[Mini Event] Strangers in a Strange Land

ely Unlike many of her peers—and many of those who came through from Northaven who were most assuredly not her equal—Elyna wasn’t so trusting of these naturals. They were a mystery, and she didn’t like those. Moreover, they still had absolutely no explanation for how they’d come here. Therefore, although the naturals hadn’t been hostile (yet) she was going to treat them as part of the problem until an answer that satisfied her had been provided. While parties weren’t her thing, nor were people, she did end up showing up. However, instead of going inside, she set up a perimeter on the outside; she was well used to standing watch. In fact, her kind were especially good at it, seeing as they didn’t have the needs of a normal person. Beyond that, she could see perfectly clearly as some stranger started to skulk through the ruins around the party. Immediately her instincts triggered: this might be the danger she’d been half-convinced was lurking around every rubble-filled corner. A savage smiled stretched across her lips. Stalking the stalker and having prey was far preferable to her than hobnobbing and pretending like this was all normal. While she respected Ronin, this idea of his was a particularly hair-brained one; still, it wouldn’t be the first time Elyna had saved a man who had more balls than sense from his own folly. Padding out from the shadow she’d concealed herself in, her voice rang out with a mocking challenge. ”Looking for something in particular, lady?” If Wessex looked, she would see that while Elyna’s glaive was still strapped across her back, the former Storm Guard was ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. While it could be argued—and probably would—that Elyna was a part of the problem of unecessary aggression, she’d rather be safe than sorry. And this chick would certainly be sorry if she didn’t explain herself.

Obviously Koel had intended to show up to this welcome party, introductory gathering, whatever it happened to be, but he’d lost track of time. Actually, truth be told, he hated social engagements of any kind: even if this was necessary so they could integrate themselves with the people of this land, that didn’t mean he had to like it. Unfortunately, as a former politician—though he had happily discarded that title—and as one of the few former leaders they had from Northaven, he felt obligated to go. Of course, when the time came to show up, he dragged his feet and so now was...if not late, certainly not punctual. Oh well, people always muttered some nonsense about being fashionably late, so he was just going to take a page out of that book. While they didn’t really have customs (or fashions, given the lack of resources in this new world), he was sticking with that story. It’s not like people really knew him well enough to be questioning his presence, or lack thereof. For all they knew, he was off doing something very important. One of the true joys of no longer being the Overseer was not having to be accountable to anyone if he didn’t want to be. Even better, he didn’t feel the need to be on his best behavior all the time; if he wanted to, and he was increasingly finding he did, indeed want to, he could do as he pleased, not as he knew he should. So getting to the event Ronin had organized—and really, it was a relief not to have to plan parties anymore—a bit late was fine. Besides, when he arrived he saw that he was still on the earlier side. While he dearly would have loved to simply talk to the people he already knew, that would likely defeat the purpose. So, with a sigh, he scanned the room for a likely target. Two faces caught his eye: the women looked related, but he couldn’t tell how close. More importantly, they were apparently natives. So, steeling his nerves, he walked over to @grusha and Tae. Smiling briefly—which was more than he usually did—he nodded to both of them. ”Thank you for coming. I’m Koel Ambray.” Although he doubted they had the same customs here, he held out his hand for them to shake; if they asked him about it he could use it as an excuse to explain some of their traditions and hopefully find out about theirs. If they knew what the gesture meant, so much the better, as it meant their societies had something in common. Worst case, however, he could use this as an opportunity to gather information. ”I’m sure you have many questions for us.” He had a lot for them, but he’d learn through the years the best way to get something was to give a little. koel ambray Taking the path of most resistance

