Anybody home? [closed]

[Jun]

Lost? Jun rose an eyebrow at the little Garlangers words. From the looks of things they were a little more than lost. Jun caught on immediately to Riley's little play with words, and he outwardly smiled. This girl was a smart one, that was for sure. Smarter than some of the other Garlanger milling about. He sure hoped that she decided to stick around. Perhaps he would be able to convince her to play a game of chess with him later on.

However, while Riley was nimble with her words, Kyte had pretty much fallen flat on his face. To see a Sidhe with such little tact somewhat astonished Jun, though the Nimbus did not let it show. He knew his place when it came to race, and with a lack of knowledge regarding the Sidhe's Hand, Jun was not about to press the matter of Kyte's folly. Instead, he disregarded it and merely smiled once more, even his eyes curling into a grin, "Ah. I see. You two are new to Alanor then. Am I to suppose you originally came separately? After all, a Garlanger and a Sidhe traveling together is quite a rare sight." He automatically dismissed the thought of the girl as Kyte's servant or lover. She had too much fire in her to be controlled. Still, he was only guessing at this point.

Jun looked directly to Riley, his slender head cocking gently to the side. His brown eyes swirled in a somewhat intoxicating manner as he matched her eyes and then slowly dipped his head in a greeting, "Then let me be the first to welcome you to the Unseelie court. I am Jun. The rest of my formalities are of no importance, though should you choose to stay here I would be more than happy to teach you proper introductions." Jun broke his gaze from Riley and looked to Kyte, "While I am unsure as to where you may have come from dear sir, you have the mannerisms of a human." Your mouth is as clumsy as one too, he added silently. "Needless to say, I believe, this is not Earth. You are currently in the realm of the Fae, a realm no human has ever set foot in." He emphasized the last part by slowly pronouncing the words, his attention diverting to Riley momentarily before returning to Kyte, "And since you, sir, have so kindly offered your companion's name, may I have the honor of knowing yours?"

[harper]

As Riley had suspected, Jun caught on immediately. Rather than popping up a warning sign in her head, RIley found that this pleased her immensely. The redhead was itching for a good parlay via words, a fight for information. A part of her was entertained enough to perhaps offer her name, yet before she could do so, Kyte offered it for her. Riley inwardly twitched, the sides of her brilliant smile drooping ever so suddenly. It was obvious that Kyte lacked the bit of tact that this situation called for. While undoubtedly her companion had figured out that the man before them may not exactly be a Mr. Roger's clone, Kyte had gone and offered not only the circumstances surrounding their arrival, but also her name. Though Riley forgave him instantly, a hand reached out to gently prod her companion in the side, her green eyes flashing as she looked to him. It was an indirect challenge. He needed to step up his game.

As Jun began again, Riley found her complete attention drifting back to him. She watched him calmly, her face blank, traces of her previous smile still lingering in her eyes as they met his. The terms he used were unfamiliar to her. Alanor. Unseelie. Garlanger. Sidhe. The way he pointedly looked at her when he said the word Garlanger gave her enough information to draw a conclusion. Especially after he added that no human had ever set foot in Alanor. "So. Then am I to understand that at least part of my blood is of faerie origin? And my companion is, perhaps, of full blood?" It did not unnerve her the way Jun addressed her differently. The fact that he spoke to Kyte with more of a respectful tone lead her to immediately believe that this world maintained a high level of prejudice, and Jun was not at the top of the ladder.

Riley asked no more questions. From what information he had supplied she had already established that this was a magical area, dominated by creatures known as Fae, or faerie (albeit a bit different looking than the faerie she was used to). There was obviously a racial staggering based on blood, and, since Jun addressed the area as a court and mentioned titles, she assumed that there was some sort of hierarchical system in place, with presumably a Monarch of some sort residing at top. Of course, this was all speculation. For all she knew a council of advisers could be in charge. Still, not often did she see such a feat on Earth. Nations liked to have a face to their leaders, not several faces.

As Jun addressed Kye, Riley adverted her attention momentarily out towards the rest of the cave. Activity was beginning to pick up and she saw several other Fae bustling about their morning activities. She even pointedly ignored Jun's somewhat obvious attack on Kyte's previous slip of tongue as her eyes trailed over the roses scattered within the cavern. It was an interesting choice of decor.

