{"submission_id":"831598","keywords":[{"keyword_id":"244347","keyword_name":"contemporary fantasy","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"3"},{"keyword_id":"19524","keyword_name":"dwarf","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"187"},{"keyword_id":"123","keyword_name":"female","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"519915"},{"keyword_id":"112296","keyword_name":"garuda","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"51"},{"keyword_id":"1440","keyword_name":"human","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"46907"},{"keyword_id":"191","keyword_name":"magic","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"11599"},{"keyword_id":"165","keyword_name":"male","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"639914"},{"keyword_id":"3313","keyword_name":"monkey","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"4908"},{"keyword_id":"1537","keyword_name":"mythology","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"495"},{"keyword_id":"1171","keyword_name":"naga","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"2428"},{"keyword_id":"10129","keyword_name":"supernatural","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"375"},{"keyword_id":"597","keyword_name":"werewolf","contributed":"f","submissions_count":"5589"}],"hidden":"f","scraps":"f","favorite":"f","favorites_count":"0","create_datetime":"2015-04-13 12:11:31.962648+02","create_datetime_usertime":"13 Apr 2015 12:11 CEST","last_file_update_datetime":"2015-04-13 12:08:40.500822+02","last_file_update_datetime_usertime":"13 Apr 2015 12:08 CEST","username":"Simoni","user_id":"279733","user_icon_file_name":"75728_Simoni_simoni_barjar.gif","user_icon_url_large":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/large/75/75728_Simoni_simoni_barjar.gif","user_icon_url_medium":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/medium/75/75728_Simoni_simoni_barjar.gif","user_icon_url_small":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/75/75728_Simoni_simoni_barjar.gif","file_name":"1129264_Simoni_side_story_9_life_in_india.doc","file_url_full":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/full/1129/1129264_Simoni_side_story_9_life_in_india.doc","file_url_screen":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/1129/1129264_Simoni_side_story_9_life_in_india.doc","file_url_preview":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/1129/1129264_Simoni_side_story_9_life_in_india.doc","files":[{"file_id":"1129264","file_name":"1129264_Simoni_side_story_9_life_in_india.doc","file_url_full":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/full/1129/1129264_Simoni_side_story_9_life_in_india.doc","file_url_screen":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/screen/1129/1129264_Simoni_side_story_9_life_in_india.doc","file_url_preview":"https://nl.ib.metapix.net/files/preview/1129/1129264_Simoni_side_story_9_life_in_india.doc","mimetype":"application/msword","submission_id":"831598","user_id":"279733","submission_file_order":"0","full_size_x":null,"full_size_y":null,"screen_size_x":null,"screen_size_y":null,"preview_size_x":null,"preview_size_y":null,"initial_file_md5":"14ca08f5efb4816b4cf3776664f400a0","full_file_md5":"14ca08f5efb4816b4cf3776664f400a0","large_file_md5":"","small_file_md5":"","thumbnail_md5":"","deleted":"f","create_datetime":"2015-04-13 12:08:40.500822+02","create_datetime_usertime":"13 Apr 2015 12:08 CEST"}],"pools":[],"description":"This was just for fun really. Something to unwind with after the tense situation from last time. Arja and Simoni just spending some time together in India and meeting some of Arja's local friends.\n\nThis one was my writing partner's idea. He wanted to do some more with Indian culture and just a slice of life story for the two of them and, I have to admit, I really enjoyed it. No combat, no enemies, just a cute little story with some humor and Lupe being Lupe.","description_bbcode_parsed":"This was just for fun really. Something to unwind with after the tense situation from last time. Arja and Simoni just spending some time together in India and meeting some of Arja's local friends.
This one was my writing partner's idea. He wanted to do some more with Indian culture and just a slice of life story for the two of them and, I have to admit, I really enjoyed it. No combat, no enemies, just a cute little story with some humor and Lupe being Lupe.","writing":"[b]The following takes place immediately after Part 21: Inishmor.[/b]\n\n\nArja smiles as she walks along the sidewalk happily. It's been so long since she simply enjoyed her homeland like this. The Fullmoon women needed supplies and such if they'd be staying in the temple, and frankly she needed some alone time with Simoni after all that, so she was quick to volunteer the two to go on a shopping trip into town proper. The mansion was a bit away from the main city, about a mile away, with a smaller almost 'suburb' type satellite around it where a small market and a few other things provided the necessities without requiring the family to go into town fully. Today, though, she was happy to be there, dressed in her red and gold silk sari, sandals clackling lightly on the stone under her as she walks with her sister. \"You've never been in 'India' proper have you?\" she teases, the young girl gilding through the dense crowd of people around her like Simoni glides through the air...\n\nSimoni nods, looking around almost nervously at the large crowd. The last time they'd gone on a trip out and about in India was, well, a long time ago honestly. It was when Nelen had first showed up and saved them from Franklin's assassins months ago. \"Yeah...\" she nods, \"I half expect to see an attacker jump out of an alley or a Rakshasa crash through the jungle or something...\" she giggles awkwardly. After everything that's happened its hard to get used to the idea that they could actually finally have some breathing room.\n\nSimoni was wearing a green and gold Sari herself, along with (at her insistence) a red leather collar with gold decorations. She knew it was silly, but dammit she wanted to show off that side of her relationship, at least in a small way. Besides, that sort of thing may have to be on the down low for a while now that her mother is back in the picture... Nelen was doing his best to run interference with her, but sooner or later she'd find something out.\n\nAs of now Clan Fullmoon was in disarray. Franklin still had plenty of loyalists, but a good portion of the men had defected as soon as Jeanne managed to get word to them that no, they weren't all at the bottom of the ocean being slowly digested by fish. They were alive, well, and very much ready to sort out a certain patriarch. Being sealed away in Franklin's prison for so long hadn't reduced the potency of their magic and they'd announced their return with a vision appearing in every single room of Castle Fullmoon. Word was Franklin had his hands full just keeping what was left of his forces in line after that.\n\nArja smirks softly as she walks, enjoying the thought of Franklin in chaos for a change...\"Well I can't say there aren't muggers at the like\" she says, hand slapping away a young hand reaching for her money pouch from the crowd without even looking down. Years of growing up in one of the densest populations in the world meant she was quite good at feeling when someone was trying to lift her goods from the crowd... \"Still, rather them than what we've seen…\" she giggles lightly, \"So we need to get them some clothes and such, but what about...homey...things? What would they enjoy to feel more at home here?\"\n\nSimoni thinks on that, \"Honestly... I dunno. Mom never really let me find out much about how they lived.\" she replies, \"Still, they shouldn't have too much trouble taking care of that. If there's one thing a witch is, its resourceful.\" she nods, sticking close to Arja and causing another would be mugger to suddenly get tripped up and topple right onto his nose due to a sudden gust of wind hitting his ankles. After almost getting killed during an encounter with an evil deity someone trying to half-inch her purse was so easy she didn't even need to try. Her arm had almost healed from that too, the lines her veins made under her skin when the lightning struck her there having almost faded away to nothing.\n\nArja nods, \"Well let's just get them some nice things then, want them to feel very welcome... despite what some feel like...\" it was a rough argument. She managed to at least convince (with her grandfather's help) the more vocally opposed monkeys to give the crows a chance, an unspoken 'if they mess up once they're out' added when the leaders of the opposition grumbled agreement. Still, no one could say they were unjustified in their distrust, Franklin's men had near decimated the temple and left them weak for the Naga to pick off, the monkeys were just as good at grudges as the witches...\n\n\"Here we go!\" she beams, coming to a spot somehow even more crowded than the street. What could only be called 'a sea of people' dominating a massive outdoor market. Still, despite the tight packed people, there was a strange order to things. India was a land of orders, even chaotic crowds doing their shopping had an order to them, the group flowed through them like a raft on a stream, unmolested or hampered... though maybe that was due to another kind of order. It was never outright acknowledged at home, but India still very much had a caste system regardless of the English influences, and Arja was of a high caste even without her supernatural elements known. The child of a diplomat, carrying herself with authority, people tended to drift out of her way as she browsed the stalls as if pushed aside be generations of tradition...\n\nSimoni nods, worried about how the rebels from Clan Fullmoon were going to fit in herself. She knew that the members of Arja's family who were against their staying, led by none other than the one that had argued with Nelen the day before they had left, were watching them like hawks, waiting for the Irish witches or their warrior husbands and sons to step out of line, even a bit... just so they'd have an excuse.\n\nShe relaxes a bit as Arja guides her through the crowd, really just needing to keep up with her to keep from getting swept away. She'd seen some busy places in America, back when she still lived a normal life, but a shopping day at the mall was nothing compared to an average day here. It was like every day was Black Friday, without the body count. \"Yeah. Not sure what to get them though... um... I guess maybe some tea leaves, um... maybe just basic stuff like soap and other necessities?\" she suggests, grasping at straws. Besides Stephy, Terrance, and Franklin she barely knew any of her extended family, and most of those she did know well she rather wished she didn't.\n\nArja nods, \"Ah! Tea!\" she smiles, focusing on that, \"You're in the right place!\" she says as she makes her way to a stall, an elderly woman manning a small wooden stall painted in bright pastel colors advertising assorted tea breeds she had for sale. She smiles happily when the girls approach, almost instantly reaching for a small pouch of sweet smelling dried leaves, about enough for one nice strong pot, handing it to Arja without even a word \"Hello girls\" she says with a smile \"Looking for something good to drink?\" Behind her was a wide array of tins of tea and empty bags next to a scale, as well as multiple pots heated over small fires for people to just buy direct cups of tea from her without any hassle.