So you did this often. [ not so much a question as absorbing a statement of fact. ] I've seen fishermen work their nets before, but I lived in the city, so I usually just took what I needed.
Yes. It's a useful skill to have. I didn't think I'd be using it like this, though. [it's not going to be a very big trap, but it's something.] What is your city like?
Big. Bigger than this one- [ although they don't know what it's like beyond the barrier ] -with buildings and people all crammed together. There's outdoor market stalls lining the streets, and mudbrick houses build on top of another, and mosques where everyone goes to pray. There's a big bazaar that sells all kinds of things, stuff from far away. It's in the middle of the desert, so it's very hot and dry and dusty. We'd get sandstorms on occasion. I had a little tent where I sold amulets and fortunes, but that's gone now.
[she listens, though, quietly. she pauses in her work, looking down at the net, and then when nahri finishes, up at nahri herself.]
... I promised that I will help you to the end. [maybe shenhe isn't homesick for a city, but even she can tell nahri misses it. she misses her mountains in a similar, if muted, way.] You'll see it again.
In the mountains, you can see the sun rise up close. The world is dark, and then there is color. It creeps up on the grass, pink and red and gold. You can see those colors reflected in the dew on the grass. The wind is cold, and the trees rustle with it. A little like shivering.
But then it gets warmer, slowly, as the sun raises. Birds sing - sometimes they're a little too loud. But it doesn't stop the sight from being beautiful.
That sounds really nice, Shenhe. [ can she lean against her? she wants to. it's distracting from the net-making, and as much as nahri would like to not feel sad and homesick and ignore it by having a distracting task, she's pulled in by her sadness over shenhe being trapped here too. ]
[she's fine with it - if nahri leans closer, shenhe allows it, resting her head against nahri's. the net goes unfinished for now because she's distracted.]
I won't be sad if I don't. [she says, simply.] I hope you don't worry about it. But thank you.
Then I'll be sad for you. Don't you want to go home? [ she's projecting now, but. ] How can you turn away from somewhere so beautiful? Isn't that where you belong?
[ conversely, nahri is very emotional and is trying to keep it together. she isn't crying, but her eyes are starting to turn red. ]
Well I don't either! And I still have to go back, so you do too! [ she rubs her eyes, though nothing is there. ] You don't belong here. There has to be-- There has to be somewhere.
[ she would nod to show she understands, but that's hard to do at the current moment. ]
Okay. [ said lamely. she doesn't quite meet shenhe's eyes either. ]
Maybe we should finish this later. [ the conversation? the net? she doesn't indicate which, but she does shift to make herself more comfortable against shenhe's side. ]
[a little sigh - but it's not frustrated, it's kind of sad. she's never wished this hard that she was better at something.
but. yeah. maybe later, she says, so shenhe puts the net down carefully, and turns to hug nahri properly. she knows what these are, thanks to people this week, and she knows they're nice.
[ for a single brief second when shenhe moves, nahri expects her to get up and leave. instead, she finds herself in an embrace and that almost gets her to cry. somehow, some way, she keeps what little composure she has left so she can hug shenhe back.
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Where did you learn to do this?
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[ she's homesick. she misses it. ]
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... I promised that I will help you to the end. [maybe shenhe isn't homesick for a city, but even she can tell nahri misses it. she misses her mountains in a similar, if muted, way.] You'll see it again.
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Can you tell me about the mountains?
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Of course. [a pause.] Have you ever watched a sunrise?
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I've seen one or two before.
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In the mountains, you can see the sun rise up close. The world is dark, and then there is color. It creeps up on the grass, pink and red and gold. You can see those colors reflected in the dew on the grass. The wind is cold, and the trees rustle with it. A little like shivering.
But then it gets warmer, slowly, as the sun raises. Birds sing - sometimes they're a little too loud. But it doesn't stop the sight from being beautiful.
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I want you to make it back there.
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I won't be sad if I don't. [she says, simply.] I hope you don't worry about it. But thank you.
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... I don't know if I belong anywhere. [a short sigh.] I won't be unhappy, either, it... it just will be what it is.
[she struggles a little, with this - it's clear she can't really get at the emotion she knows she should be feeling here. it's frustrating.]
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Well I don't either! And I still have to go back, so you do too! [ she rubs her eyes, though nothing is there. ] You don't belong here. There has to be-- There has to be somewhere.
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You are getting ahead of us. [she says, but it's not unkind.] Neither of us are erased, so this isn't helpful.
I won't make promises I can't keep.
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Okay. [ said lamely. she doesn't quite meet shenhe's eyes either. ]
Maybe we should finish this later. [ the conversation? the net? she doesn't indicate which, but she does shift to make herself more comfortable against shenhe's side. ]
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but. yeah. maybe later, she says, so shenhe puts the net down carefully, and turns to hug nahri properly. she knows what these are, thanks to people this week, and she knows they're nice.
it makes her feel a little better.]
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it makes her feel a little better too. ]