A gift [Gitana]

[Jehan Chumomisto]

Timestamp: The eighth brightening in Aperitus in the Season of Summer, Era II of the Celestine Mandate, Era XIV Post Fractum, the Second Era of the Regency of Milo L'Evienne. – Afternoon

It was a nice brightening, it wasn’t to hot and the wind was blowing just enough to keep everyone happy. It had been decided that they weren’t going anywhere for this brightening. They were beside a small stream that the children played it and in a large open field with long grass. It was not only a nice brightening, but a perfect one.

Jehan was up to something, that much was obvious going into a vardo to get something. He left laughing and carrying a bag of some kind. “Don’t worry, I’ll repay you” he said with a laugh as he went to his family’s vardo and sat down. He began getting things set up on a small table. He had a bowl of water, a lit candle and a small bottle of sterilizing alcohol as well as the small burlap sack that he had got. Nobody was inside so he had lots of time to setup and would shoo away anyone who came knocking claiming that he had the pox in here that wasn’t curable and he would spread it.

Clearly a lie but the few that came knocking knew not to enter. Once everything was setup he took a deep breath and held the sheet of paper. It had brought him many memories coming up with this work of art. It was far from a masterpiece but Jehan thought that it looked good and hit held a vast amount of meaning to him that hopefully the one he gave it to would enjoy.

Jehan left the vardo and closed the door behind him and went for the short search for his sister. He ran up to her and taped her shoulder, his smile radiant as the sun. He was excited about something, and he couldn’t wait to tell her.

“I have something for you my pena, if you will have it” his voice was full of excitement, and hope that she would allow him to do it. Slowly he pulled out the drawing he had been working on. It was a simple gecko, and outline with only a little more detail such as eyes in it. “It is to bring you luck forever. If you will take it I would like to be the one to tattoo it onto you.”

It would have been a better surprise if he could have waiting to get her into the vardo to see everything all set up. That wasn’t the case though. It was rare that he would be so excited, so Getty. But he was.

[Gitana Chumomisto]

The suns were hot against Gitana and she'd shifted her hair so that it draped over one shoulder, tightly coiled but not bound and restricted. The summers were always something of a give and take for the young Air'riela for she did hate the cold, preferring the warmth, but there was such a thing as too warm. This brightening wasn't so bad, just mildly hot and not so sticky as it could have been. Barefoot, she'd taken Kizzy down to the stream and they both stood in it now, Gitana in up to her ankles, her skirts hitched in such a fashion that the swooped down to her knees rather than all the way to her feet. Kizzy had her head bent, lipping at the cool water as it flowed over the rocks. A brush in her hand, Tana worked the dust out of her fine red and white coat, humming to herself in a light, wispy tone.

She jerked about as Jehan came up--she'd heard him, of course, but she hadn't acknowledged him until fingers tapped her shoulder, demanding her attention. She'd been enjoying some time to herself and thus frowned a little at the interruption, looking him over with ill-disguised impatience as he grinned broadly down at her. Something was gnawing at him, but in a pleasant way and despite herself Gitana grinned back at him--he had the sort of smile that was catching.

She had the patience of the rushing brook, eager to get somewhere and not wishing to have anything block its path, and she was about to press him for what had him so excited when he pulled free a sheet of paper and proffered it towards her with such pride that she took care to examine it. A gecko, so sparse in detail...but the form unmistakable; her brother had talent enough. Her blue eyes swept back towards him as he explained it, her mouth opening briefly, surprised, then clicking shut. "Ah, Jehan! So thoughtful of you!" she exclaimed, truly heartened that her brother would think to do something so kind for her.

"Where should I put it?" There was no doubt of her acceptance, of course, although she had no outright told him that she'd love to have him tattoo it on her. He'd presented, she'd already given her consent with the sole question of where to put it.

[Jehan Chumomisto]

It wasn’t like Jehan to be so reckless, so excited and showing it but he couldn’t help it. It had been some time since he had done any tattoo work and he was glad that he got an idea to do one for his very own Pena. Though part of him asked why is it always Gitana? He had another sister younger than she. Perhaps too young for a tattoo yet. They were are somewhat close in age and he loved them both equally, but it was Everilda’s attitude towards Gitana that made it so the three of them didn’t spend much time all together. It was something that Jehan didn’t like, but he by no means didn’t like his youngest sister. He loved her greatly and prized them both.

