A Pair of Healing Hands (Serrif)

[Blythe]

Timestamp: Fall 15, 511 AV

Blythe rested the tip of her wooden practice sword upon the ground, as she walked in a small circle, her lavender-colored eyes never leaving the sight of her opponent. For now, this woman was her prey, and she should act as such. Be as sly as a fox, courageous as a lion, ferocious as a tiger. She was to pretend she was an aggressive being, a huntress, so that if she were in dire need of protection, in a life or death situation, she would be prepared. She would not hold back.

The two circled each other, Blythe's hair cascading over her shoulders, clinging to her neck in sweaty patches, as she breathed heavily and glared down her nose. Her eyes were blazing, as she watched her opponent's short blonde ponytail sway back and forth with her step. As her bare feet clung to the bamboo matts beneath her. Their long white dresses fluttering about their ankles with the subtle sweep of the breeze that made its way through the entrance of the suvai pavilion. The door which had been left only slightly ajar.

"Ready?" Blythe whispered. Her opponent nodded. Instantly, the two stopped circling each other, and raised their practice katanas off the ground. Blythe clutched hers in her right hand. Her fingers winding their way around the hilt, curling into her pale palm, as her thumb pointed upwards, towards the blade. She held her blade against her opponent's, crossing them, so that they formed an "X." The pair slid them slowly, against each other, pushing their own blade closer, and then farther away. Listening to the scraping sound they made against each other, as they waited another moment, allowing themselves to catch their breath. Allowing each other to eye the wooden blades they held. The way it cut their slender forms in half. As they both wished to cut the other in half... or at least, during practice, a small part of them wanted to.

"Ready?" Blythe asked again. The other woman nodded. Instantly, they took a step back, uncrossing their blades. A second later, Blythe's opponent lunged for her. She brought her sword up over her head, and then brought it crashing back down, towards the top of Blythe's head. As the woman moved, Blythe brought her left hand over to the sword. She wound her fingers around it, holding the hand two inches below the right. By the time the woman had reached her, Blythe had just managed to bring her right hand downwards and towards the left, and the left upwards and towards the right, effectively turning the sword onto its side. So that it cut across her body, from left to right, as opposed to up and down. She raised it, over her head, blocking the woman's attack just in time. Their swords clicked together.

In one fluid movement, Blythe pushed upwards, against the woman's sword, forcing it into the air, and away from her head. Once her opponent's sword was far enough away from her, to provide her with some wiggle room, Blythe brought her sword back down, and righted it. She darted forward, around the woman's left side, and brought the sword from its resting place at her middle, out to the right side. She leaned into her right shoulder, as she drew the blade back, and then pushed the blade towards the other woman. The woman easily sidestepped, and slashed her sword towards Blythe's hip.

As swiftly as she could manage, Blythe brought her sword back down, holding it against the side of her body, so that it ran across the length of her leg. Their swords clicked, just before her opponent's sword could reach her hip. Frustrated, the younger konti raised her sword, high, before pushing it back down towards Blythe's right shoulder. Blythe hardly had time to react. She was raising her sword to block when she felt a sharp shooting pain course through her shoulder.

Blythe winced. There was a loud cracking sound as her opponent's sword split in half. Her opponent drew her sword back, and then pushed it back against Blythe's shoulder. Blythe bit her bottom lip. Petch, that hurts, she thought, as the other woman finally drew her broken sword away.

"You ok Blythe?" she asked. Blythe nodded, even though she didn't feel alright. "You sure? You're bleeding."

Blythe looked from the woman's broken sword, to her shoulder. It was bleeding, and a small piece of wood, from the other practice sword, had lodged itself in her flesh. Blythe thought she was going to vomit at the sight. Brown wood was being stained red, several drops already dripped off the edge.

That is one nasty sight... and one poorly made practice sword, the woman thought, as she dropped her sword, and then raised her left hand. She placed her thumb and ring finger upon the large splinter in her shoulder, and drew it out. She didn't even whimper as the movement forced more blood out. It was coming out faster now. Petch, Blythe thought, as she dropped the splinter, and pressed the heel of her palm against the wound, in the hopes that it would get the blood to quit flowing quite so rapidly. It was making her feel dizzy.

