beautiful g i r l // FLASHBACK [Nairore] [FIN]

[Lorina]

Lorina had to wonder why these irritating Knights even bothered to challenge her sister anymore. All of them had lost to her at some point or another, and yet they still tried to assuage their wounded pride. Tenacity and determination were qualities to admire, but their reckless endeavor to fling insults as a result of their loss was rather immature. The weather was rather mild, and so their father had moved the training session to the outdoors, and so Lorina decided to watch the lessons from a short distance away. Her back was against the rough bark of a tree, and the shade provided her good protection from the rays of the sun. Part of her wished she was have as adept with a blade as Nairore, but anything bigger than a dagger had her stumbling about. She heard enough whispered words of ridicule from the knights as if, but she never said a word about it. Switching her attention from her sister to her drawing pad, she ran her charcoal stained fingers over the drawing, adding shading for more dimension to the piece.

Another creation from the vast imaginings of her mind, but she never showed anyone her sketches. It was like giving true life to the friends in her dreams, and she did not want petty and dismissive words to make them less real. It also served as a way for her to ignore the more lingering gazes of the Knights as of late. Over the last year, Lorina had developed more as she grew, but her petite frame was so delicate in comparison to her curvy sister. She mused over the idea, wondering what was appealing about herself. Lorina thought of herself as mildly appealing, but certainly nothing to linger over when compared with other pretty women. Honestly, no one had troubled her as of yet, because her gaze was enough to deter most. While Nairore used more harmful methods to dissuade male attention, she used her own blank stare to make men think twice. Madness often had many thinking twice before lingering within her presence.

A vague smile crossed her lips at the thought, and soon Lorina was glancing back up to the fight before her. It seemed another immature Knight had challenged her sister, and was acting like quite the sore loser. "You should take this loss as a way to improve yourself, not swear like a sailor," she called out, smiling sweetly. His offended glare did little to deter her serene expression, and it was most amusing to watch his face grow red in restraint from hurling insults at her as well. That only earned more ire from Nairore, and many of the Knights knew better. Placing her drawing pad down carefully, she stood to relieve the numbness that had begun to settle within her legs. Raising her arms above her head, Lorina stretched like a cat awakening from slumber. She took note of some lingering gazes, but nothing more. "Are you finished training, Nai?" she asked.

[Nairore]

x x

The problem most Hylian Knights had is they sought to finish all of their attacks with their swords. The weapon was tool in their hands, their armor was their defense to any clumsy opens. Such was the trouble with the typical heavy approach. Nairore preferred light armor, her own leather clothing doubling as leather armor for the most part, and part of the bitterness most of the Knights felt was that they could hardly bruise her while taking a beating themselves. This was because Nairore used her whole body as a weapon, something none of the Knights have learned to fully predict.

Now, for example, she was able to simply duck and weave around the Knight's attacks, the wooden training sword swishing through the air. Each time he missed his guard was open and she'd deliver a swift kick, a punch or a thwack with her custom training sword to show him his opening. She ducked under a vicious horizontal swipe, rising just after the sword passed over her and striking the Knight in the chin with her elbow. He grunted in pain and she was pretty sure he had bitten his tongue. He swung diagonally downward, throwing his full body into the blow. Nairore decided that would be enough, leaned away from the blade, grabbed the man's wrist and pulled. Her foot found his, tripped him over into the dust and the heel of her boot rested against the back of his neck.

The Knight cursed and Nairore's sister spoke up. Nairore threw Lori a grin, looked down at the Knight and nudged him with his foot. "Don't you have something to say to the young lady? Are you going to take that?" she said, setting her trap. This particular Knight had learned his lesson and kept his bleeding tongue in his mouth. After a moment of silence she took her foot off of his neck and stretched herself, an action that drew many gazes when the Knights thought she wasn't paying them any attention.

Lori asked her question and Nairore turned to the Knights. "Unless there's someone else willing to eat dirt I think we're done here," she said with a smirk. When no Knight answered her challenge she turned and walked over to her sister, making sure to add an extra sway to her step to tease the Knights. Nairore had no trouble enticing them, nor any qualms with harming them when they acted on what they thought was an open invitation. "How's your drawing coming?"

