[Flashback] Closing the -age- gap [Aselia]

[Marishka Timandre]

Day 51, Spring, 503 AV The Konti isles were brimming with crystal sparkles and hazy dews from a fresh spring rain, with the green of the plants all turning emerald-like in their lushness. The sun was high up in the sky, a perfect time to go out and get some air. Girding her suvai and her sword fast to her waist, she prepared to go out and do her daily rounds at the academy, already imagining the looks she'd get as she passed by the other Konti there, struggling to reach her own natural aptitude with their vainglorious efforts. A twitch in her lip could be seen as she removed her night robes and slipped into her black silken tunic, tossing her white hair to the right side of her neck. Putting her walking boots on, she marched down the gleaming white aisles of their family's vast mansion in Mura, passing by people without so much as looking at them. It seemed to be too burdensome to her to talk to others at times, especially when her thoughts clung to the sides of her mind like algae. Her steps veered her towards the ends of every corridor, the steps seeming more like they were enacted in rage rather than a casual way. Her steps slowly began grinding down to a halt however, as she approached a door at the left of the passage. It was that of her sister, Aselia. If it wasn't for the extreme level of maturity that she vowed to carry herself with, she would have just broken away from the warrior's crust she had patterned herself in, and gone back a few years to get a feel of what its like to be so young and carefree again. It all felt so heavy on her, as if her age is somewhat double from what it truly was. Sometimes she would check her face in front of the mirror and imagine a few lines here and there. Was she really that old already? It certainly felt like it, with a delicate truth hanging over her at all times like a cloud: that it was her seriousness that has kept her away from most people. She knew it all, how they hated her permanent scowl, her blank, stoic face, her regal and uptight gait, her harsh and, sometimes, demeaning words. Sometimes they saw her as a distant star to be emulated, others as one to be ignored. The assumptions in their veracities was perplexing, the truths even more so. Yet what was it all for if they cannot accept her for what she is? Even the other students at the suvai schools thought she was being too much of a show off, a primadonna, or someone who tries too hard to be cool. Till now she has only found solace in her own skill with the blade and, during times when she is not busy reading her books and singing or swimming, with Kamalia. But Aselia? For all her quiet sweetness and innocence, her eighth sister has always been of a very familiar, yet ultimately unreachable quality to her, an issue that she has always lamented silently. She is perhaps the sister who takes after her the most, for they are both lovers of simplicity and have more natural tendencies. The differences are far more glaring--like Aselia's habitual flaunting of her skin, something which Marishka absolutely hates--yet It seemed at times that it is the similarities in them that are truly keeping them away. The age gap has made their past interactions quite awkward, neither one knowing how to address the other. Marishka, after all, is more than twice older than her second youngest sister. There she stood for a few minutes, with only her fleeting thoughts giving her bearing against the trappings of reality. When she came to her senses, it all came as a surprise, yet it was one which brought a quick smile to her face. Maybe it was about time that she got to know her little sister a little more personally. Taking a breath to refresh herself, she knocked thrice in a gentle manner. "Aselia? Are you inside?"

[Aselia Timandre]

If she had been born human, Aselia would have already been regarded as a young woman. But, since her home was Konti Isle and her hair color white, with seventeen years she was barely a teenager. Although not the youngest of the fair Timandre sisters, she was still way down the age chart. Sometimes she wondered how girls old enough to be her mother could be her sisters. Some of them she hadn’t ever had a serious talk with. Some of them she just didn’t know.

Not that it bothered her. In a way she was like the Timandre stereotype – a running gag within their mansion’s walls –, usually far away from the streets and dedicated to extraordinary, sometimes even weird tasks. Kamalia was like that with her books and her magic. Marishka was like that with her sword and her pride. Aselia was like that with her birds. In fact, they probably shared more similarities than they realized most of the time.

