OOM: All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness?

[brave_kreyu]

(OOC: Warning for explicit adult content, mention of noncon/rape, slavery)

Is it a dream? A glimpse of a universe that might have been? A story untold?

Something called Skellig out here, to a road scratched in the earth between the desert and the land irrigated by the river. The sun overhead is like a hammer, the heat murderous. His coat...he can't remember WHAT happened to his coat. In this heat the coat would be as strange as his wings to human eyes in any case.

There are two small mud-brick houses up ahead, then more road, and a mud-brick wall encircling a small village of mud-brick houses.

He needs a drink, desperately.

He hears footsteps coming toward him, the heat haze breaks to reveal a woman. (Except she can't be a woman, no one human has that much Light inside them, that much power.)

"Even one touched by the gods should not be walking about this time of day," her voice is all concern, all worry. She's wearing a white linen kilt around her waist, and nothing at all above it except a necklace of blue clay beads. She's lovely. (And she feels familiar? Why?)

She offers a hand to him, seemingly not concerned in the slightest about his wings.

Comments

[27_53]

"It did not seem that way," Skellig admits. "I am simply glad that I arrived in time to be of use."

And to Kreyu, to fight for her defense, and the act of healing her shoulder wound - which his eyes fall briefly to her skin which he knows holds no scar, no mark.

"It would be no trouble, whenever the need for either of us arose." He wonders if Taweret has her own suspicions about his abilities as well as Kreyu's, what with the talk of the villagers...

He lowers his voice.

"I am no demon," he adds, his focus shifting to Taweret "I do not feel as if I have to explain to you, but...I would bring no harm to this place, to your people, regardless of what talk may have spread in the overnight."

[brave_kreyu]

"I did not think you were," Taweret replies. "I do not believe in demons, only beings that do evil things, human or not."

"You are both part of the world's wonders, my dears. I am not afraid." She sighs. "Some of the others will be, they will mutter, gossip, spread rumors. I've never found a way to stop people from doing that, I'm afraid. They'll accept you both, eventually. Will just take a while for the idea to work its way through some thick skulls."

[27_53]

"I am used to rumors," he says. "Long since have learned to pay them no heed, unless they are of benefit."

Doesn't mean they still can't hurt. Skellig will work to shelter Kreyu, from that.

"And I have already met some 'thick skulls', unfortunately," he adds, thinking back to their walk on the way over and their interaction with Akatan (and the women, though they are less of a concern to him) and Kreyu's reaction.

[brave_kreyu]

Tawaret raises one eyebrow as far as it will go. "Oh? Do tell."

"It's....nothing concrete," Kreyu says, pondering how to explain the echo.

[27_53]

Skellig tips his head ever-so-slightly, subconsciously 'listening' for anything from Akatan; he finds nothing of note, currently. But he can sense a bit of hesitation, on Kreyu's part. And not wanting to cause her to potentially reveal anything she may not wish to...

"I can hear much sharper than most," he offers in explanation. (Whether Taweret will take that to mean simply 'sound' or something deeper, he will leave that up to her.) "I have already heard what some young men have said about me, about us. And I would work to dispel that, through my actions while I am in this place."

He looks over at Kreyu, meeting her gaze - but he's still speaking to Taweret

"And I will also let no harm come to her, despite the intent that may creep into the minds of others."

[brave_kreyu]

"A fitting skill, for one who wears the symbol of the owl," Taweret replies. "Kreyu has protected herself before, but I am glad she will have you to watch her back."

"You don't have to protect me from everything, Skellig," she adds, voice soft.

[27_53]

"I know I do not have to protect you - you are more than capable."

And he doesn't say that merely because he now knows (but did he already, somehow?) that beneath this form of her soul, there lurks a dragon so powerful, so vicious, that it would cause cities to quake and crumble with merely a thought from her mind and a slash of her talons?

Skellig knows she can defend herself.
But there are just some things that a man does, for his lover.

[brave_kreyu]

She smiles, relieved that he knows she can defend herself. She eyes the position of the sun, frowns. "Thank you, Taweret. I would love to stay, but we have another task to finish before the heat of the day hits."

"You're welcome, dear. We'll need to visit Iset early tomorrow, she should be ready to give birth soon."

Kreyu nods in understanding as they make their goodbyes.

"The house across the road will work, for what I wanted to show you."

[27_53]

Once they step foot again outside, Skellig offers her his hand.

"I would hope that I will be able to learn well enough, from your skills," he says honestly. "Not that I would seek to leave your space, but I would understand if...if you desired privacy."

Or simply 'alone time'.

[brave_kreyu]

"I have trouble imagining not wanting you right here with me," Kreyu admits as she takes his hand. "But I suppose it would be possible that we might desire time apart."

"Karma flows, a little like water or air. A space can be cultivated, like a garden, to have more karma in it than would be there naturally."

[27_53]

"To allow it to be stronger...would you need to replenish it regularly, or would it grow on its own?"

