Closed [The Great Harbor] Smells like Home (Tsukiko)

[Matthew]

He could barely admit it to himself, but he did like the sensation of floating. Or perhaps flying? There was a certain freedom that came with being surrounded in the dark water. He still held a healthy respect for everything that could be hidden in the dark depths, but he managed to allow himself some enjoyment. He slowly paddled around, still horribly awkward in his movements but loosening up tick by tick. Eventually he might even be able to try out a new method of swimming, an undoubtedly more effective one. That was most definitely before the playful teacher decided to brush his leg with teasing fingertips. While he was intimately familiar with such a touch in the bedroom, it was not a touch he was familiar with out here. The lightest of squeaks echoed from his full lips as the harlot briefly considered drowning, a quick way to be put out of his misery. Then the woman was up, a sly gleam in her eye to help Matthew realize what had happened. The harlot didn't usually feel one way or another about a person, but there was a definite sense of dislike starting to well up in his stomach. She was getting some sort of sadistic amusement from his pain, he was sure of it now. She distracted him with answers to his questions, which was an excellent distraction for the knowledge-starved harlot. He missed the slyness in part of her response, noticeably oblivious to most types of verbal sarcasm or teasing. "Not you in particular, but your race. If I am ever tasked with pleasing one, it'd be nice to know if I must give special consideration to each... half of you, I suppose." He was ever the student, even when it came to prostitution. He had a logical and scientific way on how he went about just about everything. Then the lesson went back to swimming, and he was soon watching with intense focus. He held his arms out like hers, and almost immediately bobbed under the water. He coughed and sputtered, kicking his legs hard to keep him afloat, forcing panic and fear out of his mind so that his body would effectively learn what she was trying to teach. He centered himself, focused himself, emptied his mind and forced it to fill only with simple emptiness. Only when the fear was at bay did he manage to replicate her action, bobbing up and down in the water as he tread water with just his arms. The burning sensation did start almost immediately but he kept at it. If anything, this was an effective way to combine bodybuilding practice and swimming practice. It seemed to work a new set of muscles that he was not familiar with quite yet. Matthew still coughed a bit, blue eyes reflecting the moonlight as he sputtered up some of the salt water he had swallowed. "This is quite... new. Did you learn to swim at a young age? Why did you learn it?" He tilted his head at her, curious to the origins of her knowledge.

[Tsukiko]

At first, as he bobbed under, Tsu worried, barely holding herself back from lurching to his aid. If she had been truly sadistic, the sailor would have taken delight in his struggle, however, she had only been teasing him as perhaps a member of her pod would or perhaps even as an Otani would. They had always been a playful sort.
'He will get it, he will get it,' she chided herself, watching as he adapted quickly to the new movement. "There you go," she said with a grin, hiding her previous misgivings.
"As you may have guessed, those bruning muscles are the ones that you do not use on a daily basses, when you are on land. In fact, the act of swimming is mostly done by the arms; your legs only really help to balance your bodyweight. When treading water, as we are now, we must keep our legs down, otherwise we would start moving." The Eth kicked her legs up to demonstrate, propelling herself to circle around him, arms outstretch with slightly cupped fingers.

He loved his personal questions, didn't he. She wondered what insight he gained from her answers, and if so, what he used said information for. "Well... I suppose you could say that I am still relatively young. As of the moment, it has been just over three years and a season since my Fall..." she pause. Should she answer? Memories pushed tentatively at the edges of her conciousness. It had been a while since she had last visited them.
"As you may or may not have heard, an Ethaefal's Fall involves slipping through the a crack in the Gods' and Goddesses' domain, and falling into a body of water. If I hadn't happened to fall near a Svefran pod, it is safe to assume I wouldn't be here now. Who would wish to repeat such an experience?"
Unbeknownst to the woman herself, she had grown slightly paler as she recalled her experience. For a moment, the waters around her seemed to become, colder, uninviting, weighted; ghosts of sensations conjured from her mind- the first memories of her current lifetime.

"Does that answer your question?" she asked softly, her voice barely audible over the gentle lap of the waves in the quiet of the night.

[Matthew]

He briefly attempted to move with the level of grace and speed that she demonstrated while propelling herself around him, but quickly found that if he attempted to move any faster than a snail then his legs and arms soon threatened to give out on him. He opted to just keep on practicing treading in place, though he did attempt to move just a bit. He found he could tread in very tiny little circles, it was just that he had to keep to that snail speed that he had discovered earlier. He was okay with this. It would simply take practice to become better and practice was an enjoyable thing for the Harlot.

