Bruises, Bandages, and Bitter Teas, Oh My! (Sitkanis)

[Adalia]

26th of Fall, 510 AV

"Hold still," her quiet words seemed deafening as a shout to the ear in the otherwise silent room. She held a man's arm out, flexing it gently and slowly, feeling the muscles of his arm tighten and loosen beneath her grip. The same position hurt him every time, a one hundred and fifty degree angle. Every time this position was passed, the man winced in pain, and the muscles in his bicep seized up. Curious.

She motioned for him to lay down, and stretched out his arm. With careful blue eyes, she examined the man's arm. She could see no signs of physical trauma, nothing like a wound that could have torn into the muscle. He probably would have noticed if there had been-- considering it would be bleeding profusely and he would be crippled by the pain-- but you never knew with these people. All in all, this was nothing that Adalia could not handle. Her hands softly lowered onto his arm, and a few words were whispered in Kontinese as she closed her eyes.

She could heal this wound. She knew she could. She knew she would. The sigil on the back of her hand began to glow, but Adalia's eyes remained closed still. This was as familiar to her as eating was to a glutton... or, well, maybe slightly less familiar. Little by little, the muscle beneath her hands began to relax. Then, she knew she was done. The sigil dulled, and the Konti withdrew her hands, smiling slightly.

"Do not strain yourself so hard next time," was all she said. The man nodded and smiled, reaching into his satchel to withdraw mizas. He was attempting to pay her. The woman frowned, and shook her head. "I do not accept payment for the services that I provide in the name of my Mistress. Fair well, and may you always remain Healthy," the man nodded, and then retreated from the cramped room.

She was alone once more-- save for the ever-present Tempest. The Konti's bare, scaled feet brought her over to the corner of the room, where a small fire was boiling a kettle. As if on cue, the kettle whistled sharply, and the woman removed it from the small flame, pouring herself a small cup of the dark brown liquid. The kettle found its way to a wooden tray, whilst the cup found its way into her hand. Once more, she crossed the small room, and opened the door, settling down in a chair not too far from the door. Everyone was welcomed into the alcove. Every man, woman, and child was treated to the best of her abilities-- free of charge. Not many practitioners of the Medicinal Arts could make that claim.

Ah, footsteps! Someone was approaching. Busy day today indeed, she thought. Her blue eyes opened curiously, and she rose to her scaly feet, padding silently across the room to the door.

[Sitkanis]

Syna glowed in the sky and Sitkanis knew exactly what he was going to do with this new day. He set off to see Adalia. He had met the Konti twice before. The first time they barely spoke but the second time was like magic. It had to have been some odd phenomenon where Leth and Lhex were working in harmony. From the moment he had walked her to the chapel he had wanted to be with her. This feeling of longing was new but he liked it. Now instead of loathing each new day he had something to wake up for. He found Adalia to be strangely enchanting. He was not sure what exactly made him so nervous and awestruck about her. Maybe it was her beauty and the way her scales seemed to hold Leth's light much like his own skin did. It could have also been the quiet voice she spoke with and her careful way of picking and choosing the perfect words to say. There was so much that amazed him but he found it better just to revel in the feeling. Analyzing it would not help anything. He just needed to love what he had. When the chapel was in sight Sitkanis had to use all of his will power not to run through the doors to Adalia. Although he was a bit taken by Adalia he was not going to come across as some clingly little puppy to her. He was a man, a man who could stand on his own two feet. Nothing could change that. Still, he could not ignore the light feeling in hsi chest as he felt himself getting closer to the Konti. He felt like a child going to meet his crush. All of this was so different than anything he knew. He was sure whatever had taken place before the fall was nothing like what was happening now. He appeared to be in his twenties, there would have been no reason for him to have a childish crush. Yet he did and he enjoyed it. He liked the feeling of having something close. It had been so long since he had felt connected to anything like he did now. After a few chimes of looking around the chapel Sitkanis found Adalia. He was a bit nervous to see her. He knew that she did not care about his changing form but there were some obvious differences between who was currently and who he had been that night. He was no longer anywhere close to Adalia's height. It was amazing what six inches could do when it was added to one's height. He walked up to Adalia and found it a bit odd having to look down when he was talking to her. "Hey Adalia. It's me, Sitkanis... I was not sure if you would recognize me. I didn't want you to think some random guy was just walking in here." Sitkanis blushed as he remembed that the chapel was open to everyone. It would not have mattered if he was a complete stranger, he would have been welcomed reguardless. "Right... this is a chapel, anyone is welcome." Sitkanis had never seen himself as an awkward. Actually, it was quite the opposite. He saw himself as proud and confident. No word was ever out of place. Now he seemed to stumble over his words like a child learning to speak. "Should I kiss her?" He was not sure. His tall height was going to pose and issue. Instead he just sat down near her. He did not want her to have to keep looking up at him nor did he want to continue looking down at her. Sitkanis smiled at Adalia, his brown eyes looking into her eyes. "So, did you save any lives today miss healer?" He smiled again and bit his lip at his own awkwardness. He just never knew what to say to her.

