Oh Look, It's You! (Taln)

[Nikavi]

Summer 30th, 511 AV
Lunch Hour

Five days had passed since Nikavi had met that Dek, and she had wondered why it had been so long. Several times in a day she considered him and his odd secrecy, and wondered what he was keeping from her. Her promise to him hadn't faded out of her mind either, and some bells during the night found her wondering about if he would have been more accepting if she were a Dek as well. He seemed to dislike her because she was merely a Yasi, but maybe he'd be nicer if she shared a caste with him. Even if she were Avora she'd keep her promise and raise his caste. She liked the Dek. He had spirit and would do very well if he lived long enough.

The Avora she was working for, a glass blower, saw that his current assistant's mind was elsewhere, and swung out at her impatiently, hitting her with the hot piece of metal he used to hold the glass aloft over the fire, burning her through her top and causing her to gasp and step back. She looked at him and fought to keep the anger out of her eyes as he proceeded to give her a good tongue lashing, accompanied with a swift blow to the side of her head that left her dizzy for a few chimes, gripping a work table as she regained her balance.

A smile almost flashed across her lips, but the Yasi knew that she was already on thin ice with a stressed Avora who would take even a simple smile as a personal affront. The dumb Avora wouldn't understand that she found no discontent in being beaten for what she was doing. It made her want to laugh. In all honesty, it really was her fault for being short on attention. The Avora's work was important. It was something taught to her by her mother when she was younger.

The Avora barked out an order for her to get something to eat and tend to the burn on her chest before it became infected and then to return back to work in two and a half bells, which would be ample time for her to get her whits about her. She nodded, still silent, and almost skipped her way out of the glass worker's shop.

Her gold eyes glittered mischievously as she looked around for something to do. The Avora had erased her thoughts about Dek Taln for now, the heat of the burn and the mark on the side of her face as distracting as thoughts of getting her eagle and hunting. She had no mind for food, but she went and retrieved herself some bread and salted fish anyway for later. As for her burn, she didn't mind it. It was just a burn in her opinion. Some things that could have happened would be undoubtly worse.

[Taln]

Taln stumbled out the door of the woman's quarters, by a helpful shove of her hand. A different hand threw a half filled wineskin at his head to help send him on his way. Irritated, Taln picked up the skin and finished tugging on the dirty bryda. He decided to go looking for a quiet spot as far away from Avoras as he could manage. He wiped a hand over his tired face, after a long night. His green eyes searched for a bit of shade in the noonday sun, hoping to just rest for a bit. That was way more than a ten bell shift, and there would be no pay for -that- job. Judging by the crowds, it looked to be lunch time for the rest so it would be crowded. Lovely. He scratched at the two day growth of stubble and felt the sweat run down his back. Another scorching summer day. At least he had half a wineskin. He shrugged and took a deep slug, thankful for something to slake his thirst. Where could he hide for the next couple bells? The bathhouse would be full on a petching hot day like this so that wasn't an option. He'd visit the warrens later as the sun set so he could visit Reech. He'd left water and half his breakfast so the chick should be alright...he hoped. As much as Taln would love to spend every minute with the little one, he just couldn't. The copper haired man saw something small, female and red haired walking directly at him, far too quickly to dodge. About three paces away, unavoidably, it was that Yasi. Nikavi, he remembered from a few days ago. The one who'd promised him the world when she had no petching clue how to keep herself alive from one day to the next. He stopped still in his tracks with a smirk as -she- was about to run into -him- this time.

[Nikavi]

Nikavi had her eyes lowered, her attention having been diverted inwardly again as her fingers unneringly sought out the point that had been struck the hardest when the Avora had hit her. Still, she managed to avoid most of the bodies around her, but a particularly dirty pair of bryda stirred her memory and she bumped into the wearer, hard enough to jolt her arm and pull the skin of her burn. She stopped and turned to look at the person she had run into, and the words of apology on her tongue died as she saw the very same Dek that had earned her a decent couple of hits from an Avora. She would have smiled, but she suspected he'd get angry over that. So instead, even if her head was hurting, she flooded djed into her eyes and became aware of taste and sight that showed what the people around her were feeling. His aura was a fluctuating green and yellow-orange mess.

"Why, hello Dek Taln," she said quietly. "I was just thinking about you." She dropped her hand from the side of her face. She didn't want him to think an Avora's strike was causing her discomfort. He'd probably lecture her about the beating he'd received and expect her to find that awe inspiring. "What were you doing standing there like that?" She held the cloth with her food tightly to her body so no passerby could see it and demand for it. "I could have knocked you on your ass."