Her Fall? His brow furrowed, the Harlot realizing that he was unfamilar with such a thing. Tsukiko was more than happy to read his mind and begin an explaination though, drawing a polite smile and quiet nod of thanks from Matthew. It was a short description that didn't quite answer all of the questions he had, but it was a start. He would allow his mind to process the information for awhile longer before attempting to fully interrogate an Ethaefal on the process of their Fall. By the brief change in color that her face undertook, Matthew could tell that it was a bit of a bad memory for her.

Swimming closer to the nearby boat, he lifted a hand to grab it, allowing his tired muscles to get a brief moment of rest. Changing the subject to tug her mind from the apparently bad path he had set it on, his soft voice echoed out. "That does, thank you. I appreciate you taking the time to teach me about both swimming and fishing. Is there any sort of skill I can help teach you, or would you like compensation in the form of mizas? I would not wish to take your time for free." He offered another polite smile, willing to indulge whatever request she had, if it was one within his power to grant.

[Tsukiko]

"Honestly, I didn't help much," she replied, "as observant as you are," 'inquisitive,' she added mentally, "you probably would have picked it up on your own," she finished, a half smile surfacing to her features. His change of subject not escaping her notice, and she appreciated his considerate gesture, perhaps more than she herself recognized. Memories of her Fall haunted her still, ones she had perhaps yet to come to terms with. No, they were ones she knew she had yet come to terms with, having yet to face them. The Eth had left them to fester in the confines of a dusty box, and soon, she knew, she would have to air them out; but not this night. Nor the next. It would take time to build up the courage to peer into that box.

"Compensation..?"

It took her a moment to register his proposition. That he would offer something in return, she hadn't considered it; when she had offer to take him to her ship and show him how to swim and fish, she had been more concerned about causing a scene with her dual appearance. "Mmmm... I'm not too sure. Certainly, no Mizas, my poor excuse for instruction does not warrant that, nor would I ask you for it. I had my fun as well."
She tread in place, thinking. Suddenly she slipped under the surface and out of sight, a small clutch of bubbles left in her place. She had released some of the air in her lungs, while pushing her arms upward, palms facing skyward- effectively submerging herself in the blink of an eye. Once she was wrapped in the water from head to toe, she used her arms to propel herself to where Matthew rested, and moments later, popped up beside him. "First, lets get you out of the water before you catch your death," she said lightly, gesturing towards the Crescent with her chin. "Wouldn't want you to drown from fatigue," she added blithely.

Tsu waited for Matthew to push off first, before following after him, just in case he indeed ended up needing her help. It was not entirely uncommon for a swimmer's muscles to suddenly seize up and cramp. Such cases were quite painful, as she had learned from experience. By the same token, she used the situation to gain more time, in order think of what to ask of this man.
She wasn't exactly inclined to his line of work, though she wasn't the type to judge another person's preferences or interests; she herself found the choices that led up to the Harlot's current situation in life, somewhat intriguing, though she decided against voicing this. Instead, she wondered what knowledge and skill set, a man such as he might hold. Not the Harlot part- but rather then man who had travelled from the city by open oceans. What would such a man have learned in order to travel such a distance. It was food for thought, as she offered Matthew help in climbing back into the Crescent.

Pulling herself up, she set about looking for something dry, almost in the mind to do away with it and go in the nude- an efficient way to dry without cloth- had it not been for the fact that they were in the Harbour, and it would likely reflect poorly on her employer if someone saw her. Instead, she found her cloak and bundled herself in it, before turning to give Matthew her reply.

"What would you be willing to do or teach?" she asked, her vibrant eyes alight with curiosity.

[Matthew]

"No, you did help quite a bit. While being observant is certainly helpful, it is much more helpful to have someone help me process and understand what it is I am observing." The Harlot blinked as she vanished and then blinked again as she resurfaced, still not quite used to how people could spend several seconds underwater and even move around while submerged. It baffled him, to an extent. He understood how it worked of course, it just seemed to be so skillful to him. Little did Matthew know that he was awed by the simple things when it came to swimming.

