Writ In Ink

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Not found on any map, Endrykas is a large migrating tent city wherein the horseclans of Cyphrus gather to trade and exchange information. [Lore]

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Writ In Ink

Postby Rufio on November 25th, 2016, 11:35 am

Image
50 fall 516 av
midday, sunny mild
stormblood pavilion


there was a warm glow about this late-Autumn day. While this season had seen the Drykas buffeted by attacks of Zith hordes, by drought, by political unrest, this day was a pool of warm, peaceful respite.

Laughter thrummed in the Stormblood pavilion.

Rufio's fists were red and white with strain as she gripped a goat by its horns, the tension in her forearms taut all the way up her biceps and into her shoulders. Her pectoral muscles, her back and sides were stretching and burning under the strain.

   Rufio wrestled a buck (aptly, named Buck). Friendly, smiling blue eyes looked on from within an aging, weather-beaten, grey-whiskered face and Asher Stormblood's laughter joined the chorus of irritated bleating and Rufio's grunting giggles.

Sweat licked across her forehead and the freckled caramel of her arms, while dirt and grass stained the beige crochet vest she wore above a large mustard scarf wrapped as a skirt about her thighs.

The Drykas' bare toes squished into Semele as her calves bulged and her knees bent to gain some sort of leverage on the animal. "Quit...being...so...difficult!" She panted, willing the animal to do as she bid.

Asher shunted his weight from his bad leg to his good as he took a step forward, holding up a hand to interrupt the ridiculous sight before him.

"Rufio, you won't best Buck this way!" He advised, amused, and muttered "geht voune..." under his breath.

Stubborn as the animal she pitted her strength against, Rufio gritted her teeth and shoved the buck's horns with all the might she could muster in that humble 5'3" physique.

    Wit, not strength, won out.

Buck bleated defiantly and with a vindictive jerk of his skull, wrenched his horns aside. Rufio's grip, so tense and fixed, felt the tug on her arms-
    "AAHH!!"- she screamed,
            was flung onto the ground
                        with a T H U D.

Asher couldn't help himself, he doubled over in a gush of laughter, his arm cradling his stomach, his other hand on his good-knee for support. The freckled Drykas blinked up, surprised, as the Buck wandered off a ways, wagging his tail victoriously.

Rufio felt the beginning of a bruise throb dully in her left shoulderwhere she had landed. As her ochre gaze inspected her wind-marked shoulder closely, she realized the meaningful tattoo etched across her skin was faded. The geometrical patterns patchy in places, wherever it had healed badly last Winter.

Asher held out a hand to his pavilion-sister, who took it gratefully and hauled herself to her feet, dusting herself off as best she could.

"My wind-marks are not as vibrant as they were." She mused, holding her left arm out to see in Syna's caressing touch.

Asher used a rag to wipe sweat from the back of his neck. "Ay, the ink fades with the healing, and time. You can get it retouched with the Lilacwind pavilion." He gestured loosely towards the Amethyst Clan across the myriad of pavilions.

"What am I going to do about that Buck?" The freckled Drykas shot a vengeful look at the goat, who was harassing the does with his lust. Not that she could blame the buck, they were all in heat.

"Ah, leave him to old Ash here. We'll have a chat, me an' him, man-'o-man. You go see about those wind-marks if y'like, before the day gets old."
Rufio's appreciation was a flurry of grass-sign as she beamed at the older Drykas and raced off to find Loha, her strider. "Thanks Ash, I'll help out later!" promise, favour owed.

The animal handler rested his chin in his hand, amused as he watched her race off. Looking to the goats, he shook his head. That Wildmane lived up her her birth-name, he chuckled..

□ □ □


2 bells later
lilacwind pavilion


The fortune-teller had cleaned up and woven a braid tightly against her head in her cropped hair, using leathers of Emerald and White to denote her Emerald-now-Diamond Clan status before she'd departed for the Lilacwind tattooists.

Her nose-ring glinted as she peered about the richly dyed tents and banners that denoted the Amethyst Clan. Leaning back to ease her red-dun strider to a halt, the Drykas slipped off his back and stood in front of him with a meaningful posture to capture the stallion's wandering attention.

When the horse's concave nose brushed her forehead, the Drykas lifted her hands and made a sign emphatically with both her hands. 'Wait' it said.

The stallion swiveled his head to peer at her with a deep, thoughtful brown orb, and the Drykas made the sign again. The stallion grunted and flicked his tail. Rufio felt like it was an acknowledgement of sorts, and scratched the Loha's forelock.

With that, she turned towards the large, beautifully painted tent of the legendary tattooists and stepped in to the pavilion. Her ochre gaze flickered and she took in the artistic decor with a sigh of appreciation.

Excitement danced amidst her features.


  
Last edited by Rufio on December 30th, 2016, 8:15 pm, edited 4 times in total.
" When you visit a witch bring an offering:
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"
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Writ In Ink

Postby Taurina on November 27th, 2016, 6:59 am


“Afternoon Taurina,” Jarorra’s seemingly always sparkling gaze met Taurina’s as the Ethaefal signed her greetings back.

