Closed [Rearing Stallion] Surprising Sayana (Various)

[Aren]

It was fortunate that Sayana soon dispelled the notion of using the names that had been suggested, because Aren was still searching for the voice that had so carelessly made them. Once the Akalak realized that his lover had very little intention of actually becoming attached to them, however, he settled down. "There are certain naming conventions my people usually observe, as Orin said..." The giant spoke, trying to give the impression that not just any names would do. Of course, he had absolutely no intention of necessarily abiding by those traditions, but the people suggesting strange names left and right didn't need to know that. When Garland advised that perhaps two names might be necessary, Aren smiled, before he saw the sheer look of panic on Sayana's face. "Well, you never know. Could be," He teased, but gave one of her low hands a squeeze when she had made her way back to his side. "And fierce, like his mother." Aren offered, not in the least beat uncertain about his statement. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for the "gift" he had brought for Sayana. It was really more of a responsibility, and one that shouldn't be taken lightly. The Akalak's face assumed a veneer of confidence, but it was a prepared and rehearsed one. He still wasn't sure how Sayana would react to any of the things he had planned, "I do, but this isn't something that should be done with a crowd." Taking her by one of her unoccupied hands, Aren pulled her towards the door which led outside. "Come on." His other hand brushed by a pocket in his trousers, to make sure the box contained therein hadn't gotten lost, somehow. How could it, he thought. Yet, the gesture soothed the flayed nerves that acted up every time he thought about going through with it. "Don't worry, I'll bring her right back," The giant called back towards the assembled guests, although he didn't so much as glance in their direction. Once the pair were outside, behind the relative isolation of the Stallion's doors, Aren stood in front of Sayana and took a deep breath. His hand now thumbed over the hilt of his Lakan as he tried to organize his scattered thoughts into a coherent grouping of words. "So... I... I mean, we... I mean Akalaks as a whole, we have this thing. This... tradition. A gift, for someone who saves our lives. It isn't something that can be bought at a market, or a shop. It can only be made, from our own blood, and our own selves. Taking in another long breath, Aren finally pulled the oddly shaped dagger from his waist, sheath and all. "This Lakan isn't just a blade. It's a part of me." Gently placing the weapon in Sayana's hands, Aren looked into her eyes with a strange, forlorn gaze, "That's a part of me you're holding in your hands. That's a part of me I'm giving you." It was almost as if he was asking her to take special care of it, because she might as well be holding his heart in her delicate fingers right now. "As long as you have it, I'll know where you are, and I'll know if you need me. And I'll come. I promise you I will, no matter what," Aren didn't know what else to say, how else to explain what such a gift meant, and what she meant to him. He only hoped she understood, and would accept it.

[Sayana]

The Eypharian smiled at Aren’s gentle squeeze of her low hand. Even just his presence was immensely comforting at times. However, when he answered in affirmation to her question, curiosity sparked on her face. He did have something. And something special enough that he wanted to share it with her alone. As he took her by her mid hand, she adjusted some of her presents to her low hands. Whatever it was, she wanted them out of the way enough to see what he had gotten her.

Sayana happily followed her lover out the door with only a brief wave of her high hand as if confirming that she would be back. Now that he stood before her, he looked incredibly nervous. She was surprised she hadn’t noticed earlier but perhaps that’s why he had practically stayed in a corner throughout the party so far. She hoped there wasn’t anything severely wrong. But as he spoke, she found herself fascinated to hear more about himself and his culture. A gift, for someone who saves our lives. But… oh. She recalled their various flirts with Dira but most simply was the first one, when he had arrived at her apartment covered in blood.

As Aren took out the dagger, the Lakan, Sayana held it tenderly in her high hands. She drew it slowly and it glinted as it caught Syna’s rays. It was different from the daggers she was used to wielding, as it was curved and had large jagged parts to it. She put a hand on the flat of the blade. It was smooth, beautiful, curved and deadly.

“A part of you…” she murmured softly. “I will take good care of it, and carry it with me always.” It was fascinating to think that it was somehow part of him and connected to him. And it reminded her that there was still so much she didn’t know about him and his culture. After one last long look at the blade, she trailed her finger along the sharp curved edge to the point and then sheathed it once more. Amongst her other daggers at her hip, there was still room for the Lakan and she fit it in her belt accordingly.

“Thank you Aren,” she spoke with much gratitude. “It’s hard to imagine something more beautiful and more fitting.” She stepped forwards to wrap her high and mid hands around his neck in a hug. After a quick kiss to his lips, she released him and glanced towards the door. “Shall we return?”

