[Memory] Strawberry Season

[Cassidy Elwes]

Yaris 21, 2716

Outside the Rose Arena, approaching midday.

Over the years, Cass had begun to consider the small warehouse Seamus had converted into training space her second home. She had spent so many hours here over the last ten years here. Since her parents had passed, that time had only increased. Today, however, she had come for another reason, and that reason was to try and convince her mentor, Seamus, to help her teach a young girl some basic self defense. She had met her the night before after her fight, and the girl had expressed an interest in learning more. Cass had offered to teach her, but it would be useful for her to have someone else to demonstrate with.

Seamus Gibson had been a fighter in his own right when he was younger. He was a tall, broad man with greying hair and a bushy beard. His square face was marred on one side by a long scar that travelled along one side, cutting across his forehead, eye, and cheek. The eye in question was covered by a simple eye patch. He had told Cass, when she asked, that he had lost the eye in a fight, but hadn’t ever told her any specifics. His life in the ring had been harder than her’s, and it had left it’s marks. He was usually easy to find. He lived in a loft constructed above the training area in the warehouse, and could often be found there. She found him easily enough, and told him of her plan.

“No,” he replied.

“No?” Cass repeated, “Whaddya mean no?”

Seamus fixed her with his one working eye. “Means ‘no’. I ent in no shape t’ be teachin’ some wee boch, and I ent in no shape t’ have ya tossin’ me ‘round like a sack o’ potatoes neither.”

Cass rolled her eyes. “I’m teachin’ her. I ent expectin’ ya t’ let me throw ya around!” she protested, “I jus’ need ya t’ be the big thug.”

“Nope,” Seamus replied again, picking up his battered mug of kofi and beginning to walk away.

“How ‘bout fer a pie?” Cass asked, “it’s strawberry season.”




The next day, Cass leaned against the outer wall of the arena, blessedly sheltered from the rising midday sun by what little shade remained. She wasn’t expecting Su to take much longer. She’d been clear in her instructions to the girl; the day after the next, outside the entrance where she had caught up to her. It was a hot day, and she almost regretted telling Su’yina to meet her. She would have much rather spent the day at the beach or hiding inside with every door and window open trying to stay cool. She had done all she could, with her long hair tied up in a knot under a straw hat, and a tank top. She felt bad for all the fancy golly ladies in their overwhelming dresses on days like this. Not that there were many fancy golly ladies in this part of town, at least not at this hour, but still. That many layers could not be fun.

She nudged a squareish box at her feet closer to the wall to keep it out of the sun. Her shade was shrinking by the minute. Soon she’d have no choice but to weather it out, at least if she was going to stay here where Su could see her easily. She kept her eyes peeled for the tiny brunette, scanning the streets as the sun crept higher.

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Rose Arena / Old Rose Harbor

on the 21st of Yaris, 2716, during midday.

Dodging her father was a chore Su’yina was getting exponentially better at. She had started subtle, with a bit of weaving, a whole lot of excuse-making, and some truthful bits shoved in there. None the wiser, her father now truly believed he was heading towards the home of her newly acquainted young as a spring doe, friend. One that was not a skilled fighter but a soft lady, with a finesse for embroidery with questionably large needles. Perhaps her lie could have been better, but for what it's worth, the tired man had been all to happy to agree before planting his face in the nearest clean spot in their house for a midday snooze. The shop was down for the day and that left the tsat was too much time on her hands and too much energy for one dried-up man to handle without a night of proper sleep.

She may…or may not have kept him up on purpose with her excited chattering last night. She had techniques to keep secrets after all.

If the brown-haired witch had felt a shred of guilt for picking her fights and using her dad when he was at his weakest, she would be sitting at home, and attempting to learn how to knit with itchy rope. Instead, she was scuttling down the road like a spotted rat. Weaving and bobbing in between the noon crowd, down the semi-familiar street, and making a sharp U-turn to get back onto the missed street. The excitement was too plain a word to describe the chaotic feeling that stirred in her chest. It was something much more than that, a blazing inferno, she could only liken to the heat of the hottest day of Roalis. A sweltering sun.

Against the sunlight, the witch squinted her eyes at the foreboding building that provided scant shade from the sun. It was in the shadows that she saw her. Waving her hand to and fro, Su’yina cupped her hand over her mouth as she sped over. “Cass! I am here!” The other had spoken the truth! She would not like the ever admit that she had been a smidgen worried about if the other would show. Adults as she had learned, told more white lies than she cared to count. A small and very much still childish part of her had wondered if it had been a tactic to avoid her pestering. She was aware of how much of a gremlin she could truly be when the fancy struck.

