Nym laughed again, shaking her head before grinning at him, "You'd really rather be in the car with an enemy spy whom you've only befriended less than a week ago than sliding in the mud? I'm honored scrawny." She turned her attention away from the rest of the world as she focused on Rael. Gods, he was already making her smile more than she had ever done in the past few years. At this rate, she was sure her cheeks would hurt from just the amount of smiling.
"There's no way I'll be able to go out into the field again after this whole ordeal…not with this appearance anyways," She replied with a small shrug, her face sobering up with the change in thought, "I'm not really a fan of having them change me into someone new anyway. So I'll probably take my leave when I get back. Gods, I'll miss it, but as you said, I'll find other things to keep me busy."
Being a spy wasn't really something that Nym had planned to like, but strangely, the rush of adrenaline that came with it, as well as the overall usefulness of the position were things she loved. She loved the feeling of being useful in a way not many people could be, and sneaking around was strangely exciting. The feeling of wandering streets in a place she didn't know, everything drew her to the position. Everything but the downside of being caught, possible death at any moment, and being alone mentally for long periods of time.
Looking out towards the windshield, he thought about it for a moment. Rael nodded right away without any hesitation. It's obvious is it not? He most defiantly would rather be covered in his own blood than a bunch of mud and sweat. Either way, there is a lot of risk in both situations. To him it just seems more worth it to be in this vehicle with a spy he'd only met mere days ago. Plus it's more funny to be called scrawny too. The nickname carries a new unfamiliar meaning to him.
He kept his eyes on the road and traffic while listening to Nym. Before slipping on the mask again, he took a deep exhale through his nose. It does make sense to not come back after going through this whole situation. Sending her back here too wouldn't be the smartest thing to do. Sure it does make you travel to places, but he doesn't want her to end up in another Bajhee prison. Him somewhere else while she was back in one of those hell-holes? Unimaginable.
"I know it's what people in your line of work do, but don't change. You are already strong enough, if not more than what I can believe. I'm guessing your family think the same thing too.", Rael smiled as he glimpsed at her, "Take that leave, you deserve it."
Although they were still a decent distance away, he could see the tall buildings of Segow far ahead them. Traffic came to a halt again, so he rested his foot on the break. Leaning back, he tried to reach for his backpack behind the seat. After struggling for a brief moment, he put the car in park. Rael pulled out a dark gray jacket and put it on. He was not sure if anyone would look at them and notice his uniform, but it was worth the caution.
(Very sorry it's shorter…I can't English enough to write a long response when I'm practically falling asleep as I type)
"Maybe I'll go back out in the field just to frustrate you," She replied with a grin, "They can cut and dye my hair and I'll go by a different name. And you can come with and be my soldier buddy, getting me out of all the trouble I'll inevitably get myself into." His mention of her family made her grin falter but she didn't bring it up, just watched for his reaction.
She leaned back in her seat while glancing at him, following what he did with his mask. It made sense to disguise themself in the city, but she didn't exactly like the mask. It did its job and that was all it needed to do in her opinion. She didn't need to like the fabric, just it's purpose.
"Here, let me drive, you can change," Nym offered as she saw Rael struggling, nodding to his bag, "You'll be less likely to be recognized if you're out of that uniform."
(No worries, you're good!
"Sure. So does that mean I'll get to become a spy too?", he wondered, "Cause if that's case, I want to get my hair dyed too. Maybe a dark red to match with my face right now. Or, how about we get the same color?"
Rael chuckled at what Nym said. A soldier buddy, that's a cute title. And if he remembers correctly, it was her who basically got herself out of the trouble. Sure he has been helping, but really she is the one who found the opportunity and used it effectively. His chuckle soon fell flat noticing how her smile faded. Staring straight ahead, he tried to figure out what it was. Was it the mentioning of family? Seemed so to his guess. They never really talked much about her family or anything back in that cell. With his head hung low, he reached over gently patting her on the shoulder.
A six foot one man trying to switch over to get in the back passenger seat with another person in the car. Plus, the case was already made she'd drive later too. Sounds extremely feasible. An hour ago, he thought maybe it'd be a better idea to just wait till they're out of the city and at his apartment. That way his shirt won't smell like iron for the next couple of days or whatever. But what Nym is also very true. "I got this.", he reassured. Rael waited till the traffic came to a halt again to unbuckle his seatbelt and get the backpack.