\n\nSimoni thinks, then remembers the deal about the caste system and moves over next to Arja, letting her do the talking. She's a harem girl, Arja is above her in station, so it's probably best to let her stay in charge. Of course, she has no problem doing just that for several reasons. Ironically, especially for someone who'd been living not only in India, but in the household of a Diplomat for around a year now, she really wasn't too clear on a lot about Hindi culture. She knew the details about the relationship between Hanuman's kin and the Garuda, about the Naga's feud with her people, the Rakshasa and their feud with just about everything, and so on... but when it came to mundane humanity and Indian culture the girl was up the Ganges without a paddle so to speak.\n\nArja holds a little smirk back as Simoni stays quiet, reaching the small bag she got out to her to hold. They may not be able to tie each other up and get the whips out in public, but funny enough this system allowed for Simoni to enjoy her submissive side just as much. The women chat in Hindi for a bit, the woman asks how Arja's father and mother are, she talks about the woman's children and grandchildren, the whole time the woman keeps handing over small bags and even at one point a small cup of minty smelling tea, the general rule seeming to be as long as she was being friendly the woman should be plying Arja with gifts to keep her around. \n\nOf course the other side of the relationship came up as well, Arja starting to place orders, casually shifting from conversation to business, buying tea by the tin rather than bag. No one would ever claim the caste system is fair, but in the right hands one can at least see the glimpses of the world its writers imagined. Arja is given respect and gifts, and in return she uses her superior assets to keep the respectful old woman employed. It wasn't an equal system, and it didn't take a genius to figure out how easy it could have been for Arja to simply walk away and leave the woman with no recourse beyond complaints, but at least it seemed she was raised to honor both ends of the arrangement.\n\nSoon enough Simoni is given a rather large bag of tea tins, herbal teas of all kind, including a couple that wouldn't be legal back in Ireland, opium and marijuana teas, blended with sweet herbs used in ceremonies (and of course, because a tea full of opium was a great way to unwind after a long day of work...)\n\nSimoni does giggle a bit, at least happy that she can still be submissive in some way as she takes the purchases and follows her 'owner' away from the stand once the business is concluded, she's blushing a bit, but then even a bit of public display is exciting for the girl when she's more used to things in private. \"Well, they ought to like these, though the opium and marijuana... um... dunno if they'd accept that. Ireland is still pretty hot on that sort of thing last I checked.\" she says once they're out of earshot of the shopkeeper, \"Maybe we should give that to your cousins, might get them to lay off Clan Fullmoon for a bit.\" she giggles.\n\nArja smirks \"That was the plan, smart girl.\" she winks, \"Good tip for if you ever need to calm us down, Hanuman was famous for his love of drink and such. Ever have a monkey pissed off at you just offer us something intoxicant and we'll probably take it, unless you REALLY fucked up.\" she winks, \"As mad as they are, my cousins aren't cruel, they can't fully blame those women for actions others took, they're just upset, and hurt still, Hopefully they'll calm in time when they see how wonderful your clan can be.\" \n\nShe hums a happy tune as she walks at that, enjoying being in the crowd it seems. As they walk Simoni would see another small group of youths, like Arja they were dressed quite nicely compared to most, some in western designer clothes and some in traditional saris and tunics. With them were a couple of grown women, like Simoni they were also carrying bags and such, obviously servants as well.\n\n\"Oooh! Lucky!\" Arja smiles, waving at the small group \"We can be all social with humans for a bit\" she giggles as she walks over\n\nShe notices the kids, then glances at Arja, \"You know them?\" she asks, following her over to the small group as the crowd parts for the young noblewoman (noblegirl?). As she does she realizes that this is the first time in a long time that she's been up close with, well, normal kids. The last time she'd encountered any was at Thanksgiving when the group met Trixie's family, and even then that was little more than a couple hellos and a quick round of Mario Kart before, well, vampires. She does find it somewhat odd to see a couple of the group in jeans and teeshirts rather than traditional clothing, if only because she's become so used to seeing it here.\n\nArja nods, \"We're not exactly Bee Eff Effs but they're friends, yea.\" she says happily as she walks to the group, exchanging greetings and hugs with them happily. There were five kids in the group, three girls and two boys, the women behind them smiling to Simoni happily, recognizing another 'servant' as the kids chat. \"Oh, this is Simoni\" she says, stepping aside to introduce the group \"This is Paravati, Isha, Dura, Kureem, and Pavi.\" she says, the kids nodding to Simoni politely when their names are said. \"This is Simoni.\" she says, letting her decide how she'd be introduced in the group...\n\nSimoni bows politely to them, \"Its nice to meet you all.\" she replies, straightening up so that her collar is visible. She doesn't really say specifically what she is, but then, she doesn't really have to. Collar and all, and if Arja is anything around other kids like she is around their little extended family, well... its pretty obvious what it means. Once the introductions are made she goes to stand next to the other servants, all of whom are waiting patiently for their owners, employers, or whatever they call themselves to finish their chat. She does feel a bit awkward in this case though, if only because out of all the servants she's the only one who isn't an adult.\n\nArja smiles, chatting with her friends a bit, explaining her recent absence as a diplomatic trip, bragging about meeting Aisha and showing a few pictures she snapped with her on the plane (giving a good cover story for both of them to have...) As she and the kids talk, one of the servants smiles to Simoni, a young woman dressed in a plain dark blue and black sari. \"Hello there.\" she says in a friendly tone, \"You're new.\"\n\nShe blushes and smiles back, \"Well, I've been Lady Arja's servant for a while now, but we travel so much that I haven't had the chance to go out into the town with her very often.\" she replies, hanging back with her fellow servants as Arja and her mundane friends chat it up. She finds herself idly wondering just how many of them know about Arja's supernatural heritage... and how many of them might only look human.\n\nArja smiles as she talks. Well they SEEMED pretty normal, gossiping, taking pictures, making jokes, but it was hard to tell. Arja's supernatural aura was so strong it created a lot of 'background noise'. Still SOMETHING felt off... \n\"Ah,\" the woman says, \"Well, it's nice to meet you. Lady Arja has been so busy lately that Lady Isha was a little worried about her.\" she giggles softly, nodding to her ward, a slightly shorter, plumper, girl than the others, Arja was pretty tall for her age regardless but next to Isha she dwarfed the poor dark skinned girl in her jeans and white jacket... Wait... why was she wearing a jacket in Indian spring? The other girls were dressed in either breezy loose saris or t-shirts.\n\nSimoni does notice that, but doesn't comment. For one it's not best to draw attention to something like this among mundanes, for another it could be rather rude. \"Yes, things have been rather eventful indeed. She has to travel so often because of Lord Rajesh's work as a diplomat.\" she replies. If her friend was worried about her it was probably best to stay as vague as possible as to exactly what they had been up to. ESPECIALLY what they had been up to.\n\nNews of the event at Inishmor had spread throughout the world like wildfire. After all its not every day that a whole island disappears. Mundanes were attributing it to everything from an undersea volcano to the precursor to an alien invasion (Bethandi would probably find that amusing) to an experimental weapon made by the UK's Defense Ministry going awry to 'The Terrorists'... while the supernatural world had a better idea as to what had happened, but only her group, Clan Fullmoon, Hanuman's kin, and the Garuda knew the details. After all the death throes of a goddess are hard to miss. To every other supernatural all they knew is Something Big Happened, but they didn’t know what.\n\nThe woman nods to Simoni, \"Yes, it must be fun seeing all those exotic places.\" she says happily as the kids laugh. \"Lots of bags today…\" she adds, looking at Simoni's tea collection, \"Planning a party?\" she smiles as another woman chuckles, \"Another wild diplomatic meeting?\" she teases faintly, \"Master Pavi went to the last one at her house and said things got very intense when some of her family started brawling in the main hall...\" \n\nPavi was a tall young boy, looking closer to Arja's age than Simoni's. He was rather skinny, but obviously muscled, with his short black hair slicked back, laughing loudly at something one of the other kids said...\n\nShe considers this, then nods, \"Yes actually, Lady Arja's family is meeting with some group from Europe. We need to make sure the maids have enough to go around.\" she replies, giggling at the mention of a fight. The boy that got pointed out was pretty attractive and strong, she bet Drusilla would find him interesting... pity that she wouldn't be able to meet him without a disguise. \"I don't know if we'll be seeing that kind of excitement at our meeting though, but it could certainly get out of hand...\" she nods. She hopes it doesn't, oh gods she hopes it doesn't. That would be the last thing any of them would need. Hell with their luck all the fighting could attract a gang of Rakshasa or something.\n\nThe other servants chuckle lightly before nodding \"Well if you do have a more open party, be sure to invite us again.\" she smiles, the other nodding, \"Lady Isha as well, she enjoyed the last one she was at.\" she says as Arja leans in, whispering something to Pavi and Isha as the other three kids are distracted with each other. After that she bows politely to the group, \"Well, I'll need to finish shopping, can't have mother coming home with chores undone.\" she giggles, the kids nodding and hugging her goodbye before telling her to come by more.\n\nSimoni says her farewells to the other servants, bows to Arja's friends, and follows her into the crowd. As they walk off she whispers to her, in English just in case, \"Um... that one girl, Isha... she's not human is she?\" she asks, \"I couldn't really recognize what she was, but...\" she murmurs, following Arja back through the crowd of mundane shoppers. It’s not unheard of for someone in India to be fluent in English, but it is rare enough and most aren’t fluent enough to work out words if they only overhear them in a crowd.\n\nArja shakes her head, \"Nope, Pavi isn’t either.\" she smirks, winking before suddenly ducking down a nearby alleyway, giggling happily, \"Come on, we can send a maid to get the clothes and junk.