Meesha was pretty sure J'nanin was her favorite. She liked the feeling of the sand between her toes and the rushing sound of the ocean and the small yet ever so interesting plants that grew here. She knew that her grandfather had really enjoyed J’nanin from what she read in his journals, that he too was interested by the fauna here, even with the little they had. She also knew he had a laboratory in the observatory once, but it was no longer there. She liked to think she got her love of J’nanin from him, since she had never been able to meet him, it was a nice thought to keep. Her mother had loved Uru, everyone seemed to know that though…but Meesha didn’t love it. Uru scared here and anyone from it, so she had never stepped foot inside the Age before. But she didn’t want to think of scary things, just nice things, so she refocused on J’nanin and where she was and what she was doing. She hadn’t been back here for three months, so she wanted to enjoy her time.

The beach was always the first place she ventured too every time she returned. She had skipped down the sandy slopes to the water’s edge, hesitating at first to see if anyone was around but she didn’t see anyone, to her relief. She then picked up the hem of her dress, slipped off her worn shoes and skipped to the ocean’s edge to get her feet wet. The water was freezing yes, but she knew after a while it wasn’t so cold, but that didn’t stop her from squealing playfully to herself as the chilly water swirled around her feet. She hoped back and forth at the initial shock then spread out her toes and dug them into the sand, wiggling her toes about with a smile on her face. She wanted to submerge completely, take a bath, but she was not yet adjusted to the water’s temperature. So she simply stared down at her toes with her hair hanging over her shoulders, giggling with impeccable joy of simply putting her feet in cold water and sand.

Eria was happy to get away from town for a while to get some peace and quiet. The beach was always her favorite place to go to on her home age of J'nanin. Granted, during these chilly months, even most Nanites found the water too unbearably cold to go swimming. But Eria liked to dare herself to take the icy plunge into the water and see how long she could stay in.

As she made her way to the edge of the waves, she noticed Meesha. However, Meesha was still looking down, so Eria didn't get a good view of her face yet. She laid down her towel about 9 feet to Meesha's left, then took her dress off--revealing a white swimsuit--and laid the dress by her towel before running headlong into the waves and diving in.

She didn’t hear anyone approach, she was too busy watching her toes apparently, but when she heard the splash she startled and wheeled back from the water as fast as could be and got so far she was practically off the beach. She probably would have kept going but she realized she had left her shoes and turned her head back with a frown, nervously fiddling with her hands. Was it worth going back to get them? They were the only shoes she had…if not she’d have to go back to Tomahna and to the Protectors to get new ones, since she was told by them to not carry money for her protection. She decided to go back, but to be as quiet and stealth as she could be…quiet she could do, stealth? Stealth did not go with Meesha, who was clumsy as could be, which was proven as she tripped twice back down the slope towards her shoes.

She made it in one piece and leaned down to snatch her shoes up, but not before getting a curious glance towards the stranger in the water…only to see it wasn’t in fact a stranger. She knew the woman in the water and her eyes lit up as she straightened, dropping her shoes in her excitement to see a familiar, and most importantly kind, face. “Eria!” Meesha exclaimed and went back to edge of the water, the soft waves coming up to soak the bottom of her dress “Eria! It is me! It is Me-“ She always forgot to not use her real name! She stoped dead for a few moments and pursed her lips before smiling again and continuing “Ti’ana! Ti’ana…my names Ti’ana” She said it more to remind herself “Do you remember me?” She had already been around Eria plenty of times, of course she would remember, but Meesha still felt the need to ask and make sure.

After staying in for a few minutes, Eria came in as quickly as she could, her arms folded tightly across her chest as she bounded to avoid the drag of the water. Her normally wavy strawberry blonde hair was now a medium brown and straightened from the weight of the water it held. She heard the voice and looked over, stopping just before the shore. Her face lit up as she recognized the peculiar girl with the kind heart she had seen several times before. She quickly waved then wrapped her towel around her as fast as she could then ran over to her.
"Ti'ana!" she yelled happily, "Oh my goodness!" Finally, she reached Meesha with a grin on her face.

Meesha was happy to see Era remembered her, sometimes she thought people did recognize her but pretended not too and poor soul had no idea why they would do that. But it appeared Eria was not going to do that so she watched as she ran over, running her fingers over and over the ends of her hair until the other girl reached her and she dropped her hands to her sides, but her body kept fiddling “Hello, Eria” She said happily, a huge grin on her face which was rare for the girl, but then again she didn’t often have things to smile about in her life “I-I did not know it, it was you. I did not. I thought it was someone else perhaps. So I ran. But then I forgot my shoes and, and I had to come back for them and then I saw you and I called for you and now…you are here” She always blabbered when excited.

She kept rocking on her heels, her dress getting more and more wet with the water near “I have been gone quite a long time” She said it as if Eria had no idea, glancing around as if weary someone else might come upon them, perhaps if Eria had companions but it didn’t seem so today. She looked back to her and kept fidgeting “Why did you jump into the water so quickly? It is cold” She spoke the words hushly as if a secret.

