Completed Beam Reach

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Syka is a new settlement of primarily humans on the east coast of Falyndar opposite of Riverfall on The Suvan Sea. [Syka Codex]

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Beam Reach

Postby Marino Oceangem on June 24th, 2020, 4:56 pm

He wondered if there were any singers in Syka that might help him compose his song. His common wasn’t confident enough to phrase the words the way he liked in Fratava. An that was important to him he realized. Getting the song across. He wanted Tazrae to enjoy the song as he did, but he also wanted her to know the words. Quite the conundrum. Chewing the side of his cheek, he decided he would try to puzzle that out tonight. For now there was good company to enjoy.

We usually host a big party on the beach, and invite every pod that floats nearby. Sometimes the parties can last for days depending on how many birthdays we are celebrating. Drinking games are not uncommon, nor are casinor races, nor just regular challenges that come with such a gathering.” Marino said. He was touched by her offer to make him something, and reached out to touch the back of her arm. “A cake sounds wonderful. All your cooking as been great so far.” He hoped his family might drop by Syka for his birthday, but didn’t know what to expect on that account. The seas and the wind could conspire to keep them farther from him. It was the way of things.

Marino was throughly absorbed in what she had to say about her life back in Riverfall, and how it had changed upon coming here. It was a shame that she hadn’t the chance to just be a kid. He tried to think of why her parents might have done that, but couldn’t come up with anything sound. Maybe being in a city with so many men forced that sort of protectiveness upon them. That thought only brought more questions, like why weren’t there more women, and was it dangerous. If only his mother was here. She’d know what to say in his stead. Absent his mother’s wisdom, Tazrae would just have to settle with his.

He was looking for those very words when things started happening all at once. First there was Juli, laughing and handing him a wineskin the bulged with drink. Marino took it gratefully. “My thanks!” He said before taking a strong pull from the skien. The wine was strong, with subtle fruity flavors throughout. It was unexpectedly refreshing after all that dancing, and Marino took another pull before handing it over to Tazrae.

It’s good. Can’t say I’ve tasted anything like it, but it’s good.” Marino said smiling, swiping at some of the wetness on his lips with the back of his hand. Beside him Stu had started to play a lively drum beat, and Marino found himself trying to tap his foot in time with the beat. He didn’t quite have the timing right, but it was fun nonetheless. With the cloying sweetness of wine on his tongue, he figured it might be time for another smoke to balance out the flavors and reached to put his little stick back into the fire. While it was getting a proper glow on the end, he packed a fresh pinch into his bowl before retrieving the stick.

Would you like to try some?” He asked as he lit the pipe and took a long, slow pull from it. It was a very aromatic blend that was treated in such a way that the flavors really came through. This particular blend tasted reminiscent of a pear brandy and was a bit on the sugary side of things. Not that he minded much, though he did tend to prefer it a little less sweet. Once it had a proper cherry red going he’d hand it to Tazrae if she agreed. “Breath it in slowly, like you are sipping some hot soup. If it starts tickling your throat, take a break and let it out slowly before trying again.” Marino would explain as she held it while he got a little more comfortable in his seat, shifting slightly towards the side to face her more directly. From this position he couldn’t help but think of another fun way to enjoy the smoke, though he held his tongue on that for now. Best to see how she liked it first.
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Beam Reach

Postby Tazrae on June 30th, 2020, 5:26 am

Taz nodded to Marino’s description of a party. “That sounds amazing. I can’t imagine all the people you must know meeting folks that way. I’ve met more people here in just a few days than I have met in my whole life if you discount guests. I can’t imagine doing this for as old as you are…. and the things you must know or remember. It feels so rich… I don’t know how to put it. Like your life is full… abundant…. Just like the fact you have more than one mother. That’s slightly amazing to me.” She added, then laughed abruptly as Juli dropped in.

She was already tapping her toes when Marino handed over the liquor and she took a big pull from it. It was not what she expected. It was delicious, but in a way that made her think it was perhaps stronger than it appeared. She took another large drink, set the skin aside, and nodded when Marino asked if she wanted to smoke.

