[Aquillar Hot Springs] Sleeping is Not an Option (Zandelia)

[Andalusia]

“Do not mention it, really. I do not want scores of others looking for comfort from me. It would ruin any reputation I have garnered in a few bells,” the woman replied with a soft, hearty chuckle. Andalusia smiled and giggled as well, finding herself more and more at ease in the woman's presence. She wondered, for a moment, what had caused her to trust the woman so quickly, so easily? She did not look harmless, but neither did she look like she had bad intentions. Truly, she was just a visitor of the springs, and just so happened to had also experienced unpleasant things.

"Why is she doing this?" she pondered, brows furrowing as she began to question the woman's actions and motives. She did not appear to be the type to want to assist a stranger, in fact, she appeared more aloof and intimidating when she had first seen her. "She must understand what I'm going through," she decided, finding herself unable to assume anything else, especially anything negative, about the woman. She appeared aloof and intimidating, but perhaps that wasn't the case at all, perhaps it was all just a facade. “If you need help then you could always come and spend some time with me Andalusia,” the woman broke the brief silence with her words, “I always have need for smart and observant people in my workings. I may not be able to heal you, or even help you much at all. Still, you would learn things that might make you stronger, more able to fight off the darker parts of life.”

Andalusia knocked the idea back and forth in her head, remaining silent as she weighed her options. She could make a new friend, she could gain more opportunities. She had no drive, no aim, and no ambition, and this might just be the doorway towards all those things. Maybe after today, she'd have a reason and a meaning to live. “The offer is there if you want it girl, and a better offer I would wager would be hard to find indeed,” the woman added, seemingly in order to coddle her into complying. But Andalusia had already been convinced, and so she nodded enthusiastically at her words. "Y-Yes, I-I'd like that v-very much," she looked up at the woman and smiled warmly at her, "just tell me what I need to do." Reluctantly, she loosened her embrace on the woman a little bit, not because she wanted to let go, but because she was afraid that she was becoming uncomfortable with holding her. After all, they'd just met, and a moment ago they were complete strangers to one another. "I d-didn't quite c-catch your n-name, what i-is it?" she added innocently, as she continued to gaze up at her.

OOCZand, I don't think Anda told you her name yet. But I guess, let's just pretend that she did!

[Zandelia]

Zandelia merely let the silence continue as the girl either thought through what she had offered or didn’t, it was not Zandelia’s choice after all – she had merely presented it to her. Not everyone was able to take up an offer from a complete stranger, however on the same token not everyone seemed so broken as to perhaps need a stranger to help rebuild themselves. It was strange to Zandelia’s mind that she had even decided to help the girl, fortune favoring her strangely as of late. Two girls she had met, one a Kelvic named Lusa and now Andalusia, both of whom she felt the need to protect ands helter for no other reason than her own whimsy. Oh, she could rationalize it whichever way she so chose to, but when it came down to it she had begun to take in strays for reasons beyond her own comprehension.

A life interrupted? Or fate intervenes? Perhaps a deity does smile upon me after all… she thought as she merely let herself enjoy the rise and fall of Andalusia’s chest upon her own, naked bodies entwined but now real desire to do anything other than embrace. It was some time before the girl responded to Zandelia’s offer, after mulling it over she knew, fancying she could almost feel the cogs of the other’s mind working.

“That is because I did not tell it to you, little one,” she responded gently, “but you may have it now. My name is Zandelia, my second name pointless now” she ended her naming there, not wishing t put Andalusia in danger for no reason beyond selfishness – her father was alive and hunting after all.

“And what you can do depends upon what you are good at Andalusia,” she began once more in gentle tones, looking down upon the girl with fondness, “for I have many needs fulfilled and many tasks need to be done” she spoke, deciding it better to begin with truth over lies, or at least most of the truth.

“If you can sneak then you can watch, if you can run then you can relay important information, if you can fight then I can use you to exert power. The list continues almost unto infinity. I belong to a band called the Crimson Edge Andalusia, and we are always in need of people to help and aid us. More importantly, I need people for my own workings. You needn’t join the band to be able to help me if that suits you best. I could use the company at the very least” she smiled, the reality that she was finding it difficult to spend time alone with herself a strong pang to her soul.

Loneliness means I have nothing but the darkness to think upon, and that bodes ill for many people whom do not deserve the recompense of the past. A silent elegy to the living is what is created, what is needed. Sound is what must be introduced she thought, momentarily morose.

“So, what is it that you can do best my dear fledgling? If I know that then we can work with it, give you the opportunity to develop hose skills to a razor’s edge. From then onwards none shall hurt you again, I can promise you that, and whilst breathe I shall make sure it happens” she finished, letting her head falls backwards to rest on the edge of their pit of spring water now, her gaze looking deeply into Andalusia’s looking for any sense of hesitation and worry.

