[Closed] [Memory] Summer Encounter

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Rose Arena / old rose harbor

on the 19th of yaris, 2716, during the early evening.

It was amazing, how much one could see in a year and still have so much more. At least, that was what one Su’yina Liae thought as she stared wide-eyed at the area around her. She had thought she had seen almost everything she could of Old Rose Harbor, yet again the port city had proved her wrong. Having come from a sleepy village, just a little over a year prior, Su’yina’s life had gone from slow and boring, to fast and tiring. Life here was different compared to the sleepy sedated one she was used to having, and she would not lie and say she was not enjoying the change of pace and the bombardment of new sensations. It was the noises that called to her; the crashing sound of particularly strong waves during a windy day, to the yelling and rattling of merchants and their carts as they narrowly avoided each other. Those were the sounds that she was coming to associate with comfort, they were echoes of life. She had thought for the most part, that she had seen most of what she should have seen.

A sharp snap echoed past her lips as she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and adjusted the heavy load under both her arms. The smell of cinnamon, cayenne, and ginger left a smoky trail with every step she took, towards the large wooden building and its sterned face guards, eying those that pass. When she had accepted her father’s request for this delivery, coming to the Rose Arena, was the last destination on her mind. She had expected another restaurant or perhaps a bakery in which she could spend her precious few coins on sweets but not this.

A massive wooden building that if she had passed by and spared it nothing but a glance, would have assumed it was just another warehouse. A rather well maintained, oddly decorated, and heavily guarded one. A burly man, with a nick in his mustache from what Su’yina imagined, was a brawl with an unruly patron, held out a hand for her to stop. His beady gaze narrowed on the two sacks in her arms. “Halt.” The man’s rough voice gave her pause, the sound stilted and hitched as it left him. Unabashedly, she stared upwards before remembering what she needed to say.

“Here to deliver spices for the kitch’. From Black Cat Spices.” Why the shop was named that escaped the tsat. When her father had acquired the storefront from the elderly couple, the place was already named what it is and with business doing well enough and customers loyal and constant, there had been no need to change it. The man paused at her reply then promptly turned towards his partner. In a second, a snort and a shrug that could only embody just how often they worked together, was passed between the two. “Aight kid, head on in. Go round the back ‘n head up to the kitchen.” Just because she was…vertically challenge did not make her a child. The displeasing thought made her nose scrunched and a huff to escape her as she hauled the load deeper into the arena.

Beyond the guarded gates, the Rose Arena was much more impressive than Su’yina imagined. Then again, anything was impressive compared to the one-room hovel she called her home. Dodging around a group of fighters, the tsat continued her path even as the din of excitement began to ring through the arena. The shuffling of bodies in a singular direction and the growing cheers could only mean one thing in a place like this. A fight was about to start, and her father was not here to stop her from watching it.

With haste, she careened past the bodies that were starting to flock and up the flight of steps towards the third for. The tip of her boot knocked against the closed door. “Delivery!” Bouncing gently on the heels of her feet, Su’yina waited for the kitchen doors to open before unceremoniously letting the bags plop onto a nearby counter. “Sorry, was getting heavy.” Two bags of spices may have been nothing to a grown man, but to a girl barely 17 it felt as if she had been lugging bunches of bricks. It did not help that her arm strength was reminiscent of baguettes, solid but ultimately squishy. The withered looking slave shook her head before digging into the slit sewed beneath her patched apron.

“Here.”

Su’yina hands greedily gripped the square coins that were plopped into them. “Thanks!” And with that, she was off, leaving the others to deal with the bags. She took the steps down, two at a time, to the first floor before making a sharp left towards the ring. Pushing herself through the throng of watchers, Su’yina made her way towards the front. Save for the occasional one-sided fight between the barkeep and drunkards from the bar in front of her store-home, this was the first time she would see a real fight. The excitement was not a word that could describe the chaotic cacophony of delight that was swirling like a storm in her chest. Not even the bitter sour scent of summer sweat could dash it.

[Cassidy Elwes]

Yaris 19, 2716

The Rose Arena, evening.

