As You Like (Nikolai)

[Thea Lestrange]

All she could do was be thankful that the day had yet to turn out worse. Not only did she have a splitting headache, Thea felt as if she had been beaten all over her small curvy frame. From first light of the morn she had awoken to the pain in her skull and the soreness in her limbs. But she had been warned had she not? Too much confidence in herself would only get her killed. Yet, Thea could not help but be a confident young woman. She was fairly pretty, had a good heart, and seemed to be overly blessed in life. But all that changed yesterday when she was thrown head over feet off her new gelding. Now she was paying the price for that over confidence and stubbornness she had inherited from her father.

She counted her lucky stars that she had not broken anything, but the young woman still felt as if she was moving around like an old woman who needed a cane to get along. The bustle and hustle of the people around her did not seem to help either. She would not even be here if it had not been for her mother asking her to come and get a few fresh things and a foolish yard of some kind of cloth. It was probably in the most ridiculous color too. And who would have to be the model for this said ugly dress? Thea of course. Her mother used her for all her pet projects and the idea of yet another pin pricking session set her on edge. The idea of the color her mother wanted made her head ache worse. What color would one call that? Pea soup green? Thea could think of worse names for the poor dress to be.

The sunshine caught her in the eyes, making her blink rapidly and stumble across someone small and quick. Taking a fumbling step backwards, Thea looked down to see a small, somewhat dirty from playing, child and had to smile. "I'm sorry little one, are you okay?" Just as the small boy was about to answer, Thea felt a shadow cast over her short stature. Looking up, she found her eyes meeting those of a very perturbed father. Her lips felt tied together as he continued to glare at her. "I-I...I did not mean to harm the child, sir. Pardon me," Thea turned and quickly excused herself from the small crowd that gathered and sighed before she bumped into yet another person and winced. "I am so sorry, I didn't-" her tongue felt as if it weighed a ton as she looked up into dark eyes. If she had any sense, she would have realized that she was standing there like a knot on a log, but Thea was dumbfounded by the stranger she had ran into.

[Desperanza]

Nikolai’s day was winding down to be more or less somewhat eventful and then even more relaxing. The morning had been consumed with the activity of taking a trip to the town’s healer for another check of the wounds that he had achieved through training. At this point, they were nearly fully healed. The wounds had been healing well though it had stung and by now, he was beginning to lose the bitter mood from the day that he had been made to spend hours repairing the gauntlet. Sighing, he had now come to lean against the wall of a shop in town. The heart of Kiyer was buzzing and it wasn’t completely cheery, either. After the King’s death a few days’ prior things held a slight and strange buzz to them. The atmosphere was a little strange. Instead of the typical upbeat mood there were many more solemn faces, and not nearly as many that actually held a hint of a good mood. The collective mood itself did not seem to help the soldier’s mood and he sighed, frowning. Today he happened to be dressed in a simple pair of black cotton pants with the leather strap across his chest with the emblem of the royal guard pressed into the front of the strap that crossed from his right shoulder to his waist where a simple leather belt held his sword at his left hip. His torso remained bare as it usually was.

Today, the point of him remaining in town was in hopes that he may find something to bring up the mood of the community. For some reason not even the Blue Boar Inn held a better mood. Getting drunk at the moment seemed to be a way for many men to escape the down trodden ways of life around Kiyer at the moment so he had chosen not to remain at the tavern any longer. He had already wandered through town, paid for a spot of breakfast and had taken a peek for the typical musicians who usually sat in the heart of the town square playing the upbeat music that often enticed the better mood of the towns people but he had hardly been able to stand it. The music was dreary and slow. The musicians seemed set in producing music that would hold the mood on the down low at the moment. Nikolai had left that as well though he hadn’t gone far and even from his point close to the bakery he could hear the wailing of the saddening tunes reaching him from the square. Now it wasn’t that he held no respect for the King for in all honesty, he did. He served in the royal guard for heaven’s sake and he as well as others mourned the death of the King but he did not see why it had to take a grip upon everything. The best way to push through the death was to keep life moving and yet somewhere deep within was a simple sense of serenity for in some ways he had seen this coming. Something had alarmed him for weeks, he had felt the stir of something wrong coming for some time and now look, the King was dead and there was a prisoner in the belly of the castle’s dungeon awaiting the hanging.

Nikolai sighed, straightening from the wall as he turned on his heel and approached the door of the bakery. Stepping into the warmer interior he inhaled deeply and grinned. The vibrant scents of multiple breads baking was enticing and he nodded slightly, wandering forward as he gazed across the loafs that rested within the cabinets built to display the edible items. He fished within a small piece of his pants where he had a small satchel of coins tucked in at the waist and fished out a few coins, dropping them into the hand of the baker as he paid for a freshly baked roll about the size of his hand with butter melted over top of it. He grinned, smiling in return to the smile of the baker who in turn smiled at the tip that he had been given. There, one little ray of happiness now spreading over one tip that he had given to the baker. He offered a smile and a slight wave before he turned and made his way from the bakery, pulling a small piece from the roll as he popped it into his mouth with a grin. It was a small bit of delight in the palm of his hand with the soft baked bread that filled his palm with a bit of butter melted over top. He worked hard when he was working and he was nearly always working and while he was around the guard platform the only thing he ate was small crusts of bread and jerky so the days he had off, the time that he got to spend on his own he ate whatever the hell he wanted and took the time to truly enjoy life the way he wanted. Now, as he made his way from the shop, he didn’t pay much attention, rather not expecting anyone to be stumbling around the street of Kiyer and as he turned to make his way along the street, collision.