[Adalia]

The man didn't even have to identify himself. She was across the room, with her arms around his waist, before he had even spoken. The woman just smiled, placing her had on his chest, listening to him speak, feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he spoke. "Sorry, I do this to every man that comes in," she whispered jokingly. Her arms released him as he went to sit down. Silently, she made eye contact with Tempest, who stalked out of the room and settled down in the door. The Konti's hand pushed the wooden door shut.

With a certain air of grace around her, she walked back through the cramped room, looking around. She found herself in front of the kettle, where she poured a second cup of tea. With both cups in hand, she made her way over to Sitkanis, and set them down on the table next to him. Well, he had the only seat in the whole room. A shame. He would just have to deal with it, then. Adalia lowered herself into his lap, smirking playfully at him. She leaned back, resting her head against his shoulder, and closed her eyes. A sigh of content left her lips as she cuddled up to the taller man. Added bonus; she didn't have to worry about being accidentally impaled by horns. At least not until night time, of course.

"Hi," she said, softly and playfully. An arm snaked its way back around his waist, while a kiss found its way onto the base of his neck. When he began speaking to her, she backed off slightly, opening her eyes to make eye contact with him. A smile at his comment. He hair bounced slightly as she shook her head. "Nothing special today. Some small cuts, bruising, strained muscles... nothing eventful," she said softly. A kiss found its way to his lips. She lingered for a few moments, and then rested her head back on his shoulder.

"And your day? Anything eventful happen since we last spoke?" she finally asked. She placed her free hand on his heart, feeling it beat faintly through his shirt and skin. As he spoke, her ears listened attentively, absorbing every little sound he made, attempting to discern his thoughts through the different tones of his voice.

[Sitkanis]

OOCI was unsure about Tempest's gender so I just said she was a girl. If I'm wrong just tell me and I'll correct it.

