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tampered2007-12-28 04:53 pm
legislated.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2007-12-28 04:53 pm
Log; Complete
When; December 27th [Evening].
Rating; PG
Characters; Nina [![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
legislated] & Tybalt [iris_aegis].
Summary; Nina learns how to ride a pegasus and Tybalt asks her to the winter gala. Unfortunately, she has her reasons for not wanting to go. You thought Romeo and Juliet were the only ones with relationship troubles?
Log;
Nina Fortner was extremely excited. It was like the little girl in her had just been told that she could get a pony for her birthday. Although, really, Nina had not been the type of girl to want a pony... Her life had been far too complex, and she had not been 'Nina'. But still, the idea of being able to meet a flying horse, and the possibility of riding one? The young woman felt positively giddy.
As soon as her shift was over, Nina was out the door and making her way up to the roof of the hospital, grateful that there weren't any of her co-workers up there smoking. She would prefer this to be private.
With a sigh, Nina rested against the door and held Tybalt's wrapped present to her chest. She shouldn't even be doing this. After last night's scare, staying up all evening and wondering if Johan had found and killed Tybalt, she was certainly having second thoughts about interacting with Tybalt. Yet, here she was, trying not to smile like an idiot while waiting for him.
~*~
Tybalt held lightly to the reins as chill December wind whipped past his hair and his pegasus' feathers, circling them in a light halo of snow. The dull grey of the sky seemed fitting for this day. He'd seen plenty of death in his life, and caused a good deal of it himself. But to see it come in such a gruesome fashion was another thing entirely. Fakir had a sword with him, and knew how to use it. If the murderer had overpowered him so easily, then Tybalt- and more importantly, Romeo and Juliet- would have stood no greater chance.
But he'd suggested this trip partially as a reason to stop thinking about last night, and it was time to do just that. The hospital building was just ahead, and, spotting the telltale yellow of Nina's hair already waiting for him, he gently guided the pegasus into a landing run. A moment later, with the clatter of hooves and rustling of feathers, the animal came to a halt in the center of the rooftop.
~*~
She had not expected such an entrance, but as soon as she heard the sound of the hooves on the cement she knew that it was ridiculous to not have known. What had she expected, for him and his pegasus to use the door?
"Oh...!" At first she was simply in shock. Not only was it a pegasus, but it was black. Then, when she shook off a bit of her nerves, she forced herself to stay calm as she slowly approached. Nina had been told once that horses could sense a person's fear and react to that.
"Wow... Tybalt, it's beautifu!" Tentatively, she held her hand out flat for the pegasus to sniff at her palm, her face aglow from amazement.
~*~
Tybalt dismounted as Nina approaches, watching as her face lit up on seeing the black pegasus land. It still surprised him that so many people considered them to be mythical. In Neo Verona, pegasi that could truly fly were still rarer and more expensive, but even the common cart-pulling variety had degenerate wings. Here, though, 'horses' had no wings at all, though many of the mannerisms were still the same.
"I've had her since she was a colt," he replied. "She's very gentle, though she may look a little intimidating." As if in response, the mare nuzzled Nina's outstretched hand, seeming slightly disappointed to find no sugar or carrots waiting there for her.
~*~
"Really? What's her name?" Nina let out a light laugh at the nuzzle, gently stroking along the animal's cheek. Then, realizing she was about to accidentally drop the Christmas gift, Nina quickly reached to grip it with her other hand before turning to Tybalt and holding it out. A box covered in silver wrapping paper with a gold bow.
"It certainly doesn't compare to meeting a mythical creature, but I hope you like it. I don't know much about you, so I didn't have a lot to go on..."
~*~
"Her name is Sombra."
Tybalt took the box from her and, holding it carefully, as he didn't know if what was inside was fragile, he reached into the pouch beneath his cloak and withdrew Nina's own present. The paper was bright red, surprisingly colorful from him, but that was what seemed to be favored by the season. "I suppose we really haven't told each other much about ourselves," he replied, which was probably mostly his fault. He was used to listening and not volunteering information except when necessary.
~*~
She was a bit surprised at the present held out to her, having thought that the flight on the pegasus was going to be hers. Curious, she accepted the small box and carefully peeled open the wrapping. When the box was opened up and the golden earrings came into view, Nina inhaled sharply.
They were beautiful. Perhaps not her style, but that was just because she didn't dress up a lot. Still, it was touching, and Nina's smile was bright as she glanced back up to him. "Thank you. They're beautiful."
