2011-03-27: Unearthly Ways

Players:

Kalindi_icon.jpg Ahdi_icon.jpg

Summary: Kalindi and Ahdi discuss the differences between this world and what they are used to.

Date: March 27, 2011.

Log Title: Unearthly Ways

Rating: G.


Westchester - Titicus Reservoir

Surrounded by trees and plenty of green, Titicus Reservoir is a peaceful spot. There is a fence surround the water to keep people out of the watershed. Sorry but there is no swimming in the drinking water. Before the fence is a small park with picnic tables, grills, and a large grassy area for recreational activity. The park is well maintained by the state of New York so it seems clean almost all the time..


While it's a relatively warm day out, Kalindi walks through the area with a few extra layers over her. She carries her bag over her shoulders, both hands wrapped around the straps, glancing around idly with her dark eyes as she slowly explores the area. Her footfalls are relatively light, despite the heavy material that she carries with her. Quietly, under her breath, she hums a soft tune that she doesn't even seem to be aware she's humming.

Ahdi is decked out in his full native garb, weapons, leathers and all. Despite the heat and amount of thick leathers the Atjadni wears, he doesn't seem too bothered by it. At this particular moment the native is perched atop the fence that runs along the water. He squats on the railing balanced as easily if it were flat ground, his fore-arms braced across his knees as he stairs into the water, crazy-wild hair hanging down all around him. Having been using his ears to their full potential before Kalindi entered his domain alerted him when she was coming into his area, but judging by her size she doesn't seem very dangerous to him. He doesn't bother to look around, if she is dangerous then sometimes it is best to act like you know nothing.

Kalindi looks towards Ahdi for a moment with a tilted head, her eyes moving around busily enough to eventually spot him. She glances down at her feet and then up at the Atjadni, shaking her head slowly. She touches her wristlet lightly for a moment and asks Ahdi, "What is it that you are doing up there? You are wearing very different clothes." She readjusts the straps of her backpack and frowns slightly.

Ahdi frowns down at the water, then reaches down to grab the rail under his feet and monkey down off the fence to the ground, turning to face Kalindi with a bow as he clasps his hands over his stomach, "Is good day, nice to see." he responds first, in his heavily accented english, "Am, look fish, do no see fish though, is odd put fence around water, will no hold in, so do no see point." The Atjadni frowns briefly as he says this, but disregards it and continues, "Do no matter. Clothes, be my clothes from Atjad, help show status and, uh, duty. Also armor for when hunt." his hands unfold slightly and he moves them down, plucking at some shaggy hair on his loincloth.

"There is no fish in that water," says Kalindi looking over, "The water comes through very small holes, I think, like filters, and that keeps all of the fish out." She glances down to the fence and says, "But it is because we get drinking water from it that the fence is around it. Some people will think to swim in it, which is not healthy to do in drinking water." She nods at his explanation of the clothes, though, and replies, "That is fair, it is, hmmm. I wear things like this sometimes, see?" She pulls back her sleeves to expose both wristlets. "I have them on my ankles, and I have a belt, necklace and earrings, too."

Ahdi moves his dark eyes from Kalindi's face, it being his habbit to keep eye-to-eye contact whenever talking face-to-face. As he studies Kalindi's wrists he asks, "What do mean, to have this? Do no see those on much human, no of that, type. Many wear item on arm, just no that color item. Is, uh, much flash, make me think is to bring attention." This being said the hunter looks up from her wrists to her face again, trying to see if he is right.

"This is gold, I wear it both to protect my body in these places, and because it shows something of who I am. Many people do not know this, but I am as a princess of another land in another world. Here, I am the leader of a group. Maybe something like a tribe?" explains Kalindi, toying with the bracelet, "I am a stronger person than I look to be, but these pieces are a reminder of who I am. Does this make sense to you?" She looks back up towards Ahdi's face, inclining her head to look into his eyes.

