305 Character Analysis
Titanyana watched the men, some of them her people, work on skinning the beast with rapt attention. Unlike Donovan, she had no qualms about the ethics or fairness of a hunt like this. To be frank, they wouldn't have been able to hunt it the normal way anyways, and she felt more than justified in leveling the playing field with a supersonic slug of steel. So what if the beast never saw the danger? It's prey hadn't either! This was fair game!
FAIR! GAME!
This was her first hunt, performed with Donovan no less, and Titanyana was not about to let the memory of such be diminished by such details as 'they were using a massive gun' and 'Donovan let her have a shot at it once it was basically dead already'. Those would certainly make their way into the story when she recounted it to their children, gushing over how comforting it was to have him wrapped around her, guiding her through taking the shot . . . they just wouldn't be the focus.
"Do you want to go check out the forest?" Titanyana spine stiffened at Donovan's question, being a lot closer than she realized. He appeared to have put himself in a position to block the intensifying rain. "We don't need to go too far in, I just want to see what it's like in there."
"The forest?"
"Yeah. Do you think there's problem with it?"
"I mean, not necessarily." Titanyana wasn't too keen on going into the forest unescorted, however Seppard's men had set up a perimeter some distance into the trees to ward off any scavengers. Presumably this meant it was safe, but safety was never guaranteed in environments that enabled easy vertical mobility. Not every threat was going to be on the ground . . . though fending a threat like that off might build up their relationship. "Why do you want to go?"
"There's not much going on here, and I think it might be a good idea to see what materials we have to work with. If I can get Arc some information on the trees around here, he might be able to provide a more efficient method of processing or construction."
His motivation being utilitarian in nature killed the glimmer of hope he might be mindful of her feelings. Even if that was the case, she intended to make herself useful.
"Sure. Is there anything you need me to do?"
"Um, no. I don't think so." He turned towards the forest, leaving some space for her to walk beside him on the trail the guards hatched clear with a machete of sorts. "This will be my first time going into a forest though, so if you have any advice. . ."
"Keep an eye out for threats in the canopy, and don't touch the vegetation with bare skin if you can help it. I doubt there will be anything potent enough to do serious damage without breaking skin, but some plants make you itchy and cause rashes. Oh! And vines, particularly the thorny ones. Besides scratching you up, they can ruin clothing if they snag a seam or something. They are a lot stronger than they look, and can tear flesh if you aren't careful."
"Good to know." Donovan gave her a thumbs up, clearly thankful for the honest information. "Did you go out into forests often?"
"I can't say I did. Those few times I journeyed into forests were mostly during transit to ceremonies. They were all well patrolled and maintained routes, and I had a sizable accompaniment to handle threats. My knowledge is mostly second hand, unfortunately."
"Better a faulty weapon than none at all. I say we exercise caution and rely on the guards if we have questions."
"Mhm, that seems wise." Titanyana was well aware of the importance they represented, she as the Queen of the Nekh and Donovan as the Emperor of their budding nation on the whole. "We really should be mindful of the risks, though. I don't like being stuck in a tower, but my people would be lost without me."
"Like I said, just a bit of information gathering." Even if it was through her poncho, the head pat calmed her nerves. "According to Seppard, there haven't been any incidents of wildlife attacks yet. Some of that is due to the nocturnal nature of the animals around here, but I have to imagine they are either wary of our presence or find us unappetizing."
"A shame."
"How so?"
"I always thought I'd be quite tasty."
". . ."
Titanyana did not know how to flirt. She did not think she knew how to flirt. She did not think she had a personality suited for flirting. In fact her only examples of flirting were between Donovan and Diana, which she did not believe to be particularly compatible with her image and relationship with her target. Given this, it was unsurprising that Donovan did not respond in the same manner as he would for Diana.
Should Diana have said the same thing in their situation, Donovan likely would have responded with something more aggressive to counter her. Titanyana anticipated something like 'Then may I be the judge?' or 'My compliments to the chef!', either preceded or followed by a kiss. Instead, Titanyana received a momentary expression of shock followed by an unconvincing attempt at disguising a laugh by coughing. Obviously not the desired response, but infinitely better than a muted or concerned one.