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[Lorina]

Lorina held back a giggle as her sister held the Knight to the ground, goading him on to respond to her words. It appeared he had learned his lesson, and perhaps there was mild improvement in their father's regiment of Knights. She watched as Nairore removed her foot from his skin, proceeding to stretch like a cat. She could see the lusty gazes of the Knights upon her sister, and it disturbed her faintly. Lorina loathed drawing attention like that, and she pondered on how her sister could tolerate such a thing. Then again, Nairore rather enjoyed putting them in their place when they attempted to do more than just gaze. Lorina dropped onto the grass once more, pulling her drawing pad onto her lap securely. Of course, no gazes lingered on her when her sister decided to move like that. It was nice not to have attention on herself, and so she went back to shading in her drawing. A relaxing hobby for her, and art allowed her an outlet that many did not frown at her about. She could be herself in her art, and be worried about the consequences.

Of course, the subject matter of her drawing appeared rather sinister with the eerie grin in place. But the cat always had that grin whenever they spoke, and he would not be himself without it in place. More insights into the jumbled pieces of her barely healed mind. At least her sister liked her art for the quality itself, and that was a comfort. Father would merely ask more questions, becoming more worried and concerned over her odd ways. It just seemed that no matter how hard she tried, it would never be enough. Lorina wanted so much for her father to be proud of her, but she even messed up with her magic so often. Her talent was there, but she refused to use it. Well, at least in the way Zenethil hoped from her. "Oh, I'm almost done," she answered vaguely. Stained fingers shaded in the curves and bend of the tree she had drawn for dimension and realism. "You really should not tease the Knights like that, Nai. Men can only control themselves for so long, and you will not always be the stronger one," she warned. It had been like that with--no, she did not want to remember that.

Lorina stilled for a moment, but a smile blossomed on her lips as she finished the sketch. She turned her drawing pad to face her sister, quite proud of her skills as an artist. Perhaps she could utilize her skills as an artist instead of with magic? It did not frighten her, and she was much better with charcoal than with spells. "Do you think I would be better with art than with magic? Father would not have to try so hard with me, then," she reasoned. At least Nairore would listen to each and every worry she had without becoming annoyed. These skills she could put to practical use, and maybe the whispered would stop about her being poor in both magic and combat. She had to be good at something. Oh, who was she trying to fool? There would always be a reason for lingering whispers about her. Her very presence had others on edge.

[Nairore]

x x

Nairore dug the tip of her wooden sword into the ground beside the tree and used it as a hold to lower herself into a sitting position. While she never visibly showed the fatigue of training, it was always there. Probably more so in the Knights than in her, but you couldn't fend off and thoroughly defeat several Knights in a row without breaking a sweat and bearing some aches. In truth a few of them even managed to get a hit, so there were a few bruises. The problem was those hits had been allowed through and the Knights had gotten too cocky thereafter. They didn't understand her style that well, of taking certain hits to allow herself to get more effective hits out.

Her chest heaved and her heart pumped as she sat down next to her sister. She grinned at Lori's comment but batted her hand dismissively. "The day they actually manage to beat me might as well be the day they get rewarded anyway," she said easily, though her words had no real meaning behind them. "Until then I get to collect the spoils of my victories." She knew her sister was somewhat uneasy around men considering the unspoken trauma she'd gone through. Nairore preferred not to think about it. "Besides, if men are allowed to talk trash to one another I don't see why I can't," she shrugged.

Lori showed her the drawing she'd been working on. Another one of some kind of cat. She drew that character quite often. Granted her drawing abilities were remarkable, but Nairore never saw beyond the art. Everyone liked to pick it apart on Lori, to use it to try and understand her. Nairore just saw it as a character she liked to draw, and she was quite spectacular at drawing. She reached over and ruffled Lori's hair playfully. "You're certainly getting better at it. But father sees something in your magical capabilities and if he's putting aside the time of day to try and help you better them then you should be thankful, little one," she said, not with any malice or what have you, but just a matter-of-fact statement.

