Into the Rabbit Hole (Aello)

[Gunho Ma]

"I'll not pretend to know the whims of gods, but if you are still being pursued then Rhysol's cult will suffer for it. If you ask me you could fake your death and that of your companions or keep going as you are... the more resources they squander on you the weaker they become. Your simply surviving is causing them a lot of grief Aello, Congratulations. You're getting your revenge without even trying." he grinned at the girl, it was perhaps the first thing he did was out of his polite restrained character. He envied her, her strength and ability. There was nobody who could make an enemy of such a large cult that worshiped a powerful good and still seem happy and optimistic without being that powerful. He wished that he could do that too, raise his abilities to a degree where he too wouldn't have to cower in the face of power or accept the will of others like he had in Lhavit with his fellow monks. When the discussion turned to wine he listened to what the girl had to say. She had her merits and he could understand how wine could impair her faculties. "What you say is true... but the form of martial art I was taught can benefit from a state of inebriation. We Lhavit folk are not blessed with great muscle like the folk of Riverfall, we have to compensate by learning as much about the way our body works and putting that knowledge to practical use. A relaxed body can bend and accept things that a tense body would not. Wine makes muscles relaxed... but the difficult part is learning when it ceases to help you relax and it starts to addle the mind." he finished his wine and wiped his lips on his sleeve, then he refilled his cup with water. "I do believe an archer like you would have different skills than a monk so wine may really not be good for you, I shall not offer it again." Aello's suggestions were sound. He would have proposed them himself but he didn't want to say anything that could be misinterpreted as something else. "It is a wise plan... I'll remove the wooden stakes securing the tent. Then we'll drag it near the fire and when you think its close enough I'll nail them back to the ground while you hold it in place." "About what I think... I am not so concerned about physical boundaries or contact Aello, I am a masseuse as much as I am a monk and physical contact comes in the line of work I do." Gunho would begin doing as he intended, removing the stakes from the ground so they could freely move the tent here and there. "I was worried that you would think I had ulterior motives if presented the idea... I was actually prepared to leave you the tent and I would just sleep outside with a thick blanket... but you saved me the trouble." A strong gust of wind would force them to delay and hold down the tent but they would be able to easily resume activities and before long they would have their tent near the fire. Gunho would slip inside and wear his leather jacket in place of the one he'd given Aello. "Much warmer." he held his palms against the fire, feeding it with some of the firewood supply he'd stored nearby under a tunic that was anchored by rock. "I believe I am getting closer to my destination... Syliras should not be so far away..." his breath was fog in the cold wind but it was considerably warmer in the tent that he needn't to bring his legs close to his core or rub his hands together to generate heat. "Where now would you go? Will you stay in this region or will you seek sanctuary elsewhere? I may have left Kalea but it a civilized enough place... she is across the Suvan and far from the hands of Ravok. But assuming your stories are correct... that Ebonstryfe would have eyes at whatever ports takes ships there."

[Aello]

