This Thread is for any and all things related to Adenna life. City goings-on, events, and stories that aren't quite deserving of their own thread should go here.

One-shots and longer, it all goes here.

Make fun happen!

Every year, for a single winter week, the city of Adenna is turned into a celebration of all things the woman body. It is a time for women to dress scantily and be graded upon by an official panel of judges, for designers of scanty apparel to step forth and achieve momentary greatness, for bystanders to gaze on freely, and for the sounds of Michael Bolton to fill the air. But it is also a time for clothing of the minimal sort to be scrutinized for its ability to successfully support the bust sizes they were made for, and to fight the good fight for the ability to stay on in complex activities such as jumping up and down, or walking.

This upcoming week is one such week. A time not to miss out on the revelry had around the city. Even entering the city will tell you that anyone is welcome. And whether you be given any of the three mails going out would depend on your being involved with the Swimsuit Competition. If you are a contestant, or a contestant's guest or family member, then you will receive The Yellow Invite. If you are a member of the press, then you will receive The Red Token. If you are a member of voluntary security, you will receive The Green Ticket. If you are ranked in the top 5 of the community's wish-list poll, you will receive The Pink Achievement award. And lastly if you are apart of the judging panel, you will be mailed your nametag.

Already the Welcome Center was preparing stacks of information pamphlets, city maps, and inviting welcome gifts! The pink stone streets of the city lay paved out between the warm and inviting-looking cottage style homes that composed the ever expansive-community. Many men and children had come out to greet the newcomers as they may begin to be brought to the open Magic District by the Liltu mages.

The women, more reserved, awaited to run into the citizens as they came by them. Among them, Dyarhk could be found building the hype!

?I can't wait for everybody to get here. It's going to be such a fun competition! Don't you guys think so?? draping his arms over two Adennian warrioresses who looked none at all pleased by his intrusive bodily contact, not his enthusiasm.

(Some parties receive special amenities, so review your letter!!

Feel free to start posting your arrivals in the city in THIS THREAD. I would appreciate it for a tidiness rule.)

.: Aug 27th - Early Morning :.
(Cause lets face it. Katt may be up at the crack of dawn but I sure the heck am not~!)

The poor courier that arrived at the Bon Bon was given such a rather confused look. She had been waiting in hopes for snow but instead got a gilded envelope. Sitting outside she read over the letter and realized that the contest that Dyarhk had talked her into was really going to happen. And was starting today!

She swallowed a nervous lump away. Not because she was nervous of the competition but the fact she was going to have to wear a swimsuit and that people were going to be eyeing her. It made her twitch quite nervously.

But..she gave her word. And she was going to keep it. This time it just nipped her in the butt. She really did need to be more careful when it came to agreeing with things Dyarhk said.

Looking over the card that came with the letter she realized something off bat: it was shiny! She idly scratched and toyed with it while reading the words. Little did she know she ended up activating it. She blinked when she was scanned and....

...Suddenly standing before a gate. "Oh sh*t..what did I just do-Ah!" She squeaked and doll like eyes tilted her up to the archers riddling the gateway before her. "Hi! Oh geez" What did she do?! This was not in front of the Bon Bon! Darting forward out of the line of fire, she went passed the gates and unknowingly made her way to the Welcome Center while trying to figure out what the heck happened.

It clicked. A little late but it clicked. The card must of been some sort of transportation device.

Oh just great! She was without her things or her 'one guest'. Not that she thought Sergei would of wanted to go anyways. Or maybe he would of gone just to keep her out of trouble. It would of been a funny sight to watch him get all flustered with all the pretty women around.

Quietly she sighed and looked through the pamphlets, plucking a few out that might help her. She'd have to find out what kind of currency they took. She was going to need some change of clothes while there! It was just by sheer luck she found a stray attendant who assisted her with a few things. Such as the button. She was given a bright blue button with a few words of encouragement. The woman looked exhausted, as if the day had been long on her. So instead of keeping her for too long, pamphlets and maps in hand, Katt excused herself and scudded her way out onto the streets.

The pamphlets were shoved down into her bag and a map unfolded. "Okay so I am here.." She was going to get lost..Map or not. Oh well....

For the sake of exploration!

Forward she went!

Apart from select locations in the city, very little snow had managed to find itself in Adenna. This was one of the seasonal advantages that benefited Nordem year-round. Most of his route came into very little contact with snow, and it was mostly a dry run for the most part. That of course didn't mean he wasn't huffing clouds of breath when he stopped his jog down the sidewalk to shadow-box. But he wouldn't freeze or catch cold in those sweats. He'd be back in the gym long before then.

He was a very determined man to his career. This made him look socially inept with his few friends here, but that was just both the way it was, and how he liked it. Less disturbances, more focus on training. Adenna was preferable in many ways to his ideal training environment. But with this latest swimsuit competition arising, he couldn't help but tisk at the idea. So when rounding the street corner came and he saw the setup made for the Rhy'Dinians to enter from and disperse out into the city, he halted everything altogether; his jogging, his shadowboxing, everything. He lowered his fists to his sides and gazed on to the map and pamphlet trees and collapsible tables.

He had to be snapped out of his daze by Robin when she came to asking him about their separation. He looked over to her with a perfectly calm and unaffected breathing pace.

?Nothing. I'm just not this used to seeing this many people gathered around the Magic District.?

There inside of the castle where snow and sunlight gifted the front lawn that so much of the city was envious of, uniformed staff members of the swimsuit competition were racing from kitchen to the lobby outside of the Banquet Hall to fill and perfect the catering tables they've set up. Today was extravagant. Today was all the bells and ribbons. Today was the first official day of the contest.

There several hours before the first contestants walked out on the erected stage the staff had build this year, in all its professionally lit and fake-beach set glory, Dyarhk stood with a soulless sort of stare at the judges' panel he'd soon be sitting at, opposite the three-person table that sat the nametag he couldn't peel his eyes off of: Harris.

Dyarhk recalled the few weeks ago.

Flashback

"I don't want your favors!!" That standing-up fire sparking inside of him again, but he suppressed it. That had been what Harris had wanted, and what he figured was the only reason the man still hung around at Captain Hammer's, so he saved himself the trouble, and stood to leave himself. Several coins were smashed to the bar-top. "And I certainly don't want you anywhere near my home. So don't flatter yourself. You'll never see what the inside of the city walls look like, much less their women's beachwear. If I had to sit next to you again any closer than I am now, it''ll be too soon. And I hope Sarah steals your opal." Turning to leave and doing just that.

Fast-forward back to present day and Harris' name said it all on that long shining black office plaque in a carved bone sort of white lettering. Six letters was all they were, and they were able to affect Dyarhk so paralyzingly.

Christopher Andan walked up to him with his clipboard in hand and popped him on the arm with it. ?Hey, what's eating you? You should probably be eating breakfast, shouldn't you?? he asked.

Dyarhk only looked at him with that faint but eternal frown and heaved a deep breath. ?I'm... not hungry.?

Chris only looked at him curiously. Whatever it was, he wouldn't be figuring it out with the little time he had to stop by and thwap him on the arm with his clipboard, so he moved on and pointed a few people setting up the finishing touches on the stage to better present the props, i.e., the beach ball and the few bags of sand they had poured out in the back of it near the sky blue background. It was no beach, but in the winter time, it made a fine effort to transport everyone's minds to the warm summer.

It was half an hour past nine, and Dyarhk had already gotten antsy having to sit at the judge's panel for so long. Checking his watch, playing with his ink pen, shuffling his papers, these were all things he took up doing. He recalled Chris saying they had over six-hundred entrants this year, and it was that number that was intimidating and discouraging him as each girl stepped out and talked about herself for the 2-3 minutes.

One of the young girls had just gotten past the age restriction at 18, and celebrating her birthday, she entered and came before the judges with her crystal blue bikini. A pleasant sight, indeed. Dyarhk stared on at her perfect skin complexion with his fist mushed onto his cheek before he lifted his head to look beside him at Porthos.

?"If you could go back to a time of perfect innocence, how would you dream your first kiss as being?"? Porthos asked enthusiastically.

?Well, you see, I haven't had my first kiss yet,? Brooke began to a very noisy ooooh-ing from the crowd. A very revealing start to the question. ?But I do dream of it, and I dream of it being a moment frozen in time for all eternity, and something I will always remember, because I do not plan to kiss anyone whom I do not plan on spending my life with.?

Applause. Brooke flashed a smile to the audience.

Dyarhk had been looking over her body while Porthos asked her question and the young girl, Brooke, had answered it. He spotted on the high of her thigh a scar, and it was appropriately pointed to with his ink pen.

?Hi, Brooke,? he made sure to get out very quickly. This wasn't as much a friendly thing as it was an aggressive and unforgiving job. ?I see a scar there on your thigh. Would you mind telling us how you got it??

?Oh,? Brooke turned slightly to show it while keeping her hands just above the waistline of her bikini bottom, something she'd trained at in-front of the mirror for hours. ?It is from sword training a few years back. My sister tagged me, but she did not mean to. We both got carried away. But I wear it proudly, as I intend to all my scars.?

Another interesting crowd response.

And lastly, Harris had his question to pose to her. Twirling his ink pen around on his fingers until it fell to the floor and a staff member eagerly presented him a brand new one over his shoulder, something he ignored while he put on his all smiles face and prepared to entertain himself, targeting in on the young woman.

?Give me one reason why I should give you a high score?" Harris said before laughing.

Dyarhk only grabbed onto his face and shook his head, imagining that this was going to be a very long exhibition week, indeed.

After eleven o'clock rolled around and the contestants were done with their presentations for the day, Dyarhk, Porthos, and Harris were still required to hang around while Chris and the other organizers made sure that the information they were cataloging was accurate. Getting out a little after noon, Harris seemed confidently walking out the front of the castle heading somewhere with some agenda that was beyond Dyarhk's knowledge. Not like he cared.

Tearing his eyes from that side of the city Harris had wandered down, he went about producing a cigar from his silver case inside of his sports jacket and fumbling a few catches with a matchbook from the Plaza de troyes. Only after lighting it did he rush the thin match to an extinguished state with a few quick flicker jabs to hurry up and spot Porthos exiting the front gate of the castle after him.

?Hey, Porthos!? Dyarhk called, crossing the short distance on over to him, as it was still large enough for them to miss each other had he not spotted him first. In range, he placed a hand on his shoulder. ?Great job in there this morning, man. You don't seen anywhere as intimidated by the applicant numbers as I do.? eager to smile as he turned his head aside to bite down freshly upon his stogie.

?Ahhh, Mon Ami.? Wrapping his arm about Dyarhk's shoulders and drawing about to stand at his side. ?It is not often that a man of my tastes experiences both quantity and quality. A beautiful city, this Adenna, its beauty surpassed only by that of your contestants.? Smiling as he motioned to indicate a passersby that did well to prove his words.

Dyarhk whistled quietly between the two of them to compliment the woman that which she would never know of so long as she lived.

?Tell me, Mon Ami. Now that our work is done for this day, where may we go and enjoy an exquisite cognac and, perhaps, music?? Porthos looked to him.

?Well, that's what I was just trying to figure out myself, Porthos.? Dyarhk said, gazing up and around. ?Something's been bugging me, though... Contestant number 55 stuck out. I think it was because today was her birthday. Did real well with the audience, also.? he reached back into his sports jacket and pulled out a folded series of papers with the list of all the applicants in very tiny font. His focused eyes narrowed down on the lettering and he began going through the numbers, wondering just where their Rhy'Dinian contestants were, because they were not today. The randomizing had seeded them towards the latter half of the week. ?But I'm curious... Hm. Wondering when we'll see our first Rhy'Dinian.?

?Indeed! It is a question of the ages, is it not?? Porthos tilted his head to look down to the papers along with the man.

?There. There's one.? Dyarhk pointed to the papers before looking up and beginning to fold them back and place them in his sports jacket once more. ?That'll be interesting, alright. Well, Porthos,? looking at the man discerningly now. ?Have you settled into the Slipkey yet? Come on, let's start happy hour early somewhere.? stepping on ahead of him after smiling brightly and pocketing his hands past that sports jacket and into his pants pockets for the walk down the dark of the city where the looming earth overhead shadowed everything. But on down had been the Sipkey Resort itself, and any number of beverages of the after-work relaxing sort.

"Zero zero two, on approach, please confirm landing pattern four-two-gamma-six."

"Negative, zero zero two," spoke the disembodied male voice, a voice belonging to someone too nervous and unsure of himself to notice or care about the annoyed and exasperated tone of the first speaker.

"Continue holding...pattern. Increase...altitude to five-thousand serans and await further instructions."

Matt shut down his side of the channel before muttering a string of curses. "This is the most disorganized docking zone I've ever been to," he complained aloud to himself. "They've got us chasing our tails up here."

Keying his mic, he opened a channel between his Raptor and the two ships on his wing. "Looks like we're going to fly in circles some more. They want us above where we are now, too, so follow me."

Truth be told, Matt had no idea what a seran was, but he guessed it was something close to a meter, because the last time they'd had his flight change altitudes he'd flown up in the same number of meters without complaint or correction from those directing him from the below. That, or they just assumed he did as instructed and weren't actually paying attention to what he was doing. Given the ineptitude in landing procedures, it was really hard for him to say. Matt led his wingmen in a slow lazy climb and the three small fighters rose to just over three miles above the ground. There were no other ships but theirs anywhere in the sky; he couldn't fathom what was taking so long.

He grunted. He'd flown hundreds of sorties longer than this one, but he couldn't remember ever wanting out of the c*ckpit more than he did right then. Flying to and from somewhere was one thing. In fact, the trip here had been quite uneventful and, in a word, boring. Our of Star's End, to the nearest jump-point, the jump itself, and then a long cruise to the planet where he figured he'd be able to land. So much for figures. After the trip, flying in circles simply waiting to touch down was infernally maddening. Tilting his fighter slightly but maintaining the same course allowed him a better look at the view below. From this height, the city of Adenna was little more than a grain of sand on a vast landscape. The five islands that hovered several miles above the city were connected to Adenna by paths of some sort. He could not tell if they were natural or man-made, but they looked, from his vantage point, like strands of a spider's web for which Adenna was the center.

