Black Eyes and Drunk Promises [closed]

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

Basic Shaasskah training

Late Immanis, 14 PF

The house was situated on leeward side of a bluff on a bit of acreage, near the very top of Fang Horn Drop. Unlike most of the structures in Fang Horn, there was no brick work to the place. Instead, the cottage was made of mortared cobbles in a charming country style that seemed warm and inviting. The entire place was fenced with plain well-sanded and darkly stained rails, with a gate opening out onto Raintree Lane. A stone pathway lead to the house, and around to the back. Roses littered the front of the house, some climbing well into the stonework, shading the large covered front deck with its sprawling iron table and comfortable chairs.

Around back, an enormous Master's Circle formed of sand is set up out past a large open deck, and a smaller screened porch that contains a small jewelry forge. Past that, two enormous weeping willow trees grew. Beneath their protective bows, a camp was set up consisting of a large comfortable tent and a fire pit with a pair of chairs around it. On the far side of the property, a partially rebuilt barn was being restored. The whole of the deck out back overlooked the drop and the sea beyond. It too was littered with furniture, both comfortable and well worn.

Inside the cottage, there are three main rooms, though the third and by far the largest is divided by a double-sided hearth that separates a great room from a kitchen dining area. An overly large master bedroom fills the southwest side of the house. It has its own hearth. Beyond that, to the northwest is a small study/workshop off the kitchen with a separate door leading out to a screened porch where a small stone forge has been built to work on jewelry projects while Viskyia is at home.

The girl sighed and gave a resigned smile, her pace fast enough that there was clearly purpose to her trip, yet slow enough that she would not appear improper to the passers-by. Fang Horn Drop was interesting from an architectural standpoint, though the half-elf has other things to do today than stop and look at the buildings. While her shallow sword wound halfway between her neck and shoulder was well on its way toward healing, being little more than a scratch, her knee still ached a little from the kick she had taken last cycle - which was really the reason why she had decided the time had come to honor her drunk promise to Viskyia.

She had almost died... again. And she had lost a friend in the process, her mentor in the way of the sword. She could not help but think about it every time she looked at the umbrella in her hands. She was wearing the silk dress that Vis had bought for her at Nexus Fine Clothes, though she had brought a change of less feminine clothing with her, knowing that the nature of this visit would require more freedom of movement. She also had something to tie her hair up with, knowing at least that in these forms of hand-to-hand combat offering the enemy such an easy grappling point was ill-advised.

Amy walked up to the gates of Viskyia's residence, and if she found them open she would follow the pathway and reach the house, looking around for any signs of her friend's presence. It was a beautiful house in her eyes, and she had to fight back a slight spasm of envy that soon turned into admiration, for Vis had earned all of this through her own actions. The witch had never seen her in action practicing her martial art, so she had no idea what it was about. As long as she didn't have to pick up chairs and smash them on someone's head, she figured, everything would be just fine.

[Viskyia Crow]

Viskyia was indeed home, and surprisingly, she was preforming an action that for once Amelia would likely approve of. A small pair of clippers rested on a table that graced the back deck, and Viskyia was arranging roses she'd clipped long on the stem from the fence and walkway out front. The vase was tall and made of clear glass, nothing ornate. Viskyia, oddly enough, preferred simple glass to highlight her flowers. It was, in reality, the same way she appreciated her jewelry; very plain. The flowers, or indeed the gemstones, should stand on their own. If they could not, they weren't worthy of display. It was as simple as that.

Amelia wouldn't have any trouble doing one of two things. First, she could knock on the front door, find it swinging loose...and unanswered. Then, if she walked into the house, she could see clear through to the deck which Viskyia would be clearly visable upon. If she choose not to go in, and instead walked around the back of the house, she'd be met with the master's circle with its flawlessly combed out sand, a small shrine for meditation, and a breathtaking view... all of which Viskyia seemed to be ignoring in favor of her flowers.

Flower arranging, at best, was tedious.

