A Different Path ... (Pain)

[Aselia Timandre]

Timestamp: 8th of Fall, 510 AV

Although it was one of her free days, Aselia had gotten up early for some training with Holuri. To her establishing a tight bond with the bird as soon as possible was of high importance. Spending time with her, however, had proved to be difficult last season. Aselia had felt torn between her work and her favorite pastime. Tending to customers at the Soothing Waters was as interesting as working with the peregrine falcon. However, the advantage of being a masseuse was the payment – coupled with the disadvantage of a certain amount of working hours she had to fulfill.

However, this season she planned to spend some time with the birds. Linel was still her favorite, yet he couldn’t teach her much anymore. As much as she disliked that fact, magpies didn’t hunt prey. And in cities they showed a dangerous tendency to steal shimmering objects through open windows. So today Aselia had left Linel at home while equipping Holuri with jesses, a hood and a leash and taking her out of Syliras.

Covered in sweat, but happy and with the sun and wind on her milky pale skin and opalescent scales, she returned to the Welcome Home, her temporary home location. Now that Satu had left them without a word, now that Kamalia and Gromhir were off to Sahova, the orphanage seemed empty. Aselia tried to avoid the children as much as possible, because she disliked their child-like ignorance. They always wanted to play. The owner, a man named Stitch, wasn’t what she considered ‘good company’ either, although he tried to be friendly and welcoming all the time.

She simply didn’t belong.

Thus she spent the majority of her time working or training with Holuri. So, after stuffing a change of clothes in her dusty backpack, she exited the building once again. Honestly, even Aselia started realizing that there was something wrong in her life when her feet carried her towards Soothing Waters. Showing up at work on a free day? Serious case.

Delicious smells and the colorful flash of fruits drew her to the Bazaar, though, where she purchased a fresh green apple for breakfast. The liquid running down her chin as she took the first bite reminded her of Vision Water. She missed it, and she somehow felt that her body missed it too.

While she continued, absentmindedly inspecting new wares, jewelry and silk and exquisite wines from far away, her mind wandered towards Konti Isle and Mura. Although she had learned to love Syliras because of everything Mura was not, she couldn’t help but wonder how her family was. What her mother did and if her grandmother now put her hopes on one of Aselia’s elder sisters. Being the ninth had had some advantages, but eventually the same old pressure had been put on her as well. She was not like Kamalia, divined to be a witch and content with that. She didn’t even know where she wanted to go, and she hadn’t known it when leaving Mura either.

Lost in thought, but also partially admiring foreign goods and wondering what it would be to travel, she slowly left the outskirts of the bazaar. Beyond the entertainment area began, featuring a mixture of taverns, restaurants and inns.

Meanwhile Aselia had finished the apple and hurled the remains in the next alley crossing her street. A half-grin on her features, she shadowed her deep violet eyes with one hand to observe its flight path.

[Elhaym]

There was one distinct disadvantage to fancying yourself a fighter and an artist at the same time. Pain was right handed, and like throw punches with her her right fist. Being right handed, she also relied on her steady favored hand for detailed drawings. At this moment, her swollen and scabbed over knuckles prevented her from creating much more than chicken scratch. Despite, she had taken the day away from any physical activity and dedicated it to her art. She had been slacking horribly in that regard for days.

She hadn't accomplished much due to her battered hands, and inevitably she had ended up wandering around the castle city without any real cause. After so many hours of walking, her feet were pounding. Everything hurt. She still couldn't believe what a pounding she had taken from that strange blind fighter at the Spinning Coin. The large, yellow and black bruise covering the right side of her face next to her mouth was a reminder, but the kicker was her sliced lips. Apparently, getting a hit in the face with someone's elbow was not the most pleasant experience. Pain had remembered this well. Exhausted and in moderate discomfort, she ambled into a darkened passageway that cut through the rows of shops and taverns.

"Oomph..."

