Completed A Mistaken Port [Ximal]

[Ariann]

Ariann was caught. The look on her face was a mixture of surprise, awe and worry. She'd hoped she would've been discreet enough for him not to find out about her mistake, but he caught it far too easy. Then he corrected her about this being a place called Nyka. Ariann's eyes widened even though she was still looking away from him as she knelt in the same place, the color draining from her face again. Not in Syliras? Far away? Ariann felt lost now, her destination even further away from the way Ximal spoke to her. At least he said it wasn't a bad place. Maybe she should try and trust him after all...

"I'm embarrassed." She said, speaking plainly without much censoring on her words. "I'm... afraid... too..." She muttered. "If this isn't Syliras, then I am lost and being lost scares me..." She finally looked up at him, her emerald eyes locked on his, fear evident in her eyes. "I don't want to be lost." She said, her voice wavering as fear crept in despite her attempts to stop it. "I landed on a stranger in a city that I thought was another city and now I don't know where to go... and I'm scared." She said, her eyes beginning to water up on the edges as if she might cry.

She felt small and alone now, having left her only friend in a far away city because she wanted to learn more about the land-dwellers. She'd not felt this way since she left Charbosi, claiming that she's old enough to brave the waters. But she wasn't. She was immature inside and childish, so sheltered that she began to shrink under the pressure of being in a strange city. She didn't know where she was and she'd never looked at a map before, so she'd have no clue where to go even if she had one. She had no skills that could aid her on land if she got in a fight. She was gifted with the mark of Rik'kiel on the back of her right hand, but she didn't think she could use that or her medical knowledge to defend herself if Ximal chose to attack her. She heard herself whimper lightly as she cringed, waiting for Ximal's next move and expecting the worst. After all, that was all she could do.

[Ximal]

Xi watched her and could almost see what she was doing. The look of surprise was evident, and Xi really couldn't blame her for that. She'd arrived in a city far estranged from the one she had been aiming for and as such was now probably both chastising herself and worried. He could see her going "pale blue" or whatever the heck colour charoda went when worried. Again he was being made to feel like the bad guy in the situation. Xi shook his head and listened to her state plainly about what was going on at least in her head. She was scared which was fairly obvious, embarrassed which was also pretty obvious, and worried. Xi couldn't help much but he could be a nice enough person to at least try. Xi unfolded his arms and looked right back at her. "Well if you want, you can stay at my place whilst your here. It's a little ways away from the waters edge but no more than an three bell walk. If you wish to stay there, I've spare rooms you could use?" Xi kept looking down at her, and offered his hand to her again to help her up. "Though i may not look like it i used to be a guard, i quit because I moved cities, but i used to be one so you can trust me i don't mean you any harm." Xi smirked and kept his hand extended. For some reason he was beginning to feel like he was talking to ana again...Just a much more innocent and clueless version of his little thieving adoptive sister.Before she could argue this time though. Xi knelt down and scooped her up with both arms carrying her like one might a small child. "The choice is yours you can choose to stay with me, in the hostel, or go back in the water and wherever it was you came from i leave the choice to you...Though it's kind of a raw deal."

[Ariann]

Ariann could have protested about staying with someone she just met, but he had a soft demeanor and didn't frighten her as much as the strangers in Zeltiva did. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut short when Ximal lifted her off the ground and into his arms. She felt small and light, her heart skipping a beat from a mixture of fear and attraction. Why is he so nice? She couldn't help but ask herself that as she instinctively brought an arm up to wrap around the man's shoulders, pulling herself closer to him. He smelled like... hard labor, sweat and the sea. Ariann couldn't help but smile softly to herself as she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck in order to hide the smile.

"I will stay with you... if you want." She said quietly, her voice faltering at the end and dropping off. She felt safe in his embrace, but oddly enough there was a churning inside her stomach. He's not Ricky. She thought to herself, her smile fading into a worried frown, He is like Ricky, but not him. She felt conflicted inside, wanting to trust the man because he looked and acted a lot like Ricky. But she knew that he wasn't the same and she began to worry what his intentions were for inviting her into his home. "Y-you... aren't going to do anything... bad to me at your house, are you?" She asked worriedly, keeping herself close so if worst comes to worst she could easily choke-hold him into submission hopefully.