\" she teases, much more casual now that she was alone, \"Wanna see how I have fun in the city?\"\n\nShe giggles, \"Hmm, I miiiiiiight~\" she replies. She was kind of surprised by Pavi though. As far as she could tell he was just a sturdy young man, but then it was hard to sort out who was what among all the humans. Still, that was interesting enough, she knew Arja was probably more involved with the supernatural side of India than just being Hanuman's heir. After all that alone made her nobility to both humans and non-humans.\n\nArja smirks, hopping up and pulling herself over some boxes to get deeper into the alley. Further down the servants from before were already standing guard in front of a branching path, smiling happily as Arja and Simoni approach...\n\nSimoni blinks, noticing the two from before. This was a surprise... and she noticed that the haphazard way buildings were put together in the city had actually wound up making this a small cul-de-sac of it's own. Buildings all around and the only exit was the one Arja had climbed in over. If it wasn't Arja leading her here she might be worried (might be because while the alley was a dead end it also wasn't covered and she could fly), but this sort of situation would normally be setting off alarm bells for her.\n\nArja smiles to the servants, \"Already up?\" she says as the women nod, there was a small ladder to the roof of whatever building was behind them nearby, \"Come on, this'll be fun!\" she teases, climbing the ladder up to the rooftop. Not only was there a great view of the busy street and market, as well as a welcome bit of free air compared to the tight squeezes under them... but Pavi and Isha were there as well. \"So, Simoni, let's have a little test of mythology.\" she teases as she helps the girl up to the roof \"What god does my non-monkey side of the family worship?\" she winks playfully.\n\nSimoni follows the group up to the rooftop, then looks around as her eyes go back over the girl who's bundled up against the chill of a warm spring day in the jungle. \"Well thats easy, Agni.\" she replies, raising her eyebrow as she sits down nearby, finding a few convenient objects scattered around to make makeshift chairs and so on. While Arja got her shapeshifting powers and simian strength and agility from Hanuman, her mastery over fire came from the pact her family made with Agni, the Indian god of magic and flame.\n\nArja nods, \"And what are some of his servants?\" she giggles, \"Come on, use your nerd knowledge to make a guess. Fire, honor, keeping records of ancestors and tribute and all…\"\n\nShe thinks on that one, but lets out a nervous giggle as she comes up blank. \"Er... I don't think I caught that part of the lessons...\" she replies, which in her defense was true. They'd been going over that in the temple one day and right about when they'd gotten to it Lupe had come crashing through the chamber with a hunk of meat in her jaws, being pursued by at least three or four very angry apes. It kind of derailed her train of thought, and a lot of other things.\n\nIt also doesn't help that her nerd knowledge was really 'I know what Google does'.\n\nArja smirks playfully as she nods to Isha, the girl casually taking her coat off and flexing her hands faintly. After a moment her skin goes from 'dark' to 'straight up onyx black', her eyes turn bright red, and her hair goes a flaming orange that seems to be constantly bouncing around her head like it was actual fire… \"Dwarves.\" Arja giggles, the girl bowing her head to Simoni, \"Hey there.\" she says with a smile.\n\n\"Preeety similar to western views of them, master craftsman, very loyal and honorable folks, the fire god lit their forges in the ancient days and allowed them to make their weapons to protect themselves, since then they've been loyal followers.\" she says with a smile. Pavi just chuckles lightly, nodding \"I should be an easier one to guess.\" Arja just giggles, saying something in... well it sounded like Hindi, but it wasn't. Maybe Simoni heard it on TV a few times, Tamil, the language of a nationless race that made up a moderate amount of the minority population of India, with roots in the country and Shri Lanka....\n\nThe dwarf girl surprised her. She honestly didn't know that dwarves were even a thing in India... as for Pavi she thinks, looks close, then yelps and almost falls off her seat as she has to force herself not to shapeshift and dive off the rooftop. \"S-sorry... I... um... I've had some bad experiences with, well, your people...\" she mutters nervously, recognizing the boy now and wondering how on earth she could've missed that before... but then even mundanes would become unconsciously nervous in the presence of one of them so he would have to be good at hiding it.\n\nArja chuckles, \"One of the reasons I wanted you to meet him.\" she grins, slapping Pavi's chest playfully. \"The Tamil people treat Naga and such different, they have serpent cults, but their Naga and their assorted other creations are different. More honorable warriors. The Naga of India proper are descendant of an ancient goddess, who’s spite and hate poisons many of them still. His come from a noble warrior, defenders of the people.\" he chuckles, pushing Arja softly, \"You're gonna give me a big head...\" \n\n\"Yea,\" Isha adds, \"His head can't get any bigger or he'll fall over...\"\n\nSimoni chuckles nervously, \"Y-yeah...\" she replies, trying to settle down, but, well... naga. The first time she encountered one it had almost killed her, the second time they were laying siege to the temple. She glances sideways at him and can almost see through his human disguise now, recognizing scales instead of skin in a few spots and how his pupils were almost like vertical slits. Seeing through magical disguises is like looking at a magic eye picture, see it from the right angle and suddenly it's all clear. Its why so many people seem to -almost- recognize creatures like the fae but when they look closer they realize that it had to be a trick of the light, she just has brown hair, not autumn leaves for hair.\n\nSimoni stands up and looks around, \"Um, well. I guess Lady Arja has already told you guys about me, but... might as well.\" she nods, putting the bags down and flexing her arms before she shifts from human to garuda, her arms becoming emerald feathered wings with black tips and her legs changing to her long black scaled bird legs with golden claws... still, this would catch someone's eye as her colors weren't... well... normal for India's garuda. Normally they didn't have black on their feathers and their talons were all gold.\n\nThe others seem quite impressed, looking Simoni over appreciatively. \"Wow, you actually are unique, I thought she was just talking up her harem girl.\" Smirks Pavi as Isha swats his back.\n\"Mhm\" Arja grins, shifting into her own monkey form as she licks her lips, \"She's a hybrid of the Irish and Indian birdfolk, guess they must have some common link somewhere waaaaaaaay back.\" she nods, grinning, \"So, Simoni, sis... wanna see how we amuse ourselves on busy days?\" she asks as she walks to the edge of the roof, looking down at the dense crowd under her.\n\nSimoni blushes at Pavi's words, then smirks, half walking and half hopping over to Arja (walking with your knees backwards was awkward at best), \"Alright.\" she nods, wondering just what the group is planning to do now. Up on the rooftops, able to see humans without being immediately noticed... this could be interesting to say the least.\n\nArja nods, \"Ok, same rules as always. One hour, you can only bring back one item, no leaving your supernatural form, no alerting the mundanes, whoever gets the coolest thing wins.\" At that moment she'd notice Pavi didn't shift forms, or at least, not to the extent she likely expected. He still had legs... his body was covered in green and brown scales, his teeth turned to wicked fangs, his eyes were shiny yellow, but he was still humanoid in shape... \n\"Ready?\" Arja grins, \"Go!\" she calls before leaping off the roof, bouncing off a canopy into a nearby alley, her monkey body moving swiftly along the streets.\n\nSimoni smirks at that, then whistles up a wind and shoots up into the air, circling as she gains altitude. This wouldn't be too hard for her. She could use her wind magic to bring something lightweight to her and if she stayed high enough they would just think she was some kind of bird. Unlike her nearsighted brother she could see very well indeed. Perhaps she just had some unusual knack for keen eyesight, or perhaps its another bird thing (like how hawks and eagles can see prey hundreds of feet below them). As she glides over the town she begins to scan below, trying to spot anything that looks promising.\n\nArja grins. As Simoni scans she can see the others, sticking to the alleys for a bit, all split up to avoid their friends copying their ideas before they dove into the crowd. It was easy to blend in the crowd, in the sense that for them most anyone freaked out by them would only see them for a second...After a bit, the kids were lost in the crowd, off looking for their own item of interest. The only question was what would be 'cool' to them, Arja had been purposely vague on the standards (it's no fun if you know what you're hunting for, after all).\n\nSimoni thinks... They're all tied to Hindi legends, maybe a religious icon? Or would that cause trouble... perhaps jewelry of some sort, but then stealing would probably cause even more issues. \"Hmm...\" she thinks, swooping a bit lower and looking around at the stalls from as close as she dared. The tea vendor from before, someone selling homemade cosmetics, a stand with bootleg DVDs (there's always one), and a stand selling cured meats and other... wait... uh oh...\n\nSimoni winces as there's a sudden crash, an angry yell, and a streak of yellow fur shooting away from the stand as a very familiar yellow furred wolf runs full tilt through the throng of humans. Most of them stay well back, reasoning 'its a WOLF!' and the few who do try to grab her wind up almost getting pulled off their feet when they discover just how strong the lupine is. Simoni thinks, then grins, \"Arja said 'item'... but she didn't say what the item had to be...\" she giggles, following along behind her as the wolf charges down the streets and then into the network of alleyways, trying to hunt down a safe spot.\n\nFinally, the wolf gets to a secluded area and in a display that would make a mundane’s eyes water the wolf is replaced by a young blonde haired girl with wolf-like ears, long arms with sharp nails, and a fluffy wolf-like tail as Lupe Bzou begins to greedily chew into the side of lamb she'd stolen from the stall.\n\nArja smirks a she climbs along the side walkways, clamoring over crates and barrels to stay hidden as she seems to have a similar thought. On the street corner was an old man playing a flute, bobbing and weaving it around to keep the cobra it was pointed at transfixed. A stereotype, sure, but it was a nice show no matter what. What most don't know is the music is meaningless, it's the bounce and sway of the flute that keeps the cobra's eyes. What most REALLY don't know, though, is that some flutes really are magic, and able to entrance snakes. With a wicked grin Arja sends a cup from a crate flying out, toppling the basket over and sending the swami chasing his snake before it can cause chaos, leaving the flute behind to not reveal its true nature.