forum Broken Betrothal (O/O Closed)

Started May 06, 2022 by @Bunty group

tune

Eve kept eating her food, smirking very faintly. She knew that Sars was studying her, knew that now everything she did would be second-guessed and judged by Sars as untrustworthy. But that was fine. She didn't mind. It added a little more excitement to her days, and gods knew it would get boring soon enough. Trapped in Esol'a Vera while they discussed the marriage. She was already bored of it. "So, what abilities do you two have, again? You asked my father for information about the Azfellian, but you haven't provided any about yourselves. So, tell us about you?" she raised her eyebrows at Sars, then at Kene.

Mori cleared her throat faintly, a soft warning to her daughter to not be rude in her questioning. Sars and Kene had been well within their rights to ask for more information about the Azfel, and Eve was within hers to request the same about the Esokans. As long as Eve was being polite about it, it was fine.

Sars had to focus to keep his face stony and unchanged at Everia's look. He would play nice. He would play nice. Kené opened his mouth to speak, but Sars beat him to it, "I have an affinity for water, and Kené has an affinity for fire." Short and simple, not any more information would be given than what was asked for. That was how it should be.

"Yeah! It's really cool, I can spark flames from nothing, and I can't get burned either. We can both silent-walk too." Kené just had to go on blabbering, didn't he? "It's a little ability that Esokans have, we can basically mute our movements, like breathing and walking. It's not really important for most Esokans, but some choose- well, some choose to put themselves on the market as assassins, given that-" Sars stepped on his brother's foot, and Kené frowned slightly before continuing, "It's really not useful for most Esokan in our tribe. Sars tends to do it without noticing." Kené shot him a brotherly grin, like a youngling who just tattled on his sibling. Sars had seen that smile quite a few times before.

"All of our magic isn't very useful in these days," Sars said, his eyes dancing over Everia to look at Markos and Moriana, "I got very lucky with my abilities. It's extremely important that each tribe has at least one water user, two is better, simply from a survival standpoint." The fire users and sand wielders inherited magic that was needed many centuries ago, when Esokan lived a different way of life. Now, it was used for cooking food and, frankly, fun. The days when he and his brother sparred for enjoyment were very fond to Sars.

Eve listened, eyes narrowing very faintly at this reveal about the silent-walking. That was a danger. If she could not hear them coming, then it would be far easier to get the jump on her. Sure, the Esokans were not overly tall, but they were still taller than she was, and the height was enough to give at least some advantage over her. "I see." she replied slowly, trying to think of another question. She knew why water abilities were important; the Esokans came from the desert, after all, and you needed water in the desert. "That makes sense. About the, ah, water abilities being important for survival. It's…not really something that is needed here. We have almost too much water, here, if you don't like the ocean."

A small smile of agreement found its way to Sars' lips. "Yes, it is indeed quite different from the desert here," He said softly, his head turning towards the direction of the ocean as if he could see it through the castle walls. "I imagine it has its own survival difficulties, no?" Sars asked, his eyes landing back on Everia. He hoped his brother listened well as he continued, "Sea creatures that manifest in the depths, so many borders with the other regions, pirating ships to compete with?" Entirely different threats to an entirely different way of life. Sars only briefly heard sailor's tales from travelling to markets and from some elven ships' captains, but what he did hear didn't seem very pleasant or easy.

"Yes. The creatures are probably the ones that are the biggest pain in the ass, but they are also a rarer difficulty." she replied, shrugging a shoulder. "More common ones are other ships, and also hostile ports. We don't control all the ports, clearly; we just have a large presence in many of them, so some are unfriendly. That's an issue if we need to resupply food or fresh water supplies." she was trying to locate a potential crew member who could filter the salt from the water and create fresh water from ocean water, as the lack of fresh water was one of the larger issues that they faced, when out on the ocean. She reached over to absently adjust one of the sleeves of her dress, letting out a soft, faint sigh.

"I didn't even think about the fresh water you'd need," Kené said, leaning forward slightly as he spoke, "Sometimes we take for granted how Sars can get rid of the sand and grit from our water without having to boil it." Sars lowered his head. It was his obligation, not something to be acknowledged like a gift. "What you need is an Esokan with an affinity for water on your crew. I'm sure we could contact another tribe who has people looking to move out of the desert and-"

"They don't have any to spare," Sars cut in, his voice gentle but firm. He looked to Everia as he explained, "The number of younglings who can control water is getting fewer and fewer with each passing year. Most tribes hold their water users close; you'd have much better luck finding a water Esokan looking for work in Varesia than you would in Pillax." Though some would say his response was cold, it was just brutal honesty. He had a better scope of all the tribes in Pillax, Kené didn't and that was simply the truth. Even though their tribe was probably the strongest, and was looked too for leadership amongst all Esokans, once Kené got married off and Sars was gone, they would likely dissolve into other tribes. Kené couldn't lead, he was too focused on things like herding the oxen, or exploring neighboring villages, or admiring a beautiful castle in an entirely different region.