[Kyte]

It was really perfectly going the way it was. This way he didn’t have to be taken seriously for what he said and from what he could make out of what Jun’s expression told him, it was quite obvious what he thought of him, even when he did such a good job at hiding it. After all, who was Kyte to judge someone so easily read? Though sometimes he wondered why people had to be so easily read. Or maybe he was just reading too much into it. He knew that his words had been . . . pretty easy going, almost human, or just saying rather too much. In fact, he had hoped for it. But the deeper he read into Jun, he just got the feeling that he was just a pretty face who was bored, looking for someone just as “brilliant” as he was to play with. In the end, it really didn’t matter what others thought of him, as long as they didn’t plain insult him right out.

Kyte sighed though, obviously being the simpleton wasn’t easier. Especially when everyone was trying so hard to be so smart and perceptive. The poke from Riley just strengthened his point. But at least he liked her better than Jun. He might have been polite, but he could feel the fae’s obvious disbelief about the way that Kyte spoke and “slipped” tongue.

“I may have the mannerisms of a human, but they are interesting creatures of habit are then not?” Kyte said. He winked in such a manner that should have been obvious to what he was implying. But it was after all, only a guess, but from what he saw, it should have been. Whether or not he said that with the mannerisms of what he was, he could care less. Kyte was there to enjoy life, take it and live it. That was what it was for. What Jun explained just confirmed what Kyte had already known. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Jun. My name is Kyte, remember it or don’t, that is up to you.”

[Jun]

Had Jun known Kytes thoughts he would have gladly accepted them. Jun never pretended to be hard to 'read.' Nor did he attempt to be. In fact, those who knew him knew that he prided himself in displaying his brilliance, and quite often his cocky manner got him in trouble. It seemed as if now might be one of those times. Jun looked to Riley, dipping his head at her words, "Yes, M'lady. You have not only human blood in you, but faerie blood as well. That is the only explanation of your presence here. Your companion, on the other hand, is what we call a Sidhe, or the purest faerie. You will quickly find that blood means a lot here, whether you agree with the idea or not. I myself am Nimbus, the middle ground as I like to call it." And that was where Jun preferred to stay.

As Kyte spoke, Jun looked towards him. Had he managed to upset the Sidhe? That had certainly not been his intention. Jun's words were in jest and nothing more. Though Kyte's slip of tongue had been unexpected, Jun realized that he had been selfishly comparing the male to the other Sidhe of the court, many of whom had grown up in the world of politics and bloodshed and knew better of when to hold their tongue. Kyte, unfortunately, did not. Still, Jun envied that. It was a carefree bliss he had enjoyed on Earth, and something he dearly missed. Here, if one wasn't careful, a slip of the tongue could mean a political, or physical death. The faerie were power hungry creatures, there was no denying that. However, to achieve such power, as was the case in all forms of government, one had to be careful to uphold their appearance at all times.

"I quite adore humans. I fancy their mortality myself. Their carefree attitude. Well, the ones not subdued by politics that is. I quite enjoyed my time amongst them the past several hundred years." Jun smiled brightly, "I assure you I will remember your name sir, lest you not forget mine." He suddenly straightened and brushed the wrinkles from his vest, "Come. I'm sure you both could use a hot meal and a change of clothes. And, perhaps some shoes?" He looked to Riley and winked at her, then gestured for the two to follow him towards the dormitories.

[harper]

Did Riley detect a tint of annoyance in Kyte's aura? The empathetic female rose an eyebrow briefly, concern scrawling onto her face. With her attention diverted from the going-ons within the court, she looked towards her traveling companion with slight concern. Still, she did not allow it to settle in for long. Her face was soon carefree once more, her emerald eyes listening intently to Jun. She had so many questions bubbling inside of her, as was RIley's nature, but the redhead bit her tongue. She was sure now, in the middle of the court, was not the best place nor time to bombard the faerie before them. Already Riley had accepted that she had Faerie blood coursing through her veins. What that meant yet she did not know. Would she she age as gracefully as Jun did? Would she ever possess the beauty that Kyte seemed to have? Somehow Riley doubted it, and she was not so vain as to lament over her own misfortunes. She was much more excited to explore the court before her and discover the vast amount of information it seemed to store.

When Jun turned and indicated for them to follow him, Riley paused briefly, just long enough to daintily dance her fingers across the outside of Kyte's hand. It was her way of apologizing for chiding him too hard. As a consequence to Riley's brilliance she did not often notice when her jokes went too far, or when her remarks became hurtful. She, of course, very apologetic hen she did discover her own mistakes, but often times her words were cause enough to destroy friendships. Riley's mother had always told her that the path to greatness through knowledge was the path of loneliness. Riley had never believed her, thinking that even if she continued to expand her knowledge friends would continue to have a special place in her life. Perhaps she was wrong.