The two smiled at one another and Taurina moved straight into preparing to do some work. She was in an oddly happy mood today as a ride with Melody earlier in the day had been good -they were getting better, Melody was beginning to let the yvas put on her easier and easier each day- and the nice weather gave her a seemingly clear head. Her nightmares had staid away during her usual nap and that nuisance of a girl who never answered questions had not been around for a couple days. It was pleasant, nice, almost too nice. Taurina had decided to enjoy it while she could for it likely would not last long. It seemed like good things never did.

“What would you like me to get started with today?” Taurina questioned Jarorra in her heavily accented pavi once her things had been placed in their usual spot in the tent. Common still came so much easier to her, but unless just with Melody or another fluently common speaking person, Pavi was the easier way to go. Even with how broken Taurina spoke it.

Upon glancing around the tent it was made obvious that Jarorra was the one who was currently free. Keil was busy piercing the cartilage of a Drykas woman’s ear and Injal was in the middle of a consult which looked to be a potentially noisy crowd for there were many of them and already many were chiming in with their input. Taurina held back a laugh, but not a smile as she focused her attention on Jarorra with expectation. Jarorra always had sparkling, usually flirty, eyes and a brilliant smile. The same face was not so common on Taurina, especially lately, and Jarorra seemed to take notice of the -likely temporary- change.

“Keil sterilized equipment this morning, you can start getting those put away,” Jarorra said, that little gleam never leaving her eyes as she waved over towards the newly sterilized equipment.

Taurina gave a sign for yes before easily sliding over towards the newly cleaned tools. Bound in Drykas form, the Ethaefal began to sort through the multiple chisels and newly emptied ink jars. The chisels would likely be used shortly and the jars would be filled soon with new colors and placed with the others, but for now all of it needed to completely dried and move to specified places. Each artist had their specific tools that they liked to use and the empty jars had to be moved to where they would be easily found when it was time to fill them again. It was not hard work, but it did not to be done and was something that suited Taurina’s title as an assistant.

Taurina worked happily and easily, finished up with her simple task when a new face walked into the pavilion. The woman was Drykas, made clear by the sleeve of Windmarks covering her left arm. Upon looking at the others -who more commonly greeted people- Taurina found them all to be engaged with other things. The men were still busy at their tasks and Jarorra had struck up a conversation with one of the pavilion members with Injal’s client. Nerves bit at Taurina’s stomach, but this was suppose to be a good day. Nerves were not to ruin that.

Taurina was close to the entrance of the tent, having just gone over the jars of ink to make sure none were cracked or had been spilled, so it was easy to make her way towards the new face. As she moved over towards the Drykas woman, a smile graced her lips that actually reached her eyes. They almost, almost danced with some of the light that constantly filled Jarorra’s eyes.

Greetings Taurina signed once the other woman noticed her presence, her smile remaining bright. “How can we help you today?” Taurina spoke with her heavily accented pavi, the smile remaining.

Common | Pavi | 'Thought'


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Writ In Ink

Postby Rufio on January 18th, 2017, 9:49 pm

Image
  
     her ochre gaze was taking in a charcoal drawing that was hung up with many others. Geometrical lines converged and split, at various angles, in varying degrees of thickness and lengths making triangles, rectangles, squares, hexagons.

              A lion's face stared out from the parchment, proud and courageous and fierce. Rufio felt her breath hitch. She stared back.

When a tattooist caught her attentions with her bright smile and greeting. "How can we help you today?"

Giving the lion a last, unusual, wary glance, as if it held a living personality, Rufio turned her gaze towards the Drykas and shaped her hands in greeting.

"I'm Rufio-" A hesitation as she decided to lay her birth-pavilion ties in the Past - not a "Wildmane" anymore, not for a season by now. Warmth pervaded her Benshira complexion, as she titled herself to her now Ankal. "-Stormblood."

The fortune-teller gestured for the tattooist's name. "I have not seen you here before, although, it was last Winter when I got my Wind-marks." Curious, well-meaning fluttered her hands.

Noticing the tinge to Taurina's accent, Rufio became self-conscious of her own voice still bearing the Shiber-whisper that was her mother's. Her gaze took in Taurina thoughtfully, wondering if she was an Endrykas native or walahk.

After she had signed, she twisted her body lightly, feeling the stretch at her waist and in the curve of her spine and held up her left arm to let the tattooist see her marks.

The ink began on her shoulder and wound itself in geometrical patterns down her whole arm, sneaking just onto her wrist. The patterns had been tattooed in a fashion as a potter might decorate a clay vase in bands, depicting scenes within each.

Themes might jump out at those with the eye for reading Drykas markings.

