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[Adala Venture]

Adala didn't quite ignore Broderick... well maybe just a tad. Not completely though! But really, was it necessary for Aaron to be so foolish? Trying to act like he was perfectly fine when he seemed unable to stand straight? She almost wanted to just give up and let him fall down for his bravado, but then again that didn't really seem like something she would want to happen.

"You can barely stand. I think some medical attention is warranted." She said, arching an eyebrow at Aaron. "Surely there is a doctor around here somewhere?"

[Aaron Elariel]

She wanted him to call a doctor? Aaron realized he would have to deal with the situation quickly and effectively if he was going to escape with his reputation intact. While normally he didn't trouble himself overly much about how people thought of him--at least, not before he became heir--the sort of rumours that could be started with a visit to a physician were different. He had no doubt that within minutes of such a visit, exaggerations of his injury would be all over Luthadel. While those rumours might do him no harm, they could discourage others from agreeing to duel him due to his perceived fragility, and while Aaron was by no means an avid duelist, today alone had proven to him how important it was to his mental well-being that he have opportunities for physical contests of skill regularly.

The situation was a delicate one. Experience with his sister and occasionally his mother had taught him that insisting on his fitness too strongly would only result in him receiving medical aid all the faster.

"I understand your concern, Lady Adala, but really, I've had worse injuries before," Aaron could feel his natural wit and eloquence slowly returning as the throbbing in his head began to lessen. "I know it looks bad, but all I need is some time to recover myself. I'll tell you what," he continued, holding up a hand to forestall any potential objections, "Let's take a stroll around the block, you and I. If I am unable to convince you of my recovery by the time we return, I will consent to further treatment. Do you find my terms agreeable?"

[Adala Venture]

Adala wanted to roll her eyes at Aaron. Why was he so against having his head checked? Even if he was right, and it was nothing, better to be sure before he just collapsed or... whatever it was people did after a head blow like that. She wasn't a doctor, she didn't know. Still, she would not say no to walking with him if it meant that she could be certain he wasn't actually hurt.

Except, of course, for the fact it would mean that she would be seen, in public, walking alone with the Elariel heir, and whatever society would make of such a thing. But besides that of course she had no- she paused. True, that was a worry, but why in the world would that stop her from taking a walk with Aaron? She was being silly! It was just a walk, what could people really make of it?

"That is fine." She made it clear with her expression that there would be no weaseling out of this promise if she did think he needed to go to the doctor, not that she thought he would try, but better to be sure. "Perhaps you can answer some questions I have about Luthadel?" She really wanted to know where everything was. Luthadel was simply so large, it would take quite a bit of getting used to.

[Aaron Elariel]

Aaron smiled, and offered Adala his arm, handing Sebastien his cane and giving the others a little wave as they set off on a stroll around the square. "I would of course be happy," and capable, "to answer your questions," he said, once they had gotten going. Despite his injury, Aaron still couldn't help but feel more like himself. Between the duel, his current stroll with Adala, and the upcoming Perrault ball, he thought he might get one of his first entirely good days since he became heir.

"I don't suppose any of them have to do with the ball tonight? I assure you, no matter what you heard about the Casuana ball, as Sebastien said, the Perraults will have a much less dramatic evening planned."

[Adala Venture]

Adala shook her head, now feeling somewhat awkward about the whole thing. She hadn't been lying when she said she had questions, but they felt very silly all of the sudden. "No it's umm..." She trailed off, looking away from him and at the square. The buildings were pretty, but ash stained, the patterns irregular and blotchy from the rainfall. It was just so untidy here, sometimes. But of course, how could everything be kept clean? There was so much of it...

"It's just, I've never been to anywhere but Urteau or my family's plantation and..." She finally turned to Aaron, the words tumbling from her mouth, "Luthadel is so big and there's so many people and I have no idea where anything is. How do you deal with it? I'm so lost all the time!"

She pursed her lips, looking away from him again, "I mean, we're only here because I wanted to go shopping for jewelry and I had absolutely no idea where to go for that. At all."

[Aaron Elariel]

Aaron could see how Luthadel might be intimidating to a new comer, and was surprised that Adala had not resorted to relying on a servant or a skaa to guide her. Many Luthadel natives he knew would be hard pressed to find their way anywhere outside of the silver quarter without a carriage and driver. He'd likely have been in the same boat, had he not been a Lurcher, as much of his knowledge of the city came from his nightly travels across it using iron.