The arena was packed as it always was. There was always something going on, keeping visitors entertained between big bouts. Whether it was some walk-in too big for his britches or some of the slaves fighting, the ring was scarcely empty for long. How it usually went were small spats leading up to some main event, and tonight that main event was Cass Elwes. It wasn’t unusual. Over her years in the ring, she had become quite a draw. Early on in her career it had been for her novelty; she was taller and stronger than most women, even for a human. By now, though, people knew what to expect from her. Her opponents knew what to expect. They knew by now that she was not to be underestimated, and she was always good for a spectacle.

She checked and rechecked the tape on her hands, waiting in the wings with her trainer and friend, Seamus Gibson, for her fight to be announced. Her opponent entered the arena first. An unusual challenger, a witch that had been making waves recently. She was a sailor, or so Cass had been told, filling time while her ship was in port. She was short and burly, with wild hair barely restrained in a braided tail down her back. Cass had her beat in height, but it was very possible they were evenly matched in strength. She would have been lying if she said she didn’t admire the woman’s physique. Her name was called and she made her way in. They met in the middle, shaking hands. The witch had a hell of a grip, and a smirk crept over Cass’ face as she retreated to her corner. There were the usual tense few seconds staring at each other across the ring before the bell rang and the fight began.

It was a solid bout. The witch was a sound opponent, and her technique was impressive, but it was clear from the outset that Cass’ size was an advantage. The witch was heavy, though, and her low center of gravity made it harder to take her off balance and disorient her, and her smaller height made it easy for her to dodge. Still, by the fifth round, it seemed as though Cass was going to win. At least until the witch managed to knock her down to one knee and get her in a headlock. Her strength was impressive. Cass fought to her feet, but the witch forced her to take her full weight. Despite Cass’ best efforts, she was unable to pry the other woman off her. It didn’t take long for her to black out.

She was out for less than a minute, but it was long enough for the match to be called. She came around to Seamus leaning over her and calling her name. She sat up, pressing the heel of her hand to her forehead. The witch made her way over, helping to pull Cass to her feet. They exchanged words, mostly friendly. The witch expressed a desire for a rematch; Cass told her she might not be as lucky next time, provoking a laugh. She said she’d like that rematch, before she made her way out of the ring and back to the back to get cleaned up.

There would be no payout for this match, so there was no reason to linger after she’d washed the blood from a newly split lip off her face. It wasn’t long before she was making her way outside, her coat slung over one shoulder. The summer evening was humid and sticky, though now that the sun had gone down, it had begun to cool off a little. She regretted not bringing a spare shirt. The one she had worn was dirty from ending up on the arena floor, and now stained from the aforementioned split lip. She’d just have to deal until she got home. She considered going straight there and forgoing her usual ritual of tea at the Crow’s Nest, lingering by the door she’d come out of as she tried to make up her mind.

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Rose Arena / old rose harbor

on the 19th of yaris, 2716, during the early evening.

Tales regaled by the customers that came in and out of her father’s spice shop paled in comparison to seeing a fight with her own eyes. Each round only added to the new views inside her rapidly expanding world. This was in short, amazing sensory overload that left her wide-eyed and mouth slightly ajar in awe. She felt her pulse speed and her breath hitch with each twist and turn of a spar. She could understand it as she cheered on a scrappy slave; just why this place was crawling with patrons. There was a second-handed thrill to be had here. Seeing a bar fight was one thing but watching practiced fighters exchange blow with more than just their pride on the line was different. An atmosphere that she could only attribute the chaos and the grime on this job. The anticipation was enough for her to forget about the sweat beading down her neck, the stench of spilled booze, blood, and grinding bodies.

It was not until she was pressed against the fence did Su’yina realize just how entranced she was at the exchanges. It was beautiful in a violent kind of way, if she had to compare it, it would be akin to haphazard dance, where blood was fire and the song the beating of their hearts. In the back of her mind, she was aware of how dangerous this all is. Yet it did not click until she saw it with her own eyes. The hazel colored eyes had continued to soak up every detail that it could even as her thoughts had drifted. That was until a solid crack echoed, an arm snapped like a twig, and a competitor rolling around in pain. One, that she had been rooting for but looked like it dislocated his nose in the process. The thrill died along with the noise of the crowd as the bout was settled with some grumbling. As the contender was dragged away to the wings, the tsat could feel the charm she had felt dwindle. It left her bereft, confused, and a little confounded at the new discord of feelings that she was going through.

