Lia lay partly curled up on the warm sands of the lake's shoreline. Her back was snuggly pressed into the shifting grainuals, while her torso twisted at her hips so that her legs rested on top of the other to one side. Her arms were stretched outward from her sides. She kept her eyes closed against the light of the sun, while her breathing was steady and even. To a passer-by, she appeared to be asleep.
A small shadow moved along the edge of the lake, almost hiding from the sun beneath her cloak and robe. Her eyes lighted on a pair that she had recently become aquainted with, or rather, had recently watched become aquainted with Mistress Nivarian's wine. She muttered softly to herself, damning her urge for a walk and the bright Daystar that lit the sky over her head, as she approached the Angori and Ixifar. Their names had escaped Katerina during the drunken escapades of that night and she was rather curious. She stopped less than ten feet away and spoke just loud enough to be heard clearly in her thick accent, "Well well, this seems to be turning into a gathering of desert dwellers, doesn't it?"
She quietly eyed the female who appeared to be asleep on the sand curious as to her behavior when sober. Then her gaze turned to the Angori male who sat near by her, who clearly seemed more awake and less... energetic than the last time she had seen him.
The ears of the horned one twitched at the sound of that familiar accent. He turns his head, then sees the uordeq from the other night. Alarmed because of what he recalls learning about her, his hand immediately jumps to his sword as he turns to face her, readying himself in a three-point stance, just in case.
A short gnome walks up, clad in only a floral-print loin cloth, with a paisley ribbon holding it up. He kicks off his wooden sandals, and digs his hairy toes into the sand. He lets out a sigh of relief.
Walking closer to Mr. Intimidating and the seemingly sleepy sunbather, he exclaims "WELL HELLO THERE FELLOW BEACH-GOER!!" he says, with a wild waving of his arms. His nose has a small patch of sunscreen on it.
"Well well, what seems to be going on with this B. E. A. UTIFUL hunk of feathers?" he says, leaning down closer to the ixifar until his nose touches her nose. A small bit of sunscreen rubs off on to her nose.
"I must say, I do like a good dip from time to time" he says, stretching out his hamstrings uncomfortably close to the Angori. "It really gets the blood pumping you know? And theres something about a good belly that just makes it all easier. You know, if I had to venture a guess, I would say I am part duck" he says, with a chuckle. He looks down into his loin cloth quickly "The water just whisks right off of me!"
Lia recognized the sound of Des's footsteps in the sand as he approached her. It was a sound she'd grown up with, and so didn't bother to open her eyes to see him sit down in front of her. She instead let him continue to believe she was asleep for the moment. A few moments later and a thickly Uordeqian accented voice broke the silence. She slightly peeled open an eye to see who the voice belonged to, and watched as Des jumped to the defensive. The Ixifar slowly sat up with a light sigh. "Calm yourself Desiderio..." She said in a way much like her brother. "She's friend, not foe."
She was about to lay back down when another individual walked up joining the growing group. Before she knew it the bubbly gnome had pressed his face against hers, which did well to startle her. She jerked and fell back onto her elbows staring incredulously at the excitable little fellow. Then he shifted away to stretch a tad too close to her friend. This caused a light smirk to spread across her lips at the amusing specticle. "Swiming is fun, I suppose."
Des doesn't calm himself at his friend's words, rather grows more agitated at her claiming this slaver was a "friend."
But of course no one can stay serious at the sight of a nearly naked gnome baffooon interrupting the atmosphere... Des stands back upright and takes his hand off his weapon. "Swimming is not my forte. Water is too cold. And I find it hard to believe this..."
Des pinches the bridge of his nose trying to think back of the details of the night from before. "...okay, what is your name again?" he speaks to Katri, with his gestured out toward her.
Dark eyes narrowed and locked with the Angori's after a short nod of greeting is given to the Ixifar. Her words were low and even,"Katerina. My name is Katerina. And you are, other than twitchy as a squirrel's kit?"
Her gaze had hardly flickered over to the half naked Gnome. His antics were of little interest to her. Katri, instead waited calmly for the on edge male's response.
The "on edge male's" response to the question of who he is, "Not one to take lightly."
His expression calms down as he crosses his arms and looks off to the distance to the canopy line of the forest. Prior to an exhale, he continues, "...but I suppose if she calls you friendly, you're no harm to me... at the moment. Desiderio." He says with a gentle nod.
He looks back over to the grotesque seen of the pygmy oaf stretching out his quads. "Would you cut that out, you're embarassing yourself. More."
bubbles full of smoke begin erupting on the surface of the water, slowly turning into plumes of smoke. Idris, who has seemingly been under for hours (adapt water), pokes his eyes out of the water scanning the shoreline to see who else is there than bursts out of the water waving his hands franticly above his head with a loud, healthy "BLARGLEBLARGBLUBGLUB!"
