(Closed) Sparring with the Unarmed (Rykanis Dakshata)

[Syrah Steele]

Syrah began to feel happy, she had preformed well in the sparring and now the man wanted to show her around. To a park! She did love the outdoors.

"That sounds fantastic!" She replied joyfully, and smiled up at the Akalak.

"My father..." She started as they walked out the doors and down the stone steps. "He is a wine maker, like me, I am the favorite of his two children." She paused, that was not what he asked. "He owns a large wine making company with many employees in Sylira. I learned all I know about vinting from him."

They turned and walked over to the neighboring park and she enjoyed the view of the green grass and the water and statues. She walked up to the closest one, a large Akalak man, a God. She didn't know his name but a plaque read Wysar. She had heard of him he was the God of Discipline. He ruled over the Akalaks.

Syrah continued speaking, "I worked in his vineyards and winery when I was 19, worked there for 2 years. I learned a lot. I found that Riverfall had a great winery and I asked my father if I could come. He, of course, agreed to anything involving vinting. So here I am." She stopped and looked up expectantly at her acquaintance, waiting for his analysis.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

As Rykanis offered to take her for a walk in the park, literally, she seemed to loosen up a bit, her demeanor shifting to one a bit happier. Perhaps she was that happy that he had offered for her to come along? Or maybe there was a different reason for the change in her mood... Best not to make assumptions... As she smiled at Rykanis in return, he could still feel his face hot as it blushed. It was lessening a bit though, as he was able to take his mind off of the crude shadows story in talking to her, in trying to puzzle out the reasoning for her shifting mood, and on the premise that he knew they would be leaving in a moment. He was interested to hear that she had taken on the same profession as her father, and another statement of the fact that her father had been blessed with not just one child, but two. Along with that he was a well off businessman, with a business that sounded like it was doing quite well. All of these things together were the marks of what someone in Riverfall would call high ranking in society. Of course he did know that this was not true everywhere, other places judged a persons worth and social ranking off of completely different things. "He sounds like he is quite blessed, to have two healthy children, and a business doing well... I am sure you are glad to be able to carry on with his traditions, and learn his knowledge... Much can be learned by listening to our elders." As they entered the park, Rykanis looked around, and noticed his companion examine a statue of Wysar. He gave it a quick nod in reverence, as any good akalak would... Though to be honest, it was not the deity he felt the closest to. Though he doubted he would see here a statue of the goddess he worshiped and revered for the gifts she gave him every day... if he did, it certainly would not be in as detail of Wysars... She was not one to go so far into the light, and have her face so well known. As she finished her tale, she looked up at him, to which Rykanis simply smiled in return. "Riverfall is well known for its vinting, I doubt you could have chosen a better place to learn. You sound like you are close to your father, that is fortunate. Many are not so lucky as to have such a close relationship." Rykanis smiled once more after this, obviously teasing a tidbit of veiled insinuation, trying to get her to ask of his own father. he would pretend like he had not done it on purpose, but found that people often liked to feel like they had noticed something you had let slip, and to be the one to ask about something. Though he finished off this statement by one last bit, wondering about the other sibling she had not mentioned. "You speak of your father quite highly, you obviously are close. What of your brother? You failed to tell of him."

[Syrah Steele]

Her father had always been okay with whatever she wanted, as long as it had been something that interested him as well. She also knew that when the old man died, the winery would be passed down to her, but Dean didn't have any intention of dying anytime soon. She was a young man, around 52, so Syrah laughed when Rykanis mentioned listening to your elders.

Yes, her father had a lot of useful information to teach her, but sometimes he just...smothered her with his knowledge and demands.

"Two children, yes, he only cares for one." She said absently.

"I couldn't have chosen a better place I think. I don't know where I will go once I am done here, another winery in some other place maybe." She wondered. "Yes, you could say we are close, he taught me all I know."

He did, and Syrah knew that, she just didn't know what to do with it, besides learn more. She wanted to start her own vineyard and winery, but she knew her father would not want her too, would want her to take over for him.

