Oh lovely.. another giant... blue one....

[Aleksi]

The Akalak seemed sincere enough when he spoke, so Aleksi stepped down. Her body, once again, finding its way to the bed, where she sat like the last time and took a deep breath, calming herself down. His explanation wasn't much, but then again, she didn't have a much better one either. Her legs crossed as she pointed towards the chairs or the bed, nodding lightly and moving her fingers through her hair. Thinking for a second, she idly looked at the man before whispering Sit... it's fine... And as for wandering around, I am not sure this is the best city for it... Shrugging lightly, she felt her neck crack again and her spine seemed to readjust itself every time she did that. Was she growing old or were the battles wearing her out like Davon? Shaking her head, she continued explaining about Nyka with a somewhat of an annoyed tone to her voice Monks are disturbingly evil, believe it or not... The only man I've met is a human, it seemed, and he is nearly your height... And when I met him, the first thing we did was fight... I've also heard it's far from safe to lurk around at night, especially outside the city walls. Aleksi seemed honest, even worried as she spoke of the city. She knew he probably would have wanted the information anyway, since he just arrived. When he mentioned Riverfall, she smiled. She did pass through it briefly on her way to Nyka, but she would really like to take a closer look at everything there. Maybe, once she decided to go back to Endrykas, if ever, she would have a chance for it. Her mind was rushing all over the place and all of a sudden, she felt her cheeks get a pink shade again. Catching herself considering not going back home was stupid, silly and even dangerous and to think of the reason that she wanted to stay, she didn't even dare to. Her voice seemed to show that she was a lot more at ease as she spoke this time, facing Aren Where do you think you'd stay? I mean... Outside is too dangerous... not saying that you can't fend for yourself, but believe me, you don't want the monks to strip search you....

[Aren]

The tension in the air seemed to lessen as both parties came to a mutual understanding, much to Aren's relief. The offer to sit made by the drykas was certainly a hopeful precursor to a more civilized conversation, which the akalak was more than glad to accept. The girl's concern for the danger the city presented, and by logical extension, for Aren, was touching. He didn't pay it much heed, however. What would be the point of exploring a new place if it was perfectly safe, after all? Still, Aren recognized that he was in a strange place with strange customs and people, and it wouldn't hurt to find out all he could about them. "Wait... you said you met a human about my size?" Unfortunately, this revelation briefly derailed the akalak's train of thought, who had never met a human who could pass for one of his own race. He'd seen some relatively large humans, but never one who was "nearly" an akalak, even if Aren wasn't all that big for one. After a moment, however, he realized that this was not terribly important, and his mind re-focused on the matter at hand. "Never mind that," Shaking the notion off with a nod, Aren's line of questioning shifted to a more relevant topic, "Can you tell me what you know? About the city, I mean," Information was always useful, even if it was limited. A simple tidbit could be the difference between walking into a situation you have no hope of understanding, and being able to extricate yourself from that same situation with minimal difficulties.

[Aleksi]

Following his moves, she seemed a lot more calm, but she knew that she had to be ready to take care of any potential trouble around anyone, especially in this city. And well, after all, she was alone in her bedroom, with a huge Akalak male... Things could go bad in an instant. She nodded lightly as she heard his first question, pointing to the wall right behind her and adding He's in that room over there.... I am hoping we didn't wake him up with all the yelling. Her fingers moved her hands over the boots, undoing them slowly, letting them fall onto the ground since she could barely touch the floor with her toes in the position she was currently taking. Standing up, she went to the bathroom and washed her face, trying to calm herself down completely, before taking the towel and wiping all the water off. When she came out, she went straight for her bag and pulled out two apples, offering one to the Akalak as a way of saying she's going to behave from then on, she sat before to him, on the chair she pulled in. Her voice, now, something he hasn't seen yet. Soft, calm and somewhat feminine, unlike most of her Well.. the city is beautiful and I don't know much about it... Other than that it has a few taverns, there are war zones I think... this hostel is very cheap.. there is not much food about... people are NOT very welcoming... and well, as I said, it seems to be the city of bloody giants... two so far and I wonder if there will be more... She bit into her apple, her curiosity taking over as her eyes moved along the Akalak's skin. It was the first time she had the chance to see one up close and not with anger. His skin seemed so strange. He looked strong. Well built... almost like the warriors she has grown up with, just taller. Her eyes moved away as she bit into the apple again, adding I'd suggest you to always keep one eye open... As I said, I am the least of your problems here... And, if you don't know where to stay, as a token of my trust, or well, me trying to build it up since I need no enemies on this journey, you may stay here...

