"All that I am or hope to be--"

"--I owe to my angel mother" Talisa | Daughter of Nyx | 21

[xmusiings]

Lonely, 

          but I’m not alone.

[iredreamer]

[natvanlispics]

Da booty af

[thecarolinebelle]

Bite that lip…

[nootvanlis]

[tatianamaslanys]

[amara-ares-blog]

Amara sat in the grass near the lake, drawing faint sketches in her book and infrequently looking up to the river as the water gently rippled with the breeze. She often went to the lake to clear her mind and lose herself to her sketches. With her stress and anxiety levels at an all time high, the guard hoped that the water could work it’s magic. She had seen Talisa walking around and, when she heard the other girl’s words, she shrugged. “That is one way to solve the morale problem. It could give everyone something new and exciting to look at, especially if it was stocked with the livelier species.”  

[debteddaughter]

Talisa blinked, pausing for a moment. She barely noticed the words had actually been said aloud so she was definitely surprised at hearing a response. “That’s true.” She steadily starts and bites her lip, contemplating if she should continue voicing her thoughts. A moment and she figures that she can give a vague summary. “I was more so thinking of a fish pond for food supply purposes. Though that can be an added bonus.” She looks out to the water, imagining the fish ponds that were set up at her village, the ones out ways away in the ocean and one at the end of the shore. “A freshwater one is an interesting thought.”

[iredreamer]

[violet-apollo-blog]

Violet could understand that, she doubted it was very easy to swim without sticking your head underwater. Plus making sure not to breathe in while your head was submerged seemed like something worth practicing. She shook her head at Talisa’s assumption about the flowers, “Only sometimes. They can be yellow or orange or red and yellow. I like the red and yellow ones best, they’re really pretty. I like flowers a lot and not just the useful ones. They also have a lot of meaning attached to them.” Violet assumed that Talisa not having a favorite flower was her fact so she chose one to share, “I am excellent at mending clothing.” After learning how to stitch up flesh stitching clothes was simple. “Okay, um I’m just going to assume I just lay on my back.” Violet tried to lean back and stretch her body out but she couldn’t quite relax enough to let herself float, “Yeah, I think I’m going to need more help with this,” she frowned over at Talisa.

[debteddaughter]

Talisa listened to the clarification about the flowers, nodding as they have an image of it being similar to sun in color scheme and thought of how fitting it was. Talisa didn’t say it aloud though, wanting to let the topic pass or they she would if a point didn’t catch her interest. “Meaning?” She asked, wondering what that could mean though she nods at the next topic the girl chose to bring up. “I’m mediocre at it though I don’t enjoy it.” Out of the similar activities that involved meticulous actions, which in her mind involved tying, like setting traps and working with fish nets, mending clothes was Talisa’s least favorite. She found it a bore. Watching the girl try to position herself, Talisa lightly chuckles. She places her hand gently then firmly on Violet’s back. “You got a good start. Try to lay on your back and I’ll keep my hand here just in case while you get your body in position. When your head is on the water, make sure your ears are in the water and keep your chin up. Don’t worry about your legs for now.” She instructs and remembers another thing. “See if it’s easier for you if you place your hands under your head and have your elbows in the water. I’ve found that easier for me.”

[cfmusings-blog]

                      i promised                       myself i wouldn’t                       let you complete me

                                             but i suck at keeping promises. 

[ruidust]

[norahs-dream-blog]

“For the ‘most’ part?” she asked. Occupying herself with her blades, Norah strutted back to the point she was aiming from, the place marked by her lone sweater. She pulled back her hair, becoming annoyed at having it tickling her neck and wanting the soft afternoon breeze on her neck so tied it with a slack piece of leather from her pocket. She quickly pulled one the throwing knives from her vest and aimed steadfast at the tree, ensuring her surroundings were finally clear before throwing and the familiar thud sounding in the space around them.

Norah simply shrugged. She didn’t actually want her to leave but she was in a grumpy rut, playing the standoffish, stubborn girl. “If you’re admiring so much then won’t it be your own loss if you left?” she jiped, doing her best to be somewhat smug. She was hoping that if she entertained the girl enough that she would stay. It also dawned on her that she still didn’t know the girl’s name; nicknames were nice and all, but she wanted to know who she was, other than just Dinah, the pretty black cat she found on the edge of a port one night. Norah would try to see if she could wriggle it out of her somehow.

[debteddaughter]

At the reiterating question, Talisa only hums and shrugs finding that there was no need for affirmation. Instead, she watches the girl continue doing her own thing from the spot she stood, a respectable distance away. She definitely was impressed by her skill and a part of her, the part of her that had been wanting to focus more on such skills was jealous as well as intrigued. She wonders if she could figure out a way to keep her mysterious air and neutral, standoffish nature and still have the girl teach her a few tricks. Seemed a little extravagant and something of wishful thinking.

“You said it not me. Don’t blame me for being respectful.” She says as a taunting quip while she crosses her arms as a resting stance. “But, since you’re not saying anything about it then I’ll just take it that you don’t mind and make myself comfortable here.” She then sends a smirk the girl’s way. “By the way, what’s the reason for this little training session here, cutie? I’m curious to know what got the smiley troublemaker so tightly wound.”

