Solo [Great Harbor] Gone With the Morning Tide (Solo)

Orin seeks out Crest to explain why he ran

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This shining population center is considered the jewel of The Sylira Region. Home of the vast majority of Mizahar's population, Syliras is nestled in a quiet, sprawling valley on the shores of the Suvan Sea. [Lore]

[Great Harbor] Gone With the Morning Tide (Solo)

Postby Orin Fenix on May 10th, 2015, 3:49 am

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8th Bell, 76th of Spring, 515 AV



Orin approached the dock where the Wavedancer was moored. The announcement had come yesterday that the Lia and the Grandmaster, and by extension the Syliran Order and the gathered Svefra had come to some sort of agreement that had satisfied both sides. The details of it hadn’t been released to the public, as far as Orin was aware. Not that Orin would have found out either way. He barely found out about the decision in the first place. It had only been when Rondo had strolled in yesterday with a smug expression on his face that Orin had gotten the story. Actually, Remi had gotten the story, as she painstakingly drew it out of the other chef. She would’ve likely found out from Ser Kevith anyway, since he still maintained numerous contacts in the Knighthood. But essentially, Rondo was proud that his friends among the merchants that supplied The Rearing Stallion had gotten the word first. Apparently, all of the Svefra gossiped worse that farmer’s wives. Therefore, as soon as the Nal’Lyeo had lifted, the word had spread through their ranks like wildfire. It was no wonder that Rondo had heard first, considering his extensive connections in the markets and the docks. The Syliran Knighthood was probably a lot more ponderously slow when it came to releasing information to the common folk, if they even bothered to tell them at all. It was just yet another reason Orin had severe doubts about them. If they were as pure and as good as they claimed they would’ve had no need to obscure any of the facts before them.

Regardless, the news was confirmed by numerous different sources, all of whom Orin found more trustworthy than Rondo. It was, after all, one of the most important events that had occurred in Syliras all season. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. Everyone except Orin that is. For some reason, Orin had been filled with dread every time the thought of the Svefra departing and Syliras returning to normal came up. It really wasn’t that hard to figure out. Orin had been avoiding the Svefra ever since his second encounter with Crest, the far too handsome, charming, and vivacious Svefra youth who had led Orin on a whirlwind of a day before kissing Orin under the moonlight and upon the waves. Ever since that moment, Orin had been a jumble of confused emotions and thoughts and it had made him crabby and irritable. His few friends had remarked upon it. But Orin had refused to tell them what was bothering him, since it was horribly embarrassing and much too personal a secret to share.

Orin hadn’t really been intending to see Crest again but last night as he was leaving The Rearing Stallion Orin had realized that he’d never be able to live with himself if he didn’t at least talk to the other man. He’d walked over to The Welcome Home where the kept flower boxes year round. Orin didn’t think that the orphans, who liked Orin and saw him as an older brother figure and a kindred soul, would mind that Orin had pilfered one. He wasn’t sure if they really cared about them in the first place. They had their own secret garden in the back, hidden from view. Still, it was a nice gesture from the people of Syliras. Orin had looked over the selection in the flickering torchlight before selecting a single rose. The thorns pricked his fingers and made him bleed, so Orin pulled out a dagger and trimmed them. Luckily, the flower had kept until the morrow. And now, Orin had it placed on top of Crest’s red pants which in turn were resting on Orin’s arms.

Thankfully, the Wavedancer hadn’t departed yet. Orin had mixed feelings about that, but overall he felt it was good. Otherwise he’d have been crippled by guilt. Orin approached the ship and a figure called out. There was a buzz of activity on board before a face finally appeared on the railing above. Orin recognized it and the butterflies in his stomach decided to revolt in protest. It was Maia, the Wavedancer’s Lia. She also happened to be Crest’s mother. Orin’s heart sank as she crossed her arms against her chest and glared down at Orin. ”And what brings you of all people to my ship on this morning. I hope you haven’t come to beg forgiveness because there’s none to be had here.” Her voice was cold but not necessarily harsh. Orin couldn’t read her well enough to tell how she felt about this situation. Orin wouldn’t be surprised if she hated Orin for hurting her son. So, Orin swallowed, and did his best to try and convince her to let him up onto her ship. ”I’ve come,” and Orin had to pause to swallow in his suddenly dry mouth. ”I’ve come to make amends. I know I have hurt you and yours, and there is nothing I can do to fix that. I was wrong, and I just want to tell him that. Please. He deserves to know the truth about what happened and I was too cowardly to tell him before.” Those were probably the hardest words Orin had ever uttered. He was pleading at the end, begging her to at least give Orin one last chance even though he didn’t think he deserved one himself. Something in her softened, and she nodded once, briskly before disappearing from view. Orin breathed a sigh of relief as a rope ladder came sailing over the edge. Of course, it wasn’t actually going to be easier for Orin from here on out.
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[Great Harbor] Gone With the Morning Tide (Solo)

