Completed Bedside Manner (Matthew)

[Edreina]

"Work on cleaning your private area, please. I'll turn around. I'll turn back around in another fifteen seconds." Shimmying her underpants down to her knees, Edreina went about cleaning herself gently but efficiently. By the time Matthew was turning around, she was wiggling her way back into her shorts, holding the sponge out with her free hand. Seeing the comb in his hands, she turned upon the bedframe so that her back was to him, exposing the tangled mess that was her hair. "Do you have plans of somewhere to go after here?" A frown flashed over her features as she remembered that she could was not yet even allowed to leave. "Well... I cannot leave until the day after next. But I wish to return to my ship. It doesn't feel... right... being here. There is no water, no sun... It's like sitting in a coffin." Her laugh was humorless, hair dancing lightly as she shook her head. As Matthew's hands worked over her hair, it seemed as if the water stoked the fire that blazed upon her cranium. Each time a tangle came undone, that lock of hair formed a graceful, peakless wave such as the one that would be seen upon the open sea. Part of Edreina missed the abrasive feeling of the salt water upon her skin, the way that she came from the Suvan feeling fresh and new. Salt seemed to scour her free of any sort of grime. But, this salt-less water was doing a fair job of accomplishing much the same. Her skin was clean enough, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she still did not look to be herself. It was a wretched, nagging feeling that she knew to be blowing wildly out of proportion, but it continued to bother her nonetheless. There was no way she could stay here another day. Tonight, maybe... But tomorrow she would try to leave.

[Matthew]

"I see." After he had managed to get the big knots out, he set to work on the little ones. He was still as awed as ever by her hair, a little look of boyish delight crossing the apathetic lines of his face every now and then. He enjoyed stoking the flames, slowly nurturing them back to their full fire. He was even more gentle with his touch now, knowing that encountering a hidden knot and tugging on it would likely cause the girl to yelp out. Making sure he continued to rinse his fingers and keep them clean, he slowly wove them through her long longs, gracefully searching about until he felt a knot. When he did, he reached into his pocket again, pulling out what looked to be a toothpick. Upon closer examination, it was simply one of the tooths of the comb, broken off to form a sharp point of sorts. Moving gingerly, he would find a knot and slowly pull it out with the straight pick, then very carefully comb that little section of hair out to smooth it. He was patient and slow with her hair, even more so than he had been with the rest of her body. While her body was just a body (though he would never be as rude to say this to anyone), her hair was something different. It was alive and bright, and it made him so very jealous. She would likely notice the difference in his touch. Where he had once been a mix between mechanical and loving, he was now utterly intimate, fingers dancing. If he accidently did tug a knot, a few soft massages of his fingers around the base of the offended hair would quickly work to soothe the sudden pain. They existed in soft silence for what could have been hours, Matthew utterly focused on his task and not continuing the conversation. Eventually the hair would be to a point where he was comfortable putting water and soap in it. He would gather her hair in a single ponytail contained within his hand, and lightly tug it, arching her head back to stare at him a bit. Patting her forehead in a rather awkward attempt at comfort, he would then wash through her hair with the warm soapy water. This let all the dirt flow down the center of her back and drip off the arch of her hips, keeping it away from the front he had spent so much time on. Within another hour at most, her hair would be amazingly knot free, though perhaps not as shiny as if she herself had done all of the work. He did look rather satisfied with himself though, and felt good about it too. Getting someone clean was such a nice thing to do, and he was sure she appreciated it as well. His eyes glimmered for a moment, shining with devious intentions. The savage would be next on his to-bathe list. Now he moved quickly, knowing she would likely be suspicious that something was up if she saw what he was about to do. Grabbing a single untouched bucket of water, he turned back towards her and emptied the entire contents onto her back. It wasn't that cold, but might be a shock. It was there to clean off all of the dirty water that had clung so far, as well as to keep her awake (if not waken her a bit more). After this he quickly moved back to his task, soaping her shoulders and her back and working the dirt from them as well. "Your ship?" A look of momentary confusion crossed his handsome featurs, his hands slowing even more as he tried to think her words through. "You sail a ship of your own across the sea? Is that... safe?"