Fighting was exciting, but the aftermath of a brutal one was not at all beautiful. Was it wrong or weird of her to be both entertained and uncomfortable all at once? Su’yina had no answer for herself. Perhaps later when she thought upon it more, she would.

The dour turn of her thoughts had the petite girl smacking her cheeks with the palm of her hand. It was fine, she was fine if only for today, she was going to enjoy what she experienced for the first time and then make her own opinions about it. With that comforting notion, she nodded quickly to herself. It was better to experience than to regret life, was too fickle of a mistress for that idiocy. A booming voice announced the next match and Su’yina stubbornly shoved her emotions to the back of her mind to focus back on the present.

She was rewarded with a fight that chased the breath from her lungs. Unconsciously her fingers twisted into the metal fence. Not only were they both women, but they were also holding their own, in their respective ways. A surety to their movement that only spoke volumes about how comfortable they were in their bodies. Su’yina held her breath to every thrown attack, cheered with every block, and winced with each connected blow. It was a close fight, one that kept her head swiveling from left to right until everything became a blur. Soon enough the excitement ended and with a groan, the tsat pouted as the woman she was rooting for was knocked out. The crowd began to thin, the main fight of the day coming to a glorious end.

Eventually, Su’yina was left to her own devices, the few participants milling about were huddled close and the smart, logical side of the girl told her that pestering them would not be a good idea. Instead, she began to head out. It was then that a movement from the corner of her eyes pulled her attention. Her head swiveled on its own volition and she was greeted with a familiar visage. Spinning around, it took a second for the tsat to make up her mind. Shuffling towards the woman, the teen waved her hand in the air. “Excuse me! You were great back there!”

[Cassidy Elwes]

Yaris 19, 2716

Outside the Rose Arena, early evening.

Cass was consumed by her own thoughts as she loitered outside the arena. Thoughts of whether or not to go to the Crow’s Nest, thoughts of the witch and how to beat her next time, if there was a next time. She went over the fight in her mind. Allowing herself to get taken down to the witch’s level was her biggest mistake. She would need to be more aware and keep a wider, more solid base to keep herself from getting toppled. Trying to stand up with the other woman still hanging off her neck had also been an error. She would have been better off staying low and trying to dislodge the other woman.

There would have been a different outcome if she had stayed low, she thought. She wondered if the witch would be willing to spar while she was still ashore, and had just about turned around to go back in and try to find her when she felt the brush of a glamour on her. She turned and found a small, young witch looking at her with wide hazel eyes. Barely more than a boch, certainly younger than she was. You were great back there, the girl said excitedly. A smile spread over Cass’ features. It was lopsided, as she favoured the side of her lip that was split, but it was still a smile.

“If ya liked that, y’ should see a bout I actually win,” she said, “Be much more impressive than me gettin’ choked out and layin’ on the floor.”

She gave a light chuckle. “Still, thanks. That’s a fair nice thing for you to say.”

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Rose Arena / old rose harbor

on the 19th of yaris, 2716, during the early evening.

The small sliver of trepidation that Su’yina felt melted away as the other replied. The difference between where she lived in the past and the big ole harbor always left her feeling a bit misplaced; unsure whether her actions would be fine or not. She had gone from seeing only, a handful of people to now seeing dozens passing by. It was only recently that she was learning the nuances of what it was like to live near so many people. Many mistakes had been made, as she fumbled through relearning how to socialize. It was why, seeing someone seems fine with her rather abrupt and enthusiastic greeting at her smile growing wider. This was nice. Much better than the disgruntled faces she saw on the occasion she was helping her father out. Though she would have to admit, that split lip looked like it would hurt quite a bit. If a chapped and cracked lip hurt that much, she could only imagine what it was like to split one’s lip open. A small shudder ran down the girl’s spine. It would do her no good, imagining that. The woman was once again speaking, and she found herself shaking her head in denial as she listened.