Nairore did find a little jealousy in the attention her father gave to Lori's magic. While he did help her train, he wasn't a swordsman by trade but a mage, and so Lori got more of the attention, as he was able to teach her more. That left Nairore with the difficult problem of finding people she could train with who wouldn't be so easily overcome by her style or her femininity. Unfortunately that was kind of hard in this day and age, as most Knights were either intimidated by her, or hospitalized by her. She sighed and closed her eyes, allowing her heartbeat to slow down and return to normal after training.

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[Lorina]

A small sigh escaped her lips at Nairore's dismissal, but she knew not to expect much else. Her sister was very confident in herself, and she merely hoped she would always remain the stronger one. Her sister could take care of herself quite well, and so Lorina would try not to worry for the time being. It was merely unnerving to see the ways their hungry gazes lingered, and she knew what went through their minds. Nothing pure about that line of thinking at all, but what could she do? "I suppose. I just find it unnerving is all," she murmured. Her worries were merely that, and so she tried to put the thoughts from her mind. Men would be men, and her sister knew how to deal with them. It had worked so far, so why not in the future? None of the Knights were able to stand a chance against her sister, anyway. A fond smile crossed her lips, because she was very proud that Nairore was so strong and independent. It would be nice if she could be like that, too. Lorina was far too dependent on herself to be good, but she knew that would not make much sense to anyone else. Perhaps far too dependent on her fear was a better explanation? Yes, a much more clearly defined truth than the one before.

Lorina glanced upward, eyes widening as Nairore ruffled her hair. She smiled brightly, quite pleased that her sister liked her drawing for what it was. The cat was one of her favorites to draw, and the best keeper of her mind between all of her other companions. A wistful sigh escaped her lips, and she knew Nairore merely spoke the truth. Lorina was grateful for their father's teachings, and she appreciated that he was trying to help her. She just wished her father would spend more time training her sister than her. She knew she was a hopeless mess with offensive magic true to her nature, and she preferred her art to her spells. "I am thankful. I just wish I could stop being such a disappointment with it," she explained. Well, there was no use in lamenting over the fact. Lorina would merely have to try harder the next lesson was all. She turned her drawing back to face herself, and soon wiping away the charcoal from her fingers on the absorbent grass.

Azure eyes flickered to her sister, and she could see the fatigue that plagued her after her training sessions. Mild bruises littered her abdomen, and soon Lorina was sitting behind her sister. Her fingers glowed mildly, and she traced her hands over the aches to alleviate them as best as she could. "I'm sorry father spends more time with me than you in training. But you are so much better than I am, and I know you will find someone that can give you the attention you deserve in training," she reassured, knowing her sister's line of thought rather well. Lorina moved her hands to rest upon Nairore's shoulders, the magic dissipating from sight. Soothing the knotted muscle with a steady massage, knowing that her sister could use the relaxation from that harsh training. "I'll take care of you."

[Nairore]

x x

Nairore gave Lori a warm smile. A rare sight indeed for the Gerudo woman. Most of the Knights would probably kill to have her smile at them like that, or even catch a glimpse of such legendary expression. Of course most of them by that point were gone to clean up after training and go find their masculinity in town, so they missed out on it, but it was an action usually reserved for Lori anyway. And so she gave her that smile. "You should be taking notes. I won't be the object in their eye all the time; you're turning into a lady as well, remember."

Then Lori gave her all sorts of apologies and started healing the bruises. Seemed no matter how much Nairore objected to the healing both Lori and her father insisted on making sure she went unblemished. Maybe without such persistence she wouldn't have all the Knights looking at her like they did. Still, she would be lying to herself if she said it didn't feel nice, but what felt nice and what was for the best didn't always line up. Her muscles needed to get used to the feel of a bruise, that she could more easily shrug it off.

Lori's touch and the massage that ensued stole what could only be described as a purr from Nairore's throat and she forgot all of what she was thinking. "And I don't care how much of a lady you become, you're not to settle for a Knight. The image of a knight in shining armor died years ago, it's just a fairy tale. You need to wait for your Prince," she said softly as the tension in her muscles was whisked away by Lori's fingers. Speaking of sights most of the Knights would kill you see . . .