[Aren]

"You don't have to thank me." Aren's face was uncharacteristically solemn, for a moment, before his features softened once again. "This blade has belonged to you for awhile now. I was merely keeping it safe for you." The Akalak wondered if Sayana understood just what he meant when he said that. She wasn't a mind reader, and so he expected not, but to him it felt like his Lakan had always belonged to her. Somehow, at this moment in time, he couldn't help but think that the dagger had always been meant for her. Maybe it it was the emotional weight of the imminent action he was about to take, or maybe it was just a quirk of his mind. "Lets." The giant said, succinctly. Before his lover had completely finished any motion to turn around, however, Aren pulled her back in with a smooth tug on her arm. "Oh, one last thing, before I forget. It's no big deal, really." The words nearly caught in his mouth. He was scarcely able to say them with a straight face, considering that he had been agonizing over this for days now. Carefully reaching into his pocket, the Akalak produced a small, plainly adorned case. Its appearance lent credit to his words, as the object did not have the look one would ascribe to anything of any importance. First, Aren opened it towards himself, the lid of the box preventing Sayana from seeing what it contained. His palms were sweating, and there was a visible nervousness in his mannerism that was impossible for him to hide now. "I have a question that I've been meaning to ask you..." Aren swallowed hard, and when he did so he realized that his throat felt so dry he thought it might render him unable to speak. "Will..." Taking a deep breathe, the azure warrior finally turned the opened container around. He bent a single knee so that the height disparity was not so obvious and finally spoke after a moment that seemed to last forever, "Will you marry me, Sayana?" There was suddenly no more anxiety making his hands tremble. Aren could not have removed his eyes from her's even if he had wanted; they looked desperately for any sign of her reply before she actually gave it. A hint of a smile here, or perhaps of a frown, there. Was she surprised, was she excited, was she upset? Would she simply tell him it couldn't be, in a rational, controlled voice? That might be the worst response she could give him, the Akalak thought, as every manner of far-fetched and implausible scenario happily mixed with the more probable outcomes, in his mind. "By Wysar, say something!" Aren wasn't sure how long it had been since he had popped the question, a breath or a season, but it felt like he had been waiting for her reply since the Valterrian. "...Just put me out of misery, already." He begged, his fear getting the best of him and turning his thoughts towards a heart wrenching conclusion.

[Sayana]

Sayana touched the hilt of the Lakan tenderly as Aren spoke that it had belonged to her, and for a while now. She was about to return to the party when her lover caught her arm. “Yes?” She asked with a calm yet mildly curious expression. Did he have some other sort of present? Surely the Lakan was enough. It was beautiful even if he did think it had already belonged to her.

Yet when he pulled a small box from his pocket, he was nervous. Terribly so. Suddenly his usual self-confidence vanished and he was timid, anxious. She frowned a little and cocked her head slightly to the side as if trying to figure out the cause of such. Her eyes went to the box, then to his mannerisms and then to the small box again. And then he had a question, and important one.

All the pieces suddenly began to click even as the Akalak lowered himself to one knee to essentially match her own height. Her heart felt like it stopped for a tick. He can’t be asking now, but he was. He turned the box around and she saw the three glittering rings. Then her lover spoke.

“Will you marry me, Sayana?”

The world seemed to flash before her eyes. Her life in Ahnatep, past lovers, her time spent with Aren, their baby. But marriage. How could she even think about marriage if it meant tying herself down. Yet she loved him. She loved him ever so much. And they were going to have a baby, a baby boy. She felt constricted and constrained. It was all too much and… Even as she looked at his hopeful eyes she felt her eyes starting to tear up. No, no, he doesn’t want to see me cry. But even as she internally tried to resist, she couldn’t stop the emotion from appearing on her face.

He wanted an answer. Of course he wanted an answer. She could see the look in his eyes. Pleading for a sign. “Aren, I… I love you.” Sayana spoke, her voice trembling slightly. She was stalling. Yet she couldn’t say no, she loved him too much for that. And yet to say yes… What other option was there? No girl could possibly say maybe to such a question, it was probably worse than a no. Gods damn him, why hadn’t he hinted at it earlier? Or was it supposed to have been obvious with their child and everything? She internally vented at the unfairness of it all, and a tear managed to finally leak from her eye at the onslaught of emotions. But really there was only one answer she could give.

“Yes, Aren,” she spoke softly. “Yes I will marry you.”

She surged forwards, avoiding the rings and first going to kiss him deeply on the lips. Her hands wrapped around the back of his head wanting him to be hers, all hers. Her highly charged emotions let a couple more tears fall but she didn’t care anymore. He’d be her salvation or her chains, but maybe blessed chains to keep her always with the man she loved. At last she released him and looked at the rings he offered.

“They’re… they’re beautiful,” she spoke as she wiped at her face. Then she held out her hands, not entirely sure what he planned to do, for he had three rings and she had six hands.

