Topic: Culture Shock

Lydia Loran

Date: 2007-10-23 01:03 EST
After traveling through portal, on a horse drawn wagon, dealing with more teleporting from the aid of wizards stationed in Mount Yasuo's towers, and a bit of walking; our heroes find themselves standing at the southern gate of Jenli, looking inside the busy and oh so foreign town.

Everpresent grin on her face, Carley bounded forward through the gate too quickly for someone of her size carrying a backpack so huge; being the first of the trio to set foot on Jenli soil.

"We're finally here! Gosh, there's so much to do!" She bounced on her toes momentarily, spinning about to face her travel companions, unaware of the attention she was drawing from those milling about not too far from the town entrance. She really did have a knack for disturbing peace and tranquility wherever she went didn't she" "Ya think we should ask directions on where to find the places that sell fabrics or whatever?"

The square was open in front of them, and bustling with activity. Just in front of Erin as she crossed through the gate was a large elevated fight stage made of stone. The grey stones caught her eye first, and then it raised to see the warriors atop engaging in some sort of fighting she had never experienced before. Mouth opening, the bustle of the city center didn't seem to phase her as she was almost drawn to the stage. Without yet moving, she glanced to the two women with her, eyes alight.

"Can't we go watch the fight first' It's amazing, look!" And she tried to point through the crowds of people milling about from vendor to vendor, or moving towards the different roads that led off into Jenli. It was then she noticed just how different everything seemed, the clothes on the people, the style of their hair....Erin's mouth fell open as she was suddenly filled with giddiness. "Look! Look!" The pointing was now wildly directed at the entire area.

The architecture and flora had caught Lydia's eye - all the colors around gave the area a rather vibrant look and feel. She happened to look towards where Erin had pointed in time to see one of the fighters on the elevated stage smash a bamboo pole into the other's face. She winced a little at that, and let her gaze roam a little more before turning back to Erin and Carley.

"I dunno...we've been traveling all day. Shouldn't we find a place to stay first' Unpack, rest...?" She could certainly use some rest. All the walking, and having to deal with horses. Gods, she hadn't seen so many horses in...ever.

Pouting, Carley frowned at the green haired elf. "That's no fun! We didn't come here to nap Fire! We came to have fun!" Never mind that it was a business trip. "You can go sleep, but me and Eri are gonna venture out and have some fun, right Eri!?"

Carley grinned and bounced a little before pivoting on the ball of her foot, then launched herself out further into the town, soon becoming lost in the crowd she was pushing her way through. She didn't even bother waiting for response from Erin or anything, silly elf.

"I couldn't possibly sleep yet." Erin nodded in agreement with Carley just as she bounced off into the crowd. She couldn't help but sigh, smiling a little as she shook her head. Turning to Lydia, and shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe she has a point. I'm going to go watch that, and then find somewhere to get something to drink. I'm parched. How about you go get rid of your stuff, nap, and we'll meet back here around dinner time?" Brows raised and she glanced about once more.

"And...uh....Carley will find us eventually, right?" She laughed a little as her brows raised. "At least before we go..." And she snickered, then.

"I'm sure she will. Eventually." Lydia gave a half hearted nod of agreement. "But that works, I'll look around, find an inn for us and get us some rooms, and we'll meet here. If either of us see Carley, we can try restraining her long enough to tell her where we're staying." That would go over really well. She hesitated a little then, as her stomach grumbled faintly. Her own dinner time would be coming a little early. "I think I may try to find some food first...I haven't eaten in a while."

Hoisting her own backpack up, Lydia started meandering a little further into the town, turning to look at Erin over her shoulder. "Just be careful, yeah' And no fighting?" She pointed to the square off in the distance. "And remember our allowances, okay' We don't want to spend too much, because we still need some money for the portal, and renting another wagon." So responsible, the green haired elf.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful. Just don't eat anything poisonous." Erin nodded some more, laughing at her friend. Just as she glanced back to the ring, one fighter got smacked again, full force, with the stick causing blood to start trickling down her face. With a crinkle of her nose and a shake of her head.

"No, no fighting!" She shook her head emphatically and then stepped into the city herself, moving off in a direction that was separate from the other two. Perhaps she was done with the fighting for now...

(Collaborative effort with Erin's player)

Lydia Loran

Date: 2007-10-23 01:16 EST
Wandering around the city alone, Lydia wore a smile on her face as she finally took a moment to savor the environment. The buildings were unlike anything she had seen before, and even the people had a different look than those in Rhydin City did, even if they weren't quite as diverse as those in the city were as a whole. The dark hair, the shape of their eyes; they were all so beautiful. Some wore such vivid attire too, colorful silks with floral prints or embroidery in it. She made a mental note to buy a couple outfits from here as well as fabric, and do some sketches of the various dresses and robes. She could work the new designs into her own, share them with Griffith, and perhaps offer something new to her customers.

