Re: Frolicking Through Friesia (119 4A)

by **Kara Winters** Sat Oct 11, 2014 11:57 pm

Lin shrugged, "We have a lot of time, and aren't in a hurry."

It gave them something to do/listen to while they walked.

"Take your time," Lin added.

by **Nara-pyon** Sun Oct 12, 2014 12:04 am

Others also voiced their agreement, and Kyrie smiled and nodded. "All right. Well, back when we were young, still children, our parents decided to show us where they'd come from - Poleria and Dolerum, which, I don't think they knew at the time, were at war. We found out the hard way. When we reached Poleria - south of Jielam, we'll be passing through there eventually - Mother and Father were killed on sight, and Khetal and I were taken captive."

Earendil winced. "That must have been traumatizing."

"Nothing compared to what followed," Kyrie replied grimly. She grew quiet then, her brow furrowed as she thought about how to broach what happened next.

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 13, 2014 12:55 am

That must have been hard, to have the home countries of their parents at war, and then being caught in the crossfire.

"Take your time," Lin assured Kyrie, knowing whatever she had to say would be hard.

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 13, 2014 1:00 am

Kyrie glanced at Lin, then smiled. "Well, I'm just trying to make sure I can tell it from his perspective rather than mine. I've come to terms with what happened there, at least more or less."

She sighed. "All right. We were separated, taken to completely different places ... I ... don't know what exactly happened to Khetal, but they must have seen some potential in him. They told him I had died, a victim of a disease that affected only those of mixed blood, and he began to work for them, researching ... supposedly researching a treatment for this disease."

Her expression turned grim. "It was a long time before he found out that this supposed disease didn't even exist."

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 13, 2014 1:03 am

Lin looked thoughtful, if the man spent his life researching a disease and became as a result quite the healer, it could mean many things.

"If it didn't exist... what did they get him to research on under the guise of the disease?"

If there was anything Lin had learned from her father's side of the family was that doctors and healers were just as dangerous as any other person, because they knew how the body worked.

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 13, 2014 1:06 am

"Well, it was actually a poison the humans were testing out on their prisoners, predominantly elves and half-bloods," Kyrie replied in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. "So when he was working to create a treatment for it, he was actually working on finding an antidote for this poison. I don't know if he ever succeeded or not, by the time I escaped there I didn't know up from down anymore and after I found him back again we never really discussed it."

Earendil blinked. "You were part of it?"

Kyrie shrugged. "Test subject one-hundred-thirty-five. One of the few to escape alive."

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 13, 2014 1:34 am

Lin nodded slowly, that just sounded horrible. To do that to another living being, and yet after all the awful things she had heard or seen people do, should it really surprise her at all.

"So... what happened after you found him?"

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 13, 2014 1:42 am

"Oh, dear, now you're making me think," Kyrie laughed. She grew silent as she thought about it. "By the time I got back there, I think ... I think I was in my twenties ... maybe just twenty ... so he had been there for nearly ten years. I don't know how much of it he spent researching, since I don't know when he started, but after he was told I had died, he threw himself into his work, heart and soul. Of course, so much time had passed that when I went looking for him, I had no idea where he would be or how I would find him - or even for that matter what he would look like," she added. "It was chance, really, that he was still at the same place where I had been held. There were no more prisoners, I don't know if they had stopped their experiments or if the test subjects had just all died or what. I went there, looking for clues to his wherabouts, and there he was."

She smiled and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I know I didn't have to blow the entire place up, but ... at that point of my life, reason wasn't really part of my thought process. I just knew the place was horrible, and I wanted it gone. I found Khetal just in time, kidnapped him, and took him with me."

She chuckled softly. "It was a few days before he thanked me. I wasn't kind to him at first, not until I decided I could trust him."

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:31 pm

"That must have made for an interesting first few days...." Lin murmured.

She bet Khetal didn't really trust her neither since Kyrie had technically kidnapped him. That must have been quite something.

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:45 pm

Kyrie rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Well ... yeah. It didn't help, I'm sure, that I wouldn't let him see me. Finally I showed myself to him, told him who I was, we shared our stories - in brief, we were traveling after all. When he saw that I was alive it was ... well, pretty special." She smiled. "Anyways, we made our way back to Dolerum, and he's been staying there since."