“I still think it’s cool!” flexing her non-existent muscles, the young witch let out a laugh, a single dimple showing as she did so. “I can’t do half of what you did and last as long so…” her grin transformed into a cheeky one, “even getting choked out seems mighty brave. Plus, when you were fighting, it almost looked like dancing. Violent dancing though! Nothing like those drunks ya see on the street.” She rocked on the balls of her feet before quacking wiping her hand on her skirt and then promptly holding it out for a handshake. “I’m Su’yina, do you mind if I pester ya’ for a bit?” She was curious about everything she just saw. “If you have time that is?” She canted her head to the side, spilling brown-hair that was turning inky from the dying sunlight. She had so many things that she wanted to ask, from the customs of the Rose Arena to the fighters there, to the reasons why. And there was no one better to answer her endless questions than someone who was in the pit herself. She could only hope that the fighter before her would agree.“I still think it’s cool!” flexing her non-existent muscles, the young witch let out a laugh, a single dimple showing as she did so. “I can’t do half of what you did and last as long so…” her grin transformed into a cheeky one, “even getting choked out seems mighty brave. Plus, when you were fighting, it almost looked like dancing. Violent dancing though! Nothing like those drunks ya see on the street.” She rocked on the balls of her feet before quacking wiping her hand on her skirt and then promptly holding it out for a handshake. “I’m Su’yina, do you mind if I pester ya’ for a bit?” [/b

]She was curious about everything she just saw. “If you have time that is?” She canted her head to the side, spilling brown-hair that was turning inky from the dying sunlight. She had so many things that she wanted to ask, from the customs of the Rose Arena to the fighters there, to the reasons why. And there was no one better to answer her endless questions than someone who was in the pit herself. She could only hope that the fighter before her would agree.

[Cassidy Elwes]

Yaris 19, 2716

Outside the Rose Arena, early evening.

Her smile grew as she watched the girl flex her skinny arms. She was reminded of herself a little. She had been hardly more than a boch when she started picking fights in the streets with anyone who looked at her sideways. That was before Seamus had found her and started teaching her, before the arena. She had to laugh as the girl went on. Like dancing, she said. Violent dancing. Cass had never been one for dancing, but she supposed she could see the similarities between the two activities. There was a rhythm and flow to both. A violent gracefulness.

She would say that fighting involved more instinct than dancing did. There were no set steps to follow. One had to rely on knowing their opponent and watching for signs of what they were going to do next. They were, however, both skills that required focus and practice if one was to be any good at either of them.

Cass nodded as the girl introduced herself, giving her hand a firm shake. “Pleasure t’ meetcha, Su’yina. My name’s Cassidy Elwes, but most jus’ call me Cass.”

“And I dunno about bravery. Lotta people’d look at what I do an’ call it stupid,” she added, cracking a grin. “As fer lastin’ as long, well, s’all about endurance. Ya gotta practice.”

The girl had questions, she said. Cass’ brow quirked as she asked if it would be alright if she pestered her for a while. Cass cast her gaze down the street. She still hadn’t decided what she was going to do with her evening. She looked back to Su’yina, considering her, and then nodded, adjusting the coat slung over her shoulder. There wasn’t really any reason to dissuade the girl’s curiosity, and walking and talking might help her decide whether or not she was going to the Crow’s Nest or home to climb into a cool bath. Both were in the same direction.

“Sure, I’ll letcha bend my ear for a bit. I’m headin’ this way,” she said, gesturing down the street, “y’can walk with me for a while if ya like.”

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Rose Arena / old rose harbor

on the 19th of yaris, 2716, during the early evening.