"You know you could probably make a business with that touch of yours," Nairore said lazily, leaning sideways against the tree and closing her eyes. "How is it you're always able to do this to me?" she practically mewled to her sister.

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[Lorina]

Lorina enjoyed the fact that only she could produce such a smile from her sister, and she treasured the rare expression whenever she could. Her sister always displayed such a fierce and proud front, but it was nice to see the softer side of Nairore, too. All work and no play made anyone too rigid and guarded. The Knights had dispersed, and that was also a welcome thing to the younger girl. The men always made her uncomfortable, and this meant she had more time with her sister. Between Nairore's training and her own lessons with magic, there was little time for the two to spend together. It was a natural process, since the two of them were older now. Either way, it was nice to see her sister more at ease for once. Just the two of them, and Lorina would not waste the time with feeling sorry for herself! "Maybe, but most are too wary of my mind to even attempt more than look," she replied with a giggle. It was true, and Lorina was quite glad for that fact. A method to the madness, right~?

Nairore soon became a pliant mess within her hands, and she was quite happy with that fact. Let all of her thoughts and worries melt away, and merely let her body enjoy the gentle touch to sooth her pains away. She knew that bruises helped to toughen the body, but Nairore was so pretty and perfect in every way. It was a shame to see her marred with those ugly marks, and Lorina knew that her sister had a hard time denying her anything. It was not something she tried all that often, and so only when she wished to heal the bruises she obtained during training. "I do not want anyone, Nai. You and father are all the company I need," she reassured gently. Lorina had never showed interest in anyone, and she was perfectly happy to keep it that way. Fairytales were wonderful to imagine, but reality was not that kind at all. She had learned that lesson long ago, and so she preferred her own imaginings to those told in storybooks any day.

Her head tilted, and a peal of giggles escaped her lips at Nai's lazy statement. Lorina was so easy to please once one knew what to do. Not that the young woman would ever allow any man to be this close to her. Only Lorina could, and she was not too prone to sharing at times. Her fingers drifted from Nai's shoulders to her upper back. Tension melted as she continued to ease her sister's pains away. "I know you best, Nai. No one knows what you like better than me," she answered sweetly. Just as Nairore knew her better than anyone in the entirety of Hyrule. Soothing away her aches and pains is what she did best after all~!

[Nairore]

x x

Nairore rested her head against the tree, or, rather, used it for support as all the energy was sapped from her muscles by Lori's gentle, yet firm touch. She knew just how to knead the muscles. Was this one of the things she learned while practicing healing? It wasn't all about magic, Nairore knew from repeated visits to the medicae as people tried to show her why she shouldn't be so rough with her suitors. They figured showing her bloodied noses or broken limbs would stop her. Of course they were wrong.

"You and me against the world, little one," she murred. One arm reached up and over her head and found the other one, gripping it and pulling while she stretched out. One of those stretches that felt better than anything else in the world, that kind. She repeated the process with her other arm, then stretched her legs out in front of her. Between Lori's hands all over her and her legs splayed while stretching, well, nearby Knights might suffer a nosebleed without even Nairore laying a hand on them.

And then, instead of sitting back against the tree, she fell out of Lori's grasp and onto her back. The dirt tickled at the bare skin where her clothing didn't cover, from her hips to the midsection of her back, but she didn't mind. She never cared too much about looking dirty. Instead she looked up at the clouds and let the drowsiness induced by Lori's massage to cause her eyelids to droop over her vibrant enchanted blue eyes. She breathed deep, her chest rising, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"That's the attitude, Lori. You don't need men, we don't need them. We have each other and that's what matters," she said with a grunt. "Though I swear you will enjoy turning them down when they start coming for you. Sometimes I wish I could just give them a shock like you, instead of breaking bones. Takes them out of training for too long." Nairore had never been able to use magic like her father or her sister, much to her father's disdain. She never really wanted to, though sometimes she felt a tinge of envy.

