Spirits of the Earth

If only her ship could be made of some giant corpse. It wasn't the first time that Vailea had wished as much. Undead flesh she could repair easily. Raid another ship, kill a couple living mortals, and use their lives to fix up or watch what might be necessary, and she'd never have to dock unless she wanted to. It's what kept her half her crew from ever needing to eat or sleep or... stop from doing what they needed to keep the Red Jewel moving.

Alas, the ship itself was not like Vailea or the untiring, ragged crew and they would have to run aground at some point and fix parts of it.

What a pain. Especially when that last fight some enterprising mage had blasted a hole in the side. Not so low she was taking in a lot of water, but it was a problem. One that needed addressed. So bright and early, before the sun had properly clipped the horizon, the call for land rose up and they made they way toward what she thought was a quaint little place to stop. Restock, fix the ship, and they could be on their way.

That was, of course, still Vailea's plan but the island was proving to be a nice place to relax during that time. She was hardly a shipwright so Vailea didn't stick around the docks as the repairs were underway and, instead, went exploring with a bottle of something fruity that burned on the way down and a slim cigar that what equally sweet. The entire island gave her a sense of déjà vu. Granted, a lot of smaller islands did. She'd been alive for so long, had landed in so many places but they were always different but not. Changing in ways she didn't. She'd left in the early morning, drink and cigar a plenty.

It never ceased to delight Vailea. Barefoot and dressed down in breeches that reached her knees and a halter top, she was utterly convinced she was not only alone, but would remain so as she eventually sat down on a beach quite far from where she'd docked. There was more to look at, more to explore, but for now she was happy to enjoy her bottle, cigars, and the crashing of the waves to watch the sunset. A day of walking, of exploring. Night never bothered her and, in all likelihood, she'd remain there. It wasn't like the undead needed sleep. It was just something she occasionally indulged in just because she could. 

Today was a day for hunting! Kaihe could smell it in the air upon their first breath of wakefulness a full hour before the sun rose, and so the maha made preparations early. Dressing in a sarong of large leaves that left the lower half of their legs bare, with nothing on their feet or torso aside from the necklace of tiny animal bones they always wore, Kaihe grabbed a bow, several arrows, and their spear tipped with the bill of a marlin before setting out into the outskirts of the village.

Skulking across the ground of the jungle, their bare feet made little noise on the ground as their eyes scanned carefully for any other movement aside from their own... Unfortunately, this lasted for an hour and a half with no sign of any living creatures at all! The spirits of the jungle were clearly playing tricks on Kaihe today, so with a heavy sigh, they decided to retreat to the beach, where they'd make their way back to the village in relative safety.

When they reached the beach, the maha spotted the first animated creature that day! Thinking it to be one of their tribe, they ran toward them, shouting, "E! Hiki iaʻu ke hui pū meʻoe?!" The sudden appearance of a stranger shouting unfamiliar words, wielding a spear and bow didn't really cross Kaihe's mind, but the maha did soon notice that the person did not belong to her tribe, or any nearby tribe, either. "Ahh... ʻAʻole maopopo iāʻoe?" They asked in a calmer tone, slowing their pace to a walk.

Kaihe's figure, decently toned with a small chest and so-so hips, would make it difficult to discern their gender. However, in a strange, primal sort of way, the tattoos that were so expertly woven into their skin, covering parts of their face, chest, arms, and legs, added to a sort of beauty about the Yoreiq.

Were it any other person, or certainly another mortal, they might have been concerned. Certainly surprised. But half a bottle in and utterly convinced of her own immortality, Vailea's head rolled to regard the strange noises coming from what looked to be someone running at her with weapons.

She half expected a fight and did prepare for one. Seeking out something dead she might animate, but that halfhearted desire died when the approaching person slowed and the tone went from excited and loud to calm and confused. Her sea green eyes regarded the person. A local islander then, or they had to be, dressed as they were. Splashed with setting sunlight. Just another beautiful decoration to the island. Certainly not something or someone to break.

Since it didn't seem they'd be fighting, Vailea took another swig of her drink, a pull from her cigar, then narrowed her eyes a little. The lich knew a lot of languages and probably forgotten more than some would learn in their lifetime, but that didn't mean she knew them all. Rather, the fact she didn't know this one charmed her to it. After a certain point, it wasn't about collecting just silver and gold any more.

So. She had a project. Wasn't that just fun. Vailea settled her bottle in the sand and held the cigar in her mouth, gesturing with both palms up that, first, she had nothing on her and was, in essence, harmless. Well, at least observably harmless. Then, she tapped her chest while the other hand pulled the cigar free. "Veilea." One more tap to her chest, a repeat of her name, then she gestured toward her new found friend expectantly.

The islander tilted their head from one side to the other, a look of utter confusion on their face as they tried to make sense of the outsider's expression and mannerisms. When she raised her hands to show harmlessness, Kaihe's own posture didn't change much, as it wasn't hostile to begin with. "Vei-lea," The maha, whose voice sounded a bit more on the feminine side, repeated the name. Patting themself on the chest, they replied, "Kaihe."

Unsure of what to do at that point, Kaihe turned to the left, toward the northern stretch of the beach. "Uhm... Kaihe kauhale..." They then pointed ahead. "Kaihe... Kaihe... oh!" Kaihe pressed their hands together and rested them against the side of their head and began to make snoring sounds, then made gestures to mimic eating. "Kauhale! Veilea hui pū Kaihe?" They made their best effort to communicate, but the language barrier was starting to hurt Kaihe's brain.

Vailea might not be able to understand what they were saying, but the expression was entertaining and she chuckled. A simple nod clarified her name was correct when the other tried it and it sounded good enough. It didn't have to be perfect and Vailea couldn't be assed to correct beyond that anyways. To show her own understanding of the new person's name, she likewise repeated, "Kaihe."

At the gesture of sleeping, she nodded a little and stood up with her bottle. After a pull from her cigar, she made a vague gesture with her bottle and took one step forward to indicate that she'd follow. Vailea wasn't worried that something would happen to her – she never thought that something would – and a new experience and new people were always something to go get lost on an island for.

And, because she was the friendly sort, Vailea held out her bottle at arm's length. With a grin, she said, "Drink." Not that the other would know what she was saying but, just to clarify, she brought it back once she had Kaihe's attention, took a quick swill, then offered it once more. It was a sweet rum and Vailea had already downed half the bottle in her exploration of the island, but rum was always best when shared with pleasant company.

Kaihe smiled and nodded when Vailea indicated that she would follow, skipping off a few steps before quickly being called to look back at their new friend. "Drink?" They repeated, watching with 'o' shaped lips as Vailea raised the strange container to her lips, then offered it to Kaihe. "Ahh. Drink!" They giggled, moving back to the pirate to accept the bottle. First, they sniffed it a few times to get an idea of how it would taste, then raised it to their lips. Within seconds, another full 1/4th of the bottle was gone, and Kaihe smacked their lips, letting out a relieved sigh. "Drink," They said in an oddly playful tone as they held the bottle back to Vailea, indicating that she liked the rum.

As they progressed down the beach, a small village came into view. It was comprised of a large, open area in the middle, with several small huts on raised stilts surrounding it, with tattooed people who looked like Kaihe with their black and earthy-red tattoos calmly going about their days. "Kauhale," She repeated, motioning to the village. "Um... Omnomnom," She made eating gestures, then motioned to the bottle that she'd given back to Vailea, "drink!"

Vailea was quite happy that the rum seemed to go well with the other – Kaihe – and she was happy to follow them down the steadily darkening beach. It was an island, after all. She couldn't very well get lost on an island. Vailea's pace wasn't rushed but she tried not to lag behind. The lich didn't do anything with any manner of hurry unless it was... well, no, she just didn't hurry.

By the time the small village came to view, the bottle was empty and her cigar was gone. Vailea produced another from a pocket and idly chewed on the end. She'd light it given the first chance. She casually took in the village, as though meeting new people she couldn't understand was an utterly common occurrence, and even laughed some when Kaihe made the supposed noise of eating. Hey, if they wanted to share something, Vailea wasn't going to say no. "Kauhale," Vailea repeated, assuming that meant the village it its entirety. Then, she nodded once and said "food" if only to share her own word and made another vague, arm waved gesture to indicate she'd follow. At this point, she was likely to follow Kaihe anywhere.

Her attention danced from person to person, taking in what they were wearing, how they spoke, what they were saying. Vailea didn't understand it, certainly, but she was processing the sounds. How they said it and trying to pick up any familiar noises she might have already heard. It was still very early, but it was what the lich did. She liked languages. Given enough time – and all she had was time – she'd certainly be able to speak the same language as those in the village.

An outsider coming into the village was one that didn't happen very often, and so upon the first sighting of Vailea by one of the children, a group began to form around her! At first it was only the kids, none of who bore the tattoos that Kaihe did, a noticeable distinction as they warmly but excitedly greeted her by tugging on the pirate's clothes. Soon, with all of the raucous talking, the adults began to form up, all of whom, male and female, had tattoos similar, but not identical, to the ones Kaihe had. In fact, each design was different, reflecting each of their personalities in abstract ways. The adults, too, greeted Vailea warmly, but pulled their children away to stop them from ruining Vailea's clothes further!

Kaihe laughed and spoke in Yoreiq to everyone, trying to answer all of their questions, but when it all became too much they attempted to take hold of Vailea's hand to pull her toward one of the huts. "Make lākou, nā keiki..." They muttered to themselves.

