A midnight surprise. (open)

[Haeli]

Early Summer 511, AV

She'd been out for a walk when she saw the firestarter dancing among the plants in a stone garden. Haeli paused, watching the man, uncertain what he was actually doing. She'd quietly paused, moving under a rather large overgrown Rhododendron that was more tree than shrub in its size. The girl touched it gently, as if to reassure the brightly flowered tree that she would not let the reimancer harm it, before turning once more to gaze at the man.

Truthfully, she was at a loss as to why he was making fire. It was a warm summer and there was very little need of flame unless one cooked food, and then he'd gathered no wood. Haeli knew magic, about djed, and while she'd never seen anyone make fire, she'd certainly knew it was perhaps possible. When a slight girl could become an enormously large and dangerous croc or a sleek bird, one's eye was open to new possibilities.

She watched, curious, and only slightly worried about the garden. When he switched from fire to blade, she continued watching, wondering if the city watch would be upset or stop to question him. When he turned, sensing or seeing her in the shade beneath the rhododendrum tree, she shook her head and stepped out.

Speaking on common she said. "I'm sorry but I don't speak Lhavitian. Do you know Common?" If he looked aggressive, it wouldn't take her long to leave. No, Haeli knew how to run, definitely. AS she stepped out, the stranger would notice she wasn't dressed like the other Lhavitans. Instead, she had plain clothing on, almost impoverished looking, a simple shift belted at the hips with no shoes to speak of on her feet. And she moved as if she didn't notice she was dressed differently, poorly, in comparison.

[Naota Miyabe]

When the slim young girl stepped from under the overgrown tree Naota let himself relax. She didn't seem one to cause any harm. His eyes were drawn to her hair, an odd mix of various blond streaks it seemed.

"I'm sorry if I startled you, or seemed threatening. My name is Naota." He spoke softly in common, his eyes slowly scanning the girl. She seemed his age, if not younger, but her eyes seemed wise beyond that. Her simple clothes made him wonder if she was shimobe, or a tourist. Tucking the blade back into it's spot, winding the ribbon up his arms, he continued. "I was practicing my fire reimancy. I've got it pretty much mastered though."

Naota unsure what to say next. Nervously, as all boys seem to do around a girl of similar age, he began fidgiting slightly. A slight wind blew through the clearing, and the silence of the night seemed to fill the area. But, as night usually is, it wasn't silent. The breeze made leaves rustle, and small insects chittered among the plant life. Naota turned and went to what he now considered his bench and sat, watching the girl.

Still unsure of her intentions, he wasn't sure if he would let her sit on 'his' bench. Rubbing his eye, he realized he was slightly tired from pushing and pulling the res, and fire where he wanted. He took a sip from his water and beckened to the girl, calling out, "You can come sit and chat... or just sit or...." He nervously rubbed his neck and smiled slightly, his words running out.

[Haeli]

Haeli stood quietly, watching the man. She wasn't afraid, per say, just naturally cautious. The man had proven himself dangerous with his display of fireballs and his handling of the ribbon blade which looked like a formidable weapon. But in her experience, predators didn't introduce themselves and then back quietly up and take a seat after offering their name.

She advanced further out of the shadows then, curious, studying him in the way a wild creature would study a human it suddenly encountered in its own territory not having seen one before. Haeli had seen lots of humans, of course, but each one held new surprises and was as different from the last as possible. But just because she'd seen many of them didn't mean she knew much about them. She didn't. Even after being in Lhavit for a few seasons, she still quietly studied the world and what went on around her within it. Humans, truth be told, rarely acted with any sense and predictability, so she was cautious.

She did not join him on the bench, instead looked around and came closer to a more comfortable distance to speak to him without actually getting too close. Haeli was cautious of fire and even more cautious of his words, once he said them. "It is nice to meet you, Naota. I am called Haeli." She replied politely. But his next words caused her to frown slightly, though it would be hard to decide what he frown was for.