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[Lorina]

A sad smile crossed her lips at the statement. It should not be such a way, should it? Nairore should be able to be accepted for who she was, and that was not among the Hylian Knights. The world was cruel and unfair, but at least she had someone for the time being to depend upon. One day even her sister would leave for her own journeys, and so she would cherish whatever time she could have with her. She watched as her sister stretched to relieve any lingering tension within her muscles, and she eased a little upon her own massage. It appeared that she had begun to lull the older girl into a sleepy state. It was what always happened when she helped her to unwind from a training session. Sprained muscles did not help when forced again into battle, and it was really adorable to watch her sister become nothing more than a docile kitten in her hands. No doubt it would be quite the shock to any Knights if they decided to pass through. "For the time being," she replied quietly. Everyone had to stand on their own at some point.

Lorina giggled as Nai simply fell onto her back lazily. Yes, she was very much like a docile kitten at this moment, and so she settled herself back against the tree. Letting her legs rest to the side of her, she clasped her hands to rest upon her lap. Azure eyes flickered upward, and she began to hum to herself once again. It was rather nice to relax the day away, and the mild weather was almost perfect to nap within the open spaces of the courtyard. Time meant nothing in this moment, and she almost wished it did not exist at all. Peace was a luxury for the both of them, and she was quite happy to spend it within Nairore's company. "Don't fall asleep on me too quickly. I may have done too good of a massage," she teased lightly. It was like her sister had actually fallen asleep, but more of a half awake and half asleep state.

She merely shook her head, because on the off chance a Knight did become too close to her, Lorina had been forced to shock them with a jolt of electricity. Hurting others was not something she enjoyed, and something like that was rare to begin with. The Knights simply did not pay all that much attention to her if they could help it. "No, you really do not. I would rather not have the talent at all; although, it has it's uses from time to time," she replied after a moment. Glancing back to her sister, she moved herself to sit beside her. She reached to lift her sister's head to rest upon her lap, running her fingers through her brown hair in a soothing manner. "I do not care about what you can or cannot do, Nai. You're perfect the way you are to me," she reassured sweetly, gazing at her elder sister with all the admiration and affection she held for her.

[Nairore]

x x

Nairore complied as Lori took a seat, and rested her head on her sister's lap without much problem. She was comfortable enough with the girl, and Lori probably knew her way around Nairore's tangle of brown hair better than she did, considering the Hylian girl was the one who dyed it when the time came. Her father didn't like the natural red, and so she had grown up dying it brown. It looked unfamiliar when she saw the red now, like it didn't belong. But she was never the kind of girl to fuss over her hair, and the first time she had tried to dye it herself had been a complete disaster.

"Who needs men, anyway, when you have a sister who knows just what you like?" she cooed from Lori's lap as the girl ran her fingers through the Gerudo's hair. "You make sure none of those Knights have their way with me while I sleep, okay, Lori?" she purred as she made herself comfortable, her hands folding on the back of her head to act as a support and a cushion, her eyes closing and her breath leveling. It was almost as if she were asleep, if it weren't for the occasional sound of enjoyment from Lori's touch.

"I'm perfect the way father makes me," Nairore murmured after a moment of thought on Lori's words. She was Gerudo by birth, yet her eyes had been enchanted to a blue most Hylians would love to have and her hair was dyed because they could never change the color magically since it grew. She was constructed to be Hylian by her father who simply detested her dirty blood, and she had always complied because this was the man who had saved her life, who knew best for her. He had raised her and she had never asked questions.

"Do you think I'd look good with red hair?" she asked, this time her voice was lazy and it was obvious only about half a thought went into the question.

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[Lorina]

Lorina proceeded to gently untangle the knots from her silky hair, slowly straightening the strands to perfection. The color was pretty enough, but she often wondered why their father detested the natural red so much. It was such a lovely color, and she lamented that she would cover the read with brown dye when even a hint of it began to show. A giggle escaped her lips as her sister cooed at her. She enjoyed the fact that she could take care of Nairore so well, and that someone depended on her from time to time. No, men were highly overrated and irritating in her opinion. Her sister's company was much more preferable than to anyone else. "No one will bother you while I'm here," she murmured in a soothing tone. She watched as Nairore settled into what was almost like a light sleep, and she smiled sweetly at her relaxed expression. Lorina would soothe all of her sister's aches and pains away any time she wished it.

