Walking along the beach (open)

[Hay'aan Benedict]

Timestamp: 1st brightening of Pontius, Era XV PF, Era 1 of the Mandate.

There was no feeling like sand between your toes, Hay'aan considered as she stepped onto the beach holding her shoes. She had had a busy brightening and as the suns set she walked along the beach allowing her mind to wander.

The young woman walked with a characteristic pose of her head being bowed and her eyes cast down to the floor as she walked. She did not seem to mind the first chills of winter as she walked, rather she seemed to be lost in thought as she walked. When she found a spot where she could sit comfortably, she did, placing her shoes carefully down next to her and then pulled her knees up to her chin, sitting and looking out over the sand and the water.

Hugging her knees, Hay'aan sat there, wind blowing in her long black hair and she sat, a soft smile playing across her face as she considered what the future held.

[Klue Malinconico]

On a medium sized dune some distance behind where Hay’aan sat, or rather over the top that dune and on its other side was mischief in the making. Or rather, considering the usual way of things, mischief about to find it’s mark. Klue, away from his work at the Paedia and on his own this brightening with Kat having been left in Lily and Edgar’s care, was at experimentation with another of his whims born off the cuff. For early winter he’d foregone shoes and was dressed in white loose silk trousers and a shirt left untucked and of the same make save in gold. His blonde hair was overgrown as usual and a meddling prospect for blowing into blue eyes and otherwise whipping haphazardly around a face that made him look a bit younger than he was.

Quite likely, what looked like a toy held in his hands didn’t exactly complete the picture of a responsible grownup but hardly anyone expected it completely of the Paedia’s Chief Gadgeteer in residence. Given a well known fondness for whirligigs, a reputation that had somewhat preceded him by now, the thing in his hand wasn’t so surprising after all. Made of balsa and some two feet long in total, it amounted to little more than a round shaft with a large propeller on its top, the bottom inserted into a round base with a wheel inside and a pull string outside. Much like a toy he’d made for Kat sometime ago in design, almost exactly in fact, but larger by far.

It wouldn’t go far he imagined, mostly up and back down again but he was after studying its trajectory and how far it rose before coming down again. It was only the first step of course, he’d something remarkable in mind and this was just its beginnings. But, as happened on that rare occasion, maybe just a little more often than he’d like to admit…or would, he’d underestimated the variables, the conditions, his calculations were not quite as reliable as currently thought. In short...Wind, there was more wind than he perceived, just there behind the shelter of the dune.

So bracing the round base on the sand he dropped down on his bare heels, pulled the chord from out of the base, let go and watched it rewind again around the wheel inside. While nearly simultaneously what amounted with a large balsa propeller with a staff stuck on shot and spun skywards. Now when taking into account his previous miscalculations in regards to outside variables, it came to pass that he’d underestimated by a long shot the thing’s likely trajectory and indeed, it’s velocity when catching a ride on a stout breeze at the top of its arch.

It took off like a bolt, a balsa one but still sturdy enough to have its brightening and instead of the expected up and down, it sailed into the air and then took a rather graceful arc seaward. Rather impressed in fact with the height it had achieved firstly, Klue popped his head up over the top of the dune only to see the thing sailing towards what turned out to be a young woman seated near the edge of the surf. His flying whirligig seemed to have its sights on her and without missing a beat he shouted out ”Look out!” before stumbling over the top of the dune, dashed down its other side and after the whirligig. It was only in fact when the thing missed her and instead landed near by, it’s down fall resulting in a nosedive propeller first into the sand and all coming to pieces in a heap of broken balsa that he slowed to a walk, practicing his excuses along the way and with an apology on the tip of his tongue. ”Umm, I sorry about that miss…Are ye a’right. Ye see, I was over…there,” he said with a gesture behind him at the dune, ”I didn’t see ye here before and it seems that my…Are ye alright, none of it hit ye did it?”

[Hay'aan Benedict]

It takes a rare woman to sit calmly while a balsa propella flies towards her. But it seemed that Hay'aan was just that woman. In fact, the truth was she simply did not notice it happening, she was so wrapped up in her own thoughts.