~*~
He nodded in response to the thank you, and then removed the wrapping from his own gift. The coat inside was not what he would normally wear; it was not styled in any fashion that he believed anyone in Neo Verona had ever worn, but it looked warm and like the coats he had seen other City residents with. Giving Nina a rare smile, he said, "Thank you as well, Nina. And I am glad you like the earrings." He then carefully folded up the used paper inside of the box to dispose of later.
With the gift exchange complete, and Sombra still waiting patiently, he stepped back slightly, ready to help Nina into the saddle. "Are you ready to go, then?"
~*~
She had carefully watched his reaction to the coat, but the smile was enough to soothe her. She did have a gift receipt ready if he had expressed any distaste for it. Unfortunately, when one didn't know someone well, the practical gift tended to be the safest gift.
At his offer, Nina looked down to the small box in her hands and slipped it into her coat pocket before gathering up the wrapping paper to push it into a nearby trash can and ash tray. "Yes, all right."
Realizing that her hair might get in her face, she paused to pull a hair tie from her pocket so that she could quickly put her hair back into a ponytail. Then she stepped closer, glancing once more at the daunting animal. She didn't even know how to ride a horse, let alone a pegasus.
Still, she could try to figure it out without any help, reaching up to grab the saddle to get some leverage before quickly vaulting up onto it in a smooth and graceful arc. She had her aikido training to thank for that. Still, once she was up on the saddle, Nina froze up, half expecting the mare to buck her off.
~*~
The pegasus was very well-behaved however, especially with Tybalt there to calm her. She made no reaction as Nina mounted, with Tybalt himself following suit a moment later. He'd been a little surprised at how easily she'd pulled herself up, but she might have ridden a 'horse' before or was simply athletic. She had been right... He really knew very little about her life before the City, save that she had a twin.
"Hold on to the saddle, but not to her mane," he instructed, and carefully reached around her to pick up the reins. A moment later Sombra's wings began to beat and she took a running start across the roof.
~*~
Nina immediately grabbed onto the saddle when told to, eyes squeezing shut as the animal moved into a gallop, the wind forcing her to lean back against Tybalt a bit. When she suddenly felt no more jolting movements, Nina could tell they were in the air, and Heaven help her she was too scare to open her eyes.
They were in the air, and she was not in a plane! There was no seatbelt, and there were no walls on either side of her. A steady breath and a quick mental pep talk later, Nina slowly opened her eyes, knuckles white from her tight grip on the saddle.
What she saw took her breath away. She was still scared speechless, but the beauty of being able to see the City from this height was startling, especially with the sun set. She hardly even noticed how chilly the clear air was when up so high.
~*~
Tybalt lets Sombra whirl once around the Hospital and then rise higher, reaching the level where the whole City was spread out before them, the sea glinting in the distance beyond the dark mass of the forest. He still found it amazing to see all the lights still glowing even as the sun set, daytime and nighttime making no difference before the 'electricity' that powered lamps here. He pointed the pegasus towards the center of the City and let her fly leisurely and straight, his arms holding the reins serving as reassurance that he would not let her fall.
"How is it?" he asked, after they had been airborne for a minute or two.
~*~
When Sombra had gone higher, Nina had resisted the urge to close her again again, instead squinting as the cold air wooshed by. Still, she couldn't get enough of looking at the City. It was like when taking off in an air plane, only with a panoramic view. Considering his world has flying horses, though, she doubted that comparison would make much sense to him.
"It's... It's amazing! I can't believe you get to do this every day." It was hard to keep from leaning over or a better view, but the reminder that her imminent death would result if she fell kept her sitting up straight. Well, mostly straight. Her shoulders were hunched a bit and her teeth were chattering from the freezing night air. The high altitude certainly wasn't helping. "Probably better in the summertime, though," Nina offered in a sheepish attempt to joke.
~*~
Sombra continued gliding over the Square and pointed toward the outer ring of apartment buildings. Below the people were barely visible, black specks among the glittering of street lamps.
Tybalt's lips tugged into a small smile at the attempted humor, though Nina obviously couldn't see. "It's always somewhat chilly with the wind even in summer, but you get used to it." And then, noticing the way she kept looking around while still remaining as upright as the cold would allow her, he added, "You can bend to look, I won't let you fall."
~*~
His offer was tempting, but also incredibly terrifying. She really hadn't known him that long. How could she trust him? What if he lost his own balance, or didn't react swiftly enough? What if his grip on the reins wasn't tight enough?
