[center][img]https://i.ibb.co/fF6qBZj/Casii.png[/img][/center][hr]Interactions: Ismette [@ForceandFury] [i]1.1 All that is Faire that Ends Well![/i][hr] How long had it been since facing a Wyrm and surviving? It already felt like an eternity. Somehow facing a lethal sand dragon was a little more comfortable than dealing with this. Yanii-land. Life here was a slow, meandering existence of horrid urban life. She had forgotten how tight and closed in she felt in Ersand, having experienced the liberty of the Refuge’s openness as really the only collection of yanii buildings as far as the eye could see. Here, however, it was closed in with walls that felt like a cage for a fenced in animal. She missed home. It felt odd to think about it. Having desperately wanted to get out there and see more of the world, but having ventured through a portal on her trip only to return to a place that wasn’t really her home messed with her. She wasn’t returning to the familiar comforts like all the other yaniis were. It was like she was taking another trip to somewhere exotic. She sighed, turning to the wyrm pearl she had tucked under her arm. A rare, attractive keepsake that she had found on her recent journey. She didn’t really know what to do with it. Her grand na would tell her to bring it back to the Mette’stiroi but if her grand na was right about that, it hardly didn’t have the meaning it used to. She threw her torso back in frustration letting her head thump against the branch she was lounging on. [color=6ecff6]”Ow.”[/color] She uttered rather plainly for just taking a lump on her head. At least she had enough sense to ask for help in this situation. Invited rather hastily in passing earlier in the day, Casii had asked Ismette to come find her in the park in her secret grove. It was open to all yasoi but she had issues with yaniis hanging around. Ismette was… attractive, Casii had kept considering. Not just in her tall petiteness, mind you, but how she seemed to have herself all figured out outside of the homeland. She seemed so confident and assured. Ever since their awkward meeting of Casii coming down from her aberration thrill, Ismette had been there for her. She needed it. The aberration had been an impulsive decision. Indulging in it just like her kin back home had left a sour taste in her mouth. Figuratively speaking but in reality Casii was still feeling it. Her head seemed to have a gnawing pain like a stomach yearning for food. Energy seemed to be another symptom as lethargy slowed her for the following days where she even doubted she’d be able to lift herself out of bed. Such a price for an aberration. If another one came by, she didn’t want it… How did Ismette manage to refuse? Casii needed to know… A brushing of leaves sounded and Casii’s ear twitched. Someone seemed to be coming. [color=6ecff6]”Izzii, that you?”[/color] She called out in her native yasoi tongue. [color=CD5C5C]“Dii,”[/color] teased the other, [color=CD5C5C]“Nax ya Papa Curliix. Rawr!”[/color] She hopped nimbly up into the branches and grinned impishly before letting it fade into something more appropriate. [color=CD5C5C]“Eleh uush joi, suunei?”[/color] Translation: [i]“No, I’m Papa Curliix. Rawr!”[/i] - [i]“What bothers you, sister?”[/i] [color=6ecff6]”Vish nax, fo’senii yasoi pai’it selang fi’ela Casii vel Papa Curliix.”[/color] Casii mused, waving her hand but not stirring from her spot upon her branch. She did, at least, prop her head up to meet Ismette’s gaze, lifting her wyrm pearl. [color=6ecff6]”Nax wiip yuul eleh juu’juup sin o’panuu.”[/color] She let that hang for a moment before quietly follow up with an admission. [color=6ecff6]”Rey ela juu joi liisan’yanii pan? Nax wiip yuul…”[/color] Translation: [i]”Lucky me, for now yasoi will tell the story of how Casii fought Papa Curliix.”[/i] - [i]”I do not know what to do with my treasure.”[/i] - [i]”And how do you live among humans well? I do not know…”[/i] After a brief giggle, Ismette sighed. [color=CD5C5C]“Panuu ya posh.”[/color] she waved dismissively. “Eshe ap ol joi soceh ap; thrii ap ol el’muul ilac. Ismette ya el’paltha par’wes elai joi’ya dii’dolrey jiiruul yanii.” She cocked her head to one side, a bit concerned. “Joi tajuup yim Ismet, suunei. Pelosh ap ziib’it nax ziib’it joi.” Translation: [i]“The treasure is easy. Keep it if you like it; sell it if you want money more. I’m more interested to know why you’re uncomfortable among humans. You can tell me, sister. Maybe it will help me help you.”[/i] Casii shuffled in her spot as she considered the yasoi’s advice on the treasure. The pearl was pretty but she didn’t even really have a home right now and she certainly didn’t trust her yanii neighbors to not go snooping. Selling it, maybe, but what did she want with money? She blew air out of her mouth and returned to reclining, watching the wind blow at the leaves above. [color=6ecff6]”Suunei…”[/color] Casii began, continuing in her native tongue to try and outline it all. It had been awhile since she had spoken her natural language. It almost felt off at first but now it was coming back to her. [color=6ecff6]”... Do you feel comfortable in all those buildings? Ever been to Southern Mycormi? It’s so open and here it feels so closed. It ain’t just the people. It’s the whole thing.”