Completed Solace in Silence (Nost)

[Leila]

Timestamp: Spring 8, 513 AV Leila was sitting at her table, a branch of boxwood laying on the table in front of her, her recently purchased journal open in front of her, next to her book on the plants of Zeltiva. Her mother had suggested she keep a journal on all of the things that she practiced with enthusiasm. So here she was, trying to figure out how to draw a simple branch. She decided to start with a written description, in her own words. "Boxwood - can stand nearly three times my own height, but only if it grows in full sun. Tiny leaves, densely placed together, dark green. Has a very strong smell that... appears to be an acquired taste to say the least. In reality, it stinks. I really don't look forward to attempting to draw this, but here goes nothing." She decided to start with the woody part of the branch, as she grabbed a piece of charcoal with her right hand, not really sure how to hold it. She'd never really drawn anything of significance before. She picked a pointy end of the charcoal, and angled that toward the paper, and begin a long line. Gently shading the line of the branch, with a simple curve. When the first line was done, she studied it, certainly not perfect, several spots where her hand was unsteady, but it was close enough. She attempted a second line, parallel to the first, trying to keep her hand more steady, when a loud scream filled the air, "I DON'T WANT YOUR EXCUSES, WOMAN!" Leila dropped her charcoal and sighed. The couple that lived in the flat behind hers were arguing again. They'd been going at it for several days now, and everyone for a few houses in every direction could hear them. She hadn't been able to concentrate on anything when the sallied against each other, and she knew the neighbor to her right, with her three kids, was having trouble getting them to sleep now. Leila needed piece and quiet. So she packed up her stuff, and stepped out her door into the sunny day and salty breeze, wondering where to go. Then a piece of paper assaulted her face, causing her to flinch and flail and yelp. She snatched it away, and looked down at it, realizing it was a flier, "Come down to Quill's Rest, a writer's haven, an artist's sanctuary, and a tea lover's little secret." Several chimes later... Leila stepped into the Quill's Rest, as several noses looked up from their books to check out the newcomer, only to return, some even slightly disappointed. A man greeted her, offered a table to her, and some Kelp Tea, which she readily accepted. She sat down, let out a long sigh as she set the branch down on the table, wondering if she could get back to a less annoyed state, and get back to her work.

[Nost]

Imbecile! Why can't you do anything right?!

Nost was struggling with his projects again. After the confinement the last season provoked, he has had trouble while attempting drawing, or making any kind of calculation used for one of his countless inventions, which were mostly toys, and useless devices, only made for the explanation of mechanical processes.

His small cottage was dirty and disorganized. Although he was living alone, there was an unbelieveable amount of garbage, accumulated in an incredibly short amount of time.
His appereance wasn't the best either. His fairly long hair was messy, and his facial hair had been growing because of the lack of shaving.
He wasn't sleeping well. In fact, he wasn't sleeping at all. The frustration was such, that he could barely be still for a moment. He was nervous all the time, and everything seemed suddenly, too complicated for him to understand, like if everything had changed.

You useless piece of trash! You are nothing than a waste of biological material. Your father would be disappointed! If it wasn't for...

"STOP IT!" He shouted so loud, he could have been heard by the whole street, as he punched the table where he tried to draw a simple gear system.

The voices were back. He thought they were already gone, he thought he had finally beat them.
He was wrong. They returned, and it seemed like they were staying now.

"Just... just be quiet!" He said, sobbing, lying on the wooden desk.
He stood up, walked to his mirror and washed his face. Afterwards, he shaved his messy beard, and cleaned his clothes.

Where are you going? You can't leave, you don't deserve to leave!

He grabbed his journal, his quill, and an ink vial. He was going to the Quill's Rest. The Kelp Tea always helped him to calm down, and the voices disappeared whenever he was there. Perhaps it was the atmosphere, or the tea, he didn't know.

When he arrived there, he noticed a young girl sitted there. She seemed stressed, so Nost thought he could help her feel a bit more comfortable.

It won't work. You are even worse while talking to people than you are drawing. You are some kind of monstruosity, and everyone hates you.

He approached the table, and with a kind, soft, and somewhat nervous voice, he asked:

"Mind if I sit here?"

[Leila]

As she waited on her kelp tea, a man approached her table and nervously asked to join her. He looked a little unkempt, though she liked the little bit of facial hair that adorned his face, scruffy, yet cute, like a stray puppy. And he looked tired, so very tired. It seemed she wasn't the only one having trouble sleeping lately. She flashed him a bright smile, "I don't mind at all, I could use some company, this is my first time here. I just ordered a Kelp Tea, would you like one? My treat." She motioned for him to sit down, getting the feeling he could use some coaxing to converse. "My name is Leila, it's a pleasure to meet you. Looks like something drove you here. Arguing neighbors did me in. Can't concentrate on drawing while they bicker about the furnishings in their apartment. I mean, is the placement of a bed worth keeping the entire block awake?" Her Kelp Tea arrived, and she ordered another for her companion. She decided to wait politely until his arrived before she began on her own.

[Nost]

"That's really kind of you, thanks".

You are just lucky. She had pity on you because you look terrible.

Nost thought the girl was really nice, and cute. She had ordered a cup of tea for him, and he would not reject it, of course.

"My name is Nost", he replied to the young girl sitting in front of him.
"Fancy meeting you too. That seems to be terrible! Shouting for not agreeing on something like that? Ridiculous."

Boy, you sound too exaggerated. Be smoother, idiot!

"But, you are right, something's been bugging me, and that's why I came here. I have..."

