Open [The Knirin Gardens] Reflections

[Malla]

Malla smiled, a bit amusedly, at his stuttering. She guessed she somehow made him nervous, which was really just a funny thought to her. The small Konti making the tall Akalak nervous. her smile soon turned into a full out grin, though faded at his next words. "Oh...I didn't know that I was bothering you. I could leave if you'd like. You kept covering your legs so I just was making sure you weren't hurt is all. Just caring making sure you were ok." She shook her head, sighing. "You aren't bothering me. Which is why I don't mind your company. Don't worry, if you were bothering me, you would know." She smiled then stretched a bit, her arms going above her head, before settling on her lap again. As for the other bit, it's a habit..nothing that means I'm not alright. Again, you would know if I wasn't. I'm not subtle." She shrugged a bit at that and watched him look back up to the trees, causing her to tilt her head so it rested on her shoulder. It seemed to her Akalak liked nature, the garden was evidence of that, but she wasn't quite sure what this one found so fascinating about a tree. Its leaves at that. Yes, some trees were twisted into different shapes, if you looked, but this one seemed normal...and he wasn't even looking at its trunk. "What's so interesting up there?," she wondered, tilting her head back then to peer up at the tree's leaves.

[Duce Hazimari]

"You aren't bothering me. Which is why I don't mind your company. Don't worry, if you were bothering me, you would know." "You aren't bothering me. Which is why I don't mind your company. Don't worry, if you were bothering me, you would know.As for the other bit, it's a habit..nothing that means I'm not alright. Again, you would know if I wasn't. I'm not subtle." Duce gave a pleasent smile to the Konti as he relaxed again.He was relieved and put his legs back down letting them rest in the water. He took a deep breath and looked back up into the tree. He enjoyed nature,to sit and watch as it revealed itself to him. He was done playing his game witht he leaves, and now was watching a squirl that was only a few inches above him and Malla blending in with the trunk of the tree. "What's so interesting up there?," Malla said putting her head on his shoulder to which he moverd closer to her so she had a good enough position to rest it. It was then when Duce realized that she was watching him which was funny to him due to the fact that he was doing the same to her. He smiled and put his hand on his lips telling her to be quiet as he pointed to the squirl who now moved closer to them. "Some times I just like to sit and watch as nature shows everything it has created, it's peaceful and helps me relax...Are you hungry by any chance?" He asked finally answering the call of his stomach.

[Malla]

"Some times I just like to sit and watch as nature shows everything it has created, it's peaceful and helps me relax...Are you hungry by any chance?" Malla nodded at his reply, looking up to the squirrel. "I can see how it is relaxing," she replied softly before blinking at his last words and shifted a bit to pull her legs under her and look to him with a furrowed brow. She looked him over, a bit of wariness in her eyes. "Why?," she asked slowly after a moment of silence. She made sure to look to his eyes, studying his look closely. The Konti also would tense a bit, as if about to spring up and run. yes, it was an innocent enough question, but there was a chance he was trying to do..well, who knew what. As far as she was concerned, people didn't ask things without wanting something, at least not usually. She bit her lip and would watch his expression carefully as she waited for his reply.

[Duce Hazimari]

"I can see how it is relaxing," Duce smiled at her response. He had never met anyone who would sit ad watch a squirrel. Most women would scream and shoo the animal away. Then again, Malla wasn't like most women. He scavanged the ground for an acorn to which he slowly put his hand up and let the animal take it and scurry off back into the tree. It was nice and quiet just as he liked it. "Why?," Why? Why what? Did he ask if she was hungry? He started to sense that Malla really didn't trust him...or Akalaks in general, but at the same time there was no telling what she had been through prior meeting him. All was clear though when she crossed her legs. He was thrown off at the image of someone trying to take advantage of Malla. He just could not see it happening. "Oh. I was hungry and didn't want to be rude and just get up and leave. So I just wanted to know if you would like to join me for lunch? The way that it sounded coming out of his mouth seemed unrecgonizable to Duce. Was he...asking her on a date? No. It was just a casual meeting where a male and female ate lunch together. He cleared his head focusing back on what was happening. He didn't fully know who Malla was, but she was different, he could tell.

[Malla]

"Oh. I was hungry and didn't want to be rude and just get up and leave. So I just wanted to know if you would like to join me for lunch? Malla blinked once at his reply, staying in her kneeling position, though still ready to hop up and leave. His reply, though, threw her off rather much. Why was he asking her to eat with him? That didn't make any sense what so ever. She frowned and tilted her head to the side, studying him as she considered this. Duse was...strange, to say the least. Asking someone he just randomly met to eat with him. He didn't seem to be trying to flirt with her nor did he seem to be sizing any of the other women around up, unlike at least half of the Akalak's she had met. It wasn't so much that she wasn't hungry as that she just didn't know what to make of this situation. It was new to her. She didn't like it. New meant she didn't know how to deal with it or what to expect and, if she said no, she would never learn to deal with it. "So, she replied then, her words coming slowly as she thought, you are asking a woman who you just met...to go eat someplace with you. Is that how things normally go?" She waited a moment before adding, "And I'm not saying no...yet, at least." Malla may not have been saying no, but she wasn't saying yes, either. His answer would help her decide if she should try and understand this situation more by saying yes, or if she should decline and go on about her day.