Her gold eyes shone brightly as she tried, like the last time, to get a good view of his eyes. She'd have to cut his hair one day, whether he was willing or not. Or even have it brushed out of his eyes. It was bothering that he didn't like to look people in the face. "Rough night?" She asked, in regards to the odd colours of his aura.

[Taln]

Taln averted his emerald gaze from her quickly. She had an annoying habit of standing directly under his face to try and make him stare at her in public. Yet again, she's trying to get me killed. "You remembered my name Yasi Nikavi." The thick noisy crowd made him nervous and edgy at best. He worded his reply carefully, knowing how many ears were nearby. Taln's eyes were drawn to the movement of her hand from her face and he stared, scowling at the mark on her face. The man could smell burnt flesh coming from Nikavi. He took her elbow in his hand, swiftly guiding her out of the crowd and off to a side street. The man frowned fiercely, his green eyes blazing as he practically dragged the young yasi to the infirmary. "And as for back there, a sparrow yasi like you couldn't knock me on my ass by accident, that's for damn sure. Now on to the real issue. I know that stink anywhere. You're working for a glassblower Avora, aren't you? I don't need an answer as I can smell the burnt skin." Taln voice deepened into a low and furious growl. When they were finally near their destination, he let go of her little elbow with barely repressed fury. "Do you have a death wish or something? I don't see you for a few days and you can't even keep your skin intact with yasi status?! And then you use that Djed shyke on me? Are you kidding me?" Taln barely resisted the urge to shake some sense into that crazy little yasi, and clenched his large fists instead. The man glared down into her face and placed a deceptively gentle and large hand on her thin shoulder..and firmly pushed until her butt hit the ground. "Stay there Yasi Nikavi, I'll be right back so I can play nursery maid." The dek stormed off into the infirmary with quick strides. In barely two chimes he returned with a clean cloth, a half of lemon, and honey. As soon as Taln was back within ear shot, he sat down next to her and whispered urgently to the young yasi. "Now turn and look at the healer, Nikavi and show him that the supplies are indeed for you. Make sure he sees the giant bruise on your face and the burn." The healer nodded and turned back inside to close the door. "Sit still. This will sting at first. I'll talk to you while I work." His large hands were remarkably gentle as he brought a lemon half to the bruise on her cheek and moistened it in small circles. Taln may not have been a healer, but surviving this long meant he'd learned at least how to take care of the basics on his own. "I was standing there because in that crowd, I couldn't get out of the way. You'd have more of a chance of falling over than I would, short stuff." Next he poured a bit of wine onto the clean cloth and then dipped it in the small container of honey. Taln watched her face for a moment and decided not to worry about propriety when the girl was injured. Not a horrible burn, but not insignificant. Either way it needed immediate tending. It would hurt to treat it at first, but the honey would later soothe it so he'd have to think of something to say. As he very carefully dabbed at the burn, he said in an embarrassed tone, "Rough night doesn't even begin to cover it. I barely made it out there with my bryda!" The man's mouth was very red, his coppery hair was disheveled more than ever and he had a few new scratch marks on his shoulders. "Looks like we both got to spend some time with those evil eyed Avora's didn't we?"

[Nikavi]

Nikavi was sorely tempted to stick out her tongue playfully at her Dek, but she reigned the impulse in because she felt the others nearby would react a little harshly. "Of course I remembered your name." She said, almost teasingly. His aura was a cool lavender, which said he was nervous. It was like he feared crowds, which wasn't such a big leap since people tended to mean on members of his caste more than others.

When he took her elbow, she squawked like a startled robin. She caught the glint in his eye and squirmed in worry at the firm grip he had on her. She felt like a little child again with the size of the Dek's hand compared to her elbow. She almost wanted to laugh, but she wondered if it would make him angrier, since she already thought he was mad at her. His aura alone flashed with fierce colors as he tugged her towards the infirmary irresistibly.

"You don't have to get so mad," Nikavi said once they were alone. She spoke quietly compared to his fierce growl. "You act almost possessive." At that she chanced a small smile, trying to diffuse the angry glow of his aura. But at mention of that "djed shyke" she withdrew said djed from her eyes and rubbed away the little ruby droplets from the corners of her eyes afterwards with smallish, long fingered hands. "I wasn't paying attention, Taln, and my the Avora didn't like that." Her gold eyes narrowed fiercely as well, but she was still forced down into a seated position on the ground, which undoubtly dirtied her bryda. He had left before she could say anything to stop him and she managed to really scowl like a petulant child.

