Open In the Halls of Snowsong (Juliane)

[Juliane Snowsong]

Juliane giggled to herself, mind set on their destination. She was one to keep cautious; her mother's words rang in her ears and once they finally reached her intended destination, Juliane spoke them quietly: "Mustn't let curious ears hear our wondrous words, shall we?" It was a phrase her mom used to whisper to Juliane and Lanie when they were younger; if they were out anywhere, discussing tales that Juliane's mother had heard, this phrase always left her mouth afterwards or just in between. But those years were gone and it was Juliane's line to speak now. She, of course, was referring to if anyone happened to hear their conversation. And she hoped Ouity picked up on it.

Juliane twisted the knob on the door, pushing it open and pulling Ouity along behind her, followed by the door shutting. She smiled and breathed out in relief. They had reached her home; a simple Arvinta located in the Snowsong Hold. "Hope this answered your question as to where we were going." She looked at Ouity and grinned, the grey in her eyes gone and replaced by a light brown. "My cozy nest," she told him. She looked around the small room and instantly felt the relief of being safe from anyone's wandering ears. She was never one for eavesdroppers and she felt one would show up sooner or later.

After deciding to sit down, Juliane turned to Ouity, hoping to hear more of his ideas. She stared at him, eyes wide with wonder and grinned. "So tell me.. any specific places you'd like to visit?" She had many places of her own she wanted to visit. And it had been - what? - years since she lasted talked to someone who had the same longing to journey as her? She was overly excited that she could talk to someone about this; her eyes reflecting her emotions by gleaming with shades of bright purple and a light, but bright shade of blue.

[Ouity]

Ouity looked around the small home as they entered, his eyes wide with curiosity. It was very similar to his own, he supposed, though much neater than his had ever been. He nodded as she spoke her words, his own fear of eavesdropping now gone as well. He thought back for a moment, wondering if anybody had seen the two go into her room. That could get very awkward, very fast, but after a moment he decided that he hadn't seen anybody, and allowed himself to relax.

"I've always wanted to see Syliras.. and perhaps Ravok too. I've heard many stories of their people and culture. Many say Ravok is a place of great beauty, and romance. I always figured that when I found... someone, I would bring her there, spend awhile in the city."

Ouity's eyes grow distant for a moment, a wistful look on his face. He sits there for a moment before blinking, and coming back to reality.
"It's spring now, you know. The best time to leave, if indeed do, is in these next few weeks, perhaps summer. As little difference as it makes, it would be best to avoid the full brunt of the storms."

Ouity rubs his hair, scattering the dark black and bright aqua around his head, watching the colors of Juliane's eyes morph into beautiful bright colors, and smiling at her jittery demeanor. His own eyes burned a bright sky blue, content and at peace in Juliane's little burrow. He wondered again where she had been all this time, realizing that she had sidestepped the question with one of her own. Oh well. He thought, I guess it will have to wait for another time.

He leaned against the wall, unsure of whether he should sit- he did not often visit a woman's Arvinta, and he wondered for a moment what his elders might think of this. He shrugged absentmindedly, quickly realizing that he didn't particularly care.

[Juliane Snowsong]

Juliane's eyes widened when the word 'Syliras' had left his mouth. That was her number one spot she wanted to travel to. The tales her mother told (mostly made up; Juliane never knew), the songs she would sing to Lanie and Juliane about the place.. it brought several memories whirling back into Juliane's mind and she stared at a spot across the room for awhile - her eyes shifting to the light pink color that was probably second most seen in her eyes.

"Ravok?" she asked, still lost in her daze, "Do tell me a story, Ouity." She turned her gaze to Ouity, patting the spot next to her gently. "And sit. Aren't you tired of standing?" She gave a soft smile to her friend, mind halfway focusing as it was currently cluttered with thoughts. "And you never know.. if you set out on a journey somewhere, you could find a girl in a different place, right?" She paused for a moment. "Any time seems an ideal time to leave, but I'm not one to know much about traveling, I suppose."

As she waited to see if Ouity would take a seat, she quietly hummed a song her mother once sang. It was one of the things jumbled into her mind and finally it had just escaped. And, at the moment, it was as if she was transported back to those days. She could hear her mothers gentle voice in her mind; Lanie's higher pitched voice trying desperately to sing along, but failing nonetheless. Juliane used to laugh at those days, take them for granted. And just the mentioning of the basis of the song brought all this back. But just as everything came rushing to her, things faded just as quickly and she cleared her throat. "Sorry. I got distracted."

