That Sinking Feeling (Blythe)

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

His message hadn’t hit home like he wanted. But well he just dismissed it. He was ahead of himself obviously. He sighed a little and nodded. “Yes, that’s why I come to the pavilion daily. She leaves me a bag or sometimes if I’m lucky she doesn’t. If she doesn’t then there is an archery lesson or some other activity she has dreamt up for us to do. If she does then I have a beach trek to go on. Same distance every time, but different weight.” He explained. He still wasn’t sure of Ildin’s reasoning in all this. But she was a Mistress for a reason. She had to know something about what she was doing. That was his belief anyway. “I’m fine, I just…” He crafted his words carefully now as not to lead her on or make her feel uncomfortable, “ache…I always ache now. I start my mornings in the Temple crafting all kinds of mixtures for the masses. My afternoons are spent either picking up the pack from Ildin and going back to the temple or enduring one of her ‘lessons’. Then my evenings are spent at the temple again until near darkness. When darkness falls I either do my beach run or simply fall to sleep. The next day it starts all over again.” He paused and shrugged. “I guess it is good I finally have something to do. I’m learning all kinds of things from all kinds of people.” He said as he finally started to really notice how much his body really ached. Every day was a sort of push for him. And well Ildin didn’t believe in days off…and neither did he. So every day was the same thing. He was growing, learning and becoming more and more knowledgeable by the day. His body was changing as was his mentality, carefully crafted by both Ildin and the rest of the Konti people. She would notice he had become exceedingly calm since their first meeting. He was no longer on edge like he was running. No…there was no need for that. Serrif had finally realized none would touch him here. None would come to this island of seers and healers to just hunt him down. None would do that. He wasn’t worth that to them…well to the best of his knowledge anyway. His body was used to enduring pain and suffering. So it would take an unfathomable amount of either to push him past any limits. His mind was a fortress built on the rock hard base of his past. He was used to showing no emotion, to showing nothing…another skill that was panicle to his survival before this Isle. “Enough about me, how have you been Blythe? How are the lessons and sparring going?” He inquired as he wanted to shove off his own feelings and inquiries for a little.

[Blythe]

"It's good that you have something to do with your time though," Blythe said. "Having nothing to do just makes the days drag on and on and on, and you know how that is, don't you?" Blythe inquired. "Never any fun and oh so tiring that most of the time you don't want to so much as bother getting out of bed." There was a slight pause, "but the again, if you give yourself so much to do that it seems nearly impossible to manage, you may not want to get out of bed either." Blythe giggled, and bit her bottom lip nervously. "You know it shows Serrif?" Blythe asked. "How busy she keeps you, and just how much she works you." There was another slight pause as the edges of the woman's cheeks turned red. "You certainly don't look the same way as when we first met. You're a little more full-looking now. Not quite so sickly and scared..." Blythe's voice trailed off, as she looked up at him. He does seem a little tense. She smiled weakly and let him pass her, slowly, she extended her hands to his shoulders. Her pale fingertips curled around his shoulders, and into his skin. She was walking more slowly now, so as not to walk into him as she gingerly pressed her fingers into his flesh. Giving him a little squeeze. Hopefully that's how you give a massage, and you're not hurting him. As Blythe dug her fingers into him, she had just begun to realize how tense Ser was. His body seemed tangled in a series of tight knots, and his shoulders seemed slightly hunched into his chest, as though he were shying away from her, or simply finding the whole process painful. Maybe you're just making it worse, Blythe thought, as she stopped what she was doing, and simply let her hands rest on his shoulders. "Did that, you know, hurt?" Blythe asked, a little worried that she was being too forward. Just last week she had run away from him, and now, she was babying him. She kind of wished she wouldn't do that. Finally, Blythe allowed her hands to fall to her side. "The lessons are going well. All the basics are floating around the mind, trying to find a way to work together and turn someone who doesn't want to fight into a fighter," Blythe replied. There was a slight pause. "Well, at least when it comes to self-defense. There is no need to go out there and slice everybody's head off." Blythe was chewing her bottom lip nervously, the color draining from the area just around her teeth. She scrunched up her nose, and let up on her lip. "That would make such a mess too, wouldn't it?" There was another short pause. "Actually, don't you answer that. It's too unpleasant to think about." Blythe shuddered and returned her facial features to normal. Much better. OOCSo yeah, this is Blythe trying to be nice... but all she is is awkward, which makes this really painful.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