The green haired elf felt a little awkward however, when people looked her way. Not only were they different to her, but she was quite different to them. The pointed ears, the green hair, the eyes; none born in Jenli possessed such traits. However most who regarded her extensively offered a kind smile, a nod of their head. A couple young girls had even stopped to remark on how beautiful they thought she was, something that set her to blushing. Though that might have also been a way to butter her up since they were selling origami flowers. Lotus to be exact, of all different colors, each attached to a thin piece of bamboo. Lydia, of course, bought several flowers. Some of every color. She planned to keep a couple for herself and the others would be souvenirs for some friends back in Rhydin City. The female friends at least.

After a bit of wandering around and sight seeing in the process of searching for an inn to stay at, Lydia stopped near a koi pond, peering inside at the goldfish darting about within beneath the water lilies. There were a couple in there that looked a bit more colorful than the average goldfish as well, so to get a closer look she was about to kneel down but paused and teetered a bit when she heard rapid footsteps drawing her way, accompanied by something akin to clattering.

"Fire!"

Startled by the sudden sight and shrill greeting of Carley, Lydia nearly toppled forward into the pond, but was able to stagger up to her feet, righting herself. She turned to take in Carley's appearance - which was the same as before, grinning and unhurt. Which was good, but the items she carried in her arms made Lydia a little curious; moreso suspicious. They were shaped like swords, but crafted of bamboo, and Carley had a lot of them.

"Hey Carley." Pale blues flicker about self consciously, noting eyes upon her and her elven friend before landing back on the little blonde. "I see you've already done a little....shopping." She squinted at the 'swords'. There had to be at least fifteen in Carley's arms. If not more. It was hard to tell, as much as Carley was fidgeting and bouncing about.

"Yah huh! They're bamboo swords, but I think the guy who was selling them called them shiny eyes, or...something like that!" Carley shook her head dismissively. "I got one for me and you and Eri and Vee Vee and Eddie and Heath and Griffy and Glenny and the rest I'm gonna sell at the market back in the city for double what I paid for them, and make a lot of profit!" She beamed to Lydia, quite proud of herself and her inflation tactics.

Lydia was quiet for a moment, because honestly, she hadn't quite heard about half of what Carley just said. She was speaking entirely too fast you see. And she was a little reluctant to believe that the bamboo swords were called shiny eyes...."Well, that's nice." She did her best to muster up a smile to all of that. "You must have bought a lot of swords there, I really hope you didn't use all of your money on them." Carley was eyed suspiciously then.

Carley, without hesitation, nodded. "I had to use my money and dip into our travel money some, but it'll pay off later, and Eri's loaded anyways so she'll be able to cough up a little more money for us to-"

"Whoa, wait." Blinking, Lydia held up a hand as she interrupted Carley's talking. "You did what?" Really, she was trying hard to not raise her voice, but it was a little hard to restrain herself. Each of the traveling trio had a third of shared savings, to be used exclusively for travel and supplies, along with their own personal money for the trip. It just didn't seem wise to let one carry all of the money. "How much of your third did you spend Carley?"

"..um. Well...not that much."

"How much is 'not that much'?"

"All of it."

"So let me get this straight." Already, Lydia was lifting a hand to rub at her temple. "You spent one third of our travel money, our money for supplies....on those." Nodding faintly to all of the swords in Carley's arms. "On fake swords" To generate personal profit for yourself?" When she saw Carley nod, if a bit hesitantly, Lydia let out a long suffering sigh. "Carley....you..." Another sigh. "You better hope Erin did pack away more money than we did, and is willing to share it, because if she isn't I'm not sure we have enough to get back." Lydia had a good amount herself, but the truth of the matter was it was more likely Erin carried more money than she did.

The little blonde elf frowned momentarily, but was quick to smile again. "You can teleport stuff cantcha Fire" Why not just send a letter to Grem to ask him to send us some more money?"

Lydia leveled a rather flat stare to the little blonde elf then. "Because it's not his responsibility to give us money' And we've only been gone for...for like, what, a day' People don't usually spend that much in such a short amount of time..."

There was a moment of silence shared between the elven duo then, that may have been a little more dramatic had it not been cut off by the faint rumble of hunger in Lydia's stomach. Carley was quick to giggle at it and move on from their previous conversation.

"Ya sound hungry Fire! I saw a place not far from here that had really interesting looking food, it was really weird looking and I've never tried anything like it, and the people eating there were eating with sticks. This place is kinda primitive dontcha think" We should go there and check it out!"

Without awaiting response, Carley spun about on a heel and set off once more. Lydia looked around sheepishly to the people who had overheard that part about being primitive and offered quiet apologies to them before letting out another long suffering sigh, following behind the little blonde elf carrying the stack of bamboo swords.

