The Ties That Bind (Nira)

by **Ricky Maze** on November 18th, 2012, 12:18 am

She was at a loss as was he after hearing the news, the sudden shock of hearing about someone so close disappearing is rather difficult to accept however. When she tried to find some explainable reason that would give hope he was still alive, Ricky couldn't help but give a loose smile. He too had thought the same thing, same reasons or explanation to avoid the reality of the truth. The deal was though that it had been to long, and not a trace has been found as far as the ship goes; which left survivors out of the question. In truth he had already began to accept this, though his heart still yearned for his hero to return. When Nira asked how he felt and if he needed anything, he only shook his head as a no. "I've come to accept it anyway, still can't believe he had disappeared." He took a moment before continuing, finding it in him to be as convincing as possible. "Don't worry about me though, I'm just dealin with this one day at a time. I'm pretty much gettin over it now." He lied of course as he didn't want her to pity him, hiding his pain he felt with the same smile he held; the one that was alway's there to cover the truth. It was like a mask really, one he would hide behind often when put in a situation like this. Yet he knew Nira was smarter then that, they has been good friends for the longest time; so she could no doubt detect some sort of evasiveness. In truth he wanted to tell her, he wanted to be able to share everything. Yet he couldn't for one specific reason: pride.

He was too prideful to share what he felt, mostly because he didn't wish to be a burden. Such emotion he felt was something he didn't want to overload on someone else, the heavy weight of the burden was already crushing him alone as he held fast. There was no point in letting someone else shoulder his burden, for it made him feel weak at the thought. Such pride he had in this that it made him rather stubborn, unable to accept the fact that he was in need of support now; when usually he would be the one who was supportive. It drove him crazy at the thought of all this, the idea of being at war with himself was very much real; very much alive as he would silently hide it all. Shielding it with a veil of deceitful smiles, he had little choice in what he felt was right.

"Besides I have Odis now, and he's been a good friend in all of this." He stated to reassure Nira, should she have doubted he was being completely honest, thinking that it would cover his tracks. Odis just kept his focus on Nira as he looked for more attention, giving her his puppy eyed look to charm her.

by **Nira'lia** on November 23rd, 2012, 5:48 am

The Konti nodded. She gave him a soft smile but she remained unconvinced. He was evidently going through a difficult time, and as much as Odis seemed to be a delightful companion, she doubted that he could ever replace his father.

Nira’lia didn’t have a father. She did, but she had never met him, nor had she ever asked about him. But she had a mother and sisters, and it would have been much too awful to lose them. The Konti remembered back in Sunberth and knew of the sisters she had lost. She had been too young to understand it back then, but now she knew. The pain of losing someone in your life was agonizing.

“If you say so…” she replied weakly. She was not one to disagree with a person when they said they were fine. If he wanted to stay strong, then she both respected and admired that.

She looked sheepish as she started to twiddle with her hands. Nira’lia wanted to help, and she did have some thoughts in mind, she was just not sure if he would welcome them.

“It must be terrible to not know about what really happened…” the Konti whispered, her eyes shifting across the ground awkwardly. These were the kinds of problems that people came to fortune tellers for. She knew because she had heard it all. The questions were mostly about what was not known. “Perhaps… I can help? I cannot bring him back, but maybe I can shed light, even just a bit. It has been weeks, yes?”

The lily mark on her hand shined iridescently as she glanced at it. The power that she borrowed from Avalis allowed her to see into the past. She could not understand it fully, but she found that it was much more difficult to see into one’s chavi the closer it was to the present. If it were just weeks, she knew she would have a difficult time.

But she could try.

“If… if you have something of his, perhaps we can look into the past? Though it would be very hazy…” she mumbled. It would also be danger for getting lost into the chavena would be greater. She refrained from telling him that. “We can also use the cards… I am not the best at it, but I do find that I am able to answer most questions. I have been training with my mother, and I’m getting better.”

The Konti gave a nervous chuckle and looked back at her friend. Those were the only options she could give at the moment to be of help to him.