The illusion of serenity as she sat there was broken, however, the moment that the thing crashed down next to her and she let out a loud squealing sound as she flung herself away. She did not rise before she flung herself so she landed in a flurry of sand and looked up at the propellor with wide brown eyes, shocked and amazed.

She looked then at Klue and she stood, smoothing down the dress she was wearing, wiping away the sand as she turned her attention to the man who was sauntering down the dunes. She smiled at him in a friendly manner and then looked back down at her dress as she smoothed it down.

"I'm...I'm fine thank you" she replied. Her exotic appearance might have suggested some kind of harsh Arakmatian accent, but her voice was lilting, almost melodic. "I... you were... I see. I... I'm sorry" she continued, looking back up at him with wide brown eyes "I.. I think you broke your......"

What word to use, she thought to herself? What could she say? What was it that had smashed onto the beach next to her?

"....your....thing"

She flushed slightly and cast her eyes down as she mumbled the last two words.

"I.. my name is.. Hay'aan. I am delighted to.. to meet you. I am new here.... here in Demios" she said, quietly. Bookish, shy and retiring, that was Hay'aan.

[Klue Malinconico]

”Whirligig,” Klue declared belatedly and once he’d reached her in reference to the thing that had broken into half a dozen pieces nearby the on sand, and once he’d been assured she’d not been showered by any of the splintered or broken bits. He was tall, lean, and though his skin was tanned from spending a great deal of time outdoors, in contrast to Hay’aan’s exotic coloring he was fair with blonde hair and blue eyes and the bridge of his nose was a bit pink from just a little too much time in the suns of late, and there was a faint field of freckles littering his boyish face.

She was pretty, was his immediate observation as often was the case, shy and quiet from the looks and sound of it much unlike himself and given the tendency of both his mind and as a result the topic of discussion to wander now and again, he grinned before picking up where he’d left off.

”Of sorts,” he amended with a wide grin while dropping on his heels and having a look at the damage before standing up again. It was a total loss as expected. ”It’s no matter, I can build another an’ it was an experiment really, one that needs a bit of work.” This said with a sheepish grin and a scratch behind his ear for good measure. ”I’m just pleased ye weren’t hit or showered by any of th’ broken bits. My doin’, I should’ve checked for passersby b’fore I launched it an’ I think a bit of ballast on th’ shaft and an adjustment to th’ blades might stop it from takin’ a turn for th’…”

And realizing he was going on, he switched course again and extended his hand to her. ”It’s a pleasure Hay’aan, my name is Klue Malinconico. I’ve not been on th’ isle s’ long myself, only for a season now. I live up th’ coast on th’ Shores of Endiness an’ work over at th’ Paedia. So you're goin' t' be livin' here then, on Demios?”

[Hay'aan Benedict]

"Whirligig" she repeated and nodded "Well, I'm sorry that your whirligig broke..." she said, quietly, looking at him with a smile from under her eyes.

His apology for it's shattering within her proximity prompted her to shake her head "There's no problem, really. No harm is done and it's meant that we both meet a new person this brightening.. so all is good, really" she replied and smiled as he extended his hand to her.

"Hay'aan... but you already know that.. sorry!" she said, shaking his hand. Her grip was very gentle and her hands very smooth. This young woman certainly didn't carry a sword for a living.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Klue Malinconico. Yes... yes I am going to be.. living here, I think. I.. umm... I want to learn to be a jewelcrafter, to make things... it's.. it's what I've always wanted to do."

She looked out to the sea then, before asking him "So.. umm... Klue Malinconico... what is it that you do here in Demios? I... being new means that I know little of the place. What tips would you share with a stranger?"

Her lilting accent made her words sound almost teasing, but her expression was very serious indeed when she spoke, her deep brown eyes watching him with interest.

