Flashback Celebration Writ Small

[Eleret]

The watery orb began to bob between Eleret and the girl, the older Konti withdrawing her hand so as not to impede its motion. She watched its antics with a small smile, then turned to face Iosha as the girl drew it back to her hands. Fire to heat, heat to steam; drawing fire away to make water freeze. It made sense, once the reimancer explained the connections, though Eleret had never thought of heat as something to be drawn out quite that... literally. "I see," she said, to acknowledge the explanations given. "So you control fire as well as water?" Presumably, Iosha must, as she volunteered herself to show off ice next. Eleret did not ask for a demonstration of the fire, however; she rather preferred the water already being used. The ball of water hung just above Iosha's hand -- one hand alone, the other producing that same odd translucent substance and layering it to make a shell around the first sphere. To Eleret's eyes, little change was evident; the girl's concentration was obvious, but the odd translucent shell remained just that. It became neither ice nor water nor fire that the onlooker could discern -- right up until it abruptly fell apart, the water all going splat on the earth below. Iosha fell to her knees, which the older Konti witnessed with some alarm; Eleret stepped forward and crouched to wrap an arm about her shoulders, offering quiet support while the girl marshaled herself. "I think," Eleret replied, squeezing Iosha's shoulders gently, "that is entirely enough practice for a Festival day. We want to get down to Unity before the dancing really starts, don't we?"

[Iosha]

After asking to try it again, Iosha just stared into nothingness for a few ticks not quite sure where she was at the moment, but the sound of Eleret's voice jarred her back to reality. The older konti said something about Festival day, and she just remembered the whole reason that she was with Eleret. The Unity and dancing. It seemed familiar, and Iosha stared at her with her blood shot violet eyes and said with a smile, “...I don't really know how to dance. My mother was suppose to teach me, but she is dead.” Bracing herself against her arm, Iosha slowly got to her feet. She was a bit wobbly at first, but after a chime, the street finally topped spinning. Iosha looked at Eleret and asked with a smile, “Can you teach me the dance, Eleret? I never was a part of the it, and they all looked like they had a lot of fun.” Iosha was always to young to participate watching the Unity dance. Holding onto her mother's dress, she always watched in the dance from the audience since she was never old enough to participate in it. Clutching the woman's arm for support, Iosha rested her head on the woman's arm as they walked down the street towards the sounds of festival.

When Iosha finally the grounds of the summer festival, the little konti smiled when she saw the large crowds of konti and spattering of foreigners throughout the crowd. The tired eyes of the young girl grew wide when she saw a strange humanoid male with six arms and long braided hair walking hand and hand with a konti woman. Iosha tugged on the Eleret's arm and asked with a bright smile on her face, “What type of creature is that?” Iosha pointed at the six armed man and said in a quieter voice as the couple got close to them, “I know human's only have two arms, so he can't be human unless he was deformed.” The little girl eyes followed the six arm man, and when he got closer to Eleret and Iosha. The strange creature noticed the little konti staring at him and the man gave both Eleret and Iosha a smile before disappearing into the crowd with his konti companion. The little girl turned her attention to the festival, and he eyes started dancing around trying to keep up with coming and going of her people.

[Eleret]

The younger Konti was slow to respond, her regard pitched into the distance, if it was directed anywhere at all. Eleret waited, giving her time to recollect herself... though if she took too long, the older Konti would try harder to get her attention. Fortunately, Iosha responded in good time. Eleret helped steady her as she rose, remaining in place until Iosha was ready to continue walking. She smiled as Iosha spoke of dancing. "Of course I will teach you," Eleret replied. "How else can you dance with me? Or perhaps there's a young Akalak here who will catch your eye," she remarked with a small, teasing smile, tapping her hand briefly against the girl's shoulder. Unity Square was a busy place indeed today, the many Konti gathered about it radiating a positive excitement which could only be infectious. Eleret started scanning for Meline, the better to deliver the flowers she still bore -- but was interrupted by Iosha tugging at her arm and pointing down the way. Glancing over, Eleret returned the Eypharian's polite smile. "That's an Eypharian," she explained. "They come from a city in Eyktol, far to the south. Ahnatep, I think it's called. It's supposed to be a 'golden' city, the way our home is the 'white' Isle." They walked slowly across the square, picking a considerate path through the bustle -- considerate of Iosha's earlier exertions, and considerate of all the other people moving to and fro. Eleret also made sure to pause so Iosha could admire the spectacles of the Sun Festival where they were found -- and so Eleret could do the same herself, of course. But at the last, finally, she spotted her mother helping to set up the tables with food and drink, for later recovery from the exertions of dancing. "There is my mother, Meline," she said to the girl beside her. "Let me give her these flowers, and then I'll teach you to dance, that sound good?"