The floor was cold, and hard. Yet still, it was a relief to be sitting down. Pain rested her arms atop her knees and leaned her head back against the stone surface behind it, trying to will away the soreness. She had only been sitting for a few moments, but the logical part of her was saying that her bed would be a more reasonable place to relax. She opened her eyes, intending to lift herself from her resting position, but instead caught a blur of movement sailing towards her. Her right arm jerked outwards and managed to capture the projectile as it arced down towards her.

An apple? And look, it's not even fully eaten...

Pain pushed herself to her feet with the mostly chewed apple in hand, tearing into the remains of the meaty fruit by the core. She hadn't noticed who'd thrown the fruit, but she did see a pale looking girl who seemed to be watching her.

Pain emerged from the gloom of the alleyway, apple in hand to meet this pale young woman. Her clothes were dirty, a pair of knee length shorts and sleeveless shirt that cut off just below her breasts. The compilation of the bruises, scar tissue, and undeniable odor of seawater and sweat might lead the young apple launcher to believe that she had just encountered a vagrant. Covered in dirt and grime, Pain fit the bill perfectly.

"So, uh... I hope you were offerin' me a snack, and not tryinn' to hit me with this thing." Pain said, taking another bite of what remained on the apple's core as she paused mid-sentence.

[Aselia Timandre]

If Pain looked like a vagrant, Aselia’s appearance went towards the other extreme. Her skin was milky pale and partially replaced by intricate scale patterns shimmering in the sunlight. She wore a thin blouse and short pants not even covering her thighs. Her appearance was clean, white hair flowing down her back like silk, and she radiated a pleasant scent, some exotic fragrance. In fact, it was apple perfume mixed with something else.

Aselia had watched and cringed when the fruit almost hit a person sitting on the ground. Fortunately the woman managed to grab it out of the air. “I’m sorry”, she called out and bit her lip. As the woman approached, her tattered and dirty appearance was noticed. Of course, the Konti were daughters of the God of the Ocean, so a big part of Aselia’s wellbeing relied on frequent baths. However, she knew that humans often didn’t pay as much attention to being clean. Wanderers had visited Soothing Waters before, eager to wash the dirt and travel dust off once in a season. The pale woman was worse though. Apparently she had a tendency to get into fights as well, considering the purple and yellow cheek and the bandaged hands.

And she continued to eat the apple Aselia had just thrown away. Didn’t she have enough money to buy her own food or did she simply like apple cores?

Either way, Aselia was glad to have someone she could speak with. “I actually threw it away, because I don’t eat the cores, but if you want a snack, I was offering it to you”, she exclaimed with a smile. Soft voice fading into silence, she ran her gaze up and down the stranger once more. Black hair that would shimmer if treated with water and soap. Slowly an idea started to form in her mind.

“I’m Aselia. Did you have plans for today?” She hoped for a ‘no’. It was quite obvious that someone who sat on the ground in a dark alley had nothing to do at all. Perhaps it was even a beggar she spoke to, but right now Aselia didn’t mind. Speaking with people who were different from what one was used to often proved to be more rewarding than evident at first sight. And Aselia loved nothing more than getting to know strangers. She wanted to catch a glimpse into their soul and understand another tiny part of the universe. Additionally, she wanted to avoid the loneliness she had been drowning in recently.

If the woman didn’t object, Aselia would grab her by the arm, ignoring dirt, sweat and injuries, and drag her down the street into the direction she had been following before. “Then I have a suggestion for you.”

[Elhaym]

Pain's eyes squinted a bit, getting a better view of the stranger before her. She was very clean and dignified looking. Usually the type of person that would pass by with a weak smile, never missing a step. And yet... she had apologized, and was even being cordial. Pain hadn't intended to pick a fight even if she had launched the apple at her head on purpose; she simply didn't have any fight in her right now. The warm words were a welcome feeling.

"Oh... well, er..." Pain said, her eyes darting up and down the street before tossing the apple over her shoulder and onto the ground. She was thankful for the bruise on her face at the moment, it would probably somewhat hide her flushed cheeks. How embarrassing! She was eating someones trash. "I'm called Pain... and actually, no... I don't."

