[Open] A Relaxing Day

[Tahlae Zou]

At least she hadn't lied entirely. She was Fire Nation, but she wasn't from somewhere small. He didn't say anything about her little lie though, and instead seemed to show interest in her further, though not so much in a suspicious way. He made it somewhat difficult to be entirely mistrusting.

"Sharae and I have been together for almost seven years. She means the world to me." Tahlae spoke fondly of her companion. It was hard to think of such a magnificent creature as a 'pet', and indeed the thought rarely crossed her mind. The dravine which followed at her side was more friend than anything, and perhaps the only real friend Tahlae had ever known. She wasn't sure if that fact saddened her, or made her happy. Perhaps a little of both. "And you? It seems you are very close to Blaze. I cannot fathom such a bond being forged in a matter of days or even weeks. how long have you had the company of such a fine beast?" Her crystalline-hued eyes shifted from man to animal, her gaze not critical but admiring. She had seen many of the breed back home, but most held no true note of nobility to them. They were animals which lived to work and eat. Nothing more. This particular dragon moose was different.

She actually admired the way he held himself, and how composed the creature was.

Sharae seemed to share this opinion, for when nudged she rumbled gently in greeting. Sensing Lao's debate on attempting to pet her, the dravine slowly extended her neck and bumped her blunt nose against his knee, giving what amounted to permission for him to touch her.

Tahlae smiled faintly at this, and marveled at how well Sharae was able to get along with people, when for most of their lives they had not been exposed to a great many people. Perhaps it simply came naturally to her companion, whereas it was a daunting feat for the Fire bender. "She likes you. She often likes people who are fond of animals. We haven't come across many others who share a homeland with us since we... Er... Left. It is indeed a welcomed thing to stumble so unwittingly into one who knows our customs and who doesn't find me daft for my actions."

[Lao Shen]

Seven years eh? Wow. He thought as his he eyed the creature. He glanced at Blaze and smirked, trying not to show too much amusement at his partner.

Lao smiled at Sharae as she nudged his knee. In return, Lao reached his hand out ands affectionately began to pet the dravine. He loved animals. The farm he was raised on didn't have a wide variety, but he came across a lot. Aside from Blaze, his favorite creature to come across was his grandfather's komodo rhino. Lao had an immediate fascination for Blaze and the komodo rhino, but he was only allowed around Blaze and that other dragon moose until he was nineteen. By the, the komodo rhino had passed away. He remembered the stories his grandfather told him about the two in the war. Focus! He snapped back to reality as Tahlae started speaking again.

He turned his head so he was looking back at her, bringing his hand back from Sharae after a moment. He stood back up and put his hands in his pockets as he looked her in the eyes. She spoke clearly and her words seemed refined. He was somewhat shocked that she sounded so... proper. She spoke how Blaze acted in his mind, of regal quality. "Um.. I'd say I've been with Blaze for about ten or eleven years now. After my grandfather gave him to me, I kinda kept him from doing too much work on the farm... he turned out to be a noble in his own right."

Almost immediately after Lao's words, Blaze looked his way and gave a snort. It was as if Blaze knew what Lao was saying and was convinced that he was a royal from the beginning. This gained a chuckle from Lao and he looked from the dragon moose back to Tahlae, meeting her blue, crystal like eyes with his own golden ones. "When you talk, your words are really clear and your voice is pretty refined. I kinda wish I talked like that sometimes." Lao smiled at her as he commented on her voice. His own was slightly lower than most men he encountered and it was a bit gruff at times.

[Tahlae Zou]

It was sweet, to hear not only how long these two had been companions but also a little about them as individuals. Did people often share little tidbits of information about themselves in such a manner? That could be both a dangerous and endearing trait, if so. She wondered if she would be able to do such a thing, and for a moment she was so lost in thought she almost didn’t realize Lao had complimented her voice. Which she realized sounded nothing at all like what you’d hear on any small little place in the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of anywhere. Her cheeks flushed a soft pink and her mind tried to think of some way to explain that off, though she failed to see any logical one available. Well crap.