[Ximal]

It was odd the state of affairs as it turned out. He'd almost unthinkingly offered her a room in his school. Xi closed his eye's to think solemnly for a few moments before she wrapped an arm around his neck and buried her face into his neck. Something then flashed into his head he remembered and gave him a slight chill down his spine...Her teeth...Jagged and lots of them. He'd pretty much given her an open invitation to tear his throat out...Was he insane!? Xi started to walk as she answered his question saying that she would stay at his place. With a slightly re-leaved breath which sounded a lot like a sigh to mask it, he carried her off. Why was everyone so damn light to him ? Still her suspicion of him continued as she questioned him on whether he was going to do something bad to her at his house..."Well i hadn't planned on doing anything besides giving you a bed to sleep in for a while. Am i really that untrust worthy ?" Xi flicked his eye's to her and arched an eyebrow giving her a straight glance of his dark black-blue eyes. Finally Xi gave in and he spoke about what he was a little more to try and get her to trust that he wasn't out to do her harm...Even after she'd crashed into him like a crazy person. "I'm a teacher...My house is a school, though not in the sense of teaching people how to read and write, though i can do that too. No i'm a fighting teacher, i give people the means to protect themselves. Dose that put your mind at a little more ease about me or are you still wary of my intent ?" Xi let out a short and sharp sigh s he kept up his pace towards his school. It was a little distance away but it was his sanctuary, his place of calm...Perhaps there she would get that vibe too and trust him a little more.

[Ariann]

Ariann nodded softly, feeling the waves of peace and serenity that flowed from the school like water from a fall. She nuzzled into the nook of his neck even more and nibbled on his neck affectionately, feeling at peace in his arms.

Then she stopped, pausing for a moment and pulling away from him to look at his eyes again. "A little." She replied, redness coloring her cheeks from the soft nibbling kiss she had given him, which was her way of showing affection. "But I will trust you for now." She says, looking into his eyes and staring. He is very cute. Almost as cute as Ricky. She thought to herself.

"Uhh..." She looked away for a moment, trying to think of a way to break her embarrassing thoughts, "Could you... give me a tour?" She asked quietly, her eyes frantically searching for anything to look at besides Ximal's face. If she stared too long, she was afraid she might do something she would later regret... like kissing him. She'd had the urge before, when she wanted to kiss Ricky, but she never got the chance because of Leila appearing. I need to stay focused. She thought, pulling the cloak around her tighter again. She could feel his hand very close to her butt again, and she wanted to slap him for it, but knew that she shouldn't. She silently waited for a reply, her eyes focused on her knees that hung in the air.

[Ximal]

Jeez, i really do make a first impression...I barely speak to her and already i'm less trust worthy than a...well a zith selling "mystery meat" Xi sighed and shook his head lightly at her sentiments, she would trust him for now but how long was now ? Xi shook his head shifting her positioning to hold her up in one arm. And ...did she just nibble his neck? Xi gave her a mildly concerned expression before using the key in his pocket to open the door to his school before heading in. Xi was now beginning to wonder whether she was mistrusting him or mistrusting herself ? But that would be impossible wouldn't it, after all he looked like a sliced up piece of meat...Xi shook his head and then took up her asking of him to take her on a tour of the school. Xi lead her across the hall from the front door to the training room. "Well this is part of the core of the school, this is where i start off my lessons there's wooden weapons of all varieties here however i prefer to teach how to use the hands above all other weapons." Xi smirked and then opened another door this one leading to the massive court yard. Seeing as that was self explanatory Xi closed that door and headed back into the house walking along the left side showing off all the doors there. "Along here are the spare rooms I use a student dormitories. Your welcome to sue one of these for your stay here. " Xi carried her right up to the last door in the series which was now at the back of the house. "This room is my one, and it's also where i keep track of things." Xi the took her to the edge of the corridor and showed her the last two doors. "The first one is the wash-room, with a bath and a privy, the second door further down is the kitchen." Xi then took himself back and shifted her in his arms again this time fully planting his hand on her back side to support her weight as he opened his room's door with a key. Before taking her inside. Xi them plopped her down on the floor feet first and made a gesture for her to either sit on the bed, or in the spare chair. Xi then finally pulled hsi back pack off and tossed it next to his bed , before pulling his still sodden shirt off. Xi stretched lightly before looking back at her. "Well i thought i could chat to you a bit more here before you headed off to a room. And before you ask, i didn't feel like chatting in a damp shirt." Xi smirked and sat on which ever of the two seating places she'd left vacant.