[Klue Malinconico]

”Aye, there’s that. And that it is, Klue replied of benefits had of experimentation gone wrong while his grin was both sheepishly apologetic and one that brought a light of irrepressible reckless impulse to his eyes that was as good as ever present. It wasn’t the first time in fact that he’d made a first acquaintance as a result of some whim gone wrong, maybe this was to become his trademark introduction intended or not. Luckily there’d been no one injured to date for having first met him. Waldo would say it was only a matter of time and that the Paedia might want to consider the wisdom of keeping a liability fund...just in case.

His own hands were a bit rough in contrast to her own, it could hardly have been different despite wearing work gloves now and again when he spent the most of each brightening working at a trade that involved the design and building of any number and variety of contraptions. And no light work either much of the time that required a fit strength from every bit of him head to toe and he’d strong hands as a result, but gentle when taking hers in his as if he was more than accustomed to dealing gently with creatures far more delicate than himself.

”Jewel crafting?” he asked then with a sudden and curious smile as a foot stilled that had been idly pushing into a pile the splinters of his ruined contraption. ”Ye ought t’ stop over at Fire Island Jewelry then and see th’ owner there, if ye haven’t already found th’ place. She’s a friend of mine, and knowledgeable too when it comes t’ jewel craftin’. Ye’d like her I think.” Of liking the pale haired jeweler, it would seem Klue did too and quite a lot if going by his expression when talking about her.

Hay’aan’s accent was as exotic as her looks, Klue thought, an almost musical quality to in contrast to his baritone brogue. ”I’m a Gadgeteer, though those of us who take it seriously prefer to be referred to as innovators. I work over at th’ Paedia as their Chief Engineer in charge of th’ d’partment and I’ve a workshop there and a crew. Designin’ and buildin’ all sorts of contraptions large and small…Of course,” he was quick to say and with a grin while glancing at the remnants in the sand, ”Of course it’s uncommonly rare for things t’ go so unexpected as this on their first run.” Of course, had the young woman known Klue well and had an inkling of his reputation added his tendency to exaggerate and spin a colorful tale, she might realize that ’uncommonly rare for things to go so unexpected as this’ was a phrase best left completely to interpretation.

”You’ll like Demios though. Lots of people come, and a lot of them stay even if they’d only meant come for a visit. Th’ people are friendly an’ generous, there’s a lot of good people here an’ hardly a soul unwillin’ t’ lend a hand if ye need it. Th’ weather’s a bit unpredictable though and th’ Dragon Winds can whip up from nowhere in season, go from calm t’ howlin’ in an instant and drivin’ th’ rain near t’ sideways. It’s worth it though, th’ island, an’ keeps ye on yer toes,” he added with a wide grin. ”So if I’d not be pryin’, where’d ye come from b’fore arrivin’ here?”

[Hay'aan Benedict]

That this kind of thing didn't happen usually was something that Hay'aan believed fully. She seemed to be quite content with taking Klue at his word and so she nodded and smiled.

"I've met Viskyia. She's really kindly offered to give me an apprenticeship" she said in reply to him. She looked pleased and delighted at that as she spoke, her lilting voice lifting in pleasure "So I get to have somewhere to live and to learn my trade, too. I'm very grateful. I'd been to the Institute to sign up for basic jewelcrafting, but since I'm going to be learning that anyhow, I'm going to change it to something else. I'd like to get the Diploma, I love learning and all of it will help me to be a better Jewelcrafter."

She smiled at Klue and nodded when he described Demios "Everyone here has been very friendly"she agreed and continued on "I like it here a lot. I can see that I will settle here for quite a while, yes. I... I've not heard of the Dragon Winds, what are they?"

She looked over at him with interest as she wondered what they were. As for where she came from, she gave no answer. Whether that was because she was more interested in the natural phenomena or because she did not want to say wasn't clear, but she seemed too interested in the Dragon Winds to be concerned with such things.

[Klue Malinconico]

”Ye’ve met her then already,” Klue confirmed with an affirmative smile and having grown comfortable with his surroundings, dropped his hands into his pockets while the breeze toyed with the tails of his shirt. ”You’ll learn a lot from her I think, she’s got some nice things on display over in her shop and a place t’ stay, even better. I’ve been thinkin’ I might wander up to th’ Institute myself one of these bright’nin’s and see if they’ve any classes in Alchemy t’ offer. It would be helpful in my trade I think and though I started lessons once, I wasn’t able t’ finish ‘em at th’ time.”

