Open Summer Afternoons

[Anibesa]

t 21st Summer, 518AV t

It was warm, as usual, and Anibesa had come to the Tidepool Bar from her tent around a tick ago, and now she stood behind the bar speaking with Tony Swiftwater who had arrived a few moments after Anibesa had.

“So, you travelled with Svefra? How long for?” the man asked and Anibesa thought for a few moments, trying to remember when she’d joined them. She remembered joining them maybe a year or two after she fell, then that she’d left them six years ago.

“Honestly, for most of my life! Over forty years definitely, probably closer to fifty years though. I left them six years ago and made my way back to Riverfall for a bit.” Anibesa exclaimed as she looked at the mans face as he took a sip of his drink.

“Fifty?” Tony looked shocked for a moment and Anibesa chuckled slightly before nodding. “Sorry, hadn’t ever thought to ask your age before. I’d have guessed you in your twenties, thirties at most and even then I’d have been surprised!” the man responded and Anibesa found herself chuckling.

“No that’s fair. I know I always struggle with guessing people’s ages.” Anibesa grinned before thinking. “I actually turned fifty-seven last season.”

“Did you celebrate at all?” the man asked and Anibesa shrugged her shoulders at his words, thinking for a moment.

“No, I didn’t really get much time to celebrate.” she mused before glancing around. “If I can figure out how to brew something, I’ll probably have some sort of party later this season. I should really ask Stu if he’d be okay with showing me a few of his tricks!” Anibesa found herself grinning again, before Tony put his mug down on the bar.

“Yes, a celebration like that needs some sort of booze! Speaking of which, could I have another mug of this? Syka Sunrise I think they were called?” Tony asked and Anibesa instantly nodded, turning to grab two bottles with words engraved on them, one saying ‘pineapple’ and the other saying ‘rum’ and placed them onto the bar.

“Of course!” she exclaimed cheerily and carefully opened the bottle named ‘pineapple’. Instantly the fruity smell of pineapple hit her, followed by the familiar smell of alcohol. It was one that she couldn’t relate to anything she’d smelt before, though it wasn’t unpleasant to her!

Smiling she carefully started to pour it into the mug until it looked like there was enough in the mug, then she sealed the bottle of the pineapple flavored alcohol, before she took hold of the rum bottle, carefully opening it and pouring about the same amount of rum into the mug, watching it as it poured from the bottle and lapped into the mug.

Once the alcohol was in the mug, she retrieved a third bottle, this one containing orange juice, and opened it, pouring it into the mug until it mostly filled, though leaving enough room to add extra alcohol if she had made it too weak,

Smiling she put the orange juice down, then picked the mug up and place it in front of the man.

“One Syka Sunrise!” Anibesa said and the man chuckled, handing her the money from the drink. “If it’s weaker than last time, just let me know and I’ll add a little extra!” she said with a warm smile and the man nodded, taking a sip of the drink and nodding again.

“This is great thanks Ani!” he exclaimed, taking another sip before he glanced around. “Hope you don’t mind me going to sit by the water to cool off?” he said calmly and Anibesa nodded.

“Of course, the water should be nice and cool as well!” she said with a smile before watching the man as he nodded and moved to sit with his feet dangling into the water.

Word Count638

Adapted from a code by Karin

[Okara]

