Stormy Waters

Note: This thread is an import of a thread from the old Zetaboards forum found here

Ieness was one of the few places Maia actually enjoyed in Saoirse. She adored the long beaches and the warm climate. Of course, she would never there though. Being a Walpurgis wouldn't exactly be a good thing in a Saoirsan city after all. Even if she did find a Haven, she wouldn't want to love there. Maia disliked the idea of getting involved with any ring Cantus related.

She watched the sunset over the beach and water. She had slipped off her boots and let her toes wiggle in the rough sand. She wore a sleeveless version of her courier uniform. It didn't help much with the heat she was feeling, but Maia didn't care. There were worse things than being warm. And despite the climate, she still wore her scarf. She thought it looked better than wearing a hood all the time. It didn't mess up her hair either.

The last little while had been a bit wild for Maia. And she may have gotten involved in some things she shouldn't have, but now she was relaxing. In the morning, she would stop by the post office and grab some letters. Then set out.

'Imagine living in a place similar like this. A place where I can be me...' Maia thought to herself. She was completely unaware of anyone around her...

Just a few feet away from where Maia was, a woman dressed in an odd light blue-green yukata that reached to her knees was nearby. A pink sash with a flower in it the center of its knot kept it together. The young woman's dark blackish-blue hair draped behind her in a low ponytail and her lotus-petal white feet dug into the sand. Maia wouldn't be able to see her facial features as her back was towards her but she would hear a soft, silky voice speak.

"It appears that even here, I cannot escape the red sky..." it said with no emotion attached to it.

Maia heard a voice speak. It was soft, smooth, but emotionless. She turned to see what a appeared to be a young woman wearing a beautiful yukata. Maia had to think about what she meant by the red sky. Maybe the girl came from the Enkidu homeland. She sadly couldn't remember the name at the moment. It was just an assumption too, the girl could've been from anywhere.

"The sky is just a mask that covers the violent storms ready to unleash themselves across Esterelf." Maia replied.

The voice of someone else caught the girl's attention. She didn't flinch or stiffen, though. Rather, the girl's head slowly turned to face Atsuko. Sad, deep-set fuschia-colored eyes stared at her.

"You're not wrong," she said. "You could think of the sky as a bag holding water, ready to tear open with rain and thunder. Where I'm from, though, the sky held no water. It was painted a deep scarlet with hints of gold similar to what we see now. The sun, even if it was high up in the sky, seemed pale compared to it. The sky felt like it was the thing on fire, not the sun. When I first arrived here, I was rather surprised at how blue and cool the sky was: like smooth cold stone spotted with white on a cavern floor."

A very small, almost unnoticeable smile formed on the girl's lips.

"But I'm getting just rambling. Did you come here to appreciate the scenery like I did? Or are you here on business?"

"It seems no matter where you go, there will always be some sort of misery..." She replied with a bit of sadness. The other girl had sad eyes too. But still, she didn't quite see, that emotional. However, Maia was thinking about how people always caused such terrible things. In their own paths for glory, for fame, they cause strife and war. Not caring about the innocents they hurt.

Maia chuckled softly at the girl's remark. "I was here on business, but at the moment I am appreciating the scenery..." She replied. "There's not a view like this from where I live. So I might as well take a peek. Who knows when I will be back in Ieness again..."

"But of course," the girl said softly. "People are the cause of misery."

The girl's arms hung at her sides and she turned towards Maia completely as the courier told her why she was there.

"Ah, I see," she murmured. "It's true Ieness' long coasts are hard to find in other places in Saoirse. You're right to pause and appreciate the scenery. Pardon me, where are my manners? I'm Kukuri Ishida. It's nice to meet you."

Kukuri didn't offer the common curtsy or handshake. Rather she made a bow with her hands together in front of her.

Maia nodded in reply. "Maia." She never used her last name. But a part of her hesitated. "Maia Tommelise." This was the first time she had actually, entitled her last name in quite a while. It was weird and unnatural, but she doubted Kukuri had any knowledge of the Tommelise family. Or she would even care in general.

She smiled softly as the woman did a bow. It wasn't common to see that. Well, at least for Maia. It was usually a handshake. "It's lovely to meet you, Madame Ishida."

Kukuri offered a small, serene small.

"How odd to meet someone so well-mannered," she said. "Everyone I've met here so far has turned their nose at me or mutter something like 'immigrant' or 'refugee'. It's so nice to have someone far politer for a change. Are people always like that around here?"

Maia chuckled bitterly. "Sadly yes. Maia replied. "People in Esterelf are usually pretty snobbish. Every nation has their own form of nationalism. Saoirse is the worst in my opinion."

She looked up at the sky. "They always find something to judge you on..."

While Maia obviously seemed sad about this, the girl only pinched her chin and looked to the side.

"Interesting..." she said. She then gave Maia a reassuring glance. "Best not let it get you down. The area is beautiful and the sky immaculately red. In fact, I'm sure it would be pleasant to have tea under. I actually have a picnic set up just near over there. Perhaps you would like to join me? It seems sad for you to appreciate the scenery alone like this."