Smiles came easily to Su’yina as she bounced eagerly on her feet, awaiting answers that she could only hope were positive. Her patience was rewarded, and the joy at Cass’s acquiesce, was painted across the young girl’s effusive face. “Woo!” The cheer was loud, attracting the glance of a few curious passersby their faces distorting with a smidgen of confusion followed by either, a dirty look from some, or a snort of amusement from others. Not minding the attention now that she was fully fixated on the questions bobbing around in her mind, the tsat toddled happily down the street before waving to her newfound companion. “Thank you so much!” nothing was stopping her from bouncing with every step she took. The solid clink of coins echoed a dull thud within her pouch, but the sound was muffled by the tinkle of the sash around her waist. For her size, she was rather noisy. Today had been a good day but it seemed like the night was just going to get better.

She was thoroughly going to give her dad the biggest hug for giving her this chance. The people of Old Rose Harbor were an interesting bunch she was quickly learning. With a nod to herself, Su'yina began to mull over her first question. In her head, it sounded silly. Given what she just saw, the answer seemed obvious enough but...a quick side-eye at Cass had her mind made up. It was one thing as a spectator, it was another to be in the ring itself. Cass's perspective was what she wanted. Her eyes could only let her experience so much.

With a skip and a quick turn, Su’yina walked backward as she smiled up at Cass. “Oki! First question, what is it like to fight?” It looked violent, and she had felt second-hand excitement, but it had to be different down there in the arena. It had been much more dangerous, it reminded her distinctly of parts of a tale papa had like to tell her. Of heroes and monsters, with bears and princesses, and most importantly, swords and magic.

“Is it fun? Exciting, dangerous, scary, is it anything like,” she clapped her hands together, “like those heroes’ daddy tells me about. Is it like,” , she struggled for the right comparison. What was fighting even like? “Like wrestling a bear kind of feeling. Or…or, like running away from one?” Not that she knew what it was like to fight a bear -even if she would at least like to try once in her life. She did however been chased by a bear; more specifically the poor caravan she had been sitting in had been the one truly accosted. That had been the most excitable ride of her life and probably one of the more fun errands she had to run in her life. If her eyes could sparkle, they would with the anticipation she held for Cass’s answer.

[Cassidy Elwes]

Yaris 19, 2716

Voedale, evening.

Cass chuckled again as Su'yina gave a whoop of excitement once Cass had agreed to answer her questions. They began walking, and it took almost no time for her to begin bombarding Cass with all manner of queries. Cass kept one eye on the road behind the girl as she walked backwards, ready to warn her if she was going to crash into anyone.

"What's it like?" she repeated.

She didn't get much else out before the girl carried on. Cass merely listened as she went on about heroes and bears. Cass had never seen a bear fight. There had been a carnival of sorts once, when she was very little, that had a dancing bear, but she had thought it looked very sad.

“I don’t know much about bears,” she admitted. “For me, fightin’ is… fun, I suppose, yeah. An’ all those other things. Dangerous for sure.”

She scratched her cheek. “I enjoy it, an’ I’m good at it,” she continued, “but it can be scary, too. I try to fight fair, y’know? Hand-t’-hand, no weapons. But the people I fight, they don’ always play by the same rules. See this scar?”

She indicated the one on her face, which began on her chin, trailed across her lips and extended a little ways up her cheek. It looked old, now, but when it was fresh it was clear it would have been a painful wound.

“This is from a kov who didn’t wanna fight fair. He snuck a riff in in his boot, an’ as soon as he had the chance he pulled it on me. Got me in the face by surprise,” she said, “my trainer, though, he taught me how t’ deal with weapons just in case, an’ I got it away from him. But I was still afraid. He coulda killed me if he wanted to.”

She regarded Su’yina as they walked, the girl doing an exceptional job of walking backwards and not running into anything. She was a skinny little thing, and Cass didn’t think she’d last long if she got herself into anything. She found herself concerned, a bit, at this line of questioning.

“Y’aren’t thinkin’ about gettin’ into any fights, are ya?” she asked.

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Rose Arena / old rose harbor

on the 19th of yaris, 2716, during the early evening.

It was too easy, for Su’yina to be enraptured by the other’s tale. As someone who grew up in a town that was equally misty as it was boring, there was not much else left for the girl but her imagination and the tales she could badger out of her father. Whimsical as they were and as fake as she knew they were it had been a joy to her.

