Completed Denying Denial

[Keira Star]

"I've lived here all my life, though I have to admit it is rather different from before I left. I returned home last season." He had replied, attempting to smile but obviously too full of other emotions and thoughts to make it work. Places can change after a person leaves, Keira thought, wondering if her home would change also. As she thought about it she was interrupted in mid thought and probably for good reason. Getting lost in thought in front of both of them would be rather embarrassing.

"Oh I almost forgot, I'm Ricky, what are yer names?" He inquired of both of them. He seemed to be relaxing a bit as he did this. Something about Ricky made Keira laugh inside, his unorganized and lopsided manner at the moment. It was enough to make her grin playfully and her eyes sparkled again. "I'm Keira, nice to meet you," she replied, her tone cheering up if it wasn't cheery before. Instantly her worries left her for the moment, and she enjoyed conversing with the two strangers her luck had brought to her that day. She seemed to relax a little more as well, being a little stressed before.

She was curious to know why Ricky was so down. It was obvious that there was intense darkness lying inside of him, she could see it in his eyes. Where had it come from?

[Ayatah]

"I've lived here all my life, though I have to admit it is rather different from before I left. I returned home last season."

Ayatah frowned at his words. It was a disturbing throught that her jungle home might be changing whilst she lived in the city. For a brief moment, she imagined returning there, and the trees being bare, the grass dead. And her family…

No. They are safe. Myri protects them.

She shivered slightly - though she was unsure whether this was due to her negative thoughts, or the fact that she was wearing Myrian hunting clothes in the midst of a Zeltiva winter. The top of her leatherwear cut away at her shoulders and ribcage, revealing her bare arms and stomach. There was a swirling tattoo around her navel, and three long claw marks that ran diagonally across her stomach. Something large and ferocious had caused them, but a few years ago now. Her thin fingers traced at the skin as she listened - an old habit of hers.

"I'm Ricky, what are yer names?"

"I'm Keira, nice to meet you,"

”I am Ayatah, of the Scattered Bones.” Ayatah said when it was her turn. The introduction was greeted with a small nod of her head, and she gave them a slight smile. It was normal for a Myrian to introduce themselves, as well as the name of their clan - but in Zeltiva, it merely once again highlighted how very… different she was.

”What brings you both to Zeltiva? Or… back to Zeltiva?”

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Ricky Maze]

"I'm Keira, nice to meet you." The small one cheered. "I am Ayatah, of the Scattered Bones.” The dancer introduced with a smile and nod. ”What brings you both to Zeltiva? Or… back to Zeltiva?” Both seemed rather interesting to Ricky, Keira wasn't from Zeltiva but something about her spoke Syliran, probably because of the short time Ricky spent in Syliras during his journey. Sylirans had a sort of sporty attitude of a sort, or at least he gathered anyway. Ayatah however was just foreign period. Her name was evidence enough but her accent was also the same. The name "Scattered Bones" had a sort of eerie feel to it, a possible clan she lived with perhaps. All in all a very interesting day this would turn out to be. "I came back because it was time, my reason for bein back though..." He took a short moment to think of an answer. "Well let's just say my home needs guy's like me to defend it. After all the city has been through hard times." He admitted with a nod, it has been true enough that both he and Zeltiva had been through a lot.

[Keira Star]

"Well let's just say my home needs guy's like me to defend it. After all the city has been through hard times." Ricky explained his reason for returning to Mizahar. His expression confirmed that Zeltiva used to be more... peppy? More something, more than the cutting reality it seemed to scream from all corners. Keira could believe that. Everything seemed a bit more gloom and doom; even if they believed they were happy there was a burden pulling everyone down from their true potentials, meaning they could be happier. The unsettlement was evident in Ricky as well, and curiosity compelled Keira to get to know him.

”What brings you both to Zeltiva? Or… back to Zeltiva?” Ayatah's question caused her to flashback for a second. To that moment, the unspeakable moment. The eyes are the windows to the soul, and Keira's seemed to darken as she tried to come up with something quick and believable to say. What was her reason? What? Even if she trusted strangers with her reasoning, she couldn't be sure that they would even understand. She came to Zeltiva... because she just did. That's all words could explain. All she wished there was to it. Keira snapped out of the "daydream" and to the watchful eye it appeared as if she awoke mind captivation, however this was barely noticeable.

"I was just.... brought to Zeltiva," Keira wrote off quickly with a small smile, "I am curious, Ricky, defend? Why? And how?" Keira was genuinely curious and not meaning to be imposing but others perceived her that way at times, she hoped one of those was not then. She didn't want to make a bad impression on people she had just met.

[Ayatah]

"Well let's just say my home needs guy's like me to defend it. After all the city has been through hard times."

They were the kind of words to arouse suspicion and interest in any person, let alone Ayatah. In her home, she would hunt food and kill enemies on an almost daily basis. It had been too long for her since she had experienced any conflict.

Her dark eyes quickly scanned the man in front of her. There was a bemused smirk on her lips - as if she couldn’t believe someone like Ricky could ever defend a mouse, let alone a city. She had grown up in a matriarchal society, and it was part of their culture to… question men. Plus, this Zeltivan gent seemed a little less ferocious than the Myrian men that Aayath had grown up with . He doesn’t even have any scars to him… She thought, touching the scars on her own stomach once more.

"I am curious, Ricky, defend? Why? And how?"