Her brow furrowed at Nairore's words, and a soft sigh escaped her lips. If only her sister could be free to be who she wanted to be, and and not what father wished her to be. "I'll love you for whomever you wish to be. Not just what father expects of you, but for what you want yourself to be," she reassured, leaning down to press a light kiss to her forehead. It was unfair that she was being stifled here, and that there was no true place for her as long as she remained in the castle. Perhaps it would be better if she sought out the Gerudo? It was a thought that had passed through her mind on occasion, but she would never voice it to either Nairore or her father. Hopefully there would be a chance for her sister to be able to leave and find her own way in this world.

She went back to running her fingers through Nai's hair, tilting her head to imagine the brown strands as a vibrant red. Not the sort of question her sister ever asked, but Lorina would take it very seriously. "You would look beautiful. Red is such a lovely color, and much more exciting," she answered. Honestly, she believed her sister could pull of any color and still look as beautiful as she did now. Glancing upward, she continued the rhythmic movement of gliding her fingers through the silken strands. "Are you happy, Nai?" she asked quietly. Was her sister content? She did not think so.

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[Nairore]

x x

Between the sounds of the gentle breeze rustling the leaves above them and the bird songs tweeted for a special audience and her sister's fingers running through her hair, Nairore found a rare moment of nirvana. The former two elements of the perfect moment were something she overlooked most of the time, and perhaps only got appreciated when she was hypnotized by the last element, but all together it was flawless and that bliss crept at the edges of her conscious, willing her to let go and relax.

And for a moment Nairore considered such a thought. There was nothing left to the day aside from going home to have supper with Lori and her father, perhaps watch as they went over Lori's training. Nairore usually spent her evenings with personal training, going for a run, a swim, perhaps even finding a sparring partner, though those were far and few between. But at the same time to fall asleep there and then would be a waste of time.

Just a few more minutes~

Lori was speaking and Nairore listened. She murred in acknowledgement to what Lori was saying as she bent her knee and pulled one of her feet up and closer, her knee going into the air. As Lori asked her final question Nairore's mind bolted awake as she scrambled for an answer, but instead she merely sighed contently and pretended like she didn't hear the question. Why wouldn't she answer, though? Of course she was happy, their father gave her everything, she nearing the pinnacle of her physical prowess and should she ever want it she could have just about any guy in the city.

Why wouldn't she be happy?

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[Lorina]

Lorina could tell her sister was in a euphoric haze, tempted to be lulled into the deep recesses of a restful sleep. A tempting thought for even herself, since there was not much left to do with the day. Her own training, if she felt inclined, and a meal in the evening before retiring for the night. A usual process, a monotony that had not changed much over the years. A stagnant life that did not offer much of a reprieve, especially where Nairore was concerned. Lorina had her own mind and dreams to escape into, and could invent the most wondrous of adventures for herself, but what about her sister? She could sense that she wanted more than what she had been given, even if her sister could not acknowledge it for herself. Their home life was a nice one, but sometimes one needed more than what parents could provide, and their father was depriving her of her heritage because of his own distaste and hatred.

"You know, happiness is something we make for ourselves. It cannot always be
found in what is familiar. We have to step beyond our comforts and experience something new," she continued, ignoring the fact her sister had not answered her. Lorina was stubborn in her own quiet way, ready to repeat herself over and over until she made her point. She smiled vaguely, twisting a strand of Nai's hair around her index finger. Lorina sometimes wondered if she was happy herself, and she could admit that at times she was not. As much as she tended to daze off into her own world, she was still lucid enough to bear witness to the reality around her. Oh, this was not about her own doubts and worries, though. She should be focusing more upon Nairore.

