PM to join [Winter Blaze] Designing The Right Costume (Kiva +)

Kavala heads to the Zongie Warrens to find some supplies for a costume and picks up new help for The Sanctuary. Open to members of The Sanctuary. Anyone else can PM to join.

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Built into the cliffs overlooking the Suvan Sea, Riverfall resides on the edge of grasslands of Cyphrus where the Bluevein River plunges off the plain and cascades down to the inland sea below. Home of the Akalak, Riverfall is a self-supporting city populated by devoted warriors. [Riverfall Codex]

[Winter Blaze] Designing The Right Costume (Kiva +)

Postby Kavala on December 22nd, 2015, 6:06 pm

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Timestamp: 5th of Winter, 515 AV
Open to The Sanctuary Members, other folks can PM to join.


Designing costumes wasn't Kavala's forte. But being a full time mother of three and those three growing to even more based on the children of her employees all converging left her busy, often tired, and definitely one that would take any excuse she could get to go out and be an adult. Besides, she wanted to treat Cadra, Chalcedony, and Rune to the Winter Blaze party. They worked hard and the girls needed to get out. None of them could sew worth a darn, but Rune was good at decorating. So they had decided for themselves to go as sort of living gemstones to promote the whole fire and ice theme. Kavala was tasked with the job of finding four dresses that were primarily one color that she would then create reimanced gemstones to hang about causing the women to glitter. Cadra and Chalce were redheads, so they both wanted green or purple. Rune was a rather plain girl with mousy brown hair, so Kavala had decided on putting her in something striking like a ruby red. For herself she'd pick white or something incredibly pale.

Besides, she needed to get away. Her headache had been growing daily and now her Konti Gift had swung wildly out of control. She wasn't sure why and was slightly scared by it. The animals she could sense emotions from and gain insight into their feeling had slowly started to talk to her... out loud... where others could hear.

At first it had been sea birds. But then the horses had joined in, and now the dogs were following her everywhere rambling on. Kavala needed the time away, needed a distraction, so she could figure out she wasn't going crazy.

So she was off to the local dressmakers, the markets, and costumers looking for appropriate ballgowns that would work. She had already hit most of the dressmakers in town and found them busy with no stock she really thought suitable for the girls. The Costumers were tapped out too due to the last minute announcement of the social event and the fact that there had been a rush - a rush Kavala had missed.

There was one more hope. And that was a little known very exclusive spot deep in the Zongie Warrens where a very talented seamstress held a shop that sold second hand gowns that had been exquisitely remade to 'freshen' them up for a new owner. Kavala knew that Raine's shop wasn't well known nor were her prices affordable by all, so she had hope that she could get at least one or two of the gowns there. As she'd headed into the overly crowded market, the Konti felt a sense of urgency grow. She wanted to treat the ladies who worked so hard for her to something really special in the festival, giving them all a night off. Larik, Cadra's twin who hated all things social, had decided to skip the event and thus had become the official babysitter for the evening. He was far better with children than adults anyhow and seemed relieved that Kavala wasn't making him go.

The Kelvics were a little over two now, fully grown, but with minds that were still maturing. They hadn't bonded yet, which was a good thing in Kavala's mind, because it would hurt like everything to have them leave with someone and narrow down their whole wide worlds into just pleasing one person. Kavala wanted them to bond with strong adults that loved them deeply and perhaps even lived local. She couldn't control who they eventually ended up with, but she could pray to Nysel and Rak'keli and even their patrons to make sure they were well looked after when their time to bond did come. She even suspected that Larik, once he was older, would bond heavily with Chalce. He was a kelvic eagle and Chalce a falconer and bird healer. The two got along incredibly well, but Chalce resisted Larik's notions for the time being. He was so painfully young and she wanted him to mature and come into his own before a premature bond made him stupid, pliable, and in Chalce's mind, a worthless slave.

Kelvics might have been designed as such, but they didn't have to be what their original makers meant them to be.

Kavala continued along, ducking through the crowd, in a hurry. She always got slightly lost in the Warrens and began to realize she wasn't where she thought she should be. Lifting up on her toes, glancing around, and half turning, to see if she could get her barrings.