There were bands of floral patterns at the top denoting flora, growth, roots in the wilderness, while there was a boldness in the mid-section. There, the scene of her strider bonding was depicted, a collection of diamonds resembling a strider's head. Within this band jagged lines had been etched, which looked like lightning.

Beneath this scene, another set of borders spiraled into her elbow. Within this had been etched hexagons that looked like scales. Rufio had faced a Chigrin, and lived to tell the tale, though that would not leap out from the marks, Rufio would tell any who would hear her tale.

At the tattoo's end, her wrist was shaded in black, and the marks ended in an arrow-head pointing down, towards Semele. Where all Drykas lay upon Death.

The marks spoke of a woman that had bonded, had weathered storms or at least, someone who awed Zulrav, and who confronted dangers in life, yet a Drykas who was grounded. A deeply spiritual woman.

Holding her arm and twisting it a little in her other hand, Rufio sighed and looked down at the ink around her elbow, which had faded drastically.

"Syna has touched it here, it's faded I'm afraid. I don't think the ink held well by the bones."

Twisting her arm the other way, exposing her bicep to the tattooist where many of the simple black lines were broken where they had not healed smoothly.

Rufio grinned her coy apology as she explained the cause. "I couldn't resist itching it here while it was healing." fault, ruined.

Letting her arm relax to her side, Rufio faced tattooist and tossed her unruly ebony mane from her brow as she asked, excited, seeking, hopeful mirrored in both her expression and sign. "Can you fix it?"
  
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"
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Writ In Ink

Postby Taurina on January 23rd, 2017, 7:43 am


“-Stormblood.”

Taurina’s gaze blinked with surprise before giving a broader smile. She had heard that name before. Jasmine, the woman Taurina had met twice by now shared that pavilion. Jasmine was kind soul, gentle and helpful, and Taurina did not mind spending time with her. Perhaps this woman was made of the good things the Drykas had to offer as well. If she was, the Eth -who was being strangely optimistic this day- suspected that they would get along splendidly.

“Taurina,” the Ethaefal spoke simply, having no pavilion name to share, “I was not here then, this season is when I started.”

Taurina’s hand spoke of things being complicated and there being a long story. She was Drykas, but not Drykas. Born here, but not in this life. Rufio’s hands told the Eth that the woman was curious, but also well meaning so Taurina decided that she did not mind. Not yet anyway.

The Drykas woman’s body twisted and her arm lifted to reveal windmarks that had seen much of Syna’s golden rays. Taurina looked curiously at the interact pattern work, each section telling a different story. The Eth could pick out the floral patterns of the first scene, but most of the rest was lost on her. She had picked up enough working here to suspect the whole work told a story, Rufio’s story, but that was all she could tell. Knowing what that story was would have to come later, if Rufio was willing to share.

Syna had faded the windmarks in the place where the skin was already pulled the tightest, the elbow. The Drykas woman exposed the bicep of the arm, showing where scars disrupted the work. Taurina smiled faintly when Rufio gave the reason behind that. Her hands signed that it was alright and that such things happened. One could not always resisted the itch of a healing wound. They were only human after all… or well, part human in the Ethaefal’s case.

“It can be fixed,” Taurina assured, a smile fluttering over her features as her hands aided with assuring the girl these things were not permanent and were indeed fixable.

The smile faltered some before Taurina could add anymore to the statement. This work was largely fill in work. Especially where the tattoo had faded. The shapes and lines were already there, they just needed to be filled to look like the rest of the tattoo. It was work that with supervision the Ethaefal could probably do by this point, but at the same time she did not wish to permanent disfigure this woman’s skin. It was better to have someone else come over and do it.

“I, however, am still very new,” Taurina’s hands told Rufio that she was still learning, an amateur, “I mainly assist the others in the work. I will gladly go to find whoever is free, we will get your windmarks looking good as new again.”

Another soft smile was given to the woman before Taurina looked over her shoulder to the rest of the tent. Jarorra was still chatting and Injal was busy managing the loud group that had come in for a consult with him. Keil was the one who no longer had anybody occupying his time. He was just cleaning up his station. Taurina held back a grimace and returned her gaze over to Rufio, giving a more forced smile.

“Keil looks to be free, I will take you over,” Taurina insisted, motioning for the Drykas to follow before she took a step towards the most novice of the actual tattoo artists and hoped that Rufio would not be scared off by his cold, anti-social tendencies.

Taurina wished to help this girl get her tattoos restored, but she was also very curious about this Drykas. She wanted to know what the patterns in Rufio’s ink meant, the stories the marks were meant to tell. Her hair was short, two bands of color were woven into it. She looked strong and Drykas, yet there was a whisper of something else that accented her words. Something unfamiliar, but completely fascinating to Taurina. The curious Eth wanted to know, so many questions had bubbled up.

Taurina found herself hoping Rufio Stormblood staid and that Keil spent a long time fixing her windmarks. Then all her questions could be asked and hopefully, answers would be given.

