Two For You, and One For Me. (Blink, or if invited)

[Wrathwyrm]

Fear of her was not something that was on his mind, no.   It was a concern, something to be aware of, should something go wrong, of course.  Really, he'd be more composed in a situation, knowing the truth than not.  It was the state of an assassin-trained man like himself...which reminded him that he might have to explain that, at some point.  Except...no, that wouldn't work out.  They may have found common ground, but they weren't quite at that level yet.

Maybe after they got to know each other better, but not right now.  This point in time was sacred.  It was dinnertime, and the food was great.  He began to eat of it in earnest, no rush, really.  Just enjoying his time with her on this chance meeting.  About halfway to completion the same sobering thought hit him that it did her: He would have to move on, at some point.  He could always come back, but departures from somewhere you don't want to go...  He didn't want to leave home.  He had to.  It was nothing about principles, just getting back at the vampire for what he did.

Sometimes, I wonder if I'd join Keefe on her missions, if this hadn't happened...

Another thought on the matter, and it didn't help here.  What if something happened, and he never got back?  What if he failed?  Failure had not been considered because his plan to overpower his foe with a group of dangerous people was, at least, simple in execution.  Once he had the people, their combined talents would likely kill it.  But what if he didn't beat him?  It was a terrible thought, leaving people behind to wonder what ever became of him, possibly followed by the shocking news of his death.  Why was he thinking that now?  He was almost done, himself, when Nashya spoke to him.  He nodded to her.

"I know.  And I know it's not for me to know why, just that it is.  I understand, Nashya.  Everyone has things they must not tell, to protect what they need to do, or those important to them.  There are things I can't say either, so please don't feel bad."

Really, he felt gratified that wanted to.  It showed he was reaching people, that he could bring this together and deal with the situation, once he was ready.  Nashya couldn't help him now, but...another thought came to mind, kind of an important one.

"It just occurred to me that there's no actual guarantee that he stays only in Connlaoth, only that I know he's very interested in it.  Just to be on the safe side, it's better you know what he looks like, so you and anyone else you know can be prepared."

He described the vampire, a bald and yellow-eyed being dressed in some srt of warrior's armor, very light on his feet and quick, highly-skilled and given to wield darker magics, including blood magic.  He wanted to be sure that if ever the bastard DID come here, Nashya wouldn't be taken by surprise.

[Blink]

Nashya felt relieved to hear that Sano understood her dilemma. After that he went into detail describing the vampire that attacked his friend and that was taking him away. Already she hated it and he could rest assured that if it showed its face anywhere in Shadowmire she would be the first to not only know, but swiftly kill it.

"If it comes here... I will end it." Her expression was dead serious at the statement. ".. and if I cannot take care of it on my own my partner and I surely could handle it." Her partner being none other than Demagogue. He was the demon she was paired with by their leader Cyn. At first the two didn't get along so well, but now they kind of had a silent agreement. He had her back and she had his.

Since he was far more charismatic than her Dem was the face of Golden Gear, while Nashya supplied him that face in public. If he were to show his true face some may run away in fear, as a skull with no flesh could be intimidating to some. "You must tell me when you leave who I could write to should the creature show up here and I am forced to take care of it."

Whether Sano had realized it or not he had sent Nashya into full on work mode. She was already constructing in her head how Golden Gear would take care of the vampire should it show its face here. Not only that but she was already itching to get her shadows out there, listening for any sign that it could possibly by some miracle show near here. This was always Nashya's greatest quality yet also something that could ruin her. When she had a task in mind... she would do damn near anything to complete it no matter what it took.

"You are acting like an idiot right now..." her darker self chimed in causing her eyes to shift as they usually did when this happened. However, Nashya was thankful for it this time as it grounded her a bit. "I-I'm sorry. I tend to get a bit worked up about these sort of things."

Nashya then rubbed the back of her head while giving Sano an endearing smile. She realized she must have just seemed like an idiot, plotting the death of something she really knew nothing about.

