Socially Awkward Socialization

[Sira]

Sira thought it over, leaning back and sinking down in the water to dunk her head again before responding. She had often considered what would happened if she just left, even though she doubted she would ever actually do it. More likely she would go on one of the trade flights, as Azira mentioned.

"I'm sure he would let me leave.. actually, now that I think of it, I know he would, especially because I don't have a rider. Rider's take up a lot of space, but they could turn me into a pack mule. They already use me to transport stuff back and forth between Thunder Bay."

The more she thought about it, the more she knew that much was true. The Valintar would gladly send her off on trade missions. It would be more efficient. He was all about that. Sira didn't enjoy being a pack mule though. As uncomfortable as a saddle could be, a pack saddle was far worse. And they seemed to pack on way more extra weight than the weight of a single Endal.

Azira would probably have more trouble leaving, actually. Even if she could find an Endal to take her, she was right, she was a hunter. She was important.. but still, if she wanted to go see the world, it wasn't as if she couldn't go. Even the Dek weren't slaves, anybody could leave if they wanted to.

"It wouldn't be irresponsible."

Sira moved a bit closer, more next to Azira now than across from her. It was an unconscious move but it got her closer to the Avora. She stretched out her legs a bit, sinking down into the water for a moment to wet her hair again.

"You are important, but if you want to get away for a while.. You can't feel bad about that. Sometimes I stay out in the wilderness for days just to get out of the city. Oh.. and the back of Wind Reach isn't all that great, it's just a bunch of mountains."

[Azira]

The teen's eyebrows rose at the surprising answer that Sira gave. It did make sense that the Valintar would allow her to travel if he would use her as she suggested but it surprised her that anyone would consider treating any Wind Eagle like that, even if it was a Kelvic rather than a true one. It seemed disrespectful given the sentience of the giant raptors and the fact that they could easily dismember an Inarta if angered. She knew it was Kaden they were talking about but that didn't mean that he could get away with treating any of the dire birds like that. It wasn't likely that any eagle would rip an Inarta to shreds for being treated a little unfairly but she was sure that the birds could stubbornly refuse to work if they wanted or make life difficult.

"A pack mule? Really? They would treat you that way? I know you're a Kelvic but that doesn't seem fair. Just because you don't have a rider doesn't mean that you should be used that way. Ordinary Wind Eagles could manage perfectly fine without a rider once they're mature and if you tell them to do something they don't want to do, they wouldn't stand it. If they have the power to say 'no' then surely you must as well," the huntress commented with a frown. "It doesn't seem fair to me."

Her scalp down to her shoulders prickled with cold and she ducked her head beneath the water once more to claim some of its warmth. She slicked back the short spikes of hair, running her fingers through it and ruffling it before the Endal spoke again and she allowed her hand to trail down the back of her head and neck to slip back into beneath the surface. Azira's eyes widened a little as Sira drew closer, the teen becoming nervous and uncertain as she wondered what the woman was doing. Drawing her legs in close to her, she hunched her shoulders and sank a little into the water, her arms folding in to loosely cross her chest. She nodded absently in response to most of what she said and let out another soft snort, smiling crookedly at the last part.

"You know I didn't mean the actual back of the mountain, Sira. You know what I meant," the huntress groaned, rolling her eyes. "Other than that though, I suppose you're right. Maybe I'm being unnecessarily hard on myself. It's not as if anyone's going to stop me if I really mean to leave."

The girl nibbled on her lip, considering if she would go now that the perceived obstacle to her leaving the city had been removed so simply. If things were hard and she felt like she couldn't take it anymore, would she just leave? Would she really abandon everything as simply as that?