Common | Pavi | 'Thought'


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Writ In Ink

Postby Rufio on February 2nd, 2017, 7:26 pm

Image
  
     taurina. An unusual name, she thought. With a bob of her head she reminded herself: so is Rufio.

Taurina was sparking intrigue in the fortune-teller. With an unusual accent hard to place, with the vibe of being a Drykas native, an exotic name.

When Taurina signed complicated and a long story to be told Rufio’s lips quirked with an agreeing smile.

I bet there is much more to you than meets the eye. Whispered the twinkle in her eye and the interested quirk of her dark brows beneath her cropped mane.

A lover of stories, like a hound to scent, a light danced in her ochre orbs as interest piqued. She would ask Taurina for her story, when the chime was right.

        Now, though, she was getting the inked markings of her own story mended. Relief seeped into the shift of her shoulders when the apprentice told her it could be fixed.

As they approached the quiet, cold Keil, Rufio gestured her greetings and introduced herself. Holding up her arm for the tattooist to see, the Stormblood chattered and pointed out the patches of black that were marred by scars or where the ink had faded under Syna’s generous touch.

    Keil acknowledged where the ink had not settled well, and agreed that the task was within his talents. He gestured for her to sit comfortably.

Sitting down on a pouf, Rufio felt excitement tinge her heartbeat, a child-like grin settling in her freckles, her gaze danced to Taurina with warmth, seeking encouragement. Nerves fluttered in her stomach and her teeth tugged at her lip.

        She watched as tattooist and apprentice took to their preparations around her. “When did y' come here?” An almost imperceptible depth of vast encompassing ran undercurrent in a subtle flutter of her sign.

        As if she asked how Taurina came to Endrykas and the Sea Of Grass, as well as to the Lilacwinds, without outright gesturing these things for chance of being wrong an causing offense.

    Many a time had she, herself, been asked if she was Drykas-born. Always Rufio had felt it was as if those words challenged if she belonged.

Perhaps it was this sense of 'otherness' which drew her to recognize something different in Taurina's presence.
  
Last edited by Rufio on February 13th, 2017, 12:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
" When you visit a witch bring an offering:
food, tobacco, alcohol, secrets, sex or death.
"
Rufio
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Posts: 392
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Writ In Ink

Postby Taurina on February 4th, 2017, 6:46 am


Taurina noticed something had stirred within Rufio for her eyes carried a new light. They danced almost as if Syna had come and taken residence within them. The Eth was unsure how she felt about the emotions dancing within the women and she could only guess on what had caused this new light. She decided that it could not be bad for the Drykas seemed excited. Happy. Not angry or upset so that was a good thing.

The two made their way over to Keil and by some miracle the man’s cold ways did not scare the Stormblood woman off. He had turned on the part of him that dealt with customers, a calm and collected part of him that was not so much cold as it was just simply quiet and to the point. Taurina was glad for that for curiosity still lingered within her. She wished to know the story Rufio’s tattoos told. She wanted to know the secrets the girl held, the origin of the accent that whispered beneath her pavi. It was not one of common, it was something else. Something Taurina had never heard before. She wanted to know.

Keil told Rufio to take a seat before he sent Taurina to go fetch what he would need for this job. Black ink would be required to fix the faded and scarred patched of skin as well as one of the smaller chisels. The large ones would not work for this as it was more small detail work than anything else. Taurina signed him her acceptance of the instruction and signed that she would be right back to Rufio before she walked off to go get what would be necessary.

Normally Taurina was not as involved with the customers. She spoke when spoken to rather than interacting directly. The artists usually did that. They built the relationship that would last through the process and formed the path conversation would take. Today felt different though. With Rufio things felt different. The Ethaefal had so many questions she wanted answered and they would not get answered by simply listening to conversation between client and artist. Keil was not one of the talkative ones. He simply focused on his work, giving mainly only instruction when a client needed to move or shift in some way after the design was approved. No, if Taurina wanted to learn anything about the girl she would have to strike up the conversation herself.

Taurina made quick work of gathering what was needed. A jar of solid black ink was fetched from the rows of colorful ink jars near the front of the tent, a couple of the smaller chisels were pulled from the back -different sizes so Keil could figure out which was going to work best-, and a rag to wipe away blood and ink was also picked up. The Ethaefal soon returned, placing all down gently where Keil could easily have access to them.

After the supplies were gathered, things moved like a well coordinated dance as no words were passed between assistant and artist. Keil came over to look over the tools and took his time carefully picking which he wanted. Taurina took the rag and doused with enough water from a waterskin that it was damp and would easily wipe the skin when it came time. The ink jar was opened, some of the ink poured into a long shallow dish. Taurina was focused on this task when Rufio asked her question.

"When did y’ come here?" the words were spoken, that undertone of another language accenting them.

