Flashback A sailing trip [Luhrak]

[Lacerta]

20th, Winter, 461AV, Evening Like on most days, Lacerta sat on her boat, legs crossed, music before her. She was trying to play one of the song she'd composed, but it was not going well. The skill required to play the specific piece was quite high, and was something she didn't have. Still, the Eth knew that it was a beautiful song, and she was determined to make the most of it. She took the song slowly, her two upper arms holding the flute gently, fingers moving up and down with the music. The first few lines were fine, more of an introduction than anything, but after that... it sped up, and the notes grew higher and higher and finally she simply could not reach that range. It was supposed to slowly build tension.... but it was pointless if she could not play it. She glowered at the song, and decided it was time to take a break from her practice. Standing up, Lacerta stretched all six of her arms, and considered another option. She could always head into the city... but that would require people... and she didn't feel like crowds tonight. Maybe she'd head out on a little evening sail... it sounded quite nice actually. She grinned and began preparing the boat of it's little journey. Common Fravata Arumenic Someone else

[Luhrak Searunner]

He could feel his heart pumping the blood through his body, carrying the oxygen from his lungs to his muscles. But not enough. His breathing was frantic, his heart was beating quickly as it tried to keep up with the rest of the body's call for oxygen. His face and neck were covered with a layer of sweat, beads of it constantly running down his skin. Muscles were demanding power to function. The lower legs, the upper legs, the thighs and to a smaller extent the upper arms as well. He carried a smile on his face, through the erratic and demanding breaths he took. His feet carried him across the stones of Zeltiva docks. Images flashed past him, ship and people he passed. They barely took up a second of his time as he passed them. He knew he was at the end of his ability. The two kilometers he had ran to the docks had drained him of almost all stamina. For a moment he was angry at the lack of it but then the sheer feeling of speed, the wind blowing in his face, pulling at his clothes as he ran closer and closer towards the water. He focused and dug deep. There was no need for strength in his arms or torso. He just needed speed in his legs, speed and durability. Invisible hands pulled at his Djed, redirecting the flow of it. Although he couldn't physically see it, he could sense it as he moved it. It was a struggle still, trying to redirect the flow to his legs, but he managed, although crudely. Where more skilled people would redirect the flow like it was water, casually directing it to the wanted destination, the young man didn't have nearly the control. His use of flux was more like breaking a twig in half in order to make it point somewhere else. By the time he focused again on the space in front of him, he could only see water. The slow bobbing water of the ocean. With the last burst of speed, the young man ran full speed off the end of the docks and launched himself in the air, jumping with all his might. "Yowzaaaah~~!!!" For a split second he was free as a bird, floating away from the edge of the stone docks and towards the water. Then things went wrong. For some reason, his legs seemed to move slower than his head and caused him to gently flip over in the air. The panic on his face only got worse as he saw the distance between himself and the nearest boat, further away than he could have ever jumped normally but getting closer and closer by the second, close quickly. The flailing of his arms and the screaming didn't help to stabilize his position. Just as he realized he would crash into the side of the boat, his momentum seemed to give out. Quite ungraceful and with a sickening sound, halfway between a rock hitting the water and a piece of wood breaking in half, he hit the water, landing flat on his stomach and face, knocking the air from his lungs. The small ripples caused by the crash slowly died away as the young man remained out of sight. His hand cut through the surface of the water, clawing his way up as the young man pierced through the surface, gasping for air, drawing a deep and loud breath, coughing and flailing his arms, trying to stay afloat. From one moment to the next, the young man seemed to instantly relax. His trashing stopped and become calculated motions of his arms, made to keep him afloat. Under water his legs kicked gently to help him stay that way. One of his hands disappeared under water as he rubbed over his entire chest, from the neck down. "Ooowww. Ow. Ow. Ow!" He carefully touched the sore area covering his entire chest. "More bruises..."