"Sorry. I'm not the best at jokes." More than anything else, it was embarrassing. Knowing she needed practice to get more comfortable with a flirtatious approach did not change that.
"No - cough - no! It was a good one. I just wasn't expecting it from you." He beat his chest a few times to clear up his 'cough'. "You never struck me as one to make jokes."
"If you don't mind my asking . . . what kind of person do I strike you as?" Titanyana wanted to know for more than just romance. It would be difficult to find someone capable of an honest answer, and in that regard Donovan was brutal. "I mean, everyone has a vision of themselves, and I would like to know if mine matches up with the impression others have of me."
"Do you want my honest evaluation, or what I think others believe you to be?"
"Um, others followed by your evaluation." Titanyana faced forward, hiding her expression with the hood of her poncho. "As honest as you can, please."
"Well in that case . . . I think others generally view you to be a composed and reserved individual striving to fulfill the expectation of your station while quietly observing things happening around you. If they do not think you adept or at least competent at various tasks they may see you perform, they believe you to be putting in an honest effort to understand and learn what you are supposed to be doing in a manner befitting a professional. That is where the positive image ends for those unfamiliar with the situation of your people. Beyond that your reserved and quiet demeanor can easily be mistaken for aloofness or polite arrogance, your social position and skills with the sword apparently placing you beyond menial interaction with lesser combatants or nobility. Digging deeper into that view, I have little doubt that many see you as obsessed with the sword - your lack of skills not related to combat being severely underdeveloped."
". . . ouch." Titanyana wanted to cry a little. It wasn't like she wanted to be seen that way!
"As for me . . . are you sure you want me to continue?"
"If it shatters me, so be it."
"Alright." Donovan stopped at one of the trees, spreading apart his pinky and thumb while curling the rest of his fingers and placing his knuckles on the trunk. Then, he began to pivot his hand around his pinky and walk around the tree, alternating the pivot point between the extended digits after half a rotation of his hand. "I think that you are a fundamentally incomplete as a person. I do not know the specifics of your upbringing, nor do I feel compelled to ask, but it is clear that your elevated and revered status amongst the Nekh means you did not learn to socialize with others."
He paused, tapping something into his tablet before repeating the action on a different tree.
"That is not a terrible thing in and of itself, however you have a tendency to silence yourself in conversations involving people you are unfamiliar with. Once again it isn't a terrible habit, certainly one you can work on, but it makes determining what you actually want or think about a situation difficult to parse. Place your disposition towards avoiding confrontation on top of the pile and suddenly I find myself wondering if the course of action we decide upon after our conversations is one you are content with after considering the circumstances, or one that I have bullied you into because you don't want conflict."
Finished with his second tree, he moved to a third.
"Not that I blame you for any of this. As I mentioned before, I firmly believe your deficiencies are a result of both your social position and the circumstances of your people. This is just a guess, but I have to imagine the only figures of authority in your life were your father and your sword instructor, both of which would have commanded absolute authority over you in their respective domains and not accepted or sought your input. As a result, you do not feel comfortable offering resistance or alternatives to Diana and I unless it is clear we are making or have made a mistake, believing we have otherwise seen something you missed or are simply unaware of. I admit, the difference in education and degree of proficiency in certain matters between us does not help in that regard, but I firmly believe you need to voice your disagreements or concerns more often. If you don't, Diana and I are unlikely to explain things you may not be familiar with assuming you are either familiar with the topic and agree with our course of action, or that you do not care enough to voice an objection. Neither of us are going to ridicule you for asking a question, and failing to do so may create difficulties for all involved down the line."
Titanyana drooped a bit as Donovan, finished with his tree trunk measurement, waved her back the way they came from. She felt his analysis was more or less spot on, long having believed herself inferior to the duo in terms of ability. Swordsmanship, her one area of advantage over them, meant little in the areas relevant to the crisis they faced. She lacked social skills, governing experience, and proficiency in more practical fields like organizing people and resource management.