Ahdi has to take a moment to cross-reference words in his head before he understands, a couple of them new to him but stored in his mental dictionary, "am, understand. Is, like be very much respect for be daughter of one who guide people. Was much respect in land too. Am youngest elder of my people, teacher of hunt to youth, is why fur that wear is Silver. Am Silver Wolf, ishard explain in English." Ahdi looks appologetic, then bows his head again, "Are, much high rank, though, realize no is no my place to challenge. If that much respect, must be great of combat."

"In hand to hand, eh, I am very good, but from the kick to my wrist, I think I could not fight you for long. This is not my greatest strength, but there are many who fear fighting me. With my weapons available, I am harder to fight, but it is my mind that is powerful," explains Kalindi, shaking her head, "But it is as I say to Fiona, I am a Bargainer, not a fighter as much. I do not like to fight, it is a waste of resources. She makes me angry sometimes, too angry, I do not like to be so angry. But she is so new to what she does, there is so much she can learn from me, and I have offered to help her move on. But she disrespects me and says I am not worthy of her friends…" Kalindi crosses her arms and makes a sour expression. "But you have important rank, too. I do not mean to insult your place in your world."

Ahdi ponders this, stepping backward till his back presses against the fence. He doesn't break eye contact, "Am no insult, part of be elder is know when fight or no fight. Am still learn this part, am learn fast though." He smiles a somewhat selfconcious half smile, "Uh, am, no sure why Fiona do no like though. Have no see you act with dishonor, she is think you dishonorable though. She says has do with you demon, and is different from her demon, I do nos ee difference. Sound much same."

"It is similar. Her Norgatraz is different, though. But she will learn as time goes. As for demon, eh, I think it is a strong word, has many connotations. My Father and I, or I consider him my Father as he considers me Daughter, we are unable to break our word," says Kalindi, shrugging, "And we see that we can bring people many things, order. Do you see how this world has so much chaos?" She waves her hand lightly and sighs, though still keeping eye contact with Ahdi, "When people lie to me, and they do so often, it dishonors me greatly. It dishonors all they lie to. But Fiona, eh, I understand why she does not like me. It is because she thinks I am quite the same as her Norg, but not at all the same as her."

Ahdi cocks his head just a bit, taking this all in. "You say…you say are like, uh, Norg that make Fiona do thing, no like Fiona. So, you no human then?" He tosses that thought around for a moment, "Is, no bad thing to no break deal. Before come Earth, do know what Lie was. My people do no do so, no have word for Lie even in language. is much sad what people do on planet. Was talk man name Hosea. He tell me of king spirit name God, say how human always defy him but he love them. Spirit of my people are no like this. For no to lie, that show you have honor."

"Oh, no no, that is what she seems to think. I am more like her than I am like Norgatraz, but she does not see it," says Kalindi, shaking her head, "But physically, I am a human person. My soul, I share with my Father, as I say, so in this way I am also different from human." She shakes her head and sighs, "I wish that these people did not know what lies were either. But this is the world that is here."

Ahdi nods quietly, not exactly sure what he should say to this. He breaks eye contact to look at the ground at Kalindi's feet, shifting a bit as he does so.

Kalindi frowns and shrugs when there is silence, "So I will try to change what is here… I will act as a Bargainer, to make trades that both sides agree to through negotiation, but after all, I want to change the world so it is a better world." She glances away and says, "I am not so bad as some will say and think. Just a different kind of person."

Ahdi smiles again, shyly this time. His back pushes a bit harder against the fence as he subconciously attempts to move, "Is, no think you bad person. Am just No really person who talk much. Have talk more on Earth than ever on Atjad. Can understand what say, Hosea tell me is big world for to change, though." Ahdi still doesn't look up, attempting to cover up his slightly frayed manners. Kalindi looks a lot like one of his own kind, and it unsettles him. Human females he can look at as something other than Atjadni, but when they look like his own people, it seems he sinks back into old habbits.

