A Day in the Park

He never could understand it. Why spend all the time and energy to cultivate these glorious parks full of rare and exotic plants and flowers, yet never actually go to them? The flamboyant excess of the high nobility just confused him; to him a place like a park was meant to be used and enjoyed, not starred at and talked about at length. This strange philosophy if his people did allow for one thing, though; privacy. He could come to the parks near his home even in the middle of the flower seasons and the park be empty. Add on the controlled growth of the trees and shrubs, not at all uncommon in the world, and there where plenty of places to find some alone time and space. The trees were made to grow in thick groves, the shrubs tall and arched in ways that made for gazebos and shaded awnings compete with benches of smooth wood and soft stone. Strange, that stone could be 'soft ' like padded cushions; but the logistics and such behind it went well over his head. He was no engineer, nor a geological scientist. He deferred to the smarter minds and just enjoyed their work.

The day was warm, the breeze was cool, the sun shined bright. Flowers swayed and danced with the long, soft grasses; petals shook loose from the flowering trees and filled the air. He was deep in the park and busy,  setting a blanket in the shade of a large old oak was fun with the breeze, but a few heavy stones on the corners fixed the problem. The blanket was large and square, a bright blue like the clear blue of the sky, soon loaded down with the trimmings of a mighty fine picnic. Oh, nothing too special, but something enjoyable. Chilled fruits and sweet drinks, freshly baked breads and pastries, smoked meats sliced thin, various types of cheeses, little sandwiches cut into geometric shapes like triangles; elegant but still simple. Nothing like the monstrosities you would see among his peers in the same situation. In his case, this difference was a good thing, he wasn't trying to woo some waif from their father, he didn't need to. Nor would he have bothered anyway. Even if he didn't have someone already, he wasn't much interested in the types around him. Too... pampered, too young and naive about the world outside of their homes and schools. Too... insular, for his tastes.

Nope. He'd stick to what he had. What he had was a date in some senses. He preferred to think of it as time alone with someone he deeply cared for and to leave it at that for now. He didn't need to assign labels to where he stood, nor was that his style. It was what it was, and he liked it that way. Screw what anyone else said or thought. Not like it mattered what anyone else thought, he had something they never would; a life he enjoyed and people he truly loved. He didn't need to play the politics game, he was born at the top and had proven he earned his place plenty of times over. He earned his free time. He earned his chance to share the simple pleasures of life with the ones he cared about.

And that was exactly what he planned to do. So now that his little 'camp' was set up, he needed only to wait for his intended partner in this little picnic to arrive and share the day with him.

Today was going to be perfect; Isis knew it. A chance to relax in a park, far away from anyone else, with someone she cared for deeply and loved? It was as close to perfection as one could get. Isis wasn't an anti-social creature, but since she became blind due to over-using an ability that allowed her to never miss her mark, it was hard to want to deal with the constant presence of others: it became far too overwhelming when in highly populated areas with the constant press of bodies nearby. Isis was, after all, still dealing with the very fact that she was blind: she had spent a better part of her life able to see and then woke up one day and had lost it all.

That day had been utterly horrible but it would have likely been so much worse had her friends and her mother not been there for her. Even now she found them helping her; being far more patient with her then she felt she deserved. But, now wasn't the time to dwell on such things: she was going to get to enjoy a picnic in the middle of a park that while she couldn't see it she certainly could smell it and it was wonderful.

A sniff of the air brought the scent of not only the flowers but of Sasha and the food to her nose; so she simply followed it. She walked carefully, adjusting the black silk cloth that gently covered her eyes so that it kept the useless things hidden while she went. She never had bothered learning how to use a walking stick: she preferred following her nose and using her other senses to make up for her lack of eyesight after all. Besides, she was of the highest rank among the Malkavians, a blood noble, and she would be damned if she gave them any weakness to use against her – it was why her thoughts were so locked down and guarded.

Isis stepped softly, enjoying the feel of the grass against her bare feet – she hated shoes after all and refused to wear them unless completely necessary. When the smell of both Sasha and the food became pleasantly overwhelming to her senses she knew she had arrived at the chosen spot. She held her hand out, knowing that Sasha would help her to find the blanket while a smile spread across her face. “This place smells absolutely wonderful. I hope I'm not late. My mother and I got engrossed in trying to find answers to how I can sometimes see things when I touch objects: I think she's more determined to get my vision back in some way then I am.” Isis' smile remained on her face: she had stopped feeling saddened by her handicap and instead had chosen to embrace it and simply deal with seeing the world differently then everyone else.

