Closed I'll Give You The Stars From the Bruised Evening Sky

[Hess]

84 Summer, 512 Despite having trudged and clambered and climbed and crawled for many hours this day, there was still a spring in Hess’ step as he made his way back through the Sanikas Gates and re-entered the city. The long hours and sometimes rough terrain he had to negotiate were nothing new to him. For years now he had been spending more of each day outside Wind Reach than inside its protective cradle of rock. Many times he had gone out for weeks at a stretch, alone or sometimes in the company of another hunter, or two or three. The largest game animals could be brought down by one man. But getting a moose or elk back to the city required either multiple trips or multiple backs to carry the various roughly butchered parts on. For the most part, though, he preferred to work alone. As most of what he bagged was more to be considered small game, this worked best, for his methods. The day had been quite hot, and even as the last rays of Syna were edging down in the west, the fitful breeze was still sultry. It looked to be a very warm evening as well. Hess took the half dozen rabbits he had shoved into a leather bag straight to the communal kitchen, and traded them for his dinner. He needed to wash up, but he was famished too. So, as he often did when nights were balmy, he took his meal up and up and up until he came to the top of a level of the volcanic buildings. Here he could easily perch and in just the right spot, there was a fissure in the surrounding rocks that gave one a good view of the ocean, far, far away. He sat down cross legged and began to eat, just as the first stars of evening began to twinkle overhead. To the east, the sky was a deep indigo. To the west, one final streak of crimson graced the horizon, just above the water, and the sky above it was a bruised violet. Hess ate quickly, because he was so hungry, and he was just licking the last bits of grease from his messy fingers, when he heard a light step over to the side, where one could step from the stairs onto the roof top. He wasn’t fussed. This wasn’t his own private, secret sanctuary. It was a place he had not infrequently encountered other – it seemed to be popular with lovers who liked to come up and watch a romantic sunset. Turning his sweat and dirt streaked face to see who the new comer was, he saw it was not a couple. It was a young woman, by herself. Good, he thought, for he wasn’t quite ready to get up. He was feeling a bit lazy after a long day and having a full belly. And he didn’t much care to sit and watch the progression of an amorous encounter. Occasionally people acted as if they were, in fact, completely alone up here, no matter who was looking on.

[Euthisa]

Euthisa lay in her room restless. Today had been like any other day for her. She worked in the Enclave as usual, and while she enjoyed it, today it had felt tedious for her. She was in an indifferent mood, apathetic to everything around her. She'd been grateful when it came time to return home but once she got here, her mood didn't lift any. She glanced around her room, and its blankness further depressed her. She chalked up her mood to being that she so badly wished to rise in caste among her people, but she seemed stuck where she was as a Chiet. She knew not what duties she wished to perform as an Avora in order to even try apprenticing with one. She continued to hope that one day it would just strike her. Her restlessness grew and she decided to go for a walk. Evening was freshly upon the volcanic city and not a single cloud shielded the stars above from view. These nights were Euthisa's favorite, and the soothing night air and glittering starlight already made her feel better. The soft blue of her clothing seemed to take on a glow with the hues of color still left in the sky. She'd left her hair down today and it swung and bounced around her shoulders as she walked along the many paths within the city. Her destination remained unknown to her. She simply followed her feet and let them roam where they pleased. She passed many shops, the ranges, and countless other things this night in her journey. She soon found herself at what seemed to be the tallest building in Wind Reach, complete with a side staircase leading all the way up. Euthisa didn't even know what building this was, but without hesitation she placed a foot on the bottom step and started up. The small heel of her boots made a soft clicking sound on each stone step along the way. Not enough to shake the tranquility of the night, but enough to be heard if nearby. She took her time ascending the stairs, she was in no rush. She finally reached the top and before stepping on to the roof, glanced around her. The view was spectacular for she could see most of the city sleeping peacefully below. Euthisa stepped on to the roof and proceeded to walk towards the walled edge to lean against it. She was startled however as she turned to look and met the eyes of a young man already up here. He looked to be about her age with lighter red hair and gentle golden eyes. He was taller than her, though that was normal for someone standing not far above five feet to begin with. Euthisa searched her memory but found this man nowhere among the images. She'd never seen him around before tonight, though she wasn't complaining to find herself in the company of a handsome man. She only hoped she wasn't disturbing him. She flashed him a smile as she spoke. "Hi there. I didn't expect anyone to be up here. Am I interrupting anything? I can leave if I'm disturbing you." While she awaited his response, she introduced herself. "My name is Euthisa."

