Closed To look upon a strange face[Shiress]

[Crylon Stonecraft]

3 Fall 518 Crylon was not an overly sociable Isur. He did not make friends easily, and even besides the language barrier did not converse easily with others. But those he did come to trust, he trusted and befriended. However, he could not find it in himself to ask any of the men he had befriended such a question. This of course severely limited his choices. The ones who knew him best were his coworkers and former boss at the smithy, and the one armed man who ran the lakeshore dojo. But telling them his story, that he was once a man or thought he was, and could not recall if he perhaps had always been a woman... And if not, had possibly woken as a woman, such a question was simply too much to ask another man. A woman, for some reason to his mind, seemed a better person to ask. However of the few he knew at all, most not very well, only one he knew where to find. Shiress, a woman he had met and interacted with while working, who worked for one of the more well off households in Ravok. Once he had gotten up in the morning, he grabbed his things, headed back to Ravok, and with a quick stop to drop his axe and weapon and the rock off at his room, made all speed possible by Ravasola to the house he had met her at. It was not until he was disembarking, that he realized he did not know how to go about finding the woman. She was an employee, and did not live there, so it was not so simple as if she did. But she needed to find... Crylon paused, realizing for a moment that he had considered himself as a she in that line of thinking. Doing his best to shake that thought of, he looked about and then headed for the door. He was about to knock, when he held up his left arm and saw the offending limb. The now normal Isurian limb, the same bluish hue with silver veins as the rest of his body. His right, after all, was now the black metallic stone limb, something he had forgotten until he had seen the limb again. His body was at once foreign, and his, and yet familiar and right. He had no trouble walking, aware of his body as he stepped same as he had been before, but something as simple as choosing a limb, due to the fact that he normally knocked with his special Isurian arm, that left him filled with indecision. His brain new where his body was, knew how to walk, and other such innate behaviors that did not require active thought and attention. But choices, a conscious choice of the limb to knock with, that apparently did. He was not even half way to the door, when he was saved from his indecision by a voice. “Excuse me, do you need help?” Stumbling for words, Crylon looked about, only catching the eye of the speaker once he finished talking. “Yes... I am looking for Shiress... She work here, and we work together before.” As he finished speaking and turned to the voice though, he realized he already knew the one asking the question. WC: 549

[Shiress]

Having spent the morning in the market, Shiress returned to the estate with a basket full of medical supplies, cloths, bandages, herbs, and a varying supply of medicinal concoctions. Kylar, her guard and secret friend, had already lugged the heaviest of the supplies into the house and had yet to return to free her of her own burden.

As it were the Slave was standing off to the side of the front entrance, quietly awaiting her guards return, when she caught sight of the young woman and decided to be friendly. Never had she expected that the woman would be here for her. It wasn't until the young female turned around that Shiress got a good look at her and, when she did, Shiress could do nothing about the eyebrow that flew up toward her hairline. The woman was dressed in men's clothing, which, that in and of itself was not what shocked the Slave but that her clothes were three sizes too big! But her right arm, Shiress had only ever met one other person with that sort of black stoned arm and and a bluish color tint to their skin, but she was sure this wasn't him. A sister, maybe?

"Ah..well then" she said, clearing her throat and making a great effort to keep her eyes on the strangers face and not her garb, "I'm Shiress, but I'm sorry I dont recognize you" Looking down at the plain slave's shift that currently covered her small frame, Shiress knew the woman wasn't a Lark slave. "Could you have mistaken the name, perhaps."

[Crylon Stonecraft]