Sasha was at her side and all but wrapping his larger body around hers in the way only a cat, specifically a tiger, could do. One arm was wrapping around her waist to help guide her, the other taking her hand to show her where everything was once she was settled. "You're never late, dear. Especially not when you where doing something that important. Cultivating an ability that would let you 'see', even in that fashion, is important. I have all the time in the world, for once; this break is long enough to take our time and enjoy ourselves. I won't be busy again for several days. Come, sit and let's eat. We can walk through the park later; even if you can't see them there is plenty to experience. We're a race that values far more than just sight or smell after all; I'm sure we can find something that will blow your mind. In a good way, obvious."

Once she was settled on the blanket, he began explaining the various offerings he'd brought, making sure everything was within easy reach, but separated enough to not get the various plates and baskets confused. "Has your mother come up with anything new, or is there still no new news?" He began pouring drinks for them, a simple affair, merely a sweetened citrus juice diluted a bit by spring water, a seasonal favorite of his people. The fruit's name was difficult to pronounce, it was a strange plant from beyond their lands that was imported and raised in special greenhouses that facilitated it's tropical growing conditions; however it was extremely tasty when used correctly to flavor food or as a sweetened drink.

Isis' smile grew even more pronounced as Sasha wrapped an arm around her to help guide her and took her hand: there was something about him that always calmed her in ways other people and things couldn't. Once settled on the blanket she listened carefully and patiently while Sasha went about explaining what everything was and where it was located. As he did so she mentally pictured everything in her mind: images being used from the time past when she could see.

Her smile grew into a grin as she heard Sasha explain that she wasn't late: and especially not since she had been doing something important. However, this grin grew more as she heard him say that he had several days before he would be busy again. “A walk sounds like a lovely idea.”, and it truly did: she was used to constantly being on the go, rock climbing, going on little trips and adventures... to suddenly have that yanked out from under her? Yeah, so a walk sounded like a magical thing.

At Sasha's question about their progress she tilted her head in a thoughtful way. “Well, my mother believes that what's happening is I'm gaining a new ability; something that goes past just the ability to see. When my ability triggers it doesn't always look the same: sometimes things are in black and white, other times it's as if I'm seeing normally, and other times what I'm seeing is hazy around the edges. About a week ago my mother and I were baking something and she went to hand me something - this caused this sight to trigger only it was hazy. Well, what I saw was my mother dropping a vase which she clearly hadn't done. Yesterday she dropped the vase: the same one I had saw in my vision. She described it to me and it was it to the last detail. So her new theory is that I'm gaining the ability to see things differently; including in the future. She hasn't exactly figured out what the different ways I see things mean, but the future part is pretty accurate.”

She reached over, remembering where Sasha had told her the sandwiches were, and picked one up; nibbling on it thoughtfully. “We still haven't figured out though what triggers my ability to see and what doesn't; or if it's only acting so sporadic because it's such a new ability and that perhaps at a later time I'll be able to control it more easily.”

"That sounds probable. It's not unusual for new abilities to override the senses as the brain adapts and changes. Something profound and powerful could end up shutting down an entire area and force it to... reboot, in a way; slowly and in parts as the changes take hold so as not to cause damage while new pathways and such are made." The only reason he had half an idea about what he was talking about was because one of his classmates at the academy was going into the medic core, and he was a stickler for neurology and optics; how they relate, how they work, etc; and he tended to babble during breaks. It left Sasha with more information on the subject that he ever would have had otherwise. Nothing super useful; but at least enough for some framing context.

He dug into a bowl filled with sweet grapes, plucking a cluster free and popping a berry into his mouth. "Has there been any sort of patterns forming, to how it appears? It's seeming as though it's triggering most when you're in contact with those closest to you."

Isis nibbled a bit more on her sandwich as she thought over what Sasha said and his newest question. She popped the last bite of her sandwich in her mouth, chewed and swallowed and then shifted into a slightly more comfortable position. She reached up her right hand and lifted up the side of her black blind fold, scratching underneath of it for a moment: no matter how soft the silk was it still itched from time to time.

