[The Trough] Meeting At The Bottom of the Cup (Sama'el)

[Dymphna]

“Here…” She smiled again at him, pleased with his answer. She leaned in a little, putting a hand to his cup. She carefully poured half of hers into his. “Here’s to finding big happiness then.” As she sipped her own wine again, she paused to think more on what he’d said. The cup was lowered; she licked her lips and peered out into the crowd – Trying to decide how to word whatever was fluttering through her mind. “When I was little, I would get impatient about the flowers blooming in the early spring – The first few, you know? The ones that sort of lift your spirit and remind you that all things return to us given the time…” She glanced at him when she said that, as if intuiting. The truth was, though, that she was simply speaking from experience. “My father would tell me that I needed to cultivate patience. As I’ve gotten older, I’m still hearing that from him, but the thing is… Well, just the other day I realized that I know very clearly what being impatient feels like in my gut. But what does patience feel like? I know what forcing myself to be patience feels like, but there are times when I’m neither impatient nor am I forcing myself into a state of being patient. Is that patience? “The truth of the matter is that it’s simply a case of paying attention to the moment. Happiness is a lot like patience, I think. We don’t recognize we’re experiencing the big happinesses, because we don’t pay attention. Instead we notice when we’re unhappy or forcing ourselves to be happy – Which the latter is obviously well and good, but it’s not the optimal state of being. “Now it seems to me, Sam, that you’re here in Endrykas. You’re back with your people, and from what you’ve said I can assume you’ve been gone from us more than half your life. You were far enough away that you’ve slipped out of Drykas habits and adopted outsider ones, so that means you’ve been without your people, and I'd guess your pavilion, for quite some time… And if you were far away, you likely crossed the Sea of Grass. That in itself is an amazing feat, and I know this because I’ve done so at one point myself. You are home. “So tell me,” she said softly, finally returning her eyes to him, “Passed the exhaustion… Passed the nervousness and pain you’ve experienced… Passed the gaps of time and forgetting and simply the air that cuts the paths of connections between all of us… Isn’t it like patience? Isn’t the happiness you’re feeling truly big?”

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam was often a nervous talker too, but for whatever reason he was more interested in listening to what Dymphna had to say than to express his own ideas, at least for the time being. Perhaps it was a respect thing, or a new friend thing, or a being new to one's old haunts thing, but it was a thing anyway. He smiled and nodded where appropriate, not to shine her on, but to let her know that he was actively listening. When the time came to answer, he took a little while to ruminate over his cup before speaking. "I was happy to leave Syliras. I was going home. I had companions. The journey seemed like an adventure, full of hope. I was happy to set foot in Cyphrus again, even though I knew it would be more dangerous from there on out. I was happy we found shelter from the storm. I was happy when my new Strider galloped out of the storm to find me... Her name is Dohaina. She's beautiful. I... was happy that Aiken survived, and a few of the puppies. "Even though we lost people before the Storm Watch found us... Well, I suppose happiness is like a string of pearls... There are happy memories, like organic gemstones, but you string them along your life. It's not like happiness is some static... state... that you achieve and never leave. Even the ethaefal didn't get to stay in the heavens forever. "Does that make sense?" he asked, blushing. He wasn't sure if his musings were right on or off base.

[Dymphna]

It was pretty impressive that she was able to shut her mouth long enough for him to think over what he thought of it all and then say what he was going to say. Likely that meant that she was at least talking for a reason beyond just nervous chatter, though she did fidget rather ruthlessly with the hem of her sleeve while he spoke.. “Yes, and I fully agree with you. I have this suspicion that if you noticed happiness as it happened as opposed to after the fact, you’d find it all to be big happiness. I may be wrong though. I’m not a philosopher. Just… Well…” She shrugged a little, finishing off her wine. She smiled brightly. “Me. For what that’s worth.” Her attention turned out to the people again for a moment. She noticed that her father was keeping an eye on her, which didn’t really surprise her. However, his watching was what actually caused her to be nervous – Not Sam. She gave a little reassuring smile to the older man, because she understood why he was doing what he was. But she still felt that pang of independence one felt when newly placed into the ranks of adulthood.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

He appreciated being allowed to talk, but soon enough he fell silent again, willing to let her take the reins of the conversation. All he said was, "That makes sense to me." For all they knew, she could be right. Of course, she could also be wrong, but who was to say? Neither of them. His dark eyes followed her gaze to an older man who was watching them as he spoke with other men who seemed to have the respect of all those around them. Ankals, he supposed. What he wanted to be some day. What he must be some day. Now if only he knew where to start. How to start. He needed a plan, but he had never been good at those. For the last ten years, the plan had been merely to survive, to seek freedom, and to keep freedom. So far, so good. But this new goal was more tangible and he found he had no idea how to get there. "Your father?" he asked, hazarding a guess.

