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 Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2024 5:43 pm
Doesina 1 The few bits of sunlight that made it through the thick canopy overhead glinted on the bare steel that sat on the ground at the Elaria's feet. She had managed to acquire three daggers, all of similar shape and weight. One was her own, while the other two recent purchases from the local blacksmith after a long time of her being persistent in winning over the local traders of the city. Some were still a bit understandably nervous. She never expected that to fully go away. At least not in her generation. But at least some had learned that she really meant them no harm and she was able to do business with them. Strange how it took an Elaria to deal with the Earthlings over the Elidae.
The daggers had been polished and cleaned, as well as sharpened. Though it made her a little nervous to train someone with little to not experience with weapons, it also wouldn't help to use dull blades. A dull blade certainly wouldn't be able to stick to the target she had made at the far end of the small camp she was using near Vilasini's home. At least for the time being. When Heike returned, she would surely have to move her camp further away, again. For now, it served her purpose to not make the hybrid travel too far through the forest to reach her. Maybe she should have offered to guide her?
This wasn't anything Doesina had ever expected to be doing. She had hardly been the most diligent of students in her own training back home. Her grandmother would tell her how lazy she was, how this was the pride of her culture to create such durable fighters. She never wanted to do any of that. The bow had been fun to learn. And now that she was older and realizing she had an aptitude for magic, that was also fun. But that's all it was to her. Fun.
Putting the finishing touches on her setup, Doesina stood back and admired it. Not too bad, if she could say so. Anyone would think this a small adventurers camp.
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Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2024 9:06 pm
It was a rare day that Vilasini decided to skip her morning routine of rushing through the Neued markets looking for part-time work. But instead of wanting to make coin today the hybrid was looking forward to something far more important, training with Doesina. Just knowing that she had plans with the Elaria who flustered her kept Sini restless, the hybrid barely being able to sleep and darting out of bed as soon as the first rays of sunlight entered the tree home she shared with her guardian. Whether it was the danger of actually handling weapons that made her cheeks flushed or her companion, Vilasini wasn’t certain. Either way it was going to be exciting! She had been wanting to learn some sort of defense ever since the menzuri incident and it was nice knowing that she could train under someone other than Rek who surely would just be worrying the whole time. She doubted that he would even trust her to handle a throwing knife for fear of cutting herself somehow! So this was for the best. She would learn from Doesina and then give Rek a spectacular performance one day to prove that she could handle herself. It was probably still for the best that he had only been home for one night, leaving again for yet another mission before Vilasini had the chance to even introduce the idea of a new friend to him. How could she when he was already frustrated after this pollen situation? Not that she minded, she was still delighted with the recent changes that had affected them both. How would Doesina even react? It was something that she was also interested in seeing, just as much as she was invested in their training session.
Tying her curls back with a ribbon, Vilasini shook her head to make certain that the short ponytail was tight enough before darting out of the house. She was dressed in training leathers that she had picked up in the market, Vilasini figuring that it was probably best to wear something more protective than her usual light silks that she wore when performing. Still, how did anyone wear something like this when the jungle was so humid? Vilasini made a face, happy that it was still early at least and not completely blistering hot when she finally managed to figure out her way towards the nearby clearing where Doesina had set up camp. Thankfully, it was far enough away from the front path that Rek used so Sini wasn't as afraid of him stumbling into it should he return earlier than planned. “Wow. Someone would think a professional adventurer was out here.” Teased Sini with a grin as she walked forward, her hand raised in greeting towards Doesina. “You must be feeling a lot better to have set all of this up.” Truly though she was thankful that Doesina had gotten better after that potion incident, as much as Sini enjoyed caring for the Elaria it had been worrisome indeed to find her sick like that. And now here they were about to toss some knives, Vilasini hoping that neither of them got harmed so that there wouldn't be another sick day in the near future. Here's hoping this was an alright idea and not some disaster about to happen....
[Vilasini 1]
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Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2024 4:25 pm
Doesina 2 Now to wait. Doesina rocked on her heels, both excited for another meeting with the hybrid and nervous over of she'd even prove to be a good teacher in the end. Like most Aishans, she did know her way around a blade, so she figured it should be fine. Even if teaching was a completely different beast to deal with than being the student. The last thing she wanted was to steer Sini in the wrong direction, so if she ever found herself in a situation where she'd need to use the learned skills, she would end up failing and paying the consequences. If only Doesina could be there with her always to ensure that didn't happen. But she was always destined to return back home one day.
The Elaria frowned a little at the thought, bending down to pick up her own dagger and sheath it at her belt. Demonstrations would be needed, after all.