The Ethaefal’s bronze gaze looked up in time to see the sign that followed the words. She did not look scared or even off put, she just simply stared for a chime. The question was so weighted with the added sign and it gave her options to answer with. When had she come to the Lilacwind pavilion would be simple, but something told Taurina the Drykas woman wished for more than that. When had she entered Endrykas perhaps? Or maybe even, when had she fallen once more to this land? Though, Taurina doubted that it was that last one. She did not think that Rufio knew of her other form yet.

“The beginning of this season, both coming to Endrykas and starting here,” Taurina gave a simple answer, continuing it with signs telling of a long journey and many dangers.

The Ethaefal would not forget her travel to the tent city anytime soon. The Ethaefal caught Keil’s gaze that was simply on her. He knew of what she was, all in the pavilion did. Taurina did not know if he was challenging her to tell Rufio or if he was simply listening to the conversation, waiting to start his work. Taurina sighed internally, remembering the promise she made when entering Endrykas never to hide herself. Even though she was more reluctant to keeping said promise now, she did try.

“I was born here, but when I could not tell you. Lifetimes ago,” Taurina explained, giving the Drykas a bigger piece of her story.

Taurina sign told the other woman that she was Drykas, but not. Again the Ethaefal signed long story and complicated.

“I will tell if you wish to know,” Taurina signed offering before she gestured towards Rufio’s windmarks, “I wish to know this story. Will you tell it?”

Keil moved forward after that, signing that it was time to begin before he motioned for Rufio to stretch out her arm. They would be starting with where the skin was scarred for the elbow would be harder and more painful. It would be easier on the Stormblood this way. Taurina took her place beside Rufio, waiting for the arm to be given over to her, but also waiting for the reply to her request.

Taurina was ready to tell some of her story. Was Rufio willing to give the same?

Common | Pavi | 'Thought'


Last edited by Taurina on July 30th, 2017, 1:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Taurina
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Writ In Ink

Postby Rufio on July 26th, 2017, 9:20 pm

Image
  
    
         As Taurina was sent off to collect the artist’s things, Rufio’s gaze followed her for a tick, wondering about her, when Keil’s baritone sought her attention, “Let me see the worst, at your elbow?”

    Rufio nodded and laid her arm out for him to see. He inspected quietly, until Taurina returned and he moved to inspect the arrangement of tools she had brought for his hands. Satisfied, the work began, and Rufio marveled that it was more to the point than her fortune-telling, which asked for a flare and flurry of words and presence to craft moments of suspense and meaning.

    Arts of different kinds, both left their clients with stories etched into them.

Taurina answered her query simply, though her sign suggested more in the telling. Long journey, and many dangers. Rufio’s gaze was caught by the Ethaefal’s Drykas visage, and it might have been as if cogs churned behind those ochre eyes as her pupils skittered across her features. Rufio felt a flicker of envy light in her, too.

  A long journey, an adventure, like those of her father.

          Taurina spoke a little more, “I was born here, but when I could not tell you. Lifetimes ago”. Lifetimes caught in the net of Rufio’s mind. She speaks as if she were old, she thought. As old as Great Maiza Wildmane. Taurina chased her words with Drykas, but not and Rufio was thoroughly intrigued.

Complicated. Taurina signed, and Rufio’s freckles alit with a coy, wolfish smile. Stories are not complicated, she disagreed, a good-natured, Drykas bluntness in her grass-sign. Thoughtfully, she offered in a gentle shaping of—hard story for the heart to tell.

      In an after-thought she feared her blunt nature might frighten the reserved tatooist’s apprentice when she had seemed to come out of her shell. So she mirrored Taurina’s earlier signs. Long journey. Even if Rufio did not believe anything in life complicated, she understood that one’s own story could feel like a tangled path through tall grasses.

Even she sensed that Taurina’s long journey had been a test above the ordinary. “I will tell if you wish to know,” Taurina offered with a gesture to Rufio’s windmarks, “I wish to know this story. Will you tell it?”

        A trade of tales. In her own profession she told far more of others’ stories than she revealed of her own, and it made her chuckle as she stretched her arm so that Keil could reach her elbow. “A fair trade.” She agreed with a grin, sensing she had struck the better deal.

    As Keil touched the chisel to her elbow, and tapped the needles in, the drykas’ winced. She naturally flinched, to which Keil’s gaze rose to hers and the Stormblood flushed lightly. Showing pain was not the Drykas way. She was glad for Taurina’s request to distract her. As she looked down at her windmarks, Rufio thought of how to begin.

Her gaze flickered to Keil, where it lingered a moment, hesitant for his presence. He glanced at her but continued on with his work. The fortune-teller took a breath that lifted her shoulders lightly. Keil glanced at her again, don’t move it warned.

        “I am Drykas, but not.” The word-thief reflected, “My mother was Benshira, from the deserts of Ekytol, far to the south. My father was Drykas, and an adventurer.” Rufio’s freckles lit from within, unknowingly, as she spoke about her father. “He brought my mother back here to show her the grasslands.” They are both dead now.