She didn't want to talk of her brother, but she did anyway.
"My brother, Gris is his name, He is older than me, braver, better looking, just better than me." She sighed, she always wanted to be him. "He stood up to my father when I couldn't and loved my mother when I wouldn't." She would always remember the day when Gris told Dean he didn't want to make wine. What a fight that had been. "He is a builder, carpenter, works with his hands. We don't get along much."
Her brother, a blond, muscular man, he was everything she wasn't.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis continued to lead her along the stone path, taking her past another statue, though this one was not of a god... He was not sure what it was supposed to be... Certainly not a human... Either it was made by an unskilled sculptor, or was abstract... He was not certain... Regardless, he listened on as Syrah spoke, he did notice something... She certainly seemed to be speaking with a heavy heart, though he was not certain why or about what. "Interesting, are there many other places were wine is made? I thought it could only be made in certain places, which required a certain amount and degree of rain and heat and such... That is why Riverfall is able to make it, as it falls in those apparent restraints... Though I don't claim to know a lot about it." Then she carried on, continuing her heavy hear-ted speech, comparing her to her brother... Was that possibly the source of it? It seemed that way... She certainly seemed to feel inferior to the qualities and actions of her brother... And in particular, the action of defying her father, which she seemed to regret not doing, and instead had followed along with him... Did she perhaps wish that she had not done so, and had gone off in her own independent way? It was not to late if that was true, she could always forge off on her own, learn her own thing to do... "I suppose everyone always does consider if they had gone in a different way... Do you perhaps wish you had left your fathers shadow as your brother did? What would you have done if you had? What is it you enjoy doing? That is what is really important..." He tried to say this without being to blunt, but he did not really see in other way to get deeper without approaching it directly... Possibly it would anger her... And in that anger she might say something... Or she might not get angry... Or just say nothing... He could not be certain, but had said it, so would hope it would work out as he had planned. He did finish off with one final statement, an obvious flirtatious bit, "Though I doubt this of him being better looking... You are quite attractive enough as you are... You might not believe it, but you are beautiful, and that is a fact..."

[Syrah Steele]

"I am sure Riverfall and Sylira are not the only places one can grow grapes, I just got here though, so I don't think I'll be leaving anytime soon." She loved the temperature here, and the city was amazing, breathtaking really. The people were interesting and Syrah often found herself people watching. All the different hues of men's skin color and the odd races she found wandering about.

"My brother, he just didn't want to be sucked into his fathers business, he preferred construction. As for me, vinting is what I love. There is really nothing that would make me happier. My mother, she was dead set on me being something other then my father, taught me any skill she could think of! But I hated them all and she gave up. Though I do wish, sometimes that father hadn't had me on such a tight leash." She sighed at the memory.

Her father, always hovering. Never letting her get close enough to anyone to be friends, let alone affectionate towards a boy. As she grew older she became more and more like her father, and it was easier to not make friends. She became cold and mean, no one wanted to be around her--not even her mother.

Syrah always had this feeling that Gris knew of her jealously and felt bad for his, his little sister, and thats why he stayed in contact with her. She didn't want to see him though, to be reminded of what she could have been, could have done. Now her whole family is her father, no one else that cares for her. Truthfully, no one cares her her, her father just wants to teach, to control. Maybe that's why she came here.

Her good mood plummeted and now she felt as if she wanted to cry. She didn't of course, not in public, but if someone looked right at her eyes, they could see the shine.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis of course was no expert with wine, he had simply never heard of growing it in many other places, certainly not as well as what was done here in Riverfall, or in some parts of Sylira. He would have to defer to her in that regard, as he guessed she would know more on it, being a self -proclaimed vinting expert/ aficionado. He listened as she spoke on her brother, more willing to do so than he had expected. It seemed he had in fact wanted to diverge from his fathers skill, while she had simply gone along... He also smiled as she brought up her mother, which seemed like a good memory, if a bit bitter now... He himself... Well he could hardly recall his mother at all... It had been so long since she died... He tried to remember what her face looked like, but beyond the fact that she was a konti, and had long waist length blond hair... He could not recall any more details... He tried to recall anything else, but he seemed almost to have a mental block, stopping him from recalling... The memory was so sad, he could feel a dull ache in his chest, and he had to sit down on the edge of the path, careful to keep his face away from Syrah... Ever trying to appear manly and not weak... He was not sure why the stirred up memories had affected him so, he had almost forgotten about them, but upon hearing her speak of her mother, bits had come back... That though was one of his deepest secrets, certainly one he did not tell anyone... And with his father gone to, was there any point? "Sorry, you recalled me of my mother... She passed long ago... But at least you should be glad you know your mother. I can barely even recall mine anymore... Cannot even picture her face... Better to have a mother, and not get along, than to not have one at all..." His other side started pushing on his consciousness, trying to take over control, but he simply twitched a bit, and forced him back, letting his sadness and grief wash out like the tide, and push him out of his mind... He did not want him to take control, his other side never felt sad... Most likely he could not feel sad... And he wanted to feel sad right now, and so held control... "Do you have any fond memories of your mother?" Rykanis asked, his voice getting a bit thick, as his emotions roiled, which probably seemed odd to Syrah's view of how Akalaks normally acted.

[Syrah Steele]

Her sadness seemed to wash over to him. He sat down on the path and it looked as if he may cry, like she may now. He spoke of his mother, how he had forgotten her. Syrah didnt know what she would do if she forgot her mother.

