PM to join [Fountain of Cascading Harmony] Foreign Lands (Stitchens)

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Center of scholarly knowledge and shipwrighting, Zeltiva is a port city unlike any other in Mizahar. [Lore]

[Fountain of Cascading Harmony] Foreign Lands (Stitchens)

Postby Liana on January 7th, 2014, 10:14 pm

23rd of Winter, 513 AV

It was a cold, cloudless day with Syna at the apex of her daily climb. Chilly winds blew off the bay and cut through the city, coaxing people back inside to huddle around their hearths. Other rushed about their business, wanting to go back home. Some people didn't mind the weather. Liana was on the fence. Her cloak was thick enough to guard against some of winter's icy breath, but Zulrav and Morwen couldn't be bested by a few layers of clothing. She pulled the blue material tighter around her slim shoulders and rearranged it around her legs. They were drawn up to her chest as she sat perched on the stone edge that surrounded the fountain of Laviku and Tanroa. It was only her third day in the city; this being the first she had ventured out. Yesterday Liana had holed up in her room at the inn, nursing her homesickness and wondering if this had been the right decision.

Zeltiva had so many places she'd read about that were yet be visited. Laviku's Temple, for one. She glimpsed the massive building overlooking the bay as the ship that had brought her across the sea made port. Then there was the University; one of the main reasons for leaving home. The largest singular collection of knowledge in all the lands. It was a dream to even be in the same city as it was. Every time Liana had tried to muster the energy to leave her room, hesitant fingers hovered over her door's latch, and every time she retreated back to her bed or to the window.

She really needed to break free of this funk she was in. It was her that left. Her mother had tried to talk her out of it. Tried to tell her she wasn't ready. Liana frowned at the serene faces of the two Gods lounging under the clear cascading waters. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. She was supposed to be learning all manner of new things, meeting new people, and experiencing the world. Not fearfully watching every step and balking away from everything and everyone. The Konti had barely talked to a single soul. That wasn't her. Liana's forehead wrinkled as her frown deepened. Suddenly, she was angry with herself. Angry and disappointed for throwing away the first few days, and an entire ship voyage this past fall. So much lost opportunity. What could she have learned on the deck of that ship instead of hiding in her room like she had done yesterday?

Liana scrambled to her feet and stepped down from the fountain's edge. A cloud of heat billowed from her lips and nose, misting the air for a moment before swirling away into nothing. She patted herself to make sure everything was still in place. Money, check. Dagger, check. For a moment Liana felt courageous and willful again, like she had before stepping onto that ship back at Mura. This was where she'd wanted to be, and here she was. She'd made it. But she was alone now in this foreign land, with no guidance. And there it was again; the uncertainty that kept worming its way into her thoughts every day since the beginning of the Konti's voyage. What is something went terribly wrong? What if her mother was right, and Mura was the best place for her? On Mura, there was the comfort of familiarity and a routine. Here, there was the opposite.

Liana seemed to shrink a little as she wrapped her arms tightly around herself and shivered against the cold. Her nose was pink and runny and her toes hurt from the chill. Sighing heavily, she dropped back down to sit on the stone ledge of the fountain. Frustrated, she ran her fingers through her long hair then down her face, kneading her eyes roughly. "What are you afraid of?" Liana asked herself in angry, hushed Kontinese. "People do this sort of thing all the time. You are not the only one alone out here. You are not a child. If mother did it so can you." It was new, having to rely on herself and make her own decisions. Mother had always done that for her. She frowned again, reminding herself that was one of the reasons she had left.
Last edited by Liana on January 8th, 2014, 4:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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[Fountain of Cascading Harmony] Foreign Lands (Stitchens)

Postby Stitchens Plint on January 8th, 2014, 2:28 pm

The smell of the not too distant ocean and the warmth of Syna was enough to make the day as great as any summer's eve. It was cold, very cold, but he enjoyed taunting the forces of nature on days like today with a lively run. He had only just started including running into his daily exercises to heighten endurance were as the original schedule of weights helped with power. It was only a bonus that running seemed to keep the chill away better than the heavy bars and discs.

