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 Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 10:00 am
“Come in, come in.” Called Afsana’s voice from the other side of the door, Aseara pushed through and paused at the entrance. There was a courier in the room with them; Aseara gave him a look mildly intrigued before focusing on Afsana herself.
“Aseara this is Kalif, he is a courier to a noble called Zaleem. I know today you are supposed to have a full day of lessons but none of my older girls can attend to Lord Zaleem at this time. Since you’re the most talented out of the new girls this is going to be your assignment for the day.” Afsana motioned for Kalif to step forward. He bowed once hands clasp behind his back.
“Lord Zaleem requests an instructor for his daughter in the arts of dance. This is a sensitive matter and the Lord requires upmost discretion on your part. We were told,” he glanced at Afsana. “That this was the establishment to come to for such matters. You will be compensated for your time of course, very well may I add. If these terms are to your satisfaction, I will accompany you to the estate as her ladyship is unable to leave.” Afsana gave Aseara look that said she better not refuse.
“I’d love to teach Lord Zaleem’s daughter.” Afsana nodded and waved her off.
“Please come with me.” Aseara followed Kalif out but asked him to wait so she could get a change of clothing and grab a few things. He was oddly patient and when they left the building there was a box that was closed off with drapes pulled by two men. Kalif motioned from her to get in and he closed the drapes behind her. Aseara settled herself and the box began to move. This was all a little odd for her, but she waited inside content to be out from under the sun anyways. The transportation slowly came to a stop and Kalif opened the drapes again to help her out.
“Now I want to warn you, the reason we ask for discretion is because her ladyship is,” he seemed to struggle to get the words out. “She is half water tribe.” Aseara had very little notion of why it was such a big thing, but she had heard that th Obans viewed the water tribe as slaves. “Lord Zaleem does not want this knowledge to get out. If you speak out there will be consequences, do you understand?” Aseara nodded and followed him through the estate and then to a pavilion. Kalif called a woman over.
“My task is done. I will return when it is time for you to return home.” He bowed and left.
“Alright, come along now.” The woman led her to a sitting area. “Stay here, I will go get her.”
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 10:16 am
Abrupt words of excitement could be heard just down the corridor.
“Do you mean it, Kelna,” the voice exclaimed, the tone of which was both shock and eagerness, “oh, I can’t wait!”
Not but a moment later, Kelna, the lady who sat Aseara down in the sitting room, returned with a young girl in tow. Khalel was petite for her twelve years of age, though she had begun to develop in other womanly ways quite nicely. Unlike the other times she had encountered new people -- she was at home today. As such, there was no need for her to hide her appearance with overly large cloaks. Thank the gods for that! Instead, the girl was dressed in fine fabrics typical of someone of her station, though no other fineries really adorned her. All, accept, for a single aqua colored bracelet that she wore on her wrist. It was the finest piece of jewelry that she owned and the only thing of her mother’s. The youngling cherished it immensely.
Kelna pursed her lips and gave the young lady a gentle jostle. A laugh escaped Khalel at this, and she beamed happily over at Aseara, unable to keep from staring at the Wind earthling. She was truly beautiful, she thought, with her pale skin, hair, and eyes. Her thoughts drifted back to Nuawahn, another Wind earthling she had met, and it was then that she decided that she liked Aseara. If she was anything like Nua, then she was bound to be fabulous. “Hi,” she chimed, giggling a bit at her brief introduction. “I’m Khalel.”
There was no time to waste after that!
Before the dancer could even introduce herself, the hybrid reached out to grasp at the older girl’s hand. “Come on,” she said, dashing off down the corridor. “I live this way!” The prospect of a private dancing lesson had been an exciting one. All of her other tutors taught boring subjects – nothing as fun as dancing, for sure! She was eager to get started.
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 10:39 am
Really, with all the secrecy Aseara had expected something much, much worst. However, Khalel seemed like an adorable little girl like any she had met. Sometimes Obans seemed to exaggerate things and put such high importance on status and nobility. Aseara did not understand any of it, but she lived in Oba and she would respect the Zaleem’s wishes to not speak a word of it. She was sure the other girls would ask her where she was when she returned home too. This was going to be a great way to get out and avoid some lessons for a bit.
