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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 8, 2006 22:21:48 GMT -5
Odd for a signale, as it might actually come up in conversation during an assignation, but that was for her to decide.
Taking the item I had been looking for in my hand, I walked back over to where she was and stood behind her.
Then I asked her a question I knew she wouldn't have the answer for, such things where not taught until later in instruction.
"What is the typical amount of time an adept can be suspended upside down by only their feet before blacking out?"
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Avrielle nó Valerian
Adept
Valerian House
Daughter of Annette n? Fronsac and Niall Southerly
Posts: 988
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Post by Avrielle nó Valerian on Oct 8, 2006 22:26:58 GMT -5
My eyes widened and I knew I would be gaining another five minutes with this question. Still, I tried to answer it. "Two minutes."
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 8, 2006 22:34:49 GMT -5
"No," I said, not elaborating on the true answer, let her go look it up like the rest of us had to. Instead, in a quick motion meant to surprise, I let the silk blindfold I'd been holding pour from my hand so that it slithered down her arms, holding to the end so that it didn't fall completely from my grasp.
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Avrielle nó Valerian
Adept
Valerian House
Daughter of Annette n? Fronsac and Niall Southerly
Posts: 988
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Post by Avrielle nó Valerian on Oct 8, 2006 22:38:22 GMT -5
Silk, I thought, as the fabric made contact with my skin. I shivered, senses ablaze, wondering what she meant to do with it. Blindfold me, perhaps, or tie my hands. Still, I did not move. My knees ached and I yearned to stand, but I made not a sound.
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 8, 2006 22:45:45 GMT -5
Flipping the blindfold up and around, I covered her eyes and tied it securely in place.
"Arms straight out in front of you, palms up," I told her. This was why I'd had her clasp her arms behind her for so long. The change in position would be a relief at first, but then hard to maintain fairly soon as her arms tired.
While she switched positions, I returned to the armoire.
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Avrielle nó Valerian
Adept
Valerian House
Daughter of Annette n? Fronsac and Niall Southerly
Posts: 988
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Post by Avrielle nó Valerian on Oct 8, 2006 22:50:16 GMT -5
As soon as I could no longer see, my heartbeat accelerated, and with a quiet sigh, I extended my arms, holding the palms up. I knew it would be a difficult position to hold, but my Eglantine dancer's training would lessen the stress. I could hear Douleur moving about the room, and the suspense was hardly more than I could stand. I waited for her to return, letting my mind relax for the next round of questioning, keeping my ears alert for her voice.
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 8, 2006 23:03:35 GMT -5
Recalling what both Gareth and Trinette had said about Avrielle's aversion to the more interesting of whips, I selected a rather nasty flail. Each thong held a spiked ball woven into the end.
Returning to her, I placed the flail across her upturned palms.
"Tell me what that is"
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Avrielle nó Valerian
Adept
Valerian House
Daughter of Annette n? Fronsac and Niall Southerly
Posts: 988
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Post by Avrielle nó Valerian on Oct 8, 2006 23:10:42 GMT -5
I felt leather, but only a few strips, not as many as a cat, and something I had not expected, spikes, like a burr. "A flail," I said, "with spikes. Spiked balls." I said assuredly.
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 8, 2006 23:17:56 GMT -5
"Yes, good," I said.
I walked back to the settee, this time taking a seat.
"You have ten minutes to work off. You are to stay on your knees, arms out and the flail across your palms. Drop your arms, the flail, or make a sound and I will find something suitably punishing to do to you next lesson," I told her. "Begin."
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Avrielle nó Valerian
Adept
Valerian House
Daughter of Annette n? Fronsac and Niall Southerly
Posts: 988
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Post by Avrielle nó Valerian on Oct 8, 2006 23:23:17 GMT -5
Ten minutes wasn't so bad, I thought. Ignoring the ache in my knees and arms, I exhaled silently through my barely parted lips, then inhaled again through my nose. I focused on my breathing, leaving my body behind. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Every breath took up two seconds. Three hundred breaths, and I would be finished. Inhale, exhale. Inhale exhale.
