Post by Jabberwocky on Dec 14, 2015 18:35:01 GMT
"First day on my own..." Ame murmured as he watered the garden. "It feels very..." He paused, unsure of the word that he was thinking of. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he just could not be sure right away. A feeling of unrest, unease perhaps. An unsettling sort of calm.
Loneliness, he decided, was a perfect description of his feelings.
A dog really was not for him, he decided. Much as he liked them, they distracted him from his work.
If I got one just for guarding on the other hand... He played around with the idea in his head. It would certainly help against the rather dangerous wildlife, and occasionally dangerous people, that lurked around.
His work done for the day, Ame took a bath in the wooden tub that sat behind his small hut. "Definitely need a proper bathroom one of these days," he muttered lowly.
The water was rather cold, but he did not mind it so much. He was just grateful to be clean.
Sitting in the tub, he traced his fingers down his arm, playing his fingertips against the faded scars left behind. He grimaced slightly at the memory of their cause: the harsh training that built his body up and wore his spirit down, the missions in the night, the punishments whenever a rule was broken.
But he also remembered the smell of sakura on the breezes, the roar of the wind in the mountaintops, the cry of eagles.
Especially when it was early summer, and even in the mountains the air was warm. The trees would all be in full bloom, and the grass would be a rich, vibrant green. In the stone courtyard overlooking the grassy hills below, he would often sit and read, or listen to the servant girl play her music...
He remembered her and how she always smiled at him...
He dropped his hand in the water, making a loud splash. No, he told himself, I need to stop dwelling on the past like that, don't I? It's been... what? Three years since?
But forgetting was harder than he had thought.
He climbed out and dumped the water, then dried off and put his clothes on. Some confusing blend of refreshment and sorrow tumbled in with his feelings. He tried to shake off the memories, but they lingered like a shadow.
He rubbed his face vigorously and let out a loud sigh. "I can't be too idle..." he thought.
He decided to check and see that everything in the garden had been taken care of, but then stopped and turned around.
It was a woman standing there. He blinked, confused, then tentatively asked, "what do you want?"
She looked down and around, then back at him. "Are you... Balavendar Balendine?"
So she was looking for that one. "Sorry," Ame said, "he left this morning."
"When will he return?" she asked, a note of urgency in her voice.
Ame raised a brow. "He left permanently. What business do you have with him?"
She pursed her lips, her hands going to her hips. "That's of a personal nature."
"I didn't mean it like that," Ame said, checking his tone. "My apologies, miss."
She did not say anything then, just looked at him with narrowed eyes. Ame was under the impression that he was being sized up.
"Are you one of the nomads?" he asked, then wondered if that was rude.
She did not seem to be offended. "Yes, I am. I'm of the wandering group under Abhijeet Deppiesse."
Well that was a mouthful. Ame just smiled politely and nodded. "May I ask your name? Mine is Ame Totoro."
"Ivy," she said, but she did not give out a surname.
.
.
.
Of all the miserable luck!
Or perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, at least, Ivy wondered about that now as she talked with this 'Ame Totoro'.
He seemed like a nice enough person to her, but she had been hoping to run into Balvendar. Not that she knew who he was, but then at least her business would be over and done with. And she could leave Deppiesse. Forever maybe.
But Ame is so nice... maybe I don't have to go find Balavendar. Whoever he is.
Ame Totoro just oozed sweetness in her eyes. He had a gentle -albeit rather feminine- face, and his mannerisms were rather kind.
But then those scars... while they talked, she had to remind herself not to stare at them. They were rather cruel. She wondered how he got them.
And of course those eyes! She could not remember a time she had seen such a guarded expression to them. It was as if he was looking right through her, yet somehow still seeing her. As if he was on a different plane of perception than she was capable of recognizing.
What a fascinating person... she thought, and then she was pulled out of her thoughts.
Loneliness, he decided, was a perfect description of his feelings.
A dog really was not for him, he decided. Much as he liked them, they distracted him from his work.
If I got one just for guarding on the other hand... He played around with the idea in his head. It would certainly help against the rather dangerous wildlife, and occasionally dangerous people, that lurked around.