Kavala was lost.

A swear word slipped out and she glanced around. Was there anyone nearby she could ask directions from? A stray cat, licking itself under a nearby table, curled its tail around the table leg and yawned. It looked at Kavala curiously and tilted its head. "Lost?" It asked quietly. The Konti just stared.

840 Words/840 Total


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The Sanctuary The Sanctuary Forum Riverfall The Cytali
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Please Note:
  • This pc is maxed out in Animal Husbandry, Medicine, Observation, Rhetoric, and Socialization.
  • Kavala a Master Teacher. Students she is teaching in thread can earn more than the maxium 5 XP per thread.
  • This pc has a Konti Gift of Animal Empathy. She has a superpower from a Riverfall city event that allows animals of all sorts and Kelvics (in kelvic form) to speak clear understandable Common around her.
  • Kavala is a Konti but was raised in the Drykas culture so her accent is entirely Pavi though she can speak Common, Pavi, and Tukant well. She's only conversational in Kontinese.
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[Winter Blaze] Designing The Right Costume (Kiva +)

Postby Kiva on December 22nd, 2015, 7:21 pm

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5th of Winter, 515 A.V
The Zhongjie Warrens

'You can find anything in the bazaar,' they told her, 'You just have to know where to look.' Well, she was in the market now, and she hadn't found what she had been looking for. She needed... what did she need? A dress? Paint? Some sort of glue? Feathers? The one stall she had found with the items was run by a savage, a blue man charging outrageously, and enjoying her irritation.

'I should have hit him,'
Kiva thought darkly, 'Mother would have slaughtered him.' But how long would it have been until she was killed, or arrested, or whatever it was that these Akalak did? This was no longer Taloba, and she gave a homesick sigh, hating the cold, hating having to try so hard to fit in. Why should she? She was Myrian! Didn't that mean anything to these people? 'Ha', Kiva thought bitterly, 'All these men care about is whether or not you can breed.' The one or two people that she had told of her race looked at her with disgust, and once, laughter.

"Myrians are children's stories," a human had told her, "They're the monsters that will eat them if they do not behave!" He howled with laughter, infuriating the woman so that she saw red, "If you're Myrian, where are your sharp teeth? Where are your tattoos?"

It was by sheer willpower that she did not kill him... That, and the Akalak guards who were hovering, ready to take action if she did not behave. Kiva took a deep breath at the memory, trying to disengage herself from the thrall of people. She slung off her bag as she walked, reaching inside to try and find something to eat. Something she could sink her teeth into... Perhaps some dried meat. As Kiva looked in her pack, the worn strap released, sending more than some of her belongings sprawling to the floor. Her kris, a dark and sturdy blade made the most noise, clattering as it hit the stone floor. A nearby cat that had been cleaning itself darted at the sudden sound, and Kiva cursed in her native tongue. Even her journal, where she wrote down a number of notes had skidded away, a dried flower flying from its pages. She darted to retriever her items, frustrated more than ever.

Why was she doing this again?
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[Winter Blaze] Designing The Right Costume (Kiva +)

Postby Kavala on December 24th, 2015, 6:55 pm

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A metal Kris clanked across the stone of the Warrens and bumped against Kavala's booted foot. The cat gave a blatant series of curses, its hair on end, and bolted back under the table. The Konti crouched, piked up the Kris, and reversed it in her hand. She waited until the woman who'd spilled her bag had gathered most of her other things before she took two steps forward and offered the blade back to the woman hilt first.

Sharp blue eyes surveyed the situation, noted the broken strap, and the woman who's bag it belonged too. "I wouldn't suggest patching that. Straps are too important. There's a bag seller around here that would probably have a spare strap for a few coppers." Kavala said to the woman, still holding the Kris out hilt first.

The Konti was dressed in leathers, much like the rest of the Akalak in Riverfall, though hers were a pale golden color that made her look all the more small and delicate and pale. Kavala wasn't delicate though. She was a 5'7" woman with well defined muscles and a smooth stride that bespoke physical training.