The sound of footsteps behind her made her casually, instantly assuming it would be Sini joining her at her temporary home. She registered the words spoken, a smile on her face, and was about to response in turn, when something that was very difficult not to notice caught her eye. She'd seen Shifters with odd-colored hair before, so that in itself wasn't unsual. She might not have noticed if it was just a different shade instead of an entirely different color altogether. Shifters couldn't shift their hair. At least she'd never seen it happen and she thought herself quite experienced with the locals after having been around them for years. Did she simply dye her hair?
"Uh, yeah. Good as new." She squinted a little, as if she were intently studying the other woman, than suddenly she let out a loud noise, one pink hand coming up to point at Sini's hair. "Oh! The pollen got you, didn't it?" She moved closer, raising her hand to return the wave, her smile now wider than ever. Earthlings really did have all the fun, didn't they? Not that her own hair could change all that much. Get lighter, maybe. 'The color looks really good on you. Really compliments your markings." Than she giggled softly, covering her mouth with her fingers. "Glad you approve. I thought so myself when I made it. It's more elaborate than my usual camps."
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Posted: Tue May 07, 2024 9:49 am
It would be a lie to say that Sini’s expression didn’t brighten when Doesina immediately noticed the change. Strange how one little detail followed by a compliment could make her so happy, but it did feel nice to be noticed. She couldn’t resist raising a hand to twist a now teal curl in her fingers. “Oh this?” Sini mused playfully before nodding. “I suppose that is what happened. You noticed so quickly I didn’t get the chance to say anything! I’m happy you think so, I still have to get used to seeing it but I really like the color too.” The hybrid grinned, her happiness obvious as she took a few steps closer to meet Doesina, her gaze flickering about the camp before going back towards the Elaria. It was a really nice set-up, she wasn’t lying about that and it made her relieved to see that Doesina seemed to be doing well enough for such a feat especially after being sick like that.
“More elaborate?” Vilasini mused as she listened, the hybrid twisting about to survey the camp one more time before nodding as if providing some sort of expert judgment on the setup. It was mostly a playful gesture and one to cover her own flushed cheeks from the earlier compliment, the hybrid playing around more than lingering on her own appearance. “You must be setting up to impress someone then if it’s that elaborate.” She joked lightly before pausing at the meaning behind the words, her cheeks darkening a shade more. Who else would be visiting Doesina other than herself? Right? Still, I definitely should not assume anything! Sini shook her head and coughed lightly before twisting her wrists in each hand as if warming up for a fight. “That is I hope I don’t ruin anything if I mess up during today’s training session. Are you sure you want to trust me with this?” Acrobatics she could do, but throwing knives? Well, this was going to be different from things she had ever done before. She hadn’t even really managed juggling the one time someone came through town and she tried mimicking their movements. Not that Sini had fully focused on the performance, she had been a bit tipsy too from celebrations after festivities and never tried again…but still! Dancing and moving with ribbons and walking across ropes was what she was more familiar with, not weapons and especially not tossing them.
[Vilasini 2]
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Posted: Mon May 20, 2024 5:18 pm
Doesina 3 Doesina's eyes widened, following the movement of Sini's hands in the cute gesture. "Oh. I'm sorry!" she said quickly, fiddling a little bit with the edge of her skirt. In typical fashion with her style of clothing, the dress was more a sliced up drape over her body kept together by a rope around her waist. Her fingers traced where it framed her thigh, her eyes turning downwards. "I seem to have taken the reveal away from you." The Elaria truly did feel guilty about her outburst. Though she couldn't help it. How was she supposed to react when the hybrid had suddenly gone from such a pale color to one so bright and noticeable? It was hard to ignore. She hadn't expected the other girl to have been affected by the pollen, despite how many Earthlings seemed to have been.
Of course, the feeling didn't last long when something else took its place just as quickly. Her hands froze and a blush crept over her cheeks. Her eyes moved from Sini to look around her. Yes, it was more elaborate. She had said that. Until now, Doesina hadn't quite looked at it. The target on the tree was put up as straight as she could, even painted with rings and numbers so it was possible to see more easily where the daggers would be landing. The daggers were set out neatly, minus the one back on her belt. There was no debris on the ground. Everything she used daily on her long camping trip was packed away in her back behind a tree, out of the way. It very much did look like she was trying to impress someone. "Uh..." Stammering was such a strange thing for her to do, as she turned back with a sheepish smile on her face. As was being a bit shy. Still, she couldn't help a bold question. "If I was, do you think that person would be impressed by my efforts?" Her eyes were warm. She put her hands behind her back, rocking slowly on the heels of her feet, feeling suddenly nervous. "That would be fine! Training should be a bit messy. That's the nature of it, isn't it? No one is going to make perfect throws their first time. So long as you don't hurt yourself, that's I care about more." Stepping aside, she gestured theatrically with her hands towards her setup. "Whenever you are ready, miss."