"Do you think about what you want for yourself?" she asked, continuing to twirl the errant strand around her finger. Nairore always tried so hard to please everyone else, and Lorina worried at times. Forgetting your own happiness was not a good thing to do, either. She knew her father was only doing what he thought was best, but he could not attempt to deny and hide Nai's heritage forever. Perhaps things would change in the future, and her sister would be able to do what she wanted. A faint smile curled upon her lips, wondering how long before Nairore would do something because she wanted to, and not because their father wished it of her.

[Nairore]

x x

The conversation was starting to eat away at Nairore's mind, and she didn't like that. With a grimace she sat straight up and drew her legs in, allowing her to carry her momentum forward and slide her feet under herself. From there it was nothing to stand up in one fluid motion. She sighed and shook her head to Lorina. "Happiness is overrated," she said simply, stepping over and pulling her practice sword out of the ground where she had left it before. With a quick twirl the blade spun and slid easily into the snap sheath on her back.

"It's a foolish emotion that just gets in the way. What matters is progress, whether it be my training or your art. Everything is ultimately a means to an end and happiness just tangles it all up," she snapped, though she regretted it immediately. She didn't use that tone with her sister, not often. It was usually reserved for the Knights. Yet she couldn't say she was sorry, either, because she did mean everything she had said. Instead she crouched down beside where Lori sat.

"You need to decide on your end and work toward that, Lori, and then you can find happiness. Once you've accomplished all you want to then there's room to allow for happiness, at least that's how I see it. As long as I have a goal ahead of me I don't want to worry about flippant emotions and whimsies. Errant thoughts are best saved for dreams, while your conscious mind should focus on accomplishing your goals," she said simply, trying to mend any damage she did.

Of course she knew the root of the issue. Quite simply Nairore didn't know where her end lay. She didn't know what to look out for in the future. She just knew she wanted to be ready for whatever happened, and that meant training, bettering herself, becoming stronger. Then no matter what life threw her way she would be able to take it. But after her little speech she wasn't going to tell Lori that she didn't even have a goal to work for. Let those complicated thoughts stay locked up.

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[Lorina]

Lorina let the strand she had curled around her finger to slip free, and watched as her sister pulled away from her. She knew her questions had ventured into personal territory, but she did not regret her words. Nairore had to acknowledge these questions at some point, even if the truth of it was confusing her. Her words broke the young girl from her usual dreamy state, and a startlingly clear lucidity entered her gaze. She stared at Nairore in a way that allowed little to be hidden from her, seeing past all of the barriers her sister held to herself. "And you are scared to even attempt to find it for yourself," she snapped back. It was rare for Lorina to show any form of temper, and quite out of character for her to do so toward her sister. Reality was cruel and hard, and so she was determined to find her own happiness by any means. No one could tell the young woman otherwise, not even her sister's viewpoints.

Lorina gazed at her sister almost coldly, hardly believing in the words that came from her. It was a vague and fleeting emotion, but she valued the worth of it greatly. All happiness had been stripped from her in her childhood, and she would not allow it to slip from her when she had the chance to obtain it. It was useless in trying to convince her stubborn sister to change her views, and she would find out for herself eventually. "Do not presume that the ends justify the means. All actions require a payment in the end, and I will not sacrifice what is left of me to attain a mere end," she replied darkly. A haunted look crossed her eyes, and the clarity of her gaze was unnerving for those unused to this odd side of her. There was a stubbornness to her that she would allow no one to change. Lorina watched as Nairore crouched beside her, but part of her was still angered by her biting words.

"Only a few find the way; some don't recognize it when they do; some don't ever want to," she stated cryptically. Her sister held no goals to strive for, and Lorina knew that was what scared her. She could press the issue further, but it would achieve nothing in the end. Waiting for the future was the not the way to go, but she could not change Nai's views any more than she could change her own. She reached for her discarded drawing pad, staring at the visage of the grinning cat. A means to an end? Her own lips curled into an eerie smile for a moment, but it soon disappeared. A sigh escaped her, and Lorina wearily moved herself into a standing position. "I think that is enough for now. I do not mean to push, and this conversation never happened," she offered with a slight smile. Things could not remain stagnant like this forever, could it?