"You cannot ever master fire. You can hope to contain it or control it a little, but you'll never truly be able too. It is a wild and free thing with a mind and desire of its own. Reimancers forget that too often and they are the ones that fall prey to its whims most often." Haeli said softly. She moved forward and settled on the grass near enough to have a conversation with Naota without being within arms length.

"I was worried for the plants here... for this place. I didn't know if you were going to set it on fire or attack the denizens here with your blade. They have done nothing but look lovely." She explained. "Are you from here? There are places mages can go, places in the towers where it is safe to practice such things." She added.

[Naota Miyabe]

Haeli, an interesting name Naota thought. He listen to her speak, half paying attention while he tried to figure her out a bit. Suddenly Naota was at full attention as she chastised him, and he felt his face get hot and blush. "I didn't mean to truly be a master over fire. I know you cannot fully control fire. More like coax it to help you. I meant that I had learned as much as I could about the fire part of reimancy. Im sorry for the confusion."

He nodded, and smiled softly. Naota wasnt sure why but he wanted to keep her happy, or at least calm. "As for the plants, I wouldn't dream of hurting them. I quite enjoy the outdoors, and nature, so I try to keep the fire in check. As for the blades, I only drew them because I heard something, and was startled. I was only going to use them if I had been attacked by... I don't know, bandits or something. It was self defense."

He wondered how she would take his explainations. Hopefully not in a bad way. As an after though, he said "I don't know if it calms you any, but I wont be using fire for awhile. After today I'm focus on air remancy for awhile. its a hard one though. Its not as substantial as the other three, so its takes a bit more skill to do."

[Haeli]

His words did little to sooth her, truth be told, though she was calm. A wise man, especially a mage, kept learning all throughout his life not claiming his mind was all the way full up to the point where nothing more would be needed in terms of a topic. Even if he knew about fire, as his skill in other elements rose, the combinations with them and fire would increase his knowledge. His range would get better. The more djed he could produce the better he'd get, and still he'd learn. If he shut himself off and pronounced himself 'done' so soon, how much more would his mind be willing to absorb?

Men were perilous in their self-confidence which often lead to arrogance. And while she didn't think he was trying to come off as arrogant, she understood more what her mentor, Ozantha, and been trying to tell her. Be wary of them. This was a good example of why.

"Thank you for not hurting them. They feed and create medicine for us and surround us with beauty up here on this otherwise stark mountain. I live for them and the other life all around us. They bring me great comfort and sometimes even tell me their secrets." She confessed, glancing at the notebook still in her hands. "But I have not long lived at this place, so I have a lot to learn about them still. I might know one of them out of thousands. Someday I will know maybe ten out of each thousand if I study hard and take the time to ask the right questions." She added.

"Are you from here? From Lhavit?" She inquired, curious to understand why he was practicing in such a place and not in the towers.

But it was not her place to tell him such things. He would have to learn for himself. He looked young to her, even though she herself was young as well. Haeli tended to trust only the old, for age had its virtues and among them first and foremost was experience backed up by a healthy measure of humility. It was one thing she often saw lacking in Lhavit. People were proud, confident, and so very weak. Most would not survive outside the city, even for a single night, especially in the wilds. Yet here they were bolstered up with false confidence and culturally taught pride.

Pride wouldn't keep one alive.

In that moment, watching the young man, she felt an incredible longing to go back to the swamp. She longed for it so hard and so fierce that she wondered if she was doing the right thing remaining in Lhavit. She'd promised herself she'd give it a year to learn about people, for her curiosity was always overwhelming when it came to them. Ozantha had always scorned her questions, telling her how disappointed she'd be if she really knew them. Her mentors words were slowly coming true. Naota's world was not her own. She was the stranger here and he was right in everything he did because he was human and that was how they behaved.

OOCI thought I should tell you that you can't dual wield anything, even ribbon blades, until you have a thirty in the weapon and start taking points in Dual Wield as well. So technically he can only use one at a time.

[Naota Miyabe]

OOC:Whoops, thanks for pointing that out. I'm new and didn't realize that. Ill edit the posts accordingly.

