Welcome to Gaia! ::

Sati glanced at the names as she walked past the building fronts, attracting one or two looks herself. Occasionally she would catch the eyes of someone who was looking at her; a man usually, and she would smile in an impish fashion and give a small shake of her head, the heavy and thick braid of hair that lay down her back coming to life with a faint rustle and tinkle of the golden hair ornaments in it.

She didn't stop walking though, didn't engage them in conversation, it was just amusing to let them know she knew they were staring. She padded on, embroidered slippers visible under the hem of her sari, a hand tugging for a moment on the sash that was wound around her waist and over her shoulders as it was slipping slightly. She paused for a moment, unfolding the piece of paper and checking the details before looking up at the building she had halted in front of.

'Oh, I'm here.' she refolded the paper and tucked it down the front of her top, pushing open the door and stepping inside. There was a slightly medicinal, herbal smell in the air..and as she looked around, eyes adjusting from the change in light she noticed a distinctly bottled theme. A second scan of the small shop and her eyes alighted on the desk, and someone who she guessed might be the proprietor. She walked over, and stood before it, one adorned hand propping on a hip.

'Hi there.'

He was appraising her, and one of her finely arched brows lifted in amusement. Fingers tapped her hips (and if one looked closely, one would see they were all painted golden), and she held out the other hand, the bangles on her wrist clattering downwards as she did so.

'You're Amerald are you?' she asked, seeing if he would shake. He looked like he had been dozing and her lips curled into a smile. He was fairly good looking, though older than she was and Sati wondered what had piqued his interest in her.

'Nice to meet you.' she replied, moving the untook hand back and patting at her hair, capturing a stray strand of it and tucking it behind her ear as if that was what meant she had meant to do all along. Obviously he wasn't interested, she thought for a moment, looking as one of the last customers trailed out of the door.

But it seemed that maybe some of her charm had worked as he came out from behind the desk and stood beside her. She perched on the edge, looking at him from under her black lashes and smiled.

'Oh I'm hoping you can help me, one of my students mentioned you were the place to go for a good deep heat salve for tired muscles.' she pushed a hand into the small of her back and gave a little arch.

'Get a bit stiff at the end of a week teaching my dance class.' she said with a sigh. Okay she was maybe laying it on a little thick, but then maybe she would get a discount.

No fun she thought to herself, well if he was going to be polite than so would she be. Besides, he started it, he had been staring, whether he would admit it or not. When he bought back the jar she picked it up and twisting off the cap took a tentative sniff. It smelt interesting and she wondered what was in it. Well as long as it worked, she didn't really care if she was honest.

'Thanks. How much do I owe you?' she nodded, wondering why they were moving into small talk.

'I guess, I mean I've had no complaints, but it helps that what I teach they actually want to learn.' Sati smiled. It was also quite sweet when they came running into lesson in their kiddies saree & plastic jewellery that they had probably wheedled out of their parents.

'I don't teach those who want to learn, it's a fun class, and a fun dance to learn but I don't like time wasters.' she twisted a bangle on her wrist, looking at Amerald.

'Why do you ask?'

Her brow raised higher this time and she had to take a few moments to compose herself. Even so she felt herself laughing as she replied.

'You'd like to learn Bollywood style dance would you?' Sati said, amused at the thought. Not that men couldn't and didn't, there were many fine male dancers, including Bollywood actors, but there was something slightly pressed and refined about him. It was a definate mental clash.

A hand went on the desk when he leaned in; she was a flirt but they'd just met and he was now a bit too close for comfort.
'Depends on the secret..' she said, smiling still, her hands grasping the jar he'd bought for her. If he tried anything he'd get beaned on the head with it.

Sati relaxed, picking the jar up properly and rolling it between her hands as she watched him pace. This trip to the shops for one item had turned into something vastly more strange, and complicated.

'You want my what now?' her eyes narrowed as she let him finish the rest of his little explanation and she looked from him to the jar of salve in my hands.
'I'm not sure a jar of salve is worth it, what do you need my DNA for and how will it benefit me?'

She pushed away from the desk and gave the door a cursory glance. She looked back at Amerald.
'It's a good thing you're not creepy looking on top of the mad scientist vibe..Sati is my name.' she folded her arms.

'So tell me what exactly you want my DNA for.'

So she listened, arms still folded, her expression changing numerous times as he talked. She wasn't sure whether to yell at him that he was crazy or just burst out laughing at the idea.

'Uhh.' she started to say, but she wasn't really sure what she was about to say. How did one even begin to reply to all that he had said?

'You think I'm beautiful then?' Sati latched onto the one thing that actually made sense in her head, an anchor in a sea of weirdness. There were more words though and she sorted through them one by one. A child? Did she in truth want children? It was what a good Hindu daughter did eventually; marriage and children. What on earth would her parents say if she visited them with a child in tow?

She looked at Amerald.
'Given that what you've just told me sounds like some sci fi movie plot I'm not even sure who I would tell. Or who would believe me? You just said it and I don't even believe my ears.'
She wasn't leaving though, and she had no idea why not.