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Posted: Sun Aug 25, 2024 12:36 pm
"N-no! You don't have to apologize." Vilasini quickly replied, shaking her hands in front of herself as to wave away the very existence of the apology. "It's nice you noticed! It actually made me quite happy." The honest reveal warmed her cheeks more, Vilasini's hands moving up to rub the back of her neck instead as she cleared her throat. "Really, there was no need to say sorry." She repeated after a moment, sheepishly looking back towards Doesina as she tried to avoid fanning her warm cheeks and hoped that the slight breeze would help to cool her skin instead. How embarrassing to be so delighted over a simple thing! At least Rek would grump that she shouldn't let compliments go to her head, even though Sini secretly delighted in them especially when Doesina was involved.
At least she wasn't the only one flustered in the moment. Even Sini could recognize that sheepish expression on Doesina's face, the meaning behind her earlier tease making the pair of them flush. If anything seeing Doesina's reaction only made Sini's cheeks warm more to the point that she worried about melting into a puddle. Though melting away into a puddle might be better, the hybrid still not knowing how to address her growing feelings for the Elaria. It was still difficult for her to even fathom that Doesina might feel the same, Vilasini not ever receiving that particular type of affection from anyone before. "I would say so. It truly is impressive what you set up here." She finally managed, her gaze surveying the area before finally settling back on Doesina to watch her.
"But yes, training!" Vilasini straightened her shoulders to a more attentive stance, trying to focus on the reason that they had met up in the first place. Training, just training...gotta focus. She was supposed to learn this so that she could prove herself capable of dealing with danger, if the need ever arose while traveling. "As long as I don't hurt either of us, you mean." Chastised Sini, hoping she didn't harm Doesina during this ordeal. She would never forgive herself if so! "I'm ready." The hybrid nodded firmly, the words not fully reaching her even as she tried to put on a brave façade. "So how do we begin?"
[Vilasini 3]
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Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2024 6:19 pm
Doesina 4 The change over Doesina was instant. At once, she gave a sigh of relief, placing one hand over her heart in an almost theatrical way. She could feel its wild beating, which she blamed on her intense feelings of guilt just a moment before. How glad she now felt that she hadn't ruined anything. She knew first hand how important it could be, this first reveal to someone. And it certainly was a once-in-a-lifetime event for everyone. There were no more young Aishan trees to bloom and change like this. It didn't seem as if this happened once they reached a certain age. At least she'd never heard of it before. "Really?" she asked, focusing her pale eyes on Sini, her mouth set in a wide smile. She'd never felt so happy to misunderstand something. "Ah, I am glad. I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I ruined your big reveal. As hard as it would be not to notice that color," she added with a giggle. It really was a very beautiful shade. She'd seen a few Shifters around the city with that color.
Doesina's delight only increased with the compliment, as did the blush on her face. Now taking on the hue of embarrassment. She worried she'd gone a bit too far with the set-up and had been nervous about her own reveal of it. "It's nothing like back home, but I am happy you like it. Oh! Of course." Her embarrassment deepened. Right. This whole thing wasn't about having an idle chitchat in the middle of the forest. She was meant to show the hybrid some light defense. "I might have forgotten a little."
To distract herself and to give her face a chance to cool off, Doesina busied herself with the two daggers she had set out. "It'll be fine. I brought first aid." With a wave of her hand, she indicated the pack laying against a tree out of the way. Not considering that pain and wounds weren't as common for an Earthling, Aishan hybrid or not, to experience so often. It wasn't uncommon for her to come out of a training session with her grandmother with a scrap or two, at the least. "I have some daggers of different weight and blade size, if you'd like to choose one you like best. There's also mine," she tapped the dagger at her belt affectionately, "if you like neither of these. I could only afford two more."
