Welcome to Gaia! ::

Noelani was excited to experience yet another village in Kahi. The hybrid had ventured off on her own for a minute, her curiosity taking her from the ship that she was traveling in with Theriar as he took care of some other matters. What she had not been expecting was a whole festival. Noelani’s gaze gleamed with excitement as she caught sight of the crowd, the music already making her blood thrum in her veins as her steps picked up a bounce to match the catchy beat of the drums. Her father always teased her mother that she carried a gene for dancing since even Noelani couldn’t help but to sway to any beat that she enjoyed.

“I guess staying around for a bit longer won’t hurt.” She mused with a smile as she started forward through the crowd of colorful Hapunas and other Kahi.

[Noelani 1]

Noelani laughed as a pair of the Kahi danced around her. It was really fun to get caught up in the excitement and the girl had to admit that it was refreshing to be around a group that wasn’t skittish because of her foreign appearance. There were some questions, of course, but mostly they were just pleasant inquiries with others complementing various things about her appearance. She had thought they would be more startled by her antenna and such but honestly they seemed accustomed to it for some reason. Noelani could only blink in surprise as someone bumped into her and apologized. “Sorry miss! Your companion is over there!” They teased lightly before gesturing towards the edge of the festivities where market stalls were set up away from the bustling area of dancers.

Her companion? Noelani could only blink in confusion before shaking her head. Had they mistaken her for someone else? Was there even another foreigner here? Unless Theriar….no way he was here! It wouldn’t surprise her if he was off daydreaming or fishing or something while she had decided to venture out this way. Still, the soft protest of her stomach made her think that maybe going towards the stalls wouldn’t be a horrible idea. Not only could she try to figure out the strange comment from the Kahi but she could also grab a bite to eat.

The appeal of a steamed bun had captured her attention and Noelani found herself reaching over, her fingers brushing against a stranger and surprise made her hand stop on top of the bun. An Elaria?! No…something else? She had never seen the Elidae before nor really heard about them so she was completely at a loss why someone would be here in Kahi with markings, bright green eyes like her mother and curly antenna like her own.

[Noelani 2]

Questions. The stranger was asking her a question! Noelani’s bright green gaze snapped to attention as she slowly shook her head. “N-not really.” She managed quietly as she took the offering from the stranger though she simply held the bun awkwardly in her hands. Was this the companion the Kahi thought she had? Because they were both Aishan in a village of foreigners? Or rather they were the foreigners, weren’t they? “So Elidae….live in this area?” She found herself asking with a slight frown. She had heard about other Aishan settlements, but never realized how different they could all look! Though the more she studied the stranger the more she could see pieces of her mother’s traits, the antenna and the eyes especially. Then….there was something strangely familiar about the markings but Noelani wondered if that was just something most Elaria and Elidae shared. It wasn’t as if she had seen anyone other than her mother since they had never gone to Yael! So how was she to know if the markings should be more diverse? Subconsciously she found herself reaching her free hand up to rub at the hollow of her throat, marking the very similar markings there, before finally holding the bun back up. “Are…are you sure it’s okay for me to take this?”

[Noelani 3]

Noelani pursed her lips thoughtfully. So the Elidae as the stranger introduced herself were nearby? There truly was a lot about this world that she still had to learn. Noelani took a bite of the bun as the stranger gestured for her to go ahead. She definitely wasn’t one to push a matter and she was already hungry so why not? After taking a bite and swallowing the hybrid finally responded to the commentary about her appearance. “I’m not quite a pure blood.” She admitted softly. “My mother was an Elaria but my father is a Matori.”

[Noelani 4]

A light flush decorated Noelani’s cheeks at the observation. “That’s…true.” She admitted with a small sheepish smile. “My mother had certain issues when she came to Matori and other than going to ask for my bloom she does not interact with other Aishans. Mostly she adventures with my father…which is why I’m here. I’m trying to become an adventurer of sorts as well.” Strangely enough she felt like she should give some sort of explanation to the Elidae. It was very unusual for a Sister to break away from her home and the others, right? Their community seemed to be very close, especially the Elarian ones since the Extremists had raised their children to be very closed off from the rest of the world until the Aishan treaty occurred. “My mother told me some stories, but other than that I’ve been raised with more…earthling influence.” It also didn’t help that her mother had big gaps in her memories and hadn’t been able to figure out exactly where she came from even when they went to Yael. Apparently a group of Elaria had left years ago with a seed….the thought started to put pieces of the puzzle together and Noelani found herself studying the stranger even more closely. So the Elidae came from that break away perhaps? The other woman seemed to be around her age, maybe a few years older at the most, so Noelani doubted she would know anything about her mother. She didn’t honestly even know if she wanted to ask for fear that maybe something…or someone could be here that would pull her mother back away from Matori. Was that even possible? Her expression shifted thoughtfully before she took another bite of the bun, chewing away her worries while she tried to push such thoughts to the side.

[Noelani 5]

“A matter of perspective?” Noelani repeated before slowly nodding, amusement crossing her features as she watched the Elidae go after the fresh buns. She waited a moment herself so that she could finish off the current one before reaching for another, the steam warming her hands. “I guess that’s true.” Honestly so far this encounter was not nearly as scary as she had thought it could be. Growing up her family had been so protective and she always heard stories about how the Extremists were brutal…maybe the Elidae and those living in this area were a lot more relaxed than she had expected. “Is it so different? Though I suppose my life was a bit different since my family was more secluded. My parents went on adventures while my grandparents fished and practiced deep diving for pearls.”

[Nolenai 6]

Noelani nodded, a shy smile crossing her lips at the joke. “It is a bit far.” She agreed as she peeked up towards the Elidae, “But I’m just exploring with a friend and learning more about treasure hunting. I collect more than pearls and hope to find something amazing to bring back home.” She could find rare artifacts for history or just some rare gemstones to take back to a trader on the mainland. Noelani would love to be able to afford enough supplies to keep her family content for the year. “We’re still exploring these lands but eventually I’ll be sailing back towards Matori.” Not that she was in a hurry to return home. This whole adventure despite its ups and downs had been exciting and Noelani adored every moment of it.

[Noelani 7]