Go ahead, tell her you have been hearing voices, because that's totally normal, and she won't think you are crazy.

"...been looking for inspiration! Yes, that. I need some inspiration for my drawing." He lied. Well, technically, he was looking for inspiration, but that was not the main reason of why he left his home. The voices were still there, and probably they where staying.

"But enough about me. You say you were drawing. Mind if I take a look?" He said, while his tea was being served. The smell was delightful, as usual.

You are going to ruin it... ♪

[Leila]

As soon as he asked about her drawing, she became self-conscious of it. "Well... umm.. it's not much yet, and it's kind of my first real drawing... ever." She knew she was blushing deeply as she grabbed her jounal and opened to the page where she had drawn a couple of terrible, almost, though not really, parallel lines for the branch that sat in front of her. She slid and turned the book to Nost. Thankfully the waiter showed up with his tea, so now she could bury her shame in drinking the... strangely good concoction. She sipped at it, while refusing to meet his eyes, her own scattering around the room nervously. She then realized that on the page next to her drawing was the notes on making dog food, and her embarrassment increased two-fold. What sort of weirdo puts dog food in their journal? She turned her face away, her hair tumbling as her profile was shown to him, her cheeks still flushed in embarrassment. Now she wished that Shaco was with her to comfort her. She'd thought the men in this city were awkward, but she was so much worse it seemed.

[Nost]

When the girl handed her journal, Nost noticed she made a strange face, as if she was embarrassed.

What did I tell you? You are ugly as petch! Anyway, what are you going to do now? You have less talent than a stone!
He started analyzing the drawing, drinking his tea, when the girl blushed, for no apparent reason.

Kid, look at that. It was the first time the voices weren't harsh.

"Well, your drawing is really good, perhaps you just need a little practice and... wait a second...

The girl turned her face, so he wouldn't see her. She seemed even more embarrassed.

"You own a dog?! I love dogs! They are great!" He was excited. Nost always wanted to have a dog, but he never had nor the permission nor the opportunity to own one. He closed the book and returned it to its owner, since it apparently caused problems.

Well, you are doing fine kid! Keep it up!

What was happening? The voices were actually helping. Perhaps he had finally overcome that phase of his life, and his situation had changed, for good?

[Leila]

She was a little taken aback by his sudden excitement about dogs, but it made her smile, a significant improvement to the blushing. Her dad always told her that a man who loves dogs can't be all bad. She looked over at him, wondering if something behind those eyes was troubling him, but she chalked it up to nervousness. "Yes, yes I do! His name is Shaco, he's a Falivan Elk Dog, and the biggest sweetheart ever. He found me when I first moved out of my parents' house and got my own flat. He's so big now. You should come by sometime and meet him, I live over on West Street." She then blushed even deeper before, if at all possible, because she just realized that she had invited a man to her home for the first time ever. Stammering slightly, "Um... I've been trying to figure out what sort of things he actually enjoys to eat, and what might actually be good for him. A friend told me that making your dog's food is much healthier for them. I know he likes fish and rabbit at the least... Oh sorry sorry sorry, I'm rambling. So what do you draw that you need inspiration for?"

[Nost]

Boy, did I heard what I think I heard?! She just invited, you, to hang out!

Nost was quite shocked. It was the first time someone invited him to his house, and obviously the first time a girl did. Yet, afterwards, Leila blushed again. Apparently, this experience was new to her as well.

"S... sure, I can come by sometime. I live in the West Street too."

"So what do you draw that you need inspiration for?"

"Um... Oh right! I've been working on this little something". He said as he handed his dirty journal to the lady.

"I still need to give more detail to it, and that's why I came here. This is a calmed place, where I can gather ideas of how to do... things."

Good, good. You are going really well so far. Let's see what she says now.

[Leila]

Leile hadn't been expecting his drawing be of a weapon, a crossbow she thought. She wasn't particularly fond of violence, but she knew that a city needed to have violent weapons in order to deter violence and maintain peace. His drawing was so well done, so detailed, how'd he get the lines so small? She tried studying it more but more along the details of drawing. She knew nothing about the concepts that went into making a crossbow. "Wow, you can draw really well! How do you get your lines so small? Mine are thick and blurry, but yours are tiny and so finely detailed." She continued looking over it, wondering if he made the weapon too, or just designed it. "Do you build weapons or something? Like for the city guard? I'm jealous you can work with wood too. I've been wanting to build my own private composting bin, but wouldn't really know where to start. This is really amazing, much better than my two lines that are sort of, kind of a stick. " She returned his journal, and got out her charcoals, now trying to figure out how he got his lines small. She held up the charcoal before her eye and studied it. She pointed to a particularly sharp corner, "Is this how you get your lines small? Using pointier ends like this?"

[Nost]

"Yes, exactly. Also, try not to lean the charcoal too much. It makes your line even thicker, and it may damage the paper". Nost answered the question formuled by the girl.

"But... It also depends on the tool you are using". Afterwards, he grabbed the quill and the ink vial he was carrying, taking care of not to spill all over the table. "I like to use quills because they are thinier than charcoal."

Wow, kid, apparently you DO know about drawing. lets see where this goes.

"I work... in a toy-store. Well I'll soon be. Do you know the Bohrnn & GoldWoerth?

Ugh, now you are talking about work. What did I tell you, idiot?!

"Anyway... I'm not really good at carving, but I think I can help you making your composting bin. Just tell me when, and I'll be there to help.

Nost was finally getting used to this socializing thing. It wasn't really difficult, he just needed some practice. He proceeded to drink his tea, calmed.