It'd be one less mouth to feed, she thought suddenly, considering how much of a burden it was to feed her an Avora like herself, even though she brought food into the city. Hunters had had their rations enlarged before, while others subsisted on less because of their need to hunt so if she was taken out of the equation, how many people could her portion feed? Realistically, she didn't bring in much in the winter - certainly not enough to warrant the extra food she ate compared to others - so if she left during such a time, it wouldn't really be a loss to the city. The thought that she actually wouldn't be missed in such circumstances brought a sadness to her expression. Beyond her contribution to the city, there weren't many who would miss her. Lavira was gone, Alori was gone, Kovac drifted in and out although he hadn't been the same since Lavira had gone missing. Syveris, Erade, even Marrin, all lives that had touched hers and which she'd touched yet they'd gone their separate ways. Khara might be affected but she had gone closer with Zhol so she didn't really need anyone on the outside of the relationship anymore. Aside from what she did for the city and the fact that it was her home, there wasn't really anything here for her.

Her gaze had grown distant but now she focused intently on Sira, her eyes trying to pierce the exterior of the woman in a sudden burst of desperation. Eyes were supposed to be windows to the soul and so she tried to see more of the Kelvic through golden eyes that mirrored her own. She'd shown interest in Azira, lust but did she only want her for a brief moment? Did she consider her as a potential plaything? Someone to use in a flight of passion, a possible conquest who could be easily discarded once she grew bored? But the woman had mentioned that Drusilla had suggested considering herself or Khara as a rider. Would she have said such a thing if she wasn't seriously considering it? Was that not an indication that she wanted to keep the huntress around her? It was no guarantee of course but she'd been showing a genuine interest in her today so surely the other was thinking about her in way that didn't involve sex. Azira didn't know and her eyes weren't windows but opaque and enigmatic. She looked away.

A rage of frustration streaked through her and she felt like thrashing in the water, screaming to release the mixture of emotions that were now churning within her. Would Sira care if she was absent? She hadn't a clue and she wouldn't know unless she asked - something she wouldn't do because it would leave her open and vulnerable. Could she make the Kelvic want her around? Was she willing to throw herself at her, seduce her in the hopes that the woman would beg for her to stay with her? The Avora had to resist the urge to laugh. She'd never seduced anyone in her life and she highly doubted that she could; she was the least sexual being she could think of, which was part of the reason she had remained a virgin. She was cold, prudish, closed off, unavailable and who would ever want that?

Her eyes returned to Sira, tilting her head in an almost questioning manner as she regarded her through slightly narrowed eyes, teeth digging lightly into her bottom lip. Anybody else would have no issue seducing a woman with obvious interest while naked in a bath with her but Azira had all the finesse of a newly hatched chick stupid enough to attempt flight. The thought conjured up images of her flailing around in the bathwater, half-drowning and embarrassing herself in the process. The image amused her, her teeth releasing their hold on her lip as one corner of her mouth twitched upwards. Still she found herself gazing at the Endal and wondering where the pair of them stood.

Nari | Common

Template courtesy of Khara

[Sira]

It was Sira's turn to snort, and she gave Azira a sideways look. "Fairness has nothing to do with it." Sira ran a hand through her wet hair, pushing it off her face, and wiped off the water that had been dripping down into her golden eyes. "It isn't about what's fair. Wind Reach isn't about what's fair. It's about what is necessary to survive."

Sira turned, looking directly back at Azira as the Avora scrutinized her, wondering just what the woman was thinking. If she knew the thoughts that ran through her head, she might have answered. Would Sira miss Azira if she left? Not long ago, the answer probably would have been no. Now though, after speaking with her, seeing her, and looking into her eyes.. She wasn't sure. If Azira did leave tomorrow, Sira would probably survive. But she didn't think that would happen. There was something about the Avora. This wasn't the last time they were going to speak, Sira was sure of that. It wasn't something she could explain, it was just a connection. One that, if she let it, could grow stronger. But Sira didn't know the thoughts that were running through Azira's mind, so she couldn't give answer to those particular questions. Instead she spoke about something she considered nearly as important.

"We all know that Wind Reach could not survive without the Wind Eagles. The mountain is too dangerous, food is too hard to come by, and there are many things out there that would love to kill the Inarta. The Wind Eagles protect this city, but the eagles need you too. Think about it. The Eagles have a good life here. In the winter, it is often impossible to fly and hunt, but because of the Inarta who store food for the winter, the Eagles can still eat. What Inarta wouldn't give up their own meal to feed a starving Wind Eagle? Even the lowest dek would gladly die if it meant an eagle can live. Without the Inarta, the Eagles wouldn't be able to survive the winter any better than the humans. And they know it, and so do I."