Getting dressed in a weird spot in a matter of seconds is just part of being in the army. He emptied out his uniform pockets then quickly got into the clothes he packed for himself. Really all he had that was good enough for whatever they might face was a black tank top and long cargo pants. "You said you'll drive right after we make a quick stop because I 'need rest'.", Rael pointed out while putting away the uniform, "And you need rest a little too."
"I suppose that would make you a spy," She said, tugging her grin back up, even if it was slightly more fake this time, "But on the condition that you'd definitely have to get red hair. I'd go darker, so we probably couldn't match though." Nym knew his pat on the shoulder was meant to console her, or even just act as a silent 'sorry', but she tried to ignore it. The last thing they needed was for her to slip into memories. That would just lead to trouble.
The last time she had thought about her family, or more correctly, her remaining family, she had cried for far too long. And it wasn't when she had spilled tears in front of Rael. It had been, thankfully, in the safety of her borrowed home in Bajhee, but even then, she had been vulnerable. She had taken hours to shake herself out of the memories to do even the simplest of tasks like sleeping. It was something she hated, the way she froze up at the topic, but after ignoring it for so long, she had learned to recover from it being brought up.
She politely averted her eyes when she saw he was changing, suddenly finding her knife extremely interesting. Not that it wasn't an interesting knife, as it clearly was just from the carvings and details, but it was also a very good distractor.
"If I remember correctly, you were the one that got punched in the face a worrying amount of times, not me," Nym pointed out, slipping her knife back away, "I think that means you get first priority on rest. Believe it or not, I can handle a half or full-day more of no sleep if it comes to that." She focused on the buildings coming closer every time they were actually able to inch a few more feet ahead in the standstill traffic, hoping that he wouldn't be afraid to ask her if he did need her to take over.
"You do need sleep, or at least that's what I think. Every morning it looked like you only got in an hour or so of it." , he assumed, "Rest for me can wait. Having my face covered in blood and my abdomen with new bruises is okay. I will make it to our quick stop."
Rael would not really mind talking about things like family. Despite it always being a topic he'd like to avoid himself, he would love to listen to her. Well, that is if she wants him too. He just wasn't sure how exact the chances are of them getting caught being stuck here. At the cell it was much different, even though talking about anything there was also risky. Although when they were there, he kept avoiding discussing a lot of things. Back in the army, he never really listened to anyone. Just give them some dry encouragement or support then go tell them to do something.
Doing so now is not going to work. Just as changing to a more relaxing position won't help with the sharp of pain he has. He bit the inside of his cheek while shooting back up. The top of his head hit against the roof of the car. Rael exhaled as he gripped the wheel. So much for saying he's perfectly fine. Would it be too much to ask? Given it might only take them half an hour or less to get out of the city, and they could switch from time to time as they keep going. Guess it will work.
"At the next red light, do you want to switch or should we just wait?"
She sighed as she glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow as she crossed her arms, "Rael, I'm human, I do need sleep, but I know I can last without it. There are certain things you learn as a spy and this is one of them." Nym settled into her seat once more, closing her eyes so she could focus. Or more specifically, she could focus on forcing all unneeded memories back into the back of her mind.
Her home life was a sensitive topic, and talking about it would take time. There were only two people that knew her past, and they just so happened to be her siblings. No one else had managed to pry out details past the fact that she had siblings. Mostly from the threat that she would break their jaw if they asked anymore about her past. The fewer people knew, the less she had to worry about in her opinion. Especially if it didn't concern them.
Nym's attention was drawn back to reality as Rael spoke again and she nodded, once again looking over at him, "Switching sounds fine. Might want to tell me where to go before you fall asleep though…otherwise, we might be resorting to taking the 'Nym style' drive around the city while I look for where to go."
"Seems like those guys in Outhila taught you a lot, Nym. Perhaps you should teach me some of those things so we can be the best duo out there.", Rael smiled. Forgetting about the mask he had on, he pulled it down briefly then put it back up. To be honest, he cannot exactly remember everything those old trainers taught him. Some things had to be taught when the situation brought it. Dealing with the lack of sleep only came with the responsibility of climbing up the ranks. Facing beatings from superiors was something he'd never expect to prepare for. Surely the training for Outhilaian spies is as extensive as the ones for Bajhee soldiers to a certain extent. Switch the uniforms and both parties will do a good job.