”Ah… Well, thank you. I was taught to speak by my mother. She wanted a proper lady, even if she could never parade me around for display.” There was bitterness to these words, the knowledge that no matter what life she might have been able to lead, no matter what she did at this very moment her parents would have rather her be caged up, treated like a pet and given no freedom. She had hated that fact from the first moment it dawned on her. ”The price which I paid to be able to speak in such a manner was a steep one. I would have traded anything to be given even a chance to live as you did through my childhood. No one deserves to be kept like a pampered pet and tethered to a leash so sort one can barely breath, much less stretch one’s legs and run.”

The moment the words left her lips, she realized perhaps she had just made a mistake. To speak so much of her own life meant she gave away little details. Her previous lie was really trying to come undone on her, and she wasn’t sure how to gather up the fragments and weave them back together again. "I... I mean..." she paused, and softly sighed. Head head tilted down to let her eyes fall no longer on the male or his animal, but the ground. "I believe I am what some might call 'caught'?"

[Lao Shen]

Lao's eyebrows raised a bit as she spoke. He wasn't accustomed to being able to feel how someone felt from their words. When Tahlae explained how she learned how to speak so elegantly, her words dripped with bitterness. He blinked a few times thinking about what she said. After a moment, his previous facial expression returned, the shock subsiding. The firebender replaced the two expressions with a third, amused look. The right corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk and he raised his left eyebrow. "A proper lady huh? I would say mission accomplished."

The fire bender's amber eyes continued to look into the blue eyes ahead of him as she spoke. The 'lie' she told before coming undone, slowly. It was as if she was talking to a stuffed animal. Lao didn't move or respond for a moment. He tried to piece together as much about her as she revealed to him. His eyes moved from her's to look to his side. He figured that she didn't want many people knowing much about her. He wanted to make sure that noone was eavesdropping on their conversation.

Lao's face softened a bit and he put his hand on Tahlae's shoulder. He knew it wouldn't be received to gracefully, but he didn't care. It felt like she needed some kind of comfort, but the most he could do at the moment was give her some kind of understanding. "Caught huh? Heh. Well, it's okay. I understand that you didn't want too much known. If it'll make you feel better, I won't pry any further. Your secrets are yours until you trust another with them."

[Tahlae Zou]

She tensed as his hand made contact with her shoulder, and for a moment she feared he had figured her out. She feared he was someone hunting her and preparing to take her away, to chain her back in the Fire Nation to a man she scarcely knew and didn’t care for. It lasted for only a heartbeat though, and then those irrational yet reasonable fears dissipated like smoke in the wind. He didn’t grasp her tightly, as though afraid she would flee. His touch was that of someone trying o offer comfort, and this baffled her beyond all reason.

Startled by his actions and the lack of hostility or devious motives apparently behind them, her eyes widened and she took a step back. How was someone supposed to react to concern from a stranger? She didn’t have much of a chance to try and figure it out, for Sharae shifted herself swiftly behind Tahlae and nudged her back to where she’d stood before. The girl shot a look over her shoulder as if to protest, but her voice refused to work and all she managed was a still-baffled squeak. Not the most intimidating or convincing of sounds.

It appeared she wasn’t going to be given an easy out, and so she did the only thing she really could do. A deep breath was sucked in and she braced herself, exhaling slowly as she soothed her mind and relaxed. One couldn’t behave properly when one let their emotions rule them. The only thing which she ever felt boil within and she couldn’t contain was fire. She eased, relaxing muscles which had snapped taut at his touch and forcing a weak smile to her lips. ”Apologies. I meant no offense with my actions. They are… Habit, I suppose. Thank you, Lao Shen, for showing me kindness. It has been a long time since anyone other than Sharae deemed me deserving of such a thing. Perhaps… Perhaps at some point, should we meet again or find ourselves somewhere safe, I will speak to you and erase my disrespectful lie. You do not deserve any fallacy from me.” She bowed her head in apology for her actions, having realized not only the futility of trying to portray herself as anything but what she was, as well as the lack of maliciousness about Lao Shen. He seemed to be a kind person, and he’d done nothing to cause her need to lie to him.

