Closed Straight From Above (Sasuna, Jennelyn,)

[Jennelyn]

Summer 8, 515

For most of the world in the land of Lhavit, today was a peaceful and quiet evening. The moon shone down on the land with a pale ethereal light. The ocean was rather still that evening, in fact, life by the ocean seemed rather frozen in time, almost as if the earth itself was holding it's breath for something, what exactly that was would remain to be seen.

For one young girl however, the night was far from peaceful. She was falling, down and down, clouds zoomed past her as she plunged down into the night sky, her mind racing to piece together what had just happened. She was just walking, without a care, living her life. Now......now here she was, hurtling towards the ground. She reaches a slim, pale hand toward the sky, tears flying off from her face as they seep from her crystal blue eyes, and black hair flailing about madly.

She lets out a griefstricken scream that pierces the silence and stillness of the night. Fallen from home, from grace, she hurtles closer and closer to what she soon realizes are watery depths, a grave. She closes her eyes tight and bites her lower lip, preparing for the impact. Water wraps around her limbs and drags her down,she fights, flailing her pale soft limbs up, as if trying to grab on to something, /anything/ that's solid.

[Sasuna Snowsong]

Common | Vani


The final note of Sasuna's song lifted from her flute and hung in the air, soft yet clear. For a moment her audience was silent, the only sound being the fountain the Springwater Square was known for, and then the applause began. As always it was slow at first, but as more people joined in it grew louder and faster until it was the kind of applause that always finished a show -- respectful and thankful.

Towards the end of the last tune the Vantha's eyes had flicked between azure and silver, betraying the fear and worry she'd felt. Every single performance struck her with a bout of nervousness, becoming bookends for her songs. No matter how much she practiced she could never seem to rid herself of the thoughts that plagued her, that whispered from the depths of her mind. They told her that her tone was awful, that she'd missed a note or that one of the higher notes would split.

They did, of course. Not as much as a beginner would, but nevertheless they did. Her audience didn't really seem to mind too much, but it always punched a hole in her chest when she failed to play an entire song perfectly. Her father would've told her to not be so hard on herself, seeing as how she was still learning, but her father wasn't there and so she kept reprimanding herself to the point of breakdowns. Really, it wasn't healthy.

The musician had just finished cleaning and draining her flute and was setting it back into the case when something caught her eye. She lifted her face towards the sky and snapped the clasps in place, squinting at the pale thing that plummeted towards the water. Was it a bird? It was far too big to be a bird, and if she focused she could just make out strands of something black flying about its head.

When a slender limb extended from the falling creature, Sasuna realized that it was, in fact, a person. Her eyes switched from honey-colored to silver in quick succession, surprise to worry as she tucked the flute case under her arm and started running. The Charodae and the boatworkers were probably already on their way to save the person from drowning, no doubt, but she wanted to be there. She had to be there.

Sasuna wasn't the only person to spot the moon-touched person's descent, but she seemed to be the only one who cared. She shoved her way through any crowds that formed, moving as fast as her legs could carry her across the peaks and down towards the harbor. Four times she almost tripped and three times she actually did, scraping her knees through her skirt. Each time was punctuated by Vani swears, oddly beautiful in her native language despite the vulgarity.

By the time the Vantha arrived the Charodae had already pulled the opalescent creature from the water. An Ethaefal, considering the horns and the delicate beauty that she held. She seemed too frail, too gentle to exist in the mortal world. The tangle of hair fanned out from her head in a wave of inky darkness and only seemed to enhance the fragility of the woman, making her lustrous skin even bolder against the black.

It was as if the air had been drawn from the musician's lungs all at once at the sight of the woman, who was in total awe. How could a being as wondrous as she have fallen, how could she have been cast from the Ukalas? It was too cruel.

Sasuna managed to find her words after many moments of staring. "Is she okay? Is she hurt?"

OOCI am so sorry this post got so long. My posts aren't usually this long, please don't feel intimidated! Feel free to respond in as short or long a post as you feel like!

