First Contact (Open)

[Topaz Maelstrom]

What was his name again? Tidlepool? Topaz frowned, ran her new claws through her hair, and then broke into a smile as she spotted Talgir, who was far more interesting than a dirty blonde haired man who was pretending to be Svefra. "Greetings Talgir. Strong winds and fair seas to you!" She smiled, then elbowed him slightly, glad to see one of the men around even though the stranger didn't really disturb her all that much. He had an awkward manner, as if he felt the need to defend himself when all the Svefra really wanted was to have fun. If he were truly Svefra, he'd lighten up and have witty retorts of his own instead of jumping on soapboxes and lecturing them on their own culture.

"Any Svefra worth his weight in salt can give as good as he gets. This hazel-eyed man claims the name of a pod no one's ever heard of and is lecturing us on idealism that feels like hes blaming us for things that are only in the hands of the Gods. Citrine, you're being too nice. He's not one of us. He's an outsider. Anyone can tell by looking at us. And besides, if he was one of us, he'd let his actions speak for him rather than saying he doesn't care what we think. Each of you knows it matters. Laviku blessed us with blue eyes. If you don't have them, you're not Svefra. Marks or no, I've seen outsiders marked by Laviku. But that doesn't mean they are Svefra. That just means they have his blessing to traverse the seas. Here, this is Svefra territory. We all share it equally. We don't bloody the water stupidly, or lecture strangers on the evils of traditions that have kept us pure even through the Valterrian." Topaz said quietly.

She met the man's eyes, boldly, her gaze piercing into him. She couldn't help but think of Onyx or Moonstone were here, they'd have much more to say. Her little sister Citrine was too sweet, too trusting, batting her blue eyes and forgiving everyone everything.

The Svefra were what they were for a reason. They didn't make exceptions for hazel eyes or folks that wanted to buck tradition. Tradition protected them. Tradition folded them in comfort and made sure they thrived. "If your parents left EVERYTHING because your eyes were not blue then they turned their backs on the Svefra tradition. That makes them less than Svefra. No wonder your Ebbtide pod no longer exists. If you turn your back on one of us, you turn your back on all of us. Do not claim to be what you are not. Not ever." Topaz felt Elijah had already said too much, really. He'd damned himself with his own words in her eyes. She wondered how the rest of them felt. And if they welcomed him, then they were no more Svefra than he was.

[Onyx Maelstrom]

Onyx felt the westward wind race across his deck, filling the sail of his Casinor, The Lucky Lass, towards the last heading his sister Topaz had been on. That wanton wench had cut off his wind in a game of cat and mouse! Onyx gnashed his teeth and trim the fore sail, if it wasn’t Moon playing games with him it was Topaz, and all Onyx had been doing was tracking a school of fish… and dreaming of a long legged boxom wanton wench. Now Onyx had to extract vengeance for Moon’s little trick. He had gone below deck to don his cutlass and pants so that when he boarded her ship he could claim looting rights. Which usually meant that he was going to claim all her rum! So Onyx began pulling upon rope and rigging. Yard arms that were used to cast fishing nets off the port and starboard sides swung upon blocks and tackles. Nets that should have been filled with fish were pulled dry from the sea and swung onto the deck spilling salty water across the floor boards. A small spray of water washed over Onyx as he lashed the wheelhouse to keep his heading. Rough callused hands began pulling rigging and netting below deck to the salt locker. As he came back up he saw that the wind had change and caused the sail to began to luff. The rippling sail went back and forth and for a moment Onyx closed his eyes feeling for the wind. The westward wind had turned about four points off the port side. Onyx when to mast and began swinging the boom to starboard side to catch the sail. The boom swung and for a brief moment Onyx had to duck below the heavy wooden beam before it took off his head. Then the wind caught it, and Onyx arms flex with all his strength to slow and stop the boom from crashing into the rigging and leaving him stranded for the day. Onyx gritted his teeth as his muscles strained and a low curse issued from his mouth as the rope slipped a finger length cause a bit of burn to his hands. “By Zulrav, not today! Not today!” The rope stopped and the boom seemed to hold, Onyx began tieing the rigging for the boom to a wooden peg and as he closed his bowline knot over the peg. He strove to the wheel and looked down upon his hands seeing them slightly red from the rope. For a moment Onyx allowed himself to feel the pain of the burn, and then he spat his salty spit on them and rubbed it in. He was made of the sea and the sea flowed about him, it would cure his hands in time. It was when he took the wheel he realized that he was heading for a island that held several Casinor’s… some that weren’t even of his pod! For a moment he smiled thinking that given the chance Onyx was sure to find a pretty Svefra lass that might not mind spending a night under the stars with him. So with great haste he began to set a course towards the island sending up a flag of welcome and friendship to the other Svefra.

[Elijah Tidalwave]

Elijah merely sneered, grinned and laughed at Topaz' rant and her seemingly self-proclaimed mission to dismiss any and all logic Elijah brings forth. No matter how hard he tries to be polite, to be sincere and civil. Nothing helps with these people, especially not with this Topaz. Her logic is absolute and everyone else either has to adapt or dismiss themselves. After laughing, still smiling, Elijah just responded. With an amused tone of voice he spoke: " You can say what you want, Topaz Maelstrom, who are you to decide anything for me? You speak as if you are head of all Svefra, as if your words hold any importance to me. Understand that I'm not going to pretend to care about what one person, or even 100 Svefra, say about me. I'm used to this situation, this scenario. Until Laviku himself comes down to tell me I'm not Svefra, I will continue calling myself one. " He breathed in before continue his own little rant this time. " And you say it is of importance? The color of eyes you have? How can you be so smallminded to think so highly of one's eyecolor. Is it not the type of heart and soul, the type of spine and mind, someone has that matters? You reject everything about a person, because of their eyecolor. Can you not see how ridiculous that is? " Again he inhaled the crisp and fresh seabreeze before continueing: " And you talk so highly of the Svefra mindset that ' If I turn my back on one of us, I turn my back on all of us. ' ... " " Then tell me, did the Svefra not turn their back on my parents? Who were without a doubt Svefra? They were branded outcasts, filth, 'Less than Svefra' as you so eloquently put it. All that, for loving their child more than a ridiculous superstition. " " At times like these, meeting Svefra like yourself, I wish I didn't see myself as a Svefra. But I do, and I am. " He closed his eyes and let his head hang slightly sideways as he breathed peacefully in and out. He didn't know why but he didn't have the energy to get worked up again. He didn't feel the need to, not anymore. These Svefra were clearly appauled by the mere idea of him being a Svefra, these superstitious, discriminating, cruel people ... were of no importance to him anymore. He'd rather live life in solitude than live life amongst the likes of them.