[Aren]

Aren's eyes followed the movements of the dryka's body as she moved and sat and... removed pieces of her attire. In fact, now that he wasn't in fear for his bodily safety, he noticed that she was quite fetching. "By Wysar... d-do I have a thing for drykas?" Aren wondered, perturbed by the thought that he hadn't noticed this particular proclivity before. It did make an awful lot of sense, though, now that he thought about it. Maybe it was the tattoos... or the crazy. Of course, this was neither the time nor place to ponder what combination of factors attracted him to someone, and his mind quickly returned to the real world. With a hand, Aren waved off the dryka's offer of food, as he was eager to hear the rest of what she had to say. When she mentioned the fact that food was scarce, the akalak was all the more glad he had refused. Not knowing how hard it was to acquire or it's exact availability, he could not, in good conscience, accept her offer. Even so, the offer alone meant a lot to him. Aren smiled at the young woman's concept of a city of giants simply because she had seen a pair of overgrown men. The akalak was well traveled enough that he probably would have heard of a city other than Riverfall possessed of an overabundance of "giants", and so attributed the notion to mere exuberance. "It's true I have not found any permanent accommodations yet, but one of me is already quite a handful. Two, I suspect, would push anyone's resources and patience to the limit," Aren appreciated the dryka's even more generous offer to share in her accommodations, but he could not accept this one either, much for the same reasons. Still, the intent was well received. "Thank you, though. It's very kind of you to make such an offer, especially to a man who's name you don't even know," Smiling warmly, Aren was glad that they seemed to have put their differences aside, even as he pointed out the fact that they had never gotten around to properly introducing themselves. Unfortunately, from what the drykas said, it seemed that making arrangements for himself had become something of a priority. Rising form his chair, Aren gave the young woman a courteous nod and a friendly grin. "My name's Aren, by the way. And if you ever need my help, I'll be glad to give it."

[Aleksi]

Aleksi smiled at him declining the apple. He seemed caring while saying so, so she just added, in a somewhat more of a cheerful tone I will leave it on the table for you... I don't eat much really and these are the ones I got before getting here... It seemed like a fair explanation and she, well, for some reason, would not take no for an answer. Her mind went all over the place again as she looked over the man. She felt this really strange need to touch his skin, to see how rough it his, how difficult it would be to beat an Akalak... if not hitting the... Stopping herself again, she smiled, idly, as her fingers braided the hair on her left side for no particular reason. It was obvious she was curious about him, but the look on her face didn't really give away what kind of curiosity it was... Hearing him speak of the accommodation, she chuckled, shaking her head lightly and with her fingers letting go of her hair just to see it untangle itself as it fell down, she added Xi doesn't live with me... and well, I will not be here tonight anyway, I didn't plan to, that is.. I was going to go out training... so it wouldn't be an issue.. you can rest, take a shower and then find a room tomorrow morning? In all honesty, when all the anger had gone away, she wanted to know more. About his kind, about himself... partly because she was a fighter and knowing other races was always a bonus, and partly because.. well, she was strangely amazed by men ever since she came to Nyka Shaking her head to make herself literally stop staring at him, she stood up and nodded lightly, smiling The name's Aleksi... and I'm a Drykas of the Diamond clan, as you might have guessed by the scars. People usually didn't tend to notice them until she mentioned them, because of the tattoos, but that particular one, on her neck, claw-like scar was very visible if she just moved her hair to the side, which, she did.