[Jennelyn]

Falling, she had been falling, hurtling towards the ground. Yet then, it couldn;t have been long, yet it all seemed to happen in slow motion. The waters cool embrace, it's descent into her ears, her nose, her mouth. A creature as unworldly as she couldn't think of a concept even as simple as holding her breath. She laid there descending deeper and deeper into the murky depths, hand eternally outstretched begging for her god, her friend to save her. Eventually her mind was filled with a soft, sweet lullaby, and rather than the pain of suffocation, a sweet sleepiness filled her body. She was soon to return to her god once more, as beautiful as ever, and at least there was that to know, it would be an adventure for sure, discovering what death was like. So she closed her eyes and smiled, finally beginning to go limp in her watery grave.

The next thing she was concious of was a hand pumping at her chest, it jerked her awake from blissful sleep, and she felt something /vile/ and hot in her throat. She quickly, albeit weakly pushed the hands away and flipped over, her body expelling the countless amounts of saltwater it had consumed over the time she was submerged. She gasped as much as she could between the bouts of regurgitation, pure alabaster skin shimmering with a fresh gleam of sweat brought on by her bodies efforts. The poor fragile creature was shaking, her mind racing as her round orbs glanced around frantically. "Is she okay!?" The words were the only of many to truly reach her ears and she glanced up at the young woman who spoke them. She said and did nothing at first, her eyes simply pleading with the woman, utter fear displayed on her face as she finally seemed to gauge her situation as a whole. Reality slowly sunk in for the young creature and as the vomiting ceased, a painful, mournful howl erupted from her throat as small delicate hands dug into the sand.

"Why god, why!?" she finally says, voice as pure and sweet as a bell, but consumed in utter sorrow. "Why have you condemned me, why are you letting this happen, were we not.....as close as a creature, imperfect and flawed as i, could hope to be to you?" she continues mournfully, sitting back on her heels and taking in the situation as she calms down. A mess of faces, none of which she knows, sand that is foreign to her fingers. Her eyes once again seem to settle on the woman perhaps curious or perhaps just simply blank. Without the slightest warning after her seeming composure, the girls face flies into her smooth elongated fingers as she sobs and cries out clutching at her face, her hair, her small delicate frame shaking with her greif.

[Sasuna Snowsong]

Common | Vani


One would think that anyone vomiting up seawater would make them less attractive, but such things did not apply to an Ethaefal. The sheen of sweat that now settled on her shimmering skin would, under any other circumstances, have made her shine even more than she already did. Sasuna, however, knew that it was a sickly sweat and not one from exercise.

When the gleaming woman had made eye contact with her it seemed as though she was begging for help. The Vantha pushed through the awestruck crowd and laid a gentle hand on the Ethaefal's shoulder. Her eyes had shifted to mimic the snows of northern Taldera, several emotions swirling around inside her.

When the wail burst from the Ethaefal's throat, Sasuna nearly leapt out of her skin. The poor creature evidently knew Common, which almost disappointed her. She would've enjoyed a conversation in Vani, but that was not the issue at the moment. The issue was that the Ethaefal thought she was flawed, imperfect and those words thrust a knife into Sasuna's heart.

How could she tell her that she was faultless, that she was unmarred by the trials of the world? The musician moved so she knelt in front of the bereft being, both hands now resting on the opalescent shoulders. She swore at herself mentally. Why didn't she think to bring her cloak, so that she could cover the woman? She looked over her shoulder at one of the men standing by.

"Shirt, give me your shirt. She needs it," she said. The man tugged it over his head and passed it into her outstretched fingers. It was hardly fit for a creature as beautiful as an Ethaefal, but it would have to do.

As she attempted to console the poor thing with soft shushes, she pried the pale hands away from the iridescent face. "What is your name? Do you have a name?"

Did Ethaefals have names so soon after they fell? If they did it would be best to know. The Vantha did her best to clothe the woman, and if she allowed it then she would pull the linen shirt over her head. Brown fingers worked onyx hair through the neck of the shirt, allowing it to cascade over her back.

