Open Going In Circles (Ximal)

[Toggie]

29th spring 513AV. Toggie thought to herself as she could feel herself getting more and more nervous. She was lost. Not just lost. Horribly lost. Not only that she was lost in a city with unfamiliar people and places and she felt like everyone was staring at her. Although they probably weren't, her stomach still coiled and knotted. As she crept down another unfamiliar street she reached behind her head and tied her scarf on a bit tighter so it pressed close against her cheeks before she grabbed the hood of her grey cloak and pulled it over her head. Hoping if she hid herself she'd be ignored by undesirables. She kept her hands tucked under her cloak, pressed against the few scarves of different colors that she kept tied tight around her waist. A few she brought for the trip in case she wanted to wear something prettier. If an appropriate situation appeared. But now being pretty was the last thing on her mind. She just wanted to disappear. The sound of her shuffling footprints disappeared behind the overpowering sound of her own thoughts. "I could just go home. I should go home. I'd rather be safe and hidden behind the walls of a familiar building." When she'd first arrived she was excited to be away from her home in Syliras. This was the kind of adventure she'd loved to hear stories about, right? Should she ask for help? She hated having to converse with people. Talking to people always made her feel like they could see right through the scarf on her face and that they were judging her with every word. But she had to try... "Uhm... Excu-"... She started to say to a passerby. But she was far to quiet and they carried on without a slight turn of the head. "Oh dear..." She whispered to herself as she pulled her scarf up the bridge of her nose for the hundredth time that day. "I'm going in circles... What do I do?" She glanced around and then shrugged with a heavy sigh."Keep circulating... I guess." Toggie kept walking, head down aside from the few times when she'd make herself brave enough to try and get someone's attention. Failing again and again. Why did she have to be so nervous?

[Ximal]

Xi yawned slowly, something about the day was dragging, he's been out of bed hours but he hadn't had a chance to get around to fully waking from his slumber. His hood up and drawn, his guise as a nykan monk working wonderfully, bar his gigantic height as always. Shambling down the streets he let the thoughts buzzing around his head try and rouse him from his daze. It was the same thing he had repeating on his mind for what seemed like an eternity. What happened in the aperture was slowly playing over his mind. in a never ending loop. The simplistic events giving rise to an ever growing number of questions, whilst he was down there though he'd only gotten to ask six...Now he had a million questions and no-one to answer them. Xi sighed lightly and headded down the streets, his eye's scanning the crowd, but before he could go to far he spotted something strange. A person with a wrapped face. However she was trying to ask people for help and like the usual populace of nyka just walked on by . Xi sighed, last time he';d done something like this it'd earned him a cut along his back. Still though he couldn't fight his helpful nature, that and this person looked somewhat interesting, reminding him somewhat of his little thief friend Ana. Xi just hoped her fingers weren't quite as sticky. As Xi drew closer to her the aura of intimidation from him came off unknowingly, like thin layer of chill. As Xi drew closer he looked down at her lightly the deep iridescent black blue eyes of his peering into the soft confused brown ones of hers. The shadow of his hood hiding most of his face. A small smile friendly but hidden in the shadows looked a little malevolent. Then he spoke, his tone warm his volume low and his voice deep. "Excuse me, you seem a little lost. Is there anything i can do to help? " Leaving his hood back slowly he revealed his features that malevolent smile now just purely friendly. He was after all only trying to help.

[Toggie]