Now that she could hear the truth, no matter how subdued or honest it was from someone she viewed as amazing, was a nice change. It was a dose of reality that she would not have gotten so peacefully if Cass had not agreed. In simply accepting her wind, Cassandra had taught the tsat a lesson that would have been much more painful otherwise. Young and dumb, it would have been all to easy for her to jump headfirst into the next fight she sees with the bravado of a cotton-eyed child. “That sounds…wrong! It musta been hard on ya…” her brows furrowed in worry. She knew life was like that but perhaps she was still naïve enough to think that people, who fought in rings with others for the coin, would have some sort of fairness to them. But this was a life of a fighter, was it not? The glimmer of excitement in her eyes dulled to a sedated respect. To live like this, Su’yina believed she had been right when she said that Cass was strong. “That is amazing, you, are an amazing person!” To do all that, experience all that, and still go back? The fighter had more resolve than she had ever seen. Feeling a bit dizzy Su’yina turned back forward, to slow her pace and stand next to Cass as she mulled over the sudden question. “Though it sounds really exciting and all…” sure she was curious but did she want to get into a fight?

“I dun think so?” Su’yina hesitated. She never really gave it much thought beyond what she saw, imagined, and now learned. But if she took what Cass said into consideration- fighting for the sake of coin and glory was not something she would or could do.

“No, it’d hurt. I don’t think I can fight as you do.” Maybe in another life, where she was stronger physically, she could but not in this one. She was too much of a noodle to do anything but run. “but sometimes…the fight comes anyways.” Beyond barfights, and the occasional scuffle she saw from people tussling in the slums, there was violence that happened simply because it can. “but if it's to fight to protect myself…maybe?” Even little mice bite when cornered.
.

[Cassidy Elwes]

Yaris 19, 2716

Voedale, evening.

Cass smiled as Su’yina proclaimed how wrong it sounded that the kov who had hurt her had brought in a knife. It hadn’t been fair, absolutely. She remembered Seamus ripping into his manager about it, shouting until he was blue and fit to bring the entire arena down around their ears. Cass had counted herself lucky that she remembered what he’d taught her and been able to end things quickly. Must’ve been hard, Su’yina said. Cass chuckled at that.

“Well, seein’ as how I broke his arm for it, I think I got off better,” she said, “A few weeks an’ I was right as rain, save the scar.”

She couldn’t help but blush as the girl called her amazing twice in the same breath. She wasn’t really a bashful person, and she was used to being praised for her abilities, but there was something in the girl’s earnest sincerity that made colour creep into her cheeks. She didn’t really think she was that amazing. She knew she was good, but it came from nearly a decade of practice and training. Anyone who worked at something that long would be good at it. And even with all her years of experience, she still made mistakes, and she still lost, and she still had more to learn. She watched as Su’yina turned the right way around and fell into step beside her. Her question seemed to give the little witch pause.

Cass listened as she spoke, now. Her concerns were abated some as the girl said she didn’t think she would go looking for fights, or try to fight like Cass did. That was good. She was a young thing, and small. She looked like a stiff breeze could knock her over. Cass knew better than to judge anyone on looks alone, but she was relieved all the same. Su’yina went on, though, about how sometimes a fight comes whether you’re looking or not.

“That’s true,” she said, “an’ you should defend yerself, if ya need to. Lots o’ nasty folks out there who’d wanna do a nanabo little thing like you an unkindness.”

She looked down at the girl. Now that she was walking beside her, Cass could more clearly feel her glamour. She didn’t know enough to gauge how adept the girl might be, only that it was there, and that meant she could work at least some spellery. She considered for a moment why a girl who could use magic would be so concerned with using her fists, but it occurred to her that if someone was close enough to her to throw hands, magic might be more dangerous to the witch than to her assailant. It made sense, then, that she’d be interested. She considered the girl for another moment before speaking again.

“D’you know what t’ do if someone grabs you?” she asked, "I mean, aside from scream yer head off, which is whatcha ought t' do first. But d'you know what y' should do if they don't let go, or if help don't come?"