tae Looking up adoringly towards her twin, a feral smirk broke out across Tae's hostile visage. "Ha ajjin..." She snarled playfully under her breath, raising her eyes up to meet Grusha's and grinning. " Ma mae khado ha later." The guttural words slipped easily from Tae's small lips as her wolfish stare moved back to those milling about. Their father's language and the twin's obsession with bones was one of the lingering traits that solidified in their memories that the past had happened in some way or form. The presence of their older brother here too did the same. Not that Zero was here now...which was just as the twins liked it. As a much taller man approached, Tae stood slightly straighter against the wall. Her diminutive size and build were easily overlooked given the haughty and confidence way she carried herself, as well as the many furs adorning her body. Dropping her gaze to Koel's outstretched hand, Tae raised a brow and then looked up towards @Grusha with the smallest sliver of a smile on her lips. Of course the twins hadn't needed to verbally communicate for some time now. Inseparable were they from day one, and while they'd never boast some fuzzy mumbo jumbo telepathy, they were able to read each other with uncanny precision. "Ifak" Tae mouthed. Though weren't they all? Turning her head back slowly towards Koel, Tae's manipulative mind wondered if he thought them some stupid savages. Males were always likely to make rash assumptions and human men even moreso. "Athtihar at mae haf hatif. Hash yeri think anna shits she halah? " Tae said looking up at Koel, her eyes sharp and her lips curved upwards slightly. The language the twins spoke was harsh and full of diphthongs and glottal-stops that made it entirely unlike that spoken by everyone else. Grinning with white teeth, Tae continued. "I was just telling my sister how nice it was to be invited and that we are pleased to meet you." Tae's hostility was perfectly disguised by an uncanny affect of diplomacy. " My name is Tae Úlfurdur and this is my sister Grusha." Looking back to where his hand had been, the corners of her lips twitched slightly. "I would shake, but my hands are covered in blood." So saying, Tae extended palms that indeed were a rusty-read coloured with dried blood. Looking perfectly cheerful though, Tae raised a brow. . Ha ajjin - For now Ma mae khado ha later - and his bones for later. ifak - Foreigner (derogatory) Athtihar at mae haf hatif. Hash yeri think anna shits she halah? - Look at his soft face. Do you think he shits on flowers?

grusha we write our prayers on a little bomb kiss it on the face and send it to god Grusha's expression softened momentarily as Tae grinned up at her. Her sister was the only one that was ever graced with a truly gentle or loving expression from the girl. Everyone else was greeted with the same unwelcoming, borderline hostile expression she usually wore in her day to day activities.  "Fin hash yer zalat, inavva." She responded in the same gutteral language that tied them to the past neither of them could remember. "Anha'll addrivat mae ha yer, myself." It didn't matter to Grusha what Tae's wishes were -- she was a weapon, her size and strength at Tae's disposal -- all her sister needed was to give the signal and Grusha would do her bidding. The sudden shift of Tae's body drew Grusha's attention away from her smaller twin and toward the approaching man. She lifted her arm from around Tae's shoulders and pulled herself up to her full height, so she stood eye to eye with him rather than continue to lean back against the wall. The expression she donned at this point was one of distrust and annoyance at being interrupted, though she said nothing and let Tae take the lead, as she was more gifted when it came to communicating with other people. She looked down at his outstretched hand, but made no move to grasp it in her own and neither did her sister. Their movements were nearly identical, both looking down then at each other at nearly the same moment. The corners of Grusha's mouth twitched and she gave the slightest nod of her head. Ifak, indeed. Perhaps it was easy to mistake the twins for natives, what with their leathers, furs, and painted faces, but it was just as easy to not make the foolish assumption. Grusha turned her attention back to Koel and gave him a critical once over. Tae's observation drew a scoff from the girl and she leaned forward slightly and sniffed. "Vo." She answered, her eyes staying trained on his face while she spoke. "Anha dirgat mae graddakhs halahs." She straightened again and looked down at her sister. "Mae rivvats ale affisat." She continued on gruffly. "me ajjin vo natural." Tae, ever gifted with the art of deception, slipped into speaking a language that the man standing before them would understand. Rather than speak up, Grusha chose to remain quiet and let her twin do the talking for both of them -- likely the man would assume that she didn't know any other language than the gutteral one she had spoken and perhaps that was for the best. Grusha was not known for being diplomatic or friendly, her own brother could attest to that. As Tae held up her hands Grusha did as well, showing off the smears of blood and dirt that covered them. "Kisha disse malilat jin fonat." She said, knowing that her sister would understand her desire not to speak the common language and would, in fact, translate the statement for her. She crossed her arms then, and looked past Koel at the others who were still wandering around, talking, and introducing themselves. "." translation:// fin hash yer zalat, inavva - whatever you want, sister anha'll addrivat mae ha yer, myself - i'll kill him for you, myself Vo - no anha dirgat mae graddakhs halahs - i think he shits flowers mae rivvats ale affisat - he smells too clean me ajjin vo natural - its not natural kisha disse malilat jin fonat - we just finished a hunt