"Yes, I'm from Lhavit." Naota slowly nodded, pausing for a moment. "I grew up here. Most of last year I was homeless, but recently got enough money to buy a place in the solar wind apartments. Before that I lived in a small apartment behind my families carpentry shop with my.... father." His words gained a hard edge at the end. Naota hated that word, Father. His dad was a terrible person, one that Naota would be happy to never see again. He looked away, up at the moon. His eyes grew distant, and although his body was still in the garden with Haeli, Naota's mind was far away.

He was in a large workshop, his father's. The room had several well organized workbenches and tables, and a slight haze of sawdust. One wall was dominated by a huge rack of tools. Saws, clamps, chisels, hammers, and many other specialized carpentry tools covered the wall. Naota was but a boy of 8 years, not the slim young man he was now. He had been chasing mice around the well kept shop, while his father was counting money in the front office.

Naota was moving swiftly between two tables, chasing a particularly large white mouse. Suddenly he felt his feet slip from under him. Naota's eyes grew large as he saw a particularly fancy cabinet his father has just finished for a wealthy client. It was tall, with a carved pattern of dragons down the doors, their gold leafed scales glittering, and ebony handles. He closed his eyes and felt his shoulder thump into it as he fell to the ground. Naota opened his eyes as the cabinet tilted. It seemed to slow down, as if deciding Naota's fate, before crashing to the ground, a loud crack echoing through the shop. The air was filled with a cloud of sawdust.

Naota started to stand as a meaty hand with thick fingers snatched him up by the color. Yanked out of the cloud, Naota was face to face with his father. A large man, Hamin Miyabe was over six foot tall, with a pot belly, permanently dusty hands and a huge red nose. His beady eyes glared hard at Naota. "Boy. Do you realize how much that cabinet was going to be sold for. it was a very important project. And you've ruined it." Hamin's voice boomed out, gravely and serious. Naota stayed quiet. He had learned long ago anything he said would only make things worse. Hamin's rule was law, no excuses. A quick smack and Naota was dazed. Another, this one from the opposite direction. Naota blacked out for a moment, only to be shaken back to consciousness. His father hit him three more times, then dropped him, only to crumple at his feet. Naota could feel his swollen lip, and blood dripping from his nose. "Room, Naota." It was a command, not a question. Hamin stepped over him to inspect his cabinet. Naota slowly, shakily, stood up and ran to the apartment, hidden behind the carpentry shop, through a simple door.

Suddenly Naota was back. He shook his head to clear it, and sighed deeply. He suddenly remembered Haeli. "Uh I.. I guess I spaced off." He looked at her with a deep sadness in his eyes. "Lhavit's been home as long as I can remember. Anyway. You said something about medicinal plants. Are you a herbalist? I know a little about medicinal practices, but not enough to truly help people." He wiped his brow and tilted his head slightly.

[Haeli]

Haeli was a stranger to human emotions. It wasn't that she didn't have them, she did, but she didn't understand what she was seeing when she saw them dance across human features. Nor did she really hear the nuisance of his voice hardening. She watched his features though, from her position nearby, and noticed his attention depart. If she'd been hunting, hungry, and willing he'd be the prefect target.

City people were so soft.

Haeli's eyes scanned the area again, constantly looking for danger even unconsciously as she watched the distracted human before her. He seemed to be focused on something she couldn't see, something inside, and the girl watched fascinated. So many questions filled her mind. How did humans survive and thrive in cities if they were all like this? Did they not hunt each other like the Dhani did, or even find faults and weaknesses with one another? Didn't the weaker, those who demonstrated distraction, find themselves at the toothy end of predators when they roamed from the city? It was baffling to her.

His words were even more mysterious. Spaced off? She frowned, uncertain, and then realized he was asking about her. "I'm not sure what an herbalist is, but I do know about plants and animals. I know how to make medicines and scents from them. They are the way I earn the coin that is so important here." She added.

"Where did you learn about medicines? And if that is not the way you earn coin here, how do you?" She asked, curious about his profession. Maybe he was a hunter, someone who could tell her more about the local wildlife. Haeli needed to go hunting more often for red meat. It was expensive in the city, but abundant outside the walls. Coils or Fang could easily handle a few rabbits if she could locate them. Perhaps this man would know where the best most abundant game was and if it was allowed to be harvested.