[/color] Ismette shrugged. [color=CD5C5C]“Sometimes it seems like yesterday when I left home. Sometimes, it seems like a century.”[/color] She let out a sigh, idly swinging a foot back and forth beneath the branch she was perched on. [color=CD5C5C]“I guess… you just have to find your space, go your places, adjust what you can change and accept what you can’t. Otherwise, yeah, you’ll go crazy.”[/color] She pulled a knee up to her chest and rested her chin on it. [color=CD5C5C]“Rooftops in a city like this are fun. Sometimes, at night, I treat the towers and spires like trees.”[/color] She grinned, but it faded quickly. [color=CD5C5C]“I think we’re a bit different. I’m… much more of a city girl than you, so the adjustment’s probably easier for me,”[/color] she admitted. [color=CD5C5C]“You’re from down south, after all, but some things are still the same. Houses for us are small things nestled in the branches: a safe and comfy place to sleep and store our junk. Yaniis live in them, like [i]really[/i] live there: they occupy their houses much of the day and fill them full of comforts and other useless junk.”[/color] Ismette shook her head. [color=CD5C5C]“I don’t get it either, but we’re in a space that they built. It’s like transferring a plant to new soil: you’ve gotta find a way for it to take and grow, and maybe you bring a bit of the soil it came from with it to make it easier.”[/color] She sniffed. [color=CD5C5C]“I’m talking a whole awful lot and repeating myself.”[/color] There was an eyeroll. [color=CD5C5C]“Trying to get all philosophical on you. I dunno if it’s any good. I guess I just sort of kept what I could, adjusted some stuff, and learned to live with others. If you wanna travel, that’s what you’ve gotta do. Our ancestors did it,”[/color] she reminded Casii, [color=CD5C5C]“back in the good times. No reason we can’t.”[/color] Casii slid her feet up so they bent at the knees as she lounged about, bouncing on her toes to make her legs shake idly. She listened carefully to what Ismette had to say. All of it, really. It seemed like she was reading right out of one of grand na’s lectures. She never really figured out the yaniis but just knew what they were like. Knew that they had to get along with them and it was all part of the adventure. Patiently waiting until Ismette finished up her talking points, Casii remained quiet. [color=6ecff6]”I reckon any tree needs a bit of nurturing to get right comfortable in a new spot…”[/color] She mused, taking to the plant growth analogy quite well. It was what she loved, after all. [color=6ecff6]”...Guess that makes you my gardner?”[/color] She chuckled, turning over to give Ismette a grin. Privately she mulled something in her mind for a moment but enough to be considered a noticeable pause. [color=6ecff6]”No sense in stopping now. With all your preaching, you might put me right to the best sleep I’ve had since coming.”[/color] Ismette chuckled at the remark. “Harsh, suunei! Harsh!” She let the laughter fade. “But true,” she admitted mock-sheepishly. “I have a habit of preaching. You should see how it drives the yanii nuts to have a pointy-ear moralizing at them. Half the time, I do it for kicks!” She giggled, but it was not early, and it turned into a yawn. Casii sat up, spinning on her branch to turn towards Ismette. [color=6ecff6]”Only thing is, I never quite found the trees here as comfortable. Not on my own, anyway.”[/color] She nodded towards Ismette, [color=6ecff6]”But looks to me that your lap is the best pillow around. Reckon you can spare me the time?”[/color] Casii’s feet kicked as she leaned forward, gleaming with her thinly veiled advancement. Ismette blinked. That had been quite the… bold maneuver. Casii wasn’t half–bad to look at, though, and it had been some time since Ismette had been with another woman.“Mama raised a real charmer,” she joked, scooting into something cross-legged and leaning back a bit. She pulled Casii’s head down to rest on her lap, staring up at the canopy. “You got nice hair,” Ismette decided, starting to run her hands through it, “even though you don’t take care of it.” She smiled down, heartbeat quickening a touch. Casii fell easily into Ismette’s lap, nestling in comfort. Her legs slide down the branch and dangled in the air, idly swinging gently. [color=6ecff6]”Well thank ya.”[/color] Casii hummed, watching Ismette endearingly as those hands ran through her hair. [color=6ecff6]”Ya know if yer particular to a certain style, I would not object. Maybe you have some advice there, too, suunei?”