8 Maia had remained rooted to one spot, one hand placed over her wildly beating heart, barely listening to what Omari was saying. She'd never seen so many books before in her entire life! Not even the bookstores back home had this much. Not that she was a common regular among bookstores or anything. She went in, got what she needed, than left with barely a look at anything else on display. There was hardly any time to read for leisure. Which wasn't her previous job's fault. She was pretty sure, even if she had a less demanding one that kept her in the city, with hours afforded to herself at home, she could find something productive to do with her time. Sitting still had always been something difficult for her to do. Words on a page just didn't keep her attention long enough. Didn't keep her hands busy enough.
"Mm," the Shifter mused, the sound soft in her throat as she glanced at what the hybrid was doing momentarily. As if released from a spell, she picked up the lantern and moved towards one of the shelves, raising it high to see the words on the spines and covers. Since one of her hands were so occupied, she refrained from taking anything off the shelf, settling for looking over everything with an observant eye. She was over to the next row of books when she heard the man speaking and peeked around to see him by the tables with the most glorious lights she had ever seen, the lights of her own lantern dancing in her eyes, a reflection of how she was feeling inside.
"I would hardly say I'm bored," she returned seriously, a small smile gracing her lips. Something usually rarely seen. Unless she was in the presence of history, than it was hard to keep it off her face. She walked over to join him, setting the lantern down on the table, momentarily distracted by the dancing lights. Placing her palms on the surface, Maia leaned over the book, reading the pages, the long strands of her hair swaying slowly above the table. Taking in all she could before her own trip out into the desert. Forgetting in her thirst for knowledge that she wasn't alone.
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Posted: Sat Jan 20, 2024 9:01 pm
Maybe a smile was better than the flush. Omari found himself thinking, a small smile on his lips in return. “Is that so?” He gestured around at all of the books that she could access. “Then I suppose you’ll have plenty to keep you occupied while you wait for the expedition to begin.” It would be a shame if she didn’t take him up on his offer for a tour of the city, but Omari had the feeling Maia was more at home in a place like this. Perhaps next time he would actually take out an artifact or two, just not tonight when there were already so many notes and books to look through. Plus, daylight was better for truly looking over what they had since there were so many intricate details on some of the older objects that he had locked up in his study.
And just like that he didn’t exist. Omari shook his head at the sight with some amusement, not wishing to disturb Maia as he took a seat across from her. He simply leaned against the table, his elbow supporting his arm as he rested his head in his palm and studied her for a moment before looking at the journal. Even though the journal was upside down from his perspective, Omari could make out bits of the notes and recognized a few of the drawings. “I see she captured the zore there.” He mused after a few minutes, his gaze catching sight of the next image on the page. “If you see those then you should be careful, not of the birds but about whatever killed their meal. They scavenge so unless a creature died from thirst in the desert I would think something more dangerous left behind whatever they didn’t want.” The beast was written about whenever they had started the first excursion, looking for a town buried deep within the sands and recovering objects for ceremonial dances to summon rain and ask for blessings from the gods. Omari’s expression softened at the memory. It had been one of his first big finds, the ceremonial fan repaired and placed within the museum alongside the stone tablet with the faded etchings of the dance. Nanami had carefully written down the details, including what they had studied on the tablet next to an outline of the fan. “The fan from that page was the one I was looking at in the museum, if you would like to go back and take a look later with the notebook in hand.” It would be a good example of seeing the object with the corresponding notes, if she needed an example of what others recorded when they found new things in the excursion.
[Omari 9]
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Posted: Sun Jan 21, 2024 5:57 pm
Maia 9 In a mirror of their first meeting, the woman jumped at the sound of his voice, looking up guiltily. If anyone could find someone as distracted as Maia was in that moment, it would be a surprise. She fully forgot about the other person in the room, not even hearing him as he moved around the table. She didn't mean to return Omari's hospitality in bringing her out here by ignoring him completely. But the Shifter was glued to the book, her pale eyes scanning over the words and taking them in, committing them to memory so she would no longer need such a book when she was finally able to go out there on her own. Having to rely on one wasn't the most ideal of situations. She couldn't tell some dangerous creature to wait a moment while she pulled it out to look up information on it.
