Chaos And Healing, An Odd Encounter {SanctifiedSavage!}

[HeartOfFlame]

He blinked and looked up when the water shifted and rippled around her movement, eyes tracking her as she moved over and softly moved his hands. He let her, placing them on the wet tiles beside him instead, and leaned forwards slightly to make it easier for her to reach his braid. A smile tugged at his lips as she retreated, though not in fear, he noted. It was a simple matter to remove the rest of his attire, the long braid down his back falling loose as soon as he pulled the tie from the end. It spread out around his bare back, pooling on the ground a little as he worked on his boots. It was not quite as long as Keithia's, ending just below his hips, and held much less volume.

He was in the process of slipping into the water when she spoke again, his svelte, scarred body bared to the air. A short laugh broke from him as he sunk into the water, mirth filling his eyes at the comment. "I've been called far worse things."

The pool was perfectly warm, washing over his skin and burning the top layer of filth and grime, tugging his head back with the weight of his hair. He positioned himself comfortably against the rim of the pool, one arm resting on the lip he had previously sat on. He lifted one shoulder in a shrug to her question, lower lip pulled between his teeth for a moment. Ah, this one. It never got any easier to explain.

Some of the people he had freed over the years never really bothered to ask why, they just took their freedom and ran with it. Tyka had not, but Tyka had been the first, the beginning. She had been complicated. Neither of them really understood it now, even, several years later, going on a decade. He could never explain quite why he did what he did, why he had gathered all these mismatching, oppressed people and given them a choice for an at least semi decent life. He sighed, sinking down in the water so it covered from his chin down, eyes lifting to glance at Keithia.

"It'd be easier to explain if I had some some tragic past, a sob story of being oppressed and abused, etcetera etcetera etcetera." He spread his hands, the motion muted under the water. "But I don't. All I've got is a house full is miscreants and a surprisingly clear conscience."

He shrugged again, tipping his head back to scrub the hot water over his horns, working all sorts of dirt and grime out of the many grooves and notches in them. He wondered how much of it was Rivening Dust, as he liked to call it. People were messier than doors. "I saw you were unhappy and I wanted to help you."

@SanctifiedSavage

[SanctifiedSavage]

Whim. It was as good as reason as any, Keithia supposed, and it certainly explained how random it really had been. Because it was just that. It didn't disappoint her and she wasn't expecting anything particularly profound either. Rather, she got exactly what she'd asked for. The answer.

Whim.

How fickle the world could be that her life would be determined by such things. She watched him, large, charcoal gray eyes curious but otherwise unexpressive. Keithia remained where she was, content in the water. As close to something pure and natural in the city as she ever could be short of sitting out in the front yard of the estate, though the air could be oppressive out there. She considered a moment before asking the next easy question, "What now?"

She could guess. That he would let her stay here, as he did with all the others he'd freed. She appreciated the sentiment, and the bath, but she had no more idea what to do here than she did in the city. Nor would she know where to go if he said she could leave. Perhaps, Keithia mused, it was an unfair question to ask him at all. But if he wanted to ask, then she could pose the question and see what he had to say.

The nymph certainly had no idea what she should do, or where she should go. What function she might serve now that there was an opportunity to decide... or what, even, the available choices were.

@HeartOfFlame

[HeartOfFlame]

He huffed a breath, tilting his head to one side in consideration and treading water. She certainly seemed to be gaining a little more confidence, piecing together the idea of what was going on here. Grasping the concept of her freedom. He wasn't entirely sure what she would do with it though, if given the choice. Only one way to find out, he supposed.

"You could stay here." He began, collecting his wayward straying hair in a handful and running fingers through the tangled strands. "Many choose too. I think they prefer living with others who know what they've been through. The Chateau gives them a safe place to call home."