She glanced after the cat, pondering making an appointment with one of the mind healers at the Gila, before she turned back to the woman. Speaking animals? No... just no.

The woman's exotic features bespoke far away lands, but Kavala had no idea from where. She suspected south, but she didn't know if it was tropics or desert. A glance at the woman's wrists found no Nakivak bracelet, so she probably wasn't here as a breeder. And further observation noted guards lingering where they normally would not.

A pale eyebrow rose. "Are those guards bothering you?" Kavala said, glancing discretely at the guards that seemed to be shadowing the woman. She wondered, absently, if they were watching the woman and said as much. "They look like they are watching you. Probably hoping for a crime spree from you. They like making pretty single women from far off exotic places disappear. You've heard of Nakivaks, haven't you? I'd be careful." Kavala warned, scanning the area one more time.
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The Sanctuary The Sanctuary Forum Riverfall The Cytali
Reverie Isle Wolf Creek Training Course
Please Note:
  • This pc is maxed out in Animal Husbandry, Medicine, Observation, Rhetoric, and Socialization.
  • Kavala a Master Teacher. Students she is teaching in thread can earn more than the maxium 5 XP per thread.
  • This pc has a Konti Gift of Animal Empathy. She has a superpower from a Riverfall city event that allows animals of all sorts and Kelvics (in kelvic form) to speak clear understandable Common around her.
  • Kavala is a Konti but was raised in the Drykas culture so her accent is entirely Pavi though she can speak Common, Pavi, and Tukant well. She's only conversational in Kontinese.
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Kavala
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[Winter Blaze] Designing The Right Costume (Kiva +)

Postby Lian Windrunner on December 26th, 2015, 6:51 am

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An endless expanse of golden brown swayed lightly as the wind blew through the grass. Birds called out to each other, hidden among the tall grass that was their home. All was as it should be. Peaceful. All was right with the world, and everything in it.

Then reality...shifted. Heat, intense, and oppressive seared Lian's lungs. Thick, acrid black smoke filled the air, turning the once familiar world into a terrifying nightmare. Birds exploded into flight all around him, screaming in panic as they flew for safer territory. Predator and prey alike fled before a wall of red that consumed everything that it touched. Neither took note of the other as both had far more to fear than each other. Even the deadly glassbeaks, and night lions gave way to this implacable threat. And the world burned.

Red consumed golden brown, turning all into black ash. Lian fled like the animals that called the Sea of Grass home. But unlike most, he knew that there was no outrunning a grass fire. Unless he could make it to the lake he was dead. And with his injured ankle, that seemed a very frail hope.

Until she came. A beautiful young filly exploded out of the grass beside him. She reared, pawing the air with her hooves as she screamed a challenge at the fire. Her ears were pinned back against her head as she defied the deadliest of predators. And she stood between him, and death. When she dropped back down to the ground, Lian grabbed her mane, and managed to drag himself up onto her back. His lungs burned, and he coughed harshly against the smoke that tried to smother him.

The filly ran. Lian guided her panicked flight towards the lake. It was the only hope that either of them had. But at least together, there was a chance.


Lian woke with a startled cry. He half expected to feel the intense heat of fire surrounding him. But then the dream faded, and with it, the fragment of memory it had stirred within him. What was that fire? How old had he been when he'd been caught up in it? Were there others with him? And if so...who? Family? Friends? Had they survived? Or were they forever lost, existing only in the fragmented bits of memory that were mostly lost to him? The only thing he was certain of was that the strider filly that had saved him was Talise. That, and the fact that he had saved her from that fire as much as she had saved her.

There was no chance of sleep returning to him, so Lian gave it up as a lost cause. He left his room, and went in search of something to eat. Then he made his way through the tunnel leading out of the Within, and into the riding arena. From there, he entered the boarding barn, and found Talise. The beautiful strider mare was a very welcome sight after his nightmare. Even now, the vague images lingered, making him uneasy. He half expected to smell the acrid smoke.

Lian opened the stall Talise was staying in, and gestured for her to follow him out into the riding arena. He stopped just long enough to pick up a curry comb. After his nightmare, he wanted nothing more than to spend some good, quality time with his strider. With slow, gentle strokes, Lian brushed the dirt out of his strider's mane. Talise leaned into his touch, clearly enjoying the attention. Lian chuckled.

