Finally Kaz had returned to the place he started from. His life began here as a knight and he aimed for that to be the goal again. it brought a smile to his calm face as the sun light bounced across the tops of buildings and cast a gentle glow on the people around. A part of him found it humorous that he had returned so soon after leaving.

His walk was slow and steady, taking in all that was around him. Even so, there was something nervous about rejoining the knights, if they had known all he had done.

Either way it was a good time to take it easy and gather himself. He kept a sharp eye out for a place for tea. He stopped in the middle of the street and rubbed the back of his neck. "huh...can't seem to remember." He peeked around corners and streets as he passed by. He leaned backwards as he passed by shops to steal a quick glance. only to shake his head. "nope not that one." There was once a favorite tea shop of his but he struggled to find it. That was until he came to a small tea store. A sign swung in the wind, hanging from a post that extended from the building. The windows were boarded up and the doors were chained shut. The tea pot in his hand hung limp in his fingers.

His hand pressed against the door "So...closed then,"he said with a smile even in the brief sadness at having lost a place he came to often. But it was the cycle of life and he could only hope the family was doing well. It was a change just as he had changed.

A small breeze rustled his hair and washed over his hand as he pulled it away from the door. "Well," he shielded his eyes from the sun and gazed outward with a lopsided smile and a sigh. "Where am I gonna go now?" He gripped the small tea pot he was going to use to make some fresh tea that would now go empty. He tossed it up once in the air ready to catch it as it came back down.

Kazimir was lost in his own thoughts as he tossed the tea pot up. The sun gleaned off it as a smile as soft warm as the sun flashed his way. A woman's voice called out. "Oh," he replied curiously. His attention now turned towards the woman, he forgot the pot he tossed. The metal container came crashing down on his foot. "Ahh," he grumbled with one eye winced partly shut. Raising his foot, he grabbed the mild throb of pain resonating from it. The pot rolled onto the ground in a small circle. Even after all that had transpired he was still a bit of an air head.

"Surprised me."He knelt down laughing as he picked back up the pot. He ran his hand though his hair, moving it out of his face and looked up at the woman. There was a flicker of curiosity in his eye as he wondered if this was yet another assassin but his calm expression didn't change. Briefly taking in what she was wearing and seeing that she didn't stand in a threatening way, his mind was more at ease.  

"Yeah that would be great thanks. I used to come here and buy tea leaves but...well it seems its closed," he stood up to face her. He wore a well fitted military style uniform but one that was not of any company around here. His short indigo hair tickled the top of he high collar on his attire. There was a small white scarf tucked away around his neck and into his shirt.

"It'd be my pleasure to join you," he nodded and extended his gloved hand to her. Scanning him up and down she could see the scuff and dirt on his boots. His attire a little tattered from the long journey from Astera.

"My name is Kazimir Seiryu," he introduced himself, making direct eye contact. She seemed like a kind woman with the way she so openly offered to help a complete stranger. It was a stroke of luck that he'd met her as he had no idea where else to look for morning tea.

He waited for her to return his handshake and if she would give her name as well before turning to the side for her to lead the way through the small street.

Noyiah Winced slightly as the loud Clattering of the canaster hit the ground. The sound was far to loud for the morning and drew in the attention from passers by. “OH! I’m sorry I didn’t mea. . .” she stopped short as she was speaking over him. Luckily, he was reacting, and she understood what he had said under her interjection.

He held his toes where the pot had first hit him, she felt a little regret that he hurt himself, but he shook it off like a champ quickly regaining his disposition, he thanked her and then explained his situation which made her realize why he even had the tea pot. “Ah that makes sense, I was kind of curious as to why you would bring your own steeping device, but who am I to question your motives. . right?” She said with a slight shrug and chuckle and flashed a smile again

He introduced himself and accepted her offer, Noyiah would look into his eyes when he went for the handshake, it was almost reflex now to do the same, her hand extended out before he had even gotten his full name out. Grasping softly, she would shake his hand after he was finished telling her his name she would reply with “ Well Kazimir, I am Noyiah Dashi and it’s a pleasure to meet you” she said repeating his name mostly for her own memory.  Letting go of the handshake she would turn slightly and then wave her hand in a small Circle before motioning down the road as if to say -this way-.  She had noticed how tattered his cloths were and how he recently had been outside of town but proffered to not try and have that conversation until after they both had a warm Beverage to go with it.

Noyiah would move at a slowed pace until she was sure he was following her. “like I said before its just a couple of blocks this way” she restated to build into her next point “ its rather new still but it seemed like it will last a bit,  I go most mornings when waiting to hear from my colleague.” She move down the road if he followed, passing by the shops just starting to open up. As they passed a large window Noyiah glanced over and brushed her bangs away from her eyes.   Noyiah wore a Large bulky sweater today, paired with grey leggings and a light blue skirt, that the sweater almost hid completely, under her sweater around her neck region peeked out a grey sleeveless undershirt.   a purple scarf around the back of her neck, loosely hung around her neck, hidden mostly by her sweater.  

Noyiah flattened out the part of her sleeve with other  opposite hand afterwards and lead Kazimir to the café. She would open the door for him letting him in before herself, and then in a somewhat amused tone “ Tada,  get what you’d like my treat “ She proclaimed wearing her usual Smirk prominently.   “ you can sit anywhere on this half of the room” she said moving her arm out as if to divide the room with an imaginary line. “I prefer the window side” she explained with a half-hearted laugh.

Outfit:

"Oh no don't worry. it's nothing," he said not wanting her to feel bad for his little shock at her arrival.

he laughed back at her chuckle as he opened his bag and dropped the tea pot inside, "Yeah, haha, I suppose it does look a bit odd for someone to be carrying one around. Habits I suppose."

She shook his hand as politely as he did her. It was something that was growing more uncommon these days. But with the recent demon attacks it was a bit understandable but refreshing to see it still alive.

A grin came on his face at her waving gesture down the road. He gave a courteous bow before stepping in the direction. "let's go then. Please, lead the way,"he said as he stepped beside her so they could walk down the curved path.

"I suppose there are many new things around here I don't know about yet...How... he began to ask a question but realized she probably held back until they arrived at the cafe so he did the same. "I should warn you though...I can be a bit of inquisitor."If one thing being around more people taught him about himself was that he liked asking questions and learning anything he could.

She dressed pretty comfortably in her long sweater. Waking up and coming for coffee. A delightful way to start the day.

Kaz was going to reach for the door but before he could act she had already opened it. "Oh," he reacted with a wide eyed look. "Thank you."

"You are too kind. If you get the tea then I'll get the dessert. Deal?" he said with a smile and one hand on his hip. "wait!" he leaned in to stare at the standing menu in front of the shop. "They have pancakes. I gotta have one of those."  

