"mmm, well, if you're going to end up getting yourself in trouble, let me know so that i can be ready to patch you up, okay?" she would ask ever-so kindly of him, giving a brief flutter of her lashes as the words tumble forth from across her tongue. feeling a bit more comfortable in the man's presence at this point, nymeria would opt to drop her guard, haunches falling to bring her into a seated position with her neck craned longingly, curiously, in his direction. she could not help but laugh at his next question however, and he would soon realize the source of such a humorous reaction. "five sisters, a brother, and a gaggle of cousins living under the same roof -- you tell me." well aware that she was graced with the constant company of her kin, she was humbled knowing that there was others out there that were not as fortunate as she. "why did you all separate?" she would ask, finding that the thought and the possibility of such things pained her to her core.

unsurprisingly, caeso's description did not come as much of a surprise to nymeria, who's smile only deepens at @Soren's recount of their interaction. if only you knew the depths of their reservation. "what is you want to know?" she would weight the worth of his inquiries afterwards, figuring that the least she could do -- as the dutiful new neighbour -- was to help fill in the holes to the story.

He cannot quite tell if it's Nymeria's demeanour, or if it's down to the fact that he was so soft and stupid, but when she fluttered her eyelashes at him his heart lurches into his throat. The offer is a genuine one, or it seemed to be, and the man would smile gratefully."That's awfully kind of you - hopefully I won't be getting myself into scrapes too much. I'm sure you're a busy woman." He would've winked then, were it not for the fact that he were too caught up in his nerves to believe that he could execute such a smooth manoeuvre effectively; it'd probably just look like a twitch, or worse, some sort of facial paralysis.

The last thing he wanted was for Nymeria to think he was slipping into some sort of stroke and jump into doctor mode - yikes, that would be embarrassing.

His tentative grin morphed into an expression of awe when the freckled woman revealed just how big her family was. That was a lot of siblings. Soren grinned. "I have two littermates; we are our mother's eldest, but we have older half-siblings from our father." He'd had several half siblings running around by the time he'd been born; Mathias had been the sort to be inclined to sow his wild oats with abandon. "So if I considered how many of us there were in total.... Well, I don't think I have enough digits to count them all." He couldn't know that for sure, in fairness, but it was a guess that - in his mind, at least - would hold a certain amount of merit to it. "Artie is around the island somewhere, I think; I ran into them recently." He would shrug a shoulder then, expression turning a little more forlorn. "But I don't know about Ruslan. I'm not sure if he's even here." Silvery gaze flickered back up to meet with Nymeria's. "Maybe it's just how it's destined to be. Maybe I'm just supposed to put my roots down somewhere else."

Somewhere else... without them.

Well, it was what his father had done; Uncle Absalon had been a constant and supportive presence, of course, but their siblings? They'd had aunts and uncles float in and out throughout their childhood, but they'd never been permanent fixtures. Some family units seemed to be born and die together, but others? Soren did not like to think about it too much - it left his chest constricting painfully. And so, with this in mind, he would be pleased to focus on the subject change. Brows raise as his expression brightened up once more. "How long has Vermeda existed? And were you the only pride here, before we all came along?" He couldn't help but wonder just how many natives there had been here, on this island, before the influx of newcomers quadrupled the population of Amaryllis seemingly overnight.

another brief flash of a smile in response to his words, as her ears tilt forward and "oh, well, i'm sure i could make some time." the quip is quick and flows effortlessly, twinged with humour, as well as a speckle of honesty. because frankly, yes, she would make time -- though that could just as easily be stacked up to being a dutiful medical professional, if need be.

the conversation pertaining to his family, however, was a little more sombre, and the druid listens with patience and a looming sense of empathy. "if it's meant to be, they'll find their way back to you. family has a funny habit of doing that, when the time's right." she tried to reassure, knowing that it must be difficult to live in a place of wonder and unknown, even if @Soren had come to terms with the reality of it all. the thought of being scattered in such a way hurt her heart, but she supposed that not everyone might be as sensitive to such things as she was.

"vermeda has been around for generations, passed down through my family. we are the only ones that have called ourselves a "pride", but all of the natives consider each other family, of some sort or another. the title has little weight between us." she wondered if it was a good enough explanation, as the words tumbled effortlessly and almost thoughtlessly from her lips. though it was all the truth and spoken with candor, she knew that their ways were unique compared to most other lands, and she, sheepishly, did not want to provoke judgement from the man currently within her company. nymeria finds herself pausing for a moment, however, glancing briefly up towards soren's compelxion, before saying: "when the fog clears, you should come visit us, in the eastern part of the forest." an innocent invitation, if there ever was one.

The soft reassurances from @Nymeria are a sure way to make Soren feel better about the whole situation. While he hadn't been that cut up to begin with, he was a social beast and always did better when he had family around him. He would smile, furry white cheeks pouching a little with the movement as silvery-rimmed gaze searched the face of the lioness. "You're right," he murmured thoughtfully, giving a nod, "thank you, Nym." And then he'd freeze - oh shit. "Wait, can I call you Nym? Is that okay?" He'd grin sheepishly, not imagining for a second that the sweet lioness would reprimand him for it but - out of politeness - checking anyway. His attention was rapt as she went on to talk about her pride, her family; truth be told he felt like he could just stand and listen to her for ages. She could talk about rotten wildebeest carcasses and he'd probably still be interested. It was when the invitation came that he'd bolt a little, posture upright and alert. "Oh! That's very kind of you... Only if you think your family won't mind?" He'd gesture, then, wondering if the medic would be happy to pack up her suppliers and take a walk with him. Walking and talking was always nice, after all. "Would you like to explore a little with me? I'd love to hear more about the Brook - it sounds so lovely and peaceful." Soren, a direct descendant of two brawlers, was not used to such things.

It seemed like heaven.

With a hopeful look, he'd make a start towards the horizon, lingering to see what Nymeria would opt to do; should she step in line with him, Soren would happily follow her wherever she pleased.

ATTEMPTED EXIT (so we can have a more up-to-date thread in VB wink wonk)

'nym' -- oh, was that a little flutter in her chest? there is the smallest amount blush that rise against the woman's cheeks, thankfully masked by the plushness of her pelt, though her sheepish smile is enough to hint at the fact that it was there. "that's fine, i like it." she affirmed, having never had someone outside of her family or pride dot a nickname upon her, as simple as it was. get it together, girl!

the woman's attention shifts when @Soren indicates that they could continue their conversation elsewhere, as well as making sure that the other members of the brook would not be upturned by his visit. "oh, they shouldn't mind. and if they do, i'll protect you ~" a jovial quip, accompanied by the coy flash of her teeth as she teeters on the edges of a laugh. many had made their way to vermeda by this point, so what was one more? besides, nymeria doubted that any would press too strongly against her bringing a visitor to the borders, lest they thought her completely mad and void of judgment. it was then that she would slowly bundle together her gathered supplies, more than eager to pull herself from the breadth of the wasteland in favour of better views, and better company. without a moment of hesitation, the druid would pack up her things and look to follow soren's lead, shoulder aiming to brush briefly along his, as they set out across the horizon. exit.