[Lacerta]

Lacerta watched in surprise as a man came sprinting down the pier, leaped off the docks, and nearly crashed into her boat. She watched in shock as the event occurred, not really comprehending what the person had just done. It was obvious they'd lost control, but something had caught her eye. Was that... Ortal? It had been nearly a season since they'd met, and she hadn't seen him since. No one else she'd spoken to seemed as interesting... or strange. Considering what she'd seen him do, this wasn't so surprising. Forgetting she looked completely different, the Eth called down"Are you alright Ortal? What were you doing?" She gazed down into the water, watching the floundering swimmer cautiously. She had a single eyebrow raised in question, and reached one of her many arms down to help him up. In doing so, she got a sudden sense of deja vu, but ignored it. "Why in the world did you sprint of the pier anyways? Didn't you see my boat?" In all her interest, she'd forgotten that he wouldn't recognize her, but didn't care. One thing she did remember was her planned trip. She'd wanted to leave... well, now, but she couldn't exactly push the guy off her ship. He was obviously bruised, and she wondered if he could even stand. Common Fravata Arumenic Someone else

[Luhrak Searunner]

The feeling of being completely free, however short lived, had felt so gripping. He could still feel the last of the tingles in his stomach die away. He grinned at the broken reflection in the water below him. His smile turned grim as he touched his fingertips to his chest and stomach, the entire skin bruised and sore to the slightest touch. He looked ahead, towards the boat he had almost crashed into. He remembered a boat, sometime ago, although he couldn't remember who or why. As he slowly bobbed up and down the waves, his name called out to him, reaching him over the waves. His gaze moved up over the wood of the ship, higher and higher, until he was faced with person on the ship, calling his name. "Hello." He responded, a boyish grin on his face. As he focused on the face over the railing, it occured to him that the person knew his name but he had couldn't place her, not consciously at least. There was some sort of feeling, deep inside, that told him that he should know her, a nagging, annoying feeling, but he couldn't place. "Hey..." He sounded convinced he knew the rest of the sentence but his facial expressions clouded over as he suddenly struggled with the rest of his sentence. After a minor pause he continued to speak. "I'm fine, don't worry. Just a little bruise. Have we met?" He looked at the arm reaching over the side and he paddled himself closer so he could reach for it. Once again, with surprising strength, he felt himself lifted out of the water by a woman on a boat. How many sailing women were there in Zeltiva? He didn't think anything of the two hands holding onto the railing as two more hands pulled him out of the water at the same time. Like a caught fish, he flopped down on the deck of the ship and immediatelly rolled over on his back, groaning from the pain in his chest. From his neck down to his waist his entire body had a light red color from the impact with the water. That and an oncoming headache were all that was left of his little adventure just a moment before. Like it was the most obvious thing in the world, he answered her question. "I was flying. And practicing." Although not intentionally, it sounded like she had just asked the obvious. "You have too many arms." He stated afterwards, like it was the weather. He looked around for a moment before he continued to speak. "Are you the captain?" Although Lacerta was indeed 'the captain' in his mind, he meant to ask if this person in front of him, with the many arms and the bronzed skin, was the captain of this ship. Combining his seperate sentences together, it was probably the longest he had spoken at one time without answering a question. "I like boats." As usual, his social behavior was quite erratic and even downright strange.

[Lacerta]

Lacerta continued to listen to him with a raised eyebrow, but answered his question with a simple"Yes"It hid a slight humour, created from the obvious realization that he didn't recognize her, considering her completely different appearance. She doubted that his bruise was so small, considering the way he lay once back on the ship. The Eth reacted to this by sighing quietly, remembering his actions last time they'd met. "Flying. Really? It looked more like you were falling." She replied sarcastically to his explanation. Probably practising falling... or swimming. Maybe stupidity. It was just like him... though she didn't actually know the man well, Lacerta felt she was able to state something like that. Ignoring the memory loss, he'd done something very similar to this, attempting a handstand before crashing back down into the water ungracefully. He'd certainly been ungraceful this time, and had obviously fallen into the water again. She would have raised her eyebrow higher if she could at his 'arms' statement, but she was unable to. He was highly prone to obvious, and pointless, statements. In fact... despite their few conversations... she practically expected it of him. He wasn't very good at keeping his thoughts to himself. "Six is fine, for an Eypharian" she told him bluntly, before nodding at his next question. She wondered if he even recognized the boat he'd collapsed on. It wasn't particularly outstanding, true, but it's age was decently obvious, though she kept it in good shape. "I know" she replied simply to his next question, having heard this back in Fall. At that, something occurred to her. Rather than waste time getting him off her ship before setting off... she might as well take him with her. He'd wanted to go sailing, right? "I have a proposal" she began "Since you seem too exhausted to move, and I was planning on going for a short sail... you might as well ride along." It probably sounded incredibly awkward, but it would be nice to have some... interesting... conversation while on the water. Common Fravata Arumenic Someone else