[Wrathwyrm]

He had, of course, no idea what her partner was like, but judging from her...he - or she - had to be strong, as well, for her to be sure of herself.  Serendipity was definitely the right place to come.  He should've done this earlier.  There could be hundreds of people falling over themselves to go slay a vampire in this country!  ...maybe.  He had to keep looking for them, though.  Now, when she said to him that he needed to tell her who to write to if the vampire did show up in Seren, this...presented a problem.  Sano didn't know anybody to send a message to for that purpose.  He was on the move.  He would be all over the place.  Well, there was one guy...

"About the only guy who could get word to a wanderer looking for people to hire, I think, is Akbar.  He's a shopkeeper, and I think he's got a bunch of strange connections, because he seems to operate all over the place."

He did, in fact.  Akbar physically transported himself to different shops that he owned, all across the continent.  He mantained a trade of selling whatever he could, wherever he could, and nobody knew how he did it.  Sano smiled at her apology when she realized how worked-up she was getting.

"Are you kidding?  So do I!  I'm walking the known world to find people to kill a vampire because he injured someone I know.  Believe me, I know how it looks, though it's still a bit more sane than, say, hiring for that civil war.  I don't care what happens there."

[Blink]

She was happy to hear that once again he did not think her crazy for acting a certain way. Time and time again Sano was impressing her, not only with his own stories.. but how he handled hers.

She was however happy that Sano had given her a way to contact him should she need to. "Akbar is it?" Nashya had already taken a mental note of the name, determined to remember it should she ever find the need to seek him out.

Pushing away her plate Nashya leaned back a bit in her chair, her stomach not able to handle any more food even if she tried. Flicking her eyes towards the door of where they were Nashya then looked back at Sano. "The sun has gone... I suppose this means we should head back to the inn?" In truth she was dead tired, having spent the majority of her morning listening to whatever secrets the shadows offered and then sparing with Sano. Not to mention that she now had a full stomach adding to the tiredness creeping over her.

"Unless you want to do something else?" She only offered the question because she didn't really want the night to end. Even if she was tired she could force herself to stay awake as long as she needed. Honestly, anything would be better than going and attempting to sleep in that room. Nightfall had always multiplied her abilities, far more than any thunderstorm. Her nights were always full of whispers and eyes in the corners... even if she knew what she was now that bit never stopped.

[Wrathwyrm]

He nodded at the confirmation of Akbar's name.

"Yeah, I don't know how exactly he'd manage it, but I think he would."

The meal...was incredible, and now it was done.  And as Nashya remarked, night had fallen outside, meaning the hour groweth late.  And yet...  And yet, he didn't want it to end either.  Not for reasons of darkness and evil, but just for the fact that he liked being around her.  She did seem tired, and he'd been trudging around himself, of course.  They could both use sleep.  They should sleep.

And yet...

And yet, Sano found himself wondering if there was anything they could do.  He thought about it, and he eyed something that you find in plenty of taverns or inns, to be sure.  And when he saw it, he thought 'Well, why not?', and 'Hmm, maybe that could work out fine'.  So, with a smile playing on his face, the Ebon Knight sat back in his chair and offered an idea.

"How about a game of skill?  There's a game of darts over there, and a promise that I won't cheat here.  However, if you're game, we could make it interesting.  Each round, the winner gets to hear something good from the loser.  Something funny or one of the better moments in our lives.  I can think of a few to pass the time.  So can you, I'm guessing.  What do you think?"

There was far too much focus on the negative happening here.  Why not flip that over for a while?

[Blink]

Immediately Nashya perked up at his suggestion. "That is a fantastic idea!" Jumping up from the table she walked over to the dart board and grabbed a handful of darts, weighing them in her hands. She then set the darts down on one of the tables and extended her hand to Sano.

"No magic... no cheating... fair game." Her face was serious as she waited for him to agree. In truth even if she wanted to cheat she couldn't. Her shadow magic was of no use here. In fact, the only skill she carried that may help her in this game was that she used to carry two daggers back in the day. The were made of iron and she would use them to keep her abilities in check... all of this before she knew how to control them as she did now.