There’s that hair on the back of her neck feeling again. A faint whiff of something that stirs her blood - not so much arousal as acknowledgement - and then it’s gone. It’s a brief warning, enough to make the crouching tawny woman pivot in time to catch a lean silhouette separate itself from the clinging shadows, the very ones Wessex sought to conceal herself in. She would curse herself if the light didn’t illuminate Elyna ’s face clearly enough for Wessex to now feel that nagging little thrust of lust as it burrows into her body. For a second she considers the stranger, tall and lithe and though her hands remain empty, there is an impressive weapon on her back. She imagines it is well wielded, and if there were to be a skirmish, her knives might be at a disadvantage. It’s all very calculated, and quite quickly. Wessex allows her body to relax and rises in a smooth motion, dropping the hand from its position on her knife hilt and tilting her gaze towards the mocking Outlander. Yes, yes, she caught Wessex this time, but this will be the only time. She’s a quick learner; has to be, to stay alive in Caido. So. Might as well make the best of this. “You, for one,” she replies quietly, with the smallest twitch of her mouth. “Finding both of you at once might have been aiming a little high.” What? This isn’t her first recon mission. WESSEX She whispered back, I am the storm

Her hostility might’ve been hidden if Koel had activated his necklace the moment she started speaking in a foreign tongue; he didn’t know if it would help him parse her words, but at least being able to read her emotions might help him navigate the conversation.Indeed as the gibberish—well, to him it sounded like gibberish—started pouring from her lips, he frowned and concentrated for a moment, which allowed him to activate the empathic powers of his jewelry.  It was exhausting if he kept it up, but he could manage it for the duration of a conversation. Then, he felt her emotions clear as day and he had to prevent himself from letting anything too obvious show on his face. Her dislike for him was a bit of a surprise, and his eyes widened before he carefully schooled himself into a polite expression. Why this woman would be mad at him specifically or the Northaveners in general, he couldn’t say, but he’d do his best. He shot a glance at @grusha, before returning his gaze to Tae, who seemed to be the spokesperson for the two of them. At the very least, she eventually did speak in a tongue he understood. It was probably better this way: while the smaller woman tried to disassemble and hide and be diplomatic, the taller one wore her emotions more openly. That might make his job, easier, actually. While once upon a time he might’ve tried to win the women over, he was done politicking. So when Tae spoke in a tongue he could understand, he gave her an unamused and unfriendly look, a match for the one that Grusha had. ”You’re not pleased to meet me. That’s fine, and you don’t have to fake it for me. But I am pleased to meet you both, and I can assure you I mean you no harm.” His words came out bluntly—and they had no reason to believe him—but his posture was non threatening and he was being totally honest. He wasn’t scared of these women, nor did he feel the need to impress them. Plus, he was done pretending he was something that he wasn’t. As Tae held out her bloodstained hands, he snorted, shrugged, and withdrew his own outstretched hand. ”I don’t mind a little bit of blood. Or even a lot of blood, if it comes to it.” What passed across his face in the moment would be more accurately characterized as baring his teeth rather than a smile, but it passed so quickly that they might not have noticed. Still, he wasn’t going to act cheerful. Tae was welcome to feign happiness and politeness, but she’d be alone here; indeed, though she was the one speaking and the emotions he was sensing, he was keeping an eye on Grusha out of the corner of his eye, trusting in his magic item and the taller woman’s expressions to steer him through this rather than Tae’s false demeanor. koel ambray Taking the path of most resistance