OOCTrying to get a couple of points in massage? Serrif though her statement over. She was truthful. There was indeed a fine balance between having too much and not enough to do. That balance was something only the individual could set. And only the person themselves knew where that limit was. He believed he had found that limit for himself. Truth be told he it all seemed a little easy at times. And to him when it seemed like it was a little repetitive he would mix up when he went where. Maybe he would see Ildin in the morning or at night and spend the rest of the day at the temple. He did only what he felt he could though. And really he was expanding by leaps and bounds nowadays. “I had many reasons to be scared Blythe. I hadn’t come to the realization yet that I could be safe here. Even if I stick out like a sore thumb.” He was a six foot man among a bunch of 5 foot 11 blond haired women. He couldn’t stick out more unless he covered his body in orange paint and ran around like a madman. Now how she extended her hands to reach his shoulders without him really noticing at first was anyone’s guess. He had indeed been worked hard, and sometimes that effected his observation skills. He knew where he was going through; and well that was about it. His body still ached and his mind was somewhat dizzy still from the lack of oxygen and his little trip into the lake. Although he had to admit that it was rather peaceful down there; had it not been for the chance of death. But if he could breathe underwater he would indeed lay on the bottom of the lake and just look around. Maybe even fall asleep…that was unless there were some lake monsters or something. Again the water was largely an unknown entity to him. He didn’t yet appreciate it like the Konti did. And how could he? He couldn’t breathe underwater and such. He was brought back when Blythe’s hands touched his skin. He didn’t know what she was going for but likely she wasn’t going to try and harm him. No he didn’t see Blythe as a secret assassin or something. And anyway she was relatively harmless…except when she went about stepping into your past. That was still something he hadn’t gotten a good grasp on yet. How on earth did someone go about doing that? And what set it off? What madness was this? A week ago she was running away from him down the beach and well now she was giving him shoulder massages? Were all Konti women this confused about their emotions? No that couldn’t be so…or it could…no it wasn’t. Or maybe that was a better reason for why the men didn’t stick around long. Maybe they all were crazy. “No, it was actually relaxing.” He said as he had actually enjoyed her little massage. Now she wasn’t skilled but honestly in his condition anything helped. “Yeah that would make a mess of things. And only enhance the chaos that is already present out there outside this Isle. The rest of the world is a confusing place.” He said. And in many ways he was indeed right. Here things were seemingly easy to understand. As long as you were relatively peaceful you could get along just fine with the people. Now getting to know one or even wanting to marry one of the locals was a completely different story. Seemed that Konti were reluctant to tie themselves to any one person. Could be because they have such long lifespans. Or maybe like he thought before they were all crazy just a little. But the second notion didn’t seem to make much sense to him. Every individual had their quirks and such. So what stopped every Konti from having their own little perks? Honestly, nothing. They were people to. They had each lived lives and came across things that made them who they were. Now as far as what these things were…well Serrif couldn’t say. He just knew each person was a little different in one way or another. And so was he. “I really do love it here Blythe. I just can’t get over the beauty of this place. It’s really much like a hidden beautiful gem. Just waiting to be found by a lucky individual.”

[Blythe]

Blythe returned to Serrif's side. She was smiling weakly, "well, it looks like something went right," she said in a rather soft voice. They had reached the center of the Island, and were now standing in front of the large, white, wrought iron gates that led up to the Opal Temple. They had been closed sometime during the day, and now stood like an angry, glistening wall of white before them. Blythe looked up at the metal strips that towered over her head, wondering who had built the thing, and wondering why they had bothered. After all, just what was the fence designed to keep out anyway? Especially when it was almost always unlocked, if not always unlocked. Blythe stepped forward and pushed the portion of the gate that was to the right. It slowly swung back, by about two feet, just enough for them to slip through. Blythe went in first, and soon found herself in the large park that led up to the Temple. She was standing on a long, straight path of small, light grey stone. Surrounding the path was a series of young-looking trees, no more than thirty feet high at any point. Their leaves were a pale green, the edges of which were jagged, like teeth. Not all the pale pink flowers that lined the trees had bloomed, and not all of the leaves had sprouted out of their tiny winter cocoons. They seemed like they were just coming back to life; the trees. Perhaps that's how Serrif feels right now, after having nearly drowned, Blythe thought, as she walked along the pebble path. The pebbles crunched beneath the Konti's feet. "The garden really is lovely this time of year," Blythe commented, simply to break the silence if nothing else. A bird was chirping off in the distance, and Blythe couldn't help but wonder what it was saying as it flew overhead. What it must look like to stare down at the world from high in the sky. Perhaps everything would look like a blob, the people, like ants. Eventually, Blythe reached the white stone steps that led into the building. She hopped up them lightly, taking two at a time. When she reached the door to the temple, she pushed it open, and then held it for Serrif, before stepping inside behind him. "Welcome to the Opal Temple. How can we help you?" Merida asked Blythe and her companion. "We're just heading out to the clinic to make sure Serrif here is alright," Blythe replied. Merida simply nodded. Blythe headed west, and then stopped in the doorway that led out to the lawn. She turned to face Serrif, "do you want to go in on your own?" Blythe asked. "Surely you wouldn't want company while they're looking you over." There was a slight pause as the edges of her cheeks began to turn red. It's probably be more than a little awkward and generally embarrassing for them both. OOCHonestly, I have no idea where I was going with that one.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