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Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2025 2:08 pm
"Truly." Vilasini reassured Doesina, her expression warm even as her companion pointed out the obviousness of her color change. "I guess if I really wanted to hide it then I should have worn a large hat or scarf, right?" She added, pointing more blame towards herself as she made the teasing comment about her own actions. Sini simply laughed instead though since she truly wasn't disappointed and if anything it still made her heart flutter knowing that Doesina paid enough attention to quickly catch such a detail, subtle or not. It looked like they would both be flushed before even diving into training. Sini couldn't keep the smile from her lips as she watched Doesina prepare the daggers. It was a mixture of nervous energy and just pure happiness that the Elaria had spent so much time setting up something like this for her out of all people. It was touching and made it hard for Sini to not have faith in Doesina or her good intentions. What extremist would go through such means if they could have just left her hanging for the menzuri to snack on in the first place? Surely Rek would understand then when she brought up her new companion later on then...one could only hope.
"Oh good. We should keep it close so that I can grab it quickly when the first dagger goes awry. Should we place a bet on if I hit an arm or leg first?" Joked Sini, trying to put some humor out there instead of allowing her nerves to take over. It was one thing to talk about training and another thing to actually hold a blade! What if she did slip up? She would never forgive herself if she somehow hurt Doesina by mistake! Even just saying the words arm or leg made her heart twist, what if she actually did do that? Please no. She could only pray that if anything she would just accidentally stab herself or something like that, just a small wound or a tear on her clothing or the tent even.
But the fear of daggers faded with astonishment as she realized what Doesina had said. "Wait...did you buy daggers just for training me?" Sini asked with surprise, her gaze actually watering a bit at the thought. No way! If she was touched by the set-up then that added even more to her growing feelings. "Either you're truly this considerate with everyone or you're really worried about me picking the wrong blade and things going horribly wrong." She finally managed to joke, the unspoken third option warming her chest once more and threatening to flush her cheeks. Did Doesina truly care that much for her that she would go so far for this training session?
"But!" Vilasini quickly held out her hand before the flush could take over her cheeks again, her focus turning to the task at hand even as her heart raced in her ears. "I'll let you hand over whichever dagger you think works and we'll go from there. Is there something I should look for when trying out the blades?" Should her fingers feel at ease with them like they would easily fly from her hands or should they be heavy so that it took more effort to throw them? Things like that?
[Vilasini 4]
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Posted: Wed Mar 05, 2025 5:56 pm
Doesina 5 Wouldn't have been the first time she'd ruined some reveal or spilled a secret because she had been too excited about it. It was such a difficult lesson for her to learn, to curb her enthusiasm before it overtook her. Her grandmother always instructed her to meditate. Said it would "calm her core", whatever that meant. She thought she had been doing good. At least until she had taken on the mission that brought her to Jauhar to meet a new family member. Who was none too pleased to see her. As much as it might seem that Doesina was a ditzy airhead-and she was-she was more aware of others than she let on. Though it hurt that Heike clearly didn't like her, the Elaria didn't want to give up. Giving up was true failure.
So she tried to keep her calm, even while she was imagining how adorable Sini would look in a cute little hood. Or maybe that was just the affect the hybrid's presence had on her. "I'm disappointed I didn't get to see that," she mused outloud, staring at Sini as if she was trying to conjure her thoughts. She could produce fire and light, but not articles of clothing, unfortunately. How much more helpful would that be if she could? After saying as much, she was about to turn around and pick up one of said daggers, her pink hand stretched out towards it, when Sini said something that made her freeze. Did she...Buy daggers specifically for training the other woman? Why...Yes. Of course she did. Not every dagger was the same. Some people preferred a lighter one, some a heavier one. There were ones with long blades. Short blades. Different types of metal. She had even intended on giving Sini one or both. She herself had her bow for long-distance. Was that strange?
Doesina looked back, her back still bent towards the first dagger, slow realization coming into her face as she watched Sini's reaction to the casual announcement. For the first time in a while, the Sister found herself a bit lost for words. "Uh..." She fumbled over her words, straightening back to her full height, hands fidgetting with her own dagger at her belt. She hadn't...Really thought that much about what buying said daggers might mean. She even looked away, her face burning and heart pounding. She felt so embarrassed. But, strangely, not in a bad way.
"Y-yes...I mean....Daggers are important...Each is different...Um...." Doesina took a deep breath, her head shifting slightly back towards the hybrid. "Spirits, Sini, you sure do know how to make me feel flustered." She took another deep breath, finally managing to pick up one of the daggers. Cheeks still hot but her face more composed, she approached the other woman, holding it out on two fingers as it balanced perfectly. "This one is lighter than the other. It also has a longer blade. Since you've never thrown one, I thought it would be better to let you practice with each one and see which you find the best to use. So...Ye...Yes. I...Bought them for you." She momentarily looked away, again, shifting the dagger in her hand so that she was holding it by the blade, offering it with a smile she now turned back on Sini. "So long as you have a firm grip on the handle and loosen right before you throw, you shouldn't find it impaled in anyone you don't want it to be." The joke, said to lighten the mood, had no affect on the Elaria as she stood, waiting and aware of how close she was to the one who kept turning her world upside down with her mere presence.