To Sitkanis' surprise the girl who he had just met a few days ago was already opening up to him. Adalia was a lot more flirtatious than he had expected but he liked it. She had seemed so scared before and now she could sit on his lap without even a second thought. His heart started to race as she sat down on his lap. She had such a unique way of making him nervous beyond belief. He smiled as she kissed him. His heart raced at the feeling of her lips on his. "You are being flirtatious lately." He smiled at her and kissed her on the lips. He liked that Adalia was getting comfortable around him. Now he needed to do the same. There was no reason why he needed to be nervous around her, yet he was scared out of his wits. What could Sitkanis say to Adalia. He really did not do much when he was not with her. It was not like he had friends, or even knew how to make them. He was the kind of man who preferred to stay alone. The thing was, he had now met the one person he could not stay away from. "I haven't done much. I went to the docks for a bit. I pretty much just walked around the city until I decided to come here." He knew that in comparison to Adalia's day, Sitkanis was living quite calmly. It never occurred to him that he really did not do much until Adalia asked what he did all morning. He was always locked in his daydreams trying to remember what his brain wanted to keep forgotten. He ran his fingers through his hair and chuckled. "Wow, I really need a hobby…" He pulled Adalia close him and kissed her cheek. "I could not wait to see you today." It was hard for Sitkanis to admit that he missed her but he knew that he felt it and if he felt it he had to say it. Sitkanis looked over at Tempest forever watching over Adalia. Although he was not sure if the Ivaski liked him he found the dog very interesting. Since he first saw the big white dog he had pined for a dog of his own. Sadly, Denval was not known for its vast animal population. If he was ever to find a dog it would be once he left the city. He wanted a dog like the one in his memories. The name had begun to escape him again. Although this new life was interesting it was hard not to hold any memories. If he forgot anything no one was going to remind him. There was no one left who knew his past. "I always wanted to tell you, I really find Tempest interesting. She is very beautiful. I hope to have a dog some day although I don't expect to have one any time soon. Denval isn't exactly a hub for dogs." He hoped that he was not offending the large white hound with how close he was getting to her companion. He knew enough about dogs to know that they would protect their masters with their lives.

[Adalia]

"Only to you, so is it really that bad?" Adalia purred quietly, giggling in a soft tone afterwards. Her breathing was light, quiet, and most of all, relaxed. She smiled warmly as he commented on how he had been unable to wait to see her. "Nor I you, Sitkanis," she whispered. When the silence full upon them, she started humming quietly, the relaxing sound filling the air. She finally stopped, listening intently as he spoke about Tempest. It took her a while to respond, and when she did, it was quiet-- as were all of her responses.

"She is. I am glad to have received her as my escort," Adalia smiled, and returned to her quiet humming. Eventually, her hand began to rub his sternum affectionately. Hm. She did need an assistant, someone to assist her in bandaging and cleaning larger wounds... Maybe she could teach Sitkanis? It would certainly keep him from being bored, as he was now complaining. Not to mention, it would allow them to spend time together. Yes, this sounded like a good idea. "I could teach you how to bandage wounds, Sitkanis. Then, you can come here and help out every couple of days..." she trailed off, falling silent, leaving him time to come to a decision. A pair of kisses found their way to his neck, as if they were a cute little attempt to persuade the Drykas to see things her way. Her hands lifted his arms from his sides, pulling the muscular arms around her waist. She then leaned back in his embrace, her head finding its way back to his shoulder.

"What will happen to yo-... me-... us when I have to leave Denval?" she asked quietly. Her eyes opened, honing in on his. A slight stress an elongation was used on the word us when she finally decided upon it, as if she were getting used to the sound of the word. As if she felt there was-- or could be-- a them. She would let him assume whatever he wanted about her choice of words. A sad look was in her eyes. "I don't want to leave you behind," A frown claimed her normally upbeat face, scales and eyes glittering as the sun fell upon them through the small window that allowed the sun to light the room. Her hair was somewhat frazzled by the static caused as she had rested her head against his shirt, and strands flew this way and that. A few positioned themselves in front of her face, but as she tried to shake them back, more followed. She would deal with it later.

Her little worried speech continued. "If I have to leave you, I'll miss you. I've never met someone like you before. I know, we met less than a ten day ago, but you're unique..." she trailed off, looking awkwardly at his chest. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to phrase it like that. It makes me sound obsessed or psychotic, and then I ramble..."