Once spotted, regardless of the route, Viskyia smiled warmly and beckoned Amelia to join her. "Come on up, you must have come for roses. I have far too many. Would you like a bouquet?" She asked, smiling and indicating what appeared to be an over abundance of deep yellow roses tinged with pinks in their center. There were pink and coral as well, a few white, and a strange blueish gray rose that Viskyia handed to her and pointed out its lack of thorns. The jeweler made no move to ask Amelia why she was there. Viskyia was just glad that she was, and figured Amelia would explain soon enough. "Would you like some tea? I was about to have some myself." The half-esh said, always on her most polite terms with Amelia. If truth be told, since the whole Traian incident and Paxia, Viskyia had endeavored to be more of a lady. She hated embarrassing her friends.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

As Amy made her way past the gate, her personality dictated her course of action, knocking on the front door first; twice, clearly, in quick succession. Upon finding it open, her politeness stopped her from simply walking in without announcing herself unless she had to. Instead, she took the longer route around the house to check whether her friend was in the back... and she was. Truly Viskyia had made herself a little corner of Aetheria in this place. Here she could freely dedicate herself to her passions, something that probably felt extremely natural to the jeweler but was a source of novelty to the witch.

Amy had no idea Vis had a passion for flowers, either, and it surprised her a little. Instantly she regretted calling her a tomboy in front of Traian, and wondered if her words that brightening had had a greater effect on her than the half-Vagaran had put in them. Regardless, she smiled at Viskyia as she spotted her tending her roses. "Let it never be said I'd turn down a rose," she said, the red rose on her hat well visible as a spot of sanguine color on her figure. "They are beautiful." They really were, and Amelia had seen quite a few. "They are more than a match for those in the Ablutos' garden."

She admired the strangely colored and thornless rose, smiling and yet a little sad that a few brightenings from now it would wither and die. "Tea would be lovely, thank you," she gave a short nod and waited for a good opportunity to tell Viskyia why she had come. "Well... I know you are pretty busy, Vis," she began, "so it's fine if you don't have time for this..." Ever the polite type, she was giving her a way out even before she'd explained her reasons.

"Do you remember when you told me about your... art of punching and kicking people? It was called Shaska if I'm not mistaken, I was a little tipsy so my memories are somewhat fuzzy. You said I needed to learn how to defend myself. Well..." there was a short pause during which Amelia looked at the floor and then in her friend's eyes. "Vis... I killed a man last cycle. It was kill or be killed, I almost died there too. And here I am, feeling no regret except that I may have bested him with a sword, but I was far inferior physically."

She would take a seat if offered one at this point. "It was too close, too close." She shook her head, halfway between sadness and frustration. "It's apparent that I need to relax my constraints if I am to survive in this world. Does... does that offer still stand?" Amy had a hopeful light in her eyes, for this was difficult new territory and one she could only explore if guided by a friend.

[Viskyia Crow]

Viskyia nodded thoughtfully and poured Amy her own cup of tea. They weren't fancy cups of fine-boned china. No, they were thick heavy earthenware bowls dipped in shimmery green glaze that made them beautiful and functional. The little tea pot was made of the same material, and its tray contained a similar bowl with both sugar and a tiny pitcher of milk as well. All this was offered to Amy with the grace of a courtesan, which might have surprised Amelia... though in truth she had told the girl that Viskyia had spent most of her childhood acting ornamental in her father's house. Tea service had been the least of her duties, and she could preform them with the expertise of a body servant. Other things she hadn't spoke of... bathing guests, massage, shaving men, serving alcohol, acting as an occasional human table or footstool... were other skills she possessed. Amelia probably wouldn't have believed her anyhow, because truly if the act involved serving she could do that. She just had no idea how to be served or what to do if someone reversed the roles. And that was the awkward tom-boyish woman Amelia saw, thrown out of her element and placed in a situation where she'd been forced to develop skills necessary for survival.