"Oh uhm,"he straightened up and looked at the half she gestured towards. "Window it is then," he took of his jacket and folded it over his arm. he had forgotten to even think about a tea order from seeing the breakfast food.

He moved towards a booth by a window that overlooked a small cobbled street and parts of the town below.

"I hope i'm not interrupting your meeting with your colleague or your work?"

outfit/no swords:

"Your welcome” she chimed walking in behind him.  She had mentioned her would treat him, and he offered to do dessert, she paused for a moment “  yeah i probably can afford a cheat day “ she said with a smirk, she tilted her head slightly as he yelled out -wait-  “  i haven’t had them myself but they always look good” she added,  it was a little bit adorable how excited her seemed to get over the smallest of things, especially when he tried to regain his composure.   He selected the seat that they would be sitting at, it didn’t bother her, it wasn’t a bad choice, a decent view, her back could be against the wall.  Booths where comfortable and tended to be the best for conversations

“oh no your good, i don’t often hear from her over the weekend” she reassured before walking towards the counter “a coffee, please two milk, no sugar” she said using her friendliest voice possible, as one often did when interacting in a business setting.  “and then what ever my friend might want “she said stepping the side to allow Kazimir to interact with the server.

Once they ordered Noyiah would walk towards the booth, looking at the other people as she passed by, a couple of regulars sat in their usual spots, there was a few people that she didn’t recognize but she didn’t think anything of it.  As she stood beside the booth she scooted over to one side,  running her right hand through the back of her hair, lifting it enough to get her scarf out from behind her neck,  pulling it free with her left hand she placed it onto her lap, then straightened her hair out again combing it with her finger tips.  She then folded the scarf up and placed it on her lap. “I am somewhat inquisitive myself you know.” she would say referring to his comment as they walked here. But she wouldn’t say this until after he sat down and looked comfortable.

Their drinks/food would be by when ever it was ready, and Noyiah did plan on asking a few questions, but paced herself so that she didn’t sound too nosey. “you mentioned a lot had changed, or i guess you said there was lots of new things, either way you weren’t here, what brought you back to era?” She asked figuring this was personal enough to get a bit of information but not too specific, that it would come off invasive.

"I kind of only eat breakfast food,"he said with a smile. "Well then, you get the tea and then I'll get some pancakes for the both of us." He wasn't worried about being wasteful. He could probably fit them all in his stomach if she didn't like them.

"Perfect," he replied to not having interrupted the flow of her day. Kaz stepped forward as she finished her order. "I'll have a lemon tea then. Thank you," he gave the woman at the counter a friendly nod.

He followed her to the window side booth and waited for her to sit down. Kaz slid into the seat across from her, and set his jacket on the seat next to him. He unwrapped his scarf and stacked it on the jacket. "Feels good to get that off sometimes," he said, rolling his shoulders as if shrugging of something heavy.

He raised a brow at her rebuttal that she was inquisitive too. "Well then its a good thing I went ahead and order food," he jested back and leaned forward only slightly, with his arms resting on the table.

Her question was probably a more direct and invasive one than she realized. A simple question that danced around a complex topic.

He interlaced his fingers and glanced out the window. "Well," he took a couple seconds to respond. "Yes, I have been gone for some time. Feels longer than it was really,"he said

"But I'm here to join the Rune Knights," he turned his eyes back to her. The sun beamed through the window and danced on the table between them.

"But what about you? You have a colleague so do you work here in Era? Born here?" he shot a few questions out. Simple ones to gauge who the person was before him.

The tea arrived and the waitress placed them on the table, "I'll be back with the food,' she said before bouncing away to fill the next orders.

Noyiah nodded to his food comment, she was at least a little hungry, but knew that after her coffee she would be a little more awake, and likely hungry.

Noyiah’s Question seemed to have been a bit of a Struggle for him, perhaps to personal or painful to fully commit to telling a stranger, which Noyiah understood and didn’t pry anymore about it, “ Ah the Rune Knights, I thought about joining them myself, but I’m of a rare breed that are not capable of magic” She said truthfully. Leaning against the table, her elbows resting on the edge of the table, her hands clasped together and placed just in front of her mouth, her thumbs resting just under her chin.

Kazimir’s question seemed very general, which was fine and Noyiah would happily answer them but knew it made her seem boring. “Yep Born and raised here, and I co-run a detective agency, Guardian Investigations “Noyiah shifted back moving her arms up above her head for a moment stretching out her back and neck before letting her hands down. Fishing out a business card from her pocket. “It’s nothing major, I specialize in more of magic based crime or inquiries, and my business partner is more of the social commitments.” Noyiah mentioned before their Beverages made it to the table.
Clasping the cup with both hands she let the warmth flood through her hands. “Thanks darling” She expressed towards the server. Noyiah glanced down at her coffee, before realizing that her hand had a smudge of lipstick on the back of her hand. She quickly moves her hand back and wipes it on the wrist of her opposite hand blending it into her skin tone until it was no longer visible.

“What about you, what do you do to earn a living?” she asked, clearly, he had some sort of income, he was offering to pay for a few things, nothing really expensive, or perhaps he was simply trying to impress her with his last jewels.

He found the woman's simple gestures charming as she rest her chin on her hands. It was a calming presence. He leaned forward with his arms now folded atop each other on the table and listened. His eyes flashed wider as she mentioned joining the knights herself.

"Oh, if its something that interests you, you should dive in. Not being able to use magic only means you've mastered arts that mages haven't. I'd be curious to know what that skill is?"

A smile crept on his face, "a detective agency? Sounds like you're already doing a knights work. Must be exciting. What kinds of magical crimes?" he thought the profession was a fascinating one. just to be free to choose their own work and help others. The questions just rolled free as he scooted towards the edge of his seat.

Kaz took the business card and flipped it around in his fingers to examine both sides. "I see. nothing major huh." he turned the card so the name of the business faced her as she wiped away the smudge on her wrist.

"Hm. Well if you ask me. It's pretty major. How many people can say they have captured a dream and can hold it in their hand," he said as he held the card between his two fingers and put it in his empty chest pocket and gave it a small pat.

The tea had arrived and Kaz smelled in the aroma. The steam from the cup drifted towards his face. He took a small sip from it and let it the heat pass by his lips.

"Oh," he said as a bit of tea squeezed past his lips when she asked and he wiped it away on his sleeve.

"Well, I suppose I am a scout for now. Mostly in the wild. I was a member of the rune knights before and then the inquisition," his intrigue at her bringing it up now understandable. He wasn't sure if she knew about the inquisition but either way, he had nothing to hide about it. He let out a small chuckle, "But I went a bit rogue for awhile," he added and then sipped the tea again.