[Lao Shen]

Lao expected such a reaction. As the woman stepped back, Lao lowered his arm and put it in his pocket. He looked down for a moment and then to Blaze, as though he was let out at sea for a moment. Eh.. I'm not as good with kind of stuff as that Narye guy. He thought to himself. Earlier he spoke to a man in the park and the man seemed to be able to connect with Lao pretty easily. The man was a school teacher and from the looks, his students had grown very fond of him. Lao almost envied the man's ability to reach others.

The golden eyes of the fire bender caught a sudden movement on the ground and his eyes shot towards it. They landed on Tahlae's companion and watched as the dravine moved behind the woman and nudged her back over towards Lao. He blinked slowly once or twice and his eyes traveled up slowly to the woman's. His gaze was greeted with an apology ad a bow of the woman's head. Lao's lips parted for a moment as if to say something, but nothing came out at first. After a moment he smiled and let his shoulders relax. "It's alright. I honestly, don't know how to respond to apologies." The firebender laughed a little, hoping to lighten her mood.

Out of the corner of his eye, Lao noticed a rather large bench next to them. He turned his head to face it, hoping to draw attention to it and then looked back to Tahlae. "Meeting again would be nice... or we could just continue talking as though you weren't caught. Would you like to sit?" Lao smiled as he nodded his head towards the bench, hoping she'd accept. He seemed to have Sharae's backing in getting to know the woman, but he still had the feeling that she was tense. Letting her sit down would allow her to relax a little, only a little.

[Tahlae Zou]

She hesitated once more, but this time her own body volunteered action without help, as Lao Shen gestured towards the bench. Talk… She wondered why he was being so nice to her, but rather than ruin it with suspicion and doubt she instead chose to have a little faith. Maybe it would pay off. She walked stiffly towards the bench and settled herself on one end almost delicately, after a cursory glance to check for how much dirt may or may not be there. Her feet tucked under the bench and her hands came folded in her lap like a pair of small birds. A lifetime of being drilled with perfect manners and behavior kicking in without her ever knowing it. She kept her eyes down though, focusing on her hands for the moment. It was strange to sit and speak to another person like this.

Was this normal? Did everyone else get to talk like this? All the time? She found herself envious of that, though at the same time a mounting excitement stirred within her. She could do this now. She could do whatever she wanted, really. ”It will probably sound rather stupid of me, but… What shall we talk about?”

Sharae, pleased her master had taken the initiative to move of her own accord, follower the girl to the bench. The dravine gave a mighty stretch, her wings extending and tail flicking out as she did so, before laying down on her belly and settling her head in Tahlae’s lap, demanding affection from the girl in order to distract her and hopefully get Tahlae to relax a little more. The girl lifted her hands, and stroked one along the dravine’s head thoughtfully, drawing a soft sound from her companion which sounded very similar to a purr.

"I have never really had much chance for idle conversation with people. It has always been my mother or father, or the people they deemed acceptable for me to meet. Conversation has always been somewhat... Planned, to avoid unexpected surprises I suppose. I cannot imagine you suggested we sit and talk, merely to discuss the weather and how my schooling is progressing."

[Lao Shen]

Lao had to admit, he was very pleased that she decided to accept his invitation to exten their conversation. Or at least, for them to start a conversation. Lao walked over behind her, sitting on the other end of the bench, not wanting to crowd her. He put his arm over the back of the bench and folding it so that his forearm hung between Tahlae and himself. He chuckled a bit as she inquired what their topic would be. He smiled and leaned back against the back of the bench and took a relaxed, deep breath.

He listened intently on how she described her situation as far as conversations were like 'back home.' He used his other hand to scratch his chin a bit, thinking about what she told him. "Oh wow... Your parents seem like they were pretty strict on you. Trying to make the perfect noble woman." He hoped that he didn't touch a tender area. He didn't want to mistakenly discover parts of her past that she didn't want to share yet. "I didn't mean anything offensive by that.. it was just a small observation." He said to cover himself a bit.