Upon reaching the hut, Kaihe showed Vailea inside. There wasn't much to see: unsteady woodwork for the floor, a bed made of leaves piled up atop one another, and a roof made of leaves that let in little sunlight made the room feel a bit claustrophobic. "E kali maʻaneʻi, eʻai wau-- ahh... uhm. Food. Drink?" They asked. By the doorway, adults were already peeking in, holding wooden trays of food and drink for their guest.

Vailea didn't mind the children at all. She grinned, crouched, and encouraged them to tug at her clothes, her hair if they wanted, and talk to her. Taking in as much as she could. It wasn't so much trying to process what they were saying just yet so much as how. The way everything sounded was just as important as what it all meant. Children were easy like that. They just talked and talked.

When the adults arrived, Vailea did a very generic wave – a greeting – and smiled. She said her name a couple of times, so they'd know what to call her and, in turn, received names. Or what she assumed were names. It was easier when tribespeople were this damn friendly. Some were closed off and required a lot more persuasion before they even started talking, but these people – whatever they were called – approached her with a sort of innocent, excited curiosity.

In that, Vailea envied them. She'd been alive for so long there was certainly no innocence left in her, but her curiously was voracious. That they shared.

Vailea peered inside the hut before walking in, making a noise of appreciation. It wasn't like she could make a hut. She turned in place, taking it all in, before Vailea glanced at Kaihe. They spoke quick, then stopped and tried the trade tongue. Her own eyes narrowed some. " ʻAe koa." Yes, please. Sounded right to her. The inflection would be all wrong, granted, and she might've stumbled some on the start of it... But... Vailea flashed Kaihe a smile.

The children tended to rub noses and forehead with Vailea once she'd crouched down, suggesting that it was a form of greeting in their culture. Everyone was kind, but there were a few shy stragglers, mostly younger children, who stayed back, though they did repeat her name when she said it.

"Oooh!" She cooed as Vailea spoke their language! "E hele mai i nā mea a pau!" Kaihe excitedly declared, and three people, two women and one man who all seemed to be around Kaihe's age, entered. One carried a tray of various island fruits like pineapples, starfruit, papayas, and several other obscure ones, all cut up for Vailea to simply pop into her mouth as she so pleased.

The second tray held an absolute feast of meat, with an entire roast bird as the centerpiece with several perfectly roasted fish surrounding it, all on a bed of leaves that was edible, but mostly for aesthetics. The third and final tray had food that wasn't meat, such as seaweed, a doughy-looking food served in a bowl, and of course, drinks! There were four hollowed out coconut shells with flat bottoms, each holding a clear-ish spirit within them.

With a, "Mahalo," in thanks to the three, Kaihe and Vailea were left alone, and Kaihe lifted one of the coconuts to give it to their new friend while taking one of her own, and raised it to clank against Vailea's. "Aloha!" They cheered, then took a long sip of the strong alcohol.

Vailea, being the easy person that she was, simply sat on the floor and was happy to have more of the intricately tattooed and sometimes winged people join them. The more chatter, the better, in her opinion. When there was food involved, she was doubly delighted. Vailea didn't need to eat, but she loved to. Tasting things was a joy and one she'd partake of when it was offered.

Her eyes were wide but a smile stretched across her face. She echoed the "Mahalo!" as thanks, easily recognizing it as such before she was promptly graced with a drink, to start. Much to the lich's surprise, it burned like alcohol. Which meant it vanished quickly, after which she barked a laugh and stumbled through a rudimentary, "Maikaʻi loa." Grinning, she translated into her own trade tongue. "Very good." At least, that's what she hoped she was saying.

At the very base, Kaihe would know that Vailea was quite delighted with the spread. Especially because she quite literally wanted to sample everything to start. Picking up pieces of fruit, of the meat, trying them in different flavor combinations, and even the leaves they were served on. Nothing was out of bounds of her. She gestured toward all of it and considered, but Vailea didn't have any idea how to convey both her thanks and gratitude at the simple, but extremely warm welcome. So, dipping her head in a small bow, she just said, "Mahalo."

"Ooh! 'Ae, ver-y, uhm... good!" Kaihe replied and took another sip. They seemed to be able to down the rather harsh alcohol well, but it started to have an impact soon enough, since it was on top of the rum they'd had earlier. "Ahh... drink, uhm... whewww, hehe," They made an exaggerated wobbling motion to show it was kicking in.

Only when Vailea had sampled some of everything did Kaihe begin to eat. They lifted up a coconut bowl with some kind of doughy looking substance in it and ripped out pieces that they put into their mouth. "Mmh... poa," They told Vailea, "Ver-y good," Then offered it out for her to try more. It was made from taro, a root, mashed up with water. "Very..." The maha flexed to indicate its healthiness.

When thanked for their hospitality, Kaihe giggled and replied with an enthusiatic, "Aʻole pilikia!" before lifting their drink for another cheer and downing the rest of it. Now wobbling a bit unintentionally, they asked, "Umm, Vailea, no hea mai 'oe?  Ka'āina nui?" The maha crawled a bit toward the door and made a wide motion toward the sea. Kaihe knew of the mainlanders, and Vailea certainly looked foreign.

Vailea chuckled a little at the wobble, though it would take a lot more to get her sloshed. Being undead had it's perks and downsides. Being resistant to most impairing affects being one of them. Taking a bit to get both drunk or high was, well, one of the down sides. Not that it ever stopped Vailea from doing both.

Her consumption of the food had slowed some, but she was consistently sampling things. Popping flavorful bites into her mouth and making happy sounds. She didn't need to say with any word just how delighted she was to be eating and drinking, especially when it was such a spread like this. When something was offered, such as the odd, squishy dough, she tried it without hesitation. Then, she tried it with a couple other things to get a variance of flavor and texture in her mouth. When she found out it tasted good around a bite of roasted bird, she likewise offered it to Kaihe. It only seemed fair and appropriate.

Her eyes narrowed a little while she chewed a piece of mango and pineapple together as Kaihe spoke, trying to figure out what it was they were referring to. The gesture away seemed to indicate, well, not here. Vailea could only assume she was being asked where she was from. It was a pretty reasonable question, all things considering.

Leaning back on a hand, she sipped from one of the remaining coconut drinks while she tried to figure out, in the simplest terms, how to explain. Knowing only a few key words she'd heard repeated – thank you, yes, please – she wasn't really going to be able to say or convey a complex thought. So she gestured in the same direction Kaihe had. She was from, well, far away. So she made the same gesture again, but slower and a bit grander, as though to encompass a vaster space or distance. "Far from here. And... well, the ocean, I guess." The last was said a bit too quick that it was likely to be of any use, but Vailea smiled a little.

She sat her coconut down. Mimed sleeping for a brief second, as Kaihe had earlier with two hands clasped, then made a very crude indication of a person walking along her arm. Ending with her pointing to both of them. "Kaihe, Vailea... I'll take you tomorrow." The words were more for herself than anything, but she'd be able to actually take the islander to her ship in the morning. Most wouldn't want to go wandering around at night and it'd probably be a bad idea anyway. She could wait.

Especially since she had a pile of food to go through.

"Far-from-here," They repeated just as slowly as Vailea had said them, then muttered something under their breath. As Vailea made gestures to communicate like Kaihe had done before, there was a look of confusion until they finally got the gist of it. Then their eyes widened. "Akā, ua lōʻihi kēia! ʻAʻole au i kau ma luna o ka moku ma mua!" They said apprehensively, eyes lowering to the arrow points tattooed into their toes.

Upon realizing they'd just let out a stream of Yoreiq rather than make any attempt to communicate, Kaihe attempted to express her worry. "Vailea, Kaihe... very, uhm.. far?" They outstretched their arms wide to either side, then pressed their hands close together without touching. Then, they picked up their second coconut shell of liquor and took a sip, anxious to hear their new friend's response.

Kaihe lay down on their side, propping their head up on their hand as they continued to pick at the fruits offered. There was so much food left over, but it was only customary to offer a guest as much! If Vailea paid any attention to her hosts's chest, she'd notice that there were, in fact, tiny breasts there, indicating that the maha had a physically female form, despite the androgyny of the rest of their body.

Vailea nodded when Kaihe repeated the 'far-from-here'. She hadn't really slowed in her consumption of food. Her body would break it all down and distribute it to organs that still functioned and would process the nutrients. There was rarely a case of too much for the lich. So she was still eating at a steady, exploratory rate. She revisited particular flavors she enjoyed and had some things by themselves, if only to reset her taste buds if something had been rich in flavor.

The quick string of sounds actually made her pause, mid stretch for a piece of the roasted bird, while she tried to process some of the sound. Ultimately, though, it'd been too much and too fast. She shook her head a little and smiled to indicate she'd tried, but didn't understand while gathering up some more bird to eat.

When Kaihe tried to clarify, Vailea pondered. Looking up at the ceiling as she did so. " ʻAʻole,ʻaʻole loa." She pieced together. Yes and no were usually easy. This time, answering in the negative of Kaihe's language. Then, sucked one finger clean before lifted it up. "One... day's... walk." She mimicked the walk again, but she wasn't sure how do mimic day. So she shrugged a little and smiled, repeating that it wasn't far. She'd managed the walk in the jist of a day, after all. And, if at any point Kaihe wanted to turn back, Vailea was hardly going to stop them.

"One d-..day's wawuk," They repeated. Kaihe couldn't be certain of what she meant, but they'd go along with it anyways. Moving to lay down, Kaihe flopped over onto their back and let out a hiccup. "Very drinks. Ke wili nei kuʻu poʻo," They made a swirling gesture with their wrist. "Ua hiamoe au," They added, making mock-snoring sounds with their hands pressed under their head. "Ke hiamoe nei pahaʻoe?"