Erinalle Dunbridge

Date: 2007-10-23 15:00 EST
Once Lydia and Carley were gone, Erin shook her head and started into the crowd. She was watching the fighting out of the corner or her eye, but it was bloody, and nothing she could learn quickly. That, and...the bustle and smells of the crowd drew her feet. So much gold, and red, bright colors and flowered imprints on everything. There was a gentle clanking of bamboo fans and swords clanking on belts and the shuffle of slippers on cobbles. It was like nothing Erin had ever seen, and she loved it.

Somehow it reminded her of movies she had seen of Thailand set in the middle ages. The curled up slippers, the long white beards, the strange languages that were being muttered here and there. Some children, chasing a bright read leather ball, moved by, and almost tripping, Erin let out a laugh as one stopped to scoop his hat up off the ground where it had fallen. The life of the place infused her with strength and the tiredness from her night before seemed to lift for the first time that day.

Moving through the small streets, she paused here and there at vendors, who, for the most part were peddling wares she had only seen at the most expensive boutiques in the Marketplace back in Rhydin City. A table of silks, another of trinkets the like of which she had never seen. Pale fingers ran over a small bauble. It was red and had gold leafing on it. Erin lifted it and it jingled.

"Those are to relax, miss, to focus. You put them in your hand like this..." And the man, an older one with long white hair pulled back under a red domed hat and a long white beard that was fastened in the front with a single tie, put the balls in her hand and then holding the bottom of her hand, pushed on it in certain so that they started moving slowly in her hands. "Now use your fingers..." And they clanged and jingled all at once, going round and round in a jilted manner. "Try to keep them from touching. Focus. Think." And Erin closed her eyes for a second before letting them open again. The balls were moving quickly in her hand, bouncing off each finger before starting over. The jingling brought her mind to other things. Beyond Jordan and Jake and love and home....she was calmer. It was all the noise, the feel of the cool ceramic balls in her hand, the smile on the face of the old man.

"That's it, miss! You've got it." He smiled at her, almost pointy white teeth peering out from behind his thin lips. "I think you need these." Suddenly his old hand, knotted with age and spotted with the time they had spent in the sun, reached out and closed her fingers over the balls gently. "Your face seemed to get ten years younger, miss. Take them. You need them more than I need the money." His eyes were blue, somehow, and sparkles as they looked at her. Erin just nodded, letting a weak smile press through the tighter features she had taken up since the moment in the tea shop just the night before.

"Thank you, Sir, but please, let me..." And as she went to put the baubles down and get her change purse, he stopped her hands once more.

"You, my dear, have a sadness in your eyes. Indecision. I can see the help you need." The eyes that looked at her seemed to swirl with color. Blue, then darker than an almost black. His smile went from sweet and kind to knowing in a way that was creepy to the small mad Englishwoman. "Take these, a gift from an old man to a young woman with such pain. You will make a wonderful old woman, Erin, wise." He knew her name and that caused her eyes to go wide. She was shocked, and finally scared. His aged hands reached out once more to take her hands.

"Listen to me, and listen well. No matter what you choose, you will cause yourself, others, pain. There is no easy path in this life, Ms. Dunbridge. You know that as much as you know of your death. I can see what you've done, who you are— and I have much to tell you." His voice was raspy, but clear. Something that held intimacy, but did not assume it. Erin was tense, she tugged once at his hands, and he just tightened his grip— it was stronger than it should have been.

"Take these, my gift. And take them to the temple. Continue down the street, and when you see the place enter. Sit. Spend your evening there, Erin. Let it overtake you. You cannot be in complete control of everything— least of all your feelings, your fate. You must let the wind take you as it would a feather, and move you through this world. You must give up and let things happen. You must stop fighting against your life, Erinalle." He paused. The speech had taken a lot out of the old man— for he was old. Letting her hands go, he collapsed back into his seat, coughing.

"Go, go. Find the temple now." He waved an arm to get her on her way, and without much thought, Erin bustled down the street and away from the man. Her hand gripped the gift so tightly her knuckles were white. The chorus of voices that called her to their table, or called to see if she were okay, blended into the chiming of a bell.

It was time for a ceremony. As she approached, she blended into a crowd dressed in orange dresses and robes. Became one of them. Hands still clutching the baubles, she became one of the crowd, one of the believers. She let them draw her along.

Lydia Loran

Date: 2007-10-23 15:07 EST
The place that Carley had found for her and Lydia to eat was a small sushi shop. Items were bought from a man in a small building, and people could peer inside and watch him prepare the food through the windows. It was quite the sight too, to see how skilled he was and how artfully he crafted the food. Veggies, rice, spices, oils and fish were rolled up in seaweed and cut into smaller pieces, served that way with a side of wasabi sauce - a rather basic type of sushi. The man offered other types as well, but those were considerably more expensive, and after Carley's splurge on the bamboo swords, Lydia had insisted they be somewhat frugal with their funds at this point, in case Erin was traveling lightly with her own funds.