“If there is anything else you need, you could just tell me as well…” she said with a wide grin. “I have no idea of what you might need at the moment, but I’ll do my best. I really will!”

by **Ricky Maze** on November 24th, 2012, 12:15 pm

When Ricky looked at her he had a curious earnest look in his eyes, he could tell that she didn't want to really make him uncomorfatable with all this; but somehow there seem to be a way to know something. A loophole that she could somehow provide and grant him the knowledge he desired to find. When she had offered to help however she could for Ricky it was more than heartwarming for him, it made him feel better knowing that someone cared because they actually knew him. It proved that she felt more incline to make things easier for him, rather then pity him like any usual person normally would. With that clear in her expression Ricky really didn't feel the need to hide behind his mask of fake smiles, but that didn't mean that it would vanish either. Somewhat pleased in the comfort of knowing she really did care he put on a both fake and real smile, the real being because of the comfort while the fake still intending to look invulnerable. He nodded and looked down to the floor as he looked for the right word's, initially he was thinking of a soft way to turn down Nira's offer; but the curiousity of finding answers happened to grow. He looked back to Odis now as he remembered the name originating from his father's friend, it would be reassuring to know what they were doing together. As they both were on that ship working together, they no doubt had to have spent their last moments together if at all possible. Yet Ricky thought little about Odis really and more on his dad, and he wondered if he had possibly been saved by his friend once more.

There was that possibility and then there were others, Ricky knew that and accepted it already and yet the chance...the chance to find answers was now present before him. Curiosity now overwhelmed the better of him, his mind coming to accept the offer where as it was a no before. With a slight nod he looked to Nira once more with a serious, but still humble, expression. He wondered how the cards worked exactly, and if they could provide the answers he needed. If they didn't but still pointed a way to seeking more information, then the other option was considerable too. That was if Nira was comfortable in doing so of course. He didn't want to ask or impose anything of her, he just wanted to know more. "Okay..." He sighed as he nodded once more.

He looked to Nira with hopefull eyes now, and with a more lightened smile he prepared for whatever was to come. "How do we do the card thing exactly?" He asked her trying to sound very interested, yet his skepticism could still be traced. He was not one to easily believe what these things would say, but if it was Nira reading the cards then obviously she had no reason to lie. Whatever she could bring to light would prove helpful in this time.

by **Nira'lia** on December 6th, 2012, 7:36 am

The Konti nodded. He was willing to use the cards to gain some answers, and she was relieved, for she would rather read cards instead of using Avalis’s gift. She was still young and not very good at looking into the past with her eyes, and the Konti found the chance of getting lost in the Chavena frightening.

She rummaged in her belongings and soon brought out a small pouch. It was a silly thing to bring around, but she somehow felt more comfortable doing so. Her mother did tell her in the past that she wouldn’t know when she would need it, and she needed it at the moment.

“I… I’m a novice at this, so we might not get the answers you’d wish for,” she said with a weak grin. “But let’s give it a try. We’re going to be asking about your father and you, yes?”

The first thing she had to do was to shuffle the cards. The Konti took the cards from its case and lay the deck on the table and spread the cards around. After a while, she gathered them back in one stack. When they were neatly arranged in a stack again, she put them down on the table.

She chose to do one of the simpler spreads – the three-card spread. Slowly and delicately, she started retrieved three cards, one by one, from the deck and placed them on the table. As she did, she told Ricky about what they were doing, “These cards represent the past, the present, and the future…”

There was the Seven of Swords, the Nine of Wands, and the Chariot. Nira’lia blinked as she racked her head for the meanings behind it.

She pointed towards the Seven of Sword. “This one means that there was betrayal in the past… I don’t know enough about your father, but… that’s strange to see. It does not seem to connect with the storm.” The Konti frowned. They were only on the first card and it appeared that the reading was already wrong. However, a part of her insisted that it was right, but she could not explain it. “The Nine of Wands… this is the one that represents the now… well, at least this one makes sense. This is a time for you to take care of yourself, really. I believe it means that instead of rushing to shed light on your father’s disappearance, this is rather the time for self preservation.”

The Konti smiled at him before moving to the next card.

The next card confused her. It was the Chariot. “This one symbolizes… travel… or a conquest… I… perhaps it’s not over? It doesn’t symbolize stagnancy; it is as if the events that have transpired with your father will somehow lead you somewhere else.”

Nira’lia scratched the back of head, confused. They had done this to seek answers, but instead, it was as if the questions multiplied. She gave Ricky an apologetic look. She had so much more to learn about reading cards. What she didn’t know was that there was a truth behind the reading, that it was foreshadowing events that were to come.

by **Ricky Maze** on December 6th, 2012, 9:33 pm

By the look of things Nira seemed to be confused, as if the reading may have been more different then she expected. When she gave the first meaning of the past Ricky only looked at her questionably. Betrayal? What in the world could that mean? Had something happened that wasn't involved with the storm? That is what Nira pointed out, but what else could've happened? Pondering its meaning he looked upon the card, watching Nira as she continued onward to the present resembling the present.

Self preservation. Was he bound to find the truth out later? Was he already following that path now as he had started to accept? He patted Odis and rubbed the dogs back lovingly, knowing that this dog was indeed part of this. Odis had came into his life to help make things better, the card revealing what the "now" was had truly made Ricky believe this. It made him feel comfort in knowing that he was already heading down this road, but alas the final card was now at hand.

