• Closed • Starlight and Ashes (Pash)

Two biqajs meet each other under better circumstances...

Once an isolated and dying township, an influx of academics, adventurers and thrill seekers have made Scalvoris Town their home. From scholars' tea shops to a new satellite campus for Viden Academy, this is an exciting place to visit or make your home!

Moderators: Pegasus Pug!!!, Avalon

User avatar
Delta
Posts: 163
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:07 pm
Race: Naerikk
Profession: Slave
Renown: 0
Character Sheet
Plot Notes
Personal Journal
Templates
Wealth Tier: Tier 1

Milestones

Miscellaneous

Starlight and Ashes (Pash)

Image
3rd Day of Zi'da
717th Arc
By the time Delta was released from the secure rooms she had been kept in since coming to the Order of the Adunih, the temperature on Scalvoris had fallen. Occasionally, she had been allowed out into the gardens to enjoy the fresh air, they did not treat her like an animal, after all… but the slave, when outside, was never left unsupervised. All she had wanted was peace, to be left alone… and not to be watched as if she was a rampaging murderess.

But she was, Delta remembered. Faith had passed on her history. As far as the Order healers were concerned, Delta was a known arsonist and a suspected murderer of a young woman in Almund. Additionally, Faith had supplied information about an attempted murder of another slave, and the healers themselves had seen Squid, the youngest Order apprentice, be attacked by the unstable slave. It did not matter Delta’s reasons, her actions were enough to make her a risk, and that’s all they needed to know.

However the girl had spent a number of seasons, since Saun, recovering in the facility. She was no longer kept in isolation, and was no longer watched like a hawk. Her slow recovery and subsequent better behaviour had seen the introduction of the same privileges and freedoms that the other patients enjoyed. Yet she still couldn’t go outside; it was far too cold for that.

Wistfully, the girl stared out of one of the many windows, watching the snowfall. She could not believe that it had been almost an arc since she and Lakia had arrived on this godforsaken island. The slave shook her head, refusing to think of her old Mistress.

Delta?” The girl turned, seeing one of the green-cloaked apprentices smiling down at her. “How are you doing today? Are you feeling up for company? You have a visitor here to see you.” The apprentice stood to the side and gestured to the man who was standing at a slight distance. Delta’s gaze followed her movements and her cerulean irises shifted to a light periwinkle in surprise as her eyes landed on the face of someone she never thought she would ever see again. After a moment of hesitation, the girl nodded to the healer, whose smile broadened before taking her leave of the pair.

Well met, Pash…” the girl whispered in their shared language when the two were alone. She continued to stare at him, though her body remained angled away, as if partially unwilling to engage in conversation with a man who had seen her at her weakest. She was embarrassed, that much was evident. But she would also appear much calmer than when Pash and Delta had met seasons previously.[/color]"
word count: 467
"Happiness comes in waves..."

Common | Rakahi | Euthic Sign | Ith'ession
User avatar
Pash Raj'oriq
Approved Character
Posts: 1200
Joined: Fri May 05, 2017 5:31 pm
Race: Biqaj
Profession: Tankbard
Renown: 315
Character Sheet
Plot Notes
Partner
Templates
Wealth Tier: Tier 1

Featured

Contribution

Milestones

RP Medals

Miscellaneous

Events

Starlight and Ashes (Pash)

They had been delayed from their departure from Scalvoris for various reasons Pash had yet to completely understand, U'Frek having summoned them to his service at the very end of Vhalar, just as he and his lover were preparing to leave the island on their somewhat well-planned adventures that took them boldly, willingly sailing all across Idalos. That was the thing about plans—they changed. Thankfully, the seafaring minstrel was an easy going sort, one who understood that tides shifted and winds changed. Such was the way of life, and yet this time, everything all felt as though it was for a reason. He just had to figure out what that reason was, he admitted to Kali'rial in the cold.