Rising, Aseara was about to bow and introduce herself as Afsana had taught her to do when greeting a noble but Khalel had already grabbed her hand and ran off down a corridor. Aseara glanced back at Kelna who only waved at her before the duo disappeared behind a corner. This one had quite the energy! She finally moved along with the girl until she stopped and Aseara laughed. She had not met any Obans who just dashed off like that without a care in the world before she had even introduced herself! She found herself quite liking Khalel.
Even though she was not sure if it was appropriate to bow or not, Aseara still offered Khalel a small bow. “I’m Aseara, it’s nice to meet you. So tell me, ever have a dancing lesson?” She had learned dancing to survive; it had been her way of providing for herself. She had never taught anyone else and she did not know if Khalel had decided she wanted lessons or if her father was imposing the lessons on her. Though Aseara was sure she could entertain Khalel if she didn’t want the lessons anyway and make it fun for her.
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 10:51 am
“I have not,” she admitted openly, unashamed and honest with her response. It wasn’t for her lack of trying that she hadn’t had any dance lessons yet. Her father just didn’t see the reason in hiring a dance instructor, really, until now. Before, he figured such a hobby was a frivolous pursuit, meant for more of the working-class folk. However, he came to relent on his decision, given the fact that his daughter couldn’t exactly go as many places as she would like. She had to be kept entertained somehow. “Though father and Faelahn often throw parties with beautiful dancers,” Khalel went on to say, continuing to walk through the lavish estate. “I’ve seen them through the windows! I was never invited to the party.”
Eventually, Khalel had led Aseara to their destination: the eastern wing of the estate and her own private sanctuary. The main feature of this wing of the house was the lavish pool of crystal clear water that was carved into the floor. Off to the corner, a small, secondary guest home could be found, to which the youngling pointed. “That’s my house,” she said proudly before motioning to the pool she walked alongside. “We can dance out here.” Around the pool there was plenty of room, and the clear blue skies could be seen above them, as the pavilion was open to the elements.
The tour of her home would come after the dancing lessons, she decided. There would be plenty of time to show her around then, for sure.
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 11:22 am
“Don’t worry about it then, no one starts off as a great dancer.” Which meant they were going to take it pretty easy today. Shed teach her the basics and maybe a few advance moves. While Khalel spoke about the parties, which Aseara was sure she would be performing for one day, she looked around her. She had thought the Red Amaryllis was luxurious but this home was just as grand. “You have a very beautiful home.” She commented, she had once been inside the room of one of the older performers and it looked like this except there was no pool.
Aseara wanted to ask why Khalel would not be invited to such a party but then remembered that the girl was barely allowed out of the home. It was as if they had had completely opposite childhoods, Khalel was stuck inside her home and Aseara stuck outside of it. It made her sad really, though Khalel seemed to be very well taken care for. She did not know many who had a pool in their home since water was such a precious resource in Oba. Aseara had not known that Khalel’s father was this rich, his status must have been very high.
“If we ever work up a good sweat at least we can take a dip in the pool.” Aseara herself could have spent her day in the pool but that would have been very rude. “This is a good space, why don’t we settle here.” Aseara walked over to an open space. “I have to admit I’ve never really taught.” Afsana had made it clear she had not been her first option and only the best for the time being. “But I promise I will try my test to teach you as best as I can.” That was why she was here for after all.
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Posted: Wed Feb 18, 2015 2:45 pm
Khalel only smiled when Aseara complimented her on her family’s home. Although she said nothing, there was something off about the smile, but she didn’t say what. A sadness could be found behind it, if one knew her well or looked hard enough. As much as Khalel loved her home, what she she didn’t love was being kept inside of it. It felt as if she was trapped, or like she was an animal in a cage. Her father only meant well by it, she was sure, but that didn’t really provide much of a comfort. She wished he trusted her to go out and about and enjoy the city. Rajiik got to enjoy it. He and his friends played in the streets of the upper class areas all the time. Why couldn’t she be provided the same, simple luxury?
