trans_9 | Post Mission Party At The Bar

He bobbed his head once in knowing. "Ronnae has told me of it. It is a greater deal different than what I know of a 'ball', though." Especially the music they had. He didn't know quite what to think about that, just yet.

"But of course I will go with you, though I must admit that I do not know what to expect. Perhaps I should speak with you and Ronnae about what is 'common' in such situations and events."

Kaya laughed. "I've been interested in it ever since my friend Nura started to tell me about it. It's not a ball though: Matt's shown me what a ball is like, and I've actually been to a few of them myself. It's more of a relaxed gathering to dance and have fun!"

She leave off the part about expectation of fornication later: Nokosi didn't need to know that.

"It doesn't seem too terribly hard, from what I've learned. You bring your date some sort of wreath of flowers to wear on her hand, you arrive, you mingle, then you dance! I can definitely show you the finer points of dancing if you're lacking: its become something of a specialty for me."

He dropped his head slightly, eyes shooting back to the book she had been pouring over earlier. "I think I will need to be educated on certain points of dancing that is appropriate for such and event, though. I have been shown by Ronnae the basics of what is known as 'ballroom dancing', but I do not think that knowledge will do me any good here."

Nokosi rose his gaze back to her face gave a sharp nod. "Flowers...then mingling and dancing," he repeated, as if going over a list in his mind. "Yes, I think I can do that. What is your favorite color, so that I may know which ones I should collect?"

"Oh, I can totally do that with you, trust me," Kaya said. "From what I've seen from earth customs, its something that you do spontaneously, in certain ways. It isn't important to try and keep decorum since it will have a theme, so o ball room dancing. I suppose it will depend on the music, but I've actually heard several different types of music, so we shouldn't be lacking here!"

She grinned. "Yup! Sounds fun, doesn't it? And really Nokosi, I thought you would have figured it out by now! My favorite color is blue!"

"I see. Well, I suppose that will not worry me at all, then," he said, eyes wandering the length of the bar. "What is the theme of this 'prom'?"

After he'd surveyed every small nook and any off-centered objects that he cared to view, his eyes finally settled back on her. A smile rose to his at her words and he placed his long arms on the sturdy table and folded one over the other.

"Now that you say that, it does make the most sense. I would have guessed it was white, though."

"I believe the theme is going to be underwater, so you have the option of swimming if you want. I'm also going to be helping Starfire with it, so I'll give you all the information as it comes, ok? Thanks for coming with me!"

She quirked an eyebrow. His smile was definitely worth looking at, but she was definitely curious about his answer. "White? Why that color?"

"You do not need to thank me for accompanying you to some place. It sounds as if it would be fun."

He shrugged one shoulder but still went on to explain. "You spoke of your home in the north, and though you are a water bender, I imagine that most of the scenery were wide expanses of ivory, towering, jagged icebergs and crystal-like glaciers. Not only is it a memory of a home that conjures up warm feelings, despite the very cold weather, you also mentioned that you are very fond of snow."

Nokosi rested his head against his folded arms, his hair coiling on the table beside him. "Besides that, you also have an affinity for the moon and not just because it increases your abilities. For these reasons, I would have guessed white."

"I wasn't sure if it was someplace you wanted to go," Kaya said, looking a little sheepish. "I think its fun, I just hope you feel the same when you're there."

She listened, thinking. "Well yes when you put it that way, I guess that it makes sense. Still, even though I'm surrounded by white, it was really blue that would catch my eye. It always seemed to catch my eye a bit more than the white, since it was always the most dominant color. Besides, I think of white as being an airbender color because of the clouds. But yes, the Northern Water Tribe does have its share of white everywhere."

The moon white? She always thought of it more gray, really.

"I enjoyed it so much in Azeroth, because it was the color I saw the least, save for the stars and the White Lady." The corners of his lips rose into the smallest smile. "Though we had both a white and blue moon."

He tilted his head to the side against his arm, his view of her skewed. "I was always surrounded by blues, greens, purples, browns, pinks, and a variety of other colors that made up the trees, foliage and wildlife of Ashenvale. Though I am sure that it is incredibly easy to guess what my favorite color is."

"You had TWO moons?" Kaya's eyes were practically popping out of her eyes. She couldn't imagine what would happen to a waterbender on a planet that had two moons: frankly, she was a little scared to. It was one thing to have one, it kept you in check, but if there had been a power hungry waterbender around two moons?