[Ariann]

Ariann remained quiet through most of the tour, her eyes widening and soaking up the entirety of the school's area, like a child surveying every inch of a candy shop. A few dozen 'ooh's and 'ahh's escaped her lips quietly as he showed her around. When they arrived at his room, Ariann grasped his shirt a little tighter, but relaxed when he led her away. After the kitchen and baths were shown and they returned to his room, Ariann felt her heart skip a beat as she began to think about what he might be wanting from her by taking her to his room. His hand being firmly planted on her rear didn't help any and she quietly let out a little surprised squeal before settling down.

Once she was let down, she quickly moved to the bed and sat down, leaving enough room for Ximal to sit beside her. When he took his shirt off, Ariann blinked, catching a non-existant hint and removing the cloak from around her shoulders and tossing it on top of his pack. Strange customs... She thought to herself as she listened to Ximal, nodding afterwards.

"Can I not sleep with you?" She asked with an innocent and very naive tone. "Being alone scares me and being with strangers scares me even more. Will you not let me sleep with you here?" She asked, looking at him and pleading with her all-too-cute eyes, which seemed to dilate much like a cat's as she asked the question, giving him a perfect puppy-eye look.

[Ximal]

Xi shot a look at her , a rather confused one. At least as far as the squeal she made was concerned though, seeing her remove the cloak he'd given her was ...surprising to say the least. Wait...why did she remove the cloak does she think? No she can't... Xi shook his head and sat on the chair opposite her. Xi then caught her comments about "sleeping with him". Xi gave her a wide eye'd loom for a half second before hearing her continued statement. He relaxed slightly. So that's what she meant... "Sure...Fine...You cna stay here. Just bear in mind i don't sleep with all my clothing on. I just thought i'd mention that now." Xi leant on the desk next to him, his eyes now scanning her with some actual light...She was, quite pleasing to the eye, he really couldn't argue much with what he was seeing. Still though Xi shook his head. "Mind iof i ask but why were or, rather are you headed to syliras? I've been there it's not exactly a pleasant place. At least in my opinion....Then again that is comparing it to here and the spires...not sunberth...Still what's your reasoning behind wanting to go there?" Xi brought his bare hand up to scratch his beard lightly. Taking a deep breath he slumped lightly relaxing into his chair. "Y'know you don't have to sit on occasion. Make yourself at home." Xi smirked And stretched out yawning lightly not from the conversation with her just from the lateness of the day.

[Ariann]

Ximal's statement perplexed Ariann. He didn't sleep with all his clothes on. Ariann looked down at her own body, her hands lifting up to rest on her chest, just over her breasts. "I don't wear clothes either." She said, a confused tone in her words. Then he asked about why she was travelling.

That hit a soft spot. Ariann looked down at her feet solemnly. "There is two reasons." Ariann said solemnly, "One is because I needed to figure out what the land dwellers are like..." She paused, nibbling on her bottom lip a bit before continuing, "The second is... to find... a mate." She let the last bit hang in the air for a moment as she let her hands fall to her lap, her fingers fidgeting with themselves as she shifted under his gaze.

She tried to make herself 'at home', but without any water, she couldn't possibly make herself at home. Plus, with a half-naked man in front of her, she felt a strange amount of awkwardness from looking at his chest.

[Ximal]

Well that wasn't exactly surprising...Kinda obvious that she slept without any clothing on. and as such Xi could kind of tell that if she stayed the night with him it was going to be awkward on so many different levels. Xi heaved out a sigh and closed his eyes. Then she continued on about her reasoning behind travelling. She had two. the fist one was some what understand able to him he nodded along with it. She just wanted to find out what people who walked on land were like, that was fine. Then with her second reason Xi's eye's snapped open with a half surprised half confused look on his face...Her second reason was to find a mate? He said nothing for a moment watching her semi fidget around as he looked at her. Xi clocked onto what she was saying...sort of before bringing a hand to his face and pressing it against it hard dragging his palm down over his eyes. After a few more moments of strained silence Xi's rather flippant and brash bravado took back over again. "So does that mean that you've never seen a nude male ? Or does that just mean that your looking for something else?" Xi was kind of half unsure about how to answer her or even ask his own question as he lifted his legs up one at a time to take off the steel plating around his shins and feet. Just how the heck do i respond to that? Looking for a mate? As he pulled the second of his steel coating soff he asked her. "Is that why you shrieked when i accidentally grabbed your backside ? Because i'm not the sort of thing your looking for?" Xi took a deep breath and leant against the desk next to him.