The weather was far more foul than he'd anticipated, and thus he'd decided to make sure they were further prepared. He decided to order a second set of sails and extra rigging, but the early Zi'da snow had prevented him from going to Almund or even Egilrun himself, though the proprietor of The Spirit of Adventure had assured him he'd get it all sorted out for him. That was good, for the tall Biqaj was honestly still processing what had happened in dreams for his Maker, especially the Favor U'Frek had bestowed upon himself and Kali'rial. He assumed Arlo was equally blessed, but they'd yet to see each other since waking.

Pash considered all of his unfinished business, despite himself and his dark-haired huntress having said their goodbyes. Perhaps there was more for him to do?

His thoughts turned through the seasons since his arrival in Scalvoris—Ashan, Ymiden, Saun, and Vhalar—each of them carrying with them a variety of experiences, though his lover was the steadfast and beautiful constant, their relationship now his treasure, there was always more to each season's story, some good and some bad. His wandering thoughts turned to Delta and he realized he'd never been able to see her after all that had transpired on the Immortal's Tongue in Ymiden. Memories of that particular trip were still tangible, as if he could still feel the emotions of her tangle, that experience never truly forgotten. His Empathy-marked fingers strayed to scratch listlessly at the scar on his left bicep from Yolande, though he couldn't help but run the same hand's palm past one of the newer, still-pink scars that stood out against his tanned skin hidden under his thick wool shirt from their return to that wretched place in Vhalar.

Perhaps Delta was gone from the Order already, ships passing in the night. He'd failed her, and in his distractions, failed to bring closure to their struggles.

Deciding he had the time, Pash found himself at the Order, first seeking out Faith because he couldn't help but grin at the life she grew, but second to inquire after the Biqaj slave and what had happened to her over the seasons. Did he feel guilty that she was still in the Order? Yes—an ache swelled like an icy wave in the harbor against the hull of his chest—but he was offered a visit and readily agreed.

When the green-cloaked acolyte led him through the Order's halls, he followed quietly, unable to help but notice the levels of suffering and need the Order served. These weighed heavily on the sensitive Biqaj, who didn't need Empathy to feel the many emotions that swirled like eddies in the faces of those who were in the building. He waited outside the door while the young girl asked permission of Delta, tucking a stray hair or two back behind a pointed ear and running calloused fingers along the back of his neck, the calm that seemed so ever-present in his tangle a comfort.

The acolyte reappeared with a smile, "She said she'd see you, Pash. I'll be back shortly."

"Thank y' much." The tall Biqaj smiled warmly, stepping into the room with a broader sort of grin for Delta. Her shyness was expected, whether out of embarrassment or fear, isolation or just her personality, and he took it in stride while holding up his calloused, Empathy-marked hands in a gesture of good will,

"Well met, yourself, Delta. It's good to see you again, though perhaps it's been too long. That fault is mine, and I'm sorry. I've meant to bring myself to see you for seasons now, and it burdens me to see you still in the Order instead of out in the world, colder than Chrien's heart though it is in Zi'da." Pash offered his apologies in a subdued baritone, the language of their people much more comfortable than his broken Common. His tide pool gaze washed over the small room while he hovered a respectable distance because of her reluctance, his offer of understanding kindness despite being the touchy, hugging type. Instead, he hooked a thumb in the strap of the lute he wore over his shoulder, having left his ever warm cloak in the coat room in the foyer of the Order,

"It's been my hope to come see you, especially since the winds have shifted and I will be setting sail soon." Pash didn't think about the faint, blue steamy glow that emanated from his person or the aura of calm that the growing spark within him broadcast to the world. He didn't think much about the strange, colorful marks that stretched like threads under the skin of his fingers, reaching for his wrists. These things were all now a part of who he was, changed from the unprepared sailor in Ymiden into a more confident, seasoned bard in the last season of the arc, too comfortable in his own skin to consider what others saw,

"I'd ask if you've been well, but I can only imagine the struggle. Will you be here much longer—in the Order, that is?"
word count: 1013
Rakahi | Rakahi Pidgin | Common | Xanthean

Because of his Competency in Empathy magic, Pash exudes an aura of calm emotion that is always "on." While it's not strong enough to overcome extreme emotions and it also loses strength the more people he's around, it's still up to you how that affects your character in whatever situation we're in. PM with questions!
[/googlefont]
User avatar
Delta
Posts: 163
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:07 pm
Race: Naerikk
Profession: Slave
Renown: 0
Character Sheet
Plot Notes
Personal Journal
Templates
Wealth Tier: Tier 1