[Edreina]

When cold water was poured down the redhead's back, she stiffened at let out a surprised yelp. It was so so cold! If she thought that she had been awake before, she had been wrong. Her blue eyes jumped open to their max, dullness gone for a moment as the water reinvigorated her. When the sponge came, she arched against it, luxuriating in the rough texture scouring the dirt from her skin, leaving her feeling fresh and new. "Your ship? You sail a ship of your own across the sea? Is that... safe?" A brief bark of laughter escaped her lips. Safe? She was a daughter of Laviku, she was most safe upon the open sea. The wound on her shoulder proved that. But then, she paused, considering it from an outsider's point of view. The sea was, according to all tales, a boiling pot of sea monsters and shattered ships. "For most, such a journey would be perilous. They would have to worry over Otani, sea-monsters, and pirates. But, when you are with a child of Laviku, a Svefra, you should be fine. I pay my tributes, offer my prayers, respect the Suvan. So for me, sailing is no more dangerous than walking around one's own home. If for some reason I am drug beneath the waves, it was ordained. There was nothing I could have done to avoid it." She paused, looking down at her fingers, picking at her nails. The way that she said things made it seem as if the Suvan was just as dangerous and folklore wanted landstriders to believe. "But... any danger out there is worth it. The Suvan is the most beautiful place I know..." There was a tangible reverence in her voice as she described her home, the place she held most dear. "There are bottomless caves, great reefs, so full of life that even the stones dance. At night, you can be sung to sleep by a whale's song, woke by the chittering of pods of dolphins. In a city, the landscape is always the same. Upon the sea, it changes every day." Her smile was small, private. Once again that pang of homesickness danced about in her belly, but it was a comforting feeling now. No matter where she went, the Suvan would be there for her. "You know... You can come out on the boat with me anytime." Her offer was far more weighted than the harlot would likely realized. Her ship was her home, her life. To be offered free passage upon it was a true gesture of friendship. He had been kind enough to help her get clean when he needed it. A bell or so upon the open sea would do the same for his spirit, in her opinion.

[Matthew]

He had specifically avoided the shoulder wound until now. Eyeballing it critically, that one spot the only dry area on her shoulders and back, he considered how to deal with it. Just clean it and rebandage after it had dried, he supposed. "Bite your lip. I am going to clean the cut." He was quick about it, making sure not to agitate the area with the roughness of the sponge. He instead just used his hand to pour water over it, then his fingers to massage in the soap, then his hand to once more rinse the soap from the wound. He then moved on, knowing he would nitpick over the care of it if he lingered too much. The light laugh from her lips caused him to glance up at the back of her head, curious. What was there to be laughing about? When she spoke of all the dangers of the ocean, he slightly shivered, not even familar with some of the names and still a bit frightened of them. The wild scared him, but here this woman was, speaking of it like it was just another city. He was familiar with her race and deity, but still. If she drowned, she would simply accept that it was meant to be? He was not comfortable with this. He was not comfortable with anything he wasn't in control of when it came to himself. He supposed the ocean wasn't really something anyone could control, but still. He wanted to at least trust it. Continuing to listen to her, it was apparent she had done just that. While he couldn't relate to her love for her home on an emotional level, the signs were all obvious and all there. At her offer of a boat ride though, she would notice his hands pausing on her back. After a short bout of silence, she would hear the harlot speak, his voice very different from how it normally was. There was a contained child-like excitement in his tone, and the fact that he was trying to contain it was fairly easy to discern. "I would like that." There was then a short pause, then a hesitant add-on. "A lot." Continuing down her back with the soap and the rinse, he paused at a point on the small inward slope right above her waist. Cupping the small of her back with his hand, he gently ran a fingertip over the vertebrae found there, right in the center and directly above her buttocks. This one, he only barely pressed down on, familar with how the pressure point could potentially react. "This is the Sacrum. The small of the back is a nice spot for a lot of people, but this specific point on a woman actually has a lot of nerves that lead directly to her genitals. If it is stimulated enough, then the sacral nerves will be stimulated in turn, and heat will start to build fairly quickly." It was actually a secret of his. A ton of women could achieve an incredibly quick finale if that point was applied, and the exact location was so specific that it was rarely focused on. Women couldn't even reach it on their own unless they were quite flexible, making it even more alluring if someone could find it. He very lightly pressed it again, helping her commit it to memory before moving on. Her back was soon scrubbed clean, the rough sponge stroking quite firmly to remove all the dirt. Backing up, he lowered himself in the dirty puddle on the floor, kneeling his body in it. "Turn around, and put one ankle up on my shoulder. I am going to get the underside of your legs." He wasn't sure of a better way to do it. He didn't want her getting out of her little bed until he was finished, and standing on the filthy floor would only further dirty her feet and ankles. "If you love the sea so much, why are you in Syliras?" If it was a personal question, he wasn't aware. It seemed like an obvious one to him.

