Closed Familiar Faces [Ball]

[Nira'lia]

5th Fall 513 AV Syliras had a good amount of people, but despite that, Nira’lia was lonely. These people that surrounded her were nothing more than strangers to her. Lately, her days consisted mostly of getting up and learning what a ‘squire’ should… and to reward herself, she helped out at the Soothing Waters, because that was what she truly enjoyed doing. She had met a few people and had learned names. Nira’lia was starting to gradually learn the streets of Syliras well, and she could find her way around. She liked the waters and some of the sailors had faces familiar to her now. That was a start. Still, she missed her sisters and her mother. She missed her friends back in Alvadas. The sun was starting to set and all around her people were going about their business. Sighing, she kicked a stray stone, and absently watched it bounce across the street. And that’s when she saw it… the familiar dog that often accompanied a person she had come to regard as a ‘friend’. It was Ball’s mount! At least, she thought it was. But where was Ball…? Blinking, she started to look around, searching for the Pycon.

[Ball]

Ball had been busy this past Summer and into the beginning of Fall. He had chased a sly rat shaped pycon through the Bazaar, commissioned a live steel blade, and reshaped himself into a more humanoid shape. Normally on a day like today Ball would’ve found himself training, but after the last season Ball felt he needed a small rest from the tedious repetition. Not that he didn’t need it, just felt it could wait.

Currently though he had found himself searching for his trusty, if not lazy, mount of a dog he had named Imass. The blasted dog decided it would be worth wild to run off while Ball had hopped down to stretch his legs and give the mount’s back a break. Sadly though the dog ran off with all of Ball’s belongings: sword, Thorn, and Liege Lord’s banner. Coming out of a nearby alleyway that is when he first saw Nira’lia and then saw his dog. Running as fast as his stubby little legs could take him Ball stopped right next to her, panting softly before regaining enough oxygen and his breathe to speak normally.

Standing beside her he wasn’t entirely surprised she didn’t seem him, but saw Imass the furry mount that was currently bounding his way in a flurry of matted fur and slobbering tongue lolling to the side. “Yu. Mih.Ta.Wah.Na.Moo.Va.” [‘You might wanna move.’] The burbling mouthful came from just beside her left foot. “He. Ha.Pee.Tu.C.Yu.” [‘He happy to see you’] The grin on his ‘face’ was enough to show he was happy to see her as well. Ball hadn’t seen Pretty Lady Pycon in almost a year, a surprise to see her walking the streets of the Rock-Beast.

Created goes to Euthisa

[Nira'lia]

“Ball…!” squealed Nira’lia. He had a different form from when she last saw him, but of course, she still knew it was him. The Konti was so happy to see him that she couldn’t completely decipher the string of syllables he had put together, though she did understand that his dog was happy to see her. And she was happy too, which was apparent from the bright smile on her face. Nira’lia leaned down and looked at the pycon and then to his dog, and then to Ball again. Was it even still appropriate to call him Ball…? “I was so worried about you, Ball… all you left was a note. I can’t believe you did that,” she said. The Konti could still remember the confusion and panic she felt when she saw the short and messy he had left for her. And after a few weeks back in Syliras, while she had still not spotted him, she had known he was here—which was a relief. She had known from the talk of a pycon squire who travelled with a dog as a mount, and she had immediately known who that was. “How are you? Are you doing well…?” Nira’lia had so many questions to ask. Particularly, she wanted to know if the pycon knew where Imass was. She just wasn’t sure how to ask. So she didn’t. Instead, she held her hand out and awkwardly reached out to Ball’s mount, as if to pet its head. Nira’lia didn’t have much experience with animals… was this okay to do? “Have you named him?” she asked her small friend.

[Ball]

Ball smiled brightly as the dog took and licked her hand with a thumping tail. “I. Gu.Da. I. Biz.Ee.” [‘I good. I busy.’] A nodded accompanied his words. When she asked him if he named his mount Ball nodded again, “Eye.Mas.” [‘Imass.’] Sadly, Ball didn’t seem to understand the name’s originality, to him his first Patron Knight was Blue Pycon or Liege Lord.

“I. Sah.Wee. I. Nee.Da.Id. Tu. Caw.Ma.Ho.Ma.” [‘I sorry I needed to come home.’] Syliras was his home, and Ball still shudders in remembrance of the ship ride from Mura to Nyka and then the crazy time in the city of monks and lastly his insanely crazy trip to home.

“Wut. Yu.Bin.Dew.In?”[‘What you been doing?’]

OOCMeh, epically short post

Created goes to Euthisa

[Nira'lia]

“Imass…” she repeated in a whisper as she looked down at the dog. Nira’lia scratched it behind its ears, enjoying the attention that it was giving her. Ball had named his mount after Imass, the same man that had triggered the chain of events that changed so much of her life. There was a time when she was angry at that man, but now she was just worried. “I’ve been doing okay. I’m here because… well, you know why,” she gave a chuckle. “Were you heading somewhere? I can accompany you. Staying in the middle of the road like this probably isn’t very productive.” She assumed that he had something to do, as he had just said that he was busy these days. The Konti stood up straight and gestured towards the street, asking Ball to lead the way. And once they were walking, Nira’lia finally found the courage to ask. “Where is Imass?” she asked, as nonchalantly as she could. Nira’lia had no idea that Ball didn’t know where the name he gave his dog came from. “Have you heard from your liege lord, Ball?”