Lydia wasn't sure how to use the chopsticks she had been given, so she opted to just eat the sushi with her fingers. Carley on the other hand, stabbed her sushi with her chopsticks, making a big mess in the process, drawing more eyes to herself. While the wasabi sauce was a bit too spicy for Lydia's tastes, she thought Grem might like the stuff. After purchasing a couple small bottles from the man as souvenir items for Grem, she sat back and watched Carley eat...and eat...and eat...Lydia had warned her that maybe she shouldn't have eaten so much, partly because of depleted funds and the fact she was having to pay for it, but Carley didn't listen. She never did...

After that, even the oh so stuffed Carley was a little tired and agreed that finding an inn would be a good idea. So after a bit of searching, they located The Koi Inn, which received it's name from the elaborate koi ponds and water gardens set up outside and around the large two storied red building. The little blonde elf was excited as she walked along the winding cobbled path, bright blues darting to follow the fish in the water.

"Ooooh, Fire, look! They're so pretty!" Carley ducked down to point in at a particularly colorful fish close to the water's surface. "Do ya think they let people fish in these ponds?" Wide eyed, she turned to Lydia as she stood, her expression hopeful.

"I...doubt that." Lydia shook her head, and meandered into the building via a large sliding door. Pausing near the door, pale blues widened a little as she took the entrance hall in. Colorful lanterns not only worked as a decoration item, but also kept the place well lit. On the ground and off to the side was a small mat, covered with many pairs of various shoes, boots, and sandals - all neatly laid out. Aside from the lanterns, beautiful paintings and painted scenes on the shoji that divided various areas of the room, it was rather simple in appearance. Plain mats, more accurately called tatami, were laid out on the ground and a kotatsu off to the side had heated coal gathered in the center, giving the room some warmth.

Stepping inside, Carley was about to move around Lydia and down the entrance hall, but paused as the green haired elf set a hand on her shoulder. "Carley, I'm not sure we're supposed to wear shoes in here?" Even as she pointed to the shoes set out, her tone was one of confusion. If that was the case, she certainly didn't understand why. "Best to take our boots off to be safe?" Lydia didn't want to go and offend people, even if she wasn't quite understanding the culture.

Rolling her eyes, Carley clicked her tongue before looking to Lydia. "But that's stupid, why would people do that?" A shrug of her shoulder offered, she started walking even further inside. "You can take yers off, but I'm keeping mine on."

Frowning, Lydia was just about to object to Carley but paused when she spotted a man moving their way. Like most of the other men she had seen in Jenli, he wasn't particularly tall - only a few more inches than she was perhaps. His hair and eyes were both rather dark, a striking contrast to fair skin tones, and part of his hair was pulled back and out of his face. The fabric of the robes he wore was light, an offwhite, but crimson colored embroidered flowers along hems stood out very well against it.

Pausing a few feet from the girls, he offered a kind smile to them both before bowing his head to them. "Good evening ladies. Welcome to The Koi Inn. I am Jian Sheng, and I am here to assist and serve you." Likely hearing their conversation, he gestured to the shoes lined up on the mat against the wall. "If you could remove your shoes, I would greatly appreciate it. It helps us to keep our floors clean. After that, I can assist you with finding a room to suit your needs."

Entirely too smitten with the too handsome man, Carley was quick to step out of her boots, leaving them where they were, before she followed right along behind him, much like a puppy. Gods, and he smelled so good too. It was almost like cologne, but not quite. It was lighter. Spicy and earthy. Fresh and clean. Entranced by it, Carley leaned a bit closer to Jian, inhaling deeply and unabashedly. If Lydia had seen it, she would have been horrified.

"It's nice to meetcha Jian, I'm Carley, and that's my friend Fire!" Thumbing over shoulder and backpack to the green haired elf who was busy taking her own shoes off and setting them in the appropriate place.

"Lydia." She was quick to chime in with that to the duo moving off, as she gathered Carley's boots from the middle of the floor to set on the mat.

"Anyways-" Carley continued on. "-we do need a room, and were wondering if you have any rooms open that can hold three people? We're traveling with another one of our friends too, Eri."

If Jian was at all put off by the little blonde's blatant sniffing of him it didn't show. He simply smiled as he listened to her talk and inquire, nodding a bit thoughtfully then. Approaching a very short table lined in cushioned seats, he took a seat in one. On the table was a book, along with a quill pen and a bottle of ink. As he flipped to an empty page Carley sat on a cushioned seat right next to him.

"We have a room available that can hold the three of you. It's one of our most popular rooms too. On the second floor, and it has a balcony that overlooks the northern koi ponds. Meals will be delivered, and baths will be drawn for you." Lydia caught up with them as Jian spoke, taking a seat on one of the cushions across from him and Carley. Brows lifted a little as he offered the pen and notebook to the little blonde. "It would be twenty silvers a night, so if that pleases you Miss Carley, you have only to sign the book and it is yours."

Before Lydia even had a chance to object, given the priciness of the room and the fact Carley just lost a lot of their money to bamboo swords, pen was dunked in bottle and was already scribbled over the page. The deal was done.