[Hess]

It seemed as if the girl had not realized that she had company up on the roof top, until she had taken a few steps and then happened to glance in Hess’ direction. As he had been watching her, their eyes met for a moment and he could see that she was a bit startled. But she seemed to recover her poise quickly, and gave him a friendly greeting. Her expression was a bit speculative, as if she wondered who he might be, or why he was here. As she didn’t look familiar to him either, he assumed it was more the former than the latter. She gave him a polite out, though, if he desired to claim the roof for himself, and then introduced herself, confirming pretty much that they were in fact strangers to one another. Wind Reach had a fairly small population. But he didn’t know every other resident here, especially if they pursued some other line of work than he did. And as Hess was outside the city as much as, if not more so than, he was inside its walls, he probably knew fewer of its citizens than most. He set his dish down, the contents being thoroughly devoured with the exception of a few well picked bones, and pulled his knees up to his chest, crossing his arms over his shins. Shaking his head in the negative, he replied easily, “No, it’s fine. I just came up here to eat. It’s so blinking stuffy down in the kitchens.” He threw her an amiable, lazy smile. “Make yourself comfortable. I’m Hess, by the way.” He was looking at her with a casual stare, the way men do look at pretty girls, but then his glance went to the spectacular view of the water, between the humps of the mountain’s shoulder. “Nice view from up here. Sunset was pretty tonight.” He tilted his head back a bit, glancing up at the dark sky above them, feeling the set of the capricious breeze and searching the air for any hint of the heat letting up later on.

[Euthisa]

He'd been eating his dinner, seemingly just finished as she'd arrived. He sent a smile her way and offered to share this cozy spot with her, introducing himself as well. Euthisa nodded in gratitude and strode over, sitting down and getting comfortable next to him. She sat on her hip, her legs folded up against her, weight leaning into her hand on the cool stone surface of the roof top. She was happy to make another friend. She still hated that she was such a befriending and open person, yet could count her actual friends on one hand. Until recently in fact, she didn't really know anyone besides the regular frequents of the Enclave. All her time was spent either there, or at home practicing her fiddle or more self training with her dagger. She wrote here and there as well. But it was healthy for a person to have friends to spend time with. Humans aren't meant to spend their time purely in solitude. Stimulation was necessary. And other people were perfect for just that. Hess glanced off in the distance, and following his gaze, Euthisa's breath momentarily caught in her throat. There was one area that from up here you could see the far off ocean if you looked in the right place. Euthisa'd always wanted to spend time at or in the ocean, or to even travel a little bit by sea. Inarta travelers weren't common though, unless they were hunters or Endals, and neither normally went any further than necessary for their task. The water was beautiful even if distant, and Euthisa fell into short daydream of someday getting her wish. He himself then commented on the view, snapping her out of her thoughts, and sending the feeling of deja vu down her spine. It wasn't often that she was around someone who spoke what she herself had just been thinking. He noted the beauty of the sunset this evening and she contemplatively giggled in agreement. "Yes it was. Sunsets are my favorite. The rich waves of colors soaring through the sky, the glitter of the stars peeking out from daytime hiding places, and I'm always grateful for the cooler temperatures that usually accompany the night. It's soothing. Relieving. Peaceful." Dazingly staring off at the sky, Euthisa asked the question currenly plaguing her mind, at least for the moment. "So Hess, love your name by the way, do you come here often? I didn't even know this place existed until tonight. I found it randomly wandering. I love it up here. I wish I could see more sights like this. Unfortunately I don't get out much."