But anyhow, Visk pored her tea and listened slightly amused as Amelia explained her visit. "Thats a really good idea, Amy. I hated mentioning it, but I had no idea you got into sword fights? Are you okay? Killing is tough business.... but in this city sometimes it needs to be done." Viskyia knew Amelia was tougher than she looked, but she still couldn't help worrying. There was something in the girls voice that caused her to take note. She was glad Amelia survived it, no matter what the circumstance was. Though in truth, she was curious.

"But you do need to learn some Zinn'ka. It will help you move better, and fight better as a swordswoman too." She added, gesturing to the circle. "I can teach you there. When do you want to start?" With that, Viskyia finished off her elaborate flower arrangement, and set the vase aside. It would look lovely on her mantle above the fireplace. Though, in truth she wasn't sure Amelia would take to the Shaasskah unless she truly gave her mind over to it. Once she did.. she'd learn how empowering such a physical skill could be.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

The half-elf thanked Viskyia for the tea, and proceeded to pour half a spoonful of sugar, with no milk. While she had always loved milk, which was probably one of the reasons why she had grown taller than the average girl, she enjoyed it on its own. She stirred the liquid without the spoon touching the walls of the cup, for she was not fond of such clanking noises. She marveled a little that Vis could serve tea so gracefully, but remembering what she knew about her childhood in her father's household, it was not that surprising in retrospect.

She took the first sip with the consummate skill of someone who did so almost daily, managing to drink the hot liquid without getting burned or making undesirable sounds. "It's a long story," she said softly, placing the cup back on its saucer, "I started taking lessons with a sword shortly after our first meeting... your words made me reconsider some things about myself that I had always taken for granted. I found exactly the kind of weapon with my name on it." She excused herself for having to stand up, and she walked over to the place where she had deposited her umbrella. Then she pressed a small lever near the handle and a metallic hiss accompanied her hand as she unsheathed a few inches of cold steel. She slid it back into place, the handle clicking together with the shaft. This was a light weapon, one made for piercing.

The girl smiled and sat down once more. "The style is called El Viatre, and a man was kind enough to teach me its secrets. Unfortunately, he had enemies, and I met them by some whim of chance. The man I killed was a fellow practicioner... we had a duel and I won. My instructor didn't win his duel, though his opponent was much stronger than mine." She took another sip, sadness in her eyes. "Now he'd dead and I'm alive. I guess nothing else matters." She finished her tea and carefully arranged the empty cup on its tray. "You make excellent tea, Vis. It just reconciled me with life. I'll bring one of my cakes next time, and it will be filled with joy too." The girl allowed herself a smile and nodded, relieved at being able to share her troubles with someone else.

And when questioned as to when she would like to start, there was something akin to mischief dancing in her blue eyes. She opened the large bag she had brought with her and revealed a change of clothes. Unlike the pretty silken dress she was wearing, these were disposable garments, a simple shirt and trousers, more functional and less restricting. Amelia would certainly look shockingly different in those clothes. "Five minutes to change into something more comfortable, unless you have a better idea?" Obviously she had been sure from the start that Viskyia would say yes, hence the mischievous light in her eyes, something one did not often see in those depths - not when they were sober anyways!

[Viskyia Crow]

Viskyia smiled over the umbrella. That was just exactly the kind of weapon she loved to see. And it was indeed perfect for Amelia. "Thats about the most ingenious weapon I've ever seen. However did you come across it?" The half esh said, sitting down and helping herself to some tea as well. Then Amy launched into her explanation of El Viatre, and Viskyia nodded. She was familiar with it, not in knowing it, but it was legendary enough that talk on the street was some of those swordsmen and women were some of the finest ever. It really impressed Viskyia, and she eyed Amelia with a new found respect.

"I'm really glad to hear that. So you know the art? Impressive. I've heard its hard to find an instructor, and harder still to get one to teach you. I like my daggers though, far easier to conceal, though you seemed to have solved that problem nicely enough." Viskyia said, chuckling and glancing once more at the inoffensive object.