He glanced at her, a soft sigh escaping through his nose. "Or you could go back to Yoreiq, I guess. Try and find your old home, restore it. Or not. I get the feeling you'd prefer to be away from all," he waved a hand to encompass the room, the house, and the city beyond, "this. There are plenty of other places in the world where you might be able to find peace. Just...not in Connlaoth."

She was too rare and exotic to stay safely in Connlaoth. If she wasn't captured again for her looks and uniqueness, she would end up getting killed because of her status as a magic creature. People like him could hide their abilities, pretend that, even if they weren't completely human, they didn't have magic. It was all a rather simple affair, really. But when the magic was a part of you as much as breathing, it wasn't quite so easy.

@SanctifiedSavage 

[SanctifiedSavage]

Keithia shifted to lean against the opposite rim of the tub. Relaxing. Her hair swirled around her with the movement, lazy and concealing. A black shadow that followed her. What he offered was what she expected. To stay or go. Go where was always the follow up, and she didn't have an answer to that either. The world was vast, she knew, and there was likely a place she could find that would be better than the city... but it was getting there.

The nymph held no illusion as to her ability to traverse human lands. Knowing as little as she did, having so little capacity for the same extremes as mortals did, it was just as likely she'd be caught again and wind up in another house, as another possession. She wanted to avoid that, of course.

So there was no good answer. Keithia didn't say that aloud. Ultimately, that wasn't his problem. All of those were hers. Instead, she averted her eyes and began to idly play with her hair. Something to do when she was uncertain of what to do. If anything, she had time to figure it out. That was better than nothing at all.

@HeartOfFlame

[HeartOfFlame]

They sat in the silence for a while, Kanimir eventually going about cleaning the rest of the accumulated grime from his skin and hair. He sunk down under the water, letting it close over his head and fanning his hair out in a large, burgundy pool. He remained under the water for a while, eyes closed, submerged in the warmth and almost calming pressure of the heat all around him. Eventually, his lungs began to burn, and he slowly floated upwards, blowing a breath in disgust as his hair fell flat over his face and stuck.

Brushing it back out of his eyes, he looked over at Keithia, a hint of a smile playing at his lips again. She looked contemplative, like she might have been considering her options, but also strangely peaceful. That was good, progress. He moved back to lean against the lip of the pool again, lifting his hair out of the water and letting it sprawl over the tiles behind his head. He regarded her quietly for a moment, chewing the inside of his cheek.

"I travel a lot." He said, spontaneously, not really considering the words before he threw them out there. It was his way, acting on gut and instinct, spur of the moment. There was something about her that made him want to help her, more so than just handing her her freedom and a bag of coin and sending her on her way. It was confusing and slightly bothersome, something he needed to puzzle out. He hated puzzles.

"I'd be happy to help you get where you're going, when you decide where that might be."

@SanctifiedSavage

[SanctifiedSavage]

It wasn't odd to her when he began to clean himself and it didn't draw her attention. If anything, it was a familiar, calming sense. Bathing with someone in a place that didn't reek of human. Listening to the water move. Nothing would ever be like the glen, of course, but little moments as such reminded her of what peace could be, what quiet and calm and relaxation could be like.

It was nice.

For a time, she let her mind wander. Be blank. Relax and recover. Destress. She had time and there was no rush, it seemed. Keithia should use it to recenter herself and learn if that was an option.

The nymph glanced up at him when he spoke. Travel? Her hand stopped moving in the water as she considered what he had to say. "Where do you travel?" The offer was generous and one should would remember. Once she knew where she wanted to go. But...

@HeartOfFlame

[HeartOfFlame]

Kanimir waved a hand, flicking water off the ends of his fingers. "Pretty much everywhere. I think Yoreiq is the only place I haven't been yet, though that's more to do with me and boats not getting along than anything." He cracked a quick grin, unashamed to admit his weakness in that area. Water? Yes. Ships, sailing on water? Mmmm not so much.

