Barbara
*Eyalis notes M'ralind growing visibly uncomfortable with the subject, so keeps a steady quietude about her as she watched the girl continue stretching her body out. Her ears twitch as the girl resumes speaking, half in recognition of her voice and half in slight irkedness at the fact that she was dawdling here longer than she had planned to. Any other duties she had were, for sure, not going to be met anytime soon. But it was clear that Eyalis felt some kind of ... Affection towards this newly found girl, despite how much she hardened herself or her attitude towards her; clearly something she wasn't expecting or willing to accept. Still, she listens until the girl finished, realises the extent of her turmoil: ( " I don't think I could ever return to Prasia as I am. )* ***" I understand how difficult that would be. "*** *Eyalis sighs before there's that same unpleasant silence again.*

*Occasionally, bouts of wind would soar around them, the trees would almost seem to groan as their branches rustled. Then everything stops, and they would be left in silence. (" Still Eyalis- ") And she appeared more persistent this time. (" I insist that you look ... All I can do, for now. ") Eyalis furrows her brow in wonder and perplexity at the vampire's determined, something that she admittedly admired in her.* ***" You really want my opinion over the opinion of a village elder? "*** *She says, an eyebrow arched. M'ralind grins, although her doubtfulness shows through, and Eyalis can't help but subtly smile at her abashedness, so she takes the satchel from her hands and takes a brief look over through the herbs within which, to her hidden delight, were fairly rare indeed. Raising her eyebrows at M'ralind, she spoke.* ***" I can't lie, I'm wholly impressed. You could be a good herbologist. " She says quietly.***

*Then Eyalis surprises herself and smiles, for the first time throughout their entire conversation, and she sees that the anxiety the girl held dwindles a little, but she still remains pensive. Eyalis wonders why, maybe her words didn't sound kind enough, but then again, she didn't really know how to be as empathetic towards others. (" And if there's nothing ... Strongest of my brothers and sisters back at the academy! ") She flinches slightly at the idea of M'ralind joining her. She worked more efficiently, effectively, beneficially when she was alone, Eyalis always knew that. Partnering with another? Too much of a treachery, wasn't it?* ***" No—I mean.. I couldn't possibly— "*** *She struggles to speak for a second, much unlike her for sure.*

*And besides, she thinks; vampires, for sure, were rare creatures, even more so those that have been turned by others, and could easily overpower a town by themselves, especially if boosted by the night sky. Many would be surprised that a vamparic dwarf would reside with a sullen, fatherless fae, but knowing her people, wouldn't be too discriminatory, and yet there would still be those flickered glances, hushed words. Fear was dangerous and she didn't want to pose that on anyone. And yet. The girl was clearly something. She had raw strength, determination, things that could prove useful when Eyalis decided to travel the land for quests and battle. With training, she could use herbs and spells that could make her a formidable ally and a friend, depending on how long she intended to stay that was.* ***" You want to work with me? You do realise ... That our circadian rhythms differ, especially because you're sensitive to the light ... M'ralind are you sure about this? I'd rather you were put in danger like this—I wouldn't wish 'death by sunlight' on my greatest enemy, let alone on a stranger. "*** *Worry flashes across her face.* *" How long do you intend to stay, assuming I agree to such a haphazard demand? "*
Michele
*( 😂 I was just too lazy to finish it lol )*

*( god, I'm looking and at the countless mistakes I made in those paragraphs 💀 someone needs to make me focus )*

*( Horace imma fight u rn )*

*( exactly RUN AWAY 😤 )*

*( even after reading over ten thousand times ;; )*
Ken
*Even though the sun was shining brightly through the foliage of the trees and lighting up everything that resided in the area, as her clothes fluttered slightly with each breath of the wind, the brightest thing nearby was M'ralind's smile. A clear, innocent and warm-hearted smile that shone straight towards Eyalis. M'ralind was absolutely sure of her combat ability, and the reason for her blunder this time had been a stupid mistake. In reality, so long as she wore clothing that covered a majority of her body, meaning something other than her skirt and adding headwear to her equipment, she wouldn't have to worry about the sun almost at all. However, with such a luminous expression, it might be Eyalis that starts to burn from the warmth. With a short hop, she nodded to the fae, confirming that she was now fine.*

**"There is no danger greater than being lonely! And I can tell that you need some companionship, nn?"** *With an all too bright attitude, M'ra's tone had completely changed. Before she was still worried about her debt to the lady, but now she was sure. Even if she were trying to convince the dwarf away from such a decision, she wasn't outright denying it, and that told M'ralind all she needed to know.* **"I'm more at danger from myself than from the sun, really. And although I should technically be more active during the night, it's a bit embarrassing to say but... I've still not gotten used to swapping around the cycle. I just need some clothes that cover my whole body, tha's... Tha's all."** *Sighing slightly, it was clear that she still had a few doubts. She wasn't sure of Eyalis' circumstances and she didn't want to make herself too outwardly. However it was clear that she had some concerns when it came to this.*

**"Miss, what're you lookin' for? When ya do this job, what d'ya hope t'achieve with it? Is it ta care for someone, for the town? D'ya owe someone? When you're doin' somethin' because ya feel obliged ta do it, it's always hard an' I know it is. Which is why it's better to travel with friends."** *Holy hell she sounded cheesy, it even made her cringe heavily mid-sentence and redden her cheeks in embarrassment. But keeping up the perky behaviour, she followed up.* **"I want to be that friend. It's not a matter of my safety, y'see, I don't have an awful lot to chase myself. So I'm gonna take the debt that I now owe ya, and I'm gonna pay it back!"**