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#Post#: 1061--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: unknownmercury Date: June 18, 2020, 11:57 pm
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The feint was fairly telegraphed; Septimus had no issue in
slapping the offending fist away with an open palm. Using that
momentum, the moment where Asena was off-balance, he grabbed
that same wrist and twisted it up and away. His other hand
jabbed in once at the soft spot beneath Asena's ribs. Not hard
enough to seriously hurt, but enough to drive the wind out of
her. He then gripped her other wrist and moved it to join the
first one.
He half-stepped forward, hooking one of his legs around one of
hers. With that and the leverage on her wrists, he swept the
foot out from under her. He could have let her fall. Instead, he
held on, leaving her on one heel and suspended by her arms. He
smirked a bit. "You need to work on your hand-to-hand combat,
dear." He was breathing a bit heavily, and a light sweat had
broken out on his skin. He blinked as he realized just how close
he and Asena were, their faces mere inches apart as he held her
above the stone of the terrace.
A blush crept over his cheeks. He wasn't sure how to proceed
here.
#Post#: 1067--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: Kimcora Date: June 19, 2020, 12:49 am
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Asena had hoped to at least land another good hit, but alas it
wasn’t to be. Instead, he smacked her hand away like a parent
would a child, causing her to stumble a little. The momentum of
the missed swing sent her forward but his hand suddenly on her
wrist kept her from face planting. She struggled against the
grip, but lost that battle when a properly placed jab knocked
the wind out of her. That gave him time to get her other hand
above her before she had time to process what was going on. A
shocked “hey!” wheezed out in a cough as he knocked her leg out
from under her, leavi. Her suspended by her wrists and a single
heel that touched the ground. Asena marveled for a moment how
quickly Septimus had her incapacitated, even if that realization
turned to other things when her eyes flicked up and met his.
Asena hung there panting, sweat dripping down her brow from the
heat of her Magis and the workout she just got. Normally, she
would be frustrated by now that she would have to forfeit....But
for now she just looked into Septimus’s face. She could see
details she hadn’t really paid much mind to before, like the way
the blush from—exertion right?—colored his tan cheeks. And was
he actually holding her up by his own strength at the moment?
The slow realizations also gave her a closer look at his eyes,
that met her’s in this strange way that had her heart jumping
into her throat, a heat rushing to her cheeks, and a flutter
reach her middle. That was...different. She didn’t break eye
contact, her own cheeks a bit flushed as they stood—well she
hung there in silence just making this awkward eye contact. The
only sound between them was their breathing and Asena’s heart
beat in her ears. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt this odd
tension in her, an anticipation she wasn’t sure how to
fulfill...
She swallowed before a flighty smile tugged at her lips. “Was
that an offer for a lesson?” She asked, the humor there soft and
her voice a bit quieter than it had been before. “I forfeit,
again. I think it’s clear you got me.” She said with a dismal
little attempt at struggling against his hold to prove her
point. ”And here I thought I had you.” She said, not realizing
that she was talking to try and quell those strange feelings
that raced through her.
#Post#: 1072--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: unknownmercury Date: June 19, 2020, 1:35 am
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Slowly, he leveraged her back to her feet. He chewed his lip as
he stepped back. "Ah... apologies, Asena. I just... remembered
something pressing I need to attend to immediately. Do feel free
to take a dip in the pond or have the cooks make you some lunch.
One of the maids will be glad to show you to your rooms." He
bowed and turned to hurry inside. The blush on his cheeks had
spread -- he could feel it creeping down his neck to his collar.
Though, he was more concerned with other places the blood had
flowed very quickly. Gods, had it been that long since he'd been
with someone? He would need to remedy that soon. He hurried back
into the house, leaving his shirt, jacket, and gauntlets on the
patio. He didn't even fix the holes he had put in the stone with
his Magis.
