Unexpected Break (Rista)

[Taln]

He listened to Rista ramble nervously, and the pitch of her voice showed she was clearly uncomfortable. Was the girl actually blushing?! Probably just my bad sight, or maybe she's too close to the fire. "I'm talking about those guys earlier making body comments about you, so I assumed that you would appreciate some assurance that I'm not like them. Secondly, You saw me lose my temper and it can be intimidating, so again, I didn't want you to think that I was about to lash out in fury at you for no reason." The dek explained simply. He didn't think it was all that complicated a subject. Taln looked down at the girl as he spoke, facing the fireplace completely. His normally green eyes looked like a blind man's eerie bluish white opacity at that particular angle. He didn't say anything to contradict her statement about being grateful, but he still felt it nonetheless. When she did take out something small and shiny, he assumed it was a needle. A yasi's hands bringing him pain was to be expected as the norm. The dek knew she would be hurting him to sew up the two gashes, but he calmly accepted it as par for the course. Not that Taln liked pain, but then again it was always expected in association with touch; at least for him. "Well actually---" The dek paused, flinching as she dug the needle into his skin like a fiery little dagger. Gods that hurt! Despite the agony of the needle piercing his skin and tugging hard at the already aching flesh, Taln resumed talking. "Actually, I'm not sure why I did what I did back there, there to be honest. I kinda lose my temper when someone's giving undeserved shyke to a child or female. It's kind of--" The man winced as the sharp needle jabbed at his screaming flesh again. "It's kind of just something I do, I don't really think about it or try to do it, it just happens. Don't you lose your temper too?" he asked her pointedly. Everyone loses their temper don't they? "I didn't mean to push my protection on you yasi. It's late and you must be tired. You really don't have to do this if you don't want to." He looked down at Rista's agonizing attempt at sewing on his ribs and bit back a yelp at the tugging and pulling of abused flesh. When she stabbed the needle in again, he averted his gaze and bit back a yelp. At the insane mention of an endal resemblance, the complete surprise on his features were laughable. While he didn't laugh out loud, Taln couldn't help but find it thoroughly amusing. "They took -me- for an endal? With my scars and wearing filthy rags? If that's true, then it's most likely they were more drunk than I ever imagined." While the girl added her own torture with one one hand sewing, it felt strange to have her other hand alongside the injury to smooth out the skin. The tiny little bird bone hand made him wonder again at why she would be going through all this trouble for just some anonymous dek. His scowling emerald gaze locked on her face in a near sighted attempt to read her features.

[Rista]

She snorted a bit at his words, allowing him to fully finish his long speech before she replied. In the gloom of her cavern-like hideout she was glad that her grimaces weren't visible; Rista felt like cringing whenever he gave sign of the pain she was causing, and felt worse and worse for coming up with this horrible idea.

"To begin with" she retorted, glad to have something to distract her with, "I loose my temper almost daily, so I can relate to that part. But to step in like that.." She huffed for a bit, trying to put words to what was really bothering her about it, but words eluded her. "It's just strange" she finally said, her voice taking on a complaining tone, almost a bit accusingly as if it was his fault for messing with her mind. "No one ever stepped in to help me before, I can't help but find it odd. No one ever sees more than a mongrel when they look at me, and who'd want to have anything to do with a dirty half-breed?"

Even as her voice became harsher and a bit more agitated, the hands continued their attempt at being careful. Once the needle was through on both sides, the yasi cut off the string with some room to spare on both sides, and then pulled the gaping wound together, made a quick double knot and sent a quick prayer to whatever god that was willing to listen for it to hold long enough for the injury to heal at least somewhat. She'd have to do at least three or four more stitches on this wound, and then she'd take a look at that leg to see if that needed tending to as well... The well-meant torture would have to continue for a while, but the yasi did her best to try and make it quick. For both their sakes.. she wasn't taking very well to this. The sour stench of blood and vinegar that lingered at the wounds didn't help the nauseating feeling that grew within for every prick of the needle.