"My mother is a beauftiful woman, that why my father, Dean, married her I guess. She was rich and only added to his wealth. I look more like my mother than I do my father. Gris looks like my mother too, we all have blonde hair. She has blue eyes, like my brohter, I have green and father has brown. I do have fond memories of her, when she taught me things, or tried to. She ahd so much spirit in her when I was younger, it seemed to fade the older we got. I think it's becuase of my dad." She stopped then, openly showing the hatred for her father on her face as she recalled how rudly he treated her mother.

"I dont know why she doesnt leave him. They were in love once, when my father had a heart, when his business was just beginning. But now, I dont know why they are still together."

Rykanis was sad, she could see, she wanted to comfort him but thought he would take offense to it, so she stayed were she was, her mind wandering.

"What about your father? You've asked me all the questions, only fair that its my turn." She smiled, hoping to lighten the blue mood that hung around them like fog.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Rykanis could not help it, sliding in another comment in response to what she said. He certainly was no smooth talker, good with the ladies, but that didn't mean he couldn't try right? So he looked up at her, forcing a smile onto his lips, but a pained expression still over the rest of his face, which he could not quell... "I am sure she is a beautiful woman... That must be were you got your looks... Though I have a feeling there is more to you than just a pretty face." He continued to listen, though in this bit she seemed to be looking at her father in a different light... Had he caused that? Before she had seemed to almost hero worship him... Now she was talking of how he had estranged her mother. It was such a sudden change in her, that she would suddenly show so much dislike in her father... She must have conflicted emotions about her parents, just like he did... well maybe not just like... As she said her next bit... Something clicked in his head, a sudden realization of something... Maybe that was part of why she had been so standoffish, and cold... Clearly she had seen her parents in love at one time, but over time it had turned into neglect, like they were together because they had to... Could she be afraid of the same thing happening? That if she liked someone, and fell in love, eventually it would turn bitter like her parents loveless marriage? Together in name only? It did explain a bit of her... Maybe he had grasped something, and understood her better for it... Just as he was starting to get a bit up beat, feeling good at puzzling out these secret things she more than likely even kept hidden from herself, and admitted to no one... She brought up a subject that brought him right down... "Ah well... I don't know were my father is... If he is even alive... He was never the same after my mother died... And he left Riverfall before even I underwent my right of passage... " This of course was public knowledge, so he had no problem telling it to her... Even in his saddened emotional state, he still unconsciously was hiding his secrets...

[Syrah Steele]

Syrah tried to ignore his comments about her looks, but she felt herself blushing. She wasn't used to this treatment. Most men back off with a cold stare from her green eyes. Though she should have expected this when she came to Riverfall, which she did, she just thought they wouldn't be so...nice.

Syrah had the impression that all Akalaks were hard people who like to fight and things like that, apparently that was not so. Syrah accepted his compliment with a slight wave of her hand an duck of her head to hid her reddening face.

She only felt worse when she realized that he didn't know if his father was still alive! She brought up the bad subject of a mother that made him sad and now she did it again with his father. She noticed that maybe he had a worse family life then he did...

"I'm sorry that I brought it up..." She peeked at him through her thick hair. "I guess I'm not good at lightening the mood." She chuckled at herself then continued, "Of course all your life cant be terrible, tell me a happy story?" She hoped this man had some happy moments.

She had plenty of both, but she was outside and the weather was nice and she wanted to be happy.

[Rykanis Dakshata]

Of course she had no way of knowing that his family was in such disarray, and had such bad luck. Though she really had a knack for stumbling upon the worst possible avenue of conversation... But he shook his head, trying to calm himself down, hearing his other side as he once more pushed upon his consciousness. As his personality pressed upon his main one, he consoled him, trying to press upon him his calmness and neutrality. It seemed to work a bit, if nothing else helping him to take a deep breath, and talk in a much more calm measured tone. "That is all right, you had no way of knowing... It is not something I often bring up... And it is as much my fault, I am sorry for unloading my problems on you... I don't normally do so..." He listened as she laughed, it was nice hearing it, and certainly brought his spirits up with its femininity, so different from the deep throat-ed chuckles he was used to. She wanted him to tell her a story... Several rushed through his head, but one in particular came to mind. At least it involved a relative who was still definitely alive. "Well, I grew up with my grandfather, he taught me a lot. He is still alive by the way." He smiled, wanting to make that clear. "He is the one that first taught me how to fight. As you might imagine, I was a bit rambunctious in my youth. The first time we fought, I was barely taller than his knee. Little as I was, I ran right at him and tried to tackle him head. He sidestepped me, and I was going so fast, I ran right into a wall post. Nearly split my skull open, and knocked myself out for quite awhile." By the time he finished this, he was about laughing, clearly thinking in hindsight that it was funny. Though it was more of a moral lesson, on caution. "Which is why I always make sure to be aware of my surroundings, and to look were I am going."