He stopped for a minute. Giving out basic directions is easy, but now it is taking awhile for his brain to load. His jaw got tense as he thought about it. "Okay. When we get to the second light take a left. There's a roundabout; just go up to it and turn right on Caers Street. For like the next couple of minutes, we'll be on that street until there is this huge sign saying 'Nuxvar Exit 287'. Get into the middle lane. At that point just follow through on that road, get over into the right lane since everyone here drives very fast. You'll know we're close if we pass by a park with a huge blue wisteria tree. My place is just a few minutes past that.", Rael paused for a second to breathe, "Got it? I'll explain it again or if you get confused, don't hesitate to ask. Segow is really easy to get lost in."
Waiting for the perfect time to get out of the seat is frivolous. By the time the traffic stops and you try to do anything, it will start back up again. The next light was about to come up very soon. He adjusted his seat to go far back then he took off his seatbelt. Rael stopped as all the other cars in front of him did so. After give a glance over at Nym, he pointed to the seat before scrambling to get in the back. His plan was for him to get in the back, then wait for her to get in the driver's so he could get into the passenger seat without any trouble or extra injuries. Both of them already had enough of pain for today.
She snorted then shook her head, "The best I can do for teaching you anything is going to be horrible. I may be a good spy, but I'm not a good teacher." It was a half-ass excuse clearly, or at least in her mind, it was clear. But it did the job of hopefully steering clear of what the Outhilian commanders considered training. To say the least, after one particular training session, Nym was sure she hadn't slept for three days straight. Out of terror or stubbornness, she didn't remember.
Nym went silent as he rattled off directions. She could deal with directions. Second light, left, roundabout, right, straight until 287, middle lane, right lane wisteria tree. Simple. She nodded after he finished, forming several questions in his mind until she saw him scramble into the back. Following his directions, she slid easily into the driver's seat, adjusting how everything sat before glancing over at him. "I think I know what to do, but I'm going to wake you up when we reach the tree. Then you can tell me how to get the rest of the way there."
Gods above, she couldn't remember the last time she drove a car. She hoped that it didn't show though as she gave herself a mental run-through of what to do. It wasn't long before her skills were put into gear though as the light changed and she was forced to follow traffic. And just as quickly, she realized that she was going to have road rage because of the sheer amount of cars on the road. Silently, she scowled, then focused on driving.
"Of course anything could be horrible. Look at us, we've put a lot of time into what we do best and now we are together in this car trying to escape from domineering military officials.", Rael chuckled, "Those who've gone through experiences like this are the ones who end up being the best to learn from."
When Nym got into the driver's seat, he slid back in the front to the passenger seat. "Okay, good luck.", he nodded. He adjusted the seat to go back then clicked the seatbelt in. Shutting his eyes, he tried to fall asleep. Rael tried to force himself to get some rest yet his mind would not let him do so.
His eyes watched as soldiers were trudging along the sidewalk. Their uniforms and raincoats completely drenched by the heavy downpour. Some of them looked more eager than others. After ten plus years of being in service, it was easy for him to tell who was new and who wasn't. Of course the more energetic ones were the newer ones while the others who had a slower yet direct pace were older. He could not figure out many details from being in the car. Perhaps some of the older ones were guys he fought along with or were part of his regiment. Weird how the new ones are most likely the age he was when this whole conflict started.
Rael did his best to relax in the car seat. Slouching in it was not something he was used to. Given his bruises, it was not the best thing for him to do, but he felt so exhausted from the beating to the escaping. Sure he could go longer than a couple of hours and kept driving. Although to him it seemed as if Nym sort of wanted to drive. Like it would be some form of distraction to whatever is going on in her mind. They both could use some relaxation and distractions from this.
Eventually the sleepiness got to him. He felt his eyelids getting heavy. Letting the feeling take over, Rael began to fall asleep.
(Quite sorry this is short…I'm a little low on motivation)
Nym glanced over at Rael as he settled into the seat, about to answer his comment until she saw his eyes close. She nodded to herself at this, then turned back to her task at hand. He needed sleep after all, and her bothering him wasn't going to help him do that.