Nina clenched her jaw and glanced down to his hands in front of her before carefully leaning over a bit more to the side to peek at the lights down below. I was difficult for her to trust anyone, but she had told Tybalt once that he made her feel comfortable, and she had meant it.
The view finally did make her calmer, though, and she especially loved being able to see the ocean over the trees. With a smile and a sigh, Nina finally relaxed back against him, letting go of the saddle with one hand. "In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would get the chance to do this."
~*~
Tybalt allowed her to lean back into his chest, able to tell that she was finally comfortable and enjoying the flight. He knew that the first flight could be scary; it had taken a while for Petruchio's two siblings to stop being tense when he'd taken them flying, and they had been eager to go. "Even at home, tamed pegasi that can fly aren't very common," he explained, keeping his eyes on the horizon. "They're very prized and mostly belong to nobility. Most common people aren't ever able to own or even ride one. But if you do obtain one, they are extremely loyal companions."
~*~
His response made Nina raise an eyebrow. Not very common, and mostly only nobility had them? Did that mean that Tybalt was a noble back home? She could tell that he had a proper way of speech, but his clothes and casual way of treating her had made her think he was more middle class like her.
Pleased that she now knew a little more about him, Nina stayed quiet for the rest of the flight. Once they finally landed outside of her apartment building, she was quick to look around for any signs of Johan before carefully sliding off of the mount. Good Lord, her thighs were sore from that. Maybe she had been too tense.
Though she'd had fun, Nina was relieved to be grounded again, and she rested a hand against Sombra's neck while getting used to gravity once more. "That was a lot of fun, Tybalt... Thank you for letting me ride her."
~*~
He slipped down from the saddle to see her off. "I'm glad you thought so," he replied. Patting Sombra's side once in thanks, he then turned to Nina. "Any time you wish to ride again, you are more than welcome to."
~*~
Tossing her ponytail over her side and blowing her bangs out of her face, Nina nodded. "I'll remember that. I might need awhile to recuperate, though." With a light laugh, the blonde stepped forward to rest her hands on his shoulders so that she could lean up and give him a quick kiss on the cheek.
She hesitated for a moment there, though, and when she finally pulled back, her gaze was resigned, and almost sad. "...Thank you," she repeated as she started to turn. "Goodbye, Tybalt."
~*~
He remained silent as she kissed him, for once because she wanted to and not the product of a curse. And now came the point where he had to make a decision. Nina was a different kind of woman than he was used to courting, he had to admit. Despite the situations they'd found themselves in on curse days, she was respectable and hard-working, and Tybalt very much doubted if she had much in the way to do with men back home. Moving too fast would unnerve her, and moving too slowly would get them nowhere.
"Nina," he said, as she turned to leave, hoping he was reading her expression right. "Do you have anyone to take you to the Gala already?"
~*~
She quickly stopped at his inquiry, and she was glad that she was turned away, because her cheeks immediately warmed in a blush. Nina had been asked out several times in high school and college, but studies had always come first, not to mention chasing down her brother--first to kill him, and then to forgive him.
There was only one other man she could remember having these complicated feelings for, but she had known it would never go anywhere. An innocent crush. Doctor Tenma.
This one was not so innocent, and she bit her lip and continued looking away from him, struggling with a silent decision. "...I wasn't planning on going." But still, she was happy he had almost asked. She wanted to go, but... "I don't think I should."
~*~
"It's your decision," he replied quietly, understanding what she was getting at. "But, you don't need to let him control your actions all the time."
He knew how it felt to worry over a brother. His experiences in the City in what had been its October had taught him that, when Romeo had narrowly escaped death. But he also knew that letting life be dictated by a family member, even indirectly, was something that could end up being regrettable.
His situation was not the same as hers, as his plan was to kill his father in revenge, not to reconcile. But in the end, by hating Laertes Montague, his life had become fixated on him. Once the Duke had died, not even by Tybalt's hand, he realized he had nowhere left to go. Nowhere, and everywhere. Without that goal to drive him, the whole horizon opened up, and he could finally see how narrow his life had been before.
If he could go back, he would do it all again, of that he was certain. But, now that he could live for himself, he wanted Nina to know that she could do so as well.
~*~
With a shaky sigh, Nina ducked her head and forced herself to turn around to face him. ...Well, almost face him. She was hiding behind her bangs, though the rest of her hair was still tied back, revealing her flushed cheeks and the firm line of her lips.
