Closed For Medical Purposes [Malla]

[Uleru]

Introductions done, the moulding seems perfectly content to sit and stare at the Konti. Her colour has mostly drained away, except for small spasms of colour when she get another rolling jolt of pain. But she is still without so much as an identifying feature. Which must make the staring a bit unnerving, not that Uleru has the humanoid social capacity to understand that she is making her uncomfortable. To her she is just trying to understand this new individual through observation, nothing more.

And in her unique way of understanding, she slowly tries to emulate the woman she is sitting with. First by chewing her bottom lip, as this tick is quickly becoming a habit she is associating with the Konti woman. She doesn't have the distinguishing facial features at the moment to try and copy her facial expression, but a brave attempt to imitate her unique concerned expression is tried. She tries sitting with her back a bit straighter, and crosses her legs beneath her. She even starts fidgeting her hands shyly in Malla's strange way.

And in trying to copy and understand, she gets a growing feeling that something is off about her new companion. Not that she can quite pinpoint what. But her memory is strong and she runs through the first few minutes when she met her. Well, she was wearing a lot of clothing for such a warm night, and for being a Konti on the beach. But that just could be that she is self-concious about showing skin, even though there are no Akalak around. But then, oddly, she got the impression that although the woman had rushed to help her when she dragged herself ashore, she really had no idea what she was... Their brief conversation comes to mind, when she tried to suggest the monster should go to the infirmary: "Not in anything...just walk or..be carried?" And when she was unsure about her composition: Ah, but water usually does...though you look made of the stuff, so that might be pointless.."

Everyone who has ever worked on the sea, or the races that live with the sea (like Charoda, Sevfra and Konti) know what she is. The Otani are the most common monsters and have found a way to be known by (and annoy, kill, and demand sacrifice from) every race in the ocean.

So, is that it? Is thats whats off? This Konti probably isn't waterborne at all. She must live inland where the forest is their sea and the humans have dirt-colored eyes. Not that it matters all that much to the Otani where the Konti lives, though it is very strange. But she is very impressed that she could have figured out this theory.

But after a while, the Otani looks to the woman's lap again to adjust her own hand movements when she realizes that the Konti's pale fingers are still smeared with black powder. And, in her own way, Uleru wants to help.

She brings her own hands together and pulls res from her body to her cupped hands, where it congregates in an white, opalescent pool. Just as it starts to overflow she transmutes the Res into clear, fresh water. But she keeps feeding the pool a steady trickle of res that she transmutes as soon as its in her hands, so her hand continues to overflow and a clear veil of water falls from her hands.

"I know that the land-dwellers don't like to wash in salt water," she smiles, offering her cupped hands to wash with. It's a test of sorts. If they woman washes with the fresh water bowl she is offered than Uleru is right, the Konti is a land-dweller. If she refuses and washes in the surf, than maybe she was wrong.

[Malla]

Malla tilts her head as the Otani seemed to watch her. She wasn't being made uncomfortable exactly, though it was a bit strange to feel watched from someone who didn't have much of a face. She could understand curiosity, so that was probably all Uleru was...at least she didn't seem to plan to try and attack her in any way. With that in mind, the Konti would look the woman over, curious herself as to this creature she knew so very little of. Her mother had only glanced over the topic of Otani's when she told her daughter about Konti, so she only knew they existed somewhere. She trades chewing her lip for simply biting it to keep herself from trying to poke the water-body and see if it was possible for something to go through her. Malla herself was a rather curious person, when she was allowed to be at least, and that simply let her watch the Otani as she seemed to try and copy her. "You don't see many people from land, do you?," she asks, already guessing Uleru didn't stray too far from the water. She watches as the woman cups her hand then as water fills them. Malla couldn't quite be sure why she was doing what she was. She watches the water as it overflows, her head tilting so it rests on her own shoulder, though she looks to the Otani's face, if it could be called that, at the offer. The Konti looks to her hands, having partially forgotten about the black smudges, then back to the woman. "Are you sure? I could just wash them in the ocean...don't want to..somehow hurt you..." She frowns a bit, looking to the water in Uleru's hands, trying to decide if that was magic-made water or somehow was a physical part of the creature's body, like a leg or arm. If the later was the case, she would happily go wash her hands in the water near the shore as she wasn't at all worried about the water being fresh or salty.