”But th’ Dragon Winds, t’is just a way of referring to th’ unpredictable climate around here. It suits th’ raw nature of th’ island though I think. It’s rumored that there are dragons watchin’ over things, there’s even festivals centered around them…though I’ve never seen one myself,” he was quick to assure her with a grin, ”nor seen any evidence of that there’s anything to th’ tales. Possible such even arose out of th’ presence of th’ volcanoes, ye know, notions of breathin’ fire and th’ like. But true or not, th’ stories make things int’resting all the same and add to th’ color of the place. But if you ask my daughter, she’ll tell you they’re as real as we’re standin’ here.”

[Hay'aan Benedict]

Hay'aan nodded in affirmation at having met Viskyia. "I think that she will indeed have a lot to teach me, yes" she said, glancing at him sideways as she said it, then looking back out to sea "Whether I am up to learning it is another matter, but I will do my best" When she said this, it was with a very earnest and frank expression on her face, as she considered the prospect of study. She glanced at Klue and smiled a good-natured smile then, as she realised her own personality was shining through "I ... I think I'm a quite... intense person" she said, apologetically "Sorry" she added.

She listened to the stories of the Dragon winds and soaked them up with interest "Is there a library or some such here? A place where such stories are written down? I'd like to read that, maybe draw some illustrations of what a dragon wind looks like..." she said, thoughtfully mulling through the ideas that were forming in her head. And then, something else sunk in and she looked at him in surprise

"You have a daughter? I... that's lovely.. children are the gifts of the Gods and the blessings of the earth. As well as the reason why we're given the ability to shout, so my parents told me" she smiled "How old .. old is your daughter? What's her name? If... I'm sorry, is that too personal a question?" she said. She was unsure of the customs of these folks, in truth, and worried about causing offense, so she glanced at him to make sure that it was alright to ask such things.

[Klue Malinconico]

”Well I don’t see why ye wouldn’t be,” Klue remarked of learning, and returned her smile with a grin of his own. ”If you’ve th’ heart, th’ interest and th’ drive, then you’re most of th’ way there already. And from what I can see you’ve got a head start on things. I think you’ll do fine and if there’s anyone t’ learn th’ craft from, it’s Viskyia,” he added with a nod while watching a gull fish the water’s surface just off shore.

”You’re goin’ about it th’ smarter way I think, startin’ with what most inspires you. I didn’t. I lied about my age and was an officer in th’ Legions when I was seventeen, and figured out pretty quick that a soldier’s regimented life didn’t suit me, nor me…it,” he added with a chuckle and a shake of his head while looking back. It was an understatement, no question and he’d been the cause of many a commanding officer’s blood pressure rising over a lieutenant who couldn’t be bothered to show up on time, or at all for distractions being greater than discipline, nor able to follow precisely a direct order for being Aeternia bent that he knew a better way of going about things.

”Then it was Rangering which was even less suited to me, or me it.” He’d not even gotten past the principles in fact, before needing to point out that the best way to avoid being lost in the wilderness, was not to go wandering out there alone in the first place…which only a dolt would do, in fact. ”If I’d chose what inspired me first, so what I’d be best suited to, I think I’d have saved us all a whole lot of trouble in the process.”

”But aye, there’s an enormous library at th’ Paedia with books on every imaginable subject and a variety of scholars there too that might be able to tell ye a few things. The Paedia is also the Knowledge Seeker’s Guild ye see an’ us there are all members, I only head th' Gadgeteer's Wing. But ye needn’t be a member t’ use th’ library or chat with any of th’ scholars there, anyone’s welcome to come in and have a look around. Of course I imagine the Institute of Learnin’ has a grand library as well, I’ve just had to need t’ go lookin’ for it with th’ resources available at th’ Paedia.”