[Hess]

The girl apparently felt quite at ease and wandered over to sit next to him, which was fine. In fact, Hess thought some company might be nice. He wasn’t an anti-social kind of guy. Most Inarta weren’t – they loved to argue with one another too much to care for solitude, it seemed. But he was so busy most of the time, or too tired when he made it back to the city, that he wound up spending a good deal of his very limited leisure time alone, usually asleep. He sometimes thought to himself that he should make an effort to go hang out with others, but it just didn’t seem to happen that often. As he lowered his gaze from his sky watch, and watched Euthisa instead, curling her legs under her, far from resenting her appearance, he decided his night was taking a turn for the better. She was pretty, and looked to be about his age, give or take, and he wasn’t bothered at all to spend some time chatting to her, as she seemed friendly enough. In reply to her comments about the sunset, he only gave a brief nod. He wasn’t a wordsmith, and he was content to let her be far more poetic than he could ever hope, or want, to be, about it. Then she posed him a question, and he shrugged a bit, before unlacing his arms from his knees, and reclining down onto one elbow.

“Not very often. I like it up here. But I usually just try to clean up a bit and then turn in.” He glanced down, seeing smears and streaks of dirt and grime on his chest and stomach. His hands were really cruddy looking, with bits of dried blood under some of the nails. Of course, his right hand was a mess anyway, covered with the scars from being chewed on by that young bear, and his little finger missing entirely.

With a smirk, he said, “Guess you can tell I skipped over the cleaning up part tonight. I was famished. Didn’t think I’d be meeting up with anyone.” He grinned, totally not fussed by his state of filthiness.

“I’m usually too tired to bother to come up. It was just so hot down there.” Hess looked at her questioningly. She obviously wasn’t a Dek, so it couldn’t be the grueling amount of labor they were required to perform that kept her from coming out. But everyone in Wind Reach worked at some job or other.

“What keeps you so busy you can’t get out more? Or does your job just wear you out?” Or a partner?” he asked with a light chuckle, his tone teasing.

OOCHess is currently sustaining some injuries in a flashback thread which will leave scars. I've updated his CS to reflect that

[Euthisa]

Her company didn't seem bothered by her immediate proximity to him, and this allowed Euthisa to truly settle in sitting at his side and really direct her focus on the sky above. It's presence commanded her attention so strictly that it took Hess' voice to bring her back to Wind Reach and the rooftop. He laid down more, using his arm to prop himself up, furthering Euthisa's assumption that he was comfortable around her. He mentioned that he usually cleans up more and Euthisa's eyes followed his own onto his dirt streaked body. Euthisa hadn't noticed it when she first looked him over, but other than dirt and grime tonight, he wore scars scattered across his ribs and side, and she guessed they continued onto his back. Instinctively, Euthisa wondered if he was a Dek and the scars were from attacks or abuse from others. However, they way he talked and his activities suggested otherwise. Her eyes then wandered to the rest of his body and then she saw his hand. His smallest finger was completely missing and the rest of the hand bore the same scars as his body. As she readied herself to ask him what happened, he changed topics and questioned what kept her occupied all the time. His guesses included a partner wearing out her energy and time and it was all Euthisa could do not to keel over in hysterics. She barely had friends, much less a boyfriend or a partner. That's not to say she wouldn't at all mind, but life hadn't worked out that way thus far. Euthisa rolled her eyes and giggled at Hess. "Hahahaha, a partner making me tired!!! That's a good one, haha!! I'm a librarian in The Enclave. Most of my time is spent there working and when I'm not there, I'm home practicing. I really didn't even have friends to spend any time with until recently. I mean there are the regular visitors at work, but those circumstances really can't be counted as friendships. The lack of friends began driving me crazy though, so I've recently started venturing out more. Seems to be doing me a favor thus far." Euthisa said the latter with a playful smirk adorning her face. She was relieved to realize her mood had lifted. Moods like the one she was experiencing earlier made her feel like she was living and functioning in a fog and that bothered her. Naturally she was a bright person and she seemed to live on cue. Euthisa knew every good thing had it's negative counterpart, but she hated when that kicked in. She liked living life like she was tonight, contemplative but happy.

