Closed Bugging the Little Endal

[Azira]

5th Winter 513AV
Evening

Azira had a plan. It had been going around and around her head for days now. Well a lot of things had been going through her head lately including the dream that she had had last night but that wasn't important now, weird as it had been. No, her plan was the most important thing to her right now. She needed to speak to Alori. The why was a bit of a mystery to her. She supposed she wanted to be the woman's friend. Alori was friends with Lavira and Kovac after all so they had friends in common, well maybe not Kovac in Azira's case but definitely Lavira. The little Endal had also helped to rescue her after the huntress and Lavira were trapped after the Aeries' collapse. It made sense to try to talk to the woman, even if only to thank her. How to do it though was a dilemma to her?

True, she'd been thinking about it for awhile but she still hadn't worked out how to approach the Endal. People weren't Azira's strong suit and so she couldn't just approach her like a normal person, no she was trying to stalk her. It hadn't been at all successful so far but then she hadn't had any idea where to start looking. The girl didn't know anything about her quarry and so she didn't know how to track her. She was worrying herself a little with her way of thinking right now but she was pretty determined.

The huntress was feeling a little frustrated when dinner came around. She sat at a table by herself watching everyone who came in as she ate her food. The huntress just wanted Alori to walk in. Why couldn't she? Was it really that much to ask for? If only she'd just walk in...

When the small figure entered the Kitchens, Azira thought she was imagining it. It couldn't be her, just because she'd wished it. The Avora was on her feet a tick or two later once she had gotten over her shock and jogging across the space to the little Endal.

"Hey, Alori!

x

[Alori Sai]

Alori had been feeling out of sorts lately. The Fall season hadn't ended well and had left a bad taste in her mouth as well as an air of foreboding. For a long time now, the teen had sensed something was coming, maybe not the end of the world, but she knew that things were changing and that had her scared. Inartan didn't do well with change and if the goosebumps on her arms were any indication, she felt that this would be big.

Of course no one would believe her and the more that she spoke of the weird dreams that she had been having the more they thought she was crazy. Luckily she was Endal now and couldn't be pushed around as much, but it still bothered her that no one would listen to her. It didn't make sense not too, and the people had to have seen what was happening. First Ivak and then Zulrav. The Gods were angry with them, wrathful and none of them seemed to care...which was probably the problem.

Her people were proud, proud and so forward thinking that they were too stupid to open their eyes and see that they needed to fix the now before pushing anything further. Alori felt lost and had no one to turn too. Durveth was strangely comforting, but the eagle's mingled wording only confused her more. The teen thought to turn to her Endal sister, but after the last time they had a conversation that was serious she decided not to.

She also thought to talk with Kovac, the snarky mongrel who had an eye for teen girls. All in all he was a sweet and wonderful guy, but she was sure that he would give her the same look that everyone else did. And so she ended up burying her thoughts and wishing away her dreams as she had been doing every since Spring of 512. It was meal time in the city, and since she wasn't working that day, Alori stopped in at the kitchen to use her token for food.

Her hair was worn loose, tiny glass beaded arrow heads fastened around strains of red and blonde that were twisted together weakly. She wore a simple green top and a while, tight legged Bryda with creamed colored boots. The little Endal marched into the kitchen where she was caught by surprise when Azira called for her. Alori's mind had been else where and it took her a moment to realize who called her. "Azira, hey. How are you?"

[Azira]

OOC

Kovac, the snarky mongrel who had an eye for teen girls.

This is probably the funniest thing I've seen in a long time.

The huntress found herself smiling, glad that she'd finally managed to find the little Endal but at the same time there was a nervousness in the twitch of her lips. Now that she could actually talk to the other young woman, she had no idea how to handle the situation. She still wasn't that used to socialising and she also didn't really know the girl so how was she supposed to talk to her? Now that she thought about it, it was also sort of weird that she'd jogged to stand beside the girl. Yeah, that was just weird and now she was standing there awkwardly while the other hadn't even gotten her food.

"Oh I'm good. A little tired, hungry but I think everyone's like that. Could be worse though, I suppose. We could be Dek," she told the teen, laughing softly, a slightly nervous sound to it. The Avora hovered by Alori's side for another moment then decided it'd probably be better to let the woman get her food in peace without having the huntress breathing down her neck. "I'll be sitting over there so you can come and sit with me once you get your food," she explained, gesturing in the direction of her table before she walked over to it, cursing herself for her enthusiasm. Alori probably thought that she was nuts.