The little Uordeq nodded to Desiderio, a small and unreadable smirk just visible beneath the shade of her hood. She turned her gaze to look out across the lake to find the sight of the stoner-bird. She startled for a moment before cradling her face in her hand and shaking her head with a light chuckle.
Quickly another less than savory individual appeared in their midst. Lia sighed as her face scrunched in light irritation. Her hands quickly went about removing her sandals and clutching them together in her off hand. She got to her feet, not bothering to pat off the sand that stuck to her exposed skin. The Ixifar's face relaxed as she took a moment to let her feet sink into the sun warmed sand. There might of been a hint of a smile on her face as she set her body in motion walking away from the group and towards the waterline.
At the odd noises behind him, Des turns around, drawing his electric sword in one motion and goes forth to strike the water near the attacker. Knowing that water conducts electricity, the clear liquid would make a direct path to the foe.
But then he sees who it is, turns the blade in mid swing and attempts to avoid the water to not harm himself or his quirky associate. After catching his balance, he stows the sword and emits a groan of dismay.
Then at the sight of his best friend continuing her odd state of depression, his eyes narrow.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" screams Riddles, as her runs out of the water, after only just getting in, as he was clearly scared off by the bird man. "ITS A MONSTER!!!!!"
He points back at the emerging ixifar. "HES COMING TO GET ME!!!! AHH!". He starts running for the shoreline, moving slowly, as his loin cloth starts bogging him down. He finally makes it to short, and flops down, with a tiny leech stuck to his belly button. "Well, you make a fine naval ring now don't you there little fella?" he says, before whacking his stomach with the wrench. A small popping noise can be heard as the leech explodes from the impact. "If you had lived, I would have called you Lamar..." he says, in retrospect. He stands up, sighs, and then turns to head back in to town.
Lia paused in her walking to watch the half-crazyed gnome burst from the water and carry on with his antics. A half-smirk appeared on her lips and she shook her head. After a few moments of observing the gnome and the others, she continued on to the water's edge. She let the water lap over the bare skin of her feet, crossed her arms across her chest still clutching her shoes with her right hand. There ixifarian woman stood for a while letting the happenings around her continue without her involvement or observation.
Jael caught sight of the gnome that had given him good deals on many different items walking towards town from the lake. He was only in a loin cloth and was still wet from a recent swim. Despite how much he liked those deals Jael decided it was best not to get the gnome excited again so he waited until Riddles strolled pass to head down towards the lake himself.
He wore his usual green tunic and pants, flask and sword on his side. Jael looked a little tired as he approached the group on the lake, though he wore a smile on his face. "Greetings all.", Jael said as he stopped to address them, "I hope everyone is well today, it is a fine day to be at the lake." He took in a relaxing breath as he looked out upon the lake.
Katri watched the scene quietly, issuing a small chuckle at Riddles and his leech. It seemed Jastrey had continued to collect some rather interesting characters since she had left. Then again, it had before, from what she noticed and heard. She saw Jael approaching the group now and returned his greeting with a nod. "Hello. I would assume that you are doing well, also?"
Her gaze turned back to the feather'd woman at the water's edge. "I don't believe I caught your name in the tavern the other night, Miss Ixifar."
Idris ducked back under the water, only the end of his giant doobie sticking out, glowing red. The glowing ember moved quickly towards the shore and poked back under water. Moments later Idris emerged from the water, flipping his hair over his head in much the same way a sexy model or mermaid would, than turned to face the crowd and winked at nobody in particular before walking up onto the shore.
Lia's ears twitched at hearing Jael's familiar voice, though she made no move to return his greeting. It had only been an hour or two since she'd seen her shield combat instructor. Though when the Uordeq woman addressed her, she finally peeled her eyes open and looked Katri's way. "Lia." She answered simply.
Dipping her head slightly, in acknowledgement of the response, Katri straightened and turned to leave. On her lips was a familiar farewell in her native tongue, "Ut Nocte dirige te, Umbras tueri te, et integumento abscondere gradus. May the night guide thee, shadows protect thee, and their shrouds hide thy steps."
Lifting a hand in farewell, Katri turned and disappeared into the trees without another word.
Lia inclined her head at Katri's native farewell. "And the same to you." She added gently as the young Uordeq woman headed for the treeline. She watched the woman's small figure disappear for a while then glanced back to the active scene about her. "And that seems like the best idea...." The ixifar muttered to herself before turning to her left to head down along the waterline.
After being gone on his own for some time, Des walks up the side of the lake and spots someone laying on the ground. After a closer look, he realizes it's his feathered friend. Was she attacked? No... she's not bleeding, at least it doesn't appear to be. With weary feet he, walks calmly up to her.
Within paces away, it becomes clear she is not dead nor dying. Her abdomen is moving, she is breathing. She must be resting in the sand, reminiscing about Sirison. And basking in the sunlight. He walks around in a way to avoid his shadow disturb her warmth and slowly sits down, legs crossed, at her feet, facing the body of water.