Tiberinus

[Thalia]

Nimeda blinked curiously at the strange question, but gave it due consideration. “Everyone dies. We are much like the cities that way.” She shrugged away the sagely answer, and added thoughtfully, though a little indifferently too, “Perhaps I do it a little differently to most, though.” Her palm pressed absently to her chest, though she did not choose to pour great thought into her own nature. Death unmoored her. She cared for the anchor of her Other as she cared for her own self. And she did not like to think of after.

“Why would I do that?” She laughed. “Without you there would be no point.”

Her clothes abruptly shifted to dryness, peripheral to awareness of the damp cloth beneath her hand, and perhaps aware too of his dissonance if not the source. Noctua seemed like a crab stung back into the safety of his shell at the slightest disturbance, and apt to bite if she got too close. She itched to cup his face, as she might do with almost everyone but the grimnir, but did not think he would appreciate the affection. Nor, truly, did she think she would weather the rejection well, should he snap.

She sighed instead, observing him through the slit of eyes that discerned a particularly unfathomable puzzle. She did not find his prickly manner offensive, nor even problematic, yet she was dismayed at the sense of troubles he would not share, nor relinquish to kinder distractions. He spoke of being displeased to interpret the meaning of his dream when he woke, and she did not know what he Saw, but she also knew his life in the Waking realm was beyond her influence or understanding. It was why she did not push for explanation.

“When you wake you may be displeased to understand whatever it was the dream showed you. But you are not awake yet, Noctua.” The words were said with earnest simplicity. Irritable creature that he was, perhaps he would push himself to wakefulness out of sheer stubborn grit. A fond smile tugged, for she imagined it was usually others sent scurrying away from his irascibility. If he left her now, she would not take offence. Though maybe she would search his city for whatever it was that disturbed him so. In the meantime, she offered out both her hands. “If you will not show me your city, may I show you something instead?”