While the person dressed in black was walking down the corridors of the vast mansion the whole Timandre family resided in, Aselia just got up. Her sleeping times could be called awkward at best and horribly twisted at worst. The previous night she had spent with a new addition to the animal center, a beautiful and surprisingly tame kestrel that had been picked up by hunters with a broken wing in the forest. The injury had healed with the help of a Rak’keli marked, but it was Aselia’s task to care for him and later accustom him to hood, jesses and leash. She had silently promised to give him the best treatment ever and act so that the chief falconer could be proud of her. That had accidentally resulted in her sitting in front of Redclaw’s – a nickname the hunters had given him – mews the whole night, soothing him and speaking with him. She firmly believed that eventually her patience and dedication would be rewarded.

And because she never needed more than four of five bells of sleep, she was getting up only shortly after Marishka had, although of course she wasn’t aware of that fact. When knocking, the elder sister would receive a muffled “Yes, I’m coming!” and a low rustling before Aselia opened the door. She was wearing one of her notoriously short pieces of clothing, a grey night shirt that barely covered her white and silver scaled thighs and loosely fell over her slender figure. Her hair was a mess and she carried a small water filled glass mug with her.

When realizing who had just knocked, her brows furrowed a little in surprise. Nevertheless she gave a friendly, although tired smile and waved Marishka in. “Good morning, dear sister. I was just having breakfast.” Apparently her ‘breakfast’ only consisted of half a liter of vision water, but she had some more delicious snacks stored away. “I have no problem with sharing, although I would understand if you came for another purpose.” Her deep violet eyes indicated that she was waiting for that purpose to be revealed. Meanwhile a slender scaled arm raised the mug to her lips.

[Marishka Timandre]

Aselia opened the door to a very prim and smartly-dressed Marishka. She was quite pleasantly surprised to be greeted by her tiny sister's poise, although the smile on her face disappeared as quickly as her eyes beheld the clothing item her younger sister was wearing. Her eyebrow quirked up slightly, with a barely-controlled frown decorating the side of her lips. There she goes again, she thought bitterly inside as she scanned every bit and side of her. Those clothes of hers would never appeal to her sense of style, not in a hundred years. She truly wanted to say something in effect, although being in Aselia's room did wonders when it came to negating the berating she could have lavished on her elsewhere. Why she had so much favor for these flauntingly short skirts, she would probably never understand. Nonetheless her face was straight and calm by the time Aselia sipped on her mug of vision water. From the beginning, it would have been obvious to Aselia that Marishka had dropped by for no important reason at all. And the look on her face was so serious that she looked like she was just holding back on a storm of sermons. But it became all the more real than apparent a few more moments later. "Well..." she began, her sister's laid-back sense of confusion now starting to mire her own senses. She has had very little interaction with Aselia before, or with any of her sisters for that matter, and this she knew as an unfortunate fact. Still, it was only then that she realized how little she had to say, how little she could actually share in casual conversation, and it shocked her profoundly. Why did she pay Aselia a visit? A simple greeting would have sufficed for both of them, after which she would have been on her way out of the house. Now the awkwardness was threatening to flush them both down a comical path of wariness and discomfort. "Aselia, well, I was thinking... That, maybe..." she started to rove her eyes around for something to talk about, something to ward the tension away. Fine furniture and some curious items of an unknown sort to her were all around the place, but she found none of them to be big or significant enough to talk about. After all, her room was almost the same, although it is a bit more spartan due to her nature. What was with the rapid beating of her heart and the simmering of her verbal functions? She was addressing her younger sister, not some stranger in a wary circumstance. The elder Timandre was not about to let her little sister know that she was feeling tense and nervous about talking to her. It would be such a huge blow to her image, and an even bigger one to herself. "What are you drinking?" she suddenly asked, no longer thinking much about what she is going to say, in an effort to calm her nerves down. "Your breakfast... Is that vision water?" She never was a fan of drinking vision water either; the Konti used them for so many purposes, aside from their proverbial use. They even took baths with it and used it to wash their hands! Even though she knew Aselia is a very clean person and that the water she's drinking would have to be extremely pure for her to even lay a finger on it, it was still the usual portrait of its use as a medium of cleansing that dawned on her mind. Her mouth clicked open at the thought, though her distaste for the 'breakfast' was more apparent in the collision of her slender eyebrows. Just then, an idea came over her. "Say sister, how about we go out and have breakfast in the hall together? Enough of that... Stuff. Let's go out and find something more substantial to eat." She fell into silence as she waited for an answer, her hand unknowingly poised to her waist as if she was already nagging like a mother would her child.

