Flashback [Closed] Out With the Old

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

When the offer was out in the open, Kirvan actually took a moment to consider what he said. First of all, ignoring any external implications by anybody else, what he had just said meant leaving the pod and going against the Svefra way, ignoring the Lias who would undoubtedly try to press him into a pod. He would need to find a port for him to work in, something to earn money for him to eat, unless he just fished his own food, but he wasn't a cook and had no idea how to prepare it. There would be so much to do, yet he knew he could and would do it. One day. "True, we only just met a few chimes ago," he admitted, "but so what? I've made friends in less time, and it doesn't take long to know what kind of person you're dealing with. I don't even know what we'll be doing, but I'll make sure it's exciting for the both of us." He grinned madly up at the stars. Not a couple days ago, he left behind a woman in those walls. Now he was promising another to go out to sea again. Stupid vagik. "I'll come find you some day," he promised, looking up at her as she accepted his offer. She was very pretty, as he'd noticed before, and though she seemed unsure she went for it, someone who liked taking risks. He could get along well with such a person. "I don't know how I'll be able to, I don't trust myself in those walls, but I'll find a way. You have many things?"

[Maeva]

Maeva, too, was contemplating the implications of joining Kirvan for her promised adventure. She had never set foot a rowing boat - let alone something that would take her far out to sea. What if she got seasick? Would spending days leaning over the railing of a ship expelling the food from her body actually be any better than staying in Syliras? It was hard to tell - but the possibility of happiness, excitement and adventure was too tempting. When he spoke, she nodded slowly at his words. It sounds like he's done this before, she thought. It wasn't a bad thing, either, if he had. Some of the best lovers she had had were those that were as experiences as she was - why would it be any different when it came to... Sailing on a boat or finding adventure? "I don't think you need to sell the idea to me anymore." She said, that smile still on her lips and her grey eyes still dancing wildly, "I'm up for excitement, and I don't mind travelling to find it." A slight pause, "or to find it travelling." At his question, she glanced out to the sea, thinking. "I have some possessions that originally belonged to a -- friend of mine. She won't be coming back for them for any time soon, so I'd imagine that they can remain here. I also have a fair few hats and dresses she added silently to herself, oh, and make up. And shoes. The idea of having to narrow down her wardrobe made her think twice about joining him on the sea-faring exploration. But then again (and sneaked a glance back to his face to make sure he was, indeed, attractive), perhaps she might not spend so much time clothed.

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

"Travelling is great fun," Kirvan confirmed, still looking up at her from his seat on the sand. "Though just wandering out on the sea with no particular destination in mind can be dull. Pod life keeps us away from the shores and islands where interesting stuff happens, once I find you we should try visiting a few places." He knew she said that he no longer needed to advertise the option, but his head was summersaulting with the idea now and he was getting excited for it to happen. As soon as he said it, he knew that there would be a problem. People of the cities didn't usually leave for a life of the sea not so much because the idea wasn't appealing, but because there was no way for them to be able to fit the same amount of stuff on a boat. Though she said that it was okay that she leave behind some stuff, he knew that there was likely some stuff she wouldn't want to leave behind. He was about to lose his knew traveling partner, and he didn't like the idea. "I'll try to make up for whatever you're leaving behind," he said. "I'm a decent fisherman, and if I work hard I should be able to afford you some nice stuff." Listen to him, he sounded like he was trying to sell himself as a mate. Truth be told, he just didn't really want to be truly alone, he just wanted to do his own thing apart from the pod. "You could keep your place here in case you want to come back, unless you intend to move completely to another city on the coast."

[Maeva]

OocSorry about the delay! I had to wait to finish the first draft for Maeva's gnosis mark before I hit 50 posts This guy seems to be too good to be true. The prospect that he was willing to replace her possessions by working hard and fishing made Maeva a little suspicious, if truth be told. Men very rarely bought her things - and if they did, it was because they expected some kind of reward afterwards. No, she wouldn’t allow this new friendship to turn that way. If anything sexual or romantic comes about, it won’t be because he bought me a shinny present. ”I’ll keep my place here. I can rent it out, I think. It’ll fund the journey so I can earn my way and not be too much of expense for you.” She touched his hand, gently. It was the first contact between them, and Maeva appreciated the feeling of his warm skin, ”You’re already promising me adventure and excitement, you don’t need to give me anything more.” I’m going to have to learn more geography, she thought, looking back out to the ocean. She imagined the sort of places that were out there - she had spoken to many travellers in Syliras before, but they never seemed that interested in discussing the places that they had just left. She turned back to Kirvan, ”So, handsome stranger, tell me more about yourself.” She gave a smirk and her eyes flashed playfully again. Maeva's Speech || Maeva's thoughts ||Others' speech