But even with past dagger experience they were no darts and she really wasn't that great at combat with them. She wouldn't let this stop her though, as far as she was going to let Sano know she was a skilled dart thrower. "I hope you are prepared to lose."

[Wrathwyrm]

Well, it seemed like that was most certainly the ticket.  As he stood up, Nashya went and got he darts.  Upon confirming their agreement to play a fair game, Sano took her hand and shook it.  With that done, they were ready to begin.  Of course, Sano had no idea how good OR bad she might actually be.  He had actually thrown knives, himself.  Once again, though, this was darts, not knives.  The weight and skill were completely different.  Even as Nashya boasted, he smiled confidently.

"I am never ready to lose."

He actually was, what with the having stories and all, but still...  There was a small pause, then he looked from the darts to the board to her, and added.

"You go first."

Thus would begin the dart battle of the century, not with a boast, but a 'Ladies first'.

[Blink]

Picking up the darts Nashya smiled at Sano before taking stance the proper distance away. She was doing her very best to concentrate as she took aim. And then she threw the first dart and watched in horror as it clanked against the wall next to the target.

She was mortified to say the least as every bit of her body began to slump in shame. It didn't help matters that her inner self was laughing uncontrollably at the failure she had just displayed. She quickly recovered though with a newfound sense of determination and she took aim again only to watch this dart stick into the outer ring of the target.

Picking up the third and final dart Nashya stared at the target as if she had been missing something this entire time. It was as if she stared long enough then perhaps the secret to this silly game would reveal itself and her win would be the best comeback of all time!

Once more she took aim, this time so sure she would hit the target dead center. As if divine intervention itself came into play she threw the dart so sure it would for sure hit this time... and it did. Jumping up and down with joy she pointed at the dart that was now in the second from farthest ring from the edge.

"LOOK AT THAT!" She was feeling quite cocky now, feeling there was no way in hell Sano could best that and hit the still very open center of the target.

[Wrathwyrm]

There was a joke around taverns, spoken by strongmen and fighters alike, that mages and wizards couldn't throw to save their lives.  Now, there was probably some truth to that, when you consider that those who study mage generally hit the books alot more than a practice range.  But even still, it was just a bit of poking of fun.  He figured that since Nashya had a decent physique that she-  Oh dear.  Yeah, her aim was just a bit off, at first, and Sano was concentrating very hard not to snerk or anything.  She was probably a decent fighter, really, just that darts weren't something she had experience with.  She seemed quite pleased with actually hitting it properly.  Sano let off a grin at her merriment, then went to get the darts for himself.

At this point...hey, let's get a general idea of what it was like to be basically a ferromancer.  He picked up the darts...and in his minds eye, his senses felt the world in three shades.  There was blackness, of things he couldn't touch with that power.  There was the cold blue, that foreign feel of metal that he did not possess.  And...there was the white hot, that sense of what his power has seeped into, ready to be controlled.  The darts were metal-tipped, and they went from cold blue to white hot in his hand, as though to say 'You ready for me, boss?'.  That which was considered 'his', he had control over.  That which was 'unowned' or 'somebody else's', he couldn't just do with what he pleased.  A neutral object, he might be able to 'coax' with effort, but if it was a sword in somebody else's hands...forget it.

At any rate, he had the darts in his hands, and in answer to the 'question' that they posed, he said 'Not today' and let them slip back into the blue.  They were not to be influenced by his power.  He willed it so, and went to the place in which he was to stand.  Now, Sano had played darts a few times, and more importantly he had some training at throwing knives.  Even still, in the case of darts, he was only okay.  For instance, he drew his first dart up and...it accidentally flung instead of flew.  It ended up sticking out of the wall, below the dartboard, at  ummm...about the area a man's crotch might be. He winced at that, with an embarassed "Oh.".

"That's...no, that's not good."

