Right on Time (Arken)

[Beshira]

"I don't need your protection, and I don't need you to be my friend!" Beshira shouted, waving him away with her arm, snapping under the pressure. "I'm not saying I don't appreciate your sentiment, but you can't help me." I can't do this. I can't do this anymore. I'm done talking. She flung her knife to the side and tightened her gloves, rising sharply to her feet. "Fight me," she said, clenching her hands into fists. "I know what you're thinking. You're getting sick of me, aren't you? That's how they all are. I'm not good enough for you. I'm just a problem that they don't have any jurisdiction over. Live and let live, yeah? Hit me. Hit me as hard as you can, I can take it." She felt the adrenaline rushing through her body, tides of blood pounding in her ears. It was happening again. She was losing control of herself. The man was offering her counsel, but she knew she could never accept it. His kindness, the possibility of a solid connection between them or anyone else for that matter; all of it was an illusory ship in the distance that she might only see on the brink of death. This was just another day in her life. Beshira grit her teeth and swung her first punch.

[Arken]

Arken glimpsed over to the knife she'd thrown across the room while this certainly wasn't the answer from her he was expecting. "What's with this girl? Why is she being like this? Does she really want me to fight back?" caught off guard and since he hesitated Benshira's fist struck him square in the face with enough for to knock him over which it did. Once on the ground he quickly slid his backpack off. "I really don't want to do this." He did a somersault towards the nightstand where the tray and the wine bottle were then stood back up.

Once standing he reached for the traying dumping all the fruit off of it and varying amounts of apples, oranges , bananas and strawberries rolled off the tray and onto the nightstand and some rolling onto the floor. He firmly gripped the tray and held it out in front of him like a small shield. From behind his crude shield he said "We don't have to do this."

[Beshira]

"What's wrong?" Beshira spat, advancing toward him in a forceful stride. "Can't hit a pretty face? Show some spine. I want to see the real you." She staggered for a moment as though she'd tripped over something but thought nothing of it, at least until one of her legs buckled when an intense wave of pain washed over her. Falling to one knee, she put a hand lightly to her temple, unable to think clearly under her massive migraine. It was akin to a nest of bees going into a frenzy inside of her skull, making it impossible to focus on a single thought. Blinking profusely through hazy vision, she noticed that her nose was bleeding, dribbling blood onto her shirt. Damn. I got too worked up. Slowly recovering, she almost limped toward the cloaked figure as she made her clumsy approach. The change in her expression was subtle, but the rage was all but gone from her system. She tore the tray from his hands and gripped him by the collar, pushing him against the wall as her eyes locked with his, looking ready to strike another blow. "So how about it?" she asked hoarsely. "You still want to protect me?" This was the most crucial moment. The next words that came out of his mouth would determine everything.

[Arken]

Arken gave Beshira a startled look as he was shoved up against the wall. Whatever air was inside his non functioning lungs was knocked out of him through his nostrils and his mouth. She held onto him for a moment or two just awkwardly and uncomfortable. He was trying to be a hero a protector and a helping hand yet she was being a bit stubborn refusing this aid yet she hadn't left or scoffed at him. Her eyes trained on him with look of determination and somewhat anger.

He followed a drop of blood as it trickled out of her nose and unto her shirt.
"The temptation to say no is here. I mean I have to at least consider it. Though I might meet a somewhat violent end or at the very least a end to this somewhat uneasy relationship of stranger and even more stranger being. The more strange of course being me. She's not really odd she's has that air of the unknown around her radiating off of her. I mean if I did say no or hadn't of ever met her then I wouldn't be here fighting in a inn room and wasting perfectly good fruit. Erm I think I know what to say...". Finally after having thinking a bit about his answer he came to his conclusion.

"Yes."

[Beshira]

Beshira let go of him, taking a brief second to wipe away her blood. That one word was enough to suck out whatever energy was left of her. Stumbling backward, she landed sloppily on her rear, planting her hands by her sides as she glanced back up at him. This guy is crazy. Any normal person would shove me away and say no or call for the guards. He's not like them. She let out a sigh and tended back to her headache, massaging her eyes. "I believe you," she whispered. "I don't know what's going on in that head of yours, but all I know is that...you're different. Different from the rest of them, those - those selfish pigs and those two-faced hypocrites. I didn't think you'd actually say it." Beshira let out a childish giggle, combing her hair back behind her ear. "You're a looney. A damned fine looney." Inhaling softly, she peeled off her bloodied glove and put her hand forward. "Your name. What's your name?"