Plonking back down into her seat, she stared blankly at her dinner for a few moments before sighing and resuming her hastily abandoned meal. Her eyes kept moving upwards to watch Alori's movements, wondering whether the girl would now feel pressured to sit beside her. Sure she was an Endal and so could do what she liked but that didn't mean that she was unaffected by Azira's actions. It would just be better if she'd wait and see but she just couldn't concentrate on anything else, not even her food had the draw that it ought to. She was hungry sure but she was more interested in what the Endal was doing, impatient for the girl to come and sit down.

It still made no sense why she was even so eager about having a conversation with her. She was just somebody that Lavira and Kovac knew, that was all. Nothing to get excited about yet there was something about the girl...

x

[Alori Sai]

"I hope not. I mean dek? eww." Alori giggled and offered Azira a friendly smile. She hadn't known the other huntress long, or much at all, which when she thought about it was odd. They were both hunters and before she became Endal they could have hunted together all the time. Alori loved her gyrfalcon, but Skye wasn't a person and she could have used a friend to hunt with, someone that would understand her frustrations, not only as being new to hunting but also of being a female hunter.

"Gods I'm hungry too, we should eat." The teen was about to ask if Azira had gotten her meal yet until she directed her to her table. "Oh ok, I'll be over in just a bit." Alori remembered the fun they had at the party but she hadn't see the woman around afterwards. They were busy of course, providing for the city and all. She was glad that Azira spoke to her and the woman's enthusiasm was more infectious than weird. The whole city was grumpy with the troubles they had, and winter was never a cheery season to begin with.

Having Azira, someone who saw the light in the dark, and could remain cheerful even in this time was a good thing. The little Endal had been so wrapped up in her thoughts and now just by a greeting she had forgotten them and her mood had lifted. Alori paid for her meal, a combo of beef, beans, and mushrooms with some sort of glaze coating. Once she had her tray, she turned and headed for the table where the huntress waited for her.

"You're not hungry? You didn't have to wait for me Azira. I could probably down this whole tray without chewing any of it, that's how hungry I am." Since the huntress had waited for her, Alori would also wait until she started eating before she would take a bite. "So you hunt with Vira right? How is that going? I know hunting now is like..it's just bad. There's nothing out there I mean..." For some reason the image of the blue elk sudden flashed inside her mind and the image of the antlers that were left behind with an arrow.

Alori didn't know it was Azira's arrow that had struck it, there were far too many people around and they were all firing upon it at once. The teen pushed it from her mind and took another bite from her meal. "That's insane right?" A thought crossed her mind, something completely unrelated to their current situation or the blue elk. A day ago she had heard a humor about Azira, or about someone with the name starting with A.Z. It was a good rumor too, but she wasn't sure if it was about Azira or not. There was really only one way to find out and given that Alori wasn't shy about talking, she just asked. "So yea,..I think I heard you were... pregnant? Is that true?"

OOCThe guy is something else ya know XD

[Azira]

Azira's enthusiasm didn't seem to have frightened the Endal away so that was a good sign. She also didn't seem to have any problem talking with the huntress either. There was no awkward silence between them as Alori began talking immediately. The Avora found herself struck dumb by the Endal's talkativeness (she wasn't the only enthusiastic one though her own enthusiasm had given way to nerves) and so ate to buy time. When she began to eat so did Alori and she wondered if the Endal had been waiting for her, perhaps not wanting to be rude. Eating didn't stop her talking though as she began to bombard her with questions, hardly giving Azira a chance to give much of an answer to each.

"Uh yeah I went hunting with Lavira last season once, around mid-season. It could have gone better, I admit. We were attacked by wolves but Mohya, her eagle ripped them to pieces so we brought them back for bird food. Afterwards... we had dinner..." the young woman trailed into silence as she remembered what had come afterwards. Her visit to the Valintar. Lavira had been kind enough to accompany her after convincing her that she needed to report a near rape by an Endal. It had been an awful thing for her to have to do but the girl had gone with her. She felt that she had to say something in praise of the woman's character.

"Lavira's a lovely person. She's very forgiving and understanding, especially after how I treated her. I'd like to go hunting with her again, get further from the city by eagle and maybe catch something. Is it any better further out? The hunting, I mean." Azira wasn't even sure if the other teen was listening to her. Her expression had become thoughtful as if she was thinking of something else. She waited patiently for some sort of response but when it came it had nothing to do with the subject of hunting.

Her cutlery dropped from her fingers. The colour left her cheeks for a few moments and then flooded back, blood not only rushing to her cheeks but to the rest of her face as well. "What did you just say? Where did you hear such... such lies?!" she snarled, her voice quiet to begin with and growing steadily louder. "Who told you that? Tell me so that I can kill them!"

x

[Alori Sai]

Alori smiled and drank the juice from her cup. It was a tasty sweet broth, too sweet for some, but the teen really enjoyed drinks and foods that were sweet. She nodded and smiled as the woman told her what she and Lavira had been up to. It was funny in a way, the teen Endal seemed to be friends with everyone dek, chiet, Avora, it didn't matter to her. Alori could still remember the conversation that they had in the cave. Lavira got angry at her for a comment that, while perhaps prejudice, wasn't anything most Inartan's wouldn't have said. She knew then that her friend had a unique outlook on life.