He ignored his sisters initial gaze, she was grooming her horse. It was the afternoon, this should have been done before now. He didn’t say anything to her, he would have gotten hit surely if he did. Now wasn’t the time for petty arguments, he was in too good of a mood. He was however, usually, the opposite of his sister. He had plenty of patients, he could wait a long time before a point was made and still remain interested. But this brightening it was different, he needed her to know.

His smile only grew at her words. “I think it will help you” he said not trying to hide the fact that she was indeed cursed with bad luck. “It will change things for you, you’ll see. We are born the way that we are pena, but we are also gifted with the right to change. This will change you I am sure of it” he told her. He was confident that it would change her luck, it wasn’t a suggestion that he made lightly either. He had placed a great deal of thought into it. Her wrist was proof that it had been tried, but he thought that he could do it with his tattoo. He hoped that it would at the very least comfort her when back luck does take place.

“For you are like the gecko” he started “when a crisis happens you will lose your tail but it will grow back.” That was his way of telling her that there is no way t avoid bad things happening in the long run, but that she was crafty enough to come back from it. It would hopefully dispel bad luck in all forms but that wasn’t possible as much as Jehan may have wished for it to be. Even though he was blessed with good luck it didn’t mean bad things didn’t happen.

“I think it would look well coming from your back onto your shoulder. That way it is resting on you rather than just being. A gecko is a sign of luck, and a blessing that you will come through anything that happens” Jehan suggested with a passive shrug. He wasn’t good enough to place tattoos so that even simple ones shine as though they are real filling all of ones senses. Not yet anyway. But he had his meanings for where he wanted to put them.

[Gitana Chumomisto]

"Do you think it will? Change things for me?" she mused, quietly, softly...as if she dared to hope, but wasn't quite certain whether or not she should. She looked over the gecko drawing, a finger idly tracing the simple lines. "I'm sure it will," she decided after a moment, mostly because she did not want her brother to think that she doubted him, but also because she needed to be optimistic--and Gitana usually was, more often than not. "It will change everything, since it comes from you!"

She grinned, tipped forward to kiss him on the cheek. "You are such a thoughtful big prala. Am I not baxtalo to have a prala such as you? See, I am not in butji of so much bibaxt as all that!" She seemed unphased with the confrontation of her own ill-luck, or at least accustomed to it after all these eras that by now it was simply what it was. Though others might tease her for it, she took things as they came, bad luck or not, and handled them with enough ease that she remained smiling and bright despite it. Or perhaps because of it.

"I love the idea, Jehan. On my shoulder? That is perfect! It will be like having my own little pet gecko following me wherever I go, eh? Something to pet when times are not nearly so baxtalo, to comfort me when my big prala is not close by enough to do so." Her grin widened a little and she nudged his arm with her elbow playfully.

Her hands gripped both sides of the paper and she held it up slightly as she admired the drawing. Kizzy was momentarily forgotten, the brushes discarded, but the horse stood contentedly nearby, grazing on some low-hanging bush branches."When will you tattoo it on for me, Jehan?"

[Jehan Chumomisto]

He smiled and nodded. “I think it will, I really do” he was honest and prayed that it might help her in the end. “You have a good family, probably your best luck” he laughed playfully. He had always counted that as the first sign of good luck since he was a child. Like all gypsies he held much love for his family and thought that they were the most important thing to him. The on thing worth protecting over all others. His weapon of choice wasn’t the best for doing that but with poisons he could protect from a distance as well as close up. He prayed that he would never have to do so.

“I will always be close, no matter where I am vista. Do not forget we have much in common” he left it at that not feeling the need to explain. It was something many people said, but it was true. He would always have his mind on his family no matter where he was. He wasn’t sure if Gitana was thinking that he would be leaving to get married soon but he had no plans of it to speak of. He had to protect his family until someone else could. Not that he doubted his fathers ability to do so, but he wanted to make sure. “Lke our parents” he decided to say after a small pause, with a nudge to her shoulder.

“I could do it now Pena, I have the tools to do so. I borrowed them and they are ready if you are.” He wanted to say that Kizzy should have been brushed by now but he didn’t. She may have stormed off and never speak to him again if he did such a thing so he remained silent. “Come, come, you have all day to do other things. It is family time no?” he asked as he raced off towards the vardo hoping that she would follow. It wasn’t that long of a run.

[Gitana Chumomisto]

"'Much in common'," she parroted back to him, grinned in amusement, nudged his shoulder back with the flat of his hand when he nudged hers. "Come to think of it, I have much baxt to not look like you," she teased, but knew that it was a jest that was not necessarily true--one look at them and anyone could see that they were related and, at the very most, brother and sister. They were so alike, same hair and eyes, the darker skin of the Air'riela. So alike they could have very well been twins, the era that separated them of little note.