Milestones

Miscellaneous

Starlight and Ashes (Pash)

Image
The gaze was entirely too distant as the biqaj woman stared at her old companion on their failed mission to the ruins. Pash, it seemed, was glowing. Ordinarily, Delta might have thought that some psychosis had set in, but she vaguely remembered her childhood, too many lives ago, where she had been around sailors blessed by their patron of the high seas. She might have felt glad for the man, to have achieved such revered attention from U’frek, but the apathy had washed over her like waves crashing over a ship in a storm long ago. In such a time, nothing else mattered, nothing was significantly worthy go Delta’s time.

We met once, and the meeting was far from a pleasant experience for any of us. I did not expect to see you again.” She admitted softly. In truth, she had hoped her visitor would be Lakia, here to take her away again. She missed her Mistress, and the shame of knowing that Lakia could no longer handle her ate away at her. Despair collided with hope each time she watched a new, unfamiliar face enter the Order. “Why would you hope for such a thing?

Despite this, the girl shifted. She was sat on the uncomfortable windowsill, leaving an empty sofa chair free for Pash to use. She gestured to it as she readjusted herself on the ledge. It would place him in close proximally to her, and the thought of that alone caused Delta’s heart to beat fractionally faster, a flush of panic heating her arms and neck. But the girl repressed it; he knew this man. Even in the face of stress and immense danger, he had not been a danger to the destructive slave.

Reminding herself of that fact was calming, though not entirely. Too much had happened, things that Pash might not be aware of. She didn’t mind him being closer, but she doubted she would tolerate his touch. “Where are you sailing to?” She asked quietly, “Or is it just the sea who calls you to sail with no destination in mind?” The sea-born child indistinctly remembered such a call. She remembered the thrill of adventure, the excitement of leaving her life in the hands of U’frek, and following Xiur’s guidance through the night. For the first time, Delta realised she wasn’t jealous of her free kin. The call had long since faded.

I do not know,” was all she could really answer, when asked about the duration of her stay. If pushed, Delta would not even be able to tell Pash how long she had been in the Order for. Had Faith had her child? Was it grown? Healers did not often involved her in decision-making; as far as she was concerned, the decision to leave rested with her owner, but she did know know where Lakia was… or if she even still was her mistress. “I am… trusted…” she began, painfully aware of their shared memories of self-destructive behaviour. “I never meant to hurt anyone, Pash. I was confused, overwhelmed. I…” the girl trailed off, incapable of finding the right words. Would Pash feel the same way Faith and Padraig did? Oh, yes, she could ask about that. “Have… have you seen Padraig? Or Faith? She stopped working to have her baby, but she was in charge of me before.
word count: 568
"Happiness comes in waves..."

Common | Rakahi | Euthic Sign | Ith'ession
User avatar
Pash Raj'oriq
Approved Character
Posts: 1200
Joined: Fri May 05, 2017 5:31 pm
Race: Biqaj
Profession: Tankbard
Renown: 315
Character Sheet
Plot Notes
Partner
Templates
Wealth Tier: Tier 1

Featured

Contribution

Milestones

RP Medals

Miscellaneous

Events

Starlight and Ashes (Pash)

Delta hesitantly offered him a seat, and Pash's smile remained. He slipped the lute from over his shoulder and set it next to the chair, making himself comfortable in a casual, unconcerned sort of way. Calloused, strangely colorful fingers strayed to toy with the beautiful glass and wood ring on his opposite hand, turning the symbol of his promises to Kali'rial from their time in Desnind in a circular motion around a finger while watching the other Biqaj's discomfort, feeling the wash of her concern subtly without even needing to see within her tangle, his spark having grown in strength enough that emotions touched him without his bidding. He sighed, words in his peoples' tongue flowing so much easier,

"Why? Because no one deserves what you've gone through, Delta. Because despite your experiences, there are some of us in this world who care for others, and when I felt the chaos of your feelings, we became connected, you and I. Unpleasant or not, it meant something to me to meet you, even on the Immortal's Tongue. I was haunted by what I felt was failure for seasons—failure to help you, failure to protect myself. I almost died there! Our guide was a Plague Bearer of Lisirra. But by Moseke's kindness, I lived. And by the kindness of perhaps other Immortals, you live, too. My hope was to see you find the freedom you don't seem to know you're missing."