[Duce Hazimari]

"So,you are asking a woman who you just met...to go eat someplace with you. Is that how things normally go?" At this point, Malla would know that he was nervous and embarrassed, because he felt his face starting to show hues of red mixing in with he skin making it purple. "Um..Well...You see it's not like th..that...I..I..I just thought you may hungry is all. I mean..I..would like to treat you out but..No! wait not but I do want to I was just being nice...Not! meaning that in a degrading manner of course I just don't know how you feel about me asking you out...To eat! to eat...yes that's it." Duce sighed letting out a long breath. He already knew the answer. He was terrible at talking to women. he was surprised that she sat there long enough to listen to him stammer and skip over his sentences. He held his head down to the ground happy that he didn't cut his hair yet so it could hide the look on his face. He glanced threw it to see Malla who had her head tilted. Duce pulled his legs out of the water prepared for the worst.

[Malla]

Malla simply grinned as the Akalak rambled on. For one reason or the other, she found this oddly amusing. Why someone his size would be stumbling over words, she wasn't entirely sure, but that's what made her grin. She chewed her lip after a moment when he looked to her through his hair. She should in all reason say no, but...at the same time the poor thing seemed so...nervous. She glanced around as she thought, still chewing on her lip as she did, then sighed and looked to him. "Depends on two things: how far and where?" The Konti had some plans for the day. Of course they simply involved wandering around, but she didn't want to have to back track too much and end up covering the same ground she already had. She knew exactly why she was even considering this; she cared too much. It was a simple, plain answer, but it was the truth. Likely she would regret this, but, well...at least she would have something to eat and Duse seemed nice enough, with no ulterior motives even... That was something at least. She moved to roll her pants back down and slip her boots back on, staying sitting though. Malla watched him carefully for his answer, a curious expression on her youthful face as she looked over his expression for any hints to anything more than he was saying. How she figured it, one could never be too careful with people.

[Duce Hazimari]

"Depends on two things: how far and where?" Duce's face brightened at her response as he let a smile creep from under his hair. Now the question was where would he take her. He himself preferred the sweet treats from the bakery, but that was all the way across town, and would take them a while to get there. Other than Laviku's Secret, he knew of no where else to eat. He pretended to look over in the direction opposite of Malla and quickly counted his mizas. Good, he had enough coin left. For once he got lucky. "Well, it depends on what and how you like to eat. We could go to the bakery which is a long walk, or we could go to Laviku's Secret which is shorter...Oh I'm sorry, if there is somewhere you would prefer then I will have no problem treating you there as well." He looked back up to Malla trying to give off a nice expression. He thought he would never say it, but he wished he had listened to his father when he was teaching on how to be a gentlemen. He took a chime to look away. Why did she intimidate him so much. He was a big, strong warrior, and she was a small Konti with a defensive personality. Who was Malla? Duse found himself rambling on in his head now and shook the thought away. She still hadn't given him an answer. Maybe he was scaring her he was an Akalak after all. Slicking his hair back and laying flat on his back Duse closed his eyes and listened to the sounds around him. Being there was peaceful. Yes the sun baked his skin with it's hot rays but that didn't bother him. Just being in the gardens with company even if they didn't trust him more than they could throw him which was not even a little bit, but it really felt good. He really didn't even care if they went out to eat. he was satisfied with him laying here and she threatening and taking everything he said as hostile. Not that it was a good way to enjoy company, but it felt good. He opened his hazel colored eyes and shifted them toward Malla who looked as if she was still pondering his question. "You know you're right, it is kind of weird and suspicious for someone to ask a complete stranger out to eat...You have every reason to think that I'm like dumb and stupid over there though you still sit here and tolerate me. Thank you, I enjoy your company." He really didn't know where that came from, but it felt like the right thing to do...Only time would tell he figured.

[Malla]

"Well, it depends on what and how you like to eat. We could go to the bakery which is a long walk, or we could go to Laviku's Secret which is shorter...Oh I'm sorry, if there is somewhere you would prefer then I will have no problem treating you there as well." Malla blinked at Duse's words, watching him as he laid down and closed his eyes, staying silent for a while she as studied him. This was...really strange territory for her. Adn the strangeness wasn't making her curious so much anymore as confused. When he opened his eyes and looked towards her, she met his gaze, still studying him and trying to figure out just what she should do and say. She had things to do, didn't she? She had already wasted enough time sitting around in her memories, going anywhere with Duse would just add to that time used up. "You know you're right, it is kind of weird and suspicious for someone to ask a complete stranger out to eat...You have every reason to think that I'm like dumb and stupid over there though you still sit here and tolerate me. Thank you, I enjoy your company." She chewed her lip, shifting around at the Akalak's words. It would take a while before she would sigh, looking apologetic, "You are not stupid. You seem nice and I am glad to have met you," she said slowly, "But I need to go get some things done. Maybe some other time we could spend time to speak or however. Besides, you should keep your mizas for when you need them, not sue them on a random stranger.I am sorry, but it was nice to meet you, Duse." She smiled faintly to him, sounding perfectly honest and the look in her eyes still apologetic but as well showing the bit of nervousness, before she hopped up and would quickly walk off to one of the exits. She felt some guilt over saying no to a perfectly nice person, but she did hope they would meet again. Malla had been honest on that; but she had to keep to her priorities otherwise she would never accomplish anything.