Whether or not Vaelia replied, Kaihe closed their eyes and breathed softly on the hard wood of the floor, finding it comfortable enough in their drunken state to sleep on. Within minutes, they were out like a light.

Vailea smiled a little more as she watched, and processed, the sounds that Kaihe made. Sentences, clearly, but she didn't understand what was being said. Not yet, anyways. She continued to pick at what remained of the food. It'd be terrible to let it go to waste, wouldn't it? Rather, that's how the lich liked to think of it.

Obviously, Kaihe meant to go to sleep. She'd picked up on that much. Since the lich didn't have to right away, she continued to munch until she was certain Kaihe was well into her sleep. Then, dumping some fruit in one of the coconuts, she quietly picked her way out of the hut so she could go and attempt to converse with some of the remaining tribes people who were still awake.

Which was what she did until everyone was ready to sleep and she was in the dark, though not quiet, village. Rather than sit inside, Vailea sat against the outside wall of the hut with another drink that had been provided by a sweet villager and remained there. Tracing the star patterns she could see and constellations she'd learned about. It was a great thing to do now that she'd felt the buzz of the alcohol. Vailea continued to do just that until the creep of morning started to chase the stars away.

The villagers were all very friendly toward Vailea, each of them offering some sort of gift, whether in food, drink, or trinkets such as anklets, wristbands, and necklaces made of shiny stones or animal bones. An older woman even offered a colorful yellow sarong! But by the time the sun had already been down for two hours, almost everyone had gone to sleep or were relaxing in their huts. Vailea might have noticed that there was no sort of order as to who went where; family units did not exist in Yoreiqi culture, but there was always at least one adult wherever a child without tattoos went.

For once, Kaihe woke up rather late into the morning, when the sun was just rising. Tossing and turning on the floor for a few minutes, the maha only opened their eyes when a ray of sun shined over them and they realized how late it was! Sitting up immediately, the maha's head swiveled around the small hut, looking for Vailea, only to find out that she'd left! This was no good.

Scrambling out of the cabin, Kaihe exclaimed, "VAILEA!" At the top of her lungs. Naturally, the half-asleep maha with dried drool at the corner of their mouth and wild, unkempt sleep-hair was met by a round of laughter from the villagers who were already well awake at that point, getting ready for their day. Blushing and looking away bashfully, it was then that Kaihe noticed their friend standing there. "O-..Oh. Vailea. Manaʻo wau ua lawe kahi holoholona iāʻoe i ka pō..." They muttered, then hopped down from the raised platform the hut stood on, raising their hand to give Vailea some assistance in getting down.

"Umm... Vailea," They made a sleeping gesture, "very good?"

Vailea had accepted everything that had been given to her, be it food, drink, trinket, and the sarong – which she now wore over her breeches.  She'd wished some of the villagers a good morning, both in the trader's tongue and their own when they responded to her in kind.

By the time Kaihe woke up, others were already milling around and doing... whatever it was villagers did. Build things, tend to children, tools, plants. Whatever. She did flinch some when her name was shouted, but she chuckled alongside the others and took Kaihe's hand if only because it was offered. She studied Kaihe at the string of sounds and eventually nodded slowly. "aloha kakahiaka," she said first, then echoed in trader, "Good morning." Seemed to be the way to start the morning. Then, she nodded more casually with a smile. " hiamoe maikaʻi. Slept good."

She wasn't about to tell Kaihe or the others she didn't sleep, so she'd stumbled through telling them she'd had a good sleep. Or at least that's what she hoped she was saying. It seemed to be the right words with the right gesture and had the appropriate response.

"Good morn-ning," They repeated with a somewhat surprised smile, moving her head close to her friend's to press their noses and foreheads against one another in greeting. Vailea was picking up their language so quickly, so Kaihe felt she'd have to pick up the pace as well! Stepping back, the maha stood at attention and spoke formally to show Vailea that they had also picked up on new words. "Uhm-- good! Kaihe slept... hewa," They blinked, not knowing what the opposite of good was in the trader's tongue.

Walking along toward the edge of the village that they'd come from the day before, the maha asked, "Vailea, Kaihe, ahh, one day's walk?" They still didn't know what it meant, but they trusted Vailea enough to go along with it. Enthusiastic, they said, "Alakaʻi i ke ala!" and motioned toward the beach.

Languages really were a delight. Working through the sounds and structure of Kaihe's was a new mental challenge for her and she was quite enjoying it. It was going to make staying on the island during repairs fun. The close greeting caught her off guard, but she didn't tense up or back away. Rather, she was quite delighted. Progress!

When Kaihe clarified how they slept, Vailea quirked a brow but then said, in the trader's tongue, "Bad. Wrong? Not good?" She shook her head but smiled and followed toward the edge of the village. The phrase actually caught her off guard so she laughed. "Ah, yes. One day's walk." She glanced where they gestured before she linked her arm through Kaihe's and they walked together. Vailea's sense of direction was pretty good and she knew they'd come from this direction the day before. Getting back to the beach would be easy, and from there, her ship. The walk might take awhile, but that would give them a chance to continue talking to one another and work through some more of the phrases and meet a commonality.

Once that was established, getting through a language was a lot easier.

"Not good," Kaihe nodded. "Kaihe slept not good!" They said proudly, forming their first ever full sentence in trader's tongue!... Sort of. Still. Progress. Kaihe laughed as Vailea hooked her arm through theirs, and they warmly stepped closer to their friend, hugging the arm as the glow of the sun began to settle on them for the day.

"Vailea good splash-splash?" Kaihe asked all of a sudden, gesturing to the water. "Kaihe good splash-splash. Very good! Nā'ēheu not good..." They gave a small flutter of their wings, but then sighed as their pace slowed down somewhat.

"Vailea, Kaihe... mmh... E aʻoʻo Vailea iā Kaihe?" They asked slowly. "Ua'ōlelo wahaheʻeʻo Kaihe i ka'ōlelo a Vailea. Not good... Vailea... Kaihe..." The maha let out a low, annoyed grumble after the string of words that felt incoherent even in their own tongue. Using context, the frustration would probably lead the long-lived pirate to understand that Kaihe was frustrated about not being able to communicate well using only gestures. They wanted to learn.

Vailea was quite pleased with both her own progress and Kaihe's, not only verbally, but as they walked as well. Learning languages after the first hundred was a bit easier as patterns and sounds became easier to piece and parcel together. That and it was a joy of the lich's. It was made far easier when the people she wanted to learn it from were very eager to talk to her, and enthusiastic in sharing gestures along with the words. Like teaching a child to talk.

When they made it to the beach, the sudden excitement made Vailea curious. Oh. Swim? She snorted a laugh and shook her head. "No, not good. At all." Vailea was more apt to sink. Granted, she didn't need to be good but it was still entertaining to her.

When Kaihe struggled to get across what they wanted to, Vailea mulled it all over. Piecing it through and trying to get the gist of it, even if she didn't understand it exactly. Sometimes, that was just as good if the literal translation didn't always... make sense. In this case, she hadn't followed what Kaihe had said, per say, but she understood body langue and could hear the frustration. Vailea didn't know how she could tell the other that she'd be around for awhile to learn, so, she smiled a little, tugged on Kaihe's arm to get their attention, and tried, "Ua maikaʻiʻoe." Then, she gestured to herself, then the beach. "Vailea stay. Eia."

It would be over time that Kaihe would see that Vailea would be around to teach them more.

"Oh. Aʻoʻo Kaihe iā Vailea splash-splash!" They assured Vailea. Swimming was one of Kaihe's favorite things to do, but her wings, while buoyant, sometimes made it difficult to move around efficiently. A task's difficultly never stopped Kaihe before, though.

When Vailea told Kaihe that she was going to stay, Kaihe understood immediately! Or at least, she thought she did. Embracing her new friend, Kaihe laughed and rubbed her nose and forehead against the foreigner's. "Good! Very good! E aʻoʻo Kaihe iā Veilea e'ōlelo iā Yoreiqi!" Whether or not Vailea understood immediately, it became obvious as Kaihe began to point things out and translate what they were in Yoreiqi. Shells were pūpū, fish were 'ohi, and so on... assuming that Vailea had also returned the trader tongue's version of the words in kind, each of them would have a rudimentary understanding of each others' languages in time!

Given both the excitement and assurance writ across Kaihe's face, Vailea could easily assess that should she ever find herself in water around them, she'd be in good hands. If anything, that actually made the lich want to skip around in the shallow waves that teased lazily up the sand.

It'd be a thought for later.

The excitement when Kaihe comprehended that Vailea would be present, for at least awhile – getting time across would be a whole different game – that too delighted the Captain. Languages and people were a pleasure to her. A feast in its own way. She'd seen tribes vanish, peoples no one would ever know, and she treasured the time she had with them. Voracious in consuming the knowledge they had, their languages, and the experience with them. What was eternal life if she could not enjoy the things most people did not know, such as rare language?

Vailea collected them as one might fine wine or rare paintings. These were things priceless to her. So she followed Kaihe and savored the excitement, taking in the various words, repeating what was said and echoing the trader's word for each thing as they steadily made their way towards the small port where her boat was being worked on. It was a slower walk back, mind, because they were talking and exploring as much as they were walking, but they arrived just as the sun was setting.

Her crew were mostly off enjoying the things the port had to offer. Drink, company, and the chance to be on land for a little while. The undead generally tending to the ship were quietly dismissed by the Lich. Vailea didn't want to scare the poor thing. So, as they approach, she gestured to the large ship presently docked and rolled slightly so that repairs could be made to the blasted hole. To which Vailea affectionately said, " kuʻu hale."