Erinalle Dunbridge

Date: 2007-10-27 13:54 EST
The temple, when she found it, wasn't a tall building with stacked roofs like she envisioned, but a small stone building set back from the street by a garden. The flowers bloomed through heavy vines, and while it was all vegetation she had never seen before, Erin didn't stop to linger. Her heart was still racing from the man she had met in the street, and she clasped the small box with the baubles in it to her side.

Quick feet led her to the door, and she pushed aside a bamboo curtain, the soft jingling of wood jarring her from her thoughts. The inside of the temple was dark, though the candles lit up statues and decorations of gold so it looked like the entire room was glowing of its own accord. Next to the door was a mat, and it was filled with the shoes and sandals of various worshipers that she could not yet see through the darkness. Without thinking, she bent to remove her shoes and left them on the mat neatly side by side.

Her bare feet made no noise on the cold stone floor, though it was dirtier than she had expected, the soft scruff of grained dirt tickling the bottom of her feet. Looking about, she was drawn to the large statue of a man sitting cross-legged that was flanked with candles. Though she had a privileged upbringing and had been to many places with many treasures, it occurred to her that she had never seen so much gold in her entire life. Once she had approached the statue, she saw the line of silent, unmoving people. Both men and women were sitting there, eyes closed and they looked incredibly peaceful.

Without a word to them, Erin lowered herself to an empty cushion and sat, also cross-legged, like the others. She focused on the statue and its glowing gold for a long moment, trying to let her thoughts focus. Move. She wanted to be open to whatever the man had told her was coming....

"Sit here, Erinalle."

And suddenly she was with her mother in the sitting room of their London flat.

"You have to let yourself believe that you'll be happy. Happiness is not something that comes without work, I think if you work at this. At him. This really is your best path. He's really your best path. And it doesn't matter if there's love there now, it'll grow..."

"But Mama, all I want is to be—"

"Stop now, darling." Her mother's voice was smooth and enveloping. "All we all want is to be loved, and to love, but that is a rare thing. An impossible thing. We must take what we're given and make the best of it. Hold onto it. Men will never treat you the way you think— never treat you like the princess you are. You will always be an accessory. We all want to be loved, but maybe if you can just open your heart and love someone. Need them. That's all you'll ever truly get."

She could feel nothing but her breathing. The image was still raw in her head. Rich. She didn't dare move, just focused on her breathing. It was as if she could feel the gaze of the statue on her. The piercing hard glowing gold of it. As if it were telling her what to think, what to look for...

"I just can't. Don't wait for me." It was Jordan's voice. But she could not see him.

"I think I'm falling for you." And then there was Jake.

Her thoughts raced. There was no choice. She had told herself that. And suddenly it was abundantly clear what it meant. It wasn't about being loved. It wasnt' about loving.

It was all about her.

"Erin, you need to slow down and think about what?s best for you. Most people spend their entire lives trying to make themselves fit into some picture they have of their lives. But they never spend the time thinking about what they really need from it." Her principal spoke to her words she had never really listened to, or thought about. "You need to stop worrying about fun, about reputation and start worrying about what your heart is saying."

"It needs time."

Her words broke the silence in the temple, and the old monk sitting next to her smiled. He leaned over a bit to whisper in her ear.

"He spoke to you. It is a great honor." An aged hand rested on her shoulder and his eyes softened even more. "You're a great woman with much confusion. You should take his words to heart."

Erin watched the man with wide eyes as he leaned forward to dip his gnarled finger in a little pot of oil and trace a small line on her forehead. Not knowing what to do, she just bowed her head and closed her eyes. Let the coolness of the oil in the warm room wash over her. Her eyes opened, as green as they'd ever be, and she nodded at the man. He smiled and she returned it before standing to move from the temple.

It was late, she had to find Lydia.

Lydia Loran

Date: 2007-10-27 14:08 EST
The room that Jian had led Lydia and Carley to was a lovely little room. Simple, but decorated with beautiful, colorful paintings like the entrance hall they were in before, most likely depicting several of Mount Yasuo's legends and myths. Lydia had asked about them and to her surprise, it turned out Jian had painted them and the other ones himself. The first thing set up in the room was a kotatsu with heated coal in the middle much like the one in the entrance hall. Gathered around it was a kettle and various supplies to make tea. The green haired elf figured Erin would love it. In a small closet there were a few yukata, should the girls wish to change to local attire before going on any outings. Three futons were laid out next to one another in one of the corners of the room, not ideal sleeping arrangements, but it'd work. Just as long as no one tossed or turned, sleep should happen without a problem.

The best part of the room' The view from the balcony, which was where Lydia was at now. Smiling, her gaze drifted over the largest koi pond she had seen at this place so far. Lilies littered the top as the fish darted back and forth beneath them - almost as if dancing. Vines and ivies twirled and twined around several trees and bushes. Herbs and flowers gave the air a rather light, pleasant scent. Air in Jenli was much cleaner than the air in the city. Lydia closed her eyes, inhaling that air, only to exhale it in a sigh when a groan from inside ruined the peaceful moment.

