CHULANE
blending into the darkness, & it gets harder to see
He enjoys giving the massage almost as much as Kia seems to enjoy receiving it. It was something of a puzzle to him, a new way to explore her body, to get to know her, to learn where she held the stresses of her day and to help her release them. He complies when she gives her instruction, focussing on the shoulders, feeling the way her muscle has bunched abnormally near the base of her neck. Pressing there, he ensures his hands are soapy enough to glide over her skin, to work the muscle as a whole, not just focussing on the knotted area. The key was to get it moving, to encourage blood to the area, to get her own body to help in the healing.
He hmm'ed quietly as he worked, acknowledging her request for more information on his home, a smile tugging at his lips that she wouldn't see, but might hear, as she used the shortened version of his homeland. "Oz is something of a nickname for my homeland. Australia is the full name." He goes quiet as nostalgia rises within him - normally he'd shy away from it now, normally he'd avoid it, lock it away in that compartment with all the other uncomfortable emotions he didn't want to face.
But he always faced these things with Kia. He shouldn't shy away from them - and he wouldn't.
He took in a somewhat shaky breath, but when he spoke, his voice was strong and clear again.
"It was known as the sunburnt country. Compared to other nations of the same physical size, it was sparsely populated, mostly because it could be a hard, unforgiving place to live if one wasn't prepared. Still, there is evidence that the indigenous population had survived there for tens of thousands of years." he paused, knowing he was dodging the true depth of her question, and berating himself silently for it - he would do better. "I was raised on a farm, passed down my father's side for many generations. My mother was a veterinarian, and so I seemed to pick up both trades for myself. I was… advanced, for my age. I was given opportunity to complete my studies far earlier than a typical student might.
"I had friends, relationships, extended family. People I loved. People who will miss me. I miss them. I hope they are OK." His words came to a stop, as he dedicated his mind to focus on her for a moment, giving himself a chance to gather himself before trying to speak again. He expanded the area he was massaging slightly, as the knot he was kneading seemed to lessen, running his hands down her spine again, across her shoulder blades, back up to cup both sides of her neck.
"It was a world vastly different to this one. I was raised so entrenched in science and logic, for the most part - that's why I struggle with the whole gods and magic stuff, even if I can turn into a leopard now." he huffed a small, humourless laugh at his own expense, his eyes slightly misty, not just from the warm water they sat in.
He hmm'ed quietly as he worked, acknowledging her request for more information on his home, a smile tugging at his lips that she wouldn't see, but might hear, as she used the shortened version of his homeland. "Oz is something of a nickname for my homeland. Australia is the full name." He goes quiet as nostalgia rises within him - normally he'd shy away from it now, normally he'd avoid it, lock it away in that compartment with all the other uncomfortable emotions he didn't want to face.
But he always faced these things with Kia. He shouldn't shy away from them - and he wouldn't.
He took in a somewhat shaky breath, but when he spoke, his voice was strong and clear again.
"It was known as the sunburnt country. Compared to other nations of the same physical size, it was sparsely populated, mostly because it could be a hard, unforgiving place to live if one wasn't prepared. Still, there is evidence that the indigenous population had survived there for tens of thousands of years." he paused, knowing he was dodging the true depth of her question, and berating himself silently for it - he would do better. "I was raised on a farm, passed down my father's side for many generations. My mother was a veterinarian, and so I seemed to pick up both trades for myself. I was… advanced, for my age. I was given opportunity to complete my studies far earlier than a typical student might.
"I had friends, relationships, extended family. People I loved. People who will miss me. I miss them. I hope they are OK." His words came to a stop, as he dedicated his mind to focus on her for a moment, giving himself a chance to gather himself before trying to speak again. He expanded the area he was massaging slightly, as the knot he was kneading seemed to lessen, running his hands down her spine again, across her shoulder blades, back up to cup both sides of her neck.
"It was a world vastly different to this one. I was raised so entrenched in science and logic, for the most part - that's why I struggle with the whole gods and magic stuff, even if I can turn into a leopard now." he huffed a small, humourless laugh at his own expense, his eyes slightly misty, not just from the warm water they sat in.
try to stand & unravel what a man's gotta be