She had surmised that this young woman was a Konti. Her skin was silken and smooth, her scent faint but soothing. What could someone such as her possibly want to do with her? She was poor, a struggling artist. Then again, everyone she had come across in Syliras seemed pleasant. The young bard who had so selflessly aided her when she was in trouble. The blind man who had challenged her at the Spinning Coin, and somehow managed to gain her respect even while pummeling her. Now, a young Konti named Aselia, who just happened to be passing by. Pain had learned a lot from her random encounters with the denizens of Syliras, and she really didn't have anything to do...

“Then I have a suggestion for you.”

"What would that be?" Pain said, trying hard to soften her voice and appear more lady like. She felt quite self conscious of herself after taking stock of Aselia. Her beauty was a stark contrast to Pain's bland, sad looking face and features. Perhaps it showed in her body language; she actually began shuffling her bare feet and fidgeting as she spoke.

[Aselia Timandre]

Aselia flinched when the woman dumped the apple, just like she had done before. Why had she done that? Was it really because she had said that she had thrown the apple away? She realized that her opponent probably put more weight on her words than Aselia herself did. Perhaps she should get better control of the words she spoke. The Konti was used to voicing whatever came to her mind. Neither had she been punished for it nor had anyone taken them as seriously as this woman did.

So she refrained from picking the apple up and letting Pain finish it. The matter started getting disgusting. Better forget it.

Returning her attention to the woman called Pain, Aselia smiled. She realized that something in Pain’s demeanor changed, that she straightened her shoulders, smoothened her worn clothes. The bandages around her hands and wrists were stained with charcoal dust.

While she led Pain through the last part of her path, Aselia started getting interested in the stranger she had so abruptly invited to come with her. “The Soothing Waters, ever heard of it?” Judging from Pain’s appearance, she guessed that the answer would be vague. “It’s the best place to make you look more like me, if that is what you wish. A bath house, a massage parlor, a relaxation center.”

Halfway down the street she actually loosened the demanding grip around Pain’s arm to directly look at her. “You seem interesting to me. You seem to have little to no money; why is that?” Her violet eyes sparkled with curiosity. If the magpie would have been with her, the resemblance would have been quite obvious. She had caught herself some new glitter to play with and looked delighted at that prospect.

However, Aselia was about much more than playing. It was evident that the woman lacked something. Because the Konti had lost direction, there was a tiny spark of hope … hope that they might be able to help each other at finding what they were looking for. Aselia didn’t believe in such things as ‘coincidences’.

[Elhaym]

Pain winced as the young Konti took hold of her. She didn't want to be rude, but the pace was a bit faster than Pain would have preferred with her body in this shape. They walked in a slightly awkward silence for a bit, until Aselia mentioned what was apparently their destination. A bathhouse.

Pain's cheeks flared red at the mention of the place. She was becoming so acutely aware of the difference in appearance between the two of them that she had a hard time understanding why people weren't staring. Was this girl intent on embarrassing Pain to death? Between her open hospitality in inviting her along and her beauty and cleanliness, it was almost a bit too much. Despite, Pain managed to eek out an answer.

"I've passed by a time or two, but I've never been inside. I guess I just don't have the money for that sort of thing..." She said, trying to keep her shoulders up and her voice from stammering. Aselia spoke again, asking about Pain's financial situation and offering up what Pain thought was perhaps a compliment? "I'm an artist, you know? Syliras isn't really the best place for an artist to try to make a living. Wish i'd known."

It was hard for Pain to be so open with a total stranger, but who could really act stiff around someone so totally forward? Pain sometimes felt a bit lonely, so she thought she could see the signs in someone if she looked hard to enough. This girl, to her, felt quite the part of the lonely traveler. So, quite out of character, Pain decided it might be a good idea to do a little prodding herself.

"Those designs on your hands, and neck... they're beautiful. Forgive me for my... uh, ignorance, but you're a Konti...? What would you be doing in Syliras, then?" Pain blurted, trying to usher the question out quickly. She couldn't be sure, but it looked as though they were nearing the bathhouse. She wasn't quite sure what was in store for herself.