Biting her lip and shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Riley gently skipped after Jun, shooting Kyte an encouraging smile as she did. This was, after all, their adventure...was it not?

[Kyte]

It was fact that Kyte had ended up just a little pissed. But the thing was, he what could he do? People were people, and everyone was flawed, that was the truth, no matter how flawless they were on the outside, everyone had their tragic flaw. Perhaps he had overacted just a bit, even if it was just in his mind. He listened closely to everything that Jun said, making sure that he heard and understood everything he said. It never hurt to pay attention. There was only so much that he could take. In fact, Kyte came to the point that Jun hadn’t meant much by what he said, and he brushed any feelings he might have had for this Nimbus because it was but their first meeting.

In the end though, he decided to remain silent until another time to apologize for his rather rude behavior. There were better times to give a half-hearted apology. But Kyte felt the need to apologize for what he had tried to say without actually saying it. Humans were so very interesting, he had been living among them for long enough that they sort of rubbed off on him, and while it gave him more freedom to express himself without the bloody politics to stain him, it also brought forth his rather unabashed side. That wasn’t always a good thing, and sometimes, like what had just happened, Kyte forgot how his race truly was, and how their quips worked.

“I do readily agree with you there,” Kyte said, finally speaking. “Humans are very interesting individuals, and their mortality is something that I fancy myself as well.” He paused and smiled. "Guess that's one thing we both agree on."

He stopped at that and followed Jun, trailing behind Riley a bit. It was so sudden that Riley’s fingers brushed against his hand. He acknowledged Riley’s concern from her smile and it worked quite well in giving him a slightly better feeling. After all, Riley never really was the one to make fun of him, even if she didn’t say anything, Kyte brought it down onto himself, for working so hard to be made fun of. He gazed at Riley for a bit and smiled to himself, thinking that after seeing so many beautiful people wander about, no one could match Riley’s wits and her own brilliance that shined far brighter than a Sidhe’s glow.

[Jun]

Jun had decided he quite liked these two. As of late he had been aching for some refreshing interaction, something other than the staleness of the court. Perhaps he was homesick for Earth? He had been contemplating returning for a short trip, but had decided that his current position in the court was too fragile. He needed some reassurance of his role before he could leave it. Perhaps it was time he spoke with the King himself. Jun had met the ruler on previous occasions but Cel had always been a bit too busy to actually afford the Nimbus an actual, in depth conversation. Jun would have to catch him at a good time to ensure that he got his point across.

The Nimbus made sure to keep his steps a bit shallow so the others could keep up. He had a habit of striding with great length, something his brother often yelled at him about. On the other hand, Ren had absolutely horrible posture. He was, in effect, a human in all senses of the word. Still, Jun had never questioned his decision to raise his little brother on Earth. Ren had benefitted from it. Jun would have liked the younger one to stay on Earth instead of coming back to Alanor, but Ren had insisted on following his brother. Secretly, Jun enjoyed the company of family.

When they reached the quarters he shared with his brother, Jun opened the door and allowed the two to enter first. The room was relatively large and the majority of it was perfectly cleaned. The main room was a study, decorated with dozens of bookshelves filled with books and a simple desk. To the right were two doors leading to two seperate bedrooms. Upon entering the main room Jun immediately opened the door closest to them and slipped in. For a brief moment Riley and Kyte would be able to see an incredibly disorganized and messy room with clothing flung about like decoration. ”Please excuse the mess. That bed belongs to my little brother. He has a bit of an organizational defect.” Jun smiled warmly and then shifted over towards his brother’s dresser. From it he withdrew a comfortable pair of gray sweat pants and a somewhat presentable shirt. He exited the room and shut the door behind him. He held the clothes out to Riley, ”These should do well enough till we can get you some proper clothing, perhaps after we’ve had a bite to eat. The Unseelie court is home to several fine tailors, and I’m sure you will be able to find something to suit your tastes.” Jun momentarily pondered calling a servant to fetch some clothing for the lady, but ultimately decided against it. Despite his appearances he did not particularly care for others running his errands (save for his brother of course). Besides, he was quite sure the lady would prefer to pick out her own clothing rather than have what she wore dictated to her.