[Ouity]

Ouity sat down next to her, his grin wide. He had been smiling a lot today, and it felt good. He honestly couldn't remember a time when he'd enjoyed another person's company this much, and part of him mourned the years of Juliane's absence.

Thank you, I was getting a little tired.... hm, a story you say? Well, not much word of Ravok makes its way up here in the north, but those few who tell its tales say it's a beautiful place of romance and grandeur. They say it floats upon a lake, imagine that! An entire floating city. At night, they say it lights the water like a great ball of fire, the reflections of torch light on the water is something to behold. From boat or shore, one can see its true majesty in its whole. Bridges and canals cross the city like stripes upon the back of a great beast, the houses are so close together that one cannot stand between them with their arms stretched wide.

Ouity gestures with his hands as he speaks, sinking into the rhythm of storytelling only Vantha can truly master. His eyes grow wide, as if he himself were actually standing at the bank of Lake Ravok, and looking upon the city with his own eyes. "The merchants say that great mysteries lie in the city, people who worship black gods and arts run amok, yet the city has seen no war in generations. It is a true marvel, and one that my heart yearns to see, for stories more stories will only drive me mad."

After he was finished, he noticed a vacent look coming over his eyes, and he quirked a brow, wondering what she was thinking of. After a moment though, she slipped back to reality.

"Is there something troubling you, Juliane? You seem... ill at ease. He hesitated for a moment, seeing the look of one who was conflicted in her eyes, as if happiness and sorrow had melded in her mind. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder scooting around so he was facing her. "You can talk to me you know, about whatever it is that's rooting you somewhere else but here. I have seen you become 'distracted' a few times now."

He added the nickname at the end with a small smile. Her twittering and prancing seemed to fit exactly with the stories he had heard of the small birds of the south, to the point where he wondered why 'Sparrow' was not her name.

[Juliane Snowsong]

If there was one thing that Juliane loved just as much as Vantha eyes, it was the storytelling the Vantha could do. She sat there, listening and immersed in a vision of Ravok. She had watched Ouity for a few moments as his hands moved about, totally lost in his storytelling. She missed hearing tales like this; being able to visualize the place, feel as if you're there. She decided upon hearing his words that Ravok was going on her list of 'places to go'.

Juliane let out a soft sigh after his question. She didn't really think something was wrong, it was just the memories that all this brought back. Memories she placed so far back in the depths of her mind that she thought she forgot. But how could she forget them? She was glad that even this old childhood friend offered to listen to her even if she was holding back from talking, which she was yet again. Besides, it was nothing, really, she concluded.

She gave a small smile and shook her head finally. "You worry too much, Ouity. Really." She looked at him, still keeping the smile on her face, "But thank you. How did we grow ever so distant? You're a good friend." She furrowed her eyebrows at the thought; her losing contact with nearly all her childhood friends was merely her fault. She knew this. And with the frustration the thought brought, her eyes sunk into a shade of dark blue.

[Ouity]

Ouity smiled sadly as she asked him the question, wondering if some Vantha could perhaps read minds, and left him out of the loop. He thought back. When had it been that she'd vanished? Three years ago perhaps? Four? No, he remembered the Departure of Morwen festival four years ago, she had been there, hadn't she? Regardless, she was here now, and he would see to it that their adventures would make up for all the time they'd lost. His smile quickly lost all its sorrow when she told him what a good friend he was, and he grinned in earnest.

"Thanks, Juliane, that means a lot to me. You're a great friend too."

His eyes slowly shifted color, from the shade of the sky, to a nice aqua green, which matched the shade of the streaks in his hair. He radiated a simple joy, happy to be so at ease with his new found friend. His hand, which had rested on her shoulder, gently brushed a lock of hair from her face, though with a startled blink, he jerked it back into his lap, looking a little embarrassed. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to... er.. go touchy-feely with you." He winced, blinking slowly as faint flecks of gold invaded the serene aqua of his eyes.

"You'll have to forgive me, I'm a little... rusty in my mannerisms. It's just you're very pretty is al-...." He cut himself off, his cheeks flushing a bit, and his eyes quickly falling into a cascade of red and brown, which mellowed out into a rusty hue. He coughed, quickly looking to change the subject. "So, how does a few weeks sound, eh? I can buy some food and travel gear today if you're ready." Snap out of it, Ouity! he thought to himself angrily. You don't want this friendship to end with a smack in the face, and a boot from the room! This could be my one chance to see the world, and I won't loose it because I couldn't control myself!