The smile seemed to brighten the moment that the dancer mentioned taking a dip in the pool. Such an item inside their home had been a pricey one, but Zaleem’s father had spared no expense upon building their house ages ago. It was one of the things that Khalel was truly grateful to have so close to her own personal living space. Being in the water was relaxing, and it allowed her to feel connected to her Matori heritage. Did her mother like to swim? She often wondered that. Off near a corner of the pool, closer to the main entrance of the guest house, a green-ish colored zanteer could be seen lounging. Ipo loved to curl up by the pool, and was one of the youngling’s closest friends. Although she seemed to be dozing, the large otter-like creature silently opened her eyes, lifted her head up, and looked in the direction of the two girls. She stared for a moment, but then drooped her head back down once she was satisfied. Silly Ipo! Such a watchful zanteer, she was.
Aseara then explained that she had never really taught anyone to dance before. If her father had known that, he probably would have sent her away lickity split, but Khalel didn’t care. She was just happy to have the opportunity to learn with someone, whether they had taught before or not. ”Let’s get started, then! I can’t wait.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 10:23 am
“Alright, let’s start with a stretch; I wouldn’t want you to hurt yourself.” She’d seen girls pull leg muscles after some training and she definitely did not want Khalel to strain herself. “You can just copy what I’m doing. Aseara started by stretching her neck, rolling her head from side to side and then doing that with her arms as well. Then she bent down to touch the ground to make sure she was supple. “Don’t worry if you can’t reach the ground, you can just hold on to your ankles.” Aseara settled herself on the floor and then stretched ach leg out before finishing with a nice little split.
It would have been easier to teach Khalel if they’d had music to keep some sort of tempo but it wasn’t absolutely necessary, it just meant she’d have to keep the tempo in her mind. “So, what I’m going to teach you is this.” Placing her feet together, Aseara shifted her hips with ease. “It might feel a little awkward for you at first but once you get the hang of it you should be fine. So you’re going to bend your knees and then straighten out one leg, oh and tuck in your stomach. Then you bend it again and you straighten out the other leg.” Aseara showed her slowly what it would look like. “Why don’t you give that a try.
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 2:07 pm
If she was being perfectly honest, Khalel probably would have explained that physical exercise wasn’t her strongest suit. Such skills were better suited for her half-brother, Rajiik, but she didn’t want to tell Aseara that! Books and learning were more of the youngling’s thing, as she preferred learning about history and different artifacts and treasures that the world had to offer. There wasn’t much room for exercise when it came to such things, not really, anyway. One thing that the hybrid had going for her, however, was her aptitude for learning. As the Wind dancer explained how to stretch, the girl listened intently, copying her actions without a word.
Warm-ups were important – that much she knew for sure. If one didn’t stretch, then things might end poorly for them later. Cramps were never a fun thing, and she certainly didn’t want to increase her chance of having one, so stretching it was! The motions that Aseara did for their stretches were kind of relaxing, in their own way. Khalel enjoyed them, as was evident by the smile on her face as she performed them. With her stretches done and out of the way, the young girl then turned her attention to learning the dance moves. Even without music, she was having fun!
Khalel’s feet came together like the older girl’s did, but then her brow furrowed intensely. It was clear that she was concentrating hard on how to best perform the simple moves. Expelling a breath of air, the youngling then did her best to try the move. Her knees bent, and she managed to straighten out her leg, but tucking in her stomach was proving difficult. “My love of sweets has come back to bite me, alas!” She chuckled at this, her laughter happy, but then tried again. After a few minutes, she managed to get the movement right, but her tummy certainly didn’t like to listen right away. Well, at least now she knew that was something to work on.
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 5:18 pm
Aseara chuckled lightly when Khalel mentioned her stomach. “Your stomach is your core; sweets won’t do you much good.” Granted she couldn’t really fault the youngling for enjoy sweets considering her age. She was sure the girls legs would tire at some point too, but she’d worry about that later. Once she saw that Khalel had mastered the basic movement she moved on to other slightly more advance moves that all held roots with the first move she’d taught her. She’s give her a few encouraging words once in a while when she saw her struggling but for the most part she was doing good on her own.
