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 Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:26 pm
Calliana often attended her Papa’s performances. Often she was with Casimir, whose eyes never left the dancers, but Calliana’s often drifted. If her friends were close then she would wander off with them, leading her retinue of Geian followers into mischief, but today she hadn’t seen one. So, instead, when she was sure Casimir was fine she drifted away.
Since they lived in a smaller, mostly rural, area festivals usually only happened at the end of a harvest season. This year, however, was the anniversary of the village itself and the celebrations were big. People from the cities were even here, giving extravagant performances and selling wares she’d never seen before! With her eyes a glow, Calliana started to check out the stands….
…only for a few children she hadn’t been expecting to find her. Three Geian boys approached, the two smaller ones with their arms crossed and their ‘leader’ sneering at her. “Where’s your brother, frostbite? Don’t you think you’re a -?!”
Without even waiting for him to finish Calliana squared her stance and popped him in the nose. In an instant the boy was wailing and she was running.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:27 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
Belrea was definitely a strange land with a different sense of fashion from Oba. Not that Harika minded since her mentor had decided to send her away to study in Belrea and it was much better than enduring the heat from the older seamstress. She obviously was punishing Harika for sneaking into an event without an invitation but the young woman didn't mind. This was a learning opportunity and Harika would make the most of it so that she could dominate the fashion world in the near future. And what if she opted to stay here instead of Oba? She had always been a traveler and didn't care as long as she could do her work. Honestly the fashion here was something she was finding quite enjoyable and the heat of the desert hadn't been the best for her complexion while the chill night air here brought in hints of the ocean, something she had actually missed since leaving her island home. So if fate decided Belrea was a better path then so be it.
And to top it off there was a festival today!
Harika beamed as she walked through the crowd, her bag stuffed full of goodies and trinkets from various stalls as she gathered ideas for working on fashion. The hybrid was set upon arriving in the capital after venturing through some smaller villages to get a sense for Belrea as a whole before going to work as a seamstress in one of their popular fashion shops. So far she was excited with what she found even if a near collision with a youngling almost caused her to lose everything she had gathered so far. "Careful!" She called out before noticing a trio of boys around the corner who seemed very angry. Within a second she had pieced together some assumptions and Harika wasted no time tugging the girl towards the corner of a stall so that she could stand in front of her casually as the boys continued running past. Eventually when they disappeared around another corner the hybrid stepped forward. "Close one." She commented quietly before glancing at the girl with curiosity.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:28 pm
[2/10]
With a little ‘oop!’ Calliana dug her heels into the dirt and looked up. She barely even had time to register the young woman before her eyes were whipping around to take in the boys trailing after her. The little one was more than ready to take off again when she was being tugged, at first with some resistance until she realized she was being helped and not held back. Little Calli made herself as thin as possible so as to hide behind the taller woman, even going so far as to close her eyes and slow her breathing to make herself invisible.
Eventually the sounds of their voices drifted away and all she could hear was the din of the festival. Cautiously, she peered around the tanned woman just to make sure before releasing a sigh.
“Got ‘im good; didn’t even think to look for me.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:29 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
A chuckle left Harika's lips. "You still should be careful though." She warned the youngling even though it was hard to look somber. "Should I even ask what happened?" For some reason she felt like taking the girl's side. Surely whatever she had done wasn't bad enough to deserve three boys chasing her. Harika didn't even see like a parcel or anything so she doubted it was theft. If anything she had learned quickly to pick out bullies as a teen who stood apart from others so Harika hoped her gust instinct was right. If not then it was what it was.
Harika tilted her head, her long braid tumbling over her shoulder as she surveyed the area while waiting on the girl to explain...if she even opted to do so. "You probably should get a move on since they'll swing back soon enough. I think there was another part of the festival that I wanted to check out across the way. They had some nice fashion accessories I would be interested in. What do you think about finding something to match your lovely hair?" Even if the other girl looked strange there was an appeal about her appearance. Harika was not one to judge hybrids considering she was one and if anything it brought a desire to try to fashion something that would match those startling eyes and pale blue skin.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:30 pm
[3/10]
She definitely should be careful, but Calliana most definitely would not. If it went against her wishes then the little princess would snub her nose and go on way. “The big ugly one’s name is Galor; the other two are his goons. They don’t like my family so I punched him in the nose.” Calliana stood up as tall and proud as any adult, complete with her nose in the air and a look of superiority about her.