[Edreina]

When Matthew's touch changed, she expected for him to make her aware of another erogenous zone. But, she was not expecting the hot wave of desire that rippled through her body before dissipating just as quickly. In spite of how quickly the reaction came and left, the time was enough for a small, delicate growl of wanting to bubble up between her closed lips. The explanation of the point fell upon deaf ears as the newly clean woman attempted to make sense of how a single point on her body could affect her in such a way. And then there was pressure again, sending another pulsing sensation dancing through her body, flickering from her fingertips and her toes before rebounding to settle deep within her belly. Once there, it paced quietly, growling and stalking satiation. The feeling, while not unpleasant, what very much unwanted. More often than she would like, Edreina found herself a slave to an urge: the urge to swim, the urge to explore, the urge to feel the wind dancing through her hair. Now, that urge was to be consumed by pleasure and lost in the sounds of passion. But she could not give in. Firstly, she was not entirely attracted to the current object - for there was no other word for it at this moment - of her attention: the harlot Matthew. Despite the fact that the familiarity of his blue eyes seemed to become more enticing with each moment, sex was but a sword to him. Secondly, anything that might happen would come with a price tag. Thirdly, for some reason, the thought of giving herself to anyone repulsed her. For the first time in years, Edreina craved something greater than sex. She wanted to make love to someone. And Matthew? He was not that someone. The instant her mind attempted to stray towards that line of thought, a cold sensation flashed through her body, washing away her arousal. Tis not meant to be... Grow up and move on... With a sigh, she turned and lay back lifting one leg so that it rested upon his shoulder. Attempting to distract herself, as was becoming habit nowadays, Edreina used her uninjured arm to lift a lock of her hair and examine it carefully. The ends were bleached to a light gold by the sun, but were ragged and rather rough, unlike the rest of her hair. It was definitely time to be cut. For a moment, her lips pursed as she wished that she would have thought to have her mother do it before she left, as had been their yearly tradition when she was younger. "If you love the sea so much, why are you in Syliras?" The question was innocent enough, but it blew Edreina's insides into a flurry. By traditional knowledge, she should be unsure of her decision to leave the Anchorage, the Suvan. She was a curious Tuna straying too far from the school, hoping that she would not be snared by a net or latch onto the wrong snack only to find a hook buried within. The question was a porthole into some of Edreina's most basic ideologies. "To learn... more." She finally answered rather lamely. How could she explain to an outsider what it felt like to constantly wonder what else was out there? To be mocked by everyone she held dear. "The Sea is enough. Our Father saw to that," she had heard so many times when saying her goodbyes. In spite of all of the warnings, her curiosity had been constantly goaded by the influx of outsiders passing through the Flotilla, giving her a taste of their culture. There were so many amazing people living through Mizahar. If she could learn a tenth of what they had to offer, she would be a better person. And, who knew! Perhaps, something she learned out in the world might be able to help her people upon the Anchorage and throughout the Suvan. "When I lived on the Anchorage Flotilla," the Common name always seemed so clumsy to the Svefra, "I always saw people from the corners of Mizahar. They were so different from me, from what I've always known. I had to learn more. Syliras seemed to be the best place to start. It is... a melting pot." She smiled gently at the term liking the way that it sounded. She sat up to her elbows, startlingly unaffected by the sight of a very capable male between her legs, and sought some glimmer of recognition in his crystal eyes, hoping that she was not, once again, explaining herself to a brick wall.