[Aselia Timandre]

In fact, Aselia would never have expected that Marishka had come for no reason at all. That elder sister always seemed to know the tiniest details of what she wanted her. Her dance with the steel was precise, effective, deadly beautiful … like slicing a leaf into two halves with a single, well placed strike. Aselia had seen that before, although not from Marishka. Still she somehow expected her to have that kind of skill. But then that was the point. Everything about their relationship boiled down to expectations. And since Aselia found that more than slightly boring, she started to see the reason why Marishka had dropped by just there and then.

So she patiently waited while her sister tried to muster up an intelligent answer to her question that had maybe not been that intelligent. The mentioning of her name let her raise an eyebrow. There was something of importance lying behind the helplessness. Aselia really hoped that Marishka would soon find the right words. It didn’t fit her expectations to see the most isolated and independent Timandre like that.

Oh yes, to her mind Marishka was the independent one in the family. Nobody sought isolation from the family, nobody except her. That made her special in a way Aselia respected and admired. Even her fair share of jealousy tasted bittersweet.

Suddenly the sister’s voice changed though. Aselia’s eyes widened slightly, and she stopped consuming that vast amount of crystal-clear water. Now we’re getting serious, she thought with some amusement, but also worries. What was it … but then, everything was like it should be now. Expectations met and so on. A stupid grin emanated from her wet lips as she replied: “Yeah, of course … We only have vision and salt water here, didn’t you know?” Shortly after that statement she realized how childish it sounded. Still she had to do something to hide her nervousness behind. She wasn’t better than her sister, not in the least. Her way of compensation really was the only difference.

Then, however, her expression turned to serious and open. So the prim and proper Marishka demanded a more substantial breakfast …? Grinning inwardly, Aselia rocked back and forth at her heels once as if seriously considering her sister’s suggestion. Interesting, definitely. She wanted to meet with Nefre at the Animal Center later that day, but there still was plenty of time until that. She had just gotten up, after all!

So after a short pause she mimicked Marishka’s posture, left hand resting on her hip, right hand putting the mug down on the next tall object that fortunately turned out to be a low wooden table. Then she shoved a snow white hair strand back behind her ear and took a deep breath. “Stuff? But yes, I definitely accept your request. Let’s find something to eat!”

Instead of shoving Marishka out of the door and down the corridor, however, she disappeared behind a door to the left. After a few chimes that door opened and Aselia presented herself dressed in one of her notorious outfits once again: short white pants and a pretty white blouse with silver ornaments. The lack of clothing somehow emphasized the grace of her long limbs and slender figure. Still she at least wore riding boots of bleached leather.

After fetching a shell comb from another room she gently ushered Marishka out of her apartment and shut the door behind both of them. While walking down the corridor she started combing her silken hair, seemingly in some kind of ‘I-don’t-care’ mood. With a smile she turned to her sister. “So, Marishka, how have you been these days? What are you up to?” It was likely that her opponent didn’t realize that fact, but Aselia successfully removed almost every conversation away from topics that regarded her private life. She just didn’t like speaking about herself. Everything was secret enough to be cherished.