Like Rhydin, Adenna was a coastal city, though he was far too high to spot any small vessels, he could see the main docks and seaport. Given the recent GAC meeting, he was curious how, if at all, they were defended. He planned to look into it if he could. But first, before he could do anything, he had to land!

Huffing out a sigh, Matt reviewed his mental notes, of which there were very few, regarding what he knew about Adenna from the pre-mission briefing. The city itself was, much like Rhydin, surrounded and protected by large stone walls. The buildings, from homes to businesses, were built cottage-style, with relatively few exceptions. The streets, made of pink stone (whether natural or magical he didn't know for certain) were one of the city's most unique features and he'd heard several stories about Adenna's women - their ferocity, their territorial nature, and their tendency to act first and think second. Females made up two-thirds of the city's population, but the society was not matriarchal, at least not on the surface. Havelast Dagger Sasc held post as Adenna's king and Matt assumed the man wasn't a mere puppet. In time, he might find out for himself.

From what he'd read and was able to confirm from this high up, he guessed that those who lived in Adenna would be able to see little or nothing of the sky as the bulk of the city was, for all intents and purposes, underground. That was difficult for him to imagine, a life without being able to see the stars or the sky, to feel rain or the wind whenever the fancy struck. When approaching the planet, he'd noted one sun but no moons. Were he to see the sky at all from down there, he surmised, he'd probably find it quite empty, at least, emptier than he preferred.

This was a foreign city and a foreign culture. He'd dealt with many during his time serving the Confederation as well as his terms as Rhydin's Governor, but in this moment, he served not as leader but as scout and envoy. The role was an unfamiliar one and he resolved to tread carefully. He and the other two RASG pilots would have to be on their toes and take pains not to say or do anything to insult their guides or anyone else they met. Assuming, of course, those guides even existed. After waiting this long to touch down, he had a feeling either his flight was being stonewalled or they were going to be turned away altogether. It simply couldn't take this long to arrange a simple landing.

Just when he was about to contact the ground again, the disembodied voice spoke, sounding only a bit more sure of itself. "Zero zero two, you are permitted to...land. Please do so on Doro Tenma's Isle. Thank you."

Thankful, Matt brought up his NavMap and immediately sighed again. The pre-mission details were rather scarce, and while the five islands were present on the map, none had an associated name. Hoping the question wouldn't prompt another lengthy delay, he replied, fighting to keep as much annoyance as possible out of his voice. "This is zero zero two. Acknowledged. I've got five islands below me here. Which one's Doro Tenma? Over."

"Ah...," the voice paused for several seconds. Matt cringed. "The big one."

"Finally, something straightforward," Matt muttered to himself, before replying, "Zero zero to confirmed. The big one." He couldn't bite back the sarcasm. "We're descending now. Over."

He severed communications before the disembodied voice could reply. Banking the Raptor left, he pushed the flight-stick forward and the fighter's nose down. He could only pray that once they were on the ground, things would go much smoother than they had so far.

For the better part of an hour, they'd walked down the steep pathway leading from Doro Tenma's Island to the city of Adenna. Suresa, captain of the city's contingent of archers, spoke for most of that time, addressing her statements and questions nearly entirely to Casey Ripkus, the lone female RASG pilot who'd made the trip.

The walk itself, along with Suresa's narration was interesting enough that Matt could almost ignore the cold. Thankfully, the snowfall wasn't heavy and once the pathway curved under the island, it stopped altogether as the island blocked the snow from reaching them. They were treated to, thanks to Suresa, a brief history of Adenna as well as each of the five islands. Doro Tenma, he learned, was an earth monster associated with the biggest island; each island seemed to be linked to a fantastic monster spoken about less in a mythological sense and more like they were living breathing creatures. When Suresa spoke of one of the creatures, the Ice Spider named Shiji Kumo, her voice quivered as if she expected the thing to invade her mind at that very moment like she claimed it had done to so many others. At rare moments, Aurast would add minor commentary or clarification to something Suresa said, and once he asked a question of Korax, but for the most part he remained silent.

As for the walk itself, there was ample opportunity for scenic views. Each side of the path was protected by a railing that seemed more designed to prevent children from slipping under than to stop anyone from climbing over. Still, the danger in hoping the railing was obvious as only a few inches separated it from a long fall to the earth below. Every few hundred meters they ran across another precipice or overlook from where they could see streaming waterfalls or orchards of silver-trunked and blue leaf-laden trees ripe with a purplish-red fruit that Suresa called meswen. The talk of food made Matt's stomach rumble; neither he nor his companions had eaten since leaving Rhydin, but if he was going to dine, he could wait until they were indoors and out of the cold.

When they were just over a thousand meters from a tunnel which would lead into the heart of Adenna, Matt stopped to survey the city. Even from the island, certain buildings were notable, but at this distance, they stood out even more. He could see the back and forth patrols of guards on the ramparts of the brown-stoned Daichi Castle and the unique architecture of the Slipkey, the building he?d come most primarily to tour and investigate due to its prominence in the upcoming competition. Despite their size and function, neither the Slipkey nor the castle looked out of place amongst the more quaint cottage-like architecture of the surrounding neighborhoods. Matt was impressed at just how well they fit in. He wanted to ask how Adenna?s districts were split and maintained (he?d heard Suresa mention a Blades Glory District and a Magic District, among a few others) but couldn?t squeeze the question through Suresa?s unrelenting commentary and lecturing.

Jogging to catch up with the others, they soon entered the tunnel and then, finally, Adenna itself.

Once they were away from Suresa and the man could speak more than a half-sentence at a time, Matt found the king?s brother to be an excellent conversationalist. As they walked, Matt asked questions he?d been unable to interrupt Suresa with and he learned a great deal about the city?s infrastructure and politics. Aurast was quite intrigued to learn Matt had served as Rhydin?s Governor for two yearlong terms and the two debated, albeit briefly, the merits and shortcomings of the Adenna?s monarchal style versus Rhydin?s more democratic system of government. As the largest reason for Matt?s visit concerned security, the men spoke at great length about the city?s defenses and the duties undertaken by city guards and magistrates. They also touched upon (Matt resolved to learn a great deal more in the future) the differences between male and female roles within the city?s social strata and the ranks of the guards and how, within a patriarchal society, women traditionally held the more dominant and aggressive roles and personalities.

As the day wore on, Matt found it quite troublesome to keep track of time without the sun?s light, but Aurast seemed to have no difficulty whatsoever. After a simple but filling meal of local cheese, bread and an herb-laden stew called dri, the two men resumed their walk amid a discussion of the training received by the city guards. After an offhand remark about dueling, Matt found Aurast?s interest quite peaked and he described the three sanctioned sports within Rhydin. He was in the middle of explaining the differences between the roles played by Barons, Opals and Keepers when Aurast raised a hand, interrupting him.

?I believe,? he said thoughtfully, ?you will find this place most inviting. It?s not on the same scale as your Outback from your description, but I think you?ll enjoy it nonetheless. Come come, let?s go inside.?

Pausing, Matt looked over the building they stood next to. It was relatively nondescript, blending in perfectly with the architecture of the surrounding neighborhood. Once they stepped through the main door, however, Matt grinned. The name of the place, the Bird?s Nest Boxing Gym, was painted in large blue letters along the back wall. One large square ring was located in the center of the building, with two slightly smaller auxiliary rings flanked to its left and right. A large set of bleachers against the easternmost wall provided an unobstructed view of all three rings while the western side of the gym was laden with weight-lifting equipment, machines, and a whole array of punching bags of all sizes. Some seemed to have a purpose Matt found totally unfamiliar.

Aurast allowed Matt to soak the place in for a minute before speaking.

?Down there,? he gestured, ?there?re a few more workout rooms. Some different equipment than you see out here, and Robin?s office. That?s her, over there,? Aurast explained, pointing at the lone woman in the place. She wore her blonde hair very short (smart, Matt thought to himself, so that it didn?t distract her as she fought, assuming she fought) but Matt could tell little else about her as she was mostly hidden behind whomever she was speaking with. If she?d noticed their entrance, she didn?t acknowledge it. ?Her father, Bruce Mackay? I think he was from your city, actually, settled here and she?s taken over the gym.?

Matt watched her for a few moments before pointing at a series of eighteen posters featuring a fearsome looking man. Only one was a staged photograph and it sat in the middle of the others; the other seventeen seemed to have been taken during actual fights and each captured a moment in time where the man?s glove drove itself home into the face, head, kidney, or stomach of an opponent. The man had spiked blond hair that crested into tips of red and a eerily calm intense gaze, as if he was simply executing a preprogrammed task, unable to see or care about the reaction or condition of his opponent. In each shot, whoever that opponent was had sweat, blood, teeth, or all three flying away from their bodies. Captured in those instances was the ripple of flesh across cheekbones, an eye bulging from its socket, and deep purple bruises that, from experience, Matt knew had only grown larger and more horrendous in the hours after the fight had ended.

Next to the posters was a very large trophy case; it reminded him of the one in the Outback, but this one was much larger and took up several feet along the southern wall. In it were medals, plaques, cups, and trophies of all shapes and sizes. The sheer amount was impressive and Matt nodded toward the collection.

?Accolades for the members here??

Aurast replied with a wry grin. ?No. Accolades for him. All of them.? He pointed at the series of posters. "That?s Nordem Sparks, the very best Adenna?s ever seen in a male combatant, outside of a battlefield. Each of those pictures down there, except the middle one, shows every one of his knockouts, and all of them by The Long Goodnight.?

Matt looked at Aurast inquisitively.

?The Long Goodnight. It?s Nordem?s signature move, a two-strike combination that?s too quick to believe. If he lands it, that?s it. Fight?s over. Nobody?s been on the receiving end and remained standing. And everyone that?s been knocked down hasn?t got back up again until long after the fight?s declared done.?

?Sounds pretty damn vicious, if you ask me,? Matt responded. ?I wonder what?d happen if he didn?t have the gloves on.?

The look Aurast gave told Matt what he already knew: he really didn't want to find out.

Shortly after the Adenna Report?s hard copy was prepared for delivery, Matt returned to his office and debated whether to catch a nap in the pilot?s lounge or go all the way home and come back again before the 0500 briefing for a Sunliners training flight.

Sitting back down in his chair, he began to pull up the mission specs when a tired looking technician knocked on his doorframe.

I wonder what?d happen if he didn?t have the gloves on.

Looking up, Matt beckoned the man in, shoving aside the voice in his head.

?Something the matter, Jameson??

?No, sir. Sorry to bother you so late, but this just arrived for you.?

Jameson held up a small but ornately designed square box. The outer framing of the box was from a silver wood that reminded Matt of the meswen trees he?d seen traversing the path from Doro Tenma?s Island to Adenna. Standing up, he reached to take the box.

?Thanks. Isn?t it about time your shift was over??

?I?m on my way home now, sir. I was just leaving when the courier came in.?

?All right,? Matt replied, ?go get some rest. I?ll see you tomorrow afternoon.?

?Aye, sir. Have a good night.?

As Jameson retreated down the hallway and headed for home, Matt returned to his desk and examined the box. The wood was, indeed, naturally silver and though he had not seen a meswen tree up close, definitely reminded him of the orchards of silver-trunked trees. He gently lifted the lid of the box away from the base. The lid was unhinged and separated entirely away. Setting the lid down on his desk, Matt noticed that the contents inside the box were protected by a deep blue cloth, the same color as the leaves on meswen trees.

?Too coincidental,? he murmured, reaching to remove the contents. What he pulled out of the box was a case constructed of glass polished so pure that it sparkled even under the artificial office lights. Looking closer, Matt realized it wasn?t the outer glass that dazzled so, but the ornate and delicate work inside. It took him several moments to realize he was looking at a star chart brilliantly and beautifully crafted from a material he couldn?t determine.

Setting the case down very gently, he reached into the box again, withdrawing a small circular pin. The center of the pin was green, the color of a lush forest, with an outer ridged deep brown border. Carved into the center were the words ?La Fiducia della regina?. Turning the pin over to examine the back, Matt set it down next to the star chart and removed the final contents of the wooden box, a handwritten letter in script, which read:

Dear Matthew Algiers Simon,

It is true nothing beautiful exists in our many worlds without the stout arms and tight fists of their protectors. It is with admiration for you and your contributions to the governorship of Rhy'Din that I humbly request your presence as an overseer of our holiday events this upcoming week of our swimsuit competition.

Your work will be akin to that of a supervisor. We experience a large amount of traffic during this competition, and the crowds have been known to get rowdy in the past. You would be placed in communications with our Hunter Captain, Suresa, and a member of the Royal staff for advisory purposes. I assure you, it will not be heavy work. You are invited as our guest. It is merely that your life experiences would be appreciated in lending a hand for everyone's safety.

You will find in this letter a map to guide you here by way of our bestial constellations, a map I hope you will use and come to visit our city. With this formal invitation, I extend to you a week-long reservation at our esteemed Resort, the Slipkey, and in our upperclass Lobby 4 District. All pre-paid. Please come and attend our festivities.

Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Simon. Please, accept this medallion, and wear it during your stay as my invaluable guest.

Nayon Lortz Dagger Sasc
Queen of Adenna

His eyebrows rose as he read the letter and peaked when he learned its author?s name. The Queen herself! He had not met her on his trip and his only guess was that Aurast, her brother-in-law, must have mentioned him. He couldn?t imagine another scenario in which she?d be aware of his existence nor take the time to write and send him gifts.

I wonder what?d happen if he didn?t have the gloves on.