He glanced around the room, looking for something to look at, and quickly focused on a small crack in the stone wall, watching it as if it were about to explode, and trying desperately not to make eye contact.

[Juliane Snowsong]

"It's no problem really. I'm just speaking the truth," she replied, grinning. Her eyes stayed in their dark blue shade, a few spots of that all too familiar bright purple appearing. She was still frustrated at herself for loss of contact with people in general. But she needed to let thoughts of that sink into the pits of her mind; lost for who knows when. She inwardly sighed just as Ouity brushed some hair from her face. She didn't mind, really. But to get her mind off of all the memories and being frustrated at herself, she thought she might have some fun and react in an melodramatic way. And she did.

Juliane jerked away, eyes wide. And luckily for her, the shade of dark blue still lingered in her eyes; the vibrant purple gone. "You better be sorry! Have some sense, will you? Respect a lady's space!" She glared at him for a minute, trying to act as serious as she could and not break character.. but she failed. She covered her mouth whilst laughing; "I'm sorry! I'm kidding!" She put her hand down and gave a sly smile. "But thank you for calling me pretty, Ouity." She watched as he looked around the room - she even looked around to spot anything interesting, but to no avail. She looked back and him and sighed. She wanted to travel more than anything. She had such a strong passion for traveling, for seeing the world, for seeing everything outside her small world she'd lived in all these years. It was such a passion that her eyes changed quickly to the ruby red color that that emotion was connected to; just as that emotion set in, her excitement set in as well, the colors now mixing to form a shade of purple, one that might be mistaken for her most common eye color of vibrant purple.

"I want to go.. I want to so much!" She furrowed her eyebrows. She remembered her promise to her father though. One she didn't intend on breaking. Her eye color shifted dramatically, changing and mixing as various emotions set in. She wanted to go more than anything, but breaking a promise to her father wasn't something she wanted to do. There was a moment of quiet and she ran her fingers through her hair, saying softly, "But I can't."

[Ouity]

Ouity let out a mental cheer as Juliane thanked him for his kindness. 'Perhaps I should keep my tongue a little looser after all.' He thought to himself with a small smile. He turned his eyes back to Juliane's, just as she gave up trying to find whatever he was looking at. He was relieved to see that her eyes had returned to a purple hue- something he had discovered was a good sign for her. He was getting excited, his leg bounced eagerly. This was it! The moment he had waited for for so long was coming right now, the chance to find somebody to run away with, a companion to share the world with! His excitement was slowly mounting again, like a fish leaping from the icy water of their home. Unfortunately, in that instant, it was devoured by a huge whale, the manifestation of reality, whose eyes shone with malice.

But I can't...

The words hung in the air for a moment, as Ouity struggled to grasp what she had just said. His eyes fizzled out into a dark shade of red, then slowly drained into a bleak gray. He stared at Juliane blankly, his mouth slightly agape. Had this been a sick joke? Rile him into sharing his most inner hopes and dreams? No, he had made too many assumptions already about her, he would find out for himself.

"W-Why?... He muttered. Ouity scooted closer, placing his hands on either shoulder. "You seemed so excited to go, what's wrong? Have I done something wrong? Are you nervous about traveling alone with a man? What the others will think? What I'll think? Please, tell me what to do so that we can be gone from this place!" His eyes swirled, the gray brightening to a strange, drab rust. His face remained set in stone, a sad confusion etched into his features.

[Juliane Snowsong]

Juliane didn't want to say it. But she had to. She wasn't one to just keep a promise and then break it for someone she hadn't known too well. And that was the situation at hand now. As soon as she saw Ouity's eyes changed quickly and then he just sat there, like a stone.. her face fell as well. She knew she upset him. She knew he'd ask why, and he did. And then came the questions. Ouity was one to ask so many questions, she had learned.

