Soothing the Soul (Open)

[Nero Czan]

Nero muttered a curse under his breath, aimed primarily and solely towards himself. How oblivious was he that, while speaking of his own past filled with turmoil and hardship, that he could simply expect hers was flowers and rainbows. He set down his own pack, the faint clank of metal against ground streaming through the air, and went over to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Please, this is not your fault. The blame lies with me. I sincerely apologize Ora... I don't know why I would think you had a perfect life, and thinking this after speaking of my own history is just salt in the wound. By the Gods, I can be so ignorant some times..." His expression a strenuous conflict of self-anger and sadness. No matter the perspective, Nero had made this woman cry through his insensitivity, and to him, this was near blasphemy. He cleared his mind, saving his mental arguments for later, and applied himself to the matter at hand. With a stern resolve, which more than once has caused more harm than good, he moved within inches of her, and, with a swift motion, wrapped his arms gently around her. His eyes closed and his voice barely above a whisper, he spoke into her ear. "Please... Don't Cry... Listen, it may not mean much coming from me, but.. I'm sure your Mother is with your precious deities, Watching your progress. You are not a gem in the rough compared to the others, because you are beyond comparison. Never forget yourself, your Individuality. You are you, and everything you do is merely an extension of your beautiful self. So please, don't stain your cheeks anymore with your salty tears, but rather, Walk on and live life to the utmost, with an unfaltering step..." Nero was trying generously to ease her sadness, through the only way he felt able. He had lost himself long ago to the darkness of death, and the somber sadness of long-lost memories. However, it was not his parent's deaths that had troubled him back then. It was simply the sight of a woman, dead along the banks of a river, with a slice across her neck, and a bloody knife gripped in her cold hands. He was confused, wondering, not why this woman was so sad as to commit suicide, but rather, why there are people who would drive women to a point like that. He had vowed to himself to always be the utmost gentleman, and to promise that he'd never hurt those close to them, as this woman had been hurt. Something in this scene had triggered this elder memory, and it was not one easily forgotten. All he knew was... He felt comfort from her touch.

[Ora Sa'vina]

Ora twitched slightly when he touched her shoulder, but she relaxed again after the initial contact. As the man spoke apologies to Ora she shook her head slightly, whispering in her own tongue. “Don’t be, don’t be.”

It was an odd feeling for the young Konti, physical contact was not something she experienced much in her childhood for various reasons. The backs of Ora’s hands pressed against Nero’s chest, her small fingers could feel his pulsing heart, as well as the lift his chest gave with each breath. Ora found it silly that the main thing that rain through her mind was He’s warm. Along with that thought caused her cheeks to redden again.

Ora moved her hands slowly from her face, turning the palms to Nero, resting them against his shirt. This was awkward, at least for Ora. Not only was it physical contact, but physical contact from a man. It was like cooties all over again. Even with the awkward feeling, she didn’t push him away; she still found comfort in his embrace.

After he finished speaking, Ora stood still for a moment, silent; her mind was blank while her cheeks burned. “Do not be so hard on yourself, Nero,” Ora said softly to his chest. “I continued talking of my choice.” She fell silent again, her ears listening to the reassuring rhythmic beat next to her ear. “I left my Isle because of my mother,” Her voice was almost below a whisper, her fingers remained still and flat against his chest. “I left for two reasons: to return my fathers weapon and to find what draws me so strongly from my home.” While what she said might not make much sense to the average person, Ora wasn’t sure how else to explain what she felt. The best way for her to speak about her pull was just this force, drawing her away from her Isle home elsewhere. Ora wasn’t sure what it was that called to here, let alone where, but she was determined to find it.

[Nero Czan]

Nero found comfort in her touch. The feel of her soft robe against his arms, the contour of her back against his soft palms. It was a welcome feeling he had not stumbled upon for a long while. He felt involved in this woman's affairs now, and his interest had only grown exponentially since the telling of her story and quest. Regardless, there were somethings that were harder to keep out than others, but it all seemed easier in the presence of this petite Konti woman. Nero let out a sigh of relief, his mind echoing the action. It was all he could do to hold back the vision of the morbid woman along the banks. He had vowed in adolescent naivety to erase that from his memories; to never again be forced to relive the pain. Ever since, Nero had witnessed death, in many forms, and even caused it. His emotions had been reshaped to suit his character, as opposed to the usual vice-versa. He was pulled out of his trance by her soft voice, slightly muffled by the angle. He smiled as he looked down at her, his arms sharing the warmth of their bodies. He could feel her breath against his chest, a gentle brush of air every few moments. His hand rubbed the top of her back as he spoke. "Your Destiny. That's what you're searching for. Everyone seeks it, but not many find it. It's something that most do not encounter until they are taking in their last breaths. There's something about you that tells me you're not like most however." Taking a deep breath, he bowed his head and kissed the top of her head, the silky smooth hair pressing gently against his lips. With his usual smirk, he released his embrace, and held her at arm's length. "Feeling a bit better then?"