Sira motioned to the room around them, her eyes trailing over the beautiful mirrors and the intricate carvings on the wall. She dipped a hand into the warm waters and twirled her fingers, and she looked at the beautiful woman sitting next to her in the water.

"I have a good life too. As do all the Endal. Wind Reach takes care of us, and we could not survive without it. So if Kaden asks me to be a pack mule, whether I think it is fair or not, I do it."

Sira leaned back again, the seriousness draining from her face. She knew things weren't fair in the mountain, but she wasn't the one to change it. Sira did her duty, and reaped the rewards, and while she might feel sorry for the lower castes sometimes, it's just how things worked. It was survival. Better to think about what Azira was thinking about. She wouldn't mind being seduced. Unfortunately Sira didn't know what Azira was thinking about, so her mind wandered on its own for a bit. She thought about the last thing Azira said, and a realization dawned on her.

"I think I might try to stop you... If you tried to leave. I mean... I wouldn't make you stay, but," Sira looked back up at the Avora, not entirely sure what she was trying to say. The thoughts racing through her mind were serious, potentially life changing for the both of them, but Sira wasn't ready to voice those ideas. "It's just, if you leave.." She decided to change the tone of the conversation, joking instead of being so serious. "Who else am I going to annoy when they're half asleep and trying to eat breakfast in peace?"

Sira nudged the Avora's leg playfully with her knee, a mischievous grin spreading across her lips, and then she splashed Azira in the face. She hoped that the sudden mood change would be infectious, she really hadn't brought the Avora up here to make her feel guilty or lecture her about the way things worked in Wind Reach.

[Azira]

The huntress nodded in response, accepting the woman's point as true. "Yes, I'm well aware that we don't do things in the name of fairness. I just thought that maybe because of your status... But I see I was wrong," she finished, waving her hand in a gesture of dismissal, as if asking the other to forget what she'd said. However, now that she'd brought the matter up, it was immediately clear that Sira wasn't going to let it go. Azira could see that she had spurred the other into action, the Kelvic seeming to think that she had some sort of duty to explain the situation to the Avora. It was a topic that didn't quite sit well with where the mind of the girl had gone but she remained silent, absorbing everything that the Endal said while feeling incredibly stupid for opening her mouth. There was no better way for her to demonstrate her ignorance in front of the woman than to voice such a senseless opinion.

The young woman traced designs in the water with her finger, trying to avoid the other's gaze as she lectured her on things that she already knew. She'd lived in Wind Reach for long enough to know how things worked and to understand that the Inarta and Wind Eagles had a symbiotic relationship. Sira must think her to be a truly useless chick if she felt the need to explain such things to her. It certainly made her feel like the greatest kind of fool imaginable. When the lecture came to an end, it was a relief for the young woman and gave her the opportunity to indulge her own private thoughts once more, lust bending beneath the weight of shame and embarrassment.

Azira glanced up sharply as the Kelvic started on a new line of conversation, speaking of things that surprised her. She held her breath as Sira talked, wondering how this would end. What was the woman saying? Was she admitting to an attraction to her? Alluding to something deeper? Her heart beat enthusiastically against her ribcage, trying to pump oxygen around her body that wasn't being inhaled. The huntress began to feel a little lightheaded, which was more to do with her imagination than her actual physical condition. The suspense that the woman kept her in was truly torturous and she yearned to ask her what she'd do if Azira left, what it was she wanted to say. What the other must have seen in her eyes, the intensity there, the Avora couldn't even imagine but when the Endal finished the sentence, the girl was just left briefly bewildered. The conclusion was so unexpected, the tone so abruptly changed that the young woman was slow to register what was happening. Sira acted in a playful manner towards her and Azira realised belatedly what was expected of her. She laughed, screeching indignantly as water hit her face and retaliated eagerly, glad to have the opportunity to hide her disappointment.

