[Sacred Arch Hotsprings] A Union of Iron & Clay (Ha'na)

[Alistair deGrey]

Obsession is the single most powerful summoner in the world. Actions and emotions bow beneath its hand, and we fail to realize how truly lost we are in the forest until it is too late. Obsession has fueled my desire to create for years, and now it feeds another fire. The first two people appeared at the top of the path, and stared blankly down at the two people in the water. Had Alistair been capable of noticing them at this point, he would have seen the lines etched into their wizened features. The pair held hands, clearly a couple. The old woman smirked at Ha'na and Alistair, realizing the scene before her for what it was. However, her companion simply gaped at the girl in the water, perhaps wishing he had arrived a few minutes earlier. Draped across his thin, spotted arm were two cloths to dry them off with. These people had come to soak their ancient bones in the springs. Despite the elderly couple's obvious interest in the younger one, Alistair could not have been more oblivious to them. The rest of the world had been scraped away with a loud grating when Ha'na had slipped. His eyes were wide and panicked, the whites prominent. As quickly as was possible, Alistair swam the small distance from himself to Ha'na. When deGrey came within reach, her hands latched onto his shoulders, blindly reaching for an anchor. Putting his hand on the rocky ledge to steady them, Alistair manically examined Ha'na. "Sshh shh shh, everything is fine my love. Everything is fine, yes? Everything is fine." His free hand reached up to lightly feel her neck, her nape, the back of her head. No injuries were apparent, but Alistair's heart still thrashed against his chest. A small bud of relief had grown though, "Thank... Thank the gods you are fine." Alistair was breathing heavily. Up above, the old couple had started down the path toward Alistair and Ha'na. The old man's eyes occasionally glanced at Ha'na, but for the most part remained watching the ground before him for obstacles. His wife, less worried by far, was chattering on about something or another. At the top of the path, a few men dressed in the armor of the Syliran Knights had materialized. They had come at dawn before anybody had departed for the springs, or rather, before anybody should have left for the springs. The knight looking down at the people looked displeased, how could he prevent people from getting injured if they came before dawn? Regardless, the men moved away from the rim and continued their patrol. The old couple neared and the husband called out, breaking through his wife's chatter, "Fine morning for a swim isn't it?" His voice was gravelly and worn. Upon his call, his wife spoke up too, "Fine morning for something else too." She grinned wickedly and glanced at the ruffled silk.

[Hana]

Ha’na seemed more uncomfortable with Alistair’s discomfort than her own. Her pride was tossed aside quickly – Its wounds would be nursed later. She brushed her fingertips along his cheek and nodded, whispering, “I’m fine. Yes, I’m fine. It’s okay. I just slipped...” As if to prove that fact, she grinned sheepishly and gave a tiny laugh at the situation. “There must have been moss.” It was only then that she turned her head enough to look up at the people that had approached. A marked hand moved to push her hair out of her eyes and behind her ear, giving Alistair another good view of the sign that she was indeed dedicated to him now decorating her neck. Her mouth opened a little as if she wanted to say something to those speaking, but nothing came out. The expression on her face went truly meek as she gave a slow nod to them. Yes, a fine morning indeed… She glanced at Alistair with widening eyes, hoping that he would save the situation since she seemed incapable.

[Alistair deGrey]

