[Crooked Playhouse] Quoth the Raven [Nowa]

[Ifran]

Ifran was used to the eyes of others upon him always, and paid no heed to the other company members. They might think him strange talking to a raven, or they might not. Alvadas was, after all, a strange place. Some no doubt thought he could speak to birds through divine largesse, mistaking Eypharians for Chaktawe with typical narrow-mindedness. People did not care to know much beyond their own realms. Even he had been guilty of such thinking, but now he was here in Kalea, far from home, learning and broadening his horizons. And feeding a starving scamp of a raven Kelvic out of genuine compassion as well as a sense of noblesse oblige. "Training?" he asked quietly, his tones as soft as velvet. "What do you train, young Nowa?"

[Nowa]

Nowa continued to talk, his common rather good for a bird. "'raining how I ga''er food safely. Only 'raining I need. Hard when food is in a locked house, or hiding somewhere." It would even get better, with time. A raven can emulate almost any sound, and Nowa intended to keep talking. That aside, he ate himself more food, now getting much closer to full. It was so much easier to be full when he wasn't shifting back and forth. Nowa contemplated if he could figure out a way to use his tools in his normal form, or maybe carry a backpack. That, or learn to fly in his other form. He wasn't a horse, so carrying things was difficult.

[Ifran]

"Well, if you are not picky, I understand that scraps get thrown out the back door of many a tavern and inn. A quick, clever little fellow such as your self should have no trouble eating his fill with plenty of time for other pursuits." He paused thoughtfully, holding out another choice piece to the raven. "Do you have other pursuits that interest you?" he asked curiously. He studiously ignored the rest of the company members breaking bread and speaking around them. It was not so crowded that a man could not have a quiet conversation with a raven so long as they both modulated their tones.

[Nowa]

"Well, I like all food. I wan', to, try, all food! I have a lot of 'raining, left. t, t, t." Nowa was trying to get the sound of the 't' into his speech, but he was having difficulty attaching it to the other sounds. He simply left off his sentence with practicing the sound itself. It was almost distracting him from his meal, but he went to that shortly after. After a nibble, he had another thing to say. "Food is, art... hard, art." He wondered if he got his answer across, it was a hard thing to convey as a bird.

[Ifran]

Ifran's brows beetled in concentration, listening to the bird's attempts to speak, wondering at the structure of the corbie's vocal apparatus, wondering whether it was entirely possible to articulate dental plosives, alveolar consonants, and all the other particular sounds, the weapons of the poet. Wondering thus, he continued to feed the both of them. "Food is an art," he agreed. "In Ahnatep the makers of fine cuisines are considered artists. You would like the dainties and sweetmeats, I think. Of course, you mean the art of procuring food. I suppose there is an art to that as well. An art to anything, if one has an artistic temperament." When the plate was empty, he glanced at the curious bird. "Are you full, or should I take a roll of bread for you to take with you to your nest?"

[Nowa]

"I will go ''ere someday!" He wondered how silly that sounded, a place so far and foreign. Traveling to somewhere far away and unfamiliar, just to try the food. How many other places had new foods and mysteries to find? His mind started to wonder, though the conversation moved on. He asked about food, and that was always the current topic. "Yes, and yes! I have, two, more, ques'ions." He thought about the order to ask them, though it didn't matter much. "The, at, her." A pause. "Wha' kinds of, theater, are there? I see many kinds. Yours, and dancing ou'side. Do they have names? I had a hard 'ime asking abou' 'em." A rather sudden change of topic, but the other question was easier.

[Ifran]

"The predominant mode of theater in Ahnatep is called Semhu in Arumenic, our language. It is... a blend of many things: singing, dancing, acting, orating, choreographed violence. I would have to say it is quite stylized compared to the theater here; that is, worried less with making everything appear exactly as it is as opposed to finding some deeper meaning, some more perfect truth in the experience of life. Perhaps you will see it some day, and perhaps you will appreciate it. Many who are not Eypharian cannot understand it." His shoulders gave an eloquent shrug. It was not derision for those who did not understand, but acceptance that not all did. Arumenic itself was a difficult language, especially if one spoke the complex, highfalutin poetic modes. "Come along," he said, standing, taking the remains of their meal, and offering Nowa his wrist.

[Nowa]

Nowa had to think a bit. The answer was like a riddle. Was this Semhu another word for theater? So singing, dancing, and those other things? Wait, what were those other things? More questions, they sounded rather strange in comparison. "Is, ak-ting, or-a-ting, and kor-ee-o...'ing all, theater 'oo?" He hadn't had trouble with words yet, but that one was much longer. Hearing once as an adjective didn't help either. As he puzzled, he noted the outstretched arm. He walked over this time, and took to the wrist. His attempt to not hurt Ifran went much better this way, it was much easier without also landing.

[Ifran]

"The are all parts of a greater whole, yes," he agreed, and began to carry the bird and the remains of their food back out the way they had come. He figured to find the window and offer Nowa the sky and some food to stockpile for later, not knowing what the little feathered fellow did when he was full.

[Nowa]

Nowa kept quiet. He asked all his questions, he got his meal. Today turned quite productive. He kept quiet, wondering where they went next. He watched the are carefully, he might come back for a surprise visit later, and try collecting food here on his own. Training never ends, even when doing what you're training for it's only training to do it again. Life is too short, lots of training to do. OOC<_<; That was short. Anyway, my posting will be delayed for a while. Don't remember if I mentioned that to you yet.