"I don't..." Her voice started out as a whisper, but she raised it when she realized he might not be able to hear her. "I don't want the next death that I read about on the Network...to be yours, Tybalt. I thought that I could do this without caring too much about you... I thought I could keep it casual. But last night, when you didn't show up, I thought..."
Nina's voice trembled, and she reached up to cover her face. "I thought that he must have found out! I couldn't sleep, and I didn't know what to do. It was so upsetting, and I don't want to feel like that again! It would be better if you and I just stopped meeting. It was a mistake think I could still meet with friends. With you."
~*~
He remained still, watching her face as she attempted to hide it from him. So this was the real answer to the riddles. "...Nina," he said finally. "You are worried that your brother will kill your friends? That is why you've become so secretive?"
The logical thing would be to do as she asked, to stop being around her if there was a jealous killer on her trail. But she was a friend, something he did not have very many of. And perhaps his own brother was rubbing off on him. Romeo would not abandon Nina in this situation, he was certain.
"I am sorry for worrying you last night," he continued. "If I had known what you would be thinking, I would have made more effort to contact you. But I am capable of defending myself. I don't know what your brother is capable of, but he would not find it easy to kill me."
And even if he were to die... he had many more important things here now than he did in Neo Verona.
~*~
She choked on her breaths and quickly shook her head. "How can you say that?! All he has to do is point a gun at you when you aren't looking, or hire someone you would never suspect to get close to you and kill you! Johan has killed so many people... All the people whoever took us in as children. Even my adoptive parents when he and I were separated. He has a way of doing things, and he almost always gets what he wants! Except the thing he wants most... And that's why he's so desperate in this!"
Nina was crying now, and she took a step back as she tried to regain her composure, rubbing her palms against her eyes. "I just can't risk it. I would rather be all alone than have anyone else's death on my hands. Enough people have already died...because of me. Because I failed him."
~*~
Deciding asking what a gun was wasn't the right course to take right now, Tybalt instead took a step forward, putting a hand gently on her shoulder. "Nina," he said. "Look at me, please. You don't have to do everything alone." He knew he had no way of backing up his words. Fakir's death had shown him just how useless swords were in the City. Still, to allow someone to live constantly in fear... it was no better than Neo Verona under Montague's rule.
~*~
She was horribly disgusted in herself, at how pathetic she must have looked and sounded. To be crying and complaining about her troubles in life, when Tybalt had just had a friend die the night before. How selfish could a person get?
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she wiped at her eyes again and forced herself to look up at him. Didn't have to do everything alone? She knew that, but...the people who had helped her in Germany weren't here to help this time. Everything was different.
"I just..." Her voice was still unsteady as she tried to keep from letting more tears flow. "I just don't know what decision is the right decision."
~*~
"Then don't decide just yet," he replied. "Take each day as it is."
He knew this was dangerous. And it was not to only himself, but most likely Romeo and Juliet could be endangered if Nina's brother decided Tybalt was in the way. He didn't even know Nina well, and wasn't certain of what he felt for her. It wasn't true love of the kind Romeo and Juliet shared, and was likely not even love at all. But there was still something. And he wasn't yet willing to give that up.
One thing he'd learned during his time as an information broker was that some risk had to be taken in order to achieve the best results. Carelessness had dire consequences, but too much caution would yield nothing. It was a matter of weighing the choices. And in this case, he was willing to take the gamble.
~*~
"Each day as it comes..." It was laughable how simple it sounded, and yet as she rolled the thought around in her head, she calmed considerably. It helped clear her head a bit to prioritize.
Perhaps Johan might not even care. After all, she had dressed as a prostitute once just to find him to kill him. He hadn't seemed to mind that. ...But then, maybe he never knew about that. But he had known that she'd gained friends in her journey. Of course he knew about Tenma, and he surely knew about Dieter as well. He had never attempted to kill them. Never mind that Tenma was a special case in both their hearts.
Maybe... Maybe she was making a big deal out of nothing. Maybe she could just observe and see how it went, and keep a careful eye on Johan. Maybe.
Finally, she offered a very light smile. "No, I don't have a date to the gala. But if that's an invite, I'll find a dress to match the earrings."
~*~
"That was what I intended it to be," he replied, giving a smile to match her own. "Thank you, Nina."
And he removed his hand from her shoulder, taking a step backward toward where Sombra still patiently waited. "I'll see you tomorrow, then." And between now and then, he would have to actually obtain a formal outfit.
~*~
Nodding, Nina's smile brightened a bit, hope in her eyes. "Don't be late, or I'll worry!"