[Sitkanis]

The fact that Adalia was not flirting with other men made Sitkanis happy. He felt protective of her. He knew that this feeling was silly, he had only known her for a short period of time. He was always scared that one day she would just disappear. He knew how fragile life was and even though Adalia was an agent of life it didn't mean death would not try to seek her out. Was it rash to say he would defend her to the death? He was a bit like a lost dog who had finally found someone to call home. He would follow her to the ends of Mizahar if he had to. He really had nothing else. The thought of working with Adalia in medicine was more than a little tempting. He would have said yes in a heart beat but he felt soft lips trailing up his neck leaving in their wake kisses. Once again the familiar sparks shot through his body each time her lips landed on his neck. Adalia was becoming a lot more confident than she had once been. Sitkanis on the other hand was still as nervous as he was the day he met her. He was able to kiss her and hug her but he could not do it without her making a move first. "I would love to help you with your medicine. I think it would be interesting to do. I bet it feels great to help people. I'm here again so I might as well help while I figure out why I am here again." Sitkanis really just wanted an excuse to be with Adalia more. He did think medicine was interesting. The act of medicine was somewhat familiar to him. It was one of the few things that had stuck with him after his fall. He did not know much, but that would change soon. "I cannot wait to start learning. I… I feel like this is silly…" Sitkanis blushed and placed his forehead on Adalia's shoulder. He looked up at her and gave her a sheepish smile. "I want to learn to help animals. I may not remember much about my last life but something has stuck with me, I loved in close kinship with animals, I just… I don't know. I want to help them. Is that odd?" Sitkanis had never shown anyone this softer side of him. He knew that Adalia would accept it though. Adalia seemed to work on the same wavelength as Sitkanis. She seemed almost too good to be true. Cheva had to be working on his side though, at least Sitkanis thought that. He pulled Adalia closer and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry, where ever you go, I will follow. That is only if you want me too." He did not want to follow her around like a lost puppy but for the first time since he fell he felt at home, like he was not lost anymore. "No, you do not sound obsessed. I have been thinking the same way Adalia. I don't want to leave this town without you. If you like… I could go with you on your travels. I don't know a lot of defensive skills but I can learn. Man…, my fall really cleaned me out didn't it?" Sitkanis rested his head on her shoulder and chuckled. "Never be afraid to tell me anything okay? I promise I will try and do the same. If we are going to travel together I don't want anything held back. It only creates tension." He kissed her and placed his hand on her face. "Promise me Adalia?"

[Adalia]

"No, it's not odd in the slightest," was Adalia's response. She looked down at him and smiled politely. "It's not odd or silly to believe in something, or want to do something. It's part of being alive. You do what your heart tells you is right, and then you deal with the consequences of those actions. That is how you grow as a person," she fell silent once more as he spoke, listening intently.

A smile-- a true smile-- claimed her face as he said he wished to travel with her. She did not have to leave him. They could travel together, see the sights that Mizahar had to offer together. They did not have to separate. They could spend time together... she was getting carried away. "Of course I want you too. It would make my travels absolutely delightful," she said, a tone of excitement in her voice as she pursed her lips and kissed him squarely on the lips. Then, he asked for he to make a promise. A promise to keep nothing from him. A promise to tell him everything she knew and learned.

A promise to open up to him entirely. Was that so bad? No, it wasn't, really. It was just the weight behind it. If she made this promise, there was no going back. She would have to tell him everything, or forever be a victim of the guilt that would spawn from the lie. She had never opened up to anyone outside of her family to this extent, and here she was, about to open up to a man she hadn't known for seven days. Was it safe? No. Was it logical? No. She ignored both of these thoughts, though. She did what she told everyone to do. She followed her heart, despite the fact that is was no more infallible than any mortal. It wasn't the logical thing to do, but it was what her heart told her to do.

"I promise. I promise that I will hold no secrets from you. Not now, not ever," the Konti whispered softly. She smiled once again. Her lips found his and claimed them affectionately. Only after a long kiss did she rise off of his lap, lifting her tea from the table to sip it absentmindedly. When she placed it back on the table, she reached a hand out to help Sitkanis up, and then walked through the cramped room to grab a few things out of one of the little drawers.