Now how'd Mama do it? Three pieces... Sasuna had maneuvered herself to sit behind the Ethaefal. If her actions weren't rejected she would proceed to separate the mane of hair into three thick strands. She would then take the strands in her hands and begin to braid them, murmuring to herself in Vani.

"Pull the middle piece to the left, then pull the new middle piece to the right, then again to the left..." She looked up at the crowd, her expression serene. If all that was happening was crying, she could handle it. Braiding had always helped relieve stress for her, whether or not it was her doing the braiding. It was the repetition of it. The question was, would it help an Ethaefal?

"You can all go now, I have this." She felt almost filthy, touching someone so flawless. Nevertheless she decided it was needed and continued the braiding. The crowd went back to their work, leaving the two women alone.

[Jennelyn]

The young creature had almost jumped out of her skin at first. She had never felt the touch of the world below and she was naturally a bit suprised. But the womans hands were warm and soft, and a small smile came to her lips, perhaps in releif, or perhaps some other emotion. Even the girl herself couldn't truly tell. After her nerves had calmed she looked back to the woman before her and offered a small, if a bit timid, smile. Though she didn't yet speak, not trusting her throat to just erupt in more screams and torrents of tears once more.

The one thing which did catch her attention were the woman's' eyes. She was almost positive they were changing color and found her own ice blue ones fixated on them with a childlike curiosity. A slender, delicate hand reached up and touched the side of the woman's forehead, a small smile forming on her face. "Pretty..." she manages after a moment, her voice soft and smooth as silk as it flows from soft plump lips.

But then her grief had overwhelmed her once more as thoughts of her homeland consumed her, and she buried her face into her hands and sobbed. She couldn't help it, even though she tried, she missed her homeland, her friends, her god. It was an inconsolable kind of grief, though it brought a warmth to her heart to see how the woman was trying for her. She began to calm at the soft shushes, like a small child. Then slowly raised her eyes to meet the other womans once again getting lost in their many colors.

She continued to meet her eyes as the woman placed her hands upon her own shoulders. Her own hands reaching up and taking them in her own, letting out an exhale at the contact, as though she was almost relieved by the contact. She didn't really mind the fact she was nude essentially, it wasn't a concept where she came from after all. But then the woman called for a shirt, and blinking, she allowed it to be slided over her small frame, not realising how cold she was until the warm cloth was placed over her body.

That's when the woman had asked for a name.....a name. She blinked slightly in thought, as if trying to drag something out of her memory to no avail. Even if she could remember the name she'd had whilst above. these mortal lips could never pronounce it. So instead she chose to use the name she had last possessed in life, when she was a normal girl who belonged amongst the hills and greens of her isle. "Jennelyn.....at least, it used to be, when i last walked among this earth," she replies quietly as it comes to her finally.

She tilted her head as the woman moved away before she felt her from behind. The small creature tried to look back, but still was quite weak from her fall, and as is natural for someone, could not rotate her neck back to look at the woman. With a weak chuckle she simply let her do as she wished to her hair, though the movement did seem to relax her. She closed her eyes and sighed softly before begenning to hum softly with a smile. After a few moments though, she finds her voice once more, watching absently as the crowd depart. "What is going to happen to me?" she asks nervously.

[Sasuna Snowsong]

Common | Vani


"Jennelyn. That is pretty," Sasuna said, combing out a snarl in the Ethaefal's hair with her fingers. She'd set her flute beside her and now opened it to peek inside, holding the smooth braid in one hand. She lifted a length of cloth from the case, the one she used to polish the metal, and tied it in a simple bow around the end of the braid.

"There. Now it will not get in your face." She closed the instrument case again and positioned herself so she sat in front of Jennelyn once more. "What will happen to you? Well, I suppose I will take you up the mountain and get you a home and a reliable source of income and you will live among us. You are in Lhavit, by the way."

The Vantha stood with the instrument case tucked under one arm. She brushed off her skirt and offered a hand to Jennelyn, her sepia eyes reflecting the calm that quietly dwelled within her. If Jennelyn would take her hand she'd pull the Ethaefal to her feet and think for a moment before speaking again. "Well, this is not really Lhavit. The mountains are Lhavit, up there." She gestured towards the peaks.