She drummed her fingers against the steering wheel as she stopped with traffic again, scowling at the car in the rearview mirror. It was practically bumper to bumper with them, and the last thing she wanted was for them to get into an accident. That would draw more attention than anything. So she turned her head back to look out at the cars in front of them, purposely ignoring the sides of her vision. If she knew anything, it was that there were going to be guards there. And she was inevitably going to freeze up if she saw them.
Thankfully though, the driving roped her attention back away from them though, and within several torturous minutes, she was at the second light. Things from there went good, besides the amount of quiet cursing that she may or may not have done when cars narrowly cut her off. The exit was something she was thankful for though, and as soon as she pulled onto it, she was more confident that they weren't going to get caught. After all, this far into the city, and she hadn't even seen a guard look at them suspiciously.
(It's all good! I appreciate it. :D Sorry my response is very late.)
Sleeping was never a favorite of his for years now. He always worried about getting night terrors then not being able to stop the shouting and drastic moving. Something about being awake constantly is much more appealing to him. Of course in this moment it's much different from being out in battle having to not sleep for seventy-two hours. In the small moments where Rael was falling asleep, there was this tiny urge in him trying to wake him up. His eyelids tried to open up, but he forced them to stay closed.
Suddenly Rael was taken into a dream. Pulled in whether he liked it or not. It was a memory from six years ago. Twenty-three hundred hours. The regiment he was in was placed up in the north after a battle they'd won a week before. His captain put him on for night watch alone. Only armed with a rifle, he wandered around the area he was assigned to. Back and forth and back and forth. A wall was built around where they stayed, it used to be the enemy's before they took it. Crack. Right as Rael turned around holding the rifle up, someone appeared behind him. Hesitantly, he glanced back at the person trembling. Suddenly, a sharp blade went through his abdomen then everything turned pitch black.
Just as his eyes opened, he sat up in the seat. Frantically, he looked around checking his surroundings before remembering everything. Rael gazed over at Nym then stared out the front window. Looks like they passed the exit. Guess he wasn't asleep for so long. Quietly, he took a few deep breaths as his heart began to settle. As he rested back into the seat again, his hand put his hand over the left side of his abdomen.
"Having fun over there?"
"Asshole," She ground out under her breath as she was once again forced to slow down because of a car cutting in front of her, thoroughly focused on driving. Driving had the desired effect on her memories, she no longer could give a crap about any of the memories in her mind, driving and not dying was now a much bigger priority. The only downside was that she remember just why she had refused to drive in any large city. Traffic was enough to make her want to bash her head against the steering wheel.
Nym glanced over at Rael as she saw him shoot upright in the corner of her vision. Something in her wanted to ask if he was alright, but another part told her that it wasn't her business. After all, the same thing happened to her whenever she tried to sleep, and it was no one's business then. This wasn't any different. Instead, she snorted at his words and rolled her eyes. "I'm clearly having a blast, Rael. Definitely don't want to smack sense into any of these drivers."
She couldn't help but chuckled after she spoke though, finally mustering up the courage to ask in a much less stressed voice, "How was your nap? Did you get any sleep?"
With the back of his hand, he placed it over his mouth. His shoulders lightly bounced up and down. Traffic is always good, but Nym's reaction to it is even better. Doesn't really surprise him all of Segow's wonderful traffic is making her agitated. Rael still could've done it; now he is happy that he decided to switch over. "Good to know.", he chuckled, "My Bella deserves nothing but the best, yes?." He kept laughing for a while till he had to turn to the side to clear his throat. Shaking his head, he pat her shoulder again. "You're doing just fine, good thing we haven't been pulled over or anything."
He pulled down the face mask below his chin. The inside of it was covered in dried blood. Rael sighed in frustration. At least it is not too far from his place. Thankfully all the bleeding stopped awhile ago too. Now all that was staying with him after the beating is all the sharp pain. Everything he could smell was nothing but iron still. Squeezing his right fist, he stared down at his shoes trying to keep himself mentally occupied so he does not have to think about what happened those few hours ago.
That short nightmare still played in his head. It wasn't even what actually happened that evening. The faces of those two people were fuzzy. He couldn't figure out in slightest who it was or any features. Rael bit the inside of his cheek. When Nym asked him about his nap, his head shot up to look over at her. "It was great when it ended. I had enough to tie me over till the evening. Thank you.", he smiled, "I can drive after the quick stop if you want me to. It's alright."