"As for forcing your protection on me and not having to do this.." she continued, the strain noticeable on her voice. "I know, I'm not forced to accept your help or do anything in return. It's just... I know what it's like to be in pain, and I hate the feeling. Since I can help you, I chose to do it. I really am sorry for being this clumsy, it's not like I enjoy hurting people." The second stitch went easier, her fingers were slowly getting used to the needle and the softness of his skin. It still felt strange to be this close, almost uncomfortable for some reason, but the darkness helped since she couldn't see too much; it was more a matter of feeling, which made it easier. Not as much room for awkwardness or strange glances.

Rista paused for a moment, closing her eyes a bit to get rid of the stinging feeling within them. She was so tired, and these weren't ideal conditions to do something so detailed. The conversation was straining on her mind too, confusing her with new perspectives and flooding her with impressions. The situation was so strange, to be sitting here with someone of a caste she loathed and actually be having a real conversation... She remembered the disbelief in his voice as he talked about being taken for an Endal, and took a deep breath to make herself able to deal with another few stitches. It was strange how this took so much energy from her, she wasn't even the one dealing with the pain.

"You don't look like a dek, Taln" Rista said quietly as she continued her gruesome work. "You haven't cut your hair, you're not wearing the Lontev. And at times, you certainly don't act like a dek. The way you stared at me back at the infirmary, the way you're talking back now... Of course dek are still people, of course you have feelings and so on, but to me you don't look like someone who should be where you are. You don't have a mental disorder, you can speak perfectly well, and there don't seem to be anything wrong with your body..." The muscles under the scarred skin were fit and healthy, she could feel it as she worked, for every breath he took and every shift he made. It was rather intimate and made the yasi feel a little uncomfortable, mostly because she was so aware of it, but it also served to make her even more puzzled about his situation. He seemed fairly intelligent too, so..

"Why did you even end up dek in the first place? It doesn't seem right, somehow. There's nothing wrong with you.. is there?" She looked up for a moment, her face for a moment lit by a flare among the embers in the hearth; the eyes were dark and bottomless like the deep shafts that sometimes opened up in the depths of the mountain, and the flames caused the red in her hair to shimmer in crimson hues. Incredibly exotic, so different from the other inhabitants of the city, she looked puzzled and thoughtful as she stared at him, as if he was a riddle she wanted to solve. Something around her mouth seemed to have softened, as if she had begun to relax a bit. The young woman hadn't commented further on his promise not to act like those brats or harm her, but it looked like it served a purpose in making her more comfortable. She was a far way away from being open and trusting, but that acute sense of wariness was slowly evaporating, instead opening up a side of her that few others had ever been allowed to see.

[Taln]

"Yea it -is- odd. No one ever sees more than a stinkin drudge when they look at me and who'd want to have anything to do with a nasty dek?" He smirked at her, purposely mirroring her words. He questioned her almost playfully. "Why would someone of higher caste take the time to sew me up when they could get some rest coz they're almost asleep on their feet? Especially when my stink is making her face a little green..." The dek assumed Rista's agitation originated solely in the overwhelming reek of vinegar and blood, not the gore of the wound. For the first time in a long time, laughter danced in his eyes and Taln gave a geniune smile. Against his will, he started liking her. The yasi's words might as well have been from a chapter of his own book. In the same lightly teasing tone as before, he replied in his quiet voice, "I know what it's like to be insulted and not able to do anything to stop it and I hate the feeling. Since I could help you, I did so..." The dek raised an eyebrow and smiled down at the girl, thoroughly amused by their similar ideals. "You better be careful there yasi, you're starting to think like a low life dek.." The agony of the wound had reached its plateau half a bell back so the needlework just stayed at his side like a bee sting. He no longer reacted to tugging skin and the rank smell of blood. He shook his head that she would show any real interest in what he had to say. The man figured she looked off color and was looking for a distraction from his stench so Taln let himself ramble to keep her mind on something else. "I -did- cut my hair. I shave it off on the first day of spring. It just grows back faster and thicker. The bryda were a gift for..uh.." Taln averted his gaze down and to the side,"adult company." His left hand lay along the filthy bryda and he picked at a tattered edge. "It doesn't matter how I dress or how fast my hair grows--how many Inarta even look twice at a dek? I don't care what I look like, so what you see is what I am." "It's hard to explain but when I'm angry or alone, I feel like I'm an Endal, not dek. The weirdest part is that when I feel like that, people always respond." his voice was incredulous as if he couldn't believe his own words. He reached for something else to say to keep her mind off the overpowering smell. "Of course I'm 'talking back' you're a yasi--a kid. In the world of privacy, it comes down to dominance. You may be a caste step above, but you're still a -young- woman, and I'm an adult. Close status might as well be equal status. If you were Endal or Avora, I wouldn't stare at you or talk this way. Haven't you noticed how physically close you are to me right now? It's just something you don't see in public. There are a lot things going on in privacy yasi, that's not mentioned often in public--like the comments those boys made to you." Rista's last question echoed into silence for a few chimes and any sign of amusement vanished rapidly. His whole body seemed to exhale, and just stay slumped. His voice became a deep and very quiet timbre as he answered reluctantly. "Short question, long story. Yea there's something -wrong- with me. I can't see good. At five, an Avora wanted me as an apprentice yasi coz I can use both my hands. I'm righty and lefty. Anyway, I waited around at her station and she was more than a bell late. I picked up a nice bit of glass and was looking at it because it was beautiful. She came in behind me and when I turned around, she yelled at me. Now I got real good hearing, ya know? and I clapped my hands over my ears coz yelling hurts and I dropped her best glass work. That old Avora got so petching mad, she grabbed the nearest glass dye and threw it at me. I didn't raise my arms quick enough and it caught me in the eyes. I couldn't see for three weeks after and then when my sight came back, it was only about half what it was. Most of the time people think I'm glaring, I'm squinting so I can see." When the young woman looked up at him, he scrutinized her ebony eyes and wondered what she saw. How could she see? Her eyes were so...black. At that peculiar fire lit angle, Taln's eyes had a slightly opaque, whitish cast to them in stark contrast to her own dark orbs.