Matt spent several long minutes re-reading the letter and gazing at the start chart. He should, of course, accept the invitation but felt he?d need to apprise Governor Helston first to see if she had any objections. Sending off another encrypted message of explanation directly to Fio, including a copy of the Queen?s letter, Matt added both to the hard copy of the Adenna Report he?d finished earlier.

I wonder what?d happen if he didn?t have the gloves on.

Unless Fionna Helston objected and forbade him to, he intended to accept the Queen?s offer. The invitation fit, however loosely, into his recommendation that an RASG contingent be deployed to Adenna.

I wonder what?d happen if he didn?t have the gloves on.

He?d talk to Koyliak later than night. A week away from Rhydin probably wasn?t in her plans, but he felt he could convince her to make the trip.

I wonder what?d happen if he didn?t have the gloves on.

He definitely wanted to return to Adenna. He needed to return to Adenna.

I wonder?

"Swimsuit competition?" That's when an almost clueless look of innocence came to the Goddess.

"Swimsuit competition." The dark haired woman replied with a smile. This was Dana, the daughter of the past king Rahea -- and the person Crane could call her best friend. A woman who stood by her side ever since she arrived within the gates of Adenna. Officially tasked to be Cranes companion and keep her out of `` trouble ``, or so Old Vic had put it, but the relationship changed from responsibility to a budding friendship when months turned to years.

".. Is it that time of year?" Not much of a question to her friend; but one to herself. The simple dress held Goddess hoisted herself gently up onto the desk the other woman had been sitting at. Legs kicking idly out as she took a moment to think.. Swimsuit competition. "That is why those strange ships are here?"

"Yes. Emissaries from Rhy'Din." She kept it short and simple for a reason. The reason why? She knew Cranes attention wouldn't stay on the subject for long.

".. I wonder if I can join the competition?" .. and she was right. Crane turned about and pressed her knees to the polished wooden surface of the desk, something her hands would find only seconds later as she crawled across it to inch closer and closer to her friend. "Can I? Is it too late? Will Old Vic be there? What kind of decorations will they have?"

"Yes. No. Yes. I'll take you by there later so you can see for yourself. They are still getting things ready."

The woman's paperwork would find itself covered by the sprawling blonde as she laid herself out fully over the desk. ".. Play with me." Spoken in almost a pleading whine. Her body twisting about to lay on it's back. Gentle hand reached forward to cup Danas' cheek within her palm. Pat, pat, pat. The action itself caused the taller woman to perk a brow in question.

"What do you want to play?" She'd reply with a sigh leaving smile held lips.

"Annoy Old Vic.." The blondes patting hand rose up to brush along dark locks of hair. ".. You forgot to brush today."

"Do you want to sit here and criticize my hair or would you rather annoy the old man?"

Crane didn't need to be asked twice. Sitting herself up with a start and slipping off from the table. A few bounces forward given as soon as those bare feet touched down onto the floor. "Annoy the Old Man!"

The strange crafts?
The swimsuit competition?
It looked like they pale in comparison when it came to annoying Old Vic.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do they said. Well, he was in Adenna for a week so he?d do what they did, which is why he was clad in a towel as he stood in Solucun?s Basin, an expansive 18,000 square foot pool located at the focal point of the Slipkey Resort. He had heard the contestants buzzing about The Midnight Storm, an event held at the twilight hour that transformed the pool into the rough equivalent of a public hot spring, the most noticeable difference being the artificially generated rainstorm that peppered those not under cover, simulating an outdoor shower. The only lighting approved emanated from glow sticks in the possession of all attendees and lifeguards on duty. After shaking his own neon blue glow stick, depositing it into his shower cap, and securing it atop his head (the combination of his hair and the illuminated chem light making for a rather excellent beacon in the darkness) his towel was discarded and he slithered beneath the water. His first mistake was immediately evident as he realized he had forgotten his soap, which elicited a low groan.

?Soap is overrated anyway. The contestants will appreciate my natural musk.? He mused mostly to himself after securing a small, seemingly secluded area for himself to relax in, away from any other floating globules of light that represented others.

The noise. A person couldn't expect a quiet night when the mingling between two opposite genders came to play. Whistles, hollers, and laughter filled the air. A few other choice words, mainly some uninterested rough voiced woman who demanded to know who touched her? but, with the introduction of RhyDin citizens into the mix, it seemed that perhaps this week the Midnight Storm wouldn't be so, well, rowdy. Best behavior everyone - or at least till someone got a little too fresh. Like a silent stalker Seirichi crept closer and closer to her prey, using the illuminating blue as her guide, but not only that the Ichi had other means of tracking. Mainly a cheat-worthy ability to see a little better than normal in the dark. The smallest bit of light provided enough for the woman to zero in on her target easily. Oh how she wanted to laugh, how she wanted to make some sort of noise to bring attention to herself; but that wouldn't make the surprise in the end fun.

"Oi. Harris." It finally came - and it came from behind. Not only that but those strong arms moved to wrap about the man?s neck as she drew in closer to press not-so-clothed form against his back. A little too close for comfort, maybe. "You know. They say what happens in the Midnight Storm stays in the Midnight Storm." Her voice kept nice and quiet. A low cackle coming only a few seconds later.

His comfort level was based almost entirely upon the concept that the darkness would allow him to maintain his anonymity, which became even more of an issue upon the realization that there apparently was no gender segregation at the pool, thanks to the various tittering and giggling that reached his ears. Well, it didn't matter. It shouldn't matter. Who knew he was there in the first place? The haze of blue light from his glow stick was for safety purposes and with his arm fully extended he still couldn't see his own hand. Unfortunately he couldn't see the Siovanui stalking him either and by the time her voice reached his ears it was too late, she was already upon him and his natural reaction to being caught unaware, and in the buff to boot, was to flail and splash about like a freshly hooked trout.

"Party foul! Party foul!" Harris exclaimed.

"Hey, hey, hey..!" Seirichi?s voice rose but tried to keep it's best at whisper level. Which in the end made it sound, if anything, like a raspy normal tone when it came from the woman?s lips. If they were in a library she'd obviously be shushed for it. "Stop wigglin' so much, people'll start to get suspicious. How scandalous would it be to get caught? You, a judge, and me, the strongest and most beautiful woman in all the worlds." Ego fueled her voice. As did another laugh. "C'mon, Harry. We've always joked about it but how 'bout you give me that kid?" Wait. Was she serious? Well the way she kept her grip and even moved to wrap a leg about him? It could be anyone?s guess! On the inside though..? Seirichi was trying her best not to just start howling out in laughter as he cringed in the darkness. If there was any situation he desired to be in less than the one he was currently in he couldn't think of it. Well, on the plus side at least his wife wasn't present. But the negatives consisted of him not presently wearing pants, which was awkward considering the fact Seirichi's leg began to coil itself around him.

"I need an adult!" Pause. "Wait, I am an adult," came the realization before he went about his first task; removing her leg from his person. It didn?t prove too terribly difficult as his hand delved beneath the water to pinch at her flesh. But not just pinch, twist as well in an effort to increase the intensity of the pain. "I didn't realize you wanted me to the point of getting yourself disqualified. I will snitch so hard."

"Jeeeez." Exaggerated in the way she dragged it out. Not only that, but a huffing sigh as well. Her leg did retreat, painfully slow in its movement on the way, but Harris would soon find himself less trapped. Now if only something could be done about those loosely wrapped arms? Wait, Seirichi seemed to be getting the idea. One already began to slip away, all that was left was the other. Though it seemed she held a different sort of idea in that head of hers. Fingers pressed to the man?s chest and slowly made their way down; finger step by finger step. When close enough to dip under water? That might really be the biggest problem. Far too close for comfort, and if anything a waiting grasp of her wrist would stop the rest of her travels. "Pfft. I can just say you wanted it. Who're they going to believe? I can totally pull off the innocent look, Harris." But that wasn't her objective. Even if grasped - she'd soon give him an underwater palm slap to his stomach before leaning into him more. The extra weight was one thing, but it'd soon enough lift as she gave a tilt away. "You smell terrible. Let me wash your back."

Even in such a compromising situation his instinct was to make sure that shower cap remained securely attached, and that glowing blue coif wasn't in danger of being wrecked by the rain that continued to steadily fall from above. At least that was his concern until Seirichi's hands began to move and his own moved in kind, relieved when he found himself to only be the victim of a belly slap as opposed anything raunchy. He grunted, shrinking back, though there was nowhere to run, and if he did attempt to leave the water the darkness that blanketed him and kept him hidden for the time being would be lost.

"If smelling terrible keeps you out of my personal space then feel free to call me Pigpen. His dirt kept all the girl cooties away," he retorted, lips forming a thin line, a sign of his annoyance with the situation at hand. "I'm sure there's someone waaaaaaaaaaaay on the other side of the pool whose back you can wash."

"Where's that ego? You're not sounding like yourself." Cue that chuckle. One that in the darkness gave Harris the image of the Ichi woman having the most wide shit eating grin on her face, which in fact she did, though the haze of his glow stick didn?t extend far enough for him to verify it. "Don't tell me. Is this weird for you? The Harris, scared by a grown woman getting in his personal space? Does your wife strike that much fear in you?" Her query was punctuated by a poke. Then a prod. Her index finger continued to off and on press against the man?s back, at least until she decided to instead run it down his spine as she spoke ".. I should use this to my advantage. They have a pool in the Outback, right? How 'bout we fight in the nude. You know, when you feel like not being a puss and accepting the challenge for your Opal."

The blackness concealed his scowl as he stood rigid in the pool, defiantly maintaining a passive demeanor in response to the Siouvani woman?s apparent advances. "My wife is the one person in any realm with the ability to chop off my ego. Which is why I keep my indiscretions to a minimum. And by that I mean none." And with those words spoken he opted to ease out of the range of her hands. "You don't give up, do you?" It was unclear if he was referencing her challenge or? something else. "I hope you realize I'm deducting points from your score as we speak." Only then was there a flicker of mirth, as the barest of grins threatened to emerge.

Seirichi snorted, which was followed by a chuckle. She was doing something, and it didn't have anything to do with Harris at the moment. Sound of a small splash, followed by what droplets of water that hit the surface of the bath that didn't seem to match well with the pitter patter of the rain from above. "I'm an Ichi. Ichis don't give up. That's how my Mom won over her woman, you know? Kept pestering her over and over till she finally gave in." Another sound. A bottle of something being squeezed, along with that air-sucking hiss that followed. "I'll just have to get those points back. Can't be that hard. I'm the best after all, right?" Poor, poor Harris couldn't be left alone. Seirichi reached to snag his shoulder before a slap came to his back. A soppy sort, and it wasn't exactly the Siovanuis bare hand. She seemed to be using a rather soapy rag. "Your wife," She'd speak out just then. "I don't know, I find it weird. I guess since Dyarhk?s been the only constant man in my life. I became his and then, bam, another woman comes forward. Not that I care much, I like Corea? but it just seems weird. You really that loyal? Or am I just not your type?"

Harris folded his arms across his bared chest in what could be considered silent protest, though he still wasn't running the risk of fleeing the pool and instead appeared resigned to his fate of apparently having Seirichi wash his back like she initially offered to do. "My wife doesn?t like to share. She?s selfish. And the reason she gives me such a long leash is because she trusts me not to go around sharing myself. That trust is highly valuable and once it's gone, it's gone forever. It?s why she always knows what?s going on. I won?t shy away from telling her about this? unfortunate incident. And when I reassure her that I'll leave you a bloody mess in one of the Outback's rings for putting me through this she'll smile that beautiful, ruthless smile of hers and that will be that." His lips twisted in a smirk, albeit briefly.

Seirichi couldn?t help but laugh. It was loud enough for others to hear as well -- but it melded with much of the same from the other patrons of the night. She shook her head after hearing such a thing. "So you'll seriously be telling her all about this?"

"About how you accosted me in a public bathing area and demanded I impregnate you in an effort to create what would undoubtedly be a world dominating spawn? Of course I'll tell her. It?s not like she hasn?t heard the same story before anyway,? he snickered, obviously less tense about the situation at this point as his upper back was given quite the rough scrub, enough to force him to move slightly with each of Seirichi?s downward strokes of the rag. There were dead skin cells to take care of afterall.

"Can you also tell her that I say ?Hi? and that she's pretty lucky to have you? Or, shit, nah. You're lucky to have her,? Seirichi informed him, going lower now, mid back and below being taken care of, and then she'd stop. The rag slapped down over Harris's shoulder with her releasing the end of it before announcing, "I'm not scrubbing your ass. You can do the rest."

?I?ll be sure to tell her everything like I usually do. Due to my celebrity status all the gossip rags in RhyDin are constantly slandering and, uhh, libelizing me, so instead of letting Stick read some skewed version of events she just hears everything from me first,? Harris explained, rolling his shoulders backward easily in appreciate for the rather thorough scrubbing. ?The fact remains that the only thing you?re ever gonna get from me is a sound drubbing. So you better be satisfied with that and soak up as much of my awesome as you can in the limited time span that I allow you to be near my person.?

"Oooo. Mista' Popular. I'll have to make sure not to beat your ass too badly." A crack sounded. The same sort of crack that came from a glow stick being lit. The illuminating light, though small, did it's best to cast that red glow over the curves of the Siovanui?s chest; good thing that it didn?t' have much to show with the way it came to rest between her breasts. The light itself was there to make sure Harris knew exactly where she was. Why be sneaky now? There was no point. "Seirichi Defeats Rhy'Din?s Best. Two to Zip. That'll look pretty nice on the front page. You going to make yourself chump of the week when it's all over?" The Siovanui, no longer tasked with back scrubbing, had instead submerged herself in the water so that she could float on her back in a circle about the man. "I'll try not to stick you in a hospital?Well, a month. Maybe. You don't mind sucking steak through a straw for a while, right?"