Because, as a Ne'haeran Biqaj, everyone deserved freedom as far as he was concerned. Everyone. His enthusiasm and care for the woman were obvious in his warm baritone as well as in his expression—however brief their meeting, however terrifying the experience had once been, was different now after a few seasons, after personal growth. Delta was still skittish, afraid, and worried, and that filled Pash with a heavy sadness.

She still was not free, and his heart ached,

"We have a bit of a plan, yes, and yet, we're somewhat chasing the wind." Pash admitted, aware of the inclusive pronoun he used. It was, of course, meant for Kali'rial and himself, "I've promised myself to a Sevir huntress and she's chasing her familiar, her spiritual companion, or, as her people say, the other half of her soul. So our journey has many reasons. I'd also like to go back to Ne'haer and have her meet my family there, but our first stop is Rynmere—"

The seafaring musician watched her with a kind curiosity, moving his restless hands to his lap, settling into the chair more with a roll of his sea-built shoulders, "—Truth be told, though? It's just time for us to leave. Sometimes, you just know. I've felt it, wrestled with it, even before U'Frek Favored me in return for assistance, travel's become a current I can no longer swim against."

He shrugged, the Rakahi metaphors for the need to be at sea so many he could have picked whichever he liked and hoped she'd understood. He felt her discomfort still. It pressed against his contentment and his calm, and her guilt and worry ate at his optimism,

"Oh, Delta, we all made mistakes that day. Have you really spent all this time dwelling on old hurts? Aren't they supposed to heal you here in the Order?" Pash frowned, leaning forward so his tattooed elbows rest on his knees, bearded face in his hands while his pale, stormy irises studied her carefully, "I worked with Faith and Padraig at their restaurant, though I quit in Vhalar to prepare for traveling. They've had uneasy times, too, and I know they're looking forward to that babe. Immortals, what I wouldn't give to offer them rest. Just for a moment. And you? You need the sea. This is no place for a Biqaj to heal their wounds. They should set you free."

He sighed, Empathy-marked fingers curling into his sea-bleached hair for a moment before he sat up and retied the messy bun he'd disturbed in his emotional moment, "Do you have to stay here? Or are you just afraid to leave? Is there anything I can do for you?"

Pash hesitated, one question short of asking her to come with them, to just let the cold sea wash everything she carried with her away into its depths.
word count: 745
Rakahi | Rakahi Pidgin | Common | Xanthean

Because of his Competency in Empathy magic, Pash exudes an aura of calm emotion that is always "on." While it's not strong enough to overcome extreme emotions and it also loses strength the more people he's around, it's still up to you how that affects your character in whatever situation we're in. PM with questions!
[/googlefont]
User avatar
Delta
Posts: 163
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:07 pm
Race: Naerikk
Profession: Slave
Renown: 0
Character Sheet
Plot Notes
Personal Journal
Templates
Wealth Tier: Tier 1

Milestones

Miscellaneous

Starlight and Ashes (Pash)

Image
An odd sense of calm had settled over Delta, making it much easier to suppress the simmering agitation bubbling away inside her. “No one deserves it? Do you know what I have been through?” She asked quietly. Much like Pash, Delta’s native tongue was Rakahi, when speaking this language, there was less of a filter, as far less thought had to go into what she was saying to formulate utterances. She also, Delta was unsurprised to find, did not particularly care if she offended the other.

What did they tell you? You think the worst I did was attempt to kill a pitiful slave on that island? You think that had me locked in this Immortal forsaken place for… U’frek only knows how many seasons have gone by?” The girl shook her head and laughed, it was mirthless but too high pitched to not be considered hysterical, as she dragged her hand through her auburn locks. When she returned her gaze to her visitor, the colour of her irises had shifted from periwinkle to a pale teal, though closer to green than blue on the spectrum.