Moving on!  He aimed a bit more carefully, like he would with a knife, and...got it close to where Nashya's best shot had been, but at the upper portion of the dartboard.  that was better, but again...darts are lighter instruments.  He and Keefe never played darts.  She wasn't a poisoning kind of assassin, so the use of small and subtle delivery devices was not her thing, thus...neither was it his.  However, that said, he had some skill here, anyway, and managed to plant his final dart in an inner section.  Not a bullseye.  Not exactly close to a bullseye.  He was just further in, is all.

[Blink]

When his third and final dart struck more centered than hers Nashya felt a bit defeated, but not as embarrassed as she once was. Turns out the two of them were horrid at the game, and that made it seem almost fair. In an attempt to be the best sport possible she clapped her hands together at his success, even if he had just beaten her in the first round.

Not even waiting for him to ask Nashya began telling a happy memory she held as she walked up to the board to remove the darts in preparation for their next game.

"So... I was an ambitious child." Plucking the last dart from the board she continued. "My parents always told me that I shouldn't play so rough with the other children from our village... that I was a young lady and I should act more like it." Slowly she made her way towards where they were supposed to be standing to throw the darts and set them on the table, as it was Sano's turn to start since he won.

"Well one day my friends and I were playing hide and seek and I was the seeker. To make the game more interesting we decided to tie the person who was it to a chair in order to prolong the hiding process. There was no counting down, it was simple that when you got yourself untied you would go and find everyone."

"The idiot boys didn't tie up my legs. They assumed that since I was a girl that I would have enough trouble just getting my hands untied." Turning around to face Sano her story went on. "I thought I was left at an advantage, I mean who needs their hands when you can still run? So I stood up with my hands still in the chair and went to jump off of the porch like an idiot. The legs of the chair caught the porch and sent me flying face first into the gravel with my hands tied at my sides."

Nashya lifted a hand to touch the left side of her face, the skin seemingly unaltered by this memory of her past. "My parents were so mad at me. I had to stay inside for weeks while my wounds healed. Thank gods it wasn't bad enough to do any permanent damage to my face." Nashya then began to laugh as she recalled her father's expression when the village boys came back to play the next day. "It may seem like a horrible story but it isn't. It is a fond memory of my life back when everthing was still normal. My parent's were such loving people that in the end only had my best interest at heart... even if I didn't always listen."

"In fact as soon as I was healed up I was caught playing with my old friends again only because I managed to get a rash all over my legs from hiding in some poison bushes." Picking the darts up from the table she extended her hand to offer them to Sano. "You have to lose this round so that I can hear one of your stories next."

[Wrathwyrm]

There were other rounds to win.  This just showed who it was that threw things more often.  So, when all was said and done, he had won and Nashya began to tell her story of when she was a younger girl.  Already, just when she was getting started, Sano could tell that this was going to be a good one.  He had never played hide-and-go-seek as a child - never had the chance - but he knew the basic rules of the game...except that in this case, the seeker was tied to a chair.

He was already in the mood to chuckle when he heard they didn't tie her legs.  However, the fall kind of made him wince.  Had to agree that it was a mercy that there was no lasting damage to that facevault.  It would've been a damn shame.  He nodded at her assertion that it wasn't a bad tale.  It was somewhere between funny and heartwarming, in his opinion.  Now, as for losing...

"One can but try, but I can't just throw the game.  There's a law out there that says - when you least expect it - things will go the opposite of what you were aiming for.  So, I don't wanna chance it.  This place IS called Serendipity, after all."

A good point.  Whether or not the founders of this country were doing it on purpose, one could not ignore the possibility of irony happening more often here, than anywhere else.  That having been said, Sano picked up the darts and began to throw them, one after the other.  The only difference here was that he did it a little faster, placing two of them in an outer circle and one of them about mid-range.

[Blink]

Playfully Nashya pouted at Sano when he said he could not just 'throw' a game. She really wanted to hear a good Sano story, and was willing to do whatever it took to make that happen. "Do it" the voice in her head chimed in, playfully just as sinister as she was in that moment. She watched as Sano threw the darts, clearly trying despite her joking request.