#Post#: 1075--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: Kimcora Date: June 19, 2020, 10:17 am
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Asena was surprised she didn’t get a joking or flirtatious
response back from Septimus, as had been their way for a while
now. Instead, he placed her down gently before hurrying off for
some forgotten prior engagement. Asena’s brow furrowed and she
reached a hand out as if to catch him unconsciously. Why would
she need him to stay? He had work...She withdrew that hand and
looked awkwardly down at his clothing that he left and even the
holes in the pavement. Had she done or said something to offend
him? Maybe she should go apologize? Asena tried to gather his
coat, shirt, and cestuses, looking a bit unsure if she should.
However, she soon found out that was the wrong move when a maid
scurried out and took the items from her with quick precision.
Asena handed the garments over without a fuss, but looked
slightly confused while doing so still.
When asked by the maid if she needed assistance, Asena asked for
a cold bath to be drawn. The funny look from the maid maid Asena
spark her finger slightly, showing off the little flame to make
it clear she could heat the water herself and preferred to.
The maid showed Asena to her room and left her to mill about.
The room was a nice size with a beautiful large bed and
furniture that looked to be a pretty price as well. Asena gave a
bit of an awed look at the space as she had never been in
something this fancy before. It was a welcome distraction,
especially when her hand grazed the sheets and found they were
soft. Softer than the ones had been in Damon’s home. The pang of
sorrow hit her again and she sat down on the edge of the bed,
closing her eyes as some stray tears slipped. She was keeping it
together, better than she had yesterday...but it took everything
in her to not want to curl up in the bed and isolate herself
from the world. Was Damon looking down at her now, disappointed
that she was in some other man’s home and not working on her
campaign? Or was he blissfully unaware, floating in some other
spirit world under Torgar’s protection...” She bit her lip hard
to stifle the sob that wanted to escape her, especially when she
heard the maid come in and tell her the bath was ready.
Asena went into the room on her own, making sure to shut the
door behind her. The maid had set out this array of soaps and
things for the bath that she had no idea what to do with. That
much was clear by the way she turned a bottle of some oil in her
hands. She gave the oil a sniff and blinked at how pretty it
smelled. Like a flower or perhaps a field of them. What happened
to the plain soap that just took the dirt off and made you look
decent? She poured a bit of the oil in the bath before going to
work heating the water with her Magis. By the time she opened
her eyes, steam rose above the tub with a a satisfying curl.
As she bathed away the sweat and grime Asena thought back to the
odd exchange with Septimus. Why hadn’t he been in a good mood or
joked with her? That was odd for the usually laid back and
slightly flirtatious man. Asena never took the flirting to heart
after all since she had Damon and...Well, Septimus wasn’t into a
woman like Asena anyways. He needed some high society woman like
Luna, pretty to look at and perhaps knew all the social graces
and rules to impress others around him. Asena in those fancy
high society events clearly was like a bull in a china
shop...besides Septimus was a friend...A friend she may have
acknowledged was attractively built the few times she had seen
him with his shirt off and shared a similar compassionate nature
for others that made her heart feel a bit lighter. She never
dared think about those feelings, even as they now came creeping
up again as her hands ran from her face to her hair. The same
face that still felt hot from his breath and that stare of his.
She shoved the thoughts back into a box in her mind when he hair
caught in the ring. The ring she still worse that Damon had
given her. The not so gentle reminder of her currently dead
fiancé made Asena quickly sober from that silly line of thought
and return to her brooding. After she found she was decently
clean, Asena climbed out of the bath and went to go for her
clothes. The clothes she had forgotten to bring into the
bathroom with her. She eyed her dirty ones on the floor and
decided it was best to just slip on a towel and call it a day.
Septimus was busy and the maids and others wouldn’t say a word
she was sure. Besides, Asena wasn’t shy about her body, hardly
so since she had traveled enough and bathed in enough rivers
around travel companions to get over that stage fright quickly.
After checking to be sure the coast was clear, Asena made her
way back to her room. From there it was easy to get dressed,
have some tea, and maybe go look around the home herself.