"I feel sorry for you..really." She smiled and flashed Azira with those hazel eyes of hers. "Vira is a horrible hunter. She is..Do you know she almost got me killed? Getting chased by a huge bear, giant wolves, and then we almost froze to death inside a rotten cave." The story was all true, but her demeanor remained calm and friendly. She didn't blame her sister for those things, it was a hazard of being a hunter, but she just liked giving the woman a hard time.

"Vira's alright, but she really loves her birds more than people. I mean wow, who is she kidding? That is just plan weird." Alori giggled and took a small bite of food, small enough that she couldn't choke while giggling. "No, I'm joking, Vira's great like that..But she gets all motherly and I'm like..calm down. I'm not one of your chicks Gods.." she laughed again and shook her head. The other Endal was a motherly figure, and the closer she came to care for a person, the more she smothered them. "The hunting used to be better further out now..I don't know. I guess you might get lucky out there, but you'll be there a while." Her answer came a bit late because she had been lost in thought, but she did hear the woman.

Alori's eyes grew wide and her at Azira's rage at the question, and she hadn't expected it at all. She stared for a tick, one piece of meat held between her fingers, as if she had been frozen in time. "Holy petch..never mind." she added quickly shaking her head. "I'm wrong it couldn't be you, but I know I heard someone..Azira,..Azura, Aira? Someone like that was pregnant. But it can't be you, you so don't look pregnant."

Combing her hair back, the teen slipped the meat into her mouth and enjoyed it while she molded her thoughts over in her head. "You know what? It might have been Azura, yea I think so. But, so what? This wouldn't be the first time that she's had a baby..I mean, that's kinda what she does ya know?" Alori looked around for a moment just wondering if Azura was in the kitchen somewhere. It would be just her luck to be standing right next to them hearing the whole conversation. "So anyway, what are you up to now?"

OOCSorry for the wait

[Azira]

Azira frowned at the comment that Lavira was a terrible hunter. She hadn't seemed like one, at least not to the Avora but then she hadn't really seen her hunt properly so she couldn't judge. She did wonder if the woman had a knack for attracting dangerous animals however. Wolves, and now a bear. Maybe hunting with the kind Endal was too much of a hazard to the health. Certainly sounded like it but all thoughts of Lavira left her mind with Alori's rumour.

"Ugh!"

Azira drove the knife point down into the table and covered her face with her hands. She spoke in a growl, her voice coming out slightly muffled around her hands. "Never say something like that again, Alori. It isn't funny." The huntress uncovered her face after a moment and glared at the Endal across the table. She didn't care that the woman was a higher caste than her, could have her punished for her behaviour. She was so livid that she just couldn't care less about how she was acting towards the woman. The teen's words calmed her down some and she was able to get control of herself again.

"It might be this Azura person but that doesn't mean that I care to hear about her. I couldn't care less so don't mention her or anything like that ever again." A quiet deep breath and her features cleared, becoming smooth and blank. It was an effort for her to do it but she knew she needed to keep some semblance of civility or the Endal was going to run a mile from her. "Sorry for the outburst. You were asking... what I've been doing, yeah?" The huntress paused, formulating an answer in her head and double checking in her head that that was what she'd been asked.

"I went to that tracking and trapping thing in the Enclave on the first and I brought my apprentices out hunting on the second. Landed myself in the Infirmary after that trip, dodgy water, you know. I wasn't sick really, just... hallucinating," she said in a rush, smiling weakly. She just needed to paint a picture of herself as no longer likely to snap Alori's head off. She wasn't sure that she'd succeeded. Alori probably thought that Azira was likely to explode in temper or that she was insane.

x

[Alori Sai]

Alori was having a calm meal, chatting with a woman that she barely knew. But in a small way it felt like she knew her just a bit being that the woman was friends with her friends and she had come to her party. Relationships in the city were odd, quick, and over before one could even really enjoy it. So it came to pass that friends were friends the moment one thought to call them that and that was it. Alori felt Azira could be her friend easily, and the conversation had been going so well.

Until..

"Holy...When did you become miss, bitch Endal, huh? Gods, and here I thought you and I were the only ones around that still knew how to smile." Alori sighed in disappointment looking back to her meal as she stabbed her fork into the meat. She didn't lift the fork again to take a bite and instead just turned it over on her plate. The teen missed the joy of friendship, she missed the joy of laughter, but with the past seasons and the troubles now, she wondered if the city would ever be the same again.