"All right, let's start at the basics," she said calmly. She walked up behind him, placing hands on his shoulder to silently communicate that he didn't need to turn around. She placed the bandages off to her left, taking one of the thicker pads. After lifting his shirt up above his stomach, he placed it over his abdomen, and then began talking. "You have to hold pressure on the wound. Now, while you're holding pressure on it on the thicker pad, you need to fasten it on with the gauze," as she spoke, she took the other bandage in her hand, running the bandage around his stomach. When she made the first circle. she folded one corner of the first layer over the now-beginning second layer. She rolled it around that one point one more time, and then carried upwards. Eventually, she covered the padding on the imaginary wound and the padding. She continued wrapping up and down until the bandage was almost gone. Then, with the end, she tied a clean knot over the thick bandage, doing it slowly so that Sitkanis could watch her tie it. "To keep pressure on the wound," she then explained.

Stepping around him, she examined her work. "Be sure to remember to fold the corner at the beginning. If you don't, it doesn't turn out this well," she said calmly, tugging on the gauze. She looked up at him and smiled. "Your turn," she said, tilting her head. Her hands reached down to the bottom of her shirt, lifting it up to just above her navel. Scales shimmered in the dim light, contrasting starkly against her pale stomach. She smiled warmly and invitingly. "Don't be nervous," she teased.

[Sitkanis]

There was comfort in Adalia's words. Sitkanis was truly safe in her presence both emotionally and physically. He had nothing to fear around the Konti. He would of course still be nervous, it was becoming his nature to be. "Thank you Adalia. You are truly a wonderful woman." He pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. Her skin on his lips seemed to create fireworks that shot straight to his heart. Every moment with her seemed to be a shot of adrenaline and endorphins making his heart race and his emotions seem to float high above the clouds. He could not remember his past life but he was almost sure there was no way he could have ever been this happy before. Another kiss to the lips sent Sitkanis' mind in a frenzy of nerves and happiness. "Don't worry Adalia, I think you are stuck with me my dear." It was the first time Sitkanis had ever verbally been affectionate towards Adalia. It was a strange feeling but it was also a bit liberating. He was breaking free of his little insecurities and letting himself be exposed a bit. Adalia had been putting herself out there. She was affectionate and cuddly, he would need to try to do the same. It was not that he did not want to be. For the love of Leth, he was taken by the Konti. He was just scared to death. Never in either of his lives had he ever found himself so spellbound by a woman. The promise reverberated in his mind. There was a small worry in his mind. Promises had a bit of weight. Still, what was said was said. He was happy that Adalia wanted to be so open. It came as quite a surprise to him. He watched as Adalia walked off to get her medical supplies. He never saw himself as a man who would heal others. He was more of a person who put them in a position where they needed medical attention. Hands on his torso, this was new. He was used to Adalia's affection but she had never lifted up his shirt. He heard Adalia speaking but the words were not getting through. The feeling of her hands on his exposed torso was messing with his mind. His heart raced and he could not keep his eyes off of her. "She is so beautiful. Oh… I should be paying attention to her." Adalia had wrapped his abdomen up with bandages. She sat down and told him to do the same to her. Of course Sitkanis wanted to practice what Adalia had taught him on her but he had gotten distracted. He smiled and took the bandage in his hands. He did not want to see like he was not paying attention. He looked at her and he could not hide his smile. She seemed to hold Syna's light in her glimmering scales. Sitkanis found that fact extremely interesting. He was by nature a creature of the night. He glowed with the light of Leth and she shined in the light of Syna. He leaned forward and kissed her. "You are so beautiful, especially in the light of Syna." He smiled at her. He knew he would have to attempt to wrap up her stomach at some point and flattery was not going to help that he had not been listening to her previously. He placed his hands on her stomach and began to attempt to bind her abdomen. He pressed the bandage to her stomach and started to wrap the bandage around her. After a few chimes of wrapping Adalia's stomach he looked at his work. It was needless to say not very good. He looked up at Adalia and smiled. "I guess I still have a bit to learn." He picked her up and held her in his arms. He really did not know why he did it. She just made him happy. He kissed her and smiled. "I'm happy I didn't do well though. Now you have to teach me more and I know how much you enjoyed looking at my abs."