    Grief tinged her smile, now, and her brows furrowed as she thought on her heritage. “I have never seen my mother’s lands. I speak her tongue.” As if these two facts did not sit well together in her mouth, she chewed on her tongue. Her free hand lifted to shape lazy signs Drykas and Benshira. Spirit belongs to what lands, is uncertain.

Rufio chased her confession with words, hiding a light blush as her gaze danced to Keil again. “I went off to seek my strider” find answers, find truth, belonging. “I went into the grasslands without weapons, without knowing how to make proper shelter, or hunt, and without my family.” Sheepishly, cultakh.

      A hiss escaped her lips as Keil tapped into a particularly sensitive part of her arm, before she went on. “After two days of walking, the sky grew dark, and the winds howled.” Zulrav. “It was a horrible storm. Lightning flashed so bright it made me blind, and thunder so loud I felt it in my bones!”

If not for her glancing at Taurina and Keil working on her skin, she would no doubt have been in motion. “I was afraid I would not make it home again, until I saw trees.” With a cock of her head she added, “strange trees with sharp spines and little leaves or green. It was Wanah’ite—the swamp woods. I thought it would be shelter from the storm, but it was a nightmarish place.”

      Her gaze found Taurina’s face as she smiled crookedly. “I got lost in the trees, and found my strider in the swamp. He was stuck in the mud, and left there by a foreigner.” Disgrace, despicable. To sacrifice a strider to save one’s own hide made Rufio’s freckled nose scrunch.

              “Then came shadows.” Hungry wolves. Rufio watched the tattooists work for a few chimes as she thought how to describe the shadow that frightened wolves. As her gaze took in the tattooist’s work, she became intrigued, and watched for a few chimes curiously.
  
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Writ In Ink

Postby Taurina on July 30th, 2017, 5:12 am


A whisper of a smile touched the Ethaefal’s lips when agreement was given. A trade of stories and a peak at the hearts that had withstood them. It was never easy giving up a piece of one’s soul and letting oneself become vulnerable to another, but Taurina was willing this day. Something within her, perhaps just simply the light that seemed to fill up this day, told her that with Rufio it was safe to tell. With Rufio, it was safe to reveal a piece of her past. First, though, the Ethaefal would listen. For it was the Stormblood that began her story first.

There was a kindred spirit to be found in Rufio. Another who was apart of these people, yet separated by no fault of her own. As the Drykas told of her parents, of where they had been from and what peoples they had been apart of, Taurina listened with all the interest in the world. A flicker of sorrow even passed over her face for them when Rufio told of their deaths. Though the Ethaefal had not known them, she caught her new friend’s grief and she understood what such grief felt like. She was sorry to hear that their lives had ended before Rufio had been ready to see them go.

The Drykas spoke of not having known where she belonged. Of having never seen her mother’s lands, but being able to speak her tongue. As she said it, Spirit belongs to what lands, is uncertain. Taurina understood this feeling as well. Her spirit had wrestled with the same question, still did. That was why she had come here to Endrykas in the first place. To see if this was the land where her soul belonged until such a time came when returning to Leth was an option.

Though Keil worked on Rufio’s windmarks alone for now, Taurina sat waiting for when she was needed. The ones at the elbow were easier to do alone because with it bent the skin was tight and thin. Keil may have been slower than the others, but he knew what he was doing. He only requested the Eth’s help occasionally in wiping away access blood and ink. So though she looked to him often, Taurina was more focused on Rufio’s tale at this point. She did not even miss the look the Drykas gave the windmarks artist before a blush colored her cheeks. Though Taurina noticed it, however, she did not understand the why behind it.

That is, the Eth did not understand the why until it was made clear. The next part of the story was told. Rufio explained of the danger she had put herself in. That she had been a Cultakh. Taurina did not need it explained to her what that meant. She had travelled in the Sea of Grass before. She knew how foolish or perhaps desperate one had to be to travel it alone with no knowledge and no weapons. How Rufio had made it back alive… someone with powers far greater than mere mortals had to have been watching over her.

If the Drykas woman had not been sitting before Taurina, the Eth might not have believed that she had actually survived such a journey. Storms, a Strider left alone trapped, wolves… Taurina did not think that she, herself, would have survived. Not alone. Rufio was another, however, and somehow she had survived. She had come home to tell the tale and have it marked upon her skin. The Eth could understand the symbols more clearly now. Read them and know the story they were meant to tell.

Silence settled after Rufio’s voice dropped off and she became interested in watching Keil. The artist was very focused on his work and was almost finished finished with the elbow portion of what needed to be done. Taurina leaned over and careful wiped off excess skin and blood that had built up. Her touch was gentle, the rag clean and soft in the area she used. She realized after she settled back in her position that it was her turn to tell her story. Her turn to reveal some of her soul.

“I have not told any this story really. Maybe not complicated as you say, but..” hard story for the heart to tell Taurina mimicked the signs her new friend had earlier showed her.