"You do not really have to worry about being hurt. There are several Ethaefal in Lhavit, two pretty much run the place and a third holds a government position. A pair of lovers own a tavern. Ethaefal are quite welcome here, trust me." The musician began walking, expecting the young woman to follow her like a lost puppy.

"Since you just fell I will take you back home with me. I doubt my little brother will mind. Actually," she muttered, glancing at the sky, "it is what, a bell past the midnight rest? He probably is not even home. I guess that is a good thing, since he would just drool over you. I think he is quite taken with Ethaefal. He's an astronomer, he likes stars and... things."

The thought of Atticus made her chuckle. He was an odd one for sure. When she first met him she could hardly read his emotions, let alone understand his language. Once her parents had explained facial cues to her she was able to pick up on what he felt. The real challenge for him was to connect her eye colors with her emotions and not get them mixed up with each other.

Sasuna began making the trek back up the mountain, checking behind her for and helping the Ethaefal whenever she needed it. If she required rest then she'd allow a few chimes of sitting before pulling the woman to her feet again. Walking up and down a mountain was difficult, but less so for someone who'd lived on one their entire life. She could hardly imagine the struggles Jennelyn was going through.

[Jennelyn]

Jennelyn remained quiet and calm as the young woman, Sasuna it would seem, brushed her hair. Then she simply lapsed into worried silence, drawing images in the sand beneath her feet, of a moon and stars, and of one, single star, closest to the moon, falling. "Stupid hole, i should've been more careful," she grumbled to herself before looking at her reflection in the water as the bow was tied onto her braid. Her darkening expression immediately began to brighten and she grinned back at the girl. "Thank you, I love it!" she said happily.

The later journey up the mountain, towards her new home, was torturous. She tried to control her breathing, force her legs to take step after tortured step. Unfortunately she had little more than the shirt covering her, which made walking even more difficult. Add to that, the fact she had never excercised a day in her Ethaefal life, and not much more in her previous mortal one, the task was almost impossible.

"Alright Leth, my old friend, i really need your help here," she replies breathlessly towards the moon. "I know i must seem like the clumsiest of idiots to you right now, you must be sharing a laugh at my expense, but i need some strength for this," she continues with a soft chuckle before turning to keep up with Sasuna. She could feel a fresh sheen of sweat covering her alabaster skin at the effort, but she was determined to make it up, as soon as she did, she could rest.

At least she had apparently landed in a place where they seemed to like her kind. Two of her kind ruled the town, and several owned businesses. If she were to make a life anywhere on earth, this would be the place. Then again, she could always return to the isles, not that anyone there would remember her, but by day she would fit right in, perhaps her gifts would even return. She sighed and shook her head continuing the trek, there would be time to think on that later, for now, one foot in front of the other.

[Sasuna Snowsong]

Common | Vani


How long had they been walking? Bells, it seemed, but the moon was only slightly lower in the sky than before. Sasuna could tell that Jennelyn was having trouble and gave her a couple chimes of rest before moving on. She felt like she was being unnecessarily tough on the poor thing, but if the Ethaefal was going to survive a fortnight in the city she'd have to keep up.

"I would ask you about your life, but this one has only just begun. I have trousers and an extra skirt at the apartment, you can wear them." She glanced back at the Ethaefal as if checking her size. "They should fit you."

As they ascended the air would get thinner; it was, after all, a mountain range. She'd have to check back on Jennelyn more and more often to make sure she didn't collapse and tumble back down the mountain.

And then there was Hachia. Hachia Koat, the guide up the mountain. The Vantha had completely forgotten about him, honestly. She'd been making her way up, down and around Lhavit for so long that the need for a guide had become nonexistent. She liked to think she was as surefooted as an Okomo, as false as it was.

Really though, she should've gotten help from Hachia. If not for her, then for Jennelyn. The creature needed it. Sasuna paused and motioned for the Ethaefal to walk ahead of her. "If you fall, I will catch you. Do try to keep your balance, though. I do not fancy leaping off the mountain," she said with a smile.