His work done for the day, Ame took a bath in the wooden tub that sat behind his small hut. "Definitely need a proper bathroom one of these days," he muttered lowly.
The water was rather cold, but he did not mind it so much. He was just grateful to be clean.
Sitting in the tub, he traced his fingers down his arm, playing his fingertips against the faded scars left behind. He grimaced slightly at the memory of their cause: the harsh training that built his body up and wore his spirit down, the missions in the night, the punishments whenever a rule was broken.
But he also remembered the smell of sakura on the breezes, the roar of the wind in the mountaintops, the cry of eagles.
Especially when it was early summer, and even in the mountains the air was warm. The trees would all be in full bloom, and the grass would be a rich, vibrant green. In the stone courtyard overlooking the grassy hills below, he would often sit and read, or listen to the servant girl play her music...
He remembered her and how she always smiled at him...
He dropped his hand in the water, making a loud splash. No, he told himself, I need to stop dwelling on the past like that, don't I? It's been... what? Three years since?
But forgetting was harder than he had thought.
He climbed out and dumped the water, then dried off and put his clothes on. Some confusing blend of refreshment and sorrow tumbled in with his feelings. He tried to shake off the memories, but they lingered like a shadow.
He rubbed his face vigorously and let out a loud sigh. "I can't be too idle..." he thought.
He decided to check and see that everything in the garden had been taken care of, but then stopped and turned around.
It was a woman standing there. He blinked, confused, then tentatively asked, "what do you want?"
She looked down and around, then back at him. "Are you... Balavendar Balendine?"
So she was looking for that one. "Sorry," Ame said, "he left this morning."
"When will he return?" she asked, a note of urgency in her voice.
Ame raised a brow. "He left permanently. What business do you have with him?"
She pursed her lips, her hands going to her hips. "That's of a personal nature."
"I didn't mean it like that," Ame said, checking his tone. "My apologies, miss."
She did not say anything then, just looked at him with narrowed eyes. Ame was under the impression that he was being sized up.
"Are you one of the nomads?" he asked, then wondered if that was rude.
She did not seem to be offended. "Yes, I am. I'm of the wandering group under Abhijeet Deppiesse."
Well that was a mouthful. Ame just smiled politely and nodded. "May I ask your name? Mine is Ame Totoro."
"Ivy," she said, but she did not give out a surname.
.
.
.
Of all the miserable luck!
Or perhaps it was a blessing in disguise, at least, Ivy wondered about that now as she talked with this 'Ame Totoro'.
He seemed like a nice enough person to her, but she had been hoping to run into Balvendar. Not that she knew who he was, but then at least her business would be over and done with. And she could leave Deppiesse. Forever maybe.
But Ame is so nice... maybe I don't have to go find Balavendar. Whoever he is.
Ame Totoro just oozed sweetness in her eyes. He had a gentle -albeit rather feminine- face, and his mannerisms were rather kind.
But then those scars... while they talked, she had to remind herself not to stare at them. They were rather cruel. She wondered how he got them.
And of course those eyes! She could not remember a time she had seen such a guarded expression to them. It was as if he was looking right through her, yet somehow still seeing her. As if he was on a different plane of perception than she was capable of recognizing.
What a fascinating person... she thought, and then she was pulled out of her thoughts.
"Well, if they aren't far, as you said, then I can escort you back tomorrow."
"Wh- what? Tomorrow?"
Totoro did not agree with the idea of having a woman in the house with him either, it was improper. But survival always ranks above such petty things. "I apologize for this, but it is nearing sunset. Perhaps you should spend the night here. Making the walk home would be too dangerous."
She rubbed her arm, eyes downcast. "I suppose so..."
"You don't mind, do you?" Ame asked carefully.
"No, no, it's alright. I... I'll spend the night, thank you."
"Wh- what? Tomorrow?"
Totoro did not agree with the idea of having a woman in the house with him either, it was improper. But survival always ranks above such petty things. "I apologize for this, but it is nearing sunset. Perhaps you should spend the night here. Making the walk home would be too dangerous."
She rubbed her arm, eyes downcast. "I suppose so..."
"You don't mind, do you?" Ame asked carefully.
"No, no, it's alright. I... I'll spend the night, thank you."