Postby Orin Fenix on May 10th, 2015, 2:33 pm

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Orin set his bottom foot on the rung of the ladder. It was hard to hold onto his burden and climb at the same time. Orin was finally forced to hold the rose in his teeth and wrap the pants around his neck. He looked like a damned fool, which was appropriate under the circumstances. Orin would shoulder through any humiliation to get to Crest. Finally Orin reached the top to find it had been mysteriously cleared of people. Apparently they were at least giving Orin the appearance of privacy. Orin was sure they were watching or listening but he was glad enough to at least have the illusion. Orin spat out the flower into his palm. It tasted weird and had a strange texture. Orin would never willingly eat the stem of another rose again. He also untangled the pants from his neck and refolded them. Now they were wrinkled but Orin couldn’t do anything about it at this particular moment in time. I’m stalling and this ship could leave at any moment. Straightening from his slump, Orin rearranged the pants and the flower, then made his way over to the hatch that would lead him to Crest’s quarters.

This time, when Orin was forced to climb down he simply pressed his bundle against his chest. Making his way down the corridor Orin paused before a plain, unmarked door. He’d only been here once before and the door had been open. Beyond that he’d been following Crest and so he was entirely unsure if he was anywhere close to the right place. However, Orin was planning to knock on every single door in this boat if he had to in order to find Crest. Rapping with his knuckles twice against the warm wood, Orin waited for a response. When there wasn’t any Orin knocked again, harder. When he was still greeted by nothing but silence Orin turned to move down the hallway. At that point, though, Crest’s voice rang out from inside. It lacked its usual musical quality but it was obviously him. ”What do you want?” Orin’s breath caught in his throat. A million emotions cascaded through him, relief, fear, anxiety, joy, and everything in between. That just a few simple words could evoke that in Orin was incredible and horrifying. Orin had made it as far as he had in his life by not forming attachments to people since he knew that was how they ended up getting hurt. And yet somehow Crest, who Orin barely knew, had broken through so many of his barriers. Maybe it was because they fit so well together, at least in Orin’s mind. Crest was lighthearted where Orin was serious and imaginative where Orin was practical.

It didn’t really matter. Orin had to get through that door, preferably without breaking it down. He’d try that if he had to but Orin doubted he was physically capable. Besides, Orin figured he should try the path of tact first. ”I want to talk to you.” There was a long pause. Too long for Orin’s comfort. He had no idea what Crest was doing. Finally the other man spoke up again. ”Maybe I don’t want to talk to you.” Orin felt the sting of tears in his eyes. However, he’d been prepared for just this reception. And Orin actually had a response planned out. ”Crest, please. Don’t make the same mistake I did. Don’t run away from this because it’s difficult. And yes I admit I messed up, not once, but twice. I just...I just need to talk to you. Not want, need.” Orin took a deep breath. He wasn’t necessarily proud but begging was never easy. ”Please Crest. Let me say my piece and then you’ll never have to hear my voice or see me ever again.” There was the sound of movement on the other side. Orin couldn’t tell if Crest was moving away or towards the door though. Finally, though, there was the sound of a latch being disengaged and the door swung open.

Crest stood before him but the man was just a shadow of his former self. There were shadows under his sea-touched eyes and his cheeks were hollow. Orin felt the pit of his stomach drop. He had never intended for it to get this bad for either of them. Crest was also fully dressed, something Orin knew the man would never have done if he was in his normal mood. Orin didn’t know if the Svefra had chosen to do that for Orin’s sake or his own but it hurt that Orin had damaged what they had perhaps beyond repair. But Orin was stubborn and he wouldn’t give up without a fight. Even if it was a losing battle, it was still a battle. ”May I come in?” Crest’s response was just to step away from the door. Orin walked into the room and turned to face Crest. Now that the moment had come, Orin’s words died in his throat.
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[Great Harbor] Gone With the Morning Tide (Solo)

Postby Orin Fenix on May 10th, 2015, 3:24 pm

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Orin knew he had to do something, say something but all his carefully thought through and impassioned speeches flew out of his brain now that the moment had finally come. They stood there awkwardly for a few ticks before Orin thrust out his bundle for Crest to take. ”I brought back your pants. And the, the, the flower is for you too. I don’t know why I thought it would make a difference. It’s dumb I know, it’s just, roses are for romance right?” Orin was well aware that he was babbling. But he couldn’t seem to stem the words that came out of his mouth around Crest. Crest gave Orin a funny look but took the flower and his pants. The pants got tossed to the bed as if they didn’t matter. Crest looked at the flower for a long moment before throwing it to the ground. Orin gulped. It had been a silly gesture but Orin had hoped the symbolism behind it might have helped his case. Apparently not, and now it was up to Orin himself and whatever words he could dredge up from the depths of his soul. Crest crossed his arms across his chest.