And she very much was in a fancy with the finesse of fighting. Her grin widened as she shamelessly careened around a man carrying a lumpy sack. She may not be the most built thing, but speed was her friend. In her enthusiasm the wick failed to spot it, her future nemesis to be, the future bane of her courier experience…a raised speck upon the ground. A rock. Her world spun in brown, blue, and then black as she tumbled forward, the haphazardly done roll enough to save her head from pain but not the back of her dress from being smeared in dirt, twigs, and pebbles. Su’yina blinked owlishly as her vision righted, the sight of a pair of shoes, a strange box, and then upwards to a familiar face. Upon the ground, Su’yina grinned up at Cass. “Heya, you saw nothing. NOTHING I SAY and if you did, it was the squirrels.” Evil adorable things they are.

[Cassidy Elwes]

Yaris 21, 2716

Outside the Rose Arena, midday.

She was beginning to think that Su hadn’t been able to get away from whatever it was the girl did usually. That was, of course, until someone called to her from down the street. She turned and saw Su’yina running at her at breakneck speeds, darting through the streets and people. She also saw Su trip, sail through the air, and land hard on the stones at her feet. She had moved to catch the girl, but she’d been just a little too slow. Su, thankfully, had not landed flat on her face, and had managed to turn slightly as she was falling and landed on her back.

“Alioe’s tits!” she exclaimed, looking down at the teen, “Are ya alright? Y’ should be more careful— squirrels?”

That part didn’t make sense to her. She shook her head, deciding not to dwell on it. She reached down and hauled the girl to her feet. That was an easy task. Su was very small, and very light, especially when compared to the sort of things Cass usually lifted and threw around. Once the girl was up on her own two feet again, Cass took to looking her over for any scrapes or other injuries, her brows knit in concern.

“Ya didn’t hit yer head, didja?” she asked, “does anythin’ hurt?”

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Rose Arena / Old Rose Harbor

on the 21st of Yaris, 2716, during midday.

With a sheepish grin, the tsat shook her head. “I’m aite, just tad dirty,” which on the scale of relative normalcy was quite benign. It seemed like her newly acquired mentor and friend had taken things literally. But all was well in the world, Su’yina was far too excited to care enough to go about explaining just what exactly she meant. It was often easier to just let things go. The world shifted once again as Cass hauled her to her feet. The other’s display of strength was noted, admired, and repaid with a lopsided grin. “Thanks!” Long brown hair, matted with dirt, was eventually brushed off as the witch inspected herself for any lingering burrs, twigs, and rocks. “And nothing hurts, this ain’t the first tumble I’ve taken.” The others were stories for another time and in her short fifteen years of life she had taken quite a few tumbles. With her check yielding no unfortunate bumps forming, the tsat returned her full attention to the older girl. Her head cocked to the side as she glanced down at the box.

The petite body tilted to the side as she peered at the arena behind them. The back of her sleeve smeared dirt across her nose with a single pass. “So, what are we doing today, ‘teach?” Were they going to practice here? Or somewhere else? What was even in the box that was at Cass’s feet? Were its content, weapons? Her heart skipped a beat, be it excitement or fear, she could not tell. Cass had regaled her a tale of her encounter with a blade before, were they also going to practice with one? She began to bounce on her heels, eager to find out just exactly what was going to happen now.

[Cassidy Elwes]

Yaris 21, 2716

Voedale, midday.

Su was as energetic as ever, which mostly convinced Cass she was truly fine. It didn’t seem like she had hurt anything other than, perhaps, her own pride, and maybe not even that. Cass shook her head again, bending down and picking up the box that was at her feet. This not being the first time Su had fallen down did not surprise her. She expected it happened rather often, given what she had seen of the girl’s nature thus far. The dirt that was now all over her made her look more like a street child than anything else, but that wasn’t out of place in Voedale. If anything, being smeared in dirt made her blend in more.

“We’re goin’ t’ see my trainer,” she explained, “he’s gonna gimme a hand demonstratin’ some stuff fer ya, then we’re gonna do some practicin’.”

She held the box out to Su. “Y' can carry that. Try not t’ trip an’ fall on it, ye chen? It’s a pie, an' I only made the one.”