His return erased her scowl and her gold eyes flashed to what he was holding in confusion before she did as she was instructed, allowing the healer to see her bruise and burn before her hand once again rose to press into the burn and feel it. "Is it really that big?" She whispered self-consciously. "It's really not that bad..." A hiss cut off her words before she shut it up and sat still for him to do as he wanted, the touch much gentler than she assumed it would be. She wondered if he was afraid of breaking her face. "I didn't ask you to play nurse for me, Dek... You don't have to," she told him quietly, doing her best not to fidget. Whenever she moved her arms, her tattoos shifted in an almost living way, like she was ruffling her feathers restlessly.

She smiled at his words, reminded of how they encountered eachother that last time. "Oh, but it wasn't I who fell over when you ran into me the last time, now was it? Light weight." She squirmed as he began to dab at her burn, more uncomfortable over the soreness than the invasion of certain privacies. "How do you know how to fix these things? Why don't you do them to your scratches too?"

"I'm glad you have your bryda, Taln." She reached up and patted his head. It wasn't meant to be a condescending gesture. She didn't really touch people. "Not all of them are so evil," she said quietly. "But I admit... Most are very unpleasant." She smiled then afterwards, not letting even an Avora keep her down. "Thanks."

[Taln]

Taln gave a short bark that was almost a laugh, "Possessive? Baby Yasi, I'm trying to keep you in one piece long enough to survive being a yasi. You--you were handling hot metal, hotter glass and chemicals and you weren't paying attention? If I was your Avora, I'd flay your back wide open! Don't mess up your chances of getting status Nikavi!" He worked at applying the wine and honey as he scolded the girl like a recalcitrant child. Even in broad daylight, he had to squint fiercely at the smaller bits and his face ended up about three inches from Nikavi's. She'd wanted a better look at his face last time, and there was no escaping it now. "What was more important to think about than your future status?I can answer that for you--nothing. You don't wanna end up a dek like me. With your mouth, you be beaten to death in under a bell." With obedience ingrained for so long, he answered the girl's questions immediately without a moment's hesitation. "I've been to the healers so many times, that I know the basic stuff to do on my own. When they see me, they just give me the supplies and tell me to do it myself and not waste their time on dek shyke." The man finally finished up with tending to the wounds and set the things aside. Although he sat on the ground facing the yasi, he was still taller than her. "What scratches? Oh." His face and neck flamed for a chime as he remembered how he got the scratches. "Uh.. those aren't ...severe enough to warrant any attention Nikavi." Now that he was convinced that the girl was safe and tended to, he could exhale in relief. Taln's face was already too close to the girl's to avoid anything. "Yea I like my bryda too." Since last time, he'd gotten a hair more accustomed to the yasi's strange need to touch. When the young girl patted his hair, for a long chime, he really -did- feel like he was her 'pet' somehow and he felt a bit of his dignity stolen from him. He shifted back to sit up straight, strongly resistant to the enforced intimacy and wanted to put things at a more comfortable level. "You can call Avoras unpleasant all you like Nikavi, but if they stole -your- perfect sight and -your- future, we'd see the real girl behind the yasi caste. Survival isn't a joke for me; it's a day to day thing that doesn't come easy for a dek." While his words scolded, Taln's face spoke more of worry for the young girl's safety. Taln took a long swallow from the wineskin to ease his parched throat. "You're welcome yasi. You -need- a nursemaid babysitter. " He smirked at her with a hint of amusement in his clear green eyes.

[Nikavi]

She almost let disappointment show when he barked out his laughter. She didn't want him to laugh at her, though, and so she managed to hide it away before it stayed on her face too long. "I was thinking about my Dek," she said quietly. "I didn't do anything wrong, I didn't fumble. My mom taught me how to do glassworking. This Avora was just stressed and he swung out with me with his iron clamp. I'm fine though." She smiled at the Dek, not letting a headache get her down visibly. "Anyway. If I didn't get status, you'd like me more," she said airily, as though this didn't matter.

She smiled slightly at what he said and leaned her face forward to kiss his forehead. It was really just a light touch, and she did it because she knew now because she understood he'd be a mix of afraid and angry if she did it where others could see and take an interest. She would have hugged him as well, but she didn't want to push her luck. The only person she'd hugged before since she became a Yasi was Rista.

"That's harsh, Taln," she replied to his revelation about the healers. She couldn't do anything however. Unless she was Endal or a very important Avora. Even then certain things among the Inarta were unchangeable. "You aren't Dek shyke to me." Gold eye sparkled as she smiled again.