Aello nodded as she eased herself onto her feet and moved over to Gunho's tent. When he had removed all the stakes, she helped him carry it over to the fire side, and then held it down while he put the stakes back in. "There we are," she commented, as she straightened herself out and dry washed her hands. She was watching Gunho out of the corner of her eye as he spoke to her. Expressing his feelings and why he seemed to be holding back. She wasn't surprised, the man being as easy as he was to figure out. A simpler read, devoid of any sort of complexity. Free of layers. Aello shook her head lightly as she simply stared. "You're all too easy to understand Gunho. No one in their right mind would think such a thing about you. You're far too proper for that. As is the way with most of the Shinya, it seems." She shrugged. "Even if that had not been the case, one could easily sever your fingers should you try to get too close. You don't exactly present much of a challenge you know." Aello's eyes sparkled as she watched the dark outline of the former Shinya's form moving about the camp. "I wouldn't have made you sleep outside," she muttered, as she lifted one of the tent's flaps. She held it aside, waiting for Gunho to let himself in before her. She smiled as she watched him make his way inside, before letting herself in. "It is." Aello sat herself down beside Gunho, and allowed her eyes to settle on the fire. "I wouldn't know," she commented absently as she watched the fire spit tiny sparks, miniscule orbs of orange light, into the air. She watched them sizzle, fade away into nothingness. They reminded her of fireflies. "We could stay in this region- my companions and I, or we could move on. We haven't really decided yet. But then again, we really don't seem to know what's out there. What this world has to offer. I suppose we're all still deciding together... I wouldn't want to simply drag them along. For all we all know, we could split up for awhile. They won't be as safe though, like that..." Aello fell silent for a long time before speaking again. "They have eyes everywhere simply because they have a god to tell them where to look. Where to be if they wish to truly see." She smiled weakly, her eyes glimmering as she allowed her body to sink onto her back. She stared up at the top of the tent. "But there's no need to think about that now. We'll think of it when the time comes. Destroy them entirely if we have to pick them all off one by one." Aello sighed as she ran her hand through her hair. She didn't want to talk about them anymore. She didn't want to talk about her past anymore. So she would change the subject, abruptly, and drastically. "What do you say you give me a nice long massage?" Aello asked. "You keep telling me all about how you want to be a masseuse. How you served as one in the past. Why don't you practice on me now? Make me forget all the horrible things we've been discussing for a little while?" The girl's smile widened as she rolled onto her stomach, and tucked her arms under her head, allowing them to support it like a pillow would, should she be resting in a real bed. She allowed her face to fall into them, her neck to turn so that her cheek rested against her hands, and she could look up at Gunho. Aello's dark brown eyes settled on his. "Just don't forget my lower back ok?" she asked. "It has been hurting a lot lately..."

[Gunho Ma]

"All too easy to understand and too proper am I?" Gunho shrugged but gave the girl a tired smile. He did believe he was well mannered, but transparent? That wasn't always a good thing, not in a wild untamed world. "I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or not, but coming from you it can't be a bad thing I think." "I don't have practical experience in fighting, its likely that you could probably kill me without much difficulty." he agreed. "If I'm ever about to do something that might upset you, please give me a warning before you kill me." how much of that was delivered in jest was hard to say. The monk slid inside the tent flap that Aello held open for him and made himself comfortable inside. There was almost a world of difference that a tent canvas could create against savage weather. He listened silently to Aello's words again, ruminating on her words. So this was how a person with the power to change her own destiny thought. He hoped to become something like that in the future, powerful enough to be able to do his own thing, to lose the fear that made him wary of the gods and their games. A life like that, where you could truly do what you want against the face of frightening opposition was a little romantic. It looked like a hero's life... though he probably didn't have the capacity for self-sacrifice to become one. While he entertained grim thoughts Aello's proposition for a relaxing massage sliced through him mind like a sharp dagger. All his dark meanderings were blown away like leaves in the wind as he digested her unexpected request. Aello did not strike him as a bold person, she didn't have the look of one and people were usually far less willing to let a stranger, especially a man touch them. But Gunho understood that the girl lying on the canvas floor was no normal girl. "A massage..." the words somehow slipped out of his lips like a question than a re-affirmation, yet he continued to speak and his voice grew notably more confident with each passing second. "Of course. Give me a moment while I prepare my things. Just relax." The first thing he needed to prepare was the setting, everything began with a nice relaxing environment conducive to lull the subject into a neutral state free of as many stressors as he could rid the tent off. Gunho unfurled his bedroll, he stretched and flattened it as best as he could gainst the uneven surface of the canvas. Then he went outside with a lantern, a towels and a pillow, when he came back the latern was lit and the pillow fluffed up comfortably... he did leave the towels inside the pot he hastily cleaned with ice and filled it with a little bit of ice and the towel. Hopefully when they were finished the water would have melted and at least grown lukewarm but he was hoping for steamy. The next procedure was preparing for the massage oil he was going to have to use. He had grapeseed oil, scentless, perfect for many simple applications but right now he valued its ability to take in scents without competing with the additive. He poured it into a wooden bowl almost filling it and set that at the far side of the tent so it wouldn't spill. He introduced mint into the oil and mixed it thoroughly. When all was said and done he picked up a blanket and folded it neatly for Aello to use it however she wanted to use it. Gunho looked at the girl who lay in the prone position and he gestured towards the place he'd prepared for her, his head bowed slightly and his voice filled with a formal calmness and gentle warmth. "Please get on the bedding I prepared for you Miss Aello." "I hope you do not take this the wrong way but it would be best if you left your back exposed, the blouse will get in the way." he held out a towel for Aello. "I can still perform the massage with this blanket draped over you since I doubt you would be comfortable naked with a stranger, but I do insist on leaving your back exposed at the very least, my clients are usually naked believe it or not." "I assure you, I will treat you with the the utmost respect that is your due. If at any moment you feel like I am taking advantage of the situation then I have failed a masseuse and you may gut me like a fish and leave me for dead." a dramatic speech, or a poor attempt at humor... but there was nothing in his tone, intonation or body language that indicated that his statements were mere jests. Gunho was serious, this was one of his greatest pursuits, it was not some means to an end for him. This was his passion and he took it very seriously, almost as he did cooking.

