[The Library] Thud...{Liyana}

by **Una Tanta** on May 24th, 2013, 8:35 pm

72nd Day of Spring, 513 AV, Morning

Una had slipped into the library as soon as it opened and after hours of roaming had yet to pick out a book. The library air was dry and brittle to minimize the damage done to the books forcing Una to continually leave to sink into the snow outside and run the cold water over her arms and down her parched throat. This was the place Cy would come each time he visited Avanthal to memorize ballads and bring them back for her and now finally she was here and able to roam the halls herself and she couldn't without the constant nag of the air on her skin.

This time when she entered, she cast her eyes around the room looking for people rather than books. Stepping up to the desk beside the door she met the eyes of the young Vantha who had been watching her enter and exit for several hours. "I'm sorry to bother you sir," She began politely, "but the air in here is much too dry for me...I was wondering if I could bring in a bucket of water...I swear to not let it near the books...they're just so beautiful, I'd love to lose myself in them and I can't when..." Knowing her inquiry was peculiar she tread carefully evaluating his response before continuing.

"Of course." The young Vantha said standing to fetch the water, "T-thank you!" Una replied surprised by the forward hospitality. When he returned with the bucket of water Una took it from him gratefully and instantly vanished into the rows. Setting it down by the luscious rug of a skinned creature she wandered the rows delicately accumulating a variety of books containing the historical ballads of Avanthal. Bringing the stack back to the rug she placed them down far from the water should it spill and laid down.

The soft pelt felt luxurious against her stomach, she ran her hands wondrously over the fur grinning. There was so much to see and feel on land. Slowly opening a book she closed her eyes enjoying the creak of the spine and the rough quality of the paper. Scanning the pages first Una preened, the soft light from the quiet fire illuminating the pages with a soft glow that echoed the words, the pelt beneath her encouraging her to run her toes through it, the heft of the book lending weight to the ballads inside.

Though she appreciated Cy for bringing her back these books words if he were here she would never have entered the library and experienced all this. Shaking her head to rid herself of the thought she bit her lip promising herself she would never betray his memory by thinking something so despicable again. Closing her eyes she imagined Cy beside her and slowly began to read him the first ballad just like he had so tenderly read to her. Every few hours she'd reach into the bucket next to her without looking up and gently wet her arms and legs sometimes taking a small sip from her cupped hand before drying them off on the rug to resume reading.

When she finally looked up from her books the light in the windows told her quite a bit of time must have passed. Stretching and smiling to herself she rolled onto her back and gazed at the ceiling her eyes pleasantly sore from squinting at the text. Gazing around to relax her eyes she spotted the boy who had fetched her the water seated comfortably in a nearby chair watching her unabashedly. Gazing at each other for a few silent moments Una turned back to her text smiling and began to read again, this time Cy vanished from her mind and she read for boy who seemed so enthralled before her.

She watched him move from the corner and sit beside her. For the next few hours they sat together exchanging tales when the others throat got sore. "Most people don't read out loud." He stated, their first words to each other that weren't already written. Una smiled in response, "They should, poems are...""meant to be read out loud." He finished smiling back. Though they knew nothing about each other Una immediately felt a the beginnings of friendship form and she looked back down at the text to continue the ballad one of the Inartans that spoke of flight. Evident longing creeped into her voice as she felt the zephyrs and minstrels and delightful drafts the ballad spoke of running their fingers through her hair and under her arms as if they buffeted wings and not naked slim flightless limbs.

When she looked up sighing at the end of the ballad the boy had slipped away without her noticing leaving her alone with Cy again his wings wrapping around her shoulders, warm in life, now felt cold and strangling.

by **Liyana Winterflame** on May 27th, 2013, 9:09 pm

Stout and smelly is the Shimose,
a bush so odd it wrinkles my nose.
And every time I try to tend it myself,
rows of crows croak bellows!

. . .

Three bells hang from the rosy leaves,
their colors shimmer from red to green;
Scents of sour love touch the eaves,
a spiritual heart finds love to glean

Liyana attempted to analyse the words, a frown of concentration on her face.

The first stanza was a description of a plant. Thick and odorous,
and presumably attracts carrion birds.

Three bells obviously refers to the time.
So maybe the leaves are left heating slowly for that duration.

Sour love. Love is sweet. Perhaps the text refers to berries?
So should I add berry extract to the leaves?

Spiritual heart. Does that mean this is a health potion?

Liyana closed the leather-bound book. Her face relaxed and she closed her eyes. She sighed.
Most of the time she felt it was futile trying to decipher the text.

For some reason philterers thought of themselves as wizards or alchemists, and often wished to imitate them by hiding teachings in cryptic notes.

Of course, there was always the possibility the sage was just a bored romantic with no better topic.

She stood up and returned the book to its place.
The library was quite except for a few whispers from afar.

She walked to the source and found the singer she had met a few days ago. It seemed she was reading aloud to herself, but Liyana recalled glimpsing a companion while passing by earlier.

Liyana focused on the words being said. Heavenly was what came to mind. Both the content and the voice's tone implied it.

She started walking closer. She started speaking when she was within a comfortable distance.
"Hello, ballad orator. I don't believe we've formally met. My name is Liyana. What is yours?"
Not too loud as to jolt or disturb others, but still not too low as too seem spooky.
Or so she hoped.

