[Makutsi's Tower] Averse

by **Ssezzkero** on November 29th, 2014, 4:57 am

60th of Fall 514AV

It was so odd to feel anger when she looked up at the door to Makutsi's Tower. To feel an overwhelming sense of rage and hate towards the Goddess she was worshiped so diligently for so long. As if they had ruled her life and made her individuality pointless for the past century of her existence. It was their fault that she was who she was. It had to be. Right?

Suddenly all the anger was simply wearing her out. She had always felt calm and excited to go to 'work', yet she'd never called it that, and today she simply wasn't. This season, she couldn't seem to muster up the excitement of returning to the temple each day. The only reason she returned seemed to be for the money. As a woman who held little value to material things, especially money, it was an unsettling feeling, even in this odd season. Yet, she was still here, no matter how she didn't want to be. An echo of her old self told her to make an effort today. Even if she was not faithful, she would at least earn her mizas... maybe.

"Do you... also... new faith?" A slur of Tukant found its way to her ears and Sezkero turned around to meet the blue chest of an Akalak. For some reason, it was rare to see Akalaks in the river Goddess' temple. Their faith was focused around discipline, like their culture. It was unusual to see them connecting with other Gods. As a result, Makutsi's Tower had quite a blend of races, rare in the city of Akalaks. But with everyone acting polar to themselves this season, the temple had seen a fair amount of races that they usually would not have.

"Excuse--?" Sezkero started in common, before trying to communicate that she did not speak enough Tukant to understand the man. "I don't understand." The small snake looked up at the man. Normally she would have been terrified of the warrior to towered three feet above herself, but today she could care less. Fitting, considering the fight she got in at the beginning of the season, she really didn't care then.

"Oh. New faith? Are you also hesitating at the start of a new faith?" Brown eyes measured the golden ones that looked down on her. By the unwanted kindness that radiated from this man, she could almost guarantee he was not a cooperative man most seasons, maybe not even a faithful one. But since everyone was not acting themselves this season, it was hard not to think in this mans shoes. He probably had no idea why we wanted to visit the tower of a God he likely never thought about twice. Sezkero would have normally been ecstatic about the fact. She had always thought that the Gods were the greatest gift to Mizahar, and yet lately she couldn't help but hate them. Instead of a welcoming smile, the man earned a annoyed grimace from the snake, who dropped eye contact immediately.

"Unfortunately, no." She placed a hand on the door, yanking it open for herself and the man. "You might be the only person who still wants to be here." The man stepped inside, painfully aware of what she meant. The tower was practically empty. For most of the Acolytes, the promise of compensation for their work was not enough to tame the hate for their most beloved God. Unusually, Kero didn't mind. It meant she could slack off more and less people would notice, which was fine because she still got paid at the end of the season.

The small snake turned to gauge the Akalak's reaction as he took in the temple. It was sparsely decorated, but the art that was there, mainly along the walls so that it wouldn't interfere with dancing, was made with unparalleled care and passion. The thought of it soured Sezkero's stomach. The Akalak's face was uncontrolled awe as golden eyes traced the carvings on the walls and looked for the depictions of Makutsi in the tapestries. Sezkero hooked her finger on the top of her headscarf, pulling the soft fabric off her neck and face so that she could breathe. A few pegs for coats hung under the stairs leading up to the Acolyte's quarters and the dance rooms, where she flung her headscarf. There were no coats, so she was not making a mess, although she didn't care if she did.

Common | Snake-Tongue | Tukant | Thoughts | PC/NPC Talking

by **Ssezzkero** on December 15th, 2014, 11:51 pm

"It's beautiful. Do you come here every day?" The Akalak turned to Sezkero, she hated how curious he was. She hated how he was more interested in her Goddess than he normally would be. While Sezkero seemed to hate the River Goddess even more than this Akalak, she suddenly felt posessive of teh last remnents of her faith. It was as if it was more of a sin to share Makutsi than to shun her, but Sezkero had no control over her emotions this season. The Akalak reached out to caress the smooth carvings on the wall. It was not uncommon to see a hand graze the carvings, nor was it prohibited. Makutsi's followers reveled in the physical sensations of the world, and so it was almost encouraged to trace the dance movements that glided across the Tower walls.

