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The Diamond of Kalea is located on Kalea's extreme west coast and called as such because its completely made of a crystalline substance called Skyglass. Home of the Alvina of the Stars, cultural mecca of knowledge seekers, and rife with Ethaefal, this remote city shimmers with its own unique light.
It was a slow season, that much was for sure as Una was sitting inside the best tea house thing in Lhavit. And to tell the truth, it was not so much the tea here that relaxed her, it was the people. So many of them, yet none known, none attempting any contact. A few more nights like this and she will have to jump some random stranger and befriend him or her. Maybe a man this time? Last time it almost turned out quite unsuitable for her sexual orientation. After all, it was easier to talk to most guys. Unlike girls they did not have their heads up in the clouds and weren't worried about this and that. People needed to know how to live and relax, or that was just the mental image Una got when picturing it.
Looking around the girl grasped how filled up the room was, her's was the only table that had some free space, and yet somehow she found that quite funny. Soon Someone will come, but will they be worth litsening? Or rather will she be intrigued by such an individual? Giving up thinking for now she sipped her tea in hope of an interesting night, cause in one way or another it was going to happen.
The more time that he spent in Lhavit, the more he found himself gravitating towards an active night life. It was more out of necessity than anything else. His workplace kept him busy in the afternoons and early evenings, and once he was finished and walking home, he found himself distracted or fascinated by the the way the city came alive.
The city was a glowing beacon in the evenings, sparkling with the same, calming light he had come to associate with the night sky. It was something that had startled him at first, but grew quickly accustomed to. Even though he had already spent over twenty days becoming a part of the community, the sight never failed to make him smile.
This particular night was like any other, though for a change, he had an actual location in mind, rather than his usual habit of simply learning the terrain, bit by bit. While he had heard of the brewed drink tea, he had never tasted it himself; in Syrilas, the leaves required had been something of a commodity, and they had never had time for such things. In Lhavit, though, there was a house, dedicated to making the hot drink.
He had to admit, he was curious.
The Mhakula Tea House was something he saw every day as he went around his daily business, but this was his first time seeing it so close. Like many of the other buildings, he was astonished by the ornate and decorative structure, surrounded by a well kept garden. He was careful not to disturb any of the plants as he made his way inside.
To his dismay, the tables inside were already filled with people of all kinds, chattering and drinking. It seemed unlikely that he would find a place any time soon. As he turned to go, a waiter caught his attention. Luckily enough, there was a space free at a table nearby, if he didn't mind sharing with another person?
Grateful, Tao nodded his agreement and allowed himself to be led over to the table, where a woman with long, amber coloured hair sat, sipping what he presumed to be tea from a cup.
"Excuse me." He said softly in Lhavitian, pleased at how smoothly the words came out. "I hope you don't mind me sharing this table with you."
Thanks for joining me Hopefully i can live up to your standards when it comes to this thread.
Drifting almost completely into distant thoughts of her own was what the now bored girl was doing for quite some time. She had almost finished her tea, yet she found herself unable to finish it and call it a night as she stretched it out as far as she could. She was thinking about Priskil and how she did not celebrate her birthday this year either, but why was it so important now, and it wasn't before?
Her stillness were broken only by the occasional sips of tea and a bit of scratching on the neck, not really lady like, but who the heck cared. She was about to give up her place and just as she drank up the last bit of her tea, a young man sat down next to her rumbling something in Lhavitian. Una had always disliked that language, but still she managed to pick out the words as she smiled back at the man, and he was an attractive one at that. His appearance was not really what every girl would fall for, but still, there was a slight air of attraction around him, or so it seemed to the girl's lonely and somewhat absent imagination.
His sentences bore some sort of an accent so she switched to common, she liked that one better anyway: „No, not at all, please, help yourself“ she grinned like a kid that got a new toy, and in a way she did, didn't she? „Care to tell me your name?“ she said in a playfull tone as she was now laying back in her chair taking a closer look at the man across the table. He had eyes much like her own, black hair, he was somewhat feminine, and he seemed a bit quiet, maybe too quiet? She quickly banished the thought as she could not help her nature but ask another question before she even got an answer to the first one: „So what brought you to this place, or should i say this town?“ she winked a bit at him before smiling to herself and looking around drowning her curiosity in various things and people. Maybe it did not look like it, but the boy still had her attention.