“Mostly the cases tend to be ruling if magic was used in the crime or if it was done by an average person.” She explained rather casually, she hadn’t really considered her line of work as something that was needed by the rune knights, she was interested in joining them for quite some time now. But hadn’t tried simply because it was a goal, and it felt like she wasn’t ready.  But really what had she been waiting for other than the fact that it didn’t simply fall into her lap. Maybe she believed that if she did good enough work, they would reach out to her, but after coming to the realization it seemed ridiculous to think that.

After handing over her business card, he relentlessly teased her, her pale cheeks started to grow more and more red until they out shined her blush. Noyiah quickly covered her face with her hands brushing it off as if she was wiping something from her eyes but in reality, just tried to buy herself some time to regain composure.  Luckily the tea coming seemed to save the day as his attention turned to that after he was done being playful about her card.  It gave her a few moments to recollect herself and wipe the makeup that she had smudged when she touched her eyes using the scarf she had on her lap.

After he talked a bit about what he did for work, Noyiah’s eyes widened a bit, a look of shock found its way to her now a softer pink face. “you mean you actually fought off. . .  My god” she stammered a bit.  “that’s incredible, everyone is in your debt, thank you.” Noyiah acknowledged appreciatively “i, didn’t expect someone who . . . “she waved her hand in a slight circle as if you summon the words she wanted. “someone who went through all of that to be . . . Well not so f$%ked up” Noyiah stammered through what she wanted to say washing it down with a mouthful of coffee.  She had some degree of understanding for what the inquisition had done but not of the real struggles they might have fought against, just that they were selfless in their actions, and it was their action that allowed people like Noyiah to keep enjoying her urban life.  Noyiah managed to calm down a little bit after a few seconds, regaining her calm.

“ i don’t see an issue with taking a breather before running straight back to duty” Noyiah said as she placed her hand down across the table as if to take his hand, but quickly she retracked it as the sever dropped off the plates of pancakes. A silent sigh was let out of Noyiah as she realized she was on track to make a fool of herself again.  “oh look” she clasped her hands together acting slightly weird “  thank you, perfect timing” she said  shrugging slightly  and then looking at Kazimir directly and motioned to the pancakes “ look pancakes” she let out almost like a cry for help still clearly not fully thinking anything out before she blurted it out, not really at all like she was moments before.

"You've already been doing more than most pages do. Thank you for your service to the people. And what happens when you determine its a mage?" he waited for her answer before he continued. "In honesty when I first joined the knights," he shuck his head with faint laughter. His hand rose to cover part of his face and with his fingers reaching into his hair, still laughing. Once he stopped, he slid his hand to the side revealing his face, with his elbow propped on the table and his palm holding up head, "I helped an old woman bake cookies and then made sure a man was signed up for a muscle contest on time. I'd say you more than qualify"

He noticed her face flush red as she moved to hide her face or to wipe something from her eyes. He didn't intend to embarrass her but it was nice to have just a passive moment like this. Even though it was a bit teasing, he meant it. It was a big leap to run your own business.

The topic turned back onto the wind mage he met her wide eyed stare with a cocked brow. No one had been that surprised by it before or perhaps he just didn't talk to many people about it. The more she spoke the more red Kaz became. His neck and hers got warm and he rose a hand to rub his neck. "Oh uh," his eyes darted away from hers to the right, "It wasn't that great. I was just doing my duty. I'm sure the stories are more exaggerated than what happened," he added, waving his other hand in front of him side to side. He wasn't used to any praise like this.

"There were lots of people that fought against the demons. And the inquisition...well that wasn't all it seemed either. But it did solve a problem," he said with one hand rubbing across his chest, feeling the scar that was hidden beneath his clothes before placing his arms back down to rest on the table.

She took a big drink of her coffee right after spitting out the words f'ed up. he gave Kaz a small chuckle, "Well thanks for the compliment. But after I left I was in rough shape and some things weren't the same. It took me a bit to find my way back, but...It was worth it though. To see people like you living without fear, Noyiah."His eyes were as calm as the summer breeze. But one hand laid atop the other with his thumb massaging the back of his hand.

His time in had been a test of who he was but he would have done it all again. It was on some level pleasing to know that the dark actions of the inquisition weren't common knowledge. But he was ready to tell the truth about what happened if she ever asked.

As she regained her calm so did Kaz work past the embarrassment she swelled within him and he took another sip of tea.

She spoke with sweetness and her hand drifted across the table towards his. without even thinking, Kaz's hand loosened atop the other and moved forward closer to her reaching over, but the arrival of the pancakes stopped them both.

her demeanor changed almost immediately. Kaz sat up a bit straighter in confusion. "Excuse me ma'am," he called to the waitress. "Can we get these to go please."

The waitress shrugged, "I'll get you a container," and walked off to grab the boxes and come back.

"Pancakes are delicious. But they go better with some fresh air," he stood from the table, adjusted his attire and extended his hand to her, "How about taking that breather? There is still a lot for me to learn from a local of the area," he smiled.

“ Normally when magic is involved  it’s a lot more paper work” *she laughed amusingly “ But in all honesty normally magic crimes are worst, or almost unexplainable, with magic being so diverse its hard to say how a Burglar could have gotten in. either some sort of teleportation or turning into mist. Its hard to gathered evidence against things that don’t leave a trace. And reports that have to do with Magic get sent to the Rune knights to investigate further. At that point I’m on call until they determine the cause or if it’s safe enough to do a regular investigation.” She answered honestly and tried to explain how most situations tended to be.  

When he compared his first few missions as a page to her work it really did seem like child’s play, Noyiah understood that not everything with them were death and glory, but there was something intimidating about being part of them, knowing that at an point someone could be thrown in over their head, have no back up or fall to another magic user was something that worried her.  Her wandering thoughts dispersed quickly as Kazimir started to make her feel embarrassed about her card.

After she had mentioned how he was basically a hero, Kazimir seemed flustered, almost like he didn’t like the attention for that particular event, he down played it of course, which was admirable to say the least  but Noyiah didn’t attempt to push the subject further, instead he turned the tables back on her, showing gratitude for the lifestyle Noyiah had managed to make for herself because of the sacrifices of others.

After she stupidly attempt to reach for his hand it seemed at its most awkward stage in their encounter, but both managed to regain their equanimity. He hadn’t pulled his hand away Noyiah noted, there was something more there. It didn’t feel quite right, but not quite wrong either.  But instead of forcing things she attempted to play it more by ear.   After the pancakes were placed down and Noyiah had retreated to her side of the table her heart sank a bit, feeling like she messed thing us when Kazimir asked for the meal to go. Her initial thought was he was trying to get away, she had been to forward, and it likely scared him, he stood up and was getting ready to get when suddenly.