Okara felt hot and heavy as she slowly padded down the cobbled pathway that meandered through the settlement. Her shift at the Panacea had ended and her patients had left her irritable and surly. Her last patient had been a sun sick settler that refused to rest and drink water to cool his body temperature, instead arguing with Okara that he was fine and she was “detaining” him against his will. It had taken a great deal of control not to shout in his face that he had come to the clinic of his own volition. Jansen had quietly explained to her later that the heat exhaustion had likely caused some confusion, but it didn’t make her any happier about someone screaming spittle onto her face. The blasted heat and humidity of the afternoon wasn’t helping improve her mood any. Her linen clothes stuck to her skin uncomfortably and she could feel her feet swimming in sweat inside her boots. The bottom layer of Okara’s white-blonde hair was slick and plastered to her neck. She mentally lectured herself for not braiding it out of the way that morning. A swim through the ocean would certainly cool her down but Okara really didn’t feel like going through all the necessary effort. The pathway meandered through a grove of palm trees and then opened out onto the beach. Straight across the beach Okara could see the settlements bar, the Tidepool, stretching out across a patchwork of docks. She stopped in the path to stare moodily at the thatch roof. The bar was responsible for quite a few of her early morning patients, looking for a quick fix for their hangovers before they had to begin their work of the day. More than once she had been sent to shovel vomit out of the dirt and sand around the Panacea so the stink wouldn’t bother the workers or patients as the heat worked on it. She had never really visited the establishment herself, she wasn’t much of a drinker. Her mother had always cautioned her about the dangers of drinking, how it led to poor decisions and the emotional imbalance of her gentle Konti psyche. Okara was far too irritated to care about emotional imbalances and if her patients found so many solutions in sharp smelling bottles then why not give it a try herself. She strode purposefully along the beach and then slowed her pace when she reached the dock, the striking of her boots on the planks echoed in the space above the water. She made her way slowly to the covered bar, green eyes scanning the seating area to get a feel for the place. ”Hello.” Okara said with a half-smile to Anibesa behind the counter. Despite her irritation she was too polite of a person to take that out on a stranger. The konti slid onto a stool in front of the bar. She gazed at the bottles, feeling a little lost. What did she want? From the bar patrons that had become her patients she knew plenty of drink names but wasn’t positive what she would like. ”I guess I will try Sunshine and Sandcastles? I’m not too familiar with the menu, to be honest.” Okara admitted, her smile growing a little. She wasn’t exactly certain what she had ordered but it sounded happy, and she could use some extra happiness. She placed her elbows on the bar and cradled her chin between her scaled hands as she considered the auburn-haired woman before her. Word count: 586

[Ashka]

Ashka dug her paddle into the water, sending the canoe through the waves as fast as she could. The wind of their movement cooled her, as did the spray from the waves and the drops that ran down the paddle, along her forearm, and dripped off her elbow. Chaya laughed in the bow, and held up her still childish arms to taste the wind. Ashka grinned and dipped the paddle faster, pushing herself to go even faster. A straight line made speed easier that deliberate curves, but she could already feel the effort that she was putting in. Her very loose shirt and wide-cut trousers made a breeze of their own around her limbs while preventing sunburn, and a blue scarf kept her mass of brown curls off her face and neck.

Up ahead she saw the pier that marked the Tidepool and their destination. She pulled her paddle out of the water and let the canoe drift onward with the speed she had already pushed it to reach. She had realised last season that she needed to spend more time around others and less as just the two of them on their acres, and the Tidepool was ideal for that. She could spin anywhere, although today she was more interested in winding spun thread off her spindle and into working hanks. That was something that went easier with two people, and although Chaya would sit for it for a while, she was too young to do a lot of it.

She dipped the paddle into the water and held it still, so that the canoe pivoted around it and lost most of its speed. The outriggers bumped gently against the pier, and Chaya jumped from the bow with a rope to tether the canoe there. Ashka stowed her paddle, slung her pack lightly across one shoulder, and followed Chaya up into the Tidepool. A man sitting by the edge of the water raised his mug and smiled a greeting to them. Ashka smiled and nodded back, and kept going to the bar. She recognised Anibesa standing behind it, but there was a pale woman sitting on a stool that she didn't know. Chaya veered off to the table nearest the bar, and waved as she pulled out two chairs. Ashka stopped to lean on the bar and place an order for drinks before she joined her sister. "A mug of Sunshine and Sandcastles for me, and an unspiked tea for my little sister."

"A cold one!" Chaya called from the table and Ashka gave her a thumbs up and repeated the request for Anibesa's benefit. "Will it bother anyone if I wind yarn?" she asked, looking around. As she waited for the drinks and any answers, she glanced over at the pale woman and was surprised to catch a glimpse of scales shimmering on the woman's hands. "I'm Ashka, by the way. Syka's resident weaver. The little girl is my sister, Chaya. I don't think we have met before?"

Common, Pavi, Fratava

[Anibesa]

After Tony had moved to sit on his own with his drink, Anibesa had been debating whether to try cleaning the bar again, or whether to have a look in on Stuvantis in the kitchen. Though before she’d had the chance to decide on what to do, she heard footsteps and then saw the attractive young woman entering the Tidepool Bar.

For a few moments Anibesa looked over the young woman, taking in her appearance and wondering where she’d came from before the woman took a seat and gave a quick greeting.

“Good Morning!” Anibesa responded cheerfully to the woman, then she heard the woman ask for the sunshine and sandcastles, and Anibesa grinned widely. “It’s a good choice! One of the lighter choices so you can enjoy the day without worrying about how you’re going to be tomorrow!” Anibesa explained. “A mug or a pitcher? Mugs are one silver, while pitchers are one gold, so it depends on how much you want to drink, and how much you want to spend?” she asked, holding up an example of each before placing back whichever one the woman hadn’t asked for.