"You'd make me do this all day long if you could, wouldn't you?"

The answer was a strong, definite affirmative that left Lian staring at his strider in shock. Had he just heard her answer in words...? Deciding that he must have been mistaken, Lian dismissed the thought, and continued. Using circular motions, he started with her neck, then moved slowly from her neck, to her shoulders, to her sides, and finally to her withers. Lian slowly brushed Talise's back, before moving on to her croup. While brushing her croup, he was especially careful not to startle her. Talise was so content that if she were a cat, she would be purring. As it was, Lian felt a very strong desire for him to keep going.


When he was done with her croup, he moved to Talise's other side, and repeated the process starting with her neck. Finally, he wiped away the dirt and hair he'd stirred up with his hand.


"That's better, isn't it?"

Talise whickered in agreement. Again, Lian got a strong sense of agreement and contentment. The sensations he was getting from his bond with his strider were far stronger than he expected them to be. Lian moved to put the curry comb away.

Don't go. came the wistful response.

Lian dropped the curry comb in sheer shock. There was no dismissing it as his imagination that time. Talise had spoken to him! He had heard words in his head!

"What? But how...?" he asked as he stared at his strider.

Please don't go.

Lian couldn't ignore the plea even if he wanted to. So even though he had just finished curry combing his strider, he brushed her again. As he worked, his mind raced, trying to figure out what was going on. Could he still be dreaming? It didn't feel like a dream...but what else would explain the fact that Talise was talking to him? Maybe he was insane, and this was all in his head. He had lost his memory due to an injury. That was what the healer who traveled with the trade caravan that had brought him to Riverfall had told him, at least. Could the injury have damaged more than just his memories? Was it possible to be injured in such a way that his mind was damaged enough to cause him to go insane, but have the effects of such an injury show up well after the fact? How would he know if that were the case? Could Kavala tell him if it were true? She was a healer, after all.

Talise seemed to sense the way his thoughts were headed, and she snorted.

I always talk. You just not always listen.

Lian blinked, startled at that thought. Was his strider right? Talise had always been able to communicate with him through their bond. Lian didn't need his memories to be able to know that much. It was simply the way between strider and their bonded Drykas. It always had been, and it always would be. It was also true that striders were more than just horses. Could this new ability to hear Talise speaking with words be a new aspect of the bond between strider and Drykas? A deeper connection of some kind, perhaps? Again...how would Lian know if that were the case? Still, it was better than the thought that he might be insane.

When Lian finished brushing Talise for the second time, she asked him to stay with her again. Lian got the feeling that she missed being with him all the time. Or at least more often than they were able to spend time together now. He got the impression that she was always nearby, no matter where he was. But as tempting as it was, Lian couldn't stay in the arena all day. So he promised her that they would go on a nice long ride together sometime soon. Then he let his strider out into the east pasture behind the boarding barn.

Once he had seen that Talise would be comfortable, he made his way back into the Within. When he looked for Kavala, he was told that she was out getting a costume for the Winter Blaze festival that would be held in the near future. That reminded him that he needed a costume for it as well...and that he had no idea what kind of costume to get. He had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't the costume wearing kind of guy. Still, the festival sounded like it would be a lot of fun, and it would be a good chance to learn more about the city he was living in.

Lian asked for directions, and got exactly what he asked for; directions to a number of shops that might still have costumes left. So he made his way out of the Sanctuary, and headed towards the city. Once there, he walked through the crowds, trying to keep out of everyone's way. Many of the people seemed to be out on the same errand he was, based on snatches of conversations he heard as he passed by.

The first three places he tried were all sold out of ready made costumes. One had material for sale that someone might be able to make a costume out of, but that someone wasn't him. Memory loss or not, he knew that he didn't have the slightest idea how to make clothes of any kind, much less something as elaborate as a costume. So he began his search once more. As he walked, he thought about what kind of costume he wanted. The theme was fire and ice. That helped somewhat since it gave him ideas to focus on. Even so, he had very little idea of what he was looking for. How did one dress up as ice, anyway? Or fire, for that matter?