"All right then"

Walking up to the dart board once more she plucked the darts from the target and took a few steps back. At first she pretended that she was actually going to try, but then her eyes flickered towards the edges of the room. All in an instant all of the candles went out illuminating the area and both were found in pure darkness.

"Oh no!" her poor skill in acting evident in her tone. "The lights have gone off! How strange!"

What Sano probably could have guessed is that Nashya didn't need light to see in the dark , she had the shadows to guide her with that. And so while it was still pitch black in the room she quietly walked up to the dart board and placed two of the darts almost dead center on the board. She then walked back over to the throwing spot with a single dart in hand just in time as one of the workers began relighting all of the candles.

She was having more fun with this than she thought. It was taking every ounce of restraint she had not to fall over laughing as the light illuminated her body as it stood holding the dart as if she were taking aim. Throwing the last dart it hit the rim of the target, worse than she thought it would strike.

"Looks like I won" she said coyly leaning against one of the tables, preparing to hear a wonderful Sano childhood story. Technically she did not use her abilities to cheat at the game itself... she simply turned the lights off for a second.

"All is fair in love and war"

[Wrathwyrm]

So, it was her turn, and she was in place.  Then...  Hey, who turned out the lights?!  Somewhere, between the coincidence and the 'acting', Sano went "Hey!", but didn't do much else.  The truth is - and he wasn't going to say anything - that he could see just fine.  Yeah, one little property that he didn't really spread around that often - because he had no idea why he was that way - was...that he could see in the dark.  He saw Nashya do her thing in the commotion and tried very hard not to facepalm.

When the lights returned to normal, she had two well-placed darts - by hand - and was throwing the last one...oh, not that well, unfortunately.  So, she'd won.  Well, she 'won'...  Sano was willing to let it go.  He had a first story in mind, anyway, and he definitely thought that it was just the coolest thing ever.  So, heading over to the darts, he first explained...

"This isn't from my childhood.  I said one of the better times, and this one's more recent.  Not long after I began my journey, in fact."

He brought the darts to the table and set them down before saying...

"I can fly.  I was going through the Draconi Forest towards Adela, when I was accosted by a half-phoenix man who attacked me because I was in his territory.  I thought it was kind of stupid when I was on the actual road to Adela.  After a while, I decided it was gonna take too long to deal with him, so I thought, 'Man, I wish there was some way I could get out of here in a hurry', and...there was."

He gestured to himself, for a second.

"I was in my armor, and the thought occurred to me...why not just pick myself up and go?  Not only did this work...but it was the best thing ever.  I'd been training for years and never thought about this.  Suddenly, I was hurtling over the woods like...well, I don't have the words, but I almost went headlong into a quad of Dragonriders from the border patrol.  It was so great that I just flew all the way to Ketra, non-stop.  Exhausted myself utterly by the time I got there, but...totally worth it."

[Blink]

Leaning against the table a bit more Nashya listened as Sano relished her in a story of adventure. "Wait..." Pushing herself off of the table she walked over to him and looked behind him, as if she were going to find wings or something. The entire concept of it was so puzzling to her that her brain just could not process the idea.

"You flew?" One might think she did not believe him by the expression on her face, but it was just the opposite. "That is...." Furrowing her brow she walked around him one more time, as if she were missing something. "That is amazing!" Her face then lit up from the thought of soaring through the sky like a bird.

"To be so close to the warmth of the sun would simply be magnificent!" The concept of such an idea was something so fascinating to Nashya she just couldn't let it go.

Now standing in front of Sano her eyes begged for more details. "What was it like!? How far could you see!?"

Of course she wanted to play another round of darts, but she needed to know more first.

[Wrathwyrm]

No, no!  As you can see, there are no strings or wires, special platforms, or hidden wings!   He actually flew, as in proper flight, with speed and all.  It was incredible, and Sano smiled at Nashya's equal feelings of awe towards the idea.  Flight was something that was very rare in this world.  Only those who were blessed with wings or certain kinds of magic could perform such an act.  He was very glad to be part of this select group.  The look on Nashya's face told him that she would certainly want to, as well.  For now, though, she had questions, and Sano was obliged to answer.

