Paid Leave [Ninsianna, Arjana]

"Please, do not feel as if you are inadequate. Orations and ceremony are beautiful things in their own right, and I would never expect others to do as I am able. But, if you would wish, I would be all too willing to commit your tales and rituals to memory so that they are never lost."

It was an offer that Ninsianna imagined would be quite appreciated, given the nature of faith. As Arjana took the photographs, Ninsianna put away her clipboard, imagining that it would be better to share any other forms of media only after she was assured that the fellow priestess had means to utilize it.

"It was magnificent, yes, and I feel quite fortunate to have seen so much of the world's history before my own eyes."

"I do not but there is a stark contrast, though I shouldn't try and sound so grim. People of the land are eternalised after our brief lives so even if we all pass away we still exist in the ocean of the earth's shadow."

She explained though she fully understood that Ninsianna might not understand the lingo of her faith that she was unfamiliar with. Arjana didn't expect her to know things that she never heard of but she did enjoy sharing those kind of things.

"Really?"

It sure did make her a little jubilant to hear such an offer from someone such as Ninsianna to a person that she just met. She was a little overly friendly, she tried to make friends before she made enemies. It was just her nature.

While it was true that Ninsianna did not understand the specifics of the faith, she was intelligent enough and familiar enough with religious symbolism to understand the broad strokes of what it was that Arjana was saying to her. But, of course, that thought was cut short at the woman's clear enthusiasm from her offer.

"Certainly. As both a keeper of historical record, and as a fellow priestess, it would be unthinkable to let your faith be forgotten."

It was almost endearing to see the friendly energy to this woman, but of course, Ninsianna supposed she would feel much the same way. It already caused her a bit of grief to know that she, and she alone, remembered her own goddess. At least, as she had truly been.

"Ah well I know our traditions are recent and short compared to others and so I know it wouldn't take long, well in the subjective sense. I would feel quite poor though to deprive you of this time here to do something for me. I mean, you did come here with your daughter didn't... you."

She turned back to see that the children had all disappeared and Inanna with them, before a tailwind caught her in the form of a child running behind her and knocking her just enough to stagger her. A particular danava of freedom running after to try and play tag.

Arjana did in fact just chuckle despite her surprise. Maybe she did misinterpret that these two desired to be joined at the hip when the kid was interested in playing games.

"I did, yes, but she seems to be quite enjoying herself as she is. Inanna, dear, I will be speaking with Miss Arjana here. Please come and get me when you've finished."

It was perhaps not so subtle, but Ninsianna wished to make it very clear to her daughter that, even now, she was not going back on her promise. She would certainly speak with Arjana for as long as she could, but if her daughter asked for her presence, then that would be enough to cut short any visit.

"Please, do lead the way if you must show me anything more to convey this."

"Of course, right this way. I promise I shall keep my eye on her through our talk. She will be safe."

She explained, Inanna was a little peculiar though to her perception through the omniscience she had in this region. It was as if she had no connection to the land at all, not even a faint one that Ninsianna had with her lack of connection to the continent. Inanna was just a black smudge which stood out in its own particular way. She was no mother but her position did make her understand how much it meant to want to protect people that relied on you and cared for you.

Arjana stated to head off, making their way towards her humble little hut which while spacious and not as low as it suggested given that she had dug it into the dirt a bit to make more room and take advantage of the natural insulation of the earth around her.

"This is my home, forgive all the mess."

There was not a lot of mess, maybe cluttered with what looked like talisman and religious tools in places but overall organised when she took a seat on one of the mats that was on the floor. She looked a lot more weary once she took a seat, turning away to cough a bit before she turned her attention back to Ninsianna and looked apologetic.

"Sorry, I'm a little sick at the moment. Do you have anything in particular you'd like to know, if there's any starting point you'd like to begin at."

Catching her breath from her coughing, Arjana didn't elaborate that a 'little sick' meant a persistent illness that had been going on for a year or so, at least it didn't trouble her as much here compared to the city.

"No, please, simply tell whatever you wish."

Ninsianna admittedly was almost horrified internally at even this sort of organized mess, but of course, she gave nothing of that away, her polite and professional demeanor unchanged. At the cough, though, she gave a faint expression of concern. Not for her own health, of course, but for Arjana's.

"Do, of course, take your time if you require. I would not wish to press you through your illness."

"It's alright, I'm used to it."

A chronic thing like that had ceased to bother her aside from it was a particularly bad day though nothing really compared to when it first came on and she ended up in hospital for a few weeks.

"I suppose I shall begin with clarifying, we worship Nzambi. A particularly old God though since we only really have oral accounts I can't exactly place when it began, their praise didn't really pick up until I was born though and since then it's steadily evolved. I suppose my birth was a blessing in that regard since I have power over Death and I kept the monsters that roamed the land from terrorising us. It was kind of inevitable that I ended up in the position I am in but it's been thankfully stable as I grew up - even moreso when Vastime was established."

She explained before continuing, leaving questions for her to interject as she pleased.

"So since I have my connection to Nzambi I find that I'm able to commune with the dead, as all things die I am kind of like someone that connects those two worlds, I have rituals that guide people there sometimes to say goodbyes or to make sure things aren't lost. Ancestors are quite wise in that sense, they teach me a lot."

Ninsianna listened carefully, finding it all quite interesting in an academic sense. She thought to comment on it when the woman had come to a good stopping point, but a point was then made that left her with some degree of pause. She thought for a moment or two, and spoke in a voice that was just faintly more personable than her usual businesslike tone.

"You said that you are able to commune with the dead? I would be interested to know more about such a ritual."

Of course, she still was not so sold on that matter as to simply wish to partake in this woman's faith. And, even besides that, she still knew quite firmly in her heart that it could well be an insult beyond measure to her goddess, daring to try and reach her before the allotted time.

But, even so, she wished to know. If only for the knowledge itself.

"Yes, I volunteered to allow for Vastime to attempt elucidate a bit more into my faith though I did not quite follow a lot of it. My wits aren't really suited to fields of science."

Arjana thought about how to explain it to a woman such as this. She dressed professionally but was a woman of faith so maybe she'd prefer her own interpretations of it.

"Well, in a sense. I know it's a little strange. After we die we return to the Earth, well if you have a connection to it. I wouldn't say it's entirely so. No spirits I encounter appear to have any semblance of supernatural power besides whatever form they happen to take but their mind appears to be intact. It's in my capacity to create a pathway into the ocean of the Earth's shadow and not be drowned in it. It's kind of like a dream, I go there when I sleep and can't really say I've ever had a real dream but taking someone requires some preparation both spiritually for them and physically."