The Eth took a breath and released it, preparing herself. It took much effort to speak of things such as the past. She did not wish to hide though and they had made a deal. She had given a promise. She was not one to break her promise.

“I am Ethaefal. Drykas body by day, but another body by night.” Beautiful, but not Drykas “It started in water. That is the first I remember. Water and salt. Waves crashing. A storm that made me fight to live. I do not know how I made it.”

It had to have been fate or the gods. Perhaps Leth. Taurina liked to think that it had been Leth. That somehow he had seen to it she survived.

“A fisherman found me, took me in, helped me through those early days. I was so lost.” Searching for home. For meaning. “I remembered such fragmented things. Memories of a past life, memories of feelings from a time spent with a god. I had this body, flawed and scarred by life’s trials, and then my other. Beautiful. Unmarred. A gift from a god.” Consolation for what was lost.

In those early days she had hated the Drykas body with such a passion. She had felt betrayed by it. As though it was too weak and fractured to be apart of her. It had taken time to come to terms with it. With the help of the fisherman, however, she had gotten there. She had realized that she must accept and make the most of it. Use those memories she had and find out who she used to be so that it might lead her to who she was supposed to be now.

“I wanted to know more. I still do. More of the past so that it may lead to purpose, belonging. I came here in hope to find answers. In the very least perhaps, find..” Home. “The journey was long. Many places, so many people. I reached Riverfall and then the Sea of Grass with many merchants.” Foolish ones. “We became lost. All summer we were lost. Some died, some went crazy. The Sea of Grass, I learned, is not to be played with. Finally reached Endrykas at beginning of fall. I had hoped to feel something, but then there was..” Nothing.

Taurina inhaled a breath. She had expected so much upon finally reaching the tent city. It had been a had blow when her soul had been left as it previously had been. The lesson had been a tough one to learn.

“My search continues in Endrykas. Look for home, belonging. The home of my past now I hope the home of my future.” Taurina gave a small smile. “All I know to do is hope, search, and wait. Someday I believe my purpose and my place will become clear. It is all I can believe. To believe that it is all meaningless…” I refuse.

Taurina's smile lingered, but her eyes were sad and wandering. There was still much she did not understand. Much she searched for. Maybe it would be found in the next instant or maybe it was years away. The Eth did not know, but she hoped. For now, though, she did as she was told and worked hard so that she might one day raise to the level of the artists she worked with.

“Your elbow is done,” Taurina pointed out softly after cleaning away the last of the remnants of the job that had been done, “now to repair over the scars. I will pull your skin tight so Keil can better work. After.. windmarks look like the day you got them.”

Taurina gave a smile as she reached out, ready to receive Rufio’s arm so that she might take hold of it and do as Keil wanted her. Her hold would be tight, her grip firm despite her small hands. It was not likely to be comfortable, but soon enough after Rufio would have windmarks colored so that they might once more shine vibrantly in Syna’s light.

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Writ In Ink

Postby Rufio on August 1st, 2017, 10:30 pm

Image
  
    
   As Taurina wiped away the blood that leaked from Rufio’s elbow, dripping down her arm, she winced, a grimace set into her freckles that would not shift for the rest of the session. Her arm burned where Keil’s needles worked the ink in. Her skin rose in gooseflesh where he was not working and she began to feel cold creep into her. Rufio was thankful to have the apprentice by her side, to tell stories with, and distract her from the pain.

“I have not told any this story really. Maybe not complicated as you say, but..” hard story for the heart to tell. She began, and Rufio, hearing that Taurina had never really spoken her story to another, felt the weight of that honour sink into her. Honoured that you share, her fingers shaped, placing her hand onto her chest. I will hold your words close, trust shared.

“I am Ethaefal.” Taurina began. Rufio’s brows knitted together, making darker the ochre irises that sat beneath, though she did not interrupt, and listened intently as the…Ethaefal…explained. “Drykas body by day, but another body by night.” Beautiful, but not Drykas. A child of Leth, Rufio marveled, curiosity and wonder seeping into her features. The pain fading lightly with her distraction, but lingered still.

“It started in water. That is the first I remember. Water and salt. Waves crashing. A storm that made me fight to live. I do not know how I made it.” At that, the fortune-teller’s lips quirked, puckering in a lightly smile of knowing. The gods, and her resilience, Rufio thought in silent answer, Taurina is a brave soul, strong—stronger than she knows herself.

The fortune-teller’s expression mirrored the sense of loss and wandering and pain that Taurina painted with her words, empathizing as the Ethaefal’s voice poured in.

“My search continues in Endrykas. Look for home, belonging. The home of my past now I hope the home of my future.” Taurina smiled, and Rufio nodded without realising herself, numb to her pain and her body, she was so absorbed by the woman's story. “All I know to do is hope, search, and wait. Someday I believe my purpose and my place will become clear. It is all I can believe. To believe that it is all meaningless…” I refuse.

That made Rufio’s smile broaden, and her fingers thrummed gently hope and healing, acceptance, soul-search, one day home, I wish these things for you.