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

OOCThat's fine. Which one did you get? "That'll come in handy if you want to buy anything expensive," Kirvan nodded thoughtfully. "Clothes aren't too costly, but if you want something more than that then I might not be able to provide it on my own." At that point, he furrowed his golden brow, thinking. "How are you going to collect the money, and how are you going to ensure that your tenants pay from my boat? Do you think the knights will be inclined to help you out?" When she rested her hand on his, he smiled up at her from his position on the ground, taking her hand as a small sign of affection. "Sorry Maeva, it's just that I know your life out on the sea with me will be very different than you're used to. In many ways it will be less comfortable, so I just want to make sure that you're as comfortable as possible in any other respects. Besides, you're offering my companionship and company, which is worth far more in my eyes." His gaze returned to the stars as he began to think of answer to Maeva's question. That she called him handsome had not gone unnoticed and it made him smirk. She was not the first to call him such, and though it was not a common occurrence it wasn't very uncommon either. "There's not much to tell really," he answered honestly, trying to think. "I was raised with the Deepseekers, my pod, and like all Svefra we revere our Sea Father, the god Laviku, in our own way. We fight for him, hunting non pirates who are not our kin, and I've seen my fair share of battles and raids. Though most of our time is spent sailing around the sea randomly or ferrying people across. "As for me, I'm more or less like every other svefra. Loyal to Laviku, physically fit, bored to tears. I'm a decent sailor, or becoming one, and I know my way around the north Suvan so we should be good for a long while." He once again looked in Maeva's eyes, his blue irises dancing with interest. "And what about yourself?"

[Maeva]

His questions certainly made Maeva think - in her very much typical manner, she’d completely skipped the minor details of moving from city to ship. ”It seems I have some thinking to do.” She admitted, more to herself that Kirvan. I could simply move. She considered. It was an idea she’d previously dismissed, but perhaps it was time for her comply move. Syliras had given her so much, but all things come to an end. It’ll be nice to start over. For the second time. ”Don’t apologise.” She said kindly, turning to smile at him, ”you’ve offered me a new experience and adventure. It was my decision to say yes. It will be perfectly fine for me.” She hoped that her company and companionship would always be seen as so worthy to him - she did not want to be abandoned suddenly again. The summary Kirvan gave himself was more interesting that Maeva’s own story, and she suddenly felt very boring - despite what he had said previously. How can he be bored? the very idea of not being confined in the walls of Syliras made Maeva very excited - completely the opposite of bored. She leaned back on her elbows, thinking about how to tell her own story. ”I was born in Nyka,” she began, ”and moved to Syliras in hopes of finding my first bondmate, as well as somewhere to live, a job… The usual things that people come to Syliras for. And since then, I guess it’s been nothing but a disappointment. I’ve been in the city for around two years now.” She paused then, and considered whether to tell Kirvan the latest chapter in her short story. She’d spoken to very few people about Josette, and the events that happened after her leaving. I owe him the truth, really. ”My bondmate was a woman who I travelled to Syliras with. She was amazing, and I loved her deeply. She travelled around a lot, but I always expected to go with her. She left at the start of the last season, and it hit me hard. She was still my bondmate, as far as I was concerned, but the fact she left me… I was betrayed.” She shrugged her shoulders, and glanced back to Kirvan self-consciously. She hoped that her little tale would not drive him away. OocI’m hoping to get the Chaon gnosis. I’ve done my first draft for how she got it, but it’s not been reviewed yet. I’ll have to wait and see! Maeva's Speech || Maeva's thoughts ||Others' speech