"Ah, yes, it is hard to change. Very very hard. And I may not actually change anything while I live. We will see," says Kalindi, lips twitching downwards for a moment. She smiles, though, and says, "But people say that I talk quite a lot! I do not know what your people think of speech. I know some who think that talking a lot means that you know nothing, and others who think that talking a lot means you know very much! But I like to talk and to listen. These are important skills to have, for me."

"Some of my people like talk, others like listen." Ahdi responds. "Am one who listen much, when talk words that want do no always come out." The hunter shrugs, one of the human jestures he has started to catch on to, then looks back up at Kalindi to resume eye contact. He blinks once, and the tattoo on his eyelid flashes vines and flowers.

Kalindi looks between the Atjadni's eyes and tilts her head slightly, gesturing towards her own eyelids, "What are these, these images that are on your eyelids? I have not seen such a thing before." She tugs again at the strap of her backpack to make it rest more comfortably on her shoulder.

Ahdi reaches up to touch the right side of his face, closing his eyes again so the hole picture is clear. The vague mass covers part of his nose, all of his eyelid, runs along the bottom of his eyebrow and covers his cheakbone. It doesn't stop in plain sight, vanishing into his hair line. "Is, mark of my people. Are village all over Atjad. This show what village have make permanent home, so all Atjadni know. See my clothes, see my face, know where am from and what do." With his eyes closed the hunter takes a couple of steps forward before stopping, "Vines and flowers look like this grow in certain part of thickest jungle, where other Wolf Totem like me live in village, is why was chosen to be symbol. All Atjadni who have village as own have mark, always in same spot."

"It looks nice," comments Kalindi, "I do not have any more of a physical mark of who I am than Fiona does. She has her strange eyes, but mine are dark, but they can be very dark at times. So I am told." She touches under her eye and shrugs, "It sounds like a nice tradition that you have where you are from. So you have a Wolf Totem, what does this mean?"

Ahdi re-opens his eyes, notices he is closer to Kalindi, and backs up til lhis back touches the fence again. His hands re-fold over his stomach and he is quiet for a moment before he replies, "Wolf Totem, mean have been given spirit of wolf. Have much goot nose and ear, am faster than some totem, all but cat. Can run long time with no be tired, too." Ahdi gives a small shrug, his rifle clinking against the chainlink fence behind him.

"A good nose and ears? This sounds like it is a very useful thing. I am, eh, not so great with nose and ears," says Kalindi, crossing her arms and frowning slightly, "What are totems that your people can be? It is interesting to hear of other peoples. Easier to talk on your terms this way, yes?"

Ahdi thinks that over before responding quietly, "Can talk on what term you like, is no difference." He takes a moment to collect his thoughts, "Are cat, snake, bear, raptor, and Wolf, for main. Sometime get special totem, is no often. Wolf is most large."

"Neither one of us knows much about the culture the other comes from. Talking of these things makes misunderstandings less likely," says Kalindi, smiling slightly, "Is it something you know for your whole life, what the totem that you have is? Or is it something you come into?"
Ahdi glances around briefly, then decides the ground is best and seats himself cross-legged with a fluid, practiced motion. "Is sometime easy guess, if much big, muscles, usually bear, or if mom and dad both one totem, usually make baby of totem. YOu do no know for sure till 35 year old, human year, then you go invokation and it be done."

"So there are signs?" says Kalindi, tilting her head slightly. She looks at her hands and wrists and asks, "If I were one of your people, which would you guess that I would be?" As Ahdi sits, Kalindi kneels in order to maintain eye level with the warrior. "Or is this not a polite question?"

Ahdi looks Kalindi up and down with a critical eye, then turns his face down, imbarased, "Would, be cat I think. Cat are smaller than some, like snake, much fast, have long hair like wolf most of time. Are,, um, let me find english word…" Ahdi lapses into silence for a little while, then says, "Proud, sometime smug, but much skilled. Cat also have some of most beautiful Atjadni, like Raptor totem. Snake have lot of normal or beautiful, wolf and bear are most normal, no special to see, but respect for hunting ability."