At his suggestion to take care of the tattoo now, Gitana grinned, tossed her hair because she knew that he was not saying something, if his look towards Kizzy was any indication. That he didn't say anything at all--didn't play the part of big brother set to scold--was merely a mark of his own excitement and eagerness. "You just want to show off. 'Look what I can do that you cannot', eh?" But she was only teasing him again and laughed as she gathered up the lead attached to Kizzy's halter.

"All right, let's go. I'm done with Kizzy anyway. If she could get any cleaner she'd sparkle and shine like gold, isn't that right, Kiz?" she crooned at the horse, roughly patting the colorwash's sleek shoulder. She clicked her tongue in encouragement and reluctantly the horse gave up the leaves of the bush, turning her head to follow.

As Jehan took off running, she made a noise of protest, but she quickly hopped up onto the colorwash's back and finished the rest of the way at a trot. He got there before hand because she had paused to mount up and the distance was still short enough that regardless she would not have beaten him. "I bet I would beat you in a fair race, prala." She grinned at him as she slid down off Kizzy's back. They hadn't been racing--no one had really suggested it--but Gitana seemed fixed on the notion that she could beat her older brother at just about anything she put her mind to. So she thought. "But maybe I should get this tattoo first so that I have baxt on my side!"

[Jehan Chumomisto]

Jehan raised one of his well groomed eyebrows at his sister and shook his head. “No my pena, I believe that was how they deemed you to be of bad baxta at the start” he laughed. He too had heard that the two shared an amazing resemblance and people never failed to guess that they were brother and sister. It had never stopped them however from making jokes at one another’s expense in regards of looks. Jehan took much pride in his appearance; he shaved daily since he started growing facial hair. He also ensure that his eye brows looked symmetrical and neat. He didn’t do it for others so much as himself, he wasn’t vain enough that if the wind blew his hair out of place that he would rush to fix it. He believed however that he should start the day off good by cleaning up.

“Little pena I am hurt that you would say such a thing! I only want to give you this gift to remind you of one thing” he paused for a second mock thinking. “Well yes, you are right, you can’t do it and I can! People must know!” he laughed. He waited, he was sure that she would follow but as soon as he heard the words he was off. He touched the vardo and waited the few seconds for his little sister and greeted her with a grin.

“You have not taken care of Kizzy eh? She's slow, maybe she is a gaje horse no?” he said. He would not say this to any other gypsy besides his sister for it could be considered an offence. The two like to joke with one another even about things that others would not dare to say. He pet the horse on the neck as a sign of good sportsman ship. “Maybe next time your legs will catch up to mine” He rubbed her neck before opening the door to the vardo and went in.

When Gitana would come in she would see that everything was ready, and clearly had been since before he went to get her. Though Jehan considered himself agile he was not quick enough to be able to set this up in mere moments. Candles were lit on a table with sharp needles made of bone over them at the tip. There were two chair close to one another, one was occupied by Jehan the other was obviously meant for Gitana.

“You know how it feels, I know you are not sick by the ink because you already have one” Jehan’s voice was different. It still held in it kindness but it was also one of business. Tattoos were not something that could be messed up on. All it would take would be one line out of place as people would think it was ugly. There was no room for joking when it came to the young manus’ profession. He was dead serious about it. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t joke while giving a tattoo but he had to be careful. Especially with his sister as they other liked to nudge each other when they joked.

“You will stay still eh? I’m not going to have to tie you down?” he asked with a large smile on his face. It was a joke but he was also serious. He had done it before, he had even gone as far to knock someone out when he was still learning. It was what he had learned, though he could never hurt his sister, he could still restrain her.

[Gitana Chumomisto]

"Bite your tongue, prala! She is not slow!" she scoffed, looking perhaps a trace offended with the suggestion. "I wager she can have Fonso eating dirt and dust on any given brightening! Perhaps we should prove it, later, eh?" she taunted him, because he'd insulted Kizzy and that was annoying enough. She wanted to reach out and pinch Jehan's arm, but she didn't. "After this tattoo--we'll put them to it and I think you'll see who is the gaje horse!"

She went into the vardo, looked amused as she looked around. He had everything all set up, as if he was certain she would have agreed to the tattoo in the first place. "And what if I had told you no, prala mine? Would you have gone out and grabbed Rilda instead?" She was not quite jesting, but she smiled nonetheless and dropped herself down onto the chair that was meant for her, positioning herself so that her right shoulder was angled towards him...although she figured he'd have to adjust her or himself because she had no idea what angle worked best for him.