But Sezkero couldn't stand watching the man, and so she yelled anyway."No! Ssstop, you can't touch the wallsss." His hand retracted immediately at her hiss, and he turned away from her. The snake imagined shame creeping into his cheeks and while it gave her an empowered feeling it also softened her a little. "We danccce here." She offered the information to the Akalak who had turned again to near her where she stood in the center of the room. During her lapse of silence, they could hear footsteps upstairs. It both pissed the snake off and made her happy. Some Acolytes did not loose faith as Sezkero had, instead they were effected in other ways. It was comforting to know that the tower would not be completely abandoned and yet it was angering to think that people still held faith in Makutsi. Makutsi who she had only met once and was expected to devote her life too... "They danccce here," Sezkero repeated, barely noticing how she had already distanced herself from the tower's clergy. "To sshhow faith, the Ssspirit isss physssical... "

Her own mention of dance made her feet tingle. Still strapped in leather, she let her right foot slide out as she spoke. The pale dress she wore followed, a wave of embroidered clothe eagerly followed her foot. With her leading leg behind her, she was able to push herself forward. Her words were replaced with hands and she twisted her wrists and displayed her fingers to extend her movements to every tip of her body. Kal had once observed the odd tradition, thinking it to be her personal touch. Where most dancers simply let their fingers flow with their wrists, Sezkero used every digit as part of her dances.

As smoothly as she could in her sandals, the snake twirled on her feet. She let her body gently twist in the air yet pick up in speed, crouching in the simple twist. A very familiar pattern returned to her before she finished the quick move. Immediately she leaned down, her leg propped at an angle, before arching her spine upwards again. Her pace picked up as her feet hopped beneath her. Once, Twice... and then she pulled her arm back by her hip, tossing her left leg forward with the movement.

Unlike the other dancers, her moves were less graceful and more hopp-y. While Sezkero had always claimed it was her lack of experience, Kal was convinced it was the style given to her by Makutsi.

Common | Snake-Tongue | Tukant | Thoughts | PC/NPC Talking

by **Ssezzkero** on January 3rd, 2015, 5:37 pm

But the dance ended at the last hop. It was nothing more than a twirl and Sezkero forced herself to plant both feet on the ground again. She would not glorify Makutsi. It would be doing everything she had tried not to this season...

"Amazing." Sezkero identified the Tukant word through the Akalaks gasp. It couldn't have been that impressive, a simply twirl and some hops were nothing compared to the routine of a more experienced dancer, and yet the simply comment inflated Sezkero a bit as she turned to look at the Akalak. But his golden eyes didn't follow her, they were floating on something behind her. The Iyvess spun, to see Kal, mimicking her movements. It seemed as if he had come down from the stairs and begun to dance alongside her, which wouldn't have been unwelcome any other day of any other season. If anything, her priest managed to stun her. Jaw dropping in an expression of shock that only a human could show, she watched as Kal stopped shortly after her. He did not flash her the infectiously cheery smile that he usually would on a morning like this, but simply stared at her solemnly before nodding to the Akalak behind her.

"Welcome." He greeted the man. Why was he down here? Was he okay? Questions whirled through her brain, quickly followed by an elation of hope. Was everything turned back to normal? Kal was participating in his Temple again! That must be a good sign! But he was still not himself, and she knew that she had not abandoned her opposite behaviors either. The man who guided the tower had holed himself in his room at the top of the tower. A man who had always been nothing but happiness, the sparkle of a morning mist that announced the rainy storm to come, had fallen into a cloud of depression. Sezkero knew no rain fell where he mind had gotten caught. The hint of sadness that accompanied his every grin had torn through his emotions and was now sitting front and center.