The pressure in her jaw seemed to let go in an instant, he offered his hand out to her and explained that he wanted to go outside for some fresh air. She returned his smile but had a bit of a shocked expression still resting in her eyes. She took his hand and would be helped to her feet. “For sure, I’d be happy to show you around the new area’s” She managed to say rather calmly, leaning over to grab her scarf from the booth’s bench and placed it behind her head.  

After getting their pancakes Noyiah would grab the mugs from their table, and bring it to the front counter, where she was given a total as divided by the two of them, paying her half, she left a couple of Jewels for a decent tip and waved goodbye to the sever. “thanks, have a good day” she half called out turning to brace against the door using her hip to push the door open.  Moving out of the door way but left her foot back a little to keep the door propped open giving her time and the free hands to fix her scarf so it was tucked into her sweater.  Pulling her hair up and out from trapped under her sweater.  Combing it with her hand for a moment to try and keep it stylized.   The heat of the day was coming in her sweater might be a little over kill, but she would try and tough it out. Now the sun felt good on her pale skin, the dampness of morning dew gone completely and the reflections of light off the shop windows nearby it was almost magical,  the hustling of the townsfolk moving about their day seemed different now,  less of a rush, and more of a leisurely attitude seemed to encompass the people as a whole.   “ where would you like to start?” she asked and then immediately suggested a few places “  There’s a park nearby that got a new fountain recently, or there’s a few new clothing shops that opened in the plaza”

Kaz sat with his hand on his chin listening intently to what she was saying. He had always wondered where they got the jobs from. It was always a scattered mess it seemed. Now at least he knew there was an organization that was around to help sift through the work load.

He only told her about the page and apprentice mission he had gone on. There were far more dangerous circumstances that he had wandered into but he didn't bring those up at least not yet. He still had so many questions but stopped when her card was pulled out.

She didn't press the issue of his time in the inquisition. It was something he didn't necessarily avoid talking about but being treated as...a hero...was a bit unusual for him. He saw himself as just performing a duty and there were un-heroic things speckled in his past.  

Even with all he had done. Noyiah was an impressive person. Kaz had always followed a path set for him. From serving in his clan to serving in the knights. But he admired Noyiah's act of building her own path until she accomplished something else. In fact kaz may be lost without some group to say he was a part of.

He thought about the energy they almost shared with her hand coming towards his own. He hadn't pulled away, thinking of what it could mean or what it would feel like. if it was nothing or a spark of something new. It was a very forward move on her part but, Kaz appreciated straightforward approaches. He himself wasn't so straight forward but wanted to work on that.

He smiled more at the slight shocked expression in her eyes. His dimples showing as he did so. It was the sound like a cry for help she had made that spurred him to offer a move of location. She took his hand and he helped her up. He looked at their hands for a moment. Once she was standing, Kaz's fingers would drift away from hers, with a brief moment that he wished he didn't always wear gloves. "Thank you. I guess I picked a good time to be lost," he said as he moved the hair out of his face. He was still getting used to having short hair.

Kaz joined her at the counter and paid his half of the bill. He held the pancakes as Noyiah bumped the door open. He followed in suit and slid by as she propped it open with her foot,  "thanks, pardon me,"he said as he passed by her while she flipped her hair out from her scarf. There was a leisure pace outside that was magical in the light of the sun against the buildings and reflecting around them.

Kaz closed his eyes to feel the gentle warmth but remembered the pancakes he held. Sneaking his hand in his bag he grabbed a pancake.

She spoke faster than he thought. She had only just rattled off the places to go as Kaz turned to face her with a pancake halfway in his mouth. He paused like a thief that had been caught. With one finger he pushed the rest of the pancake in his mouth and with his other hand he extended her bag towards her, "Pancake," he mustered to say as he gulped down his mouthful. He would still carry the bags but she could feel free to eat.

"A park or a plaza huh. Well I do love parks I'm more of an outdoors type. Most of my outfits are from the knights or my old clan," his tattered clothing showed that much as they began the walk to the park.

"You must live pretty independently...OH!" he ended his train of thought abruptly. "I forgot to ask you the most important question...Why are you a detective," there was a flicker of excitement in his eyes that replaced some of the usual calm. He turned to walk a bit sideways as he asked the question, facing his body towards hers but kept a slow steady pace.

He reached in and took another big bite of a pancake as she answer.

Noyiah stood there with the door propped open for a moment, she didn’t quite catch what he had said the first time with a mouthful of pancake, it took her a moment to process it, before she busted out laughing, letting the door fall shut, Noyiah grabbed onto her ribs crossing her arms over one another as she gasped for breath. It caught her by surprise entirely, she had even kind of forgotten about the pancakes, and it was adorable a perfect combination of cluelessness and nonchalance, that had her laughing so hard she wasn’t able to catch her breath. Tears started to form in her eyes before she managed to recollect herself. “phew I haven’t laughed like that in quite some time, thanks” she managed to say, wiping her tears away with the back of her thumb, shifting her hand back to collect the tears from the other eye. She wiped the dampness onto her leggings. After she managed to collect her thoughts, she would shake her head yes before grabbing a pancake.

She held onto the pancake for a moment as she asked where he might want to go and suggested a few places, before she tore off a piece and popped it into her mouth. She would nod as he seemed to lean towards parks, it was her first choice as well. “let’s go to the park then, and we can do cloths another day if your up for it” She would start to lead the way, not really in a rush she walked along at a relaxed pace, ripping pieces of her pancake off and eating it quietly. She took note of what he said about a knight and his old clan, she would try to find an appropriate time to bring those up later, after all she was still curious, but timing was important for such matters.

Kazimir’s question caught her off guard, she had just ate the last of the pancake she took initially, she didn’t mange to get the mouthful down before he changed up the question, he seemed to only grow in intensity and excitement with the questions pertaining to her. After she managed to swallow the crumbs that held to her tongue, she responded with “ well I always was curious I suppose, but it was more fall back, I had the skills for it, I was always very observant and like to get answers, I’m normally pretty good with people it just came naturally I suppose” She would glance over at Kazimir for a moment before deciding to spill her true dream out “ I always wanted to be a wizard for a guild, a silly fantasy I guess. My sister turned out to be magickly gifted though, and I got the short straw there, but I make it work” she says with a slight smirk.

They rounded a corner and the park was now in view at the end of the road. It was still quite far away but at least it was in sight now. “and I do live independently “she added in as a little extra. “ its not much but I have my own apartment and am a partner in a business of my own design. I enjoy the freedom I guess, i tired having roommates a few times but its more hasstle then its worth” she said rubbing her wrist anxiously. Noyiah wanted to ask him a good question too, something that wasn’t too personal, but gave her some insight into the stranger’s life. She would reach her hand out for a second pancake, not eating it yet she decided to ask “So what drew you back? I mean you said you went off the grid for a bit before coming back why did you?” it was a little more personal then she had intended but it was something she was quite curious about. She tore another piece of the pancake and popped it into her mouth.