[Marishka Timandre]

A small smile watered her own lips as Aselia acquiesced to her request, somewhat relieved that she didn't pay attention to the obvious lack of things in her mind to say. She was about to make for the door when Aselia entered another, forcing her to stand pat and wait for a few ticks. A whole trove of ideas began to swallow her. Perhaps it was about time that she introduced Aselia to wine? It sounded like an exciting idea to her, for she quite loved having wine when she wasn't training. A little of fresh oyster and vegetables would be nice; although she didn't know for sure what Aselia preferred to eat besides Vision water, she didn't look like a meat lover at all. The disappearance inside her thoughts dissipated in an instant when Aselia came out of the door. Marishka felt her heart and her jaw drop slightly when she saw Aselia emerge, clad in another one of those infamously skimpy get ups of her, with the high boots accenting the smoothness and fullness of her young legs. A brewing tumult in her chest started to burst in splashes, screaming silently at her younger sister to change immediately, but then she stifled it with brute will, letting it show itself with another enormous quirk in her eyebrow. Shrugging it off as her sister proceeded to open the door for both of them, the warrioress slid out of the portal and back into the corridor, where the ample clarity of Syna's full bloom gleamed generously upon their opalescent skin. The two of them walked side by side, their strides differing greatly. While the older battle-clad Timandre pressed on towards the main hall with a swiftness that appeared almost furious, Aselia walked about gingerly and coolly, reminiscent of a model. Either way, they somehow managed to stay aligned, as if the flow of time between them was truly so equal. The older sister too tossed her long silver locks aside, turning to her sister's question with a curious look. It appeared so casual, so easy, even though every word resonated with a hint of aversion from something. Nonetheless she smiled slightly as she answered. "The usual. Suvai and sword practice takes up so much of my time. Not that there are other things that I like to do aside from it anyway." She smirked slightly, letting the facts confound her mind fully. The Timandre sisters, all of them, were always busy with their own craft, shutting themselves out from their own number in an effort to increase their proficiencies. It made her wonder at times if they had a collective mindset that bordered on anti-social. It was not a possibility though, for sure enough, a few of them had friends outside of the family. Sure enough, in times of need, everyone was always there, so long as they still reside in Mura. But their interactions have been limited to just that. Emergencies. It was as if she only had sisters only when she needed to have sisters, and she is sure that they all felt the same about her too. Among all of them, she has always been the most aloof, and considered to be the most misunderstood, a maverick. It was the first time that Marishka had done this with a sibling since she was born. Looking at Aselia, she even had to think about how old she would now be. She'd have to be around adolescent age already, her body showed all of the signs of prepping up for a blooming into a young adult--one of the few benefits of her choice of fashion. However she was the second youngest among their brood, younger than Kamalia who was half her age, so she'd have to be very young. She rolled her eyes and let out a deep breath that pushed upwards, blowing a strand of her hair aside. It had never occurred to her how embarrassing and somewhat disconcerting it was, not even knowing how old her sister is. After a few more moments they arrived at the majestic great hall, where sat a huge long table that had exactly twelve chairs. One was for their mother, the other one obviously for their grandmother, High Oracle Shahal, and her chair was much more elaborate than the rest are. Marishka's chair was decorated with vianwood carvings of a sword and a suvai, with the marble arm of a god thrusting itself between the crossed weapons in symbolic union. The long table, however, was devoid of anything to eat. The Timandre household, unlike that of the regular rich human family, has never taken servants. It was often mother Nokomis or Vidula who had done the cooking in the family and both seemed to be out of the house at the moment, so it was quite a big dent on her plans for breakfast with Aselia. Marishka herself had never seen the necessity of knowing how to cook; often when she returns to their grand manse there would already be something ready and waiting. All she had to do was sit down and take her meal, then waft back to her room. Now she was feeling quite guilty, ungracious and, above all else, indolent. Sighing, she turned to her younger sister, rapping the linen-covered table with her fingers. "Erm. Aselia, would you like to help me cook? I don't know anything about it, but maybe its about time I tried." She honestly didn't know what to make of the entire situation, and she felt quite embarrassed by everything. She had pulled Aselia from her quiet morning breakfast, only to bring her here to be a helper. Her eyes devolved into orbs of shame and sympathy, though her form still loomed full and straight.

[Aselia Timandre]

Aselia did indeed notice the raised eyebrow, but didn’t react to it. She had learned to ignore unvoiced comments like that long ago. Determined not to let anybody force her into something she didn’t like she kept her individual clothing style. Others were focused on their narrow little path, but she wanted to dream big. She wanted something else – and the best way to accomplish that was by starting with little things, step by step and every day. Those firm beliefs would never change. Her silence was a sign for Marishka not to bring up the topic in speech.