With that, she started walking, leading the way away from the arena and towards Seamus’ place. She regretted leaving the shade of the wall almost immediately, not that there was much shade left. She was thankful for her hat, at least, though it was old and had a few holes here and there that allowed the sunlight through to dapple her shoulders along with the dusting of freckles that were present already. The streets were bustling in spite of the heat, with the usual denizens of the neighbourhood out in force. Hawkers and buskers and all sorts were out and about, especially near the arena, but the people started to thin out as they headed away and towards Seamus' repurposed warehouse.

“Now I oughta warn ya, Seamus is a bit o’ a curmudgeon,” she explained, “but these days, his bark’s worse than his bite. He might seem like a salty ol’ bastard, but he doesn’t mean no harm. He’s a good man. He taught me almost everythin’ I know.”

“Just… don’t ask ‘im about his eye,” she cautioned, “he doesn’t like talkin’ about it.”

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Rose Arena / Old Rose Harbor

on the 21st of Yaris, 2716, during midday.

Su’yina cocked her head to the side. “Trainer?” she mumbled. While it made sense, in a way for Cass to have someone that taught her the skills she had, it was another to accept that the woman she was speaking this needed a teacher in the first place. But that was a silly thought and the tsat new better than to scoff at the idea of having a mentor. She was after all, asking Cass to teach her in the name of defense. Perhaps it was because the other woman seemed already so strong in her eyes. Far more skilled than those that tussled on the street and occasionally in her papa’s store over every little thing. Sometimes she wonders what it about pride was that compelled people so.

“Hey! I can hold a precious package just fine. Just trust me. I wanna be a runner someday!” She huffed. Su’yina nodded her head, only taking the box after she wiped away as much dirt as she could from her fingers and cheek with the backside of her apron. At least that apart had been clean. The witch peered at the neat box and then back at Cass as she fell into step with her. “You can bake?” Just what was inside the box? Was it a cake? Was it a tart? Was it those fluffy pastries she often did not get a chance to get from those fancy looking cafes? Her fingers twitched with the darned itch to peek. Was it a fritter? Was it even better yet…a doughnut? Fried delicious perfect stuffed with crème and depending on where one procured such goodies, meat. “W-what is it?” Su’yina salivated at the thought. Would it be inappropriate to put it close to her face and take a good whiff just to check? She doubted she could smell anything beyond the smell of the arena. With a shake of her head and a discreet swipe at the corner of her lips, the tsat sped up her pace as she kept the box close to her lest she bumps into someone or something else.

She had not expected this place to be as busy as it was in the morning, not that she had been here that often in the first place. Curious, she let her gaze rove for a moment as she listened to Cass explain. “Ah—” If Su was, to be honest, she only understood about half of what Cass had just said. Some words were just too…difficult for her to understand. Dialects, speech patterns, those things tend to be a bit hard for her to wrap her head around. “What’s a cur ---” her tongue tripped over the word, “curmudgeon?”

But what Cass mentioned after was a much more prominent issue. Telling Su’yina to not do something tends to have the opposite effects. Now, not only was she battling the desire to sate her curiosity about this Seamus person’s eye, but she was also wrestling with social pleasantries knowing fully well that doing something someone else did not like was just wrong. But now she was so blasted curious but still had to be a decent person. “I’ll try.” And that was the best she could give. The warehouse was starting to look intimidating for a different reason.

[Cassidy Elwes]

Yaris 21, 2716

Voedale, midday.

The fact that Su wanted to be a runner didn’t surprise Cass at all. The girl certainly had enough manic energy to sustain her as she moved around the city. She had a feeling that the young witch would be good at it, provided she watched her step a bit better and didn’t go around tripping over rocks like she had earlier. Cass nodded as she was asked if she baked.

“Aye, I do. Not very often, but that’s what I did before I was a fighter. I worked in a bakery.” She looked down at Su with a smile. “Ya didn’t think beatin’ the stuffin’ outta kovs was the only thing I did with my time, didja? An’ it’s a strawberry pie. Fer Seamus.”

She slipped her hands in her pockets as they carried on towards their destination. “Curmudgeon, it means… well, he’s a grumpy ol’ man. He’s had a hard life an’ it’s left ‘im a bit hard.”

She smiled. “I had t’ bribe him with that pie t’ get him t’ help me out today. I don’ think he really likes th’ idea of havin’ to teach someone else aside from me, even though I told him I’d be doin’ most most o’ the teachin’. He’s a good man though, really. He’s the closest thing t’ family I’ve got.”