The Red Jewel was a large ship, capable of holding enough cargo to be out at sea for extended periods of time. Three masts, though the canvas was furled now, and the wood had been darkened with age, tar, and oil. She was dark, old ship that had seen a long life and would live to see many more years – Vailea would ensure that.

Kaihe enjoyed her time with Vailea, making small jokes knowing the few words in the trader's tongue that she knew, all the while skipping across the beach or holding onto Vailea's arm. She displayed an exceptionally feminine bounciness during that time, and as they approached the area where her crew had made harbor, it was only exemplified. "Hale? ʻO kēlā ka moku nui loa aʻu iʻike ai, e ka hoahānau!" She exclaimed, paying little attention to the amount of people now surrounding her as she ran toward the massive construct.

Examining the immaculate woodwork far better than any of the small boats her people carved from single trees, the girl was quickly overwhelmed. "ʻAʻole hiki iaʻu ke manaʻoʻiʻo i kēia mau mea..." She turned to Vailea and asked, "Is this the biggest boat in the world?" It was an easy enough question for Vailea to answer, considering she'd been picking up on the language for almost two days at that point.

When she finally noticed the hole in the ship, her eyes went wide. "What happened? Did you fight a sea monster?" She shuddered, her dark face turning a bit pale. Kids from the island were taught through tales not to venture out too far, else they'd meet those terribly frightening creatures.

To say that Vailea loved her ship was a vast understatement. It'd been with her through most of her life, rebuilt and patched up over the course of two thousand years. A constant in a life so vast and long when so many other things were not. Her home, her freedom. What inspired Vailea all those years ago to track down the secret to immortality and pay the heavy price for it.

Some pirates dreamt of what she had. Life eternal. Vailea frequently wondered if they'd pay the same price or if it were all bluster.

She marveled at the Red Jewel a moment longer before smiling a little at Kaihe. "Aʻole. No." Still, it made her happy to have someone else be impressed too. Even if it was because they'd not seen anything else. It was nice that the first large ship Kaihe might see was Vailea's own.

The question was an apt one and, as Vailea led Kaihe to a rope ladder so they might climb to the deck of the ship, she nodded a little. "Something of the sort, yes. Here for repairs." Vailea went first, if only so she could help Kaihe balance on the slanted deck once they were both up.

It was high, after all, but granted them a beautifully vast and expansive view around them. It made Vailea itch to be at sea, but that would come soon enough.

Kaihe let out a small 'Ooh!' wen Vailea spoke so fluently in Yoreiqi. "If you need any supplies from my village, let me know and I can have them readied!" Kaihe watched as Vailea climbed up first, then followed in suit, nearly tipping over backwards as soon as she was up on the deck.

The view of the sea and jungle might have been magnificent, but they were sights that Kaihe had seen her entire life, from the skies, no less. What really interested her was the amazing woodwork of the ship, the massive masts with furled sails that towered overhead, and just... the sheer size of the entire ship! "I cannot imagine how much wood it took to craft such a magnificent wonder... Likely this entire island's worth! Is the mainland truly so large?" Vailea was likely hearing some of the words for the first time, but she could fill in the blanks well enough.

Stepping up to one of the masts, Kaihe pressed the bottom of her foot against it to test its sturdiness, and once satisfied, began to scale it out of sheer curiosity, wobbling uncertainly from side to side which elicited giggles out of her. "This is one of the biggest trees I have ever climbed!" Her mind wandered like a child's when she got into this sort of mood.

Vailea continued to watch the sea a bit longer before she made her way toward the back cabin, where her personal things were, enjoying the familiarity of being on her ship. Even if it was canted on its side. Soon, she'd be fixed and they'd be back out on the water. Resupplied and going about their business as usual.

The lich smiled a little more and opened the door.  She pieced together what Kaihe was saying and shook her head a little. "Mainlaind... vast. Big." She emphasized with her arms extended before vanishing in her cabin for a moment, only to step out with a pack of cigars and cindersticks to light them. Then, she found a stable place to sit and watch Kaihe explore the ship. It didn't occur to Vailea that she should worry over the other – that just wasn't her way. Live and let live. Have fun. Laughter was the best sound.

Vailea lit one of the sweet cigars and chuckled a little. "I'd offer for you to... Come with? But I doubt... You would stay here?" It was the lilt of her words that made it a question. More than that, Kaihe would probably not want to see the rest of the crew. Undead tended to make others anxious.

Kaihe climbed all the way to the top of the mast and examined the sails for a bit before taking a big leap off of it, unfurling her wings to their full, magnificent twelve foot diameter, and slowly flapping her way down to the deck until her toes touched the floor. "Ahh... I really needed that stretch,"  They sighed in relief as Vailea lit her cigar.

"Me? Come with you?" She blinked. "I-... I have never even thought about leaving my island, my village... my people," With their eyes cast down at the floor, Kaihe crossed her arms and stepped toward her friend. "What is it like, on the mainland? Is there even a place for a maha like me? I may be too overwhelmed... and that is saying much, coming from me!" They exclaimed with a bit of nervous laughter, pressing their hands against their bare chest.

Vailea watched Kaihe play like a patient babysitter might a child they were set to watch. It was endearing, really. The sort of sweet innocence that Kaihe had. The wonder in the world about things they didn't know about. Vailea used to have that, though it had always been tinged with a feral hunger to know it all. Still was, she supposed. Life had been too short, she felt, and there was too much to experience.

Even after so long, she still felt that way.

Vailea took a long drag from the sweet cigar and smiled a little as Kaihe fumbled through the offer. She didn't really think that Kaihe would take it seriously. Most islanders wouldn't dream to leave. The world too vast, the thought of the unknown too scary. Vailea didn't understand it, of course, but she wasn't about to take an unwilling passenger. That just got messy.

After another long drag, she shook her head some. "Not... Not mainland.." She gestured toward the ocean, and eyed it with an odd, hungry longing. "I stay out... live out... Out on the sea. Travel. Go to beach to beach to beach. Visit. Never stay on land long." it was hard to convey that she didn't really go to the mainland. That Kaihe wouldn't be able to travel the world with her, so much as just... explore the vast ocean and see various beaches and port cities.

Granted, that was and would still be a lot to take in for an islander. Vailea turned her attention back to Kaihe and smiled a little, letting them know she understood it was a lot to... say. To explain.

Frowning, Kaihe looked down at their feet and bit their bottom lip. "The ocean is really scary, so... I don't know, Vailea. I like you very much, but we have only just met. My village... they do not depend on me, but I know that they will miss me, and I will miss them even more."

She looked sheepishly at Vailea's cigar for a moment, then back at the floor. "Thinking about leaving makes me feel ill. But also.. excited. There is a lot that I want to see that the island does not have. When... When ship good, Kaihe go? Small-... small journey. Kaihe not good, Kaihe come home? Kaihe good, Kaihe come Vailea?" A test-trip with Vailea sounded nice, but they were doubtful that she would agree to such a thing. To go so far out of her way, and for someone she'd just met? Kaihe had never asked for so much in their entire life.

When there were a lot of words put together, it took all of Vailea's concentration to put the sentences together, to understand what was being said. Some of the words got lost, but she could get the jist. The meaning, from key words in key places. Key sounds along with body language.

She took a long hit off of her cigar while she processed and considered. Ultimately, though she was the Captain, Vailea was as much subject to the crew as they were to her decisions. It wasn't just 'go here, do that'. They'd have ditched the ship and her with it long ago if it were run as such. So, it would be an incredibly selfish decision to make a small jaunt out into the ocean and eventually return to the island, perhaps with nothing to show for it.

Not that the island wasn't lovely, with its own fun to be had. But after being docked here for a time, even Vailea knew that they would be restless and ready for a bit more action. Something that hit the adrenaline spike.

She let out a long exhale before shaking her head a little. "It's not... Crew to think about. Not my choice.." It was a rudimentary explanation, that didn't begin to capture all of what she meant, but it was the best way to explain. Then, smiling a little, Vailea stood and hugged Kaihe with her free arm. "Is fine. Island – home – beautiful. Enjoy and be happy." Which she meant, wholly. The offer had been whim and there was no reason for Kaihe to fret over it.

Kaihe's lips pressed together tightly and their eyes began to well up when Vailea wrapped her free arm around them. They began to speak, but it just came out as incoherent blabbering until they finally fell to their knees and began to sob. They didn't even seem to know why they were crying-- it was just flowing out of them.

Unable to stop for a full minute, when Kaihe was finally able to speak again, their voice was shaky. "I-I wanna go... but my people...!" Which boiled it down to the essentials. The maha lowered themself to their rear and hugged their knees into their chest, curling up like a ball. "Kaihe sorry, Vailea. Very big choice..."

Well. That was not the reaction that Vailea had expected. She stood, shocked, while Kaihe started to cry. It was moments like this where the cultural barrier was the greatest divider now. She could say things to Kaihe, but she couldn't begin to comprehend what was going on. For a moment, Vailea just let them cry. Let them experience whatever emotion had brought them to that point.

Sometimes, that's all it was. Letting someone do what they needed, cry if they wanted, without judgement. Vailea could certainly do that. She took a slow drag and remained near. A quite, supportive presence.

When Kaihe began to sort it out with stammered words, she shook her head then ran a hand through her hair. She crouched in front of Kaihe and held her cigar off to the side. "No, I am sorry. Should not have..." Hrm. Vailea didn't know how to clarify, so she smiled a little waved her hand a little. "Big choice. Unfair to ask." Best way to say. Most islanders would never be presented with the opportunity and it was hardly fair to dump that on them.