[Rista]

Once more she just listened quietly, allowing his words to occupy the main part of her thoughts. Her lips tightened a bit again at the comment about her trail of thoughts, that she was thinking like a dek. The similarities had struck her too, but while the insult was bludgeoned by the humorous tone of his voice, the reality of her situation made it hard to swallow none the less. Her meeting with Kovac Avora about half a season ago might have improved her standing a little bit; she couldn't decide whether he was judging her skills or just messing around, but until someone formally took her in as an apprentice, she was steadily heading towards a life not that different from the one Taln led now. It wasn't something she wished for anyone, especially not herself..

The more he talked, the more the girl tensed. Was he purposely trying to make her embarrassed? Her teeth gnawed on the lower lip as he spoke, pointed out the similarities and differences between them; her hands suddenly removed themselves from his side, as if the bare skin under her fingers had begun to burn. What was he trying to say? That even though he wouldn't harm her, do.. something to her, he could if he felt like it? Being the young woman that she was, even she wasn't so oblivious that she didn't know what he meant by 'adult company', and the way he phrased things was making her feel insecure. She was suddenly very aware of her small size and the fact that they were very alone. That promise he had made... Well, it was as easy to make as it was to break, right?

She didn't appreciate the underlying threat or the way he managed to erase the boundaries she always had believed to be set in stone; Rista had never viewed herself as weak or vulnerable, but Taln was doing a splendid job in removing her illusions. It was not a very comfortable process, and if he had tried to keep her unawares of the 'adult' parts of life, well.. It wasn't working.

Her eyes flickered a bit under the glaring - no squinting - stare of the other, not sure how she was supposed to react. Should she ignore what he said, pretend that it didn't bother her, or was he trying to chase her away? It was so hard to tell, and the more he spoke, the longer Rista felt the tension within herself, the harder it became to return her hands to the mans side and continue with the work she had given herself. Trying to stall for time, she pretended that she just paused again and kept her eyes on the others face, trying to see if something was visibly wrong with his eyes... She finally spotted the strange shift in color, once the man mentioned it.

Rista didn't know what to think about his story; good eyesight was often a requirement for many of the things that needed to be done among the higher casts, but she somehow found it unfair that he had been cast down just from that. He could still see, right? If he was just nearsighted, or needed good light or something similar, there could still be plenty of things for him to do. Not everyone in Wind Reach worked with glass or hunted, some tended to the crops at summer, worked the boats at the Bay... The yasi sunk back on her heels, leaned away from the dek for a bit and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand.