"I'm sorry you killed. But I'm glad you survived. And your welcome here for tea anytime. A cake would be welcome." She said, smiling slightly. "And yes, the offer still stands. Some Zinn'ka will help strengthen your body, and make you r endurance prolonged. Do you want to start now? Did you bring some clothing thats flexible? We can train in the circle. Its not that hard. You can pick any room in the house to change in if you'd like... there's only my workshop, a bedroom, and a few closets though. I need to do so as well... " She said, finishing her tea. They could converse for a while longer, enjoying the tea, then Viskyia would slip inside, change, and meet Amelia out in the large sand circle in her back yard.

They would begin with some stretching and flexing exercises, then Viskyia would jump right in to teaching the Shaasskah.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

"Custom made," Amy smiled knowingly, "there are artisans who specialize in disguising blades inside common items. Canes are the most popular kind, and according to whispers from the servants the Lord Abluto has one, too. A smart one, the Lord Abluto is." A flash crossed her blue eyes at the mention of Agamon Abluto - sub-director Abluto. Still, there was no denying the man's great ability, or he wouldn't have lasted nearly as long as he had.

"I'll bring a cake to my second lesson," she said with that hint of solemnity that preluded to an Oath and contrasted with the nature of what was being promised, "you just tell me your favorite flavors and I'll bake something to go nicely with your tea. I seem to recall that you like berry scones. It seems fitting that I should make some myself, seeing as last time we shared a few, well, we almost ended up..." she repressed a round of crystalline laughter. "Oh, gods, that was seriously wrong. We almost punched each other's lights out. It's a good thing we didn't, you would have flattened me in seconds, you know."

It was strange, but she did not feel overly embarrassed about it anymore. Probably the fact that everyone around them had been in the same reversed condition helped her accept what had happened during the infamous Gender Confusion brightening. She had noticed that the topic was kind of taboo on the streets, however, especially among men.

Amelia shook her head in amusement, her mood vastly improved now. She was glad that these little things could still cheer her up when she was feeling down. The half-elf grabbed her change of clothes from the bag. She did not really mind a woman seeing her while she changed, but she did so while Viskyia did the same. When the jeweler stepped into the room, she would find Amy waiting for her, wearing a simple short-sleeved shirt and soft, flexible trousers, both off-white. She had also tied her chestnut hair behind her back, revealing her slightly pointed ears. Her build was to be expected of a half-elf leaning toward the human side. She was not out of shape, thanks to her training with the sword and the insane amount of snow she had shoveled throughout the winter. Still, from a glance at her shoulders and arms, she would have to work on her strength and possibly endurance. El Viatre emphasized speed over strength.

She followed Viskyia inside the fighting circle and followed her instructions, stretching just like her friend did. She wondered how many times she would be hitting the floor today as she awaited further advice, arms paralled to the body.

[Viskyia Crow]

Viskyia smiled, and lead Amelia out into the yard. She lit the torches, more for atmosphere than because it would be dark anytime soon. Then she lit incense and let it burn in the small meditative corner designed to honor Aslan. Once all that was done, she returned to face Amelia. She left her friend on the outside of the circle, and walked to its center. "Master Circles are holy things to Zinn'ka artists, Amelia. It's traditional to state whom you serve and why you want to teach your body to be a weapon, then ask to be invited within." Viskyia waited. There were no traditional words. There was only traditional intention.

If Amelia asked, she'd be invited within the circle, and welcomed with uninhibited joy. Then they'd stretch... and stretch some more. Viskyia would lead her carefully through these exercises, so nothing would be overstretched or strained..

Viskyia was dressed in a loose set of green pants and a matching green wrap-around tunic. She stretched her back, rose up on the balls of her feet, and twisted. "Shaasskah is about being able to move. Movement is all important. The more flexible we can be, the better the artform comes across. So in order to do that, we need to learn basic stances. If you can set your body against the ground properly it provides strength and flexibility, as well as a platform to preform some of the sleek leaps and bounds that shaasskah requires. So for this first session, lets move through the stances, then I will teach you the upper body techniques. After that, we can move on to the kicks, which will be by far your strongest moves." Viskyia said, shifting around to stand beside Amelia.