#Post#: 1086--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: unknownmercury Date: June 19, 2020, 11:01 pm
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Half an hour later, Septimus was... calmer, for lack of a better
word. He had dealt with his problem and... dealt with it again,
actually, but then he had taken a bath and washed away the sweat
from his sparring match. Finally, he stepped out of his room,
freshly dressed in a more casual shirt and trousers. He had left
his shoes off, feeling a bit more at ease when directly
connected to the ground.
Which reminded him... He stepped back out onto the terrace and
began moving the stones back into place. As he worked, he
considered his dilemma. Asena was... Well, she was Asena. She
was spirited, witty, and, he had to admit, beautiful. He had
noticed before of course. Hell, he had started making his
schedule with excuses to see her each day.
But the way their sparring session had ended... He had never
been that close to her before. It had been quite a stimulating
experience. And he had invited her to stay in his home for as
long as she wished. To be a good host, he would have to spend
some time with her. He wasn't sure he could bear it. Now, every
time he saw her, he would be thinking about the warmth that
radiated off of her, how soft her skin had been as he held
her...
This was going to be tough.
#Post#: 1087--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: Kimcora Date: June 20, 2020, 8:26 am
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Asena had taken up going to look at the home around her, mostly
to keep her mind active instead of letting it dwell on anything
too long. It wound her up in the library, as it was the largest
area she had seen with things to keep her mind occupied. She did
pluck a biography from the shelf, one that looked somewhat
interesting since it was over the first Nomad, the man the
Nomadic Warrriors Guild was formed around. Perhaps it would be
full of fighting or adventure, something educational that still
stimulated her senses and interests. Honestly, Asena was never
much of a reader as a child or even as an adult. Reading for
pleasure just wasn’t done in a mining camp where there were
hundreds of other things you could be doing. Including some
things that could have killed her. However, Asena was trying to
do better and fit this politician lifestyle. With baby steps
maybe she could find her rhythm and actually find this stuff
fascinating? She settled into a chair there, cracking it open to
the first page. She got a few pages in before Asena had to close
it, her eye twitching slightly. This was a book about a warrior.
How did they manage to make it that boring?! Besides, in her
boredom, her mind had wandered back to Damon and then. He would
certainly be bewildered to see her doing a calm activity like
reading...When that had sufficiently hurt her, her mind went to
that odd exchange with Septimus, which further distracted her.
She couldn’t let those silly feelings interfere with her
friendship with him. She enjoyed his company a bit too much for
that...
Deciding she was getting nowhere, Asena grabbed the book and
took it with her to go and see about getting tea. She would have
asked Septimus to join her, but he was busy so she figured he
wouldn’t have time.
Of course when she asked the kitchen staff they were more than
accommodating, something she had to get used to a little. She
wasn’t used to asking for assistance with something as easy as
making tea. Honestly, she could do it herself, but she found
that might be seen as rude. So she stood in the kitchen
awkwardly, pawing through the tea leaves there till she found
one she liked. However, the sound of stone scraping against
stone made her head swivel to the window, where she spotted a
familiar and now clothed man. He was moving the stones he upset
with his Magis back into place, no doubt to keep his training
ground looking lovely. She was surprised to see him there and
not attending to whatever he had to. Was that meeting over? Or
had it been a quick task? She contemplated a moment if she
should ask him to join her for tea. Would that interfere with
his day? After all, he wasn’t there to entertain her. He had
work and a life to attend to, something she felt she needed to
keep her mind off things. She hated the pain a wallowing in it,
so she would try to find things that made her happy. And
spending time with a friend would help her feel happy. The worst
he could say was no after all!
She went to a side door, opening it up so that she could lean on
the frame. She didn’t want to mess with his concentration, so
she let him put away a few stray stones before she spoke. That
and perhaps she liked the view...Kicking herself mentally for
that line of thinking, she gave a bright smile to Septimus.