I reflected on the day, and what I had learned. I still wondered how long one could be suspended from one's feet before passing out. The will is the most powerful, I thought. The more dangerous looking weapons are not always the most dangerous. There is more than one way to yield. Inhale, exhale.
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 8, 2006 23:29:00 GMT -5
I watched her, eyes flicking to the time candle lit in the corner occasionally. It had been so good to have something else to occupy my time, I thought, my hand straying to my throat. I decided that it had been long enough, and that I would send a note to Delaunay, telling him I wanted to see him. First though, I wanted to talk to Gareth about how this lesson had gone. I felt oddly… dominant while teaching Avrielle, something I had never known before.
Checking the candle again I saw that the first five minutes had past.
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Avrielle nó Valerian
Adept
Valerian House
Daughter of Annette n? Fronsac and Niall Southerly
Posts: 988
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Post by Avrielle nó Valerian on Oct 8, 2006 23:34:03 GMT -5
One hundred fifty breaths. One hundred fifty more to go. As I breathed, my thoughts became worrisome, and a pit developed in my stomach. Had I disappointed? Performed badly? Two questions wrong, the hardest two. That was not so many. I had picked up immediately when she said not to hesitate, and I hadn't. I had performed to the best of my ability, and I knew not how she could request anything more at this stage. Inhale, exhale. One hundred breaths left.
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 8, 2006 23:43:46 GMT -5
I wondered slightly what she was thinking about. Mostly, I passed the next five minutes in the contented silent calm of peace.
"You may lower your arms and remove the blindfold I told her," Not letting it go a bit past ten minutes. She needed to trust that I was true to my word, or there would be no progress in the lessons.
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Avrielle nó Valerian
Adept
Valerian House
Daughter of Annette n? Fronsac and Niall Southerly
Posts: 988
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Post by Avrielle nó Valerian on Oct 8, 2006 23:46:06 GMT -5
Gratefully, I placed the flail down beside me. Moving my arms had never felt so good. I pulled off the blindfold and laid it beside the flail. It was a wicked thing, but not as terrifying as I had imagined. I did not rise, though. I waited for her to tell me I could.
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 8, 2006 23:48:39 GMT -5
"Return the flail and blindfold to the armoire, it is obvious where they go, and then you may get dressed," I told her, my voice serene and no longer holding the tone of giving orders.
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Avrielle nó Valerian
Adept
Valerian House
Daughter of Annette n? Fronsac and Niall Southerly
Posts: 988
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Post by Avrielle nó Valerian on Oct 8, 2006 23:52:24 GMT -5
I stood, knees popping slightly after being in the same position for so long. My legs were numb and tingling, but I tried not to let it show. Picking up the flail and blindfold, I returned them to the armoire, tucking them into their proper places, then walked over to the pile of my clothes.
I pulled my shift on over my head, then stepped into my dress, doing up the buttons not as deftly as I usually do. When I was dressed, I turned to where she sat, eyes down, waiting for more instructions. Her voice had lost its demanding tone, but I dared not do anything to incur her wrath.
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 8, 2006 23:55:51 GMT -5
"Sit, please" I said, smiling. "Do you have any questions now? Besides the answer to the blacking out question, that is. I will give you the book with all those answers and you can look them up. I knew you would not have seen it yet."
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Avrielle nó Valerian
Adept
Valerian House
Daughter of Annette n? Fronsac and Niall Southerly
Posts: 988
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Post by Avrielle nó Valerian on Oct 9, 2006 0:00:02 GMT -5
I wanted to cry out at the injustice of asking me something I couldn't have known, but I bit my tongue on it. I sat at her feet and looked up at her. "I knew the answer to the patron question," I said quietly, "but then I remembered the handprint on your neck."
"But yes," I said, "I have a question." And here I smiled. "Did I do well? Are you going to be my teacher? And why would anybody want a passed-out adept?"