"I can sit still--a brave little pena, you'll see! Stick me with the biggest needle you can find, prala, and I'll not flinch!" she assured himself as she adjusted the way she wore her brightly colored shirt, revealing the shoulder for him to work on. Of course, she didn't mention that she had cried when she'd received her first tattoo, but she'd been two eras younger and she liked to think that she had grown and strengthened since.

She got herself settled, bracing her hands against her knees. "Do your worst, Jehan, I'll not flinch." She giggled as she realized what she'd said. "I beg you, prala, just do your best with the image of the tattoo!" she amended.

[Jehan Chumomisto]

Jehan stuck out his tongue at his sister his mouth open wide showing that he wouldn’t bit it. “You dare so suggest that les Fonso is gaje? You my mira pena will be sorry you ever said such a narky thing.” He informed his sister. He was by no means upset with her as he never had a problem with a good humored joke in the past. “Mandi may sov in the middle of the race. Even if you have new mangehl on your side, fonso is still much faster. What do you wage then huh?”

He looked at his sister and then thought a moment before answering “Perhaps if you told me no, I would have tied you in a sack until you agreed. Do you mean to say that your prala did not know you would say yes? You must not know me then” he laughed at his sister. To be honest the only time he thought that she might have said no was during the process of asking her if she would like him to tattoo her. Jehan took his sisters shoulders in his hands and turned her slightly so that he had better access to the shoulder that he decided he was going to tattoo. Her right shoulder.

He cleaned it as he spoke back to her “Not even a flinch eh? It is the small needles you must worry about mira pena. You must be punctured many more times with them then a longer one to make a line. But if pain is what you want than you have come to the right place. I hit my elbow earlier and my arm hasn’t stopped shaking, should be fun no?” he asked her with amusement in his voice.

“I must do my best Gitana!” he said using her name as he always did. He never called her Tana like many others; it was always the whole thing or pena. “For even one who looks as you do can still carry artwork that is beautiful that will look good. Though I have my work set out for me this brightening with you.” He was joking which was obvious enough however his voice was as steady as his hand that now held the burning hot sharpened bone in his hand.

Her shoulder had been shaved and cleaned with alcohol and the needle had been burnt and inked. Now started the series of pokes into the skin. The first few were slow so that he could get a feel for how deep he needed to go but after that things started moving faster. “Stay relaxed pena. I know that is hurts” he said as he worked. “I thought I would cry when I got mine done eh? It is not a nice feeling but very much worth it. Do you think so?” he asked trying to make conversation while he worked to keep her mind off of the pain.

[Gitana Chumomisto]

"Ten crowns, prala! Unless you are not so confident--I can always lower it in case you think Fonso cannot do it!" she teased him, laughing. "Kizzy and I will see to it that you have a fine meal of dust and dirt." Not that she was entirely confident she and Kizzy could out race the pair of them, but she was at least certain she would give him a good race for it.

"Not even a flinch, Jehan!" she responded confidently...but that too was a lie. Oh, she was well prepared to do a lot of flinching and wincing and plenty of pained little noises. Having experienced the receiving of a tattoo before, she knew that it would be no bright and sunny walk in the woods. "Well, maybe just a little," she admitted, turning her head to grin at him.

Her eyes caught a glimpse of the sharpened bone in his hand and she braced her hands against her knees, digging her fingers into the fabric and flesh beneath her skirts. Would have been nicer to dig nails into flesh, to perhaps otherwise distribute the pain, but such was not in the cards. She grit her teeth as he began tapping the bone into skin. She wouldn't make a fuss, she was determined not to. Still, she did flinch.

"Then I will be a step up above my prala and insist that I will not even want to cry while I get mine done," she responded with bravado, though her voice sounded a little strained. Ow. "It is worth it, Jehan. At least I hope so! Don't make my poor gecko turn into an ugly little newt or I'll wonder why I let you near my shoulder!"

[Jehan Chumomisto]

“Ten crowns is all you wager? I think it is you who is not confident pena mine” he lied. That was far more than he was willing to spend but he wasn’t going to back down from his sisters challenge. They both had fast horses, and depending on the day either one of them could win as far as Jehan could tell, however he had to hope for victory on his sister. It would be an embarrassment if he lost to her on a bet, the ten crowns would be the least of his worries at that time. “Are we expecting a dust storm then? I had no idea! I hope you and Kizzy do not get lost, but fear not, I will turn ‘round and look for you. What a good older prala you have eh?”