This wasn't going very well. Her thoughts fled everywhere but to the topic he probably unintentionally had brought up, shattered her focus and even made her hands tremble. She wanted to say something, snap back like she had done just moments ago, but a thickness of her throat choked the words before they could form. It was beyond doubt that he saw her as a child, a small kid that had to be protected from the big bad world.. She wondered how he would react if he knew about the thoughts that had begun to skip through her head like scared rabbits, brought out by the half-spoken words and the intimacy of the room. Her room, that suddenly contained not only herself, but a living, breathing man that was both bigger, stronger and older than her. The color on her cheeks grew stronger, more visible, and no matter how she tries it was impossible to reign her thoughts in again. Very much like rabbits, oh yes. She didn't even notice how a sudden silence was spreading out, brought forth by her confused hesitation. If only she hadn't been so tired...

[Taln]

For a chime, he watched her just sit there and thought she might be confused. He brought his arm down and made a T with his hands, trying to illustrate the problem. "I can't see the..how it.." frustrated, Taln jabbed his right hand at the fingertips of his left and overshot the top by two inches. He squinted and aimed to try and connect the two hands together. The second time, he hit mid knuckle with the other hand, this time again short by about an inch showing a complete and total lack of depth perception. His face flushed in deep embarrassment. "My eyes don't see how...where..things connect. What's a little more in front or back." he stopped and thought he was talking to air while she was falling asleep. Rista's silence held some sort of meaning he couldn't perceive and he tried to figure it out. Had he offended her? Had he talked too far up or down to the yasi? He didn't get to talk often because no one really cared to ask or listen....Right--she was a Yasi stuck at that frustrating age where they verged on a precipice between child and young adult, not quite fitting perfectly in either place. And he'd rubbed her nose in it that he was older, and acted like her caste held no importance. 'Brilliant work as usual Taln. No wonder she's pissed at you--you practically called her skanky dek.That's the real reason why you're a dek instead of an endal--the reason big and dumb go together. She has every right to beat my back bloody. He'd bludgeoned her senses like a punch in the head!' The dek couldn't unsay what was already said. He'd taken away her security when security was something she'd just gifted to him. He felt like an enormous clod, stinking up her private room, blabbing her ears off and insulting her. He closed his eyes, willing the gashes to stop aching with every pulse, for the smell to go away, to rest. She looked like he'd just both stepped on her pet and she wanted to rip his head off at the same time. Taln had simply asked too much of a yasi who just wanted to hurry up, fix the problem, kick him out and get some petching sleep. The awkward dek bent his head to the floor and watched her face through the curtain of hair. Her dusky skin, black eyes and dark auburn locks would make for an exotic beauty in two or three years and he couldn't help but wonder how different her attitude would be then. Once girls realized they were pretty or exotic-or both, most became intolerably vain and cruel. This yasi seemed smarter than most so she most likely wouldn't be among the power mad when she came into her charms. With no orders to stay, move or go, he could only wait until she spoke--or fell asleep. He never should've kept her up this late. Taln remained silent, feeling he had done far too much damage talking. His only option was to wait.

[Rista]

He kept on rambling at first, seemingly oblivious to the damage he had made. Rista was grateful, she didn't need questions right now, or wry glances. She shifted a little where she sat, working hard on hunting down every last one of those infuriating thoughts that suddenly haunted her mind; they were mischievous and fleeting though, and whenever she didn't look they bred like the rabbits she likened them by. Her attention just made it go faster, until it was impossible to escape the fact that she was on the verge of growing up.

With a faint sigh she gave up and reluctantly scrutinized the facts that had appeared in front of her. Okay, so she was a young woman, and as such she might be starting to awaken to sides of life that she had never even thought of before. Okay, she was small, and in comparison to this hulk of a man, she was probably even weak too. In body. He might very well decide that he'd had enough of being pushed around, and find her a good target to take revenge on. None of that was impossible, they were facts that couldn't be denied.
It was also a fact that Rista actually did stand higher in rank than Taln. It stood beyond doubt that he had followed her slightest order so far, at times almost involuntarily, and that he had almost compulsively answered her questions without trying to avoid saying anything. Whether it was because of a docile nature -she highly doubted that- or old habit -more likely- he hadn't done anything towards her yet. In fact, some sense of honor within had even compelled him to protect her, the small, childlike woman, from foul mouths.