"At first, it was just a really big jump.  I was testing the waters, getting a feel for it.  I mean, I was picking myself up by the armor, so I had to be careful with it.  That was literally like being thrown.  After that, I hovered, picked a direction, and voom!"

Note: 'Voom' is a technical term.  It refers to sudden speed and motion, at least insofar as Monty Python is concerned.

"I dunno what it's like for birds, but I had to be in a class of my own, 'cause I didn't need to flap my arms to go.  The way I was doing it, you're just knifing through wind as it rushes past you, and I could see..."

He thought about that for a second.

"I haven't actually been on a boat, but I read somewhere that being at sea, you just keep seeing the water 'till the edge of the horizon.  That's what the Draconi Forest was like to me, at least until I spotted Ketra.  I could see everything, so long as there wasn't fog in the way.  Mountains in the distance, birds trying to get out of my ways, the dragons...  They didn't give me any trouble, by the way, since I was being chased by a thing that they'd been dealing with for years."

Apparently, the phoenix-man carried the uncanny power of the phoenix to burst into flames and be reborn from the ashes, so even if a dragon blew it up, he'd be back.  Not his problem, though, so it was of no concern.

[Blink]

The more Sano spoke of flying the more Nashya's eyes lit up. She was like a child being told an amazing story... one she hoped would have a magnificent ending. Eventually though he told as much as he could and Nashya was faced with having to throw the darts once more.

Picking the darts up she took her place in front of the board again, this time she was going to shoot honestly. Throwing the first dart it landed in the usual place on the outer ring of the board. Her disappointment though was contained as she figured such a thing would happen. The second dart didn't fair much better landing in a ring more inward but by no means near the center.

She was growing frustrated again and so she took that frustration out on the final dart, throwing it so hard that not only did it miss the target completely, but stuck into the wall at the edge of the board. You would think that after a few tries she would be improving, but in fact she was not. If it was possible Nashya thought she was actually getting worse!

"Well.... I shall think of a story as you beat me." Her admittance of defeat before Sano even had his first throw. It was okay though, as if she was going to be beaten by anyone she was happy it would be him. The longer she hung out with him the more the feeling in her chest grew, something abnormal she didn't quite understand.

Of course Nashya had her fair share of crushes throughout her life, all of them leading to nothing but disappointment and faded friendships. Honestly, she had completely given up on the thought of liking anyone the moment she joined Golden Gear, thinking that should take priority over everything and anyone else. But then again, no one treated her as kindly as Sano had today. It wasn't as if she was starved for companionship either, she had her fare share of suitors confess their feelings to her, only for her to subtly let them down. She knew they only wanted her for her power, or better yet the darker half that lived inside of her.

No one ever wanted 'Just Nashya'. Nashya being the girl stuck with an ability that did not suit her personality at all. She constantly wondered why she couldn't have been born with something brighter... happier. She was the flower kept in the darkness of the shadows, never able to cast the warm light she knew she still had deep down inside. This mentality alone led her to act 'bored' or 'just passing through life' as she lived day to day. What more was there to do? Not even Golden Gear would want her if she didn't have this darkness living inside of her... it was all anyone even seemed to care about. Sometimes she even wondered if she should just give in to her darker self. Let that half of her into the world while she sat dormant in the back of a mind that no longer belonged to just her.

That was until today... when for the first time in what felt like forever she was able to drop the act. It was almost impossible for her not to smile around Sano. Something about him... something about his understanding opened her up like a book that had been collecting dust on a shelf for decades. A ripped out, discarded, and useless chapter in a book she thought to already have been read many times over.

"Obviously I am just the better option." The voice slamming the book shut everytime anyone tried to open it.

