Alternate Dream

9. Emotions

"Hello."

"Oh um... hello Fulton. How are you?"

"I'm well. And yourself?"

"I'm doing fine, I guess. What brings you here?" She was definitely surprised to find him knocking on her door this early in the morning. Or at all for that matter. It had been a few days since their talk in the sitting room. Well, talk was a loose term, Nina decided. She did almost all of the talking, he simply listened.

"I was told you wish to get out and about but are required to have a chaperone."

"Oh! Yes I would welcome any chance to get out of this room." She huffed but then her eyes rounded and she stood up straighter. "Not that I'm ungrateful for it! This room and the hospitality. I mean, I'm just getting very stir crazy. I could really use some fresh air. I'm not used to being confined to one space for such long periods of time."

He simply turned away from the door with one arm extended. "Shall we?"

As soon as they left the floor she was staying on, her usual excited energy and curiosity easily took control.

"How many floors does this place have?"

"In this wing, 8."

"How many wings are there?"

"North, South, East, and West wings. And the central portion of course."

"Of course... and what wing are we on? Are all of them structured similarly or is it more organized in a manner in which each wing has its own main purpose?"

He raised a brow at that one. "You're very curious about our building layout."

"Oh I'm very curious about everything. I always have been. You may not remember, but I mentioned I studied archaeology for a profession?"

"Yes." He stated as he continued walking, his neutral face never wavering. Nina found herself frustrated at never having a clue what he was thinking.

"Well, along with digging into the past" she chuckled at her little pun but it seemed to be lost on him so she cleared her throat to shake off how embarrassed she felt. "Um... I'm also fascinated by present, or current, culturally significant topics within different regions. Government structure, language, cultural norms and taboos, those kinds of things. And what happened in the past that led to each of those things. It's all just so fascinating. It also makes me love meeting new people and getting to know them, their back stories, what makes them who they are today."

She stole a glance his way. "Like you, for instance."

He turned his head toward her and slightly raised a brow, waiting on her to continue.

"Yes. You tend to be very reserved, quiet, observant. Some people would assume you're cold but they just don't know you. Everyone has emotions, everyone has opinions, passions. Just not everyone shares them so openly with the world."

He stopped walking and his other brow joined the first in its raised position. She smiled, having gotten a reaction out of him.

"The real question isn't whether or not you have feelings and emotions, because of course you do. No, the real question is what events, what particular situations led you to being the type to keep them hidden."

He paused as if in thought for just a moment, then turned away from her and continued walking.

She rushed to catch up "I'm sorry, Fulton, if I've offended or upset you. I get lost in my own thoughts sometimes and just keep talking. I wasn't saying there's anything wrong with being that way. Pea always told me I should try to be more reserved sometimes."