As he seated himself, Tao couldn't help but sigh in relief as the woman replied in Common, and quite fluently at that. He smiled his thanks at her, though he was a little bewildered at how amused she was by his presence. The woman appeared to be examining him closely for a few minutes, before asking him a couple of questions with a jaunty wink and turning to look around.
"I'm Tao." He offered, speaking in Common now. He placed his bag to the side, resting against his foot so he would notice any potential thievery.
Though a bit confused at her antics, he took advantage of her distraction to order some tea from a nearby waiter. He studied her in return while he did so. She was quite attractive, and looked around his age. Her hair was what commanded most of his attention; its vibrant colour was something he had rarely seen.
He then remembered that he had to answer her question.
"Oh. Uhh. Well, I moved here recently after my father died. I'm starting a new life here, I guess you could say." He said, turning his head away so it didn't look like he was staring at her.
The man still seemed as he was uncomfortable as he was now sitting down and eyeing his bag every now and then. She could not help but laugh to that thought, did she really look like a thief? Well that could not be helped, could it? Tao did he say his name was? It was a nice name, it was... different, oh and a plus to that, they had a sword named dao around here, now that was quite something, wasn't it? Una discarded it as a conicidence as she glimpsed back at him just fast enough to see him taking her appearance in. She did not deem it wrong or disrespectful as that was the same thing she was doing to him not so long ago. Humans were wrong to judge by appearances, but what harm was there in enjoying them?
As she heard answers to all her questions she quickly responded, still in quite playfull voice, almost as if she was still a small girl and just read an interesting story that she wanted to share: „ They call me Una, not that there are many of „them“ that's just a name i was given at birth, guess there is no shortening that is there Tao?“ she repeated her name in hope not to forget it all too quickly. As her question was rhetorical, she quickly switched to the next line: „I'm sorry to hear about your father, i hope he was a good man, Priskil watch over his soul“ she did not want to have him glooming on bad emotions too much, as she switched her tone further ande made it a happy one all over again: „A new life eh? So what drew you to this place?“ She let her head rest on her right arm, as she was using the left one to slowly form a beat against the table. All the stillness got her a bit bored not so long ago, and now she was being curious, it was a sudden change indeed.
"This is a city like no other" thought Brady as he walked down the streets of Lhavit. The night life thrilled him, and he could see many opportunities to earn money in the restaurants and bars. There was one venue in particular he wanted to check out. The much talked of tea house. Though Brady had never tasted tea, he knew that a place where people congregate is prime territory for a gambler.
So stopping in front of the building he checked his hair, being quite self-conscious. After the simple act was completed he opened the door and entered the building. It was chock full of people, which was warming to Brady's heart. However there seemed to be a severe lack of seating. But as he looked around a waiter called to him, pointing out a table with an open chair. "Thank you very much" he mentioned in parting.
Walking up to the two people who were currently sitting at the table Brady waited for a pause in the conversation, and then spoke. "Greetings friends! I hope you don't mind my intrusion. But it seems as if there is no seating, and personally I hope it's a compliment to the drinks!". Finishing with a laugh he promptly sat in one of the open seats. And dumped his bag carelessly onto the floor under the chair.
Una was her name, and she seemed to be very friendly, if a little jittery. He nodded his head politely as she said her respects for his father's passing; that was something he had become accustomed to over the past year. The event had so defined the person that he was and was becoming, to the point that he no longer felt that twist in his gut at the mention of the death.
He wasn't surprised to hear her call upon the goddess Priskil; many people had their gods that they worshipped and loved. The way she said the name was very natural, like the connection had always been a part of her.
The conversation shifted back into lighter waters, as she further probed him about his life. He didn't mind answering, really; it was sort of nice to sit and talk with someone.
"I came to Lhavit for the stars." He replied to her, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly out how very stupid that sounded. "I mean... well, I've always found astronomy interesting, and the stories I had heard about this place were incredible, so different from anything I've ever known. I wanted to start a new life, and I figured that it should be completely new."
After a pause, he added, "And I came to the Tea House because I wanted to try tea."
He was suddenly startled by the appearance of a new person, taking advantage of a free seat much in the same way he did. Glancing over at Una to see if she recognised the man, he none the less nodded politely.
"Good evening." He replied, trying very hard not to let any of his surprise show. A little more company wouldn't hurt.
The air was getting less and less tense around them as the man seemed to relax more and more with each moment, she liked that. Why did most men have problem relaxing in her pressence? Did she really look like a thief? Or was it something else? He seemed to have loved his father, not that it was any of her business, but still...