Jun then gestured towards the bathroom door, ”You will have to fill the bath yourself. There are methods of heating the water available, should you choose to do so. Take your time.” Jun realized that he could have very well offered the bath to Kyte first, as a Sidhe did take precedent over a Garlanger. However, from what little he knew of Kyte, he assumed the male would not mind the lady bathing first.

[harper]

As they headed for the dormitories Riley watched her surroundings in silent fascination. Her quick eyes darted over everything, making note of the method of dress employed to the manner in which the faerie moved. She was intrigued to find that modern day clothing mingled with cloth from medieval times suggesting that though the feel of the court was old; the inhabitants were not stuck in time. Still, the way they moved and the way they interacted lead Riley to believe that there were definitely some traditions she would object to. And, in her opinion, the overall court was just a bit too dark for her tastes. Though it was well lit from the artificial sun above, the atmosphere was bleak, wrought with somewhat unpleasant emotions.

Jun’s room was what she had expected. Neat, organized with nothing too flashy. Though he appeared to be a man of taste, his extravagance did not migrate over into his personal belongings. Riley found that quite interesting. She found it even more interesting that Jun shared his abode with his younger brother. She would have thought a man his age fancied his space (though ‘his age’ was subjective; Riley knew nothing of how old Jun actually was). When the nimbus entered the room he called his brothers, Riley outwardly smiled. It looked very similar to how her bedroom at home used to. Riley, as a somewhat free spirit, had never gotten into the habit of being organized. She was always on the go and considered cleaning to tedious of an ordeal to partake.

”Thank you.” Riley smiled brightly at the nimbus as she took the clothes offered her. They would be a bit big, yes, but far better than the clothing she wore now. The ends of her skirt were still wet from her encounter with the snow and now, with the heat from the court penetrating her body, she was beginning to sweat from Kyte’s jacket. A change of clothing was welcomed, even if they were not her taste in color. She looked forward to choosing her own clothing at a later date.

Without another word she whisked away to the bath.

[Kyte]

While they walked, Kyte thought deeply about what had transpired so far. This always did happen. Getting transported into another place filled with new people and different types of everything just appeared from nowhere. Not that it was bad to go to new places. But Kyte really did wish that sometimes he could actually pick when he got to go. As his eyes darted from place to place, making sure that he captured everything, Kyte noticed the different types of clothing from obviously different times. That just implied that there were people from all over the world . . . and times.

They arrived at Jun’s home rather quickly, and he was not surprised to see the man’s home rather neat, besides his brother’s stuff. Quite opposites they were. Kyte was a bit surprised that Jun’s brother lived with him but he pushed it aside; perhaps the fae just liked the familiar company of family. He watched Riley hurry off to her shower and Kyte stood there, shifting uncomfortably. “So,” Kyte said, trying to start up a conversation. “How long have you lived here? In fact, do you know the history of this place?”

[Jun]

Jun watched Riley disappear into the bathroom before he steadied his gaze on Kyte. Immediately he realized he had been quite rude and he offered up a somewhat apologetic smile, ”Please, have a seat.” He shifted a hand to pull away the chair from his nearby desk, thus offering it to Kyte. He then procured himself a spare chair next to the wall. It appeared almost as if the male was not prepared to entertain, and in essence he wasn’t. Though Jun made it his duty to befriend each and every Fae in the court he rarely invited them into his place save for special circumstances. With both Riley and Kyte unaware of their surroundings, Jun had thought it only fitting that he allowed them to see his personal space. Despite his outgoing personality, Jun was someone with a lot of skeletons in his closet. He got close to others but never too close, and it was these reservations that kept him from sharing his intimate secrets. This personal failure was what had kept him alone all of these years, and it was why he valued the company of his little brother, who, unlike Jun, was completely unreserved in almost everything. Jun envied this immensely.

Once the two of them were seated, Jun shifted back into his chair in an effort to get comfortable. Kyte’s question was predicted, and Jun had already begun mulling over his possible answers. He figured a straight forward response would be the method of approaching the situation. ”I was born here over a millennium ago. Although I left not long after my brother was born, I have managed to keep up to date with what little has been recorded of Alanor’s past.” And thus he proceeded to share with Kyte what he knew, his words precise, his explanation short but not lacking in detail. He rattled through the history he knew of Alanor, the fact that it seemed almost ageless, and the periodic calamities that had befallen it. He mentioned the Seelie court with no detestation in his voice, and detailed the current Queen. From there he mentioned court rules, the history of the bloodlines, and the hands of power all Sidhe held. Though Jun’s knowledge of Alanor was extensive, he knew very little of the deep, dark secrets she held, the secrets not written down. This gap in his knowledge unnerved him, something that the perceptive Kyte might recognize in Jun’s eyes.