She then turned and gave Sombra a little wave before turning to head inside the apartment building. She knew that this was risky, but perhaps she could just have faith in Johan. She really did feel like she was getting through to him lately, after all.
Maybe there was still a chance for them both to be happy, and for no more blood to be shed.
Maybe.
Rating; PG
Characters; Nina [
legislated] & Tybalt [iris_aegis]. Summary; Nina learns how to ride a pegasus and Tybalt asks her to the winter gala. Unfortunately, she has her reasons for not wanting to go. You thought Romeo and Juliet were the only ones with relationship troubles?
Log;
Nina Fortner was extremely excited. It was like the little girl in her had just been told that she could get a pony for her birthday. Although, really, Nina had not been the type of girl to want a pony... Her life had been far too complex, and she had not been 'Nina'. But still, the idea of being able to meet a flying horse, and the possibility of riding one? The young woman felt positively giddy.
As soon as her shift was over, Nina was out the door and making her way up to the roof of the hospital, grateful that there weren't any of her co-workers up there smoking. She would prefer this to be private.
With a sigh, Nina rested against the door and held Tybalt's wrapped present to her chest. She shouldn't even be doing this. After last night's scare, staying up all evening and wondering if Johan had found and killed Tybalt, she was certainly having second thoughts about interacting with Tybalt. Yet, here she was, trying not to smile like an idiot while waiting for him.
Tybalt held lightly to the reins as chill December wind whipped past his hair and his pegasus' feathers, circling them in a light halo of snow. The dull grey of the sky seemed fitting for this day. He'd seen plenty of death in his life, and caused a good deal of it himself. But to see it come in such a gruesome fashion was another thing entirely. Fakir had a sword with him, and knew how to use it. If the murderer had overpowered him so easily, then Tybalt- and more importantly, Romeo and Juliet- would have stood no greater chance.
But he'd suggested this trip partially as a reason to stop thinking about last night, and it was time to do just that. The hospital building was just ahead, and, spotting the telltale yellow of Nina's hair already waiting for him, he gently guided the pegasus into a landing run. A moment later, with the clatter of hooves and rustling of feathers, the animal came to a halt in the center of the rooftop.
She had not expected such an entrance, but as soon as she heard the sound of the hooves on the cement she knew that it was ridiculous to not have known. What had she expected, for him and his pegasus to use the door?
"Oh...!" At first she was simply in shock. Not only was it a pegasus, but it was black. Then, when she shook off a bit of her nerves, she forced herself to stay calm as she slowly approached. Nina had been told once that horses could sense a person's fear and react to that.
"Wow... Tybalt, it's beautifu!" Tentatively, she held her hand out flat for the pegasus to sniff at her palm, her face aglow from amazement.
Tybalt dismounted as Nina approaches, watching as her face lit up on seeing the black pegasus land. It still surprised him that so many people considered them to be mythical. In Neo Verona, pegasi that could truly fly were still rarer and more expensive, but even the common cart-pulling variety had degenerate wings. Here, though, 'horses' had no wings at all, though many of the mannerisms were still the same.
"I've had her since she was a colt," he replied. "She's very gentle, though she may look a little intimidating." As if in response, the mare nuzzled Nina's outstretched hand, seeming slightly disappointed to find no sugar or carrots waiting there for her.
"Really? What's her name?" Nina let out a light laugh at the nuzzle, gently stroking along the animal's cheek. Then, realizing she was about to accidentally drop the Christmas gift, Nina quickly reached to grip it with her other hand before turning to Tybalt and holding it out. A box covered in silver wrapping paper with a gold bow.
"It certainly doesn't compare to meeting a mythical creature, but I hope you like it. I don't know much about you, so I didn't have a lot to go on..."
"Her name is Sombra."
Tybalt took the box from her and, holding it carefully, as he didn't know if what was inside was fragile, he reached into the pouch beneath his cloak and withdrew Nina's own present. The paper was bright red, surprisingly colorful from him, but that was what seemed to be favored by the season. "I suppose we really haven't told each other much about ourselves," he replied, which was probably mostly his fault. He was used to listening and not volunteering information except when necessary.
She was a bit surprised at the present held out to her, having thought that the flight on the pegasus was going to be hers. Curious, she accepted the small box and carefully peeled open the wrapping. When the box was opened up and the golden earrings came into view, Nina inhaled sharply.
They were beautiful. Perhaps not her style, but that was just because she didn't dress up a lot. Still, it was touching, and Nina's smile was bright as she glanced back up to him. "Thank you. They're beautiful."