[Aren]

Despite her insistence, Aren still could not bring himself to accept her generous offer of food. Normally, he would have no qualms about letting someone buy him a meal or a drink, especially if that person was an attractive member of the opposite sex. Under these circumstances, however, it simply did not sit right with him to accept. Getting the feeling that the young dryka's woman was determined not to be denied, Aren was forced to pretend he hadn't really heard her this time. The akalak doubted that the girl would even notice, busy as she was ogling him like a piece of meat. Truthfully, Aren didn't mind in the least, his concept of physical modesty being practically non-existent. As the drykas explained her living arrangements, the akalak began to form a more cohesive picture of the situation in question. He WAS awful dirty, and the prospect of letting water run over his skin was a welcome one. Hesitant, but desiring, Aren couldn't help but be forced to consider this one. Finally, Aleksi introduced herself, prompting a slight smile from her akalak guest, "I'm afraid I'm not familiar enough with your people to be able to recognize individual clan markings," Aren acknowledged, his experience with drykas usually not delving that deeply into their culture. "As for the scar... I did not notice it," the blue giant stated in earnest, but the truth of his words were uncertain even to him. Aren had been taught never to point out a woman's physical flaws, and his mother had been a good teacher. Years later, it was hard for him to even notice all but the most glaring imperfections. Had he seen the scar? Probably. Did his mind even acknowledged it's existence on a conscious level? Unlikely. At least, that's what he told himself. "You're going to go out training?" Aren suddenly remembered, realizing that perhaps if he could return her generosity, he wouldn't feel so bad about accepting it in the first place. "I really would like to take you up on your offer of a bath, but I could only do that if you allowed me to accompany you in your excursion of the city," the akalak's lips curved upwards, hopeful that she would see this as an equitable arrangement.

[Aleksi]

She smiled warmly as she heard him speak. After all, he seemed not overly cocky or pushy. Standing up again, she looked around for something and finally found it, a second large towel she had in her bedroom, refolding it properly and just dropping it onto Akalak's lap before even hearing him take her upon that offer. She was surprised by the fact that he did not notice the scar. Most people did, even though the rest of them were barely visible. Her fingers idly traced over it, smiling almost as if she was glad to have it. Another strange trait she had, according to other people. Her voice showed even more emotion as she spoke this time, explaining why she was smiling without being asked to I got this when I was fairly young... and Luc was a kitten... that, large, hunting thing was just a baby when I got him... and well, he wasn't trained, so I.... ended up nearly dead... my fault... which is why I love this scar almost as much as that goofy cat Grinning, she then looked at the Akalak again, noticing more and more things about him. The way his hair was shaped, the color of his eyes, the fact that his smiled actually was genuine and that he, unlike most people, including Aleksi, didn't mind being stared at the way she was staring. Then again, it was not one of those stares that were looking for flaws, no. In fact, she was admiring the strange details related to his race... or maybe just him.. she didn't know. Sighing deeply and rolling her eyes, she mumbled Excuse me after catching herself lost in her train of thoughts again. Slowly letting her eyes now roam over the room to pick up all the things she needed for the training session, she nodded, still listening to what he had to say Well, you can come with me... If you want to... there's not much to see though, I mean.. I will just do some acrobatics, maybe some muscle building... or just walk?

[Aren]

Aren shook his head in defeat when Aleksi handed him a towel, realizing that this was just another thing she wasn't inclined to take as a no. On this, however, he could compromise. It was strange, the akalak had to admit, for a woman to like something that was marring her skin. He had found, in all the years he had lived, that those women were few and far between. Vanity and aesthetic appearance was an integral part of almost every culture Aren had encountered, and he did not think the drykas to be an exception. This was a quirk of the person, not the people. "He is... very beautiful," the blue skinned warrior stated in reply to her tale, his eyes, tone and body language hinting that the compliment was not specifically directed at the animal. "I am very good at walking," Aren said, simply, offering a smile as the young drykas tried to explain that he might be bored if he accompanied her on her training. "Maybe I can even help..." the akalak mused, knowing that his experience as a warrior could prove useful for someone trying to better their own abilities. It was also possible that he could learn thing or two from her, as well. After a moment, however, a single whiff made Aren realize that he might not make very good company in his present state. "Do you think I have time for that bath?" He asked, a sheepish grin decorating his face.