”Our current monarch is known as King Cel. As sadistic as he is intelligent, he rules the Unseelie court with little contest. He is young for a king, and fair but not lax.” Jun was honest about his thoughts regarding the king. He was, after all, impressed with how the young monarch ruled his kingdom. Through Cel he was certain that the Unseelie Fae could rise to be more than just a bunch of squabbling idiots…or so Jun hoped. ”Once the two of you are presentable, I would suggest introducing yourselves to the King. I’m sure he would be delighted to meet you.”

Jun then leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands lightly clasped, ”Of course, you are not chained to Alanor. Should you find the court unworthy of your time you may return to where you came from with ease through the Mounds not far from here.” He trusted Kyte would relay this information to Riley, whom may or may not have heard their conversation.

[harper]

Once Riley had entered the bathroom she immediately set upon filling the tub with water. She refrained from warming the liquid, as she often did. Riley had always felt that a cold bath (or a shower, which she much preferred) could effectively force awake the mind, making it more receptive to its surroundings. Besides, she liked the feel of the cool water. It reminded her of her own warmth.

After she had stripped and slipped into the water, her body shivering momentarily, she set about to quickly washing herself, pausing every now and then to listen in to the conversation in the other room – most of which involved Jun speaking and Kyte listening. Riley smiled. She was glad Kyte was playing nicely. His earlier upset had her momentarily concerned, but it appeared as if that concern was unwarranted.

Riley didn’t bathe long. She was done before Jun finished speaking through she took her time to comb through her hair with her fingers so that it would dry nicely. She also spent a moment or two inspecting the tattoo on her ankle. From the bits and pieces of conversation she had heard, she now knew that she was able to transform into this animal. The thought of becoming the creature enthralled her, and she made a mental note to try it out once she had the time.

When she was done dressing, Riley emerged from the bathroom in time to hear Jun’s last bout of words. She could go home? Immediately her body flooded with relief, reflected in her face by a brilliant smile. It wasn’t so much that she hated the prospect of being here, in Alanor. It was more that she did not want to be confined to a single place. Once she was done here it was likely she would move on. However, Riley now began to entertain thoughts of returning briefly to meet with her mother and to pick up a few essentials from her home. As Riley shut the door behind her she looked towards Kyte, ”The bath is free.”

[Ren]

Just as Riley was exiting the bathroom Ren was practically kicking down the main door. Well, not really. He just opened it hard…very hard. So hard in fact that it slammed against the wall it was attached to, the crashing noise reverberating throughout the room. It didn’t help that as the young male entered he slammed the door behind him, further disrupting the relatively quiet atmosphere. Without even a glance towards Riley and Kyte – both of whom he honestly did not see – Ren lunged forward and grabbed his brother’s shirt, yanking him from his seat. ”You son of a bitch. The next time you want some information about some smelly little dark hole you better fucking get it yourself. You have no idea what…” Ren’s voice faded as he was suddenly aware of the other two in the room.

It must have been quite the sight to behold. A youthful male with disheveled hair, his white shirt blood stained, a still healing cut on his left arm seeping a minor bit of blood that trickled to the floor and mingled with the dirty water dripping from his shoes. Ren had come straight to the room after his encounter with the beast and strange figure in the Underdark. He had thought nothing of his appearance until now, and suddenly realized that he must look quite crazy. His grip on his brother’s shirt loosened slowly until he slowly dropped his hand.

Kyte was the first Ren saw, and he immediately recognized him as Sidhe. However, Kyte was not Ren’s concern. When the boy set eyes on Riley he completely froze, gawking. ”Hot girl. In my clothes. Why is there a hot girl in my clothes?” Ren suddenly snapped and looked back towards his brother, his face flooding with color. His embarrassment had brought back his anger and his fists clenched and unclenched in agitation.

