Closed How the Other Half Live

[Ayatah]

|| 50th Winter, 512 || The Memorial Library || 14th Bell ||

Ayatah had half expected that her interest in knowledge and learning would wane and die when she began studying at the university. Instead, it had flourished with the more she learnt. The course of her choice, anthropology, was perfect for her. It meant that she could feed the fascination she had for her paternal bloodline: Eypharians.

Her family in Taloba had never been able to give her the details of her father’s culture. It was not their fault; Myrians were fiercely proud of their own breed, but other cultures were generally distrusted, some even despised. Her mother never learnt anything about the man who would later become the father of her first-born; the two had simply conceived a daughter (albeit completely unplanned).

Growing up, Ayatah had had an interest in academia that was uncommon in other Myrian children. Yes, she was fascinated with weapons as much as her as peers, but she was equally fascinated with outside the Falynder Jungle, other races and the history of the other cities. She wanted to conquer them like her Goddess-Queen had done, but at the same time, she wanted to pause and ask questions.

Her mixed blood showed in another way, too. She was generally less aggressive and barbaric than other Myrians; taking a very Eypharian-like ruthlessness and cold aloofness. Of course, if provoked, she was still a Savage at heart.

It was hard to believe this, even for Ayatah herself, when she was pouring over a book as she was now. The library was one of her favourite places in the whole of Zeltiva - the knowledge that was in the place! It had made Ayatah catch her breath the first time, awed by the amount of books in the place. She was reading a book about Eypharians, and the History of their culture, whilst making notes for her to revise later. She wrote in a mixture of Common and Myri, depending on how complex the chapter she was reading.

Yes, Ayatah of he Scattered Bones was surprisingly at home in a library.

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Eleret]

Walking into the library was like taking a step into the past -- or like never having left. Eleret had spent an inordinate amount of time here during her seasons as a student; it was strange, now, to walk down the aisles and realize she wasn't one anymore. She would be again in time, no doubt, but not this season. Partly for that reason, it wasn't scholarly texts the Konti searched for in the stacks -- not history, nor anthropology, nor archaeology. No, she went to the biology section, the compendia on animals, and from there the books on specific clades. What she sought, ultimately, was a book on horses -- a student's primer on the creatures, what would be more history than practice but nonetheless useful to her. Prize tucked beneath one arm, the Konti made her way out from the depths of the stacks to the desks she remembered so well, along the rows of figures depicting patron deities. Eyris, Qalaya and Gnora, Eyris again, Laviku, Eyris... and there, next to an icon of the goddess of knowledge, the desk that she had come to think of as 'hers' after spending so much time at it during her student seasons. Except someone else was using it already. Eleret felt a pang of disappointment as she saw the dark-haired woman seated at the desk, then smiled ruefully; to be so invested in such a small and simple thing! But it served as a reminder that her return to Zeltiva wasn't like coming home, though in some respect she might have considered the city a second home. She shook her head a bit, then walked around the woman towards the next desk over, unable to restrain a curious glance towards the book she was reading. Something about Eypharians, if she'd caught the words right -- which was questionable with a brief glance, even now. Eleret shook her head slightly, then set her book on horses down at her own desk. She shrugged out of her backpack and placed it at the foot of the desk, also setting out ink and quill and a stack of loose parchment for taking notes on before sitting down. ledgerquill = 5 cm parchment, 4 sheets = 8 sm total: -8 sm, 5 cm

[Ayatah]

Ayatah heard light footsteps approaching from behind her, and she couldn’t help but turn around. Old habits and all that - she had been bought up to be fully aware of what was around her, at all time. Footsteps were a sound that aroused her inner warrior, even if it was just the inquisitive side of her.

But the person creating the footsteps was not an enemy, but simply another academic. And a dainty, doll-like one at that. Ayatah watched the other woman pass her - did she just steal a glance at Ayatah’s reading material?

How odd.

Her fellow students of the university seemed a curious lot - nosy, even. It as not uncommon for someone to approach Ayatah and ask directly what she was studying, and why. It was a little awkward, Ayatah found. She was one to appreciate the study time to herself, the way she had once spent bells praying her to Goddess-Queen at the temple in her Jungle home. She appreciated the quiet to gather her thoughts and concentrate on her prayers. Or rather, on her reading.

And reading had certainly come as a challenge in the beginning. Ayatah had spoken the Common tongue somewhat comfortably, but reading it had been more of a challenge. Reading was not a priority within the Myrians - it had been yet another way that Ayatah differed to her peers - so she had only access to a limited number of scripts at home that wee written in Common. When she arrived at the library the first time, the wonderment had soon dissolved into confusion once she actually opened a book.