[Wrathwyrm]

It was great, telling her about this amazing thing, because it looked like Nashya didn't get very many chances to brighten her day.  Things just sort of happened, and - unless he was guessing wrong - her shadow shuffled around in her mind, distracting her.  She wouldn't have mentioned it in irritation if it were quiet, so it must've been a source of frustration.  Sort of like these darts.  It didn't seem as though her game was improving.  Surprising, really, considering that neither of them was drunk.  Well, not everybody does.  It happens.

Nashya ended up admitting defeat before he had thrown, and Sano went to pick up the darts.  He had to keep denying the connection to them that their presence in his hands offered.  It was really kind of annoying, but he had to do it.  This was a game of skill, or perhaps one in guile, considering Nashya's previous maneuver.  He doubted that she was going to repeat it, even though it was funny and worth it.  So, Sano threw...and he for one in an outer circle, one in an inner circle, and then-

"Oops."

This happens, sometimes.  Your body finds the muscle memory to repeat an action taken, and it does so, but the result is problematic because of what you were trying to do at the time.  Case in point, this dartboard.  He'd thrown two of them, and then one of them exactly the same as his second shot, causing it to hit the back of the previous dart and clatter to the floor.  Sano looked at it for a moment.

"Ummm...how do I call that?"

Technically, it was on-target.  It just couldn't assume the position on-target because it'd been occupied.  He looked to Nashya for her opinion on the matter.

[Blink]

Fully prepared to indulge Sano in another story of her past Nashya watched on as he threw the darts, only to in the beginning do far better in the beginning before having almost the same thing happen to him that happened to her. Except his failure wasn't due to a building frustration, but more a technical error.

She stared at the dart board for quite some time trying to figure out the best call to make.

"We will go with the two on the board compared to my two."

Honesty it was almost a dead draw, and Nashya's lack of knowledge towards this game didn't help matters.

"Uh... perhaps a draw?" She stared at the dartboard one more time before confirming her decision. "Yes a draw! So we both have to indulge the other in another good memory."

Nashya had been thinking long and hard about which memory to share next and was still drawing a blank. Of course she could keep bringing up childhood encounters that were sure to entertain any for days, but she wasn't much in the mood for that anymore. Suddenly, Nashya's entire demeanor changed as she avoided eye contact with Sano, taking in a deep breath as if she were about to jump off of a cliff or something.

"Well you see... I do have one memory that is more recent." Nervously she took a step back, creating even more space between the two as she began to fiddle with her fingers again. Her face had flushed a bit red at even thinking of disclosing the idea to him... afraid of how he may react more than anything.

"There was this day when I was working. It was cloudy and the perfect chance for me to get some extra things done." Suddenly Nashya could feel her chest tighten, as if she was on the brink of tears with nothing to cry about. "And there was this guy who when he walked up made me more afraid than I had been in a long time."

The fidgeting in her hands only intensified as she continued, her gaze still averted from Sano. "... You see I hadn't really talked to someone in quite some time. At least, not talked to someone who genuinely wanted to have a conversation with me." Releasing her own grasp on her fingers she brought a hand up to her chest, pressing it against where her heart beat rapidly underneath. "A conversation with the real me..."

"Well that guy... he made it so I had the best day I have had in a long time. And it will be a day I treasure for the rest of my life." Nashya began to open up a bit more, realizing that she had already started and stopping now would only complicate things more. "So when I am working and feel like no one really cares about me, and that I am just some pawn in a bigger game I am going to remember you Sano. Even when you are gone on your quest I am going to remember this day..."

"Thank you"

[Wrathwyrm]

So, they were going to go with the two darts that'd made it onto the board and compare their scores with that.  And that...oh.  Well, it looked as though they were about even, there.  Okay, fair enough.  A draw, it was!  Sano didn't mind.  The game was just a way to get to know each other, and a means to unwind.  It didn't matter who won this, in the end.  So, they were both going to have to think of a good memory.

However, he'd have to put that on hold for a moment, because it looked as though Nashya had something.  Something different, by the looks of it.  She looked nervous, and her speech was a bit softer, and a bit more guarded.  A sensitive topic?  Something she was struggling to find the right words for?  At first, that was what it sounded like...but as she went on, it began to take on a familiar shape.