The snapping of a fresh glow stick caused his attention to shift and the concept of maintaining any sort of eye contact with Seirichi was completely lost. He cleared his throat in an effort to refocus on the task at hand, which had shifted to effective trash talking for their upcoming match in the Outback. "I'm really more concerned with how you're going to handle two losses in such a short time span. Losing this competition in your homeland and then being upstaged back in Rhydin. There won't be any realm left for you to hide your shame and failure." It was his turn to laugh, boisterously, the initial awkwardness of the situation momentarily forgotten. "And it's rather obvious who the steak sucker is between the two of us." He was wading toward the edge then, unable to contain what had evolved into a cackle.

"One." A splashing wave was sent toward Harris. Good thing he had on that shower cap, which he immediately grasped to make certain it stayed secured as his features contorted sourly in the darkness, almost to the extend of being eerie thanks to that soft blue glow emanating from his slowly dimming glow stick. "As long as my sister doesn't win? I'm golden. I can't expect you Rhy'Din folk to understand true beauty. My godlike body and the strength it holds? Any man in their right mind would obviously pick me to be the best. Maybe your week here'll teach you a thing or two about greatness." Another splash followed, this time from behind as she continued to swim about the man. "Two. The only steak I suck is, well, you don't need to know about it." Her turn to cackle. "Ahh, I hope Mia can make it." Then she?d reach out to pop at that muscular body once more. "But back to my godlikeness. Of course I'm going to win! Someone has to wipe that stupid grin off your face. It might as well be me. I make you look sweet and innocent by comparison after all."

"Strength, huh? I've only heard you talk about it. Can't say I've ever seen it. Which is the primary reason why you won't be able to take me or win this contest. It'll just join the list of things you aren't good enough to do. Don't worry though. As a consolation prize I may allow you the opportunity to train with me, so *you* can finally learn what it means to truly be great." Harris held his breath for a moment before finally deciding to hoist himself out of the water, and in an effort to make the moment less uncomfortable, at least for him, he continued the conversation. "I'm not leaving to respond to your challenge either. You?ll just have to wait. And rest assured, we won?t be fighting in the pool. I think we've spent enough time in pools to last a lifetime." And his feet pitter pattered in the direction of his towel, or at least where he thought he'd left it.

Seirichi lowered herself down further into the water so that she could rise up from her floating position. Fists found curvy hips while eyes focused themselves on that glowing blue of the retreating Harris. "Pssh.." What was there to really say to that? The Ichi kept mostly quiet, but not because she felt herself bested by the boastful mouth of the Rooster boy. No, she quite enjoyed it. And when her response did leave her lips? It wouldn't be in the form of words. Instead it would come as the sound of heavy laughter. Laughter that came with a body slamming splash as she leaned and simply dropped herself back fully into the water. Hidden dull grays looked up to the magical firefly lit sky above. "This is gunna be fun.. "

"And next time you wanna have a conversation try something like dinner. Really, any activity where I have my pants on is preferable." Spoken after finally fetching his towel and wrapping it about his lower body. ?I?d wish you a good night, but since I?m leaving I know that?s no longer possible.? And with that parting shot his first and last excursion to the Slipkey's pool came to a merciful end. One example of Adenna's lack of gender segregation was enough for this trip... and any other trips he might take to the place.

((OOC Note: Adapted from live play.))

(adapted from live play)

November 27th


Having drank a little (read: a lot) too much the night prior, as was the norm these days, Raye had been intercepted (luckily) by Corlanthis as she was attempting to break into Jono's house to rescue her shoes from their neglectful treatment. She was rather fortunate she had a friend in the vigilante justice business, wasn't she? Especially since the targeted house had a state-of-the-art alarm system and the owner was an expert marksman.

This was how she found herself clothed in boxers inside out and backwards and some weird sort of nightshirt that was apparently (hopefully) not Cor's; he wouldn't look so good in the pink ruffles, of course.

Lashes fluttered slightly to indicate she was awake and the groan of pain indicated the sorry state of her condition; there was apparently a marching band composed entirely of drummers pounding out a horrid cacophony inside her skull.

The marching band was Cor coming down the stairs from the upper level of the townhouse. And as his boot hit the lower level and he strode forward with the air of grim determination, he peered over at Raye, blinking. "Raaaaaye! C'mon! I can't believe you're still sleeping! You need to get up! Get dressed. . . " Cor's expression turned to one of puzzlement. as he blinked at Raye's outfit. "Where did you get my Ceremonial RUDE Chairman's shirt, from?" Which meant it, of course, was Cor's. (Of Cor's?). Then he was shaking his head and putting his business face back on. "C'mon, c'mon lazy bones. Adenna's not gonna wait and I've got a lot of people to yell at before the day is through!" He paused there, clenching a fist and averting his eyes to glare at it. Adenna would pay. Everyone would pay. . .

Annnnd...this is the moment that the almost break in from the night prior would come roaring back into her mind. "Oh gods, Cor...do you need to scream at me? Really?" A hand was lifted and waved dismissively at him as she attempted to cover her head with a pillow. "Ssshhhhh" Oh yes, she just shushed him, alright.

Of course, Raye wasn't entirely sure where she found the clothes as she didn't remember changing or even arriving here last night. The last she remembered was Operation: Shoe Rescue being derailed by...."Corlanthis! You caused my mission to fail! MY POOR SHOES! They will suffer more because of your interference." At this point Raye was so upset that she forgot her sorry state of being and dragged herself up into a sitting position rather rapidly (or so she imagined...think slow motion).
"Oh gods, my head. What did you do to me?" Because, as usual, it was all Cor's fault.

Cor blinked out of his dark reverie and stared at her for a span of moments before shaking his head. "You drank too much." Said with the consideration and lack of empathy that only the non-drinker can muster in the face of those more alcholically inclined. In fact, it was a wonder he wasn't grinning openly at her condition. But then, he was more than a little distracted by the goal of the day: to personally yell at every single person in Adenna.

He found himself begining to entertain more thoughts as to what he'd do upon arriving before shaking his head to clear it. Another glance back to Raye and he was urging her into motion with flippy hand gestures. "Besides, I didn't stop anything! All I did was catch you and ask you if you wanted to go along with me to Adenna! They have insulted my honor and I am going to make them suffer for it! You were all excited about it last night! Don't you remember?" Cor thought she was excited about helping him enact his revenge upon the whole city. . . .

"No, what I remember is almost gaining entrance into the prison where my shoes are being held and then..." Raye's brow furrowed as she tried to recall what happened next. "You were there and then everything went black. You obviously did something." She was just about to launch into a tirade about him doing evil things and obviously working with Jono to keep her shoes hostage when the rest of what he said caught up to her mind. Forgive her for the less than speedy mental processing...the loss of her children (shoes) was enough to cause this; nothing at all to do with the mass quantities of booze she had consumed.

"We are going to Adenna? Gods, Cor...why didn't you say so? Dyarhk lives there. I will demand a personal tour and then he can direct me to all of the greatest stores. I will rebuild!" Rebuild her army of footwear. Apparently, for the first time in a very long time, the elfess was actually focused upon a solitary goal.

Jumping from the couch, Rayvinn groaned audibly as the top of her head attempted to fly away. "I need coffee before I travel anywhere. Please tell me you have coffee." She was already flitting around the living room looking for her own clothing as she had no intention of arriving in Adenna dressed in such a manner. Obviously Merci had picked out this outfit for her to sleep in, she would need to help the girl learn to be more fashionable. "Alright, Cor...coffee and my gold. That is what I need, I will be ready as soon as you get me these things." He had been upgraded from Destroyer of Missions to personal assistant, apparently.

Cor was just happy he wasn't being blamed for something. But! The day was still young! Unfortunately for Cor, he mistook her enthusiasm for shoe shopping as enthusiasm for helping him plan out the most efficient course of chastisement. He scratched at his chin, eyes distant. "Yes. Yes, going about to all of the shops would probably be best. We'd be in public locations with more people. They'd be out working, and shopping, not at home. Good thinking, Raye!"

And then, at her request he nodded decisively, still somewhat lost in his own thoughts, however. He went into the kitchen and looked around for coffee. But, finding none magically awaiting his arrival, he just poured Raye a glass of iced tea instead. It was kind of like coffee, right? Then went and carried that back over to her. Once it was set on the end table next to the couch, Cor moved to that front closet in which he'd stashed her gems so long ago. He rapped his knuckles on it, then spoke, "Hey. It's me. I need one of the bags of gold in there. A small one, belt-pouch sized." Then he waited for a few moments before opening the closet door. A small bag tumbled out through the opening and Cor picked it up before closing the door. "Thanks!" and maybe it was just everyone's imagination, but a very faint, even to super-human senses, "No problem. . ." might have been heard. Cor added that next to the tea on end table, then looked expectantly at Raye. Why hadn't she changed yet?!

Rayvinn had been changing. In fact, she was out of the boxers and into her jeans and had just pulled off the weird ruffled ceremonial Rude shirt only to find that she had on her own t-shirt beneath. She looked at the iced tea and then the small bag of gold then looked back at Cor; her face devoid of expression. When he failed to go back to the kitchen to get her coffee or to get her a reasonable amount of gold she simply blinked for nearly a minute as this was processed.

Something was broken here. She had requested coffee and her gold and Cor was just standing there with his tea and a small bag of gold. Confusion was the first expression to grace Raye's face as she furrowed her brows. "What...is...this? That is not coffee or my gold." Sitting down once more, she began pulling on her boots as she awaited an explanation.

Cor was back to shoo'ing at her with his hand, having been fluttering around the townhouse, gathering last-minute items. One of which was the designer handbag that had accompanied Cor's invitation to take part in the Adennan Swim-suit Competition. Cor stared at it. And it stared back at him. Metaphorically. If a tumbleweed had been diverted in it's ramblings, and rolled between Cor and the bag, it wouldn't have fazed him one tiny bit. There was even a slight snarl in the back of Cor's throat before he finally took the rest of the gifts and dumped them all into the handbag. He picked it up by it's straps and turned to rejoin Raye in the living room. He paused as she simply stared at him, his brow furrowed. "What? What are you going on about? Look, we can get coffee in Adenna. And yes, that is some of your gold. I'm not lugging around half a ton of money for you!"

Oblivious to his shooing, Raye finished pulling on her boots and then stood up as her gaze honed in on the handbag he was carrying. Refocusing upon Cor?s face, her gaze narrowed before returning to the bag once more. "If you are now carrying handbags, fine...but is that a DeCausey?" She apparently didn't believe he should be carrying around such a bag. And so...Raye did what she always did, she decided to inspect, moving towards him to take the bag.

"Fine...coffee in Adenna. You are buying and it will be gourmet to make up for your lack of hospitality. I also have no idea what you think will happen with such a small amount of gold. I might get two pairs of shoes with that IF they are on sale." Definitely not enough gold to rebuild the army! Her hand was held out expectantly even as she spoke. "I require far more. Just get me a bag this size of the gems and I will find someone to help me." Help her do something illegal...in a city she had never been to before. No problem! Impatiently, she wiggled her fingers as she awaited.

"Yeah. It might be. I dunno." He looked down at the label of the handbag, then shrugged because something else occured to him. Cor looked thoughtful for a moment, eyes squinting before he nodded slowly. "Right. Right. Good thinking. We want to keep up appearances as best as possible so no one suspects our real reason for being there." He went back to that closet door and knocked three times in a quick stacatto beat. Then two longer thumps. A kick. Two more taps, another kick. And then some frantic pounding with his fist. Some more waiting, then and Cor once again opened the closet door.

This time a bag about half the size of the designer handbag came out, replete with padded shoulder straps. There were multiple pockets. One pocket held some of the unchanged gemstones, the others held a much more expansive supply of gold. And the whole bag was enchanted to be light-weight and manageable. He hefted it up and held that out to Raye. "This should be better. I think. NOW, can we go? Or is there anything else you think we should get first?"

Raye decided to take both bags and sat them upon the couch as she dug through the one full of gold and gems. A slight shrug of too-thin shoulders was given as she pushed that bag aside and started on the designer one. "That might be enough. If we run out of money then you can perform or something. Or we could take a government official hostage for a ransom." The entire thought was spoken with the same softly musical voice, no difference in tone as she spoke of committing a felony.

A slight squeal was given as she finally found the stitching on the inside of the bag that marked it as a De Causey. "You will carry the other bag and this one is mine." Even though it did have some dark red accent work on the shoulder strap. He would just have to deal with it...he wasn't the only person that loved that color. Hmph. Of course, in order to find that stitching, Raye had dumped everything out of the bag.

"Mints! Yumm." Tossed aside so that she could pull the ceremonial cinquedea from its sheath. "Pretty...worthless for efficiently gutting someone, however." Apparently Raye didn't realize it was just decorative. The bottles of shampoo were next, each uncapped and sniffed followed by a quick nod. Moving on to the men's watch, she barely gave it a glance before tossing it towards Cor as her sights were set upon the toy dog. "Cute. Okay...I don't understand what all of this is about but you get a watch and a useless dagger. That was nice." Rayvinn nodded a few times before putting the mints and toy dog into the bag along with two of the small bottles of shampoo. The last bottle was tossed in Cor's direction. "You need that bottle more than I do." Nose wrinkled slightly as she looked at his hair.

On the whole, Cor was probably getting the better end of the deal. He didn't mind her claiming the foofy bag, while leaving him with the money. If anything his would be the lighter of the two in the end. The watch and bottle of shampoo hit his chest and bounced to the floor below, the dagger was casually sidestepped if she tossed it to him as well. And as she rambled on, Cor continued to nod thoughtfully. "We'll want to be careful about upsetting local politics though. For all we know, that may be how Adenna elects new officials." Note that Cor did not bat any eyes at kidnapping either. And was actually suggestion caution so that there'd be less danger if they did attempt it. He casually scooped up the mints and popped one in his mouth.