“Well, it seems to only happen when I make contact with my hand with an object. You're right too; it happens far more often when it deals with people I'm closer to then random people while I'm out and about. My mother thinks that that might have something to do with familiarity: it's easy for this new ability of mine to respond and trigger around people I'm closer to then a complete stranger. My mother worries though... she fears what will happen if it gets stronger and spreads to other parts of my body. She worries that if I'm in a large crowd when something like that happens it could be too much for my brain to handle.”

She smiled gently: she knew her mother just cared for her, and sometimes she worried a little too much – or perhaps Isis just wasn't willing to take it that seriously until there truly was a chance that that could happen and she should be worrying that much. “I figure we can handle that hurdle when it gets closer. If it ends up getting to that point.”

“Not sure exactly how I feel about being able to see in the future; or whatever else this ability is going to allow me to do. It seems like a big responsibility...”

That... was a worrying idea as well. Enough so that it had him softly growing without even realizing it; a reaction to danger, trying to warn it off before it happened. A bad habit, childish, but appropriate given the situation. It also had him shifting closer to her, he had a habit of using his body as a shield for her, even if there was nothing to protect against, physically anyway. His tail flicked across the blanket behind him, causing a dull thud every time it impacted with a solid surface.

"We will find a way to make sure that doesn't happen. As for being able to see the future... the skill is not unheard of. It's rarely very clear, or very strong; but even when it is, it is controllable, at least in relation to being able to suppress it until needed. I knew several people with mid clairvoyance skills, I can ask around for information. It might be helpful for you."

Isis both heard and felt Sasha shift closer and leaned over, closing the distance: she understood all too well his need to protect her, even though the danger wasn't in the here and now but far off in the future if at all. “I'd appreciate that. The more help I can get on the topic the better. I'm sure it would put my mother's mind at ease as well.”

She flexed her right hand for a moment, opening and closing the fingers as she did so: it was her dominate hand not only in practical use but it was also the hand that nine out of ten times allowed her to 'see' things. She had thought over several ideas to try to keep herself safe from accidentally over using her power, though she hadn't bothered actually sharing them with her mother yet – there hadn't been time. “I did have some ideas on a way to perhaps help me from using my ability unwillingly. The best idea was something like a glove; a way to keep my palm from making contact with anything unless I'm ready to actually use the ability. I'm sure it'd take some getting used to, but at least I wouldn't be seeing things without meaning to.”

"That would be a good safety measure, for now. Simple, elegant, and reliable." He broke a piece of bread off one of the rolls and topped it with a bit of cheese, stopping to take a bite and work it over while he thought. The moment his mouth was clear, "We can go pick out some in market later? I know a few tailors that can perfectly size by eye; we wouldn't have to risk triggering the ability. They work with the best cloth, it would be like you where wearing nothing at all, but still offer protection. They provide the materials for the Royal Guard uniforms, so you know it's the highest quality."

Sasha's idea had her smiling: the less risk with triggering her ability the better. Added in the idea of such fine cloth that she wouldn't even really be able to tell that she was wearing the gloves to begin with? Even better. Isis nodded her head in agreement. “That sounds like an excellent idea, and I'm sure it'll help my mother to relax some, too.”

Using both her nose and the information Sasha had given her she reached over, plucked a grape, and then popped it into her mouth. While she chewed the grape a thoughtful look came upon her face as she began to ponder what else she might be able to accomplish with this new vision of hers. If there was a chance that she could spread it to other parts of her body then perhaps she could even spread it to her feet? She would be able to walk and see at the same time perfectly if she could – and that would be a great help. Yes, this would be something she would have to invest time with.

“You know the worst part about all of this?”, Isis said suddenly, thoughtfully. “I miss rock climbing.” Yes, of all of the things she could have missed it was one of the more dangerous and yet fun things. It was damn near impossible to rock climb while blind, or so she thought... she had yet to figure out how to do it without sight after all. "Everything else is still there, I just have to see it differently. My friends, my family, all of those books I love to read... I can still have those things. But, I have yet to figure out how to rock climb while blind."