While they were talking she continued to comb her hair, carefully and effectively from right to left, and then ran the comb through the part for the maximum of silken smoothness. She still nodded along to what Marishka said. It sounded reasonable for a fighter to practice and practice and practice and Aselia fully respected and even admired her sister’s discipline, but sometimes she caught herself yawning as well. That day wasn’t a day of boredom though. “In all honesty, you’re amazing, big sis. But I can’t imagine that you’re happy with that kind of lifestyle. There’s no interaction, no adventure, no curiosity for the new and unknown to be satisfied. Don’t you want to experience something exciting? Don’t you want to do something that will last?” Really, she didn’t understand why others were content with a steady lifestyle. The world provided so many opportunities, but they just walked their own little path, blind for the wonders that awaited them at the sideways. Aselia didn’t understand … but then maybe she was still too young to settle down. It was as if The Call was dragging her away from whatever she was doing, only that it wasn’t even The Call, but her own restlessness and never-ending curiosity.

Anyway, if Marishka turned out to be uncomfortable with that topic, Aselia would gladly move away from it. She had discussed it with a couple of people already, but hardly ever those disputes had resulted in anything else but resignation. Some didn’t want to dream big. Some just wanted to live an average life. Some, however, had found what they loved and did it with a passion that Aselia admired. Marishka belonged to that category, but still there was something tiring about the endless exercises. That was Aselia’s opinion, after all.

When they moved towards the dining hall, Aselia stored the small comb away in one of her pants’ pockets. Then she entered the room after Marishka and took in the scenery. The family hardly ever ate together, rather everyone got a few snacks whenever their studies allowed it or their bodies demanded it. Still, the Konti diet was based on vegetables, fruits and little amounts of fish, meat was only used in small amounts and as occasional addition. Both sisters knew as much, but neither of them more. Nokomis who usually took the position of the family cook always got up early and Vidula, being a servant to Rak’keli, was at the Opal Temple as ever. Although Aselia subconsciously realized that fact, she first passed the whole length of the table, briefly touching her own seat that was decorated with intricate and complicated carvings that still seemed somewhat blurred – the design would be completed when she found her true profession.

Then she studied the kitchen area, trying to get any hint of what they needed to produce a decent breakfast. The sound of her sister’s voice, however, made her turn around. A puzzled look at the nervous stuttering soon turned into a broad grin. Eventually Aselia couldn’t avoid it – she laughed out loudly. Her knees went soft, so that she had to cling to the bar to stay on her feet. It was so amusing! The whole scenery, her sister asking her to cook with her, both of them standing around with that stupidly helpless look … all that amused the younger Timandre girl greatly.

Eventually she regained control over her face muscles and straightened, smoothing out potential crinkles at her blouse. “That was gorgeous, thank you!”, she grinned. Her sister had blessed her with a laugh which already was way more than she had expected. “Trying to cook sounds interesting, and even more since we’re two, two amateurs, that is, but still. To me that means less work and more fun … which might be a good experience, right?” She blinked.

Then she rounded the table once again, took her sister’s hand and dragged her over to the bar and the kitchen area. Again, they stood in front of unknown terrain. Aselia’s brows went up as she considered what to do next. “I suppose we just get some fruits, oil, water and spices and make a salad out of them? What do you think?” A questioning look was sent towards the elder sister. Regardless of whether Marishka agreed or not, a decent meal would include fruits, so Aselia started rummaging through various drawers and shelves to find the desired ingredient.

