The Liaison's Journey - The Bedcarver [Short Story]

Liaison's Journal - Entry #4

By the time I started thinking again, I was already back inside my ship, trying to find something more appropriate to wear than a few wraps of silk.

Ideas pulsed in the back of my brain, guiding my hands through what few choices I had available. Casual. Relaxed. Serious. Seductive. I ignored the journal neatly slotted back into its shrine, entirely unaware that these ideas had come from it, entirely unaware that it was enshrined.

In the end, I settled for a more opaque version of my traditional outfit– options were limited, as was time, and the things that the outfit lacked I’d have to add with my attitude.

I emerged on-deck downwind from her and breathed deep, getting used to how foreign her fragrance was. She had a strong scent of the sea, with vague impressions of dominion– she’d not been in contact with a Jinn in quite a while, but was certainly kept by one normally.

We drifted parallel to each other, sails adjusting to keep from crashing. She was a reed of a woman, tall and thin, and held a long pole with a saw on the end of it– something I’d have taken as a threat, were it not for how drift-dazed she appeared, body swaying in perfect rhythm with the shallow waves, eyes glazed. Just how many moons had she been at sea?

“I’m real,” I began, gesturing to the ship, “A Liaison, able to trade. You?”

“Oh. Real. Yeah, that’s good,” She nodded, patting herself, “Hang on, lemme check.”

She paused, hand on her chest for a moment, feeling for a heartbeat.

“...Yeah I think I am too.”

She chuckled to herself, a rasp of amusement at her own condition and how dry her voice had gotten through disuse.

“Trading too, I think. At least I don’t think I don’t…trade.”

She couldn’t quite focus on me I noticed; her stare sloughing away from my body to study the waves left in our wake, taking long, slow blinks as she followed the flow. Pattern oriented. Perhaps inattentive due to a lack of smell?

“Good, that’s good…” I smiled, bringing her attention back to me with a cycle of my hand, “What do you have? Or do you need a moment? What is it you’re doing here anyway?”

I was almost tempted to fish for her Name, but…no. Casual, afterall.

“Oh, uhh,” She pointed to her blade, “Bedcarving.”

“I’m not familiar.”

“Mmmwell, s’simple. Here.”

She reached to her side and spun a flat square of material toward me. I almost avoided catching it for fear of a trap; but no, it was just a thick, slightly spongy kind of skin. Almost.

“Free sample. Been drying that one for a few days now. Been smoking others for a few days longer, if you want something tougher.”

“Sorry, what is this again?”

“Bedleather. Look.”

She pointed down to the water with her polesaw, and past the surface glare of dying daylight the seafloor sat almost immediately beneath; surely almost beaching my own ship, with neat little cubes cut out of it.

“M’a bedcarver. Slice up chunks of this, dry ‘em, take ‘em back,” She smiles, as if happy at the prospect, “My Jinn likes the feel. Plus, s’good for other stuff. Chewy. Not for eating, but…chewy.”

I nodded, taking it in. Touch sensitive. Oral fixation?

I was surprised at how much I had to focus. The daze she was in was contagious; soft and inviting as the water that rocked us both. Perhaps another effect of the material, and not just the natural effect of being adrift for so long?

I put the bedleather to one side and rolled up a band of silk, tossing it across. She watched it hit her and bounce on the deck.

“Binding silks and other wares. Free sample.”

“Ah. Right, yeah…”

She trailed off, looking through the silk to the core of the world.

“...Uh….sorry, I’m not sure I’m in…the right headspace for this right now…”

Deep within me, I saw an opportunity, though I only recognized it as compassion at the time.

“Yes, it is late, isn’t it? We should conduct business in the morning, when we’ve a little more sense about us. For now-”

I toss a rope over. “-Tie us together, so the night currents don’t pull us apart, yeah?”

She hesitated for a moment, but only to remember how to do it.

“Yeah, okay.”

“Then come here and join me for some tea? I’m new to these waters and would love to establish some relations. Come, please. My treat.”

She gave a simple nod, made a complex knot, stepped onto my ship, and strode into my trap.

“Yeah, sounds good. Been a while since I’ve had something that wasn’t seawater and zipfish.”

This close, I could admire her properly. The weatherproof robes, the light but freckled complexion…and how truly tall she was. Two heads taller, easily.

“Thanks for having me.”

A challenging kiss, to be sure.

—-

But a challenge for later. I spent the evening as I had been counselled to spend it– casually, comfortably. And thanks to this, the lightly drugged tea and the incense I had burned, I managed to get a lot of information from her whilst maintaining a respectable appearance.

I do hope my Keeper is pleased with the results.

I even got a Name.

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Rou, the Bedcarver

Met following the rotation, heading inward. A tall woman who is cutting up the seafloor and seperating it into slices of material called ‘bedleather’. She’s been at sea, unshepherded, for a long time.

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Personal Knowledge

A summary of the information I know about Rou, as specific as I could manage, using Ki’An data arrangement.