Nodding at her suggestion, he kicked his legs in the water and tensed the muscles in his shoulders. Tugging upon the edge of the ship in a motion that reminded him of some the pull-up exercises he tried to do on occassion, Matthew fluidly lifted himself up and out of the water, tanned figure dripping and shimmering in the moonlight as his rippling muscle aided his ascent onto the safety of the solid wooden floor. He took Tsukiko's offered hand, using it to help pull himself up. Settling onto the ship, he took a moment to stretch, considering his next steps. When it came to nudity, perhaps predictably so, Matthew was not at all as reserved as she was. In a sense, perhaps undressing was actually a professional look for him, considering what he did for a living. He was smooth and elegant in his motions, tugging down his undershorts gracefully and draping them over the edge of the ship to dry. He leaned against the edge and crossed his arms, face as passive as always, his intentions pure. He was not showing off to the girl and his demeanor betrayed that. He was simply drying himself and completely comfortable in his own bare skin. The idea that the Knights may not approve did not cross his mind at all.

Considering her question, Matthew paused and took a moment to think, reviewing what skills he had and which of them he would be willing to teach. He pondered for a few moments, blue eyes studying her face, then spoke in that slow and carefully pronounced manner of his.

"I am skilled in seduction, of course. I am not incredibly skilled but have a working knowledge of bodybuilding and running exercises, as well as acrobatics, all of which I am eager to increase my skill in. I know a tad about mathematics, though I know most aren't exactly thrilled by the skill. I also know a little about massage and dance, and went to school for medicine." He offered almost everything he was confident that he could teach a least a little in, giving Tsukiko plenty to choose from.

[Tsukiko]

Seduction. An obvious requirement for one in the profession of companionship, as well as perhaps bodybuilding and running exercises. A way to keep one fit, she observed as he stripped down. As she turned to snag her simple shirt, she smiled somewhat wryly, recalling the first time she had been in the company of a naked man. It had been the second day after her fall, and though it had been embarrassing at first, she had soon gotten over it... mostly.
There were still times where she was left uncomfortable. Matthew though, was polite, and seemed to be as gentlemanly as a nude man could be. It was clear that he did not think to much of his bareness, which made her wonder if he had even considered what might have occurred, had a knight or an overly prideful and nosey squire, caught the sight of him. After a moment's consideration, she thought it unlikely that he had, and if such an occurrence came about, she did not believe it was beyond possibility for the Harlot to charm them.

The mention of maths, massage, dance, and medicine though, had caught her attention- such a diversity of skills.

The sailor slipped out of her undergarments beneath the cloak, set then to dry, and put on the shirt, before then checking the cloak's dampness. It wasn't too wet by her reckoning, and proffered the cloak to her company. "Maths... did you study them for your future business? And medicine?... I imagine dance is also part of your work as a companion?" she asked with polite curiosity, though a playful expression flitted across her face, inviting him to explain his reason behind learning those particular skills. Maths were somewhat of a foreign concept to her, what little she knew was always in relation to either the sea or moneys. She assumed that the maths that he spoke of were something different, perhaps scholarly or business related.

She tried to imagine him pouring over a sheet of paper, quill in hand, as he went about some foreign symbols, elegant fingers smudged with ink. The scene wasn't too discordant, though his beautiful features lent a 'romantic scholar' sort of feeling. Dance... dance seemed suited for his slim form, though she wondered what dances he knew- not the ones of the sea shanties she presumed, but something graceful, smooth, one that flowed; seductive. This was not difficult to picture.
Then there was medicine. In this, she had difficulty imagining him with a patient; at least, one that was in pain. The train of thought reminded her of his mentioning massage. Now that was a useful skill, especially after a long day's work or when one got a cramp.

[Matthew]

Matthew glanced her over once again, but it was more of that studied gaze that he seemed to pull off so well. It wasn't admiring, merely absorbing new information that had been presented. It wasn't that he didn't feel attraction or appreciation for her body, it was just that those sort of feelings had long since been seperated and paired with a completely different persona. In a way, he only was attracted to a person once he was paid to be attracted. He could certainly appreciate her body for what it was though, though perhaps that was still the professional within him. The tone of her skin was particularly unique. He found himself wondering if her lithe frame evolved with the rise and fall of Leth, just like her more immediately obvious physical features had. It made sense that it would. Her height had changed after all, even if it was only a slight change.