\n\nSimoni, on the other hand, flexes her talons and swoops aiming towards the young werewolf as she reaches out, then with a sudden surprised yelp Lupe is pulled up off the ground and into the air, the lycantherope whining loudly as the ground flies away from her. She's a werewolf after all, designed for fast living on the forest floor, not being up in the air at all. \"Lupe, you know you're not supposed to do that...\" grins Simoni, \"But tell you what, help me out here and I -won't- tell Natasha.\" she smirks, swooping back towards the rooftop where the group set out. Lupe whines, but stops struggling at that, still holding the lamb meat in her jaws. She doesn't want her 'alpha-bat' to know she misbehaved.\n\nSoon enough the group was regrouping on the roof, Isha clocking in last, whining a bit as she climbs the ladder. \"No fair, I got stubby legs and can't just climb the building side like you two…\" she huffs as her friends pull her up. In the back of Arja's sari was the flute, tucked safely away. Pavi had a small leather pouch on his hip, and Isha had a rather large basket on her back, currently closed... seemed everyone at least found something! \"So, I've gotta hear THIS.\" Isha says, nodding to Simoni and Lupe, \"You go first.\"\n\nSimoni giggles, Lupe sitting next to her as she gnaws on the lamb bone. \"Well... You didn't say it couldn't be a person...\" she giggles, \"Guys, this is Lupe. She's a werewolf from Romania and she's... kinda part of our little extended family.\" she nods as Lupe rrfs around a mouthful of leg bone. \"And... she's not supposed to be stealing from people in the market.\" she says to the shapeshifter, Lupe wincing a bit. \"Seriously Lupe, you trying to get us in trouble? You do know the maids could roast a whole lamb for you if you wanted them to.\" she sighs as Lupe pouts, \"Not fun though...\"\n\nArja smirks, flicking Lupe's nose, \"Yes she is, I WANT to call it cheating but I didn't say no family, so yea, good work, can't deny Lupe is pretty cool.\" she says as the others nod. \n\"Can we see her in wolf form?\" Isha asks, \"Never saw a wolf before...\" she adds. Wolves were mostly native to the very northernmost parts of India, and they were closer to the southern end and the coast.\n\nSimoni nods to Lupe who shrugs, then starts to change forms. Its a lot less smooth than when Simoni or the others do it and almost a bit painful to watch but, after a few minutes Lupe is sitting on her haunches, all the way transformed into her wolf shape, and shaking her head around like a dog trying to shake water out of it's ears.\n\nIsha winces a bit, but smiles, patting Lupe's head, \"She's pretty cool.\" she says as Pavi smirks, \"Yea, I guess, still feels wrong using family.\" he teases. \"Here, look at this!\" he grins, grabbing the leather pouch \"I swiped genuine dream sight powder from a mystic.\" he says, reaching in for a small pinch of a shimmering pale blue powder before suddenly blowing it in Simoni's face! The powder was harmless of course, but it would instantly manifest whatever she was currently thinking of (or, if she was asleep, dreaming) as a shimmering ghostly image in front of her from her 'third eye'.\n\nSimoni yelps and coughs a bit. She knew what that was, she'd heard about it from Sammi before (dreamsight powder was, well, fae in origin). \"Wait wait wait don't!\" she gasps as the laws of probability and poorly written comedy means that she will immediately pull a Ray Stanz and think of something inappropriate at the worst possible time.\n\nIn this case, it wasn't a giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man stomping around the village, but it did confirm any suspicions Arja's friends may have had about the relationship between her and Simoni. Lupe rrfs and tilts her head as Simoni coughs awkwardly and looks away, the ghostly image of the last *ahem* little game that she and Arja had done in the 'basement' appearing before the group.\n\nArja blushes a bit as the other two laugh. \"Knew it!\" Pavi teases as Arja swats his head. \"Shush you\" she huffs, waving her hand in the ghostly image to break it up, \"Alright, embarrassment aside, not bad.\" she says as Isha steps up, pulling her basket off her back. \"Pft, dream powder, we've all played with that before. This is something even I'VE never seen.\" she says, popping the lid and reaching in, only to yank out what looks like shining red and gold rocks, about the size and shape of a thumb.\n\nSimoni shakes off her embarrassment before a sudden and inexplicable gust of wind smacks Pavi upside the head, then turns to the small rocks that she's holding, \"Hum? What are those?\" she asks, tilting her head curiously as Lupe sniffs at them, the werewolf's tail swishing behind her.\n\nIsha smirks, \"An old relic, and this basket's full of them! Someone give me a weapon.\" she says, Arja shrugging, as well as Pavi, \"Don't exactly carry my sword around with me to market\" he says, Arja nodding. \"I don't do weapons usually, but I guess iron claws count?\" she says, holding her hand out as the girl nods \"Good enough. Alright, here.\" she says, crushing the rock in her hand and sprinkling the dust over Arja's claws, nothing seeming to happen. \"Alright...we need something hard and tough, harder than Arja can normally cut through in one go...\"\n\nSimoni thinks for a moment, then nods and swoops off the rooftop, coming back a few minutes later with a length of lead pipe she'd 'borrowed' from where some sewer work is going on. A sudden windstorm had been enough to distract people long enough to not notice a green blur swooping down and grabbing one. \"Here. Even lead takes her more than a couple swipes.\" she nods.\n\nArja nods, cracking her knuckles, \"Alright, so just cut it?\" she says as Isha nods, \"Yep! These stones are ancient artifacts, this guy must have been hoarding them, sprinkle them over any weapon and they can cut through ANYTHING!\" she says, Arja grinning wickedly, rearing back, bringing her claw down hard on the pipe! A moment later there’s a loud CLANG and Arja yowls in pain...\n\nSimoni winces in sympathy as Arja dances around, gripping her hand and cursing, \"... um, maybe test them with a pocket knife or something next time?\" she suggests, shifting back to human and hugging the ape girl. Lupe sniffs more, then changes form and licks at one of the rocks curiously, \"... taste sweet?\" she rrfs, Simoni picking one up and sniffing at it, then raising her eyebrow, \"Wait a minute... these are Warheads, they're sour jawbreakers.\" she smirks, \"This isn't some ancient artifact, they're candy!\"\n\nArja frowns at Isha, \"You didn't think that maybe the guy selling 'ancient artifacts' by the BASKET FULL was maybe, I dunno, not telling the truth?\" she huffs, shaking her hand as she pops one of the candies in her mouth. Dwarfs were used to dealing with honorable warriors and the like, deception and lies came... difficult to many of them... \"My turn then\" Arja says, pulling the flute out. It was small, made of polished white wood with a design of nagas slithering all around it. \"A genuine snake charming flute!\" \n\nPavi smirks at that faintly, \"Soooo two scams and your little wolf sister? Boy you girls did NOT make it hard to win this time at all...\"\n\nSimoni smirks, \"Watch it or next time I'll bring my fae cousin and watch him seduce the scales right off you.\" she replies, then blinks as she looks closer at the flute, \"Huh... actually... Is anyone else feeling that?\" she asks, pointing at the flute. Its kind of the same sensation she gets from Aisha's sword or Nelen's various magical tools, like there's more to the flute than appears.\n\nArja nods, sticking her tongue out at Pavi, \"See? If your people were connected to the magic energies you'd know.\" she says. Not everyone in India was similarly bound to magic. Garuda and the monkeys were creatures of divine birth, magic was like a sixth sense to them. Naga and Dwarfs, though, were servitor races, they can learn magic, some are even some of the finest mystics in the world, but they couldn't 'feel' magic the same way as Arja and her sister. \"Speaking of seduction…\" she teases, starting to play the flute. She wasn't good, really she was just playing a child's song, the Indian version of when children play 'hot cross buns' on the recorder, but like before she was bobbing and swaying the flute. It didn't matter what she played, as long as it was a song of some kind, combined with the motions, it'd be enough to command a snake's attention... or a naga's...\n\nLupe whines and covers her ears at the sharp and awkward notes coming out of the flute, Simoni wincing as well. Arja was skilled in many things, but not this. \"Nnn...\" she grimaces, then snatches the flute away from Arja, \"Oh for... here, I'll do it.\" she sighs, wiping off the reed before popping it into her mouth and... well, turns out garuda are very talented when it comes to the flute. Probably has something to do with using whistling to conjure their magic. Definitely not professional, but sounding like someone who at least spent a few years practicing the instrument.\n\nArja huffs, blushing again, \"Gimmie magic drums and I'll rock your world…\" she pouts defensively as Simoni plays. Pavi frowns at the music, \"See? Nothing…\" he teases, holding his arms out before he feels his hips start to sway in time with the music and to match Simoni's moves, blinking as he looks down \"Hey what the?!\" he frowns, arms coming down to his body to join the rest of him, swaying and wiggling in place.\n\nLupe rrfs and wags at this, clearly not understanding whats going on as Simoni keeps playing, swaying and moving as she fights the urge to giggle. The tune isn't anything specific, she's just playing on instinct, but again, music is how her people use magic so this is something that comes nautrally to her as she guides the reptilian boy along, playing away on the wooden flute for several long minutes before finally taking it out and taking a few breaths. \"Hehe, huh, so Arja found a real one.\" she smirks, handing it back to the ape girl.\n\nArja nods, the boy blushing as he finally stops dancing, \"Hmph, guess so…\" he frowns, crossing his arms as Arja giggles.\n\n\"Alright, well, dream powder is cool but all of us have that stuff, that doesn't count. I like this flute a lot buuuuut in India these aren't super rare... I think Lupe may be one of the only werewolves in India, she's the coolest thing here!\" She grins at that, the other two nodding, \"Yea, we don't even have normal wolves unless you get in the mountains.\" Pavi reluctantly admits.\n\nLupe wags and grins at that, panting like a cheerful dog. She doesn't really get whats going on, but that's Lupe in a nutshell. \"Alright pup, you did good.\" giggles Simoni, patting the werewolf's head, \"I won't tell Natasha you ripped off that lamb meat.\" she nods as Lupe rrfs, blushing and earfolding at the mention of that. \"So, what do you guys get up to besides scavenger hunts?\" she asks curiously. After all her own life tends to be full of chaos, she's kinda curious as to how other supernaturals would live.\n\nArja smiles \"Oh all kinds of stuff really. I mean we do normal stuff plenty, go to cafes, meet at eachothers' places, all that. For more supernatural stuff we do stuff like this, go hunting, sometimes we have contests about who can bring in the coolest family artifact...\"\n\nThe four of them enjoy the afternoon together on the rooftop as the sun slowly begins to set, finally leaving as the moon begins to rise.","writing_bbcode_parsed":"The following takes place immediately after Part 21: Inishmor.