“Hey, if your business is done, I was wondering if you might
want to have tea with me?” She asked unable to help that her arm
folded across her middle, where she was still sporting a bit of
soreness from being jabbed around. It was nothing major, but it
did make the area feel a bit tight from the work out she got.
#Post#: 1090--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: unknownmercury Date: June 21, 2020, 12:56 am
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Septimus turned from where he was focusing on the stone and saw
Asena leaning against the door watching him. Her arm was crossed
over her stomach, unconsciously pushing her chest up to be more
prominent. Septimus glanced and then looked away, his cheeks
burning. Gods, was he going to go three times in less than an
hour? Was that normal? He'd gone twice before in quick
succession, like he had today, with a woman he'd met on his
journeys. Twice had had her saying she was tired and sore, so he
hadn't ever pushed past that point.
And that thought inevitably led to the thought that Asena was
resilient, that she had stamina. She could probably go for
hours--
Nope. No. Bad Septimus. Gods, she'd asked him something. What
was it? "Tea," he said, then paused. Right. Tea. "You want to
have tea. Yes. Sure. I mean, I'm not busy. Tea sounds lovely."
He hurried past her into the house. The less of a head-on view
she got of him, the less likely she would notice his... issue.
"We have a wide selection. I like a bit of jasmine in mine. What
about you?" Anything to keep from talking about... other things.
Gods, was he a fumbling boy again?
#Post#: 1093--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: Kimcora Date: June 21, 2020, 9:48 am
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Asena notes Septimus seemed distracted and—was he a bit pink in
the face? She chalked it up to exertion from using his Magis and
perhaps that she had caught him unaware. How else could she
explain his less than graceful answer. He repeated her question
and his answer quite a few times, making her have to stifle a
chuckle behind a smile. It was cute, even if she was sure this
was not due to her. Septimus has never had a problem speaking to
her before after all.
She followed him into the kitchen, eyes wandering to the maids
that were preparing cups and a pot for the teas to brew. She had
already picked out one and had figured Septimus had his
preferences. When he said jasmine was his preference, she gave a
hum of thought. Hm she had him pegged for a stronger tasting tea
since he was from a farming village. Then again, hadn’t he said
he traveled some as a child? Perhaps he acquired that taste
there? In all honesty she didn’t know much about Septimus and
perhaps this could be a great chance to get to know him better?
Beyond just his political views and the building of the more
accessible school here for Magis wielders, outside of the strict
and sometimes inaccessible walls of the College of Arcadia.
When asked on her preference, she gestured to the bag on the
counter that a servant was currently plucking form to place the
pieces in a separate bag with the jasmine. “Hibiscus is my
favorite. I like the fruity taste of it.” She told him but gave
a small shrug. The quiet between them made her quickly speak up,
more or less rambling at this point. “I would love it if they
could make tea from Sunflowers. They are so pretty, you would
think they would taste pretty too.” The chuckle there faded as
she thought she sounded ridiculous. She cleared her throat and
waited patiently for the tea to be ready before she took to seat
by Septimus. “I thought I should take a look at this sitting
room you mentioned. And perhaps we could have a conversation
that isn’t about the election or....” She swallowed hard as her
voice caught at Damon’s name, but she quickly let a sigh come
out to release that tension, “Damon.” Saying the name felt like
a weight being lifted, but beneath it things were still raw and
stung to poke at. So she moved on, deciding that she wouldn’t
subject Septimus to more of her falling apart. “I’m afraid I
know so little about you and yet we’re working together so
closely and your letting me stay in your home. I can’t let that
stand.” She took one of the cups and sipped the tea there. “So
you know the person who employs Melrose? They must be a powerful
person if they have Uncle’s attention. It took us beating the
hell out of one another for him to tolerate me.” She said with a
bit of humor at remembering that terrifying fight with Enigma.
#Post#: 1100--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: unknownmercury Date: June 21, 2020, 9:22 pm
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"Yes, Genevieve, my old teacher. She is... I wouldn't say she's
a powerful mage in her own right, but she's an excellent
teacher. After my family passed, she took me in and raised me.