Normally, the snake would have tried to help. She considered the priest to be her only true friend in Riverfall, and it would pain her to see him haunted by the events of his past that she had never learned. But she struggled with her own plague this season, one where she rejected the Gods, and had no time for her friend. Instead of assuming he was holed up in his room, she watched as the dark haired human walked forward, greeting the curious Akalak.

But this simple act was enough to stir Sezkero into action. If he could make an effort to fight this dark season, then so could she. Couldn't she?

"I-- um, thisss isss Kal. He is out priessst here." She struggled to push the soft dips in her sentence past her odd mammal teeth, an d motioned towards Kal. But afterwards, she didn't know what to do. Normally, she would have offered to dance with the priest and show the newcomer what they did at the tower, that was her job after all, but the small Iyvess couldn't think of what to do next. She didn't want this man to take interest in Makutsi, but she also did. All of it was so confusing.

"Please, you are welcome to join us." But Kal knew what to do, even if his friendly words were forced through a veil of sadness.

"Uhh, yesss." She agreed with poor conviction. Kal glanced at her and she felt embarrassed after so many days of slacking off. Would he know? The back of her mind told her yes, but she didn't think he had actually noticed. He was caught in drink and sleep, trying to forget whatever it was that bothered him. She knew that if she managed to put on a good enough show while he was here, then he would still pay her at the end of the season. Her old self would have rejected the plan immediately, but this new Sezkero acted upon it immediately."Asss I sssaid, we danccce here asss a form of worsshhip." Ker hoped that the Akalak did not noticed her sudden inclusion in the clergy. "It isss how Makutsssi marksss ussss..." Her words dragged out and she looked at Kal, guilt ridden across her face, because she knew she was faking it. Instead she raised her eyebrows at him, as if waiting for him to speak.

"I don't want to participate, actually. But I'd love to watch you two. You seem to dance well together." Sezkero wanted to scream at the Akalak.Don't make me dance! Please, ask us not to! But she kept her face smooth, knowing that if Kal questioned her, she might have to admit she had been slacking off this season. Admitting she had been slacking off meant that it would be only fair to cut her pay. Funny, how everything revolved around money this season. Annoyed with just about everything, including herself, she turned to walk towards the center of the floor with Kal.

Common | Snake-Tongue | Tukant | Thoughts | PC/NPC Talking

by **Ssezzkero** on March 1st, 2015, 8:05 pm

"I've got... Thingsss to do." It was a lie, a desperate lie. One that screamed the horrible truth that she didn't want to be there. It identified her curse to Kal and the snake did not stay long enough to see his confusion, small feet sweeping up the stairs instead, running away like a child. She would not run, but neither did she climb the stone steps leisurely. She cared little what Kal thought of her immature retreat, only that she needed to escape his gaze. She needed to find another corner of the cursed tower to hide in, to pretend that she had a worth in the wretched clergy and earn her pay out of her preist's eyes.

Reaching the next floor up, she found herself facing the wide dance room, her breathe a little heavier to get hte oxygen she needed. She hadn't danced at all this season. Not once. Although it was a choice, she found no benefits in the refusal, other than to spite the God that controled her. But adding to the list of cons, was how out of shape she had gotten and how quickly. Someone stirred, turning to see Sezkero standing atop the stairs. She was a konti, small by anyone's standards but Sezkero's. Pearly white locks had been twisted above her head and Sezkero was painfully aware of her movements on the floor before her. Struggling to calm her lungs, she smoothed her face in front of the Konti, simply standing there, motionless, and offering no greeting with her hasty entrance.

"Oh, hi Ker." The konti didn't smile to cushion the sour tone of voice, instead she extended one leg out, letting her other heel align with her thigh. To say that Sezkero was confused would be a lie. This konti, Shi'ra had alwasy been the kindest to Ker. She was hte kindest to everyone. Friendliness and care radiated from the sea-woman, and so to see her so... indifferent to everyone this season had been a shock at first. But Ker had grown used to it, as she had grown used to her lack of faith and Kal's broken emotions. It was how it was now, and strangely, Ker found herself not longing for the comforting peace of the past but for action to fix this horrid curse. Shi'ra's stretch looked easy by how gently the she laid her nose on her knee, casually cupping her heel with both hands. Feeling the ghost of the amount of burning doing such a thing would cause her, Sezkero simply smiled with what little friendliness she could muster and continued up the stairs. She had heavily avoided the Acolytes for the season, not only shamed and afraid of their reactions to her sudden change of heart but also wary of how they had all changed as well. Oh, how different the Temple's atmosphere had become.