[Marishka Timandre]

Aselia's words in the corridor carried themselves on her chest even to the hallway. Indeed, she disliked her repetitive lifestyle, though her desire to improve had somewhat kept her mind in check about her desires to leave. She knew that all those condensing looks she gets from the novices in the academy should mean nothing to her; they were merely jealous of her natural aptitude, envious of her family's name and prestige, of who she is and what she is. Thus she had met those glances and stares with glances and stares of her own, letting things go as they have been going. This she has tolerated for a couple of long decades with impunity and patience. This she had stood with, until recently. Perhaps it was the call. Perhaps it was her own compulsiveness telling her that she did not belong amongst their peaceful people, with the warrior's spirit residing within her. Or maybe it was both, conspiring to drive her towards greater and more distant things in life. Like Aselia, she too desired to be the best she could be without being repetitive. Unlike how Aselia thinks however, she has already found her means, her vindication to escape and be free. That is why she was doing what she could to get to know them, because soon enough she will be leaving them. And she knew not when they would meet again. Only the gods could be so farseeing, only they can determine what will happen. Mother Avalis grant them the privilege to meet again like this someday. Marishka let out a sideways huff and rolled her eyes as her sister gave in to her amusement, literally bowing over in mirthful laughter and struggling to stay standing. There was something so full, so giddy and so new about Aselia's laughter that made even the proud swordswoman smile and not mind much; it somewhat embarrassed her to be laughed at, but it was her little sister anyway. She supposed that it was indeed amusing, since it was something that she surely wouldn't have ever expected of her. Twelve sisters who did not even know each other, it was such a confounding fact. There has to be room for leniency and ease between them at least. And if it took a little shame to get to know even one of them, she'd take it with a lump in her throat. She walked closer to her sister, letting the difference in their height be a bit more apparent. She truly was beautiful, her younger sister. Her elegance and youth gifted her with such vibrance, such a zest for life, that it was all the more obvious that she had just reached the stage where she must question the purpose of her existence. Marishka raised her middle and index fingers and touched Aselia gently on the forehead in response with them, a small smile and a couple of gleaming eyes telling her that it was quite okay that she was so amused. If just for a moment. "If you are done laughing, let us go get those ingredients little sister." she said in a half-joking tone, a big smirk reminding Aselia that she is not the type to last long with childish banter. She gave a careful thought to Aselia's choice of ingredients, and the playful idea about wine she had earlier took root. She would add wine to the mix, just to introduce her to the taste of it. She would need it someday, if ever she left Mura in her own time. The kitchen was quite spacious and radiant, with natural light peppering it with an ethereal gleam, much like it does for most of the rest of their manse. The cupboard was, thankfully, full with everything that they needed; there were vegetables on one tray and fruits in another, kept cool by what was obviously some sort of magic, perhaps Kamalia's or Aunt Kidala's. In another shelf was all the garnishes, spices and oils which they needed for the right kind of blend. Then on the far end of the kitchen, on a wide bar, was all the wine she wanted Aselia to try. She moved closer as she took a very good brand from the rack, setting it on the table, following it by taking out every vegetable, fruit and other stuff that she knew they might need: tomatoes, lettuces, onions, carrots, apples, oranges, some bread, mayonnaise, oil, and then took a bowl of cool water. After plucking out a couple knives and spoons and handing one of each to Aselia, she nodded. "Perhaps it is time that we started. I'll cut the vegetables, you handle the fruits, capiche?"

[Aselia Timandre]

The smile that crept on her sister’s face warmed Aselia’s little, innocent heart. It was good to know, to see that they could still get along with each other – even at those rare times they actually spent together for longer than a mere few chimes. They had never done anything special, but suddenly Marishka knocked at her door, took her to the kitchen and stated that she wanted to do a cooking session before breakfast. It was unbelievable, somehow, but in a very positive way.

However, it also made Aselia wonder … wonder why Marishka had gotten that idea just at that moment. Was she possibly planning a life-changing happening? Would she leave them? That would at least partly explain her silence. Of course, Aselia hadn’t missed the nonexistent answer to her earlier question. Where does her way continue?, Aselia pondered silently. It saddened her a bit that she still had no clue about her sister’s aspirations and goals. Now it seemed obvious that she did indeed have some. So Aselia hadn’t been observing well enough. She silently reminded herself to look closer next time. Oh, she knew all too well that her fine Konti senses sometimes got lost in ignorant, loud laughter. Her blessing, her curse.

