Solo Unstitching is a Pain

Sayana spends some agonizing time undoing the work of the Seamstress... on her flesh

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An inland sea created by Ivak's cataclismic fury during the Valterrian, the Suvan Sea is a major trade route and the foremost hub for piracy in Mizahar. [lore]

Unstitching is a Pain

Postby Sayana on May 27th, 2016, 7:20 pm

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Spring 8, 516 AV

This was going to hurt.

Ever since Sayana had been given her mark, her six-lined ‘X’, embroidered into her flesh by the Seamstress, she had considered if and how she was going to remove it. At first the red stitching had rung with beautiful symbolism, seeing her own mark sewn into her flesh. That is, after it no longer burned in pain with every breath. But it was also a point of identification. In Alvadas among the zith there, it didn’t matter so much. However, now that she was on board a ship back to Syliras, she wasn’t sure if she wanted such a keen mark of identification. She could hide it with a scarf or a high cut top, and of course her six arms and rich brown skin identified her quite plainly for who she was, but there was something about the striking red thread that stood out just that much more.

The Eypharian sat in the ship’s cabin near a window and in front of a mirror. In one hand she held a needle and in another she held one of her smaller daggers. It would have been less painful to have done the deed before the stitching healed upon her chest. It might have left scars, but this time she knew for sure it would leave scars. What was better, red embroidery or pale white scars? She knew the answer, but she still lingered, staring at herself in the mirror.

To one side was her healer’s kit with several bandages at the ready. She had also boiled up vyfox leaves in a tea and even added some connal to help her sleep once the deed was done. There were some crushed vyfox flowers and some krolar paste at the ready to apply with the bandages.

She took a breath and raised the dagger. Wait. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to get her resolve back, but there was something else she needed to do before proceeding. She removed her top so that her torso was bare. The sea air was chilly upon her skin but that was the least of her concerns. Then she took a clean bandage, folded it, and twisted into a roll. At last she shoved the fabric into her mouth.

Sayana could feel her heart pounding in anticipation. Almost absently she wondered if it would make her bleed all the more quickly. With another deep breath, she lined up her dagger with precision upon her smooth brown skin, as near as she could get to the first line of red embroidery.

As blood broke upon the surface of her skin, her initial gasp was muffled by the cloth in her mouth. Deeper, it had to go deeper. She pushed the dagger harder upon her flesh feeling the fire burn where the blade dug in. She clamped her teeth down hard upon the bandage, and in mere ticks blood was dripping down her chest. Panting hard she tried to keep herself calm despite the pain that washed over her.

She lifted up the needle now and she tried to open the fresh wound so she could pick away at the thread buried deep within her flesh. Sayana gave a muffled yelp as she pulled her skin open and began reaching in with the needle. Blood now covered her hands, and what had once been a very visible and obvious red line, was now obscured by the bleeding of her wound. She picked and pried, her eyes beginning to water as she struggled to keep going. For a moment she felt something tug nastily within her flesh. Then she realized she had reached the scarlet thread. With a few more tugs, she tried to loosen the thread. It felt like it was squirming within her very soul. Using a free hand, she slid her thumb into her wound and pinched the thread between thumb and finger.

The pain escalated several fold as she sobbed into the cloth in her mouth. Slowly she began to pull at the thread, afraid that if she yanked it then it might break. It was excruciating and by the time it had come out, she was a bloody mess and trembling all over.

One done, two more to go.
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Sayana
Dancing in the rain...
 
Posts: 1938
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Race: Eypharian
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Unstitching is a Pain

Postby Sayana on May 29th, 2016, 8:17 pm

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For a moment she had the intense desire to simply bandage up her chest as it was and leave the other two embroidered pieces of thread within her. But no, it would be better to get it done all at once.

Wiping away the tears in her eyes and blinking furiously to clear her vision, she positioned her dagger once more on the second line of scarlet embroidery. Gritting her teeth on the cloth, she pressed down with the sharpened blade and began opening up her flesh. In some ways the second time was easier than the first since she knew what she was doing and expected the pain. But even as she pulled at the string with her fingers, it slipped not once but twice from the slimy mess of blood that coated it.

More than once she let out muffled cries during the experience and the blood was now completely covering her chest as well as much of her torso, arms and hands. Finally, the last of the three pieces of crimson thread was removed. Part of her just wanted to collapse in exhaustion and pain.

Gingerly, and not once moving the cloth from her mouth, she began cleaning her fresh wound and applying the crushed vyfox flowers to keep it purified. As blood was wiped away, she also added krolar paste. At times it was almost as painful as the removal of the stitching… almost. There were now three distinct lines on her chest where the scarlet embroidery used to be, and they would most certainly leave scars. But scars she could deal with.

Once cleaned and with the healing aids applied, she started wrapping the bandages about herself. Despite her cleaning attempts, the blood still welled and the bandages helped to stop it. She made sure that sufficient pressure was applied as she tied off the bandages and only when she was finished, did she finally remove the piece of cloth in her mouth with a trembling hand.

Sleep, rest, and tea. She was more than grateful that she had prepared the vyfox leaf and connal tea prior to beginning. Even though it was cold, she gulped it readily. Sleep didn’t come easily because with each breath it felt like fire upon her chest. But after a couple of bells the connal managed to set in to give her the hard earned sleep she needed as the ship rocked upon the waves of the Suvan Sea.
User avatar
Sayana
Dancing in the rain...
 
Posts: 1938
Words: 1543550
Joined roleplay: September 22nd, 2014, 12:38 am
Location: Sunberth
Race: Eypharian
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Scrapbook
Journal
Plotnotes
Medals: 8
Featured Character (1) Featured Contributor (1)
Peer Reviewer (1) Overlored (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1) One Million Words! (1)
Syliras Seasonal Challenge (1) Alvadas Seasonal Challenge (1)

Unstitching is a Pain

Postby Yisanareysin on June 8th, 2016, 2:57 pm

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The ssssssnake hassss your gradesssss...

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Sayana

Skills
    ‡ Organization + 2
    ‡ Planning + 1
    ‡ Endurance + 2
    ‡ Herbalism + 1
    ‡ Medicine + 2
    ‡ Observation + 2

Lores
    ‡ Herbalism: Using Vyfox leaves and flowers
    ‡ Preparing healing tea beforehand
    ‡ Medicine: Having something to bite on
    ‡ Medicine: Minor Self Surgery
    ‡ Pulling thread from flesh: Less than pleasant
    ‡ Applying poultice is also painful

Rewards & Retribution
    ‡ The lacerations will take between 10 to 15 days to heal, and will definitely scar.
    ‡ The following items have been used up and should be subtracted from your possessions
      ‡ 1 dose of Krolar poultice
      ‡ 1 comb of Vyfox flowers
      ‡ 1 oz of Vyfox leaves
      ‡ .5 oz of Connal

Comments
Well, this was an intense thread. It was cool to see how methodical Sayana was about a procedure so draining, and probably very distressing as well. Hence, planning and organization skill points. I look forward to seeing what Sayana does from now on, away from the wonkiness of Alvadas :)


Don't forget to delete your post in the grading queue, and if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to PM me about your grade!
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Yisanareysin
Sneaky Snake Spy Extraordinaire
 
Posts: 582
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