“I never have….’ She said, but listened to his directions and gently cradled the pipe when he handed it over. She took a long slow breath of the smoke, paused in an exhale, then took another slow inhalation. She did as he said, handing it back to him and exhaling slowly. Her mind was already buzzing from the liquor and the smoke added something to it. Marino had the most curious expression on his face, but she didn’t comment on it. Instead she nodded her thanks, facing Marino now then abruptly coughed. She took the pipe away from her mouth, coughed again, and then tried a second time. The taste was odd, but soothing, and she kept at it knowing she’d seen Marino smoking more than once and wanting to understand why he did so.

She glanced up at him. They were so close. She lowered her lashes, watched the water bubble up in the pipe, and then met Marino’s gaze. His eyes were beautiful, she noted, as she glanced down at the pipe.

Her mind whirled a moment and she took another pull from the liquor. A sort of secret relaxed smile crossed her face and she studied Marino for a moment. He looked beautiful in the firelight with the slowly fading sun. And as she continued to tap her foot, with no hesitation at all, she suddenly pipped up. “Do you know how handsome you are?” She said, then suddenly rose up. She snagged out a hand and latched onto his, pulling him to his feet.

“Lets dance!” She said, relaxed and buzzed all the same time. It was as if between the pipe and the liquor, her inhibitions had stripped away. Once she had him on his feet, she let go and began to dance around him as Stu beat his drum and others joined in with other instruments. Tazrae didn’t seem to mind that she was the only one dancing as she laughed and smiled at Marnio and tried to coax him into joining her.

Tazrae kicked off her sandals and circled the standing Svefra, laughing and tossing her head. She danced slowly, twirling with her arms uplifted, moving her hips to the beat set by the drum. A flute joining in caused her arms to open and she dipped and twirled, marring the sand all around where Marino stood. “Come on…. dance with me….” She coaxed, dancing faster as the drumbeat increased its rhythm. It was as if the liquor and the smoke took her swiftly. She was unused to any sort of substance, and indeed she felt so many things fall away… so many burdens lift off her shoulders.

So she danced for Marino, circling him, laughing, and twirling. She had no real skill at it, but instead she danced the joy she felt at being in that place and time. Young. Strong. Powerful. Tazrae felt like in that moment she had it all.
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"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


Garden Beach Syka The Protea Inn

"Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows."
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Beam Reach

Postby Marino Oceangem on June 30th, 2020, 5:30 pm

Truly, we’ll celebrate just about anything. It helps keep us close. A close pod thrives on the open sea.” Marino said, particularly enjoying explaining this part of his life. They were such a part of his growing up that it was hard to imagine it being otherwise. He wondered briefly if that was part of the secret ingredient here, and figured that sounded right to him. Working together towards a common goal had a way of binding people.

He grinned at the reference to his mothers, and leaned forward curious. “Our families tend to be rather varied. Mine happens to include two mothers, a father, a brother and a sister.” Marino started to ask about similar pairings in Riverfall came with the wine, and all was momentarily forgotten with this new set of pleasures. After he had his turn with the drink, he filled himself with smoke, noticeably feeling more relaxed as he expelled it slowly from his lungs. His face felt warm from the drink, though moving around he didn’t feel any different yet. That would come he knew. For now he’d just revel in the space between this moment and the next, waiting for the world to shift. While his smoke wasn’t particularly potent in that regard, taking it with alcohol could certainly heighten its effects. So Marino road the pleasant climb up while leaning forward to help Tazrae try it for herself.

It delighted him of course that she would try. He’d been worried about that. Wondering about how she’d feel towards the substance. They took it slow, him not wanting her to have a bad first time of it. He knew it could be rough and downright scary if you took it too fast.

For all his worry, Tazrae was doing well her first go of it. She reminded him in a way of his first time trying it. It made him smile again as he met her eyes over the pipe. Pretty blue eyes surrounded by dark lashes and golden skin. That was going in the song he thought, with some tweaks of course. Looking at her so close, he wondered if it wasn’t time to show her that trick with the smoke. The thought of getting close to her face with his stirred within him. Marino leaned a fraction closer, chewing on his lower lip as he couldn’t help but to continue staring. The alcohol was starting to affect him as his heart beat faster.

Then suddenly Tazrae said something that made him blush, and he felt the smoke too as she pulled him up to his feet. He gave her a silly smile for a moment till he straightened up, focusing more intently on her. He didn’t know how to respond to the compliment, though he knew the words his quick tongue would want to say. A dozen words in Fratava came to him to describe her as she looked by the fire. Marino laughed and relaxed. He was putting too much thought into this. It was a party after all and things should be kept simple.