As he saw the woman, recognition lit Crylon's eyes. She existed. Shiress, the woman he recalled meeting before. This was a indicator that his memories were not all false, and he had been changed rather than having forgotten his past as a woman and recalled another story. Her response was similar to the first time they had met, as it was for most meeting an Isur. Looking at her eyes as she noted him, he did not see a flare of recognition in her eyes, but then Crylon knew that could mean many things. While unlikely to forget an Isur, rare as they were, it was possible. As was her simply being good at acting, and fooling him. Or other options, such as her not remembering him because he had been a she till the day before. While she might not recall Crylon in form, his verbage or lack thereof was similar as he struggled to make himself clear in common. He could speak passably, but did not have the exactness or verbal dexterity of a fluent speaker. “Ah no, I know you. Yes, Shiress you are. But I am... How explain... I am not same as when met before. Did you... Did you see things fall from sky last night?” As he spoke, Crylon began to gesture with his right arm, miming an object flying across the sky and crashing down. It was not till he stopped speaking that he realized he had done it with his right arm. It was a habit of his, as the right appearing less dangerous and therefore less aggressive, was the one he usually used when gesturing or speaking. His left arm for knocking, his right for speaking and motioning so as to not risk accidentally brushing or striking something with it. A casual gesture and habit, but one that had know been inverted in intent due to his change and the resulting shifting of his arms sides. A small seemingly innocuous thing, but which spoke volumes to Crylon. Realizing this, he lowered the arm, trying to meet the womans gaze instead and having to look up a bit as before due to her slightly greater height. Small perhaps for a human, but still taller than an Isur. “You met Crylon, yes? Work with him. Show him things, about house. Things to be fixing, yes? Broken boat. Walls, roofs, things? Well I... I am Crylon.” Forestalling her response, Crylon put up both palms in a placating gesture, wanting to finish speaking and explaining at least before she had a chance to run off or respond. “I on lakeshore day before today, at night. Things fall from sky, streak, crash. Stone. I go after where lands. I find, and touch. But it magic. I not know this. When return, go to sleep, awake, am like this. Before, am... Crylon, as you met before. Now, I still Crylon, remember being Crylon, remember being man before, meeting you. But now I not man. Is truth. You remember Crylon? You remember meeting Crylon?” Most of this was said calmly, but Crylon could not help a bit of urgency leaking into his female voice at the questions at the end. For if she did not recall meeting Crylon, it was another sign that perhaps he was mad, and had imagined being a man and Crylon. He was not sure which was worse, that he had always been a woman and had forgotten, or had truly been changed in his sleep, but one way or another he wanted to know the truth of things and it seemed this was his best option for some form of confirmation. WC: 608

[Shiress]

Shiress stepped toward the female, head tilting curiously as she struggled to understand the girl's jumbled words in a broken common accent. But she did register her meaning, as she had hear about the strange occurrence the night before.

"I..yes, I have heard some speak of rocks falling from the sky last night but I..." Shiress paused as the stranger's words changed course, then nodded, "Yes, I do know Crylon, I remember him, but you are not..."

This woman has gone mad.

The woman threw up a pair of mismatched arms, waving to forestall any protest from the Slave. Shiress frowned, listening as the Isur's story became frantic. Shiress was nearly frantic too, for she had no idea what to think about this woman. Instead, Shiress's green eyes began to study the other female, watching the changing emotions skim across her face as her story unfolded. She really wanted Shiress to believe in what she was saying.

By the Gods, she's telling the truth!

Placing the basket down by her feet, she now stepped up close to the woman. "Crylon? How..when.." Shiress shook her head "I have heard of strange things happening -flowers falling from the sky, giving people magical powers, odd spoons that should never be brought together, but this? You are a female, now?" she paused, scrubbing a hand across her eyes, and took a deep breath. Reaching out, she took the other female by the shoulders, hoping to calm her.

"OK, well, are you well? How do you feel"

[Crylon Stonecraft]

Crylon's relief was palpable as Shiress confirmed that she did know Crylon. Any fact that confirmed his memories were real, was another fact confirming he was not going crazy. If he was not going crazy, that was one less possibility of what was going on. Since it was a possibility he was particularly hoping was not true, it was a great relief to find additional evidence to support it being false and others being true. This left what he felt was the most likely, the stone, or possibly but less likely some odd change brought about by Izurdin, or some other third party becoming involved which seemed least likely of all. When he found that Shiress not only remembered Crylon, but believed his understanding of the story, a second wave of relief washed over him. This, her belief in Crylon and his words, had as much of a calming effect if not more than the proximity and gesture of solidarity of Shiress taking Crylon's shoulders. “I... I think yes. I feel... Fine. Nothing hurts. Nothing feels odd. I just am not... Me. I saw the stone fall, on the night before today. It fell close, so I went and searched it. I took it, and it odd, but nothing happen. I sleep, and when I awoke, I as this now. Not hurt. Not anything. Just awoke changed.” “When I woke, thought maybe crazy. Thought maybe crazy, and always woman, but forget and remembering being man. But you remember me as before, so maybe not crazy. So not always woman. Not understand how happen, some magic, probably the stone that fall I touched. But feel normal, as if natural, but when I look, not same. Not talk same. Not feel same. Not am same. Clothes not fit, I change but not clothes.” Leaning close and lowering his voice, Crylon looked about before continuing. “I also... Not know how things work. Is different now. Work different now, in... Front... I... Not know how go bathroom right, make mess before. Not work same. All different now. I not know woman before.” WC: 348

[Shiress]

Shiress smiled at the befuddled woman.
"You are not going crazy, Crylon." she paused thinking "I have known other times things have happened in Ravok that, well, were strange. It very well could have been the rock. But, yes, it probably was."