We traveled a lot, she taught me to use my Magis. I eventually
became her bodyguard for a while. I think she felt guilty. The
Heli Mage who caused the fire was one of her pupils." He
shrugged. "She's a great person; I'm not surprised that Melrose
respects her."
He turned to the kitchen maid. "Could you bring the tea and some
lunch to the solar when it's done? Thank you." He began walking
down the hall and moved into the sitting room. Large bay windows
overlooked the back lawn, and sunlight poured into the room. A
fireplace sat on one side of the room, seeming rarely-used. Like
the rest of the house, the room seemed to be made of stone, with
a plush carpet over the floor. In one corner was a shorter
bookshelf. Two chairs sat facing at an angle to each other
across a small table.
"So, how did you meet Melrose, then? I've noticed you call him
'Uncle' but there's clearly no blood relation there. Unless you
have Dweller features in... interesting places." He grinned a
bit, waggling his eyebrows at her.
#Post#: 1106--------------------------------------------------
Re: Chapter 1.65: Kindled Embers (Asena & Septimus) [Y1057]
By: Kimcora Date: June 22, 2020, 10:00 am
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Asena rose a brow, realizing that Genevieve was a woman was more
important than she realized. A Dweller that took in a boy and
helped him become the man he was... She sounded like a mentor
and a mother figure. Though the news that she also helped create
the man that killed his family was a bit hard to swallow. Could
she have lived with that fact if one of her students had harmed
another? Probably not... His shrug was miles away from the
reaction she saw back in Plots, but perhaps he had come to terms
with it? He was stronger than herself, that much was clear...She
observed him as he spoke, eyes taking in how relaxed he had
become speaking on her. It was good to see whatever unease had
filled him was gone and he was back to her Septimus again...
She followed him to the sitting room, excited for a talk, tea,
and lunch. It was a such a simple afternoon delight that she
couldn’t help but be excited for it. It wasn’t every day lately
that she got to enjoy something as calming or as easy as this.
Asena eyed the room, smiling at how comfortable it looked even
as a stone room. The fireplace must have looked lovely in the
winter with a fire roaring in its hearth. She could almost
imagine herself sprawled out on the rug by the fire, as she had
as a child back in Batestar by her parent’s small cooking
hearth. Asena despised the cold and often sought any heat she
could to help her avoid it as a child. Including napping
dangerously close to the open flames.
Her attention was drawn from childhood memories when Septimus
spoke up and asked her about her relation to Melrose. That drew
a smile to face, one that turned humored when he insinuated her
non-existent Dweller lineage was hidden in her ‘assets’.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.” She purred teasingly, crossing her
legs as she devolved into a giggle. Good, he had his usual sense
of humor back. "This is all pure Batestarian mountain folk." She
gave a wink, knowing that most viewed her people as a bunch of
brutish and uncivilized hard asses. She eased back into her seat
deciding to tell him the brief synopsis of her relation with
Melrose.
“Uncle Melrose and I met because I took a contract in the
outskirts of Alessandria. There were rumors of a haunted
property, long forgotten, that a demon had possessed and was
killing locals who strayed too close or hunting in the village
at night. I found their ‘demon’ and came face to face with a
form of Melrose that would make a manticore piss themselves. We
fought and I won. I could have killed him, but I spared him. I
offered to help him and he swore some kind of fealty to me. I
even got him that mask he wears, to help him control his
transformations. That stays between us by the way. Uncle is very
private.” She said before sipping more of her tea.
“The Uncle thing is a Aus-Eissen thing. Your close to everyone
in your village and so we call everyone Uncle or Aunt if they
were around you much...And I never had an uncle so might as well
adopt him, right?" She let the topic drop since she was curious
about his views on the others. "Are you and Melrose getting
along? I know he can be interesting to work with." She asked
since she hadn't really checked in on him.
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