[Aello]

"Yes, you do remember how to give them, don't you?" Aello asked, as she raised a single brow and waited. Her eyes were glimmering as she watched and listened to Gunho. He seemed so nervous, and so unsure of himself, even in the things which supposedly brought him the greatest sense of peace and happiness. Aello almost felt sorry for him, that was no way to live. Aello watched in silence as Gunho readied himself for her. As he kept himself busy, the girl let her head sink into her arms. She was marveling in the smells of the various oils, unable to identify a single one. She closed her eyes and let their scent wash over her for a time, as she waited. Finally, Gunho drew Aello out of her peaceful state with the sound of his voice. Slowly, Aello opened her eyes, and peered up at him. "Alright," she whispered, as she pushed her hands up against the ground, and eased herself into a kneeling position. Aello's muscles seemed to creak as she moved, listening to Gunho in silence. She had no problem with what he was saying. She had heard it said, and seen it done many times before. It was easy enough then, for her hands to find her cloak's clasp and pull it apart between her fingertips. When it had come undone, Aello tugged her cloak away, and let the fabric fall to her right. When that was done, she moved over to the bed Gunho had made, and pulled her arms through her sleeves. A second after that, her hands had grabbed a fistful of fabric, and tugged the dress down around her waist. The girl shivered with the cold, as she dropped herself down on the bed. It was warmer now, that something soft was pressing up against her bare skin. She raised her arms, and swept her hair off to the right side of her head. She turned it on its side, as she tucked her arms under it as a sort of support. "Don't worry about it love, it's not the first time a man's hands have worked on me," Aello whispered, "but you may want to drape the blanket over the part you're not working on nonetheless. It's a bit chilly in here." Aello's eyes sparkled. "Hopefully you'll be able to warm me back up," she added with a small giggle as she watched the man's face. "Don't worry, it's a joke Gunho. A bad one judging from your expression. We both know how professional you are. How much this means to you. You wouldn't do anything stupid, especially when you know how easy it would be to shed your skin." Aello's lips curled into a small smile. "Whenever you're ready Gunho, feel free to get started. I want to relax...

[Gunho Ma]