"Maths are something I studied just for the entertainment. I enjoy the logical thought process and the act of puzzling out a problem to arrive at a absolute conclusion, if that makes any sense. I am not at all very good at it, though. I need to sit down and polish my knowledge at some point." He hesitated a moment, eyes glancing to the side, recalling the last time he had cracked open a book on mathematics. It had been quite awhile. "Medicine, I studied that in my hometown. I was originally training to become a doctor. Dancing... I actually haven't used it for my profession. As a woman, would you find an erotic dance from an attractive man to be alluring or arousing?" The somewhat personal question didn't hesitate to phrase itself, Matthew's endless curiosity about rather shameful things surfacing once again. He would give her a moment to reply (or decline a reply) before continuing to address her questions. "I do think it would come in handy if I ever was hired to accompany someone to a dance. It also helps with my movements and flexibility, both of which would be useful in the bedroom."

She hadn't quite answered his question yet, instead deciding to research her options a bit more before proceeding. "I would also be happy to explore a skill that neither of us are good at, if you would like the company. Whatever works the best for you." A polite smile was offered once more, the young man absolutely full of manners.

He took a moment to stretch while she pondered her options, finding little moments of silence where he could train himself on a bit of that flexibility that he had mentioned just ticks before. He slowly stretched his body downwards, reaching out both arms to attempt to touch the toes of one foot, only able to reach to his knee before he felt something inside of him stretch a bit uncomfortably. He held the position for a few ticks longer and then switched legs, feeling a pleasant sort of popping somewhere in his back as he held his hands at the other knee. The Harlot then stretched both arms to the sky, arching out as he did so.

[Tsukiko]

She paid no mind to his gaze, and instead, briefly turned her attention to her sopping wet locks, her hair squeezed between her thumb and forefinger as she pushed downwards, over the railing. Long hair could be troublesome, and it hadn't been the first time she had considered chopping it off. She wondered whether or not any strands she cut off would continue to change colour with the seasons and Leth's reign. It would be an interesting experiment. As she drew her thoughts back into check, Tsu considered his replies. Each brought new queries to mind, which she attempted to refrain from voicing, and succeeded... for the most part. She could not always control her curiosity, nor did she try. Though this was often rewarding, during times where she was required to be decisive, she was held back by her desire to learn about everything that interested her. This was one such a time and she hoped that his answers would help her come to a decision.

Tsu understood his reasoning, as well as how someone such as he, an analytical person, would perhaps enjoy the process of logical thinking, but she could not imagine herself seated in one place for hours, puzzling over equations. On the other hand, she enjoyed and valued the openness of creativity and free movement. She enjoyed being unrestrained by a set way of thinking, and so she crossed off idea of maths. Perhaps she would study it in the future.
It surprised her that he had been studying to become a doctor, and had trouble matching him to such a profession, with what little she knew of the current man. Casually crossing her arms, she leaned against the railing, studying him a bit. It had not evaded her attention that he had barely touched on the subject, but was then distracted by his question. It gave her a bit of a chuckle. "I'm not sure... would you like to try it out?" she asked jokingly, amused by his bold question. Well, from how they had been interacting, she decided that it was likely that he was just curious, rather than bold. "I think it would depend on the person and situation," becoming somewhat embarrassed, she continued, briefly looking away with flushed cheeks, "I honestly haven't explored... that part of myself yet... If you know what I mean."
Tsu inclined her head in response to his reasoning. "I-I suppose it would."

Quietly, she cleared her throat before listening as he continued.
"Honestly, I would be happy with anything you would wish to teach me," she replied bluntly. At some point, the Eth had realized that they were merely going back and forth in circles, both either too polite or indecisive to come to a straight decision. She did not wish to impose on him too much, but he had given her many appealing options. At times, she wished she were one of those people who were forthright, who knew what they wanted.

Watching curiously as Matthew stretched, she considered his offers.
Asking if he could give her an opinion on her singing was perhaps the easy way out, but it would not be as interesting as perhaps something that neither of them knew or had little skill in. A small part of her wished that the Harlot would show some small hint of expression as to what he personally preferred, no matter how minuscule it was; it would make the decision easier.

Her gaze turned to the sky as she weighed her options.
'I suppose I depend on others too much,' she thought wryly. This small admission rang true on a few levels- being mindful of others to the point of basing her actions and decisions on another's behaviour was perhaps one of them.
"Stretching and dance might not be so bad..." she murmured, unaware that she had spoken out loud.