Skellig is trying to figure out just how Karma works, compared to his Light, thinking to himself as they walk. "I typically cannot hold mine in any one place, I just need to be around it, to manage my levels."

[brave_kreyu]

"It will need to be fed karma, while it grows, but once it reaches a certain level, it will stay there indefinitely."

They reach the house across the road from Kreyu's, Like hers, it is a single room, though empty of furnishings. "A single room inside a building or a small glade outdoors is what you'll want to look for."

She touches the newly plastered wall. "Intent is what matters most, working on a space with the intent of cultivating its karma, increasing its harmony. You will give it a little of your energy, while you work on the space, feed it."

[27_53]

"I wonder if feeding this space Karma would act as similar to the way I am able to send Light to others..."

He is listening to the emptiness in the space, allowing his ears to focus sharply on the echoes that every movement they make carries back to him. Her fingertips touching the wall are nearly grating, but he doesn't flinch.

His glances are quick, sharp.

"Was there someone here, before?" There must have been, but it feels very well-cleansed to his senses. He suspects her doing.

[brave_kreyu]

"There was," Kreyu replies, "before I came here."

"Taweret told me that he had been a soldier, once. Something, something went very wrong in his body, killed him slowly and painfully in ways she could not help, wasting him away." Probably a cancer of some kind, in modern terms.

"Such pain, such suffering, his spirit lingered, after death. Taweret helped me send his spirit on to the next life, helped me cleanse this place."

[27_53]

"You have done quite well to cleanse it."

That is not the issue. But there is still something about it that which has him on edge, and he cannot settle quite fully. Without preamble, Skellig walks to the middle of the room and crouches, letting his fingers touch the dirt floor.

It is clearly obvious that his mind is elsewhere. He is listening, hard.

"Come here?" He motions without looking at her. (He knows she is looking at him, watching him.)

[brave_kreyu]

She walks toward him, curious and slightly concerned.

[27_53]

He doesn't make eye contact as she approaches, his eyes still closed - he simply knows when she is within his immediate reach. He takes her hand, standing, the dust from his fingertips touching her skin.

Still not looking at her.

"Kiss me."

(It's too quiet. Even with all the 'noise', the space is too quiet.)

[brave_kreyu]

Kreyu is confused, especially since he's not looking at her. But she leans in to kiss him, thoroughly.

[27_53]

That is more of a kiss than Skellig was expecting, but it works for what he needs it to do.

His energy and emotion surge when her mouth touches his, his hand tightening in hers as he pulls her close to him. With his feet grounded solid in the earth, the echo that her heartbeat, his heartbeat, fills the space - ricocheting off of the mud walls that surround them, bouncing back to his ears.

He does not linger too long with the kiss, resting his forehead against hers after they break shortly.

"Thank you." He looks at her, offering explanation to her confusion. "It was...too quiet. You and Taweret had cleansed it well, but there was...it was blank."

[brave_kreyu]

"Oh, I see. Unnervingly quiet."

She kisses him again, more gently. "Does it feel better now?"

[27_53]

"It does."

Relief is evident in his voice.

"It has been longer than I can remember since I have been in a place with no echoes at all. I was just unsettled."

[brave_kreyu]

"I will have to remember that, in the future."

"Shall I show you a way to begin working on a space to cultivate its karma?"

An hour of work every day for seven days, fed with a bit of karma, is the formula to start with. Work done with the intent of cultivating karma.

Kreyu draws lines on the wall in charcoal, the positions of planets, of stars, a calendar of sorts. She has only finished explaining what she is drawing for Spring to Skellig when she feels things 'settle' in the room.

"That right there is the feeling you're looking for, that's how you will know its been fed enough for the day."

She smiles. "And the hottest part of the day has arrived, when sensible people should be resting." Or, possibly, 'resting' indoors.

[27_53]

Skellig listens intently, studying her drawings and taking in whatever knowledge he can while she speaks. Asking questions when needed (there are many) and trying to understand.

It will take effort, but he thinks he might be able to manage eventually.

Even if his energy works differently than hers.

"It would be most sensible to rest, yes." He agrees with her, nodding gently. (He is legitimately slightly tired, but there are other thoughts in his mind as well as far as what they could do aside from nap.) "We could lounge and discuss, in your bed?"

[brave_kreyu]

"I like the sound of that."

The cultivated karma of her home is a balm to her soul as they step through the door.

"I should put up a few precautions, while I am thinking about it. Would leave us able to be fully ourselves without anyone noticing things they shouldn't so long as we stay inside."

And keep the neighbors from complaining about any noise. She sets the jar Taweret gave her carefully on a shelf where it won't get knocked.

[27_53]

A greater sense of relief hits him once they are back inside her space, with the echoes in his head ones that are already familiar even after only a little more than a day.

"I will let you do that."

One of his shoulders is itching, from the sunburn, and he idly scratches at his skin before wandering towards the bed - arranging himself 'gracefully' atop the blankets, watching her. He figures it would be best, if he stays out of her way.

Also, the heat (and having to use his mind so much) has made lounging a true front-runner in this race.