"Your Bella much prefers driving somewhere sane, like small towns and country roads," She replied, scowling at the road though she clearly wasn't mad at him, "These sorry excuses for drivers are going to drive me insane." Nym couldn't help but offer a tight-lipped smile at his laugh, quite a fan of the sound. At least her frustration was making someone happy.
As they passed the tree Raek mentioned, Nym leaned back in her seat, glancing at him, "If you can drive until we leave the city, I can take over the next portion." She shrugged, studying his face and shaking her head, "Before we go anywhere though, we're getting your face cleaned up as well as iced and I'm going to attempt to shower. Feeling like a human being will significantly help raise my mood."
She could feel the lack of sleep getting to her the longer she drove, but it was something she could handle for now. If she managed to get some sleep while Rael drove, it would be enough to tide her over for a while. At least until they were somewhere that she felt safe enough to get a solid amount of sleep.
Bajhe drivers are not the best drivers in the world. Very energetic to get to places though. At this point in his life he has gotten used to it, but it must be experiencing a whole new world for Nym. "You are saying that right now, but you want to travel the world? Beggars can't be choosers, you know.", he laughed, "If you can't handle insane traffic, then I'll be driver, hm? At least at that point I should be fine." He should not have not felt so sleepy, he could have driven more. After that short nap, Rael still feels tired. Both of them need rest though. Taking turns to drive is a good idea.
"Actually if you keep going down this street and take a left, we can stop and take care of all of that.", he promised. Being at the blue wisteria tree, they are not that far from his place now. He'll have to change the driver's plate if they have enough time; maybe once the car is parked he can quickly change it. "How about you keep driving till we get to my place, which isn't that far. Then I'll take the next part and we'll just keep switching from here on out. Looking at today's portion, we'll only have to switch once again. Does that sound good?"
She scowled at him and huffed, though still didn't actually seem mad, just a little embarrassed that he was picking up things she hadn't thought about yet. "Shut it worm, I haven't completely thought through my travel plans yet." Nym spared a glance at him, careful to look back at the road so she didn't crash, "I thought you were planning on settling down? You know once we reach the border, you don't have to look after me. I'll consider your offer to join me, but first we'll see how well we handle each other's presence for days on end."
Nym had to hide a yawn as she nodded along to the next part, "I'll drive to your place. Switching from there sounds fine." At the mention of being able to rest again, even if it was just by being the passenger in the car, her body anticipated sleeping. She knew she wasn't going to be able to for who knew how long, but that didn't stop the few yawns she had to hide as she drove. "But first, directions to your place? Before we inevitably get lost?"
It was only natural for him to shake his head at her grimace. At this point he has gotten used to it. Her expression is oddly likeable in a sense. Amusing too. Rael crossed his arms, returning her scowl with a pouty look. Like he will manage to find a safe place to live in order to settle down. "I do, but what if you get into trouble again? How will I explain to my spouse that I, the spy's soldier buddy, have to go somewhere to rescue you?" , he wondered, "Heavy traffic and roofs, Nym, you should avoid those so you can have fun on your adventures."
Inevitably get lost. Rael just rolled his eyes in response to that. No matter what they are not going to get lost in this country. Even if he was out cold, they wouldn't get a mere mile off of where they need to be. If they were, he wouldn't be sitting in this car with her right now. "Really sweetheart? No way we are getting lost in Bajhe with me. Keep going down this road then make a left; from then on it's just a literal hop skip away. At that point, if you get lost, just look for a gray building. It should be on your side." Afterwards, he used his left hand pointing it straight then basically repeating everything he just said.
He raised the back of his hand to cover as he yawned. Letting it rest on his knee, Rael rolled down the window. The weather was still horrible as before. Thankfully the rain was not as heavy as when they entered the city. Carefully he leaned to take a look out making sure there was not a single soldier walking down the road. Not it is likely, yet it is only a guess. The whole area was empty despite only being right outside of downtown. His eyes slowly scanned the area twice. "Good", he whispered as he pressed the button making the window go up.
