Voyage of the Horizon Seeker

[Breila]

"Well, the people of Khur were not really friendly to us either. Perhaps it was our mistake too, because we knew too little about its customs, but I had the feeling that we were on the run most of the time" Babushka observes.

[HorizonsDream]

"I know how the people of Khur are towards strangers," Imani says. "I don't know how other people treat strangers in their lands."

[Breila]

"Did you ever have the chance to travel beyond Khur?" Babushka asks Imani with interest.

[HorizonsDream]

"No," Imani says. "I never traveled a lot, so I've only been a couple of places within Khur as well," she admits with a small shrug. All of this was completely new to her. "Um, excuse me," she says to Babushka before she walks over to Malika. "Can we talk a little more privately?" she asks, motioning over to the bow of the ship.

[JadedDM]

Malika raises a brow at Imani's request. "Of course, sweetie," she says. She struts toward the ship's bow, her anklets and bracelets jingling and catching the attention of more than a few of the sailors, one of which nearly falls out of the rigging due to his distraction.

Once away from the rest of the party, she asks, "What did you want to talk about?"

[HorizonsDream]

"I'm not sure what to do," Imani starts out. "For years, I've been following the custom's of Khur, and now I'm not really in Khur anymore. I'm free, but I'm at a loss on what to do with that freedom. Something as simple as removing this veil from my face is a difficult decision."

[JadedDM]

Malika chuckles. "Then just remove it. Watch, voila!" With one swift motion, she yanks the veil off and tosses it overboard. It catches on the wind and flies around a bit before finally landing in the water. "Live for the moment, my dear. You're free now! There is no crime in showing your face, especially one like yours. Beauty should be shared with the world, not hidden away. It is up to you to decide how to live your life now. Seize the day, do what makes you happy! Life is too short for anything else, yes?"

[HorizonsDream]

Imani gasps in surprise, and she finds herself trying to catch the veil. Though, sadly she fails horribly at grabbing it, and she watches it float along the waves of the ocean. "That is the problem. I don't know what makes me happy. My son did, but he isn't with me," Imani says as she stares out into the waves. "And what of men for that matter?"

[JadedDM]

"Men? Men cannot make you happy. But they can be a nice distraction, a bout of fun, if you know how to control them," Malika says. "There are plenty of healthy ones on this ship, that I've seen so far. Enough for us to share, yes?" she asks, nudging Imani in the shoulder. "Which ones do you have your eye on?"

[HorizonsDream]

"Ones? As in multiple?" Imani asks with wide eyes. "I really only noticed one." The idea of having multiple seems so foreign to her despite the fact that the men in her culture had multiple wives. Glancing around the ship for the moment, she subtly points out Ulster. "He is different than what I am used to."

[JadedDM]

Malika laughs boisterously, but then abruptly stops and covers her mouth. "Oh, you were serious?"

She looks over to Ulster, who is currently digging in one of his ears with a finger. He pulls it out, sniffs at it, then rubs it off on his pants leg.

"Umm...well, he has a nice body," Malika says, making a face. "And I guess he's kind of handsome. But he's so...stuffy. Like one of those Solamnic Knights. Are you sure about him?"

[HorizonsDream]

"Okay, well, he isn't so great looking when he is doing that," Imani admits with a light smile. "He really isn't all that stuffy. Actually, from the times I have talked to him, he seems a little goofy. And knight types are better than what I had, no?"

[JadedDM]

Malika shrugs. "If you say so, but I think you could do better. I guess it takes all kinds, though. Well, he's all yours then. Use your charms, he doesn't seem like he'd be able to resist for long, if at all. He has the smell of a virgin, though, so don't expect anything earth-shattering," she warns.

[HorizonsDream]

"Use my charms?" Imani asks before she laughs. "I'm not you. I lack charms, and I've never been able to turn heads just by walking past them."

[JadedDM]

"What? Oh, yes, I guess you wouldn't have much experience in such things, having been a khan's wife. Hmm, well, we can fix that easily enough. I can teach you whatever you need to know. It'll be fun!" Malika adds, clapping her hands together in excitement. "So, what do you wish to know first?"