It was true, by now, though. He had travelled through most of the continent, been accepted in places, chased out in others. There was always work for a man like him, and with his proficiency, his reputation had spread. Every country had their dirty liars, their scoundrels. There was always someone willing to pay someone else's life away. Kanimir never had moral quarries about it. He was the blade, yes, but every good blade needed a hand to wield it, and he only struck where varied hands pointed him.

The thought of La'Marri shot through his head briefly, the image of his old home faded and worn by the time it had been since he had last even thought of it. He hadn't been back since his father's death, not out of some misguided sense of guilt and loss, but purely because the place held nothing for him. He had had few friends from his childhood, and the peace of those who dwelled within its safety had always grated on him. He much preferred to be out in the world, living and fighting every day, moving and learning and leaving chaos in his wake.

As was his nature.

"Have you ever heard of La'Marri?"

@SanctifiedSavage 

[SanctifiedSavage]

Keithia watched him as he spoke. If he did travel so much, that might be the way to learn. Or rather, one of the better ways. She considered a long moment, shaking her head at his question. She didn't even know the name of the city they were in, let alone what a La'Marri was.

So, embolden by the nap and the comfort of the water room, she asked – though her voice was as soft as always, "Would you let me travel with you?" He seemed competent, obviously enough to be a concern to her former owner and he'd been able to take her as payment. If he was willing to take her along as he traveled, she could see... more... and there wouldn't be as much of a chance of her getting snagged again.

It was probably the safest way she could see the world. "I'll try to stay out of the way." It would also be a lesson in how to travel. Rather, a lesson in a lot of things, she supposed. Freedom. Travel. The world. The more she thought about it, the more Keithia liked it.

@HeartOfFlame

[HeartOfFlame]

He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, though the negative answer to La'Marri was predictable. Her words, her question, were unexpected though, and despite himself, he found a grin breaking out on his features. It was strange, normally he preferred to travel alone, preferred to have no ties and nothing to worry about but himself. Yet, somehow, this thought invigorated him. Maybe, because she was as inhuman as he was, if in a different way. Most he had ever had accompany him had been human, distinctly so, and they had bored him.

He nodded, hooking his arms over the lip of the pool in preparation for pulling himself out, grin still in place and a little mischievous light working its way into his eyes. "I wouldn't be against the idea."

He hefted himself up by his forearms, resting his rear on the edge of the pool and letting his feet dangle in the water. The air outside the water was damp and cool, but not chilly, brushing over his bare skin and raising goosebumps along his arms. Only a moment after he had finished the movement, the door behind him creaked, and his gaze turned to find the source of the intrusion.

Another grin, slightly more wicked and decidedly entertained, grabbed his lips as his eyes met the slightly mortified gaze of Mehan. The elf was half in the door, hand still grasped loosely around the doorknob, and his eyes were flickering rapidly between Kanimir, Keithia, the pool and back to Kanimir. His mouth opened in what Kanimir imagined to be a silent scream, brows drawing down in a contorted expression of grievous outrage.

"Master Kanimir! This is most inappropriate of you! I - where are your clothes?!"

@SanctifiedSavage

Spoiler

I may or may not be cackling at this poor elf child's pain right now ralmao

[close]

[SanctifiedSavage]

Keithia was quite pleased when he answered her and it was in the affirmative. Things were starting to seem better and better. Having a knowledgeable traveling companion would be the safest way for her to learn. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. It had none of the mischievousness that his had, just simple delight that he'd said yes. "Thank you," she said, softly.

Which she meant. It was probably inconveniencing him and if she had a way to repay him, she would. For now, her thanks would have to do.

When the door opened, Keithia looked unconcerned. Just as she had when Kanimir had entered. If this was a public bath for the house, it only made sense. If it was a private one, well.... Apparently not while Keithia was in it. Either way, she didn't feel any need to cover herself didn't move to do so. Instead, her brow furrowed a little when the person who opened the door seemed so upset.