From then on until they finished the perilous trek up the winding path that clung to the mountain, Sasuna would react to every single perceived and real misstep with a hand on the Ethaefal's arm. The death of a member of the city's patron race sitting on her shoulders would surely cause a high level of hostility towards her, so she would do her best to prevent it.

When the duo reached the Amaranthine Gates, Sasuna allowed Jennelyn a good bit of rest while she talked to the guards.

"Hail, what brings you to Lhavit?" asked one, his gaze fixed on the musician. The other's eyes were glued to Jennelyn.

"I live here. This Ethaefal fell hardly a bell and a half ago, I am bringing her home until me and Atticus can get her a home of her own."

The guard perked up at the mention of an Ethaefal and peered over Sasuna's shoulder at the cosmic beauty. His jaw dropped and Sasuna stepped into his line of sight to direct his attention back to her. She didn't want Jennelyn to be overwhelmed. "Can we go in?"

He nodded and wave the women inside the city. The Vantha grabbed Jennelyn's hand and tugged her in the direction of the Solar Wind Apartments, ignoring the stares of the residents. She'd had her chance to be awed, but now it was time to get down to business. They were on Peak Sartu, which meant they had to cross Tenten to get to Zintia and that would take a while.

"Come along, Jennelyn. I guess while we walk is a good time to talk about Lhavit. I have lived here my entire life, but I will try to not push too much information on you. The city is alive day and night, resting bells giving people time to sleep. You will see Okomo roaming the streets, but do not be afraid of or harm them."

At the mention of the Okomo, Sasuna patted the back of one of the goat-antelopes passing by. She turned to help Jennelyn up a particularly steep section of stairs before resuming her little speech. "Ethaefal are the patron race of our city. I think you will find certain advantages, since you are one. They are well-liked."

The musician continued talking, allowing short intervals after every few sentences so Jennelyn could absorb the knowledge bestowed upon her without struggling to keep up mentally in addition to physically.

Once they arrived at the Vantha's apartment, she opened the door and motioned for Jennelyn to enter. As expected her surrogate brother was nowhere to be seen, the women greeted with silence. She set her flute case down on the wooden desk and turned to examine the room.

It wasn't too messy, thankfully. The canopy bed wasn't made, but the chair and the couch didn't need to be. It had a lived-in feel to it that probably felt foreign to visitors but smelled like home to Sasuna. A few paintings hung on the beige walls, and while many of the apartments had plants she'd gotten rid of them due to her severe lack of a green thumb.

"This is my home. It isn't much, but you can have the bed. Atticus will no doubt give it up to you. He is enchanted by women, Ethaefal especially. I can sleep in the chair, it is quite comfortable."

[Jennelyn]

Jennelyn was completely overwhelmed and exhausted. With each step up the mountain she found it harder and harder to take a breathe in, trembling hands holding tight to what they could find, be it the ground in a pathetic crawl, the side of the mountain, or even Sasuna. The higher they went the more difficult it became for the delicate creature, who was now a shade paler from lack of breath as well as how the sweat that covered her body reflected the light.

Her ears perked up upon hearing the soft voice of the girl once more and she glanced up from staring, either at the ground or the moon, or the path ahead, her target varied by the minute. She turned to regard the girl once more with warm ice blue eyes. "Actually this is far from the first time i have walked this earth, i was "alive" once i suppose you could say, though my memories are sparse," she begins softly with a chuckle. "I was a child of the Konti isle, gifted by the waters there, and i spent my days, singing to the moon, even then i was very fond of him i think," she responds with a chuckle.

The walk then resumed it's silence other than what sounded to be an assessment so the girl knew how to dress her. If there was little to be said about the woman, she could at least say she was kind. But she had made mention that the Ethaefal were considered something superior here, that would explain the crowd that rushed over when she had nearly drowned. She shook her head and sighed trying to clear away such silly thoughts, she just needed to focus on the journey ahead, and try not to make the woman behind her jump off the cliff after her, the path was getting uncomfortably narrow, even for her small feet.