Kalindi nods as she listens, "Well, I cannot deny that I am a proud person. I am proud of being exactly who I am." She tilts her head back and forth lightly and then nods. "Well, thank you for assessing this. It is hard to guess, I imagine, but this sounds something like how I am, though I think I am, ehh, not among the most beautiful."

Ahdi snorts and grins impishly now, a full face thing rather than the half smile he usually has. Glancing back up at Kalindi he gives a shake of his head, "Are, uh, modest. Are much beautiful. Are no pritiest girl in land, but pritiest be veinist, so is, advantage." The hunter nods his head once, then thinks to add, "Are too young be cat though, human age much fast, am told. In human year, I am 51. In Atjadni time, am much young. Am not even expect to have mate till am 100 Human year."

"I do not know how long I will live, but I assume a normal human lifespan. My soul may be returned to another body, I do not know of these things very well…" says Kalindi, shaking her head. "I am only about eighteen years old. Which is an adult in human years. There are those who get married at this age, or even younger…"

Ahdi squints slightly, reaching up to push hair behind his ears, "Is, so strange. Is almost like can see human age, is so fast. It startle me. When die, though, spirit will leave and join other to help hunter, like Atjadni. Is how it work." The hunter sounds 100 percent sure of himself, "Have many year to go though, even for human. Is no something should worry on…This Mary, is like take mate?"

"Well, it is a contract that people take that says they are mates, and that they should not break these contracts," explains Kalindi, shrugging, "I do not think that I would want such a contract, and it is possible to have a mate without it. Both parties can dissolve the contract, though, through agreement."

Ahdi shakes his head slightly as Kalindi is partway through her words, looking a bit shocked, "No, is not like mate…We no give contract, just choose eachother. After, you are Mate till die, is no stop be mate, or be other person mate, just one. Is, unnatural what you say, end mate bonds…" Ahdi stops shaking his head, but still looks troubled, "Is why wait to pick, find one person who connect with, then, belong to eachother for all life, and when spirits."

"Well, I do not think that I would like to end mate bonds. There are many trials to find out who is compatible to take as the mate for life, and sometimes it is not for life, but this is called dating. To find if they are most compatible. This is just how I see the things here in this world, as I am a bit of a stranger to it myself," says Kalindi, sighing and waving her hands in front of herself. "I think it is too complicated to take a mate here."

Ahdi is quiet for a moment, and seems thoughtful, after a moment he says quietly, "Do no understand how am to pick, either. My friends who be Mated tell me will know when see right girl, but, am no sure. Am, no good talk to girl, am too quiet. They think is funny, is only thing in hole life that scare me." The ATjadni suddenly looks very preocupied with a bird flitting along over Kalindi's head, "When try talk to Atjadni female, tong will no work, can just look ground." Ahdi makes a face, almost like wincing.

"It can sometimes be hard to ask these things. I have never met an Atjadni woman before, I do not know what they are like, but I know that there are men who will try to ask me things, and then they will not be able to speak. It seems like a normal thing for males to do," says Kalindi. She removes her backpack, which thuds against the ground next to her, rolling her shoulders to make them more comfortable. "But eh, you must practice speaking, and you will be better. It is like all skills."

Ahdi nods his head to Kalindi's words, still looking uncomfortably up at the sky, "Am sure you right, is easier talk human, even if look like Atjadni. Do no understand why." He lets out a sigh, fingering the loincloth covering his lap, "What human do when 'Date'? Think this is what Fiona mean when she say human be together."

"Eating dinner, or seeing a movie. Doing some activity together, whatever it is, it seems like… I have asked one out for such a thing, but he did not reply. This is probably better." Kalindi shrugs weakly, seeming unsure of this. "Maybe it is easier for you to talk to me, because maybe you do not think you would ever want to have a mate relationship with me?"

"Uh, do, no think is it." Ahdi answers, timidly, then stands suddenly, "Um, have much think on though, am much glad we talk." Ahdy clasps his hands and bows, moving a couple of steps to one side, "Hope see again." he sounds a bit nervous as he finally turns and starts to jog, a good 30 MPH.

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License