She litsened intently to his story, or line or whatever it was that he was trying to tell, and found herself enjoying it a bit. With a silly smile on her face she could not help but smile, „Someone came to Lhavit simply for the stars?“ it was not only so childish, it was sort of cute and amazing too. The man though, he seemed as he was uncomfortable with saying his line about the stars as his lip twitched a bit, almost as if he was nervous.
Una could now see another man coming up towards the table, but disregarded him as there would be time for being polite later; meaning as soon as she's done talking. As another one sat, this one was good looking too, in a wierd way, and she could not help but feel a bit like a magnet, which was silly even to her of course, but could not be helped.
„For the stars?“ Una said in a low voice with a spark in her eyes. „Why would you ever correct that answer, it's not only amazing, it's actually quite refreshing as well“ she knew she was right, almost everyone said they were here on business or alike. „Different from anything you've ever known...“ she whispered a bit as her voice trailed off quickly. She could relate to that, not that she was willing to share it, but....
Turning her head to the man that still lacked welcome she stretched a smile saying in Common again: „Make yourself at home, i do believe the seating here is hard to come by“ she then ruffled her hair a bit, as she was shifting her gaze from one man to another.
After a few moments, she just asked what she wanted to know: „So who are you? And what brought you here?“ for this line she used a fake made up „official“ voice. As she finished she quickly switched to laughing, she did not really care if they found it funny or not, she was simply childish that way.
He couldn't help but be a little surprised at how warmly she responded to his words, the way her eyes lit up like he had just spoken the secret to eternal youth. The few other people who had asked him of his purpose had always shook their heads or smiled condescendingly as he had replied, the word 'dreamer' on the tip of their tongue but never spoken.
To some degree, he understood their exasperation; it no doubt seemed strange that one would leave an entire life behind for a change of scenery. It was difficult to explain what it was like to step into his shoes, all his motivations and his whimsical decisions.
But tonight, Una was the one who criticised not for those choices, but for trying to justify them with logic and rationality. That was... a confusing thought. One that he was just certain he was wearing all over his face; he had never been particularly good at hiding emotion.
She whispered something under her breath as he wondered whether he should apologise for his explanation, but then all attention turned to the other man who had just seated himself. Having already said his greetings, Tao was merely waiting for his reply. Una did not seem to know him, but was at the same time not bothered by his presence. If anything, she seemed to be perking up, giggling madly over some sort of joke she had made.
Her cheerful mood was infectious, making him smile and relax a little further. He was always wary of strangers, worried that he would offend and insult them in some way. It seemed like that would be a difficult task with the woman.
Tao was distracted for a second as his tea finally arrived. He accepted the steaming cup with a polite nod and placed it in front of him. He eyed it warily, wondering what it would taste like.
Last edited by Tao on November 15th, 2010, 10:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
As he sat down a man greeted him without emotion, except possibly a hint of a jumpy nature. Brady nodded to him as he sat, not knowing if a response would be appreciated. As he half-listened to the middle of a conversation (which never makes sense) Brady took his time examining his companions.
The man he thought was not only small, he was also somewhat feminine. This slightly disconcerted Brady so he turned to view the lady. As he did so Brady just barely managed to escape his jaw dropping to the floor. His profession easily led to him seeing many beautiful women, he had a habit of looking women over quickly to "check them out". However this didn't need to be quick, and he didn't make it quick. He glanced down her side taking in the subtle curves, and then drew his gaze up her body once again viewing the shaping of a womans body, finally resting his gaze upon her eyes. Which glimmered like the sea, and drew him into them. Glancing away just before she turned towards him, Brady let a out a small breath realizing he had barely escaped a round of embarrassment.
As the woman turned she spoke to him in a mock official voice. Brady let out a small chuckle as she began to giggle. "My name is Brady, and I am most pleased to meet the both of you. The only thing left to complete my joy would be the knowledge of your names." With this he grinned in his most charming manner and continued speaking. "As to what brought me here, I truly just needed change. I wanted to see the city at night, and to see the glory of the upper peaks. The majesty of the rising sun, and the beauty of it's sinking. I wanted to see the world and what it had to offer." leaving off in full rhetorical glory Brady realized that a short speech wasn't absolutely necessary. But he figured that it probably wouldn't hurt.
by Una Nox on November 14th, 2010, 4:08 pm 
Hopefully i can live up to your standards when it comes to this thread.
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