"Ready?" She asked, then assumed the first stance. "This is the first stance; Forward." She evenly spaced her feet about a shoulders width apart, and then evenly spaced her feet out, shifting her right foot slightly in front of her left one, gaining more balance and ability to move in a more fluid motion with her upper body. "Go ahead, try it. It will give you forward and backward balance ." Once Amelia gave it a shot, she'd move around her, making tiny adjustments, maknig sure her back was straight, head up, hips tiled in.

Incense from the alter drifted by, chasing its way across the sifted sand surface.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

Amelia could not help but cast a curious look as Viskyia lit some torches and even burned some incense. Truth be told, it looked a bit strange to her, but that was because she viewed the martial arts as glorified brawling. She had never imagined that there could be a more spiritual component - certainly there was none to El Viatre, an artform based on besting one's opponent while showing off one's skills. El Viatre was entirely about form and had no essence, as it elevated form into its own essence. Apparently Shaasskah artists had a different view on what their art meant.

Standing outside the circle, Amelia hesitated a little before answering with her statement. In the end, she provided the answer Viskyia wanted of her. "I worship the goddess of the Hearth but serve my own dreams. I wish to train my body so I can live to see happiness for myself and others. May I enter, Vis?" It was interesting how Amy separated her worship from her servitude. She truly admired Materna, yet 'serve' was not the word she would use with regard to her religious views.

With the approval given, the girl carefully stepped into the Master Circle and copied Viskyia's stretching motions, one after another. Stretching was no fun, but Amelia knew its importance and never complained or looked bored. She had asked Vis to train her, and she would play by her rules now.

The girl studied her teacher's movements and tried to imitate them as best she could. Right now she was in discovery mode, trying to piece together what she was being shown. Back in the village, there was not a lot of Zinn'ka going on. She had witnessed a few fights in her childhood, but those were always gory affairs conducted with the blade. "I see," she said, imagining herself 'leaping and bounding'. The idea struck her as slightly improper, but then again many ideas did.

"Forward stance..." She tried to go through the same steps as Vis, separating her feet out and putting one in front of the other. This was not very difficult, in all honesty - it was not so different to the Lado Favorecido Forward stance of El Viatre, expect that this was not designed for lunging and the left foot did not have to act as an explosive spring like in fencing. Attacking would be the real problem for Amelia, most likely. "Is this good enough?"

[Viskyia Crow]

Viskyia smiled. "You've done this before. Good form." She encouraged, though she did walk behind Amelia, and gently laid her hands on her hips. "Relax your hips. Your going to have to teach yourself to be more flexible, roll them, slide your pelvis back and forth. You have to free up your hips so your legs can really move." She knew Amelia would probably think it indecent. But she was willing to see her friend through her potential embarrassment or scandalization in order to see her trained properly.

"Alright..." Viskyia said, moving back beside her. "There are two more stances. The first is the Backwards Stance. Shift your weight backwards, bringing one leg slightly back. This frees up the front part of your body to move more fluidly and so you can connect solidly with objects when your kicking." Viskyia demonstrated, then moved around Amelia checking her stance. "Good. Toe out a bit... yes.. thats it. Perfect. Relax Amelia. This is like dancing." She said, tracing the line of her friends shoulder, down her spine, to her hip. "Get rid of that tension. Soften yourself. Think of it as assuming the role of an animal, comfortable in its own skin. Have you ever noticed how much more comfortable they are with their forms than we are with ours? Be like one of your choice... a tall delicate wading bird perhaps, a sensual cat. We are training to be more like them." She said with a softness in her voice. Then she shifted, returning to a place besides Amelia. It was time for the next one.