I don’t care about the island, Pash. Though I wish I had died… I wish I had acted to kill the slave, and fallen in the attempt. Then none of this would have happened…” Her voice grew quiet, and she looked away, out the window once more. Delta knew in her heart that she had no active desire to end her own life, but a large part of her had long since wished to… cease existing.

No, there was no way he could truly appreciate it. He couldn’t know how Delta was feeling. Faith had tried, she had listened and said all of the right things. Maybe she even understood. Pash didn’t. Talking about mundane travels, Delta couldn’t even pretend to be interested, even though she had been the one to ask. The corners of her lips curled into a thin smile when the other biqaj returned to probing her. “I wasn’t aware you were suddenly an expert in healing,” she replied, visibly unnerved by Pash’s snub at struggling to move on.

Where would I even go? I haven’t seen Mistress Lakia in… and Faith has the baby. They don’t want someone like me around something so vulnerable.” The girl despised being kept in the order, the restrictions, the patronising way in which she was spoken to. But it was safe, she was few, clothed, a roof over her head, protected from others and from herself. It had taken Delta a long time to recognise all these things, but she had eventually. It was confusing to her, worse, she had felt like she was accepting it, giving in. She was frightened.

The slave sighed, fingers absently trailing over the oval brand on her neck as she leaned on the window pane. She was frightened and so very, very tired. “They keep asking me stupid questions… about how I’m feeling, about what happened. They’re always around, someone’s always watching. But they don’t tell me anything, I don’t know what they think of me. Faith was in charge of me when she was here, she would talk to me, but now she’s gone. I don't know how you think you can help me.

And then something occurred to her, she glanced back away from the window. “…what do you mean, we became connected?
word count: 584
"Happiness comes in waves..."

Common | Rakahi | Euthic Sign | Ith'ession
User avatar
Pash Raj'oriq
Approved Character
Posts: 1200
Joined: Fri May 05, 2017 5:31 pm
Race: Biqaj
Profession: Tankbard
Renown: 315
Character Sheet
Plot Notes
Partner
Templates
Wealth Tier: Tier 1

Featured

Contribution

Milestones

RP Medals

Miscellaneous

Events

Starlight and Ashes (Pash)

"No, I won't pretend to know." Pash admitted, her agitation tangible to the Empath, bright threads writhing at the edges of his Spark-given senses. He listened to her question him and watched her discomfort, their shared heritage allowing him more privy than most by the shifting color of her eyes and his ability to know the feelings behind each change without even asking,

"You are Biqaj, as far as I can tell. Perhaps you're not and I'm wrong, but we weren't made to be trapped inside four walls. Am I an expert on healing? No. I'm not." A calloused hand moved to scratch a subconscious itch under his shirt, fingers digging at scars he'd stitched into his skin himself. He could repair a body well enough, and his understanding of the feelings of others was perhaps unusually insightful and unique. Did he know how to fix anything? No. He'd proven himself a poor decision maker for himself, let alone for others, with perhaps Kali'rial being his only exception.

Still, he couldn't deny he'd carried Delta around in his thoughts for seasons now, that he'd found it very hard to forget the chaos of her emotions when he'd overstepped and shared her tangle. Did he know what she'd been through? Not the details, but he knew very well how all of those things had made her feel. Looking out the same window, he realized he'd misspoke in a way and he sighed, chagrined.

So comfortable in his Empathy now, especially in speaking of it casually around Kali, he'd simply spoken too plainly for Delta,

"Yes, connected." Tidepool gaze swept to the door, and Pash lowered the baritone of his voice to a conspiratory sort of quiet whisper, "I'm an Empath, a mage, and I have felt all of your feelings. It was an accident on the Immortal's Tongue, for I—"

Memories of his failure soured on his tongue, the the seafaring musician could look back at all that had happened with a different perspective now,

"—I tried to stop you. To save the slave. To fix everything. I desperately tried to stop everything that was happening by reaching into your feelings and attempting to calm the situation. I failed, and the consequence of me reaching too far included me feeling everything—everything—you felt for several breaks, even when we were far from each other."