The more Lian thought about the matter of a costume, the more he began leaning towards a fire theme. His dream earlier had been a very vivid one, and it influenced him now. It even gave him an idea to work with. Fire raging through the Sea of Grass. Red consuming golden brown. How that idea could be turned into a costume eluded him. But it was all Lian had to work with. Maybe he would know what he was looking for when he saw it?

Lian looked around, and realized that he had managed to get himself completely lost while he had been lost in thought. He was debating whether he should ask someone in the crowd for directions, or simply wander around on his own for a while when he heard Kavala's distinctive voice nearby asking someone if some guards were bothering them. Uncertain as to whether there was trouble or not, Lian headed in the direction he had heard Kavala's voice coming from. The woman had given him a job and a place to live when she knew nothing about him. He didn't even know anything about himself when he first met her. So he felt that...not that he owed her, exactly. He was earning his keep, after all. But she had given him a chance when others might not have. And for that, he would do what he could to help if there was some kind of trouble.

When he got there, he saw that Kavala was talking to a tall woman with long black hair. He also noticed that a group of blue skinned men that seemed as if they might be watching the woman. Were they the guards he heard Kavala asking about? Were they expecting trouble from the black haired woman? Was she trouble? Or were the men hoping to cause trouble? Lian was wondering if he should ask when he felt something watching them. He looked around, and saw a cat glaring at them from underneath a nearby table. He didn't know how he knew, but he got the distinct feeling that it was frightened of something. And from the way it was watching the two women, he got the feeling that one or both of them had frightened it somehow. That realization demanded the question of how he knew the cat was afraid instead of angry. But there were more important matters at hand than a frightened cat.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but do either of you know where I might be able to buy a costume?" he asked politely, in heavily accented Common.

He signed a quick sincere apology as he spoke automatically. Only afterwards did he realize that his pavi sign wasn't likely to be understood. Lian didn't understand what was going on, so he would watch and learn. If there was trouble of some kind, he would do what he could to help. And if not...maybe they could help him find some place he could buy a costume for the festival.


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[Winter Blaze] Designing The Right Costume (Kiva +)

Postby Kiva on December 26th, 2015, 8:00 am

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The tall Myrian scooped up her notebook, her comb, and a few other possessions that had fallen from her bag When she looked up to retrieve her weapon and didn't immediately see it, Kiva's heart dropped. Her eyes searched the crowd desperately until quickly doing a double take, spotting the dark blade in the hands of blonde woman. Relief washed over her, and she took it with a nod when it was returned to her.

"Thank you," Kiva had yet to feel particularly 'thankful' for a non-Myrian, but in that moment, she looked at the Konti with gratitude. When the woman offered advice regarding her broken strap, Kiva accepted the verbal offering, "Yes, you are right. I'll look into it."

Kiva looked down at her strap with a frown. It could be mended. But this one old and a it was due time for a new one. Finding the seller would be troublesome for awhile since Kiva didn't care to deal with the Akalaks today, one of the reasons being pointed out.

The shorter woman acknowledged the guards and their eyes watching them. "Yes, they think I have no control of self." A flash of annoyance, "But, I have broken no law." She scrambled around in the bag in her arms, careful not to spill anything else, and pulled out the map she received when coming to Riverfall. Balanced in her hand, at the mention of Nakivak, Kiva tried to remember if she knew the term. It sounded familiar and she knew it had to do with some of these women in the city, but it's meaning escaped her. Where had she seen it?

Kiva looked down at the map, flipping it over to look at the sponsors of it. When she spotted what she wanted, she quickly pointed to an ad for "becoming Nakivak", and a list of numbers. 'Money? Expected rates?'

"Nakivak? What is this word? I hear it often." Was this blonde saying she was in trouble? Kiva narrowed her eyes at the notion, looking over her shoulder at the watchers wearily. The stared back, unrelenting. She would have to be put down if they came after her, "Is it a worker?"