[Matthew]

If he could read minds, hers would have puzzled him. Would his horrify her? The act of touching her and even noticing the stiffled growl didn't effect him in the slightest. It was like water getting thrown against stone. It merely splashed off with no effect, the stone not reacting in the very slightest bit. Was it odd, for a man to not feel any sort of arousal at the sight of an attractive woman briefly twitching beneath his fingers? Perhaps he should take pride in his prowess, or perhaps he should try to press his advantage. Perhaps he should feel heat himself, or perhaps shyness. Any of these things would have repulsed him. They would have scared him. Was it normal, for someone to take something so intimate and turn it into something so mechanical? Even if he had the touch of a human, he had the mind of something different. For all the blue in his eyes and the magic in his touch, he looked nothing more than a completely apathetic husk. The emotions would only be turned on if they were appropriate for the situation. Right now, he simply needed to listen to her and bathe her. The words he spoke and the lessons he taught were merely to feel the air. The desire to make love or have sex were only turned on with the drop of a Miza. When he had been younger, he had done it to learn. Sometimes he still did it to learn, whenever he encountered someone new. But most of the time now, they simply had to pay. It wasn't greed, it was just business. Even though he considered Edreina something of a friend, he would even service her if she paid. He would collect the money, give her everything she wanted, and then go right back to being friends like nothing had ever happened. He wouldn't even consider how it would effect their relationship. To him, it wouldn't have a thing to do with their relationship. He was so detached that giving her his body was just as simple as giving her anything else a peddler would sell on the street. Was this horrifying? He gently soaped the underside and inside of her legs, doubting that she needed much education on the areas that could be pleasured around there. While he had already touched over this area before, he wanted to go over it again just to make sure. Dirty water might have fled down during the process, and even though he had tried to plan it all and direct it so that it wouldn't, there was still the possibility. He was determined to get every single inch, and would go back over every single inch if needed. He quietly listened as she explained herself, looking up right when she leaned up to glance down into his eyes. There was a brief moment of the dead blue, and then the glimmer she had been looking for would appear. She might be led to wonder if it was genuine, or if he had sensed her want and indulged it. It would be one of the shortcomings of their relationship, if friendship continued to foster. He had several functions that could be turned on and off, and he knew it. She knew it as well. Finding out which function was which would be the true quest. Would she one day wonder if even the looks of friendship in his patient gaze were a mere switch as well? They weren't, though one could doubt. "And have you learned? And if so, tell me what." He was speaking few words, but such loaded ones. He set down her one leg, quickly done with it, soon moving on to the next.

