Closed A Sign From Above, Comes From Below (Souris)

[Uopa]

The Sixty-Fourth Day of the Spring Season, Five Hundred and Thirteen Years After the Valterrian

[Uopa]

"Kihala give me strength," Uopa whispered as she sat cross-legged before the makeshift altar she had created in the garden space behind her workshop. "Tavasi, bring me life where there has been none," she nearly begged as she brought a hand to her flat belly. "Kihala. Tavasi. Please, hear my words and send me a sign," she pleaded with the goddess of life and the god of fertility. She sat now, in silence, listening...waiting. She wasn't exactly sure how this worked, being that this was her first attempt in speaking to the deities...with the deities...or so she hoped, but it seemed like the right way to approach the situation. She had done her research to the best of her ability and discovered that these two gods were the most befitting to receive her prayers. Or so she had thought. Nothing. Nothing was happening. She wasn't hearing anything, nor feeling anything special, except, well, perhaps a little hungry, having skipped her morning meal. "Uopa," she then heard, which instantly caused her heart to race, her pulse to quicken. "Yes?" she called out rather meekly. "Uopa?" they called again. "Yes!" she nearly exclaimed as she jumped to her bare feet. "I'm here!" "Your mid-day meal is ready," her Aunt Nimi informed her as she rounded the corner of the workshop with a plate in one hand and a mug in the other. "What...what are you doing back here?" she questioned as her eyes darted toward the altar and then back to Uopa. "Nothing," she dourly replied, feeling rather jilted, as she snatched the plate that contained a sandwich and the mug that held a dark liquid. "Well, there's no need to be so snippy," her aunt replied as she began to head back toward her shop that was attached to the glassworker's studio. "Enjoy your meal." "I...I'm sorry," was all Uopa was able to mutter. Letting slip a deep sigh, she made her way toward a simple seating area that she usually used when she needed to sketch or think...or eat! Picking up the sandwich, only after setting the plate down on the stone table next to her, she bit into it. As always, it was delicious! Her aunt was rather good in the kitchen, this she could easily admit, however, for some reason, the amount of bread that she had used today seemed a bit excessive. Ripping a chunk of the crust off, she tossed it into the foliage behind her. Some creature would inevitably find it and finish it off. Allowing her thoughts to return to her prayers, it took only a chime before her attention was drawn away. The rustling of leaves was the first indication that she wasn't alone. A flash of bright white within the foliage was the second. Clearly a critter had discovered her offering sooner than she had expected. "Well, eat up, little one, whatever you may be," she toasted the creature with her mug, before taking a sip.

[Souris Blanche]

Souris found the large chunk of crust very quickly. It had landed not far off from where she had been snoozing, and the loud thud had jolted her awake. For the better, of course.

She scurried forward and picked it up, nibbling it. While she did that, she looked up, to watch for who threw it. It didn't take long to see a fiery headed woman who seemed to be toasting Souris. Souris, happy and feeling as though she was having great fortune, squeaked her giddy response.

She made sure that she finished before the woman finished her meal, so she could scurry over to the female.

She crept over to the feet of the female and, Souris hoping she wasn't going to hurt her, dug in her nails and skimmed up her legs to sit on her lap.

Souris looked up, squeaking one loud squeak after the other. "Hello" she was saying. "Hello, thank you!" and then, with her small fuzzy face and her biggish ears, she nuzzled the woman's lap.

[Uopa]

"Oh!" Uopa exclaimed as she suddenly felt the scraping of claws as something scampered up the leg of her cotton pants. "Well, hello there," she replied as a rather adorable looking mouse worked its way over her knee and then proceeded to squeak at her from its place upon her lap. "I'm sorry, little one, but I don't speak mouse." And even if I did, she thought, I would probably feel rather silly squeaking back at you. The Inarta watched now as the critter made itself most comfortable. There was something ridiculously precious about the way it nuzzled her lap. She was fairly certain it was the cutest thing she had seen all season. "Well, okay then," she mused, before biting into her sandwich. "You just, uh, do whatever it is you're doing there, while I finish my meal. Just do me a favor and, uh, don't tinkle on me. I get enough of that from my nephew," she joked as she reached for her mug of mead. Okay. So. This was certainly an interesting turn of events. What was the Inarta to do? Just sit and let her new friend nap or disturb the little bugger and move on with her day? It was a tough call, to be perfectly honest. Part of her loved the thought of spending the day watching the little one. It was like watching a baby, which she could do for bells at a time. Speaking of which... She glanced at her makeshift altar now and let slip a sigh. Was she ever going to have a child of her own? Was she? It didn't seem likely at this point in her life. She was getting on in years. At some point, it would become impossible. Had that time already passed? Had it? "Well, little one, we may never know," she warmly noted to the charming mouse with its twittering whiskers and twitchy tail.

