I groan, pouring myself some hot brew, laying out on the kitchen counter, irritated that my brother forgot to leave the coffee close to the edge with my cup so I could reach it. Why do they have to have such tall counters? The very bane of my existence. I take a slow, savory sip of the brew, my toes and tail curling in delight. This is what drives me every single day. I purr in content as I watch my brother, Rahuhl, toss Nanih into the air, listening to her squeals of delight. We are easy on her, too easy, but I could care less. My Nanih will be coddled, she deserves that much after losing her twin immediately out of the womb. My hand rests gingerly on the scars on my stomach as I think about that moment, shaking my head with a small smile as I watch my kit.
"Good morn Aruka," I purr out in greeting as the elemental fey enters the kitchen. "There is fish on the table with some eggs, and coffee over here on the counter," I state, using my tail and head, respectively, to gesture to the breakfast items. Last night was a headache, I do not appreciate having to teach strangers how to dance, not my forte. I glance over at Aruka, noting his groomed appearance, sniffing the air for his scent, noting the metal scent that was on him last night is not as strong. "Your kind use a lot of metal? I smelled it strongly on you last night, and it is still faintly there this morn." I comment, looking over at Aruka as he seems to have an internal battle over the fish and eggs. He nods once before looking at a loss, perplexed about the eating utensils we have.
I laugh heartily as I jump down from the counter, picking up a leaf and coral fork. "These, these are what we eat with." I say, laughing. Aruka raises a brow, a slight frown on his lips as he takes the sturdy leaf and coral fork, forking on some eggs and two different slices of fish. "You do not use metal I take it." He states, looking at the fork curiously before using it to take a bite of the fish, his mouth pausing as it hits his tongue, a small moan escapes his lips, causing me to giggle at him as his cheeks turn a bright pink. "No, our kind have mild to severe allergies to most metals, so we just avoid it all to prevent anyone from having a reaction." I explain, taking a seat across from him, sipping my coffee as I pick up a raw piece of fish to eat. "These leaves are sturdy, from trees that grow commonly across all of Orlah, they have been used for many different things, from eating utensils to sleds, clothing and more." I state, looking out the window to watch my brother and kit walk into the house.
"So, your entire existence, is without metal, for the most part? That is insane, I could never. No electricity either? How do you all exist? There is like, nothing, no technology, nothing! How?" Aruka exclaims, looking around completely amazed. "But you have a shower, like, an actual shower, granted it looked like it was made from shells and coral and wood, but a shower, that turns on and off just like ours. With no technology or plumbing. Please explain Arymyr! I do not understand!" Aruka says hurriedly, looking at me as if we were something out of a fairy tale. "I have heard of this technology you all possess, but we do not require it. We simply use our connection to our elements. The shower is indeed made of smooth coral and shells, and the water flow is technically made with technology, it just is not metal. Our lighting? Moonstone, glow stone, and more, we do not need electricity. Some humans use it, but most just prefer to rely on the natural gifts of the realm. If we need to communicate long distances, we use nature. For example," I twist my fingers slightly, forming what looks like a water pocket in the air at my mouth.
"My voice is very weak, but using this, I can either amplify," I pause, speaking into the water pocket as more form around the room, enhancing the sound of my voice so it can be heard throughout the room evenly and clearly, "Or I can speak to others." I speak into the water pocket, another appearing beside Aruka as I move to the next room, continuing to explain. "I am using this example because I have seen humans in other realms use, ah, what are they called, cellphones and microphones? To speak long distances and be heard in a large area. I can show you humans homes that have electricity, none in this part of Orlah because the humans here are, ah, pets, you could say. They work for us, and we provide them homes and safety, just as you would any pet." I purr, sitting back down with my brew.
Aruka observes me curiously, contemplating what I have said and demonstrated as he stands and looks out the window, finished with his food. "Wait, so you are telling me, that you all actually make humans pets?" He says, whipping around to look at me with wide eyes. "Yes, it is quite normal. They are very strong and can be helpful with mundane tasks. We call them pets, but really, we are just employing them by paying their way while they fulfill our whims." I shrug nonchalantly, taking another sip of my brew as I observe Aruka curiously. "Is this not normal where you are from? I thought it was." I hum out thoughtfully. "Well, I guess, technically, it is, we just, would never call them our, pets." He states, looking at me with his head cocked to the side.
"Our humans are classified as an independent species; they have jobs to earn revenue to provide for themselves and their families with necessities and protection. They are weak though, we would not necessarily call them strong, not compared to the rest of us anyways." He chuckles, shrugging his shoulders. "So, in essence, the same thing, you just do not use the label of 'pets' on them as we do." I say with a shrug, chuckling softly. I move towards the entrance of the house, looking back to ensure Aruka is following behind, as I walk through our little town, pointing out different species and shops, the Royal Guard, and other workers.
I walk hand in hand with Nanih as I show Aruka around, buying her some small treats from vendors in the market stalls. "This place seems so modern yet so outdated at the same time. Do you all just work and play and go home? Nothing more? You all seem so, unconcerned, with the passing of time in a day, everything is at a leisure pace, nothing rushed, is this normal for you all?" Aruka questions in awe. I tsk, shaking my head with a chuckle, "We have deadlines for products to be made, deadlines for orders to be shipped and more. We just also understand that there is no point in stressing yourself out, just hire more help if needed. Not all folk have requirements to be paid in gold and silver. All you must do is ask; you can receive an amazing amount of help to meet deadlines if you work with one another. For example, Opal Lee's Extravagant Findings, she employs an abundance of humans, they help her sort through her shipments, ensuring they arrive at the shipyards in a timely manner, put inventory away in the proper places, help cut material and gems as needed. All they require from her is a home, food, and protection. She does not need to give them gold to fulfill their requests, she is a drakaina after all, she hoards everything." I say with a chuckle, allowing Nanih to run into the shop to spend the evening with Opal.