Arja smiles as she walks along the sidewalk happily. It's been so long since she simply enjoyed her homeland like this. The Fullmoon women needed supplies and such if they'd be staying in the temple, and frankly she needed some alone time with Simoni after all that, so she was quick to volunteer the two to go on a shopping trip into town proper. The mansion was a bit away from the main city, about a mile away, with a smaller almost 'suburb' type satellite around it where a small market and a few other things provided the necessities without requiring the family to go into town fully. Today, though, she was happy to be there, dressed in her red and gold silk sari, sandals clackling lightly on the stone under her as she walks with her sister. "You've never been in 'India' proper have you?" she teases, the young girl gilding through the dense crowd of people around her like Simoni glides through the air...
Simoni nods, looking around almost nervously at the large crowd. The last time they'd gone on a trip out and about in India was, well, a long time ago honestly. It was when Nelen had first showed up and saved them from Franklin's assassins months ago. "Yeah..." she nods, "I half expect to see an attacker jump out of an alley or a Rakshasa crash through the jungle or something..." she giggles awkwardly. After everything that's happened its hard to get used to the idea that they could actually finally have some breathing room.
Simoni was wearing a green and gold Sari herself, along with (at her insistence) a red leather collar with gold decorations. She knew it was silly, but dammit she wanted to show off that side of her relationship, at least in a small way. Besides, that sort of thing may have to be on the down low for a while now that her mother is back in the picture... Nelen was doing his best to run interference with her, but sooner or later she'd find something out.
As of now Clan Fullmoon was in disarray. Franklin still had plenty of loyalists, but a good portion of the men had defected as soon as Jeanne managed to get word to them that no, they weren't all at the bottom of the ocean being slowly digested by fish. They were alive, well, and very much ready to sort out a certain patriarch. Being sealed away in Franklin's prison for so long hadn't reduced the potency of their magic and they'd announced their return with a vision appearing in every single room of Castle Fullmoon. Word was Franklin had his hands full just keeping what was left of his forces in line after that.
Arja smirks softly as she walks, enjoying the thought of Franklin in chaos for a change..."Well I can't say there aren't muggers at the like" she says, hand slapping away a young hand reaching for her money pouch from the crowd without even looking down. Years of growing up in one of the densest populations in the world meant she was quite good at feeling when someone was trying to lift her goods from the crowd... "Still, rather them than what we've seen…" she giggles lightly, "So we need to get them some clothes and such, but what about...homey...things? What would they enjoy to feel more at home here?"
Simoni thinks on that, "Honestly... I dunno. Mom never really let me find out much about how they lived." she replies, "Still, they shouldn't have too much trouble taking care of that. If there's one thing a witch is, its resourceful." she nods, sticking close to Arja and causing another would be mugger to suddenly get tripped up and topple right onto his nose due to a sudden gust of wind hitting his ankles. After almost getting killed during an encounter with an evil deity someone trying to half-inch her purse was so easy she didn't even need to try. Her arm had almost healed from that too, the lines her veins made under her skin when the lightning struck her there having almost faded away to nothing.
Arja nods, "Well let's just get them some nice things then, want them to feel very welcome... despite what some feel like..." it was a rough argument. She managed to at least convince (with her grandfather's help) the more vocally opposed monkeys to give the crows a chance, an unspoken 'if they mess up once they're out' added when the leaders of the opposition grumbled agreement. Still, no one could say they were unjustified in their distrust, Franklin's men had near decimated the temple and left them weak for the Naga to pick off, the monkeys were just as good at grudges as the witches...
"Here we go!" she beams, coming to a spot somehow even more crowded than the street. What could only be called 'a sea of people' dominating a massive outdoor market. Still, despite the tight packed people, there was a strange order to things. India was a land of orders, even chaotic crowds doing their shopping had an order to them, the group flowed through them like a raft on a stream, unmolested or hampered... though maybe that was due to another kind of order. It was never outright acknowledged at home, but India still very much had a caste system regardless of the English influences, and Arja was of a high caste even without her supernatural elements known. The child of a diplomat, carrying herself with authority, people tended to drift out of her way as she browsed the stalls as if pushed aside be generations of tradition...
Simoni nods, worried about how the rebels from Clan Fullmoon were going to fit in herself. She knew that the members of Arja's family who were against their staying, led by none other than the one that had argued with Nelen the day before they had left, were watching them like hawks, waiting for the Irish witches or their warrior husbands and sons to step out of line, even a bit... just so they'd have an excuse.
She relaxes a bit as Arja guides her through the crowd, really just needing to keep up with her to keep from getting swept away. She'd seen some busy places in America, back when she still lived a normal life, but a shopping day at the mall was nothing compared to an average day here. It was like every day was Black Friday, without the body count. "Yeah. Not sure what to get them though... um... I guess maybe some tea leaves, um... maybe just basic stuff like soap and other necessities?" she suggests, grasping at straws. Besides Stephy, Terrance, and Franklin she barely knew any of her extended family, and most of those she did know well she rather wished she didn't.
Arja nods, "Ah! Tea!" she smiles, focusing on that, "You're in the right place!" she says as she makes her way to a stall, an elderly woman manning a small wooden stall painted in bright pastel colors advertising assorted tea breeds she had for sale. She smiles happily when the girls approach, almost instantly reaching for a small pouch of sweet smelling dried leaves, about enough for one nice strong pot, handing it to Arja without even a word "Hello girls" she says with a smile "Looking for something good to drink?" Behind her was a wide array of tins of tea and empty bags next to a scale, as well as multiple pots heated over small fires for people to just buy direct cups of tea from her without any hassle.
Simoni thinks, then remembers the deal about the caste system and moves over next to Arja, letting her do the talking. She's a harem girl, Arja is above her in station, so it's probably best to let her stay in charge. Of course, she has no problem doing just that for several reasons. Ironically, especially for someone who'd been living not only in India, but in the household of a Diplomat for around a year now, she really wasn't too clear on a lot about Hindi culture. She knew the details about the relationship between Hanuman's kin and the Garuda, about the Naga's feud with her people, the Rakshasa and their feud with just about everything, and so on... but when it came to mundane humanity and Indian culture the girl was up the Ganges without a paddle so to speak.
Arja holds a little smirk back as Simoni stays quiet, reaching the small bag she got out to her to hold. They may not be able to tie each other up and get the whips out in public, but funny enough this system allowed for Simoni to enjoy her submissive side just as much. The women chat in Hindi for a bit, the woman asks how Arja's father and mother are, she talks about the woman's children and grandchildren, the whole time the woman keeps handing over small bags and even at one point a small cup of minty smelling tea, the general rule seeming to be as long as she was being friendly the woman should be plying Arja with gifts to keep her around.