Then, Vailea settled back on her own rump and took a long drag. Mulling it over a moment, she exhaled before saying, "Will visit. If possible." There was certainly a chance, once they left, they'd be back around here. The islands were set off a ways and there were always reasons to be this direction. Repairs being the main one. Restocking the other.

The islander shifted as they felt fingers running through their hair, a comforting gesture that helped alleviate the strange emotions that were felt within. "I would rather have the choice than not... If not for you, I never would have felt it. This..." She bit her lip and curled her fingers and toes, "longing. I think that is what this feeling is."

She took a deep breath and finally lifted her head to meet Vailea's gaze. "I have only known you for little more than a day, but I feel connected to you. Kaihe like Vailea," She clarified with a small blush spreading over her cheeks. "Promise me you will visit? Promise." Sniffling, she lifted her hands and gently sat them on the back of Vailea's head before she leaned forward, pressing their noses and foreheads together as a sign of affection.

Vailea appreciated the response. It was nice to know, really, that the islander liked her. That they could share something beyond just wanting to learn eachother's language. That was what living was all about. Enjoying it all. Finding the pleasure in it. For Vailea, it was languages. Cigars. Fine food and good company. Kaihe was just that – good company. Her enthusiasm and sweet innocence was a beautiful thing to experience second hand.

She chewed on the end of the cigar a little and smiled some. "Too kind." Having her long life ripple through others also meant something to the lich. Not every undead had to be a terror, after all. Not every undead marked their hopefully eternal life through terror and a reign of blood and chaos. Quite the opposite for Vailea. She rather liked offsetting the few lives she had to take to extend her own with the sense she'd mattered to a great many more.

Vailea was selfish like that. Collecting moments, memories, and pleasures like a king would hoard gold in a treasury. This was the sort of thing no one could plunder from her. "Will do my best.. I like you too." As close to a promise as the lich would make before she smiled at the contact. Kaihe was as sweet as her people. Open and giving.

Upon parting, Vailea leaned back on a hand and regarded the other. "I still have time. Many days before I'll be leaving. Will be here longer." Wasn't like she was shipping off tomorrow. The ship would take longer, restocking... ugh.

Kaihe rubbed their noses together a few more times before she giggled and let go of the lich's head. "Kaihe know. Kaihe know Kaihe... miss Vailea when... her go." She frowned, knowing that it didn't come out right, but it didn't really matter at that point. "Until you leave, I will show you everything our island and village has to offer! Splash-splash, surfing, hunting, trapping, maybe I will even glide with you off of the big rock!" She assured her friend.

Becoming bashful all of a sudden, Kaihe mutter a more complicated string of words that Vailea was certain not to understand, but the blush that spread across her cheeks as she spoke implied what it might have been about.

Rising to her feet, Kaihe stretched her arms out above her head and let out a long yawn. "Kaihe sleepy. Bed boat?" She asked.

The unique way that the islanders displayed both a greeting and affection always made Vailea smile and laugh a little. Not because she thought it silly, but because it was just so very different. Certainly not the traditional handshake.

She chewed on the end of her cigar since it was almost out and nodded a little. "I'll trust you to take me... Ah... swimming. Not good at splash-splash." she clarified. Vailea hadn't been before she'd became a lich and it hadn't improved over the two thousand years she'd been alive. For whatever reason, the water liked to pull her under. Shallows were all well and good, but anything deeper with a moving current, and Vailea was frequently out matched. The rest – hunting, trapping – wouldn't be so bad and if anything, a chance to learn more words. Become fluent in casual conversation even if it wasn't exactly her forte.

The last thing, though, Vailea narrowed her eyes and didn't catch. The blush wasn't exactly a tell either, since she had no context words with which to sort it out.

When Kaihe said they were tired, Vailea momentarily forgot that... well, they would need to sleep. With the ship canted as it were, being in the cabin would be impossible. But, that didn't mean they couldn't sleep nearby. Or rather, Kaihe could. "Wait," Vailea said before she stood up and made her way carefully back into her cabin. She came out, moments later, with a couple of plush blankets and a pillow. "Can't sleep on tipped boat. Down though. Blankets for you."

Vailea tossed them over the side, so they'd land on the ground, before she climbed down the rope latter. Getting down was definitely going to be easy for Kaihe, so she didn't worry about that. Instead, she set up a nice make shift bed out of the blankets she'd brought down and presented it for all the world like it was a work of art.

Kaihe was rather glad that the Lich didn't catch on, since it was already quite late and they were out of energy after that crying fit. Wiping the last of their tears from their eyes, they waited as Vailea asked, only to cock an eyebrow and tilt their head when the strange objects were taken out of of the cabin. "Blanket? What blanket do?" They asked as they followed Vailea down, gently hopping to the ground with a little flap of their wings. The sand and dirt definitely felt more comfortable beneath their feet than the slanted wooden floorboards.

The blankets and pillows, meanwhile, were the most comfortable things they'd ever felt. Just stepping on them took the rest of their energy out of them, and by the time their head hit the pillow, they were two blinks away from passing out. "Blanket... blanket nice..." They mumbled, reaching up sleepily and making grabby motions for Vailea. If the lich obliged, Kaihe pressed their forehead and nose against the woman, but as an added sign of some sort of affection, the Yoreiqi placed a small kiss on the woman's lips before letting go and closing their eyes for the night. "Night-night, Vailea... Mmh... very good blanket..." And they were gone.

Blankets would always be a god-send. Vailea was quite pleased that Kaihe seemed to think so, too. Plush comforters stuffed with cotton and soft fabric tended to do the trick. Only the nicest for Vailea. She hadn't lived as long as she had just to have scratchy blankets.

She settled near Kaihe with the intent to remain next to them throughout the night. It was one thing to leave them alone in the village, sleeping, and another to leave them alone on a beach near the ship unattended. Vailea wasn't about to go wandering around now. When Kaihe made grabby motions, Vailea easily complied. She was expecting the press to her forehead and nose. Even murmured a "Good night" but the kiss was new.

Quite new. The lich grinned and sat up, leaning back on her hands. Only after she was certain that Kaihe was asleep did she allow the undead to return to the ship and continue their guarding of the cargo. Since they were in the area, eventually Vailea lay back and dozed off. Sleep wasn't physically necessary, but it was nice to shut off her brain every once and awhile. Let herself mentally recharge.

And the blankets were very good.

Kaihe slept incredibly well that night, their body curled up in a ball with the soft blankets covering every inch of them but their head. Having gotten a less than restful sleep the previous night thanks to the alcohol, they managed to recharge completely this night, and when they finally awoke in the morning, it had already somehow been a full hour past daybreak.

Their eye peeked open to see the sun, only to cause the maha to let out an annoyed grunt and curl up under the blankets even more, covering their face so they wouldn't be woken up anymore. Now that they were awake, there was a constant re-positioning to find the most comfortable position, which every position seemed to be for about a minute or so. Eventually they became tired of tossing, turning, and sweating, so they threw the blanket off of themselves to lay on their back within full view of the warm sun. Having kicked off their skirt at some point, they were able to enjoy a bit of nude sunbathing. "I could get used to this..." They mumbled to themself, making no attempt to stand up just yet.

When Vailea slept, she breathed very little – almost to the point of not at all – and didn't move. So the stretched out, on top of the blankets, place she'd fallen asleep was where she'd remained until the lich woke up as the sun started to rise. Waking up was much the same for her as others, though, and she stretched and yawned. Even rubbed at her eyes as though sleep had gathered in them.

Some habits just never went away.

Then she sat up, while Kaihe was still asleep, and idly checked on the crew and changed her clothes. She swapped out her breeches and opted just for the yellow sarong she'd been gifted and changed tops. Something a little more befitting the tropical climate. The sleeveless halter would be nice and cool in the eventual heat of the day. She ended with a small silk sash around her waist so she had a place to store her goodies – cigars and cindersticks.

Once she checked with the quartermaster on the progress of the ship and the state of things, she eventually returned to the blankets to sit next to Kaihe and enjoy a nice glass of coconut rum and cigar while the sun finished rising. She'd not been back very long when Kaihe woke, or at least seemed to be waking up. Vailea didn't press though and waited until the blankets were kicked off before saying, "Good morning. Sleep good?"

"Mhm... Very good. You?," They asked sleepily, rolling onto their side and pushing themself up enough so that they could quickly touch foreheads and noses in greeting. Resting their head on their propped up hand, they rubbed the sleepiness out of their eyes with their free hand.

"What do you want to do today?" They asked. "I can fly back to my village and be back by midday with boards if you want to surf, or we can relax and talk!" The maha offered as they finally reached down to tug up the skirt that had fallen to their ankles. Their eyes now trailing over Vailea's form, a bright smile came to Kaihe's face! "You're wearing the sarong again! It looks so nice on you, sister! I will have to get more so you can bring them with you on your travels. Which colors do you like the most?"

Vailea leaned back on one hand and considered. She didn't have much planned, but she also wasn't much of a planner on her times off. Go with the flow, do whatever she wanted. Which involved drinking and smoking a cigar, at the moment. When Kaihe suggested surfing, Vailea snorted a laugh but it wasn't because it was a silly suggestion, but because it sounded like a grand way to make a fool of herself.

And thus, a grand suggestion.

"I'm a terrible... swimmer. Bad in the water," Vailea reminded, grinning. That wasn't a no, though, so she nodded some and sipped her rum. "If you want to try and teach me to surf though... I think that sounds fun." Falling around in the water with someone who would be able to stop her from being pulled out to sea was her idea of a good time.