She knew not else what to say. Taurina’s tale was unlike any she had ever heard. The confusion she must feel, living in two skins. Rufio chose not to speak, sometimes, authentic silence held more understanding and meaning than conjured prose.

“Your elbow is done.”
“Oh!” Rufio said unexpectedly, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Her sign flashed thank you, appreciation of your care, as Taurina wiped the ink down, to off-set the hiss that breathed through her teeth. She felt like the Ethaefal rubbed her skin raw—as gentle as she was. “Now to repair over the scars. I will pull your skin tight so Keil can better work.” Rufio nodded, and settled her arm into Taurina’s hands, entrusting.

Rufio glanced down at her shoulder nervously, wondering if scars were difficult to tattoo, if the ink would hold in the marred flesh. As if the apprentice read her thoughts and anxious frown, she said “after.. windmarks look like the day you got them.” Rufio looked at Taurina’s smiling face and took encouragement from her words, beaming back in return.

In the quiet corner of her mind she wondered how she could have once hated her beautiful Drykas features. Scars were a mark of strength, not of ugliness. Taurina had said her other face was beautiful, Rufio wondered what she looked like in Leth’s light. Somehow, thinking of that made her feel rude, as if it was a forbidden thing to think of. There was no etiquette she knew of for dealing with Ethaefal, and, chiding herself for her thoughts, she blushed.

Once the tattooist and apprentice resumed the slow, painful, art, she asked with curiosity. “Are scars harder to tattoo? Have you picked up the needles yet, Taurina?”
  
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Writ In Ink

Postby Taurina on August 11th, 2017, 4:53 pm


Thank you was the sign Taurina gave in response to Rufio’s wish for all those good things to happen to her. The feeling welling up within the Ethaefal at the knowledge that someone wished for her all she wished for herself was a strange one. It was something like trust. Affection for another as a friend. She had not had many friends before. Yet, after their stories had been told, she felt close to this mixed blood. Like perhaps she could call her a friend. She was, after all, already thinking of her as one.

Silence came after Rufio’s signs. Not the heavy, awkward kind, but the kind that allowed conversation to breath and emotions to settle. Taurina felt understood and cared for to some degree in these moments. It was easy to like Rufio. Easy to believe all that she said. Taurina hoped that this was not the end of their seeing each other. She hoped that she really did have a friend in the Stormblood and that after this, they would see each other again. Get to know each other and better understand each other. Taurina was almost excited at the idea, but she did not show it. She did not want to get too far ahead of herself.

Taurina just smiled when thanks was given for the work that was done. She allowed the Drykas woman a moment to recover from the sting of the ink etched into her elbow before taking the offered arm. The Ethaefal was as gentle as she could be, but unfortunately that was not very gentle. Her grip had to be firm and hold Rufio’s arm still. The skin had to be stretched and made as flat as possible so that Keil could make sure all was even and done correctly. An apologetic look was offered to Rufio as Taurina pulled on her skin. It would all be over soon.

“From what I know, yes they are. The skin is warped and sometimes the scars can reopen if they are not old enough,” Taurina answered Rufio’s questions after looking to find Keil fully focused on his work and unwilling to talk, “It is hardest with repairs I think. Because one has to make the new ink look just how the old did. With new work over scars it is not as hard.”

Taurina shrugged after she was done explaining. To her it was just another part of the job. Another thing to learn. The people of Endrykas were hard workers and had to fight everyday to stay alive out on the Sea of Grass. For them to not have any scars would have been nothing but a miracle. For them to have many was expected. So it was something the windmark artists had to know how to deal with. How to make the scars look like they had never been there if that was what the client desired.

“Not on people,” Taurina admitted, “my work is not yet very good. The skin of long dead animals is what I practice with my needles on. It is better that I mar the skin of something dead than someone who must live with it for the rest of their life.”

The Ethaefal’s voice had raised with her last statement, becoming humorous and playful. Taurina tossed a grin in Rufio’s direction that was brighten by dancing eyes. She was not torn up about not yet having really picked up the needles. It was not time for her yet, she was not ready. With time, though, she knew she would. Under the Lilacwinds’ mentorship and care she would get there. Her abilities would grow and someday she would be working right alongside them. At least, that was her hope.

There was a spot of silence after that. Taurina was so focused in on the work being done that remembering to talk escaped her. Watching Keil work was near mesmerizing. It did not matter that the Eth was not particularly fond of the male artist, that did not change the way he worked. Taurina herself kept the skin pulled tight and wiped the clothe over the skin being worked on when it was needed. She tried her best to be gentle, but there was little about this that could be done gently. Sometimes, with things like this, being gentle or slow only made the pain worse. Taurina did not wish that for Rufio. Putting her through the least amount of pain possible was the Ethaefal’s goal.

“What do you do Rufio?” Taurina asked, her voice curious and soft as she tried to distract the mixed blood from the pain being inflicted upon her arm.

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