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Karin Shepherd | Tiamat ([info]sheltering_sky) wrote in [info]paxletalelogs,
@ 2011-09-05 20:44:00

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Entry tags:geb, tiamat

there's magic in the water that attracts all men
Who: Sean & Karin.
What: Two strangers enjoy a little downward facing dog on the beach. Mrowr.
Where: The beach!
When: 7:30 AM.
Warnings: None yet.

Karin's plan had been to be early. Not excruciatingly, painfully, socially awkwardly early, but only moderately so. Early enough to choose the best spot to see the sun slowly marching upward, to place her mat down in the sand closest to this new instructor. She had taken little enough time to get ready, leaving her apartment without a stitch of makeup, her hair loose around her face in a thick and wild mane, her clothes a hastily thrown on combination of fitted workout shorts and a loose white tank. But when she arrived she realized there were no other students, yet, her only companions on the beach a few lone joggers and screaming, wheeling birds. She narrowed her eyes, yoga mat rolled beneath her restless arm, and trudged out onto the beach all the same. Now that she was out here, a rare day off stretching beautifully out before her, there was no reason at all to turn back. Sean had to turn up sooner or later, and even if he did not, the day was breaking beautiful and bright, and she could find countless other ways to spend it.

"Well," she said, sighing at no-one in particular. "Better early than never?" She knelt down in white sand, hoping she had at least approximated the place they had been meant to meet. It looked like the place, and was within walking distance of their building; she had a good feeling about it all, but her inner voice had lied to her before. Leaning over the packed earth she stretched out a slender arm, sweeping away excess sand and a few stray pebbles, then moved to spread her mat out across the smoothed surface.


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[info]sheltering_sky
2011-09-20 12:45 am UTC (link)
For all her trepidation Karin smiled as she entered the apartment. It was an eclectic space, warm and inviting; a grounded sort of space, without the staring eyes and shifting presences she felt within her own. She toed her shoes off at the door, quirking a wan smile at the Buddha as she passed. Briefly she paused at the altar, wondering if she should perhaps light a candle out of abject desperation. But with a candle would come the smell of smoke, and that, at least, she could not abide. So instead she followed Sean into the kitchen, eager to help if she could, to keep her hands and mind busy now that they were back within these strangely hallowed walls of Pax.

"You have a very pretty place," she said. "Thank you for inviting me." She peered over his shoulder, trying to get a feel for the kind of kitchen she now found herself in. "Anything I can do?"

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[info]eternalearth
2011-09-20 01:33 am UTC (link)
"Oh thank you, I'm not one to decorate very much or care about what goes with what, but I guess not many guys do right? It kind of makes the place look a bit like a college dorm, in fact, a lot of this stuff is from my old college apartment." It was a bit embarrassing to admit to himself, but he could barely afford this apartment, let alone new furniture. Sometimes it got to him, and he wished he had stuck with the track his parents had set out for him. He could've been living at the very top of this building in the lap of luxury, but instead he was struggling to make ends meet. Sean silently kicked himself, he was happy this way, and he didn't need anything more than what he had, he needed to stop thinking about what could have been and focus on what was.

"Actually yes, can you chop some of the vegetables up?" Sean took out mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, and zucchinni. "Anything you don't like, don't chop!" He grabbed a dozen eggs from the fridge and started to beat up one large omelet that they would split, alternating between using yolks and egg whites.

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[info]sheltering_sky
2011-09-21 12:05 am UTC (link)
Karin, being quite fond of all the ingredients she saw laid out, immediately set to work. Thus distracted, she did not notice Sean's momentary hesitation; if she had, she would not have understood. She would have given much to have a home that felt so comfortable, so effortlessly at peace with itself. Of late it had felt as if her own apartment wanted her gone. In sleep she had her dreams, in wakefulness the sounds and smells that drove her from within its eggshell walls: It was enough to drive anyone mad. She chewed her tongue as such thoughts crawled through her mind, sinking their talons into the peace she had only so recently found.