[Matthew]

Matthew appreciated long hair, and if he would have had any skill in styling it would have been happy to offer his services to her. He would have to learn to style hair one day. He also wanted to learn to apply make-up. Cosmetology, was that the term? He had seen such services offered but had never needed to use them himself. He had a simple routine for keeping his face clear and his hair styled, something he had studied and practiced until it was a fine science to him. Beautifying others, though? He didn't have a single bit of skill in it, so he definitely didn't trust himself with beautiful hair. He pondered his interests in cosmetics while continuing to reach his hands as high as he could towards the sky, stretching himself until a tingling sort of sensation began to spread through his shoulderblades. He slowly lowered his hands, rolling the muscles in his broad shoulders, tilting his head from side and side to make sure he hadn't tensed anything up.

"I would, but I have no doubt I would fail." She had asked it with a joking tone and he had very obviously completely missed it. "I still need practice. I am working on my flexibility, but I need to remember to keep working on my dancing skills. Or, my lack of dancing skills, perhaps. It would be nice to look around and find a dance studio of some sort." He doubted they had such a thing in Syliras. It just didn't seem fitting. He watched as her cheeks flushed, nodding slowly, sort of understanding. "You should work on exploring it. Social stigma sometimes dictates that it is a shameful thing to explore, but I feel that it is much safer to find proper ways to explore it instead of supressing it. Desire, lust, sex... they are all very natural urges. I think you would greatly benefit from finding a way to uncover that part of yourself."

She was happy to learn anything? He approved of that attitude, a brief and polite smile offered to display his moment of satisfaction with her mindset. Knowledge of any sort was valuable. He rarely understood those who were only interested in very specific sorts of knowledge. Knowledge was the most important thing inthis world, at least in his opinion. There was not a single bit of useless knowledge to be found. That was perhaps why Tsukiko was under the impression that Matthew wasn't expressing what it was he personally preferred. In truth, Matthew had no preference. He would be just as eager to learn how to cook as he would be in learning how to wield a massive broadsword. They were all incredibly interesting to him because they were something he did not know.

The Harlot was about to offer an idea when her soft words reached his ears. He bit his lower lip, cutting off his words, giving her a firm nod and a sudden loud clap of his hands, noticing she was a bit distracted with her thoughts. He used the noise to bring her back to the present, nodding down at his own body. "Stretching is a simple thing. Have you ever woken up in the morning and felt stiff all over, like your bones weren't quite moving as well as they could? Muscles can become tight and stiff, and if they are agitated too much when tightened, they can tear. There are various other things a tightened body can do to itself, but just keep in mind that they are all generally harmful. When you are planning on introducing something new to your muscles, such as swimming after a day of walking, you generally want to stretch to loosen up the muscles and prepare them for the work-out. I try a variety of stretches, holding each one until I feel an uncomfortable tugging sensation in my muscles. I hold for a moment or two longer and then release. This seems to work for me, but I am most definitely a beginner." He paused, giving her some time to process his words and attempt to stretch if she so wished. "When it comes to dance, have you ever seen a type of dance that you enjoyed? Perhaps it struck you as sensual, perhaps graceful, perhaps elegant. If one comes to mind, describe it to me."

[Sayana]

Your Grades Have Arrived Matthew Skills: Skill EXP Writing +1 Leadership +1 Marketing +1 Planning +2 Acrobatics +1 Fishing +2 Swimming +5 Climbing +1 Stripteasing +2 Bodybuilding +3 Negotiation +1 Teaching +1 Lores: Tsukiko: Ethaefal/Svefra Marketing: Using a business card Fishing: How to set up a fishing rod Knot tying: Pitzen knot Ethaefal: Two forms; two subtly different personalities Swimming: Treading water Ethaefal: Description of the Fall Comments : What a great read. I love Matthew’s intensely inquisitive and logical nature yet it was fun seeing some emotions come out. It’s too bad it got abandoned but it seemed to have a good stopping point nonetheless. Also, don't forget to update your ledger to include Winter 514 expenses. Tsukiko Comments : If you come back to Mizahar, PM me and I’ll do up your grades. Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request in the grade request thread. However, make sure to keep the link so that the DS can review graded threads with ease. If you have any questions or concerns about your grade please feel free to send me a message. Enjoy.