Welcome to Gaia! ::

"Not so terrible?" Nadiya laughed, "I suppose that's something at least." It was better than their first couple of days together in which she was certain he was ready to flee and leave her at any moment. From falling together to now acting like lovers. What a crazy turn of events! It was definitely amusing to say the least. Her amusement died out as quickly as a flickering flame when the three guys appeared. I guess things were going too well, weren't they? Whoever was writing out this story was truly eager to cause trouble for them. Nadiya scoffed at whatever Matori god was tugging them along like this - if even gods existed and would be bothered to do such a thing.

"Do you guys have to be such brutes?" Nadiya squirmed in her captor's arms, "Eriln stop this!" One of the men was taking a punch in the gut - something that she cheered about - but the next was trying to hit Jolanta with a limb he had picked up in the garden. Talk about class! Nadiya scoffed at the sight before realizing that she was moving backwards as Eriln carried her away, "Jol!" The name slipped from her lips as she kicked at Eriln, "Kick his a**! Don't worry!" She called out after realizing her slip up. What if she had distracted him? All she knew was that when Eriln dragged her from sight the last thing she had seen was a limb flying towards Jolanta's face - something that made Nadiya's heart drop in her chest. He would be fine, surely! He could beat that guy and five others at once if not more! She just knew it!

Twigs and brush tore at her hair as Eriln darted away from the path, "Where are you even planning on going?" She hissed through her teeth as she attempted to break free again. It was hard being so petite! It was like she was a small child who was easily scooped up and carried, "Seriously stop this Eriln! It won't change anything because Jol will find us and I'm staying with him!" The words were surprisingly sincere as was her burning gaze as she glared at the other Matori, "I don't care what my parents have promised your family or talked about. None of it will happen!"

"Maybe he won't want spoiled goods." Retorted Eriln as he tossed Nadiya down in a secluded area that was on the edge of the gardens, plenty far away enough that no one in the party could see it, "I'm sure that once I tell your family about tonight that they'll want us together as well."

"What in the world are you even implying?" Nadiya's gaze narrowed as she tried to stand but was shoved back down by the other Matori, "Eriln I swear...."

"You obviously were just trying to make me jealous tonight and then it worked to the point that you led me out here and seduced me into this." He replied, a wicked grin twisting his lips and turning his gaze into molten gold, "Now if you just drink this like a good girl it'll keep your lips sealed for a bit and I can keep feeding it to you..."

"You really don't want to do this." Nadiya's voice was hard as ice as she stared up at Eriln, "I'm not your average girl, Eriln." And as he proceeded to move towards her with a bottle and tried to s a hove something past her lips Nadiya moved. She moved quickly and with determination as her knee shot up to hit some golden jewels, something that was successful with the groan that filled the air, "Gotcha." She grinned as she shoved against him and pushed him backwards, the bottle breaking into tiny shards of glass on the ground, "Yer a b*****d ya know? I'm not some little lady ta get a hold of." She growled, her more rogue like attitude showing through the guise of a lady.

But as she turned to leave, thinking that she was free to run back to Jolanta, she felt a tug backwards. Gritting her teeth Nadiya pulled herself forward against the hands that clutched at her dress and despite the ripping noises she managed to stumble forward away from Eriln and back towards where she prayed Jolanta was.

"Jol." The name came out like a prayer as the girl rushed forward towards those familiar arms, "Do you think that's possible?" She replied with a forced laugh before pressing close against him, "I think...I think that's a good idea." Nadiya nodded her agreement as the false bravado from earlier simply melted away and tears began to slip from her eyes. It was hard and scary to be brave at times and the further away from the garden they were the more her mind was struggling to fill in the pieces of this situation.

Could he, would he?