"I just.." She didn't know what to say. She looked down at her hands. "I promised my father that I wouldn't set out on some adventure until I reached twenty. No sooner. But.." She looked up, her eyes set in a dark blue hue because of her frustration. "But I want to leave; see the world." She pursed her lips and exhaled through her nose. She didn't care what others thought, she wasn't nervous; she was none of the assumptions that Ouity had asked about. She was just.. loyal to her dad. And without thinking she leaned forward and placed her head on Ouity's chest, pouting. That was something she used to do to her parents whenever she'd get upset over the simplest things; lean against them. She was torn, though, about what was going on. She couldn't just leave. Could she? It wasn't like anyone would notice her absence. "It's like I'm some bird in a cage who won't leave even when the cage door's been opened." She leaned back and set back up straight, "Sorry. For just.. being mean and talking all happily and hopefully about seeing the world and then just-", she moved her hands about and poked the air, making a popping noise with her mouth, "-bursting our traveling idea. I shouldn't have spoken of it at all."

[Ouity]

Ouity blinked a few times as she spoke, but otherwise remained stoic, though his eyes began to blend a confusing array of colors, his face mirroring the indecision he was facing. He slowly began to put the pieces together, and as he did, his entire face began to brighten, and his eyes began to shimmer as blue slowly crept back into his vision. He blinked as she placed a hand on his chest, gently placing one of his own atop it. His eyes swelled a brilliant blue, such a passionate hue that it seemed to light the room in its vibrancy. "Do not fret, for perhaps I have a solution that will allow everyone happiness. Your father holds out hope that a suitor might take your hand before your score of years is up, that you might not be doomed to eternal maidenhood, yes? He pressed on, not waiting for an answer. "Perhaps it is the right thing to do, for none should live their lives alone, though such arrangements would keep us from our travels, no suitor would allow his bride to run off with another man..." Ouity took his hand from her shoulder and rubbed his head, further scattering the luminescent aqua shades of his hair in the more prominent black locks. He kept his other hand gently clasped against hers, and his chest, as he looked into her eyes. He seemed slightly nervous, as if he were unsure about how to proceed. He hesitated, opened his mouth, and snapped it shut again, seemingly pondering his next move. After a few more moments, he mustered what little courage he could and resumed speaking. "However, what if your suitor took you before your deadline, and began to travel? There would be no objection if his... spouse accompanied him on his adventure, for what newlyweds can bear to be apart? It would just so happen that she yearned to go too, one might call it the perfect reason to leave."

Ouity rattled out the last few sentences quickly, blushing slightly as he spoke the last words. He gripped her hand a little tighter, though not enough to cause pain, and let out a long sigh. His entire being radiated nervousness, and he barely waited a moment before realization set in. Had he just asked her to marry him? Had he completely lost his MIND?! 'What are you thinking, ice brain? Are you insane? Who in their right mind would ever go along with something like THIS?! "Eh, never mind, silly idea, of course we won't wed just to travel, not that I would court you as a front, you'd be a great wi- that is, er, if we were wed, which we're not. Not yet, I mean if we waited, of course we won't, that would be silly, not that marrying you is silly, but we won't... unless you want to of course, not that I would do it out of pity or anything, you'd be a great wife, you're very... er... I mean to say if we were thinking about being wed, which we aren't of course..." He continued to ramble in circles, seemingly saying the same things over and over again on loop, the circle of speech sustaining itself easily. He grew redder and redder as he spoke, quickly removing his hand from her own, and letting it fall limply into his lap. His eyes grew wide as he recognized his blundering for what it was, and tried to find some way to end his folly before it got any worse. This too ended in failure as he continued to stutter, caught between the assumption that she would think his idea folly, and the desire to somehow take it back without causing any grief between them, though it was quickly proving impossible.

'Oh, this is not good, maybe if you had done things the proper way you could have had a shot, but you go and do THIS?!' He thought to himself bitterly. There he went again, an idea cropped into his mind, and before he had a chance to restrain himself, it had flown through his mouth like an arrow from a bow. Had he even meant what he said? He remembered an elder once telling him that to be sincere with others, he must first be sincere with himself, so as he blabbered away, he considered the situation for a moment. Would he marry her, given the chance? Yes. Came the immediate reply. Inter-Hold marriages were rare, given that many of them were related somehow, but according to his own genealogy, he had none to Juliane. His mother had come from Skyglow, and his grandparents had come from the Spires, taken in by Snowsong hold.

He sighed inwardly, still flustered by his own actions. 'Well, that chance is gone now, I suppose.' He thought to himself with an air of despair. 'This will most likely end with a slap to the face and boot to the door!'