Going back to the basics and doing them slowly had really worked her muscles and as such when Aseara noticed that Khalel might need a break she readily offered one so she too could relax for a bit. “You’re doing good.” She was quite pleased with their progress and she was sure Khalel’s father would be too if he required his daughter to preform what she’d learned. Aseara wasn’t sure on how nobles took care of that kind of thing. She expected he’d want to inspect her handy work in case she wasn’t up to par with his standards. Aseara sure hopped she was.
“How about we take a little break? Give your legs a breather.”
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 5:29 pm
A break! Boy, could she use one of those!
Aseara’s suggestion was welcome with a grin and a content clap of her hands. The dancing had been fun, but it had taken quite a bit out of the young hybrid. She could already feel how tired her muscles felt. It was as if stones were weighing down her limbs, and that was when Khalel could tell she needed the rest. She was just glad that she didn’t have to ask to stop on her own. Who knew if Aseara would consider such things a sign of weakness or quitting, but she didn’t want to take the chance.
With the idea to rest and relax up in the air, Khalel knew just what she wanted to do then. Happily, the girl stood and dashed off to the entrance of the small guesthouse that she called home. “Come on in,” she said, motioning for the Wind dancer to follow along. “You can see where I live, and you can meet Fajaan!” She then paused, looking over to her zanteer who was dozing by the pool. “You already saw Ipo!”
And with that, the girl had opened up the door, disappeared inside, and was gone. Though it was clear to see that she was eager to show her instructor her personal living quarters. This was Khalel’s sanctuary, after all, and she wanted to share it with as many friends as possible.
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 5:39 pm
Even after this lesson Aseara was astounded to find Khalel running off with such energy. The Wind girl herself took her time as she followed her into her home. It looked very much like a guesthouse, but weren’t guesthouses for guests who were visiting? Again, Aseara found herself contemplating all this noble stuff. Was it so bad that Khalel was a hybrid? She was going to have to ask Afsana considering Zaleem seemed to go out of his way to both please his daughter but also hide her from the world which she found was sad. A girl her age should be out exploring and just… being out of the house more.
The zanteer had caught her eye when they’d come in and she’d been observing her surroundings. She was curious to know who Fajaan was, though she figured it was another familiar. Aseara didn’t own one, Afsana had some rules on those but they did spike her curiosity and she had thought about asking permission to get one. As she entered she observed around her and was still impressed with how beautiful even Khalel’s home was. Her father truly spared no expense when it came to his daughter. It made her wonder how her own family would have been if they hadn’t gotten separated.
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 5:52 pm
Khalel’s little home was small compared to the grand estate the rest of her family lived in, but the young girl didn’t seem to mind. She didn’t need much space, in all honesty, and the arrangement had been set up courtesy of her stepmother, anyway. She didn’t get much say in the matter. Her father told her that the private home would be where she lived, and that was the end of that. Yet, despite its size, no expense had spared in outfitting the place. Upon walking through the door, there was a relaxing sitting area with large windows. Plush pillows and chairs beckoned for guests to come and sit down.
A small area for eating was opposite the sitting area. A table suitable for four individuals or so was nestled in a cozy corner, and there also looked to be a small area for cooking, should she ever get hungry. Off down the corridor, though one couldn’t see from standing in the doorway, there was also a large study area full of books and an elaborate desk. This was where the young girl did her studies with her private tutors every day, with the subject varying on the day and time. A set of stairs also led upward to the living area, and Khalel stood on them while smiling happily at Aseara.
“I live up here!”
Khalel’s room was a picture of comfort. A bed large enough to fit at least three people could be found in the middle of the room. More bookshelves lined the walls, some of which were filled with books, others which had trinkets of this thing or that sitting upon them. Baubles of all sorts could be seen about her room: shells of different sorts, pretty colored glass bottles that once held perfume, finely woven pieces of fabric. All of these things were items she had managed to collect over trips to the market, holidays, and what not. They might not amount to much for others, but to the youngling they were worth their weight in gold, and she treasured every single thing.
Upon coming to her room, the young girl dove onto her bed. Curled up in a ball at the foot of it was a smaller, peach-colored perzi with yellow citrines adorning his body. “Fajaaaaan,” the girl exclaimed, giggling and nuzzling into the cat after she landed. “I missed you!”