"Fortunately, I firmly believe your virtues far exceed your flaws. Even if we want to consider the most surface level and inconsequential of them, your appearance, you are a beautiful and attractive young lady. You shouldn't find anyone rejecting or avoiding you on account of looking intimidating or ugly, and you take good care to maintain that image whether it is intentional or not. In terms of personality, I believe you to be very kind, perhaps to a fault, and extremely conscientious of others. You are humble, courteous, and innocent - pure if you will - making you a role model for other young women and something good men should strive to protect. You are smarter than you think, and are capable of absorbing new information much faster than I would expect the average person to. You care for others, especially those close to you, and you possess a strong sense of what is right and what is wrong. Overall, I think there wouldn't be nearly as many problems if everybody was like you."
Titanyana flushed bright red, falling a few steps behind Donovan to hide the signs of embarrassment. Not only had he complimented her person, but he thought she looked 'beautiful and attractive'. If only she could figure out how to translate his observation into a more physical relationship.
"I think that's everything I have to say on the matter."
". . . thank you."
"For what?"
"For being honest. I don't think anyone else would say all that." She approached closer behind him, contemplating whether or not she should hug him. It would be a selfish action, certainly one that would clue him in on her intentions towards him, but she didn't know how else to express her appreciation.
"Don't worry about it." Donovan pulled back his hood as they left the wooded region, the sky having cleared during their short time inside. Titanyana followed suit, going so far as to remove her poncho entirely to make way for her tail. "What's on the agenda today?"
"I don't know, but I think Seppard wants to try making breakfast from our kill."
"Oh? Aren't predators supposed to taste a little weird though?"
"Um, maybe? We usually don't hunt predators because of the danger, but I've heard that everything on a Verdant Globe is much more appetizing and filling than an equivalent on any other planet."
"Hm. I might ask them to make jerky for me then, something to eat in the cockpit."
"Oh, right, you'll be training the people I selected . . . were they good enough for you?" Titanyana got a bit closer, considering attaching herself to his arm in lieu of a full on hug, but his poncho was still a bit wet.
"Nothing's perfect, I can make them work."
"Speaking of, when are we going to make our first trip to Nekh?"
"I wanted to see how things were developing around here, but it looks like there won't be anything for me to offer until Arc gets some excess production capacity. I was thinking we could make the trip in about a week or so, once the Holifanians have enough provisions brought shoreside to fill the Pegasus' cargo bay."
"Wonderful."
"You want to go home, huh?"
"I, uh, not quite. This is home now, despite its lack of homeliness. I just need to tie some things up over there, to get the grandmasters in line and, uh, pay my respects."
"Of course."
Titanyana capitalized on this moment to take hold of his hand. It might be a bit manipulative to use her father's death to garner physical interaction with Donovan, preying on his sympathies to bring herself closer, however she didn't have the nerve to do it without a screen. It hurt a little to see him averting his gaze skywards, literally looking the other way while she indulged herself in something she shouldn't. Although, thinking back to some of the advice Diana had given, wouldn't now be a good time to test the romantic waters? He'd just opened up his mind to her, telling her his honest opinion of her, so now would be an appropriate time to reciprocate, right? There wasn't anyone around to make her feel overly embarrassed, and there was still a bit of distance before they got in earshot of those people, so maybe she could let him know of her romantic intentions, if the message itself was left a bit vague.
"I think you are amazing, you know?"
"Do you now?"
"I do. Even the things I think are flaws don't really feel like flaws when I see them in you."
"Well, that might be the best thing I've heard all day." Despite the light hearted and mildly joking tone, the part of the smile she could see did not reflect it. "I'd be a bit peeved if you said I had any."
Titanyana paused, thinking that response was uncharacteristically . . . arrogant?
"Why? Isn't it natural for people to have flaws?"
". . . maybe if they were allowed to live as normal people."
"But . . . what do you mean by that? Am I supposed to not have flaws? I don't think I'm normal."
"Uh, huh, maybe I should have worded that better. I meant that it is natural for people who live as they were supposed to to exhibit flaws in character. A soldier might have a proclivity towards violence, an aristocrat towards arrogance, those sorts of negative traits one might be expected to pick up as a result of occupation, acquaintance, or lifestyle."
"You don't think it's alright to have those flaws?"
"Worse than not alright to, I'm not allowed to."