He nodded in response to the thank you, and then removed the wrapping from his own gift. The coat inside was not what he would normally wear; it was not styled in any fashion that he believed anyone in Neo Verona had ever worn, but it looked warm and like the coats he had seen other City residents with. Giving Nina a rare smile, he said, "Thank you as well, Nina. And I am glad you like the earrings." He then carefully folded up the used paper inside of the box to dispose of later.
With the gift exchange complete, and Sombra still waiting patiently, he stepped back slightly, ready to help Nina into the saddle. "Are you ready to go, then?"
She had carefully watched his reaction to the coat, but the smile was enough to soothe her. She did have a gift receipt ready if he had expressed any distaste for it. Unfortunately, when one didn't know someone well, the practical gift tended to be the safest gift.
At his offer, Nina looked down to the small box in her hands and slipped it into her coat pocket before gathering up the wrapping paper to push it into a nearby trash can and ash tray. "Yes, all right."
Realizing that her hair might get in her face, she paused to pull a hair tie from her pocket so that she could quickly put her hair back into a ponytail. Then she stepped closer, glancing once more at the daunting animal. She didn't even know how to ride a horse, let alone a pegasus.
Still, she could try to figure it out without any help, reaching up to grab the saddle to get some leverage before quickly vaulting up onto it in a smooth and graceful arc. She had her aikido training to thank for that. Still, once she was up on the saddle, Nina froze up, half expecting the mare to buck her off.
The pegasus was very well-behaved however, especially with Tybalt there to calm her. She made no reaction as Nina mounted, with Tybalt himself following suit a moment later. He'd been a little surprised at how easily she'd pulled herself up, but she might have ridden a 'horse' before or was simply athletic. She had been right... He really knew very little about her life before the City, save that she had a twin.
"Hold on to the saddle, but not to her mane," he instructed, and carefully reached around her to pick up the reins. A moment later Sombra's wings began to beat and she took a running start across the roof.
Nina immediately grabbed onto the saddle when told to, eyes squeezing shut as the animal moved into a gallop, the wind forcing her to lean back against Tybalt a bit. When she suddenly felt no more jolting movements, Nina could tell they were in the air, and Heaven help her she was too scare to open her eyes.
They were in the air, and she was not in a plane! There was no seatbelt, and there were no walls on either side of her. A steady breath and a quick mental pep talk later, Nina slowly opened her eyes, knuckles white from her tight grip on the saddle.
What she saw took her breath away. She was still scared speechless, but the beauty of being able to see the City from this height was startling, especially with the sun set. She hardly even noticed how chilly the clear air was when up so high.
Tybalt lets Sombra whirl once around the Hospital and then rise higher, reaching the level where the whole City was spread out before them, the sea glinting in the distance beyond the dark mass of the forest. He still found it amazing to see all the lights still glowing even as the sun set, daytime and nighttime making no difference before the 'electricity' that powered lamps here. He pointed the pegasus towards the center of the City and let her fly leisurely and straight, his arms holding the reins serving as reassurance that he would not let her fall.
"How is it?" he asked, after they had been airborne for a minute or two.
When Sombra had gone higher, Nina had resisted the urge to close her again again, instead squinting as the cold air wooshed by. Still, she couldn't get enough of looking at the City. It was like when taking off in an air plane, only with a panoramic view. Considering his world has flying horses, though, she doubted that comparison would make much sense to him.
"It's... It's amazing! I can't believe you get to do this every day." It was hard to keep from leaning over or a better view, but the reminder that her imminent death would result if she fell kept her sitting up straight. Well, mostly straight. Her shoulders were hunched a bit and her teeth were chattering from the freezing night air. The high altitude certainly wasn't helping. "Probably better in the summertime, though," Nina offered in a sheepish attempt to joke.
Sombra continued gliding over the Square and pointed toward the outer ring of apartment buildings. Below the people were barely visible, black specks among the glittering of street lamps.
Tybalt's lips tugged into a small smile at the attempted humor, though Nina obviously couldn't see. "It's always somewhat chilly with the wind even in summer, but you get used to it." And then, noticing the way she kept looking around while still remaining as upright as the cold would allow her, he added, "You can bend to look, I won't let you fall."
His offer was tempting, but also incredibly terrifying. She really hadn't known him that long. How could she trust him? What if he lost his own balance, or didn't react swiftly enough? What if his grip on the reins wasn't tight enough?