[Kyte]

Kyte almost had to smile as Jun offered him a seat. Perhaps he had been too evident with how he had stood there awkwardly. Then again, what else could he have done? Asking for a chair would have been a bit rude, so it probably had been for the best with what he had done, acting the way he had. For some reason, Kyte got the feeling, and if it was correct, Jun did hide it well, but he had secrets. Maybe they were important, maybe irrelevant, but still secrets. Kyte wasn’t one to judge, he had many secrets of his own, things that he had done before, things that he didn’t want others to know. It didn’t always end happily.

He was quite thoughtful as Jun explained things to him and only raised an eyebrow every once in a while. When the king was mentioned, Kyte almost winced but didn’t budge. He just got the shivers for some reason just having someone else talk about the King, Cel.

“Well, it’s nice to know we can return to our places if we really want to,” Kyte grinned. “Not that there was much interesting besides humans.”

Riley popped out and mentioned that the shower was free almost at the same time the door into the home was almost slammed off its hinges. In came a rather strange man, with untidy hair, a white shirt that was stained red with blood – obviously from cuts from his arm or just wasn’t his blood at all. Kyte couldn’t tell. Not that it mattered. He was able to keep calm, letting no emotions show, but still, he was a bit surprised by what had transpired. Who was this new man? Though he cracked a small grin at the somewhat cluelessness feeling that he had. Saying nothing, Kyte waited for things to unfold.

[Jun]

Jun was pleased to see Kyte take his informational lecture so seriously. As Jun wandered through it he realized it sounded very similar to the one he had given his brother just a few months ago. Throughout their time on earth Jun had allowed Ren to grow up without knowledge of Alanor. Ren had forgotten much of the place he had been born, and Jun had purposely avoided mentioning it to keep Ren's memories at bay. What had transpired those hundreds of years ago within their family was not a pleasant tale. Jun thought it best that Ren didn't remember it.

The Nimbus glanced to Riley as she exited the bath and smiled softly. After living amongst humans for so long Jun found human garlangers to be particularly stunning. Their aura of mortality made them even more beautiful to him. Riley was a particularly pretty female, though a bit on the skinny side in his opinion. Had she been a bit taller she would have probably easily been mistaken as a human model. Jun was just about to stand to collect some clothing for Kyte to wear, as he assumed the male was next to take to the bath, when he was interrupted by the noise of the door slamming.

Rusty brown eyes jerked to see Ren enter the room. Jun immediately noted the healing wound on the boys arms and his eyes narrowed, his face masked in a sort of perplexed and concerned anger. He did not object as Ren yanked him from his seat, the younger boy's explosive anger coming from his mouth in a slur of words very inappropriate infront of their guests. From what Jun could tell Ren had obviously not enjoyed his trek down in the Underdark, but now was not the time to discuss it. Luckily his younger brother was quickly distracted by Riley.

Jun gently smoothed down his shirt and vest when Ren had bunched it. His fingers then trailed from his shirt to grab his brother's injured arm, completely ignoring Ren's question in the process. He surveyed the wound much like a doctor would have. It was jagged, unevenly cut, which meant it had come from neither blade nor claw. Jun dropped the arm and smacked his brother lightly on the side of the head, "You cut yourself." He chided the boy, though the soft smile suggested that he wasn't very serious. Jun looked back towards Riley and Kyte, "I apologize for the interruption. Might I introduce my younger brother Ren?" He looked back towards the boy, the rusty depths of his eyes swirling with a message that clearly read 'shut the fuck up,' "This is Riley and Kyte. They are new to Alanor."

[harper]

Riley was originally a bit taken aback as Ren burst into the room. The loud noise startled her, as she had gotten used to the soft voices her companions used. However she was instantly intrigued by what she saw come through the door. She immediately concluded that this must be Jun's little brother, though she didn't see very much of a family resemblance. The redhead fingered the sleeves of the shirt she wore and bit her lip as she surveyed Ren's disheveled appearance. Blood covered and dripping dirty water. She wasn't sure exactly what had transpired, but whatever had happened Ren didn't seem very happy about it.

When he finally noticed her she couldn't help but stifle a giggle, her slender fingers covering her mouth as she laughed. His reaction was priceless, and the red that now smothered his cheeks was incredibly cute. She was briefly reminded of the first boy that had ever asked her out on a date, back in the sixth grade. She had turned him down of course, but she had never forgotten his face.

Slipping forward Riley held out her hand to Ren for a hand shake, her lips parted into a large inviting smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you Ren." She didn't comment on his arm, or his ragged appearance. She figured her lack of concern might put him a bit more at ease.