He looked from her to his companion, noticing the heavier breathing coming from the dragon moose's direction. He chuckled a bit and shook his head. He looked back to Tahlae and noticed her petting her dravine through his peripheral vision and it brought another smile to his lips. "Oh no no. Talking about the weather is too cliche... and the conversation wouldn't last very long if we did. As far as your schooling, that may work." The fire bender nodded a bit in a self-affirming matter. He was a bit shocked that the woman was still under someone's tutelage, however. Maybe she was just being funny. He thought to himself. He stayed quiet however, not wanting to seem too foolish.

[Tahlae Zou]

Her expression gave a twitch at the mention of being a proper noble, and she forced her bitterness away once more. "Yes... Mother wanted me to be able to fit in with the very highest of crowds and be found acceptable when they had people over to visit. Being deemed a 'freak' from birth did not stop either of them from trying to force me to become something which I grew to hate. I suppose they did succeed though, as it is hard to deny the effects of my training which still rule my speech and actions. Perhaps the only thing which I have done of genuine worth was to run away like a petulant child when they informed me of their designs for my future."

She was talking too much, and she knew she was doing so, but a part of her didn't care. He already knew enough, based solely on her slips before. Why bother hiding? If he became a threat... Well if he became a threat she and Sharae would deal with him accordingly. She had not honestly expected Lao Shen to ask about her schooling when she had suggested topics. If anything, she'd been simply offering the only two things she had ever really discussed with anyone because she knew nothing else to suggest. It caused an incredulous raising of her brow and a slow shake of her head. "My schooling is over with. It consisted of lessons on how to eat, speak, dress, walk, dance, and even breath. There were books, yes, but they played second fiddle in the eyes of my teachers to molding me into a lady. Maybe if they had shown more attention to other areas I would not have felt so trapped. Perhaps I may have been compelled to stay, rather than flee and see if I could manage to survive even a week with no one but Sharae."

Her eyes never left her lap or Sharae's head as she spoke, nor when she finished. Her ears attuned themselves to any sound which may come from his direction as a hint of sudden movement though. She'd have no surprises now, not when she was so vulnerable.

[Lao Shen]

He blinked watching how she reacted to his comments. He looked ahead of him at Blaze, a bit of regret hanging over him for bringing that up. He appeared to pluck a tender string in her past, something he didn't want to do. She then started to talk about how her parents wanted to mold her and control her life. He sighed and through his nose, smoke releasing from his nostrils. He looked back to her, hoping to make a bit of eye contact. "Sorry for bringing that up. I had a feeling it would be kind of touchy. Hey, being able to speak properly and all that noble like stuff... isn't such a bad thing. Its distinct here. A lot of women around here don't carry themselves in such a self respectful way."

The fire bender put his arm down from the back of the couch and leaned forward a bit, resting his arms on his legs. She had shared so much with him, he felt like he was robbing her without confiding some information about himself to her. "I guess I wouldn't know. I was raised like a non bender for a while because my parents did think I would be one. Neither of them were. When I first started showing signs, they didn't know how to deal. The didn't think they would be able to handle if I caught fire to anything. My real restriction in child hood only came by when I felt like sparking a flame. For a while, they didn't allow me to even think about it. It was just like I didn't have any bending ability." Lao leaned back against the bench and scratched the back of his neck.

Lao looked her over again and assumed that the 'freak' factor her parents tried to avoid was her hair color. Why? He didn't see a reason for someone to be embarassed of such a thing. He hoped that she wasn't either, but taking into account that she did wear a hood when he first met her, made him think that she did. He listened about her 'schooling.' He was glad to hear that his assumption was right about her not being schooled currently. He blinked a bit and looked to a patch of grass in front of them. "Dance huh? Like waltzing and all of that, or did you learn solo dancing like ballet?" Lao didn't look up to her. He wanted to try and lighten their conversation, thinking it was becoming a bit too reflective.