Stitchens stood outside in only a simple shirt and pants, even his shoes had trouble hiding his feet within from the nippy earth. In his head he began planning out his route. A casual jog to Rak'kali's temple for a quick prayer, then a swift run to that beautiful fountain for soulful break, then the docks and back home. The route was a long one, but he believed anything less would not do him any good.

Like always, he started with his stretches, focusing mainly on his legs and lower abdomen, though he would never ignore the rest of his frame. Bringing each ankle up so his heel was against his rear he leans his shoulders back, stretching out thighs abdomen and chest. With his lungs expanded he took a deep breath before his leg lowers and his shoulders roll forward to exhale, stretching his spine for the moment before the other leg is brought up. He felt all tension near drip from his bones and evaporate from his muscles. Finally he was off with a quick-footed jog.

Not long after starting, he found himself at Bree's Bivouac before he could really enjoy the burn. He welcomed the second leg of the journey, which would be near double the distance. For now though, he was content with resting here near the shrine. He strove to regulating his breathing and heart beat ash e paid his respects to his patron. He said nothing, thought nothing, but he prayed all the same.

His presence close to Rak'kali spiked emotions, pride, cheer, that ever-present sense of duty. He felt the Mark upon his face, whether a figment of imagination or some mystic reaction to this place he could care less. He knew it was there, he believed he gave his goddess no reason to doubt his loyalty or his faith to Her. His prayer was just that, his presence and his devotion.

Just as he reigned in his breathing, he was stretching his legs once more. They had almost gone stiff, but it was not long before he was working out the kings and regaining that comforting burn. This time his pace was more strenuous. Longer strides covering more ground at a swifter pace. The bite of cold wind was intense, but it kept him working to warm up from the inside out; like liquid heat pouring from his core.

In his mind the sound of his feet as they landed heavily on the cobble stone path rang like drums. He saught to keep his pace as even as his breath. Like a breeze, he thought. Finesse, not prowess. It was strange, trying to be soft. Trying to lighten his steps without slowing his pace was awkward, but that gracelessness is one of the reasons he took up running. To temper the coarseness of his physique with something agile and smooth.

Just as it was getting good, he was pulled once again from his revere of muscle focus. The city was far too small for a long run, he realized. Still, the sound of the fountain was comforting, it nearly matched the sound the rushing wind had made as he ran. Reaching into his pocket, he removed a gold rimmed coin he had brought just for this occasion. Just before he was came close enough to flick it into the fountain, he caught sight of a woman, sitting just on the opposite side.

She looked familiar. It took a moment to figure out why. She was Konti! "Hello!" He offered before taking a deep, controlled breath."I hope I'm not intruding, miss, but I don't think I have seen you around before." Whereas some could mistake him for a half-Isur because of his muscular frame, none could mistake him for a Konti for gender alone... Yet he spoke Kontinese fluid enough to understand, though it lacked the finesse of someone native to the tongue. It held an awkwardly basic structuring, as if someone had learned it, than spoken it only once or twice.
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[Fountain of Cascading Harmony] Foreign Lands (Stitchens)

Postby Liana on January 8th, 2014, 8:42 pm

Liana leaned forward and rested both elbows on her knees. On the heel of one hand she propped her chin and rhythmically tapped her fingers on her bottom lip. I will have wrinkles if I keep working myself up like this, she scolded herself in the swirling turmoil of her mind. It was like a storm at sea up there inside her skull. Liana had never been alone in her life. The experience was terrifying and unsettling. Even on the ship here she had the comfort of befriended passengers, but Zeltiva was a city of foreign strangers. She had to leave this fountain eventually, and it wouldn't be to just run back to her room at the inn. Her empty stomach tightened uncertainly. If she got lost she could ask for direction, even if her first attempt at that at the docks had been a flop. Luckily a kind guardsmen had found her and given her some guidance.