Standing there, it took him a while to realize he hadn’t been dancing. Just feeling the beat within him while he watched Tazrae do all of the dancing. It was a pleasing sight. He forgot all about his lack of skill at it, and started to join in as well. At first he went the moves he had tried earlier. Shifting to the beat, and adding the occasional clap. Then he fell into something a little more organic as he tried to follow Tazrae’s movements with his own. On one of the times the beat shifted him closer to Tazrae, he leaned in. “Times like these I wish my grasp of common was better so I could accurately describe good you look right now” He grinned and took steps to keep up with her as she circled him. When the world started spinning faster than he was he stopped and held out his hands to steady himself, laughing lightly. “I’ll have to work on that for the song. My common I mean.” Marino grinned at her, as he slowly adjusted to standing still.
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Beam Reach

Postby Tazrae on July 2nd, 2020, 4:13 am

When Marino got up and danced with her, Tazrae was thrilled. It was hard to describe how the man seemed to strip her self consciousness away until he had exposed the living thing beneath all the quietly polite and friendly hostess persona she'd carefully cultivated from a young age. She probably looked ridiculous, but he didn't make her feel that way. Instead, the liquor and the smoke in her system - something she rarely if ever partook of before - helped remove any of the remaining inhibitions and she simply danced her joy at being alive, at being in Syka, and being with someone she could finally call a friend.

Her hips circled in a figure eight as Stu beat his drum faster and she circled around Marino with her arms in the air, as if worshiping the swiftly falling sun as it dipped beneath Laviku's waves in the distance. Her hair, teased by the shift of the wind from onshore to onshore breezes, kicked up about her. She watched Marino dance and encouraged him to with smiles and laughter. Others on the beach joined them... the people here were all races, all ages, from far and wide across Mizahar.

Out of the corner of her eye, she even noticed a ghostly child - a little girl - carrying a ghost kitten, who materialized a bit down the way settling in by James and Juli as if she were part of their family. The two nodded to the spirit telling Tazrae all was well as she looked back at Marino. He leaned in as the music slowed, and whispered words that took Tazrae a moment to understand.

He thought she looked good. Her smile at the recognition of what he said was instant. She didn't blush, didn't turn shy.... he'd seen to that with the sharing of his pipe and the long pulls off the wineskin that had been given freely. "I forget Common isn't your native tongue." She said in response. "If I knew Fratava, I'd tell you that you are beautiful. You look like freedom feels." She said, then danced closer, laying her hands on his shoulders and inviting him to take her hips. The music was slower, not seductive, but a slow joyful tune that invited motion and conversation. It took him a moment to realize the word 'beautiful' wasn't in Common but was in Fratava.

"Some of the sailors taught me a smattering of it on The Veronica." She said with a smile. "I'd learn it if you'd teach me. I only know Common and Tukant... my Fratava is just a smattering of words." She added, in case he was thinking of going off on a smattering of pure Fratava. She wouldn't understand and wanted to make sure he knew that.

Marino came to a stop and Tazrae with him. She laughed lightly as she released Marino, returned to the log she was using as a bench, and checked on Creature and the wooden flute. The Pup was still passed out, having had a big day. He wouldn't wander off - she'd learned that easily - and she wouldn't leave him out here when it was time to walk home. She took a moment to take a pull off the wineskin and satiated her thirst.

Then she picked up the wooden flute and began to play. She wasn't the only one playing... there was a soft drumbeat somewhere distant, and someone else was singing. Tazrae wasn't proficient at the flute... but she ran scales to add to the voice singing and kept the tempo of her playing close to that of the drum. The mark on her shoulder gave her perfect pitch, so she was able to adjust her airflow to keep the flute dancing notes up and down the scale. She missed a few transitions, squealed the instrument off tune once or twice, but she managed to keep up without feeling too embarrassed that her playing might not be the best. And to Tazrae, if everyone had drank as much of the brew as she had, they wouldn't even notice.

Her sandals came off and she dug her toes into the sand as she finished playing. Reaching over, she snagged a few pieces of driftwood and tossed them into the fire, adding in fuel.