[Ora Sa'vina]

Ora’s eyes looked upward at the odd sign of affection. She was reminded of her mother, a goodnight kiss, a sign of care and affection. Ora found this odd, he’d known her but a day and he cared enough to show this affection? Emotions were odd things, frequently leading to odd actions.

As he pulled away, Ora touched her head, as if Nero had left something behind. “I hope you are right.” She smiled, her hands moved from her head to her sides. “Well, at least I have a few years longer to live than you.” She joked, which that alone was an odd thing, Ora didn’t joke, not frequently at least. She moved away from him, breaking the physical contact. “Yes, much, thank you.”

The young woman turned towards the way back to the city. “I do not know about you, but I am famished… Shall we head back?” She smiled as she picked up her bag, quickly wiping the remnants of tears off her cheeks.

[Nero Czan]

Nero chuckled, glad to see her spirits up once again. She did not know how likely that was. Between random adventures, and self-imposed travels, Nero's life-span was shrinking by the month. The idea was not a disturbance to him, but merely a sign that he was indeed living life the way it was meant to be. "I'd say more than a few years most likely. I'm not exactly the most cautious person." He smirked towards her, his expression joyous and re-exhilarated. He was happy to hear her talking more freely however, her shell cracking ever-so-slightly. He was even happier to hear that his deeds had aided her. "I'm glad to be of service, Mi lady." He did a slight bow, half out of mockery, and picked up his belongings, fluidly swinging them over his shoulder. "I'm a bit surprised, maybe even flattered, you didn't freak out about cooties, or however you call them over in the Isles. Good for You, You're loosening up bit by bit." With a playful laugh and a charismatic wink, he turned and started on the path, taking a shortcut back onto the main road, walking beside Ora as they started on their way back to the city. Now that that was over with, Nero could feel his stomach grumbling, and was eager for a nice, hot meal.

[Ora Sa'vina]

A frown crossed her face; the idea of more death was not a pleasant one. She pushed it from her mind. Enjoy the time he has then. She thought, almost bitterly, to herself. Her eyes watched him as a smile crossed her pale skin, with a small bow of her head she spoke again. “Thank you, Nero.”

Ora cocked her head slightly, confused for a moment. “Koo… Tees?” Confusion crossed her face, soon followed by worry. “Is that an illness?” Ora smiled slightly, loosening up was a good thing as far as she was concerned. “I am glad I am loosening up, but I am not sure how I am…”

Ora followed him, her eyes watching the ground beneath her. “What shall we do for supper?” She asked Nero, her eyes moving from the path to straight ahead of them. Her mind was wandering slightly between what she would enjoy having for dinner and the oddities of her first day in Sylira.

[Nero Czan]

Nero shrugged at her question. He honestly hadn't thought about it. He knew the Dragon was well known for their food, however, being a joint Brothel of sorts, he wasn't sure how Ora would handle that. She barely liked being hugged. He chuckled as he imagined her reaction to the openly seductive and likely sexually active women, and their accompanying men. That was a no-go then. The Stallion usually had decent dinners, and in the nights they at least had some sub-par to decent entertainment. "I'm sure Kevith will have something for us, My treat. After all, The Stallion is a fine place in itself, and technically my listed Residence, although that's just so I can collect my mail easily." He smirked at that last tid-bit. He had always been thankful for the little loophole of the system, as it alleviated a good chunk of trouble from collecting from a government office. "Plus, we may even get to be entertained, depending on if anyone's stumbled in and taken up the offer of free ale." As he walked, he occasionally glanced to Ora. Her mind was obviously working in over-time, most likely trying to process all that had happened. As he reviewed the events, he was a bit surprised by all of them, and could understand how someone of her mentality might be overwhelmed by it. Nero had grown accustomed to such packed, and often random, days, and had such grown to be able to quickly process events and move on swiftly to another. He wasn't entirely fond of the current silence however, and, knowing that the Konti were still essentially human after-all, decided a little fun was in order. As he glanced around at the forest, illuminated orange by the setting sun, he inconspicuously walked closer to Ora, until he was about half an arm's length away, and then, with a gentle touch but playful demeanor, a hidden hand probed her side, tickling her right below the ribs, before swiftly retreating to Nero's side. All the while he simply looked around at the golden leaves, casually feigning innocence, as was a habit of his.

[Ora Sa'vina]

Ora nodded to Nero, the stallion it was. The young woman didn’t know of anywhere else to eat, so that would do quite well. “If you do not actually live there… Then where is it you live?” She asked with a small expression of confusion. Her perplexed face only grew at the mention of ale. “Ale? What is that?”

Ora walked in silence, her mind off to herself, partially ignoring her surroundings. She noted as Nero moved closer, glancing over at him, she didn’t think much of it and went back to her own thoughts. Once his hands touched her, tickling her side, Ora almost crumpled, making a small, high pitched noise of surprise and even a little terror.