See! the voice of reason shouted in her head. It was her old voice; the brave one that had been uncharacteristic silent since boarding the ship to Zeltiva. Not all these strangers are terse and unkind! I'm sure if you give them a try, a lot of them are really rather pleasant. It was a battle up there in her head. One side of Liana wanted to squeal with delight and go running through the streets to explore every inch of the place, just like she'd always dreamed of in Mura. Now that she had the opportunity though, a new side had reared its head and doused her adventurous fire. It was fearful of a big new world filled with nothing but strangers and strange things. Maybe it was always there, laying dormant. Forged by the overprotective mother who continuously warned of the dangers of humans and her own foul experiences away from Mura. The seed was planted and at the worst possible time it had sprouted.

The Konti sat up straight again and absently smoothed out her tunic. When a voice called out from behind her, Liana didn't pay attention. There were other people moving about. Surely someone talking to another. She didn't know anyone but the woman that owned the inn and the man from the Wave Guard who had helped her the other day. But that voice itched at her ears at the back of mind, pulling her from her thoughts. She half-turned to look at the man standing there on the other side of the fountain. He'd spoken Kontinese, she realized now. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. He would have had to have been speaking to her then. "I'm sorry?" she asked in her native tongue. "What did you say?" What a large man! He was very muscular, and wasn't wearing much of anything at all like he should with this cold wind blowing. He had messy blonde hair a face that made it hard for her to try to guess his age.
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[Fountain of Cascading Harmony] Foreign Lands (Stitchens)

Postby Stitchens Plint on January 9th, 2014, 2:01 pm

"I said," he offers with a smile, "hello." She would be right, he was speaking Kontinese. It might not have been perfect, a few mispronunciations where his first tongue still held ground. "My name is Stitchens Plint I was just wandering if you were new here."

With his chest still rising and falling a bit more rapidly than he would have liked, he tried his best to regulate it even with the short, casual walk around the fountain. Despite his size, he hoped she would remain calm. Upon his face, beneath the light sheen of sweat of his brow, was a Mark of Rak'kali. The coiling serpent rising from his cheek with a wing spanning over his left eye. It almost dominated one side of his face.

"I mean you no harm. I just thought I should play the welcoming committee if no one else had already." He came to a stop a few yards away, standing tall and seeming to await her approval of his approach. Both for her comfort and his, some people were not as pretty as they looked when backed into a corner.

Stitchens offered a hand, palm up in a gentlemanly gesture of course. He held a smile which could have cured anxiety in itself... or maybe that had something to do with the graceful curl of that snake so close to the corner of his lips? Beyond that broad physique he almost radiated a presence of comfort, whether through body language or some mystic link to that Mark was anyone's guess.

"If you are new, it might be a wise idea to take a look over your health as well. Traveling and sickness often come hand in hand." He stated. "No charge, mind you." Not that it would take much effort to nip any gestating infections or sicknesses in the bud. She seemed well enough, but the offer acted as both a precaution and an ice breaker.
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[Fountain of Cascading Harmony] Foreign Lands (Stitchens)

Postby Liana on January 11th, 2014, 3:48 pm

She didn't notice the mark of Rak'keli at first; not until he came closer around the side of the fountain. Her eyes zeroed in on the gnosis granted by the Goddess of healing and one of the patrons of her kind. One of Liana's own sisters had the mark herself just above the breast on her heart. She assumed Rak'keli marked those other than Konti, but had never seen it personally having been sheltered on Mura the duration of her life. A smile slowly spread across her face. He spoke her language and bore the mark of a healer. This was the closest she had come to feeling at home since stepping on the ship. The tension in her body quickly subsided and Liana stood to meet the young human. "I know you mean well," she assured in easy Kontinese. "With that mark how can I think otherwise?" Her eyes crinkled as the smile grew wider. "Stitchens Plint," she repeated in careful Common before returning to her native tongue. "I am Liana."

