14th of Spring, 513 AV Unity Circle Ki'toka had the basic outline down for Laviku and Syia and was starting on the outline for Osha when she looked up. It was quiet on the dock, it having been a few chimes now since she'd started the picture. Syia was busy playing with Osha, both feet now in the water splashing away with the porpoise. The two seemed really close and it put a smile on Ki'toka's face. "So..." She started, her eyes going back down to her drawing book. "Is Fratava hard to learn?"
Syia gave Osha one more splash before she looked over to the young Konti. "To some it is, others pick it up like it they were born listening to it." Patting her foot against Osha's head one last time, she pulled her feet up out of the water and saw with her legs crossed looking at Ki'toka. "Would you like to learn some. Uh... Lets see, Ki'toka... Would sound like... Ki'toka..." She said, saying the last bit in her native tongue. It sounded somewhat similar, but not at all the same. Ki'toka paused in her drawing again and considered the different sounds. "Ki'toka..." She repeated, though it was rough and didn't flow as smoothly off her lips as it had for Syia.
The Svefra woman laughed and slapped her thigh. "Almost, you can hear the uncertainty in your voice. Try again. Ki'tooooka." She said, sounding out part of the name that Ki'toka had butchered the first time. The Konti pursed her lips a little, she'd thought she'd done pretty good for a first try, but she obliged the woman and tried again. "Ki'tooooka...?" Syia hmmed and hawed a little at it. "Better than the first time. Now, you keep drawing and I'll teach you some Fratava." Ki'toka laughed and nodded her head, returning to her work.
This continued on for nearly two bells, Syia teaching the Konti Fratava words for things that were around them. Scarf, Jewelry, Porpoise, Water, Dock, Book, Sky, Sun, Clouds, Rain... Ki'toka repeated a few of them though she didn't copy the hand gestures that Syia used to accompany most of them. No, her hands were busy with her drawing.
Having finished the drawing, Ki'toka held the book up for Syia to look. "There, what do you think, does it need anything else?" The Svefra woman scooted closer, nose close to the book again as she looked at it. "Oh, the expression on his face is wonderful, you captured just what I wanted... Oh, and Osha, look there you are!" She called out happly as the porpoise tittered from the water. "I like how you put us half way under water... I look sexy while wet." She said, giving the Konti a wink. "Very good, I like it a lot." Ki'toka nodded her head and pulled the book back. "Just a little more then and it will be finished." At the bottom of the page, she'd left an empty space and there she drew in elegantly shaped letters, "I am yours... Always." Then below that in smaller less fancy letters, she signed her name.
After having blown on the ink to dry it, she carefully ripped the page from her book and handed it to Syia. She examined the picture and beamed at the words at the bottom. "Lovely..." She whispered in Fratava.
Hearing some voices getting closer, Ki'toka looked up to see two Svefra women coming back from the Unity Circle, full of laughter as they talked. Spotting Syia, one of them lifted her hands to her mouth and called out. "Hey Syia! Thought you learned not to leave Salt at your booth!" The two started laughing again as Syia looked up, brows scrunched together. "Ah, stormy seas... What has that boy done now?" Picking up the bundled up goods that Ki'toka wanted to purchase, she handed them over to the Konti while Ki'toka handed her the agreed upon miza. "Thanks... Uh, if you know anyone else that wants a picture, send them to me, if ya want." She said, voice still hesatant as she was unsure of her work. Syia counted out the miza and handed 5 of the silver back. "Oh, I'm sure others will see it and you will become a well sought out artist." Giving the Konti a wink, she ran back toward the Unity Circle with her drawing and 10 silver she'd gotten from the Konti.
Ki'toka was left sitting there, drawing book still open in her lap, the scarves and jewelry resting atop that, the five miza the Svefra had given her back and of course, Osha was still tittering at the edge of the dock. Putting her stuff away in her bag, she scooted closer to the edge and reached down and scratched her fingers gently under the porpoise's chin. "She seems like a nice person, and you, you are also very nice. Was a pleasure meeting you Osha." Giving the porpoise a wink, Ki'toka stood, gathered up her things and started back toward Nel'fi's house.
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