The offer to bring more was sweet and Vailea considered a moment before answering, readily, "Blue and green. Like the sea."

"Kaihe-.. Kaihe.. teach... Vailea.. surf!" They nodded, "Very fun!" Standing up, the maha did some stretches, raising their arms out above their head, leaning to either side to stretch their legs, unfurling their wings to give a few test flaps, before they turned back to Vailea. "Blue and green. I will tell our weavers to make them for you! Ooh, perhaps a sash, as well..."

Mumbling at that point, Kaihe shook their head to snap them out of it. "Kaihe come b-...back, surfboard, surf cloth, Vailea! Umm... not one-day-away. Until the sun is just past overhead, I think. Kaihe come back! Vailea see Kaihe!"

Unfurling their wings, Kaihe offered a small wave and a smile back to Vailea before stepping back over to the mast which was scaled with relative ease due to its tilt and the maha's experience with climbing, and once they were near the top, they lept off and began to glide back toward their village, the wings giving some additional flaps to maintain height and gain speed. Within a few minutes, Kaihe was already out of sight, flight apparently being far faster than walking.


A few hours later, around the time that Kaihe had said, the winged figure could be seen once again approaching from the distance, carrying something with their toes and a board beneath each arm. They seemed to be struggling with the extra weight, but they did eventually manage to make it back to the deck of the ship, collapsing immediately and letting the two finely crafted boards and a bag of sorts to fall to the floor alongside them. "K-...Kaihe... back... nnngh..." They groaned.

Kaihe certainly thought they were going to teach Vailea. What was more likely to happen was they were going to watch the lich flounder around in the water, but the attempt was likely to be entertaining. So. Why not? She smiled at Kaihe's enthusiasm and nodded when they said when they'd be back, understanding. "I will be here." she reassured. There were some Captain things she could take care of while Kaihe was away. Logs to tend to and accounts to settle. Likely some things to pay for. Boring things, but tasks she had to take care of regardless.

Once Kaihe took off, Vailea lingered a little longer – at least until her cigar and drink were finished – before she got up and set about her more serious duties. A skeleton eventually crept out of the ship to collect the blankets and put them away.

By the time Kaihe was set to return, Vailea was in a somber mood from her more mundane tasks and having to pay out for more supplies to fix the ship. More than she wanted, longer than she expected. All news she didn't like. The lich was sitting on the beach, nursing a bottle of coconut rum, when she spied Kaihe returning. She watched the descent and winced a little when she heard the rough-ish landing. Shouting up to the deck, she asked, "Are you ok?"

"Kaihe okay!" A chipper but winded voice chimed down from the deck of a ship. "Just-.. need... a minute...!" And for the next minute or so, pained breathing could be heard from atop the deck. Not a moment after that minute, the Yoreiq finally stood and waved down to Vailea. "Kaihe come," They said, taking hold of the boards under their arms again and the bag in their toes before gliding down easily and coming to a jogging stop in front of Vailea.

Dropping the well-crafted boards to the sand, Kaihe then greeted her friend once again with a forehead and nose press before they bent down to set the bag aside for the time being. "Okay! Surfing!" The maha declared, now wearing a pink wrap around their breasts and a new leaf skirt around their waist. They looked decidedly more feminine.

"Surfboard," She pointed to one of the boards, then got down on her belly atop it. "Arm move like splash-splash," She mimicked swimming atop it, "wave come, come feet!" She quickly stood up on the board, crouching down. "Body move surfboard, move side side, swing feet," She lifted her front foot to indicate which one, "move board. Very good?" She asked with a tilt of her head and a bright, innocent smile.

Vailea did stand when she heard that Kaihe was ok, but... just in case. She had no idea how flying actually worked or if she might need to go up there to help carry anything down. When Kaihe clarified they needed a moment, she granted that request and took a swig from her bottle.

Ah right. They were going to go surfing. Well, that lifted her spirits a little. The rum helped.

She chuckled when Kaihe flapped down with the boards and sipped her rum when it as explained to her. Kaihe tried, anyway. This was going to be a disaster, but Vailea nodded along anyway. She understood the theory. It was the application that was going to be bad. "Ah. Yeah. We'll... How about you show me first?"

"Okay, Vailea! Oh, umm.. Kaihe come... come.. I have a gift for you," She sighed, unable to get it all out in the trader tongue. Crouching down, the islander opened up the woven bag she arrived with and pulled out a skirt made of the large palm trees, much like Kaihe's own. A yellow chest wrap like Kaihe's was also brought out, and they were handed to Vailea. "Skirt, top! Vailea Yoreiqi now!" She giggled. "You can change now or later!"

Stepping back over to her board, Kaihe lifted it up and began walking toward the water. "Okay, Vailea! Kaihe!" Getting a running start, Kaihe waited until a wave broke in the shallows of the water before sliding the board down and hopping on top of it. Gliding a few meters across its surface until she lost momentum, she then got down on the board like she'd shown earlier, paddling out to where she knew the smallest waves would break. Once one was approaching, which Kaihe knew because the tide was pulling her in, she began to paddle away, finally rising to her feet once the wave was formed and rode it toward the shore.

Her feet were firmly planted on the board and her knees were bent to more easily distribute her weight to either side, which she also controlled by putting more or less weight on either foot. Obviously, she was a master of the art, but she made sure to exaggerate each of her movements so Vailea would be able to understand how she was controlling her body and the board. Once she was back to the land, she hopped off her board, lifted it and ran back to her friend. "Vailea look? Very fun!"

Vailea downed the rest of her bottle. Wasn't like she could very well swim around with rum in her hand. She was already going to have problems as it were. So she followed after it was empty and she sat in on the ground near the ship. It'd get picked up by one of the undead crew later on.

Curious, she followed Kaihe to see what manner of gift they might've brought. The lich supposed it might be the sarong they talked about earlier. It was the only thing she could think about. When Kaihe pulled out the skirt and top, though, Vailea's face split into a smile that chased away her previous somber expression completely. She certainly adorned new clothes. Since she already had the gifted sarong on, she didn't want to change out of that but... She took the chest wrap and peeled off her halter top so she could put on the wrap.

Now was always better than later.

She was done changing in time to watch Kaihe dash off toward the water. This was where it was going to get messy, for her. Vailea picked up her own board and walked after. The lich knew what should happen, ideally. That she could replicate the motions, but... that was probably not going to happen when she tried.

Alas.

Without any bit of hesitation, she jogged down to the water and slid the board into it as the wave broke into the shallows. Vailea managed to pop onto it, wobbling while she got her balance. She even made it a few meters out before she lost her balance, lost her footing, and tumbled into the water with a shouted laugh.

@Icy

"Vailea Yoreiqi now!" She declared as the woman put on the chest wrap, her arms raised in celebration.

Kaihe grimaced when she watched Vailea topple off of the board after following her into the water. "Uhm... sorry. You can just paddle out, you do not need to ride the board to get out to the waves, I only did that because it's fun! Sorry!" She apologized with a regretful smile and bow of her head. "Come! Big wave, fun come. Kaihe lead!" Climbing back onto her board, Kaihe waited for Vailea to do the same before paddling out, giggling as a wave broke over her head but didn't push her back.

Once they were out decently far, Kaihe turned her board around. "Wave tug now... leg pull on, feel?" There was an undercurrent pulling on them from beneath the surface, and should Vailea look back, a rather large wave was forming. "Okay... okay.... splash-splash!" She shouted, laughing as she paddled away from the wave. Once the board was moving along with the wave, she quickly stood up and tilted her board to the right, riding its crest further down the coast. "Wooohoo!"

Well. Vailea had known she was going to get dunked pretty quick and that had proved to be true. She sputtered some and caught the board before the water could steal it from her. She was none too gently pushed back up on the beach, so she would have to start again.

Never let it be said the lich was a quitter or that she didn't mind doing something she was decidedly bad at.

Paddling out didn't exactly prove to be any easier for her. The water fought her when she hit the part where the waves began to form so they might actually crash up on the beach. Just where it was about waist deep. So it took her a little longer to actually get out there. Even getting hit by a smaller wave that nearly pushed her off the board then, too.

Luckily undead didn't tire as a normal mortal might have.

By the time she reached Kaihe, she eyed the other dubiously when they indicated there was a wave to ride. Ah. Well. Vailea adjusted herself and was able to sort of ride it. She didn't stand, because she didn't exactly make it that far before she promptly fell off the board when the wave picked up speed, shooting the board out from under her.

Vailea and water really didn't get along. This was why she sailed on top of it.

"Oh..." Kaihe muttered when Vailea crashed into the water again. Bending down as she rode the wave, she gripped its sides tightly, expanded her wings, and tilted the front of the board toward the crest so she'd get air before flapping her wings and flying her way back to Vailea, where she let herself down and sat atop her board. "Vailea... not good surf," She chuckled, rubbing the back of her head.

"Again?" She asked, reaching down to help her get onto Kaihe's board. "Vailea, Kaihe! One surfboard! Kaihe hold, Vailea not fall," She explained. "Kaihe makuahine teach Kaihe same."

Going under, she certainly lost her board to the water and waves. The board made its way happily to the beach while she was left treading water. None the worse for wear, all things considering. Getting herself sorted, Vailea leaned back so she could float a little until Kaihe arrived.

"Ah, no. The most awful in the water," Vailea clarified with a lazy grin.