"I think that is a common experience," he said cautiously, hoping not to hint at his allomancy, and to convince Adala of his fitness following his blow to the head. "The city is sprawling, and while some of the major streets and more gentrified areas are more organized, much of the city is a sprawl of warehouses, mills, factories, and tenements for the skaa who work in them. I can find my way around alone well enough, but it does take time, and I know a lot of nobility native to the city who couldn't find their way from Old Wall Bridge to Kenton Street without a driver or guide, so you shouldn't feel bad about not knowing your way around after only a week."

The conversation raised an interesting question. Why were Adala and her brother travelling the Luthadel streets alone after only a week in the city? Could the Venture's not spare a servant or three to guide them to wear they wanted to go? Perhaps Adal and her brother were lower down within Venture than Aaron had thought. On the other hand, perhaps Adala or Aldric had reasons for not wanting Venture servants to accompany them. Aaron knew that before Daerra had acquired JinJin's contract, she had sometimes braved the streets alone, even at night, solely because she didn't trust any carriage driver or body guard well enough to keep her movements a secret.

Whatever the reason for Adala's lack of attendants, Aaron found himself deciding that he did not particularly care. How and with who Adala chose to travel with was her own business, and he was content just to enjoy the fact that their paths had crossed once again.

"As long as you stick to the Silver Quarter, you can't really go wrong. It's the safest district in the city, and there are plenty of shops catering to nobles who don't want to travel all the way the Kenton Street."

[Adala Venture]

"A week? You overestimate." She said with a small smile, not looking him in the eye. "I've only been here three days, and this is only my second outing..." Adala trailed off, not really sure if she should say anymore. She had already told Aaron quite enough, when she thought about it. But why should she feel the need to hide from him? He'd been nothing but a gentleman to her, and she wanted to tell someone, someone who was not Aldric, her feelings.

"I was sort of... hiding in the library, before Broderick came and rescued me yesterday." She said, "I would probably be back there if Aldric had not arrived yesterday. As irritating as he can be he is still my brother, and this city is far less frightening with him here." She finally looked Aaron in the eye, "But there is no way you can let that slip to him, he would be far, far too proud of himself and his wondrous plan to follow me here if he knew."

It felt good to speak to someone about all this, and truly she wished to talk more. She wished she could just tell someone all her worries and fears and have them comfort her, but Aaron was not that person. She might have already made him uncomfortable with speaking so much to him. She looked down again, her previous comfort draining out of her as she second guessed her decision to open up, "Sorry. I don't mean to burden you. You are just easy to talk to, I suppose?" She smiled nervously, still not meeting his eyes.

[Aaron Elariel]

Aaron smiled. "I am flattered by your compliment, Lady Adala, though, if I am being perfectly candid, I must insist upon returning it, for I've enjoyed talking to you as well, even if it means I must strive now to compete with the fabled Venture library for your company." She was avoiding his eyes, seemingly embarassed about what she had shared with him. Had he done something to make her feel judged or uncomfortable? Why wouldn't she look at him?

Aaron stopped walking, and tried his best to twist to meet Adala's lovely blue eyes. "Adala, it's only me. I know we've only just met each other, but you must realize that talking to you is no burden to me. In fact, as I said before, I quite enjoy it." Aaron hesitated before opening up further. What he was about to say wasn't exactly what was expected of an heir of a Great House, but at the same time, if he wanted Adala to be comfortable with him, he would have to meet her halfway.

"Honestly," he continued after a moment, "I've had it about up to here with worrying what's right or wrong or polite to say. Ever since I've been born, I've had people telling me who I should be and how I should act, and before last week, I'd gotten pretty good at ignoring them all. I know, I know," Aaron said as he flashed a quick smile, inflecting a healthy dose of sarcasm into what he said next, "You're thinking, 'That can't be true, Aaron, you're the perfect heir, so prim and proper, even when you are almost getting your head knocked in'. I suppose I can hardly blame you for doing so, I am rather perfect, after all."

Aaron shook his head, chuckling to himself under his breath. As if anyone in Luthadel could use the word "perfect" to describe him, especially after being in the company of someone like Nevan. "Look, what I'm trying to say is this. Becoming heir... it's changed my life pretty drastically, and I'm still trying to figure out what it all means for how I'm going to live my life. Suddenly, all those voices telling me what to do and how to live have gotten a great deal more difficult to ignore. I mean, people are counting on me now. It was easy to pretend I had no responsibilities when all I was risking was my own reputation, but how am I supposed do be myself when my entire extended family is depending on me to be someone I'm not?"