He looked down at his hands instead of at the red-headed woman, the colors staining his fingers like the threads he could see in a tangle. His witch brands. The evidence of the spark that lived and fed and grew within his soul,

"I suppose feeling those things made me presume that somehow, in some way, I knew you. That I still know you. But I don't. Not really. I just ... feel that way, and it's followed me, dragged behind me like an anchor. I cannot read thoughts, only feelings. I've thought of you every trial since that day, worried for you and your hurts, for the feelings I could see but not fix. I'm sorry for all you've been through but in my home of Ne'haer, we believe everyone deserves freedom. Sometimes that process takes arcs, but I don't believe this is the place for you to find that kind of freedom in."

Pash looked back at her then, clearly reliving the memory of her feelings by the pained expression on his face, his eyes dark and stormy,

"I think you need to stop waiting for the past to come back for you, but I can't claim to know how to help you. I just want you to know that I've thought of you, I guess." Did the tall Biqaj crave some kind of closure? Perhaps. The Immortal's Tongue haunted him, even after he'd been back, for he'd not really found the answers he'd hoped for. Had seeing the island again reignited his need to see Delta one more time? Probably.

He just wasn't sure what to say—the salty bard found himself stumbling over words for one of the first times in his life.
word count: 713
Rakahi | Rakahi Pidgin | Common | Xanthean

Because of his Competency in Empathy magic, Pash exudes an aura of calm emotion that is always "on." While it's not strong enough to overcome extreme emotions and it also loses strength the more people he's around, it's still up to you how that affects your character in whatever situation we're in. PM with questions!
[/googlefont]
User avatar
Delta
Posts: 163
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:07 pm
Race: Naerikk
Profession: Slave
Renown: 0
Character Sheet
Plot Notes
Personal Journal
Templates
Wealth Tier: Tier 1

Milestones

Miscellaneous

Starlight and Ashes (Pash)

Image
Pash had thought of Delta often, or so he claimed, but Delta had barely spared more than a moment to remember the poetic biqaj. She had not felt any such connection form, although she could remember initially wanting to align herself with the other Rakahi speakers, glad to engage in her native tongue. “It is Faith who keeps me here. If I am trapped, as are so keen on insisting, it is because of her.

With a returned sense of self, Delta’s pride had not been far behind. She did not like the sense that she was being pitied by Pash. She did not want it. To make matters worse, she realised exactly what the other was. He could feel everything she was experiencing. Had it… had it lasted long enough for him to experience the beatings and rapes with her? Shame welled up inside her at the thought, the humiliation… even now she still felt dirty. Wait, did he feel that shame too?

Then, for the first time in a number of seasons, there was a spark of excitement, enough to quell the anger at having her privacy invaded, even by accident. If Pash had this empathetic awareness, maybe he could also sense these new sensations of addiction and desire that Delta was experiencing. Delta was no empath, but something was happening. Maybe he could help her make sense of it.

She wondered if Pash was inherently selfish in looking for his own closure, or if he was genuinely interested in making a difference to Delta’s life. Would he leave after this meeting, finally free to wash his hands of her memory, or was he looking to achieve more? She didn’t quite trust him enough, yet. “What do you want, Pash?” She finally asked.

Maybe he was right, maybe it was time for her to leave. But it was not up to Pash to make that decision. “Did you come here to soothe your own memories without a thought to how your random appearance here might affect me? Did you plan to have them free me and then send me off into the world with a smile and a wave?” It hurt to say it out loud because she was finally admitting it to herself at the same time, but seasons of rehabilitation had make it clear that Delta was not ready to be integrated as an independent, contributing citizen to society.

She was no longer a risk to herself or others, but that was because she was so used to the Order of the Adunih now. Outside, things weren’t managed like clockwork. Outside, people were loud, they made sudden movements, and they got to close.

Even more humiliating, but even if Delta didn’t flinch at every loud noise, even if she hated that Pash was sitting slightly too close to her, she had still been a slave for the better part of her adult life. She did not know how to find her father, or how to get a job and accommodation in the mean time. She did not know how to look after herself. “If that’s what you came here for, then I hope you have found peace. I am not the same girl who almost became a murder in that island. But it is not your right to decide my future.
word count: 561
"Happiness comes in waves..."