Carefully she grabbed a bottle of wine, reading it to make sure it was the right one, then half filled the vessel with the wine, placing the wine back where it had came from. Next she grabbed a clear bottle with a slightly yellow liquid in it. Unsealing the bottle she could smell citrus, though this was sweeter. It had been a mixer that had been made from sugar and lemon juice, and she’d seen Stuvantis using it in the punch mix. She mostly filled the rest of the vessel with the sweet lemon mix, before grabbing one last bottle. This one was labeled with ‘orange’ and uncorking it Anibesa could smell something slightly alcoholic and orange, and carefully she added a small dash to the mix, before turning and placing the drink in front of the woman.

“You’re new to Syka aren’t you?” Anibesa asked, holding her hand out the woman with a smile. “I’m Anibesa. How are you settling in?” she asked warmly, before she heard something moving through the water and she turned her head to look out to the sea, though hadn’t managed to catch the source of the noise until Ashka and her sister enter the bar.

Anibesa grinned at the pair, waving a greeting at them as she saw them both take a seat. She turned her attention between the new woman and Ashka until she saw Ashka approach the bar, nodding as she listened to the order, grinning as she heard Chaya chime in and ask for her tea to be cold.

“It’s almost as though you know exactly what I was going to ask there! And please, wind away!” she chuckled as she spoke, before grabbing two mugs and starting the tea first, knowing that with it being cold it would take longer to get the proper flavour. “Any preference on the tea, or are you wanting a surprise?” Anibesa asked, briefly checking over the teas that were kept just behind the bar. “We have some fruity ones, or some aromatic ones, and just plain old tea of course?”

Anibesa briefly waited for the answer, before taking hold of the right tea and adding it to the mug, before filling it with water and stirring it briefly, before leaving it to sit whilst she worked on the sunshine and suncastles, preparing it the same way as she had done earlier before placing it on the bar.

She checked on the tea, stirring it briefly again as she saw that the colour had taken before picking it up carefully in one hand, and the wine punch in the other before carrying them carefully to Ashka and her sister, placing them on the table carefully.

“One tea without the something extra, and one sunshine and sandcastles. That’ll be two silver.” she said with her usual smile.

Word Count662

Adapted from a code by Karin

[Tailyn]

Syna’s blazing light pounded against Tailyn’s neck as she made her way across the idelic beach and towards the Tidepool bar, weaving her way around pieces of fallen driftwood and with the ever familiar weight of Blue heavy on her shoulder. Despite the heat, the woman found herself in a cheerful mood. Her daily chores were done until later in the evening, and as she sat in her hammock on the beach staring at the waves she found herself remarkably...unstimulated. Abanath’s departure was hitting her a little hard. She could go and find the Verusk to pester him, but even Tai recognized that she had been bothering her friend overmuch. But Tai couldn’t bring herself to stay alone either. At her heart, she was as social of a bird as her parrots were, and as good of company as her companions were, she needed people. So, in good humor, the woman made her way to the cornerstone of all socialization: a bar. A drink wouldn’t do her a bad turn either.

As Tai finished her approach to the overwater establishment, a grin spread across her face as she saw a small smattering of people collected at the bar. She trotted quickly across the dock and into the center section of the bar. The woman’s eyebrows rose up quickly as she spotted a familiar face.

“Ani! Hi!” Tai could vaguely recall Anibesa mentioning that she worked at the Tidepool bar during their brief meeting when snow had fallen from the sky, but in Tai’s handful of trips here she’d never actually run across the young woman.

“It’s good to see you again! How are you?”

Tai’s attention turned from the red-haired sverfra woman towards the other members the bar who were unfamiliar to her. There was a pretty, white haired woman and another equally pretty dark haired girl trailed by a child. She smiled at each of them. “Hi. I’m Tailyn. You can call me Tai if you want. This is Blue.” Tai jerked her thumb at the parrot on her shoulder, who made a quiet, non committal croak. The bird seemed to be in a good mood today, and seemed perfectly content to simply sit on Tai’s shoulder and observe the scene around her.

