Nicki smiled as she moved into the library, taking a deep breath so she could smell the amazing scent of old paper and older ink. God, libraries were the best and this was a great one: the place was giant. There seemed to be hundreds of shelves all filled with books. She was so excited...there wasn't anything this size back home.

Nicki smiled, moving up the stairs and towards the science books.

Kaz wandered around the balcony looking at the rows of books. Weaving in and out and into the next row, and continuing that patern as he looked for specific books, though which, he didn't know exactly. In his hand he held a book on blacksmithing, metal working, a book containing descriptions of different types of swords and blades, and fire. He rounded a shelf near the stairs, "I know I'm missing something..." He spoke to himself just before bumping into someone. Instantly his left foot moved back and steadied himself, while his right hand shot out and caught the girl's arm as she started to fall backwards, keeping her from falling. "Sorry about that, I should been looking where I was going."

Nicki had just found the science section (and located the classics section on the other side of the library) when she was crashed into. This was new: Nicki usually did the crashing. But before she could even worry about tucking her wrist in, she found herself being caught. Not only was she rescued but she was rescued by the guy she had met the other day in the hospital wing. Nicki instantly turned a little red and moved her hand to her earlobe, pulling lightly.

"Oh, um...thanks....for the save" Nicki trailed off, leaning down and starting to pick up the many books that the man had dropped. She gathered them up and handed them to him. "Here..for the whole "Knight In Shining Armor" routine" Nicki smiled.

It took a moment, but after he caught her from falling, he realized he had seen her the day he came to the mansion, the blushing girl in the infirmary. She still seemed to be blushing. Kaz chuckled to himself. "Thanks...for the save." She said before she knelt down to gather the books he dropped. "Ahh...no problem." After taking the books back, "I don't know about that...A knight wouldn't have bumped and knocked over a lovely lady." Chuckling, "Besides, I just see some dark clothes and silver hair." He reached up and grabbed a lock as he laughed. "You're alright?"

Nicki prayed that blood hadn't run even hotter to her cheeks when he called her lovely, but she was pretty sure the gods of teenaged embrassment hadn't heard her words. She smiled, still tugging on her earlobe as she looked up to the man in front of her.

"Well hey, silver armor, silver hair..." Nicki smiled. "And yeah...I'm okay." Nicki dropped her hand from her ear and put it out in front of her, licking her lips. "I'm Nicki Thomas"

<Yup, she's blushing big time. Girls.> Mentally shaking his head and laughing. "..silver armor, silver hair..." At first he didn't get the connection, but when he did, he laughed. He took the girl's hand gently in his, "Nice to meet you Nicki. Kaz Corydon at your service." With that he took a step back, and bowed low, kissing her hand lightly, as he played the roll of 'Knight'.

Nicki giggled a little, trying desperately not to sound like a complete dolt. She returned the motion in kind by sinking into a low curtsey.

"A pleasure Sir Kaz" she smiled up at him before standing up again and leaning against the banister. "So you're new here too right?" Nicki asked as she folded her arms, looking over to Kaz.

She played the part well, he liked that. "A pleasure Sir Kaz" Rolling that around in his head a few second before speaking. "Though I like the title, I just don't hear a ring in it." He laughed an winked at the girl. "Yup. When I went to the infirmary and saw your jaw nearly drop when I walked in, I had only been here about ten minutes." Sticking his tongue out a bit, with a playful smile to accompany it. "You're quite cute when you blush." He moved to the banister and leaned against it as she was, giving her space, so that if she blushed, she wouldn't be looking directly at him, or vice versa. <Perhaps she won't be as embarassed.>

"Yup. When I went to the infirmary and saw your jaw nearly drop when I walked in, I had only been here about ten minutes."

Nicki fought to keep her eyes from widening. She *knew* she wasn't a good enough actress to have hidden her interest.

"You're quite cute when you blush."

Nicki laughed and blushed again, looking over at Kaz as he set himself up on the banister. "Than I must be cuter than a little baby kitten right now cause even I can tell I'm turnin beet red." Nicki laughed, but chilled a little. He knew she was looking, no point in freaking now. "Sorry, about the jaw drop by the way. It's just uh...we don't get super-cuties back in Ohio..."

"Cuter than a whole litter." He gave her a sweet smile.
"Sorry about the whole jaw drop by the way." Looking at her oddly for a moment. He was taken by surprise when she apologized for something so...minor. "Hey, nothing to apologize for. In fact, I should be thanking you. I've never been called a cutie, let alone a super-cutie." Turning to her, "In New York, there are good lookin guys around every corner, though if I'm the first one to get that reaction from you, I feel quite special." Bowing slightly. Straightening up, "A country girl?"

Nicki smiled a little at the litter comment. She felt like things were getting much easier for her in this conversation, however brief a conversation it was. Kaz was doing a good job of making her feel at ease and she just wasn't as worried about looking like a dork as she was earlier. Sides...he thought she was cute.

"Well, I think you're a super-cutie" Nicki smiled, biting her lip a little. She looked over to Kaz a little, still leaning against the banister. "I'm definitely a small town girl. I used to live in this tiny little town outside of Dayton. It was..." Nicki shook her head, chuckling a little. "Ridiculously small"

Nicki licked her lips a bit, trying to get her mouth to moisten...it didn't matter how calm Kaz was making her...she was still nervous to be talking to him. "What about you? From around here?"

"Ridiculously small." Kaz thought a moment before responding, "Small like this small?" He put his hand out, his index and thumb about an inch apart, piviting his hand up and sideways to indicate a box. "Or this?" Setting the books down on the floor, he put his hands out about a foot from each other and made the gesture of a box. Laughing a bit before answering question. "No, not really, for just..." He started counting in his head then stopped, "I guess I am, but only for the last few years. Before that I lived in a suburb outside Phoenix."

Nicki smiled. "Let's put it this way...everyone in the town knew my name and remembered my mom being pregnant with me. Every single adult in the place I grew up had known me my entire life"

"Arizona huh? Brutal heat..." Nicki trailed off, looking down as she scoffed at herself and started chuckling. "Wow, I must be a really terrible if I'm bringing up the weather for crying out loud" she looked over to Kaz, scuffing her converse shoes against the ground.

"I can imagine how that would hinder free time. Can't do anything 'bad', everyone will know. I'm sorry." Chuckling he had a few flashbacks of the crap he pulled as a kid. "Arizona huh? Brutal heat..." Kaz burst out laughing and clutched his abbs. After calming his laugh, "Yeah the heat could be pretty rough at times, got pretty use to running around without shirts and just wearing some shorts." He met her eyes, "Don't get down on yourself, weather is a good way to break the ice. It's easy to talk about."

Nicki smiled "You should have seen the first night I smoked a cigarrette. I was with a bunch of kinds from my high school including the deputy's daughter. It was so funny because we barely did anything and we just got chewed out because everyone 'expected more of you'. " Nicki laughed a bit, leaning back and turning towards Kaz.

Nicki smiled wider as he gave her reassurance. "So how bout you? I bet you were a little hell raiser when you were young...much worse than smoking a Camel with a couple of kids from school right?"