Just as the question left her lips, Kiva looked up at a new arrival. A man inquired about costumes, and where to find them. Kiva wanted to scoff. 'Well, I knew that, I wouldn't be here.' The Myrian decided to answer honestly, "No. I have been looking." She turned, and it was then she noticed the subtle scales along pale skin, and a single word popped into her mind when she looked at the woman who had returned her kris.

'Konti?

Kiva had heard of the race once before in passing with a Jamoura, and now she had questions. Her own clues were that they were an all female race, and had scales. So far this stranger met the requirements. Kiva began to return her map, her mind contemplating on what to do next. Deal with being stalked by the authority, or seek answers.

Or both.
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[Winter Blaze] Designing The Right Costume (Kiva +)

Postby Kavala on December 26th, 2015, 11:05 pm

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Kavala studied the newcomer for a moment. Her eyes paled slightly from their usual bright blue and turned icy making her look almost blind. The Konti reached back and brushed a strand of her hair that had come loose from her pony tail out of her face, tucking it behind an ear. She glanced at the at the guards one more time, lifted an eyebrow, and made sure her wrist that was tattooed with the Kuvan Status flashed subtly to them. Then she turned and met Kiva’s eyes. The guards glanced away after one last look at the Myrian and moved on. Other prey would be easier without a true citizen with citizen status suddenly in the mix.

“Nakivak’s are positions of great honor in Riverfall.” She started off neutrally. But the woman, even one that looked as feral as Kiva did, deserved the truth. “Nakivaks are women that owe the city of Riverfall a debt. Usually because the Akalak have saved them, or arrested them because of petty crimes in the city – shoplifting, stealing, brawling. They keep track of the women’s debt. What it costs to house her, feed her, etc while she is being charged with a crime or rescued, and the sum usually adds up to a tremendous amount. Then she is told to work it off in the city. The best way to do that is to become a Nakivak. Most aren’t willingly part of the group. But some are. Some women volunteer. You are given a silver bracelet you can’t take off and the Akalaks begin to silently and quietly interview you. Then you are bid on. Quietly. You wouldn’t know it would happen. Each Nakivak has a contract. And those that volunteer get to negotiate their terms. Those that don’t have no choice. One of the Akalaks will eventually buy your contract. It’s in essence buying the rights to your body. They can visit up to twice daily, using you for pleasure, in the name of siring a child on you. And once you are pregnant, they will keep visiting until you are too large to make it acceptable. They will wine you, dine you, and charge up more of your debt. The only thing that pays it off is a child. And by the first child, your debt is so sizeable you honestly might need to have a second to pay it all off.” Kavala said candidly, not raising her voice but not trying to conceal what she said.

“They are treated very well indeed, for the most part. At least I was. Then my second Talvis – the one that bought my contract after my first son Tasival was born tried to kill me. He beat me almost to the edge of my death. Broke a leg, shattered a shoulder and pelvis, and then used me and left me for dead. If a good friend hadn’t found me, I wouldn’t be here today.” Kavala said softly, glancing around, looking absolutely expressionless for a while. “Up until that point I believed the system worked. Then I got to see it first hand and what their justice is. They tattooed his face, deemed him unsafe for society, and banished him to the rest of the Cerulean who are just as violent and unstable.” The Konti added, watching the guards again. They had their backs turned and were moving slowly away. When they were completely out of sight of the two women, she met Kiva's gaze.

“Be very careful. You are young. You are beautiful. And they will admire your fierceness. You’ll have a cuff on your arm and a debt over your head in a heartbeat if they can arrange it.” She added, a hint of something sounding a little like rage in her voice.

She had no idea Lian was right behind her where he could hear every word. When he spoke, Kavala jumped slightly and turned to nod at him. She offered a weak smile, one that didn’t quite cover her discomfort at the topic, and then latched onto his question like a drowning woman latching on to a floating bit o flotsam.

“Costumes. Yes. Uh… that’s why I was here actually. I’m looking for something for the Winter Blaze as well. I have no idea – maybe a nice dress – what I’m getting so maybe we can shop together. What about you…. “ Kavala realized she had no idea what the woman’s name was.