The Park was at this point a couple blocks down from where they were now, the trees seemed to sway softly as a warm wind moved across the open area, the day was still nice, and it seemed quite a lot of people were enjoying the park today as well and Noyiah couldn’t help but think about how nice it was to be spending time with someone else for once instead of sitting alone in the café waiting for possible leads or spending all her free time wandering about all by her lonesome. She had friends of course but they all had their own lives as well, and though Noyiah’s was not overly exciting all the time she enjoyed the mundane pleasures that others rarely got to enjoy

Kaz finished the bite of pancake with a smile at the sudden laughter that erupted from her. He couldn't help but begin laughing, looking up at the sky and putting a hand on his forehead with the other on his hip, with the pancake bag. It was nice to be able to make someone laugh.

She had offered to take him clothes shopping another day. The assumption that they'd spend another day together gave him a pause. "Yeah. I'd like that."

They made their way towards the park and she seemed to just take in all he said. The sun light still on their side.

Kaz caught his own intensity at asking questions and turned to casually walk beside her again while she answered. He straightened out the ends of his jacket. She took advantage of the skills she had. Although she didn't say where they came from, he wouldn't ask.

A pause hung in the air for a fleeting moment, as quick as a breeze before she gave her true feelings. "I'm," he started to say as they rounded the corner and he saw the park in the distance. Even from how far away they were, the water spraying up from the fountain could be seen with the sunlight shimmering through each falling droplet.

In the pause as Kaz was momentarily distracted she added about her independent life style. He brought his full focus back to her, having not missed anything she had said, "You do seem to have a magnetic personality. Its not a silly fantasy at all. Wizards have a mysticism about them but we are just people that have a gift that we fine tune. Just like you have." he didn't want her to think she got the short straw. There were many things non-mages could do that mages could not after all. He would have to remember to ask her about her sister later.

As he spoke she was rubbing her wrist. He looked away at the fountain, hoping it was nothing he said that had made her uncomfortable. She blushed a lot earlier and maybe he embarrassed her again, but it was because of the next question she would ask.

Kaz stopped for a moment in the middle of their walk and pondered what to say, but he didn't seem bothered by it. More like he calculated how to fit it all together Like a jumbled puzzle.

"A question I would expect from a detective. I came back because," he started walking again. "Nerva turned out to be more comfortable with mass killing than I am. But I thought if I was there I could save the people he would see as collateral damage. We did. They finally arrived at the park and Kaz crossed it to sit at a bench before the fountain and waited for Noyiah to join him, while he still spoke.  The park was surprisingly quiet. Only a few families playing in the distance and few reading books laid out in the grass.

"But then he disappeared. Around that time I lost my way. My magic is gifted from a spirit that took over me. Once I regained control and accepted that part of myself, I knew I needed to come back to protect people using the resources the knights offered," he smiled but there was a wistfulness in it. "And I guess the biggest reason is. When I first came to this land, it was people in the knights that brought me in. They were my clan."

He set the bag safely on the empty end of the bench. It was nice to be able to get all that off his chest to someone. She was surprisingly easy to talk to.

"What about your family? You mentioned a sister?"

Noyiah would smile softly after he agreed to go cloths shopping at some point.

As they walked alongside one another, she heard him say something as she started to answer the original question about her lifestyle, he seemed to stop so she continued to tell him about her unsuccessful roommates. He seemed almost distracted when she glanced over, but the moment she did their eyes would meet gazes, he went on to compliment her, which of course brought on the feeling of nervousness mixed with pride, but ultimately brought her cheeks to a red again. “thanks, I guess I spend so much time observing others, my own accomplishments go unnoticed” she said shyly, there was something so simple and easy talking to Kazimir, things she would normally hesitate about, seemed to leap off her tongue, a yearning to gain his approval. What seemed amazing was that she wasn’t trying to play things up or even attempting to hide facts that seemed to drive other people away. Most people didn’t like Independent women, Noyiah could only reason that it was because Kazimir had a sense of who he was and could accept her for her.

Noyiah managed to find the question she wanted to ask, or at least one that didn’t seem too invasive. Suddenly he stopped walking, and in a moment Noyiah’s heart felt like it dropped into her stomach as she spun to turn towards him, had she upset him with her question?, she thought quickly, his face didn’t read like disappointment, but seemed more like he was assembling and filtering through what he wanted to say. She listened and started walking again when he did, falling quickly back in pace with him. He didn’t seem upset when he talked about it, more remorseful if anything. She listened attentively, almost in autopilot physically, walking into the park with him and then sitting on the bench next to him

Noyiah folded her hands over her lap as she sat there listening, nodding every so often in acknowledgment as he spoke. He had been through far more than anyone would ever know, the Inquisition was viewed almost like a heroic accomplishment from the common folk, Noyiah had no idea that the inquisition killed off anything but the Daemons. She heeded his words carefully as he talked about his magic, something she hadn’t been told anything about yet, she couldn’t help but compile the evidence slowly in her mind, taking guesses about what sprit magic might be capable of.

Kazimir had turned towards the opposite side of the bench to pace down the bag of pancakes, in this moment something made Noyiah act without much though as she lifted her arms around him and lean in for a hug, not really giving him a choice reaching her arms over his arms and resting her cheek against his shoulder “ You seemed like you could use a hug” she reasoned holding it for a second longer and breaking it off, unless he seemed to protest the act of affection, in which case she would immediately retreat back.

She eventually made it back to her spot on the bench, flattening out her skirt a bit with her hands. She then moved her hands back to on top of her lap, her right hand holding her left wrist again, it seemed almost like brought her comfort to do so, he asked a question about her family, more specifically her sister, she didn’t seem to like the question, it wasn’t quite a pained look but it wasn’t her normally rather confident self “ Cleo “ She said quietly “ She’s good. . .a prodigy really, but she moved away a year or two after we moved in with my grandparents, I haven’t really talked with her since, though I get updates from my mother, last I. . . um heard she was in Hargeon with the Lamia Scale Guild”

Noyiah had always been a little hurt that Cleo never seemed to return any of the letters she sent, but Noyiah tried hard to make excuses for her, like how she was a busy mage working for a guild, she didn’t have time to write back, but they didn’t seem so silly or desperate until she shared it with Kazimir.

She was a a very humble woman. Not flaunting the merrit of her own achievements but then again maybe she didn't realize that what she had already achieved was worthy of note and far more than others had done. It was that aspect of her that Kaz liked. She did what she wanted to without bragging or falling into the traps of grandiose feelings.