The more she chopped, the further along the dish seemed to come, its mouth-watering scent pervading the apartment. She had hardly felt hungry, but now she felt her appetite begin to reappear. With the edge of the knife she scraped the chopped vegetables closer toward the stove, where they might be picked up and dropped into the pan more easily.

"I don't know many men who could make an omelette look that good," she said, her voice edged with a tired, though sincere, laugh. "Your mother must have taught you well."

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[info]eternalearth
2011-09-21 01:17 am UTC (link)
Sean grabbed the vegetables and placed it in the omelette as she chopped them, saving the zucchinni for last since it seemed to get soggy fairly quickly like broccoli, which he was sadly out of. He went into the fridge and grabbed some shredded mozzarella cheese, putting it next to him on the stove. "I was always interested in cooking, but my mother was the type of person who would barely let anyone else in her kitchen, let alone accept help." Besides, his dad probably wouldn't have been cool with his big boy cooking, that was a girl's job in his eyes, something boys should never do. "But I watched her whenever I could, so I learned some things here and there."

Sean folded the omelette over and sprinkled some cheese on top, not being to heavy handed with it, putting just enough on for flavor. "You know, I feel as if we shared this amazing yoga session this morning. I know this sounds corny, but the energy was so positive and warm, almost inviting, but we don't know much about each other, ironic isn't it?"

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[info]sheltering_sky
2011-09-21 11:35 pm UTC (link)
The thundering of her heart seemed to recede somewhat as he talked about his past. Memories were safe, comfortable things, like pulling on an old bathrobe. It put her in mind of her own far more pleasant youth, with her family in one place, her priorities set, and a pair of capable, if often distracted, adults to handle the more troublesome things. How she longed to be back in her mother's kitchen, stirring pots and scrubbing them, the biggest problems they had need to discuss her little sisters' flagging grades or countless crushes.

"Mm?" She looked up, caught red-handed in her little reverie. She blushed at her own preoccupation, hiding the expression with a turn of her head. She glanced back into the apartment beyond as she leaned back against the counter top, looking back to Sean only when she was certain that telling flush was gone. "Oh." Belatedly her senses caught up with her, and she registered what he had said. She smiled softly over to him, her eyes flicking down to watch his hands as he worked. "I guess it is," she said, tucking a lock of hair behind one ear. "I've heard people talking around here. Pax, I mean. It seems like a lot of people meet other tenants they feel like they've already met. It's interesting, I think." She shrugged. "I don't know that that's what our yoga session was about. But it was just the relaxation I needed." Left out was her certainty that to truly recover from what this place had done to her, she would need a thousand more sessions just like it or better; that sort of feedback had no place here, and after all, that damage - and its nigh impossible undoing - were not Sean's concern.

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[info]eternalearth
2011-09-22 12:15 am UTC (link)
Sean wasn't entirely sure if that was what he meant. Had it been a line he was using to hit on Karin just a little bit, to dig for more information, or was she right, did he feel like he knew her a little bit deep down? Things had been strange at Pax right from the beginning for him though that was true. The way yoga felt on this beach was like nothing he had ever felt before, he had always felt connected to the sand somehow, but today he felt as if he had literally become one with it. It was unnerving in a way, but exciting in another. Then there was the way he had arrived in this area to begin with. The job at the meditation center had been a dream job, one he had dreamed about getting, and he got the job with only one interview. He also was still confused about exactly how he wound up at Pax, because after all, other apartment complexes were cheaper and would've made life a little bit easier, but he had signed the lease here without a second thought, it had seemed to be the only real option at the time. "Whatever the reason, you're welcome to join me any morning on the beach for yoga, and I will give you some cards so you can have free classes and the center if you like."

Sean cut the omlette in half with the spatula and placed half on one plate and half on the other, handing one plate to Karin. "Have you ever meditated?"

