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*Iris's eyes widen*
Iris: That is... certainly unnatural... Yes that's odd to me. I prefer the way Danu Talis was. There was a council, and a king. Being governed by a machine... I would not like that.
*She seems almost freaked out by that*

*Taldeer smiles softly*
You're lucky I've spent so much time near humans so I've largely stuck with the spoken word
*She stands up*
Shall we go then?

*After pushing through the obstacle course I come to the section that tests reaction speed and weapon accuracy*
*I cock my lasgun and begin the section*

*Rita sighs and awkwardly covers her horn, and stomp.*
Rita: Doing okay at the moment... how are you two?
*She sits swimming, and smiles at Gharns laughter.*

Yes, let us go. I'm quite excited.
Oh, and thank you for mostly sticking to the spoken word. If you used more body language, I would never, ever be able to tell what you actually meant when you said something.

~

I see... most people have that reaction. I don't blame you. But it works. I don't enjoy arguing politics, and I'm sure you don't, either.

*Taldeer opens the door and starts down the path towards the market*
*several different Eldar turn around and study Verdai intently*


*after finishing the second portion of the course I head into the endurance portion of the course*
*I pick up an extremely heavy weight and hold it over my head*

*Dria pops up a few meters away from Rita and smiles, somewhat timidly as she doesn't know Rita that well*
Dria: We're doing okay, Morgan's about to be in some pain thoigh
*Morgan glares from the top of the diving board*
Dria: We were playing cards, and since neither of us have huge amounts of personal cash we bet in dares. Morgan lost, so now he's got to do a belly flop
*Morgan is not pleased but Dria is VERY pleased as she gives him a encouraging wave*
Dria: Come on! Don't be a baby!
*Morgan sighs, takes a running start and leaps. He lands with a massive SMACK that draws a wince from Dria and Gharn*
Gharn: Is he okay?
*Morgan's head breaks the surface, gasping for air as the wind was knocked out of him*
*Dria screams with laughter as he weakly climbs out of the pool and lies on the edge, his entire stomach and chest bright red from the impact*

*Gharn laughs as he used to do the same with with other people in his home*
Gharn: Are you alright Morgan?
*Morgan nods weakly and groans*
Morgan: That was the dumbest thing I've ever done...
*That sets Dria off again into another fit of giggles*


*Iris nods*
Iris: No, politics was never anything of interest to me. That was more my older brother's area. The only times I got involved were when the humani were discussed.

*Smiles and nods at the observers*
*To Taldeer*
Going to remain quiet, to not provoke any international incidents. Apparently, people don't much like me when I open my mouth.

~

Good. I'm glad. I prefer being less... serious. I like to be pleasant to everyone around me.

*Rita too sad to laugh, but smiles instead.*
*She then resumes her laps.*

*Taldeer keeps walking*
That would be best
*we arrive at a rather compact market*
*all around are various stalls selling various products, from perfume, to art, to poetry*
Anything grab your eye?

*I continue holding the weight over my head*
*sweat is dripping down my face*

*Iris smiles and puts a arm around Miritas's shoulder*
Iris: I like that too. Bot being pleasant, and you being pleasant


*Morgan chuckles weakly and sits up*
Morgan: Alright. We're even then yeah?
*Dria nods and smiles*
Dria: Very even
Morgan: Good, I'm going to get changed and go to the shop. See you all around!
*He gets up and goes*
*Dria slips below the surface again and hums jaws music as she sneaks up of Gharn who is just floating lazily after waving Morgan off*

Oooh...
*Looks at a stall selling beautifully colored wall-mounted quilts*

~

I'm glad that I'm coming off correctly. You're a very pleasant person as well.
*Thinks for a moment*
What was Danu Talis like?

*the quilts are in a wide variety of beautiful colors and patterns and are made of an incredibly soft looking fabric*
*the stall is run by a surprisingly old looking Eldar woman who glances at Verdai*
Woman: Which one are you interested in human?

Number six... the violet blends so well. Purple is one of my favorite colors... and it uses it wonderfully. What are your prices? And what currencies do you accept?

*the woman smiles*
W: Good choice human, as for currency we'll actually accept nearly anything. For every currency there's something we can trade it for that we want, so the question is Verdai, what are you willing to pay.
*Taldeer is standing silently at a respectful distance*

*I throw the weights down with a scream of effort and sit down tiredly on the floor*
*covered in sweat*

*Leo walks out of her room looking exhausted*

*She smells and looks freshly washed*

*She wipes drool from her mouth and walks into the kitchen*

Hmm... I have...
*Pulls out a white, rad-shielded wallet*
Some sort of credit card... oh, here we go.
*Pulls out a few heavy, iridescent hexagonal coins*
I'm not quite sure what these are, picked them up in a trade for a shuttlecraft. Very pretty. Do you know what these are? If yes, is it enough? I have some various other currencies if they must be supplemented.