Inappropriate? Did the other person expect Kanimir to bathe in his clothes? Her confused expression turned to Kanimir hoping he could explain the odd behavior because she had no idea what was going on. In an attempt to pacify the other, she said softly, "He has done nothing inappropriate." They had bathed and spoke.  She couldn't imagine anything that might be inappropriate that could've happened save... well, if he'd tried to wash himself fully clothed. That was more confusing than inappropriate, though.

@HeartOfFlame

[HeartOfFlame]

Mehan continued to splutter, and Kanimir had to suppress a not so subtle laugh at the elven man's pain, and Keithia's soft, innocent defence of him. It was kind of sweet, in a way. An odd thought, but one he found strangely warming.

Turning the rest of his body to face the door, he stood, waving a hand airily to his clothes piled near the edge of the pool. "Mehan, relax. You wouldn't be happy if I hadn't bathed, now would you? And like Keithia said, I've done nothing inappropriate." If his expression didn't show his vast amusement, his voice certainly did, holding smugness and laughter at the same time, made more so by the brash, uncaring posture of his hands on his hips and his torso inclined slightly back.

Mehan only made a terrorised sound, flitting across the room faster than the eye could follow and snatching up a towel off the rack in the corner. This, he proceeded to throw at the unrepentant Chaosbringer, doing his best to look anywhere but Keithia or Kanimir's eyes. Kanimir did laugh then, a soft chortling sound that broke through his lips as he took the towel and wrapped it lazily around his waist, half turning back towards Keithia with mirth dancing in his eyes.

"You're welcome to stay in here as long as you want, but I think Mehan actually came to tell us dinner is ready." He glanced at the elf, who was not glaring at him rather fiercely, and received a taut nod, followed by a heavy exhale of air.

"Yes, Miss Tyka asked me to inform you that it will be being served presently." He replied stiffly, his voice holding all the affront, indignation, and general displeasure with Kanimir's continued existence he could muster. Kanimir, for his part, just flashed another easy grin and look back to Keithia.

"If you're hungry."

@SanctifiedSavage

[SanctifiedSavage]

Keithia would be the first to admit she didn't know the first thing about mortals. They were just a confusing bunch. She looked between the two and, while the situation seemed amusing to Kanimir, it most certainly wasn't to the newcomer. For her part, she remained quiet and observant. Watching. She didn't want to say anything to upset the other – Mehan – any more than they actually were. It wasn't because she thought they were aggressive or particularly scary, but because she didn't want to cause anyone undue stress.

Which they seemed to be experiencing a great deal of.

When Kanimir informed her it was because dinner was ready, Keithia began to climb out of the bath. She idly wrung out her hair as she did so it wouldn't bring a lot of water with her. She glanced between them before she asked, trying to be considerate of the still flustered Mehan, "Would you like me to wear a towel as well?" As relaxed as she was, Keithia was perfectly content to attend dinner as she was but she also understood that was not exactly the way things were done. However, she didn't see anything else for her to wear besides a towel.

Which was fine. The nymph wasn't choosy about her choice of clothes. "It would be nice to join you for dinner," she added. Keithia, now clean and well rested, was rather hungry.

@HeartOfFlame

[HeartOfFlame]

Kanimir almost choked on air at the look on Mehan's face as the slight woman pulled herself out of the water, the elf turning a deep shade of red and averting his eyes with a deeply pained expression. He had a good heart, but he was so stiff, an air of pretension and pompousness always seeming to cling to him. In a former life, he had been the personal servant of a Duke or some such, before he outgrew his usefulness and somehow found his way into Tyka's view. It was never not amusing to see him fluster like this, so easily upset by the actions of those less caring of the 'proper way' of doing things.

Still, Tyka liked him, and to be honest, Kanimir did too, most days, so he took pity on the poor sod and clapped a bare hand on his shoulder, half turning him towards the door. "If you could go tell Tyka we'll be there shortly, that would be swell, 'Han." He chuckled.