Through time and a little patience (yes, Ayatah only had little patience), she had almost conquered the Common language. If there was a word she did not understand, she’d simply skip it - and hope the sentence would make sense without the word - or swallow her pride and ask for help.

Curiosity stirred the Myrian, and she glanced back over to the blonde scholar that sat nearby her. The woman was reading about horses, and Ayatah’s interests flared. Horses were uncommon throughout Taloba, due to the humidity, but Ayatah had seen them throughout the city of Zeltiva.

She was a social individual, and Ayatah could not help but ask the other woman about her reading content:

”Excuse me, but I couldn’t help noticing that your reading about Horses. Do you… happen to know quite a lot about them? I’m incredibly interested and fascinated by them.”

OocAck! Sorry, I couldn’t think of another way to get conversation going!

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Eleret]

Eleret had just started to become engrossed in the book's introduction when a voice interrupted her concentration. This, too, was familiar, although the speaker was not; she would probably have better success counting the times her study was not disrupted than those which were. The Konti smiled to herself, then lifted her head to look at the other woman, smile becoming a bit rueful. "I do not," she replied, tapping her fingers against the book's surface a couple of times. Her left hand, with the lily mark overlaying its shimmering scales. "If I did, I think I would not need the book," she continued, dry humor showing through. "I have a horse, this season. I did not before, ever. My friend, she is teaching me about the horse, but I think I need to know even more. So I come here to read." Eleret looked over to the tall woman's desk, the book she had glanced at earlier. She hadn't wanted to interrupt her studying, finding that too rude to do, but since they were already conversing... "You are a student? I studied here before." Then she smiled again, expression apologetic, and shook her head. A lot of words already spoken, and not one of them a basic introduction of herself! "But I am rude. I do not introduce myself. My name is Eleret."

[Ayatah]

The question seemed pointless as soon as it had left Ayatah’s lips, but it was the first time that the Myrian had taken role of the interrupt-er - she was usually the one other students would approach and question.

”It’s fair point,” she said, her strong Myrian accent accompanied by a small smile, ”It would be a little pointless reading on something you know all about.” She was not sure what to do after her time in Zeltiva, but one option that had been suggested to her was to travel southwest, to Cyphrus. If she were to do that, however, the likelihood was that she would have to ride a horse - and Ayatah had no experience with the hooved beings.

"You are a student? I studied here before."

She nodded to the Konti’s question, but the other woman spoke again before Ayatah could answer verbally. ”I am Ayatah of the Scattered Skulls,” She said, offering the blonde woman her hand to shake. ”and do not fear, I interrupted your quiet study. I should be the one to apologize.” So she did, before nodding back to where she had previously been sitting.

”And yes, I am a student, in Anthropology and History. How long is it since you studied here?” The question came with general interest. Ayatah enjoyed socializing with her fellow students, or alumni students, as this woman claimed to be. There was usually interesting conversations to be had, and even some study-tips to be picked up.

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Eleret]

Eleret smiled back at her fellow student, accepting the proffered handshake. "It is normal," she remarked with a wry expression as Ayatah apologized. "It is okay." Now that introductions were over, she took a moment to study the other woman a bit more closely -- tall, dark, in seeming a bit older than Eleret but experience suggested the reverse was likely true. She couldn't remember how Myrians aged -- and that name was distinctly Myrian, she recognized that much. How long had it been? Eleret had to stop and think about it, though once she recalled dates the math was straightforward enough. Had it really been six years? "I came one season in 500," she replied after a few moments, "and three in 506. It does not feel so long ago," the Konti remarked, shaking her head a bit. "I studied history also. Archaeology. A little bit of anthropology." She glanced over to the book on Ayatah's desk -- not so much looking at it as reflecting on its subject. "Not Eypharian, though. Mostly Sylira region. It is most relevant to Konti," Eleret remarked with a rueful smile. Then she gave the other student an inquiring look. "May I ask why you study Eyktol?" She nodded towards the book. "I think it is not usual for Myrian, is it?" Or university study in general, for that matter -- Eleret couldn't count how many Myrians she had met in the library before, but she was pretty confident the number was low.

[Ayatah]

The woman’s reply made Ayatah raise her eyebrows in surprise- how could someone so young have been educated so long ago? But she remembered that the Konti race aged slower than her own people, and lived over twice as long.