"It's similar to your lives on the dessert, in terms fo water, I suppose. And, ah, I can find a water user without taking one from Pillax." she replied, shaking her head a little bit. She could tell that Sars did not like that idea, so she wasn't going to press it. She didn't want to piss off either of the Esokans, after all. Her parents would be furious if she did that so early, they really would be. So she would make an effort not to, though it meant being as polite as humanly possible to them. Which was fine. She could do that.

Mori nodded faintly. "We will find a water manipulator sooner or later. It is not one of our highest priorities, as Eve has been fine so far without one. There are enough ports and fresh water sources that it is all fine as is."

Kené frowned slightly at Sars, but he gave him a knowing look and the younger Esokan submitted. He knew he was right. Sars supposed he couldn't blame him- at one point in time, he too would forget to check logic in order to please a beautiful woman. But there was a difference. Sars did it out of- love, or something like it. Kené was only here out of social obligation, and a bad obligation at that. "I'm sure you will," Sars said softly, taking a drink of his water and offering a small shrug.

"In the meantime, though, I'm sure my brother can help out if you take us out on your ship," Kené added swiftly, that same excited smile on his lips at the thought. He was almost like a puppy- easily excited and typically pleased. He could be a good husband, and Sars had to make himself try to imagine what it would be like if Kené truly did get married to this Imber.

Eve tipped her head faintly, gaze moving from her parents to the Esokans. "Perhaps. I don't know if we would be able to take a long enough voyage for a water restock to be necessary, but I should like to bring you onto my ship at some point." she replied. "After all, it is a big part of who I am." it really was. She could not imagine being parted from her ship or from the sea; she had grown up climbing rigging and furling sails. She had gotten her sea legs before she got her land legs, so to speak, as much of her early years had been spent at sea, or here at Esol'a Vera.

That much seemed clear, given the Imber's location and stake in the oceans of Islilia. Sars swirled his water in his cup, partially by physically swirling it but partially helping it along with his mind, as he let the conversation float away from him. Islilia was probably a beautiful region to explore. Mermaids' castles buried deep beneath the waves, hidden monsters to keep in the back of one's mind to keep someone on their toes, being able to see all the regions through sailing from place to place… it wasn't the desert, but it was an adventure that Sars would only ever consider taking if he wasn't- if he wasn't who he was. Even if it was a bad idea, Kené would do those things. Even though the details still needed to be handled, and mercifully nothing was set in stone yet, Sars knew it was likely that this whole arrangement would work out, and Kené… The younger Esokan would probably enjoy it, if Sars was being honest.

Markos was silent, seated at the head of the table. His brows had gathered together very faintly, and he touched Mori's hand to get her attention. She looked over at him, and he beckoned lightly. She leaned in and he murmured very softly in her ear, his gaze flicking to the brothers for just a moment, then back down to his wife. When he finished, she sat back and nodded a little bit, rubbing his shoulder with one hand in the sort of soft, gentle touch that many couples shared. He gave her a faint smile, and then stood, looking at the brothers. "My apologies, but I must take my leave for the night. I will see you two again tomorrow." he said, stepping away from the table.

Eve looked up at her father with a questioning gaze, but he just gave her a soft smile, tapping her back gently as he walked past her on his way to the doors. "Goodnight, Apa." she said, her gaze tracking his movements out of the room. She cleared her throat faintly once Markos was gone, looking between Sars and Kene. "Sorry. It's probably some sort of trade agreement that needs to be taken care of." it wasn't, but the brothers didn't need to know that.

While Kené focused on his food, Sars watched Markos' every move. It wasn't entirely intentional, just part of his nature to pick up sudden changes in the room, probably only a touch rude, nonetheless. The silent glance to him and his brother had Sars feel immediately on edge, but after a moment he tried to tone it down a bit by taking a bite of his food and making himself not stare. It was fine, everything was fine, despite the oh so familiar itch growing on the back of his neck. Markos was just going for a meeting, of course he would look to his guests, it shouldn't make-

"It's completely alright, I imagine he must be busy, along with you, of course," Kené looked to Moriana, "managing your family's holdings." The younger Esokan must have picked up on the slight change in Sars' demeanor. Some people could see the change, the way Sars' eyes dilated slightly, and he became unnaturally still. Only his immediate family learned what it meant. Sars looked at his brother's eyes, where he found a look of comfort, sympathy, and something else he couldn't identify.

Sars took a deep breath through his nostrils, forced himself to move his shoulders a bit, and put on a light smile to offer the Imbers as he said, "Yes, I'm sure you are all busy. No apologies are needed." He willed the unscratchable itch to go away, at least to go back in the far corner of his mind where he kept it in a tightly locked box. It would stay there. It would.

Mori gave Kene a soft, quick smile. "Yes. There are a lot of things that need attention throughout the day. Markos handles much of the minutiae. It keeps him rather busy. I am sorry that he had to take his leave, but I'm sure you will see plenty of him during your stay here." she said. "He will likely be the one going over the actual agreement and proposal papers with you." she didn't go into specifics of what her husband was doing at that moment. It wasn't of any concern to the Esokans, and did not pose a danger to them, either.