The elf, still highly flustered and several shades darker than his normal skin tone, just nodded and turned on his heel, strutting from the room with what little shred of dignity he believed he had left. Kanimir chortled softly in his wake, the sound soft and fond, and turned back to Keithia.

"I know you probably don't really care about clothes, but I think Mehan might actually bust a vein if you don't, sorry." He moved over to collect his discarded clothes, sorting his hair ties and bands out of the piles and slipping them onto his fingers before tossing the rest of his apparel over his shoulder, damp skin rippling in the soft light. "Wrap up with a towel and we'll see if we can find some clothes you at least kind of like."

@SanctifiedSavage

[SanctifiedSavage]

Well, she had tried to lessen the other person's distress, but it didn't seem to have helped. A faint frown touched her lips and she remained distant, physically, from the pair of them so she wouldn't, hopefully, cause more. She didn't know what it was that was doing it. That she was in the same room with Kanimir?

It wasn't until Kanimir had escorted the elf out and clarified that she should wrap in a towel that she eventually made the connection. She sighed through her nose but picked up a towel anyway, wrapping it over her just, under her arms. Hiding what she'd learned must be hidden.

She turned to Kanimir and wordlessly looked to see if it met with approval. Her hair was still dripping and framed her, but she was adequately covered for the moment. She wasn't sure what manner of clothing would suit. It all was rather samey to her, so Keithia was inclined to go with whatever he was going to suggest. It wasn't like the nymph had a sense of style or preference. Unless as little as possible counted, but she didn't want to suggest as much and distress anyone else.

When they were alone, she asked out of curiosity, "Why does it not distress you in the same way?" She was finding all manner of questions bubbling up to the surface now that she sensed she had the freedom to ask. Conversely, Keithia added, "And why does seeing us distress him so?"

@HeartOfFlame

[HeartOfFlame]

Kanimir waited patiently while she acquired a towel, fingers fiddling idly with the bands temporarily entrapping them. His hair hung in gentle waves behind his back, made soft and slightly curly by the constant braid he kept it in, the short strands around his face already beginning to dry in short, fluffy strands. He smiled at the slightly exasperated noise she made at the suggestion to cover up, but nodded when she had done so and made his way to the door.

Pulling it open and stepping out into the decidedly crisper air of the hallway, he chuckled a little at her curiosity, waiting for her to step out and sealing the warmth in the bathing room again. "Mehan's a bit of a prude. He came from a high standing household of pomps and prims. They have a certain...Opinion about," he waved a hand to encompass them both and their lack of clothing, grin still playing at his lips, "skin."

He led the way down the hall and up the stairwell Tyka had passed earlier, old yet still plush carpet digging in-between his bare toes and drying the the moisture from the soles of his feet. "I don't really give a damn either way. We've all got bodies, nothing to be ashamed of." He wrinkled his nose, amused, rather than annoyed, this time. "Unless your incredibly fat. That's kinda gross."

He talked while he walked, leading the way down the second story floor and several corners before eventually stopping at a wide pair of well worn doors. Everything in the Chateau seemed homely, lived in, though he supposed that wouldn't mean much to Keithia, coming from the lush jungles of Yoreiq to cold rooms of stone and wood, from freedom and peace to being treated like an ornament. He pushed the doors inward, smiling at that old creak of hinges they still hadn't bothered to fix. The room beyond was basically a giant wardrobe, several rows of horizontal poles holding a wide assortment of clothes in various styles, colours and ages.

The Outfit Room, as several of the younger members of the household had dubbed it, had come with everything else in the Chateau, holding the majority of clothes hanging on the racks when Tyka moved in. Several additions had been made since, even more variety colouring the racks since Kanimir had last seen it, and he spread a hand invitingly to Keithia, stepping to the side and letting his eyes traverse the rows, looking for his style. Tyka normally kept an area portioned off for him, bits and bobs thrown on a slightly segregated bit of racking that almost always appealed to his tastes.