That familiar shape was him, Sano Alistair, and...he had no idea that he was scary.  Of course, as Nashya explained, she hadn't really dealt with people that much, not for a long time.  Her work and her life as a shadowmancer, he assumed.  The point was that she was grateful for how things turned out, how he treated her and how he made her feel better than she had in a long time.  One could only imagine what it was like.  Maybe it was akin to his own rescue.

Nashya, of course, had to be looking for reactions.  She may have averted her eyes, afraid of such reactions, but she might steal glances...and in doing so, have seen that he had gone from anticipation of a story, to kind of a 'Hey, wait a minute' look, to just surprise and...basically a mixed bag of feelings.  He was happy to have helped out, and was almost shocked or embarrassed that he'd intimidated her, and he couldn't help but notice her expression and body language.  He'd really touched upon something here.  He had to return the favor, and he had to do it right.  She'd poured her heart out to him.  It's what she deserved.

So, after a moment of calming himself, he spoke.

"You know, it's funny.  I was just reminded of something that happened, recently.  I was walking along this miserable cloudy day, full of rain, when I found a silver lining.  Just outside a village, there was this young lady standing under a tree, and I was debating asking her for help or just heading into the village.  Well, given what I had to do, I figured since you never know what you'll find till you look, I'd go ask."

This was a bit more obvious.  He wasn't even trying to disguise it.  But then, he didn't have to.

"Turns out that not only did she know the area very well, but that she was very helpful with my mission itself.  Very clever and insightful.  And if I told you the number of times I caught myself glancing at her, you'd blush.  It's really the first time I've traveled anywhere in years.  There's going to be people who surprise me."

He was trying for an honest candor here, but even Sano couldn't help but feel a little tense, throughout.  She hoped he didn't mind, but...he wasn't going to sing her praises without mentioning how beautiful she was.  He steadied himself with a sigh there, and then said.

"I'll be honest, Nashya.  Maybe you were worried about how I'd react in regards to the one inside your mind, but I didn't even know that anything was wrong.  The whole concept was completely new to me, so I assumed something else entirely.  Maybe you thought I'd freak out, but I think my background prevents that.  This is the you that you are to me.  We are what we are, even if others don't approve.  I'm glad we could meet, and I hope to meet again when I've done what I have to do."

[Blink]

With her gaze still averted Nashya waited in complete agony for Sano to say something... anything really. Every few minutes she would glance at Sano only to quickly trail her eyes somewhere else. She really was quite horrible at this... expressing her true feelings.

But then Sano began to talk, his story having a similar beginning as hers. He began talking about how he was walking towards a small village before seeing her. Then he went on telling her how she was clever and insightful, both compliments causing her blush to only intensify.... and this was before he even mentioned how many times he stole glances of her.

Completely clueless on what to do Nashya nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before very slowly and cautiously allowing her eyes to lock on Sano once more. He talked about how he never even thought something was wrong with her despite how many times in the day she thought for sure she was acting crazy. He saw Nashya for who she really was, and not for the poor soul tormented by her own abilities. She wasn't a broken 'thing' to him, but instead a living and breathing person.

She didn't know what else to say or do in this moment, completely unsure of what the right move would be. She couldn't very well act like what she had just said didn't happen. There was no way she could even try to pick up a dart and play another round, not without putting everyone in the room at risk of getting a dart in the arse.

Nashya could feel everything just building more and more inside of her. The urge to just ran away becoming harder to ignore with each passing second. Of course this would happen... of course she would meet someone only to find out that they had to part ways sooner than she wanted them to.

"And what if you never find the vampire?" Her question was a valid one as she held her arms at her sides, fists tight with angst. "What if all today will ever be is just a memory? That day we both talk about years from now where the guy met the girl and then never saw each other again." Her whole body was shaking from the fear building in her gut, as if she was prodding at something that shouldn't be messed with. A delicate thing that was already facing utter destruction at the hands of this cruel world.