"Sorry..." she apologized awkwardly, feeling her cheeks flushing with that all too familiar feeling of embarrassment and uncomfortableness she always seemed to be feeling when around anyone at all. "I, uh....Was....Memorizing it....I....Sorry." She cleared her throat, standing back up to her full height, feeling unable to look at him. How rude of her.
But, as soon as it appeared, it was gone, again, replaced by that smile that put a sparkle in her eyes. Maia glanced back down at the book, trying to remember the details of the fan. Most of her focus had been on what had been in front of her. "I....Would like that very much, yes. I...Will remember what you said, too. About the birds." She tapped the side of her head to indicate her good memory, sharpened after years of wandering the forests of Jauhar without a map of her own.
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Posted: Thu Feb 08, 2024 3:36 pm
Omari raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing across his features once more. “Why apologize? I think it’s endearing to see you so caught up in reading.” He admitted before looking away again innocently as if he had not dropped yet another compliment in her direction. Instead he reached for another book, flipping through it and picking at certain passages while considering what they had in the museum at the moment. “Good, remember it well. The relics are important but knowing about the wildlife will help you to survive so that you may continue studying more objects.” He teased lightly before keeping the other book open to a certain passage about a ceremonial chalice that they had found out in the desert earlier that month. It was also in the museum, one of his other favored pieces with how the metal was crafted with such intricate designs and gemstones.
“Ah, I found another piece that we have on display.” He admitted, pushing the notebook towards her and watching to see how she reacted this time. “I think the event should dwindle down in another hour or so. We can pass a bit more time in here and then venture out towards the museum whenever you’re ready. I’m just not allowed to have guests past midnight, the magic fades then.” Omari joked lightly, leaning back as he made himself comfortable so that Maia could continue looking over things. He would leave her alone if it wasn’t so late in the evening, the man afraid that anyone else may get the wrong impression if they stumbled upon the shifter studying here alone. So it was best that he stayed, just to avoid any misunderstandings and potential trouble. Not that he minded, so far this had been an interesting introduction and thoroughly entertaining for the hybrid who was thankful for an excuse to be away from the crowd for a bit.
[Omari 10]
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Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2024 4:27 pm
Maia 10 "I...." Maia stammered, than stopped, not even quite sure what she was even about to say. Thankful for the semi-darkness to hide the blush on her cheeks as she dipped her head down, her eyes falling on the book and trying to focus on the words, to no avail. Just when she started to feel a bit more comfortable, Omari dropped something else on her that made it hard to even think. She couldn't understand why. For the second time that night, she wondered if it was an Oban thing. Not that she ever gave anyone back home a chance to compliment her, so who was she to say what was a culture thing or not. Maybe that was just him. She raised her eyes, watching him from underneath her lashes as he looked away, as if it had been nothing at all. Strange. Not that it mattered, when she'd be spending more of her time in the desert. What would be the chances of her seeing him, again, even if he did work here, as he seemed to? He'd be here and she'd be there.
The Shifter opened her mouth to ask about how dangerous it really was out there, than paused. Couldn't be anymore or less than Jauhar was. Everywhere in the known world was probably teeming with creatures to watch out for. She felt no more afraid of the Oban deserts than she had of the Juahar forests.
The question, and her embarrassment, were once again forgotten in the face of more history. Maia's eyes lit up and her head rose, watching the book moving closer to her. She waited until he had finished speaking before she pulled out a chair and gently pulled the book closer to her, going silent for a few moments to look over it. Fascinating. So many artifacts right there, just beyond her fingertips. Whole artifacts, not the broken stuff she had been mostly finding on her own. Maybe if she'd tried a bit harder. Or if the ground back home was easier to dig up.
Glancing up at the hybrid once more through her lashes, the Shifter gave another of her small smiles. "Yes, I think I could easily pass the time here instead of out there. This has been very helpful. I will remember."
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