Of course the other side of the relationship came up as well, Arja starting to place orders, casually shifting from conversation to business, buying tea by the tin rather than bag. No one would ever claim the caste system is fair, but in the right hands one can at least see the glimpses of the world its writers imagined. Arja is given respect and gifts, and in return she uses her superior assets to keep the respectful old woman employed. It wasn't an equal system, and it didn't take a genius to figure out how easy it could have been for Arja to simply walk away and leave the woman with no recourse beyond complaints, but at least it seemed she was raised to honor both ends of the arrangement.
Soon enough Simoni is given a rather large bag of tea tins, herbal teas of all kind, including a couple that wouldn't be legal back in Ireland, opium and marijuana teas, blended with sweet herbs used in ceremonies (and of course, because a tea full of opium was a great way to unwind after a long day of work...)
Simoni does giggle a bit, at least happy that she can still be submissive in some way as she takes the purchases and follows her 'owner' away from the stand once the business is concluded, she's blushing a bit, but then even a bit of public display is exciting for the girl when she's more used to things in private. "Well, they ought to like these, though the opium and marijuana... um... dunno if they'd accept that. Ireland is still pretty hot on that sort of thing last I checked." she says once they're out of earshot of the shopkeeper, "Maybe we should give that to your cousins, might get them to lay off Clan Fullmoon for a bit." she giggles.
Arja smirks "That was the plan, smart girl." she winks, "Good tip for if you ever need to calm us down, Hanuman was famous for his love of drink and such. Ever have a monkey pissed off at you just offer us something intoxicant and we'll probably take it, unless you REALLY fucked up." she winks, "As mad as they are, my cousins aren't cruel, they can't fully blame those women for actions others took, they're just upset, and hurt still, Hopefully they'll calm in time when they see how wonderful your clan can be."
She hums a happy tune as she walks at that, enjoying being in the crowd it seems. As they walk Simoni would see another small group of youths, like Arja they were dressed quite nicely compared to most, some in western designer clothes and some in traditional saris and tunics. With them were a couple of grown women, like Simoni they were also carrying bags and such, obviously servants as well.
"Oooh! Lucky!" Arja smiles, waving at the small group "We can be all social with humans for a bit" she giggles as she walks over
She notices the kids, then glances at Arja, "You know them?" she asks, following her over to the small group as the crowd parts for the young noblewoman (noblegirl?). As she does she realizes that this is the first time in a long time that she's been up close with, well, normal kids. The last time she'd encountered any was at Thanksgiving when the group met Trixie's family, and even then that was little more than a couple hellos and a quick round of Mario Kart before, well, vampires. She does find it somewhat odd to see a couple of the group in jeans and teeshirts rather than traditional clothing, if only because she's become so used to seeing it here.
Arja nods, "We're not exactly Bee Eff Effs but they're friends, yea." she says happily as she walks to the group, exchanging greetings and hugs with them happily. There were five kids in the group, three girls and two boys, the women behind them smiling to Simoni happily, recognizing another 'servant' as the kids chat. "Oh, this is Simoni" she says, stepping aside to introduce the group "This is Paravati, Isha, Dura, Kureem, and Pavi." she says, the kids nodding to Simoni politely when their names are said. "This is Simoni." she says, letting her decide how she'd be introduced in the group...
Simoni bows politely to them, "Its nice to meet you all." she replies, straightening up so that her collar is visible. She doesn't really say specifically what she is, but then, she doesn't really have to. Collar and all, and if Arja is anything around other kids like she is around their little extended family, well... its pretty obvious what it means. Once the introductions are made she goes to stand next to the other servants, all of whom are waiting patiently for their owners, employers, or whatever they call themselves to finish their chat. She does feel a bit awkward in this case though, if only because out of all the servants she's the only one who isn't an adult.
Arja smiles, chatting with her friends a bit, explaining her recent absence as a diplomatic trip, bragging about meeting Aisha and showing a few pictures she snapped with her on the plane (giving a good cover story for both of them to have...) As she and the kids talk, one of the servants smiles to Simoni, a young woman dressed in a plain dark blue and black sari. "Hello there." she says in a friendly tone, "You're new."
She blushes and smiles back, "Well, I've been Lady Arja's servant for a while now, but we travel so much that I haven't had the chance to go out into the town with her very often." she replies, hanging back with her fellow servants as Arja and her mundane friends chat it up. She finds herself idly wondering just how many of them know about Arja's supernatural heritage... and how many of them might only look human.
Arja smiles as she talks. Well they SEEMED pretty normal, gossiping, taking pictures, making jokes, but it was hard to tell. Arja's supernatural aura was so strong it created a lot of 'background noise'. Still SOMETHING felt off...
"Ah," the woman says, "Well, it's nice to meet you. Lady Arja has been so busy lately that Lady Isha was a little worried about her." she giggles softly, nodding to her ward, a slightly shorter, plumper, girl than the others, Arja was pretty tall for her age regardless but next to Isha she dwarfed the poor dark skinned girl in her jeans and white jacket... Wait... why was she wearing a jacket in Indian spring? The other girls were dressed in either breezy loose saris or t-shirts.
Simoni does notice that, but doesn't comment. For one it's not best to draw attention to something like this among mundanes, for another it could be rather rude. "Yes, things have been rather eventful indeed. She has to travel so often because of Lord Rajesh's work as a diplomat." she replies. If her friend was worried about her it was probably best to stay as vague as possible as to exactly what they had been up to. ESPECIALLY what they had been up to.
News of the event at Inishmor had spread throughout the world like wildfire. After all its not every day that a whole island disappears. Mundanes were attributing it to everything from an undersea volcano to the precursor to an alien invasion (Bethandi would probably find that amusing) to an experimental weapon made by the UK's Defense Ministry going awry to 'The Terrorists'... while the supernatural world had a better idea as to what had happened, but only her group, Clan Fullmoon, Hanuman's kin, and the Garuda knew the details. After all the death throes of a goddess are hard to miss. To every other supernatural all they knew is Something Big Happened, but they didn’t know what.
The woman nods to Simoni, "Yes, it must be fun seeing all those exotic places." she says happily as the kids laugh. "Lots of bags today…" she adds, looking at Simoni's tea collection, "Planning a party?" she smiles as another woman chuckles, "Another wild diplomatic meeting?" she teases faintly, "Master Pavi went to the last one at her house and said things got very intense when some of her family started brawling in the main hall..."
Pavi was a tall young boy, looking closer to Arja's age than Simoni's. He was rather skinny, but obviously muscled, with his short black hair slicked back, laughing loudly at something one of the other kids said...
She considers this, then nods, "Yes actually, Lady Arja's family is meeting with some group from Europe. We need to make sure the maids have enough to go around." she replies, giggling at the mention of a fight. The boy that got pointed out was pretty attractive and strong, she bet Drusilla would find him interesting... pity that she wouldn't be able to meet him without a disguise. "I don't know if we'll be seeing that kind of excitement at our meeting though, but it could certainly get out of hand..." she nods. She hopes it doesn't, oh gods she hopes it doesn't. That would be the last thing any of them would need. Hell with their luck all the fighting could attract a gang of Rakshasa or something.
The other servants chuckle lightly before nodding "Well if you do have a more open party, be sure to invite us again." she smiles, the other nodding, "Lady Isha as well, she enjoyed the last one she was at." she says as Arja leans in, whispering something to Pavi and Isha as the other three kids are distracted with each other. After that she bows politely to the group, "Well, I'll need to finish shopping, can't have mother coming home with chores undone." she giggles, the kids nodding and hugging her goodbye before telling her to come by more.
Simoni says her farewells to the other servants, bows to Arja's friends, and follows her into the crowd. As they walk off she whispers to her, in English just in case, "Um... that one girl, Isha... she's not human is she?" she asks, "I couldn't really recognize what she was, but..." she murmurs, following Arja back through the crowd of mundane shoppers. It’s not unheard of for someone in India to be fluent in English, but it is rare enough and most aren’t fluent enough to work out words if they only overhear them in a crowd.
Arja shakes her head, "Nope, Pavi isn’t either." she smirks, winking before suddenly ducking down a nearby alleyway, giggling happily, "Come on, we can send a maid to get the clothes and junk." she teases, much more casual now that she was alone, "Wanna see how I have fun in the city?"
She giggles, "Hmm, I miiiiiiight~" she replies. She was kind of surprised by Pavi though. As far as she could tell he was just a sturdy young man, but then it was hard to sort out who was what among all the humans. Still, that was interesting enough, she knew Arja was probably more involved with the supernatural side of India than just being Hanuman's heir. After all that alone made her nobility to both humans and non-humans.
Arja smirks, hopping up and pulling herself over some boxes to get deeper into the alley. Further down the servants from before were already standing guard in front of a branching path, smiling happily as Arja and Simoni approach...
Simoni blinks, noticing the two from before. This was a surprise... and she noticed that the haphazard way buildings were put together in the city had actually wound up making this a small cul-de-sac of it's own. Buildings all around and the only exit was the one Arja had climbed in over. If it wasn't Arja leading her here she might be worried (might be because while the alley was a dead end it also wasn't covered and she could fly), but this sort of situation would normally be setting off alarm bells for her.
Arja smiles to the servants, "Already up?" she says as the women nod, there was a small ladder to the roof of whatever building was behind them nearby, "Come on, this'll be fun!" she teases, climbing the ladder up to the rooftop. Not only was there a great view of the busy street and market, as well as a welcome bit of free air compared to the tight squeezes under them... but Pavi and Isha were there as well. "So, Simoni, let's have a little test of mythology." she teases as she helps the girl up to the roof "What god does my non-monkey side of the family worship?" she winks playfully.
