Flashback [Closed] Out With the Old

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

4th of Summer, 510 AV Syliran Coast, North of Syliras It was about a whole bell past sundown, and on a beach just north of Syliras, close enough to the city to be seen but far enough to allay any fears or mistrust felt towards the sea-dwellers, a pod of svefra sat around a series of small campfires, trading stories and catching up. Food and drink were passed around, though not as abundantly or energetically as they would have been at a celebration, and despite the light-hearted mood of the camp they were generally calmer than they were at parties or festivals. Circles had gathered around some of the storytellers of the pod, the cooks had gone off to prepare a few meals for everybody, the dedicated warriors congregated in their group and began sparring, the musicians had met and were now practicing their tunes and melodies, soft songs one the wind. The pod had just finished a journey straight across the north Suvan, all the way from Kalea with no stops inbetween, sustaining themselves on fish that they'd gathered as the stores began running out. There was never any danger of starvation, but the Lia deemed it necessary to spend a few days ashore hunting and fishing for more food in preparation for their departure, as well as trading with Syliras for some more essentials. Since they lacked the supplies to host a sufficient party, they kept themselves quiet for now and resisted the urge to make merry as usual. That wouldn't stop them from throwing a celebration for their leaving once they did have the supplies. At the edge of the smattering of campfires, Kirvan laid on the sand with his eyes pointed skyward, towards Leth's domain. It was a clear night, his light coating the beach with a pale blue coat, twinkling off the incoming tide. The god of the moon was also supposed to reside over change, so perhaps this had been his intention or part of some design of his from the start. For the last season, while the Deepseeker pod had ferried their passengers across the Suvan, Kirvan had grown close to a particular inartan lass. Fiery red hair, amber eyes, she was so energetic and eager to learn, much like Kirvan. He'd taught her to sail, she'd taught him to speak Nari, they talked about each other's lives and histories, swapped stories and thoughts long into the night. Hence it was in a somewhat melancholy mood that the young svefra lad found himself staring into the sky, wondering over the woman he had left behind in the walls of the great fortress that was Syliras. So he laid there still, amidst the backdrop of the crashing waves and the hubbub of a uncharacteristically calm svefra pod, waiting for something that would draw his eye and catch his attention. Of course, that proved to be all too foreshadowing.

[Maeva]

The coast was a new scene for Maeva, who usually spent her time within the city, and more specifically, in the tavern. But recently, she had grown tired of the same old places and same old people. In truth, Syliras was starting to bore her, but without anywhere else to go, Maeva simply ignored this slow realisation. She refused to return back to her original home of Nyka - she had changed far too much since she had left that city, and to return would be as if she was returning to her old self. The Maeva that craved servitude and compliance, like any good Kelvic. No, I want to go somewhere fun - she decided. But where? Maeva had never learnt to read (although she knew what her own name looked like in writing from all the love letters from her many bedroom partners). So maps were useless apart from admiring the green of the land and blue of the ocean. She was terribly under-educated, and Maeva knew that. She was a smart girl; she knew how to twist most situations to favor her own needs and desires. With a simple smile and a sultry look, she had learnt to manipulate the hearts of men - and some women. But the academic side of life was wasted on Maeva, and she was slowly learning the importance of reading. She wondered if one of her usual bedroom partners would be interested in teaching her the skill. Maybe if we incorporated undressing for every time I read something wrong… But that would be no good. As much as Maeva enjoyed learning and wanted to improve herself, sex was her favourite hobby. And she was pretty darned good at it, too. Pausing for a moment, Maeva watched the linings of Svefra pods bobbing up and down on the sea waves. She felt a pang of jealousy - the Svefra were free to go wherever they wanted. But she was also curious… Although she may well have shared her bed with a Svefra male (or two, or three…) Maeva did not know much about their culture - other than the fact they were seamen who spent their lives travelling on the oceans. It was another terribly ignorant part of her life; she was not greatly informed of the other races. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be - quite the opposite. Maeva wanted to be educated and knowledgeable about the different races, as much as she wanted to know about geography and reading - but learning was a difficult thing, and there were very few people she knew that would be willing to help her. And even then, they’d want something in return. Her wandering took a curve to the left as she avoided the busiest pods, not wanting to intrude on their celebrations. Despite the many men she was close friends with, Maeva enjoyed the quiet of solitude nearly as much as she enjoyed bedroom fun. Especially on the beach - the smell of the salty sea and the sounds of the waves she found, were surprisingly relaxing and… just nice. It took a moment for Maeva to realize that she was quickly approaching another set of campfires, albeit these were much more quiet than the others. She stopped abruptly, and went to turn back the way she had come, but something caught her eye. A body, lying face-up on the sand, a little way away from the campfires. Maeva did not know medicine. Her knowledge of biology stemmed from sex - and thus was limited to particular organs of the male anatomy. But still, she hurried over to the dead man and knelt beside him, hoping instinct would take over if she had to save a life. She looked at his face and- And he wasn’t dead. ”Oh- shyke!“ she cursed, jumping up when she realised the dead body was breathing as well as any other live being. ”I thought… you were dead.” She said feebly, suddenly aware how stupid she must look. Her pale complexion flushed slightly, and she made a mental note to never try and be a heroine again.