The girl took a deep breath and pushed a strand of hair away from her eyes, not noticing that she left behind a smear of blood and vinegar on her cheek. Trying to get back to reality, she went through the long moments of silence and grasped for the last things the man had said - wasn't it strange, how she no longer automatically referred to him as dek?
"No depth perception" she finally said, offering him the words he had been searching for to describe his ailment. "You can't see depth.. I understand. It's still a shame, I think.. There must be other things you could do, even if it perhaps has made it difficult to think of rising as Endal..."

Her mind slowly began to recover from the blows he unintentionally had dealt, and as it did, Rista regained her ability to speak and move. She shook her head a bit to rid herself of the spinning feeling tiredness caused, and suddenly raised her hands again, eager to get this over with. Not because she disliked the company; strangely enough she felt calmer now than she had done before, as if something within her had settled down. No, finishing the stitching would mean that she could go lay down on the bed, get away from the nausea and the horrible feeling of the needle piercing through his skin.

[Taln]

Rista's sigh sounded almost loud in the mounting silence. The only rival was that of the calm embers erupting with an occasional crackling. He wondered if she'd be like the rest of her caste and continue hours of conversation without even sharing her name. She probably assumed as most did, that the dek didn't even deserve to know. Taln shrugged to himself. His emerald gaze followed her little hand as it mashed a foul glob of nasty on her cheek. "You're wearing my guts, yasi." Taln commented with wry humor, reaching out a large hand automatically to wipe the shmootz off her tiny face. The dark eyed girl just -knew- the right words, again reinforcing the vast intellectual difference between them. "Depth perception--that's it." he nodded in agreement. "That's the words." He toyed with his lip ring and stared into the fire, mulling over his lack of options for the millionth time. The man had never put it fully into words before and didn't think the girl actually wanted to hear it. It was probably just an attempt at idle conversation while she tried to stay awake. He shrugged. The man's tone went flat when he responded, "Yea other things I could do that all involve being nothing more than a mute horse. To yoke my strength until I break, doing mindless labor as all I am considered is a body. I can't read and write like you. I never got an apprenticeship as a yasi, because who wants to train someone who can't see, right? From the start, it was just dek work as I've always been taller, so Inarta assumed me being older than I was. Larger means more physical work so I'm a horse Inarta. I do nothing more than use the strength of my back until it gives out and another nameless dek will take my place after me." Taln scowled (squinted) down at the yasi, looking at her delicate features. The baby fat was all but gone, giving way to exotically high cheekbones and ebony eyes that snapped with intelligence. He may not see great, but her ambition and potential were clearly evident. "You've got a chance to get somewhere. You can use your -mind- to full potential, read, write, -see-, hear and are limited only by your own perception. Yasi, if you choose, you could be an -Endal- if you work hard enough. It's limitless. I know a lot of people who would kill for the opportunity you have before you." He tried not to sound envious that such a tiny girl could achieve everything she ever wanted if she only tried. Taln felt some of his jealousy turn to awe that this minute slip of humanity could and would achieve any caste she desired. A few of the embers fell into the main pile, erupting in a momentarily bright flare that let him see the pretty young girl's face completely. She was green with nausea! "Hey hold on there champ." Without asking permission, he grabbed her tiny little hand with his large one. He pinched firmly between her thumb and index finger, where the flesh met, not the webbing, holding it there for two full chimes. "It's a trick to stop you from wanting to sick up. Works every time, especially against guts and stink." Taln explained with a lopsided smile, hoping she wouldn't take offense to his quick grasp. He was only trying to help her. When the man let go, he could still feel the tiny fragility of Rista's hand. It was like holding little bird bones and he hoped he didn't hurt her with his roughness. The poor yasi was falling asleep and this had gone on long enough; she'd more than payed any debt she imagined she owed. With gentle motions, he took the needle from her and stabbed it into the nearby pack that it came from. He locked his bright green gaze on her own ebony eyes and said softly, "There's no debt yasi, don't worry about my guts okay? They're not going anywhere. I don't blame you for not wanting to be anywhere near and actually -touch- so much godawful stench. Go lay down; why don't you get some sleep, now? If -I- had my own personal bed, I wouldn't hesitate to use it. I'll go or stay as you choose, but you need your rest. You have a bright future ahead of you and damned if I'm gonna petch it up on you."