Turning, she was quick to move back inside, sliding the door shut behind her. Bare feet padded across mats as she meandered towards one of the futons, already taken by a little blonde elf, moaning and groaning as she clutched at her middle in pain, much like she had been doing for the past half hour. Tilting her head curiously, Lydia bit at her lip, brow furrowed a touch as she regarded her friend.

"Are you sure you don't want me to get you anything Carley?" Something unintelligible was spoken from the little blonde, accompanied by a shake of her head. Lydia hated to say 'I told you so', but...."I told you not to eat so much food before..." That was murmured quietly, and that's when the little elf grumbled something that sounded very similar to foul language, and when Lydia decided it might be best to get out.

"Well....it's about dinner time, so I should probably go find Erin and bring her here. Just...try to get some rest and feel better, okay?" Lydia knelt down to try and cover Carley up, but received a snarl and more foul language in return. So she straightened, turned, and made a hasty exit, shutting the door quietly behind her. She also really, really hoped Carley wouldn't ruin their futons when she was gone.

At the very least, with Carley so sick she'd likely pass out soon, possibly before she and Erin made it back to the inn. That would give her and Erin some time to catch up, something rare as of late, considering busy lives and drifting apart for whatever reason.

Erinalle Dunbridge

Date: 2007-10-27 14:14 EST
It was the second day of their trip, and after buying everything they needed for the Stitch; fabrics, threads, yarns, and even beads and charms for jewelry creation; seeing that anything too large or heavy was sent off in a proper shipment to Rhydin and a bit of personal shopping, the girls came back to the hotel to freshen up. The streets in Jenli were dusty, with carts, horses and foot traffic. The morning was exciting, and rewarding, and Erin felt energized. Happy. For a few hours all the pain and self doubt was completely washed away with the rush of really getting things done.

Erin came out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her hair, and hands stuck in a kimono-styled bathrobe. She was flipping through a guidebook she'd picked up that day in the market. It, of course, was in broken common and full of false information, but Erin either didn't realize, or didn't care. Wooden slippers clicked on the floor of the room as she read, walking through to find her futon and sit on the edge of it.

"Ooh, there's a really interesting legend with this river. Did you guys get to see it today' I didn't think I did..." Erin was talking as if they were listening, when in actuality, she hadn't even checked to make sure the girls were in the room. "I think we should go see it....oh, look at these lakes!" And she flipped some pages, her eyes getting wide and her mouth turning into a big smile. "You know, guys, it's early...we could so get out and to the first lake before nightfall...and camp out there, and then loop back around and..." She was turning the map in a circle, then, trying to plot her path. "Yeah....yeah! We could rent some equipment, and do some hiking....this book says there are all sorts of cool animals out there, and if you bring the right stuff, you can see all sorts of great birds. And we could sleep outside the stars! Away from everything....What do you think?" Finally, Erin lifted her head.

Lydia had been eating at the table, specifically, some sushi Jian had sent to their room earlier. It was delicious stuff and she had taken quite a liking to it, but Carley refused to touch it anymore after her experience with it the previous day. She just narrowed her eyes at the green haired elf eating, occasionally sipping at some tea, though both elves had turned their attention to the englishwoman as she started to go on and on about hiking and such. Carley was already looking excited at the prospect, grinning ear to ear as she set her tea mug down on a saucer with a light clank.

"That sounds like a great idea Eri! And it should be easy to rent supplies, and we can get fishing poles too, to go fishing!" Quick to move to her feet, the little blonde was beaming as she hopped on her toes. "If it's a special river it could be magic too! With magic fish! Do you know how much money I could get off that..." Or at least really colorful like they have in their ponds." Her gaze lifted as she pondered how she could make money off this latest trip, bright blue eyes taking on an almost devious glint as she lightly rubbed her hands together.

Blinking, Lydia turned pale blues from Carley to Erin. You mean, leave today' That's kind of short notice..." Already, she was receiving a dirty look from the blonde elf whose cheeks were puffing out much like a puffer fish you're not supposed to touch after angering and agitating it. Some of those fish would poison someone, Carley' She'd likely do so much worse. "I mean...we can, yeah. But..." Lydia knew it was a losing battle. Two to one. Might as well make the best of it though, right' She suppressed a sigh and put on a smile. "So...it said there's animals out there" That sounds interesting. There's probably animals around here that aren't in the city." That was a positive at least. Lydia loved animals, but didn't get to see much of a variety in Rhydin City. Just the usual pets, and even occasional farm animal, though she was still looking forward to seeing Rena's pet skunk...

"I think so." Erin flipped more pages, back and forth, back and forth. "I think we could head out on the river, and go to this lake." She points at it. "And then come around this way." Her finger does a little circle. "And stop at this tower of Harmony place..." She stops to read something, biting her bottom lip. "Yeah, yeah....this thing is supposed to be great and part of the magical field thing that makes this place so cool. It says here we can get a tour if we're polite to the wizard thing....wow, the translation sucks." Erin bit her lip and nodded again. "And we're on vacation, we need to be spontaneous." In all honesty' Erin needed an excuse to be distracted.