It wasn’t long at all before they reached their destination. Seamus made his home in a smallish warehouse fairly close to the arena. It was in good repair, especially compared to some of the buildings around it in these parts of town. Cass led the way inside through a smaller door beside the big barn door that would have been used when the warehouse itself was used for its intended purpose as opposed to a living space and training gym. Inside, in the center of the main floor, was a ring that was a smaller replica of the ring in the arena, with padded mats placed on the hard cement floor around it. The rest of the main floor was scattered with other pieces of equipment; a few punching bags, some weights, and other various things one would need to build and maintain the kind of strength necessary to fight as Cass did. Towards the back, a flight of stairs led up to what would have once served as a foreman’s office. Shortly after they came in and Cass had closed the door behind them, an older man began making his way down the stairs and towards them. He was tall and broad, a bit taller even than Cass, with silver hair and a well-kept beard to match.

“Su, this is Seamus Gibson,” Cass said, gesturing to the man, “Seamus, this is the girl I toldja about.”

Seamus crossed his arms over his chest, his face stern as he looked her over with his one good eye. “Pina thing, ent she?” he said, his voice gruff as his gaze shifted to Cass.

“Be nice,” Cass said, taking the pie box from Su and handing it over. “I wasn’t much older than her when y’ started teachin’ me.”

“Ye were taller,” Seamus grumbled, accepting the box. He looked to Su again. “Ye wanna learn t’ fight, do ya?”

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Rose Arena / Old Rose Harbor

on the 21st of Yaris, 2716, during midday.

*“Ya bet that was exactly what I thought ye did. Can’t help it, I’ve only seen ye fight.” Though she was trying her hardest to match up the ferocious memory of Cass in the ring to the one of Cass in the kitchen. “Though I guess wrestling dough is just as tiring as wrestling a person.” She had seen those bakers in town. Their arms were not joking, it must take a lot of energy to make that much bread. Su’yina giggled and would have mocked a punch if her hands had allowed it. “See the baker punches some dough sometimes too.” Perhaps imagining Cass as a baker was not too far of a thought. At the other’s explanation, Su bobbed her head as she followed along. “Ah! I’ll keep that in mind then!” She knew better than to prod an old man who was upset. Not that she was sure this Seamus was old. She simply had the fear of the elderly scared into her since young. Once, back in the sea-side town, she lived it before the harbor, there had been a ‘nan that had taken care of her. An earful a day had been a ritual for the rambunctious child and then when she had snapped, well the tsat still did not like to think about it. She could still feel her rear hurt from that spanking. From that day on she swore never to anger her elders. For ones with creaky bones, they hit quite hard. The witch shuddered. Time to forget about that again!

She let out a small hum, the corner of her eyes creasing. “Oh, do you have any other family? I only got papa. He works a lot, but he is nice. Sometimes sneaks me candy when they have ‘em at the shipyard ‘r warehouse.” Her sometimes doting but always too busy papa. Not that she minded. It is what it is and the tsat was happy enough to even have a family as small as it is. Her little feet tapped rapidly against the pavement as she tried to match the other’s stride. Occasionally overtaking Cass by a step before falling back. It was obvious she was eager and the closer they got to the warehouse, the more apparent it was. From the way she was vibrating to the way her leg tapped against the cement. She was looking forward to this a bit too much. But how could she not when this was far from her normal almost sedate and boring routine of work and food.

Hazel eyes soaked in the visage of the gym with childish eagerness. Seeing the ring so like the one from the main area up close was exhilarating. It was a different feeling when it was compared to being within it, even if it was smaller. “This is so cool,” she muttered. Su’yina hustled up the stairs, worried about being left behind in her wonder. With her hands finally free from her duty, the tsat waved from Cass side. “Hi--?” She intoned, half-quiet, partially offended at being called small, but mostly confused as she shifted. What was the proper etiquette here? Whatever plan she was going to form was tossed out of the window as she was addressed. The question was heard and for a moment she hesitated before enthusiastically bobbing her head. She had been thinking 'bout this since last night! “Yea, I want to be able to stay safe. It’s not…the nicest place, where I live.” And… “I don’t want to be picked on cause I’m…fun-sized…amongst other things.”

[Cassidy Elwes]

Yaris 21, 2716

Seamus' warehouse, midday.