[Rista]

Would he ever stop surprising her? In the darkness of the room, Rista froze when he suddenly touched her cheek with a strange comment; she hadn't noticed that she smeared blood on her face, and probably wouldn't have bothered with it even if she knew. The gesture was probably both sweet and well meant, but to her it was just strange and even a little suspicious, and the feeling of his hand lingered strangely on her face even as it was removed again. It took a tremendous effort to pretend it didn't phase her, and to keep her eyes and fingers on the task of making the last stitch over his ribs. Her hands trembled a little from the swirl of thoughts that passed through her mind, and she nibbled on her lower lip, almost biting the flesh sore as she kept the nausea away. She tried not to think of it, but the vinegar was making it all so much worse than it might have been; bile rose in her throat, and it was all she could do to just keep her focus on her work. The mans voice lingered in the backdrop, words that might come back to her later when she tried to remember what he had said exactly.

Then once again, he did something unnecessary. The girl scowled at him when he suddenly grabbed her hand and removed it from the work she had taken upon herself to do, and blinked in confusion at what he was doing. She tried to pull her hand away from his; it felt really small in his big one, small and cold and fragile. His gaze was unsettling too with how it scrutinized her. It didn't help much that she knew he just had trouble seeing, that scowl gave her a feeling that he was judging something within her.

She was mildly surprised when the nausea actually gave away a little, and after taking a few deep breaths the short yasi glared back up at Taln, holding her hand close to the chest with the other as if to keep it from being touched any further. Her face was priceless as he told her to go to bed; surprise mingled with indignation, gratitude and stubbornness. She was even pouting a bit as she replied, the voice complaining but undoubtedly drowsy.

"Don't call me yasi all the time, Dek" she muttered. "I have a name, and it is Rista. I don't call you by your caste all the time, do I? And I can't sleep yet. I have to finish this," she gestured towards the stitch that had yet to be tied together, "and then there's the one at your leg. I can't just leave it like that, you.. yi..." A yawn interrupted her, and despite obvious efforts she couldn't stifle it very well. The back of a hand went to hide her gaping mouth, after which she blinked and shook her head, fighting to stay awake. "You'd get a horrible scar, and it might get infected" she continued, not knowing that her awkward stitching might just as well get him infected too. "I have to finish what I've started.."

It was sorely tempting to just accept and go over to her bed. It would have been so easy, and yet that was the reason why she didn't want to give in to her tiredness. She couldn't start to take the easy way out now, even if this person for some strange reason seemed to care about how she was faring. Just that thought in itself was strange, since she really hadn't done anything to deserve it. Shaking her head again, the young woman tried to return her hands to his side and finish the job, persistent in her attempt to continue. Those loose threads annoyed her, they had to be tied up properly to not make things worse...

[Taln]