What had she expected? There was no way the Endal was going to declare her undying love to her or say that she couldn't live without her. They hardly knew each other and what was more, the huntress did little to endear herself. She was frigid, introverted, cantankerous, so unlikable that it was a wonder that anyone was ever willing to interact with her. As it was, there were many who Azira knew that were glad to avoid her when they could. It was upsetting but there was nothing to be done except forget about it and pretend that it hadn't bothered her.

"I know it's your bath but that doesn't mean you can get away with splashing me," she growled playfully, dragging both hands through the water together to send a large wave splashing towards the Kelvic's face. The bath's surface wobbled violently and spilled some of its contents over the sides. "Cheek!" The young woman made to punch the other on the shoulder in a teasing manner.

Nari | Common

Template courtesy of Khara

[Sira]

Sira laughed excitedly as Azira splashed her, glad that her ploy to distract her had worked. Things were getting serious, and she wasn't ready for that. Yes, she had invited Azira up to get to know her better, but that didn't mean they needed to consider the depths of what their lives could become if they bonded. That could be thought about later. Now was the time for conversation and for fun. Sira accepted the punch with a sly grin on her face, then splashed Azira again.

The pair splashed back and forth, Sira laughing mirthfully throughout. This was more like it. Water splashed out of the tub, soaking their clothes, but Sira didn't care in the least. The care-free playing had more meaning than she wanted to think about, but it did mean something. This was something important. The woman she eventually bonded with needed to be someone that she could not only be serious with, not only someone that she could rely on in a dangerous spot, something she knew Azira was more than capable of, but also someone that she could enjoy and simply be herself with. There was always the creeping thought that Azira was only playing with her in this way because Sira was an endal and she had no choice, but she didn't think that was it.

"Oh, I'll get you for that," Sira growled playfully after a particularly big splash to the face.

The kelvic lunged forward, intending to grab Azira by the shoulders and dunk her fully beneath the surface. Instead, her foot slipped on the slippery bottom of tub. Instead of lunging at Azira to dunk her, she slipped, stumbled, and fell right on top of the woman. Sira quickly struggled to regain her footing, reaching one hand out to the side of the tub to regain her balance, the other landing on Azira's thigh. Sira steadied herself and then froze when she looked up. She was inches away from Azira's face, and her hand was.. She didn't move, staring at the woman in front of her, deeply aware of the feeling of the woman's bare skin beneath her hand. Her eyes flickered to the Avora's lips, then back to her eyes, but she didn't make a move, waiting to see how Azira would react.

OOCHope you don't mind, I kind of assumed Azira would keep playing the splashing game. If not, I can edit my post.

[Azira]

The huntress shrieked with laughter as water was splashed about wildly, sloshing up over the sides and spraying in the air. She hardly noticed the mess they were making around them, the girl unaware that her clothes were getting well and truly soaked. The fact that she was playing with an Endal did cross her thoughts in a vague way but her mind shied away from it. It was a strange thing when she thought of it, more in the realm of something a Yasi might do then a pair of adults but there was also something else to it. It wasn't as childish as it might first appear. The blood singing through her body as her heart beat faster and faster made her grow more and more excited. Her body danced on the line between excitement and arousal, a line that she promptly fell off as Sira lunged towards her.

The other's woman struck her own, soft wet flesh rubbing against soft wet flesh. Azira was pushed back against the edge of the bath with the force of the blow, her back striking the rim painfully so that she was left frozen in place as the shockwaves trembled painfully up and down her spine. As her eyes lost their glaze and the pain ebbed, the young woman became aware of the new situation. There was the soft contact on her thigh, the Kelvic's hand braced on the side of the bath so that the Avora was sort of hemmed in. She didn't have any room to manoeuvre and she was hyper-aware of how near the other was. Sira's face was just inches from her own, the flicker of her eyes down to Azira's lips very obvious at such close quarters. Instantly self-conscious of that look, the huntress licked them without thinking. The woman appeared prepared to pounce at a moment's notice but the fact that she hadn't and was still frozen in place made her realise that the Wind Eagle was awaiting her response.