Orin didn’t know what to do with his own hands. Leaving them at his sides felt wrong, but every other position Orin considered wasn’t any better. He ended up linking them together and bringing them up to his chest. Finally Orin couldn’t put it off any longer. ”I ran. It was a dumb thing to do and I just, I just panicked, you know?” Orin hung his head in shame. He couldn’t bear to look at Crest anymore. Orin started pacing agitatedly. The room was so small that Orin could only take a few steps before being forced to turn back around. ”You have to know though. You have to know that I ran, yes but I was trying to run from myself never from you. It’s just, it’s just. I really liked you and it terrified me.” Orin’s voice broke on the last sentence and tears started streaming down his face. He placed his hands on the wall across from Crest and leaned forward so the Svefra couldn’t see Orin’s face.

Orin knew that he couldn’t make Crest understand if Crest didn’t know Orin’s history. ”Please bear with me for a second. I have to, I have to tell you a story.” At this point Orin’s words were punctuated by quiet sobs. If Orin was Crest, he wouldn’t forgive the pathetic mess that Orin had just turned into. ”A long time ago, well, not so long but long enough, there was a man and a woman. They loved each other more than anything else in the world. They made life worth living. They used to,” and Orin let out a bitter laugh, before continuing, ”they used to compare their love to the love between Syna and Leth in its depth and breadth.” That had been one of the few stories Orin’s father had ever told him about his mother. ”They wanted a child and after many years she got pregnant. The couple was overjoyed and eagerly awaited the day of the baby’s birth. And it came.” Orin closed his eyes. This would be the hardest portion to tell yet. ”The baby was born but there were complications. No one ever told me the exact details about it but whatever happened my mother was gone and it, well it broke my father.” Orin let his legs carry him to the floor until he sitting. He twisted until his back was against the wall, but Orin still couldn’t look at Crest.

”My father never recovered. And me, well, I was a living reminder of everything he lost. He started drinking and then he, he, he started hitting me. Not a lot at first, just a cuff or a shove when I did something he disliked, but as the drinking got worse so did the beatings. And me, poor stupid sap that I was, still am probably, I tried to do everything I could to please even if it went against everything I wanted for myself. Nothing ever worked though.” Orin brought his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He had forgotten Crest, forgotten, the Wavedancer, forgotten everything but his memories and the scars they had left on his soul. ”One day, he came home and found me cooking. And my pa he had some very peculiar notions about what was the proper type of trade for a man to pursue and cooking was definitely in the realm of women’s work. And so he punched me. Again, and again, and again until I could barely walk. And then, when he was done, he tossed me outside. I could barely walk so I dragged myself over to the water barrel and tried to clean my hurts. Then I collapsed.” Orin’s face was covered in water and his nose was running. He certainly wasn’t very attractive. His plan to win Crest’s regard back had failed horribly. But Orin still had to see this through until the end. ”I must’ve passed out for a while, because the next thing I knew the cottage where we lived was on fire. I tried to get in but it was too hot and the neighbors held me back.” Orin touched his forehead to his knees. He felt completely drained and spent. ”My father died that day and robbed me of any chance to either reconcile with him or make a clean break. I think I hate him for that more than anything else.”
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[Great Harbor] Gone With the Morning Tide (Solo)

Postby Orin Fenix on May 10th, 2015, 4:25 pm

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Orin choked back another sob. He had more to say and letting himself collapse into tears wasn’t going to help. So Orin shoved his emotions down where he kept them under lock and key. Struggling to sit up even slightly Orin lifted his head up but still kept his gaze trained at the floor and not at Crest. ”So, you see, the only thing I know for sure about love is that it inevitably leads to heartbreak. That no matter how much good it might bring you, the aftermath is never worth it. And that forming emotional attachments of any kind is just opening yourself up to pain.” Orin had never told anyone that before. But it was the only truth he knew on this subject. Orin would never put anyone through what his father had been through and would never risk letting the same thing happen to him. Love wasn’t for him. Orin didn’t think he even had it in him. So when Orin had felt as deeply as he had for Crest in such a short time it had terrified him to the very core of his being. Orin didn’t know if his words would convey all that to Crest. But Orin had bared his soul to the man and could only pray that it was enough.