Carley watched Erin's movements with wide blue eyes, nodding a bit. "Spontaneity is a great idea! This is gonna be so much fun, I love hiking and campin' out." Her grin spread, quirky and much too big. "If we're gonna do this we better move out soon though. So I'm gonna head into town and pick up supplies for the three of us, since I camp out a lot as it is, and you two can get ready and we can meet up at the town gate?" Thumbing over her shoulder towards the door, glancing between the other two girls questioningly.

Lydia had blinked a couple times, mouthing out 'wizard thing"' as Erin spoke. Not much of what she had to say made sense to her honestly, so attention redirected back to Carley. Always having to act against her better judgment with that one. Smiling a little more, a bit more genuine in nature this time, she nodded. "I guess that sounds okay to me. So long as we're able to make it here by tomorrow evening?" Pausing, studying Carley. "Just don't spend more than you have to on supplies...?" The green haired elf very much questioned Carley's money management skills.

"Take an allowance." Erin handed Carley carefully counted out silvers in a little pouch. "Try and spend less, but don't spend more." With a smile, she stood, turning to look through her pack for something that she would wear hiking. The silly girl only brought one pair of jeans, so it was those for at least the next day, maybe two. "And Carley, try not to get too sidetracked. We don't want to be like ten feet from town when it's time to camp." A wry smile flashed over her shoulder, then at the elf.

"And relax a little, Ly, it'll be fun. And fine." A pause and she moved over to lean in and speak in a low voice to her friend. "I sewed some extra cash in the lining of my pack. Just don't tell Carley." And she winked.

Like a greedy child at Christmas, Carley took the pouch from Erin, nodding. "Yeah, yeah, I'll be careful Eri!" It was spoken dismissively, as if she only half heard what the englishwoman had told her. Though she did pick up that quip about only being ten feet away from town to camp, and made a face at Erin, features scrunching up. "I know what I'm doin'!" Already dressed in a simple blue shirt and shorts like usual, she only had to locate her beret and set it upon her head. It probably wasn't the most appropriate camping gear, but did she ever go anywhere without wearing that feathered thing"

Turning to Erin at her words, Lydia would have arched an eyebrow at being called 'Ly' if she could, but she never could do such gestures, so both brows lifted a touch before she smiled, looking a little relieved at what Erin had said. "That's good." Quiet words of her own in return. "We're probably going to need it." Her tone was half joking, half serious. One could never be certain what would happen when Carley was around, or in charge of money of any kind. Meandering to her own bag then, Lydia started digging around for some clothing that would work for hiking- a fun task given that she had already bought quite a few things so it took more rummaging than usual. Origami lotus flowers, bottles of wasabi sauce, fabrics, new outfits, some special medicinal tea packs from a shaman, and a few other knick knacks were dug out of her bag and set aside so she could get to the clothing she had packed, which wasn't much since she hadn't foreseen a hiking trip being taken on this trip. Leggings had been brought in case the weather got chilly, so she'd end up wearing those, but none of the blouses she had brought were appropriate for hiking or camping. She couldn't pilfer anything out of Carley's bag either because as tiny as she was, it wasn't likely that Lydia would be able to fit in any of her clothes. So pale blues ventured Erin's way, specifically to her bag to see if she caught sight of something in there she could borrow.

Carley watched the other two for a moment, quite amused. The pouch of money she had received from Erin was stuffed into a pocket as she headed for her own possessions- no longer in a bag but strewn about one of the corners of their room- then she snagged up a satchel and stuffed a few personal effects in it. Oddly enough a couple peanuts spilled out of it and onto the floor. Jian would not be pleased. "So I'll meetcha guys in a half hour at the front gate?" Slipping the strap of her satchel over a shoulder, she started a brisk walk for the door, hand poised to slide it open before glancing over her shoulder to the girls scavenging for clothing.

Stopping to pull the outfit from the bag, Erin laughed and tossed her pack Lydia's way. "Help yourself." A smirk as she pulled off the towel and tied a bandanna on her head to protect her hair from sun and bugs. "And let's hurry up! We only have a half hour." There was a wink as she went to pay through the rest of her things to make sure she had everything she wanted.

Lydia Loran

Date: 2007-10-27 16:13 EST
Lydia was rather calm for someone who was lost.

After breaking camp and setting out on their second day of hiking- third day of their trip- the girls were excited to get to their next destination. But between Erin's faulty map and Carley's broken compass" They had passed the same landmarks again and again. The same strange rock on the side of the path Lydia thought was vaguely in the shape of a cat, the same strange tall tree with the gnarled roots and bark, and the same too large spider web Carley had walked into. Twice. So now as Erin and Carley had a "discussion" about which path to take next, Lydia opted for the more 'zen' approach of not worrying about the fact they were lost. Of course, she did have that rather nifty ability to teleport, but that was beside the point! The scenery was beautiful, and they had at least made it to the first lake, which was where she currently sat next to.

