It was late in the day when Pihu made her way down to the port. In her hands, she clutched a small box that she'd swiped off a stall when the vendor was distracted by another customer. It was a mancala set, and she'd already double and triple checked that all the stones were in there.
Making her way towards the statue that had been worn down by time, the sea air, and the countless hands of passersby and supplicants, she knelt before it. Placing the box down, she reached out to rub the man's arms. Then she took a deep breath. [say]"Ludo, I brought you a game."[/say] Keeping her gaze trained on the statue, she shaded her eyes against the setting sun.
Trained on the statue as Pihu's eyes are, she will not see as the sea itself seems to reach up and splash her. Well... splash is an understatement. The Attuned will find herself completely soaked through, and oops if a few of the stones from the mancala set are dislodged and swept out to sea.
[say]"I like to play too,"[/say] says a voice, sounding like the whisper of a breeze across the waves. [say]"But you do not play fair."[/say]
Pihu was indeed taken by surprise by the wave that crashed over her. Letting out a squawk worthy of her avian form, she sputtered and spit the salt from her mouth and brushed the damp hair out of her eyes. Standing up, she gathered strands of her hair and twisted them, trying to get rid of the water soaking it.
[say]"What is yer definition of fair?"[/say] she called out to the ocean. Narrowing her eyes, she flapped her shirt against her skin as if that would dry it at all. [say]"And what kinds of games do ye play?"[/say] She ran a hand down her face and flung droplets to the ground at her feet.
[say]"Not lying or cheating or stealing, of course,"[/say] trills the voice, sounding as if it's coming from the sky or the ocean itself, or perhaps the space where one meets the other. The waves below seem to slap melodically, like a child clapping its hands against the water.
[say]"I like to play games where I win."[/say] A tittering sort of noise, like chimes on the wind, and another upheaval of seawater will try to drench Pihu a second time. [say]"I'm winning now, see?"[/say]
As the spirit explained its ideas of fairness, Pihu's eyes narrowed. Pushing the mancala set closer to the water's edge with one foot, she would try to back away a few steps. [say]"I suppose that's as good a definition as any,"[/say] she replied. Inclining her head in the direction of the voice, she would try to wring water out of her shirt as well.
Her efforts turned out to be for naught as she was drenched a second time. Groaning, she let go of her clothes and raised her hands, palms out, towards the water. [say]"Okay, okay, ye've won! I don't think anyone, myself included, would say ye haven't won this game."[/say]
A cackle of delight as she is drenched again, and the swell of water takes the mancala set and swallows it up and into the deep. Nom nom, delicious and ill gotten gains. [say]"Good. I do so enjoy winning,"[/say] it informs her, very proud of itself.
Now that it has gotten what it wanted (i.e. a bit of mischief and the offering intended for a god), the spirit will deem to dissipate from between the sky and the sea, and Pihu will be left, once again, in silence.
(Feel free to FIN the thread!)
Pihu grimaced as the spirit departed, taking the mancala set with it. [say]"Congratulations,"[/say] she muttered towards the horizon. Taking her hair, she wrung it out again, then repeated the process with her shirt. That left puddles at her feet, though considered the waves that had swept over the area they were tiny in comparison.
Muttering some choice words for meddling spirits under her breath, she shifted into a raven. Preening her feathers to get rid of some more moisture, she finally flapped her wings. Then she took off, leaving the sea, sky, and shrine behind her. Her goal was just to get as far away as possibly to dry off and maybe nap.
-FIN
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