[/color] Casii teased, feeling a bit on cloud nine. It had been too long since she spent time with a yasoi. Longer still since she had the comfort of someone interested in her. At least it seemed that way, her heart swelled but the nerves crept in. Was she [i]too[/i] bold and this was all humoring? [color=6ecff6]”Got a pretty smile, ya know. Might have to steal your advice on that, too… Err make it, three.”[/color] She softly giggled, though she mentally kicked herself for being a little lame. She sought to change the subject. [color=6ecff6]”Kind of a fun way to start at the academy. Fighting a giant dragon and all. Reckon the rest of the year will be like that?”[/color] Ismette leaned down and planted a little peck on Casii’s nose. “You’re adorable,” she remarked. “And yes, there are things I would do with your hair that would be art, or so I tell myself.” She blushed and smirked at the same time. “No money back if I mess up, huh?” Casii provided a stupid grin in response to Ismette’s kiss on her nose as well as the complement. [color=6ecff6]”Fine, I ain’t gonna charge you…”[/color] She muttered in quick reply. It was not necessarily an early hour, and the slightly older teen took a moment to snuggle a bit more as she spoke. “You know, I was originally going to dip out of that.” She made an awkward face. “I just get a… vibe I don’t like from the Paradigm. Glad I didn’t, though. I think that’s where all the interesting things are gonna happen, and maybe I can make them a little less violent: a little bit more about love and a little bit less about “pew pew pew boom boom crash, hmm?” She shook her head and managed an embarrassed smile. “At least, that’s the big ideal.” Considering what the other yasoi said, Casii nodded along, shifting her head in Ismette’s lap. [color=6ecff6]’Suppose that’s a good reason. Too many spooks runnin’ ‘round here. Some yanii with lifelike dolls approached me before that trip. Knew somethin’ private ‘bout me as well as gettin’ head yanii’s trip invite. She knew ‘bout the trip ‘cause she was on it before bowing out but no way she could threatin’ somethin’ private ‘bout me like that without somethin’ unnatural.”[/color] Casii reached a hand up and caught one of Ismette’s hands, gently clasping the back of her hand and holding it to her own cheek. [color=6ecff6]”Bit why I’m runnin’ scared here. Yaniis seem to be wantin’ more out of life. Too much. Fightin’ and quarrelin’ like there ain’t ‘nough to go ‘round. Our people ain’t much better, mufflin’ in our own struggles, but some folks believin’ it all comes from the yaniis…”[/color] Casii sighed, closing her eyes. [color=6ecff6]”...Not sure what to think, myself.”[/color] Ismette let out a long breath. “The world’s on fire again. A few people with all the power want it that way and it burns.” She shook her head and shrugged. “But I don’t think it much matters if the yaniis caused our problems or not. Wouldn’t put it past them, mind ya. It’s just that we’re the ones who’ll probably be left to solve it, and I dunno if we can. Truth be told, that’s why I’m here. If I can make some friends among them: useful ones and decent ones, maybe they’ll actually help.” On that note, she went silent for a moment, listening to the crickets in the grass and the bullfrogs in the rushes. “Now, why are we on such dark things anyhow?” She was massaging Casii’s shoulders now. She stopped and gave them a little squeeze. “You’re too cute for that.” She smiled. How nice it was to feel the warmth of another: how very central to Ismette’s existence. It had been over a week and the last had been a big Kerreman boy, about as tender and loving as an ox. She longed. Casii lifted her shoulders in a weak shrug, trying to disrupt the message she was getting. [color=6ecff6]”Dunno. This sorta thing happens when [i]I[/i] get nervous. Feel sorta anxious about it all. Scared…”[/color] She trailed off, lost in a thought for a moment… or it seemed so because she refocused on ismette, looking up at her with a goofy grin. [color=6ecff6]”I always get nervous when talkin’ with pretty girls.”[/color] She giggled at her own theatrics, shuffling some of her deeper thoughts under the guise of her own tease. Ismette was right, no need to stress about things now. There will be a time for that to come back. [color=6ecff6]”Naw… it’ll be alright. My grand na always said we’d pull through so we will. Just have to spend the time right. You’re a good messager, by the way. I think you missed your callin’.”[/color] “Maybe,” admitted Ismette, “but you may find,” she continued softly, “that I have many callings, and the hours of Ipte approach.” [color=6ecff6]”Oh?”[/color] Casii perked up, [i]almost[/i] leaving Ismette’s lap. Instead she found the other yasoi’s hands and gently seized them, pulled them down, inviting Ismette to lean down so their faces were hovering close together. Casii’s heart leaped as she took a breath in. [color=6ecff6]”Care to show me?”[/color] It turned out that, as talented as Ismette was at telling, she was even better at [i]showing[/i].