[Uleru]

The Otani laughs and the disturbed water in her hands sparks like fire as it catches the light of the quickly fading sun.

"Of course I see people from the land! I see them all the time. And all types. I speak common well enough, don't I?", she winks playfully. "Actually, I'm sure every person that has ever lived on the land will one day see the sea. Its inevitable. Thats how I meet the land-dwellers. I cant leave the water, true, but I don't need to. They eventually come to me.", the moulding shrugs. "But I have a theory about that, would you like to hear it?"

The Otani shifts her position so that she is facing the Konti instead out out to sea. Her hands are still cupped with water, but she leans forward as if she is divulging a great secret, or teaching an important lesson. She looks positively excited to share this small piece of her mind.

"They all have a sea inside themselves, the land-dwellers. A different kind of sea, mind. But thats why their eyes leak saltwater and their blood tastes of minerals. I bet when they see the real sea, His sea, something inside them clicks. They will eventually go back to crawling across Semele's back like flies, of course, but maybe something about the sea stays with them."

This theory of hers actually came to her in a dream not too long ago. A strange dream. There was a pretty woman with acting makeup on her face and rivers in her eyes, that malicious black water, and a necklace made of stars and the heart of a monster. Yes, a very strange dream. Uleru wisely decides not to tell Malla about it, figuring she's not really to handle that unique type of crazy.

"Oh, and the water? Its just reimancy. It was my res, my energy, yes. But Its water now. Here", tired of waiting for the Konti to wash her own hands, the moulding does it for her. She splashes the water across the woman's palms and gently wipes away the rest with her own hands, starting at the end of one finger and moving to the centre with the utmost care. She still assumes that the Konti is a land-dweller, like a human, but she'll have to find some other way to prove it.

Once her hands are clean she brushes her own across her thighs to get rid of the black charcoal before suddenly taking Malla's hands and putting them over her ears. She closes her eyes and there is silence for a chime as she listens to something the Konti obviously can't hear. But after a moment she lifts them off herself and places them on the Konti's own ears instead.

"Hear that?", she smiles, whispering as if she's unwilling to disturb the sound Malla is hearing, but still a fraction louder so she can understand her. "You know what that is, obviously. Its the sound of the blood in your fingers and the bones moving in your wrist. But really listen, doesn't it sound like the sea? Don't you think that maybe I'm right? That maybe all of the people separated from this sea by their flesh and their bone might have a sea inside that they take with them?"

[Malla]

Malla blinks but nods slowly in agreement, "You do speak it well, yes, but...I wasn't sure that you saw that many because of how..interested in movements you seem," she smiles apologetically before tilting her head in curiosity when the Otani mentioned she had a theory. A small smile comes to her lips at the look on the woman's face, listening carefully to her words on her theory as well as explaining the water. "Oh, well, your theory does sound-," she cuts off as Uleru starts to clean her hands for her. The Konti blinks a few times, watching her with a rather surprised look. This was unexpected to say the least. But, in a way, she was starting to think that Uleru tended to do the unexpected; and that only made her all the more curious and intrigued. Adding to her surprise was the sudden taking of her hands and pulling them to the Otani's ears. Malla looks around confusedly, trying to figure out if this was normal behavior. Somehow she doubted it was normal for most people...but perhaps this woman's race was an exception? Or she was crazy. She couldn't much judge that since half the time her own sanity could be put into question, but she figured that questioning was normal. Though that did make Uleru's actions normal with that standard... She frowns, starting to confuse herself, but her thoughts stop when she feels her hands placed over her own ears. When asked if she heard something, the Konti closes her eyes, carefully listening to the rumbling of her blood. She opens an eye to look to the woman's face after a moment, smiling and dropping her hands to her lap. "You do really seem to have a good point. Blood does sound like water, so the ones who live and breathe may have their own personal sea inside of them. I'd never thought of it that way..I've only seen blood as what helps keep people alive." She chews her lip, studying the Otani for a moment, seeming to have quite a few questions she wanted to ask, but she only starts with one. "Is this a theory you...have had since you were younger or is it a new one you came up with rather than were told?