Looking back to the woman, Calliana pursed her lips in thought. “Are you from Tale? The family my sister stays with is from Tale.” Her skin was a little too warm to be Geian, but their crystals didn’t look like hers and that hair! It looked like candy floss. “You think my hair is lovely?” Oh, now she wasn’t expecting that! She should have, of course, with how pretty she was but Calliana had just met her. Still, the child beamed almost smugly and nodded. “You’ve got good eyes! I’d like to go with you…but you aren’t going to take me, are you? I’m really not supposed to go with strangers.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:31 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
Harika raised a hand to her lips, not out of shock but to hide the amused grin that brightened her features. "I see." She managed after a moment, her hand slowly lowering back to rest on a cocked hip. "Well hopefully they'll learn to give you space." Though it didn't seem like that with the way the boys had been chasing after her. Still, she was impressed if anything even if she didn't say it out loud. The girl must have landed a good punch to get the boys to react in such a way. I would have given them something like that in return at that age too. If it was more appropriate then she would have punched a few Obans as well within the city before coming to Belrea herself.
"I'm from the ocean." Harika replied with a small smile. "My great-great-great somethings apparently came from Tale and Oba before sailing away though so close enough." The hybrid nodded as the girl questioned the compliment. "It's the same shade of some of my favorite flowers, I love it." Harika couldn't help the laugh that escaped her at the wary response. "You know that's fair enough! I promise you though that I have no intentions of kidnapping a child. I don't have the time or funds to care for one when I'm just trying to figure my own life out still." It would be far too much work! Who would want to do such a thing anyway when there were plenty of orphanages and the like around if she wanted a child? Harika shook her head at the thought even though she knew that there were dangerous people in the world she would never fully understand.
"Plus you're so unique that it would be hard to hide you away in a crowd of Belreans, right? Nor could I really blend in easily if someone came after me." She winked playfully towards the girl. "But it is up to you if you're too afraid to tag along, I totally understand. We don't even know each other's names after all!"
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:32 pm
[4/10]
From the ocean…? She wasn’t colorful enough for that, not like the Kahikians she’d heard about, but maybe that’s what she was part of? Did they have pink hair? Then she mentioned Oba which just made Calliana’s nose crunch. She’d heard her fathers speak of Obans in passing and while they kept their tones light the words were never good. With the exception of her brother’s husband; Koril was good.
“Oh, so you’re broke.” Calliana nodded her head sagely. “It’s okay. Sometimes my papas don’t have enough coin to buy fancy things; it happens.” When Baba couldn’t get work or when Papa was too tired then coin could get a little tight. Especially when her older siblings came to visit; Siel most of all. He would eat all the food in the house and then have the gall to take her snacks.
“I am unique, aren’t I? Papa calls me his little sapphire.” Deciding in that moment that she very much liked this next woman, Calliana reached up to take her hand with a smile. “My name is Calliana but you can call me Calli.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:34 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
"I-I'm....you know what? Okay." Harika simply laughed at the brutal honesty of the youngling. She would like to think that she wasn't completely broke but it was true enough! She only had enough funds for a few days before she needed to start working again and even then she had to try and find a cheaper place to live by then. The nearby inn could only house her for so long before the charges started accumulating. "But yes I'm too broke to afford anyone else for long. Today can be a bit of an exception though." She smiled as the youngling took her hand.
"Calli? A lovely name! I'm Harika." She frowned for a moment thoughtfully. It wasn't as if she really had a nickname to go by - most of her childhood was full of teasing and insults more than nice companions who would make such a thing more likely to happen. Harika shook her head at the thought before holding onto Calli's hand and leading the way through the festivities. She wanted to keep some distance between where the boys had gone and where they needed to go, her steps pausing for a moment around every corner until they entered an area full of colorful stalls filled with random trinkets and other supplies that Harika could use for her craft.
"I think that lady has some ribbons and the like for hair. That little headband is cute!" She chimed as she glanced between Calli and a smaller stall off towards the side with rotating stands of jewelry and accessories. There was a black headband with blue and ivory roses sewed on the left side, the little silk petals in full bloom with pearls nestled inside.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:35 pm
[5/10]
“You can be my friend, Harika. You earned it.” Calliana gave her new friend’s hand a happy squeeze and smiled as if she’d given her a block of pure gold. They were going to have lots of fun together and she could hear all about the older woman’s life at sea. Or across the sea? In the sea? Did it really matter if she was here now? As they walked along the stalls the little one kept a curious eye on the trinkets, but still moved with an air of confidence. Her head was always up, eyes alert, and her posture never shirked.