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Posted: Thu May 22, 2025 1:49 pm
“Maybe next time, if you’d like.” Vilasini replied before she could stop herself. The very thought of wanting to dress up for Doesina brought a small flush to her cheeks, but she could easily find some sort of cute outfit with a hood or a scarf to show off for the Elaria if she so desired. And if they did travel together in the future there would be plenty of chances for outfit changes! Not that she would say such a thing outloud, not when she didn’t want to impose when Doesina was already helping her out like this. Admittedly though the thought of traveling together did make her stomach flutter with butterflies, Sini thinking about various scenarios of them spending time together like in a market or something before shaking her head to focus back on the daggers. This was exactly why giving her weapons could be risky! She was so easily distracted, especially with Doesina around it seemed.
At least it seemed like she wasn’t the only one flustered. Despite everything a flash of a grin crossed her lips as Doesina stumbled on her words and then for her to admit that she was also flustered! Well, it was really hard not to let out a soft laugh at that. “I think it’s only fair considering how you usually fluster me.” She managed before shaking her head with amusement despite her thumping heart, her own cheeks still remarkably warmer than normal even in this jungle heat. Did she dare think that maybe it was the third unspoken option then for why Doesina had done so much for today? Possibly.
“Alright, so this one first.” Sini acknowledged as she carefully reached out for the dagger, her fingers brushing against Doesina’s as she did so. The contact made her pause, her own gaze nearly dropping to the ground from sudden shyness before she focused back on the blade. “I mean, thank you.” Sini managed after a moment as she took the blade. “I truly appreciate this, all of it.” The hybrid dared to look at the Elaria with a small smile as she fought for her composure. “I’ll have to return the favor at some point, that is if I don’t impale anyone first. So I'll try my best to remember your instructions.” Sini managed to joke once more even as she considered Doesina’s words and tightened her grip on the handle. “Do I simply swing my arm backwards and then forwards before letting go so that it flies?” Or was there something in the wrist? Anything to try to get her focus back on the daggers and not on the emotions tangled in her chest, the thoughtfulness of Doesina truly touching Sini’s heart. How could she not find her endearing in a situation like this? She would be a fool to think otherwise, and shame on anyone that thought differently.
[Vilasini 5]
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2025 5:12 pm
Doesina 6 "I would." Maybe fashion wasn't something a warrior should occupy her time with. She'd certainly heard that plenty of times from her grandmother. As if she was expecting a war to break out and wanted to make sure her family was as prepared as possible. Which wasn't even something Doesina believed. Sure, the Elaria had a lot of problems in their views of the rest of the world. But a war? Been there already. It was impossible. Though she valued the combat training she did have, there were far more interesting and fun things she could be doing with her time. Like exploring the vastness of the Earthling cultures. Or accessorizing her own wardrobe. She was in danger of needing a new backpack for the new dresses she had discovered and made while being in Jauhar. "I would like to see what you do with the new color." It would also mean seeing more of Sini, a fate she could surely endure.
The Elaria couldn't help a smile at the next comment, looking shyly down at the ground for a moment as she adjusted a wrinkle on the front of her dress before looking back up. "I don't find myself too mad about it." Indeed, quite the opposite. Doesina felt light as a feather. There was something far more distracting and delightful in a mere glance from Sini than a full day of compliments.
Or a touch. A new kind of flame spread through the Aishan's body, starting at her still fingertips. She didn't dare move a single inch of her body until the moment was broken. Than she took a deep breath in, letting it out slowly through her nose. Compose yourself, there were important things to do.
"It was no trouble," she responded, stepping out of the way of the target, over to the hybrid's side and slightly behind her, where she could better watch. "Setting up training grounds are second-nature to us by now." She chuckled softly at her bad joke. Why was she so nervous, now? It wasn't as if she were the target. As much as her body felt like she was. "Not quite. We must make sure your posture is correct or you risk making a mistake." Stepping a bit forward so she could be seen, Doesina planted her feet on the ground, one in front of the other, as if she were just standing normally. "Keep your feet like this and your body straight, but relaxed. Focus on the target, don't grip the handle too tight or lose, and than you can prepare your throw. Uh...." Figuring that was a lot of information to be dumping on someone with no combat training whatsoever, the Elaria pulled the knife from her belt and held it, thumb over the fingers, for the hybrid to see.
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