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 6:09 pm
If only… If only Aseara herself could attain such a status that she could live in such a home. Khalel’s home was far richer than any of the best dancers she’d ever laid eyes on. It was just big enough for the youngling and so beautiful. The Wind girl almost found herself jealous but she knew that one day, if she played her cards right she was going to have such a place to herself. Her eyes could not stop roaming over all the furniture. Such luxury… Aseara move through the room, hand touching fabric and enjoying the softness and texture of it.
The Wind girl followed the youngling up the stairs to her room and here Aseara had to stop and take it all in. She’d seen the study but this room was also filled with books. Now she understood why Afsana had put so much effort into her education, nobles seemed to study all kinds of things and Khalel was no different. “I am just learning to read.” She found herself saying as she looked though the books before moving to look at some of the baubles. Some she touched gently, others she was content with simply looking it.
Etiquette had been thrown out the window the moment Khalel had grabbed her hand to run through the home. Aseara took a seat on the bed and then let herself fall back and enjoy the softness of the bed before rolling onto her stomach to see what kind of familiar Fajaan was. “Perzi are so adorable.” Yes looking at the cat now she also wanted one. So much want, want, want. Aseara figured she was going to have to start working extra hard so she could get everything she wanted. “Your home is very beautiful.” She said wistfully as she remembered the tent she’d been living in before Afsana had taken her in.
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 6:20 pm
”Thanks,” came Khalel’s warm reply. When Aseara lied back down on her bed, the youngling took that as a sign to relax, too. She flopped back as well before proceeding to scoot over and curl up next to the older girl. “Faelahn arranged it,” she went on to say, her expression changing to a more serious one. The mere mention of her stepmother was enough to sober the young one up lickity split. She was…not a kind woman, even if she looked like she might be. Well, whatever. At least this way she didn’t have to see her every day. The less they saw of each other, the better.
The twelve year old couldn’t help but blink when Aseara said she was just learning to read. A brow quirked in surprise, but then she just nodded and smiled. Reading was a luxury for some, and there were others who went their entire lives without learning their letters. Still – there was no need for Aseara to be ashamed or anything. Everyone started somewhere, after all! “It’s fun, isn’t it? I love to read.”
The perzi that the two girls kept company with was a bit hesitant when he saw Aseara. Guests were few and far between in the youngling’s home, so he was generally always a bit cautious when they arrived. Yet when the Wind dancer lied back down, the cat took the opportunity to paw his way over to the girl and sniff at her hair. Satisfied, he let out a content purr, and then nuzzled at the newcomer. He was always an affectionate companion, and if they had a guest, he wanted them to feel at home as much as possible.
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Posted: Fri Feb 20, 2015 6:36 pm
“Who’s Faelahn?” Was she the woman who had brought her to Khalel? The youngling seemed to serious now, it didn’t seem like she liked this person very much. Maybe Aseara should have been more careful and not asked, it was none of her business and the question had really slipped from her lips before she’d even realized it. Then again, she’d already been sworn to secrecy so it wasn’t like she could just blab to anyone or ask anyone else who Faelahn was in case they started asking questions. Then Aseara would really be in trouble and she didn’t know how she’d be able to get out of it without spilling everything.
“It’s hard,” Aseara admitted. Reading was definitely not one of her favorite things to do. “But I think I am getting the hang of it.” Maybe she disliked reading because it wasn’t what she was the best at. Her handwriting on the other hand, was quite good. Compared to some of the other scribbles the other girls managed, Afsana had taught her cursive and her hand writing was now neat and pretty. Soon she wouldn’t need any of her lessons and all she would concentrate on was her dancing.
“I want one.” Rubbing under his chin, Aseara pet the perzi a bit more. “Maybe Afsana will let me get one once I do good on my first shows.” After all, the best time to ask Afsana anything was when the old woman was in a good mood after a great show and lots of Gold made in a night. Maybe for a part o her earnings she could keep one in her room, hide it from the other girls who might want to snatch her own up. If one perzi was cute they were all cute and all the girls would end up wanting one.
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