"Better have the healers take a look at this," Blythe whispered to the others who had stopped to stare. With that, she swept past her opponent, not bothering to give her a dirty look for being so stupid. She had already won, and still, she felt the need to force a broken sword into another's flesh. Oh... if Kariha were here, they'd never hear the end of it, Blythe thought, as she made her way outside, and silently, navigated the area until she reached the Opal Temple several minutes later. By then, the top right hand corner of her white dress was drenched in blood, which clung to her skin.

Blythe made her way through the pebble path, past the grass and trees to the marble steps; the door. She winced in pain as she dropped her hand, from her wound, and forced it open. Blood smearing on the knob, as she made her way inside. "Off to the lawns," Blythe called, to Merida, who only nodded.

Once outside, Blythe settled down on one of the beds and waited. Surely, it couldn't be long until someone came to tend to her.

OOCUm... let the awkwardness begin. Also... the wound isn't particularly deep. It should heal without leaving a scar. It's just bloody and icky looking.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

Another morning in Lym’s lab. She was teaching him to make salves and such that would help cleanse wounds. The process wasn’t too involved but it did take a good amount of attention as always. He put ingredients into the boiling flasks and then brought them to a gentle boil. One ingredient went into the boiling water and he was to leave it until the mixture seemed to turn a different color. He then mixed in a small bowl the rest of the ingredients that the boiling water would get added to, forming a warm paste that could be kept for a number of weeks before it was useless. The mixture also numbed thanks to the additive of a small amount of the opiate that Lym had taught him how to make. The opiate had to be specially judged because if too much was added it could do damage but if too little was added then what was the point of the opiate in the first place? About half way through stepping him through the mixture Lym left to tend to things in the garden. He would eventually have to learn how to do such things on his own.

He kept an eye on the boiling mixture and when it finally turned the color indicated he removed the heat and then pulled it off using a leather glove. He poured the mixture into the bowl and then used a wooden spoon to begin mixing it all together. The mixture became the consistency of syrup almost, it was slightly sticky but he knew from the smell that it would numb wounds. It didn’t smell particularly unpleasant. It was just odd. He was unsure how to store it but he had only made a small amount of it. He took a glass vial and then used the wooden spoon to scoop out the mixture and put it in the tube. He didn’t think it would separate out because it almost seemed like the mixture had become something completely different than before. It seemed the final mixture was indeed greater than the sum of its separate parts. Applying each of the separate parts would take too long. Instead the pieces were crafted together carefully to form something wonderful.

Supposedly the mixture acted as a local anesthetic when you had to stitch someone up. It also acted like a very flexible scab allowing the body to heal better and faster. It also reduced scarring to almost nothing when applied correctly. She had walked him through this and told him that it acted like a glue of sorts. It would help hold the wound together and stop bleeding but stitches were still needed because you had to being the pieces together tightly for the glue to even really work. Outside he heard people mucking about outside as if they were having an influx of people to the clinic. He listened and well got an idea that likely plenty of things were happening this morning. And they were understaffed…which was proved when a healer came in the door and looked at Serrif directly.

“If you have the ability and time please come to the clinic and assist.” She then wondered off back up the stairs.

Serrif was somewhat stunned that they would ask for his help specifically. But it seemed they needed more hands on deck than what was allowed to them at the time. Which meant that if he could help he really should. Not knowing what he would face he pulled several vials from the shelves and brought them with him to the clinic on the lawn. He knew by the scurrying of people that it was going to be very busy time on the lawn. He decided to take to the first tent room and help as much as he could before moving on. It was going to be quite the day and this would likely go on for the rest of the day on into the night when things finally settled down…

He took a deep breath and entered the first occupied bed area. There was a Konti woman and her child. The child was holding her foot and sticking out of it was a series of sea urchin pins. Long and slender they were also hollow he could see blood dripping out of them. He knew that he would have to remove them and well he nodded as he entered. “Morning stepped on an Urchin?”