[Aleksi]

Aleksi's lips moved up, ready to let go of a growl as he spoke of beauty, but she realized that it was not a bad thing. After all, she loved it, she thought it was beautiful and the man, well, he took his time to actually talk to her, without any visible intention, so the supposed growl turned into a soft smile and a nod. His words on walking made her giggle, for the first time around him. The way she did it showed a part of her inner, more hidden side. It sounded childish, almost playful and that was one of the things she couldn't control the sound of, whenever she let go. At the thought of fighting an Akalak, or even training with one, considering their own martial arts, Aleksi's smile beamed up even more. She had so much she wanted to see and learn from him, even if he was not good at it... but by the attitude, she thought he'd have to be at least competent. Standing up, she started gathering things from around the room. Her daggers, her whip, boots, the second leather top, her cloak, the leather strap and putting it all on the bed. Her eyes, once again, moved to the Akalak as she nodded and added softly Of course, it's a long day, and I planned to come back by twenty-one or so tonight... just to grab some dinner from Vysia and maybe have a chat more with you..... once we get cleaned up and all of that Her fingers then, as if they knew it by heart, started braiding her long, black hair, slowly, but surely, bit by bit of it ended up nearly glued to her head, exposing her neck and back scars as well as windmarks and tattoos. She didn't look at the blue man before her anymore, since she thought he might want some privacy with the bathroom being... rather small.. or at least for him. Her mind was, though, processing all that she gathered up before. Trying to understand what was with her and giants and why was she feeling so comfortable around him all of a sudden. After all, she did consider literally killing him when she first saw him that day...

[Aren]

They both seemed to be getting more comfortable with each other's presence, for which Aren was glad. Giggling was always a good sign, after all. With a courteous nod, the akalak proceeded to get that bath underway. Aleksi's accommodations were humble, so finding the bathroom was not very difficult, but he wished he could wash his clothes as well. Washing himself would go a long way towards improving his sense of cleanliness, but his clothes were almost as dirty as he was. Still, he would have to be satisfied with a simple bath, for the time being. After a few minutes of the water filling the tub, and Aren salivating in response, it was finally full enough to dive in. Of course, not being designed with akalaks in mind, it felt more like he was lying in a cup, but it was a very soothing cup. "Aaahhhh..." the akalak exhaled a breath of relief as he felt what seemed like years of grime peel away from his body. Of course, this moment of sunshine was doomed to be marred by the darkening cloud of Seros' presence. "So, getting friendly with this one? You know that always ends in disappointment," the Other mentioned, mocking Aren's past failures. "That's not true," the akalak tried to defend himself, though he knew that Seros had a point, making the weight of the bastard's argument seemingly greater. And so, Aren did the only thing he really could: try his best to ignore his Other and hope the asshole gave up before he decided to strangle himself. "Ohhh? By my count, your record for longest acquaintance with anyone that isn't an akalak is around a month," Seros chimed, jabbing his brother with the facts of the matter; facts that Aren rarely liked to think about. "You couldn't even stand your own people for more than a few decades. Face it, I am your only constant companion, your only true friend. I am the only person you can be sure will always be by your side," Seros' voice, if it could be called that, was like a needle in the back of Aren's mind. "Eventually, you'll grow tired of your new friend, or she'll grow tired of you, and you will never see each other again. And then, one day, years from now... you'll find you can't even remember her face, or her name, and she will have become just another grave in your cemetery of memories!" Seros' analytic brilliance was his most disturbing trait, aside from his maniacal egotism and propensity for violence. Aren, however, had endured it enough in the past few minutes to last him a lifetime. "ENOUGH!" He shouted, nearly exploding out of his tub. That's just what Seros' was looking for, though; to rattle him, to make him lose his composure. Realizing this, Aren promptly regained it, hoping, likely in vain, that his outburst had not escaped the bathroom. Seros' acquiesced, but a lot of the water in the tub had already been lost. Just as well, as Aren did not believe that being alone with his thought was a good idea at present. Erecting himself, albeit not without difficulty, the akalak used his singular towel to dry himself. After a few minutes, he wrapped the dangerously insufficient cloth around his waist and proceeded to exit the bathroom, forgetting that he was not currently wearing his customary attire. His thoughts burdened by Seros' words, the akalak absentmindedly headed back to where Aleksi had been readying her gear, as he was in need of a second towel.