"May I ask why you study Eyktol? I think it is not usual for Myrian, is it?"

Ayatah gave a small, rueful smile at the question. She had been confused as a pureblooded Myrian ever since she had arrived at the city. It was a strange sensation, after being known as anything but pureblooded back at her home.

”I imagine not many of my comrades would even know how to read,” she said - although the comment was not the truth, merely a common belief. In being perceived as nothing but a Myrian by Zeltivans, Ayatah had witnessed the generally negative view of them that the city people. Apparently, they were a savage, uneducated people. It may be true, but the people of Zeltiva never seemed to question what their mothers had told them. Narrow minds create narrow perceptions

”But I am not a fullblooded Myrian,” she continued, ”I am half Eypharian, though have lived with my Myrian family my entire life.” But she wanted to learn about her father’s people. Whether or not she would act on this knowledge and seek him out was a completely other issue.

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Eleret]

OOCSo sorry for the delay! Eleret's smile quirked wryly as surprise reshaped Ayatah's expression -- she could guess that the woman had believed her younger. Most who weren't themselves Konti presumed so. As Ayatah continued, the Konti had her own moment of surprise in turn -- she hadn't thought enough about Myrians, herself, to consider that an entire race might not read. "Ah." What did one raised in a scholarly household say to that? Without being downright rude? Maybe she would just say nothing more at all on that subject. "So you study Eyktol for your father," Eleret reiterated with a nod. "And for yourself through him. Those are good reasons." A quick grin flashed across her features. "Though I admit I cannot think of much bad reasons for study," she quipped. And speaking of study, of widening the horizons of one's knowledge... she had before her a person from the far end of the world, self-professed to have lived there her entire life. Not an opportunity which came along every day. "I have lived in Mura, and in Zeltiva," Eleret remarked. "I do not know much of many other places yet. Taloba is the Myrian city, yes? Maybe you will tell me of it?" she prompted, leaning foward a bit in her hopeful interest.

[Ayatah]

oocNot to worry, we all get behind at some point

"So you study Eyktol for your father,"

There was a small part of Ayatah that wanted to argue against that point, but a slightly more reasonable voice in her mind put her off the idea.

Yes, I guess I do study for him… She considered - with difficulty. When she had left her jungle home, Ayatah had rationalised her leaving by stating that whatever she learnt she would use to serve Myri. But since arriving in Zeltiva, she had done nothing but learn about her father’s race, and get used to life outside the jungle. It almost panicked her that she had done nothing to pay homage to her Goddess-Queen, save for praying. But what could she do? Zeltiva was by no means Taloba; murder (as it was called here, though Ayatah preferred ‘man-hunting’) was a punishable crime, and she was yet to come across an individual that she believed Myri would want her to kill. It is different here. There are no enemies of my people, but no friends either.

"I do not know much of many other places yet. Taloba is the Myrian city, yes? Maybe you will tell me of it?"

Why had Ayatah not paid much attention when she was taught the places of outsiders? Mura… Where the shyke is that?

But the request to describe her jungle home made Ayatah smile, and pushed the concern over her lack of geography out of her mind. ”Taloba is… very different to Zeltiva.” she said slowly, pedantically. ”whereas here there is wind and open space and sky; in Taloba, we have humidity and trees and… not much sky.” She chuckled lightly, at the memory of her home and her family.

”But what about where you live -- Mura. I’m afraid I have not a clue where that is,” she shrugged her shoulders, looking almost embarrassed at her stereotypically-Myrian lack of knowledge about the land outside her home, ”what is that like?”

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Eleret]

The Myrian woman seemed to become introspective after Eleret's remarks; the Konti waited patiently, letting her think through whatever was going through her mind. She smiled as Ayatah's attention returned to her, and the woman seemed to perk up -- perhaps at the thought of home. "Mura is the city on the White Isle," Eleret supplied. "It is a place with wind and trees and sea and sky -- but maybe more like Zeltiva than Taloba." At a guess, going by the other's comments so far. "There is also much water," she continued, which may have been implicit in island but Eleret deemed worthy of emphasis regardless. A slight wave of one webbed hand came with the statement; island didn't by itself describe how the Konti lived in and with water. "The city is on the shore of a lake. More; half is in the water." She smiled ruefully at Ayatah. "That way, it is not like Zeltiva." Which, despite the ships, was entirely dry so far as she knew. Eleret went on to consider relative geography for a moment. "The Isle is... east of Sylira, and north. Almost the opposite of Taloba, I think."