Nina clenched her jaw and glanced down to his hands in front of her before carefully leaning over a bit more to the side to peek at the lights down below. I was difficult for her to trust anyone, but she had told Tybalt once that he made her feel comfortable, and she had meant it.
The view finally did make her calmer, though, and she especially loved being able to see the ocean over the trees. With a smile and a sigh, Nina finally relaxed back against him, letting go of the saddle with one hand. "In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would get the chance to do this."
Tybalt allowed her to lean back into his chest, able to tell that she was finally comfortable and enjoying the flight. He knew that the first flight could be scary; it had taken a while for Petruchio's two siblings to stop being tense when he'd taken them flying, and they had been eager to go. "Even at home, tamed pegasi that can fly aren't very common," he explained, keeping his eyes on the horizon. "They're very prized and mostly belong to nobility. Most common people aren't ever able to own or even ride one. But if you do obtain one, they are extremely loyal companions."
His response made Nina raise an eyebrow. Not very common, and mostly only nobility had them? Did that mean that Tybalt was a noble back home? She could tell that he had a proper way of speech, but his clothes and casual way of treating her had made her think he was more middle class like her.
Pleased that she now knew a little more about him, Nina stayed quiet for the rest of the flight. Once they finally landed outside of her apartment building, she was quick to look around for any signs of Johan before carefully sliding off of the mount. Good Lord, her thighs were sore from that. Maybe she had been too tense.
Though she'd had fun, Nina was relieved to be grounded again, and she rested a hand against Sombra's neck while getting used to gravity once more. "That was a lot of fun, Tybalt... Thank you for letting me ride her."
He slipped down from the saddle to see her off. "I'm glad you thought so," he replied. Patting Sombra's side once in thanks, he then turned to Nina. "Any time you wish to ride again, you are more than welcome to."
Tossing her ponytail over her side and blowing her bangs out of her face, Nina nodded. "I'll remember that. I might need awhile to recuperate, though." With a light laugh, the blonde stepped forward to rest her hands on his shoulders so that she could lean up and give him a quick kiss on the cheek.
She hesitated for a moment there, though, and when she finally pulled back, her gaze was resigned, and almost sad. "...Thank you," she repeated as she started to turn. "Goodbye, Tybalt."
He remained silent as she kissed him, for once because she wanted to and not the product of a curse. And now came the point where he had to make a decision. Nina was a different kind of woman than he was used to courting, he had to admit. Despite the situations they'd found themselves in on curse days, she was respectable and hard-working, and Tybalt very much doubted if she had much in the way to do with men back home. Moving too fast would unnerve her, and moving too slowly would get them nowhere.
"Nina," he said, as she turned to leave, hoping he was reading her expression right. "Do you have anyone to take you to the Gala already?"
She quickly stopped at his inquiry, and she was glad that she was turned away, because her cheeks immediately warmed in a blush. Nina had been asked out several times in high school and college, but studies had always come first, not to mention chasing down her brother--first to kill him, and then to forgive him.
There was only one other man she could remember having these complicated feelings for, but she had known it would never go anywhere. An innocent crush. Doctor Tenma.
This one was not so innocent, and she bit her lip and continued looking away from him, struggling with a silent decision. "...I wasn't planning on going." But still, she was happy he had almost asked. She wanted to go, but... "I don't think I should."
"It's your decision," he replied quietly, understanding what she was getting at. "But, you don't need to let him control your actions all the time."
He knew how it felt to worry over a brother. His experiences in the City in what had been its October had taught him that, when Romeo had narrowly escaped death. But he also knew that letting life be dictated by a family member, even indirectly, was something that could end up being regrettable.
His situation was not the same as hers, as his plan was to kill his father in revenge, not to reconcile. But in the end, by hating Laertes Montague, his life had become fixated on him. Once the Duke had died, not even by Tybalt's hand, he realized he had nowhere left to go. Nowhere, and everywhere. Without that goal to drive him, the whole horizon opened up, and he could finally see how narrow his life had been before.
If he could go back, he would do it all again, of that he was certain. But, now that he could live for himself, he wanted Nina to know that she could do so as well.
With a shaky sigh, Nina ducked her head and forced herself to turn around to face him. ...Well, almost face him. She was hiding behind her bangs, though the rest of her hair was still tied back, revealing her flushed cheeks and the firm line of her lips.
"I don't..." Her voice started out as a whisper, but she raised it when she realized he might not be able to hear her. "I don't want the next death that I read about on the Network...to be yours, Tybalt. I thought that I could do this without caring too much about you... I thought I could keep it casual. But last night, when you didn't show up, I thought..."