"So he really isn't used to traveling at all," Wren mused. "Not that he had a bad experience with the traveling, he just hasn't done much of it. Right?"

Kyrie nodded. "But he said he would come, and with the tent Miyuki made, I'm sure it will be fine."

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:49 pm

Lin and Miyuki nodded at this in agreement.

Miyuki giggled, "It's much different traveling with this tent than with other tents."

Especially now that the bathing rooms, having your own room, a working kitchen and a living room! Nevermind the storage, dojo, woodworking shop, the forge and the many many gardens.

"Actually, I think it's gotten to the point where it's not like any homes either," Miyuki added as an afterthought.

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 13, 2014 9:54 pm

"I think we can safely say it's to the point where it's a village of its own," Wren chuckled.

"I should probably let you all know that when we reach Winum, the capital of Dolerum, you will probably all have to stay in the tent outside the city," Kyrie warned them. "Like I said, the Dark Elves there are quite intolerant of anyone who is different. There are some who don't mind - like the people who adopted me and Khetal - but they are few and far between. Some would take any reason at all to fight."

She hesitated a moment, then added softly, "And ... Mailon and Daenis would probably be better off staying inside the tent during the whole time we're in the country." She looked at them sadly. "I don't think White Elves would be safe at all there ... especially Mailon."

Daenis blinked and looked at Mailon, confused.

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 13, 2014 10:30 pm

The others thought understood, considering what Mailon's reputation might have been in his past life, it was best to have him stay in the tent.

"Fair enough," Lin admitted, "But will the rest of us be fine to explore the city as long as we camp outside of the city?"

It was best to get that out of the way now.

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 13, 2014 10:53 pm

"I can't honestly answer that," Kyrie replied apologetically. "I would imagine so, as long as you're not alone. And I don't mean just with someone else from the group, I mean with someone from the city. Me, Khetal, my adoptive parents Lynliss and Leo, or Lara's sister, Gwen."

"You're making it sound like a frightening country," Shiro commented grimly.

Kyrie hesitated a moment. "It's ... not frightening, it's just ... intimidating sometimes. I lived there for a while, I've visited there many times, but ... even I'm not accepted. And Leo's magistrate of the city. He lost friends when he took me in, and the attitudes haven't changed since then."

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 13, 2014 11:00 pm

"That's sad...." Miyuki murmured.

Not just for Kyrie though, but because those people didn't get to see how great Kyrie was or the kind of stories she knew.

And... the kitsune part of Miyuki thought it made them a bit boring.

"Do you think they would mind if we told stories there? Or should we wait for a later place?"

Because if they could, Miyuki would tell stories, even if no one paid her for it.

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 13, 2014 11:07 pm

"I'm sure the family would enjoy stories," Kyrie smiled. "But it's probably better to wait to show it to others. Don't worry, we'll get all the supplies we need."

Earendil put one hand on Miyuki's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "I have the feeling she was talking more about changing their minds about anyone different from them being inferior, but I suppose you can't help those who don't want it."

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 13, 2014 11:12 pm

"That's a bit too ambitious," Miyuki admitted to her father, "I was thinking more along the lines of... curiousity of what is out there in the world, because that's always a good place to start. That or just a good story is a good place to start."

Miyuki doubted she could change the hearts and minds of people in one go, but stories was something familiar. It was something everyone was familiar with, and having grown up with works of fiction, not just works of fact, Miyuki knew about the wonder that was stories.

"You have to start small, and you can't let them think you're trying to change their mind."

by **Nara-pyon** Mon Oct 13, 2014 11:14 pm

Kyrie thought about that for a moment.

"Well, what kind of stories did you have in mind for a situation like that?" she asked after thinking a bit. "Depending on what the stories are, there may be a ... slight audience."

She couldn't promise anything, of course, and there was always the possibility that any shows would be boycotted just because they were with her, but ... if there was a chance ... who knew?

by **Kara Winters** Mon Oct 13, 2014 11:25 pm

Miyuki thought about it, really thought about it before replying.

"I was thinking... and... I will need help writing this because this isn't my specialty, but a prose poem. Something that is fiction, but contains truth about the places we've seen. Like..."