The girl’s words mimicked the Myrian’s own interest. ”Zeltiva does not look like it is particularly under attack…” She said slowly. The words were not to be critical or sarcastic; they simply reflected how she perceived the city. It seemed a haven of safety compared to Taloba. Her fingers brushed the hilt of the double-bladed dagger at her hip, almost unconsciously.

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Ricky Maze]

"I am curious, Ricky, defend? Why? And how?" ”Zeltiva does not look like it is particularly under attack…” Ricky couldn't help but laugh a little, the idea of an attack on Zeltiva not one he was used to. It sounded silly enough, but then again it was a possible reality that could happen any day. Mizahar tended to be like that. "It's not really under attack, but there are criminals that hide in the shadows here. Most of them are just thieves or brutes though, and they tend to stick to East Street. My job as a city guard is to make sure the law is upheld is all, but should it come done to a fight then I will defend my home." Ricky admitted as he remembered that night, the night of the season that had just passed. Where he and his friend both ventured into the smuggler's den, where they all both gave chase to the slavers that thought they could kidnap children, where... His eyes were a bit darker with sadness as he recalled, but he swept it under the rug with a well convincing fake smile. The very reason he joined the guard was because of that night, if anything he could protect the people of the city. "But I don't think it'll come to that anytime soon." He assured the two of them, convinced that there was no imminent attack. The thought of it though still made him rather wary.

[Keira Star]

"My job as a city guard is to make sure the law is upheld is all, but should it come done to a fight then I will defend my home." Ricky's eyes held the past grievance look in them; a look she could identify with. Naturally he tried to hide it but did so too late. She had already seen it there. The reason for his depressed symptoms maybe? It would be best for her to overlook it, pretend she didn't notice. She didn't want to upset anyone or cause any problems.

"Of course not, you must have courage to take on that responsibility. I don't know if I could ever do that," Keira admitted a little inspired, her eyes sparkling with pleasure. After all, it wasn't every day she met someone who actually had a heart, right?

[Ayatah]

”It's not really under attack, but there are criminals that hide in the shadows here. Most of them are just thieves or brutes though, and they tend to stick to East Street. My job as a city guard is to make sure the law is upheld is all, but should it come done to a fight then I will defend my home.”

Ayatah’s eyebrows twitched upwards as she listened. The criminals and thieves that inhabited East Street had never been cause for concern for her before. Such petty cutpurses would be no problem for a Myrian, she would tell her herself. Out of old habits, she carried her longbow and double-bladed dagger with her at all time, so if some foolish child thought to make her a victim, she would be armed and all too eager to prove that person wrong.

"Of course not, you must have courage to take on that responsibility. I don't know if I could ever do that,"

The girl really is young and naive Ayatah thought incredulously. It was strange to hear such an innocent response to defending one’s own. In Taloba, Myrian children were bought up to kill their enemies, and think nothing more of it. But even Ayatah knew that such parental lessons were far less common outside of the Jungle. She gave a small smirk and rolled her shoulder into a shrug, hand touch the wooden hilt of her dagger. ”I am afraid I don’t share your innocence,” she spoke plainly, despite the fact that the words that were tumbling out of her lips were… not normal to be heard in the middle to Zeltiva’s docks, ”I have been bought up to defend my home from nearly any intruders. When we are told to kill, we kill.”

|| Ayatah's speech || Ayatah's thoughts || Others' speech ||

[Ricky Maze]

"Of course not, you must have courage to take on that responsibility. I don't know if I could ever do that." Keira admitted. Ricky couldn't stop a short laugh from happening. ”I am afraid I don’t share your innocence, I have been bought up to defend my home from nearly any intruders. When we are told to kill, we kill.” Ayatah pointed out. Ricky was surprised to hear this, and curious about it soon after. "That must've been harsh for ya. I can admit I've had to take several lives myself. Even though I didn't want to." He admitted with a different expression this time, one that showed he wasn't sad but more so understanding about it. The cruel habits of the world brought trials of terror to people, and it was either kill or be killed when it really came down to it. Such was a way Ricky rather tried not to look at it, but alas with the fighting Sebastian and he did when dealing with the smugglers he then learned what it was truly like to take another's life. The very moment felt like he was killing off a piece of himself, a moment that became full of regret in the very act. Yet that moment was shared with understanding, for Odis knew his master's pain just as well. They both promised to get through the situation alive. Together at best, they were either to die or live, and yet here Ricky stood while Odis... It was enough to make Ricky lose it, but he focused more intently on hearing what the other two would have to say. He denied the thoughts to continue and banished the memory from coming back. If only he truly had that kind of power, maybe then he could get a nights worth of sleep and move on.

[Keira Star]

She shouldn't have tried to be nice. This always seemed to happen when she did. People didn't take her seriously, or people straight up just don't care. That day kept coming back to her and it was enough to make her want to scream, however she did her best to contain herself. Such sudden change in emotions is alarming. "Maybe I want that kind of innocence after the things I have witnessed," Keira spoke quietly, a little pain slipping to be shown evident. This was exactly the opposite of what she wanted to say. For one it was awkward, for two she was trying to get rid of those emotions.

She wanted to cry. But just a minute ago she was really happy. Or was she? Was she really happy or just trying to make herself? She looked down at the floor a bit unsure of what to say or do after what she had just spoken before. What Ayatah said before had somewhat disturbed her memory. She tried to get the picture out of her head but unfortunately she was not as good at hiding her emotions as she thought. Keira felt uncomfortable showing a glimpse of a few other inner emotions, especially when she strived to stay joyful most of the time. She had to always be joyful.