Gunho draped the blanket over the lower half of her body upon her suggestion and slid the bowl of oil he had prepared beside them. He fill a cupped hand's worth of the minted oil and briskly rubbed his hands together to get the oil to warm up. When he was certain that it was up to body temperature he slowly allowed the minty concoction to drip from his cupped palm over the slope of his subject's back. "Don't worry, I won't try anything stupid." he chuckled, feeling more comfortable now that he was in his element. "I am rather attached to my skin." When the oil snaking across the girl's back was scattered everywhere Gunho began his work. The monk helped spread out the oil with a light but firm sweeping motion of his hands, he began covering her lower back as per her indication though he paid special attention at preventing his hands form accidentally sliding all the way down the buttocks and drew it up her waist, slid it over the contour of her shoulder blades until he covered her shoulders and neck. "And now I'll start, if at anytime I am applying too much pressure or too little inform me so I can adjust the massage appropriately." the masseuse's voice was calm, his smile small and his eyes tranquil. There was little difference between massage and meditation for the monk, the only thing that set them apart was while meditation encouraged vacating the mind of all things, his focusing did the reverse. His only thoughts would be about the subject before him and how he would work on his subject. One was void, the other involved getting lost in your subject completely... like a painter would in the heat of creating his opus magnum. Being observant was an easily overlooked quality in a masseuse but Gunho had been trained early and trained well, he would keep his senses open, his vision and his sense of touch especially. He moved behind Aello, finding the optimal position to anchor himself and he settled by getting on his knees and placing them only inches away from the girl's hips. He began his massage be pressing his fingers unto her flesh with one palm beside the other separated by the depression of her spine. Then with care he applied pressure, he moved forward bringing his weight down upon her body through his shoulder, an elbow tightly locked in place and a straight forearm that was angled ninety degrees against the wrist. He began the work by rotating his palms upwards, the right hand traveled in a clockwise manner and the left one counterclockwise until they formed a perfect circle in which they would travel in that invisible orbit yet again while they slowly inched up from her lower back up the waist until they reached the shoulder-blades. All the while he would move his legs and hips in time with his palms. When they were waxing he would sway forward as they reached the apex of the rotational swing, then when they waned the rest of him retreated as well. This was the secret of an educated masseuse, you could conserve energy by massaging your subject with your entire body and with your weight rather than relying exclusively on the muscles of your arm and hands. He moved tissue in line with the blood flowing back to her core, filling them with fresh blood that they were rarely able to receive on their own. His hands acted like a curve-roller if such was possible, he kneaded and rotated the flesh of Aello's back, her muscles manipulated in ways that only someone knowledgeable about the body could while increasing vascular permeation and generating heat with friction. Heat alone could allow the body to relax, but muscle manipulation allowed more blood that further increased the heat and thus made the flesh more tender and willing. It was a cycle that fed itself. A science and an art that few appreciated. Gunho's mind was fast becoming focused and sharp, he would stop occasionally in places where troublesome knots appeared and he would focus on them, never using force but gently weathering them away his his ministrations until they conceded to his touch. His massage was an art to him, Aello's back now a canvas for his work. He would continue this process of moving from the base of her back to the her shoulder blades before occasionally allowing his hands to slide over her shoulders, to fill them with heated blood and guide them to her neckwith a pinching motion that would roll blood beneath her skin to the base of her skull where her hair met the naked flesh of her neck. When she seemed more relaxed, he would change the mode of massage from the circular motions that spread heat, blood and released tension from her body via pressure to a traditional massage. This would be slightly different from the former, he would still start from slightly above her buttocks but he would form a talon with his hands, a cupped shape that was fixed and would lift muscle while it slid along her back. As an added twist, he would slowly bring the thumb and the rest of his four fingers together as he reached the summit of her shoulders and he would pinch them together to draw flesh up and create the illusion of having her shoulders weaned off tension with each punctuation of the pinch via a subtle wrist-flick.

[Aello]

Aello chuckled, "as well you should be," she responded as Gunho began to massage her. As he worked, Aello lowered her head into her arms a little further, providing it with more of a pillow. Her cheeks felt warm, so very snug in their encasement. "Don't worry about it, that feels really good," Aello purred, as Gunho began to build up a bed of heat upon her flesh. "Although, it'd be best if you concentrated at the base of my back, and my shoulders, where most of the knots are," she whispered. "Not so much around the middle, for that doesn't carry the weight of anything." As Gunho obeyed her, Aello could only smile as she closed her eyes. "That's good," Aello purred. "Right there, and a little bit lower. Can you feel the tension, ease it with those wonderful fingers of yours?" The woman giggled a little as the former Shinya kept at his work. She could only imagine how red in the face he would be if he truly were listening. He seemed so shy, and so proper at times, that it was almost painful for her. It was like watching a little boy around his first crush. Everyone knew he had a crush on the girl, even the girl, but he could never actually admit to it. "Don't be afraid to go a little lower," Aello insisted, as she bit her bottom lip, wondering what Gunho would do next. OOCSorry this is so short. With my pc lying on the ground, there isn't much I can come up with. Enjoy your pc's practice time. <3 Aello.

[Gunho Ma]