[Ball]

Ball shrugged when Nira asked him where he was heading to, “I. Wa. Za. Ter.An.Ing.” [‘I was training.’] It was a simple answer as was most of Ball’s answers anymore, there wasn’t much he could say that would make things more complicated, it already took people long enough to understand him. The next question the konti threw at him was baffling to the three inch squire, “Eye.Mass. Dere.” [‘Imass there.’] he pointed at the dog.

When he realized though that she was talking about Liege Lord he shook his head no. A frown ripple across his face and Ball sighed softly. “No.” Climbing onto his mount he followed after Nira, “Wut. Yu.Bin.Dew.Ing?” [‘What you been doing?’] A simple question in most cases, but Ball hadn’t seen many people he saw in Mura or on the boat to Sahova.

How are the others faring I wonder?

Created goes to Euthisa

[Nira'lia]

Where? Where was Imass?

Nira’lia was surprised as she looked down at his mount. Her lips were a flat line, and she stayed quiet for a while, not really knowing what else to say. When the pycon finally realized who she really was asking about, he only had a simple answer for her—no. No, he didn’t know where the Akalak knight was.

A bit of annoyance welled up in her. He had been the cause for her whole life turning around, yet he was nowhere to be found.

“Not much,” she muttered under her breath as she eyed the pycon. “I am here because of what happened… as you know. I am just trying to get used to things and all. Sometimes I volunteer at the Soothing Waters.”

‘And I’m lonely,’ is what she wanted to add, but she bit it back, unable to tell Ball that.

“Do you… do you want to train some time? Or perhaps do something together?” she asked. They continued to walk. People passed by them, going about their own business. There were so many unfamiliar faces. “Or I don’t know. What do you do for fun, Ball?”

[Ball]

Ball nodded, he knew all to well why she was here... The banner that was strapped to his mount’s rump was a firm reminder of the path she was forced upon. When she spoke of the Soothing Waters Ball only nodded, he had heard of the place but nothing more. He can’t recall if he ever been there or not frankly.

Ball shrugged, he recalled the last time they trained, it ended in a muddy mess for them both. Mura wasn’t exactly a memorable frame in his currently short lifespan, but it was an eye opener. “We. Go. Do.Sum.Ting.Tu.Ged.Dur.” [‘We go do something together.’] Ball smiled, he was right in what she was implying, doing something together, “No. Ter.An. We. Go. Haf.Fah.Un.” [‘No train, we go have fun,’]

For once, Ball was planning on shirking his squirely duties of training to go and have some fun! As for Nira's last question, he had no answer for. Ball didn't do much of anything for fun. He was a squire and squire trained.

Created goes to Euthisa

[Nira'lia]

A smile spread across her face and she couldn’t contain her amusement. Ball actually wanted to do something with her… something other than training! Her only memories of Ball that didn’t consist of training and him trying to get her back to Syliras, was that one time in Mura when he wanted to speak about a love interest of his. It had been interesting and amusing, though she would never say the latter to describe it. That would be rude.

But even if he said he wanted to have fun, he didn’t seem to have any suggestions. And neither did she. An awkward silence filled the empty air as her mind strayed of to… nothing.

What would a pycon enjoy? Now that she thought about it, she didn’t know much about Ball! It was embarrassing, especially since they had been travel partners for some seasons.

“Do you… want to go shopping? Is there anything you would want?” she asked. Nira’lia had some good cash on her. She wouldn’t mind spending it with Ball. “Or we can go have a meal!”

Did pycons eat the same food as her? She had no idea.

“Or sightseeing!” she clapped her hands together.

[Ball]

Ball wasn’t entirely sure what Nira meant by shopping or sight seeing so Ball just shrugged in response, “Yu. Dee.Ci.Da.” [‘You decide.’] Ball nodded, he didn’t care at this moment in time what they did, lately he had needed to get away from the world of training and such and just be a normal civilian. It was about time he did something for himself and not for the good of the city. His stomach grumbled a bit, and he looked up at her, “Lets. Go. Ee.Ta.” [‘Lets go eat.’] He smiled.

Good wholesome clay. If the squire had saliva glands he would probably start drooling right now. It felt good to smile actually, he looked at his dog, who was still busy enjoying the loving attention the konti was giving him.

“I. Nu. Cee. Aw.Dur.Py.Con.Eye.Dur.” [‘I no see other pycon either.’] the emotion that dripped from his mouth was heavy sorrow, he was hoping to have seen her sometime between Nyka and home, yet he saw no traces of her or Blind Lady.

Created goes to Euthisa