Nadiya shook her head, "Let's just walk far away tonight - to the beach. I need the ocean, please." She needed the water, the warmth of the sands beneath her bare feet, and the sounds of the waves to cover up the tears that continued to trail down her cheeks. Jolanta was hurt and it was her fault once again. Her family was trying to engage her to scum like that and if he hadn't been here - if he hadn't agreed to come with her then that b*****d could have easily pulled some stunt. It was actually terrifying to think of and for once in her life Nadiya found her body shivering as she clung to Jolanta, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." He didn't have to deal with this, he surely was tired of anything connected with her now.

Is it too late to run away again? Nadiya found herself smiling bitterly as she hid her head against Jolanta's shoulder. She had run away a long time ago but nothing had been resolved by that. This time though once she had gathered herself she would go and speak plainly with her family, denounce any suitors and present herself as she was. Happy with who I am and happy with the man already at my side, fake love or not. And maybe it was possible since Jolanta was with her that her family would finally listen and stop trying to do this stupid, so very stupid things.

Nadiya felt her heart in her chest as she realized that they were sneaking towards her house. "Jolanta, careful." She murmured as she clung to his shirt. As he moved to get his sword the Matori slipped from his arms and wobbled on her feet a bit, her legs shaking ever so slightly as she moved towards an open chest in the room and pulled out the first outfit that she could find, "Hold on." If he was going to get their protection then she would make certain to change so that she was also protected. Not from Jolanta but from any ill rumors that could have been incurred by her currently ripped attire. As she slipped behind the screen so that she could pull off the silks in favor of a casual tunic and leggings the girl gritted her teeth. It was frustrating to think that she had almost...what if it had been her younger sisters? Her fingers tightened around the material as fear and apprehension turned into a bitter anger that was slowly warming her limbs and flushing her cheeks, "Tomorrow." She would talk to them after the party about that family and make certain no ties of any kind were created from now on. Ahren would understand, if anyone out of this whole family listened to her then it would be him. Thank the gods that he was the one to inherit the business, after all who else had some sense around here? They were words thought in haste and in frustration but there was a slight honesty to them as she felt her parents were too easily blinded by their desire to climb up the ladder.

Nadiya found her thoughts halting as surprising words caught her attention, "I....you really...thank you." She settled on the simple, sincere words of gratitude, "I may have to do that but at the same time how can I just run away?" As she spoke she appeared from behind the screen in her simple clothing and moved so that her hand could touch Jolanta's cheek, "You're truly too kind for this world, Jol." She managed with the faintest of smiles, "Let's get out of here for now."

"As much as I would love for you to carry me more it's probably easier for us to slip away together like this." Still she reached out a hand so that her fingers could wrap around his own, "I know a quiet way out of here so let's just sneak through before anyone sees us." Despite her earlier breakdown the Matori had seemingly pulled herself together as she moved through the manor with Jolanta and headed towards the ocean in the direction that he had been aiming towards. Soon enough they would hear the gentle crash of the waves against the sands...

As her feet touched the sand Nadiya's fingers slowly slipped from Jolanta's hand so that she could spin on a heel, "Freedom~" She whispered as she inhaled the oh so lovely sea breeze, "I'm sure we'll have plenty of quiet now." The Matori twisted so that she could smile at Jolanta, the movement freeing her dark wavy locks from their ribbons so that they could bounce around her shoulders, "No one is nearby and in the morning I'll take the blame for getting too impatient and leaving the party to have more fun somewhere else." She nodded as she wiggled her toes in the cool sands, "If you are willing to stay that is....I wouldn't blame you considering the messes I keep dragging you into..." Her gaze lowered towards the ground sheepishly, her long lashes covering the flickering hues of amber, "I truly was hopeful that we could show up, dance a round or two, and then that would be it. I suppose that was too easy though." Ah, but would it be an adventure without a bit of conflict here and there? Nadiya huffed at the thought, her breath blowing a stray strand of hair from her face as she glanced back towards Jolanta to try and read his expression.

What did he think of all of this?