When the gates were finally in sight, and the girl left her to talk with, what she assumed were the city guards, the young ethaefal fell to her knees and prayed her thanks. She knew, in her heart she was not exiled, she had merely fallen. Perhaps her god, and definitely her friends were grieving even. But maybe.....maybe this wasn't forever, perhaps she would see them all again someday. Thus she discovered her first difficulty, praying in the common tongue, a task she had only ever really done in Celestial before, but when she attempted this, the words came out messy and awful sounding from mortal lips. So instead she translated as best she could, from celestial to common, giving thanks to Leth, then she stood and turned to see what awaited her.

She opened her eyes to find the girl, and someone likely from the gaurd staring at her, the latter in amazement. If the girl knew what an ego was, or even posessed one, it would be getting fluffed by it. Instead she merely blushed a delicate pink and looked away. Soon enough Sasuna beckoned her on and they headed through the city proper. The girl did her best to catch up, but in all her life, even her mortal one had never truly seen a city. Sure the konti isle was a lot like a clan.....but far less vast, or with as many shops or smells. Yet Sasuna marched on and therefore so did Jennelyn.

Sasuna began to speak of how the Ethaefal were a patron race here, and she found herself smiling in gratitude at the knowledge. That at least meant she would not be cast out and ignored, if she were considered so special. Perhaps this was all simply part of a divine plan, perhaps there was something she was meant to do here that simply had yet to be revealed. Though all this was speculation, her feet had hardly been on ground for, two bells she had heard the woman call it, but to her the time was simply a long, unidentifiable stretch, for time had little meaning in her old home up above, and at night, her memories mostly consisted of those times, rather than her earthly existence.

When they arrived at the apartment, she looked around curiously. The place was rather messy, and yet, the girl before her smiled at this mess, as though pleased by it. This caused a look of confusion upon the creature, for she was sure messes must be a bad thing, but she did the polite thing and kept silent. This brought the thought to her mind as to supporting herself, perhaps being a member of the city's patron race would help her find a job, but as what? She wasn;t sure what she was skilled enough in. She had dabbled in jewelsmithing, perhaps she could learn that trade, or worse case scenario hope her talents as a Konti remained and sing on the side of the street. For the moment though she simply calmed these thoughts and with a silent nod made her way to the bed. "Thank you.....i really can;t beleive how kind you've been to me," she murmured softly, her voice sounding genuinely touched.

[Sasuna Snowsong]

Common | Vani


OOCI think this post is a good wrap up one. You can post one more time if you'd like, otherwise I'll go ahead and turn it in.

Sasuna placed her fists on her hips, her mouth quirking up as she stared at the room. She'd said something to Jennelyn about giving her something when they got here, but what was it? It felt like it was important, but she shrugged and moved to the bed.

The Vantha grasped the blankets and folded them back into a pile at the foot of the bed. She tugged at the sheet until it was straight and tucked the edges under the bed's mattress, humming softly to herself. If only she could remember the notes of the little working songs she spontaneously composed!

She'd have to think one up sooner or later that was a good motivator and write it down, maybe even run it by Atticus to check how it worked with other people. "Hmm? Oh, it is no problem. My pleasure, really."

One by one the blankets were straightened and tucked the same way the sheets were, then the pillows were fluffed. The bed was made and yet she still couldn't remember what she'd told Jennelyn.

As the musician turned around and looked the Ethaefal up and down once more she realized that the poor girl wasn't wearing any pants. Sasuna nearly smacked herself in the face as she scuttled to grab both trousers and skirt, holding them out to Jennelyn.

"Skirt or trousers? Both are comfortable, both should fit." Once Jennelyn made her pick she'd hand the clothing over to the opalescent woman and toss herself into embrace of the soft chair with a whump and a sigh.

An Ethaefal had fallen, she'd hiked up and down a perilous path on a mountain and now here she was, letting the shimmering creature stay with her indefinitely and it wasn't even the morning rest yet.

What a day.