"Well," Kalynd said with a slight shrug. "In my native land, first and family names rarely bore much connection in terms of meaning. But I do think Journey of the Red Lion would suit the course my life has taken. I'm a long way from my homeland here, after all," he commented. The thought did affect him, sending the tiniest pang of regret through his heart that his mother would never know what happened to him. But there was enough here to discover and learn about. He would live in the present as much as possible and not lament what could not be.
Kal was not sure why the man stated that he would remember him if they had seen each other before, but he returned the man's smile a little hesitantly. He did not want to seem rude.
Loren's next question was unexpected. He gave the man a considering look, wondering if having intercourse on the beach was a common pastime in Torchline. If so, he supposed that pursuing scholarly research and excavation on the beaches might be more complicated than he had originally thought.
"I have never tried sex at all, actually," Kalynd said matter-of-factly, showing no embarrassment or emotion relating to that fact. "Is there something particularly noteworthy in the act of doing so on the beach?" he asked. This would be a very strange custom of the Torchline people that he would have to make a note of. His own people thought of sex quite practically as a means to obtain power, security, and position. His own mother was a concubine, one of many daughters given to the king to advance their family's assets or favor in the kingdom's eyes. He'd been raised to think of sex as yet another bargaining chip the nobles of court used to buy their way into his good graces, and Kalynd hated being used for his position more than anything. So he'd never taken advantage of his station to gain intimacy. The thought of engaging in relations outside of this contractual sort of agreement, simply for the pleasure of it, had never occurred to him.
Kal was not sure why the man stated that he would remember him if they had seen each other before, but he returned the man's smile a little hesitantly. He did not want to seem rude.
Loren's next question was unexpected. He gave the man a considering look, wondering if having intercourse on the beach was a common pastime in Torchline. If so, he supposed that pursuing scholarly research and excavation on the beaches might be more complicated than he had originally thought.
"I have never tried sex at all, actually," Kalynd said matter-of-factly, showing no embarrassment or emotion relating to that fact. "Is there something particularly noteworthy in the act of doing so on the beach?" he asked. This would be a very strange custom of the Torchline people that he would have to make a note of. His own people thought of sex quite practically as a means to obtain power, security, and position. His own mother was a concubine, one of many daughters given to the king to advance their family's assets or favor in the kingdom's eyes. He'd been raised to think of sex as yet another bargaining chip the nobles of court used to buy their way into his good graces, and Kalynd hated being used for his position more than anything. So he'd never taken advantage of his station to gain intimacy. The thought of engaging in relations outside of this contractual sort of agreement, simply for the pleasure of it, had never occurred to him.