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

As Leth sat in his domain and stared down at the world below, Kirvan found his mind wandering to a thousand different things at once. Thoughts of Leisa, thoughts of what might have happened, thoughts of when they were traveling, thoughts of before he met her, thoughts of her in Syliras, thoughts of - all interrupted when a face suddenly appeared in his field of vision. It was a pretty face, with full red lips and flowing black hair and two soft gray eyes, pale skin starting to flush slightly. For a moment, Kirvan just sat there still as he had been, his eyes now gazing into the pale woman's kneeling above him. It took a while for her speech to register, and when it did, he finally snapped out of his small trance and responded. He chuckled. "No need to be embarrassed," he replied. "You were ready to do what you thought was needed, and for that I'm grateful. But yes, I am very much alive." Sliding to the side a bit so their heads wouldn't collide, he brought himself up into a sitting position and stared into the fire. "Tell me stranger, what brings you out here, outside Syliras' walls of comfort and protection? Someone like you should remain where they are safe."

[Maeva]

The stranger reacted in the best way possible; by appreciating Maeava's apparent concern for him, and also by laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation. He could have thought I was trying to mug him, or worse. Even those he assured her that she needn't be embarrassed, Maeva struggled to swallow down her humiliation - even for a second. "You might not have been grateful if you had needed medical attention," she eventually said, "I have no training whatsoever." Perhaps instinct may have taken over? Although the fact that Maeva had no maternal instinct - children annoyed her and babies made her feel uncomfortable - she doubted her ability to deliver any helpful medical care. She was probably more likely to kill a person whilst trying to save their life. She shifted her weight backwards, holding her weight by her arms as she changed from a crouching position to a sitting one. She glanced out to the water when he asked what she was doing outside the city. The truth was that she had been hunting for blood, seeking abandoned horses or cows to feed on. In her bat form, of course. It was her bat form that needed the blood - although she didn't particularly understand the science of it. Still, she'd very often find herself tiring quickly, when even nutritious food and drink would not give her human form energy. It was then that she'd know it was blood she needed. But I can't exactly go telling random people that. She glanced back to the stranger next to her and smiled, "I can look after myself. The city gets... tiring sometimes, and too crowded. I like it out here." She hoped that this answer would be enough for him - why would he expect any different, after all? "What about yourself - are you going to visit the city?"