"You're lucky then. Not that I haven't been around very pretty colors myself when I left for the Earth Kingdom, I was overwhelmed by how colorful things like fabrics and animals could be. But if I had to guess...um...I'd say maybe purple?"

Even Kaya could be dim about some things.

"Yes; I might have mentioned it before, but one was known as the 'White Lady', who we worship as Elune, and the other, smaller one was the Blue Child. Given the eternal twilight of Teldrassil, Darkshore and Ashenvale, they are in view most of the time. They are very pretty--the Blue Child in particular."

Nokosi rolled his chin against his arm, positioning his head on the opposite side, though his view of her was still skewed. "I would say so. Nature has a way of making things very visually interesting. The dark, cool colors of Northern Kalimdor are the complete opposite to the bright, warm colors of the High Elves' homeland, though. I envy that, just a bit."

He paused and straightened up, raising his arms and cradling his head between both weathered hands before continuing. "You are right. I am very simple in those regards."

His hair was purple, many of the trees and leaves in Night Elven lands were purple, most of the flowers there; and hell, even the homes there were predominately purple in color. It really was no wonder why he'd favor the color.

"You definitely mentioned the White Lady, but I don't think I recall you ever mentioning the second moon. I'd love to see that sometime though. Maybe for another time, when we have the Sensorium to ourselves?"

And now that he was talking about the contrasts in color, she wondered if maybe she should be thinking about this for the upcoming prom. There was no way she could capture the beauty of his homeland or the High Elves, but it at least gave her something to think about, ideas she could shoot Starfire's way.

She giggled. "I was just hoping I wasn't wrong! Actually, your guess of white wasn't too bad anyway: its the color I change into when I use my artifact, after all."

"Agreed. I think you would be rather pleased by the sight of it."

Simply thinking about those lands brought a giant, nostalgia-induced smile on this face that tugged from ear to ear. Even if those places were nothing but a memory, now, they were his memories and they were grand.

"I do not think you could have gone wrong with many colors, really; they are all rather lovely. But this artifact you speak of. What is it?" From what he knew of artifacts, they were generally millennium-old items that held powers untold. The kind that usually made the wielder want to destroy everything and anything, for whatever reason.

She had not admitted it to him. and indeed never wanted to say it lest she sound improper, but she loved seeing the slow smile on Nokosi's face. He generally had a pleased expression most of the time anyway, but there was something about catching him thinking of things he cared about that really brought out a smile worth cherishing.

"Oh, I didn't know I hadn't shown you!" The mead was starting to make her swim, so she pushed a mug toward him, and then brought out her Pactio card. "I made this with Negi when I promised to protect him. Apparently kissing a magician with all preparations set allows you to make a Pactio with them, and this card is produced. With this I can call upon my artifact, a chalice, to help me heal an injured person. What would normally take me a few minutes the artifact can do in seconds, and can heal even magical injuries!"

"I see. That is an interesting method in which to recruit others to champion one's cause. There are many of you that are his protectors, then?" One mage surrounded by innumerable protectors while he constantly blew things up with his arcane might. He'd be lying if he said he wouldn't want to see that.

"Is the chalice filled with some sort of blessed water or does it simply amplify your talents?"

He leaned forward to get a better look at the card and pushed his face right up beside it. A healing chalice made him think of all the towering statues of Elune holding basins overflowing with water. Thinking back on it, he really wish he'd spent more time in Darnassuss.

"He doesn't do it to recruit people, actually," Kaya said. "I swear, sometimes you have to bully him into it, he's so worried that people will get hurt because of him. He's plenty strong, but he's still ten years old, so I worry. I pretty much consider him my little brother."

Ah, the chalice. "Yes, its like magical water. My normal healing abilities is nothing to sneeze at, of course, but with the artifact I can do a much more extensive healing. It does take the channeling of my chi though. I actually feel the energy flow out of me every time I do it."

"It must be very nice to have a family in your home away from home." He flashed a cheery smile. "What is that, now. Two brothers, one sister? Or do you have an entire gaggle of siblings aboard the ship that I do not yet know of?" It was meant in jest but he wouldn't be surprised if she did.

But when she explained the chalice, his lengthy ears perked up in curiosity. 'Chi'. Why had he never heard that word, before? If it was something completely unknown to him, that meant that it was time for another round of twenty questions: inquisitive elf who won't shut the hell up, edition.

"What is 'chi'?" Nevermind that he thought 'chi' sounded like some sort of delicious stew. Thinking about that just made him hungry and long for some Darnassian kimchi or bat and spider stew. Yum!