[Adalia]

Adalia knew this was coming. From the moment his eyes had began focusing upon her more so than the knowledge she was imparting upon him, she knew that this was going to happen. A quiet sigh of disappointment passed through her lips when he attempted to flatter her with a comment regarding to her beauty. Normally, flattery was invited... but not when she was trying to teach him something and he was using it to cover up his lack of attention! As if he picked up on the quiet sigh, he went to work, fumbling through the steps she had just demonstrated. When he finished, she examined his work silently for a moment or two. A tug or two loosened the bandage, which was expected, but did not remove it entirely. Hm, maybe he had paid a little more attention than she thought.

She opened her mouth to give him a few pointers, only to be interrupted by his muscular arms wrapping around under her legs, holding her up against him. Any annoyance felt towards him was quickly forgotten as she relaxed in his arms, closing her eyes and sighing quietly. Her arms snaked their way under his, her nose leaning in to nuzzle up against his. A soft giggle once more emerged from her lips as she played around with him a bit, chest up against his while her legs wrapped around his waist. Eventually, her head placed itself on her shoulder, conveniently, right before he made the comment about his abs.

A silent laugh came from her lips. She didn't know what it was about that statement, she just knew that something about it sounded humorous and quite a bit ridiculous. Her little fit of laughter quickly ended, and, hopefully, Sitkanis would be none the wiser of the little incident. Adalia's hands began to make little circular movements over his shoulder blades, digging in gently at certain points in an attempt to make him relax a bit.

Only after a few minutes did she finally realize that they were supposed to be doing something. A sigh escaped her lips as she picked her head up off of his shoulder, locking lips with him once more. Adalia's mind wandered off, getting ever so slightly too into what was supposed to be a quick and simple kiss. When she finally regained control of herself, she slipped out from his grasp, quickly and delicately unwrapping the bandage from around her stomach. Once finished, she placed it back on one of the tables. Quickly, she crossed the room, picking up the two tea cups she had left at their seat. She handed one to Sitkanis with a smile and a nod, and then sipped at it.

"Go ahead, drink it. It's not poison, I swear," she said with a giggle, after seeing him hesitate.

[Sitkanis]

The soft lips of the Konti brushed against Sitkanis' and he smiled. He had succeeded in distracting her from his obvious show of ignorance to her teaching. He held her close and kissed her lips. They did not get to lock lips for long though. Adalia was very dedicated to her cause, teaching him about medicine. He admired her dedication but in truth he just wanted to spend time with her. The medicine training was just a cleaver excuse to spend time with her. Of course, in reality he did not need an excuse to spend time with the Konti. He wanted to think that he had her falling for him but it was obvious that is was the other way around. Adalia had calmed the man who no woman could before. A pang of longing set into Sitkanis' chest as he watched Adalia walk over to the other side of the room. His deep brown eyes locked onto her as she collected her cups. He smiled at her as she sat down and handed him his cup. "I would hope it would not be poison. You would have to heal me if it was and why on earth would you make more work for yourself?" He sipped at the tea and looked at Adalia. "That is the good thing about you, other than the fact that you are ravishingly beautiful you can never kill me because you would have to heal me right after." He gave her a small chuckle and pulled her onto his lap. Tea was the last thing on his mind right now. "You are distracting, you know that? How am I supposed to focus on wrapping bandages and putting on healing mixtures when I have a beautiful lady in front of me?" He kissed her cheek and then laid his head on her shoulder. He ran his fingers up and down her arm feeling the smoothness of her scales on his fingertips. He cuddled in closer to Adalia and turned his mouth up to her ear. "You are very beautiful, you know that?" He wrapped his arms around her body and breathed in her scent. He found solace in his silent lover. She did not speak much but even in her silence he heard her. He did not need his autistics to tell either. He just knew that if she did not have to speak she was happy. There had never been a person who could calm the wild drykas until Adalia came along.