[Soothing Waters] Bathing in the Morning

by **Millicent** on December 2nd, 2013, 9:37 pm

" There is no need to worry about me" She whispered faintly and bowing her head. The red in her face continued to glow like a grand mark of shame. She let her stare linger on the door as her hand reached around the back of her head. There was a small tremor in her body as her muscles tensed.

The gears in her mind turned desperately to figure out a good reason to leave. Guilt grow in her stomach like a large rock. Not only had she made a scene but she had succeeded in making people worry about her. However, she could not think of a way to leave without causing more of a scene.

"It is nice to meet you Altaira" Millicent forced the muscles in her mouth to pull upwards. Her brow wrinkled in concentration as she tried to will her face a normal color. "As you already heard, I am Millicent." She managed to grasp the reigns of her emotions and bring them back under control. "Sorry...."

Whatever Millicent was going to day next was lost. Her mouth opened slightly in shock at how causally the scarred man mentioned murder. And you worried about someone like that She could almost hear a voice in her head say with smug satisfaction.

Her best instincts told her to leave it alone, but she felt like she was being pulled to say something. His causal comment went so against her beliefs that she felt at war with herself. The fit quickly resolved itself though as she noticed the a dagger sitting behind his back. Everything about it screamed of dagger and made her fingers dance with nerves, but it also made her mind stand firm.

"Do you realize how horrible that is?" She gulped down her nerves and looked in man in the eye. "It is bad enough to end a life in order to protect others, but to kill simply for profit.It was strange to her, she expected to feel a raging fire of indignation, but rather felt as if she was sinking into a bottomless pool of sadness. the dagger drew her eyes away his. She could not help but think if that weapon was not a reflection of the man she saw before her.

"I am sorry that life has been so bad to you." Millicent felt her mouth move almost on its own and a tear roll down her check. "Do you ever feel safe?" She ask her voice low and cracking as if she where about to cry. What, really? She felt a wave of disgust go over herself as she said those words.

by **Wrenmae** on December 4th, 2013, 9:37 pm

Laughing, the mercenary thrust both arms out of the water and laid them to rest on the stones by his neck, reclining in the hot pool. Impishly he winked at Millicent before taking a breath and blowing it up into the air, his chest still vibrating with contained mirth.

"My, but aren't you sheltered?" He asked without expecting answer, "Too long cloistered in these walls to know much of the outside world." Sighing, he pushed away from the wall and waded through the water, leaving the dagger glinting behind him. He approached Millicent till he was almost close enough to be uncomfortable, a wolfish gleam in his dark eyes.

"Men kill each other for less than money, girl," he started, lifting his hands out of the water to trace the silver scars that ran across his chest, "They torture for less too. Even in the wake of all this destruction, men pay other men like me to take lives. Sometimes they're thieves, sometimes the men who pay me are thieves, but death is simply another means of currency. Blood for progress. Blood for vengeance. Like spending the almighty miza, murder pays."

He stepped in swiftly, almost too fast, holding up his index finger across her neck like a knife, "You have only so much time on this world. You blink. You die. You weaken. You die. You hesitate. You die. Your lofty morals may be convenient behind a Syliran wall, but out of here..." he withdrew his finger after sliding it across her neck in a single slash, leaving no mark but the red trail of his nail, "It's eat or be eaten. The strong live and the weak die. So make no mistake...I may not have had it easy like some of you, but I'm just fine as I am."

He withdrew from her, the water swirling between them as he lifted his eyes to the others in the pool. "I never feel safe. Why would I? Let down your guard and you invite attack." He grinned, "Would be embarrassing to go out in a pool, naked, wouldn't it?"

by **Altaira Readva** on December 5th, 2013, 7:20 am

oocYeah, sorry guys! I know I sort of butted in in the first place, But I think it is time for Altaira to take her leave. *Cough* /Wren your character is terrifying.//Like holy hell. Well done. You're amazing. Utterly terrifying. But Amazing none the less/
Altaira's gaze was hard and sharp, not at all that fussed on Wrenmae nor what was implied within his words. A dozen times she was tempted to intervene upon the 'conversation' at hand, a running of shock and disbelief being the determining factor to her lack of words. She couldn't deny much of the truths within them, though there was a tone that struck off key with the kelvic.

'Eat or be eaten' was quite simple enough in her own mind, though her beastial side was no carnivore or apex predator. Had either of her eldest siblings heard the words said by the blighted man, they'd have been glad to find someone of similar mindset. The world was tough and many learn too late, but Altaira found it strange, if not infuriating, that the man before her had chosen to take it upon himself to give such a lesson.

It wasn't until she herself was addressed that it fully hit her what had happened, and that she'd been able to do little in the midst of it.She sighed and readied herself for her own little act, hoping that her genuine feelings of wanting to get both herself and Millicent out of the bathhouse unscathed were enough to make her look true. There was also that lurking instinct to run, a dire panic that flared up whenever she didn't like the turn and tone of a situation. As she had learned - acting, deception, and anything of the like were not her strongest of points.

"Well," she began, mock surprise seething from her words, though a certain lightness to them making it obvious that although her own view differed quite some, she was not in the mood to strike up an argument. Especially, of course - with someone who had no qualms with killing, and could no doubt do so with remarkable ease. "I, personally, find no embarrassment in being found dead in such a place. I might be pissed off, but embarrassed? Hardly."