[Hess]

She apparently found his speculation amusing, for Euthisa giggled as she explained that she worked in the Enclave. But her description of her social life, or lack thereof, didn’t really sound like anything to laugh about. Hess watched the girl speculatively as she spoke, but as she paused, she had a little grin on her face. It seemed a bit sad to think of someone being isolated not due to fatigue or preference but merely because they had a hard time connecting with others. At least it sounded like Euthisa was making some progress on that score. And she certainly seemed content with having found someone to talk to here on the roof. “Well, I’m glad you ventured out tonight, then, Euthisa,” he said. “For your sake, and mine.” He flashed her a smile, then lay back fully, his hands behind his head, long, shaggy red hair fanning out beneath. His eyes went to the stars above and he was quiet for a moment. He really was tired, but he was finding her company quite pleasant. It made a nice change from his usual routine. Of course, having been able to return to that routine after quite a bit of downtime, after being mauled by the bear, was a gift in itself. Hess wasn’t complaining – he loved his life, hunting and being out roaming the mountain, being exposed to the elements and life. The Wildlands were treacherous, but he loved the challenge of it. It was tiring though, and with Euthisa sitting beside him at this moment, he thought for a bit about his own social life. He wasn’t lacking in friends, he simply didn’t take the time he had to go hang out with them. Stretching his legs out, he crossed them at his ankles, barefoot, having kicked off his boots when he had first sat down. His eyes lazed closed, and he said, “A librarian? You must know a lot of stories. Can you tell me one? Say . . . one about the stars?”

[Euthisa]

"I'm glad I came out too, Hess." She flashed him back a smile to match his own. He then fully lay down beside her, eyes to the skies again. He grew momentarily quiet, lost in thought she supposed, and then he took her by surprise, asking her to tell him a story of the stars. Euthisa was dumbfounded for a minute before she could coherently think long enough to respond to him. No one had ever asked her to tell them a story before, and she had to search her memory logs to see if she even knew one to tell. However she did. The tale of Zintila's fall from grace. Euthisa laid down next to Hess, knees skyward and hands folded across her stomach. I do have a story for you. One I recently read too. The tale of Zintila and her fall from the sky. Now bare with me, no one's ever asked me to tell them a story before, so I'm not sure how this is going to go." She retold the tale in her head to herself first before she started telling it to him, just making sure she had it right and her memory wasn't going to fail her. Confident she had it all in order and that she could do this, she cleared her throat and began the story. "Long ago, our world turned to shambles as chaos and war broke out upon it. The battles spilled into the Heavens and no one walked away unscathed. A queen was slain, men fought their fellow men, and Gods fought Gods. The holy war shook this world, changed it, and the ending result was not to be pleasant. Ivak unleashed a wrath of pure fury upon the world, a threat of enough magnitude to endanger Semele herself." "Her daughter, Zintila, a once Goddess of great power, gave her life to protect her mother. This caused her to fall from the skies and back to Mizahar, but her sacrifice was not in vain as it saved her mother's life and healed her of the wounds that inflicted her from Ivak's fury. Zintila lost the vast majority of her power as well as her place in the pantheon of the Gods, and she now bides her time to regain her power. Her redemption is coming." "Since her fall, Zintila has struck a deal with Leth and Akajia, rulers of the moon and the night, to let her radiance continue to shine in the stars, even without her presence among them. This serves as a reminder to all of Mizahar of the sacrifice she made, and her own testament that one day, she will rise again and retake her former place in the hierarchy. The stars we gaze at this night are the result of Zintila's remaining power, put to use from her dwelling place in Lhavit. We have her to thank for this world not vanishing from existence all those years ago, for if she didn't step up to protect her mother, none of this," Euthisa thrust her hands outwards, gesturing to all that surrounded them. "and none of us, would be here." Euthisa's last statement hung in the air above them, a thoughtful silence ensuing from where she left off. She smiled to herself in joy and pride, congratulating herself on what she felt was a greatly told story. She just hoped now that Hess enjoyed it.

