"Uhh..." Yarra glanced awkwardly from Nadia to the door and back, briefly, then shook his head. "Not...much," he said, his natural instinct being to downplay the injury; injuries were weakness, and weakness meant danger. But she wanted to help, she was human, and--as he kept repeating to himself--Ra'rin said it was okay. "It's old. It bothers me."
"Oh course. That is very common with injuries. The scars get tight. A warm soak and a massage will have it feeling like new." Nadia's hand moved to a small bell, hovering there, "Would you like the bath? It will be warm and fragrant and I can have tea or food brought up." She lowered her gaze, a practiced blush coming to her dark skin, "I would be honored to help such a powerful warrior as yourself."
It was a few seconds before Yarra could answer, mind suddenly torn between two very different, very separate worlds--one of them very alien. He stared at Nadia for a moment, at the pretty flush that warmed her skin, the demure expression, the flattering words... "W...what kind of food?" was all he finally managed to get out, voice weak. He hated baths. He did not like the idea of a bath. At all. But when she put it that way...
"Anything you like." Nadia kept her voice soft and submissive, all her gestures diffident. He seemed like he might enjoy playing the big, tough man and take charge for a while. He was about that age, for a human anyway. She didn't know anything about...whatever he was, "What would you like?"
Nadia rang the bell and almost immediately a serving girl appeared. Standing, Nadia went over to her, ordering a scented bath for Yarra to be brought up. Turning, she smiled at Yarra, "Would you like a meal? Or just something to snack on?"
"A snack?" Yarra tilted his head, eyes flicking to the serving girl to watch her leave before returning his attention to Nadia, feeling oddly nervous--but for a different reason than before. No longer did he feel the desperate need to flee, not really, and if he did then he didn't feel up to trying. And while he didn't fear this woman, something about her kept throwing him off. "I guess. I hunted not long ago, so I--what is there?"
"Well, if you...hunted," Oh spirits what was she dealing with here? Hunted? Really? "recently, would you like some dessert then? Something sweet to," Nadia's eyes slid across Yarra's form, blushing again, though she made sure to put some heat into her gaze. He was coming along nicely, "tide you over until dinner. Or would you like something more savory?"
Yarra swallowed thickly. That look she gave him...it was not quite unlike the look he probably gave a rabbit he was about to eat, and yet not quite so predatory. He shifted in his seat again, hearing the blood rush in his ears as his pulse quickened under her gaze and his own red skin heated. He cleared his throat and looked away, abruptly self-conscious. "Er...do ya have chocolate?"
"Oh yes." Nadia shot the girl a look and had her bring up anything chocolate they had in the kitchen, as well as some tea to wash it down with. Moving back into the room, Nadia took her seat again, careful to not get to close. Brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, she watched him, still keeping her expression modest, "Do you have a sweet tooth?"
Chocolate. They had chocolate. Sweets were hard to get outside of fruits and such and he only really got chocolate when he was among humans. Sometimes, the sweets made up for having to endure the villages. Yarra perked up noticeably, mouth already watering, and nodded quickly, "I don't get it much at all."
Really? She was losing out to chocolate? The boy barley paid her much interest, but the mention of chocolate had him drooling. Well, at least he seemed to be relaxing. Two servents entered then, carrying buckets of hot water from the kitchen.
Nadia waved them over to the tub on the corner of the room, which they began to fill before leaving to go get more water.
"Well, I'll make you a deal. I'll make sure you have as much chocolate as you want if you tell me another story about your great warrior prowess. I don't get to meet many strong men like you." She lowered her gaze again, "So brave and handsome."
Yarra watched the servants warily and flicked a glance at the tub, not quite sure what he had gotten himself into or why he'd agreed to something he knew was only going to make him miserable. Except...that it meant sweets. And she said she could fix his injury.
And she had a way with words.
"As much as I want?" he repeated, eyes widening. Was this some sort of trap? Was there a catch? All that for a story and to let her heal him? Or she just...really did like his stories that much? Yarra swallowed again and hunched his shoulders, feeling the warmth in his face spread clear to his ears. That look, the shy one again. She thought he was handsome? His mind raced, thoughts of chocolate bouncing against the realization that she was pretty and that still nagging sense of wariness and danger.
"Oh...well...another warrior story. Right, yeah. I, uh...I have a lot of those. Um. Oh, uh, I broke my ribs a couple months ago," he started, looking back up hopefully.
Oh yes. There is was. The start of what was sure to be a truly amazing story. Nadia widened her hazel eyes, looking shocked, "Really? That must have hurt so much!" She leaned forward again, showing of her smooth, dark skin to its advantage. "What happened?
"Well, uh..." It was hard not to notice that Nadia had a really interesting chest, and that a lot of it was showing where most humans kept so covered up and that if he stared long enough he could practically see down it. Her skin was so smooth, unlike his. "Oh, I, uh..." And suddenly Yarra's story about the deer hunt didn't sound quite so exciting and impressive anymore. Was that really a warrior story? He suffered a warrior-like injury, but it was a deer.
And he wanted her to like this story as much as the last one.
He didn't quite look at her face as he spoke. "Did it fighting another...Drygan. They, uh, they hit me with their tail and cracked my ribs, but it was a lucky shot." Looking back up at her, he straightened proudly. "So then I beat the shit outta him and he never showed his face again."
"Drygan? That is your race, correct? Are all Drygan's as powerful and..." Nadia let her eyes linger on Yarra's bare chest again, giving as many signals as she could, "brave as you are?"
The two servents arrived again, filling up the tub more and returning for another load of water as the two talked. It shouldn't be much longer before the tub was ready.
"No." The word left Yarra's mouth before he could help it, and he felt a momentary jab of panic when he realized that was blatantly untrue as though the Chosen would come bursting through the door to correct his lie. But he'd said it, and he couldn't go back now, so instead he committed to it, shaking his head. "No, not all."
Nadia nodded, wishing he wasn't across the table from her. It would be so much easier if he would let her touch him. But patience. The bath would allow that and then he would smell less...ripe. "Of course. Silly of me to ask. You have such amazing tails. I've never met anyone like you before."