"Anyways," Aaron continued, trying to lighten his tone. "You'll notice I am intentionally refraining for apologizing for burdening you with my troubles, since I just told you not to do the same. My point though, is this. I spend enough of my day worrying about what should or should not be said, so having a chance to speak frankly with anyone is a breath of fresh air, and my enjoyment is only compounded when the person I am speaking with is as interesting as you are."

[Adala Venture]

Adala was quiet as Aaron spoke, she wanted to speak several times, but somehow miraculously held herself back. He was opening up to her, she should not stop him with her excitement. She did manage to look him in the eye however, a fragile smile on her face. When he finished, she was quiet, suddenly unsure of what to say. It was not as if she did not have anything to reply with, merely that there was so much, she could not figure out where to start.

"We are alike, then." The words slipped from her mouth, but she knew they were true. "I have always done my best to ignore all the voices telling me what to do, as well." She started walking again, and her eyes did not meet his any longer, but it was not because she was hiding from him, but instead she was just looking at her past. She wanted to reciprocate his gift to her, and to do so she could not let her nervousness control her.

"I suppose, when my mother was alive I tried, quite hard in fact. But once she was gone I did not see the point and I dug myself a hole without meaning to, and by the time I realized what I had done it was far too late." She pursed her lips as she thought, "And then, all of the sudden I was being sent to a new city, one where no one knew of my foolish mistakes. Or at least they will not for now." She glanced at him, "And the voices I had ignored suddenly became much more important. I do not have an entire house's expectations resting on my shoulders, and I cannot imagine how heavy a burden that is to bear. My family's wishes are already heavy enough. But I do know what it is like to have responsibility suddenly thrust upon you when you thought you had escaped it."

"I don't know if you are, but I am terrified. I am scared of failing, of course. I do not want to disappoint my family. I do not want to be an embarrassment again, and I certainly do not want to be ridiculed and dismissed like I was in Urteau." She took a breath before continuing, "But even if I succeed, it means I will be staying in Luthadel forever, and that is equally as terrifying. I do not know what type of man I am going to marry, I am sure he will not be a mean person, but even so... I don't see how anyone can replace my father and brother. Nor would I want them to."

It was strange to admit that last bit. She had always been one for romance, to be swept off her feet and whisked away somewhere. She wanted someone she could fall in love with with every bit of her heart. But... no matter how many descriptions she had read of love, no matter how many fantasies and daydreams she had ever had about it, she had never been in love. But that did not mean she didn't love anyone, she loved her family so very much. They were her whole world. They had always been the ones she could trust and rely on. She had loved her mother just as much, too much to even hate her for burdening her with such a terrible secret only to disappear and leave her alone with it.

"So I am stuck." She said, finally, "Either option is not one I wish to face. However..." The nervousness she had been feeling fell away like so much ash and she smiled at him, "I am not alone, Aldric is here, and through luck or chance, I have met many kind and wonderful people while I have been here, like you Aaron, and for that I am quite grateful."

[Aaron Elariel]

Aaron smiled at Adala's kind words. "I'm glad then, that we've found some common ground, for it will give us cause to have further conversation in the future. I am also honored you trust me so, though we've only known each other for a couple of days. In your time here, you may find that Luthadel can be a dark place, but I hope that you will not let that prevent you from making friends."

As they rounded the block and Ahlstrom square came into view, his smile faded as he caught sight of a familiar form heading towards them.

"Ruler's ash," he swore when he made eye contact with Winston, "He's found me again." Too late, he realized he had spoken aloud, likely to the confusion of his lovely companion.

"My apologies, Lady Adala, both for my language, and because it seems I must cut our stroll short. The serious looking man approaching us is determined to educate me today, and I fear my avoidance of him has already been less than responsible." It truly was a shame, since his conversation with Adala seemed far from over. It hardly seemed fair. Most nobles his age had long ago left their tutors behind in adolescence. Was he truly so inept that this much tutelage was required? Too late, Aaron realized that it might not have been wise to admit that he, heir to the second most powerful house in Luthadel, required such education. Lucky for him, Adala's candour seemed to indicate she would be willing to keep the contents of their conversation in relative confidence.

Realizing he only had moments left before Winston was within earshot (less if the man was burning tin), Aaron acted quickly. "I've enjoyed getting to know you these last few days more than I can say, and it pains me to cut our conversation off at such an inopportune moment." Aaron smiled, letting his natural charm take over. "I hope I am not being too forward, but it would be my absolute pleasure to enjoy your company further at the ball tonight, if you have room in your schedule, of course."