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[info]sheltering_sky
2011-09-22 02:23 am UTC (link)
Karin nodded at his suggestion, promising herself she would take him up on the generous offer. His company was easy and distracting, his classes more healthful than the punishing, full-tilt runs she had begun taking each morning and night. Perhaps sessions with this new found friend would help ease the burden of her other hobbies' physical demands. She prayed it might even help her find sleep in the evenings, the peaceful bookends of morning yoga and evening meditation easing her into dreamless rest after her body was worn down to its bitterest core.

"I have."

She took the plate, dumbly holding it as she waited for Sean to collect utensils and his own portion. She drew a deep breath, inhaling the succulent scent of their meal. He had done well, indeed; her stomach growled, gleefully sending her the first pangs of hunger she had felt in days. She glanced up to him from the plate, her tongue darting over the swell of her lower lip. "Why do you ask?"

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[info]eternalearth
2011-09-22 03:10 am UTC (link)
Sean had to go into a drawer or two before finding the drawer that held the silverware. Adjusting to a new apartment was always difficult however nice the apartment. Everything had a new home in a new location, which had made sense when he had unpacked, but proved strange when it came time to use it. He eventually found the silverware and handed Karin hers. "I ask because sometimes people will be interested in yoga, but think that meditation takes it a step too far and is a little too different. After we eat, maybe we can meditate, it's amazing for clearing the mind."

Sean grabbed silverware for himself and put his food down on the kitchen table. He walked over to the fridge, looking at the very few options that presented themselves in his fridge. "I have water, V8 Splash, orange juice, and peach iced tea."

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[info]sheltering_sky
2011-09-22 12:11 pm UTC (link)
"Water, if it's filtered. Not bottled, please." She looked over, a sheepish smile on her lips at her own request; she wondered if her host might find it presumptuous, somehow.

Turning on one bare heel, she padded to the table, silverware clinking merrily against her plate. As she set her plate across from his she thought on his offer, finding it an increasingly pleasant suggestion. She was not due to meet Elias for hours yet, and meditation might indeed serve to clear her mind, and perhaps even leave her better prepared for that difficult chat. Perhaps, she thought, a step 'too far' would be a step in the right direction.

"That sounds lovely, Sean," she said, nodding subtly. "I really appreciate everything you've done already. You don't know how much it's helped."

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[info]eternalearth
2011-09-22 02:21 pm UTC (link)
"I filter it with my water faucet and place it into pitchers to keep it cold in the fridge." He wasn't sure if she prefered it because of the filter, or if she didn't like the thought of using that many bottles, but either way he appreciated it. He grabbed two glasses from the cabinet and poured both of them water from the pitcher, handing her a glass.

Sean did have to wonder as he sat down at the kitchen table, if he would offer just anyone free yoga and meditation in the same day, especially when he had just met them. Was he doing this because he found her absolutely breathtaking? Probably a little bit, he certainly wouldn't have invited her up for breakfast if he hadn't. "I'm glad to do anything for someone as beautiful and interesting as you."

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[info]sheltering_sky
2011-09-23 12:36 am UTC (link)
She smiled as she took the glass, momentarily distracted by the motion. It took a moment, then, for the compliment to register: Never had she thought of herself in such terms, and indeed saw herself as neither of those things. Strengths she had, of course, the same as anyone. But these strengths were less tangible things than beauty, and certainly more grounded than being desirable or interesting. She was practical, she knew; she was an exceptional caregiver, capable and dedicated. But these same qualities made her the dullest of her siblings: She was mud where they were fire. Where they stirred passions, she calmed them; soothed where they aroused. She was pleased enough with this, proud of the role she had played in their lives, in the lives of her friends. Long years of seeing herself in this light left Karin vexingly unable to respond, struck dumb by a concept she had not faced in years. Not since Texas, she thought, the blush returning to her cheeks with a vengeance. It had been easier to field such conversation while drunk - that much she recalled with perfect clarity.

"Thank you," she said, belated. She hoped her delay would not make him feel self conscious or fear that his compliment was not accepted - off the mark though she may have considered it. His kindess was as appreciated as the rest of the day had been, and she had no desire to make him feel otherwise. "I promise I'm not that interesting," she said, hoping to defuse the moment with a quiet, self deprecating laugh. "Unless you see me at work, I guess. Then it's all chaos and disorder, and me right in the middle of it."