Toggie had barely taken what felt like a few more steps when a figure appeared standing before her. With her head down she hadn't noticed him getting closer so to her it was like he appeared out of thin air. She looked up a bit... Then a bit more.. Then more. As she stared up at the much larger man she felt her entire turn cold with fear for but a moment. This was it. She was caught. A suspicious figure. She'd never make it back home at all! Then he spoke. "Excuse me, you seem a little lost. Is there anything i can do to help? " He sounded honest enough. However it was hard to get past the size and the familiar attire. Toggie remained a bit intimidated. Yet the icicles-piercing-the-skin feeling from before eased. Then once he lowered his hood, his face friendly. She felt herself slowly relax. However, when she spoke next she did it while looking downward. "Oh... Uhm..." She struggled at first but soon she was able to form proper words and then thread them into sentences. "Possibly." She said in her own raspy yet oddly sweet voice. "You see, I've never been to Nyka before and I just arrived and now..." She sighed. "...Now I'm dreadfully lost. Could you tell me where I am?" As she spoke she fiddled with a piece of her dark hair. Still trying to keep her thoughts under control. This man looked like a monk. Her father warned her about them. Said they were a violent type. But towards who? That wasn't clarified. Oh well. Without someone's help she'd likely end up wandering the streets of Nyka for several bells.

[Ximal]

Ok Xi thought as he stood there in front of her. At least she's not pulling a knife on me. Xi awaited a response from the person before him the scarf over her face making him curious but he thought he'd better leave it be. It wasn't any of his business what she worse it like that for, after all everyone had things they wanted to hide. Her words cam out slowly and a little jumbled. First a little bit of a stammer, was she not sure what to say or was she just nervous around him? As she spoke Xi listened carefully trying to make out what she was saying over the sound of the crowd and the quietness of her voice. But she confirmed she was lost, and that she'd only just arrived today. Which was fair enough , nyka was a big city he'd been here for about a quarter of a season and he was still a little overwhelmed. Xi kept his smile lightly as he spoke. "So your a new arrival, it's ok I understand the feeling of being overwhelmed in this place i've only been here for around twenty days myself, and it's still a little confusing. " Taking a lightl breath Xi brought his hand up lightly to stroke the light beard he'd been growing again. "Well right now were in the west quarter of the city. If your going to be staying a while I'd recommend visiting the hostel, it's where foreigners like me stay, it's a nice enough place, if a little crowded at the moment." Xi took the same hand up and around to scratch a small itch on his head just above his ear. "So yeah if you want i can take you there ? It's a little ways away from here, and as far as navigating this place goes. The central square is east of here. Use that as your reference. It'll tell you which part of the city your in. Also the paintings on the houses should help, they change depending on the quarter as well."

[Toggie]

Toggie's eyes shifted from side to side, something she always did when she was thinking. She kept her head down as she listened to the man's words. He explained that he hadn't been here long. But if he was a monk... that didn't make much sense. Or did it? She didn't have a clue. Then again, neither did the way he was acting. She wanted so badly to ask. But of course, she didn't. What if her words angered the man? "Yes... I'm... I am not used to travelling." She said after his comment about her being a "new arrival." Then when he began to explain where they were. She looked up finally to do a quick look around. Now that her location had a name, she wanted to make sure to memorize it. But when a passerby looked relatively in her direction, she ducked her head back down and continued to listen. All the while she continued to toy with her hair. A couple of the fingers of her right hand were yet another ugly part of her. Their skin was pink and had the translucent appearance of a scar. Her ring finger barely moved, it was stiffened and remained when the rest of her hand moved. Yet she was so used to them that she was unphased as she fiddled. When he mentioned a place she could stay she stopped fidgeting and looked back up again for a moment. Her eyes showing interest. "Yes!" She said in a high-pitched tone before she paused and remembered to control her volume. "Yes. That is what I am looking for." Then when he offered to help, she thought about declining... But she really didn't want to get lost again. "Uhm. Would you mind? It would be a real help."

[Ximal]