"When we were back in Riverfall and had bonfires on the beach, we'd make these sandwiches out of graham cracker, chocolate, and puffed sugar. They were soo good. I need to introduce Syka to the tradition since we have chocolate in abundance here and access to sugar. I just have to make the graham which is easy enough if I can get all the ingredients. I don't know if trees have molasses here or not. What do you think?" She asked thoughtfully, always thinking of ways to entertain people and show them a good time.

"It's important, Marino.... that if we have visitors here, they make good memories and look at Syka with fondness so they will return. It will help people with businesses here be successful. Who knows? More visitors will mean more business for you too.... shuttling people around." She added, wondering what other traditions they could start.

"Syka really needs some holidays. Why don't we have more of them? I haven't heard of a single one... to be honest. I wonder if we could have a meeting and maybe take this year and develop some... it would be good for tourism." She said, then licked her lips and wished she had something to write with and on... so she didn't forget the idea.

"What do you think?" She asked, genuinely hopeful he knew of a holiday or thought the idea was solid. For some reason, Marino's opinion really mattered to her.

Word Count: 997
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"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


Garden Beach Syka The Protea Inn

"Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows."
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Beam Reach

Postby Marino Oceangem on July 2nd, 2020, 5:29 am

Marino’s stomped and clapped, trying his best to keep the beat before giving up to dance to a beat of his own. He was having too much fun dancing with Tazrae to worry about more than where he stomped, paying careful mind to her feet. Well, all of her really, but the feet when he remembered. The smoke was taking affect now, making it a little harder to focus on anything beyond their own movements. Her dance was just as free, and he was happy that she shared this side with him. That she had shared much with him this night. It meant a lot for someone to share so much with him at a time he had been feeling so isolated from his pod.

The first time he had met Tazrae, he’d known she be a kind woman from the way she’d watched over him on the beach. What he hadn’t quite expected though is the trust that grew quickly between them. While he like to think of himself as a friendly sort, he had never shared a quarter of what he had with her to someone outside of his pod. It was a different feeling for him, and he kind of liked it. He felt strongly that his trust was well placed, despite his instincts towards outsiders cautioning him otherwise. With her, he could share his stories, and maybe even go on adventures. He smiled at the thought of that.

As the music slowed it gave him a chance to pull in closer to Tazrae. Their conversation resumed, much to his delight. Marino listened carefully as he danced closer to her, slower now to keep up with the change in music. He wasn’t clapping or stopping anymore. Instead he was slowly moving side to side, swaying with the beat while he extending out to his sides. His eyes widened appreciatively. His laugh was light and joyful as she explained by the way she came that Fratava. “An here I thought you had no more surprises. Foolish of me to doubt such a beautiful creature.” He said, saying it in Fratava as she had. “I think you would make a great student of the language. Perhaps when we try sailing again?” Marino asked hopefully. Oh how he yearned to give her another try at the sails. There was something so captivating about how that first time on the water played back in his mind, and he was looking forward to a repeat.

They were dancing slowly now, his hands on her hips. He enjoyed this dance just as much as the one before as it gave him time to look into her blue eyes. Those eyes made him think of all that had been, and all that was to come. So many adventures yet left in this place as they had only had begun. Then the as the music was winding down, they stopped. Marino smiled at her as they walked back over to the log. Marino took the chance to take in a deep breath, and the sights around them. It was a proper party now, with many people he didn’t recognize. That made him feel a little more at home on this pleasant beach as his gaze wandered back to Tazrae.

She had something small in her hand now, up to her lips. With it she made a beautiful noise that left him speechless as he watched. He wasn’t paying much attention to the other music. Just her fingers as they played across instrument. As unobtrusively as he could manage he took a seat where they had been, and a pull from the wineskin. The strong sweet flavor was refreshing after that bout of dancing they had done. When her part had wrapped up, she turned to him sitting there with the wineskin across his lap. “That was great. I’m glad I got to see you play.” He said, smiling warmly up at her. Marino reached out and patted the log beside.

More business would be good, I always enjoy hearing the stories of my passengers. An these treats sound rather nice as well. I’m not sure about the molasses I’m afraid, but I can ask my mother if we don’t find any.” He replied genially. Provided they sent him an Avikki soon, which he hoped would be the case. If only to let him know they had made it safely to their destination. For her next question he spent a little more time thinking, leaning back a little on the log while he ran the fingertips of his left hand over his right’s palm.