Then while she was busy he reached up and ruffled his hair about before pulling his hand down and smelling it. It didn't smell bad to him. . . Then, just for good measure, he sniffed gingerly at his armpits. Nope, everything was in order! Luckily for Cor, he'd kept the transportation card separate from the gift bag. "Okay. Anything else? Yes? No? Too bad! Because we're leaving NOW." And with that, regardless of any further protests Raye might have had, Cor pulled the object from his pocket and pressed his thumb against it hard. He didn't know what a calculator was, but he stayed that way until whatever was going to happen happened. And then, it did happen. There was light. Magic. Action! Annnnnnnnnd then they were off and away!

Cor received a glare as he took a mint. "It couldn't hurt to ask if you want something, Corlanthis. I mean, is it really so impossible for you to be polite?" A melodramatic sigh was huffed and she was entirely oblivious to the irony of her statement.

"Oh gods...so gross. You will not be behaving that way in Adenna, Cor. We can buy better clothes but I cannot purchase proper manners for you," she chastised.

"Yes I am ready to go." Raye picked up the bag and stood patiently as she awaited transport.

The two of them frequently went back and forth this way but she might be just a wee bit harsher today than normal. Why? Because he had interrupted her mission to rescue her shoes. Also, she was horrendously hungover. Coffee...Raye needed coffee if Cor was to survive this.

Dyarhk's Easy-step Weight Gain Guide for the Winter

On the afternoon of November, the 27th . . .

?Daddy??

Dyarhk leaned his woolen arm to the cold window pane he was looking out and could feel the outside chill even through his sweater. His forehead was dangerously close to pressing against it as well, but he never sunk that close. Only a few places around his spot of the neighborhood had snow on the ground. One such place was the light post outside, and then another on down the street. Snow didn't have a lot of ways of getting in the city, but if it could, it did.

?Daddy??

?Dyarhk, Kellie's talking to you.? Corea turned her head around from the open cabinet over the stove in the kitchen.

?Huh?? he had missed it. He crouched down before Kellie holding out a Christmas ornament. ?I'm sorry, Kellie. Your voice is so sweet and soft I didn't even hear it.? a laugh.

?I want to put this one on-top.? she said, explaining the outstretched glass ball. This got Dyarhk's attention to it and then to the tree.

?Hm. Well we can't put it on-top. That's for the star. But let's see what we can do.? he picked her up, grunting unnecessarily as she was lifted to his height and then walked over to the tree. ?It's starting to look better. But it still needs a lot of work. Where do you want to put it?? he asked, leaning her closer and letting her place it on any limb within her reach. There was a surprising array of options.

Kellie had wanted to place it high, and being up in her daddy's arms, opened those privileges to her. She hooked the globe on the second limb she came into contact with.

?WOW!? Dyarhk exclaimed.

Corea jerked her attention from the table now to the living room with her hair jostling in the commotion.

?That's a perfect spot!? He complimented.

Kellie just smiled her overflowing happiness, so happy to the point that she didn't know what to say. All she wanted to do was place more ornaments on the tree and see what that did for him. He sat her down and let her get to it.

?When is Katt supposed to be coming, Dyarhk?? Corea asked, removing Marissa's tugging hand from the skirt of her dress.

?That's what I'm going to find out right now. She doesn't exactly have directions here. I'll be right back.? he stepped back to the front door and slipped his penny loafers on.

?Okay,? Corea smiled back to him. ?What ? Marissa?? she finally responded to her daughter.

?I want some more fudge.?

Outside, Dyarhk had put on a face tolerant of the cold. He didn't plan on being out in this for very long. He'd fine Katt and race back with her before pneumonia settled in. That is if that sweater lost its heroic fight, being as thick as it was.

He passed by a few citizens with seasonally friendly smiles, but he chose to keep those ungloved hands warm in his pockets.

?Good afternoon, Charles! What's for dinner tonight??? He asked him.

?You know, I'm not sure. Whatever the missus throws together, I suppose! How about you?? Charles asked back.

Dyarhk laughed, ?Sounds like you should come eat at my place! We're gonna have too much! Two birds, Charles! Two!? finally worth taking a hand out of pocket to produce the peace-sign.

?A shame. All that gym work. And that stomach was just starting to suck back in, too.? Charles shook his head before resuming maintenance on the pole light. It had a contrivance inside of the pole that turned on a feed of gas up to the glass-encased candle flame at the top.

?You saying I can't burn calories! Charles!!? Dyarhk shook his fist as he came to pass him, but was patted on the back by the gray-headed carpenter. ?Enjoy your evening.?

A few Rhy'Dinians could be spotted as he stood in the central market between the Slipkey and the Magic District. He took a moment to play ?I, Spy? and see if he could spot the brunette with the pink streaks in her hair. It wasn't long after almost everyone had been gone over with his eyes and a sigh left his lips. He sure hoped Katt was going to show up, but the harsh facts of life sometime were that people didn't always do what they said they would. Oh well.

He turned and started to head back when he bumped into the girl herself.

?GEH!? he began to fall back with a squinted eye. But his eye that was not squinted saw that it was Katt, and she was carrying more containers than he'd ever seen a person carry. ?No! The food!!?

Dyarhk blinked at who it had been that saved Katt's hard-cooked food. Of all people, sometimes.

?Huh? Mage! ...Wow. Thanks, Mage.? Dyarhk beamed, accepting the containers back apologetically; sorry for having caused the collision in the first place. ?We'll look out from now on! You have a great evening.? unable to wave with his arms full. He'd watch the sword on the man's back move through the crowd some before he turned back to Katt and put on a sly grin. ?I hope you're ready to get fat tonight.?

The whole short walk back to the Sunrise Overlook, Dyarhk caught up with Katt on silly things, and some important ones, all while weaving left and right on the sidewalk and occasionally standing on one leg to help balance all those containers. He wouldn't let her carry a single one of them! She was his guest, not just in his home, but where he lived. She wouldn't be lifting a finger tonight.

Some sounds were a relaxing, peaceful sort of sound. Like a fire crackling, like children playing. Like the front door opening a closing. And this home had all of them.

?We're back!? Dyarhk announced, guiding the door to a close after he and Katt had slipped in. And in going to place the containers in the kitchen, Katt should best watch out, seeing as two very curious and adventure-seeking little girls simply had to investigate everyone that came to visit them.

?Welcome back. I see you've brought Katt with you. Hello, Katt.? Corea sweetly smiled to her. But seeing the luggage Dyarhk carried with him put a blinking look of surprise on her face. ?My. Are you sure we have enough?? said Corea, joking since three-hundred and something days ago.

?Yeah. Yeah, I think so.? Dyarhk placed the containers down and assessed them with hands on his hips.

Meanwhile, Katt had been receiving all sorts of questions.

?Are you friends with my daddy??
?Why is your name Katt??
?Are you eating dinner with us??
?I like your hair.?
?Are you going to stay the night with us??

Ah yes, didn't matter who was asking the questions. Either of the girls, Kellie, or Marissa would have been just a likely to ask them as the other. And of course there was that last question. This one got asked a lot, and was the one the girls were often the most excited about. Because of their father's friendly and convivial ways, his guests often did end up staying over. And it was how they had grown so excitable by it, to hear strangers' stories and their tales all the way up until bedtime. They never got tired of it.

?I'm sure if Katt wants to, then she is more than welcome to be put up here. But remember, she's in the swimsuit contest this week, and she has a pre-paid hotel room at the Slipkey! Now you girls leave her alone and help me and your mother set the table.? he waved them to come over and join him. ?Katt, you feel free to make yourself comfortable. If I can get you a drink, I'd be happy to do that, I would!? he beamed.

Whatever Katt may have been bold enough to take him up on, she'd know he was good for it. Of course she'd know. She was here now because of her agreeing to the swimsuit competition that she was at first unsure of whether he was joking or not. No, thinking Dyarhk was joking could prove to be dangerous, depending.

Dyarhk and his family set about preparing the table. And it wasn't long of doing this that he got Katt involved. She'd have had time enough to indeed make herself comfortable, remove her coat, take off her shoes, relax in the living room, and perhaps admire a few mantle decorations, such as his collection of hand-carved pipes. But yes, she was going to be lifting a finger tonight! Absolutely! His rules were just as easily flipped as they were set in stone. But more importantly, he wanted her involved and feeling the love that was so easily produced by working together so simply.

?Alright, Katt. You have the most important job!? Dyarhk said, handing her a box of long striking matches. ?I need you to light the candles at the table! Without the powers of illumination, we will be unable to see what we are eating! I'll set the plates.? And he walked off.

Kellie and Marissa had been busy laying out the silverware and setting the basic guideline for the plates, and Corea was setting the actual food dishes out. It was as Dyarhk had said, there were two birds, and they were deep-fried. The most hazardous and delicious of all turkeys.

?I had the most dangerous job preparing this meal. Not only did I risk my life to ensure the quality of this meal around a constant fire-hazard, but I also had to go out and procure all my instruments because no one here had a turkey fryer.? He said, returning to the table with the plates.

?Out in the back, I was. Monitoring the thermometer, checking the oil temperature, applying artisan cooking skills, and ensuring the safety of my estate and neighboring homes in case of any unexpected boilovers. But of course I am far too skilled to every allow such a thing. But if ever there was a time I was closest to death, it would have been around all that hot oil.? Dyarhk recalled his cross-armed observances out in the backyard.

?Don't mind him, Katt. He is and will always be a storyteller. A lot of events are more dramatic in his retelling than they actually were.? Corea enlightened as she finished setting a few more dishes out. There was dressing, string beans, roasted red potatoes and carrots, mashed potatoes, and corn among the necessities, and a few experimental deep dish bowls that were by no means required to eat.

?Alright, Katt. You were responsible for the rolls. Let's see what you brought.? energetically, he worked his large arms around those containers she'd brought, and in-turn, he'd brought into the house. They all smelled delicious, particularly the Hawaiian honey-touched bread and the cauliflower and cheese casserole she'd brought. Both of them got spots on the table. And it was the desserts he couldn't wait to get into most of all. ?I can't wait to have a slice of each these pies, Katt. You've outdone yourself. I'll have to invite you over every year. Every year! We'll make a thing out of this. I'm sure once Corea and the kids get a taste of your cooking, they'll agree with me.? setting himself about with laughter.

Perking Corea's nostrils and garnering her attention, she turned her head back to regard Dyarhk and Katt and the containers of hot food she'd brought. ?My, Katt, that smells amazing. What have you made?? smiling and coming over to her, ever eager to learn new dishes, and if she was lucky, later, inquire about preparing them herself someday.

With that, the perfect shape of the dishes were cut into with their respective serving spoons and weighty plates were built upon under the careful and heartwarming flicker of the candlelight Katt had secured. A ritual of the Sunrise Overlook dinner table was a custom that Katt herself may not have been entirely aware of. And as Dyarhk came down the line of chairs, starting at Corea's, and set to end up at Katt's, it became all too apparent that her cheek would become the victim of some puckered lips that were none to free of surrounding whiskers of a near razor-sharp level.

Katt had never known endearing fatherhood or what that stood for, or that Dyarhk himself embodied this persona. But that was fine. She didn't need to in order to understand what he was doing when he kissed the two girls and the squirming Karaichi. It was a man kissing those he loved in his life, showing his love for them, ?celebrating? his love for them. And after Katt received her kiss and Karaichi laughed?

?Oh, you want another one, do you??? Dyarhk zoned in on the young boy. The two girls laughed at their bigger brother getting picked on while Corea prepared their plates. It became apparent very early on that the table was going to do two things for those seated at it. It was going to provide laughter, and comfort.

?Alright, girls. What are you eating? I haven't met a kid yet who doesn't enjoy mashed potatoes.? Dyarhk said, setting about helping Marissa get started eating. It was only obvious the two girls of the ages one and two would require some assistance. But a busy dinner table was a good one; was a perfect one.

Pleasant conversation orchestrated itself with the song of silverware to dishware. Seconds were had. Tears of laughter were wiped away. The fuller the party became, the more fatigued; and the dirty dishes looked all the more challenging. But this was why Dyarhk was here. He was a warrior. He persevered in the face of adversity.

?That was about the best dinner I've eaten all year. Mission accomplished, you two.? congratulating Katt and Corea.

?Is it time for dessert?? Karaichi hungrily inquired.

?Only if Katt says so. It's her pies she brought over. They might be just for her! You'll have to ask, young man.? he pressed his back into the back of his chair and laced his fingers over the armrest that his stomach now was.

?I think I'm going to put these two to bed, Dyarhk. Will you help me?? Corea asked, pulling Kellie against her in her arms.

?Of course I will.? he quietly replied, smiling.

And with that, the two girls were carried down the hall to their shared room where they first visited the bathroom for some nightly duties, such as the bathroom, and making sure their faces were clean before going to bed.

With them in bed and Dyarhk and Corea returning to the now small group of four as opposed to six, there was an air about bedtime creeping into the evening. But dessert was what mattered first, and the two saw about joining Karaichi in procuring a piece of something along with Katt if she had, as well.

?This apple pie is delicious!? Karaichi exclaimed.

?What do you say? Thanks for bringing it?? Dyarhk queried.

?Thank you!? He said to Katt, causing Corea to smile and pat his head in guiding him back to his chair.

?Need help with these dishes?? Dyarhk asked, removing his sweater and exposing a wrinkly shirt that needed pulling back down after he was finished. That hair might need lying down as well. There was no sound way to remove a sweater, after all.

?No. Not yet. Seiri and a few people may still come over. I will leave things out for them.? Corea looked over the dinner table, as there remained quite an amount of things left.

?Mm.? Dyarhk said, striking a match and lighting his favorite pipe. Well, his ?favorite? pipe would have been the carved herd of horses galloping across a vividly etched mountain range. But it did not have the flavorful ashes that attributed to the tasteful smoke created by his regularly used pipe, since it was clean. ?I think I will sit down for a spell now. Please, come join me, Katt, Corea.? he motioned the two girls over as he started for ?his? chair.