[Aselia Timandre]

Aselia chuckled, amusement evident in her features. Honestly, this person was way different from what she was used. The Konti were independent, strong women who had learned to survive on their own … and here was a human who apparently did the same, but lacked the self-confidence she needed to be successful in it. A tiny voice only Aselia could hear asked for help. Maybe it was a facet of her unique Konti gift. True intent.

The reply startled her, though. Pain was an artist, with the bandaged hands and signs of street fights all across her body? On a second thought, however, the charcoal dust was remembered. There was the clue. It was no wonder Aselia hadn’t realized that charcoal signs led to some artistic activity before. Now it felt so obvious. An artist! A smile lit her face as she replied: “I’d love to see some of your art! You use charcoal, don’t you? I’ve been told it’s hard to work with because it gets smudged easily.” Of course, she drew from a layman’s half-knowledge she had gathered back home, surrounded by quite a few painters and other artists. There was something else she remembered, a rumor, but she refrained from mentioning it. Rumors were not truths, after all.

“Don’t you need sponsors?” she added as some kind of afterthought, bringing a finger to her lips. It was easy to imagine being in Pain’s skin and thinking of ways to improve her situation. Aselia had always been about helping others, avoiding personal ques—

And her strategy didn’t work this time. Aselia gave a weak smile, twisting her body a bit to accentuate the opalescent scale patterns. “Yes, I’m a Konti. A daughter of Avalis and Laviku – Goddess of Visions and God of the Sea.” Her expression was tinged with only a bit of sadness when she tried to explain: “My sister … my elder sister decided to leave home and travel. Since I had nothing else to do, I went with her. It has been rewarding so far, seeing so many new places and meeting different people. But … ultimately even novelty gets old.”

“Do you know what I mean?” A questioning glance was shot towards Pain. Aselia really hoped – and did anticipate – that Pain’s current situation somehow mirrored hers. Like black and white patterns, they were the exact opposite, but still shared at least that trait.

Meanwhile they had reached Soothing Waters and Aselia shoved Pain inside, ignoring any protest or hesitation. The receptionist regarded them with nothing more than a friendly nod. By then, Pain would probably have realized that the Konti did intend to go through with the invitation. Walking down a corridor with a stone floor and elegant decorations, Aselia mused: “I believe a bath would be best for the beginning” and directed her steps towards the public bath area.

[Elhaym]

It was interesting that Aselia actually felt the need to discuss Pain's art with her. People in Syliras had been interested in her for her fighting in the past, but never her art. As they walked, Pain related that charcoal was a decent medium for beginners because it was easy to conceal mistakes due to both the inherent darkness and messiness of the medium. Her question about sponsors took Pain aback for a moment however; she didn't really quite know what she meant by that. She simply replied that she wasn't that great of an artist and that not many people had really been interested in it thus far.

More interesting however, was Aselia's interesting response to Pain's solitary question. She detected a hint of melancholy in her voice as she spoke. Her brief story ended with a question redirected back at Pain, to which she initially didn't quite know how to answer. She wasn't really unhappy with her life in Syliras as far as the location. There was, however, something that Pain had been thinking about...

"Well, to be honest... I think I do. I mean, I like Syliras, I really do... but I feel like i'm not doing enough. You know, I want to be an artist, and I know I can achieve that here one day. I just feel like there is something more I could be doing, something more... meaningful, I guess." Pain didn't really have any explanation for why she would confess her personal desires with someone whom she barely knew. Maybe the years of introverted behavior were finally giving way to something else. It could have been that she was intimidated by the Konti; after all, she knew very little about them or what they could do. Pain knew, however, that the real reason for her openness was much, much simpler. She yearned for a friend.