*Iris sighs and closes her eyes, remembering*
Iris: You've heard of Atlantis? That is what more modern history remembers Danu Talis as.
*She pauses for a moment thinking*
Iris: It was a island, raised from the seabed by the great Elders. Thoth, Quetzalcoatl, Bastet, Cronus and more. They raised it, and built upon it the city of Danu Talis.
The Elders built palaces for themselves, great buildings of marble and gold, with grounds stretching for miles.
In the center, they built the great Pyramid of the Sun, a massive golden construction, reaching into the heavens.
The streets again, lined with great statues of Elders cast in gold, for silver was outlawed due to its effect on Elders.
I remember living in my father's palace, larger than many humani villages and towns.
*She smiles, then sighs slowly*
A great forest sprung up in the west, where the Elders Hekate, Huitzilopochtli and others made their home inside the Yggdrasil, or the World Tree. A plant so enormous that entire cities were built in it's branches
Eventually, the Elders even allowed Humani villagers to settle on the island, but they kept them under strict rule, constantly watched by Anpu and Asterion guards and soldiers. A great prison was created by Scathach's father, and any humani who broke so much as a single law could end up as a life long inmate...
*She looks saddened by this and her skin turns a darker blue*


*Scatty looks up at Leo from a pile of rejected fruit and vegetables*
Scatty: Hey Leo...

No... I know nothing of... what planet was this on? It sounds glorious, but... sad. All of the beauty, but the treatment of humans...

*the woman accepts the coins*
W: These will do human.
*she takes the quilt down and gently hands it to Verdai*

*after resting for a few minutes I check the time I got on the first few sections of the course I curse*
Not fast enough!
*I run all the way back and begin the course again*

*Leo looks down at Scatty and gasps*

Leo: Oh no Ssscatty... I'm sssorry...

*Hugs Scatty*

*Gort starts inspecting random items in the main room*
G: Humanses' stuff weird.

*Boran sits outside of the room and watches the forest*
B: It has changed so much.
*sighs and keeps staring*

*Iris nods*
Iris: This was on Earth, Terra... Yes, that is when I got political. There were more than a few Elders who argued in favor of the humani.
They weren't even second class citizens, they weren't even regarded as citizens... It was a both a Empire of Wonder, and a Empire of Evil.

*She sighs again, her skin turning still darker blue*
Iris: I could not stand to see them treated as slaves, and to some Elders as... food.
Many Elders even left Danu Talis to go aide the Humani elsewhere, to teach, to guide.

Scathach's family, despite her father Arde Grimne being a cruel warden of the prison the Humani were kept in, were mostly on the side of the Humani
Her Grandmother, the Witch of Endor helped to show them culture, and writing
Huitzilopochtli, the Witch's husband and Scathach's Grandfather protected them from many dangers, before being corrupted by the swords of power..
The Witch's brother Prometheus, he gave them fire, showed them how to use it to cook their meat, harden their spears and keep them warm
But even with that help... the humani were mistreated on Danu Talis right until the fall...


*Scatty squeaks in surprise but hugs back*
Scatty: Sorry? What about?

Leo: Y-your a vegetarian... And now you can only eat meat... O-or can you still eat fruit?

*Leo's tongue flicks over Scatty's shoulder*

*Verdai nods gladly, rolls the quilt up, and tucks it under his arm*
*Steps over to Taldeer*
It's so beautiful... I'll hang this in my bedroom.

~

*Miritas listens to Iris, her face growing sadder*
Prometheus bringing fire to man... it reminds me of the old myth of Prymethi and the gift of Knowledge. All obsolete years ago, of course...

*Taldeer nods*
It'll go well with the curtains
*face is deliberately blank*

*I finish the course again and collapse breathlessly outside the firing range*

*Iris nods*
Iris: I was told He was here a few months ago... I always regarded him so highly, but I never got to really meet him... He was killed a few days after he arrived here apparently...


*Scatty sighs and tightens the hug*
Scatty: It all tastes like ash... All of it... the fruit, the veggies... I can't eat meat, I won't. It's not... good for me


*Dria strikes, grabbing Gharn's leg before quickly darting away*
*Gharn yells in shock, splashes wildly and inhales water before coming up, choking and sputtering, looking for what grabbed his leg*
*Dria is in one corner, dying of laughter, it's unclear if her cheeks are just wet, or if there are tears of laughter running down them*

Of course it will, they're purple too. This may be a situation where my interior decorating makes sense.
*Looks slightly fearful at Taldeer's blank expression*

~

Dead... I'm sorry. Did you know him?

*Leo pats Scatty on the back*

Leo: Then what are you going to do?

*Leo sighs but it comes out as more of a hiss*

Leo: Why can't you eat meat?

*Remus walks up behind Gharn*

Remus: *Dragon borf*

*Iris shakes her head, and her eyes become moist*
Iris: No... I wish I could have truly met him... I always regarded him so highly
I can't imagine what Scatty and Aoife went through...


*Gharn jumps again and whirls, splashing more as Dria gives a delighted cry*
Dria: Remus!


*Scatty sighs*
Scatty: My change, I'm a vegetarian vampire, or was, because of what meat does to me.

I'm sorry...
*Gives Iris a hug, in an attempt to be reassuring*