• Tribe - 'Pijee' [Pie-gee]

A tribe three dozen strong, devoted to a singular Jinn on an island some cycle further inward. It seems they all spread out for long periods of time on seawork, then gather for a slightly longer amount of time to restrengthen their bonds to each other and their sheperd.

• Tribal Tether - Weak

She’s been away from her Jinn for a long time, and the sea has washed away a lot of the commandments her Jinn has had her follow. The distance makes communal with her Jinn difficult, and her state of mind impairs personal discipline.

• Sensitivity - Strong

This one seems very receptive to spirits and the will of the World. She enjoys having a task or purpose, and following guidance.

• Traits - Tall, Suggestible, Freckled, Long-fingered
• Awakened - No
• Familiarity - Relative Strangers

We have but spent a night together, but have managed to have decent conversation. It would not take much to deepen our bonds further.

• Alertness - Very Low

She seems entirely unaware of any spirits or other forces that may be seeking to influence her, or disrupt/alter her Jinn’s commandments.

• Suspicion - Very Low/None

She doesn’t seem to view me as anything other than what I seem. No more suspicious of me than any other person outside her Tribe. Perhaps slightly less so.

• Trust - Medium

This is hard to guage as I have met her while she’s not in her right frame of mind, but she seems to view me as someone who has no ill intent. Which is true.

• Conditions - Dazed (II), Drugged(I), Aroused(I)

She was already rather dazed from her travels, but...the drugs and arousal are of my doing. The effects will last for the trade, and dissapate without suspicion after.

• Skills - Bedcutter (?), Navigation (?)

I know she is skilled in these things at least, but am not sure to what level.

____

Insights

Non-generalized traits and observations about Rou that can help guide us toward awakening her.

• Touch Sensitive

This girl enjoys touching and being touched- the feel of skin and skin-like things upon her. One imagines there is a lot of friendly skinship back on her native isle.

• Pattern Sensitive

She likes rhythm and consistent symbols, the lapping and waves and similar. This may be an affect that comes about from how dazed she is though, rather than natiral to her more sober mindset. Still, something to take advantage of.

• Oral Fixation

She’s often touching her lips when thinking, and is partial to sucking fruits and boiled sweets. She mentioned enjoying chewing the bedleather too...perhaps something can be done to provide additional satisfaction to her in this matter...

____

Attractions

Things that she has an interest in or respects, that could potentially be fostered and encouraged into something more erotically appealing, as well as things that I could wear or ways I could act like to further endear myself to her.

• Leather - Interested

Probably an attraction spawned from her Jinn. Currently benign fondness.

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Liaison Choices

Knowing these things, there are a few things that I believe I could do with her, or trade...

A - Trade silks with her.

• Small Trust increase, small chance of attraction progression/attraction emergence- silks and/or bondage

B - [Binder] Trade silks and show how they are used. [Roll: Difficulty 5]

• Small Trust increase, additional affect: Bondage and/or silk attraction

C - [Statue] Apply henna to her [Roll: Difficulty 10]

• Sizeable Trust increase, Unlocks dream suggestions.
• If she returns to Jinn with Henna Apparent, immediately on High Alert.

D - Trade Incense Sticks

• Small Trust increase, increased future Trust and relations

E - Trade Sun-catcher

• Small Trust increase, daily small chance of trance event [Increased chance due to Suggestible trait] [Increased chance due to Pattern Sensitive]

F - Gift items

• Small chance of suspicion increase
• Medium chance of increasing appeal

[Roll Stat - 2d10+3 - Pick the Highest]

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Keeper Choices  - (Unique to Patreon!)

Now that you know at least a part of Rou's name, you can start to visit her in her dreams, as well as reward Liaison for her efforts. 

[Simple Name] Enter Rou’s dreams

• Explores her psyche, allowing us to learn her exact trust/suspicion levels, what she finds appealing/unappealing, eventually can affect kinks and plant suggestions.
• [Difficulty 5 Roll] [Roll 1d10 for each point of En spent, pick highest-- comment with the amount to use; highest likes on 1 comment/greatest consensus is picked]
• -1 Difficulty if Rou engaged in erotic activity that day [Arousal (I) counts]
• -1 Difficulty if Rou meditated [Drugged (I) counts]
• +1 Difficulty for each day spent with her Jinn to a max of 10
• If Henna applied, -3 Difficulty, can immediately start making suggestions
• On a failed roll, small chance of increasing Alertness (making her aware that she is being influenced by an entity other than her Jinn)

Reward and Reinforce Liaison

• Costs 1 En
• Resets discipline loss chance
• Increases bond level

[LOCKED] Mold Liaison [Requires 10 Statue Insights to Unlock (current count: 4)

• Urge the Liaison to change their appearance and thinking to better reflect their status as your tool.

Amount of En Available - 4

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A big post, this one! Sorry for all the wordswordswords but that was the people's choice. Check the attachments for a more picture-led breakdown of most of the above- though the Keeper Choices are unique to this post.

There's also art of a Liaison-Rou height comparison in there, which is neat! Tall Rou is talllll~

Anyway, giving you a couple of days to vote on this one, but time's limited! Enjoy!