Serrif followed her through the gate. He often wondered the same thing as her. Why build such a gate and wall if you were going to leave it open? And that brought him usually to another set of interesting questions usually involving the purpose of such a structure. Maybe there were hidden uses for it? It was possible why else would anyone go through all the trouble of creating such a thing? He could only imagine all the months of labor that went into building a Temple like this. All the stone and supplies. There had to be a reason other than just shear opulence. There had to be a function to it all. It was an interesting truth that he had come to from the many days he came in and out of the gates. He still wondered just who had built the temple. And for what real purpose. But again that was another question of many that he just didn’t have an answer to as of now. Another thing he planned on researching and looking into. He wanted many answers. But few of them would get truthful ending answers to them anytime soon. And that was really something he had become somewhat comfortable with as of late. Not everything had a direct answer to it. He had to just accept that as a truth. Serrif walked through the garden with her. Another site that really calmed him. He loved the peace he found here on the Isle. It was almost magical how at peace this place was both inside and about. The entire Isle was peaceful. It was almost like everyone had a deeper understanding of each other. And it was this understanding that kept everyone at peace with each other. There were no violent fights or uprisings…there was just pace. There was a possibility that he just didn’t see the chaos that was right under the surface. Again something he had pondered but came to no real conclusion on. The scents of the garden calmed him as they walked up to the marble steps. He saw Blythe blush somewhat and he smiled figuring he could use her little blunder to his own advantage. He laughed some and then spoke quietly to her in a hushed voice. Only she would hear this as he whispered to her gently. “If you wanted to check me out all you had to do was ask.” His smile told her it was indeed meant to be playful as he then nodded and headed to the clinic. “I you wish you can watch me tend to my duties afterward. Otherwise you can leave. I’m sure you have many things to do.” He called as he turned around and then waited for any kind of response from her before he headed into the clinic.

[Blythe]

Blythe's face turned bright red. She knew it was a joke, but that didn't mean that she wasn't embarrassed by Serrif's words. She bit her bottom lip nervously, as she shuffled her feet and stared at the ground. She was waiting for her embarrassment to die down, for her cheeks to fade to a light pink, and then their usual pale color. She wished her cheeks would stop burning as she let up on her bottom lip and said, "you go ahead, surely Keyta is waiting back at home, and is starting to get a little worried, it's probably about time for her lunch anyway." Blythe gave a small smile as she stood on her tippy-toes, and gave Ser a light kiss on the cheek. Her face flashed red again, as she got off her tippy-toes, and her feet returned to their normal stance. "Take care of yourself Ser." There was a short pause, "no more falling into lakes and getting yourself into trouble!" she said with a small laugh, as she turned around and headed back home. OOCAnother lousy post by yours truly. *facepalm*

[Alice]

Serrif Von Chatlyn

Experience: 4 Observation, 1 Storytelling, 1 Seduction
Lores: Nearly Drowning, Holding Back One’s Feelings, Noticing Mental Scarring

Blythe

Experience: 2 Katana, 3 Interrogation, 1 Massage, 1 Seduction
Lores: Honesty, Social Niceties

Comments

Is it possible to turn someone over in the water, or for a slender Konti to lift a large man? I really doubt that... Anyway, I hope you’re satisfied with the xp. Serrif, I don’t really read anything about you swimming. You were more like drifting and drowning, I think. And Blythe, I hope you’re okay with interrogation, since you really asked him a lot.