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

Kirvan's mind kept wandering elsewhere, into the city of Syliras and through the bustling roads and passages. However, each time it began to stray, he yanked it back to the reality of that moment, the friendly stranger who'd showed up at his fire. He would do well to forget about Leisa for now, at least for a bit. Dwelling on her would do him no good. Smiling at her embarrassment, Kirvan shook his head. "Luckily, I didn't," he replied. "I don't have any training either, everything I know I learnt from looking at a friend of mine do it, which isn't much. Open wounds are easier because they're more logical, I don't know a thing about internal stuff." He'd seen his buddy Durk bandage and wrap up countless people to the point where he could probably do it himself at this point, but he'd never actually learned anything from the big guy. Maybe he should start trying. Accepting her answer readily, he looked off to the horizon, the dark waters touching the night sky, the only place where Laviku's and Leth's domains touched. Two completely different worlds touching at one point and one point only. Much like here, on the beach outside Syliras. "I'll probably go in sometime soon," he answered distractedly. "Might just hang out by the docks, watch the Sea Father's domain from a different perspective." Turning to face her full on this time, the young svefra flashed her one of his toothy grins. "Name's Kirvan, by the way. I don't have any food here with me, but if you'd like to stay for a while then I can probably go get some. I doubt the Lia would mind, we might not be celebrating but our campfires are always open to newcomers."

[Maeva]

It seemed that the stranger was somewhat distracted, Maeva noticed as she watched his face, as he seemed to watch the ocean. She also looked outwards for a few chimes, and as she did, she wondered what the sea meant to him. She had learnt that different things - even inanimate objects - meant various things to different people. A tree might be where a couple eventually made love, or where a small child threw sticks at his sister. The sea was something Maeva knew nothing about; what lived in the waters, or on them. It was something that fascinated her, but her lack of knowledge and experience of it also made her wary. "I'm Maeva." She glanced sideways to him, and gave him a small smile in return of his own. The Sea Father... it was an unknown deity to Maeva, being terribly uneducated as she was. Oh, how she wanted to ask questions about the sea and the mysterious father figure. She didn't normally accept dinner by an unknown man. Sex and kissing, yes. Drinks, almost always. But food? Time spent dressed and not in a bed? It was a strange thought, but the idea of returning to the city was less tempting. "I... would love that, thank you. The city gets so claustrophobic and uncomfortable something."

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

It was hard to take his mind off of Leisa, but he knew that thinking about her would not help ease his melancholy. She'd gone deep into the castle to search for work, and Kirvan did not dare follow her lest he get lost within, so memories were all he had for now. Focus, he tried to tell himself, focus on who's in front of you. So he looked down into Maeva's eyes, thought he could not help but finger the necklace of glass beads hanging on his chest. "I wouldn't know," he replied. "I've never been too far from the docks in any city. Looks very different though, much more crowded and stuffed than out on the sea." Standing up, he looked across the collection of campfires towards where a small group of cooks were holding sticks of tuna above the fire, them being some of the last supplies from the journey across the Suvan. "Wait here," he told Maeva. "I'll be right back." The young svefra left for the cooks, his eyes on a couple of well-done snacks. Returning a couple chimes later, Kirvan handed one of the small sticks to Maeva before sitting back down in his spot. Without pause, he bit into the small snack, the chewy texture and cooked meet signaling a familiar flavor and sensation. Looking across to his, what, guest? Acquaintance? Anyway, looking over to Maeva, he watched her carefully, hoping she found the small starter palatable. She was one of the first to breach through his withdrawn veil, although very much by accident, and the absence of Leisa left a small need for some female companionship. That, and since Maeva was an outsider it meant she had stories to share from inland, and right now the best way he could take his mind off of what he lost was to learn something new. "So you're from the city then?" Kirvan stated more than asked. "What's it like in there? Do you often celebrate, or is it too crowded for that?" The questions came naturally as he began to fall back into old routines. Everyone had a story, and he wanted to hear her's.