Simoni follows the group up to the rooftop, then looks around as her eyes go back over the girl who's bundled up against the chill of a warm spring day in the jungle. "Well thats easy, Agni." she replies, raising her eyebrow as she sits down nearby, finding a few convenient objects scattered around to make makeshift chairs and so on. While Arja got her shapeshifting powers and simian strength and agility from Hanuman, her mastery over fire came from the pact her family made with Agni, the Indian god of magic and flame.
Arja nods, "And what are some of his servants?" she giggles, "Come on, use your nerd knowledge to make a guess. Fire, honor, keeping records of ancestors and tribute and all…"
She thinks on that one, but lets out a nervous giggle as she comes up blank. "Er... I don't think I caught that part of the lessons..." she replies, which in her defense was true. They'd been going over that in the temple one day and right about when they'd gotten to it Lupe had come crashing through the chamber with a hunk of meat in her jaws, being pursued by at least three or four very angry apes. It kind of derailed her train of thought, and a lot of other things.
It also doesn't help that her nerd knowledge was really 'I know what Google does'.
Arja smirks playfully as she nods to Isha, the girl casually taking her coat off and flexing her hands faintly. After a moment her skin goes from 'dark' to 'straight up onyx black', her eyes turn bright red, and her hair goes a flaming orange that seems to be constantly bouncing around her head like it was actual fire… "Dwarves." Arja giggles, the girl bowing her head to Simoni, "Hey there." she says with a smile.
"Preeety similar to western views of them, master craftsman, very loyal and honorable folks, the fire god lit their forges in the ancient days and allowed them to make their weapons to protect themselves, since then they've been loyal followers." she says with a smile. Pavi just chuckles lightly, nodding "I should be an easier one to guess." Arja just giggles, saying something in... well it sounded like Hindi, but it wasn't. Maybe Simoni heard it on TV a few times, Tamil, the language of a nationless race that made up a moderate amount of the minority population of India, with roots in the country and Shri Lanka....
The dwarf girl surprised her. She honestly didn't know that dwarves were even a thing in India... as for Pavi she thinks, looks close, then yelps and almost falls off her seat as she has to force herself not to shapeshift and dive off the rooftop. "S-sorry... I... um... I've had some bad experiences with, well, your people..." she mutters nervously, recognizing the boy now and wondering how on earth she could've missed that before... but then even mundanes would become unconsciously nervous in the presence of one of them so he would have to be good at hiding it.
Arja chuckles, "One of the reasons I wanted you to meet him." she grins, slapping Pavi's chest playfully. "The Tamil people treat Naga and such different, they have serpent cults, but their Naga and their assorted other creations are different. More honorable warriors. The Naga of India proper are descendant of an ancient goddess, who’s spite and hate poisons many of them still. His come from a noble warrior, defenders of the people." he chuckles, pushing Arja softly, "You're gonna give me a big head..."
"Yea," Isha adds, "His head can't get any bigger or he'll fall over..."
Simoni chuckles nervously, "Y-yeah..." she replies, trying to settle down, but, well... naga. The first time she encountered one it had almost killed her, the second time they were laying siege to the temple. She glances sideways at him and can almost see through his human disguise now, recognizing scales instead of skin in a few spots and how his pupils were almost like vertical slits. Seeing through magical disguises is like looking at a magic eye picture, see it from the right angle and suddenly it's all clear. Its why so many people seem to -almost- recognize creatures like the fae but when they look closer they realize that it had to be a trick of the light, she just has brown hair, not autumn leaves for hair.
Simoni stands up and looks around, "Um, well. I guess Lady Arja has already told you guys about me, but... might as well." she nods, putting the bags down and flexing her arms before she shifts from human to garuda, her arms becoming emerald feathered wings with black tips and her legs changing to her long black scaled bird legs with golden claws... still, this would catch someone's eye as her colors weren't... well... normal for India's garuda. Normally they didn't have black on their feathers and their talons were all gold.
The others seem quite impressed, looking Simoni over appreciatively. "Wow, you actually are unique, I thought she was just talking up her harem girl." Smirks Pavi as Isha swats his back.
"Mhm" Arja grins, shifting into her own monkey form as she licks her lips, "She's a hybrid of the Irish and Indian birdfolk, guess they must have some common link somewhere waaaaaaaay back." she nods, grinning, "So, Simoni, sis... wanna see how we amuse ourselves on busy days?" she asks as she walks to the edge of the roof, looking down at the dense crowd under her.
Simoni blushes at Pavi's words, then smirks, half walking and half hopping over to Arja (walking with your knees backwards was awkward at best), "Alright." she nods, wondering just what the group is planning to do now. Up on the rooftops, able to see humans without being immediately noticed... this could be interesting to say the least.
Arja nods, "Ok, same rules as always. One hour, you can only bring back one item, no leaving your supernatural form, no alerting the mundanes, whoever gets the coolest thing wins." At that moment she'd notice Pavi didn't shift forms, or at least, not to the extent she likely expected. He still had legs... his body was covered in green and brown scales, his teeth turned to wicked fangs, his eyes were shiny yellow, but he was still humanoid in shape...
"Ready?" Arja grins, "Go!" she calls before leaping off the roof, bouncing off a canopy into a nearby alley, her monkey body moving swiftly along the streets.
Simoni smirks at that, then whistles up a wind and shoots up into the air, circling as she gains altitude. This wouldn't be too hard for her. She could use her wind magic to bring something lightweight to her and if she stayed high enough they would just think she was some kind of bird. Unlike her nearsighted brother she could see very well indeed. Perhaps she just had some unusual knack for keen eyesight, or perhaps its another bird thing (like how hawks and eagles can see prey hundreds of feet below them). As she glides over the town she begins to scan below, trying to spot anything that looks promising.
Arja grins. As Simoni scans she can see the others, sticking to the alleys for a bit, all split up to avoid their friends copying their ideas before they dove into the crowd. It was easy to blend in the crowd, in the sense that for them most anyone freaked out by them would only see them for a second...After a bit, the kids were lost in the crowd, off looking for their own item of interest. The only question was what would be 'cool' to them, Arja had been purposely vague on the standards (it's no fun if you know what you're hunting for, after all).
Simoni thinks... They're all tied to Hindi legends, maybe a religious icon? Or would that cause trouble... perhaps jewelry of some sort, but then stealing would probably cause even more issues. "Hmm..." she thinks, swooping a bit lower and looking around at the stalls from as close as she dared. The tea vendor from before, someone selling homemade cosmetics, a stand with bootleg DVDs (there's always one), and a stand selling cured meats and other... wait... uh oh...
Simoni winces as there's a sudden crash, an angry yell, and a streak of yellow fur shooting away from the stand as a very familiar yellow furred wolf runs full tilt through the throng of humans. Most of them stay well back, reasoning 'its a WOLF!' and the few who do try to grab her wind up almost getting pulled off their feet when they discover just how strong the lupine is. Simoni thinks, then grins, "Arja said 'item'... but she didn't say what the item had to be..." she giggles, following along behind her as the wolf charges down the streets and then into the network of alleyways, trying to hunt down a safe spot.
Finally, the wolf gets to a secluded area and in a display that would make a mundane’s eyes water the wolf is replaced by a young blonde haired girl with wolf-like ears, long arms with sharp nails, and a fluffy wolf-like tail as Lupe Bzou begins to greedily chew into the side of lamb she'd stolen from the stall.
Arja smirks a she climbs along the side walkways, clamoring over crates and barrels to stay hidden as she seems to have a similar thought. On the street corner was an old man playing a flute, bobbing and weaving it around to keep the cobra it was pointed at transfixed. A stereotype, sure, but it was a nice show no matter what. What most don't know is the music is meaningless, it's the bounce and sway of the flute that keeps the cobra's eyes. What most REALLY don't know, though, is that some flutes really are magic, and able to entrance snakes. With a wicked grin Arja sends a cup from a crate flying out, toppling the basket over and sending the swami chasing his snake before it can cause chaos, leaving the flute behind to not reveal its true nature.
Simoni, on the other hand, flexes her talons and swoops aiming towards the young werewolf as she reaches out, then with a sudden surprised yelp Lupe is pulled up off the ground and into the air, the lycantherope whining loudly as the ground flies away from her. She's a werewolf after all, designed for fast living on the forest floor, not being up in the air at all. "Lupe, you know you're not supposed to do that..." grins Simoni, "But tell you what, help me out here and I -won't- tell Natasha." she smirks, swooping back towards the rooftop where the group set out. Lupe whines, but stops struggling at that, still holding the lamb meat in her jaws. She doesn't want her 'alpha-bat' to know she misbehaved.
Soon enough the group was regrouping on the roof, Isha clocking in last, whining a bit as she climbs the ladder. "No fair, I got stubby legs and can't just climb the building side like you two…" she huffs as her friends pull her up. In the back of Arja's sari was the flute, tucked safely away. Pavi had a small leather pouch on his hip, and Isha had a rather large basket on her back, currently closed... seemed everyone at least found something! "So, I've gotta hear THIS." Isha says, nodding to Simoni and Lupe, "You go first."