Liana looked him up and down eagerly, trying to gauge what sort of man this was. He was marked by Rak'keli so there was no doubt he was a good soul with gentle hands and a desire to help others. Healers of the Goddess were supposed to turn their backs on harming others and instead dedicate themselves to selfless care. It was a little at odds with the rest of his appearance. Sweaty, sparsely clothed, and muscular. He looked more like one of the sailors unloading crates at the shipyard the day she arrived. Liana tilted her head and regarded his outstretched hand for only a heartbeat. She felt fine, but the offer was a kind one and the Konti had no desire to be rude. Her fingers clasped his after a lingering hesitation, but only from the sheer size of him. Her contact with humans had always been very limited on Mura, and now Liana was surrounded by them. This was one of the few times she'd even touched one; a number that could be counted on one hand.

Her eyes found the mark again that dominated the side of this Stitchen Plint's face. It was a wonder to see so far from home, and made her realize that the patron Goddesses of Mura touched far and wide. Her chest felt warm at the thought. Of course Zeltiva even worships Laviku. They had a temple for him after all, and various other statues and this fountain. Perhaps she wasn't as far from home than she'd at first thought. It was confusing and comforting all at once.
Last edited by Liana on January 19th, 2014, 2:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
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[Fountain of Cascading Harmony] Foreign Lands (Stitchens)

Postby Stitchens Plint on January 11th, 2014, 7:18 pm

He knew how it felt to be new. After all, he was not a native born Zeltivan either. When she took his hand, he placed his other over top of it. The gentle touch was perhaps just what she expected of a healer like himself. "I guess you just moved from the Konti Islands. You appear a little starstruck." The comment came with a smile, even as he released the comforting hold on her hand. "I am from Syliras myself, but I visited Mura once and traveled with a lovely Konti as well." Which explains his ability to speak the language at least, and to pick her out as one of the race so easily.

He had noticed her peering him over well enough, so he took only his fair due; a return gaze over her small form. His was quicker, not quite so intent on seeing all the fine details. He was nice enough not to perv so openly. "Pardon me if I seem out of line, but my physique is not as you may think. It comes from a fascination of physical health and muscular expertise." He offered with a shrug of a thick shoulder. "We call it Bodybuilding, though I am unaware of how to say it in Kontinese."
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[Fountain of Cascading Harmony] Foreign Lands (Stitchens)

Postby Liana on January 19th, 2014, 2:04 am

Her eyes danced with delight and Liana could practically feel Rak'keli in his touch. It was the same gentleness in which her older sister handled everything. She was also marked; on the face even, as coincidence would have it. Liana smiled in embarrassment and blushed at his astute observation. "Yes," she admitted bashfully. "I arrived three days ago by ship. The homesickness is hard to contend with. I have never been away from the island." Stitchens had traveled far more than she had. He'd been to Mura, was initially from Syliras, and was now here. He was so much more experienced than she was. Liana gazed at him in wonder, trying to imagine what he had seen and who he had met along the way. It was hard to imagine traveling that far when she herself was barely handling the transition here.

"Building of the body?" she asked in uncertain Common, then switched once more to Kontinese when the translation clicked in her head. "Bodybuilding is popular among the Akalaks I know. My brothers and father all have commendable physics. You would appreciate their dedication to strength and health. Have you met any in your travels?" Liana had met a handful of Akalaks on Mura including those in her family. Her father and brothers, because of the great distance between Riverfall and Mura, had only visited a few times during her childhood. It was a long journey; one that had to be carefully planned and charted. There had been one or two in Zeltiva that she'd glimpsed in passing, but it was a busy city and a center for trade and commerce. Many people gathered from all over. It was one of the reasons she was so overwhelmed.

Everything moved at a speed that far surpassed life on Mura, where the days were slow and no one was in a hurry. When you had a few hundred years to get everything done it was easy to handle things at a leisurely pace.
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