"Survival isn't a joke for me either." Nikavi said, the gold darkening to something more serious. "I would accept what is given to me, though, and make the best out of it. You should try it one day. But if it helps you 'survive' better, do you want to see the color of emotions too? So you can see it before someone swings at you?" She bit her tongue afterwards. His tone earlier had spoken that he didn't like djed. She didn't want him to tell others she knew how to use djed. That would mean her life would be forfeit to whomever claimed her for whatever purpose, whether to punish a magic user or to over use her to detect emotions in others. Bad things happened to those who dabbled in magic, her teacher had warned.

She smirked at him afterwards, then stuck out her tongue. "Good thing I have you then, right Taln?" She said. She held out her little thing of food. "I don't think anyone would like seeing a Dek with money, so do you want something to tie under your bryda for later?"

[Taln]

"You wasted training time thinking about -me-? You can't let your mind wander for a heartbeat doing that kind of thing!" Taln was about to give her a good telling off until he saw her hurt expression and heard the rare quiet quality in her voice. The girl's smile seemed strained and he noticed a vein throbbing at her temple. He'd been too harsh in his concern for the girl, but she was already getting the wrong impression and it needed nipping in the bud-fast. Taln would see to that in a chime. He put his hands on each side of her face and put an index finger on both sides of the top of her spine. He made small circular motions, knowing it would ease the pain in a few chimes. The man continued on in a much softer tone and decided to help with the head ache while he was at it. "That statement is pure garbage Nikavi. In fact it's the opposite way entirely. If you -lose- status, then you'll get killed in no time and I'd lose any respect for you if you didn't try with every ounce you have to get more status. Don't you -dare- throw away your future for a dumbass dek like me!" He scowled furiously at Nikavi, his emerald eyes blazing. "You say in a half chime pretend promise you'll raise my status and then in the next breath you wanna be a useless dek and throw away your life?! I swear I'm g--" Taln abruptly jerked back like he'd been slapped at her impulsive kiss on the forehead, nearly falling backward. His knee-jerk reaction along with his widened eyes would be funny if he hadn't looked so instantly scared. He scooted backward nearly a foot away and looked at her in complete surprise, his eyebrows nearly raised to his hairline. About to say something, he opened his mouth and then closed it again like fish gasping for air. 'No no no-what the petch is she doing?! This kid is acting like she...nuh uh.' The man couldn't even finish the thought to himself and he shook his head until the merely disheveled hair was a coppery mess. He looked intently into the yasi's face, scowling (squinting) hard. "No way, nuh uh yasi. You're a nice little girl, but let's not go there ok? If you want a dek friend like me, that's your choice, but save your kisses for your future mate. I'm an adult and you're the most innocent little yasi I've ever met, Nikavi. Don't throw away your survival and status on thinking about a dek with pretty eyes. If I see or hear even a -hint- of this bird shyke again, I won't even speak to you unless it's forced orders. You understand me?" He took a large slug from the wineskin, not liking this conversation a bit. She was a silly and adorable little yasi so he didn't want to hurt her feelings, but no petching way was he gonna encourage her crush. Nikavi was naïve enough to assume they'd 'live happily ever after' if she suddenly lost status! Her outspoken mouth would have her killed at the first thing she uttered. Look how quickly she'd gotten herself hurt, just -thinking- about him! He had to protect her, but how could he do that without her thinking of love bird scenarios? She'd apparently been talking while he was thinking and the meaning of her words only started sinking in. "You make your eyes bleed and you want to show me how to make mine bleed too? I bleed from an injury on a daily basis already Nikavi, I'm not sure my body could take more. Besides, is that even allowed to teach that to a dek?" His green eyes caught and held onto the food she held out in her little hands, and he played with the piercing on his lower lip as he stared at it hungrily. As much as the dek wanted to grab it, he couldn't, wouldn't take food away from a little girl's mouth. "That's -your- lunch isn't it Nikavi? You gonna make me force feed you your lunch on top of wiping your scrapes?" He teased her with a light tone and gave a half smile. "I really -am- your nursemaid today, aren't I?"

[Nikavi]

She tensed as his hands lifted to the sides of her head, stiffening briefly with instinct. She wasn't a well-beaten girl on a daily basis, but it took a lot to not duck out of the way of his hands should he be trying to hurt her. If she wanted him to trust her she had to at least show she trusted him. He'd helped her already, hadn't he? The rubbing motion almost made her close her eyes and relax fully, but she fought off that. He'd probably run off right away once her eyes closed fully. He was such a little sparrow for a giant Dek.