But then Marishka stepped forward and clipped her fingers against Aselia’s forehead. For a short moment the younger one was puzzled. What was that? Then she understood. It was okay, Marishka’s smile and her fingers said. It was okay to laugh, because laughter radiated that special kind of sisterly warmth they needed now. It was okay … that was everything Aselia needed to know.

After all, it was a good day – good weather outside too – and they were supposed to have fun, so Aselia would do her best to be nice to her sister.

Yet she spent quite some time standing around, watching her sister get the ingredients and think about what she actually could do to help her. Her nervousness resulted in a slow, repeated movement: rocking back and forth at her heels, trying to sneak over her sister’s shoulder to keep track of what she was doing. She wanted, had to help too! But of course Marishka’s muscular shoulders didn’t allow the quickest glance.

Suddenly the shoulders turned around. Aselia found a large cutting knife and a spoon pointing into her direction. After the first moment of surprise she quickly grabbed the tools and nodded. “Capiche.” The foreign word rolled off her tongue, feeling unfamiliar and strange. Before getting started on her task, however, she couldn’t help but add: “Be sure to really leave something for me though. The kitchen seems to be filled with such a dominant atmosphere.” The slight grin proved her words to be fun.

She made sure that the space was clear before putting the fresh fruits on it and starting to cut them into tiny pieces. As she moved, she noticed the single innocent wine bottle at the table. “You’re planning to drink wine in the morning? What kind of odd custom is that?”, she asked with curiosity, but also a bit of teasing in her voice. Yet it was the truth. Aselia drank pure water at any time of the day, having never tasted anything like juice or wine. She simply wasn’t interested in it. She didn’t even care what she ate or drank as long as it was healthy.

While talking, she kept her eyes at the fruits, happily cutting away. Although she had spent almost no time of her short life in the kitchen she at least knew how to cut things. And cutting things was fun – relieving, relaxing. It absorbed pressure and frustration.

Maybe she should come here more often and cut something when she was frustrated.

[Marishka Timandre]

Marishka pursed her lips together playfully then blinked her eyes. "Dominant? Oh, no dear sister. You have all you need to do right here. I won't leave you wanting for work, you can rest assured." she tapped the table twice, shaking the ingredients slightly. With that she twirled her knife in her delicate fingers, then dug into the work ahead by taking a large carrot and starting to chop and dice it bit by bit. "Hmm?" a muffled sound came from her throat at the teasing question. She looked at Aselia briefly, an intrigued smile on her lips. "I always drink wine in the morning Aselia." she replied in a teasing tone of her own, continuing to chop the vegetables slowly and meticulously. It was true anyway; when she wasn't doing nothing in her chamber before the crack of dawn, she was in the dining hall with a tall glass and an even taller bottle. "It is not a custom, Wine can do a lot of good to a warrior; it gives off body heat and quenches pain, adding tolerance." She stopped for a moment, putting down the knife to stretch her fingers together, the bones crackling and unwinding as she pushed both hands forward. "Besides, it is said that a drunk person speaks a sober heart." The pace of the cutting somewhat irritated her, and it showed in her twitching facial features and heavily crossed eyebrows. She infinitely preferred to be quick and easy with her strokes with the Suvai and sword, and both could be gripped much better than the straight and hastily-crafted kitchen tool. Still she knew that the knife should be much simpler to use, which brought a conclusion to her mind: slow is boring, yes, but it is nice to get a change of pace every once in a while. She also enjoyed the smile and warmth of her sister beside her, who didn't seem annoyed at all. She wiped her face with the sleeve of her black silk suit, removing the taint of laborious effort from her, restoring a quiet smile to go with a light heart. Once the carrot was done with, she carefully pulled out a bundled lettuce, tearing the leaves into smaller pieces and laying them on a porcelain bowl in a nice gourmet design. The onions came next, peeling off the thin skin and then carving them up into small rings. The elder Timandre stood back a little as her white hands sprinkled the diced vegetables into the mix, careful not to get any bits splattered on her pressed and perfumed suit. After she was done with the vegetables and washing her hands in a continuous outflow of water from a thick, hollow pole, she daintily took the wine bottle beside her and opened the cap slowly and effortlessly, pouring some of it into a glass. Her wet lips tasted the sweet nectar of fermented grapes, downing it after an initial sip without delay. "Aselia, try some of this wine and tell me what you think of it." she said, pouring another helping into the same glass and offering it to her little sister. The offering had more symbolism to her than it usually would have, though she did not express it in words. The beating in her heart sufficed enough for her. It was a rite of passage, so to speak. A bond between them. "Come on sister, don't be a scaredy-cat." she teased, laughing a little as she stirred it round with a circular pattern of motion.