Simoni giggles, Lupe sitting next to her as she gnaws on the lamb bone. "Well... You didn't say it couldn't be a person..." she giggles, "Guys, this is Lupe. She's a werewolf from Romania and she's... kinda part of our little extended family." she nods as Lupe rrfs around a mouthful of leg bone. "And... she's not supposed to be stealing from people in the market." she says to the shapeshifter, Lupe wincing a bit. "Seriously Lupe, you trying to get us in trouble? You do know the maids could roast a whole lamb for you if you wanted them to." she sighs as Lupe pouts, "Not fun though..."
Arja smirks, flicking Lupe's nose, "Yes she is, I WANT to call it cheating but I didn't say no family, so yea, good work, can't deny Lupe is pretty cool." she says as the others nod.
"Can we see her in wolf form?" Isha asks, "Never saw a wolf before..." she adds. Wolves were mostly native to the very northernmost parts of India, and they were closer to the southern end and the coast.
Simoni nods to Lupe who shrugs, then starts to change forms. Its a lot less smooth than when Simoni or the others do it and almost a bit painful to watch but, after a few minutes Lupe is sitting on her haunches, all the way transformed into her wolf shape, and shaking her head around like a dog trying to shake water out of it's ears.
Isha winces a bit, but smiles, patting Lupe's head, "She's pretty cool." she says as Pavi smirks, "Yea, I guess, still feels wrong using family." he teases. "Here, look at this!" he grins, grabbing the leather pouch "I swiped genuine dream sight powder from a mystic." he says, reaching in for a small pinch of a shimmering pale blue powder before suddenly blowing it in Simoni's face! The powder was harmless of course, but it would instantly manifest whatever she was currently thinking of (or, if she was asleep, dreaming) as a shimmering ghostly image in front of her from her 'third eye'.
Simoni yelps and coughs a bit. She knew what that was, she'd heard about it from Sammi before (dreamsight powder was, well, fae in origin). "Wait wait wait don't!" she gasps as the laws of probability and poorly written comedy means that she will immediately pull a Ray Stanz and think of something inappropriate at the worst possible time.
In this case, it wasn't a giant Stay Puft Marshmallow Man stomping around the village, but it did confirm any suspicions Arja's friends may have had about the relationship between her and Simoni. Lupe rrfs and tilts her head as Simoni coughs awkwardly and looks away, the ghostly image of the last *ahem* little game that she and Arja had done in the 'basement' appearing before the group.
Arja blushes a bit as the other two laugh. "Knew it!" Pavi teases as Arja swats his head. "Shush you" she huffs, waving her hand in the ghostly image to break it up, "Alright, embarrassment aside, not bad." she says as Isha steps up, pulling her basket off her back. "Pft, dream powder, we've all played with that before. This is something even I'VE never seen." she says, popping the lid and reaching in, only to yank out what looks like shining red and gold rocks, about the size and shape of a thumb.
Simoni shakes off her embarrassment before a sudden and inexplicable gust of wind smacks Pavi upside the head, then turns to the small rocks that she's holding, "Hum? What are those?" she asks, tilting her head curiously as Lupe sniffs at them, the werewolf's tail swishing behind her.
Isha smirks, "An old relic, and this basket's full of them! Someone give me a weapon." she says, Arja shrugging, as well as Pavi, "Don't exactly carry my sword around with me to market" he says, Arja nodding. "I don't do weapons usually, but I guess iron claws count?" she says, holding her hand out as the girl nods "Good enough. Alright, here." she says, crushing the rock in her hand and sprinkling the dust over Arja's claws, nothing seeming to happen. "Alright...we need something hard and tough, harder than Arja can normally cut through in one go..."
Simoni thinks for a moment, then nods and swoops off the rooftop, coming back a few minutes later with a length of lead pipe she'd 'borrowed' from where some sewer work is going on. A sudden windstorm had been enough to distract people long enough to not notice a green blur swooping down and grabbing one. "Here. Even lead takes her more than a couple swipes." she nods.
Arja nods, cracking her knuckles, "Alright, so just cut it?" she says as Isha nods, "Yep! These stones are ancient artifacts, this guy must have been hoarding them, sprinkle them over any weapon and they can cut through ANYTHING!" she says, Arja grinning wickedly, rearing back, bringing her claw down hard on the pipe! A moment later there’s a loud CLANG and Arja yowls in pain...
Simoni winces in sympathy as Arja dances around, gripping her hand and cursing, "... um, maybe test them with a pocket knife or something next time?" she suggests, shifting back to human and hugging the ape girl. Lupe sniffs more, then changes form and licks at one of the rocks curiously, "... taste sweet?" she rrfs, Simoni picking one up and sniffing at it, then raising her eyebrow, "Wait a minute... these are Warheads, they're sour jawbreakers." she smirks, "This isn't some ancient artifact, they're candy!"
Arja frowns at Isha, "You didn't think that maybe the guy selling 'ancient artifacts' by the BASKET FULL was maybe, I dunno, not telling the truth?" she huffs, shaking her hand as she pops one of the candies in her mouth. Dwarfs were used to dealing with honorable warriors and the like, deception and lies came... difficult to many of them... "My turn then" Arja says, pulling the flute out. It was small, made of polished white wood with a design of nagas slithering all around it. "A genuine snake charming flute!"
Pavi smirks at that faintly, "Soooo two scams and your little wolf sister? Boy you girls did NOT make it hard to win this time at all..."
Simoni smirks, "Watch it or next time I'll bring my fae cousin and watch him seduce the scales right off you." she replies, then blinks as she looks closer at the flute, "Huh... actually... Is anyone else feeling that?" she asks, pointing at the flute. Its kind of the same sensation she gets from Aisha's sword or Nelen's various magical tools, like there's more to the flute than appears.
Arja nods, sticking her tongue out at Pavi, "See? If your people were connected to the magic energies you'd know." she says. Not everyone in India was similarly bound to magic. Garuda and the monkeys were creatures of divine birth, magic was like a sixth sense to them. Naga and Dwarfs, though, were servitor races, they can learn magic, some are even some of the finest mystics in the world, but they couldn't 'feel' magic the same way as Arja and her sister. "Speaking of seduction…" she teases, starting to play the flute. She wasn't good, really she was just playing a child's song, the Indian version of when children play 'hot cross buns' on the recorder, but like before she was bobbing and swaying the flute. It didn't matter what she played, as long as it was a song of some kind, combined with the motions, it'd be enough to command a snake's attention... or a naga's...
Lupe whines and covers her ears at the sharp and awkward notes coming out of the flute, Simoni wincing as well. Arja was skilled in many things, but not this. "Nnn..." she grimaces, then snatches the flute away from Arja, "Oh for... here, I'll do it." she sighs, wiping off the reed before popping it into her mouth and... well, turns out garuda are very talented when it comes to the flute. Probably has something to do with using whistling to conjure their magic. Definitely not professional, but sounding like someone who at least spent a few years practicing the instrument.
Arja huffs, blushing again, "Gimmie magic drums and I'll rock your world…" she pouts defensively as Simoni plays. Pavi frowns at the music, "See? Nothing…" he teases, holding his arms out before he feels his hips start to sway in time with the music and to match Simoni's moves, blinking as he looks down "Hey what the?!" he frowns, arms coming down to his body to join the rest of him, swaying and wiggling in place.
Lupe rrfs and wags at this, clearly not understanding whats going on as Simoni keeps playing, swaying and moving as she fights the urge to giggle. The tune isn't anything specific, she's just playing on instinct, but again, music is how her people use magic so this is something that comes nautrally to her as she guides the reptilian boy along, playing away on the wooden flute for several long minutes before finally taking it out and taking a few breaths. "Hehe, huh, so Arja found a real one." she smirks, handing it back to the ape girl.
Arja nods, the boy blushing as he finally stops dancing, "Hmph, guess so…" he frowns, crossing his arms as Arja giggles.
"Alright, well, dream powder is cool but all of us have that stuff, that doesn't count. I like this flute a lot buuuuut in India these aren't super rare... I think Lupe may be one of the only werewolves in India, she's the coolest thing here!" She grins at that, the other two nodding, "Yea, we don't even have normal wolves unless you get in the mountains." Pavi reluctantly admits.
Lupe wags and grins at that, panting like a cheerful dog. She doesn't really get whats going on, but that's Lupe in a nutshell. "Alright pup, you did good." giggles Simoni, patting the werewolf's head, "I won't tell Natasha you ripped off that lamb meat." she nods as Lupe rrfs, blushing and earfolding at the mention of that. "So, what do you guys get up to besides scavenger hunts?" she asks curiously. After all her own life tends to be full of chaos, she's kinda curious as to how other supernaturals would live.
Arja smiles "Oh all kinds of stuff really. I mean we do normal stuff plenty, go to cafes, meet at eachothers' places, all that. For more supernatural stuff we do stuff like this, go hunting, sometimes we have contests about who can bring in the coolest family artifact..."
The four of them enjoy the afternoon together on the rooftop as the sun slowly begins to set, finally leaving as the moon begins to rise.","pools_count":0,"title":"Side Story 9: Life in India","deleted":"f","public":"t","mimetype":"application/msword","pagecount":"1","rating_id":"0","rating_name":"General","ratings":[],"submission_type_id":"12","type_name":"Writing - Document","guest_block":"f","friends_only":"f","comments_count":"0","views":"29","sales_description":null,"forsale":"f","digitalsales":"f","printsales":"f","digital_price":""}