In the living room with the fireplace gently lulling, Dyarhk stuck the iron poker in and helped nurse it back to an acceptable strength. He smiled very somberly into it before turning to drop into his burgundy leather armchair with the brass button stitching. He loved that chair. Surrounding the living room was memorabilia from the fairy country, Huyglen, and a few trinkets from different places, each containing a story of their own. Nearly all of them representing friendship for how they were given. And of course, The Gods' Edge axe, two-hundred and fifty kilograms of sun-colored iron, was set up in the corner off beside the fireplace, and reflecting brilliant images in the ruby center of the axe as only a brilliant gemstone can do.

Unbeknownst to Katt, Sugidaro, the red panda, had been stalking nearer her. And when she was least expecting, he would red-panda-pounce onto her lap and make himself a comfy little spot. He did not show signs to be leaving/moving any time soon.

?Karaichi... I think a perfect way to thank our guest for all she's given you would be to fix her a cup of hot chocolate, don't you think? It would at least be a start...? he suggested as he puffed very controlled and mannerly whisps of smoke.

?Yeah!? He replied enthusiastically. Now was Karaichi's chance to shine. He'd fix everyone a cup!

Puff. Puff. ?I think I will gain... twelve pounds, yes. And I have your casserole to thank for that, Katt.? he laughed very dearly like an amiable dwarf might. It was true he borrowed their appetite for food and smoke, as well as their companionship. ?I cannot thank you enough for having dinner with us tonight. It was our pleasure to lend you a chair at our table. And a cushion in my living room.? that sweet laugh returned at seeing her in there with him.

?I cannot thank you enough either, Katt,? Corea said, coming to sit beside her, though respectfully with a couch cushion between them, or if they were seated to chairs, then they would have neighbored. ?Dyarhk does not often bring guests back with him from Rhy'Din, but when he does, they always prove to be very sweet. And I can tell you are just that.?

?She sure is.? Dyarhk would say in response to Corea with a grin and look given to Katt. He'd have made sure he said that before she might have replied. It was as the two of them had spoken about before in confidence... and like Dyarhk said he was who his friends said he was, so was Katt who he said she was.

?Here you go.? Karaichi said, ushering a hot coffee mug of hot chocolate in to Katt. ?Ow. Ow. Ow!?

?The coaster, boy! Use a coaster!? D yarhk energetically leaned forward to unstack a single coaster from the stack of them and sit on the coffee table before Katt for him to sit the cup down upon. He was looking out for his fingers! Indeed, Karaichi sat it down and shook his fingers.

?Miss Katt? Are you staying the night? Would you like me to show you the guest bedroom?? He asked. Like Dyarhk had instructed of him earlier in the year. To protect others, to feed them, and to give them a place to stay that they felt safe in... these were the things he told him were the most important in life. And he was eager to provide all those amenities for anyone he could. There was that, and being five, he wanted someone whom he did not know or was not used to that seemed so friendly to stay with them as long as she wanted.

?Mm... Katt's in the swimsuit competition this year, son. She has a pre-paid room at the Sipkey that is far more furnished than our bedrooms...? he said, making Karaichi frown. ?However, Katt is welcome to stay if she likes. And of course, we would love to have her.? he beamed. Puff. Puff.

?It would be no trouble at all, Katt. All you would need is an extra blanket. Something we have plenty of.? Corea said with a short and quiet laugh. She was rather proud of her fully furnished hall closet.

?At least you would be with family here. And the Slipkey is too noisy.? Dyarhk waved the notion of Katt leaving with a hand. His smile worn on his face and still managing to stay wrapped around the stem of that pipe. ?Let her think about it, Karaichi. Meanwhile, I'm sure Corea would like a cup of hot chocolate, as well. Don't you think?? seeing the boy back about his cocoa mix work.

Yes, he would stay up late tonight with the adults.

With everyone furnished with a cup of hot chocolate, the conversation began to go around the living room. Warm words and interactions not unlike the warmth provided from the fire itself. Stories were told, wonderfully animated and colorful stories that were just as suited for nursery rhymes and fairy tales.

?Yes, it was such a late night at the duels. And it was a shame of a night, as well! Because Katt had not yet started coming by them. What a terrible shame it was, because of that. No doubt she would have been my buddy there, but alas, my story... I had been there supporting Nayun with her magic-dueling aspirations, and believed she was finished for the night... Whether she was or not, it was time for a smoke break for me. Out I went and leaned against the nightpost and packed the bowl of my pipe with fine tobacco leaves and closed my eyes.

?It was then that I used this method, Katt, that is a thing imprinted upon my very soul... it is called the Lifestealer's Folio... and it enables me to communicate with Corea telepathically wherever we are. And we were having, or we were trying to have a romantic conversation. Well, she was just about to tell me something very important! How she felt about me in such a way that she had not yet conveyed, and would you believe it, I was punched and shaken to an alert condition during my trance!? Dyarhk smacked his knee and laughed.

Corea nodded, ?Yes, I was going to tell you how much I cared about you. It was nothing you hadn't heard before.? she comforted.

?Oh! But it was! And the moment was lost to the wind! But yes, Katt... I'll bet you didn't know that, did you... that I had a magical inscription upon my soul that not only allows this means of communication, but even keeps me alive.? he lifted his arm to expose his shirt-clad side where he ?assumed? his soul was. He even patted the area to show her where he believed it was. ?This is what happens when people care about you, Katt. If ever there's something wrong with you, or something that threatens you... somehow... your friends will find a way to protect you. I believe that with all of me. I do.? he beamed. ?I'm sure that if something ever bad happened to you, a certain mathematician we both know would come racing to your rescue.?

?A mathematician?? Corea queried. Obviously it must have been an inside joke.

?Yes, Corea. He is a young, up and becoming lad by the name of Sergei. And I do not think there is anything that he is not capable of when it comes to our friend, Katt, here. You should have seen those two interacting at the inn. Katt's natural blush is nature's truest teller if there ever was one. It is just a pity he was unable to join us for whatever reason, tonight! Hm... it might have been awkward if I were to have kissed him at the table.? Dyarhk looked off to the side. Indeed it would have been awkward, but how could he cease his seasonal tradition? He couldn't! And thus, the dilemma.

?Oh? He sounds dashing and romantic enough. And his name is Sergei, Katt?? Corea questioned with concern-painted eyes. She wanted to make sure it was an okay thing to talk about. If it was not, she'd change subject. ?It is getting late, certainly. Katt, if you will be staying with us, you are most welcome to. I can have Karaichi prepare your bed. I assure you the linens are very comfortable. I picked them out for that room myself. And with us down here on the main floor, you won't be a bother to us in the least.?

?I will.? Dyarhk chimed in.

?Yes, you snore.? Corea masked a chuckle with her mannerly hand.

?I'll go prepare the room, then!? Karaichi cheered, racing up the stairs. An excuse, to race up the stairs. Sugidaro followed, bolting from Katt's lap.

?Ah yes. Bedtime.? Dyarhk quietly mentioned. Puff. Puff.

Up the carpeted stairs he'd lead her. Arriving on the second floor, it was nice and quiet, and even the ruckus downstairs was somewhat muffled thanks to this crossing over into a new story. A hall lamp lit the entryways into the guest room, bathroom and second guest at the end of the hall. But Katt wouldn't be guided into that one.

?In here.? He said.

Taking her inside, things were even more quiet. The bedspread immediately drew attention to itself with its poofiness. From the darkness in the room a bedside lantern was lit by the young boy that soon illuminated the room Katt would be relaxing in. A bookshelf against the wall supported a few thick tomes of worn and interesting backing. A cute clothes hamper was beneath the foot of the bed and was where Karaichi would put the throw pillows.

?I'm glad you're staying. Tomorrow do you think you would want to help me build a snowman?? He asked earnestly after pulling the bedspread down to a dog ear on one side. From there, Katt should be able to manage things. ?I make good snowmen, but I'm not as tall as you. We could make a big one if you helped me.? he exclaimed. Katt loved the snow. And though she didn't know what tomorrow had in store for her, she had just made that little boy's bedtime all the harder to get to sleep to.

?Goodnight! Katt. Ma'am. See you at breakfast! If you need anything, my Dad's room is down the stairs.? he waved to her cutely before leaving Katt alone with her full stomach and warm surroundings to make comfortable in.

Things did not get much rowdier than they had been that night. Techichi energetically imbibed two plates of food and Karaichi got to stay up just a little later than normal to eat an extra dessert while Seirichi ate her first plate. It wasn't a table Dyarhk and Corea were away from, either. Much of the food had been very good, and beckoned a nibble here and there and a bit of plate-sharing and chuckling away.

Laying out on the sofa, Tetch tried and concentrate her thoughts of having eaten too much away from her while Lilith hummed a sweet song against her ear and writing love letters on her collar bone with her fingertip.

?I didn't know you'd have a guest over tonight, Dyarhk. Now I feel weird bringing my date over.? Nima said from his chair.

?Don't feel weird. Your room's all the way down the hall. And I know you'll be mindful of my guest's ears like you are mindful of mine whenever you sleep over here.? he smiled to her from the sink where he had been washing dishes.

?Pah..? Nima protested off to the side. ?I save your life and you give me volume restrictions. That is like telling me to give Zoe a lessened experience.?

?Well there is always next week, or if you can't wait, the neighbor's guest bedroom.? Dyarhk snickered.

Seiri smiled from her counter-space she had been leaning against in the kitchen. It was nice to see Dyarhk boss her sister around under his roof. ?Only you could keep competing swimsuit contest women in the same building and it still remain peaceable, Dyarhk.? Seiri complimented.

?It's all about togetherness and the food anyway, right? I'd completely forgotten about that until you brought it up.? He laughed at suddenly remembering it. ?That's right, you, Katt, Tetch, Corea and Nima are all competing! Wow. I've got half the top ten in my house. How bout that. Well, you'd all better get ready for your beauty sleep. Do you need it? Probably not. But it wouldn't hurt to have an edge.?

?Well we definitely have enough to eat tomorrow. I think for breakfast we'll have eggs and some of the sugar-glazed ham Chris brought over earlier.? Corea suggested, pushing a foil-wrapped container into the refrigerator.

?Now I want to get to bed even faster.? He laughed. ?Goodnight everybody. Thanks for coming over Tetch; Lilith.? pushing the short-haired blonde down the hall for some talking-to, but they'd stop. ?If you're staying, Seiri, you can leave the fire burning. I'll deal with it later.?

?Nah, I'll head back. I gotta check on Nayun and keep these two out of trouble.? Seiri said, jerking to her parents. ?Thanks for dinner. It was just what I needed.? That last bit she said a little quieter than the rest of her words. Her eyes lingered a moment in the corner of their sockets on the pair she'd had a bit of history with.

Farewells were said to the three women, Seiri, Tetch and Lilith. Dyarhk didn't stand in the doorway long because of the cold but made sure they got a warm wave from him. Closing the door, then there were four of them.

Nima wasn't going to mingle on into the night any longer. There was a time and a place for storytelling, and it was not now, not when she had a date with her. ?Well, Zoe. Shall we retire as well? We have considerably less to walk to get warmer than my sister and parents have.? a grin tugged on her lips.

?I think that is a good idea. Corea. Dyarhk. Thank you for dinner. Please come by my grill sometime soon, okay? You are always welcome.? Zoe said, being led up the stairs by the current Lilith of Liltu.

?Of course. Of course.? Dyarhk said, watching the two of them retreat.

And then there were two.

A stare between Dyarhk and Corea.

?I'll kill the fire.? He said.

?You do that...? Corea said, slowly backing herself in her socked feet to their bedroom doorway. ?I'll be waiting.?

Dyarhk watched her slyly remove herself from his vision by placing the wall between them going into the bedroom. He grinned, heading over to properly attend the fireplace. A stare was spared into it for a time before he separated the logs to help the flame die down. Considerably weaker, he'd spend Corea's toothbrushing time to observe it, turn the lights off, and spare a glance outside to the lamp post, and check on Kellie and Marissa before heading to his room.

The lights extinguished, the Sunrise Overlook itself prepared for bed; with tenants inside bearing varying sleep agendas.

ASC 2011's Top 10, Dyarhk's Perspective 5-8

Tara Rynieyn

With the announcement of that name, Dyarhk perked up with some surprise. ?Tara?? he pondered. He'd remembered entertaining her (at least he thought he was entertaining her) at the Outback one night. She'd made a seat out of his lap and gotten to telling him all about her ?evil? agenda of such nursery rhyme evil, he couldn't help but enjoy hearing. Which wasn't to say Dyarhk liked the idea of fairies getting their wings ripped off. No, he had quite a few winged fairy friends. That would be terrible. But by no means was she a person he would chase out of town with a torch. There was beauty and a brilliance to her that earned some of his keep with her from that first encounter. She was blunt about who she was, and what she did and liked to do, and that was always an inspiring confidence a great many of Rhy'Din's women could learn from. If only she was here! He tucked his lips in and sighed, still hoping she'd come out from those curtains! Alas. Things came up. That was life. So, unfortunately, was the competition's rules of an automatic score of five points per judge for failure to show. He made no notations.


Janis

Out walked one of Seiri's peers. Dyarhk remembered this one from his days with a less hairier chin and a much less-familiar Adenna. He had been an adventuring young teenager when he happened by the city the first time, and later returning to it a young man and around a freshly teenage Seirichi. Attending a Siovanui class with her once marked his first encounter with the young woman known as Janis. She was a fiery thing, it was just that the fire wasn't so scorching. He borrowed the microphone to ask her his question.

His question received an inspiring answer. Young Janis wanted to do what a great many Adennian women did, and that was become a Siovanui. Therefore, she was a sort of poster child for Siovanui ?in-training.? If you wanted to know what the women looked like who were going for this title looked like, Janis was it. Furthermore, this must have been what a Siovanui hopeful's beliefs and opinions were. Confidence and dream points awarded.