The soldier blinked in surprise and the roll seemed to tumble from his hand as he lost track of it to brace his hands to catch whomever had stumbled into him. A brief moment of surprised washed through him and his dark eyes grew wide for a moment, his hands drifting to clasp the upper arms of the woman gently as his chin lowered and he took a step back to gather the sight of the woman that had come tumbling into him. He steadied her as well before he released his hold from her arms with a slight smile, glancing around for his purchase that now went rolling a few inches across the ground before a stray dog darted out of the shadows of a shop to snatch it and dart back to its hiding place once again. He rolled his eyes and chuckled before finally he came to take a good look at the woman. He caught his breath at the sight, his dark eyes gaining a brief look of some form of a rather elated emotion whether it is it was that cheesy glance that men give to women that they find attractive or something else could be unsure but the next thing that followed was a suave and coy smile as he gazed at the woman, straightening once again as he gazed over her features thoughtfully. Taking a steadying breath, he sighed and folded his arms across his chest with a questioning look, “Are you all right, madam?” he inquired gently to her this time with a questioning look. Though his initial look might have offended her or given her the thought that he was just another cheeky man looking for a one night stand but his tone was sincere indeed.

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[Thea Lestrange]

The morning was drab and dull, mostly because of what had happened to their King. The tradgedy of it all made Thea's heart hurt. He was their leader and had served his people for quite some time now. Yet, he was gone. Taken away in a moment's breath and now the effect of the death was causing the town's mood to drop to an all time low. Thea was not the only one with a frown set to her lips; both men and women walked along with slumped shoulders and a grey expression. No one seemed to be having a good time, nor was the typical laughter of children bubbling across the town. Thea felt the weight of losing their King and sighed heavily. When would things get back to normal? It was if the sun had been blocked by an eclipse and the storm had set in. Thea prayed silently for some relief, but doubted highly that they would see the last of the dark days. Something had to give at some point, but it more than likely would not happen anytime soon. Her own mood was rather bad; the idea of the horrid dress kept creeping upon her and the aches in her body from the horse ride gone bad kept her from her usual brisk walk.

Perhaps after she ran her errands she could go to the Falls and take a swim? Surely with everyone so down and upset they would not be out at the Falls swimming. She could float around in the peace and quiet, soak up what sunshine she could find, and relax her aching muscles. The idea of the swirling water over her bare skin had a small smile curling up the edges of Thea's beautiful lips. Everyone needed time alone, and today Thea was in that state of mind. Kiyer needed some life to shake them up, something bright to make the day better for everyone, but until then Thea did not want to be around the doom and gloom. The King was dead yes, but they had caught the prisoner who was about to be hanged for the crime. Everyone should be rejoicing, yet all Thea could see was the sadness. Being a bright happy person, she was at loathe to see such a sight and wanted nothing more than to get out of Kiyer and find her own rest. Hopefully soon she could ride her father's horse again, but she doubted that he would ever allow her to ride once more. The mere thought dampened her mood even more, but she sucked it in and put on a smile for the world. She would make the best of the situation. Just because she could not ride did not mean that she could not tend to the horses. They were part of her, just as they had always been a part of her father. Having horses meant that Thea could whisper her deepest secrets and desires in their soft pointed ears. Tickle their chins and have them blow on her hand while she fed them sweets from her pockets. She adored the creatures, any animal really, and she could not help but feel sadden that she would probably never ride again.

The running over of a small child made Thea even more on edge. Was she truly that dense that she could not even notice other people walking along the street? Letting out a puff of breath, Thea shook her dark head and flicked her braid over her shoudler. Hopefully today she could get the long curly hair sheared. It was hanging well past her waist and it was a mess to work with every morning. She could never understand why her mother was so envious of the messy locks, or why her friends said they would slaughter her if she cut them, but assumed it was a female thing. Thea was a woman yes, a young woman, but she was not as frilly as the other girls. No, she was much more active and could still manage to be a lady. What was so wrong about climbing trees and tumbling over the mountains in the countryside? As long as she wore her britches and made sure to have on her sturdy boots she was fine. Yet the other young women acted as if she were a pariah just because she loved to run around. She saw absolutely nothing wrong with it and did not care if the young men believed her strange. Let them, it was no sweat off her back.