Tai’s arrival caught her on the tail end of the conversation between the dark haired girl and Anibesa, though she quirked an eyebrow as the woman with dark hair introduced herself as Ashka. She was positive she had heard that name from somewhere before…

The rest of the woman’s introduction clicked the information in Tai’s head. “I think Randal mentioned you,” Tai told her. “Nice to meet you.”

Tai’s eyes went back to the white haired woman, not wanting to be rude. “What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking? I don’t think we’ve met before, either.”

Tai’s attention soon fell back on Anibesa once more. It was a bar after all, and in bars you drink!

“Can I get a ‘We Aren’t In Riverfall Anymore’? I might order something to eat in a minute here too, but not yet.”

(Words 515)

[Okara]

”Umm… I will take a mug, please. It’s probably better to start small until I’m sure I like it.” Okara said as she considered the sizes offered by Anibesa. Okara watched with interest as the bartender mixed various liquids into the mug. She considered cooking to be one of her personal passions and she was still learning about the flavor profiles of the local edibles. She had heard Stu made most of his liquors homemade from what was around the settlement but brewing and drink-making seemed like a mysterious science to her, hopefully a tasty sort of science. Okara accepted the mug and slid over the silver coin. She raised it her lips and took a tiny sip, rolling the drink around her tongue before swallowing. It was a very sweet, fruity flavor with a hint of sharpness when it hit her throat. She took a larger swallow while listening to Anibesa’s questions. ”It’s nice to meet you Anibesa. Yes, I only arrived around the turn of the season so I’m still getting the hang of this place but I’m happy about coming here. There’s a lot that needs doing out here but there’s also a nice freedom in that. How long have you been in Syka? Have you always worked at the Tidepool?” Okara asked. She took another drink and turned to see what had drawn Anibesa’s attention. Two young women had pulled up in a canoe and approached the bar. Okara gave them a smile and a nod in greeting as they passed her. The older girl stopped at the bar beside Okara while the younger claimed a table and called out instructions in a way that made Okara grin. The young one reminded her of her own sisters, always worried their older sibling won’t get things quite right. She glanced up as the older girl introduced herself. As Ashka finished speaking, another feminine voice joined them and Okara turned to see a fiery-headed woman approach. Intriguingly, a parrot was perched on the woman’s shoulder. Okara was becoming used to the cacophony of noise that the birds and monkeys created around the settlement, so she was impressed to see Tailyn’s bird exist so quietly. She half-wondered if it was a stuffed bird until it moved it’s head and made a soft croak. No, definitely a real bird. Okara was impressed by how well trained it was to sit so well-behaved. ”Your weaving doesn’t bother me either, Ashka, do as you please. This jungle seems to just eat up people’s clothes so I’m sure you keep pretty busy. It’s nice to meet both of you, and Chaya.” Okara said and raised her hand to wave briefly at the young girl sitting at the table. Okara remembered that her sisters hated being ignored and she assumed the same of Ashka’s sister. ”I’m Okara. I apprentice at the Panacea. If you’ve never met me before this you are probably lucky, I seem to meet most people when they aren’t in the most social of moods.” Okara took another pull at her mug as Tai ordered a drink of her own. She was beginning to see why people liked the Tidepool, it was a social hot spot. The breeze from the ocean was cool and drying her sweaty hair. The drink was wonderfully delicious and made a warm sensation in her belly that was not unpleasant. ”Have you had Blue long? He seems very well-behaved. Did you get him from around Syka?” Okara asked Tai curiously. She glanced at Chaya then turned to Ashka. ”I don’t want to keep you from your sister. Perhaps we could join your table?”

[Ashka]

Chaya asked for a fruit tea and when Anibesa brought the drinks over, Ashka dug out a pair of silver mizas and slid them over. "Thanks. Much appreciated." Remembering the last time she'd talked to Anibesa here, she added, "No more weird happenings, I hope?" She dropped an eternal ice crystal in each of their drinks to chill them further and took a careful sip while she waited for an answer. The crystals were clear quartz, as clear as ice and as good at cooling drinks, but unlike ice, they didn't melt or crunch. She could fish them out later, clean them off, and re-use them. Chaya grinned at the sight and picked up her mug in both hands to take a mouthful of iced tea.

