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Today was a day for beginnings. Bastion had slunk back to his old shrub for a day, desiring nothing more than the comfort and solitude it brought him. His cousin's residence was comfortable enough, and her presence was a balm on his lonely soul, but he was falling back into old habits, and they were hard to break. So he'd returned to his former residence, just to feel safe again.

Nothing felt safe, anymore. He knew it was his fault; he'd strayed out of his boundaries, pushed his limits, and found enjoyment in the presence of a caring soul. But that did nothing to still his painfully wounded heart, and for all he knew, he was simply wounding others further with his attempts to stop being a hermit.

So he returned, but at the moment he sat outside, pressed against a tree, and tried something he'd never done before. So used to the hard, unforgiving feel of gems, his hands often pressed too hard on the little pieces of wood he was trying to whittle. There were dozens of broken pieces beside him, a testament to how he underestimated his strength. But he'd found the knack of it, and now he was whittling away at a crude little thing. He wanted to believe it was a deer, but it was yet too formless to tell.

If Yuzhi was a creeper, she wasn't a very good one. Bastion knew no one should have been this deep in his woods, but there she was, crouched down a ways and watching him whittle. He'd stopped for a moment, waiting for her to say something, but when it seemed as though she was just going to sit there and watch, his hands continued to cut the wood in tiny slices.

And this was how several minutes, at least six or seven, went by. Yuzhi might have been watching him, but he almost forgot about her, easily lost in his own thoughts. The eyes that looked his way, and the eyes that never did. They haunted his thoughts, and made him accidentally crack the head off of his formless deerlike creature. He grunted and threw the piece he was working on away, holding the head of the creature in his hands and glaring at it with disdain.

His eyes refocused, away from the little head in his hands and to the mare watching him instead. He put the head down, and his eyebrow quirked up high.

"Ho there, miss." He called out. "If you're so interested, perhaps a closer look is in order? Even a few words of friendly banter?" His comfortable solitude had already been destroyed by her presence.. the only thing left to do was try to make the best of it.

Bastion just stared for a moment, before shrugging and turning back to the tree. "I suppose. If you can hear me, and I can hear you. Why are you out here in the middle of the woods, anyway? It's dangerous."

He dug his knife into the tree, and carved out another chunk of wood. The tree he'd been working with looked absolutely distraught, with holes all over its trunk. He hadn't meant it to seem threatening, but the tree certainly looked threatened.

He paused and gave her another look, before carving out a second chunk and throwing it at her. A moment later, a closed pocket knife followed. "What is your name, young sprite?"

He caught the way that sound startled her, and chuckled under his breath, trying not to be too noticeable. His whittling slowed to a stop when she introduced herself as a scholar, however, and his amusement melted into an expression of stone at the mention of the Conquest clan.

Conquest. Stuck up, holier than thou, uptight.. it all made sense now. Still, he had a strong sense of respect for the clan, and for those who achieved rank within it. Certainly a rank that would be considered higher than his. He reacted appropriately, putting down his tools and settling his hand on his stomach. His upper body bowed as best as it could in respect.

"My apologies then, my lady. I'm sure you're tired of people mistaking you for a filly. I regret my folly and am subject to your disdain if you so wish." It was a genuine sounding apology, at least.

He lifted his head up just in time to see her get up to walk away. This upset him more than it should, and his brows drew down in dismay, before he stood as well. "Excuse me?" He murmured, attempting to curb his temper. "I don't appreciate being called an a** for honoring you with the proper respect befitting your stature. I assumed you had some manners, all things considered. Would you rather I had not given you the proper respect? Perhaps you'd hoped that I would have said something foul and loathing at you? Would that make me less of an a**?"

He walked forward, and stood in front of her. He'd left his knife at the tree - he wasn't trying to threaten. Just receive his due.

"Apologize, my lady." He demanded, his voice a low growl. "I deserve very little in this world, but I deserve that."

"Groveling is not the same as apologizing." He growled down at her with a frown. "And of course my apology is sincere. Whether or not you accept it is none of my concern, as long as you do not insult me for it. I need no conditions for your acceptance, my lady."

He looked as though he would turn to walk away, but hesitated. "And I will not be told how to address a young woman. I have been brought up with manners, and will use such manners as I dictate, not as you wish it." The mere thought of calling her Yuzhi now upset him. If they had spoken more, and become familiar with one another, he would have easily been comfortable enough to call her by her name.

But now, he would keep honorifics out of spite.

"Not a lady?!" For a split second, Bastion had feared that he'd mistaken the young mare for a gentle looking male. If it was true, he would have crumbled with embarrassment and left her alone that very moment. But as she explained, his anger returned, somewhat tempered by his patience. Unfortunately, even those dying embers could not stoke themselves back into a fire when a lady cried in his presence. His face fell in dismay, and he turned back to her, bending to put his hands on her face. "No, no, oh, now stop that. I wasn't saying.. oh, why are you women all so complicated."

If he wasn't already so sure of how he felt, he'd almost consider dating stallions instead just to get away from all of the conflict.

"Come now, Yuzhi. You see? I call you by your name, my friend. Please, I meant no wrong." He was such a bleeding heart for a crying femme, it tore at his tender soul and made him an easy target. "I call you lady because it is what I have been raised to call a young woman. Who has turned your heart so cold to the phrase?" His thumbs brushed her tears away. "Who calls you a lady and means ill of it?"

In truth, Bastion had never met a Conquest mare who didn't want to be called a lady. It astounded him, though the explanations that she blubbered through her tears made more sense than he'd like to admit. He really did think most Conquest horsemen thought they were high and mighty, but apparently this little one did not enjoy the stereotype. He regretted that it had been the first thing he'd thought of, and promised himself not to be so quick to judge next time.

But first, the mare needed to stop crying.

"Hush, now. No one is around to mock you. And I certainly will not. Come." He put his arms around the poor femme, hugging her tight. "If you wish it, I will no longer call you my lady. But you must realize that you don't need to be nobility, or any station, for the phrase to be accurate. A lady is not measured by her station, but by the pureness of her heart. I pity those who have been using it wrong; especially around you."

Her insecurities made perfect sense to him. So he just hugged her, until she felt comforted. "I will promise you this. Should any foul and loathsome creature ever speak to you as though to mock you for being a lady, I will slay them where they stand. Is this a sufficient promise to ease your worry?"