Even though the day had gotten off to a bad start, she had not expected to bump into anyone else on the streets. Let alone a man who was shirtless and had the symbol of a guard written on a leather strap that just so happened to reside across his well sculpted chest; which she should not be noticing, but she could not help but stare at the man's chest while she caught her breath again. Good grief was he made of rock? Thea felt as if she had fallen and crashed into the side of a small mountain as she gathered her wits about her. She watched the buttered roll drop from his hands as she fell into him and cringed as a dog scampered out and took off with it. How angry would he be with her? Thea flushed at the idea of the man scolding her for being a witless chit. She was so clueless sometimes she feared that everyone would soon enough shun her for it. Little Thea Lestrange off in her own little world, as per usual. The feel of his strong hands on her small upper arms brought her out of her thoughts and as soon as she looked up, her mouth dropped. He was...well he was incredibly handsome and she found herself tongue tied for once. They gazed upon each other in silence for a moment, Thea too stunned to speak, and before she knew it the coy smile men always seemed to give her appeared upon his face. Thea flushed bright pink with shyness before her slight temper kicked in. How dare he look at her like that? Setting her down, she placed her hands on her hips, her light shawl wrapped around her shoulders in a bright crimson contrast to her dark dress. "I am perfectly fine. Excuse me for your meal though, I had no idea you were there. I would be more than happy to purchase you a new one." She had settled down and decided that he meant no harm by the look, he was just being a typical male. And as she peered up at him, Thea could not help but have a normal female response and believe him handsome. "I am so terribly sorry," Thea sighed heavily and felt her shoulders slump.

[Desperanza]

Nikolai’s eyes remained gentle and a slight smile touched his features as he nodded slightly to her in return as he glanced back at her thoughtfully, meeting the gaze of her own dark eyes as he straightened himself again and let his hands fall back to his side. He noted the softer skin that belonged to her and the evidently feminine frame and sighed vaguely with an airy expression as he came to fold his arms across his chest for a moment instead with a curt nod, “It’s not a problem m’am really. I don’t expect you to buy me a new one or anything.” He replied with a shrug as he glanced after the dog thoughtfully for a brief moment before glancing back to Thea once again with a slight grin, “That dog probably needed it more than me anyways.” He returned with a slight shrug. He glanced around himself thoughtfully and sighed vaguely at the solemn expressions once more. Again, the world was facing him head on with saddened and empty expressions now as he glanced back to Thea once again, “The question is, are you all right?” he inquired gently to her this time as he offered her a genuinely curious and worried look for a moment. He took a breath and glanced to the shop for a moment as a woman stepped out of the shop, gasping briefly as she spotted Nikolai before she offered a bit of a grin and wandered a bit closer, “Soldier!” she muttered quickly as she approached Nikolai, seeming to freeze for a moment at the sight of Thea. The dark beauty was dazzling it seemed not just to Nikolai but others could see it as well.

The woman was dressed in simple folds of cotton, a dress that reached her ankles though the top was cut just a bit to offer a bit of a v-line cut in her shirt. He sighed, frowning slightly with a slight cock of his head as the woman wandered forward, outstretching her hands for a moment. Nikolai rocked back on his heels a bit, unsure of who the woman was or what she thought she was doing but after a moment the woman’s hands rested at Nikolai’s chest and she leaned up onto her toes to brush a kiss to his cheek, giggling a bit as she straightened once again and came to look up at Nikolai with a smile, “It has been some time before I spotted a soldier like you in town. Is there any word from the castle?” she inquired brightly. Lowering his hands, Nikolai carefully un-pried the woman’s hands from his chest with a faint smile and shook his head, “No.” he returned simply, feeling a bit awkward at the moment and the woman was quickly getting the message and huffed, “Can I perhaps have a way of contacting you later for erm, more information?” she asked hopefully this time but Nikolai shook his head again and took a step back this time, “No, madam, I don’t give me residence to just anyone and I won’t have any word anytime soon.” He returned simply to the woman who pouted at her failed efforts, folding her arms across her chest. She glanced off to the side as a few of her friends wandered by with baskets of fruit held on their arms. Nikolai winced and cast a glance to Thea at their squeals of delight at the sight, each dressed in a strange, lacy and more revealing dress it seemed. He turned back to Thea and offered an impish smile as he turned his gaze to the female instead with a grin, sighing. He rather wished that the moment had not been cut short, that he had a better chance to speak with her. Her wild and dark beauty was enticing and her kindness sent a jolt through him. Her soft tone and her multiple apologies and offers to buy him another, he shook his head and motioned to the bakery, “Go on, buy yourself something better. Here is a tip for the terrible meeting.” He muttered, apologizing vaguely in his own way as he slid a hand into his satchel and took a small handful of coins, gathering Thea’s hand within his own and he pressed the coins into her soft palm, his thumb brushing the edge of her hand for a brief moment, curious of the soft skin of the woman before he simply closed her fingers around the coins and he pulled his hands away before she could return them. He gave her a brief salute and grinned, “A pleasure to meet you, madam. Perhaps another time?” he inquired gently before the flutter of the woman drifted closer and clouded his view but he gazed upon Thea a few moments longer then he needed to with an interested grin before he turned on his heel and darted off across the street, reaching his hands upwards he gave a slight jump and grabbed hold of the sign at the inn, swinging a bit before leaping onto the roof and darting off across the roof tops and heading towards the forest instead.

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