The Perils of Being Green

[Baya]

49th Trial of Ymiden in the arc 717

It started with the whispers.

Baya had paid them some heed because they reminded her of home, of the constant back and forth that seemed much more natural than the noisy streets. But she couldn’t focus on them for long, too eager to surround herself with the high views. High views where she could see birds, the cliffs, and just maybe see over the tops of peoples heads. Still, in the back of her mind the word echoed over and over as she lost herself in the views.

Green!

Next had come the ‘accidental’ swats. Peering on shop sills a stray hand would knock her off a ledge. Big ones paid her no mind most of the time but after the third fall in a row she skittered herself away from any approaching shadow. But even when she managed to fall all on her the hissed word still echoed.

It was the flowers were the final straw.

Her head was bent deep into the pot of sweet smelling, delicious looking flowers, Baya didn’t notice the shadow along her back until the dirt had drown her. Buried her right along with the flowers until she had come up spitting out dirt.

“What do that?!” Her voice shrilled along the street and the two small big ones pointed back, their expressions of outrage equal to her own. They tried to defend themselves and Baya was ready to forgive them, they were just small big ones after all.

“Mama…no green!”

“No nice.” Baya replied with a pout and brushed dirt off her head, she’d heard no apology but it was fine. She hopped out of the pot and stepped toward the small big ones, her finger wagged, the Tunawa would teach them not to be so naughty and—

Dirt smacked her in the face again. Baya brushed it from her eyes, a small niggle of annoyance before she noted the two small big ones had moved away from her. And still they pointed and jeered, going on and on about green this and that. Why were the big ones so seemingly afraid of green? Didn’t they have trees? To double check the thought Baya glanced along the streets and indeed, green peeked over the smaller buildings and housing, browning green, but green all the same.

“What no green?”

“….green…is bad…crops…” On and on they went and another handful flew towards her, it landed on her head so only tufts of green poked out around the dirt clumps. But Baya was not paying attention to that, all she registered was the word green and the strong sense of offense.

“Green no bad! You bad!”

“No, green is bad!”

“Green good.”

“…bad!”

Back and forth the little trio went until Baya had enough of the growing shouting. Frustrated she attempted to and shook her head toward them, “Green good. Plants goo—“

She was cut off as the small big ones began shouting louder and backing away quicker. She blinked. Normally Baya was forgiving but these small big ones did need a lesson about not throwing dirt at people. Baya could show them why not.

A mischievous grin crossed her features as she hopped out of the pot and scurried forward when they scurried back.

[Thalassa Sinite]

Thalassa was having a pleasant normal sort of day more or less. The kind which leaves you unsuspecting of what is about to happen to you. She had been enjoying the weather thinking of nothing more of how the breeze was pleasant and even though there were things she should be doing she could not think of a single reason they had to be done now, and why she ought to bother with anything at all besides do what she was now.

To that end she had seated herself on the ground, adjusted her skirts and leaned back to let her mind wonder. She had even relaxed to the point were she was reliving a childhood game and finding interesting shapes in the clouds that were slowly drifting over head. She was relaxed to the point were she felt her eyes opening and closing as she edged towards sleep and a quick nap.

Just as she was about to give in and close her eyes for a little while she heard what very nearly sounded like people speaking to each other. She sat up slowly blinking as her eyes readjusted to the light and tried to find the source of the noise her head slowly turning from left to right.

[Kali'rial]

Kali'rial closed her eyes, she breathed deeply and envisioned the rich forests of Desnind around her. In her minds eye, she was sitting on a large toppled tree by the side of a gently flowing river. It trickled softly, accompanied by sweet birdsong and whispers of wind through the leaves of the trees. As she breathed out, the Sev'ryn focused on releasing any thoughts that tempted to draw her away from the meditative state, envisioning them plucked from her mind like a glowing light and placed on the river to float gently away for another time. There were many of them too, things with the Expedition in the earlier trials of the season, things with the sun kissed Biqaj that stirred her to break free of her grandparents overprotective teachings...

Noisy children and chittering birds. No wait, that wasn't a bird.

The brunette frowned slightly, opening her periwinkle eyes and breaking the meditative state she had been striving for. She was seated simply enough on a low wall that cordoned off someone's little garden along what she had thought was a quiet street. Scalvoris Town however, was rarely quiet regardless of where you ended up. Looking over, she glanced up the street to find the source of the noises. There were children all right, hands dirty and full of sod clumps. They were yelling at something with angry shrieks, something that jumped out of a flower pot with what appeared to be dirt all over it.