Maybe he just wanted her to get away and back to her adventures so that he could say goodbye quickly? The less he has to deal with me the easier his life would be. The thought had her crossing her arms uneasily, "If you do stay then we can head back to the manor in the morning and meet with my family for breakfast. I'm certain they'll have a whole night to think about their daughter dancing with her beau and disappearing with him for the evening." Her lips curled up, a faint sign that some of her mischievous spirit was still alive and well despite recent circumstances, "But we'll see what happens." She nodded before moving forward so that she could lean over the edge of the beach and touch a finger to the cool ocean waters, "For now I wanna enjoy the ocean and I think we both could use a peaceful night. What do you say, Jol? Wanna camp outside on the beach tonight? There's a shallow cave in the cliffs just up ahead that I used to sleep in when I was an apprentice. I'm sure we can curl up in there for the night. Just like old times?" Not really that old considering it had only been a few days ago that they had to share a similar space, but she couldn't resist the small tease that slipped from her lips. It was after all a good cover for the moments of panic that still washed over her and caused her legs to slightly shake, the faintest of movements that reflected in the way her heart skipped a beat.

Yet when she glanced over towards the Yaeli it was like a wave of peace came over her. If Jolanta was nearby then Nadiya knew, she just knew, that she would be safe no matter what. He would protect her. The thought created a soft smile that reflected in her gaze, something that would be almost akin to loving from an outsider's perspective, but the moment was quickly over as she moved to scoop up a handful of water and toss it into the air around them. The drops that caught the moonlight glimmered before falling quietly to the ocean and sand without another trace, but in that moment Nadiya was happy because that split second of beauty was enough to make her feel content, "It's really not that bad here, I promise. So we should definitely enjoy the beach for a bit before going to sleep, okay?"

Nadiya paused in her playful movements so that she could study Jolanta, "You must really want that paycheck." She finally found herself saying, the playful words being pushed out from her lips that for a moment had been struck speechless once more by the surprising willingness of Jolanta. Placing a hand teasingly on her hip she studied the Yaeli with a tilt of her head, her fingers tapping on her leggings melodically as she pondered over things, "As tempting as a note would be I don't believe it would give me the results that I truly desire." She finally confused with a slight sigh as she lowered her hand and proceeded to instead play with the ocean water that slipped between her fingers, "My family would continue to consider me a child that is just going through a rebellious stage and needs to be brought back. I need to prove to them that I've found my place in the world and that I'm serious about loving you, Jolanta."

It was less than a moment after the words left her lips that spread through her cheeks all the way along her neck and towards the tips of her ears at the realization of her words, "That is our goal I mean! That way they don't think I need a suitor since you're playing the part." She coughed and glanced away, her amber gaze darting through the sands as if studying something there, "Tonight was a good start since we showed up and then tomorrow at breakfast I'll introduce you properly and then I'll be able to finally talk to my family, once they've seen that you're a real person that is of merit they'll surely relent and let go of the notion of finding me a spouse."

Despite her embarrassment the Matori couldn't resist raising an amused eyebrow at his words, "I'm glad that you have your sword to defend me from anything else....that might pop up." Oh gods she had been in too many taverns with too many flirtatious drunks to not take that in a less than innocent way. Nadiya could only shake her head against the laugh that dared to escape from her throat, "But thankfully there shouldn't be any monsters that we need to fight off tonight since this area is pretty calm." It was a secluded beach, hard to get to due to the cliffs that loomed around them, and the fact that Matori were constantly in the area usually kept the biggest creatures of interest to just a few alola.

As she spoke she left the waters, her hands cupping a bit of ocean water that dripped through her fingers, "You can? Truly?" His comment had her gaze flickering towards him, hope lighting those amber eyes to dancing like a warm flame, "Then I suppose you aren't so blind after all." She found herself teasing as she slowly moved her fingers to let the water fall freely towards the sands, "But I don't think you've truly enjoyed it until you've actually gone into the waters." She found herself grinning towards him, "Shouldn't we cool down a bit after all?"

