Welcome, to the Arena! (D4 - MA)(Expecting)

[Cyprian Kircheis]

"Perhaps real isn't the word, because she wasn't pulling her punches." He admitted with some admiration.

He hadn't expected the kiss, and the healing of course gave him extra warm feelings. But the bonk set him straight again. His grin was less mischievous and more adoring than before.

"You flatterer, and of course!" Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of mischief still in that grin. "And now you'll have me to cheer for you when your name is called."

Heading back up into the hive's open air he stops breathing again. Another of the many perks to being a dhampir. "So my little juniper blossom, are you going to tell me about that transformation last night?"

[Illiam'iira]

"So my little juniper blossom, are you going to tell me about that transformation last night?"

Darn it. He's REALLY not gonna let that one go.

Illia sighs as she follows Cyprian. "If you really wanna know..." There's a bit less warmth to her as she crosses her arms. "Well. Uhm. It's something I get from my mama. Hers is prettier," She mutters. "I don't like using it much though. It makes me feel less like a person, more..."

A brief pause as she considers. It's hard to put into words, much less to someone she's afraid won't understand.

"I dunno... it just makes me feel less like a person. Like I'm not there." Just the parts of me I don't like. The scary parts. Her hand goes up to grip her brooch, hugging it to her heart. "Does that make sense?"

[Cyprian Kircheis]

"Not really," he shrugs ordering an ale, "but if it's a source of trauma forget I asked." He grabs a seat at the bar. "I just thought you looked hot. It was a wild look, primal and invigorating. It made me think that maybe you were suppressing a part of yourself that you needn't. So of course I took an immediate interest!"

The ale arrives and he takes a swig. "Do you have a boyfriend Illi?" He asks with a smirk.

[Illiam'iira]

"Do you have a boyfriend Illi?"

She meeps. Oh no. He's SO horny.

"No!" Illi hides her mouth behind her hands, brooch let loose to bounce a few times before settling against her ribcage. "I -- I've done my time fooling around, so I'm just, uhm, takin' a break. From dating."

[Cyprian Kircheis]

He leans on one arm as his smirk widens. "Ohh? My, my! You ARE full of surprises! Who would have thought someone so tiny, precious, and seemingly innocent was in fact a recovering heart breaker!" He draws a circle on the bar. "If I wasn't taken I'd offer to tease out all of those naughty qualities you are seemingly so ashamed of." He chuckled softly. "But then I'm sure there are multitudes of princes on the periphery who are simply dying to make you their princess."

He bites his lip before taking another sip.

"Ahh, but that's okay. You should take time for yourself now and again." He says doing an instant 180. "There are plenty of passions worth chasing. One needn't settle for the coital variety alone." Adoring Cyprian beams down on her yet again. "So then... am I to take it that you being here is because your current passions are geared towards a more martial track? Or are you also chasing the prize money?"

[Illiam'iira]

"So then... am I to take it that you being here is because your current passions are geared towards a more martial track? Or are you also chasing the prize money?"

...Illi has half a mind to break Cyprian's little brain with just how surprising she can be, but, well, that would be rude to his partner, and would be leading him on, and also, she's taking a break precisely because of bards like Cyprian. Darnit, horny bards and rogues and paladins the world over! You're all too horny!!! She's not doing that again! No more getting felt up in public or kinky sex in back alleys or weird sex clubs or crazy costumes or or or!!!!!! She hasn't done any of that in years! NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!

Which is to say there's a bit of a face journey going on as she listens to Cyprian talk.

Illiam'iira nods, staring up at him, wide-eyed and still hiding her mouth. "For the money," She squeaks out. "I wanna buy lots of food for the soup kitchen they've got in the Slags. The arena's the quickest way to make some cash, though..." Illi doubts she's got what it takes. But maybe she can still make something! She's gotta hope for that!

[Cyprian Kircheis]

The small muscle movement in her face amuses him. In the back of his mind he wondered how far he could push her before she did spill. But the part of him that would have capitalized on that sort of thing is on vacation... possibly permanently.

Then she said...

Illiam'iira nods, staring up at him, wide-eyed and still hiding her mouth. "For the money," She squeaks out. "I wanna buy lots of food for the soup kitchen they've got in the Slags. The arena's the quickest way to make some cash, though..."

... that!

He's dumbfounded. Her altruism seems genuine. It's so pure, so innocent. He's not exactly a bad person but he's certainly not that good of a person. To him it's still a stunning thing to hear. Both her and Akh are altruists. Good, beautiful people.

His eyes soften. "I see." He smiles a little ashamed. "That's very noble of you." He looks straight ahead in contemplation. He's seemingly stunned into silence.

[Illiam'iira]

"That's very noble of you."

She puffs up a bit at that. "I ain't doin' it for the nobility of the dang thing!" Both her hands lay on her hips as she grumbles, cheeks puffed up as she figures out how to word her Big Feelings. "Fact is, we're all of us one or two misfortunes away from needin' a soup kitchen. I feed them today, maybe they feed me tomorrow. We gotta take care of each other, and I ain't waiting til I need it to start on that."

...besides, it makes her happy.

[Cyprian Kircheis]

He blinks. His mouth opens like he's going to speak, then not long after closes again. A dumb grin traces his lips before he drowns it with another swig of ale. "You are a strange little girl Illi." He chuckles, "So this world you came from. What was life like there? That other you that you won't let me in on said it was a chaotic world. Rather sounds a lot like my own."

He brushes his hair aside and levels her with his most charming smile.

"Why don't you tell me about it while we wait for your name to get called."

[Illiam'iira]

"Why don't you tell me about it while we wait for your name to get called."

"Oh? Toril?" She blinks. "Yeah, it gets chaotic every few decades. Gods and powers and powerful people always got somethin' going on -- plans within plans, wheels within wheels and alla that. You wise up real quick if you live long enough, figure out how to taste change on the wind, learn how to shore up your defenses so you can protect you and yours." It's what makes her worry about this place. "I've not seen anything as strange as my parents' time, but, well, I'm honestly pretty happy I haven't. Mostly I just like helping take care of the sheep." She really doesn't want to live like her parents did.

...you don't always get what you want, Illiam.

"What about your world?"