“I’m Kavala Denusk. This is Lian Windrunner. We both work at the same facility with horses and animals. I’m afraid I don’t know your name. You are welcome to join us regardless. I’m sure the Winter Blaze is going to be interesting enough that you might want to come see it with us. “ Kavala said, looking thoughtful and then glancing up.

Her train of thought was interrupted by two loose dogs off their ropes. They were in full fledged fleeing mode, tiny with their ridiculously pompous bejeweled collars dancing on their necks. They were tiny, pampered, and obviously a higher class ladies pet. The two dogs were racing together and darted by the group. Their voices were loud, joyous, and seemingly filled with laughter.

“Run! We run! They cannot catch us! Freedom!” The cried to each other, their barks turning to words as they got into proximity. Kavala blinked, startled, and then took four big steps backwards dragging the two others with her. Two footman, looking for all the world like they were attached to a household, chased the dogs. They were out of breath already and not in the best shape physically. Kavala could easily tell unless the dogs tired soon they would be able to keep out of the footman’s hands. The Konti briefly thought of trying to assist. The only way the dos were going to get captured would be to trick them or ambush them, but it wasn’t her affair and none of the animals involved were hurt. Still, she stared after the dogs whose voices turned into barks again once they were almost out of sight.

Kavala turned to Kiva and Lian then. She blinked, quieted her mind, and simply asked. “Did you hear that?” And then waited for a reaction.

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The Sanctuary The Sanctuary Forum Riverfall The Cytali
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Please Note:
  • This pc is maxed out in Animal Husbandry, Medicine, Observation, Rhetoric, and Socialization.
  • Kavala a Master Teacher. Students she is teaching in thread can earn more than the maxium 5 XP per thread.
  • This pc has a Konti Gift of Animal Empathy. She has a superpower from a Riverfall city event that allows animals of all sorts and Kelvics (in kelvic form) to speak clear understandable Common around her.
  • Kavala is a Konti but was raised in the Drykas culture so her accent is entirely Pavi though she can speak Common, Pavi, and Tukant well. She's only conversational in Kontinese.
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[Winter Blaze] Designing The Right Costume (Kiva +)

Postby Kiva on December 29th, 2015, 6:10 pm

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Understanding full on bull rushed Kiva, and as she looked at this women with the pale blue eyes, an anger welled in her that she had never felt before. Riverfall - for all its beauty and culture, was just as savage as anywhere else. With guards who looked for any excuse to frame you if it meant you could have a child, and a city that had pretended to save slaves. They save those women from one monster just to pretend their not one themselves. How dare they watch her when they couldn't even keep control of their own. If a man... If anyone, ever tried something like that...

Kiva took a step back, appalled, "Do their gods allow this? This is great honor?" Kiva scoffed, shaking her head. She did not know this konti, and felt not sympathy, but fury, "Myri would never allow this to happen," the words came out like a swear, Kiva admitting her own heritage, "In Taloba, we do not raise hands against one another." No matter what she was now, citizen or Nakivak, they had trapped this woman at least twice before. "Earning a great honor means more. They hold feasts in your name, battles are fought for you. Your enemy becomes your clan's enemy."

Kiva's anger began to simmer, and she looked to find the guards gone. This woman did have power, it seemed. Some influence at least, a title earned. But Riverfall politics were beginning to frustrate her. A solemn expression washed over her face at the warning, taking it to heart. She was outnumbered here and seen as second class. Minding herself would be necessary, and she prepared to lean in, but stopped the question that was about to spill off her lips. 'Did you make him suffer?'

Conspiring about killing another Akalak perhaps was not the best to do in public, so instead, the Myrian raised her head, and made a mental note on taking revenge. This was a konti, not another Myrian, not even a friend. But a man needed to be put in his place.

She snapped from her thoughts at the introductions, nodding, "Kiva of The Crimson Sun." The tall woman turned to look at the new arrival again, to connect a name with the face. He was not Akalak, perhaps human. She listened, quirking an eyebrow at the offer. She had contemplated going to the event, if anything as a way to get a free meal. Kiva nodded, accepting the offer. She would be better off alongside the duo than on her own.

Then, to either of them, "Where is it you work?"