Porthos' question came next. It was a little too written out like an equation for Dyarhk. This was this, and that was that, and she'd follow this perfect guideline all the way to the top. A sweet sentiment, but not at all realistic. Points deducted for blandness, but points awarded for beliefs. He was gambling she was going to stick by them, though. If she wasn't telling the truth, then he may have very well just put her ahead of some of the other contestants wrongly. His frown geared toward his paper indicated his unsureness, but he still went along with it.


Freia

Another contestant he was aching to see just make an appearance, let alone answer questions! The most amazing Adennian women were the ones you didn't see, or hear from that often. They were busy with their training, preparing to risk life and all for some deep personal meaning, be it protecting their city, re-imagining an ideal, or realizing a dream. Learning of their ambitions meant you were special, special enough to hear their most secret goals and what culminated into who they were deep inside; things they did not tell just anyone. And being Adennian, they weren't beyond participating in the swimsuit contest. It was a huge opportunity to learn more about the quieter warrior women and see them dressed up.

Freia was one such woman. Dyarhk had known about her, but she was indeed one of the quieter women. He knew she hadn't had an easy life by any stretch. What had transpired was blurry in his memory. He hadn't learned or been told all the facts. But what he had known encouraged him to learn more. He would have loved for her to have shown up! But something must have come up. There was no other excuse for it. Not from a native to the city. Another regrettable automatic score was handed out.


Atae

Likely the oldest woman on the floor, that right away scored her points for looking so damn good when she walked out. She wasn't Siovanui, but Dyarhk was convinced she was doing something to maintain her youth. A compliment in the right light, perhaps. But however you look at it, he knew she was an amazing woman. As was her husband, Eizou. Both of them tremendous contributors to the current state of the city.

Harris' question was up first. Dyarhk took a drink of water. Mmhm. He knew she was going to answer boldly. She didn't chase trends. She set them. She didn't look up to people. She was looked up to. And she did a good job showing the audience and the judges that. And since he was neither a boxer or brief, but a boxer brief type man, he didn't feel targeted by her. Nevertheless, he made a note of her strong stance.

Next up was his question, and it was a heavy subject. Interspecies marriage. Never lightly debated, and rarely walked away from in good standing at a beauty pageant. He wished her luck mentally after getting the question out. Despite the difficulty, she didn't cave or allow herself to get trapped in a long-winded response. She answered just like she did the first question and stated another bold, personal, and unchanging opinion. The fuzzier percentage of their voters might have been ostracized, but she seemed okay with that. He nodded several times. No notes were made.

Porthos' question was last, and what was asked was not as surprising as what had been answered. Not unlike Leda's risque and flirty response, Atae laid it all out on how she liked to be kissed. The absence of clothes supercharged the imagination on that front, and if possible, she still managed to put a great deal of heart into her answer. It wasn't just for pleasure she liked to be kissed, she seemed to suggest, but for love. A huge winner in Dyarhk's book, and likely Porthos' as well. They agreed about a lot of things that were heart-shaped, those two.

Knock..
Knock..
Knock..

This caused quite the commotion for a sound so very small. It would be Zoe, that oriental beauty, who rose from the bed first. Her slanted eyes held a flare of fury only a true warrior of Adennas streets could offer. Who dared to wake her from her slumber?! Low snarl left those twitching lips - lips she kept at bay and instead found themselves bitten against in protest. Another rustle of those sheets followed..

From Zoes right came another figure. Sitting himself up now, Timothy set his own tired gaze in the direction of the door.. but unlike Zoe, he spoke out for his obvious distaste. ".. Someone is looking to b--.." -- "Quiet..!" Zoe hissed out. Her hand pressing to the mans face and forcibly pushing him back down onto the bed once more. Even though she tried her best, his words along with hers had already caused another body to rise up.. This time?

Janis.

Knuckle pressed to her squeezed eyelid while she tried her best to push that tired feeling from her body. It didn't take long - after all; Janis was one of the few guards lucky enough to protect the Queen of Adenna. Being alert at a seconds notice was without saying, even in the most relaxing of settings.. Then again, the comfortable sheets of the Slipkey did offer the smallest bit of resistance when it came to her wanting to leave the world of her dreams. ".. Ugh.."

"Your words are like poetry, Janis. Do you know this?" Nima would be the last to rise. Brushing locks of white over her shoulder. Plush lips parting to allow the smallest of huffs to leave past them. "Do not worry, my friends." Reaching out past both Janis and Timothy to run fingers across the soft cheek of Zoes'.The bed shifting only in the slightest soon after as pale, naked form rose from it. With a slow shifting of curvy hips that soon enough carried the woman to the door in question.

"Yes?"

The three watched as the door opened. The figure behind it blocked out by the view of that feminine form. Oh the way it glowed thanks to that illuminating light that shimmered from the hall. Nimas form shifted, a palm finding its way pressed to her hip while opposite hand rose up quite casually to flip through those snow white locks once more. "I see." The conversation looked one sided, as the figure opposite from Nima - at least from what the three on the bed could gage at, looked to be nervous.. Who wouldn't be at such a sight? The last they'd see of the figure would be the way it went dashing away from the door the moment its task was complete. Nima stepped back and turned about with a gentle grace to it. The door wide open behind her.

"I must ask you two to leave. Zoe, Timothy." Her hands kept behind her back. Holding onto something, yes. But would they question her? No. A serious no. They knew better than to do that. Zoe would be the first to rise and grab her things -- this wasn't her first ride with the daughter of the White Witch. Timothy? He did much the same, already slipping from the bed and awkwardly slipping on those jeans and tugging them right on up. The both of them left without even a single word, but they did offer Nima a kiss to both right and left cheek before they went on there way.. Only then would the pale woman press a heel to the door and close it.

Janis looked to this with surprise. Then nervousness.. something she would never admit to. Even in moments like this; an Adennian woman must remain strong.

"It will not be much of a surprise.. I already suspect that I've won the contest, but would you like to see the results?" Nima spoke while bringing about that gossip magazine from behind her back. Janis kept her lips sealed and slowly offered a nod.

Paperwork

One Exhibition Week Day . . .


You know how someone could find out how rich you were? By listening to your footsteps in Acier Hall. The sound of someone's walk in Acier Hall says a lot about the person. The echoing height of the elegant walls and circular chapel-like ceiling amplified every squeak and twist and statement of out of every shoe. Acier Hall, and the Slipkey in general, attracted a wide variety of quality shoes. But one man in particular stood out among the business magnates and wealthy philanthropists as he sped on his way through the traffic of those checking out, those checking in, and those seeking customer service.

?You better hurry, Dyarhk. Your soba's getting cold.? Christopher Andan chuckled, and he had such a unique laugh. Pity it was always such a short thing. But he had made a joke. The soba they had ordered came from the Evangelical Square's award-winning kitchen, and their prestige was shared by their soba noodles. Said to be so rich in quality, it would be a sin to eat them any other way than cold. In a hot soup's broth, their consistency is altered and lost. No, they were dining to lunch today with cold, dry soba served with a dipping sauce, both in decorative bowls.

?I'd love to eat if I wasn't so busy with these bills...? Dyarhk replied slowly, distractedly. He had been working up numerical figures on paper there at the second desk of Acier Hall with a lovely fine-tipped ink pen. The main desk had all the traffic and was considerably distanced from their choice eating spot, and for that very reason. Chris would point his chopsticks at him.

?Hey, you wouldn't be busy with those bills if you hadn't thought it hilarious to mail that friend of yours the Pink Achievement package. That male friend.? Chris just shook his head before dipping his chopstick-held soba noodles into the dipping sauce and mannerly slurping (or as mannerly as one can slurp) the chewy noodles into his mouth.

Dyarhk was just about done. He only had a few more things to account for, and then he'd bust out his checkbook. While crumpling up his math sheet, he looked around to see who all was out and about on this fine weekday. There had been fine-suited men and lavishly dressed women both accompanying them and by themselves. It was when he was rubbing his eye that he saw the owner of the well-spoken shoes making his way towards their desk, and carrying a serving plate of two very highly garnished c*cktails.

Dyarhk nudged Chris' leg with his foot to notice his briefly pointing finger. ?This yours?? Designating the drink courier.

Chris turned his head to spot the man carrying the drinks and was quick to finish the portion of food he was busy dipping. Sitting the fine Japanese-style bowl down and laying his chopsticks across his noodle bowl, he turned and regarded the man while simultaneously getting his wallet out. ?Hey. Man, that was fast. How much do I owe you??

The man catering the drinks sat the tray down and got out Christopher's bill. ?That is sixteen gold pieces. Five for the Meswen and Rainwater, and eleven for the Shiji Kinugasa.? He handed Chris the receipt.

Chris was already handing Dyarhk the Meswen and Rainwater fruity cocktail, ever conscious of his company, and then he did trade receipt paper for paying coin. ?Here. Thanks.? An additional gold piece. The server had been from the Blue Solace bar, after all. And only now had both his orders from two different serving corners of the Slipkey arrive to him. He lifted his expensive blue ice-themed tall drink from the platter and it was just as swiftly removed.

?Enjoy.? The server bowed his head and began back through the modest crowd.

?Heey, that is good.? Dyarhk critiqued complimentary-like. He held the red juicy drink out just the bit to examine the artwork that had gone into decorating it. A piece of green fruit stuck from it and made seem an island out of it around all the surrounding ice.

?Consider it a gesture of peace after this little debacle you stirred up.? Chris held up the "Swim-Suit Wish List: Vote For Special Entries!" poster before laying it down. Yeah. Dyarhk grinned knowingly, telling Chris the prank was still so worth it. ?Plenty of these got out into circulation, you know.?

?Can I have this one for a keepsake?? Dyarhk was already pulling that poster in to him that had Cor's name on the list of most sought-after women to appear in the competition. Chris jerked it out of his finger-pinch of a hold and began rolling it up while smirking at him.

?Hehehe.? Dyarhk snickered before picking his glass back up. It was damn tasty. And so had Chris' been. Chris had ordered a Shiji Kumo-themed drink, influenced entirely by the ice spider guardian high above the city. The blue ice was a specially treated ice that made it one of the more expensive drinks on the Blue Solace Bar's menu. But Chris didn't mind splurging every now and then.

?To a completed transaction?? Chris queried.

Dyarhk swiftly wrote out in handsome and hurried script onto the top-most check of his checkbook and snapped the paper out, handing it to him. Chris accepted and the two clanked drinks with smiles.

?Look on the bright side of this, Chris, and there is a bright side. My friend Cor still got your Christmas album.? Expensive drink masked even more valuable visage.

It was not long after their lunch of soba noodles was completed that the pair of Dyarhk and Christopher Andan were becoming creative and inventing new ways to recline in a desk space. Neither chair they were in were suitable for such performing functions as reclination, but that was where the creativity came in, and especially with the kicking of the feet up. Again, the second desk, not a lot of traffic.

But that would all change, and no sooner than either man had gotten their eyes closed for a brief resting moment of absorption, and time to reflect on the delicious meal they had just had and exorbitantly priced c*cktails. An entourage of sword-lance toting Lily of the Valley (special ops) guards had come bringing another pair along with them over. The pair bore a striking resemblance to Dyarhk the closer they got.

At the head of them had been Mage, a swordsman who toted around an enormous sword known as the All-killer, a sword that put his 250 kg. axe The Gods' Edge to shame. Never a man to look like he was having fun with anything, the situation was no different here. Chris approached problems and issues a bit differently than Mage (known also as the All-killer), though. He sighed and prepared for their eventual meet with optimism. Neither of the two of them got up from their chairs.

?What can I do for you, Mage? Would you like one of our deluxe prisoner suites?? Chris suggested, regarding the company he had been bringing with him. Mage did not look interested.

?I still think opening this competition to the outside was a bad idea. I caught these two outside a coffee shop making a bit of a scene. And this one made physical threats toward a young boy putting up contest advertisements.? Mage said, thumb-jerking to Cor.

?He said he was going to wring his neck if he put anymore of his posters up.? Mage said, incriminating Cor.

?That's right!? the boy said, the witness, the victim.

?Hahaha haha!? Dyarhk laughed back into his chair.

Mage regarded him with disinterest while Chris turned to face him. ?Is there something I missed?? He asked.

Dyarhk merely waved his hand for them to wait until he had gotten the funny out of his system. First, he rose and placed his hands on the counter in this romantic and intimate lighting to make eye-contact with the boy. ?Ahh, Cody. Little Cody. How reputable your word is. Mage, I'm sure you remember how he accused Charles the carpenter of trying to kill him with his fruit cart when it was he who broke then wheel off it? Or perhaps when he said Eizou of all people kidnapped him and took him to the mud demon's isle to coverup his own adventuring of the dangerous terrain? And who can forget the time he said Little Mishelle hit him, first.? sealing the deal with debonair grin.

?Um,? Cody began. He was in hot water now. He looked up to Mage to discern if he was still on his side. It did not seem to favor him so well anymore. ?Whatever! He's still weird!? and he would be gone, much more easy to navigate the crowd with his tinier frame. Watching Cody depart, Mage acknowledged Dyarhk had a point. Chris had already dismissed the charges and was smiling on the verge of laughter at the young boy caught by none other than his reputation.

?Now this one?? Dyarhk pointed at Raye. ?She did everything you accused her of.? Incriminating her himself, but understand, he could not do this without rounding that desk to stand on their side and present open arms to Rayvinn while wearing a big, smiling face. ?I can't believe you two made it!? said over her shoulder. He would bounce happy eyes over to Cor. ?Raye, you are looking so good. I hope you're here to compete, eh? Put these girls in their places??? He'd return from this embrace to absorb all that energy from her face. After all, what else had the elf been made of but energy (and shoe craze)?