“I am sure you will do well! I admit you are strong in that aspect Gitana. You were younger than me when I got my first tattoo did you remember?” It was the truth, it was only after he had learned how to tattoo that he had received ink on his own skin. “You must be stronger now then! You did not pass out from what I hear. Stronger than some others”

Jehan didn’t flinch much during his tattoo, mostly because he had been around it so much he knew what to expect though never having felt it yet himself. He wanted to, he wanted to jump up and run away from the pain but he wouldn’t do it. He sat there wanting to cry, it hurt but the pain stopped and he was still gifted with the beautiful artwork that he carried. He manned it out, because the old woman that tattooed him didn't move when he did it to her. Not a muscle, like stone. He wanted to show her that he could do it too...that he was a worthy student.

“Oh? Is this true? Then perhaps I will be forced to make you cry. If the pain is not enough I will draw outside of the lines” he paused for a moment then very seriously he said “What do you mean gecko? That is a dog that a drew for you.” It was a horrible lie, he had already told her why he had chosen it but he wanted to keep her mind off of the needle that was going in and out of her skin. He re inked it when needed.

“You must relax more eh? You don’t want the tattoo to look right only when you are tensed up do you? No? I did not think so. Come Gitana, tell me a story, perhaps one of you and Kizzy? I’m sure you have some you have not told me yet” Jehan urged her. If she was thinking of a story to tell she wouldn’t be thinking about the pain. If Jehan told her a story she may ignore it because of the pain. He found the best way to have people relax and be still was when they were involved with something.

[Gitana Chumomisto]

"Oh, yes, what a good older prala I have - how lucky I am! Perhaps I will not trade you in after all, eh? There is still some hope for you, however small it is," she responded sarcastically and laughed, not because she didn't feel herself lucky to have such a good-minded brother, but because she felt him easy enough to make fun of. She was only lucky he took it all in stride rather than getting worked up over it. "But I can prove to you that I can beat you! You think ten crowns small? Fine - how about twenty, prala mine? I bet you twenty crowns that Kizzy and I can beat you. Ow!" She bit down on her lip as she noised her pain. She hadn't meant to--she'd meant to keep quiet the whole time and show just how strong she was. Too late now!

"Jehan! Don't make me cry! And you keep that thing in the lines or I'll make up a whole song about how you and Haldo, eh?" She grinned at the thought--but it was pretty simple for Jehan to conclude that she'd never do any such thing. Mostly because she had too much care for her brother and the other members of her kumpania, but also because she had no skill in the art of composing her own songs. One of her failings, but one she took in good stride.

"I'm trying to relax, Jehan. Not so easy when someone is poking you with that sharp bone!" She couldn't help that the words escaped her in a little bit of a whine, but she tried to do as he suggested--trying to relax her arms and shoulders. She succeeded until another jab at her shoulder caused her to tense up again.

Tell a story about Kizzy? Oh she had plenty! "Do you know Kizzy and I raced Caldo once? Down in Enamoria! He and that big horse of his, eh? It was rainy and muddy and I thought Kizzy and I would lose--we slid in the mud, Jehan! Kizzy almost fell over. That would have been horrible, prala. She could have hurt herself! I'll not race in the mud like that--not again. Poor Kizzy. But she pulled through and we outrun Caldo no trouble at all!" She smiled, thinking of Caldo's face when she and Kizzy had gone racing past them towards the line of trees they'd agreed would be their finishing line. He hadn't been altogether too happy about it, but he had the grace to concede defeat. "Still think you can beat us, Jehan?" She seemed less tense now, more relaxed despite the jabbing of the bone needle.

[Jehan Chumomisto]

Though Jehan was nervous about losing 20 crowns he didn’t let it show, outwardly or with his words. He had less money than his sister did but a wager was a wager and he wasn’t going to wimp out. He would bet every last crown he had one something like this even if it were (in his mind anyway) a 50/50 chance of winning. Even if his chances were lower than that he would never not bet on himself and his horse. “Very misto, bater” he said seriously. “But like your oath of painlessness your Galbi will be gone too”

“You will eh?” he asked poking the needle into her. She would notice that the further along in the tattoo het got the quicker he was at drawing the lines. “The last Mandi heard nobody wanted to hear these songs of your? There is no shame for it bitti pena, for if you can dance you can make up for it” he paused a second “Though perhaps in your case there is something to worry about no?” he didn’t poke the needle into her as he made a small laugh but continued after he was done. At least she had the comfort in knowing that he wouldn’t tattoo her while he was possibly shaking which might risk a wrong line somewhere.