”And aye, I’ve a daughter,” he said then with a wider smile that left no doubt he was as proud as he could be of his half-elven daughter, though a good look at him would indicate at a glance that he was young for the position. ”She’s nearly three now, and her name’s Kateryna. I’ve always called her Kat ye see but she’s been insistin’ otherwise lately, seemin’ t’ prefer th’ whole of it instead. She’s clever for her age, knows her own mind and never thinks twice about speakin' it. And she’s as bold as they come…except,” he added with another glance at the surf, ”when it comes to th’ sea. I can’t fathom where th’ fear comes from, she won’t so much as go in to her ankles an’ won’t have anyone else goin’ either if she’s anything t’ say about it.”

[Hay'aan Benedict]

He had certainly had an interesting life so far, she thought and she smiled at him in some amazement "You.. well you don't look old enough to have done so much" she said, and then flushed slightly, dropping her eyes back to the ground "I mean.. I.. well, you're very youthful looking... although.. you know, that's a good thing.. it .. I mean... oh dear" she said and then looked back at Klue and smiled "Sorry. I... well, I manage to put my foot in my mouth quite a lot" she said and then she carried on, hoping to put that last case of insulting someone by trying to be nice to them out of her mind.

"You head up the Gadgeteering section of the University?" she said, looking more than a little impressed. Her face lit with laughter then as she continued "Now, I don't care what you say, you definitely don't look old enough for that!" She chuckled, hoping that he took her humour in the spirit it was intended and not as an insult to his person.

At the mention of his daughter she watched his face and smiled. "You must be very proud of her. I would love to have children one brightening. Maybe six or seven would be ideal. Has she had a bad experience with the sea ever? Or heard a story, perhaps?" she asked, and then once again flushed slightly and shook her head "I'm sorry.. I'm sure you've thought of that and don't need a stranger telling you how to be a parent. It's the hardest job in the world and everyone's a critic. Or so my mother told me" she said, looking at him with solemn brown eyes.

[Klue Malinconico]

Klue only grinned and shook his head when the mystery of his age reared its head and he was quick to assure her there was no offense taken. ”There’s no need t’ apologize at all, there’s been no offense had. It happens all th’ time,” he said and for more than the first time, brushed blond hair away where it had blown across his eyes. And in fact, his youthful looks had now and again led others to not take him seriously, which had been all well and good when it suited him. ”I’m nineteen, but I’m told I look younger still. And still young for all I’ve done. I left home at sixteen and took up gadgeteerin’, lied about my age to get into officer’s training, th’ same for Rangerin’ in fact.”

”As for my position at th’ Paedia, I suppose so aye, I’m younger than all of th’ fellows who work for me save one, but I’ve been at it for longer than th’ some of them. But six or seven?” he said then and he grinned wider, not able to imagine needing to keep up with so many. Though certainly Viskyia managed it fine. ”A houseful then? I’ve a hard enough time just keepin’ up with Kat and I’ve plenty of help.”

”But a bad experience, not really,” he said with a thoughtful scratch behind his ear while he pondered it, ”and we’ve nearly always lived near th’ sea her and I. But stories, maybe. She’s a big imagination and likes t’ come with me to th’ Paedia and look through th’ books filled with pictures of fantastical creatures. It’s possible she’s gotten one of ‘em into her head an’ thinks that somethin’s there waiting t’ grab her up.” Or him too for that matter, if he fancied a swim he came on his own rather than send her into squeals of protest.

[Hay'aan Benedict]

She smiled at him and nodded her thanks when he told her that he wasn't offended. She didn't want to offend him, that was sure and she smiled as he said that it happened all the time "Well, perhaps you should try and bottle your youthfullness and then you'll never need to work again" she said with a cheeky grin "I believe that women from this society spend a lot of time trying to look younger than they are?" That seemed like a strange thing to do to her, in truth, but then these people were odd to her eyes.

"Wisdom doesn't come with age, it comes with experience, so my people say" she said, smiling "So if you've more experience than them who work for you, tis the correct way of it" she nodded as though that answered all questions.