As they took their first sips, another young woman arrived, her bright red hair in sharp contrast to the blue bird sitting contentedly on her shoulder. Ashka found her vaguely familiar, but it took a moment before she remembered seeing the bird taking off at the party where she had met Kiveth. The redhead introduced herself as Tailyn or Tai and ordered a Riverfall drink before turning to Ashka and mentioning that she had heard of Ashka from Randal. Ashka tilted her head a little on one side, the unconcious gesture oddly like a bird herself. "Oh...." She set her mug down and fished her drop spindle out of her pack while she found the words to be friendly rather than defensive. Mention of Riverfall always brought back memories that set her on edge. Thread was wound onto the spindle until it looked more like a cone than a rod and disk. It needed to come off before she could make more. "Is that good or bad, or do I not want to know what he said?" she asked, giving Tai a quick, self-deprecating smile. "Knowing I'm being talked about always makes me wonder. Nice to meet you, either way. And your bird too."

The pale woman introduced herself as Okara and said that she worked at the Panacea. She was also drinking a Sunshine and Sandcastles, and Ashka raised her mug in recognition. "We probably will meet there at some point, if only when I turn up to discuss how much you need in the way of sewing thread and bandages," she said with a smile, some of the tension easing from her shoulders as no one seemed bothered by her weaving or winding thread.

"By all means join me at my table," she added, nudging out chairs with her foot, but leaving room for her to wind onto Chaya's hands. "Chaya, I'll need your hands please, for a bit." Chaya pulled a face at the sight of the yarn, but slurped down the rest of her tea, set down the mug and held out her hands like vertical planks, perhaps a foot apart. Ashka offered Chaya the end of the thread and Chaya obligingly pinned it under a thumb as Ashka began to wind the thread in a loop around Chaya's hands, careful to keep it straight, untangled, and not too tight. This thread was slightly on the thick side for sewing, but good for weaving into standard cloth. She could do it between her own hand and elbow, or around a chair back if she had to, but another person's hands were easiest and simplest - if you had someone who would co-operate. Chaya looked resigned as much as anything, but it also kept her pinned where Ashka could see her around these strangers, and out of trouble. "What brings you all down to the Tidepool?" she asked, prodding herself into making conversation.


Receipt2 mugs of drink = 2 sm

Common, Pavi, Fratava

[Anibesa]

As Okara spoke Anibesa smiled, it was a good choice to take the mug, and then she heard the woman speak of how she was new to the settlement and still settling in.
“There’s definitely a lot that needs doing, especially considering how few people we have out here. All the cities I’ve been in were much easier to get settled, but I can tell you that Syka has a much nicer atmosphere. Almost everyone knows everyone, and everyone helps each other out.” Anibesa mused out loud, before hearing the blonde woman speak again. “Aye, I’ve been here a year so far, and I’ve always worked at the Tidepool. I’m gonna try to get Stu to show me how he brews his boozes, and see if I can get started making some of my own.” Anibesa grinned at the idea.

As Ashka spoke Anibesa grinned slightly. The last time she’d seen Ashka in the Tidepool Bar had been Winter, when there were odd lights in the sky and weird noises from the jungle.
“None that I’ve seen. It’s been oddly peaceful, though the Veronica has been missing for a while now, hasn’t it?” Anibesa mused, trying to recall when she’d last seen the boat and it’s captain.

Anibesa saw the redhead enter the bar and paused for a brief moment as she racked her brain for the girls name. She knew she’d met her before, though since then she hadn’t seen the woman again, though it was good to see that the parrot was still on the woman’s shoulder.

“Tailyn, right?” Anibesa said with a smile as the name came to her mind, before she heard the woman’s greeting. “I’ve been good, enjoying the sun really. How about you?” Anibesa asked as she looked around the other patrons in the bar.

Anibesa listened in to the conversation for a few moments, enjoying the feeling of warm friendliness around her as the women all spoke between themselves, introducing themselves and working out how they’d recognised each other’s names.

Then Tailyn came to order a drink and Anibesa grinned widely. The wines that Stu made were Anibesa’s favourite as far as the scents went. He usually had a few varieties in, and Anibesa carefully looked around for them, seeing four available for the day.
“So today we have four varieties available, so do you prefer dry or sweet wines, and fruity or more spice flavored?” Anibesa asked, waiting for the woman’s response to choose the right wine, though if the woman wasn’t sure Anibesa would choose her own personal favourite, a wine that was sweet and flavored with spices, giving it a rich quality.

“Also, would you like a mug or a pitcher?” Anibesa held up the two vessels. “You get more in a pitcher but it’s a gold miza, while mugs are only a silver miza with less in but give you more chance to have a few different drinks?” Anibesa offered.