The little girl had tears in her eyes as she nodded and her mother then spoke up. “She was wondering about the tidepools and she stepped on it. I brought her here immediately.” The mother said as she gently tried to calm her child stroking her hair.

Serrif nodded and looked the wound over. He was an oddity here among the female Konti healers. He wasn’t marked by Rak’keli and all his healing was done by herbal remedies and mixtures. Sure his healing took a little more time but the end results were almost the same as those that were healed by the gnosis. But some were unhappy that he couldn’t heal them up immediately. But then he just deferred to an actual healer. Because he knew that sometimes you just had to do what the person wanted. Even if it was not what you wanted to be done. He looked the girl over judging her weight carefully. She was very light, only about fifty to sixty pounds or so which wasn’t uncommon for a Konti. Some of the spines were in deep and that meant it would be extremely painful to remove them.

He judged dosing of a numbing agent based on her weight. He carefully calculated what she would need as he pulled a vial from his pocket and calculated in his head. He didn’t want to overdose the girl and it would be best to under dose her with the strong sedative. He took an empty vial and poured some of the liquid into it, hardly a swallow as he then stood and walked over to the girl. “This is going to put you to sleep for a little so I can help you. Do not worry when you wake you will be home and the pain will be mostly gone.”

The mother nodded and the girl took the vial and drank the contents. Serrif helped make the girl comfortable as she gently fell asleep. He smiled and then moved to her foot. He pulled the stickers out one by one. She had about six or seven of them in her foot and some were far deeper than others. He then applied an anti-bacterial ointment to some bandages and wrapped her foot to protect it from anything else. It was about now that he heard another body hit a bed in the room beside this one. It was going to be a busy day indeed. He nodded and then spoke to the woman.

“She will wake in a few hours or so. She will be hungry and that is about it. The wound should heal evenly if you need anything else come back and we will do what we can.” He said as the mother smiled and picked her little girl up carrying her home. Serrif offered to do this himself but she knew that he was far more useful here helping people than carrying home her little girl.

Serrif moved to the next room and there was Blythe. Sitting in the bed her white dress stained with blood. What had happened to her? He smiled to her and laughed a little. “Fancy seeing you here Blythe.” He said as he moved closer to try and get a look at what she had done.

“Well let’s have a look now what happened.” He asked as he waited for her to tell him. It was a somewhat delicate encounter for him since he knew her and well it was a little strange to treat someone that he knew. Most of the time he didn’t know the people he treated. But he wasn’t going to treat this any different than anyone else.

[Blythe]

Blythe smiled up at Serrif, as her lips continued to fade to a color similar to the tone of her skin. "It's good to see you Serrif, although, I'm a bit surprised to see the healers so busy with injured Konti that you'd be needed." Blythe blushed a little. "Of course, that's not really a bad thing. Surely you're good at what you do. It's just that men, don't tend to care to the wounds of women." She paused for a moment, not bothering to add the part about how almost everyone on the island was female, making any sort of encounter with a male a rather rare occurrence.

Blythe's blush deepened, as she pulled the strap of her dress down a little, exposing the wound in its entirety to Serrif's keen eye. Surely he would need to inspect it. "You remember the suvai pavilion, don't you?" Blythe asked. "I took up katana, and we train with wooden practice swords there... they're safer than the real thing. Anyway... there was a bit of an accident. My sparring partner broke her sword over my shoulder, and then stabbed me with the broken remains of her wooden katana."

Blythe paused for a moment, allowing Serrif to take in the darker nature of her accident. The violent nature, so unlike that which was found in most Konti woman. "One of the wooden shards of her sword imbedded itself in my flesh. When I pulled the over-sized splinter out, it only served to let my blood flow more freely... as you can plainly see," Blythe added. "We thought the women at the temple could help to patch things up..." Blythe's voice trailed off for a moment.