When Kaihe insisted they be on the same board, Vailea chuckled a little. "If you're sure. I might topple you off too," she warned. Which was entirely possible. While she wouldn't particularly feel bad because, well, falling in the water wasn't the worst thing that could happen, she also didn't want Kaihe to get hurt doing so. Despite the warning, she did climb carefully on the board and sit in front of Kaihe, if only so she didn't have to continue to tread or float in the water. Last thing she needed was a spiteful wave to come along and shove her under.

"Uh... yes. For now, you are the most awful, but you will get better in time! Do not give up so easily! Only when you believe you can do it can you achieve your dreams!" She urged Vailea on with a determined smile.

"Oh, I haven't fallen off my board in a long time! Even if you go, I will probably stay on," She teased, letting herself dip into the water so she could kick her legs, pushing the board further out into the water with Vailea sitting on top of it. Once they were out far enough, Kaihe climbed back on. "Okay.. This is going to be a little harder with two people, actually, because I realized that you're... kind of heavier than a child. No offense! I will take the lead, so just move as my body does."

When she felt a wave coming, Kaihe got to her knees and began paddling away from it with her hands so that they were in prime position. When it began to break, Kaihe stood and reached down to pull Vailea up with her, and assuming she came, Kaihe pressed her body against her friend's as her arms wrapped around her stomach, holding on tight.

Vailea was able to feel the muscles in Kaihe's stomach and legs contract and move as she controlled the board atop the wave since their bodies were touching, the islander making her best attempt to guide Vailea's movements. Depending on the success of Vailea's mimicry, they might have been able to make it to the shore! "Kaihe, Vailea, move like one!" She cheered!

Vailea actually laughed when Kaihe said she was 'the most awful'. It wasn't wrong, but to hear it come from the islander was endearing. It was sweet that they thought with enough effort Vailea might eventually be able to... be better in water. She'd explain she'd had this misunderstanding with water for the better part of a thousand years, but that was just... well, it wouldn't translate.

She did her best to remain on the board while Kaihe paddled them out. It wasn't that bad, actually. When Kaihe said she was heavier than a child, it prompted another laugh. "It's ok, it's ok." She wouldn't take offense to such a thing. She was fully aware that there were probably plenty of children far better at this than she was.

When it seemed it was going to start up, Vailea squirmed a little and did her best to mimic Kaihe's movements. She relied quite heavily on the islander, almost tipping over a handful of times. They were able to ride most of the wave, much to Vailea's enjoyment. Just as she was about to say as much, her foot slipped and she lost her balance, eventually resulting in her toppling off the board.

But hey, progress!

It wasn't too far from the shore either, so she let the water push her that way.

Kaihe tried to keep hold of Vailea, but the woman's weight became too much for her. Instead of letting go, however, Kaihe fell off with Vailea and turned their bodies so Kaihe was the one to take most of the hit while the board continued safely onto the shore. "Bleh! Ptoo!" The islander sounded off as she spit out salt water upon resurfacing, rubbing reddish spot on her shoulder where it rubbed against the sand. Still hugging Vailea from behind, she asked, "Vailea okay?"

Smiling, she continued, "Vailea good surfing! Kaihe good teach! Just a little more work until you are better than me!" She beamed, hugging her friend tightly before letting go and standing up. "Want to take a food break? I'm getting hungry. Ooh, and thirsty. Do you have any more alcohol?" Kaihe offered her hand to help Vailea stand.

Vailea actually felt bad when Kaihe was the one to get injured instead of her. She sputtered and flailed some until she was up, above the water, and eventually stood. One hand pushed her hair out of her face while the other idly touched Kaihe's shoulder, just to make sure she really was ok. "Don't get yourself hurt because of me, " she murmured, then smiled, "I'm fine."

Though that was quickly followed by a loud laugh when the islander said she was good at it. Sweet, but terribly incorrect. Still, it was a nice sentiment that had Vailea smiling as she walked up the beach, from the water, and stretching some. Surfing was a pain, but it had been fun toppling into the water.

"Ah, yeah. I can get some food. And I always have alcohol." She gestured for Kaihe to wait for her while she made her way up, onto the ship. Having it canted was still a pain, but she navigated easily enough toward the hold. There wasn't any way she'd have the same fresh display of food that Kaihe and her people would, but she still had some stores of jerked meat and always alcohol.

When she returned, she offered Kaihe some but didn't partake herself. Just a bottle of rum for herself, and one offered to Kaihe. "Don't have the same fresh food you do," she apologized, sitting on the sand.

Kaihe canted her head to the side when Vailea spoke in trader to her. She didn't quite understand the murmur. "Kaihe... uhm... Kaihe okay...?" She shrugged, but smiled and nodded when Vailea told her that she was fine.

As they walked up to the shore, Kaihe pulled both boards further onto the sand, past the point where high tide could come in to pull them out. "I like alcohol a lot. It makes me feel whooshy," She commented for no real reason. "Okay! Kaihe stay!" She agreed, plopping down onto the sand to watch the sky and the clouds.

When she noticed the food and drink offered to her, she exclaimed, "Ooh, foo-... food?" She accepted the jerked meat, sniffed it, then licked it, making a small face afterward. She took a small chomp out of the jerked meat and made an even more expressive grimace. "It tastes so salty... b-but it is good!" To ensure Vailea that she was grateful for the food, despite its saltiness, she took another bite and forced a smile, but quickly followed it up with a swig of her rum.

"You do not have fresh food? Do you wish to trade for some with my village? I would offer some for nothing in return, but... feeding all of your friends would leave my tribe lacking. I am sorry for this selfishness," Kaihe apologized with a small bow of her head. It wasn't often that her tribe had visitors so she wanted to do all that she could to make them feel at home, but she needed to draw the line somewhere.

"Oh! but right now, you do not have food of your own, but I can offer you a bite of my meat! Come on, Vailea, try my meat!" She asked in an overwhelmingly innocent and unassuming tone. Her sweet smile didn't betray this purity, either.

Vailea snorted a small laugh when Kaihe mentioned they liked alcohol. With each of them sporting a bottle of rum apiece, they certainly looked like they did. "I do too," the lich readily agreed, grinning as she sat next to Kaihe.

When the islander made a comment about the food, Vailea laughed again. She damn near toppled backwards, but a hand caught her and propped herself up. "Ah yeah... Our food is dried and preserved. So we can keep it for longer. Trips." She waved a hand as Kaihe started to explain that she would feed her crew, but the Captain was already shooting down such a thing. Never mind the drain on the tribe, she'd already paid up for a lot of her people to eat elsewhere.

"Don't worry. My people are fine eating elsewhere. You've been generous enough, I promise," Vailea reassured Kaihe before shaking her head and taking a swig of rum. "I'm not hungry. Just thirsty."

Her attention wandered toward the beach, the waves, and the boards. "I did say I wouldn't be very good at it. The ocean and I haven't always gotten along. At least when it comes to swimming. I'm far better on the ship," she explained, almost wistful at mentioning the Red Jewel. Vailea was really looking forward to sailing again. It was in her blood, her life. She'd been doing it for so long, being stationary really didn't suit her.

No matter how lovely the island or the company.

"Preserved? I guess that drying fruits makes them last a little bit longer... we don't really do that, though. Why don't you catch fish if you're in the ocean? There are lots of yummy fish out there, you know! No need to eat yucky-- uhm, salty food."

"Oh... okay, if you are certain, Vailea. Is there anything on your ship that you would trade for something of ours, though? I am interested in the things that you have brought with you, such as this alcohol!" She raised the bottle to her lips and took another drink. "I think that my tribe would love to have more of this!"

When the jerky was turned down, Kaihe pouted. "Aww... I wanted Vailea to take a bite of m-..my meat," A few subdued, impish snickers escaped before she could cover her mouth and turn away from her friend.

Once the girl had gained control over herself, she turned back to Vailea with a light, happy blush over her cheeks. "You were good at it, Vailea! When I first began, I could not stand on a surfboard for more than five seconds, but you almost made it to shore with me! I am very impressed, and I am not just saying that!" She told Vailea. "So do not give up. If you would like, I can even craft a board for you to take with you once you go, so you can practice on other shores!" Biting her lip, she looked forlornly at the bottle resting on her lap. "Or.. as something to remember us by, even if it is only kept as a decoration."

Vailea glanced at the islander while she took a swing of the rum. "Mm. We'd have to be fishing constantly to feed the amount of people on the crew, and the ship isn't equipped to do large hauls of fish. So, need to buy up stores of food. Can't survive on just fish anyway." She smiled a little and glanced at the meat. "It's not so bad. I actually like it now and then."

At the offer to trade, she shook her head a little and rolled a shoulder before she looked up at the sky. "No trade right now. Just coin. Metal."

She did shoot the islander a look when Kaihe clarified she was making a joke, which just made the lich smile a little before taking another drink of rum. "I could not promise... I do not do much swimming, but if you would like to give one as a gift, I would not say no." Vailea considered for a long moment, her gaze wandering along the beach,  before she sat up and pulled one of her cigars free, offering it to Kaihe. "I doubt you're going to smoke it, but it's something to remember me by, too. My favorite flavor, too." It was a slender, long cigar. Nondescript looking, but it did have a sweet smell to it. It was the same sort she'd been smoking every time Kaihe had seen her do so.

Vailea glanced at the islander while she took a swing of the rum. "Mm. We'd have to be fishing constantly to feed the amount of people on the crew, and the ship isn't equipped to do large hauls of fish. So, need to buy up stores of food. Can't survive on just fish anyway." She smiled a little and glanced at the meat. "It's not so bad. I actually like it now and then."

At the offer to trade, she shook her head a little and rolled a shoulder before she looked up at the sky. "No trade right now. Just coin. Metal."