Liyana knew by now that this was a Charoda, a child of the sea.
Asking around for a few hours had garnered her much information, although half of it seemed closer to folk-tales than truth.

"It seems you have an interest in poetry. I was just reading some, too, although you might consider it a different genre." Liyana chuckled inwardly to her own personal joke.

The chuckle was more a release of frustration than anything else. At times this research in books had felt like a chore, but there was always enough bits of information here and there to keep her hooked. Of course, the catchy tunes and rhymes did not hurt, and poetry was a treat she

"Mind if I join you?" Liyana sat on the Charoda's right. In front of her would be too far, and directly next to her might be too intrusive, and so Liyana sat perpendicularly, on the corner.

"What is it you are reading?"

by **Una Tanta** on June 7th, 2013, 5:42 am

72nd Day of Spring, 513 AV, Morning

"Hello, ballad orator." Someone whispered jolting Una out of her reverie. She glanced from the floor to the woman before her and tilted her head curiously not recalling the face. "Hello, woman standing over me.". "I don't believe we've formally met." We've informally met? Una wondered. "My name is Liyana. What is yours?" The woman continued not noticing Una's perplexed expression. "Una Tanta." She extended her hand grasping the others and squeezing gently.

Lanky with vibrant hair Liyana was a startling image in the homely library. Una couldn't help but feel like she didn't belong. "It seems you have an interest in poetry. I was just reading some, too, although you might consider it a different genre." Una tilted her head further the little fins on the top of her head almost horizontal, an expression of her confusion but she remained silent waiting for the reason for the girls interruption. This was a place of learning not chit chatting. The interruption annoyed her slightly making her squint her eyes, but she patiently waited nonetheless.

"Mind if I join you?" She added and plopped down unnervingly close to Una before Una could inform her she did in fact mind. "What is you are reading?" Blinking, Una realized that this Vantha may appear so forward and blunt because she didn't have complete understanding of Vani yet, her grammer certainly reflected it. She nodded inwardly and decided the girl must be learning, and likely hardly understood what she was saying.

"I just finished actually, I was reading "Larken Sky". It's a ballad written by the Inartans. It plays with rhymes and the use of..." She paused. What would the girl understand? "words with more than one meaning..." she explained long windedly, "to explain the various types of winds. Winds you can only experience flying." She breathed out heavily. It was a beautifully intricate ballad, her own explanation seemed painfully inarticulate in comparison.

"You assumed I was reading a different genre, what do you read that's so unique?" She asked, wondering why she assumed no one else could possibly be reading what she was. She really thought she was that unique? It seemed an arrogant statement to Una and she didn't mind sharing her derision quite obviously.

by **Una Tanta** on July 22nd, 2013, 11:51 pm

72nd Day of Spring, 513 AV, Morning

When the petite woman didn't reply Una rose snidely and left the room lugging the heavy book with her. Curling up in a different room with her bucket she leaned gracelessly into the heavy armchair her feet dangling in the cold water. Eventually her eyelids became as heavy as her book and she drifted to sleep in the winds of the Larken Sky.

She awoke to the gentle prodding of the young librarian. His face lit from the moonlight that meandered in to the space she tilted her head brushing sleep from her face with her hands brusquely.

"That boring?" He teased.

"Huh?" She responded in-eloquently.

He smiled, "The book?"

"Oh gosh! No! It was-" She blushed. "Sorry." She finished rising to leave.

"You stayed here all day?" She nodded in response,

"So this mess is yours?" He chortled.

Blushing brighter she gazed at the fallen stacks she had gathered in a state between sleep and wakefulness.

"Well you better not leave me to clean it up!" He scolded, turning from her to finish his own job as she scrambled still asleep towards the books knocking the bucket over in the meantime.

"OH NO!"

"What?" He peeked around the corner smirking. Eyes widening he flung his arms out gathering as many books away from the water as possible.

"I'm so sorry!"

"Get the books!" She scrambled faster under his insistent words.

They managed to gather most of the books out of the way and the only ones that were damaged were the ones that had been immediately affected by the plummeting bucket. They stood there mouths agape at the disaster she had caused.

"Well you had better fix it." He stated shock making his voice hollow.

"H-how?"

"Can you write?"

"In Vantha or Inartan? No."

He grimaced.

She held the books awkwardly frozen as if by simply moving she could cause more disaster.

"Then you will replace them?"

"Yes! Absolutely!" She exclaimed before thinking about the cost he asking her to expend and whether or not she could actually come through.

He nodded, and she noticed the bags under his eyes and the tension in his shoulders.

Setting her books down she reached out and took his from his arms. "Go to sleep. I'll finish up, and I wont ruin anything else. Promise."

He hesitated before smiling in return and hefting the books into her arms. "Fine. Thanks." He turned slowly and glancing over his shoulder smiled wider and disappeared into the night. The gust of numbing cold from his exit making her shiver. As she looked around she bit her lip realizing the work she had committed herself to.

OOCBecause you haven't responded to any PM's or this in so long I am going to turn it into a solo. Chow.

by **Noblesse** on September 17th, 2013, 4:32 am

Una Tanta :

Liyana Winterflame :

Additional Notes :

The Aurora flames coldly in the skies above

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can figure it out.

Closed [The Library] Thud...{Liyana}