Her question led Kaz on a long winded talk about himself. It had been a long journey to bring him back to the knights. Every so often he looked back at her making sure he wasn't boring her but her gentle head nods let him know she was still with him. Which of course brought a smile to his face despite the seemingly bleak nature of some of the things he spoke of. her presence was calming. H=It was easy to talk to her, but there were things he was hesitant to mention. One of the few times he talked with someone that he worried about them knowing some of the deeds he had done. The thought of telling her some things made him more nervous than he thought, if he lost her favor. There was a pit in his stomach at the thought. The palms of his hands began to sweat ever so slightly.

That all faded within an instant as he felt her arms wrap around him. He froze and lost himself in her caring hug. "I...thank you," he said then a soft breathy exhale came through his nose. His palms no longer sweaty. He brought his hand up and placed it on her forearm and let the hug last until she broke. Before she pulled away he would give her arm a gentle squeeze with his hand.

She didn't seem to ask him anything about that side of his life but her hug conveyed all the feelings she needed to. He went on to ask her about her family but it didn't go over well. He put a hand on top of her right hand as she rubbed her left wrist. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up something uncomfortable. Must have been tough to grow up with a mage in the family," he tried to quickly think about a way he could steer the conversation away but was drawing a blank.

"You know a lot about me already. But what about you? What do do for fun, or what are you passionate about? Other than work that is," He had forgotten about his hand being atop hers the whole time. When he finally noticed he rose it off abruptly, "oh, haha. Sorry," he said as his other hand went up to grab the back of his neck.

The sun still shined on the park and the area around them was growing more quite as families left and the dominant sound was the splashing of water from the fountain.

The Glanced at Kazimir’s hand as she felt the touch on top of her hand, she stopped rubbing her wrist for a moment and looked over at him with a slight smile, it felt like a win. Something was going well for her and she couldn’t help but feel satisfied with herself in not ruining it like she often felt she did.
She had been a little wary in how she talked about her sister,  she wasn’t entirely sure how hurt she really was,  it wasn’t that she didn’t love her sister, but  they had both been so Driven from a young age that  they stepped on each other toes a lot, and even when they had grown up and started towards different goals they tended to try to avoid doing so,  eventually it felt like they stopped  talking all together, but Noyiah hadn’t really thought about it in the same way until she said it aloud.

Immediately after talking about her sister Kazimir tried to comfort her, but that wasn’t how she liked to be viewed, she wasn’t a hurt little bird, she was a fiercely independent woman, his empathy didn’t anger her, she couldn’t fault him for being a good person. But she played it off as if her talk about her sister was nothing. “ Nah its fine” She blurted out a little to fast, knowing she was bad at hiding these kind of things she continued to elaborate “ Besides its not an issue, just a little disappointing, its funny how people can go so long without talking, but I know nothing’s changed between us, I still love her. . . “ A Smirk showed up quick as she said “ Even if she was a little know-it-all” Noyiah said in a bit of a chuckle , keeping good spirits about it.  It was a genuine laugh, like a painful bliss.

Kazimir asked her a bit more, but intentionally seemed to avoid her family life, which Noyiah was semi Thankful for, she could mentally close that door and continue into the next area of mind, something more cheerful and uplifting. “ I wouldn’t say I know a lot about you” she said turning towards him, halving felt his hand lift off her she quickly flipped her hand up and grabbed his hand, not letting him pull it back behind his head as she comfortably held it with her own.  It felt right and she wanted to keep it there, even through his gloves she could feel he was quite a bit warmer then her. “id say I work too much to have hobbies really, but I have always enjoyed going out and enjoying things with other people.  People watching always been a little fun, and I enjoy cooking, but it gets so boring cooking for myself.” She seemed trail off a bit with the last part, almost nervously. Noyiah’s Grip let up a bit more once she had finished talking allowing him to take his hand back without a fight if he wanted.

“what about you?” She asked using his own question against him as she seemed to lean in a bit closer, not too close as to invade his personal space. Yet.

She smiled again and Kaz felt things were going alright. They had a brief moment were she seemed taken aside by thinking of her family, but he was glad to see it didn't ruin the moment. Her sudden blurt out made him smile. It was something that had bothered her but she was a strong woman and didn't want to be held by that. "The winds are always changing. A gentle breeze is nice to feel but all people find refuge in a house against a tornado, sometimes,"A roundabout way of saying its okay to to look towards others and to something safe when things are tough. He did like to sneak in a wind metaphor when he could.

He joined in with her chuckle, "Its good to know time hasn't dulled your feelings for one another. She's lucky to have a sister like you." She seemed will grounded. Like the kind of person that could take something complicated it and break it down into something simple to tackle. A trait that many people could use.

It may not have been apparent but the high points of his life she did know, and even then, she was right. Most of who he was remained a mystery. probably because of how timid he had come off when answering questions about himself. or the fact that he was more interested in learning about her than talking about himself. His hand pulled away but as soon as it left she grabbed it while he thought of what she could want to know about him. His mouth opened to say something that never emerged as she took his hand. It felt comforting in all the ways he thought it would. A bold move that brought a smile to his face. She was a lady that wasn't shy about going for what she wanted. It made his heart pump and his skin fill with warmth.

"I'd say you know most of the things that matter," he responded while getting lost in her eyes. Even so he knew that there was plenty about him that she didn't know and he was sure there was a world of information about her that he didn't either.

He turned his body to face hers more as she spoke about herself and especially her love of cooking, catching the nervous way she trailed off with it at the end.Her grip weakened and Kaz took the opportunity to lift his hand away from hers, letting their fingers be the last to depart away from one another.

"I'm a bit of a workaholic myself. But  I try to find time for things," he answered as she shot the question back at him. While he spoke he brought his hands in front of him and tugged on the fingers of his gloves until they were loose enough to remove.

"Well...I like training. Learning about new places and people," He said as he reached back down and placed his hand back together with hers. She leaned in closer and and so did Kaz, causing their shoulders to brush up against each other.


"I like to cook too, I'd love to try your cooking. I mean, if you want?," He said as lightly rubbed his thumb over the back of Noyiah's hand and her knuckles, as he held it. "I'm afraid I can only cook breakfast food though," he laughed a little nervously. "Maybe we could...cook together. Dinner?" It was a question without a definitive time. It was easy to see how timid he was in asking. still calm but there was a hint of hesitation from a person not accustomed to asking such simple things.

Noyiah Nodded at his analogy of wind and comfort, and then again as he spoke about her relationship with her sister still being strong.

When Kazimir mentioned that she knew most of the important things about him she just smirked, he was simply so modest, it was quite interesting that he would think that he was such a hollow person, but Noyiah could feel the depth of their conversations, there was far more to Kazimir then he let on.  The eye contact was nice though, her own steel blue eyes meeting his for longer then a glance was somehow very dreamy.  It seemed to be going rather well, despite her directness, up until he pulled his hand away,  for a second she hesitated glancing over towards him she felt almost like it was a rejection, but it didn’t make any sense to her, it seemed to be going well. This bit of panic diminished quickly as she realized her was removing his gloves.  He had continued to talk casually about him being a bit of a work driven individual as well. “Naturally” she agreed with a nod, knowing a mages life was a life of dedication to a singular art form.  