She did shoot the islander a look when Kaihe clarified she was making a joke, which just made the lich smile a little before taking another drink of rum. "I could not promise... I do not do much swimming, but if you would like to give one as a gift, I would not say no." Vailea considered for a long moment, her gaze wandering along the beach,  before she sat up and pulled one of her cigars free, offering it to Kaihe. "I doubt you're going to smoke it, but it's something to remember me by, too. My favorite flavor, too." It was a slender, long cigar. Nondescript looking, but it did have a sweet smell to it. It was the same sort she'd been smoking every time Kaihe had seen her do so.

"That is true... too much fish gives me bellyaches. And terrible breath, so I understand." She took another, longer sip of her rum. "Coin? M...Met-tul?" She blinked as if she'd never heard of it before. Because she hadn't. "What metal?"

"Then I will craft a surfboard for you, before you leave! It will be my best one yet, so great that you cannot help but wish to ride it!" She promised. When she was offered the cigar, she took it, smelled it, and licked it, the latter of which left a bitter taste in her mouth expressed by slightly curled upper lip. "Well... here on Yoreiq, it rains often. Our huts are destroyed in the worst of the storms. I am afraid that if I do not smoke it, then it will be destroyed, so... would you like to share it with me?" She asked, holding its tip toward Vailea. "If I could always keep it on me, I would, but I do not always wear a top, and I have no other places to put it."

Vailea chuckled a little at Kaihe's description of the fish. There were some in her crew that would likely agree. Too much fish and they'd be belly achin' too. That the islander didn't understand coin or metal didn't surprise her, but she dismissed it with a wave. "Shiny. Decorative." Best description she had. No way she was going to get into the whole thing about currency.

When Kaihe licked the cigar, Vailea laughed a little. It was sweet to see that innocence in everything. "You don't... No need to smoke. Will weather through water. Save in your hut. It's no small thing if it is lost." She eyed Kaihe dubiously. "I don't know that you'll want to smoke at all." It certainly wasn't for everyone and she wouldn't recommend it to someone who'd never before, starting out with a cigar.

She took another long drink of her rum and watched the beach. "Mm. If you want something that will last longer, I'll think of something." There were things she could probably find on the ship. Something metal or the like. The cigar was just the most personable thing she could think of. Sort of one of the things that defined Vailea. Gratification of the like.

"Shiny? Like sun?" She looked up toward the sky, though she immediately regretted it when she was partially blinded by the sun.

"Okay, Kaihe keep smoke!" She decided, pulling out the fabric of her top to plop it in there, close to her heart. "If I feel lonely without you, I will have some of it to remember you by, since you smell like it. It is not like the real thing, but it will do!" She chuckled before reclining in the sand, a hand behind her head. She occasionally took a bite of the jerky and a sip of the rum, which was nearly half gone.

"Ahh... I could stay like this forever. I am tingly from the alcohol, and the sun is so nice..." Biting down softly on her lip, Kaihe's hand meandered toward Vailea's in an attempt to take it gently within her own. Any resistance to the action would cause Kaihe to mind her own business; it would get the message across to her, and she didn't want it to be awkward.

Made lazy by the pleasant weather and drink, she nodded a little at Kaihe's description of the 'metal'. "Sometimes. Usually." She didn't want to start going into variances, like silver and platinum, or copper and iron. All of that was immaterial to Kaihe and her people, and so it didn't really need to be talked about. It'd just sound like nonsense anyway.

Which it all was, anyway. Just pretty nonsense.

Vailea glanced at Kaihe when she decided to keep the cigar and grinned. "It's an awful habit, but I'm full of bad habits." she teased before lifting the bottle in a playful toast, taking another long drink. The burn was good and the sweetness to it just the sort of thing Vailea liked.

With her weight braced on her hand, Vailea didn't move it when Kaihe touched her. She didn't glance at the islander either, though she was fully aware that she was being touched. To the lich, it was just one of the things Kaihe did. Hug, press their faces together. Their people seemed to be more physically expressive for certain things and she'd just... sort of gotten used to Kaihe occasionally doing that. So it didn't bother her, and wouldn't have regardless.

Rather, she continued to enjoy the cool breeze, the crash of the waves across the sand, and the occasional high pitched scraw of white sea birds diving into the shallows for fish. The sort of sounds you could only find on a beach. Even out on the ocean it was different. Quieter and subdued, on nice days. Hotter, too. When the water felt so far away on the deck of the ship and the wood beneath warmed, almost too hot for bare feet.

Here, she was so close to the water and the breeze carried a salty chill that would always keep them cool. Even under the sun.

"Oh. Kaihe like shiny," She shrugged, crossing her left leg over her right. "Why is it a bad habit? Is it like-.... like biting your lip when you eat? Or drinking too much alcohol very often, so your belly grumbles at you?" Tobacco wasn't really a thing on Yoreiq, especially such a distance from the port of Ainu.

When Vailea neglected to shoo Kaihe's hand away, the islander took it as a non-verbal 'okay' to leave it there. Blushing, she ran her thumb over Vailea's digits soothingly in a way that felt intimate, at least to the islander. That being said, intimacy on the Isles was very different from the mainland, though this was still rather tame by most standards.

With her eyelids slowly flapping downward in a struggle to stay open, Kaihe finally let them shut a rested her bottle-holding arm over them to block out the sun. "Kaihe sleepy... take nap. Wake Kaihe soon, okay?" She mumbled and snoozed off about thirty seconds later, blessed with the ability to fall asleep on a whim.

Vailea nodded a little as Kaihe compared the cigar to the other examples. Not quite the biting of the lip, but it was more the idea than the literal translation. She tried not to leave anyone with something potentially addictive or the like that they wouldn't be able to get when she was away. Just seemed unfair, really.

It never ceased to amaze the lich how often mortals could sleep. Did she used to do so as frequently? She couldn't obviously remember because that had been so long ago, but that didn't really... mean anything either. Hells, Vailea could've been one to sleep entire days away and she'd never know it or remember. Only that, when sleep wasn't a requirement anymore, she noticed more so when someone did sleep. Even her crew.

Just one of those things.

She smiled a little as Kaihe drifted off and finished the rest of her bottle. It wasn't until the islander was well and truly asleep that Vailea once again wandered off to take care of a couple Captain-esque business things. Settling a couple more accounts, checking on the crew, and of course snagging something to drink and a couple more cigars that she tucked in the waist of her sarong.

Vailea wasn't gone long, settling down next to Kaihe. She lit a cigar, took a deep draw, then idly shook the islander's shoulder.

Nah, Kaihe just slept a lot. It's how she had so much energy while awake. When Vailea left for that short time, the islander tossed and turned and let out a tiny, distressed grunt before falling back into a peaceful rest.

She didn't wake up again until she felt a touch on her shoulder, causing her to sit up quickly with half-lidded eyes. "Hmhm? I'm awake..." She mumbled, rubbing at her dry, reddish eyes. "Oh. Hello, Vailea! Kaihe sleepy very long?" Cracking her neck, knuckles, and toes, she turned to face the lich with legs crossed beneath her. When she saw the cigar dangling from Vailea's lips, Kaihe took in a deep inhale through her nose and smiled, leaning forward to rest her head atop Vailea's shoulder. "Kaihe try?" She asked, holding her hand out to accept the cigar if it was offered.

Vailea shook her head a little. "Not long. Sun is still well above the horizon. Still before dinner." Then, flashing a grin, she added, "You'll probably want to go home for that. I don't have good food here for dinner." Which was the truth. Unless she was going to hunt down where one of her crew members was staying and have something local, the food on the ship was pretty rudimentary unless prepped by the cook.

Who was not there.

The lich quirked a brow, glanced at her cigar as though it might have an answer instead of providing one herself, before slowly passing it over. "The smoke smells better than you might think it... tastes?" It'd been so long since her first cigar she couldn't actually remember. But there was no harm in trying it, she supposed.

Ideally.

The lich had no idea how these things worked. Regardless, she passed it to the islander so she might try it for herself, since this was now the second time she'd expressed interest. Who was Vailea to stand in the way of curiosity?

Kaihe puffed out her cheeks and let loose a pouty grumble when Vailea suggested she go home for dinner. "Only if you really want me to," She mumbled.


When the cigar was offered to her, Kaihe smiled brightly and took it, looking at the tip that was burning slowly. Shrugging, she put the unlit part to her lips and took in a deep puff of it, but as soon as it hit the back of her throat, her eyes went wide with regret and she coughed harshly, doubling over and spitting on the sand to try to get all of it out. With watery eyes, she told Vailea with her voice drastically restrained to prevent and further coughing, "Very bad-... very..." and held the cigar out for the pirate to take back.

To wet her throat, she took a long swig of the rum, swirling it around her mouth and gargling it. The dryness of the alcohol didn't seem to bother her.

The pout was cute, but Vailea shook her head. "I only offered because I do not have much to eat here. Just salted meat, hardtack bread, alcohol, and... " Well, no she supposed that was really it. There hadn't been any point in loading the ship up with any other perishable food when it was still 'docked' and being worked on. It'd all just go bad.

Since Vailea didn't need to eat, and the crew that remained behind certainly didn't, then... It wasn't a bother to her.

The regret from trying the cigar was immediate. Vailea almost panicked thinking that she was going to lose it to the sand, but the islander managed to keep ahold and pass it back. Vailea was trying not to laugh, though couldn't hold back a grin. "Not for everyone," she agreed, taking a long drag. It was sweet to her. A different manner of burn than the alcohol and a smoky sweet taste.

Her favorite cigar.

The lich considered a moment before asking, "Do you know about the... The other people on the island?"

@Icy