A job with animals, and at the mention of it, two tiny dogs came scrambling from the crowd. At the unexpectedly arrival, the Myrian laughed. She had been so angry before, but seeing huge men barreling after such small creatures made her grin. This city was supposed to be filled with warriors, no? Kiva started scrambling in her pack, hearing some shouts of freedom, but her eyes were cast downward as she focused. Finally finding what she was looking for, she gave a sharp whistle that pierced the air and seemed to catch the attention of the bazaar. People who were not already watching the scene turned, and the Myrian threw a piece of jerky from her bag towards the animals, hoping the sound and smell of food would distract them.

"Hear what?"
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[Winter Blaze] Designing The Right Costume (Kiva +)

Postby Lian Windrunner on December 31st, 2015, 6:57 am

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Kavala spoke of something called Nakivaks as Lian approached. He had never heard the term before, so he was curious. So he listened closely as she spoke. She started to say that they held a position of honor in the city. But soon after, she explained that they owed a debt to the city, and that debt was paid off by what was essentially sexual slavery. Nakivaks were women who were forced to bear children for the Akalaks. And not all of them agreed to become Nakivaks by choice.

Kavala's words stirred a vague sense of unease deep within Lian. The image of a pretty, young girl flashed through his mind briefly. No name that he could remember was associated with the image, but Lian got the feeling that he had bred the girl in the same way that the Akalaks bred their Nakivaks. A second image filled his mind. This one was of the same woman, but her belly was swollen with child. The feeling that her unborn child was his was overwhelming. When had that happened? Had the woman given birth already? Was Lian a father? Or had the child miscarried? There was no way for him to know. No more memories surfaced, and the ones that had did not tell him what he wanted...needed to know. The only thing he knew for certain was that the woman whose face had just appeared in his mind was the same one from the disturbing dream he had had soon after coming to live in the Sanctuary.

The whole thing made Lian feel deeply uncomfortable, so he tried to shove his newly recovered memories back into the depth of his mind. It was something he would need to think about later. But that was for another time. He would think about it when he was alone. Lian started paying attention to the conversation again just in time to learn that Kavala herself had once been a Nakivak herself. And that one of the men that had used her had treated her cruelly, attacking her, and leaving her for dead.

Lian didn't know what to feel about what he had just learned. He didn't pity Kavala the way he might another woman who had endured the same fate. The woman he worked for didn't seem like the type who would want pity. She seemed like a very strong woman, one who wouldn't want to be pitied. But he hated to think of the way she must have suffered all the same. Lian was coming to admire Kavala, and although he didn't know her very well, he was coming to like her. It took a special person to give a complete stranger like himself a chance when he knew so little about himself, and he could offer so little in return. And Lian didn't like to think of anyone he liked and admired suffering.

Lian was very relieved when the women noticed him, and the subject changed. From the way Kavala jumped to answer his question, Lian suspected that she was more than happy to change the subject as well.

"I have a general idea of what I want. Sort of. I want to do something with the fire theme. But I can't even begin to imagine what a costume representing fire would look like. I'd like to shop with you, though. Maybe we could help each other?" he suggested.

The cry of "Run!" followed by joyful laughter, and more excited cries of freedom caught Lian's attention. He looked around, fully expecting to see young children racing by, congratulating each other on having escaped the person watching them. What he saw was...a pair of dogs. Lian couldn't help but stare after the fleeing dogs. Even without his memories, he knew he had never seen anything quite like these creatures. They were dogs, but they were tiny, useless looking things. They were clearly pampered, and Lian couldn't imagine they would be of any use hunting or guarding anything. And they wore jeweled collars of all things. But even that ridiculous sight paled in comparison to the fact that they were talking. As they raced away, their voices faded into barks, making Lian wonder if he were hearing things.

When Kavala asked him if he had heard the dogs, Lian simply nodded. He looked more than a little relieved. If Kavala had heard it too, then maybe he wasn't going insane. Then again, if Talise could talk in his head, maybe dogs that could talk out loud weren't so strange after all. Maybe.

"Yes, I did." he said slowly, as he turned to Kavala.


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