[Maeva]

The young man’s life seemed entirely different to Maeva’s own; the fact he didn’t stray away from the docks along left her aghast. She had seen two cities in her life: Nyka and Syliras. She had also seen the lands between them, but that was all of the travelling Maeva had undergone in her lifetime. It was hard to imagine seeing only the outsides of several cities. Then again, it was hard to imagine floating on the water… She didn’t have time to say anything, however, before her company stood up and excused himself - only to return with some strange looking food. It was something completely different to what Maeva would eat inside the walls of Syliras (although, that may not be a bad thing…). And hey - she wasn’t the sort of woman to refuse new experiences. So she took a bite, and found the edibles surprisingly pleasant. ”Thank you.” She said eventually, having chewed and swallow the starter, ”That was… much better than I expected.” She couldn’t help but give a light chuckle. ”I’ve lived in the city for a few years now.” She answered, leaning back on her hands and looking out to the foamy sea, ”There are some celebrations but… it’s very divided. That’s what my impression is, anyway.” Her experience of Syliras was not what she had expected. Being unable to read, she had been unable to learn any objective information about Syliras itself, other than the geography of it, or how good the trade was. ”In all honesty, I’m growing bored of it.” She added eventually, shrugging her shoulders, ”I live the same life everyday. As much as I enjoy my…” she paused for a split second, ”…daily pleasures, I can’t help but envy the newcomers to the city. And not because they’re staying in an inn that is far more luxurious than my own hovel of a home.” No, I envy them because they tell me where they’ve come from. Even if they’re returning after only a day or two. To the constant trickle of tourists or wide-eyed newcomers to Syliras, Maeva would come across as a street-wise local. To Maeva, those individuals who crossed the entrance mere bells ago bought the most interesting stories.

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

While Maeva talked, Kirvan listened raptly, nibbling on the remains of his starter every now and then, pleased with the fishy taste. She sounded tired of it all, the way she explained the city celebrations was dull and weary, and the way she spoke in envy of the visitors that she came across. A bit like himself to be honest. The stories of travelers that visited his pod were so much more interesting than what actually happened with the Deepseekers. Sure, once or twice a season they would find some idiot pirate poachers to hunt and kill, but at almost all other times his life was as dull as Maeva made hers out to be. In all honesty, travelers were the most interesting part of the pod, and Kirvan wanted to be out there experiencing those adventures, not just hearing about them. "Sounds very routine," he sympathized. "I know what it's like to have to go through the same thing day after day, forever it seems. Out on the ocean there's not much to do, and though I get to spend all the time in Laviku's domain I yearn for something more interesting to happen. Once or twice a season there's a spark of activity, but at all other times it's a monotone existence." Throwing his stick into the fire, he leaned back against the sand and returned to staring at the stars. "Tell you what. When I finally break from this routine lifestyle, I'll come and find you and together we can both do something completely different." It was a whimsical promise, but he knew as soon as the words left his mouth that he meant them.

[Maeva]

It was a little unbelievable to Maeva that Kirvan empathised with her mundane day-to-day life. Each day he’ll wake up in a different part of the sea - a whole new place she pondered as she listened, although the sea all looks the same without the land to differentiate it, another part of her mind told her. ”When I first moved to Syliras, I had the most fun I’ve ever had. I learnt so much.” Of course that was due to a certain female that Maeva had accompanied travelling to Syliras. Josette - Maeva’s first bondmate who had taught her so much - had left a gaping hole in Maeva’s life (one that, for a short while, had left Maeva circling into destruction). It was after Josette left Syliras for good that Maeva had found herself just as lost as she had once been in Nyka. The past few years had been filled with flirting, drinking, and sex. It was fun, yes. But a little empty, if Maeva was truly honest. A little taken aback by his offer, Maeva considered the option. Yes, she very often would go home with a stranger - but leaving the city with one, on a boat was a completely different situation. Nevertheless, it was tempting. I should find out more about him she decided, and nodded slowly. She was not the sort of woman to jump into a situation without learning a little more of her options, although a break from Syliras was certainly tempting. A smile pulled at those red lips and her grey eyes twinkled, giving away her enthusiasm of the idea, ”That sounds amazing. But… Are you sure? We barely know each other…?” She turned to face him properly, as if getting a better look of his face would tell her whether his offer was genuine or not. She noticed that he was more attractive than she originally noticed - a trait she certainly appreciated. He seemed the honest sort, good-natured… The best offer she’d had for a number of years. ”Yes. I’ll take you up on that offer.” She confirmed eventually.