"I assume it is some sort of energy source like mana is?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I've actually been making family members like this since was able to move about the ship. One of the first people I met, Carol Davers, took me in as another daughter. When I remembered she'd been podded, I was very sad. The longer you stay here, make friends, well, it can either be the most amazing or the most painful experience ever. But after awhile, you get used to it."

She thought a moment. "Chi is energy, like mana, really. There are a lot of common concepts, actually, but I'm not as familiar with magic, so I'm just starting to understand what it all means. You understand, though: I'm sure you've seen similar in your world when it comes to magic."

He was silent for a long stretch of time, wondering just how many people she had met, then summarily lost, just like that. As dire as their current situation was, it was normal for all of those upon the ship who currently had nothing, to latch onto the idea of kinship, lovers and comrades.

Some amount of time had passed since Matt and Alex had been podded; a length of time he was currently unsure of. Was she still upset about it or had she come to terms with it? Did she really like working so often, or was she like Nehaalista, who made sure she busied herself when she didn't want to deal with emotional distress?

Ah, he was doubtful on his ability to figure out how she was feeling with all the emotional complexities involved in a situation like that.

Nokosi hopped his chair over beside hers and slid a long, lithe arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a side-hug. "It is a very bittersweet feeling, yes? I prefer to focus on making it more 'sweet' than 'bitter', though."

With their current closeness, he almost laughed at the amount of liquor he could smell on her. Far more than he could drink, he was sure. "I see. Is it some form of energy that is produced by one's body, or is it taken from the world around them?"

Kaya, totally lost in her thoughts about nursing and all, had not expected Nokosi to bring his chair over to hers, and definitely had not expected him to hug her out of nowhere. It was at this point she was happy to have been drinking the mead: now her face was flush and she could simply blame it on the drink, not on Nokosi being so forward.

"I b-believe its a little bit of both," Kaya said. "I never stopped to think about it, but whenever I DO use my artifact, I don't really feel drained myself, not really. There's a little bit of a strain, sure, but mostly I just feel relaxed and energetic. Then again, I do feel a little different when I'm channeling my artifact anyway."

He pinched her reddened cheek but didn't question it further.

"And when you are bending? Do you expend the same type of energy, then? I have thought a lot about the sources that allow the manipulation of the elements when there is no magic involved or making pacts with the sentient creatures that represent those specific elements. It is a very difficult idea for me to wrap my head around, I admit."

She really should have asked him about that, but let it slide.

"When I'm bending, its different somehow. Bending is something you're born with, so doing it comes more natural: once you know your element in that way you tend to mimic it. For waterbenders, living in the Poles, we are surrounded by water and so we take the talent we have and improve on it: we learn the flow of water, a defensive art form, and make it an offensive one. As I said before, half of is is the martial art itself, the other is knowing and learning the techniques you need. You need the water, and then you need yourself."

"I see," he said, even though he was still rather confused on the matter. "So one must not only have the innate ability to do such a thing but they must also master a certain set of moves that go along with said ability?"

That did help explain things a bit more clearly. It also meant you had to be privileged by being born a certain way to make something that grand of yourself. It must have meant that the highest positions were most certainly held by benders or they had several at their disposal.

"Are there any other sorts of mystical abilities that exist in your home world, or does it begin and end with benders?"

"Well yes. Bending is one thing, but if you don't how to use it, like magic or fighting, you won't be able to do much with it. It's like flexing a muscle in a way."

Kaya thought a moment. "Bending is pretty much the extent of what humans can do, but as you recall, we learned those abilities either from animals or things in nature. There are different subsections of bending too, like swamp style bending or sand bending, but most other powers go to animals. The strongest human being in my world is the Avatar, who can bend all four elements. Obviously, there are spirits and ghosts too. Isn't that the way in most worlds?"

Nokosi leaned back in his chair but didn't relinquish his casual hold of her. His lips pushed up in thought as he mulled over the new information he'd been told of; information that cleared up a lot of things he was formerly unsure of.

"Avatar?" He'd heard that before...he thought. Wasn't that..."The one you were in love with before Matt? Or thought you were. Ah...a...eh...Aang? Yes, that sounds fairly right." Smooth.

"That the most powerful person in your world is barely an adolescent," or at least it appeared that way to him. "Must be a testament to his skills and capacity for learning and control. And yes, I assume that there are spirits and ghosts in most worlds. Especially with the way things have apparently been in Azeroth the last half a century or so, there are many, many wandering spirits. In my experience most of them are malevolent."

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