"Or one of the men, such as yourself," Blythe finished, waiting for Serrif to make a final assessment, and start treating. For although the wound still stung, she knew it would begin to grow numb soon enough.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

Her presence did seem to ease his nerves, he wasn’t often found out in the clinic. Her remark seemed a little funny to him as he smiled and began to look her wound over some and spoke to try and ease her; taking her mind off of the wound some. “Men are generally not common here on Mura. So it would suffice to say that it is uncommon to see men anywhere here.” He laughed a little as he laid a hand on her gently…and it happened again. He was still unaware of his Konti gift, and had no idea that right now through the simple touch of his hand and his calm demeanor that it was being washed over Blythe.

It would feel calming and would start at his point of contact which was her shoulder. It would start there and be gentle at first, calming her muscles and body like the mornings first breeze. But it would continue outward in all directions across her body deepening the feeling little by little. Would she mistake this feeling for something? Maybe for her having deep feelings for this man? He looked her wound over carefully and noted that it looked clean…but he needed to make sure to try and evade infection. Poor Blythe was stumbling over her words again as he touched her and looked her over. “Well…I will admit I am one of few men here at the Temple. And it isn’t bad but I do have something to treat it with so just relax and I will start treatment.”

He removed his hand from her shoulder and the calm feeling Blythe was experiencing halted and remained where it was no longer deepening. It was odd…maybe she could make sense of all of it? Serrif looked though the belt pouch Lym had given him and he picked out a few vials. In his head he went through what would likely be appropriate for this situation. She didn’t need anything strong because the wound was minor. So if he were to dose her with a sedative he would want to apply it straight on the site of the wound to help numb it as it healed. He did have a paste that could help seal the wound and also would promote healing. But applying it was sometimes tricky. He set the vials on a side table and then pulled a clean rag from the table and then put some of the clear contents of one vial onto it. He then gently pressed the rag to her wound and let the medicine seep in. Her wound would get numb quickly and he would then pull the rag away and get another vial out. The contents of this one weren’t quite as viscous as the previous one. It was slightly thicker almost like jelly.

“So besides this wound how are things Blythe?” He asked as he applied the jelly like substance to her wound with another separate sterile rag.

[Blythe]

Blythe smiled sweetly, allowing her eyes to sparkle, and the scales that lined her forehead to shimmer in whatever sunlight made its way through the long canopy of the clinic's tent. She hoped the simple gesture would be enough to calm Serrif too, as he worked to heal her.

As the man pressed a cloth filled with what the Konti assumed to be some sort of cleaning agent, Blythe allowed her smile to widen. She could feel the pale flesh around her wound growing numb, as the medicine seeped through. As it trickled through the laceration upon her flesh. "That feels better," Blythe whispered, as she then fell silent, wondering how long he would hold the cloth there, before pulling it away.

As Serrif questioned her, Blythe listened, and then took a moment to consider her words, before replying. "Alright. I cannot say that all that much has happened since our dinner on the beach... life remains as it always is. A series of events both good and bad. A monotonous trail of work. Tarot card readings, and shell divinations. Caring for the family- cooking, and cleaning, and generally, tending to this and that. Breaking up the occasional fight." Blythe chuckled. "What about you? It seems like the temple keeps you on your toes."

OOCSorry this isn't a whole lot to work with.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

“Lym seems to always be coming up with new ways to test me.” He shrugged a little and then pulled another vial from the pouch Lym had given him after he pulled the cloth away from her wound.

The wound itself wasn’t all that bad and the dose of sedative he had administered to her should last the rest of the day in the very least. But he wanted it to last a little longer than that so he would have to be a little creative here. The vial of the sap like substance would react well to the sedative being added, but he would have to be careful in the dosage or he would just drug Blythe and have her stumbling around like she was a drunkard. He took a small glass mixer that had a small spoon like end and he dipped it carefully into the refined sedative. He gathered what he believed would be an under dose of the sedative; better it wear off slightly early than to have a prolonged effect on her.