[Luhrak Searunner]

Lying on his back on the deck, Ortal felt like he had been in that place before, in almost the exact same position. He shrugged it off as the ship type being the same as so many other ships. With a hurt look on his face, either from the pain or from the six armed woman, the young man listened to her words and replied defensively. "I was flying... Then I decided to stop. And I sort of fell. But it was planned. Just not this painfully." He whinced as he touched a finger to his bare chest. Unlike last time, he was wearing short pants, instead of just his underwear, so he wasn't exactly naked as he lay back on the wooden deck. He wondered if all captains had this haughty and sarcastic tone their voice or only the ones he met. Perhaps it was something he had done that had caused this tone of voice. But he didn't linger on it long as he let his eyes slide over the ship, looking at the wooden structure, the ropes, the sail, taking in the details. "I met another captain once. Couldn't swim. But she had a boat in her boat in case the first one sunk. Amazing, isn't it?" He stated to the sky above as he watched a single cloud drift by. "Where exactly did we meet? I can't seem to... remember..." Although at the time, he was still unaware of his memory problems, he really couldn't place the six armed woman on the boat in his mind. It wasn't like he knew a ton of them anyway. It wasn't even like he knew women. Perhaps one or two. He pushed himself up, whincing once more, and sat cross legged on the deck. She knew. Going out for a short sail with a stranger? That sounded like fun. "I'm fine, really. I'll help." With a groan and more whincing, Ortal pushed himself up on his feet and looked around. Although he had no clue what needed to be done, he was eager to help her ready the ship to sail. He had never been on a boatride before. His eagerness and enthusiasm for the trip, combined with the moving of the boat, masked his light dizzyness and the upset in his stomach. With no idea what to do, he turned to the woman. "What do you need me to do.... euhm... Captain?" And then, as if it suddenly dawned on him where they were going he added another question, his voice laced with uncontrolled and youthful enthusiasm. "Can we find a whale? I'd love a whale."

[Lacerta]

Lacerta ignored Ortal's explanation of his 'flight', finding it pointless. He was just being stupid as always. Instead, she decided to break it to him that the captain he was speaking about was, indeed, her. "Ortal. I am that person... that's how we met. I just look...very... different at night" It would be too confusing to explain her mortal and ethereal forms, so instead decided to leave it to his strange personality to not ask too many questions. Heck, last time, it had taken him a good... ten chimes, was it, to realize how odd her horns were. At least he'd noticed the arms this time. Hearing his agreement to help out, she nodded, and quickly set to work. First she untied the ropes from around the pier, unwinding it around the metal holders. "Help me push the boat off" She instructed Ortal after hearing his offer to help, and she pushed off the wooden dock with all six of her arms, putting as much strength in as possible. With their combined force they moved about a meter away, floating off from the pier. "Okay... tug on that, as hard as you can" she instructed absentmindedly, reminded of something. Leaving the man to ready her sail, she rushed over to her music book. She flipped through it, carefully tore out a page and folded it, in preparation for a sacrifice. Sure, some people sacrificed bowls, or other solid pieces of art, but this was always her gift to Laviku as a gift. As the sail billowed out, she dropped the song into the ocean, muttering a prayer for good weather to Laviku. It was a short trip, but still... it was commonly known around sailors that if you didn't sacrifice something to the god... your boat would surely sink. Only when she'd taken the wheel in two hands, and faced the boat to open water, did she consider his question about whales. "I don't know if we could find a whale... they're not so common. But we may be able to spot one..." She could have used Syna's gift to find one, but it only worked while the sun was up, and so ineffective. Luckily, there was a steady breeze going, perfect for a small evening sail. It took a few chimes, but eventually they reached more open waters. She could see the dim reflection of the moon on the water as Leth rose, and a smile touched her expression. The Eth visibly relaxed, feeling calm, and at peace, among the lapping water. Though she preferred the silence, she felt it was time to break it. "Ever been sailing before?" She asked conversationally, watching Ortal from her place on the wheel. Common Fravata Arumenic Someone else