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 9, 2006 0:07:27 GMT -5
I saw the quick look as she stopped herself from saying something about me asking her an unfair question. To see how she would react was the reason I had told her that bit of information.
"You did well, not perfect, but well. You are not expected to be perfect though, that is why you need someone to teach you. Yes, I will keep teaching you," I said, reaching out and smoothing a lock of her hair that had been ruffled by the blindfold. "And the point of knowing how long it takes an adept to pass out is so that a patron can push until that very last second. The more time they have, the more they can do. The answer is far more than two minutes."
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Avrielle nó Valerian
Adept
Valerian House
Daughter of Annette n? Fronsac and Niall Southerly
Posts: 988
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Post by Avrielle nó Valerian on Oct 9, 2006 0:14:05 GMT -5
"Oh," I said. Her hand touching my hair was welcome and I pushed slightly against it. "I will read thoroughly then."
I stifled a yawn. Truly, I was exhausted. My lack of sleep combined with this exacting lesson had forced my body to admit that it needed to rest. But I had not been dismissed yet, and I did not know if we were done.
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 9, 2006 0:20:52 GMT -5
Letting my smoothing of her hair become a caress, I stroked her cheek and then brought my hand back to my lap.
"That is all for today. Go have some food and try to rest. Things will only get harder from here on out," I told her, still smiling softly.
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Avrielle nó Valerian
Adept
Valerian House
Daughter of Annette n? Fronsac and Niall Southerly
Posts: 988
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Post by Avrielle nó Valerian on Oct 9, 2006 0:23:12 GMT -5
I luxuriated under her touch for a moment, then rose. "Have a good evening," I said. "Where should I meet you tomorrow?"
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 9, 2006 0:25:28 GMT -5
"Here, tomorrow afternoon. I will make sure the room is reserved for us," I said. "Have a good evening Avrielle."
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Avrielle nó Valerian
Adept
Valerian House
Daughter of Annette n? Fronsac and Niall Southerly
Posts: 988
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Post by Avrielle nó Valerian on Oct 9, 2006 0:27:44 GMT -5
"All right," I said. "Thank you." Inclining my head towards her, I turned and slowly left the room. I was hungry, but my exhaustion overpowered my hunger. I would have breakfast in the morning. Slipping back into my chamber, I unbuttoned my dress, fell on the bed, and was instantly asleep.
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 9, 2006 10:10:14 GMT -5
I sat for a while after she left, thinking about the lesson and everything that had happened. Eventually, I stood and made a quick tour of the room, making sure everything was back in place.
Pulling the door close behind me, I went to find Gareth.
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 9, 2006 10:41:43 GMT -5
My search for Gareth had led me to an out of the way sitting room. I was certain I had found him for as I approached I could hear the soft strains of music.
Quietly, so as not to disturb him, I stood in the doorway and watched him, leaning slightly against the doorframe.
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Post by Gareth nó Valerian on Oct 9, 2006 10:48:13 GMT -5
I had a lute across my lap and was strumming putting it in tune, humming slightly as I adjusted the keys to tighten or loosen the strings until they reached the right note. I could feel eyes on me but I was unconcerned- something told me they were not a bad gaze- and turned to look at Douleur, smiling as I did so. "Come and sit, little sister- you look to be in a good mood. Should I play a song for you?"
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 9, 2006 10:50:02 GMT -5
"Yes, please," I said, smiling and crossing to where he was. I sat on the floor near him, leaning back against a couch.
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Post by Gareth nó Valerian on Oct 9, 2006 10:57:48 GMT -5
"What sort of song- a love song, victory, something merry?" I asked in a teasing tone as I idly played a few chords. "Something with enchantment or something more bawdy?"
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Post by Douleur nó Shahrizai on Oct 9, 2006 11:03:07 GMT -5
"Something lovely, with enchantment," I replied. I loved listening to Gareth play, and would have taken anything he chose, but since he was letting me pick, I chose those.
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