“Which one?” For a moment she didn’t see it, but when the little one’s golden eyes caught sight of the headband her entire form lit up. “Oh! Oh! Yes, it’s beautiful.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:36 pm
[Sabra Knight via Discord]
"I'm honored." Harika beamed at the youngling, the seamstress surprisingly patient with the girl. It seemed somehow in a crowd of people she had met a kindred spirit that reminded her way too much of herself when she was a youngling. Even if it did stretch her coin a little bit Harika was happy enough to let go of the youngling's hand so that she could pick up the headband. "Good. I think it fits nicely." She smiled at Calli as she placed the headband across her purple hair, her fingers expertly tilting it to the side and tucking some stray strands away from the roses.
"Excuse me?" Harika waved over the merchant. "Do you have a mirror or something?"
"Ah, yes." The lightning seemed happy enough to hand over the mirror to the foreigners, especially once Harika gave him the coin for the youngling's new accessory. She was distracted by another pair of customers though and walked away, leaving Harika with the mirror that she held out towards Calli so that she could see her reflection. "What do you think?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:37 pm
[6/10]
A demurer child would have turned away gifts from a stranger, especially one who had previously stated having financial difficulties. Calliana was no such child, however, and didn’t even so much as ask the price of the head piece before standing as still as possible while having her curls messed with. By the end of it she was practically vibrating with energy and turned to look at herself in the hand mirror.
She turned her head this way and that in a comedically dramatic retelling of how her Papa might look at his stage makeup. “It is THE BEST ever! Thank you, Harika, thank you! I love it! Oh, but what about you? Don’t you want one?”
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:38 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
"Hmm. Are you sure you like it? I'm not certain." Teased Harika before smiling back at Calli. "I'm glad you like it." She pursed her lips thoughtfully and glanced over at the display of different things. Was there something for her? Harika's fingers reached up to twist at the ends of her long braid, the pink strand of hair standing out against her simple cream colored blouse. I haven't really treated myself to anything since arriving in Belrea... She mused before glancing back at Calli.
"Maybe?" She finally offered with a grin. "But I'm not certain what to pick. Do you see anything to match me?" It was risky trusting a youngling's judgment but it didn't hurt to let the girl pick something out this time. It was only fair after all.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:51 pm
[7/10]
"Hmm hmm." There was a lot here, but Calliana was a picky girl. "Rose gold is pretty and bronze is nice, but..." She gave Harika a sidelong look. "..it wouldn't work. It would blend." The youngling waved her hand as if to encompass all that was Harika. She was pretty, but there was so much warmth there already. Or so Papa would have said. "Gold, I think, because silver would look stupid and something with...crystals...pretty ones that can look nice in...oh! This!"
She held up lovely, delicate circlet that would be better suited for added subtle allure than anything as garish as Calliana preferred. "It's got little pieces that can dangle, but if you mix it with your braid then it'll look like you have gold in your hair and look! Little crystals that match your eyes." And true to form there were naturally formed, polished crystals in a lighter hue than Harika's eyes sitting front and center.
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 3:12 pm
[Sabra via Discord]
"It's lovely." Harika admitted quietly as Calli held up the circlet. She admired the little details and the crystals were a beautiful touch. Harika always knew that her crystals stood out from those who lived in Tale, the deep purple nothing like the pink that they were accustomed with but she loved them so much for that reason. Even her pink hair made her stand out and the girl fully embraced it in a world unlike the islands she had grown up in where it was more common with only her mixed heritage giving her any difference over the other sun tanned children running about with their dark brown hair and purple gemstones. Her mother had been the one with Oban heritage in their little family and all of that had been lost whenever her father remarried someone from Tale.
The price made her wince a little but the young woman simply squared her shoulders back. She had started this and she was going to commit to it! Expenses could be figured out later. Harika nodded before handing coins over the the merchant and plopping down on the ground in front of Calli. "Do you mind helping me with it? Then we can both be the loveliest ladies at this festival. If you're okay sharing that title of course~"
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Posted: Sun Jul 31, 2022 3:17 pm
[8/10]
Without even so much as thinking about giving Harika some of her coin, Calliana spun in a circle before looking at her reflection in the mirror again with a happy squeal. "We look like princesses! Like from a play." She'd seen enough performances in her day to know all of the local stories by heart, and sometimes when they asked her Papa to perform for them she could even read a few scripts. Well, have them read to her, but Calliana was determined to do it herself one day.
"Oh, yeah, okay." Of course she needed help with it! "Your hairs as thick as mine." She commented as she started her work. Unlike Harika's purposeful, gentle movements Calliana's fingers were a little rougher. She had experience with braids and such thanks to her family, but never with jewelry like this. It was tricky to get it just right and she may have tugged on a few strands too hard, but by the end she was pretty happy with it.
Lifting the mirror, the little youngling held it out for inspection. "How does it look?"
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