[Luhrak Searunner]

Ortal shook his head lightly, a smile on his face. "No, no, no. Too many arms and no..." He fell silent, his fingers pointing to the sides of his head forming circles in the air, pointing out the lack of horns on her head. How do you explain a person with horns on their head? "No hat. If you were the captain you'd be wearing the hat." His fingers made a list circle on the sides of his head before his hands fell in his lap. As he tried to explain to the other female captain-woman that she wasn't her, because of the completely different look, Ortal couldn't help but somehow feel like she was telling the truth. "What was I doing?" Half a question, half a test, he looked expectantly at her. He eagerly follower her commands, ingrained into his very being by a lifetime of following others. In a test of raw strength, Ortal would probably lose to most people, including the female captain. But now, he could simply cheat a little. Looking inwards, he grabbed hold of his Djed. Crude and untrained, he simply pulled on it. It wasn't yet the grace and style it would once be but just simple instinct. He wanted more strength in his arms and legs and in order to get it, he took it from somewhere else. From the middle of his body he drew strength away, little bits of it, barely able to control those, and guided them towards his arms. What little muscles he had bulged under the strain as he pushed against the wooden pier, moving the boat slowly away from the side. The boat barely moved a meter from the pier. If he wanted to he could grab it. Just lean over and grab it. But according to the captain it was enough and she shouted his next order. With no idea what he was doing or what effect it had on the ship's ability to sail, he held onto the rope she had instructed him to tug on and tugged on it as hard as he could. As soon as he started pulling, he could feel the Fluxed strength slip away, back to its original place. His entire chest and stomach started to burn, like he had been doing push ups for the past hour, which was impossible since he could barely do ten, even if he tried. Groaning under the strain on his body, the young man held onto the rope as he looked at the captain, folding up the piece of paper and holding onto it. "What's that... for?" He managed to ask, between his panting breaths. As the boat started to move on its own, guided by the steady hands of the captain as she held the wheel, Ortal could feel the rocking motions under his feet. Almost as soon as he realized it, he started to feel unwell. He swallowed several times, trying to remain in control as the boat kept going up and down with the waves, gliding through the moonlit waters. By the time he realized he was being spoken to, Ortal was holding onto the railing of the boat, his fingers gripping the wood as he did his best to remain standing. Even in the moonlight his face had turned a visibly pale white. "Never..." His words were barely a whisper as he did his best to only let sound come out of his mouth and not the contents of his lunch. For a moment he managed a shaky smile, more to himself than to the captain. It was funny how sometimes you forget you're not very resilient when it comes to certain things.

[Lacerta]