[Arken]

"Arken it's Arken..." he unfurled his scarf and crouched down in front of Beshira. He begun dabbing the blood that was lightly dripping her from her nose."I don't mean to sound like I'm barking orders but maybe you should have a snack and lie down for a bit. Just tell you get your energy back up a little."He looked around the room mostly at the curtains and then turned his attention back to her."You can stay here for the night if you want I'm not really gonna be using the room at all...or indefinitely I mean I got a miza or two I wouldn't mind spending."

He adjusted his cloak a bit and then looked back at Beshira. "Wonder if she's headed down to the bathhouse soon...I mean my being undead form probably isn't the number one sight one would want to see while they bathe but a..."He scrunched up his face."I definitely shouldn't dwell on things like imagining strangers naked..." He then opened his mouth and didn't say anything for a second then said in a bit of a happy tone of voice "What do you think friend?"

[Beshira]

Beshira picked an apple up from the floor and dusted it off, taking a hearty bite into it. "You're right. I think I could use some rest." Despite how she felt now, it would have been far easier to accept if he had simply given her a flat 'no'. Then she could've pressed him down all she wanted. I knew you were a fake and a pretender! Look at how easily you turn your back on your promises, you're just like the rest of them! She tried to keep her urge to poke her nose into the business of others from becoming a habit, but she wanted to know what was on Arken's mind. She didn't want to have to doubt him, not when second thoughts were already edging their way back into her. It was almost like a dream, to find herself immersed into a setting like this, and the sharp pulsing in her head wasn't helping her differentiate between reality and semblant afterthoughts. Her breathing slowed and her eyes drifted up to the ceiling. "What are you looking for?" she asked.

[Arken]

Arken stood up and pulled a chair up to the bed. He then walked over to Beshira and lifted her and give her a slight nudge so she'd fall back gently onto the bed. Then he took a seat on the chair and leaned forward he clasped his hands together and twiddled his thumbs."What am I looking for? Hmmm what am I looking for? Well ascending to godhood would be nice. I don't know if that's what she wants me to say though. I mean that's quite a long term and ambitious goal.

"To protect the innocent and maybe become a knight are nice goals. Pfft bow and praying and chanting though just isn't the life for me though and they seem a bit too fanatical about their god what was his name again? Hmmm...I think I know what to say." He stopped twiddling his thumbs and said "I'm just looking to make some friends and survive the winter like everyone else...".

When he said that he said it with a tinge of warmth to it like the way one might talk to a friend.

[Beshira]

"Survive the Winter, huh?" Beshira mused, drumming her fingers against the bedsheets. "Funny, that. I hear the cold is good for preserving flesh." She flashed him a knowing glance but was otherwise expressionless, turning back to face the wall opposite to her. "I'd ask why you didn't have a flock of friends tagging along with you already considering your more placid and helpful nature, but I suppose no one really wants to make acquaintances with a nuit. And I'm sure you've figured out what my deal is at this point." Her eyes shifted in his direction until he was a faint blur at the edge of her peripherals.

"I've been running into the strangest people lately, and it's beginning to make me doubt everything I've believed about the world. A hunter saved my life a few days ago. He didn't have to do what he did." With some effort, she sat up in the bed, staring blankly into the candlelight with heavy eyes. She grasped several locks of her scarlet hair and gently stroked it as her mother used to do, keeping an inattentive mind as her hand seemed to move on its own. "I'm looking for a reason. A reason to trust people. A reason to keep going. A reason to make sense of my life. Something that I can wrap my thoughts around and say, 'this is what I've been searching for."

[Arken]

Arken shifted about in his seat and then stood up from his seat and went over to his backpack scrounged in it looking for something."I hope this doesn't come off as creepy. I mean keeping a journal isn't bad but writing favorable things about strangers is a bit odd. Less of course you're a clergymen and you're just gloating to yourself about how many people are in your congregation on such and such a day."Having found his journal midst the rest of the things he kept his his backpack he brought it out.

Then he walked across the room to Beshira and set on the edge of the bed and started flipping pages. About twenty pages or so in he got to a entry he'd written where he'd written about his encounter with Beshira and how he wished he'd acted a bit differently when he met her namely being more kind yet not coming on too strong. Arken handed her the journal. The book was flipped right to that page regarding Beshira. If she skimmed through the earlier pages she'd see entries just mentioning him being bored and wasting time trying in the forest practicing riding his horse a bit.