"Mhmm." he hummed ins acquiescence. He listened to her whispers, to her request and he complied by changing the focus of his massage to those places that she specified. His massage changed too, instead of broad strokes he decided to attack the kinks in her body with deep pressure massages which he couldn't really do right at the start. Those weren't something he could really jump straight into, if there was resistance it would cause more pain than pleasure to the huntress. That was why he had opted to perform a less precise but more general sweep of her back the first time around. His fingers danced upon her shoulders, snaking past the slender groves and smooth flesh to pierce her skin with deep and rigid fingers that were actually poised to manipulate specific muscles that Gunho could recall in mind during his studies of the human anatomy, specifically the major muscle groups. He pierced them all, sliding the fingers towards the heart to relieve pressure and fill them with warm blood. The trapezius, levator scapulae, rhomboids, deltoid and even the rotator cuff did not escape his attention. He worked at them one at a time, making sure that the muscles of the back she used when she practiced archery would receive relief. Perhaps it was fortunate that he was lost in the rush of activity that his mind could barely register the giggles, what he was paying attention to was the girl's body and the subtle non-voluntary feedback it was giving him. Gunho was so immersed in paying attention to the response he would be able to feel through the pads of his fingers and the surface of his palm that he failed to notice how easily he had accepted her request. "As you wish." he wasn't even thinking when he said that. Had he been paying more attention he might have realized the consequences of his actions sooner. After dragging his fingers down her back in a swaying motion towards the spine while thoroughly moving the muscles of her lower back by urging his hands to take a zig-zag pattern he took the next dangerous step. His hands were working perilously lower, drawing the bedsheet lower and exposing more flesh with each stroke he worked into her flesh. Gunho first began his work on the gluteus medius, the section of the buttocks that were high and distal from the ridge of the imaginary line splitting her body into two hemispheres. He secured his hands by clinging to the anterior section of her thigh with the first four fingers then had the thumb take center stage at the posterior. From there he glided it in line with the muscles' natural form starting from a direction pointing towards the opposite shoulder blade then he dragged it diagonally moving distal from the body. An exercise to release stress from constant pressure that the buttocks normally received in various states of rest. When he was finishing working the smaller gluteus medius he shifted his attention to the bigger gluteus maximus. The strokes weren't so different from the former, but be opted to change the direction he moved his fingers and traveled in the reverse direction. Thus his thumbs would plow towards the core of her body instead of veering away from it. It would be in he middle of the gluteus massage that common sense would be able to snatch a fraction of the mental energy he was using for the activity he was doing that he would understand just how risque this massage was. "Is this low enough?" his question was probing though he didn't stop working on her even though he was doubting his actions. Once you started something you had to see through to it, failing to do this would only leave your subject thinking that you didn't know what you were doing even if you did. Besides, the masseuse knew that he was doing things correctly so far, there was no reason this shouldn't feel good and the girl didn't seem particularly shy about her body to mind what he was doing... or so he hoped she wasn't. OOCIts okay, I should try to do something interactive and thinking of something appropriate is a bit of a challenge. Thanks for the training opportunity. <3

[Aello]

Aello simply allowed herself to relax as Gunho's hands made their way lower and lower, working her back into what felt like a jelly. Relaxing it, causing her rigid muscles to uncoil themselves and simply sink into her smooth flesh. She could feel his hands running over her lower body. Her butt. She smiled seductively as she bit her bottom lip. Her two front teeth making a slight indentation in its middle, where she was pressing them. Her lip curled into her mouth a bit, as she simply waited, wondering what he would do and where he would go. What he did surprised Aello, he was moving lower. As red pigmentation flooded the aurist's cheeks, giving them a rosy tint, Aello pulled her teeth off her lips, and smiled seductively. "You're finally allowing yourself to do what you've been thinking about all night," the woman chuckled. "Good for you, I was beginning to think you'd never loosen up and let go a little." Aello opened her eyes, and blinked a few times. Slowly, as though she had something caught in them, that she hoped to fan out with her long lashes. "You're too uptight you know," Aello commented. "Never seem to let yourself have any fun, until now." More red flooded into the woman's face, causing her to grow even warmer as she nibbled on her bottom lip, and watched Gunho work. It seemed to take him awhile to realize just what he was doing, which only amused the aurist all the more. When he finally asked her, Aello merely pulled her teeth off her bottom lip and smiled. Her eyes sparkled as she stared into Gunho's eyes. "You can go a little lower if you want," Aello purred. "No one's stopping you. Save yourself." The girl chuckled. "Just let your hands wander, and try not to think about what you're doing too much... just how much you're relaxing me. Ridding me of all tension. Pleasuring me really." Aello's gaze hardened, in the sense that her eyes seemed all the more intense. The red in her cheeks drained, as she began to gain her confidence. This was, after all, a fun little game to play. "Think you can handle it?" Aello asked, as she lay there, awaiting an answer, her bare flesh exposed to a complete stranger, which only she knew how to read. For as far as she could tell, the former Shinya knew little about other people. OOCNot a problem, and do try not to worry so much. We are having fun >.<