He mixed it into the vials contents and then noticed that it didn’t change the viscosity of the liquid at all. That was a good sign, because usually a change in physical characteristics meant that there was a very violent change in the chemical structure of the medicine. Something that Lym had taught him to be weary of because if it changed physically it usually changed chemically as well. He took another sterile cloth and scooped some of the substance out of the vial with the small glass spoon like mixer. He then gently applied the mixture to her shoulder where it was wounded. The mixture had a very earthy plant smell to it along with its green tint.

“Ok well until the sedative in this wears off I don’t want you doing anything too dangerous. Your motor skills for his arm will be slightly impaired and your shoulder will feel weightless. So you will need to rest. I think about two or so days without training in the Pavilion should do it. After that you should be mostly healed up this paste works wonders. Just keep yourself resting and doing Tarot readings and such you should heal up nice and clean.” He discarded the two sterile rags he had used and took a seat on the bed beside her and then gently placed a hand on her side of her face…

And there the feeling was again, that calming feeling. It only happened when he touched her. And only where he touched her. The feeling always started at the point of contact and then radiated out from there. It washed over her face and then down through her chest after a few moments of contact. It was an odd feeling, but so very calming… This calming sensation deepened the longer he touched her. What was this?

[Blythe]

Blythe could feel her arm growing all the more numb. Light, airy, as though it were weightless. Or, perhaps, had been chopped off in its entirety, freeing her of its limits. Just like Serrif said it would. "That is strong stuff," Blythe commented absently, as she looked at her shoulder. Expecting to see blood there. A nasty gash, bubbles bursting against her skin to show Serrif's choice in medications were working. But there didn't seem to be much of that, much of anything. Just skin, with a few imperfections.

A shadow crossed over Blythe's face, causing her to look up from the sight of her wounded shoulder, to Serrif. She could see his hand inching closer and closer to her face, until it curled around her cheek. Cupping it lightly. Sending gentle tremors of warmth through her system, that served to calm her. She could feel his touch radiating through her flesh, and closed her eyes, allowing herself to lean into the hand a little. Allowing the wave of serenity it sent through her to wash over her completely.

"What is it about you Serrif that makes a woman wish your hands could linger upon her flesh a little longer?" Blythe whispered, her voice sounding somewhat far away. Slowly, she raised her left hand, and pressed her palm against the back of Serrif's hand. She wove her fingers through his own, gently. Allowing her fingertips to brush up against her eyelashes. For the slender hairs to tickle her flesh. It sent a shudder through the length of her spine.

Blythe stayed like that for a few moments, before opening her eyes. Letting the lavender-colored orbs find Serrif's darker ones. "There's something about being near you that's simply, indescribable... like stepping into a pool of tranquility, and only stepping back out once you have long gone," Blythe tried to explain, finding her words a bit silly. But she did not know what else to say. She could feel her cheeks reddening, and decided to pull his hand away. Easing it towards his side, before she unwound her fingers from it. Allowing her hand to settle back into her lap.

"Perhaps we shouldn't... not here... lest someone should see us and say something," Blythe whispered. Knowing in her heart that she had only pulled his hand away because she was frightened by what had overcome her. How it was causing her to behave.

OOCDarn you Serrif and your Konti gift!

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

Serrif continued to smile watching her intently for any signs that her body was rejecting the medicine he was administering to her. She seemed to accept it quite readily; which was a good thing. Since there were times where people rejected a medicine for one reason or another. And to find out why usually involved trying to concoct several medicinal alternatives, and this process was tedious. However Blythe was taking well to the medicine. Which was good. The women here still puzzled him though, especially Blythe. She was…interesting. She seemed to dodge his affections but he swore that now it was like she wanted them. She wanted him to touch her, hold her be with her. And that became even more apparent when they were at the beach together only a few nights ago.

She was an enigma to him. A true shadow that he just couldn’t understand at all. And every time he thought he had she threw in another maze of puzzles for him to try and navigate….and he was never any good at them. “Yes it is strong just relax Blythe, let it work.”

He said calming her. His bedside manner had gotten better with time. But being that his patient was Blythe he found that it was easy to calm her down. All he needed was a well placed touch and a few calming words. He could see her relax and almost curl into him. It was interesting. For all the times she said or hinted that she didn’t want to be with him her body sure told a different story entirely. “I wish I knew what made you want my presence Blythe. I would bottle it for you if possible.” He said with a smile as he gently caressed her face a little more before removing it.