Baya, the huntress thought. She recognised the little Tuwana from Sweetvine Woods. That explained the bird like sounds. What in Moseke's name was going on? Standing, the Sev'ryn moved along towards the little scene, beginning to piece together the scenario before her but unable to understand why.

"Oi!" She yelled sharply, hoping to break the tension and grab the children's attention.

"What sort of manners are those? Throwing dirt on someone less than half your size. Shame on you!" Frowning, she looked around, noticing a blonde woman sitting on the ground further away. Surely she might be able to explain what the heck was going on. Why had no one told these rotten eggs off?

"Baya, are you hurt?" Kali asked as she reached them, looking down at the tough little creature with a raised eyebrow. She was full of pep this tree talker, but she was also just the right size to be squished underfoot. The Sev'ryn found herself naturally protective of the Tunwana race, they were after all the complicated relatives of her own race.

[Baya]

As much as she disliked being the center of any heavy scrutiny Baya had forgotten they were in public for a few short trills. The arrival of help startling her so badly she shrieked a small curse in Tree Talk that served to spook the boys even more, especially so when she smiled gratefully up at the familiar face of the big hunter. Served them right that now she had a friend of sorts, ganging up on people just wasn’t nice. Plus, Baya couldn’t really expect to do much except scare them a bit. At least now she’d have someone in case other big ones started throwing things too.

“Am teaching. Little big ones is bad like big, big ones. Throw things! Am getting hit, am getting…getting…am getting! No hurt, just am no liking.” Baya finished huffily, “Big ones no want green. Say bad, am saying is good, no listen. Am getting them mad. No knowing what big ones no like.”

Seeing them talking the two small big ones took the chance to brazenly throw the last handful of dirt before they made an attempt to run away. Over their shoulder they called a few choice names at the Tunawa, to which she stuck out her tongue, right before they nearly toppled over a young woman walking down the street, she stumbled to her knees with a little cry. From where she stood Baya thought maybe she'd skinned her knees or something to that affect.

“Now is hitting other big ones. No knowing what doing. Am throwing dirt back, you is helping? Carry pleases!” While she both asked and demanded some assistance from her fellow wood dweller, she pulled a tiny handful of dirt from her hair and launched it at the boys. It seemed to do nothing more than scatter in the air but it gave her a small sense of satisfaction before she eyed the blonde.

“Is hurting?” She asked of the fallen big one and both small big ones cried out in unison.

“We didn’t do it!”

“No doing that, but doing bad! Big ones no seeing where go!” Baya retorted chiding and looked worriedly at the potentially hurt big one. But she failed to note the few onlookers beginning to pause, though whether it was to scold the boys or scold the forest natives, who knew?

[Kali'rial]

Kali listened to the small tree talker intently, nodding with sympathy and frowning at the youngsters. No child in Desnind would dare act so poorly towards another, especially a Tunawa and even more especially an elder. Raising an eyebrow at one of the comments, she looked down at Baya.

“No green? That’s ridiculous, it’s just a color! One that you can no more help than I can help being Sev’ryn.” Sucking on her teeth, she snapped an angry eye back at the children when one of them dared to throw another handful of dirt at the Tunawa, before hightailing it right into a woman doing nothing but walk in the street. There was a sound of pain that was drawn from the stranger, and it made the huntress' stomach turn.

Okay, that was enough. If she was angry before, now she was furious.

“You bet I’ll help you.” She said with a deeply disapproving tone, reaching down to pick up Baya and place her on a shoulder, before stalking up the street towards the fallen blonde. As people began to pay attention to the scene, Kali could only hope someone would step in. Maybe parents of some kind.

“I agree with my friend here. What you’re doing is wrong and you could have hurt Baya, in fact you did hurt someone with your reckless disrespect for your Elders. Shame on you. What sort of person throws dirt at a Tunawa, and more so over the color of her skin?" Straightening to her not very intimidating height, the Sev'ryn looked at Baya, then back again.

"I am Kali’rial of Desnind, Hunter of Beasts, one of Moseke's Sev'ryn born children, and friend to this tree-talker. You have a problem with her, you have a problem with me.” The brunette let her voice carry enough that anyone bothering to listen would hear her voice. Looking down at the fallen woman, she shook her head.

“Are you okay?” She asked more softly, offering a hand to help her up.