[violet-apollo-blog]

  Violet laughed at the phrase Talisa used to avoid her compliment, she hadn’t actually expected her to accept it. Even when she’d been drunk Talisa hadn’t taken compliments easily, she was sure she had no chance now. Violet just watched as the girl struggled through understanding that she’d never eaten fish before. It was amusing how invested she seemed to be in Violet’s lack of exposure to fish, though it certainly made sense considering where she came from. She smiled, “I would like to continue whatever this is between is and I’m happy to try fish.” Violet couldn’t help but be pleased that Talisa recognized that there was something between them. She wouldn’t have minded trying fish anyways but the fact that it mattered to Talisa certainly made her care more about it. Violet tried not to laugh as the girl popped back out of the water. She let go of Talisa’s arm for a moment to tuck some of the girl’s hair behind her ear the way she’d done for her before returning her hand to her arm, this time sliding it down to take ‘her hand instead. Partially because it seemed like it would be easier for ducking her head under water. “My favorite flower is the marigold.” Violet looked down at the water before closing her eyes and ducking under, she wasn’t under very long though she wasn’t sure how long it was. She breathed out her nose for a few beats before bringing her head back up and breathing out the rest of the way. “That’s a fairly unpleasant experience.”

[debteddaughter]

“Good.” Is all she says at the girl’s acceptance to at least try fish. Talisa is nearly tempted to go all the way to try the fish first to see if it’s prepared well and if not, go catch and prepare it herself. But, she wasn’t that invested. She’s pretty sure. She didn’t react when Violet tucked her hair behind her ear though Talisa looks down at the water when the girl’s hand is slipped into hers and her lips twitch, having an urge to smile at the small action. She hums at the little fact, thinking it was better to comment on it after the girl returns to the surface. Once she does so, Talisa chuckles a little at her remark. “I’d agree. But it helps to know how it feels.” She brings her hand and gently moves hair from the girl’s face as she continues to talk. “So, flowers. I’m guessing those are yellow from the name. I don’t think I have a favorite flower.” She’s never found the need to be particular interested in flowers. That time when she found the medicinal properties of those flowers before didn’t count. “Do you want to try floating on your back?”

[cfmusings-blog]

            if you keep all that rage inside you,             then it is going to CONSUME you. 

[fullfrontalnerdity]

[violet-apollo-blog]

  Violet smirked at the compliment, “You do realize I can still hear you when you mumble, right? We’re not that far away.” She knew she probably shouldn’t point that out but if there was any time to take a risk with Talisa now seemed like a good one. “And thank you, though I was more insinuating that you’re sweet.” Violet shook her head at the question, “I’ve never eaten fish before. Also fish is meat.” She assumed the reaction was related to Talisa’s home but she decided against bringing that up. The idea of submerging her head didn’t make Violet especially nervous, she’d submerged her head to bathe before and this didn’t seem all that different. She liked the idea of making Talisa do it first though, since she offered, “Alright, yeah I would like to see you demonstrate. And then I’ll try.”

[debteddaughter]

“Yeah, I know.” She answers also with a mumble. She didn’t do the low mushed talking to hide what she was saying, she could care less about that, it was just a habit of hers. “And if that’s the case then you need to get your taste buds checked, sweet cheeks.” She drawls at the compliment that she refused to take. She wasn’t sweet. She blinks and continues to squint with furrowed eyebrows at hearing words she couldn’t fathom. “You’ve never eaten fish.” She slowly repeats like she had to comprehend a complex puzzle for a hidden meaning. “What. You’ve got to be kidding me. And fish is different from meat.” She’s heard of people choosing not to eat meat for whatever reason but as someone who made a living off of fish as a prominent food supply, Talisa couldn’t help but take it personally. “Yeah, if you’re counting on continuing whatever this is between us then something definitely needs to be done about that.” It wasn’t that Talisa was going to totally shut her out if she ends up disliking fish but the girl had to at least try it. Talisa shakes her head, forcing herself to move on from this topic. “Fine.” Is all she says before she takes a deep breath in and dips her face into the water. It only takes a few short moments and an exhale through her nose for Talisa to pop back up to the surface with a deep breath out. “Well, I’m out of practice. Say your not secret and then its your turn.”

[violet-apollo-blog]

Violet laughed at the face Talisa was making, “I like sweet things.” Violet had to concede the girl’s point, everything did have rules though not everything had rules spelled out. “Well you’re a good teacher and the process isn’t especially complicated.” She noticed that constantly treading water seemed to take more energy than moving forward did. She didn’t understand why but it was an interesting observation. She smiled at Talisa’s fact, she couldn’t copy that one and she had to wonder if the girl had done that on purpose, “I haven’t eaten meat in four or five years, I tried some at the first spring festival we had in Haven but I didn’t like it enough to keep eating it.” Violet had grown up not eating meat and she hadn’t seen the point of starting once she got to Haven. “So what is this rule you’re adding?”

[debteddaughter]

“Makes sense with how sweet you are.” She mumbles under her breathe. She lets the compliment pass, thinking it was a premature one since she herself knows she’s barely done any teaching. Though at the girl’s admittance, Talisa squints as if she’s just heard an unknown language. “What? Okay, meat but fish though? I personally prefer fish than meat.” She says as her not secret for this turn, which was obvious to her considering where she came from. Once Violet mentions the extra rule she was hinting at, Talisa just notices that they were fairly close to shore. “Right, this is shallow enough. Alright, so after every two turns, you’re going to stick your head in the water for as long as you can. Feel how it is being underwater and practice exhaling through your nose.” She looks over at the girl and gives a smirk. “I can do it first just this once if you want.”