tae Though Tae's steely blue stare was focused on Koel, inwardly she felt nothing but pride and love for her larger and rougher twin. Though her expression was a master class in neutrality, had Koel not been around she'd have given @Grusha a delightedly hostile grin in agreement. Shit flowers? "Anha bet anna has a lenta instead ki a cock." Tae whispered back, the same look of quiet amusement laced with ferocity painted on her face just as the black smudged beneath her eyes were. As the man began to speak, Tae narrowed her eyes. She was not impressed, she was not annoyed, she was surprised. And if there was one thing a pack like the one formed between she and her twin tried to avoid, it was surprise. Immediately the feigned look of politeness faded from Tae's features, and the girl who might in another world (and in other clothes) pass easily as beautiful, looked entirely like a wild thing; feral and unimpressed. " Ido anna?  Anha'm sure ei the chiorikem she mae atthirar hash to hash ki." Tae snarled, her words sounding all the harsher without the attempt at sweetening up the dialect. Gods she missed her father in moments like these. She could only imagine what it would be to see the Wildfire sweep down and destroy this flower-dick of a man before her. Back in the days when the twins were known not only for their lineage but their victories. Back when blood mixed with sand and life made sense. At the mention of Koel meaning them no harm, Tae's lips peeled back in a wolfish snarl of amusement.  A flower-dick and a brain made of petals, it would seem. "We cannot say the same for you." Tae growled with a wickedly dark amusement in her stormy blue gaze. Were Koel to use his ability on her now, he'd find no bullshit or exaggeration coursing inside of her. Tae needed only her sister and at most, the rest of her family. She cared little about this beaked-nosed do-gooder and even less about how much blood he thought he could handle. However much it was, he'd not last a day with the twins on a hunt. Scoffing and not bothering to look him in the face long enough to identify anything about the calibre of his smile (or lack thereof), Tae narrowed her eyes once again, absolutely adoring the feeling of Grusha's bulk behind her. Fuck off flower-dick. Anha bet anna has a lenta instead ki a cock : I bet he has a stem instead of a cock. Ido anna? Anha'm sure ei the chiorikem she mae atthirar hash to hash ki.  -         Fake it? I'm sure all the women in his life have to do that.

ely Yeah, that’s right: Elyna was better at this than the other woman, and for just a moment a fierce proud smile crossed the former Storm Guard’s face. Then, it settled into her baring her fangs at the stranger. Elyna was nothing if not petty and perfectly willing to use her features, which she knew most people found creepy, intimidating. While Wessex was much more obviously muscled and looked strong—plus she was adorned with stranger markings and scars—Elyna had a slight height advantage, which she was planning to milk for everything it was worth. Besides, she had always relied more on her technique and her speed than her raw strength. Given that she trained with men, most of whom were significantly stronger than her, she had to. Even though the stranger relaxed, Elyna didn’t; coming to this new world had basically meant she was on high alert at all times, ready and willing to see everything, even people she knew well, as a potential threat. Unless and until she got some answers as to just what in this world was going on and why and how they’d been brought here it was going to stay that way. It didn’t seem to be too much to ask. Somehow, she doubted they’d been transported here for benevolent reasons: no one went through that much effort for nothing. Of course, maybe it was a random fluke, but regardless until she figured out where the potential threats might be, she was going to stay on her guard. If the other woman was hoping to throw Elyna off balance by claiming to have been searching for it, it wasn’t going to work; Wessex didn’t know this, but Elyna was just as old a soldier and was already wary for tricks. While she couldn’t for certain say the other woman was up to something, Elyna’s natural suspicions about these natives made her assume the worst and plan accordingly. ”You found me. Now I have some questions for you. Who are you, why are you looking for me, and who else are you looking for?” Giving the other woman a piercing look, Elyna stalked forward so that her glaive was within striking distance. She wasn’t going to take any chances. ”Get talking or I get mean.” Indeed, while she was gruff right now, it wasn’t close to as hostile as she could get.

Wessex lets Elyna have her moment of gloating. The Outlander must be the type to need all the victories she can get- not that the mercenary blames her for that, were the roles reversed, she, too, would be hostile. Nevertheless, Wessex can’t help but snort a little at the childish display of fangs. A little eyebrow raise, maybe - but other than that she remains silent, even as the Asendant hurls questions and advances on her. This Natural has an exit strategy. She always has an exit strategy, because Caido is her homeland. She’s watched these ruins decay, remembers stories of when they ceased to pray at its altar. Not in Wessex’s lifetime, of course, but in her grandparent’s time. By the time she came around, well….children discover so much. They can turn anything into a playground. But enough about that. Get talking or I get mean, makes the level-headed woman softly chuckle, turning it into a brief mock-baring of her own pointy teeth in an attempt to diffuse the situation. It doesn’t seem likely that it will work, but she might as well get the point across. They’re the same. She isn’t intimidated. “I’m Wessex, and I’m looking for more of Us.” Under her leather get-up, her muscles tense ever so slightly, ready to launch herself towards her escape route should the other even think about grabbing her spear-sword thing. WESSEX She whispered back, I am the storm