Events that had happened with his pa would take him to some place, somewhere that Ricky did not understand at all really. Was it to meet his mother? The woman who bore Ricky only to let his father take him away? Or was there something even deeper that his father was connected to? Something that involved the disappearance of the ship itself? If this weren't over like she said then surely there must've been more to this.

She looked rather apologetic to Ricky after this, no doubt unsure about what it was she read. She seemed rather sure to Ricky and he did believe her, even if she seemed to be a novice at this. He looked to her and then the cards one last time, wondering what it was she could see should she look into the past. Ricky handled the glass pendant he was wearing, thinking of his father deeply as he longed to find just a glimpse. Just one would do for him if Nira was willing, that was entirely up to her. "Ye don't have to do this... if ya don't want to." He slid the string over his head to remove the pendant, looking at the glass feather that was carefully carved. This was the last thing his father gave, and most recent to say the least. It could have been months now since he received this, but the possibility still existed that she could see. He offered it to Nira, a sincere look to show he would understand; should she refuse to take it. "It's yer choice Nira, I can accept what ye told me right here." He assured her humbly as he waited for an answer, would she walk the path of history...or would she accept the reading as well?

by **Nira'lia** on January 5th, 2013, 8:33 pm

Ricky looked confused. Nira’lia had hoped that he would be able to shed some light on what the cards had said, but that had been futile. She sighed. With a frown, she stared at the floor, disappointed with her reading.

She knew that she had offered to look into the past using Avalis’s gift. However, when he finally reached out to hand her a belonging of his father’s, she hesitated.

“Uhm…”

Embarrassed, she shifted in her seat. She could see Odis from where she was sitting. She wondered, could the dog understand what was going on?

Nira’lia was scared. The reading was blurry, but her mother had told her that they couldn’t be false. It was just difficult to interpret. And Nira’lia felt like she had just stepped into a quagmire. What would she see, if she saw anything at all? She had been warned about the perils of sight before. If one did not know exactly what they were looking for, they could lose their way.

“I think… actually, I think it would be a bad idea. I’m sorry, Ricky… but it frightens me to look.”

by **Ricky Maze** on January 14th, 2013, 8:52 pm

“I think… actually, I think it would be a bad idea. I’m sorry, Ricky… but it frightens me to look.” Nira explained with a certain fear in her eyes, Ricky knew this was already coming by the look; before she found the words to tell her thoughts.

"Say no more," Ricky assured with a smile and closed his hand around the pendant, "I can understand yer fear." It was rather true; not knowing what you could see within visions you received. The idea alone seeked like a fearful concept actually, but Nira was a strong Konti as well as kind. Gift or no gift she would do well later on, and Ricky was just fine accepting the reading she gave. Even if it was shrouded in a mystery it pointed out more than enough, for Ricky only had to continue on with his life. He had to become stronger himself and more independent as well, while at the same time being able to share and be among those he still had. That alone sounded convincing enough to get him started, whatever else proved reason would only assure him more. "Thanks for helpin me out Nira, it was more than thoughtful of ya." He said to her with a humble tone, Odis came near Nira with doggie pant's and attentive eyes. He had already warmed up to Nira it seems, and even more so enjoyed her as company.

"Hmmh?" He cocked his head to one side, wondering if Nira would pet him once more.

by **Nira'lia** on January 22nd, 2013, 1:15 pm

The Konti gave a sigh of relief. She smiled at her friend softly. Warmth emanated from her, the kind of comfort that she would only feel in the presence of a friend. Nira’lia felt guilty that she could help him no further when it came to seeking what had happened, but it was assured that she would be around as a friend in other ways.

“Hello again!” she said cheerfully when Odis came up to her.

With a light laugh, she reached out and patted the dog on the head. He was a delightful and friendly dog—and she liked him. As she continued to give Odis attention, she turned to Ricky, the smile still on her face.

“I’ll be praying for your well being,” she said simply. Nira’lia was a religious being, and she believed that her goddesses could somehow help. The statement showed how much she worried and cared for Ricky. ‘I’ll be praying for your father as well,’ she said in her mind.

by **Jester** on February 13th, 2013, 7:10 am

Thread Graded!!

Ricky :

Nira :

Notes :

"The difference between a jester and a fool is that the jester knows he's a jester"

DISCLAIMER: If you think I have been foolish in grading your thread, don't hesitate to PM me. I am happy to take another look at anything you feel is in error, but keep in mind the other Storytellers and I have final say.

Completed The Ties That Bind (Nira)