She would clean, that's what she would do. If she couldn't do all of her job, at least she could do some. Would it make up for the amount of slacking off she had gotten away with this season? Probably not, but maybe. And so Sezkero found the broom before continuing to the top dance floor. Which, surprisingly, was used just as much as the rest. Although it was open to all the clergy, this dance floor was mostly Kal's, as it was closest to his quarters. So it was no surprise to find a thick layer of dust settled in the room when she arrived. No one had come up here, and had been too sad to dance of late. Time, not dance, had dirtied this room, which suddenly made the task so much more daunting.

The straw bristles scraped the floor in even patterns and Sezkero found herself settling into a familiar routine. Something she could do and do well, was cleaning. After sweeping the rather large pile of dust into a corner, Sezkero turned towards the windows, her nose crinkling at the heavy dust in the room. She should have opened them, she knew that. The fall air would have been crisp and refreshing, but it would have also been cold.

Common | Snake-Tongue | Tukant | Thoughts | PC/NPC Talking

by **Ssezzkero** on March 1st, 2015, 8:37 pm

A sigh fell from her lips and she let the broom drop to the floor, not even flinching at the loud noise. "Alright, alright." She said to no one in particular, putting her hands on the window sill. With a bit of balancing, she managed to pull her foot up to the window sill and stand so that she could reach the hinges at the top of the huge glass window. Again, the snake became painfully aware of how out of shape she had become, as she struggled to pull the latch down without falling off. Finally the loud clunk sent her to the ground.

The pile of dust she had collected was quickly addressed by the wind. Groaning in pain, Sezkero watched as Zulrav's breezes picked up her work and threw it everywhere. To say the groans were just from the throbbing in her bum now would be a lie. Quickly, before Zulrav could burden her more, she hopped up, grabbing on to the frame of the window and swinging it shut again, letting her body weight rest against the chilly glass. After taking a few breathes, and sneezes from the dust everywhere, she turned to the window again, using the hatch on the bottom to prop the window open just enough for a crack.

She could still hear the Autumn wind screaming from outside the tower, but now it was not nearly enough to mess with her sweeping. Sezkero scanned hte room, looking for remnents of her piles, but all she saw was the marks, lashes, of wind, displayed in the now settling dust. This season, she would have thrown up her hands, went back down stairs and left. But Sezkero was making an effort here. An effort meant doing what she didn't want to do, and this tedious chore was it. The sudden rush of selfless determination almost made her think she was back to her old self. But as she plucked the broom from the ground, her sour thoughts reminded her that she was not, and may never be, her old self again.

Now sweeping with fury, Sezkero tried to think of getting the chore done and going home to help her along. Motivation was not key, discipline was. And so almost a bell later, the room was clean again. Given the events of the season, and the attitudes of hte clergy, Sezkero knew this room would likley not be touched for another season, which only made her prouder of her accomplishment. The dancing and stretching mats were shaken out, the windows were opened to allow in air, the floor was swept, and even though she didn't touch the fire place, she though the room looked clean enough. Now Kal can't say I didn't earn my pay this season. Smugness overruled her pride and she nodded to herself, content with propping the broom in the corner and heading home. She had done the bare minimum, but she had done her job.

Common | Snake-Tongue | Tukant | Thoughts | PC/NPC Talking

by **Rosela** on March 7th, 2015, 4:37 pm

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Congratulations! You've Been Awarded:

Sezkero :

Notes :

If you have any questions or concerns about what was awarded, don't hesitate to PM me. When you're finished, please edit or delete your grade request from the grading queue.
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