[Uleru]

Despite her rather embarrassing situation, Uleru's androgynous chest swells with pride at being told she had "a good point". The suggestion that she might have made an impression or made the Konti see things a tad differently makes her feel validated, if nothing else.

"Oh, the theory? It came to me in a very strange dream a while ago. Very strange. A young human woman made me think that maybe they are not all as... Ah, two-dimensional as they seemed", she sheepishly smiles. Why yes, she can be a little speciesist when it comes down to it. And three hundred years of living on the edge of humanoid settlements has done nothing to sway her opinion. But despite all that, why is she so fascinated by them?

This dangerous train of thought is shut down, and she is suddenly engrossed in the black smudges on her legs.

"I mean, in the dream, she had the option to take my life to help herself but she refused. You don't see that kind of charity for monsters, do you? Except you, of course. You're an exception." she amends, thinking of how she came to aid a thing she found on the beach. Not typical behaviour, even for a gentle-hearted Konti. "I think you all learned mercy and heart and, well, how to be human, from the ocean. Thats all I'm saying."

Uleru picks at the sand for a moment, placing pebbles on her fingertips and flicking them away towards the sea. Her other hand explores her abdomen, pressing here and there, and is surprised to find herself feeling (if not quite up to standard) much better than only a few chimes ago. Either the hack medicine worked, which is doubtful, or her body has truly purged itself of turtles and seawater, which is more likely.

She has more questions for the Konti: is she truly from inland? Is Mura still as it was all that time ago? What does she dream about? Or any number of subjects that her companion seems very tight-lipped and mysterious about. But as her mind cycles through these options it gets snagged, as is wont to happen, on a spontaneous train of thought that is speeding in the opposite direction.

"We also danced. In the dream, I mean. Do you dance, Malla? Why don't you dance with me? I feel much better. Dance with me!"

She rolls to her feet, legs shaky but otherwise alright, and holds out her hand to the Konti. Her smile speaks pure, unadulterated fun as she hums a wordless tune.

[Malla]

Malla tilts her head as she listens to Uleru explain her dream. "Well...dreams sometimes show the truth of matters more than our thoughts do. At least that's what I've noticed. So nothing too strange about learning from a dream." She smiles encouragingly to the Otani, guessing that her sheepishness might come form admitting to having learned something from a dream, not from thinking that humans were two-dimensional. When the woman continues to speak of her dream, the Konti simply sits and listens, observing the creature as she spoke. She still foudn it strange she was speaking to someone who was rather featureless, but rather featureless than grotesque. She blinks at being mentioned as an exception. "You didn't look like a monster and yous till don't...besides, you have a human-like shape. So there is some bit of humanity in you at least..and from taking with you, at least your curiosity seems not 'monster-like'," she explains, really doubting she could be counted as any 'exception' As far as she was concerned, she's like everyone else in the basics. Malla's eyes widen the slightest bit as Uleru's thoughts seem to suddenly change and she asks her to dance. "I..um..don't..well..I do, but..um..." After a moment she sighs, giving up then smiles to the woman and takes her offered hand as she stands. "Might as well get some practice, if nothing else."

[Uleru]

Uleru's shoulders shake with suppressed, mirthful laughter. She doesn't look like a monster, eh? She's never heard that before, even while wearing a proper face. But when the Konti compares her to a human her laughter abruptly stops. She's never aspired to be human, not really, she just admires them. They can be good people and pious believers, and they can be a lot of fun. But having her say she has a bit of human in her makes her feel good. Its a compliment. A very good compliment. And she is confused and a little ashamed that she feels that way.

Her comment about her curiosity not being "monster-like" either comes across as well meaning, if a tiny bit naive. And the Otani gets a horrible pang of feeling imagining how she would ever find that out.

"I pray to Laviku you never meet a Journeyman, Malla" she says sincerely.

The Konti gives her her hand after stumbling through an awkward (but strangely endearing) almost-excuse. Only to let the Otani's face fall into a lopsided smile when she she says she might as well get some "practice. If nothing else."