[Naota Miyabe]

"I learned what little I know from a healer I helped last fall. That is not how I earn miza's though. I mostly do odd jobs. A bit of carpentry, or helping a shopkeep. Hunting on rare occasians. Its something I lack skill in. Its rough sometimes but i get through it." Naota's head tilted slightly, a small smile dancing across his face. A bird took off from a nearby tree, trilling as it flapped away. "Where did you learn your plant knowledge, if I may know?"

Something about this girl made Naota edgy, and tense. She seemed normal enough but you could never tell these days. He was tempted to leave, but that would be rude, and what if he ran into her again. Wouldn't end well thats for sure. Above all else though, Naota wanted to get back to his training. Air remancy was a magic he was dying to learn. Feeling restless, he stood and began slowly walking around the garden.

Naoa stopped, and his eyes snapped to Haeli. "You want to go for a walk? In the mountains?" He walked to the bench, and pulled his bag from under it. Pulling his cloak over his shoulders, and yanked his hood up. Slinging the bag on his back he looked at her expectantly, almost like an eager puppy.

[Haeli]

Haeli considered what he said. She nodded, knowing it was true that many people were gifted with small knowledge of a great many things and it helped them be flexible in life. In many ways, people like Naota did well because they could change and flex with the times as the world changed. It made them stronger and more adaptable. Haeli glanced up, noted the bird, and then let her gaze fall back on Naota.

"I grew up in a swamp. You had to learn about plants to survive. It's a vast place, to the south of here on the boarder of Taloba near the jungle. There, live lives upon life, so all you see is green things and wild things all trying to survive. You learn fast about what heals and strengthens and eases the stings or bites of the other denizens." Haeli said, not sure if she should be cautious and not reveal she was from elsewhere.

Haeli could tell he was restless, uncomfortable. His eyes wandered and he stood up to roam the garden, his body wanting to be busy but feeling the need to remain here as long as she was. Politeness, she guessed, but she also understood in that moment that she'd interrupted him.

"I came here to learn more about people since I already know about plants, at least a little. All kinds of people. That is why I stopped to talk to you. I do not know much about you, or the Lhavitians, or anyone here. I apologize if I interrupted you. I did not mean too. I was only worried for the green things here. Your magic... your power... looks like nothing I've ever seen. Will you tell me about it? How you do it? Maybe it is something I can do... or if not maybe something I can at least know about?" She asked, not quite sure how to ask someone to teach her or at least help her understand. "I could tell you more about plants in exchange.... teach you to make medicine with them, that sort of thing." She added.

But he was about to leave, to walk, and into the mountains as well. Haeli didn't know if he was seriously asking her to accompany him or if he was just being polite. She wasn't afraid to walk into the wilds with a stranger, just simply for the fact she didn't know she should be afraid. Somewhere within her she had bigjaw and fang, but such things took time and in her life she hadn't had sudden violence to know what could happen between one breath and the next. "I'm not sure. Why would we walk?" She asked, looking uncertain.

[Naota Miyabe]

Naota smiled slightly. "There's not much to know about me. I'm not very exciting. If you have any certain questions though, go ahead and ask. I'm not shy." He sat back down, a couple feet away, and looked straight at her. A new confidence had filled him. He wasn't sure why though.

"I'v been to a swamp once. I wonder if it was the same one you come from." That explain her simple look quite a bit better. "No offense to you, but I much prefer the mountains. Not a fan of water, but I make an exception for rain. I find it calming, and beautiful." Naota slowly ran his fingers across the grass. He though for a moment, and decided he quite liked this girl, quiet and calm, but thirsty for knowledge. In this way, the two of them were kindered spirits.

At her mention of wanting to know about his art, Naota was unsure. He was, well in all honesty still a beginner himself, and didn't think he would be much of a teacher, but the knowledge she offered him was hard to pass up. "About reimancy, what do you want to know? anyone with a strong enough Djed can do it, if they have good control. But it can be dangerous too."