He loved her eyes…something about them was enthralling. There was an understanding there in them. She had seen his past, and she knew who he was. And yet she still wanted his presence. It seemed like her body actually craved him. Maybe that was because he was a man and she was a woman. Maybe it was a primal attraction that she wanted him; and not just for his presence. Her cheeks were reddening she was beginning to doubt. Her mind was fighting her wants and desires; almost like she was ashamed of what she wanted. Embarrassed to say anything to him because it would be improper; but such things sometimes had to be set aside. Because there was no room for manners in desires.

She pulled his hand away and spoke, he agreed they shouldn’t do this here. This was his place of work, but at the same time he was sure the other healers would understand…if not think it a little comical in a way. He was sure words of something between him and Blythe had traveled some. Konti women seemed to know everything about their sisters.

“You say that Blythe, but you don’t mean it” He said pegging her a little and confronting her directly.

“But you are right not here…not at the clinic.” He said as he gently one last time brushed back some of her hair from her face. She would feel the warm washing feeling one last time and it would fade has his skin no longer touched hers.

“Perhaps…perhaps Blythe we can meet tonight. I will leave the place up to you. Either with me on the beach or maybe in the garden near the center of town, it is beautiful this time of the year I hear.” He said with a smile as he then gently wrapped her shoulder with some bandaging.

“So what will it be? Or are you too busy to indulge yourself?”

[Blythe]

As soon as Serrif pulled his hand away from her, Blythe was certain that she could feel her heart picking up the pace again. That she was no longer, truly calm. "Garden near the center of town?" Blythe whispered, as though tasting the words. Trying to determine how sweet they sounded.

After a moment, Blythe realized they sounded tranquil enough. But something about them still, didn't seem quite right. She furrowed her brow in concentration, playing the words over and over in her mind. Thinking on them, just how Serrif had said them. Just how she had said them. "Do you mean the Starry Night? Towards the outskirts of town?" Blythe finally asked, being unable to think of any other garden. "They're quite nice this time of year. A lovely place to write. To think. To sit in silence, alone." The woman's lips curled into a delicate smile, as her eyes sparkled.

Blythe's eyes made their way upwards. Tracing Serrif's body from his middle, to his eyes. She extended her uninjured arm, and placed her palm upon his pectoral muscle. She could feel his heart beating beneath her touch, as she slowly got to her feet. She stood beside him, bringing her body close, so that only an inch's worth of space hung between them. "Perhaps then, that is why it would make such a great place to go on a date," Blythe whispered, her voice taking on a seductive edge. "No one to bother us..."

The Konti's voice trailed off as she eased herself onto her tippy-toes, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips delicately into Serrif's cheek. She could feel his flesh sink against her own, for but a second, before she pulled away. Before she whispered in his ear, "thanks for taking care of me Ser." She could feel her own warm breath bouncing off his flesh as she slowly, pulled herself away, and forced herself to look into his eyes. "See you later... and do try not to keep me waiting," she finished, as she dragged her hand off his chest and returned it to her side. After giving him one last, loving look, the woman walked away, to return home until the time of their date.

Several chimes later...

Blythe sat by the side of a small pond, atop a ring of flat grey stones. Her legs had been bent at the knee, and curled towards her chest. Her long white dress draped over their expanse, and dipped down the side of the rock. Following the impurities as though it were a bed of water as opposed to airy fabric. Her injured arm rested lazily against one knee, while her uninjured one rested above the bed of clear water, casting an elongated shadow across its length. The Konti curled each of her fingers, save for the pointer into her palm, and delicately lowered it into the water.

It was cool; crisp. The Konti watched as the water rippled beneath her touch. Shooting out in each direction until it lapped up lazily against its stone confines. She stirred the water absently, and glanced around her surroundings as the small fish that lived in the pond's water came up to nibble at her flesh, causing her to choke down a small giggle from time to time.