Pain was hesitant at the door, but Aselia ushered her inside unphased by her stuttering. A bath? She didn't really know how things like this worked. She had never been to a bathhouse before. Was she supposed to just strip naked for all to see? Were there private areas? Pain's body was tense and nervous, and she looked pitifully at Aselia as they stopped in the entry area for a moment, silently asking for guidance. She was out of her element, and would not only embarrass herself, but probably leave her new acquaintance mortified if she ran out the door at this point. She was in Aselia's hands now.

[Aselia Timandre]

Aselia simply nodded, sensing that Pain perhaps wasn’t ready to talk about business. Despite that, the conversation went on in her mind. There had to be a way out for both of them! She firmly believed that they had met because there was one. It was Avalis’ doing.

While they were walking down the luxurious corridor, Pain voiced the core of her problem. It was kind of surprising, how quickly the human woman opened up if confronted with some kindness. Looking away, Aselia swallowed and replied: “I know what you mean.” Not more, for the time being.

Then she cleared her throat and pointed at the two doors to their left. “The changing rooms. Left is for men, right is for women. I will not look if you don’t want me too”, she added while opening the right door and inviting Pain in with a gesture. The room featured shoe mats at the entrance, some wooden shelves to store clothing and a pile of fluffy towels. While Aselia slipped her boots off, still dirty from the forest, she gave an encouraging smile. She couldn’t understand why some people didn’t enjoy a good warm bath, or even a cold swim around the basin.

Then she turned. She had been honest: If Pain was uncomfortable, she wouldn’t look. Aselia herself had never had a problem with nudity. While undressing, she continued talking. “I can’t help but believe that our meeting has somehow been prearranged by a God. Maybe even Avalis. I know we can help each other.”

After a moment of thought, she sighed. “The difficult part is to find out how we can do that.”

[Elhaym]

Pain entered the room behind Aselia, taking in the sights of the place as she went along. She really felt out of place in such a luxurious building. Pain glanced away as Aselia began to undress after unfastening her boots, and found her eyes centered at her feet. She didn't really have much to take off. Reaching behind her head, she took hold of the back collar of her shirt, and pulled it over her body. The motion stretched muscles that were still begging for rest after her latest fight, drawing a wince from Pain's face as she fluffed her dirty shirt and placed it onto the available shelves after folding it. She removed her black shorts as well, placing them atop her shirt. All that remained were the dingy bandages that covered her hands and shins. As she set to unwrapping them, she cast a glance at Aselia. The designs on her body were beautiful, but Pain quickly averted her eyes for fear of Aselia thinking she was staring inappropriately. "It's not that I mind, I guess... I mean, I just don't usually undress around people, so it's a little different." Pain stuttered, trying to fill the quiet air after Aselia told her she wouldn't look if it would embarrass her. Truly, she was not ashamed of her body, but it wasn't often that anyone would see it in it's entirety. Quite the contrary, Pain was fairly confident in her physical state. She was strong, and looked the part. If Aselia did happen to look, she would see what the bandages had been covering. Pain's fists were extremely swollen and bruised, and the base of her right forearm had a sickening bruise that obviously hinted at a slightly serious injury. Her shins didn't look much better, battered by old bruises and scar tissue. She had set to rubbing her swollen right hand gently when Aselia began to speak, talking of gods and why they had met. Pain didn't really know what to say. She knew nothing of gods or how they dealt with mortals. Apparently, Aselia had some idea. "Well, I... I wouldn't know where to start. I mean, you really think a god would goto the trouble of having us meet? Would a god do that?" Pain said with a puzzled look. "Maybe I can help you, but I don't know how. I'm just... well, i'm not much really. I don't think any gods would take any interest in me to be honest. I'd like to know more about them... it seems like those that follow a god's way are happy enough. It gives them purpose, doesn't it? That's sort of what i'm looking for. A purpose." Pain wondered what Aselia thought she could do for her. The idea of a hot bath was sounding more and more enticing as well. Seeing as how she was standing in front of someone whom she barely knew, stark naked, she had decided that she might as well embrace the opportunity. She began to move towards the door, but hesitated and stopped. It was probably best if Aselia dictated their route.