Doing her best to ignore the "discussion" going on quite a few feet behind her, Lydia's gaze lazily wandered about over the lake, pausing on a small tree growing in it and close to the land. Chin resting on her knees, she leaned forward, just watching it before a blur of red got her attention and settled on the tree. Blinking a couple times, she straightened and tilted her head. That blur was a bird, an oh so exotic kind that one would never see in Rhydin City; just in Jenli. The feathers of the bird were mostly red, but a bit of blue and violet touched the tips of wing and tail feathers. The bird's beak was a bit longer and thicker than the birds Lydia was used to seeing, and it's face was white, mottled with dark spots. Her mouth formed a small 'o' as she watched it, preening it's feathers and doing various other bird things. She wished she had her camera, any camera, but then again, it'd do little good considering technology didn't work so well here.

Turning around slowly, Lydia spoke just loud enough to hopefully get Erin and Carley's attention and not scare the bird away. "Hey!" She waved a hand their way before lightly gesturing to the bird and turning back to it.

Erin heard Lydia just as she was about to hit Carley over the head with the map she was holding. Arm stuck in midair, she turned her head to see what the green haired elf was getting on about. Just then her eyes widened a bit and she smiled. It really was a pretty bird!

"Ooo." Careful, careful steps were taken so that she could get a better look. And she was just about silent, her arm still held up in the air, when she stepped on a rather large twig.

*CRACK*

At that crack, the bird quickly turned and spotted the girls, and no sooner had they been spotted did he take flight into the air, disappearing into a tall tree with dense foliage. No way were they getting a look of him at this point.

Lydia watched him fly away with a sigh, before turning around to face the two girls. Mild disappointment on her face and annoyance in her tone. "Usually you have to be quiet for these sort of things and that's not usually the way to go about it." Her eyes" Were right on Carley.

The blonde had watched the bird fly off, gaze lingering in the tree a moment before looking down. She blinked in confusion at Lydia, pointing at herself. "Me" No no no!" Shaking her head, she redirected her point at Erin. "That was Eri's fault! Just like us being lost is Eri's fault!" All eyes were on the englishwoman then.

"It's not my fault we're lost. Plus, we're not -that- lost, we're right here." She pointed at the lake on the map. "And we need to be here." She pointed at the temple then. "So, if her stupid compass would work, we'd know -exactly- where to go..." A pause and then Erin looked as if a little lightbulb went off in her head.

"Oh my god, the sun!" Her head shot straight up and....she looked directly at the sun. "Oo! Ow!" Shielding her eyes, suddenly, she looked at her feet and then at the girls. Everything had giant bubbles floating over it. Her head tilted and she just blinked. Repeatedly.

"The sun?" Carley just kinda looked confused, lifting her gaze a little, but not all the way up to the big light in the sky, then back down to Erin. "It looks like it always does. Are ya goin' crazy from not eating Eri?" She almost sounded concerned. Almost.

Lydia had moved to her feet and headed closer to the duo. Pausing, she mirrored Erin's blinks, though hers were from confusion. Not eating" Carley, we just ate like, an hour ago." They were at the very least, wise enough to pack food for the short trip. Or what was intended to be a short trip....Shaking her head almost dismissively at Carley, Lydia turned back to Erin. "You mean telling direction using the sun, yeah' That's a good idea, but I don't really know how to do that..." She knew little of telling direction using the stars, a few pointers she picked up in Cadentia. But the sun" That was another thing entirely.

"Yeah, yeah...that's what I mean. It sets in the ....west' And it's like....after noon, so it should be more west..." Am I making sense?" Erin looked to Lydia who seemed to know more about this. Really she just wanted to make sure to be walking west. Erin figured they'd find a path at some point, and they could go from there. The temple tower thing on the map looked important after all.

"See, this isn't that big of a deal. We're fine." A reassuring smile as she folded up the map and tucked it in her pack. A look down the path and how it curved into the woods and she smiled. To be out of the sun would be nice, not to mention what they could see in there....Her eyes lifted and looked at the other two. "Right?"

The two elves looked at each other momentarily before looking back towards Erin. The expression on both their faces said they didn't really know what she was talking about. But all the same, they smiled and nodded, then the green haired elf spoke up. "So I guess that means..." Trailing off, she looked about. We're going that way?" Lydia pointed one way, while Carley pointed the other.

"Yeah. That way." Erin walked the way Lydia pointed. In the end, she was less likely to get them killed, or at was Erin's reasoning anyway. There was a scantly used path that started just at the tree line, and Erin went for it. At least with a path they knew they would end up somewhere at the end, right' "Come on, we're losing daylight." She had heard that in a movie somewhere, and it just seemed like a good idea to say. Tightening her pack, she moved off into the woods.