A holiday.. I like the idea, I wonder if we might make one for Laviku, and any other’s we’d like to give some time to celebrate here on this shore. I know my pod spends at least several days a year with a lot of other pods honoring during the holidays we respect on the open sea. I’m sure there are other things we could dream up as well.
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Beam Reach

Postby Tazrae on July 11th, 2020, 1:49 am

She sat down where Marino patted the log beside himself and tilted her head to listen to what he had to say. Then she watched him think things through about what they’d been talking about. The firelight reflected off his features, giving his face harsher angles in the fading light than he had in the sunlight. It deepened the color of his eyes and made him more mysterious to her.

She smiled, nodded, and stretched out her legs before the fire, wiggling her toes in the sand. Creature was still asleep tucked into the side of the big driftwood they were using as a seat, snoring softly. The firelight was turning the pale bits of his fur golden orange and deepening his spots.

Tazrae smiled at the dog, reached down to stroke his fur a moment, then glanced back at Marino. “You sure owe a lot to Laviku. Your people, I mean, not you personally. I noticed James made offerings to him before we left port. It was the first offerings I’ve ever seen anyone make to the Gods. My mother wasn’t religious… not really. But when I was smaller my father used to tell me stories of the Gods.” Tazrae said thoughtfully.

“He said when I was older I’d find myself drawn to one… maybe more than one.” She thought back to The Veronica and the events that played out there. She wasn’t sure she wanted to share that moment with Marino yet. Meeting a God had been a pivotal point in her life. And truth be told she was still processing what Rhaus had said to her. But it would be nice to talk to someone about it. She thought perhaps Marino would be that someone, but she still wasn’t sure. She didn’t trust men, not really, not growing up in Riverfall where everyone sized her up as a breeder and didn’t really see her as a person. But she really hoped he was what he seemed. Time would tell.

“Marino, I know you and your people have a close relationship with Laviku. Will you tell me about him? I know virtually nothing. Maybe in telling me about him, it will give you or both of us some ideas on some way to honor him.” She added, looking thoughtful. Tazrae studied the Svefra as she spoke. He was easy on the eyes, but beyond that he was just…. easy to be around.

She liked him in a way that was vastly different than anyone she’d met in her experiences. Not having a lot of friends in Riverfall, she couldn’t quite juggle if the friendship was what appealed to her or if there was something more. But she thought about him when he wasn’t around and often wondered – since she’d met him – what he was up to at random times and random places.

It probably meant nothing, but Tazrae couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“You know… I could help you out.” She said thoughtfully, glancing out to sea. “I think you should…” She started to say, then held back a moment, and started again. “There were people we knew in Riverfall that would give tours. Not only of the city, but of the local sights. If we start getting more tourists in Syka, I think it would be lovely if we had people that would arrange little expeditions for visitors. Maybe a day sail out to The Swine Swells for lunch on the beach. An organized trip around that mysterious island out there were stories that were told to the guests as they were sailed around it. You could do so many things with your ability to sail people places. And I could help…. come up with ideas for trips and pack guest boxes for the lunches and things like that.” Tazrae said.

She looked thoughtfully. “I suspect starting out small would be great, but as the tourist business grows you might find yourself pretty busy. And you are so good with people, funny… entertaining… and even with Twist…. you’d charm people right and left.” She added, wishing she had a stick to poke the fire with.

There was something mesmerizing about the flames and how some of the wood had burned down to glowing embers under the fresh dry wood added on the top. She glanced around and honestly, couldn’t say she’d rather be anywhere else in the world as laughter erupted a little further down the line of fires at the party.

She smiled then, inhaled deeply, and shook her head. “Sometimes I can’t believe this is my new reality… my new normal. It feels… so good.” She said quietly, almost under her breath. The wooden flute, which was still in her hands, drew her attention then and she stroked it lovingly… just feeling happy.

Word Count: 797
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"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


Garden Beach Syka The Protea Inn

"Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows."
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Tazrae
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Beam Reach

Postby Marino Oceangem on July 11th, 2020, 10:26 pm

His life had been relatively uneventful up until this point. Most of his time had been spent out on the open sea with the rest of his pod. Till the storm came, and the Oceangem’s had to start getting creative. Even then, they had never went to another god or goddess for help. There was no reason to. The sea was Laviku’s domain. He was an intrinsic part of all of their lives.