[Devi]

Aren had stolen Sayana away, the look on his face akin to one she would associate with going to battle. Perhaps that was just a common expression for him. Akalak often did treat each day as though they were entering into combat. Devi chuckled at herself but nonetheless looked around to see where she could leave Sayana’s present. It was a small glass bottle wrapped elaborately in bright red paper. The bottle contained Kiv perfume. Kiv grew out in the deserts and was often used to make incense and the like but when it was gathered fresh and prepared in the right way, one could make a perfume from it that was... slightly intoxicating. She had looked the plant up in her mother’s journal, who had only the briefest entry about it. Devi wasn’t entirely surprised considering it didn’t grow anywhere her mother would have travelled. Still, the little detail she had written there matched what the Eypharian bazaar vendor explained to her and it sounded perfect for Sayana. Devi had written a small note on the paper to warn of its effects though she kept it short and simple, remembering that Sayana couldn’t read too well. Devi left it in plain sight next to the rest of Sayana’s now opened presents and nodded in satisfaction. She turned back to the guests, returning to one in particular who had intrigued her. Her eyes sought out the pale skin and sunken eyes of the woman she was almost certain was a Nuit. Devi had not met one of the Nuit before but considering the woman’s complexion, if she was not of that race then she was at least extremely ill. Honing in on her, Devi moved close enough that they could converse, remembering her previous compliment about the dress. “I never said thank you by the way. Dresses are a bit of a rarity for me so any and all reassurances that I don’t look like a green, leafy tree are welcomed!” She smiled at the woman, a number of questions bubbling to the surface of her mind. She started with the simplest. “How do you know Sayana and Aren?”

[Sayana]

As the rings were placed on her fingers, Sayana beamed at her new fiance. They were going to get married. Yes. They were going to get married! How she could have been so uncertain for that moment, she had no idea, but it all seemed to be coming together. And all on her birthday. A day she hardly even thought about on most occasions.

She kissed Aren deeply and then with a beaming smile she tugged him back inside to the party. “Everyone! Aren just proposed to me. We’ll be getting married.” Sayana announced to all her friends. “I think… I think it should be a summer wedding.” She could hardly contain her excitement and joy and spent the rest of the party near or holding onto her beloved.

OOCJust wrapping things up with a short closing post.

[Ball]

Header

Normally I would be placing this in my grader template. However there are just so many of you that are receiving grades and I really don't want to try and copy and past tabs and botch them.

Unfortunately there are a few of you that I wish I could've given you skills that I saw, however you have maxed out both of those. As always, please PM me with questions and concerns. If you feel I have missed a skill you feel you deserve I will re-read and re-grade it. Also please ensure that you update your ledgers with the money spent on gifts and the likes, please be sure to update your thread list with this grade and as always, enjoy.

Sayana, please mark the grade request as graded!

And with out further words. Your grades:

Orin Fenix

Leadership	+1
Organization	+2

Lores:

• Leadership: Ensuring the plan is known to all
• Organization: Divide and Conquer, works even for surprise parties
• Garland screams like a girl

Sayana

Herbalism

+2

• Herbalism: Azhiltu - Uses:Cure Stomachaches (as a Tea)
• Herbalism: Azhiltu - Rub it on a wounds to stop bleeding
• Herbalism: Azhiltu - Dye your clothes to purple or maroon.
• Garland screams like a girl
• Many friends, loving memories
• Isolde is cold
• Given an Akalak's Laken (Aren's)
• Proposed to by Aren – Said Yes

Nivel

Construction	+1
Herbalism	+2
Cosmetology	+1
Interrogation	+1
Stealth	+1
Larceny	+1
Acrobatics	+1
Sewing	+1
Scavenging	+1
Socialization	+1

Lores

• Herbalism: Azhiltu - Uses:Cure Stomachaches (as a Tea)
• Herbalism: Azhiltu - Rub it on a wounds to stop bleeding
• Herbalism: Azhiltu - Dye your clothes to purple or maroon.
• Learning the way of Surprise Parties
• Parties! Celebrating one's birth
• Garland screams like a girl

Shield Points

-2 Shame on you for stealing from your patron.

Devi

Socialization	+2
Observation	+1
Interrogation	+1

• Garland screams like a girl
• Orin: Many Faces, One Man.

Garland

• Keeping Secrets is not easy
• Screams like a Girl – Very unmanly like
• Aren: What does Sayana see in him?

Aren
When you come back and would like the grades from this thread, please PM me. Make sure that your Ledger and Thread Grades are also up to date as well.

Isolde Seibold
When you come back and would like the grades from this thread, please PM me. Make sure that your Ledger and Thread Grades are also up to date as well


CreditGoes to Lisana for this beautiful post template