Duncan MacCloud (_highlander_) wrote in madisonvalley, @ 2017-04-06 12:46:00 |
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While Sarissa didn't have to work - money wasn't as important when she could drink morning dew and pull carrots out of concrete - she enjoyed the structure and normalcy it gave her. The days passed much faster when she was able to spend it doing something. Besides, it made her appreciate her days off that much more. She was taking a stroll in the park today, a cup of chai latte in hand. It being the middle of the day, the park was quiet. Most people were still at work or in school. There was a man, however, who was going through what looked like a series of katas for some sort of martial arts. Sarissa paused to look for a moment, curious. She figured if he didn't want anyone to see, he wouldn't do it in public. *** As the weather continued to improve, Duncan prefered to do his morning katas outside. Right now, the chill that lingered in the air reminded him of mornings in Paris. When he hit that meditation sweet spot he felt that if he opened his eyes he would be back there on the deck of his houseboat. No such luck, but it was a fond fantasy. Today when he came back to reality he felt eyes on him and smiled before he opened his own. Straightening out of the final pose he glanced around and spotted the woman watching him. Feeling a tad cheeky he swept an elaborate bow. *** Sarissa would've felt self-conscious about being caught staring if he hadn't executed that bow. Instead, she couldn't help but laugh, and she dipped in a perfect curtsey in response. “I wasn't ogling, promise,” she told him when she straightened. It was true, although his physique was definitely ogle-worthy. “I was just curious what you were doing.” *** Duncan was always a bit self-conscious of his appearance. He knew it could ah...have an impact...and didn’t like having attention drawn to it so he typically dressed to cover. It was difficult to wear those kinds of clothing while working out or doing his katas, however, so in this case he just smiled. “I was performing katas,” he said as he walked toward his audience. “A series of defensive martial arts movements designed to calm the mind, warm up the body and focus the spirit. I do them every morning, like some people do yoga.” *** “It almost looks like tai chi,” Sarissa remarked. “At least to me. But I'm hardly a martial arts expert.” She smiled at him and passed her cup to her other hand to free her right hand for him to shake. “I'm Sarissa.” *** Duncan’s smile lifted. “Very similar,” he said. “Tai chi focuses on breathing and control. Katas focus on the motions and movements, teaching your body to memorize them so they can be used without conscious thought when necessary.” He reached out to shake her hand with a gentle grip. “Duncan. Nice to meet you, Sarissa.” *** “Muscle memory,” Sarissa said with a nod. She understood the concept. It was a well-studied principle, with lots of research behind it. What was interesting was the need behind it. “Do you often find yourself having to use them often?” *** “Well,” he said with a shrug of a shoulder. “Not here, fortunately. Back home? Sometimes more often than I care for.” There was a reason he stayed in good shape. Granted, he had been in the same physical condition when he’d had his first death, but he liked working out, especially using the katas. *** “It sounds like a very dangerous place,” Sarissa said. She was doing what she did best: showing interest; making the other person feel important; not volunteering anything about herself. She'd been doing it so long now she wasn't even entirely conscious of doing it. “Was it just for you, or was it in general?” *** “Only for a few of us,” he said with a smile. “It’s a long story.” Duncan knew when someone was deflecting when he saw it. He was far older than he looked, and picked up on subtle clues. “So how long have you been in Madison Valley?” he asked in a casual tone. *** “Just a few weeks,” Sarissa replied. She gave him a smile that was semi-conspiratorial. “I'm still new enough to be fascinated by all the people from the different worlds and their stories.” It was a statement; an invitation if he wanted to share, without any pressure behind it. She took a sip of her latte. “How long have you been here?” *** Duncan’s smile continued to be casual, but he grew more guarded. He wasn’t sure why. It could be old habit, but he wasn’t willing to give up his secrets. “A few months now,” he said. “I’ve had it easy. A friend from home is here. Apparently, he’s been here a while and he helped with the transition.” His brows lifted a little. “What about you? Anyone from home here for you?” *** “That must be helpful,” Sarissa acknowledged. She sensed the slight distance, although she wasn't quite sure what had caused it. Did he think she'd been ogling after all? She continued to be friendly, though. “I know a few people here. I wouldn't call them close though.” Even if she'd seen one of them with his pants around his ankles many times. “I’m just enjoying meeting new people. So don’t mind me if I ask a lot of questions. I like to get to know people.” *** Her explanation made him smile and duck his head a little. “You’ll have to forgive me. Back home I’m something of a loner. I’m not used to people being interested in me unless they’re looking to remove my head from my shoulders.” Duncan could just hear Methos now, and he was glad the other immortal wasn’t here. *** “That doesn’t sound like a lot of fun.” Lady of Understatement: that was Sarissa. She gave him another smile, one as warm and bright as the sun. “I’m not looking to remove your head from your shoulders, if that helps. It’ll really put a damper on the conversation, don’t you think?” *** “That it would,” Duncan admitted with a chuckle. “Back home that’s life for an immortal.” He tapped his rather expansive chest with a finger. “Like me. There are others. Some older. Some not. It’s a survival of the fittest, I suppose. I try not to get involved in their games unless I have to.” *** “If you're an immortal, why do people even bother trying to take your head off?” Sarissa asked, puzzled. She wasn't at all surprised by the existence of immortals. She herself was one now, after all. But she had a specific idea of what being an immortal meant: the inability to be killed (except for that one day of the year, but she wasn't about to dwell on that.) *** Duncan hadn’t intended on revealing the truth about his kind, but here he was. Methos would either swat him in the back of the head or be laughing. “People like myself contain a power. Another immortal can absorb that power if they take my head. The more immortals you kill the more power you obtain.” He shrugged. “You can see my predicament.” *** Sarissa did see, as evidenced by the slight widening of her eyes as the realization hit. “I can see why you’d want to keep to yourself,” she said sympathetically. “But hopefully you’ll get a chance to not have to watch over your shoulder all the time here.” Him doing katas out in the open was probably a good sign. People who were worried about being jumped by other immortals probably wouldn’t be doing such things. *** “I have found peace here,” Duncan said with a smile. Even if Methos drove him to drink sometimes, but he had met Merida and was enjoying spending time with her. “I’m actually enjoying myself. The people here are fascinating, and it’s kind of nice to not have to sleep with one eye open.” He chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders. *** “I always enjoy the nights I can sleep without worry about being beheaded against my pillow, myself,” Sarissa agreed, with a mix of gravity and humor that made it hard to tell whether she was joking. She wasn't. She'd just learned to have a sense of humor about it. “I should let you get back to your katas before you cool down too much,” she continued. “It was great meeting you, Duncan. Perhaps when you have some more time, we can chat some more? I'd like to hear your perspective on the times you've lived through.” *** “Certainly,” Duncan answered with a smile. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Sarissa. Reach out to me on the net, some time.” *** |