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[info]eternalearth
2011-09-23 03:04 am UTC (link)
From the pause, Sean only assumed that she hadn't known how to respond, and he assumed further that she had simply been taken back by it. Sean cut into his omlette and took a small bite, chewing on a bit of mushroom as he decided what to say next. Did he choose to flirt with her a little more, did he change the topic, or did he just continue casually? "You don't have to be interesting to be surrounded by chaos and disorder, I find you very interesting right now, and I find myself wanting to get to know you better." Perhaps over a cup of coffee, or a meal out somewhere? He could only dream. "At least you didn't try to deny that you are beautiful."

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[info]sheltering_sky
2011-09-23 03:32 am UTC (link)
Again she flushed, brighter this time. She chewed her small bite of omelette thoughtfully, wondering if this were mere flattery or something more genuine. Though she had not known him long, it seemed a stretch to believe him capable of empty, baseless praise. Whether it was better or worse that he thought so highly of her, Karin could not truly say.

"I..." She smiled, self conscious, glancing up to him from beneath thick lashes. "I'm just lucky God gave me good genes," she said, laughing. "Between work, exercise, and insomnia, there's not much I do to play up my looks." She pushed a bit of omelette around her plate, the tines of her fork squeaking as she did. "But thank you, though. You're welcome to learn basically whatever you like about me, though I can't promise I'll still seem so interesting once you do."

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[info]eternalearth
2011-09-23 03:48 am UTC (link)
"Well maybe that's why I find you so attractive. California is filled with so many people who feel the need to primp all day long, making themselves look like someone else with makeup and plastic surgery. It's refreshing to meet someone who is beautiful naturally and not afraid of it." Insomnia though, that did interest him, even though he wasn't sure why. He took another bite from his omelette, debating whether to ask further about it or not, but she HAD said that he was welcome to learn what he wanted from her. "Anything in particular keeping you from being unable to sleep?"

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[info]sheltering_sky
2011-09-26 12:13 pm UTC (link)
"Well thank you," she said, sincerely. Awkwardly she started to laugh, an effort to downplay his continued compliments, when his question stopped her firmly in her tracks. Still, she recovered quickly, having had much practice in such lies thanks to work; even busy as they were, the other nurses had noticed the deepening shadows beneath her eyes, the way she walked like a dreamer when she thought no-one was looking. It was difficult, living such a lie, but it had to be done, lest she find herself foisted into one of the very beds she typically attended.

"I blame it on homesickness," she said, giving a self conscious little chuckle. "I've always been within an easy drive of my family, and it's hard, now, being a very expensive plane ride away instead." She shrugged, cutting a bit of egg with her fork, lifting it to her forcibly smiling lips. "It's good to get out and meet people," she said. "People like you. Gets me out of my own head, you know?"

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[info]eternalearth
2011-09-27 12:50 am UTC (link)
Sean ate from his omlette, starving but enjoying their conversation too much to focus on eating. As he listened to her he couldn't help but realize that it had been a long time since he had fallen for a woman, maybe right after he graduated college. He didn't have a problem with it whatsoever, it was simply a thought that popped into his mind. "Well, if you ever need out of your own head I'm around for you, promise."

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[info]sheltering_sky
2011-09-27 01:24 am UTC (link)
A small smile crept across her lips; this time it reached her eyes. "Thank you... Sean." She stumbled a bit on his name, as if uncertain of the liberty she was taking. But if ever there was a time to bite the bullet, that time seemed to be now. She hid an unsteady hand by tucking her hair behind one ear. "I just might take you up on that."

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[info]eternalearth
2011-09-27 01:30 am UTC (link)
"Of course." Sean reached out and gently placed a hand on top of hers. He had a feeling that she dearly needed his support right now, and if it was one thing he was good at, it was being someone's rock. "My home is your home and what I can do to help is at your disposal."

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