Common | Rakahi | Euthic Sign | Ith'ession
User avatar
Pash Raj'oriq
Approved Character
Posts: 1200
Joined: Fri May 05, 2017 5:31 pm
Race: Biqaj
Profession: Tankbard
Renown: 315
Character Sheet
Plot Notes
Partner
Templates
Wealth Tier: Tier 1

Featured

Contribution

Milestones

RP Medals

Miscellaneous

Events

Starlight and Ashes (Pash)

Pash finally scowled at Delta's fierce resistance, the wash of her emotions digging under his tanned, inked skin. Her defensiveness was understood, the hard, calloused armor of necessity when oppressed. She'd built thick walls because she'd fought to survive things that the seafaring musician, the free-born, free-living Ne'haer Biqaj, could never, ever comprehend. His choices in life having left him carefree and often in a position of much more power than he understood, he had nothing but an abstract idea of her suffering, but no experience in it himself,

"By U'Frek's glorious auroras, can't you just abide a friend? No, I suppose that's a foreign idea, someone who asks nothing of you?" He finally sighed at his own words, holding up calloused, Empathy-marked hands in self-defense,

"I want nothing, Delta! I just want to be your friend. I—"

The Empath couldn't help but sift through the emotions that eddied and pooled darkly at the edges of his Spark-given senses, the colored threads of her pain and shame, unable to keep himself from exploring the depths of her actual tangle instead of just treading water at the surface. Her emotions were still a stormy sea of threads, a churning of cold colors and thick, corded emotions. If he lingered, he knew very well that he risked drowning should he allow himself to indulge too much in what he saw and felt. His irises churned darker grey, rimmed with the gold of his concentration, and he sighed, tears rimming his gaze because the sensitive musician couldn't help but feel everything, insatiable and reckless,

"There's nothing I need to sooth, damn it. I don't need or want anything of you—I'm here to offer myself instead. I failed you more than myself, Delta. I'm here for you, not my own needs. I want for nothing other than to share the light of hope in dark places." He exhaled slowly, attempting to extricate himself from all that the red-headed woman felt, carefully slipping away from her tangle and desperate to find his own calm center, "I'm sorry. I wanted to encourage you. I'm often selfish and indulgent, it's true, but this is not about that. It wasn't my intention to hurt you. I just ... I thought perhaps enough time had passed between us that—I don't know."

Impulsive and ever-curious, Pash knew he often waded into danger without thinking it through, without considering the consequences. He had the scars to prove it under the thick wool of his shirt. Sinking into the seat with an expression of helplessness briefly washing over his features,

"You are alive. You deserve to feel and experience what that means. Can I give that to you? No. Not alone. But that's what friends do—help. I'm only capable of being one piece of a whole. If you don't want me to be a part of such a thing, I understand. I'm a stranger, really, but I can't forget what I felt and so I can't help but care."

That's all Pash had, really. It was simply who he was—always caught up in the stories of others in order to make his own.

The tall Biqaj stood then, Empathy-marked fingers tucking stray sun-bleached hair back behind pointed ears, stepping back and away from the young woman, offering an apology and an out from his company, should she want it,

"Maybe I've overstepped or made assumptions, and I'm sorry I've hurt you."
word count: 610
Rakahi | Rakahi Pidgin | Common | Xanthean

Because of his Competency in Empathy magic, Pash exudes an aura of calm emotion that is always "on." While it's not strong enough to overcome extreme emotions and it also loses strength the more people he's around, it's still up to you how that affects your character in whatever situation we're in. PM with questions!
[/googlefont]
User avatar
Delta
Posts: 163
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2015 9:07 pm
Race: Naerikk
Profession: Slave
Renown: 0
Character Sheet
Plot Notes
Personal Journal
Templates
Wealth Tier: Tier 1

Milestones

Miscellaneous

Starlight and Ashes (Pash)

Image
No one ever asks nothing of someone,” she hissed, growing incensed; it had been a long time since anyone had raised their voice to Delta, and the slave no longer had the resources to manage the confrontation in a civil manner. “Especially when they are offering something.” If she thought about it hard enough, she would easily be able to remember many times where her statement had not been true Living on the high seas was an inherently selfless life, where sailors had to act in the best interests of the crew in order to survive.