Suddenly the Avora teen was back, her smile friendly and she moved the conversation along as if she hadn't just snapped. Alori wasn't fearful, but Azira had a couple of pounds on her, and if the huntress wanted to attack her, she might get badly hurt if she couldn't defend in time, and Alori wasn't expecting to have to fight. She just sat there for a moment looking at the woman with a blank expression. "Right...ok."

The little Endal sighed again and took another bite of her meat. "I didn't do that one, I'm going to the other one. Fire and water?" She didn't comment on the apprentices because she still didn't have any. Alori had decided to check on yasi, to see if she could work with any of those but she hadn't made her rounds yet. The teen shook her head and drank more from her cup. "The water is horrible, I can't drink it. I've been drinking everything but water and now I'm getting headaches because I need water." She sighed again then slumped down on the table. "Petch it, just put me out of my misery will ya?"

Alori wasn't normally like this, and even in the darkness of days, she always had hope and the desire to push on. However in the seasons that had just passed, she was becoming less like Alori, and more like Aela. "So, did you need something? It kinda looked like you were waiting for me?"

[Azira]

OOCQuick reminder that we're on the 5th so the Fire and Water thing hasn't happened yet!

Azira hadn't meant to lose her cool, that had never been her intention but the other woman voicing a rumour when she wasn't even sure who it was about had blown her self-control in a moment. Her attempt to salvage it proved difficult, especially with Alori's comment. Had she just called her an Endal?! That was a weird idea as was the idea that she'd been one of the few people openly in good humour. She very rarely was so it wasn't interesting that the other had assumed as much. Somehow though she'd managed to make herself sound human again instead of some vicious monster but Alori only stared blankly back at her. She probably had no idea what to make of the outburst but at least she tried to pick up the conversation from the huntress' poor prompt.

"I was thinking of going to that one as well but I haven't fully decided yet. I'm not sure if going to it would be worthwhile or not but I'll decide closer to the time," the young woman explained, watching the other's movements closely to gauge her reactions to what she was saying. "The water's pretty bad, yeah. Believe me, I know all about it. I'll be lucky if I ever trust water again after what it did to me. I suppose there are some drugs that probably do the same thing in ways but if that's the case then the people who take them are nuts before they take them. Who chooses to take something to make everything around them so twisted and dark? It isn't what I'd call enjoyable. If I was you, I'd take the headaches and be glad." She laughed, the sound more bitter than mirthful. Azira knew that between the choice of headaches or hallucinations then there was really no choice; she'd choose the headaches.

The question about what she'd wanted had her pausing. She wasn't quite sure herself and she felt that any answer she gave would just come out sounding strange. It wasn't something that she even thought she could explain to the eagle rider. The huntress made an 'um' sound and pushed her food around as she quickly tried to come up with an acceptable answer.

"Well... I um... thought it might be good if we could be more... friendly. I don't know you that well and I thought it'd be good to know you better," she explained slowly, smiling when she finished. It didn't sound too bad, it seemed perfectly reasonable. "Is that all right?"

x

[Alori Sai]

It was turning out to be an interesting day to say the least. Alori had been fine with the idea of getting her meal packed up and taking it back to her room and eating with Durveth. It might have seemed odd for a girl to eat her meal beside a giant bird who was also eating something that wasn't cooked, but she didn't have many friends to see either. She was now in the kitchen having a conversation with a huntress that went back and forth on a level of slightly calm to extremely volatile. But all in all, she wasn't having a bad time.

"I think you should decide now, really. Because most people who say they will decide later usually don't get around to doing anything, ya know?" She didn't look at the huntress as she spoke, and instead took a drink from her mug. More people were starting to pile in, but for the moment their seats hadn't gotten crowded just yet. Alori laughed along with the other teen, she wasn't liking the headaches, but she didn't want anything worse to happen either. "I'm sure I'll be fine, it's just not good to have that when I'm trying to hunt. Makes it hard to concentrate."

Sighing she took another bite and looked around. As the time passed and more people came in, she was starting to see others that she knew and saw a lot around the city. They looked like everyone else, pissed, grumpy, and sad. She really was starting to regret that she had even come out. But then she asked a question and Azira's answer was more than surprising. Alori turned to face the girl, hazel eyes blinking curiously as she took in what she said. "Really?"

The little Endal was surprised to hear that was the reason that she wanted to see her, especially after the way the conversation had just shifted. "Well yea, of course it's ok. It's completely ok." She offered Azira a smile. "So umm.." suddenly now she found herself with a lack of words, but it came back with fire in mere ticks. "Doesn't it piss you off that the weather is closed? How's a girl suppose to dance with no music?"