[Dymphna]

“We’ll see about my theory sooner or later. If you find out before me, remember to tell me,” she said with a grin. She pivoted a little on her cushion, not yet moving back around to the other side of the table to face Sam. She seemed content enough where she was. Save for lifting her cup into the air and requesting more wine for her and her friend in sign. “Yes, that’s my father. Daed, Ankal of the Whitefeather Pavilion…” There was pride her in voice that she couldn’t hide. “Opal Clan…” She looked back to the group of men. “Most of the Ankals there are Opal, but I see Cadric Tallgrass of the Emerald Clan and… I’m afraid I don’t remember the Ankal with them from the Sapphire Clan. I assume they’re talking about the upcoming Fall Hunt. My father lives for Fall… It’s truly his favorite season. Mainly though, I think he’s trying to stay out of our home as much as possible because one of the babies is teething right now. Stubbornly and to the point where there’s very little to sooth her. It upset us all. “He’s watching, because he’s likely curious what has piqued my interest in you. In honesty I don’t tend to socialize much outside of my pavilion when not working… And even more rarely outside of my clan. I just…” She shrugged. “I stay as busy as I can. He’s just protective of me, though. As I said, I was gone for a couple years. He’s loathe to let me disappear again now that I’m back.”

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

He was probably staring far too much to be considered polite to a table full of Ankals, but he nodded his head respectfully to Daed and whoever else might be watching. His guts clenched up in his stomach as he watched and finally looked back at Dympnha. "I'm hoping to go on the Fall Hunt," he admitted. "I need to get new clothes and equipment. I have the mizas... I was just in Syliras... and I need to get over my thrift. Nobody's going to take me seriously without a sapphire or two in my hair... "And I guess my hair has lured you in. Some women like fix-it projects, I understand." He smiled and looked upward as if trying to see his hair. His hands went up to pat it down, careful not to disturb her proto-braid. Then he picked up his wine again and took a gulp. It was just so strange to be back.

[Dymphna]

“I want to go on the Fall Hunt, but to be honest I’m kind of dead weight in a hunting party unless the prey has roots. I don’t have proper equipment either… I’ll go shopping with you though, if you need help. I know where the best Ruby Clan embroiderers work and the places that have the fairest prices.” She smiled brightly. “You’re handsome. If we get you put into new clothing, I’ll have to push my way through the crowds of women to get a hello in.” She blinked then, realizing what she’d just said. Her cheeks turned pink as she quickly looked away. Though she took a sip of her wine, she blamed it for causing her mouth to work faster than her brain. Her eyes were quick to lock back on him and her nose wrinkled before she let out a little chuckle. She found her embarrassment sort of funny. “You, um… You probably get that a lot. Anyway…” Her grin only grew in size. “Just let me know when you need help. With anything at all. Endrykas is only going to get bigger during the fall, so it sometimes gets a bit hard to navigate if you’re new.”

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"I'm... ah..." The compliment rather derailed his line of thinking, so he gaped at her for a moment before filling that wide maw with wine and glancing away for a moment to regain his sorry excuse for aplomb. "I would appreciate your help among the Ruby Clan," he assured her quietly. "Perhaps tomorrow if you aren't too busy? I... I want to be taken seriously, so the sooner the better." Though he knew that the wise among his people would judge him based on his merits, he also knew that the vast majority of people were stuck on their first impressions, which would be highly influenced by his appearance. "I don't, actually. Get that a lot, I mean." When he did get it, he didn't believe it, though something about Dymphna made him believe she meant it, which was frightening to the extreme. Whatever that meant.

[Dymphna]

She had to hold back her laughter at his reaction, biting her bottom lip to do so. Though silent, it could help but leak out on her lips around her teeth in a grin and at the corners of her eyes – Still young, she didn’t have lines, but it was clear to see that when she was older she’d have a dozen the way she smiled and laughed all the time. “We can go tomorrow, of course. In the morning I have to help at the shop I’m apprenticing at, and I have dinner duty, but… I should be able to trade with my sister. She owes me a favor. Unless you’d like to come have dinner at my pavilion with my family.” She hadn’t really thought through what that may have sounded like. It was simply that, despite what she thought of herself, she was a healer. And she couldn’t help but get over the feeling that this one needed to be taken back into the fold. He needed to feel included and part of something… Which was perhaps why he was so concerned with being taken seriously. She gave him a nearly conspiring look before chuckling. “Well, you’re outnumbered here by the fairer sex. You may as well get used to hearing it now. Sooner or later you’ll have your first mother and father paying a visit with a dowry offer and then what will you do? I don’t have to be a Konti to see the future on this one.”

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"I, well..." he began in the same vein, wondering if she was taking him home in order that her parents could talk dowry without having to leave the comfort of their pavilion. Her father was right there, of course, but he was busy with his compatriots, and probably laughing at Sam's burning blush. "I would very much like that, but perhaps we should wait until I am no longer dressed in rags. I would... be too embarrassed to be their guest like this. But I think I'm safe for now. I don't even have a pavilion to attract prospective parents-in-law. I'll be the Ankal of the Dust," he joked lamely.