Nina's voice trembled, and she reached up to cover her face. "I thought that he must have found out! I couldn't sleep, and I didn't know what to do. It was so upsetting, and I don't want to feel like that again! It would be better if you and I just stopped meeting. It was a mistake think I could still meet with friends. With you."
He remained still, watching her face as she attempted to hide it from him. So this was the real answer to the riddles. "...Nina," he said finally. "You are worried that your brother will kill your friends? That is why you've become so secretive?"
The logical thing would be to do as she asked, to stop being around her if there was a jealous killer on her trail. But she was a friend, something he did not have very many of. And perhaps his own brother was rubbing off on him. Romeo would not abandon Nina in this situation, he was certain.
"I am sorry for worrying you last night," he continued. "If I had known what you would be thinking, I would have made more effort to contact you. But I am capable of defending myself. I don't know what your brother is capable of, but he would not find it easy to kill me."
And even if he were to die... he had many more important things here now than he did in Neo Verona.
She choked on her breaths and quickly shook her head. "How can you say that?! All he has to do is point a gun at you when you aren't looking, or hire someone you would never suspect to get close to you and kill you! Johan has killed so many people... All the people whoever took us in as children. Even my adoptive parents when he and I were separated. He has a way of doing things, and he almost always gets what he wants! Except the thing he wants most... And that's why he's so desperate in this!"
Nina was crying now, and she took a step back as she tried to regain her composure, rubbing her palms against her eyes. "I just can't risk it. I would rather be all alone than have anyone else's death on my hands. Enough people have already died...because of me. Because I failed him."
Deciding asking what a gun was wasn't the right course to take right now, Tybalt instead took a step forward, putting a hand gently on her shoulder. "Nina," he said. "Look at me, please. You don't have to do everything alone." He knew he had no way of backing up his words. Fakir's death had shown him just how useless swords were in the City. Still, to allow someone to live constantly in fear... it was no better than Neo Verona under Montague's rule.
She was horribly disgusted in herself, at how pathetic she must have looked and sounded. To be crying and complaining about her troubles in life, when Tybalt had just had a friend die the night before. How selfish could a person get?
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she wiped at her eyes again and forced herself to look up at him. Didn't have to do everything alone? She knew that, but...the people who had helped her in Germany weren't here to help this time. Everything was different.
"I just..." Her voice was still unsteady as she tried to keep from letting more tears flow. "I just don't know what decision is the right decision."
"Then don't decide just yet," he replied. "Take each day as it is."
He knew this was dangerous. And it was not to only himself, but most likely Romeo and Juliet could be endangered if Nina's brother decided Tybalt was in the way. He didn't even know Nina well, and wasn't certain of what he felt for her. It wasn't true love of the kind Romeo and Juliet shared, and was likely not even love at all. But there was still something. And he wasn't yet willing to give that up.
One thing he'd learned during his time as an information broker was that some risk had to be taken in order to achieve the best results. Carelessness had dire consequences, but too much caution would yield nothing. It was a matter of weighing the choices. And in this case, he was willing to take the gamble.
"Each day as it comes..." It was laughable how simple it sounded, and yet as she rolled the thought around in her head, she calmed considerably. It helped clear her head a bit to prioritize.
Perhaps Johan might not even care. After all, she had dressed as a prostitute once just to find him to kill him. He hadn't seemed to mind that. ...But then, maybe he never knew about that. But he had known that she'd gained friends in her journey. Of course he knew about Tenma, and he surely knew about Dieter as well. He had never attempted to kill them. Never mind that Tenma was a special case in both their hearts.
Maybe... Maybe she was making a big deal out of nothing. Maybe she could just observe and see how it went, and keep a careful eye on Johan. Maybe.
Finally, she offered a very light smile. "No, I don't have a date to the gala. But if that's an invite, I'll find a dress to match the earrings."
"That was what I intended it to be," he replied, giving a smile to match her own. "Thank you, Nina."
And he removed his hand from her shoulder, taking a step backward toward where Sombra still patiently waited. "I'll see you tomorrow, then." And between now and then, he would have to actually obtain a formal outfit.
Nodding, Nina's smile brightened a bit, hope in her eyes. "Don't be late, or I'll worry!"
She then turned and gave Sombra a little wave before turning to head inside the apartment building. She knew that this was risky, but perhaps she could just have faith in Johan. She really did feel like she was getting through to him lately, after all.
Maybe there was still a chance for them both to be happy, and for no more blood to be shed.
Maybe.