Noyiah took time to look about the park, squinting slightly as she looked int the fountain and the sun behind it, the warmth from the sun was enough for her to think about her sweater again it was getting quite warm, would he think ill of her if she took it off,  she did have an undershirt but it wasn’t much more then a dull grey tank-top. She struggled with her decision for a moment, her attention brought back to the conversation as she felt his hand touch hers again, this time it was his skin against hers. It felt warm to the touch, rougher then her own skin, but she highly doubted he went through rigors lotion treatments or skin moisturizers like Noyiah did

Noyiah turned herself a little bit more as she shifted her legs up onto the bench to the right, leaning towards Kazimir a bit more now she leaned into her shoulder with her own.

He mentioned how he enjoyed cooking too, which was quite a nice coincidence, it played in their Favour now as she found the perfect way to invite him over without feeling too direct. “I don’t normally eat a lot of breakfast, mostly because normally I’m on the move early, but breakfast can be made into lunch quite easily” she teased, “besides who doesn’t like a Little Chaos every now and then” she said to comfort him and make light the situation. She laughed alongside him before regaining her composure. He then popped a question that Threw her through a bit of a loop, having not seen it coming from the modest, shy and admirable man. “I’d like that.” She nodded looking over at him as she half leans against him and the back of the park bench. “I’d like that a lot actually” she said reiterating her enthusiasm

“I have a very small kitchen, but id be happy to have you over to cook dinner with. . .   and seeing as your just coming back into town. . . “she said carefully, laying out the right words as to not sound too inviting  and try to play it off nonchalant “ if you don’t have any living arrangements yet you can crash on my couch” she invited making sure to look at him while she asked to gauge how her question landed.   “ I think I have some eggs and a few veggies, we could do omelets or something?” she suggested shifting the conversation back around to the food, attempting to hide the invitation,  though she secretly hoped he would just go with it.

His hand touched hers again. Skin to skin. The warmth of her presence filled him. Her hand was softer than he expected. Like a dewdrop resting on a morning petal.

She leaned further into him with her legs brought up in a cute way onto the bench. He hoped she couldn't fill the race of his heart beating faster in his hand as she held it. His hand was rough from years living and working in the wild.

He smiled at her light teasing, "unfortunately I eat it for all my meals a little too often," he kept his eyes locked on hers and lost in the blue hues cast back at him. "Yeah...a bit of chaos is alright. I think it is about time I made some more changes...took some other chances," his voice was soft and inviting. His hand gave hers a slight squeeze as he spoke. she had a carefree attitude and a flow like a meandering river reaching out to take in all that life had to offer.

This whole time he had forgotten he was sitting in the light of the sun with his jacket on. He took his free hand and tugged at his collar a bit to get some air through it and unfastened the top two buttons only to reveal the dark-colored shirt beneath it.

It was a bold move on his part and he used the heat of the day as an excuse to pull at his collar again this time to release how hot he was getting from being anxious about her response. He hadn't felt this way in...

With her nod and lean his anxiety washed away. Even more so when she reinforced how she felt. As she leaned against him, she could feel the tension leave his shoulders, "me too," he said with a smile and sincerity in his eyes. He wasn't sure if he expected her to yes at all. But when she did he felt that things were right. That he had gotten an answer to a question he didn't know he wanted.

He waved his hand to dismiss the idea of her small kitchen being a problem. He opened his mouth to reply in the gap in time she left but was stopped when she made an offer.

"Living arrangements...," he replied and spoke through his laughter, "I completely forgot to look into that, ha. I was probably going to end up camping in a tree."

He looked back at her just realizing that she offered her home to him. He took a moment to just look in her eyes. She almost just breezed by it like the offer was just as casual as she had invited him to the cafe today. "I'd like that...I'd like that a lot actually. Thank you," he said thinking of how pleasant it was to be in her company and playfully used her words.  

She mentioned something about food but it almost faded into the void. Only the faint remnants reached him as he stared almost blankly back at her and then looked at the fountain. He brought his attention back to her, "It's only fair for you to know...if you're going to invite me into your home, you should know that I'm not human."

"But omelets sound wonderful. Will we need to pick up anything? I think I saw some shops along the way."

She Returned his smile as he mentioned eating breakfast for most of the meals of the day,  that would be a habit she would eventually challenge,  not that she didn’t like the idea of it either but a body needed more then the high Carbs and Sugars Breakfast foods tended to have to give you the early boost.  Especially if he intended to go back to the rune knights, but she knew she wasn’t in the right place to wage war against Breakfast.

He seemed to fidget quite a bit now, she wasn’t sure if it was her doing that made him uncomfortable or if he was just simply nervously fidgeting.  She felt as his Muscles released the tension he held in his shoulder after she answered his question about cooking together.  Her invitation to crash at her house clearly didn’t go unnoticed but he played it carefree, he didn’t seem to have a plan, but he didn’t seem to need it.  Unlike Noyiah who was very meticulous and planned out most of her day in the morning or even the night before.

She had smiled a bit, but it widened immensely as he started toying with the same words she had used, shaking her head slightly in disbelief as she smiled like a fool, at his playfulness.  It was something very rare, people often didn’t understand her humor, but it felt almost effortless, everything she did seemed to be so easy with Kazimir, It felt right.

Then suddenly something seemed to change as he seemed to stiffen back up a bit, his look changed into a more pained or Vacant expression. Now things felt tense, she leaned up no longer leaning against him as she supported herself with her palm planted firmly on the bench. She looked as if she was about to ask something but Kazimir beat her to the line as she confessed to him not being human, then immediately buried the lead, as Noyiah had done about inviting him in, but she wasn’t capable of brushing it off with as much casualness as before. She looked concerned slightly as he spoke, “I don’t understand what you mean by that” She said clearly not talking about the omelets.

Noyiah’s looked visibly a little uncomfortable after dropping a bomb of a comment like that. Even if they had a lot of chemistry or seemed compatible there was clearly something more to him that he neglected to answer. Either way she would have to add ~Are you human~ to the list of question she opened with when she felt interested in someone. Not that most people weren’t, which is why this particular conversation got so tense so fast.

The woman seemed to be enjoying the time together and had hinted at spending more than just this day together. A thought that brought delight to the wind mage. There was something so simple and inviting about her presence. Like they had easily fallen in step with one another. He couldn't wait to see how she made dinner and already knew he'd want to have more dinners with her and have her smile back at him.

She gave a wide-eyed smile that made Kaz look away for a moment with a grin before returning to look at her with a full smile. If there was one thing that described the woman he was with it would be genuine. She had an aura of sincerity. Nothing felt like something was hidden or clouded. All her reactions and smiles were warm and honest.