[Aselia Timandre]

OOCSorry for the delay! I seem to be allergic to long replies or something ... or I just have to try harder.

Of course, Aselia didn’t miss the chance to help her sister in the kitchen. They had never cooked together, had never worked together like that … and even Aselia whose specialty was to say ‘no’ and live her little rebel life enjoyed doing new things once and awhile. Especially if she had been asked by the right sister earlier. Not all of her sisters were nice and easy to spend time with, after all.

Standing next to Marishka, she worked as efficiently and quickly – as quickly as possible for someone with her skill, anyway. First she cut the apples into pieces that looked like little swan boats. When looking at them she felt drawn to actually continue and try to give them a smoother form, a neck and a bench for tourists to sit on. Well, she had always been more player than scholar, she thought and moved on to the oranges. They were quite easy to peal, although the state of her fingernails after that worried her. Then she cut some kiwi and melons into little pieces.

A nice little pile of fruit pieces was lying at the plate when she was finished. Carefully lying the knife down, she shook her hands and arms in an attempt to relax the stiff muscles. Then she put some loose strands back behind her ears and wiped sweat from her brow. When recognizing that Marishka was just doing the same, she gave an exhausted smile. “Cutting is more difficult than I expected it to be.”

When hearing her sister’s opinion about wine, she tilted her head in disbelief. She was somewhat suspicious of alcohol. Many Konti shared that opinion, and Aselia had simply acted out of habit. Maybe wine wasn’t as bad as she had always thought it to be? She hadn’t tried it out, after all, so how could she know? Still she couldn’t help but release one more comment. “A sober heart? You must be drunk now, big sis, if that’s true …” After a pause with her gaze locked to the ground she whispered: “… or we just don’t know each other well enough to tell if the opponent is honest or not.”

However, Aselia didn’t want to slip into some melodramatic kind of depression when being with her sister. Instead she memorized the quick lecture about the benefits of a glass of wine per day. She might need it later, who knew. Aselia was receptive to that kind of stimulator … she was already addicted to vision water, after all … When Marishka arranged the vegetables in a porcelain bowl, Aselia added her cut fruits and tried to arrange them in a beautiful, but also mixed up pattern. They spent quite some time with that, but when the bowl was filled, Aselia added water, oil and spices.

When she turned around, Marishka was standing at the table. “… what I think of it?”, she echoed. She didn’t have any experience with wine, she wouldn’t be able to tell its quality like someone familiar with the different labels was – although she supposed that the wine on Konti Isle wouldn’t be too bad. The Konti cuisine actually was famous for healthy and diverse ingredients. Anyway, her sister had asked her, and so she quickly washed her hands and returned to her side. Before receiving a glass, she eyed the liquid quite suspiciously. Scaredy-cat? That made her smile.

“Well then!” She raised her glass to Marishka with a quiet smile. A pause … but then she raised the glass to her lips and took a careful sip. For the next few moments she was silent, sipping more wine and obviously thinking about her opinion. Eventually her gaze met Marishka’s. “It’s bitter.” A light, but somewhat disgusted laugh escaped her reddened lips. “Really, I don’t know how people like this taste that much. I guess I have to get used to it. If it’s healthy, I should probably drink it more often though”, she concluded with a thoughtful look on her face.

Then she pointed to the filled bowl at the kitchen table. “Let’s enjoy our breakfast now?”