There was one other matter that Orin had to address. He was worried about Crest’s complete lack of a reaction but Orin knew he had wounded the other man deeply. Which is exactly why he had been avoiding this in the first place. Orin didn’t want to create such anguish in others that love seemed to bring. Orin leaned his head back until he was looking at the ceiling. His voice, when he finally started speaking again came out brokenly even to his ears. ”And then, you came along. And not only did I have feelings for you that terrified me, you’re a man and I’m a man and I know it shouldn’t have bothered me but it did. And the stupidest part about it is that I’ve never even looked at a girl like that either. It’s just that I wasn’t used to it, to any of it, and that on top of everything else was just too much.” Orin closed his eyes and brought his hands up to cover his face. He simply sat there for a moment but when Crest still did nothing Orin brought his arms down again. ”But after I thought about it for a while, I realized that it didn’t feel wrong to me in the slightest even if everything I’ve been taught told me it should have.” That had cost Orin even more to say as another layer of himself was stripped away. There was a reason Orin rarely talked about his emotions. It was too painful for him. And he obviously was terrible at it. He’d made a jumble of this that no one would be able to make sense of.

Finally the silence became unbearable and Orin levered himself to his feet. ”This was a bad idea. I don’t know what I was expecting to happen. I’m sorry that I...that I ruined what could have been a good thing.” Orin started to walk towards the door when Crest’s hand closed around his arm and spun him around. Shocked, Orin stood there dumbly as Crest brushed his thumbs under Orin’s eyes and wiped away his tears. Crest handed over a cloth and Orin took it numbly. ”Here. Clean up. I’m still angry with you, for the record.” Crest was sounding more like himself and his words lacked any real passion. The cloth was wet, which Orin was eternally grateful for since it did a much better job of wiping up any lingering grime. ”You couldn’t have figured this out any sooner could you?” Orin opened his mouth to respond but Crest put a finger up to his lips. Then, the man leaned forward and kissed Orin on the mouth.

His lips were warm and Orin stood there dumbly for a moment before returning the kiss with interest. He surged forward and pressed his body against Crest’s. There was a flick of a tongue and Orin opened his mouth to let it in. This was only the second time Orin had kissed anyone and he had absolutely no idea what he was doing. Crest’s hands moved down Orin’s shoulders to his back, before ending up on Orin’s hips. Orin kept his hands on Crest’s chest, completely unsure what to do. Orin wasn’t sure who broke off the kiss, but they ended up staring into each other’s eyes while panting. This close, Orin could see they were a pure turquoise and as deep as the sea itself. Orin was exhilarated and depressed all at once. It couldn’t last though. He stepped away from Crest and let his hands fall. Crest immediately stepped back as well, and sat down on his bed with a thump. ”Well that was something.” Crest voice was filled with such dry amusement that Orin had to laugh even though the situation wasn’t funny at all.

Crest looked up at him with pleading eyes. ”You know I’m leaving today. The Lia wants us to sail out before the rest so we can get a head start on our business.” Crest kicked at the floor. ”Come with me. It’s not fair for us to have found this and lose it so quickly.” Orin ran a hand through his hair nervously. He wanted this, but he knew he couldn’t have it. And maybe it was best to leave it where it was before Orin messed it up further. ”I can’t. As tempting as it is and as much as my heart is telling me to, I can’t. I have responsibilities here to people and places that I can’t drop.” Orin smiled but it was bittersweet. ”Besides, I’d drive you crazy within a few days. You’d be forced to toss me overboard again.” Orin was trying for humor but ended up just sounding miserable. Crest stood up and took Orin’s hands in his own. The Svefra searched Orin’s face before sighing. ”Think of me?” Orin swallowed, then stood on his tiptoes to kiss Crest on the forehead. ”Whenever I look out to sea,” Orin promised solemnly before turning on his heel and walking away. He wouldn’t cry in front of Crest again if he could help it. And a clean break was better for them both.
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Last edited by Orin Fenix on June 2nd, 2015, 5:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Orin Fenix
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[Great Harbor] Gone With the Morning Tide (Solo)

Postby Sayana on May 28th, 2015, 1:17 pm

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Orin

Skills:
Skill EXP
Intelligence +1
Floristry +1
Negotiation +1
Planning +1
Climbing +1
Persuasion +3
Rhetoric +3
Socialization +1
Storytelling +2
Philosophy +1
Kissing +1


Lores:
  • A rose for forgiveness
  • Telling the story of my past
  • Love inevitably brings heartbreak
  • Crest Tideweaver: Sharing a kiss
  • Relationships: Making a clean break

Comments :
That was a really deep meaningful thread. It spoke a lot about how Orin views relationships and showed a very tender side to him. Thanks for the nice read.


Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request in the grade request thread. However, make sure to keep the link so that the DS can review graded threads with ease.

If you have any questions or concerns about your grade please feel free to send me a message (like really, I’m all ears if you feel like I missed something).

Enjoy.
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Sayana
Dancing in the rain...
 
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