[Andalusia]

Family was the largest and most important thing to her, and she completely and utterly lacked any semblance of one. But here, in the hot springs, with a woman she'd just met, she felt as if she were being adopted into one. Her eyes glistened with hope, security, and assurance, as the very child in her overwhelmed her senses and immediately had her trusting Zandelia without even knowing a thing about her, other than a first name that may not even be her real one. She was glad that she'd told her her name, and it didn't matter if it was real or not, because she believed her. Every word, every sentiment.

“If you can sneak then you can watch, if you can run then you can relay important information, if you can fight then I can use you to exert power. The list continues almost unto infinity. I belong to a band called the Crimson Edge, Andalusia, and we are always in need of people to help and aid us. More importantly, I need people for my own workings. You needn’t join the band to be able to help me if that suits you best. I could use the company at the very least,” she spoke confidently, but with a voice that was both soothing and comforting. Andalusia bit her lip as she wondered what would be best to tell the woman. She felt the need to impress her, to tell her things that would assure her that she was worth keeping and being around with. The words stumbled across her lips as usual. "I-I can hunt," she begain, eyes careening over to view the small waterfall that spilled more of the steaming water into the springs, "I can use a-a bow and arrow, p-pretty well, a-and I can ride a horse?" Her voice rose around the end of the last statement, as if it were a question. She looked into Zandelia's eyes and wondered if that was alright, if it was all enough for her, if she had the chances of being more. "I have a dog," she added with a mumble, blushing as she lowered her gaze towards the steaming waters. As if a dog would change anything.

"...From then onwards none shall hurt you again, I can promise you that, and whilst breathe I shall make sure it happens.”

The woman's words hit her right in the heart, and it grew and burgeoned into an indescribably warm, fluttering feeling. She felt cared for. Andalusia looked up at Zandelia with a bright, glowing grin. "A promise," she thought to herself. It was a strong word, a bottle that immediately filled up with all of the girl's hope and trust. A promise. It meant so much to her. She felt like a child again, even if she could barely remember a thing about it. She preferred not to. Zandelia was looking more and more like a parent figure to her, and perhaps that is the answer to her need for inspiration, for direction.

[Zandelia]

Zandelia listened to Andalusia and could not help but feel a combined surge of pity and joy, the two emotions coursing through her an entwining to form something that Zandelia was beginning to grow used to. She had once been of the school of thought that to make someone do what she wished she only needed to exert enough pressure, enough force, to break them and bind them to her cause eternally. She was growing to appreciate the ‘carrot and stick’ method that many espoused now though, her successes over the spring season so far spurring her to become a believer in its method – if slightly adapted to suit her needs. She knew Andalusia needed a protector and was more than willing to obligingly fill the role for her own reasons, her past calling to her to prevent its recurrence.

Still, I will make all those under me be of use rather than allow them to become idle. Idleness benefits none and ends up harming more than initially suspected she thought, a twinge of sadness now coming to her as she wondered when she had become so shrewdly calculating that terrible events fazed her so little. She shook her head then of that thought and instead concentrated upon the present.

“Well then, you can be of great help indeed. Dogs are always useful for finding things, guarding them. They can be used for forewarning and generally boosts morale to have such lovable creatures around” she grinned down at Andalusia, the girl’s willingness to try and impress her well worthy of a reward.

“There are always horses to look after too, and a mount is a fast means of transport in a pinch. Your skill with a bow could be of use too, perhaps you could even teach me a thing or two hmm?” she suggested to Andalusia, that remark merely to see hers mile abashedly once more, an endearing sight indeed.

“No, you will do nicely indeed. You can even come and live with me too if you like. Can’t look after you if you’re too far away now can I girl?” she squeezed her shoulder a bit then, affirming her promise to Andalusia to keep her safe, hoping to Akajia herself that she would be successful at the task, more dead bodies in her wake a chilling thought to her soul.

She went silent then, merely taking time to feel closeness, to forge more of a bond between herself and Andalusia, and taking comfort in the fact that she was not the only one with a terrible story. To be sure, her own tale was horrifying to an extent she rarely told anyone the full details, preferring to stick to the general gist of events so as not to evoke any memories beyond her control. She had worked hard, for years now, to keep them locked deeply within her mind. The door was now so old and rusted she feared the day its bulging contents would break free, flossing her with emotions she dared not approach. On that day she was sure there would be far too many dead for her to comprehend, the madness it would drive her to last repeated in her battle for freedom – lost now in a haze of blood and gore.

“But, I think, it is time to give you your first task Andalusia. I hereby order you to stay here with me a while and relax, talking of a better world and our place within it. A finer order you will not find anywhere else eh?” she laughed then, the first truly free laughter in some time, more girly than she had heard for years.


[occ=ooc]Hey Andalusia! We can leave it here if you want or keep it going. It seems a nice resolution to an amazing thread with you so thought I’d give the option out for you [/ooc]