Gold eyes held gold, the light of desire clear to see in Sira's gaze, which was an emotion that was surely reflected in her own. It wouldn't be difficult to make their lips meet. It was just a simple matter of a tilting her head and leaning forward. There was no doubt that the action would be reciprocated willingly, she had no reason to fear rejection. However, if she kissed her, she had no idea what would happen next. Would a kiss lead to something more? Would she go along with it despite feeling uncomfortable? She might not say no but not saying no wouldn't be the same as yes either. Not to kiss her though would be to lose something that this moment afforded, possibly offend.

Always needing to please, the words came to her unbidden, not her own but those spoken in a memory that she feared would never be distant enough. She shuddered despite herself, the closeness of the woman and the feeling of being trapped by her arm suddenly repulsive as they presented parallels with the recollection that now encroached on her mind. It crept its way into the light of day, somewhere she hadn't allowed it to go in awhile. Azira made to shove the Endal's hand from her thigh, the grip gentle enough to be easily displaced. She slid her way out of the only opening the other had left her, shaking hands scrabbling along the edge as she pulled herself away, kicking a foot off the bottom to help propel herself sideways.

"I'd better go. I appreciate the bath," she murmured, a distance in her voice as she turned and tugged herself up and out of the tub. For the first time, she was aware of what their splashing had done, foot slipping on the wet floor as she bent to get her clothes so that she went down on one knee. She hardly noticed the pain or the wetness of her clothes as she tugged on vinati and bryda with trembling fingers. Her shoes would be pulled on, the laces tucked into the front rather than tied. If the other didn't make a move to stop her then the Avora would be gone, every fibre of her body eager to run. It was an urge that she wouldn't give into until she was away from the slippery bathroom floor. Pride wouldn't even factor into the decision as if given the chance she would be sprinting before she was out of the woman's sight, beyond the point of caring if she saw or not as her as her past came back to haunt her.

OOCThis is a possible end point, however, feel free to continue things if you wish. There is a good psychological reason for her reacting like this. It is very much Azira, not Sira, don't worry!

Nari | Common

Template courtesy of Khara

[Sira]

Suddenly, everything changed. Sira's heart filled with regret as she saw an all too familiar look appear in the Avora's eyes, and she did not resist when Azira moved her hand away. It was a look she'd seen in far too many others she'd come to care about, and even in her own reflection at one time. There was only one cause that she knew of, and at first she began to fill with rage. She didn't know the exact reason for Azira's reaction, of course, but she had an idea, and the thought of it made her want to kill something.

Sira took a deep breath as she watched Azira climb out of the bath and begin to get dressed. The kelvic stared down at the palm of her hand, which was glowing softly. Strangely, it did not comfort her as it usually did. She wanted to stop Azira, to apologize, to promise to hunt down and take the heads of whoever put that look in her eye, but she did none of that. Instead she simply said nothing as the woman pulled on her soaked garments and struggled into her wet boots.

She did not stop Azira when she walked out the door, and spent a long few minutes just staring at the place the woman had been. She'd gone too far. She'd sensed that she shouldn't, but in the moment her attraction to the woman, combined with Sira's natural tendency to be rather free with her sexuality, caused her to lose herself in the moment.

Stupid, Sira. So stupid, she thought to herself as she finally climbed out of the tub, not bothering to dress, and wandered over to her bed. You knew she was a shy one, and now you know it's worse than that. So stupid!

Sira crawled into bed, pulling the blanket up high. Next time things would be different... assuming Azira would ever want anything to do with her ever again. Next time she wouldn't be so careless with her desires. Next time it would go better, she thought, as she drifted off to sleep.

OOCI thought about going a different route with this post, but seeing as this is an old thread and things are still uncertain between them, I thought this made more sense. And no worries, I knew full well that Azira was going to have a negative reaction. I would have been surprised if you'd simply gone along with it.

[Faradae]

With your last active threads set in last Fall/Winter, I've chosen to withhold your grades. If you decide to actively return to Miz, please send me a message so I can get back to your grades.