Why was she keeping her head down. Strange, but then again she wsa somewhat of an oddity in this city. So in the end Xi just shrugged it off, from teh way she was acting she seemed nervous. That was somewhat understandable, new city strange man. Strange HUGE man. So again Xi let the nerves slide. As she spoke again responding to his statements admitting she wasn't used to travelling Xi really had to let the nerves go it was probably for the best. Though Xi noticed she had a habit of playing with her hair at times. What ever the issue was there Xi would also let that lie, but still he'd picked up on it. Something useful to file away for later. Still as Xi told her about the hostel she sparked into life a loud high toned yes. Almost signalling this what she was looking for. well at least he now knew of what she was after and was glad that she was accepting his assistance to help lead her there. Xi straightened up a little and spoke out in the same friendly tone. "Well c'mon then i'll lead the way just stay close I'd hate to loose you in the twists of the city." Xi smirked and turned to lead her through the streets at a slow but manageable pace. heading towards the celestial square before heading towards the hostel. The building stood out a little from the others more of a large structure. "This is the hostel, it's a fair amount of money to stay here but then again it is a fair amount. So I'll let you book a room or do what you wish here. I'l wait out side and then once your done perhaps I can help you find anything else that you are looking for around this huge city ?"

[Toggie]

Toggie listened to him speak before she felt a smile pull on the "normal" side of her mouth. She nodded when he began to lead and followed along. As she walked her pace varied. She was trying to find the perfect "in-between" of "staying close" and "keeping a safe distance." But after a while she felt she found a good pace. "You're too kind, sir." She said finally. Now even her posture seeming a tad more comfortable than before. But still cautious. "...I was starting to think no one was going to help me and I'd end up miles away before I found what I was looking for..." Now that she felt less hopelessly lost she became more interested in the unfamiliar surroundings. There were also very interesting people here. Toggie loved to people-watch. But she had to make sure not to get too distracted just in case she ended up separated from the only person who'd payed her any mind since she'd arrived. Then she'd have to start all over again. When he pointed out the large structure before them Toggie stopped to stare for a moment. "Oh for..." She said before she directed to the building with her hand. "I was nowhere near here! I was going the wrong way!" She sighed heavily and shook her head slowly before she paused for a second at the last thing the man said. "Alright... If you really think that's alright... I mean..." She bit her lip under her scarf. "Yes... I'll... I should be right back.. I." She looked at the building and then back to the man. "My name is Toggie by the way."

[Ximal]

Well this was one of his good deeds for the day, and it was helping take his mind off of the trials and tribulations., that lay ahead of him. Though from behind him as they walked he heard her voice again still quiet. Mostly thanking him for helping her out. It wasn't much trouble, after all there was little that he had planned today. So it wasn't wasn't a problem for him to help her find her way around this city, after all it was an imposing place, not including the colossal fissure running through the centre of the city. Still Xi lead her to the hostel only to be greeted with the monumental sigh and a chastising of herself. Xi really didn't know what to say after all. It was easy to get lost here. Xi had for a lot of time. Then her shy voice came again. and Xi smirked lightly. Yeah it's fine, it's not a problem for me, after all once you know the key point of the city to look for navigation is pretty easy should you get lost. Her voice sort of trailing as she mentioned her name. Xi smirked and responded. "Well toggie, my name is Ximal, call me Xi. And i'll be here just let me know when your done in the hostel."

[Toggie]

Toggie listened closely to what the man said his name was. She had a pretty good memory, however with a name she wondered if she could pronounce properly, she was happy for the nickname option. Afterwards she nodded and took a step towards the hostel. "Alright then, I guess in that case... I wont be long... Thank you again." She said before hurrying to the front door and slowly opening it before clearly examining the first view that greeted her on the inside... and stepping in. She did her best not to take up too much time. So she set her shyness aside and rushed through the booking process. Ignoring all looks of suspicion. She didn't need to be here long anyway. However she did pull her hood down off her head just in case it helped make her look a bit less threatening. When she eventually left the building, she left with a relieved feeling. Ximal was right about the price. A good amount but she had to admit it was fair and what she'd expected from coming all this way. But now she'd found where she was going. There was still time before she had to meet with anyone, and she didn't have to sleep up a tree. All considerably good things. "Alright. I guess I'm done." She said when she returned to where the friendly man stood. "... Father was right. There are monks absolutely everywhere!" She glanced back over her shoulder at the hostel when she said so. Then she paused, thinking over what she'd just said. "Oh! Uh... Not that it's a bad thing... I was just... Just noticing." She said before laughing nervously. Afterall, she still wasn't 100% sure on exactly what this man was.