"I wouldn't mind what I got. Even if I die today, there is a chance I'll be born tomorrow as a Wind Eagle and I'll be able to fly as high as I want. It's not pretending. I mean it when I promise you that." She reached up to flick his forehead before she kissed it.

When he pretty much threw himself back from her, Nikavi almost sprung to her feet and ran off. She hadn't expected that reaction, but now she felt such a sense of loss since she had ruined the one time he had acted like they were friends and was speaking her name without her caste staked to it. She hid her emotional reaction to his physical one behind her usual quick smiles and laughs, although this time they were strained and forced, like she was afraid of what he'd do.

"Save them for my future mate? So you don't believe me, Taln?" She said quietly, her fists clenching as the headache began to return in her upset. "You act like a kiss is a sin. I haven't kissed someone before, not even their foreheads, but I am sorry. It was just a touch, and I did it in private because I know you'd react harsher if I did it out in the main street." She folded her arms across her lap and leaned forward to rest her shin on the crossed limbs, her eyes closing to hide whatever she felt at that particular snub. She wasn't angry, but hurt, and Nikavi hadn't felt hurt in that way before, since it wasn't something physical. She didn't know if it was a 'crush' that had made her act in that way because she'd not had one before. She didn't think of people as objects to be liked.

"Your eyes might not bleed," she said to him eventually, in that same quiet voice. "I don't know why mine do that, but the person who taught me didn't bleed." She then shrugged. "I don't know, but we won't tell anyone just in case."

She peeped out at him at the comment about her food and smiled much more naturally. "Have you seen me, Taln? I don't eat much as it is, but whenever I go for lunch they give me enough to feed two of me to 'build up my strength'." She grabbed a piece of fish and began to pick it apart. "Take some if you're hungry, or I'll still have it when supper comes around tonight. My Avora doesn't like me eating while working. Anyway, you can't force feed the willing, can you?" Her usual teasing tone began to return.

[Taln]

He -still- hadn't gotten through to her. All he'd done is hurt her feelings, but she needed to really see what was going on instead of pretending everything was 'fine.' Although Taln couldn't see well and had no depth perception, his memory was eidetic; once he heard something, he never forgot it. "Why don't I believe you? Let's see if my memory is correct... "When I become Endal, you are mine." "I'll marry you, then." "If I become an Endal, you won't be a Dek anymore." "Until another comes along then, Dek, I claim you." And today: "If I didn't get status, you'd like me more." "I wouldn't mind what I got. Even if I die today.." " With piercing emerald eyes Taln looked down at the girl and wondered which statements were true. Did she truly plan for the future or did she truly not care if she died this moment? They contradicted each other and both sides couldn't be right. "Do you care deeply or don't mind anything? You give me half hearted words, but your golden eyes are darker with hurt and unhappiness. Nikavi we can't always act like everything's fine. There's a big difference between optimistic and unrealistic. Staying positive is fine if it works for you, but learning about things you don't like are a normal part of growing up. Once you've recognized that it's a regular thing to have dislikes, you start becoming an adult. Sorry, didn't mean to lecture you, but you look like you needed it." The man smirked at her comment, but earnestly tried to show the girl his concern for her. "No kissing isn't a sin, but it's crazy that you wasted your first peck on the forehead on a -dek- like me. Look it's weird enough having -anyone- close to my face and especially with quick motions. But you're a nice, pretty young yasi with the whole world ahead of you. It's cute that you want to claim me as 'your dek' but realistically I can only do as I'm told. You should be thinking of me as your friend, not a mate. You've got kind intentions and that's great, but let nothing and no one stand in the way of your highest goal--especially me. Please?" His pleading was heartfelt and he locked his green eyes onto her gold ones to make his point clear. "Now don't be mad little yasi, I'm only saying this for your own good. If you try to stake a claim on me, there are far too many other higher caste Inarta that will harm you if you protest their right to command me. I'm saying all this to protect you Nikavi." Her words of learning higher magic got lost in his starved gaze at the food she held so casually. Meat! Taln couldn't remember the last time he'd tasted anything other than bread or soup! The smell of food gnawed at his gut ferociously and he knew there would be nothing for him for at least five bells later by sunset. More bread and soup. And that needed to be half ration to give the other portion to Reech. As if just to embarrass him, his stomach growled loudly in protest at the rich smell of meat, that sat so temptingly nearby.