But the fresher memories were riddled with far too much pain for the older, much brighter memories to shine through. She wanted to believe him, ow, how desperately she did. What Pash was saying was that he wanted to be friends, if Delta wanted it. And, from the way he spoke of it, that was it. No strings attached.

But there were always strings attached, weren’t there? There was always a catch.

…Right?

She shook her head, “Don’t give yourself the credit, you couldn’t hurt me even if you tried.” It was only partially true; experiencing the worst that mortalkind had to offered made her had resulted in remarkable resilience. But it was only partially true, and Pash probably knew that. Despite her anger and constant high anxiety, Delta felt more comfortable than she had felt in arcs.

Delta wanted to believe that Pash cared. She wanted to trust him, and because she wanted to, she knew how much power he held over her. She refused to give in. She refused to ever put herself in a position of such weakness again. “Isn’t there a saying… ‘Sometimes pain is all that lets you know you’re still alive’? You could argue that, of the two of us, I have lived more. Would you like me to teach you how to live?” She spoke with such scorn, each word dripping with a forced vitriol that she didn’t really feel.

But the biqaj had stood up, clearly deciding that Delta was not worth his time. She prayed to any Immortal who would listen that Pash couldn’t feel the conflicting emotions, or the crescendoing voice that told her to call him back, as he turned to leave. Instead, she remained quiet, irises dulling to grey, too, as she watched the bard retreat from the room. She would not be weak.
word count: 409
"Happiness comes in waves..."

Common | Rakahi | Euthic Sign | Ith'ession
User avatar
Zip
Approved Character
Posts: 782
Joined: Sat May 13, 2017 9:14 am
Race: Human
Profession: Professional Scowler
Renown: 0
Character Sheet
Templates
Letters
Point Bank Thread
Wealth Tier: Tier 6

Featured

Contribution

Milestones

RP Medals

Miscellaneous

Events

Starlight and Ashes (Pash)

Overview

Poor Delta. So hurt, so defensive, so completely disbelieving that someone could come to her with completely pure intention - and Pash playing the healer of the mind and failing to truly reach out. Enjoyed this thread very much.
@Rose Leslie

Points

XP: 15/15

Loot/Injuries/Overstepping

Nope

Knowledge

Discipline: Lashing Out
Discipline: Learning to Remain Calm
Discipline: Feeling Humiliated is Challenging
Discipline: Knowing One’s Own Boundaries
Discipline: Take a Deep Breath
Medicine: Emotional Healing
Medicine: Healing Takes Time
Medicine: Personal Limitations
Negotiation: No One Gives Something for Nothing
Seafaring: High Seas Are Dangerous
Location: Order of the Adunih
Pash: Can Feel My Emotions?
Pash: Empath
Pash: Going on Travels
Pash: Linked to Me?
Pash: Makes Me Feel Comfortable
Pash: Thinks I’m Damaged
@Jesus

Points

XP: 15/15 (Magic)

Loot/Injuries/Overstepping

nope

Knowledge

Skill Knowledges:
Detection: Body language as a sign of emotional state
Detection: Knowing when you’re in over your heart
Discipline: Resisting the temptation to manipulate the situation with Empathy
Discipline: Keeping your emotions at bay
Empathy: Sifting through surrounding emotions
Empathy: The color of Agitation
Empathy: The thick cords of emotional trauma
Psychology: Damaged emotions are hard to navigate
Rhetoric: Sharing the truth about magic
Delta: Not really thrilled to see you
Delta: Still in the Order
Delta: Emotionally damaged
Delta: Probably could use a hug if she’d accept one
Delta: Wary of your friendship
Please make sure your review request is marked as complete and put a review stamp on it!

Image

Your review request is: here
word count: 251
ImageImageImage
Post Reply Request an XP Review Claim Wealth Thread

Return to “Scalvoris Town”