“Why did you do that?” She asked, her walking stopped, as her hands held her side where the event occurred. It had indeed tickled, but it wasn’t just that, it was the amount of physical contact she had received in a single day. While her mother and sisters loved her, it wasn’t common for highly physical shows. A small frown crossed her face. “What was that?” Ora, had indeed, never been tickled, she had been hugged, and kissed, but never tickled.

[Nero Czan]

Nero smiled to her as he extended his arms to encompass the wilderness around him. "This is my home, and my true residence. I find nothing more soothing and relaxing than a beautiful night under the stars, or on the fringe of a lake. Therefore, I decided, that since the object of sleeping is usually to ease the body and mind, I pieced two and two together, and decided that the Wilderness was not as evil as people made it out to be. Sure, I get some wolves every now and then, maybe a few thieving critters, but I've long since learned how to cope and adapt to them." He shrugged, not realizing how strange it actually was to not have a true home, a definite place of residence. But that must be his Drykas nature speaking, as the nomadic blood has always influenced Nero in ways he had not understood. "Ale? You know, Beer, Liquor, Alcohol? The Good Drink. Kevith offers free ale to any entertainers that wish to try their hand at performing during the nights." He kept forgetting her exposure to the world was completely estranged from his. Nero stifled a laugh, occurring more so from her reaction than his antics. He also forgot her upbringing in this situation, and how exotic all of this must be to her. But, a tickle was a universal symbol of childhood play, or at least so he thought. Nevertheless, it had seemed to be more of a spook than a curiosity that overwhelmed her, and so Nero put on a sympathetic smile as he spoke, "My apologies, I didn't mean to frighten you like that. You've never been tickled, as a kid? I had thought that all kids did that while playing around.." It felt indeed as if he was teaching a kid, explaining the mysteries of his world to a child who had no prior knowledge of it. After she had held her sides and frowned at him, Nero let out a small sigh. "I'll take that as a No. Once again, I apologize." He had made the connection that her near-terror was not only due to his latest antic, but, as he returned to reviewing the events of the day in greater detail, he realized he had probably given her more physical contact than she would receive in a month or so. And the fact that he was a He was another story entirely. That's why, with a smirk, and a playful ring in his voice. "I'm also sorry for being so touchy with you. I understand you're not exactly used to it, let alone from a man." He resisted the urge to use Manly Man, but decided there were limits to his play, and that in essence, he was still apologizing. "I'm grateful that you've put up with it however, Ora. It means a lot to me, especially in your case. I guess I'm just a very physical kind of person." He shrugged, refusing to let her know how far that truth penetrated. "So, to make it up for you, There'll be no more touching from me for the rest of the day, on my word." He held up his right hand, in more of a mocking fashion, and smirked towards her. "That work with you, mi lady?" The epitaph was more of his now usual harmless play, but one he found had suited the calm and composed, if not a bit edgy, woman quite well. Nero was always fond of formalities anyways, or at least, some of them. He stood and waited for her to continue her stride, hoping she would accept his concessions and move forward, hopefully with one more tiny crack in her lonely shell.

[Ora Sa'vina]

Small violet eyes looked about, a smile forming on her face. Surprising. She thought to herself, she wasn't expecting Nero to be so in love with nature, at least from her first encounter with him she didn't believe he was the flower-loving type. "It is hard to argue with that logic," Ora responded to him with a soft smile.

Ora's head cocked slightly as he spoke of ale further. A small shake of her head was what she gave him before speaking again. "I do not think I have ever had any of that." Ora thought for a moment, her mother might have mentioned it in passing, but Ora couldn't remember the details that her mother shared with her. "So... If you preform in the tavern he will give you a free drink?" Ora was slightly tempted, but would never be able to dance in front of a crowd.

Ora shook her head slightly, her hands relaxing from her side. "No need to apologize. You simply surprised me." Ora looked at the ground as she continued to walk, catching up with Nero and walking fairly close to him. "I was a bit like you as a child. I did not interact with other children very frequently, aside from training, I was frequently alone or with my mother." Violet eyes looked up at the clouds which were tinged a vibrant orange-pink. "San was not very physically affectionate... I think that is the best way to explain it."

Pale cheeks tinged pink again as Nero continued to talk. "It seems that you are a very physical person," She parroted him, smiling slightly. "Do not apologize for who you are, Nero, I said before, I would not have you any other way and that still rings true." Violet eyes landed on Nero, her pale pink lips curling into a smile. "Please, Nero, call me Ora, I think we may have passed such formalities a while ago." A small chuckle escaped her lips while she nodded slightly. "That will work for me, Nero, thank you."

As they continued to walk, Ora began to think about how different her raising was from not only other Konti, but from Nero. It was strange how frequently others used physical contact in daily life. Shaking hands, hugs, kisses, even violently physical contact seemed to be a staple in most individuals lives.