She gave her own little musing of laughter, and fixed a short, worried gaze upon Millicent. Further sounds stirred outside the baths, whether it was by patrons considering to enter or the odd passersby, she decided to take the chance to leave. With any luck, she hoped, she'd be able to give Millicent a chance to leave herself before all her sweet innocence was pulverized. Though if she couldn't have a word with her immediately after, she had to figure out how to open herself up as much as possible.

She rolled her neck before standing from the baths, making a round about exit that had her brush by Millicent. "It's not as though this conversation isn't riveting." She sighed, "But I'm afraid I have business to attend to." She gave another short look to the girl, giving her a wink. "Who knew herbalism would be such a pain of a job? But Stormhold Salves is a good place, at least - I'm there pretty well all day, every day." Her words her clipped and quiet, the look she gave the girl was stern. If the she couldn't tell that Altaira wished to speak to her further, though not in the presence of someone quite so unnerving, then she'd need to figure out how to drop clearer hints.

by **Millicent** on December 6th, 2013, 4:48 am

Red flashed across Millicent's face as the man started to laugh at her. Her hands hands clenched in tight fists, sending little spikes of pain through her arm. Her mouth opened and closed again as she fought back something nasty she wanted to say. Closing her eyes, she forced the anger to subside. Taking a deep breath, she unclenched her fists and forced herself not to scold at the man.

Her mouth opened to protest his words, but closes quickly. How could she argue the truth. She had never left the walls of Syliras. What do I know of the outside world She wondered as her eyes started to feel stuffy. [I} What if everything I know is wrong? [/I] Her teeth ground together, and she realized she had balled her fist again.. So what? A lack of experience does not make me wrong.

Opening her eyes, her left foot scooted back and her body tenses. She had felt the water ripple when the man had moved but did not expect him to be standing that close. Move away now The primal part of her mind screamed her legs tensed to run. No we can't back down she forced herself to stand firm, despite her legs wanting to give out under her.

Just because it is done, does not mean it should be done Millicent thought to herself, though she could not force the words past her tongue. All she could do was stand there, and try to hide the trembling in her body. The words he spoke made her stomach turn, but for some reason she did not feel hate at this man. She felt tears starting to well up for him. It all seemed sad and wrong to her. “Is there truly anything gained from bloodstained progress or vengeance?” She whispered , before she could fully think. “I guess more work for you” Her voice wavered and faltered.

Millicent was far to slow to withdraw from the finger. Her body jerked backwards almost a full second after he had already pretended to slit her throat. She could no longer hide the trembling in her body, and her legs gave way. Sinking to her knees, she sat with her head just above the surface of the water. I don't believe that Her mind screamed tears now flowing freely from her face. Surely strength is not whether you can kill or not

While her mind did scream, she sat staring blankly forward with tears rolling down her eyes. Her lips mouth out words of protest, but no sound came forth. She did not hear Altaira's first words, she her mind was turning to quickly for that. you could have died, you could have died, you could have died The primal part of her mind chanted like some incantation. I don't believe him, he has to be wrong. The rational part of her mind reasoned.

Feeling something touch her skin, she looked up at Altaria, Her eyes where red and puffy, but where open wide and her lips still moved silently pleading. Vaguely her mind registered what Altaria said. Her legs shook and threatened to buckled as she stood up. With her shoulders slumped, she followed after Altaria as she left the pool. “Do you have any regrets?” Her voice returning to her briefly in weak and begging. Any reply the man may have had, was was lost to her. With a will of her own, she stumbled to the dressing room.

by **Wrenmae** on December 30th, 2013, 7:26 am

As she left, striding away with the other, the hypnotist laid back into the water and smiled. Regrets? What an interesting question. Not that he had intended to shatter the girl's perception of the world, but perhaps with a little coaxing, she would dwell on his words. Maybe she would seek something beyond the walls of Syliras, maybe she would travel.

There were enough maybes that it was sufficient for him to relax. The weak, the truly weak clung to their ignorance like a protective mantle. They clutched it with such fervor that sometimes their knuckles bled, and sometimes they smothered themselves under the weight of imposed ignorance.

"Regrets are a part of life, girl," He called after her, lifting himself partially out of the water to echo after her, "But I only regret the times I was weak and foolish. Ask the Knights which of them have not bloodied their sword to protect the city...ask them which one is beyond reproach for murder, even in their justified reason. I protect myself from others, that is my way. You will soon learn, girl, that our world is too broken to not call for a penance of blood to rebuild."

Satisfied, he slid back under the waters and let the warmth reach into his bones.

It was enough.

She had learned.

by **Vanari** on January 31st, 2014, 9:07 am

Millicent

Observation	+2 XP
Socialization	+2 XP
Interrogation	+2 XP
Rhetoric	+1 XP

Lores :

Wrennie Da Pooh

Bathing	+1 XP
Socialization	+1 XP
Teaching	+2 XP

Lores :

Milartek

Observation	+2 XP
Socialization	+1 XP

Lores :

Altaira

Observation	+2 XP
Socialization	+1 XP
Rhetoric	+2 XP

Lores :

Notes :

Completed [Soothing Waters] Bathing in the Morning