[Hess]

Hess hadn’t really expected Euhtisa to tell him a story. She might have told him to go stuff himself, or she might have made some joke about the arrogance of the Avora, or how childish his request sounded. So he was actually surprised himself, when she so readily acquiesced to his request. He heard her movements, and without opening his eyes he guessed that she was making herself more comfortable – and not simply getting up to run away from him. And when she spoke, he thought to himself that this was indeed very, very pleasant, with her melodic voice in his ear and the warm summer breeze fanning his face. There was a bit of a pause before she launched into it. But he felt as if he would have no problem laying here on this rooftop all night, he was so comfortable and content. True, a certain lassitude was now creeping over him. It was welcome, however. He just needed to not let himself drift right off. Her story, when she began, was elegant in its lines, like a lovely piece of music, and Hess’ mind wandered to ponder the goddess who had fallen so far, for the love of a parent. When Euthisa came to her close, he thought about her tale for a few moments longer. A smile graced his face, as he said, “Well done. That was a beautiful tale. You must have known that our lady Zintila lies close to the heart of every hunter. For it is often that her sparkling lights guide us home.” He rolled over onto his side, to prop his head on his hand, and looked at Euthisa. “You have a gift with words. Do you ever join in the story telling at the Well, in the Enclave? Or perhaps it’s that you’ve listened to many, in the course of your work there. Anyway, if you haven’t, you should. You’re quite good.” His eyes searched hers for a moment, before he said, “You know, it’s funny. I don’t even remember meeting you as a child. I don’t think we could be that far apart in age. You must have been very shy, back then.” He shrugged one shoulder. “But, I began training as a hunter when I was ten. So perhaps it was just our paths never crossed – until now.”

[Euthisa]

Drawing her attention away from the sky, Hess replied that he enjoyed her story. He explained the way he related to the tale, exposing that he was an Avora, a hunter, like so many of their people were. A pang of longing struck Euthisa's heart, longing for something of importance to accomplish and be a part of, and longing to excel in life among her people. Being a Chiet wasn't a bad thing at all, but Euthisa knew deep down that she could be so much more than that. One day. "I'm glad the story I knew related to you so well. Makes it all the better." She said as he rolled over to face her. She turned her head to look at him, though remained laying on her back against the cool stone. He showered her with compliments, his affections raining down over her and flushing her cheeks. "That was the first story I ever told actually. I attend the story telling from time to time, but not that often. I guess you could say it just comes naturally for me. I'll consider it though, and invite you along if I choose to participate." Their eyes locked together for a moment, he searching hers, she captivated by his. He brought up their youth and how they managed not to meet in life until now. A playful smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she responded to him. "It's not necessarily that I was shy, though I was a little bit. It was more that I was just focused on my tasks. Someone, somewhere, was always watching, and I always did my best to impress. I could live life content as a Chiet of our people, but I wanted more than that, even as a child. I guess subconsciously I felt that friendships and things of that nature could potentially steer me off track. So I avoided it and spent my time to myself." She sidetracked herself for a moment in thought before she spoke again. "I'm kind of grateful for meeting now instead of as Yasi though. We have raw personality and experiences to base our opinions off of now, rather than predetermined judgements gathered as children. And I'm not complaining."