[Gunho Ma]

'Think I can what?' the thought remained unspoken but it was clearly weighing heavily on his thoughts. What was she trying to accomplish from all of this teasing? She was attractive, she didn't need him to confirm it and he had this feeling that Aello couldn't possibly have self-esteem issues. She was too mature and confident to seek it from elsewhere... he kept his hands busy while his mind mulled over the possibilities. Why was she egging him the way she was...? This was probably a game. That was the likely answer. Women like playing games. He'd discovered it early on, that girls enjoyed teasing him because of all the boys in the classes he attended he was the most reserved, the post proper, practically harmless. But he was just like any other guy, he had his wants and needs and he wasn't free from the same weakness to temptation. Did Aello even know what sort of effect she was trying to elicit from him? Gunho was at the edge of reason and patience already, if he couldn't focus on the task that needed doing he wouldn't be able to guarantee where he would find his hands later. Yet this was not a challenge he could retreat from, he still had his pride to consider. "Maybe I am too uptight." he finally admitted with a breathy sigh. "You're right, I should go ahead and have fun. Let me try something that might feel good Aello, it should help you get warmer." If she was going to tease him with verbal jabs then shouldn't he reply in kind? He didn't have to respond with his tongue though, talk was cheap, he'd let his fingers do the talking. He carefully slid off what part of the blanket was still clinging unto the girl's body slowly so he wouldn't threaten her and took another scoop of oil from the bowl of minted grapeseed oil to rub vigorously in his hands. Just like he did earlier he allowed the leaking liquid to fall upon her skin and he made ribbons with it, this time all across the groove of her rear and her thighs. He worked his hands again, he did go lower, past her buttocks and all the way down to her thighs. "You did say lower." he smiled politely but there was something burning behind his eyes that was absent there before. He chose thighs because they were home to many important muscles and since they helped bear the weight of the upper torso they were abundant with all sorts of kinks that needed just as much attention as any part of the body... that and this part of the body was sensitive. If the shoulders and neck were the main target he worked on the upper body the thighs were his specialty down below. Working her thighs would give her more pleasure and release than any attention he placed on her buttocks ever could. Gunho pressed his palm around her outer upper thighs, rubbing them in smooth small circles to warm them up and compress a lot of muscles to release a lot of pent up pressure. Then he kneaded the muscles together, squeezing them slightly before gliding his thumb and fingers up, following the contour of the muscles while concentrating on the pads of his fingers to sense any abnormalities that he needed to suppress. He worked at her thighs, well-trained hands sliding inwards then snaking towards her core to push blood up towards her hips. Gunho used both hands simultaneously, they complimented each other with each stroke, each pinch and each pull. He wanted to punish Aello for teasing him as she did and getting her to blush a little and maybe even moan in pleasure was revenge enough for him.

[Aello]

"That sounds nice," Aello commented, somewhat breathlessly as Gunho's hands trailed lower and lower. She could feel them snaking up and down the length of her thighs now, causing her skin to feel both warm and somewhat tingly. She glanced over her shoulder from time to time, to watch as her worked. The look upon his face. An intensity stood there. In his eyes. He was so devoted to his task, and yet, there was a glimmer of something else. Something that hadn't been there before. Something that the aurist could not quite put her finger on. Nonetheless, it stirred up something inside her, causing her chest to form knots. To churn uneasily at the sight. "I did say that," Aello purred, as her eyes sparkled. "Although this isn't exactly what I had in mind." The girl chuckled. "Not that it matters, this feels pretty good too. Although, it does seem as though you're avoiding certain areas..." Aello's voice trailed off for quite some time. "Afraid of what will happen if you should venture there?" Aello asked. "Or rather, your hands?" She was waiting for his face to redden. Her eyes sparkling as she bit her bottom lip, and slid a little closer into Gunho's side. She could feel the warmth his hands were producing. His warmth radiating off of him. She clung to it. The feel of it. The strange comfort that lingered there. The way it eased her tension, and made all of her stress seem to disappear. The way it made her feel strangely light. After a few seconds had passed, Aello pulled her teeth off her lips. "Don't worry. You can keep going. I like it..." OOCThis thread is ridiculous on so many levels. >.<