So Marino hadn’t given much thought to other gods or goddesses. He knew others existed, but only through conversation with the various settlers of Syka. That was how he was inclined to leave it as well. They were interesting to be sure except it was in a way like listening to a story for the first time. Just good honest fun, nothing more than that. Laviku had his heart. There was no reason for him to explore following these other deities.

Marino inclined his head slightly listening to Tazrae speak of her own experiences within this regard. An he thought of the sea. Of the mark that swirled across his tanned flesh. How Laviku had pulled him here so that he could share this night with her. He did indeed owe Laviku a lot. Perhaps a sacrifice was in order soon to thank him for the boons already bestowed.

The fire crackled pleasantly, and Marino dug his toes into the sand. Anchored there, he thought on where to start. “It is because of him that we can live on the sea as we do. He is deeply devoted to his domain and for that reason he deserves sacrifice. Without his guidance we would find it impossible to cross the suvan. In short, Laviku plays a large, important role in all our lives. A new pod cannot be formed without his consent.” Marion hesitated adding that last part, almost like an afterthought because he wasn’t sure how helpful that would be towards their discussion.

There was more he wanted to say of course. So much more, but his thoughts were disorganized. If he tried, what would come out would probably be more confusing than helpful. Instead he focused on what was said. How it might be applied to a celebration of sorts though on that count he was still drawing a blank. The smoke and drink were not very conductive to having clear, concise thoughts.

Legs bent, he hunched forward at the next part, her idea having particularly caught his interest. He loved how her mind worked. It made connections were previously he had seen none. More than that, she galvanized him to think further along those lines to make it a possibility. “You’re too kind. I like the idea. I love the idea actually. Meeting new people, and taking them on trips. It sounds like a perfect fit. I’m sure Twist would enjoy it as well.” Marino chewed his lip for a moment, staring thoughtfully at the fire. “I could even offer swimming lessons on the side, and figure out something for the more adventurous tourist.” He said glancing at her and sharing a small smile.

Picking up the stick he had discarded earlier, Marino poked idly at the fire. “It really is something, this place. I never expected to feel as at home here as I do on the sea. I thought it was the local at first, but the longer I stay, I realize it is the people. The familiarity everyone seems to have with each other, and the way we come together at times like these. Its nice.” He trailed off softly, wiggling his toes in the sand.
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Beam Reach

Postby Tazrae on July 12th, 2020, 11:54 pm

Marino spoke of Laviku, but he didn’t really tell her anything that couldn’t be assumed or was generally known. She knew the God of the Sea played a huge roll in the Svefra’s lives, but she didn’t understand how. They sacrificed to him, but then again so did all sailors – Svefra or not. The Svefra required permission of him… to make new pods. But why? For the first time in Marino’s company, Tazrae could honestly say she came away lacking information, with more questions than answers.

How did Laviku’s presence in their lives allow them to live on the sea as they did? In that moment, Tazrae missed her father, who understood how she yearned for details… details on everything. The man would often sit his young daughter on his knee and tell talk for hours, answering question upon question her bright mind had on things. And later he’d taught her the means to understand even more and ask harder questions. It was why she’d thrived – like him – as an Innkeeper. They could watch and learn from all the visitors they had. They could deal in information.

Tazrae let out a captured and held breath, refocusing on Marino. He wasn’t her father. It wasn’t fair to compare him to Marketh either. And it certainly wasn’t a replacement she was after. Marino had a right to be vague. He had a right to his privacy. If anything, she was in the wrong prying so hard.

It might have been the subject. It might have just been that she’d been questioning his culture rudely, asking things she should only have waited for him or others of his kind to volunteer. Then there was the mango liquor and the sweet smoke. It made her head heavy, heavier than she was used too. It relaxed her usual patience and made her impatient, almost demanding, and she didn’t like that. Maybe drinking wasn’t for her. Maybe smoking wasn’t for her either.