(Lmao Rael has the entirety of the city and probably Bajhee memorized and Nym is still talking like there's a chance they could get lost)
"I'm sure your spouse will understand the situation, I'll write you a letter to give to them when you get married, that way they'll be informed of the relationship we have," She replied, rolling her eyes, "I plan on avoiding those two things at all costs. Or at least the traffic."
Nym listened to his directions silently, interested by the switch of her nickname. First, it was Sunshine, then my Bella, and now Sweetheart. Even if the last one was meant more sarcastically, she was still counting it. At this rate, he was going to be calling her Love in a matter of days, which even if it was a name that she did quite like, this relationship had to be strictly platonic. If she fell for this stupid, tall, brown-eyed boy just because of his nicknames for her, it wouldn't end well for either of them when they inevitably had to part. Falling for someone was a weakness, that she had learned all too well. And she refused to have a weakness that could be found out so easily.
Thoughts like this swarmed in her head as she drove and she almost missed the turn, snapping back to reality with a frown as she signaled and turned, now focused on scanning the road for the building he had mentioned. "This one?" She asked, pointing to a gray building out her side of the car, slowing down her speed as they reached it so she could stop if this was indeed the right building.
Sweetheart isn't a bad nickname, right? Rael did not think much about it initially. The realization slowly trickled in once he began to think about it again. Really he was just going with whatever others used to call their lovers but turned it into a sarcastic joking kind of way. Except my Bella is not the kind of soft nickname you can do that with. All the other soldiers did the same thing, sometimes they even used more bizarre obscure ones to call each other.
This is much different from the army. Of course, they are friends even if they only have known each other for almost a whole week or so. He is not calling her these nicknames because of a potential possibility that he is interested in her. No. Not at all. He is not going to even think about the actual word, love. That is crazy. It's already crazy enough how he has come to some senses and agreed to help Nym escape all while still being alive. Mentally, he cannot formulate a plan or predict how that particular situation can play out. If worst comes to worst, it will only hurt them both. When they go through that border, it's probably it. Rael does not want to start something which can mess up things and make him a burden for her. Hurting Bella is out of the question.
Hearing the turn signal go off, his head shot up. His eyes took a very quick glimpse to his left. For a second there he was about to zone off again. Thankfully they finally made it though. Step one point five, completed. All this worry dealing with making it out and through the city is somewhat gone now. "Yep. One and only", he responded. Reaching behind the seat, he took out the uniform laying it on his lap. At this point he does not want to have on or along with him. Might as well leave it behind.
She nodded in return and stopped along the curb next to the building, shutting off the car but not getting out. "How much time do you think there is until we should get moving again?" Nym glanced at the gray building, studying it for anything out of the ordinary, but thankfully she found nothing. That had to mean it was safe to go into the building, right? At this point, she didn't have much choice anyway. The offer of a shower was much too tempting.
Nym turned to look at Rael, grabbing her prison uniform from the back seat where she had thrown it. Better to get rid of this here than carry it with them anyway. She bunched it up into a ball, then slowly got out of the car with a small sigh, taking the keys with her.
It was like an attitude switch as she got out of the car and she was almost instantly on guard, even if there was nothing there. Nothing seemed to chance appearance wise, but she got quiet, and she was casually looking around much more, studying her surroundings. Being a spy taught her many things, and the first was to always know your surroundings. That alone would help her immensely if something happened.
Rael took off his seat belt then sat up. Opening the door, he placed his foot on the ground but did not get out. Even though he already looked around the area, he still felt like it was necessary to do it again. Sirens are not going off. His phone is completely silent. No rustles are coming from nearby bushes. Those old military men are probably trying to keep this as quiet as they can. Assuming if they exactly knew where him and Nym are, they do not really have much time. "Let's say an hour by the time we get up to the third floor.", he nodded, "Third floor, third door on the left." It is hard to have an exact idea of how much time they have, but he does not want to spend a lot of time here.
Being outside without uniform on is something he never experienced before. Every last bit of this moment is full of worry in some case. Goosebumps arose while his posture became more relaxed. Using all his energy to focus on every single detail will lead him to burn out. Rael shook his head then closed the car door. They do not have all the time in the world to do this. Just like with the initial escape, this was done under desperation of time and opportunity.
Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he quickly checked the time. "Ready to go in?", he asked as he put it back. Giving Nym a small grin, Rael rushed over to the entrance door. He wrapped his hand around the handle opening the door. Sticking his head inside, he noticed that no one was in the entrance or hallways. Looking back out, he gave a thumbs up.