“But Gitana, I have only made half of a toe so far, you have much more to endure yet” he lied. He was over halfway finished. It was a simple design and one that he had practiced with on an animal skin several times before he had asked Gitana if she wanted it done. He was very familiar with it and was able to move through it quickly.

“I am even more confident now in my chances” Jehan lied as he finished listening to her little story. “For I myself raced Caldo just yester-brightening though I did not realize I had for I was asleep on top of Fonso and yet still won. He has been angry with me ever since. If this is your best race than you may as well pay me now eh?” She could have recounted a story where she beat him in a race, though he would be able to counteract that story with one of him beating her. In all honesty, it would be anybodies race, however he had the advantage of not having a sore and bandaged shoulder.

“How about I tell you a story now? Just a short one I swear” he asked knowing that she probably didn’t believe him. His stories too often turned from moments to a candlemark without him even noticing. “You will like it” he started without giving her a chance to answer the question.

“It was thousands of eras ago in the woods near what is now called Natura by the gaje. Only wildlife lived there at the time, things were peaceful ad wonderful and everything was meant to be there. Until one brightening a strange new creature came into the area, the likes of which the animals of that area had never seen before. They blamed this being for everything that had happened after it’s arrival. Things that happened all the time were now caused because of this new solitary creature that paid no mind to the other animals in the woods.

Until one brightening hunters entered the woods carrying their bows and arrows. The animals always hid when these men entered the wood for they were killers, ruthless ones at that. They killed not only for food but just to say that they killed the large animals. The only thing they could find however was the small lizard which they then shot at. Two arrows hit it but it stayed on the tree. The men seen the tale and the leg fall off of the lizard and so thought that it might be pinned by an arrow to the tree, so they went to look.

When they got there, they seen the foreign lizard. They knew that it must be the only one around, but it had its tail and it’s leg still attached to it and climbed up the tree as if nothing was wrong. The men panicked seeing the exact same tale on the ground and left the woods claiming never to return and they didn’t. All of the animals then named the lizard luck for that is what they believed caused the hunters to run away from it.

The lizard as of course you guessed was a gecko. It had traveled from its native lands to natura to help the animals that were in trouble but they ridiculed it until it saved them. They never did get a chance to tank it however as it was gone the next brightening.”

Jehan smiled as Gitana would feel not the jabbing of a needle but a cloth that was washing away the blood and cleaning the area of the tattoo. Jehan had to do this several times but this time she wouldn’t feel the needle poke into her. “So you see, though some seen the Gecko as bad luck it was naturally good luck, not only for it’s self but for the woods it lived in. Just like you mandi pena, you are not only good luck for yourself but someday for the entire kumpanai.”

He let his words sink into his sister for a few moments before handing her a mirror to examine her tattoo. “Do you like it?”

[Gitana Chumomisto]

Gitana frowned a little at his teasing, though she knew it only for teasing. Still, it jabbed a little--not unlike the needle poking at her shoulder! "Jehan! I can dance! Maybe not so misto as the others, but I am not bad! And sing, too. Or do I have to steal your galbi to prove to you I can sing and dance, too, eh? If I cannot make a story the way you or dadrus can, it is because I have not found the need to hookamen yet," she responded loftily and would have shot him a grin if she dared to turn her head. Of course she could lie, she'd been doing it for eras, but she liked to play the part of being somewhat innocent even if no one believed her.

"Just a short one," she parroted back at him with an amused grin. "It is never 'just a short one' with you, Jehan!" But, still...he told a far better story than she, as clearly evidenced in her choppy depiction of her race with Caldo. She envied him his ability to weave a tale, whether or not he'd heard it before, and she sat quietly, relaxing against the stab of the needle as he told her the story of the gecko's luck.

When he was done, she exhaled, wiggled a little because she was restless and her arm was starting to cramp. Gitana had never been one to sit still for too long. It was then that she realized that it was not the bone needle, but rather cloth that touched her skin. He finished dabbing at the blood and ink and Gitana stretched her arms, rolled her shoulder a little...winced as a lance of pain reminded her she'd just been jabbed at too many times to count. "That is a lovely story, Jehan! Is that really why the gecko is considered lucky? You think mayhap if you shoot my foot off it will regrow, like the gecko's?" She flashed a grin at him, just teasing...not truly interested in popping her foot with an arrow.

She took the mirror from him and held it, tilting it this way and that until fin