She was good like that.

@SanctifiedSavage

[SanctifiedSavage]

Keithia filed his answer away with the other things she'd been told. Clothes were important, a representation of who owned her and what she said about herself. Or so another servant had told her. That particular rule, she believed, didn't apply to Kanimir. He didn't seem particularly fussed about how the people in his home dressed, or weren't dressed, as the case may be. Which meant that things varied depending on where she was or who she was around. That made sense. People were different.

Rules would be different. But that would mean learning all the nuances was going to be... well. A chore.

She sighed again as they walked through the stuffy house, senses being assaulted at the smell of mortal and human. Not all human, of course, but the city leaked into the place and there was always the press of walls around her. It wasn't as bad as when she first arrived, but it always made her feel... uncomfortable.

Keithia followed without complaint, her hair leaving wet drops in her wake.

The Outfit Room was a little overwhelming, at first. So much color, so many things hanging, and in such a small space. Her eyes took a slow scan of the room, trying to sort herself and what she was looking at. Just... well, just a lot. She could piece together, eventually, what some of the things were. After a moment of orientating herself, Keithia unwrapped herself from the towel and carefully folded it, leaving it next to the door as she had her previous clothes, before she started looking through what there was to look through.

She had no idea what she was looking for, though. Something loose, something that would cover her. That seemed suitable, acceptable, and bearable. In the end, Keithia picked a tunic that was five times too big for her. It draped on her small frame much like a dress, nearly slipping off one shoulder, but it did cover her completely. Hanging to her knees, the fabric flowed around her, with a swooping neckline but it was modest in a way. It was nice enough. Not suffocating, not scratchy, with long sleeves that swallowed her arms whet they hung at her sides.

Once she had pulled it on, Keithia turned to regard Kanimir to see if he would approve.

@HeartOfFlame

[HeartOfFlame]

He left her to it, dumping his clothes on a small mirror dresser near the door and wandering down one of the rows after spotting a break in the hanging clothes. Sure enough, Tyka, or whoever she had put in charge of keeping the room tidy, had set apart a collection of loose necked, baggy armed shirts, colourful cloaks, decorative belts and several pairs of skin-gripping trousers, as well as other odds and ends that appealed to his taste. He smiled, warmed slightly by the thought of the household caring enough to keep him in mind even with so many of them to feed and clothe and keep out of trouble.

He dressed swiftly, donning a pale blue shirt with a deep neck and laces, the arms hanging slightly around his wrists in absence of his braces - he'd add those later -, and simple brown trousers. He held the outfit together with a wide leather belt, buckled with a plain silver circlet, and returned to the doorway to see how Keithia had faired.

He wasn't particularly surprised to find the nymph had decided on something loose and casual, her feet and legs still bare, and a kindly amused smile pulled his lips as he ran a gaze up and down. He bobbed his head from side to side, disentangling his hair from the collar of his shirt and working the ties off his fingers. "Good enough." He said simply, pulling burgundy strands into a loose ponytail in favour of braiding it at the present moment.

Dumping his towel near the pile of clothes he had already discarded, to be collected and cleaned later, he led the way back out of the large wardrobe-like room and through the halls to the raucous noise the signalled dinner had begun without them. A steady stream of voices and laughter overlapping reached out to greet them as they approached the large dining hall, bright light and warmth reaching out into the slightly dimmer halls, vibrant and lively.

Kanimir turned back to face Keithia, walking backwards briefly, that same smile still etched into his features. "Fair warning, they can be a little overwhelming, even for me. If you feel uncomfortable, you can leave any time you want, no one will be upset."