The mute concern continues to eat away like acid, but rose colored glasses hide my smoking remains behind pleasant colours. A long sigh escaped Alistair's lips and his head fell on Ha'na's shoulder for a spell. Worry had pervaded the crevices of his mind, flushed everything out and left him worn. Now he was simply comforted by her safety. But as much as he would have liked to sink into Ha'na, he still must appease her glance and confront the intruders. As well, if he was not careful, he would sink into the water as well as his love. Alistair moved to glance at the couple who stood on the shore, currently undressing. deGrey screwed up his face for a few seconds, not entirely comfortable with the fact that these people would soon be joining them in the water. He spoke, voice magnitudes calmer than it had been not a chime ago, "Umm, salutations." Alistair was not entirely sure what to say to these people, but continued anyway, "I suppose it is a rather nice day for a... For a swim." His brain flicked back to the previous activity, and what the elderly woman had said, and crimson began to creep up his chest and face. "It is rather early though, is it not?" The elderly man turned to face the pair in the water, entirely comfortable in his newfound nudity, and addressed them, "Mind you younglings, I may be old, but I'm not so old as to ignore the doctor's orders." His tone was not admonishing, but it felt like a thorough reprimand to Alistair. He suddenly regretted his outreach, but tried again. "Ah I see my good sir, but-" A loud splash drowned out Alistair's next words as the old woman jumped into the pool. A small wave rocked him and his love, and deGrey was temporarily at a loss. Such energy in an old woman was unprecedented, but her husband only smiled. Before he could continue speaking, Alistair let out a yelp as something slid up between Ha'na and him. He was forced to push his wife at to arm's length as a harbor seal surfaced. Its obsidian eyes laughed at him with unnerving amounts of intellect. The old man, still nude on the shore, broke out laughing. "Dirty old woman!" The seal's flipper splashed warm water onto Alistair, and then she disappeared. A few moments later, the man's wife surfaced again, "twenty five years is not old, old man." She took her eyes off the husband and looked at the couple, "You're extremely lucky." She winked, and though who she was addressing was lost upon Alistair, he felt himself growing even redder. These two were too much for the inventor to handle, he had immediately lost control of the situation, and his dignity. As the elderly male walked over to the ledge and slipped into the water, he spoke to Alistair again, "I am Proinnsiah, and this is Mika, my bondmate." Alistair glanced at Ha'na, considering their next move.

[Hana]

Some how, by some miracle, Ha’na did not scream at the sudden appearance of the seal. She did, however, make a little flailing grasp to make sure that Alistair didn’t get too far away. She was a desert creature. Water wasn’t exactly her typical environment, which only meant that she took to swimming about as well as a house cat. A sailor had once told her that everyone looked graceful in water. Clearly that sailor had never seen her in it. The world was a bit better once she was able to get close to Alistair again – Simply for comfort but also for the hope that he wouldn’t let her drown given the choice. Her wide eyes landed for a long moment on the old woman, offering her a painfully shy smile before looking to the man. Then, though it obviously took what seemed to be all of her courage, she said quietly, “This is my husband, Alistair. My name is Ha’na…” The smile she gave suddenly was overjoyed as she realized that she had not only managed to introduce them both, but she had called Alistair her husband.

[Alistair deGrey]

Now I am not so sure the old superstition about elder's wisdom is a complete mummer's farce or not. A look of bemusement crossed Alistair's face as he saw Ha'na smile, but he could not help but smile back. Truthfully he had not the slightest as to why she seemed to swell, but it pleased deGrey. At some point in his life he would have protested at being so strongly invested in somebody else, but that time seemed distant as the edge of the universe. It was unimportant, he was reveling in Ha'na's happiness. Once more the elderly couple served as a distraction. As soon as the old man had slipped into the water, he began to passionately kiss his wife. Doctor's orders... It was exactly what Alistair wanted to do right now, but did not. He was tied up by self conscious ropes, unable to loose himself. A few seconds later, Proinnsiah disengaged his wife and glanced at Alistair with a cocked eyebrow, as if questioning him. "Well?" Now it was Alistair's turn to loose an inquiring gaze, "Yes?" Proinnsiah pulled away from Mika, and swam over to where Alistair and Ha'na were. When he reached them, he spoke in hushed tones, as if sharing a secret. "Look Alistair, I know exactly how folk like you work. Too neurotic and nervous to actually enjoy yourself around people. You'll be normal one second, and then gape like somebody shoved a spear up your arse as soon as strangers come around." He nodded righteously and turned to Ha'na, "You listen up too girl, you're the same way. You two need to relax, the world doesn't expect you to be right, responsible, or proper. The world just expects you to be." With that Proinnsiah rolled onto his back and stroked over to his wife. As he left their company, he shouted out, "So what I was really asking with my previous comment was: well are you going to kiss her?" Though the advice did not penetrate too deeply into Alistair's psyche, he keenly felt its pressure. He knew what people expected, or thought he knew, and did not care for being right, responsible, or proper. For a second Alistair's mouth was screwed up as he considered the man's words. They did not seem to fit him. Though Proinnsiah must have gotten something through, because Alistair pulled Ha'na close and kissed her. Somewhere in the distance, a wizened husband and wife giggled at their success.