She looked up at the sky.

"Like adventuring sailors or, maybe more non-elven, a bird, and they talk about what they have seen during their trips. This way you're not talking about any specific race, and the focus is more on the places. By focusing on the places first and not the people, that can pull the audience in. Also..."

Miyuki looked back at Kyrie, she had heard about this practice in theory when her mother told her about the origins of Gaian fables, but she wasn't sure if it would work.

"By making the main character being the one to have seen all this instead of me, or you, it makes the story more distance. It makes people think less about the fact it could be real, and could make it more acceptable. Gaians use to do something like this to make their opinions known without offending anyone, by just saying it's just a story, and making up characters to talk about their opinions was a common trick writers would use."

by **Nara-pyon** Tue Oct 14, 2014 10:58 am

Kyrie considered the idea. It had merit, she admitted freely to herself. It was actually quite a good idea, and the more she thought about it, the more she liked it. But knowing the Dark Elves as she did, she felt she could give some advice that might make it even more palatable to the prejudiced people.

"I wonder," she murmured, trying to offer advice without making it sound as if she were telling Miyuki outright what to do, "if it might be best to stick with the idea of sailors or travelers, rather than a bird, simply because talking animals - at least, if they are not meant to talk - is something they might find so incredulous they might simply walk out. But if you're going to stick with sailors or travelers, perhaps the best way to get their sympathy - I mean, have them be willing to listen - would be to make sure the travelers are all Dark Elven, too. That way they can more easily identify with the people, too."

by **Kara Winters** Wed Oct 15, 2014 12:05 am

"Hmm.... Dark Elves.. what qualities of person do they value greatly?" Miyuki asked.

She also wondered who could help her with such a task. Miyuki never considered herself a writer, maybe her mother? While her mother wasn't a writer, she had more exposure to fictional works than Miyuki had been. Maybe suggestions from Kaito, Kaito might be good at this sort of thing.

by **Nara-pyon** Wed Oct 15, 2014 11:44 pm

"Well, like most, physical strength and beauty are valued," Kyrie began thoughtfully, "though they're pretty good for not judging by physical things. Honesty, helping others, strength of mind, I think those are things they really value. Good character, I suppose - good morals."

"Though even what's considered good morals varies from race to race," Mailon pointed out. "Think of the White Elves. The fact that I do not wish to kill all those who are not like me is, to the White Elves, morally unacceptable."

"All right," Kyrie conceded the point. "Then ... again, honesty. Helping others. Honesty in transactions. Fidelity in marriage, purity outside of marriage. Treating others with respect - or at least," she amended, "the respect that their races deserves."

by **Kara Winters** Wed Oct 15, 2014 11:57 pm

"That's why I asked what they value," Miyuki replied, "I'll need help making up the characters, though... I could just make up dark elven characters and overlay with people we already known, or whoever fits the story. Really, those morals aren't any different from ours."

In reality, so she could easy talk about their group but make the characters out to be dark elves.

"Making the travelers dark elves that represent the good of their race will help a lot. Characters you like to root for makes them likable," Miyuki explained, "That's what I always found from the children books I use to read as a kid."

by **Nara-pyon** Thu Oct 16, 2014 12:03 am

Kyrie smiled and shrugged. "I'm afraid I wouldn't know," she admitted. "I don't think I've ever seen a book for children, and I haven't read anything in ... well, to be honest, for as long as I can remember. I hear a lot of stories, and I tell them, but they're always real stories, never made up ones."

Fiction was almost entirely new to her, so she really didn't know how to help Miyuki in that regard.

by **Kara Winters** Thu Oct 16, 2014 12:57 am

"That's okay, Kaito can help me, and I'm sure Shiro has read a lot of stories, and so has mom..." she paused, "And now that I think of it, Eron, Sliverbirch, are either of you familiar with fiction?"

She was sure Eron was, since he was from Gaia (Barton specifically),but she didn't know if Sliverbirch's people dabbled in fiction at all.

"I've done a fair bit of book reading in my spare time, but as far as knowing the ins and outs of literature not so much," Eron admitted, "The subject isn't my strong point even if I read a good amount of it."

At least, from an academic stand point it wasn't his best subject.

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