[Edreina]

"And have you learned? And if so, tell me what." Edreina's laugh was quiet as she shook her head. He asked the question as she would imagine a mentor asking their student, checking to be sure that they had fully comprehended the lesson. "I've learned a fair bit, yes. But I wonder how any of it would help my people." Again she shook her head. There was a quick rap upon the door and then, before she could respond, Erik entered, all gleaming armor and annoyed scowls. If he had any reaction to the scene before him, it was so deeply hidden beneath his scowl it may have never existed at all. Clearing his voice once, the knight spoke to neither person in particular. "Healers are worried you haven't gotten enough rest. But, I think that this..." he paused, eyes clearly wandering more than they would have had he been a fully fledged knight, "may be just what you need to uh... refresh your memory." With a meaningful look, he left the room, causing the redhead to shudder in his wake. After a moment, she explained to Matthew in a whisper. "They know that Razkar has been involved in illegal activities, but they can't prove it. They want to believe he injured me, it would give them something to go after him for." Glancing at the door, Edreina carefully mouthed "It's true, but not what you think. I'll explain later."

OOCSorry for the horribly uninspired post. >.>

[Matthew]

OOCIt looked fine to me! He stared after Erik, curious to what that had been about. Edreina was quick to whisper an explanation to him, and he considered it briefly as he finally finished scrubbing and rinsing her. Stepping back to observe his work with those maddeningly detached eyes, he paused and then gave a satisfied nod. Quickly approaching her again, he gave her entire body one last quick scrub, this one a bit rougher. He felt like he was trying to scrub a layer of skin away, but was really just going after anything that may have missed his first run-through. After the rather quick and forceful strokes were complete, she would get doused in the last bucket of warm water. Crossing his arms, he stepped back again, watching her and studying her. "No need, if it is private. Illegal is illegal, and is defined by the local laws. If he is breaking them, it isn't unreasonable to want to bring him in. At least they are looking for a reason." He kept his voice to a whisper as well, sensing this was something that must be kept a secret. After he had fully looked her over, he moved back to the door and opened it to lean out. He demanded a mop and a bucket, and would happily be given them. He was planning on cleaning up his mess? How delightful. Turning back, he got to work mopping up the filth on the floor and empyting it into the bucket. He had to remind himself not to get too preoccupied with the appearance of the room, or he would end up cleaning the entire thing. Instead, he merely worked on getting the floor dry. She would have to air dry, and his own painfully wet and filthy clothes would have to dry somehow as well. He would deal for now. After he got this puddle of grime up, he would be done, and he could go on his way. "Be careful, though." The warning came from nowhere, eyes glancing up to find hers. "If that wound came from an enemy, then be aware that you are now just a piece on the board. Razkar is a piece, you are a piece. Everything in a game has a weakness. A way to beat it. A way to overcome it. The Myrian is no different. For all his steel and all of his muscle, those won't protect against the wounds that he is no doubt weak against. Perhaps he is just now finding out how tender he is against a certain type of blade." His eyes dropped to her wound briefly, and then went back to mopping. His message was clear. She was his weakness. Perhaps just the same as he was hers. Distantly, he considered her answer to his previous question. It left him wondering if she had actually learned anything at all while she was here. She had evaded the question quite well. Should he be worried? He wasn't.

[Radiant]

The Shining Gift!

Edreina :

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Observation	+2 XP
Socialization	+3 XP
Rhetoric	+2 XP
Storytelling	+1 XP

Lore Earned

A Painful Sleep

Gladius Stab Wound

Bathed by Matthew

Erogenous Zones: Pleasure Points

Matthew's Family

The Mons And The Sacrum

Syliras: Coffin City

Everyone Has Weakenesses

Loots

Matthew :

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Observation	+3 XP
Socialization	+3 XP
Rhetoric	+2 XP
Storytelling	+1 XP
Seduction	+1 XP
Teaching	+2 XP
Medicine	+2 XP

Lore Earned

Visiting Edreina

Offering A Discounted Service

Bathing Edreina

Teaching About Pleasure Points

Sharing About My Family to Edreina

Edreina Is A Svefra

Suvan: Beautiful Sea

Razkar Was Involved In Illegal Activities

Loots

Notes :

Solid Social thread, great work, both of you.

And I learnt alot from this thread about... human anatomy.

My radiance is not bright enough?If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, beam me a PM and we can work it out.