She tipped her head back and ran her hand through her unruly hair, inhaling deeply of the fresh sea air and trying to clear her thoughts. When she dropped her head back down, it was not to look at Marino but rather to look into the fire. She loved fire. She loved the sea as well. Even the wind tousling her hair had her affection, as much as the sand between her toes. Syka was elemental and she was drawn to it. She wanted to understand it. Living it was the first step, and she was well on her way. And she wanted to understand the world around her.

Marino spoke again, regaining her attention. He was speaking of her suggestion. She nodded, glad he was thinking of his business and willing to expand it. His words pulled her back into the present, into the now with him, and she smiled at him. “Swimming lessons would be good. Many people coming here have no knowledge of the sea. Maybe for those more adventuresome, take them to Sharktooth Point or a walk through the jungle. Surely we could make a trail along Syka safe for tourists to wander?” She replied, not sure if that was possible or not.

“It’s nothing that needs to be done now. It’s just thoughts for the future.” She said, reaching out to press her hand on his closest knee. Then she stretched and glanced up and down the beach. Creature was openly snoring now and the sight made Tazrae smile.

“I had a good time tonight with you Marino. I feel like I pushed too hard asking so much about your people and your God. I’m sorry for that. There are other ways to learn of the Gods…. and my curiosity can be satiated through books if nothing else. I feel like I missed out on things I should have learned when I was younger and I’m just trying to catch up. Laviku is one of those things. and … well there is you… curiosity about you and your people.” She said, as if trying to apologize for being nosy. “But it’s getting late and I should get Creature home. He was over this gathering about an hour ago.” She said with an easy smile, and reached down to stow her flute in her pack. She swung the pack over her shoulder and reached down to pick up the snoring pup. Tazrae wouldn’t be able to carry him for long, not as big he was getting now.

“It is… “ She said in regards to his last words, the ones he’d spoke about Syka and the strong onshore wind stole past her hearing. “The people make it easy…. Easier than it should be. People like you.” She admitted and then smiled.

“I’ll see you tomorrow… or around, alright?” She added, rising to leave. Tazrae was awkward at this part and she knew it. Goodbyes were not her strong suite. She rather sucked at them. She actually didn’t want to go, but it was late and the deep darkness and Leth in the sky could allow her to walk along the beach until she got home… to her own deck, where she could stare at her own piece of beach and at the waves crashing further out and contemplate Laviku alone. She’d have Creature with her anyhow. But the moon wouldn’t stay visible forever and she had no lantern to light her way home otherwise.

Word count: 906
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"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


Garden Beach Syka The Protea Inn

"Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows."
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Tazrae
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Beam Reach

Postby Marino Oceangem on July 14th, 2020, 9:26 pm

Perhaps he had imbibed too much Marino realized as he started having trouble keeping track of the conversation. They had talked about so much this night that it was hard to keep his mind from wandering off on tangents. That was all well and good when he was alone, however with Tazrae things were different. At least they should have been before he imbibed enough to feel out of touch with the direction their talk was going.

Examining that feeling, he decided that perhaps he should have shown a little bit more restraint tonight. Petch perhaps, he should have just stuck to the smoke. There lie at least a known quantity to him. He knew his limits so he was never close to such a state as he was now. It was a strange, overwhelming impulse he had now to go down to the sea for a swim. Always in the past that had cleared his head though looking at Tazrae, he wasn’t sure she would go for it. The mood wasn’t right.

I could ask around the settlement about it. Certainly one of them would know about creating trails through the jungle. I’m actually kind of excited at the thought of us getting more visitors.” Marino replied with a genial smile, putting a hand over Tazrae’s where she touched his knee. It was warm though her next words raised the hairs on his forearms. He didn’t interrupt though, instead waiting for her to finish before speaking.

Don’t worry about it. That is on me for drinking too much and thinking too small. I’ve no problem telling you more about it sometime when I am not so impaired.” He said, stopping to grasp where exactly he was going with this. “I had a great time as well, too great maybe. I look forward to having more times like these in the future. You really made it special.”

He stood up as she did, and gave her a brief hug. “I’ll see you soon for sure. Have a good rest of the night, Tazrae.” Then he would watch her go, secretly wishing that he’d asked her to stay for a swim though the time was long passed for that now. Instead he watched her until her form could no longer be picked out in any detail, and after took his seat on the driftwood to stare at the fire for a while. Tomorrow was just a blink away he reassured himself.
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