Shantania/Supports/DomenicRuby

Level 1

"Oof!" Ruby feels something bump into her from behind, but manages to avoid falling forward. She drops the training spear and turns in the direction of the impact, with a scolding finger pointed that way for good measure. "You watch where the hell you're...uh..." Her angered gesture is aimed straight at a young boy with dusty blonde hair and tanned skin, dressed in some kind of uniform that, while lavishly designed, is colored in such a way as to make its wearer fade into the background. The boy in the uniform is frozen to the spot, eyes wide open, and sporting a face as if he might either panic or cry. "...Uh, are you okay?" Ruby asks.

"Forgive me, forgive me!" The boy hurriedly drops to the ground and bows so deeply that his face is nearly an inch deep in the dirt. "I simply wasn't...I...don't think I was... I wasn't looking where I was going, milady, I accept all blame for this!"

"Oh, get up." Ruby grabs him by the collar and lifts him to a standing position. "The hell is with you people?"

"F-forgive me, but...what do you mean, 'you people?'"

"...Y'know what, never mind, this really didn't start off the right way. Let's pretend we just walked past each other." Ruby turns around, adjusts her hair, clears her throat, and then turns to face the boy again. "So, hey, my name's Ruby." The politeness almost sounds forced, coming from her.

The boy bows again. "Domenic, milady."

"Hold on a sec. Where's this 'milady' crap come from? I'm not some noble. You're not my servant."

Domenic again collapses himself to the ground. "I apologize! I'd only meant it as a term of respect!"

"Get the hell up!" Ruby yanks him upright again, seizing him by the collar hard enough that he nearly cannot breathe. "Let's get this outta the way. I am not your lady!" She lets him go; he falls over, his legs having given out. "Either talk to me like a normal goddamn person or go talk to someone else." She stops looking at Domenic, as he scrambles to his feet and runs to the opposite end of the camp. "Damn kids. They see one woman who can stand up for herself and suddenly it's scary to them."

Level 2

"E-excuse me, milady Ruby?" Domenic approaches carefully, as if he is about to enter into a lion's den.

Ruby, currently seated at a bench and sanding the wooden grip of her spear, chooses to look past the fanciful address. "Oh, there you are...I should apologize to you. I shouldn't have yelled at you before, but I really am getting kinda tired of being treated like a princess around here."

"Er, yes, that does remind me, though..." Domenic brushes the sweat from his brow and swallows a lump in his throat. "I was wondering if I might ask you..."

"Just spit it out, kid."

"Have you met milady Lynia?"

Ruby briefly pauses her sanding and tries to place a face to the name. "Oh, the new boss. What about her?"

"I work for her. Er, directly for her. I am a servant of hers, you see."

"Huh, well at your age that's a hell of an accomplishment. Probably explains the bowing and groveling, too...kind of." She resumes polishing. "What about her, though?"

"She found me when I was an orphan. I'd lived on the streets, in Lower Caynea. I don't even remember having a mother."

"That sucks." Ruby isn't even looking at him.

"But...because I've spent the last few years serving royalty...I've never been quite sure how to conduct myself any other way," Domenic finishes.

Ruby stops polishing again and looks Domenic in the eye. His eyes are a brilliant blue, and have unusual depth to them...at least, what she is able to see before he diverts his gaze into the ground. Ruby gently lifts his chin back up. "I'll give you this, Dom, you're honest. You did your best to fit in where you didn't belong. But at this point, you're gonna have to break yourself of these habits of yours. Your lady might be royalty, but I've seen the way everybody else acts. Nobody here is gonna care if you don't bow or salute or carry your titles."

"R-really?" He shakes a little bit.

"Yeah, really. But let's think about something else for a second. You know how to use that sword of yours?"

"M-mostly...I think," he sputters, standing as straight as he can and resisting the urge to bow again.

Ruby suddenly stands up and assumes a fighting stance with her spear. "Fight me! I want to see what you know."

Domenic, shocked by the sudden turn in conversation, nearly forgets that he's even wearing a sword.

Level 3

Domenic's sword-hand flies straight for Ruby's armored stomach. She instinctively angles her spear in its direction, glancing the sword away from her. Two more quick swipes are summarily blocked, and a final strike impacts Ruby's pauldron-clad shoulder. "Good! Enough!" Ruby shouts. Domenic drops his warrior-like demeanor and almost drops his sword with it. He carefully puts his khopesh back into its scabbard. "You actually got a hit on me."

"I-I'm sorry!"

"Don't bow to me, dammit, we've been over this!" Ruby sighs and claps a hand on his shoulder. "Dom, you can't just apologize for everything. These skills are important! How long have you been training, anyway?"

"Just since I joined the wagon train..."

"No way." Ruby puts her spear aside and folds her arms. "You fight like you've been doing this for a lot longer than that."

"I am told that I'm very fortunate...lucky, even." He almost sounds embarrassed to admit this.

"That wasn't luck. That was instinct." She detaches her pauldron and rubs the shoulder underneath. "I think that might leave a bruise, even."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize, Dom, if you can keep that kind of fighting up, you might just be a great knight some day. Maybe even impress your princess."

"The princess!" He seems as if he's just remembered something. "I need to ask for your advice, milady Ruby."

"Huh, alright...what's up?"

"I...want to do more than just serve Princess Lynia. I want to protect her, and even..." He nearly cannot finish the sentence. "I want to confess to her."

"Well, you like her, don't you? I don't see where the problem is."

"...I suppose I do, but..."

"Or maybe you're grateful that she took you in and you've fallen in love with her?" Ruby grins.

"I...I don't feel it's my place to say," Domenic stammers.

Ruby's mitted hands grab both of his shoulders as she looks him straight in the eye. "It IS your place! Come on, the only person that should be in charge of your feelings is YOU!"

"M-m-milady Ruby, that hurts," he whimpers.

"Get over it!" She lets him go, nearly pushing him to the ground. "Look, Dom, you gotta be sure of yourself. You've already had more big breaks than a little orphan boy usually gets, so either you're really insanely lucky, or you're destined for something great. So who cares if the object of your affection is royalty? I say shoot for the moon! Be brave, god dammit!"

Though slightly confused by the armored woman's speech, Domenic straightens up. "Alright! I'm off to speak with the Princess!"

"Actually, hold that thought."

"What? Why?" Domenic looks disappointed.

"You might be right. You're not brave enough to tell her how you feel. Hell, you're not brave enough to look me in the eye!"

"B-but..." Domenic can't fight the urge to look away. Ruby's serious green eyes pierce deeply into his, producing an almost painful sensation when they meet.

"Alright, alright, I see how you are." Ruby turns away. "Maybe I oughta coach you a bit first. In the meantime, you concentrate on eye contact, alright?"

"But what about training?"

"That, too! You can't very well ask her out if you're dead, and I don't care how lucky you are."

Domenic cannot explain the sudden lump in his throat, but with Ruby taking her leave, he decides to sit down for a moment.