Looking at Crylon, Shiress knew now why the poor girl was dressed as she was. "Hmmm, come inside. We can talk more privately." Scooping up the basket, Shiress led Crylon through the entrance. This time of day most of the house's occupants were busy with cleaning up the kitchens after breakfast, or off to where ever the early day demanded.

Shiress followed several hallways, then descended a long staircase before arriving at a heavy wooden door. Sliding it open, she peared into the room beyond. It was empty. Perfect. "Stay here." Sitting down her basket once more, the Slave slipped through the door, disappearing into darkness for several ticks before reappearing with an armful of clothing. "Okay, come on." Dumping the clothes into the basket she set off again, rounding a corner, then slipping in through another door. Pulling the female in through the doorway, Shiress slid the door closed.

After lighting a lamp, Shiress pulled a light brown blouse and darker brown riding pants from the basket. "Here, the slave warden is about your same size." Leaning down she produced a pair of cotton slippers from the stolen clothing. "These look like they will fit, slide them on, too."

Taking a seat, Shiress turned her head, letting Crylon dress. "After you dress, I can give you some advice on the other, more personal things, if you would like."

It took all the Slave had not to laugh at poor Crylon.

[Crylon Stonecraft]

As Shiress spoke, Crylon considered his own recent past in Ravok. The muffin tin, and other odd events he had seen which had occurred in or about the city. Magic was about, and often took odd forms, so different from the more straightforward and simple magics he practiced. Following along behind her, Crylon kept an eye out for others approaching, but it seemed Shiress knew the household well enough to get them about without running into many others who would question things. Unsure what else to do, Crylon let Shiress lead him about, stopping when instructed and waiting for her to return. When she did, it was with an armload of laundry. Woman's laundry. Then they were off again, having at some point gone downstairs which meant they were likely below the level of the lake itself. Of course with such a large and fancy structure, Crylon realized, this was perhaps not so odd. Then they were in another room, the door being shut behind them. For a moment Crylon felt odd, changing in front of a woman, though he felt this was more to do with his odd situation than any particular prudishness. As an Isur he often wore little more than pants or shorts to cover his modesty, though as a woman this would be slightly different to say the least. Standards, expectations, and such, which would likely be more strict than it had been as an Isurian male in the city. Shaking off the feeling, Crylon quickly changed, donning the pants and shirt, and then the foot coverings. Crylon found that while they were not a perfect fit they were much better fitting than his old clothes meant for a mans body. “Slave warden? What is this?” Crylon said, not fully tracking. The concept of slavery was still a bit odd to Crylon, and he had a feeling he did not fully understand the concept in some regards since coming to Ravok. “I do not know if I will stay as I am now, or if I will return. I can get new clothes, and return these once do. Should keep old clothes though, in case return to old self later. Thank you for your assisting of me though. ” Letting out a sigh, Crylon sat down in his new better fitting clothing, looking over at Shiress. “Any information, would be of great use. If I am as such for longer, will need to know, and know so little. And will need to go to shop that sells of clothing, though not know what all should buy. Not same sorts as for men, but is what I know.” WC: 441

[Shiress]

The Slave's brows inched up as a sudden awkwardness settled in. How was she supposed to explain to someone how to be a female? It had never really occurred to her, not until she put thought to it, how odd it would be to explain feminine...stuff. Clearing her throat, she scrubbed a thumbnail along the area just above one hiked brow, thinking.

"Well, as far as the clothes, there are three shirts and two more pairs of pants there." she began, indicating the basket "I wouldn't worry about returning them, they won't be missed, but this.."

Shiress plucked a brassiere from the purloined basket of garments and held it up for Crylon to see. It was a simple off-white garment made of cotton with two shoulder straps and a lace closer in the back, much like a reversed corset but smaller.

Shiress cast a surreptitious glance to Crylon's nearly imperceptible breast concealed beneath the baggy blouse and cringed, letting the undergarment drop back into the basket.

"Well" she said, coloring slightly "you may not need that." she cleared her throat before adding "unless it's a cold day, of course" as an afterthought.