Nadiya nodded, "Of course. Don't worry I'll get you that money." While her mouth formed the words seemingly without effort her insides felt like each word was dropping a heavy brick into her stomach. It was silly of her after all to get so carried away with the charade to almost forget that it was the money which really had him here. Though wouldn't he have just demanded his pay at this point so he could leave if he truly wanted? Nadiya shoved such treacherous thoughts aside as she focused on the ocean that was glimmering before her. Despite the darkness of night the light of the moon and the hundreds of shimmering stars in the skies above were plenty enough to reflect like sparkling diamonds in the ocean waves. It was a peaceful feeling to watch the waters slowly touching the shores before gently pulling away again to leave only foam and a shadow of where water had kissed the land. Not once had she ever felt threatened by the ocean, especially not at night when everything felt so tranquil. Just being here eased her heart and made her feel so serene. It was like the ocean was pulling away her hurt and anger and cleansing her spirit for a new day.

Jolanta's words broke her trance and the Matori found herself slowly nodding, "Thank you for understanding." If she didn't settle things now then gods only knew what would happen next. If not this suitor then surely there would be another and then more, "I know my parents mean well but I want to live my life the way that I am, not the way that they want. I'm simply not meant to be some merchant's dressed up doll of a wife." She spat the words before offering a small smile towards Jolanta, "Not that I would mind...well you know, but dammit I wanna pick who I dedicate my life to." She nodded and glanced towards the moon, "He better be someone who can sweep me off my feet and such!" She tried to jest to shake off the flustered feeling of having spoken about loving Jolanta, something that had strangely made her heart flutter. It's just the charade, just the charade. She had to repeat it like a mantra as she took a deep breath and glanced back towards the Yaeli.

"Yes go into the water." She found herself repeating as she danced about him, her feet relishing in the feeling of sand between her toes, "Sometimes you just have to let loose, Jolanta." She held out a hand towards him, "We're learning to enjoy life, right? So why not just relax and enjoy the ocean on a nice, moonlight night with a pretty lady?" Nadiya couldn't resist teasing him, her gaze glittering with that warm, playful light.

"I promise we won't actually swim, swim but more just wade and splash around. That sound less dangerous?" Nadiya bit her bottom lip as she glanced at him with wide, almost begging, eyes, "I promise there's not any big beasts here. I've lived next to this beach all my life and it's too secluded to really attract anything~"

Nadiya smiled, "Smart man." She teased lightly before tugging him after her into the water. The feeling of the water on her bare skin brought immediate relief and a sigh of contentment slipped from her smiling lips. This was what she enjoyed - just living as herself without the burdens of others piling up on her shoulders. Not that she didn't mind a little worrying here and there mind you, but for tonight this was the moment to relax and have fun. If not then how was she to deal with tonight's failure? Well not entirely a failure since she had at least presented the image of her with a lover....a thought which still caused a slight flush to decorate her cheeks as she dared to peek towards Jolanta.

Strange how despite everything it seemed that she was happy with his presence. I even ran to him when I needed help. Nadiya forced a small smile before reaching down into the water, "Aha!" She found herself joking with him as she laced her fingers so that she could scoop up some of the cool water, the foam from the gently rolling waves tickling her fingertips, "You thought we were just going swimming? You've been tricked!" She laughed, the noise reminiscent of bells, before tossing the water towards Jolanta. It wasn't much water, just enough to make a splash, and Nadiya crouched in the waters so that she could let the motion of the tides rock her slightly back and forth.

They could surely afford to spend some time here before going inside for the night, right? She just hoped that her old trunk was still stowed away in that shallow cavern so they could have a few blankets. After so many years of sneaking out at night to enjoy a nice sunset and the evening stars the Matori had thought to be prepared. Who wanted to sleep in a cool cave without any comforts after all? Perhaps I am a bit spoiled. She quipped to herself before darting around Jolanta again with a little splash.