A series of leafy plants surrounded her. Their leaves larger than her head, and tear shaped. They bent at the middle, as though holding out a cup towards the sky, offering to catch any rainwater it may release. Nestled into the center of each of these plants was a single, large, bright red plant, unlike any other. Its petals were curled, seemingly into spikes, which sprouted out of a central point, a small orb, which could scarcely be discerned from where Blythe sat. Let alone if one were to venture closer.

As Blythe sat, she was certain she could pick up their scent on the edge of her nostrils. A soft, nearly non-existent one, which reminded her of honey. She pulled her hand out of the water, and was just about to move closer to the strange plant, when she heard the sound of footsteps coming closer. She could hear tiny pebbles crunching underfoot, causing her to sit up straighter and perk her ears to listen. Could that be Serrif? Blythe wondered, as she raised her left hand towards her hair, and combed it through several strands, tugging it straight, and into a place behind her shoulder.

The footsteps were getting louder.

Blythe returned her hand to her side, and simply waited. She didn't want to call out the wrong name, after all. That would just be embarrassing.

[Serrif Von Chatlyn]

Serrif watched Blythe’s mind churn over gently. What was she going to do? She repeated his offer to herself, almost as if it were a question. Had he somehow stepped on a Konti tradition? Was that garden somehow sacred among Konti or something like that? She then corrected him which was a relief. He then knew that it wasn’t the fact that he had stepped on something or touched a subject that Blythe was sensitive about.

“Yes the Starry Night Blythe…I got my locations mixed up.” He said recovering with a smile. “I even heard that there is an exquisite winery present in the gardens as well, I have been meaning to sample some wine from them but never had an excuse to go. Much less anyone to go with.” One didn’t simply go to a winery alone, especially in Mura.

She touched him and then whispered honey sweet words to his ear. They glided over the space between them. Gently making their way to his ear where they finally registered. She was accepting his proposal indeed, even suggesting it was a date…which it was. “Yes none to bother us indeed. It is perfect. We will likely have the entire garden to ourselves.”

She was obviously excited to have a date. It showed in her steps as well as the new seductive edge that she had adopted for her own. Her warm breath against his body was a nice change from the shy Blythe he did know when he first came here. “I won’t keep you waiting Blythe. It is rude to keep a beautiful woman waiting.” He had a sly smile as he commented.

It was nice to see Blythe this way. She was very seductive when she wanted to be. And it was good to see that those skills weren’t completely lost from her. She was a beautiful woman, but he was still unsure about much with her. But there were some things that just didn’t really matter. And there were other things that did. But all those issues and such would get worked out with time. Her sweet soft kiss on his cheek proved to him that seduction wasn’t an art lost to Blythe, it was just an art she was finding inside herself again.

Several Chimes Later

He had gathered a few things for his date with Blythe. He had a small two items wrapped in cloth. One of them was a wheel of cheese and the other was a round loaf of dark whole wheat bread. He figured if he was going to have wine bread and cheese would go well with it. He got these items after Lym allowed him to go off duty. She even had a suggestive smile on her face while she did. Seemed word traveled fast here on the isle…especially when this news involved him. Or so it seemed that way. Women loved to talk especially about men.

He was dressed really the same as always, black shirt and pants with his pretty normal boots. None of these things were really his…he had taken them from….well he didn’t remember where but he knew they weren’t his. It mattered not honestly. He had a date with Blythe and he was to meet her in the gardens near the Starry Night; that was enough of a reason for him to have a pang of excitement about him.

He didn’t know where he would find Blythe. But he assumed she had likely reached the gardens before he had. So he walked through them. He saw a pond and there was someone there…in a white dress. Although at this distance he couldn’t be completely sure that it was Blythe. Most Konti had the same build and wore the same things….so they all almost looked like clones of each other at times. Especially from a great distance, so he moved closer to confirm who it was. It seemed around the time he got within thirty or so feet he saw the figure straightened up and looked about. It looked like Blythe so he got a little closer. Yes it was Blythe