And speaking of children, she nodded "Six or seven, yes. Although my mother tells me that once I have one, I'll think on it twice before I consider another. That might be true, I suppose. You have one child, would you like more?"

At his consideration of the stories, she looked at him with a thoughtful frown "Maybe it would be worth finding out if it is that, then. Perhaps you could ... I don't know, and I'm sorry if I'm stepping out of line, but think about showing her a book or telling her a story about a hero who kept a rose for luck, or some such thing, and how that rose, or feather, helped the hero to defeat a mighty sea monster. If she's believing that the sea contains them, fearful of those, then you'll know it when she references the rose, feather or whatever it is, in relation to you going near the oceans or seas.... I suppose. But.."

She shook her head, long hair falling in front of her face, hiding the flush that rose there as she cast her eyes downwards "... but I don't know. I just know that I was a child with a big imagination... it spilled out into life. Still does!" she said, smiling slightly as she looked out to sea. Anywhere rather than make eye contact from the bookish young woman in front of him, it seemed.

[Klue Malinconico]

”Younger than they are?” Klue remarked with a curious smile when she mentioned it, then grinned when finding no cause to argue. ”I s’pose they do, my mother was always after mixing up potions to smear on her face, my grandmother, even my sisters. I guess growin’ up in a house with six women ye learn about things ye otherwise wouldn’t. For instance, did ye know that some of those concoctions are good for greasing a hinge in a pinch, but no good at all for polishing brass?” It was only natural given his mindset even as a child he’d have experimented with what he’d filched on the sly from his mother’s and sister’s vanity boxes, and only predictable too that he’d had his hide tanned for it more than once as a result.

”It’s worked against me more often than not though. Put in charge of five hundred Legionnaire’s or more, it’s a bit of a challenge being taken seriously when ye look all of twelve…but you’re right, wisdom with experience. But more children.” The question brought a thoughtful expression on, a second or three of considering it before responding. ”I think so aye, if I were t’ marry some bright’ning. I’m not though and haven’t been,” he admitted, ”I’m raisin’ Kat on my own and have been since she was small enough t’ fit in th’ palms of my hands, b’cause her mother chose not to and went off without her.”

”But your idea there about th’ hero, that might just work,” he said with a sudden smile and a nod. ”At least it might help t’ figure out what she’s worried about, I keep thinkin’ she’ll outgrow it eventually. She’s not worried about baths or ponds though, just th’ sea. I got her in once and never again an’ I’ve wondered if it’s the pull of th’ tide she’s worried about, b’cause she doesn’t understand what it is…that it might be something grabbing hold of her, that it’ll pull her straight out, or anyone else that goes in for that matter.”

[Hay'aan Benedict]

"I can grease a hinge well enough, and I've polished more than my fair share of brass, but my mother had no such thing as potions on her face.. me and my sister kept her young and... well, my people really don't put too much heed on worrying about age. Young or old, all of us have been born, all of us will die. Just marks where you are in your journey, and since none of us know where it'll end, it's not much of a marker at all" she said and shrugged slightly, considering that this society was rather odd, in truth, but then that was how it was and she had come here to learn.

"Being in charge of five hundred Legionnaire's or more must be a rather terrifying experience, I'm sure. I don't think that you look 12, though, although I suppose you did at some point... at the very least, when you were 12!" she shook her head, slightly, amused by her own silliness, in truth.

"It must be hard to raise a child on your own" she said, thoughtfully "But then, if it's more than double the effort, I'm sure it's more than double the reward too. After all, you get out what you put into a child, I'm sure... " she shrugged, slightly "I don't know, here I am spouting wisdom and I've no idea. But I imagine it is so. Shame for her mother, to take away the opportunity for a relationship with her own daughter. But we all make choices I suppose. It's as long as we can live with them."

She nodded at the thought of the story and a smile graced her face again "I imagine it could be the pull of the tide, or something like that. Might be something small that's become big in her head, I imagine. Not that I know, of course, but might be."

She looked out to the sea, and nodded slightly "You know, it's massive. Must be big