A grin came to her face as Meesha talked. The quirky sweetheart always spoke so funnily. Though of course Eria never thought less of Meesha for it. She nodded in agreement when Meesha mentioned being gone for a long time, but waited to speak, letting her finish her ramble. "Yes, it is cold!" she said with a chuckle. "But that's why I jumped in so quickly. It's so chilly that if I'd waited and eased my way in, I might have changed my mind and never gone in. Then with a smile that had a tiny bit of pride to it she added, "Sometimes you have to do that with situations in life too."

She paused and looked out over the sea water for a moment. "But I'm also a little more accustomed to it because I've always lived here." As she looked back to her, she asked with interest, "So what have you been doing since I last saw you?"

When Eria confirmed that the water was indeed cold, her face read with almost an excited ‘I knew it!’. However Eria’s logic escaped the girl, she could not grasp it. If it was so cold, why enter the water at all, whether slowly or quickly? Meesha had not been raised to take risks and be bold, not like the women here in J’nanin. They were raised to be little dare devils, but the Protectors had raised Meesha to mind her manners, stay out of people’s way and to never take any risks. She was to over think everything, four or five times before making a decision. But her life was far different then Eria’s. Eria had freedom and could do whatever she wanted and meet whoever she wanted, while Meesha lived her life with caution, knowing what it could mean if anyone discovered who she was. Rather wistfully she wished she could have Eria’s life, and her way of thinking…because Meesha couldn’t understand it.

Her second explanation though made perfect sense and the confused expression on her face cleared away. Oh, well that made sense. The cold water didn’t bother her because she was used to it. That she could understand. Meesha shrugged and fiddled with her hands “Traveling” She wasn’t supposed to reveal too much where she had been or what she had been doing. “Collecting things. From Riven mainly. I like their plants” She mentioned the place nonchalantly, forgetting J’nanin and Riven’s history was not a happy one, but she could never remember these delicate situations. She looked up the hill where the village lay then back to Eria and smiled hopefully, biting her bottom lip “Will there be a festival tonight?” It was a rather silly question, when did J’nanin not have some party going on. Meesha enjoyed them, she liked to dance and be silly and J’nanin was the best place for that.

When Meesha mentioned Riven so casually, her grin faded. She was too young to remember even the end of the war, but she had grown up hearing the stories of the vicious, power-hungry Uruns slaughtering countless innocents, followed soon after by the desperate, angry Rivens who refused to listen to her already devastated people when they begged for peace in their land. The blind vengeance of the Rivenese was still hauntingly fresh in the minds of many of the other Nanites. After a cough, she said simply, "That's nice. They have nice plants, do they?" trying to mask her new uneasiness with politeness in her voice. When the subject changed to the festival, her face lit up again. "Why yes there is! Are you coming?" she asked chuckling and eagerly welcoming the much happier topic.

When her smile faded, concern came all over her face. Did she say something wrong? She had said something wrong. Oh…oh what had she said wrong? She tried to backtrack, but she didn’t get it that mentioning Riven had been the cause for Eria’s reaction. Even though Eria tried to cover up her reaction, Meesha had still noticed and began panicking. She raised both her hands into her hair roughly and pulled at the roots, making a soft pained sound as if she was being brutally pinched. It was these moments that people panicked themselves, as they would now see the girl suffered some sort of mental ailment. She didn’t mean to upset Eria…but she had, and now she didn’t know what to do about it.

“I am sorry…I am sorry…I did something bad…I did something bad” She said in a rush of breath, still pulling at her hair before slowing sinking them down to cover and grab at her ears and her breathing got harsher. Her eyes started darting about and she bit her bottom lip harshly. The mention of the festival however and Eria’s happiness made her gaze go to her face and stay there quietly for a few moments “I can still come? You are not angry with me?”

Meesha's reaction at first startled Eria, and a frown formed on her wide-eyed face. It was then that she became absolutely positive of three things: 1) Her companion had noticed her reaction. 2) Ti'ana truly was not aware of--or at least did not realize the full extent of, or did not remember--J'nanin's & Riven's tense relationship. And 3) Ti'ana really did have some sort of mental ailment.

She had always known that this traveling girl was very different, but she had never been certain of any mental issues. Eria had wondered, but merely ended up assuming that Meesha was some sort of nomadic abused child or orphan or both.

Slowly, she smiled once more. "I'm not mad. I just...think...that...people from Riven are usually not nice people." And of course you can come.

When she said she wasn’t angry, she watched her for a few moments hesitantly before slowly lowering her hands but began wringing them together “You’re not mad?” She asked again, just to make sure she understood correctly. She rang her hands for a few more moments before stopping that nervous behavior as well and letting them fall to her sides naturally, nodding her head “Riven people are not nice…they can be scary…but not always” She had never actually met any, some she had seen had tried to attack her and others just ignored her, it depended, but she certainly always made sure to be careful there.

She then smiled when she told her she could still come to the festival and her expression brightened “I am glad” She was hungry…and bored, she couldn’t wait for the food and for dancing.

She brightened and did a little wiggle of proud excitement, for she had quickly quelled a possible disaster. But hmm...it was still an hour or so until the festival. It wouldn't start until just after sunset. What to do in the meantime to entertain themselves and avoid any trouble...or work? Suddenly, an idea hit her, and her eyes widened again as she looked out over the ocean for a moment.
"Say, Ti'ana," she began, now turning to the other girl, "Have you ever tried skipping rocks on the surface of water?"