Eve was quiet, letting her mother handle the conversation while she ate. She was a touch worried about her father…but he would be alright. He always was.

(may I just say I've never heard minutiae before and thank you so much for using it because now I am enlightened and I love it)

Kené nodded in polite interest. He glanced at Sars, and the older Esokan didn't have time to object before Kené went right ahead and changed the topic, "Tell me, with all of your estates and belongings and responsibilities," Despite his words, Kené wasn't playing it down by any means, "do you happen to have a good place to spar, or just burn off some energy, for my brother and I to use during our time here?" If only Esokans could read minds, because right now Sars wished he could tell his brother to shut up and it didn't matter. For one, Sars didn't want to put his strength on display for the Imbers to see and anticipate. Secondly, sparring was something that really wasn't a good idea to do outside of the tribe anyways. It was something that could almost be considering sacred to Esokans- well, not necessarily sacred. Just held in a different light then most people. Sparring was never just sparring. Sometimes, a member of their tribe would shout out they needed to fight, and they'd go at it with someone in the middle of their lodgings. Other times, a fight was planned in advance, and there would be many observers who would hold each man or woman accountable. Esokans would also use fighting as a form of training, a way to learn both restraint and fatality.

(oh neat! You're welcome!)

"We do, yes. There are a few courtyards here at Esol'a Vera that would suit well for sparring in, or of course you could go out to the fields if the open spaces would suit better." Mori replied, gesturing vaguely towards one wall, in the direction of the courtyards. "I only ask that, if you do it in the courtyards, you provide some advance warning so that we can ensure no one else enters, for safety. Some of the servants are more sensitive to fire, you understand, and we wouldn't want them to be exposed to fire without warning." this was actually true; some species that lived in Islilia were far more easily damaged by fire than others, and some of ther servants were of these species.

(when you write the whole response and then accidentally close the tab)

"Of course," Kené replied quickly, a confident and affirmative smile on his face. Sars finished the rest of his food. "Do you fight or train at all?" The younger Esokan asked Everia, and Sars took a moment to study the young woman. She seemed to have enough muscle on her bones to imply so heavy lifting in her life, no doubt from working on ships, so she definitely wasn't any kind of pampered princess- not that that was an entirely wrong way to live. Just not good if she was planning on marrying Kené.

(Oh noooo)

Eve smiled at the question, thinking for a moment for how she could respond. "Ah. I do, yes." she replied slowly. "I fight, though I don't usually have time for training. The ship keeps me active and busy enough most of the time." there was always a lot of lifting to do onboard her ship, always a lot of activity, and it kept her in shape without the need for training or working out. Sure, she still did sometimes, especially if there were specific muscles that she wanted to strengthen, but for the most part, she didn't feel the need to. "I'm good at it, too." she smirked just a little bit; she could take one of the Esokans in a fight, if it came to it. Her ability would be a large help in the matter, too.

Good. She would hopefully be able to keep up and hold her own, if it were ever to come to a fight. Knowing how Kené acted around Analite, he wouldn't be surprised if he ended up wanting to have a friendly brawl if -if- they got closer. "That's nice, I'm sure. We starting training when we were little, our mother always said she wanted us to be able to defend ourselves," Kené told her as he finished picking at what was left of his meal. Kené liked to fight with his fists, Sars always suspected it was because he felt better when it was a raw battle. Personally, Sars preferred his knives and water, for reasons he didn't like to come face to face with very often.

"That's nice." she said with a faint smile. "My father was the one who trained me." she glanced at his empty seat, exhaling faintly when she remembered he had left the room. Markos and Eve were close, as Mori had often been the one to need to leave for things. So sometimes, it had been just Markos and Eve. He had been the one to first help her harness her Azfel abilities, and the first to teach her how to throw a punch and defend herself, and what parts of the body to target to inflict the most pain.

"Oh yeah?" Kené said, more of a filler for the conversation than an actual question, "You and your father seem close." It was a gentle throw, leaving it up to Everia if she wanted to touch more on the topic. Kené and Sars knew better than anyone that parental relationship could be complex. Whether or not the words would change if the other parent was present, how delicately sentences would be phrased, what aspects of the relationship would be highlighted… It was comparable to navigating a political minefield. The only 'political minefield' that Sars would ever traverse, if he had anything to say about it. Thankfully, his mother and father tended to agree with him on such things, even if it left Kené out of the loop.

"We are." she replied. "My mom was the one that had to sail out more when i was younger, so my father was the one that taught me how to do a lot of things." she gave Mori a soft, quick smile, and Mori returned it. Eve looked over at Kene after a moment, shrugging one shoulder. "Plus, he was the one that taught me how to use my magic." all of them, to be frank. The Azfel-related ones, and her metal manipulation abilities as well. She finished up her food, running a hand over her hair. "What about you? Are you close with your parents?" she didn't know much about the brothers; she hoped she had not just said something that would offend or upset them. Her mother would be furious if Eve messed this up.