[Hana]

As Ha’na looked at Proinnsiah with a rather startled look on her face, she was formulating a silent response to what he was saying. The simple version was that she didn’t believe him even if he was an elder. In her opinion, even those expectations of being put upon a person what others expected them to be. There had been times and places where she had been much better at being what others thought she should be. She played to stereotypes. She played to expectations. She was as plastic as the clay she now worked in, and given the necessity of it she could do it again – For instance, Alistair expected her to be an equal to him, so that was what she tried to be despite what her own upbringing told her she should be to him. As she watched the man swim away, she thought that maybe this truth about her was in fact a problem. That realization, though, was quickly lost. Alistair kissed her. The couple giggled. But instead of pulling away and blushing, which was what could be expected of her, she kissed him back. Her breath caught, and the thought that washed away the lingering questions about her personal nature was that she was happy. She couldn’t remember a time in her life that she had ever felt the emotion so strongly. The source of the happiness, though, wasn’t emanating from her newly-wed husband but the contentment of the life she had made for herself with his help. Alone that was a small victory. Teamed with everything else it was a triumph. She pulled away just enough that she could whisper demurely, “Perhaps we ought to think about returning home, love…”

[Alistair deGrey]

Odd how one realization changes everything in an instant. It was remarkable how malleable and attentive Alistair became when Ha'na spoke. It was almost reminisicent of a dog coming when called. His eyes bored into Ha'na as if trying to open up her heart and peruse the volumes held there, if only to know her next word. "Yes, perhaps it would be wisest my love." It was ironic, how the two mutually conformed to each other without being quite cognizant of what the other was doing. Alistair believed himself to be bowing before Ha'na, and the believe was, unbeknownst to him, reciprocated. Gingerly, Alistair detached himself from his love, first ensuring she had a firm grip on the stone ledge. He pulled himself out of the water, now keenly aware of his nudity in front of the elderly folk, and all the redder for it. Quickly Alistair wrapped his tunic lengthwise around his waist and bent to gather up the sheet they had brought. Sidling over to the ledge, Alistair pinned his tunic in place with an elbow, and extended the sheet like a privacy curtain. Ha'na pulled herself out, hidden from view by the sheet, and Alistair wrapped her in the overlarge cloth so she might dry and dress herself. Though Alistair had become keenly aware of something else, Proinnsiah had stopped chuckling. deGrey turned to glance over his shoulder, when the pink scars reminded him. Sometimes, it was a little more difficult to bury your past in the present than one thought. Alistair shivered and slipped his tunic over his exposed chest. As he slipped on his pants and collected the various items he and Ha'na had brought, he thought felt the old man's gaze pierce him like a hail of arrows. Ha'na had finished dressing and folded the silk. He took her arm, whispering quietly and with measurable apprehension, "Yes my love, it is time we left."

[Harlequill]

Weighing in... XP Awarded Character: Alistair deGray Experience: 2xp Seduction Lore: The Alloy of a Kiss, Magnetism of Marriage, Equal Partnerships, Wisdom of Elders Character: Hana Experience: 1xp Seduction Lore: Sunshine of a Smile, Falling Gracefully, Equal Partnerships, Wisdom of Elders Notes: Don't forget to seduce each other regularly, its an important part of any healthy marriage! Also it looks like you never timestamped this? Please stamp the first post. PM me when you have, so I know you've done it