Depending on what the woman chose, Anibesa took the vessel and the bottle of the chosen wine, and carefully tipped the vessel onto it’s side, gently pouring in the wine until the vessel was full, before handing the drink to the redhead and putting the bottles of wine back to where she’d retrieved them.

Word Count545

Adapted from a code by Karin

[Tailyn]

Tai grinned without reservation at Okara’s question. Parrots were, after all, one of her favorite things to talk about especially if it had to do with Blue.

“Blue’s a girl! I’ve had her for...oh four years now I think? This is definitely the sort of area she’s from, but she wasn’t born here. I got her back when I lived in Wind Reach. She didn’t thrive there though, so I moved here.” Tai tickled her bird underneath the wing, which prompted a cheerful chuckle out of the bird. Blue launched off of Tai’s shoulder and fluttered over to the roof covering the Tidepool bar. She hung over the edge upside down and peered at the group, chattering good-naturedly. Tai chuckled in reply. “I run a parrot catching, taming and training business,” Tai explained. “I export the birds to Riverfall.”

Tai turned towards Ashka and watched with great curiosity as she wound the thread onto the spindle with practiced hands. The inarta had never seen the like before and found it mildly fascinating. She was always intrigued by people who worked with their hands. At the woman’s comment, Tai blinked in surprise. “Oh no no no,” she said hurriedly. “Nothing bad! When we first met Randal gave me a rundown of a lot of the people in Syka and what their jobs were. Your name was just one of the ones he mentioned, that’s all.” Tai smiles a little weakly, hoping she hadn’t accidentally upset the woman. She seemed a touch uneasy. “He didn’t mention...Chaya though, was it? It’s nice to meet you too.” Tai offered the younger girl a winning smile.

When Anibesa addressed Tai with her question, she took a very brief moment to consider. “Fruity and sweet please,” she said cheerfully. Tai shared a lot of the same tastes that her bird friends did, and it was hard to go wrong with something sweet. “Just a mug for now I think. Thanks Ani.”

When the mug was offered, Tai would make her way towards Ashka and Chaya’s table. “I hope the pair of you don’t mind me joining either,” Tai said hesitantly, waiting for an assurance. If offered Tai would take a seat. “I’m mostly just bored,” Tai replied in answer to Ashka’s question. “Abanath, the Verusk I was looking after, isn’t living with me anymore. I forgot how quiet it is without anyone else around. The parrots talk, but it isn’t the same as people talk.”

[Okara]

21st of Summer

Okara nodded as Tai explained her work. She figured the woman could not be short of birds to catch given the symphony of calls and whistles that seemed to never cease from the thick canopy. She couldn’t imagine trying to capture the creatures though, even the smallest of beings that resided in the jungle seemed formidable and ready to defend itself. No doubt a necessity to survive the brutal hierarchy of jungle animals.

”Does that go well? I imagine the birds of this jungle don’t like to give themselves up easily.” Okara said with a small chuckle, taking another sip of her mug. She had drank about a third of the drink and it was becoming more delicious with each swallow. It was cool but warmed her body in a curious way. She realized that she was becoming slightly tipsy, and needed to slow down on her drink before making a fool of herself. She didn’t have a tolerance to the liquor and even the small amount seemed to be affecting her rather quickly.

Okara stood as Tai and Ashka conversed about Randal, the helpful fellow, and sat in one of the chairs Ashka had offered. She placed her drink on the table a little in front of her so it wasn’t quite so close at hand. She glanced at Chaya helping Ashka with her thread and she barely suppressed a giggle at the look on the young girls face. Seeing Ashka interact with her younger sister continued to bring up memories of home. She wondered what her sisters were doing. Probably playing in the lake to escape the summer heat, and their chores no doubt. She turned towards Ashka as she realized the woman was addressing the group and smiled at her question.

”Well the Tidepool seems to always be the popular social place so I figured I had better see what it’s about. I needed some relaxation after work today, so it seemed like the perfect time to stop by. This is a lovely little set up here, those hammocks look marvelously comfortable. What brings you and your sister here?” Okara asked, returning the question. She turned her head to look at Tailyn as she responded to the same question. Okara tilted her head gently with curiosity at the redhead’s words.

”What is a verusk, if I may ask? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that before.” Okara questioned carefully, hoping she hadn’t stuck her foot in her mouth. There were many cultures in the world and she was familiar with so few, she could see herself carelessly questioning something that should be sacred or personal. Then again, perhaps it was a large bird of some variety that had made Tailyn an excellent sale.



Boxcode courtesy of Anais Seawind