Digging through the basket again, Shiress pulled out a pair of women's cotton underwear and held it up. "Panties, as they are sometimes called, is much the same as men's underwear." she laughed "You just pull them on before you dress, but you don't really have to wear them. I mean, I never do..." Shiress froze, mortified at her careless words, the bit of color in her face spreading to the tips of her ears. "But that's up to you." she said quickly, letting the panties fall back into the basket.

After a horrible and quite awkward silence, the Slave reluctantly decided that there was no way to approach the next instruction that would be anything less than embarrassing as the first had been.

"Women have to squat to pee!" she blurted, then added more quietly "and the other, too." Shiress sighed, covering her hot face with her hands causing her next words to come out somewhat muffled "and sometimes we sit if there's a seat on the privy, but the luxury of standing was never given to us girl's -just make sure to spread your feet apart or you'll soak them..."

Shiress fell silent a long moment, before spreading her fingers over her eyes to peer at Crylon

"Do you understand?"

[Crylon Stonecraft]

It was abundantly clear Shiress felt just as odd with the situation as Crylon did. He could not blame her really, it being so odd. Who woke up in the morning thinking they would have to explain someone previously of the opposite gender how to be your gender? Thinking this, he found that much more respect for the woman in doing her best to do just that. He could only be thankful that while there were many differences between Isur and humans, as far as he knew it was not anything related to gender. In that regard they were more or less the same, more alike than different. As Shiress awkwardly rubbed at her face drawing attention to her brow, the lack of a ridge as a difference came to his attention. He absentmindedly mimicked the motion, more to make double sure his face was while female still Isurian and in order. It was almost with a sigh of relief he exhaled, not finding his face flat as a humans. For a moment Crylon wondered how humans kept sweat out of their eyes, and other such uses that the brow ridge helped to serve, but he shook his head as Shiress cleared her throat and brought himself back to the moment and the task at hand. He was glad to hear that the clothes would not be an issue, apparently plentiful enough if not of fine repair, which meant one less thing to worry about if as she said they would not go missing among the mass of other clothing. When she held up the undercloth chest covering which he could not name in common, he recalled that this was also something worn by Isurian woman. His mother had some, he had seen them about, and vaguely understood what they were used for, more or less keeping things in place as other undergarments did for a man. Once more however Shiress became embarrassed, glancing pointedly for a moment at Crylon's chest. Or, as he now considered comparing himself to this humans woman and other he'd seen, the lack thereof. His own reaction was an odd mix of feelings, one of which being relief as it appeared it would be one less thing he would need to concern himself with in his new body. Her comment on the chillness of the weather brought a quirk to his brow ridge, trying to understand her meaning in relation to the article of clothing. Perhaps, he considered, it also served as another layer in cold temperatures, similar to a jacket? He did not however fully understand why. Would that part of his body get any colder than any other? But he supposed his ears did stick off his head, and sometimes got cold before the rest of him in winter back home in the mountains... But then they were not covered by cloth, whereas these were covered by his shirt. Or perhaps it was something to do with being human? After all, they did seem to get chilled in his experience before an Isur. Likely, he thought, due to how light they were. Their lack of thick bones and flesh meant the chill would soak in much easier, so perhaps this had something to do with that? Perhaps then this was one of those physiological differences between races and genders, rather than just between genders? He was not quite sure how to ask for clarification, if this was indeed something different for humans than Isur, and so instead let it pass without response or being addressed. Shiress next comment though did require a reply, as it seemed she had reached the peak of her embarrassment and her hue changed drastically in reaction. That and his further confusion on a topic he had never considered but questioned now that it was brought up. “Men wear, keep man parts in place. Why woman wear then? If not needed, as you say?” He did not quite track her embarrassment, assuming it had something to do with human modesty and embarrassment at having to speak on ones body which the humans so heavily hid and covered as if ashamed of the gift Izurdin had bestowed upon them. But a gift it was, meant to be displayed and gloried in, to be shaped as a piece of metal in the forge not hidden in a back room like some excess iron. It would likely be clear from his expression that this was quite a serious question, with true lack of understanding and desire to understand. Her explanation of using the bathroom made sense, something he had not considered before. Men had something to aim with, whereas woman did not and just let it fall. So squatting made sense. If one was putting fish in a barrel, and could not throw it, then they would simply bring the fish to the barrel and drop it in. Nodding, Crylon pondered her words, serious as if she had just told him a new method of forging metal. “Yes, Shiress, I understand. And as I woman... For now, call me Crylan. Is woman name, for Isur, of mine own name. If anyone know of Isur, would wonder why woman have mans name.” “What now we do? Or must you back to your job?”