Viskyia splayed her legs out a bit, bent deep in the knees, and squatted down, feet planted solidly the same width of her shoulders. "This is the Squat Stance. It collects all your body energy so you can spring up and use that tremendous upwelling of energy within you to spring into the air and lash out with one or both legs either together or subsequently. This will come in handy when we go through kicks." She said, demonstrating it again, then again, turning finally to watch Amelia move into the form.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

Right. Viskyia was right, of course. While circling and sidestepping were a part of the footwork drills Amelia performed, fencing was for the most part a linear thing, advancing and retreating. She needed to get more flexible, and even though the range of movements did not seem too proper, staying alive in a fight was a rather powerful motivator. She nodded, allowing the half-Esh to touch her without any visible reaction. "This... is going to be a little awkward for me at first..." Amelia was not a hip-swaying kind of girl when she walked, though the habit was born out of a necessity not to draw attention. A half-elf in a Vagaran village had to be careful.

Still, such motions did not really require a Universitas degree to perform. Flexible, yes, flexibility was the word. She made a conscious effort to relax her hips and sway them around to balance and improve her stance, lightening the load upon her legs. Amelia had never been very comfortable with her body - it was different to that of everyone she had grown around. It aged more slowly, which caused envy and confusion. There were subtle, but recognizeable differences that she had always had to conceal. Half-breeds were forever destined to be looked down upon by both their parents' races - and what could a child think but that it was somehow their own fault? It had never occurred to her that her body could be something to be proud of.

"Like dancing," she repeated to herself. She could do that, wondering what kind of animal she wanted to be like. Some kind of feline perhaps? Or a bird? It was difficult to tell, though she would probably lean towards a dove if she had to choose one. A graceful animal with unexpected resources. She shifted her weight as required for the Backwards Stance, understanding the need for a position to kick more comfortably from. She adjusted her stance a bit more, trying to memorize it as best she could and become more fluid at it.

The Squat Stance looked a bit more surprising and less orthodox than the first two, though Amelia supposed this was where the leaping and bounding would spring from. She was going to need the kicks. Being a tall girl, they would be her most effective weapon. Trusting Viskyia fully and copying her motions, the half-Vagaran squatted down in a similar way, wondering how this could be used in an actual fight.

[Viskyia Crow]

Viskyia laughed slightly at Amelia's squat stance, but nodded when she did it correctly. "Your facial expression looked a lot like mine must have when I was first learning that stance. It's rather... undignified. You'll come to appreciate it later though. Trust me." Viskyia moved on, circling Amelia once more to show her a few punches.

"Now we are getting down to the good stuff. Punches. Most teachers like to teach blocks first, but I think its ridiculous to teach a student how to block something they haven't ever seen. Thus, I teach punches first. There are two you should know at this level." Viskyia said, then slowly moved into the Zinn'ka form of the lowering fireweed and presented the punches to Amelia for her observation.

"The first is called The Jab. You lash out at your target with your fist putting your entire body is behind the punch, especially your energy. So you take your forward leg stance, you bring your fist up, and you lash out like a scorpion stinging, knuckles forward, fingers down, thumb on the outside of your fist. The fist lashes out, and then comes back to rest against your body." Viskyia said, demonstrating the punch repeatedly until Amelia was doing it on her own with the correct form.

"Now, the second one is the Reverse Punch. It involves a twist in your wrist as you're punching. You hand starts out just the opposite of what a jab would, but you twist your wrist at the last minute and bring your knuckles into the correct position at the last second before contact. This gives added force to the punch and can damage more internal tissue than just a hard jab." She went through the motion, and instead of being in front of Amelia this time, she moved to her side, and punched with her. "Take a forward stance, and don't forget to step forward as you punch. Once you gt the form down, lets go hit one of the punching bags. You need to get used to your fists coming into contact with resistant objects. Its important to toughen them up."

With that, Viskyia lead Amelia over to one of the longer softer punching bags, and picked up a chunk of charcoal from one of the incense burners hanging nearby. She wrote the word 'Shiandi' across the front of the bag where Amelia was to punch. "I need to see twenty good formed punches of each type.. the jab and the reverse punch before I'm going to move you on. I should have asked... but I just keep cringing to know.....how are things going with her anyhow?" She asked curiously, replacing the hunk of charcoal back into its burner.