Lacerta had waited until they were on open water to answer his questions. She considered ignoring them further, since Ortal looked like he would throw up. Sea sickness... already? He had a weak stomach... She sighed, but decided anyways to answer. "I have horns in the day, and extra arms at night." She explained, assuming that his 'hat' was her horns. He'd called them a hat the last time they'd met, anyways. "I change forms between night and day. I use to look like this in a past life" she continued raising a pair of her arms as a demonstration. She still didn't feel like naming her race... maybe he'd just leave it at that again. "The paper was a sheet of music I composed." she began, now onto his next question. "It's a gift to Laviku, so our boat wont sink while sailing." It was more of a tradition than anything else, but it was best to be safe... no matter what. She found it best to sacrifice something anyways, just in case. Who knew, even on such a small trip like this, a storm could start in a second... though there was no sign of such a thing. It was calm day, but you never knew. Laviku might mess with them if he was dissatisfied, and giving him music generally stopped that... She moved away from the wheel, absently tugging on a rope. The sail adjusted itself slightly, now at a better angle to take in the breeze. They weren't at top speed, no where near, but she didn't feel like drifting aimlessly around the water. Feeling like doing something else, she took the wheel and barked something else at her new helper, pointing with a spare arm. . "Tug on that now! Pull!!" Not waiting to see if he did so, she used another two hands to spin the wheel to the right, effectively turning their ship 45 degrees. Since she'd increased their speed recently, the turn was at a decent speed, and a few splashes of water came up on deck. Now that their completely random change of direction was complete, Lacerta sat down at the back of their boat. There was a small notch there, perfect for a seat where someone could dangle their feet in the water. The Eth kicked off her shoes and did so, grinning as she felt the liquid tickle her toes. After a few moments of this enjoyment, however, they started to move off course and she returned to the wheel, feet dripping wet, and chilled slightly. They weren't going to get warmer, with this lack of sun. She wriggled the appendages, feeling them grow cooler in the night air. Maybe it hadn't been the best idea after all... Common Fravata Arumenic Someone else

[Luhrak Searunner]

Ortal listened to her explenation and as he did he forgot more and more about his sea sickness. A little unsteady on his feet and without a word, he walked over to her, constantly holding onto something as to not go overboard with a sudden change of the sea. He stared at her, barely an arms length away from her, studying her face in detail, trying to see the Captain in this captain. He barely heard her answer to his second question, not interested in gifts to some god. He raised his left hand slowly and moved it closer to the woman at the wheel. He curled his fingers up, leaving his index finger extended as he attempted to poke the captain right in the chest, completely forgetting or ignoring the fact that a woman's chest was made up slightly different than a man's. She moved away after his attempted poke, tugging a rope. He seemed to shift out of some stupor, suddenly with a clear mind. And with a clear mind came a sick stomach. The pale white in his face returned as he leaned himself over the side of the boat, trying to ignore the waves and the rocking of the boat. He muttered to himself, barely understandable over the waves. "A boattrip? Sure, why not? Boattrips are fun and.... not sick. I'm not sick at all." He made an attempt at being useful by pushing himself up from the railing and staggering towards the rope the captain wanted him to pull. But with a weak stomach inflicting his entire system, Ortal couldn't do more than give it a half-assed tug, which resulted in nothing in the end. As he did, the ship turned and, unsteady on his feet as he already was, Ortal found himself, arms flailing, slowly losing his balance. He managed to not make a fool out of himself again by grabbing hold of the railing in an attempt to keep his balance. As he did, a splash of salt water hit him right in the face, a wave that had reached up over the side. Although the taste was horrible, the cold ocean water did help to relieve some of the tension in his body and stomach. Slightly better, Ortal turned to look at the captain, only to see the wheel abandoned without a sight of the captain. Panic gripped his already weak stomach as he stood up. As he did, he could see the captain sitting at the end of the boat, legs dangling over the side. The momentary panic subsided and made way for a huge amount of relief, which quickly made way for a protesting stomach once more. Ortal grabbed hold of the nearest solid piece of wood and made his way up to the wheel of the boat. Even with his body being in a terrible state, he couldn't help but wonder how it feel to steer a ship like this. Just as he reached for the wheel, a stupid attempt at sailing a boat, the captain stood up and turned around, her feet wet from the ocean water, and took hold of the wheel once more. "What's your name? Your... you know, horny name?" He waved one hand next to his head, making the same circular motions as he had before, which meant either crazy or could be interpreted as the curled up type of horns that Lacerta had on their first meeting. The other hand did its best to keep Ortal upright on the constantly rocking ship. "What was I doing when we met?" He still couldn't quite believe it, the different appearance. But he had to admit that the wood of the ship felt familiar, even though he couldn't grasp why. And the feeling he got from the woman seemed just as familiar as well.