WSu seemed to be in awe of the place, which Cass found both adorable and expected. She knew Seamus would appreciate her calling the old place “cool”, even if he’d never admit it. She knew the man well enough, and he knew that. Seamus gave a surprised bark of laughter as Su’yina explained why she wanted to learn to fight. It was describing herself as “fun-sized” that got him, particularly. He hadn’t been expecting that. A grin spread across Cass’ features as he cleared his throat, fixed a stoic expression back on his face, and set the box on a nearby table.

“Fair ‘nuff, ‘Fun Size’,” the man said, “Over t’ the ring. Jus’ be careful not t’ fall an’ hurt yerself, aye? Last thing I need is some angry kov comin’ and tryin’ ta shout down the place cuz ye went and cracked yer head open.”

With that he walked off towards the ring in the center of the space. Cass chuckled, patting Su’s shoulder before following after him. The two of them pulled themselves up and ducked through the ropes as easy as could be. Seamus moved a little slower than Cass did, but still in the same practiced way. Cass turned and held out her hand to Su to pull her up to stand on the edge of the ring so she could better see what they were doing.

“You stay on the outside fer now,” she instructed.

Once they were ready, Cass reached up and undid the bun that was holding her long brown hair up off her neck, letting it cascade down her back in waves. Seamus quirked his brow as she did so. Cass regretted it almost immediately. It was cooler in the warehouse, with all the windows open and a breeze blowing through, but she felt instantly warmer with her hair down. It was a necessary evil, at least for now.

“A’right,” she said, looking to Su, “We’ll start with whatcha asked me the other night: what t’ do if they grab yer hair. Seamus, if y’ would.”

Seamus made a quiet noise of understanding, moving to stand across from Cass. He’d taught her the same thing, back when she was younger. It was a basic thing, and something she would need to know. No matter how she wore it, how long or short it was, hair was always a target. Even he’d had his hair pulled in his day.

“If someone grabs ye by the hair,” Seamus began, reaching out and carefully taking a fistful of Cass’, “no matter how they do it, th’ goal’s th’ same: they wanna control ye. See, I got holda her. I can use that t’ yank ‘er any which way I want.” He pulled lightly, and Cass moved with him.

“Whacha do is grab their wrist,” Cass said, doing so. “Ya grab nice an’ tight. It takes that control away. He can’t jerk me ‘round near as much now.”

He tried to pull her again, but Cass’ hold on him limited how much he could move his arm, and thus her head, exactly as she’d said it would. “See?”

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Rose Arena / Old Rose Harbor

on the 21st of Yaris, 2716, during midday.

T]he tsat stifled her grin at Seamus’ laughter though it did nothing to hide the dopey smile on her face. That had not been a goal of her with her answer, but she would not deny that she found comfort in getting other people to laugh. It was nice to hear things like that instead of the verbal vitriol of those pesky customers and anger torn people on the streets some days. Cause of it, she was barely offended that he was now calling her ‘fun-sized’. Su puffed up her cheek and her chest as she nodded. “Roger that! I won’t fall! I ain’t that much of a mess today, earlier t’was…sabotage by rock.” Had the other been peeking at ‘em? She would not have known either way, still she had to defend herself somewhat. She may look as scrappy as a limp noodle, but she was wily. Her daddy said so and she was inclined to trust his words.

The brunette scrambled down the stairs after both with the finesse of a squirrel high on two shots of coffee in its system, the tsat was literally vibrating by the time she made it close to the ring. She waved away Cass’s offer to help, “I got this!” And she did…sort of. Not as tall as the other, the elevated platform was a bit of a challenge. With a heave, she lifted herself one leg at a time up before holding onto the ropes lest she slips off in her giddiness. The witch nodded at her instructor. “Aye, aye captain.!”

Hazel colored eyes were blown wide and she leaned forward as Cass undid the bun upon her head. Her earlier question was being answered and she could not help but feel a stab of gratefulness lance through her chest at the other’s consideration. It filled her with a warm almost fuzzy feeling, inexplicable almost. Leaning even further so she could get a better look, Su’yina noted Seamus grasp as he explained. A small wince darted across her face as she watched as Cass hair was tugged. Even if the older man was gentle, it still hurt to look at. Her own scalp itch with the phantom pains. With one hand holding onto the rope and another in the air, Su’yina mimicked Cass’ action. This seemed easy enough to do and remember. It made sense too but she did have some concerns. “Do ya grab with one hand, or two?” Cass was stronger than her, so she assumed the other’s grip would differ a tad. “And…uh does it matter from which side ta grab?”