@SanctifiedSavage

[SanctifiedSavage]

When he didn't seem upset with her choice, she smiled a little. Feeling like she'd picked not only something suitable, but something that was comfortable enough, she moved to follow him. Her hair was still wet, and had made the tunic so, but that didn't bother her. The black strands were all the same length and had, somehow, managed not to get tangled up amongst her antlers. There were a shiny black when wet and were slowly drying straight.

The closer they approached to the steadily rising noise, the slower she walked. Keithia had been around large collections of people before. Some servants ate in one common hall and they could be noisy. Rambunctious. She understood it was their way of being free in an otherwise confined space. Her hesitation wasn't so much the noise, or even that she would be facing strangers, it was just going to be crowded and confined.

Thus far, though, Kanimir and Tyka had been very kind and understanding. She didn't want to repay such actions but being unappreciative. So, when he looked to her with the warning, she simply nodded. Keithia had been stuffed in cages and closets. She could handle a room of people. "I'm fine," she reassured softly.

[HeartOfFlame]

Kanimir nodded, willing to accept her reassurance and slightly hopeful she would speak up if the crowded dining room made her feel squashed in. With that thought in mind, he stepped into the open doorway of the fully packed room and spread his arms, almost immediately drawing the attention of the room, a dozen or more heads turning to face them.

"What's this, then? Thought you could start without me and eat everything?" He asked, voice raised slightly to be heard at the end of the long, rectangular table they were all seated around. Two places had been left, plates and mugs empty and waiting, at the end of the table nearest to them, and the smile that played on his lips now was genuine warmth and maybe a smidge of love. Just a smidge.

The gathered group laughed, smiles and muted grins wherever he looked, and with a reassuring glance back at Keithia he moved into the room and stepped over the back of the bench seat that ran nearly the entire length of the table to claim the seat nearest the other members of the household, leaving Keithia a little distance and the space of the entranceway if she began to feel crowded.

From directly across the laden table, Tyka spoke up, a spoon in hand as she dished out portions of her signature vegetable stew to the youngsters seated on either side of her. "Of course not, young tyke, we thought you had been gone so long you must have shrivelled to a little old prune in that bath of yours and were feasting to your safe ascension."

Several of those seated within Kanimir's hearing distance snorted in amusement, and he elbowed the nearest ribcage good naturedly, holding out a hand towards the softly smirking Hyoite. "Alright, alright, give me some food woman."

@SanctifiedSavage

[SanctifiedSavage]

Keithia stepped in after Kanimir and wasn't surprised when she received not a few curious looks. She was new. New people were a curiosity and the bold ones asked her such things like her name, what was she, and where she'd come from. She offered a smile, but it was fake and well practiced, while she took up the remaining seat.

Dutifully, as this had been practiced too, she answered with her name, that she was from the Yoreiq isles, and that she was a nymph. Granted, that wasn't much of an answer to anyone that didn't know of those places or what a nymph was, so she suspected that would be the follow up questions, as that was fairly common too.

All things she'd heard before, things she'd answered before, and it all came to her woodenly. Practiced and rehearsed so she didn't have to think, didn't have to worry, and didn't stumble over her words. The room felt small to her, of course, but it didn't make her want to flee like a frightened deer. People with ill intent usually set her off and there was one of that in the room. Pressing curiosity, but that was fine.  Sometimes invasive, but that didn't rankle her or make Keithia want to leave. She didn't offer any conversation but she willingly answered whatever was asked of her, if she knew the answer.

Some things she just did not know. Where the isles were in relation to where they were. Where she'd been previous to this. Where she would go now. If she would stay and how long. Things of that nature were beyond her and, if she did not know, she offered a small smile and said as much. Ever honest.

She did thank Tyka when her own food was served and ate quietly. Hearty and warm, it was just the sort of thing to end what was quite an odd day for her. What had started as just another awful day had turned into... well, she wasn't sure what to call it. Time would help her decide.

Keithia ate everything in front of her and, when she was done, remained seated because that was the polite thing to do. When it came time to clean up, she would help with that because that, too, was the polite thing to do.