Nym followed Rael to the door, pausing outside against the wall and waiting for his signal. She didn't like being out in the open like this, and it made her feel like anything could go wrong. As soon as she got the thumbs up, she slipped into the building, slightly less on edge. They were making progress. That was good.
"I suppose it's locked?" She asked quietly as she glanced around for stairs or an elevator. It really didn't matter, but if she was given the choice, stairs sounded quite nice. At least there she didn't have to worry about being trapped in a metal box that could have a camera in it. "Either way, I'll meet you up there," She replied in the same quiet tone before nodding to his phone, "I would recommend you get rid of that if possible. We don't need to be followed."
It was eerily quiet in the building, but Nym didn't really mind. It was better than packed hallways or ones filled with chatter. It made it easy to start walking once she found the stairs, one step after another.
The only downside was how it reminded her of Outhila, or more specifically, the building she was trained in. Before she knew it, she was spiraling into a memory. Another training exercise. Her goal was to escape and do it fast while avoiding her classmates who were to act as guards. It sounded easy, but it was difficult as hell. Already she had abandoned her boots, tucking them into a spare room. Walking around in her socks may have been quieter, but she traded it off for grip. And when a group of three guards rounded an unchecked corner, it was a tradeoff she hated. The chase didn't last long before she was pinned to the ground, then brought in front of the group to be made an example of. "Failure isn't an option." The words were the last she heard as she blacked out, echoing in her mind as she blocked out the memory of what had happened.
Without her realizing, she had paused as the memory overcame her, only snapping back to reality a minute later, shaking her head to clear the haze.
When you spend most of your days at war with another country, you never have much time to spend at home. Anything is better than living with his family though. Rael nodded taking a quick glimpse down at the phone. "Yeah. I think you have the key, it should be other one on the loop with the car key.", he nodded, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it. I'll see you there, shortly." The building only had one elevator as well as one staircase. Usually he preferred using the stairs since no one used them. His feet felt heavy from all the weight and stress he has put on it. Without much thought, he begun to make his way towards the elevator.
Standing inside, he leaned against the wall after pressing the button for the third floor. He kept twirling the phone between his fingers. All the memories he wanted to remember laid inside this rectangular piece of metal. The memories that always seem to fade away when he wished to reminisce about them the most. If only they did not have to do this now. There would have been enough time for him to take care of this in a more reassuring matter. All the photos hung up on his walls, the ones he kept on this phone, and anything that's on paper. All he had left.
Something felt off to him. An unexplainable feeling hit him. He was not sure whether he was feeling this or some sort of spirit was projecting it onto him from another person. A wave of dejection settled over him. Rael lost the need to keep standing, suddenly falling onto the floor. The phone fell out of his hand with the screen facing up. Looking over, he kept staring at his reflection. His first reaction was to roll his eyes then sigh deeply. Not much for him to do at the moment. It'd be very foolish of him to let it all out especially at a time like now.
By the time the elevator doors opened again, he convinced himself to stand back up. Taking the phone, he remained still for a couple of seconds. His feet trudged along as he made his way over. Not a sign of Nym anywhere as he got closer to the apartment door. Rael started to glance around as he walked. Would it be too much to look for her or stand at the staircase? Or would it be too little to wait at the door? He covered his face using his hand still as a statue in the middle of the hallway pondering.
Nym reached for the railing as she shuddered from the memory, taking a second to remember where she was. This wasn't Outhila. This was Bajhee. She was heading home with Rael. Shaking her head, she sighed and forced herself up the stairs. They had limited time, and none of that could be wasted on her stupid memories.
That didn't stop the unease that followed her as she climbed the stairs though. She paused when she saw Rael finally, frowning at how he just stood in the hallway. "You alright?" She asked, her words holding a confused but softer tone as she watched him. Digging the keys out of the pocket she had tossed them into, she fumbled for the key, eventually finding the one that looked most like it would open the door out of the selection of keys.
She waited until Rael walked with her to the door before trying it, surprised to see that it was the right key. After opening the door though, she didn't go in, just slowly opened it and motioned Rael in. Better to be safe than sorry she supposed. Though it felt rude to have Rael be the one that got hurt if there was actually something there.