He watched the little yasi freeze up at the quick touch and thought it strange at first. 'Ah right. Nasty dek might give the mighty yasi some kinda disease by wiping guts off her face. It's not the first time someone's looked at you that way Taln, and it sure won't be the last time either. Just get used to it. Seriously you should expect this by now.' The tall man chastised himself for again falling into the trap of thinking he was just another Inarta. He was a dek and that's the only distinguishing trait he'd ever have. Don't equate a few night a week with anything personal. You're just a mindless drudge body to every last one of them--especially to the females. Taln still couldn't refrain from eying the girl with concern, wondering if he'd hurt her little hand. She certainly cradled it as though he had. The touch was meant to be helpful but he realized that spreading his filth to a pretty little yasi was the last thing the girl wanted. She'd most likely needed to dash to the baths now that he'd made physical contact with her. By her expression she probably felt like she'd brushed her hand in a pile of bird shyke. Her gaze seemed uncertain and wary now and he -almost- regretted helping her. Rista's color looked a bit less green so he sucked down his lack of self esteem and decided it was worth it. Still, he wondered. "I didn't hurt you did I?" He asked quietly, deliberately staring at her hands. When he'd tried to talk some sense into her, Rista's face was an adorable mix of petulant child and indignant woman. Her sleepy eyes and little pout just capped the total picture. He was on the verge of a smile until she spoke again, her words flaying a fresh new insult across his mind. Taln's face went hard and his eyes blazed with repressed anger and shame at the position she'd put him in. Typical yasi. Make a situation of their own and blame the dek like it's -my- fault. The copper haired man went rigid in the small chair and trained his gaze on her bed rather than Rista. When the man responded it was in a very deep and barely audible tone, with a touch of growl in it. "As you wish -Rista.- You left me no choice -Rista- when you asked my name three bells ago, but wouldn't give me your own name, -Rista.- You can barely stay awake as it is Rista, so--" The man paused a moment to remove the needle from her hands, not realizing he'd ripped away the thread and an entire stitch with it. He jabbed the bloody needle and trailing thread into the case and crossed her tiny room with a single stride to put the whole kit on top of her trunk. He returned in another large, angry stride and sunk his weight back onto the small chair that groaned in protest. "Rista, you should get your skinny arse to sleep or I'm gonna start thinking that you -enjoy- touching filthy, stinkin, rude, low life deks like me--Rista.- I don't give a petch about my leg, so let's not pretend that you do." The man folded large arms over his chest, blocking all access to his injury. Just when he thought he could let his guard down a moment, like a pouty child she complains about a name situation she herself created. He swallowed hard and bit down his anger. No matter how angry Taln got, he still remembered her startled look when he'd grabbed her hand to help her. He sat immobile as stone in the chair and just used the tone of his voice as the main motivator. "You have three choices -Rista.- I can herd you to bed like a scared chook, I can pick up your featherweight and bring you to your bed, which of course would be a reeking disgusting -dek- lifting you, -Rista- or you can have the sense to go to sleep on your own. It's your choice....Rista."

[Rista]

They probably weren't the best combination of people to place in one small room. Both so extremely wary of others, so prepared to get hurt, so convinced that they knew everything about people and the way those acted... Rista was confused over the new perspectives that opened up to her the more they talked, she was tired, and on top of it all he was touching her, which she definitely wasn't used to. She had no way to react except with shock and wariness, she couldn't help that she every time wondered what he really wanted with the things he did.

His concern, or rather what she took for concern with the question, was met with silence and a quick shake of the head. If anything, she was surprised that he thought he had and was worried about it. She might be small, but the girl wasn't fragile; her bones were sturdy as was her built, even if it might not be very noticeable when she sat on the floor like she was. At least.. she never wanted to think of herself as fragile. Her stubbornness and pride was mostly just a wall though, a wall that had begun to crumble from the repeated kindness of this person.

When he thus suddenly began to snap at her, Rista flinched visibly and stared at Taln as the man took the needle away from her and scolded her. The way he used her name, like a whip, caused the girl to retract little by little, as if they had been physical strikes. Her mouth tightened to keep it from trembling and something hurt, confused began to show in her eyes; why was he suddenly getting angry? Was it something she had said, something she had done? A part of her wanted to get angry, but the softer side of her was too pained over the sudden harshness of his voice. But she had said her name, hadn't she? She was certain... but no, she probably hadn't. She had been too concerned about his wounds, too tired to remember things like that. People were never interested in hearing anything she had to say normally, so..

She didn't notice how she shrank back from him, arms wrapping around herself as if to shield herself from his anger. This wasn't like her, why couldn't she retort? Why was no snappy reply forming on her tongue, why didn't the anger want to rise within? She had just meant well, and she had never had any qualms touching him because he was a dek. It was just..

"I'm not used to be close to people" she heard herself saying, the voice faint and trembling.. oh, how she hated how she sounded right now. "I've never tried to stitch anyone before, I didn't know it would be so hard, that I would feel so bad because of it. Sure it smells, but it's not like it's you, its the vinegar and the blood, and I'm tired but I just want to help... for once, if someone lets me.."

It was hard to keep herself from talking anymore; her mouth closed shut once more, to hold back the weakness that she didn't want him to see. What would he think of her now, to break so easily under just a few hard words? Her insides crawled from disgust over her own weakness, loath from the softness she held within. If only she could stop caring about others, perhaps then it wouldn't hurt so much...