Things changed when she moved away from him. There was a sinking sensation in his chest. He had probably just blown it. Her face was riddled with concern but it was only natural. Kaz moved his hand away from hers and placed it on her wrist instead. Giving her the chance to pull away if she wanted.

"Oh, sorry. You're right. That's not something to just breeze by. It was a poor attempt at making light of it but its not a light situation. Well..." he took a noticeably deep breath and then looked up quizzically at the sky and then back, "I guess it depends on what you call a human. And I uh. I'll understand if it'd make things too weird," he didn't want her to worry about any choice she decided to make.

"But I..." he laughed and shuck his head, "You know you make me feel so relaxed and nervous at the same time. Now I'm just being silly."

He cleared his throat and turned to face his body towards hers, "A few months ago I was gifted grace by a Seraphim and turned into a Nephilim," he let his hand loosen its soft touch on her arm.  

"Which means that I'm a blessed human kinda. Which really just means that sometimes," his eyes swirled with white until they radiated a soft white glow, "my eyes glow white," he said with a smile and moved hand closer to hers again but stopped before he reached it, seeing if she would pull away or not.

The butterflies swirled in his stomach as he waited for her response. "But I'd still really like to have that dinner. and learn more about you.

Noyiah listened to him explain his side of the situation. She took a deep breath afterwards her eyes didn’t really break gaze from his, her eye brows arched, what looked like a look of Betrayal became one of skepticism. She shook her head and a smile reappeared. “Damn you frightened me there, thought maybe you were a vampire or something and I invited you into my house. . . damn that would have sucked. . . “the smile crept into a smirk quickly as she made the pun. “well . . . my offered still stands then. I mean you still are human essentially, but you should really open with these kinds of things. Or at least work on your Delivery” She said shifting back down leaning against his shoulder like before.  Noyiah offered her hand back towards his.  “wait aren’t you supposed to resists the temptations of flesh and be more holy or something?” she teased looking over towards him again to see his reaction.

After the situation seemed to defuse and she glanced back over towards the families playing in the park with their kids. Noyiah softly smiled as she listened to the water of the fountain hit against the stone, The Children Laughing and the mixture of People talking with birds and other wildlife talking.  
There was a sense of tranquility in the park despite the tension before. Noyiah thought for a few minutes about how quickly she turned on Kazimir, maybe he was due for an apology, or was he in the wrong, she wasn’t sure, and she debated with herself mentally as she thought about it.  Eventually she did manage to conclude that if she wanted to be friends it was always better the clear the air. “I’m sorry I overreacted, this just seemed too good to be true and then suddenly it seemed it wasn’t” if he had taken her hand she would let go of his hand at this point brushing her palm off on her leggings.

Noyiah left that apology/statement out in the open for a while before she shifted her weight sliding over to lay across Kazimir’s Lap to grab a cold pancake from the bag before leaning up sitting properly at the bench again shifting her legs down on the ground again and crossing them at the knee.  Taking a bite out of it, chewing and swallowing before pointing out her index finger still holding the pancake with her other fingers “You know what I think ill need some more peppers and onions if we are to make omelets.  Maybe some potatoes for hash browns   but I suppose its purely up to what you might like in your omelet”

Noyiah Continued to eat her pancake ripping pieces off and popping them into her mouth slowly chewing them as she glanced around the park. After wards she would brush her hands off again and Spring to her feet and Stretching her hand way above her head she glanced over towards Kazimir and Yawned softly pulling her hands down and covering her mouth. Twisting her shoulders towards the right to Crack her back slightly, removing the stiffness immediately “  Well maybe we should head over to the market and see if we can catch some deals before they are all gone”  Shed offer her hand out for Kazimir if he’d like help up.

Seeing her smile put his mind at ease. It wasn't as deal-breaking as he thought it may be. He chuckled at the pun she managed to slip in. A great way to make the tense situation dissipate. She took it so well all he could do was put a hand on his forehead and laugh. "I certainly didn't mean to give you a scare. And I promise, not a vampire or a werewolf."

"I'd like to take up that offer then. I'll work on the delivery. I never know how people are going to take it, but..."

"Hello, I'm Kazimir Seiryu, Nephilim and a knight.," he shot a smile.

His hand slid back into hers as she offered and he leaned back into her when she moved closer. Her teasing comment put a bit of red in his face, and he tried to get back at her. looking into her eyes, he replied "I believe you said I'm still essentially human."

He remembered how embarrassed she got earlier with compliments coming her way and began to speak, "I'm only bound to do good. Which is how I feel around you," he gave a slightly more cheeky of a smile than before. One that showed he was more relaxed having told her the things he was most hesitant about.  

"No, you have nothing to apologize for. You reacted in a way anyone would. Better than most probably. I hope it still does seem that good," his tone was serious and compassionate. "I'm sorry. I should have handled it with a bit more grace. But you are only one of four people that I've told and it hasn't always gone over well. I'm still getting used to it," he spoke about it nonchalantly.

She moved away and he thought their moment together had come to an end after all. Then she suddenly shifted and leaned across his lap, 0"Oh, I could have," his stomach tightened as she passed over him and he took in a sharp breath. His exhale was softer and he opened the bag so she could reach within easier.

"I think that's a great idea. if you make the omelets I'll make the hashbrowns." Noyiah brushed off her hands and stood as Kaz spoke, "Oh I think I have an onion."He leaned over and ruffled through his bag as she cracked her back.

"Got," he pulled out an onion that was beginning to turn green, "Nope," he tossed it over his shoulder quickly hoping that she wouldn't see, but was already turning around. "Guess I don't, haha," he moved the hand he tossed the food with to the back of his head.

He took her hand and as he stood up he gave her a quick and gentle nudge with his shoulder and arm to hers, still holding her hand, "Thanks," she could hear it was for more than just the helping hand up, "Let's go. Maybe eat something more than cold pancakes," he would say as he snuck a piece of her pancake and popped it into his mouth, if she didn't pull it away, and grinned.

It wasn't long as the sun had moved from overhead and towards the impending twilight, they stood before the veggie vendors. He stole a glance of her as the wind caught her hair. There was so much more to her, that was still a mystery. But he'd wait until dinner.

Kaz walked beside her to the vendor of her choice. A man and woman selling fruits and veggies of all manner. Their son scampered around the stalls, peaking around stacks of peppers and then bananas.

"I'll get the potatoes," he said as he walked toward that stand. They were tightly packed. He leaned forward to pluck one from its place. It came off with ease and Kaz sighed. His eyes shot wide was the stand creaked and one leg snapped. He thrust his leg down to brace it as potatoes tumbled at his face. His arms caught the edge and held it up, "uhm...Noyiah"