Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-25828117-20191014000602/@comment-5583506-20191014211447

The assassin glanced suspiciously behind her over her shoulder as she walked further into the jungle, on the lookout for some body of water she could cool herself off in, without prying eyes on her at all times. Eventually she reached a pond with a small waterfall coming out from a cliff.

She made a quick scan of her surroundings to make sure that she was completely alone before she removed her armor and clothes. She took a step forward and sank down with her eyes and muzzle just above the surface, and with her mouth underwater, humourlessly blowing bubbles as she recalled doing as a cub, but couldn't remember the reason.

She leaned back with her hair and head resting over a rock and gazed up at the thick leaves of the jungle above her. She felt like she could sleep her for a while, but wanted to stay awake in case someone uninvited came barging in on her. But then again drowning in her sleep wouldn't be such a bad way to go. Though she had both seen and heard of drownings and could recall them as being quite traumatic and agonizing ways to die, she wondered if drowning whilst unconscious would be the same.

Though she had no intention of ever taking her own life to sate her desire to know what it all meant once the time was up, she did not frown upon moments which she deemed as near impossible to escape from with her life intact. It would happen, when it would happen, she often thought, and then she would greet death as she would have an old friend, or at least how she imagined friends to be.

Kiro, she reflected with a small sigh and closed her eyes.

"This here is where you will be staying now", the captain said and gave his daughter a small shove at her back to make her move forward.

The building was reminiscent to that of a smaller palace or a governor's residence. The white walls were adorned with curtains of red satin and embroidered with gilded threads to depict Khajiit men and women in all matter of strange positions. Kashya did not recognize the acts, but assumed that they were wrestling with each other. Some of them were clearly kissing. But why naked?

The interior of the building was very elegant, she thought. The polished floors were shimmering and every doorway consisted of arched portals with statues on either side, depicting yet more naked Khajiit women. It made her blush to even stand close to them, but she couldn't help but look up at them and remain transfixed on just how detailed they were.

The women were posed with chalices, with urns in the act of pouring invisible water, or draping themselves with cloth, just barely covering their sexes and their shapely breasts. They all looked so care-free and neutral that it almost made her wish that she was one of them, but not an actual statue.

She couldn't imagine having to stand alone, with a blank expression all day, and saying nothing to anyone, and appearing as if nothing ever bothered her. She wasn't made of stone.

"W-what is this place?" Kashya asked.

"Your new home", her father said, clearly eager to just leave her there and say his farewells already.

"But what will this one be doing?" she asked nervously.

This was all new to her. She had always imagined her life starting later. That she would have stayed with her father and her new mother until she was sixteen or maybe seventeen, ready to be married with Kiro. Her father wouldn't have to see her again and she would be happy with Kiro. To be thrown into work and loneliness at this age was something she had not been prepared for.

Her father sighed. "You will be cleaning floors and clothes, this one would assume. Pouring drinks and serving food. Surely, you are capable of that. Ka'rin did not raise you to be sloppy now, did he?"

"N-no", Kashya whimpered. "But what if ... if this one spills the drink? Or ... or spoils the food?"

"That's none of this one's concern any longer", the captain growled and looked around for the proprietor. "Though he would expect punishment to be carried out accordingly. This one surely would have. Bad blood must be purged."

"Y-yes", Kashya sniffed, feeling her eyes beginning to water.

"Stop crying", her father commanded with a hiss. "Look proper."

"Mhmm..." she blubbered, trying her hardest to steady herself.

''Think of something else.' 'Think of something else. Think of something else. Think of Kiro.''

It somehow calmed her down to think of Kiro and the kissed they had shared. She subconsciously touched her lips in a subtle reminder. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here after all? She could earn money and then she could seek him out in her spare time.

There were noises coming from all over the place. Creaking boards, obscene giggles and hearty laughter, and the strange occasional moaning and yelping.

Was someone ill?

"Ah, captain", said a busty Khajiit woman in a long dress. She had braided her hair with golden fillets. Her eyelashes fluttered upon seeing him. They looked fake. "Fancy seeing you here", she smiled seductively as she laid a comforting hand on his cheek. "Perhaps this one can tempt you with some ..."

Her father just brushed her hand off with a rudimentary scoff. "Who do you take this one for? If it was up to me, this whole establishment would be shut down and burnt to the ground. This is about Kashya, the child over there." He nodded in the direction of his daughter, yet seemed to have a hard time to acknowledge her as such. "This one made an arrangement here about a week ago. You surely haven't forgotten it, no?"

The Khajiit woman blinked. She was not used to being dismissed. Instead she smiled politely. "Of course", she said. "This one remembers. "You wanted the girl to ... work and live here, right?"

"Yes", he said. "She will work hard and earn her own keep and lodging. This one cannot afford to house her at home any longer."

"Ah, right. Your upcoming marriage. This one heard. Allow Habini to congratulate you and your bride-to-be. Such a lucky woman. Though marriage can be so dull, so if you should ever feel lonely or ..."

"Out of the question", the captain snorted.

"Of course", she nodded. "This one understands. Forgive her. It was an inappropriate suggestion."

"Hmph", Captain Ka'rin scoffed and looked down at Kashya. "And you behave yourself from now on. Do whatever they tell you to do and don't be disobedient."

"Y-yes, sir", Kashya said, lowering her head as she tried not to cry.

"That will be all then", Captain Ka'rin said with a disciplined turn as he began to move towards the elegant exit with his guard helmet under his arm.

"Come with me then, little one", Habini said and took Kashya by the shoulder. "Let this one show you where you will be sleeping."

But Kashya remained fixed in place and just stared at the back of her father as he left, realizing that for all the promises he had made, he wouldn't be coming back. He would leave her there and never see her again.

"F-father!" she called out after him.

He stopped in his tracks but did not turn around. For a brief moment he was completely still before resuming his steady march outwards towards the sunlight.

"Father!" Kashya cried out louder, feeling Habini's stern hand tighten around her shoulder, steering her away from the entrance.

"FAAATHER!"

When she came to her senses she found herself lost in a wet darkness, her vision completely blurry. Her head hurt and her lungs were filled with water. She blurted out something incoherent, watching a cloud of bubbles escape her gaping mouth. She found herself screaming underwater for her father and flailed wildly with her arms in attempt to reach the surface.

When she finally broke through, she crawled up on the ground where she spewed up the contents of her lugns and huddled together, hugging her knees. She shook uncontrollably and began to bawl as the emotional impact of the memories from her childhood finally hit her, tearing down that wall she spent every waking moment building up around herself.