[Souris Blanche]

Souris was a bit confused at what the large Red haired woman was talking about. Of course Souris had understood the first part-- how she didn't speak mouse, or how she would much prefer that the little white mouse didn't pee on her lap. Nephew? Nephew is a sibling's child, Souris thought it out in her head.

The red haired woman's nephew pees on her? Weird. How old was he that he couldn't control his bodily fluids? Young? Souris' whiskers twitched happily at the thought. She loved children. Well, ones that didn't step on her. Which so far was all but one, who thankfully was small enough she wasn't smashed and it had only left her with a twisted foot.

She listened as the red haired woman said, "well, little one, we may never know," and that was when her confusion began to grow. Never know what? May? And what if she does? Does it have to do with Souris? Souris followed the gazed of the nice woman, and laid her eyes on something that was strange.

A word came to her head, but she was unsure on if that would be right... altar? Is that what an altar is? She did her little mouse squeaking shrug.

She backtracked. She scurried off of the woman's lap, down her legs, and the peered around the room. When she felt it was safe, she ran as fast as her paws would take her, to the... altar.

She looked at it. What was the woman praying for, if this really was an altar? It looked homemade. Maybe it was something that was important, and urgent. She sniffed the altar.

Since she was pretty upset about not being able to respond and be understood, she decided that she would change into her human form. So she did.

Turning into a young adult, she was now naked-- not that she wasn't before-- and grinned at the red haired woman.

"Hold on, I think I remember-- other people aren't as used to nudity as me, yes?" as she said this, she ran outside to slip on her clothes, then return in as quickly as she had as a mouse. If one was observant, they would notice her to walk on her toes.

She held out her hand, and said, "I'm Souris. We may never know what?"

[Uopa]

As the mouse scampered away, Uopa felt a pang of sadness. She sort of liked the company of the little critter. However, once the critter's true nature became known, the Inarta could not help but feel violated. "How...how dare you!" she shouted as she leapt to her feet. "How dare you come into my private space and...and...now you have the nerve to question my private words and, therefore, my thoughts!" she continued to shout as she closed the gap between them. "What right do you have to behave this way? I should report you to the local guard!" she continued to berate the young girl. "Your actions may seem innocent enough on the surface, but, honestly, did you think I was going to welcome you with open arms? You're a snoop! A snoop and a liar!" she spat as she swatted away the hand that was being offered to her. "Get out! Do you hear me? Get out!" "What...what's going on out here?" a second voice suddenly called from the direction of the adjoining shop. "Uopa, what's the matter?" her aunt continued to question as she came rushing in upon the scene with a look of concern on her face and a heavy glass object in her hand. "I'm fine, Aunt Nimi, go back inside," the Inarta remarked as her previously reddened cheeks returned to their natural state. "We just...we have an unexpected guest. That's all," she blandly stated now as her eyes narrowed. "But I believe they're leaving. Right?" she questioned the young girl, not giving her much wiggle room.

[Souris Blanche]

Souris' eyes widened, her jaw dropped, her graceful toe-walking halted. "W-what?" she stuttered. only a moment ago, the woman had been so nice. So nice.. and now, not? Souris was confused. Hurt, and confused. Her head tilted, and her eyes stung with oncoming tears. "What?" a halfhearted squeak was choked out, and before she could preserve her dignity, tears quickly found her cheeks, and her face constricted into that of severe pain. The woman didn't want her there, so she'd have to go.

The sudden change in the woman had caused the mouse to feel almost immobile. "But you were so nice. You were my friend, and I was your friend." her eyes began to swell and redden, her nose sniffling terribly. "What kind of friend calls their friend a snoop and a liar?" the confusion wrapped around her chest like a chain digging into skin, and she backed away slowly at first, trying to feel her feet. "Friends aren't mean to friends. I didn't think so," she squeaked, her voice cracking every sentence. All Souris wanted was a friend.

She turned away and walked off quickly, not trusting her wobbly legs enough to run. The young Kelvic hadn't yet felt this kind of presence. A mean presence. Did people not like people who could change? Not knowing if she'd walked a few minutes or twenty, she fell onto her hands and knees and pulled herself up into a ball against a wall, sniffling, arms wrapped around her legs. She had never once been met with such an angry response.

Is there something wrong with me?