"No! Don't practice", the Otani berates, taking her hand and helping her to her feet. "Its not about perfecting, its not about doing well. You don't need a reason, just dance with me because I asked you to."

So with a loud, musical laugh, Uleru sweeps her in a circle by the hand and starts to dance.

[Malla]

Malla furrows her brows slightly as she sees the Otani's shoulders shake, seeming as if laughing. She just couldn't quite figure out what it was she said to cause such a reaction, though, when Uleru suddenly stops laughing that has her just as confused. She frowns, trying to see if she could gain any insight from the featureless face, but that ends just as she thought it would; a practice in futility. The Konti opens her mouth to ask, but promptly closes it at Uleru's words. "I pray to Laviku you never meet a Journeyman, Malla." To that, Malla only smiles and says, "One can always hope." Her smile is soon replaced with an expression of uncertainty and, strangely, a slight bit of panic when the woman tells her to not practice. She only half-hears Uleru continue to speak as she works on pushing down her panicked feeling, since this was dancing, nothing like what she hadn't really been able to practice. Even with the thought this would be nothing like being made to fight without practice, she takes a quick look around just to be certain of that. Uleru's words get to her belatedly, but she does take a bit of comfort in them, relaxing a bit more. And, she had to admit, the Otani's voice was comforting in and of itself, which she attributed to its similarity to water. As Uleru starts with them dancing, Malla mostly looks to her feet to keep from stepping on the Otani's somehow. She wasn't much of a dancer with people, mostly on her own and even that could be questionable at times.

[Uleru]

In the water, Uleru is a creature of fluid and ethereal grace. Capable of beautiful transformations and a vibrancy unmatched by any other creature. But on land it is clear she is out of her element when, though fluid in movement, her actions can be seen as clumsy or strangely heavy. But when you have her on land, frolicking with such a very complicated human ritual as dance, and still shaky and weak from a previous ailment, she becomes a barley functioning marionette held together with spit.

But every time she stumbles -nearly pulling the Konti down with her- she laughs unabashedly. And every time one or the other steps on their feet she giggles like a child. It quickly becomes a very absorbing bit of play with her new friend.

There is no music other than their laughs and the surf breaking on the shore. And honestly it looks rather ridiculous yet charming to have two grown woman swinging each other around in the dark without either skill or music.

Uleru begins steering the pair towards the surf, trying to match Malla's more skilled movements even as the waves wash up to their knees. And then, with the kind of skill of someone who has done this many times, strikes in and steals a playful kiss from the Konti. Because asking for one stirs up all kinds of trouble, she finds.

The Otani laughs and winks cheekily, letting go of her hands, and spins off into deeper water before throwing herself under with a wash of spray. As the water closes in over top of her there is an internal whoop of glee when she realizes that she can now keep a coherent shape. So with a backwards glance at Malla, she swims off into the deep.

This evening wasn't all bad, she concludes. She got food poisoning, yes, but she survived! Whats more, she's sure she got a friend out of the experience.

[Malla]

Malla still wasn't entirely sure why she was doing this. The only good thing was that she wasn't necessarily shy, otherwise the awkward dancing would have been worse for her. She was somewhat surprised to find that Uleru didn't seem all too coordinated, but after some thought she figured it was because someone made of water probably didn't make a habit of dancing on land. It didn't take long for the Otani's laughter to become somewhat contagious. The Konti could only imagine what people were seeing if they looked their way. She only barely manages to keep from being dragged tot he ground as Uleru nearly falls over a few times, and, while she herself might not be causing any possible falls, she was still stumbling a bit. Dancing with others defiantly wasn't her thing, but she could admit this was rather fun in a way. She only half-notices when Uleru moves them to the surf, since she had looked up form their feet since a while. When she feels a playful kiss come from the woman, her eyes widen briefly and she blinks a few times. She waves a bit to Uleru as she laughs, winks, and splashes into the water. Malla had absolutely no idea what had just happened other than she possibly made a friend of sorts. Whatever the case, this was something entirely different than she had been expecting for today. She turns, starting to head back to the main portion of Riverfall deciding she would like to meet the Otani again as she seemed interesting to say the least.