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

When Maeva brought up that she had some things to think about, Kirvan burst out laughing. It wasn't out of ridicule or anything, it was just similar to a phrase he heard all too often, though usually the subject was himself. "Glad to see I'm not the only one," he chuckled. "Usually people are telling me that I need to do some thinking, not themselves!" He kept chuckling for another chime, then calmed down enough to give an apologetic shrug, a wide smile still on his face. "Afraid I can't help you with logistics and all that, I don't know much about how things work on land in the cities. As for whether to move or not, only you can decide that." "I hope so," he replied, grateful that she was completely on board and intended to go through with it. "Wandering around in search of adventure is fun, but it's so much more enjoyable and worth it if there's someone with you, especially if they're as lovely as yourself." The last remark came out absentmindedly, and it was only after the fact that he realized what he said, a blush beginning to spread through his ears. Smooth Kirvan, what a ladykiller, he thought sarcastically to himself. "I'd hate to miss you because you prefer your old life, I'll do everything I can to make you feel as comfortable and at home." While she summarized her life, many more questions popped into his head. She'd been to two different cities, which was more than he could say for himself. And truth be told, he didn't know why people came to Syliras. He knew of part of the city's reputation as an impenetrable fortress, but that was just the stuff shouted to him by the knights and people wary he might pick up their stuff (which he did occasionally, but it was just out of forgetfulness!). What kind of reputation the city had on the land was completely unknown by the svefra lad, who was now ever more curious. Also, the term bondmate, what did it mean? He intended to ask, though the way she talked about the term it sounded very important. Her story was so fascinating. He felt dull in comparison. "Abandonment without warning must be harsh," Kirvan thought aloud, justifying his own intention to run away by bringing it before the Lia first and talking it over. "Especially if it's someone who's loved as much as you seemed to love your bondmate. It sounds like she took you for granted, just someone to know once and then leave to explore somewhere else. I'm sorry." For a moment, he didn't know what to say. It wasn't as traumatic as death separating them, but it was still a scar that should not have been, and he didn't know how to ease the pain. Then he thought of something, and though he didn't know whether it was possible he had to offer. "I promise that I will never just drop you like that," he swore. "If there were some unbreakable oath, I would take it here and now. You will never wake up to find me gone for good. What a bondmate is and what it means I don't know, but if you want I could be a your one. How would that work?" He still didn't know what he was volunteering for, but he didn't want to repeat the same mistake that her former bondmate did. Once was bad, twice would be too much.

[Maeva]

When he burst out laughing, a touch of colour flushed to her cheeks, and she found herself smiling, too. ”I’m afraid I’m a little unorganised…” She admitted, running a hand through those dark locks as she considered her options. The pros and cons of moving from Syliras fluttered through Maeva’s mind. She was certainly in a rut, yes, and travelling around would definitely add a completely new dimension to her life. But it would mean leaving so much behind. So much of what, though? Pain? Memories? In truth, Maeva had little to remain in the city for, save for comfort and the streets that she knew so well. ”I’ll move.” She decided, more to herself than he, ”I’ll close the Syliras chapter on my life and focus on the future, on travelling.”She nodded briskly, as if to seal her decision. It would be scary, yes, and… a huge change. But it was something that she needed to do, Maeva was beginning to realise. Maeva listened as he spoke about abandonment. It summed up perfectly how she felt. She had idolised Josette, which possibly meant that she had completely failed to see how the other woman enjoyed having a bondmate for thw wrong reasons. But she taught me so much, a defiant voice in Maeva’s mind told her. Josette certainly had taught Maeva a great many life lessons - but had it truly helped her? ”In all honesty, I’m not sure how it works,” she said, shrugging her shoulders again, ”there’s no contract; I know that much.” With Josette, the bonding had been so fast and intense, Maeva had barely realised that she had found her first bondmate. ”I think it can’t be forced. If it happens, I’ll let you know” She grinned and lay in the sand on her back. ”What is it like out in the sea?” It was a simply question that betrayed her simple view and understanding of the world. Maeva's Speech || Maeva's thoughts ||Others' speech

[Kirvan Deepseeker]

"You and me both," he joked, looking up to sky. Truly a woman after his own heart! At Maeva's announcement, Kirvan's eyes shot up. "Completely?" he asked, caught by surprise. He was just going to take her somewhere for a while, maybe a few season, then bring her back. She planned to leave everything? "I... I don't know what to say." For once, Kirvan, the brazen talker, was speechless. "Well, what exactly is a bondmate to you anyway?" he asked, curious about it. The way she spoke made it sound special, yet she didn't know how it worked? So it couldn't really be someone they chose, it had to be... what? Instantaneous? "It can't be forced... so it's completely by chance?" Watching her as she laid herself down on the sand beside him, he began thinking of a way to answer her question. He had been raised knowing almost nothing but the sea, so to describe something that seemed so commonplace was difficult. "It is a bit long at times, travelling that is. You can go for days without running into anyone new, sometimes nearly half a season if you're unlucky, though there's usually a few other boats you can at least talk to to pass the time." He sighed. "Of course, it's easier with someone else to talk with, especially if you can tell each other stories about your pasts. Swimming is good fun as well, and fishing when you're looking for something more engaging. In the pod, we constantly practice fighting, sparring matches happening almost every day. That'd change if we were alone though. Sometimes we come across other pods, and we often celebrate just for the sake of something to do. When we beach, we go ashore and explore the surrounding area if it's a ways from civilization. Members of the pod also hunt for meat to salt and bring with us for supplies. It's partly why we're still here, we need to stock up on supplies that we used on the way over here." Smiling apologetically at his companion, he chuckled softly. "Sorry, that was probably a bit more than you're looking for. As for what we can do, there are plenty of islands to explore. We can do that for a long time there are so many. Sound interesting enough?"