?Cor! I can't imagine what brings you here!? Taking the man's hand with some brute strength and applying it furthermore in a vigorous shake. You only gave this to the best of your male companions, for the record.

Mage rolled his eyes but did not sigh. ?Just keep your friends out of trouble. I have other things I'd rather be doing than breaking up riots.? And he would depart, presenting that sworded back to them and starting on his way back through Acier Hall. He had admirers of that All-killer weapon All-the-way out the door.

No doubt, Cor could not be won over with pleasantries and loving greetings. And upon filling Chris in on the true story, Chris would nod in understanding. ?Ah, so you're the mysterious recipient of the Pink Achievement. I see now,? He turned back to his desk and collected his due payment from Dyarhk and other affects before regarding the cartwheeler once more. ?Here's your right here.? thumbing to Dyarhk who stood stiff and then put on a very guilt-conscious smile and brow-hang.

Of course the Palliator had scooped up Rayvinn randomly to sit her on-top of the desk and hand her up his drink while whispering simple little things. It was too bad Cor was not a female, not only could he have competed, but he could have most assuredly been getting this sort of attention as well. ?Taste this, you'll love it. It's made with a fruit indigenous to this area... and some very expensive liqueur.? Among other things he whispered to her, ?Have you been to De Causey's store yet?? ?I'll show you all the best places to eat,? ?Do you two plan on staying? Come on. You've got to stay,? a knee touch from the handsy man. ?Come on. I insist. One night at the very least. You and Cor both. You gotta experience it for yourselves. There's nothing like a night here at the Slipkey.? He could go on for hours, and they probably had at one point or another. He had to tear attention off the opposite sex and regard his long-time friend once more, Cor.

?Ahh, Cor, my friend. I sure am sorry about this.? unrolling one of the posters with his name on it and pressing it against his chest seemingly like he were wearing it, but that had not been the case! ?I promise you, we're in the process of rounding up all these. And if you wanna hit me, let's do it in private! I've got a bad enough rep as it is.? He snickered, placing the poster back onto the desk where it rolled back as it had been trained.

?No, by all means, hit him in public,? Chris murmured to Corlanthis as he began to pass this group. ?I'm going to take care of a few things. It was nice meeting you both. Just... stay away from Cody, and you should be fine. As for him, rough him up as you see fit.? One more regard to Dyarhk. A tip of the imaginary hat and he was on his way down the hall but not out the door.

Dyarhk clapped his hands and rubbed them together. ?At long last, we are alone and out of the watchful eye of the management.? He went behind the desk again and ran fingers over all the keys on the hooks. ?I can tell you two've already been through a lot by running into that little troublemaker. But more than that, Cor, you've been mentally and physically exhausted by this little prank of mine, which I apologize for. Let me make it up to you both. I'll get you a room... or, two rooms?? He had thought he was good on with his first suggestion. He knew Raye had stayed with Cor at his place, but wasn't sure on the sleeping arrangements. He made noticeably vague his unsureness. Better to live and have not been slapped than to have ever lived at all (slap: n. archaic. Primitive word for the much more modern punch administered by the insulted party. Popular among elves.).

He summoned one key and rounded the desk once more. ?You know what, there's enough room in a single room. Three bedrooms, you guys should be fine. I'm not being stingy or cheap, or anything.? He reassured, coming to stand between the two and play with the key idly to busy his hands. ?Hey, had to get you here one way or another, didn't I.? He'd smile to Cor.

?Come on. I'll show you to your suite. To the elevator...? He led the way.

Rayvinn struggled against the hand at her elbow, guiding her towards who knew what. ?I am not sure just who you think you are, Sir, but you will regret this...this...accosting me in such a way! You may take your hands off of me right this instant before I snap your finger bones like twigs.? Another jerk of her arm and half a step to the side had Rayvinn free of the guard. As he looked to approach her once again, her spine stiffened into her most regal posture and she regarded him haughtily with a cool jade gaze; lashes at half mast as she stared him down. ?I am quite capable of walking without your assistance, thank you very much.?

And that was that. She disregarded the man as if his existence had never occurred to her and the party proceeded towards where the two men were lounging. Was that...?Dyarhk!? Raye?s hand was lifted in a princess wave, a sweet smile lit up her features even as she hissed at the guard. ?Oh you are in so much trouble now. You just wait. He is a friend of mine.?

As their crimes were listed for Dyarhk and his companion to judge, Rayvinn was the poster child for the wrongly accused prisoner. She had affected a little pout upon her glossed voluptuous lips and blinked several times; quite the pretty picture of innocence. Until Dyarhk incriminated her!

A little snicker escaped past the pout and soon enough a smile split her features as she launched herself into his open arms. ?I am so happy to see you. You just wouldn?t believe the trouble Cor is trying to get me into!? Oh yes, let?s blame it all on Cor. Though this time...it really wasn?t entirely all Raye?s fault. Cor was a madman!

Rayvinn allowed Dyarhk to sit her upon the desk and without a moment?s pause she was sipping the offered drink. Let?s face it...Raye wouldn?t likely turn away from alcohol and the elf in her wouldn?t turn away from fruit so this was the perfect concoction. Dyarhk?s whisperings had her laughing as she sipped the expensive drink; a hand was placed upon his arm as she replied to his inquiries. ?I have not been to De Causey?s yet but I thank you for the bag. It is simply gorgeous.? No matter that it had been Cor?s present. What did he need a designer bag for anyway?!

Dyarhk was one of less than a handful of people that were allowed unrestricted access to Rayvinn?s personal space without receiving either a dangerous look or worse, so when Mr. Handsy placed a hand upon her knee, she didn?t acknowledge that anything was wrong with him doing so. ?Of course I plan to stay. You have invited me before and now I am here, so I see no reason not to. I am not so sure Cor will wish to stay. He is quite angry and has been tearing down posters and yelling at people since we arrived.? A casual dismissive wave of her delicate hand was given before Raye took another sip of the drink and tipped it towards Dyarhk so he could do the same.

For those (and this would be most people) that had not experienced a giggly, girly Rayvinn; this would be an eye-opening moment. She turned into this completely different woman around Dyarhk, feminine and sweet, and would feel no shame for becoming what she usually detested. This was different, after all. This was not behaving like a floozy, it was just behaving the way one was inspired to behave and Dyarhk had always inspired lovely sweetness from the otherwise tough elf. Rayvinn was just completely comfortable with Dyarhk and felt her defenses crumble around the man anytime the two were within proximity to one another. She had dubbed him ?Comfort? for a reason, after all.

She would, of course, blame it on their early morning walk so very long ago when they were eating cotton candy and watching the sunrise. Dyarhk had taught Rayvinn a very important lesson that morning and he would forever reap the benefit from imparting that wisdom to the confused and self conscious elf. The benefit he reaped at this moment was that special-only-for-him ?sunrise and cotton candy? smile. The one that lit up the elf?s features as if she were infused with rays of sunshine that radiated outward.

Rayvinn watched Dyarhk unroll the poster of Cor and coughed delicately behind her fingertips, also stifling a snicker that was threatening to expose her as the immensely mischievous trouble maker that she was trying so very hard not to be. ?He looks resplendent in those posters. I am sure someone has altered the image or perhaps took the picture of his left side...that is his best side, after all.? Was it odd that she knew which side was Cor?s best side?

As soon as Dyarhk and Chris began discussing Cor beating Dyarhk up, Rayvinn finally allowed that lightly impish giggle to be heard, followed by several more before Chris was bestowing niceties that required Rayvinn to direct a smile his way before grinning back up at Dyarhk. ?He says I can rough you up. What do you say? Wanna go a few rounds? I can pretty you up with some bruises so you look good for the contest!? From any other source, that sentence could be taken as sarcasm but from the elf, it was sincere. Bruises were beauty marks, after all...badges of honor to be worn with pride.

As Dyarhk lifted the room key, Raye snorted. ?I brought plenty of money to pay for my room.? It never occurred to her just what Dyarhk was asking when he asked if she and Cor needed one room or two. The idea he had was so far removed from her thoughts that she just didn?t notice any issue. ?Cor can sleep wherever he wants to. I can share my room or you can share a room with him or I can get him his own room? A slight shrug was given to show it was a non-issue. Then Dyarhk decided and everything was settled.

?What exceptional service we are receiving. I am going to have to speak with management to give you a raise.? Raye walked behind Dyarhk and Cor on the way to the elevator, finally looking around the place with more than a cursory glance. Elegance and luxury...the elf was suddenly very glad she made the decision to vacation here for a few days. Nevermind that it was supposed to be a mission of vengeance that was all Cor?s idea. She decided it was a vacation and that was a happier occasion, therefore it was the new reality.

However awkward Dyarhk might have been in that elevator, Rayvinn was definitely not experiencing any discomfort at all. Palms were pressed to the metal railing against the elevator walls and pressure applied so that she was holding herself off of the ground and swaying her legs. That was what she was doing...until...the music came on!
The elf immediately began to rock her upper body, fingers silently snapping to the beat. The real action was happening below the waist however. Stepping to the right with her leading leg giving a little bent knee twist followed by her left doing the same, she repeated the right-left leg shuffling to the right for a total of four moves. As she began the movements again to the left side, upper body gaining a deeper grooving momentum in beat with the music, she noticed Dyarhk in perfect harmonious step with her. He was given a wink and an appreciative grin even as she worked the four steps to the left. Both of their right feet kicked up with the heel remaining upon the floor rapidly followed by the left then right then left once more before Raye was shaking all the booty the Gods had graced her with as she took those four shuffling steps that turned her to the right.

Looking over she noticed, with amused surprise, that Dyarhk was still shuffling -- and shaking his rear end for all it was worth. Raye teasingly whistled at him before she began the process all over again and led them through one more round of what the more modern world would know as the Cupid Shuffle.

She would have continued, despite the lack of space within the elevator and the fact that Cor did not appear to be even slightly amused but the elevator dinged and the doors opened. Rayvinn shuffled herself right on out the open elevator doors and onto that plush burgundy carpet in the hallway of the fifth floor. She continued to groove along as she followed Dyarhk, sure to shake her rump and hipcheck Cor twice on the way. Poor Cor!

As soon as Dyarhk opened the door to the room and stepped aside Raye zipped past, took one look around and out the window to the view of Adenna and nodded. ?This will be my room. Cor can have whatever others...both if he wants. But..yeah.? Running leap onto the bed before she rolled around a half dozen times and then stood and jumped a few times before one final hard jump to bring her higher into the air so that she could do a midair front flip. Landing perfectly upon her feet, there wasn?t even a pause before the elf was running from the room and over to the baby grand piano.

Long elegant fingers tinkled lovingly over the keys, coaxing a wistful and romantic melody forth. (Chopin: Nocturne) Rayvinn only played a portion of the song before standing and moving around the room, looking at various items before moving into the other two bedrooms; all the while she listened to Dyarhk and called responses back to him.

?I don?t need a food massage therapist, Dyarhk...I have you for that since you love my feet.? Raye called from one of the other bedrooms as she rolled all over that bed as well.

Finally she rejoined the two, offering a bright smile for them both. ?I think I can stay here tonight.? It wasn?t the Red Dragon but she would make do with the quiet and lack of every murderous creature known to man creeping around the floor below her room.

As Dyarhk suggested they meet up for dinner, Raye nodded several times. ?I will need to go shopping for suitable clothing. What time are we meeting you in the lobby?? Even as she asked, she was opening the small icebox and pushing bottles aside until she found a bottle of grape juice and two chilled glasses. Both were poured partially full and one was held out to Cor. She would have offered Dyarhk a drink as well but he was already zipping out the door.

Grabbing the various menus, Rayvinn perused them half-heartedly until she saw just the thing she needed. ?They have a personal shopper for hire. I can have her take my measurements and go shopping for my dress for dinner and we can go swimming! Or I can nap. Or a bubble bath. Or a foot massage.? Headcant as all of the possibilities presented themselves and there was suddenly a danger of her head exploding.

?Cor, I do wish you would stop being so angry and just enjoy some time away from RhyDin and the stress of life there. There is a lot of fun to be had here. We have a ton of money to spend and they have a ton of things for us to spend it on. It is a win-win situation for everyone.? So bright and cheery. Adenna?s air apparently brought out the optimist in Raye and a good natured kiss was pressed to Cor?s cheek before Raye plopped down on the couch and promptly fell asleep...sitting up. It was like someone had flipped the switch to the ?off? position.

"Aw man. Already." Dyarhk removed his scarf to the inviting warmth of the place and continued down the tallest place in the restaurant which was the central walk that led down both sides of the stairs to the two dining spaces. Much easier to spot customers waiting to be seated this way, and even more so with this colorfully cast trio led by that yellow scarf and those silver and black pants. A mongoose by any other name. Just who had been eating this evening? A wide taste of personalities. Adenna's strong warrior women had been dining and laughing and conversing, and families with children had been doing much of the same. There was no wine-clinking going on here. Only mug-clashing and bountiful laughter.

A waitress caught sight of this party like was demanding of her position and moved to them.

"Hey! Three in your party?"

"Sure are!" Dyarhk replied enthusiastically to her, and she probably didn't need to hear that they were his good, good friends, which he felt the need to tell her.

"Is a booth okay?"

"It is more than okay." He replied to her, and she began leading them there. It was a treacherous walk, the less-skinnier of the group having to suck it in and squeeze by some seated customers to make it to the depths of the restaurant. Noisy, noisy, and then somewhat outside it when they reached their table. And Dyarhk, like the guest he was, offered Cor and Raye inside ahead of him.

Curious gaze flitted about the place as Raye took in every detail before stating very simply. "I like it here. People look happy." She craved that sort of happy, ate it up like it was a decadent treat. Slipping into the booth before Dyarhk, she smiled up at both of her companions. If Cor had wanted to share the seat with the man, he would have to fight a skinny elf for it. He might think he would win...

As they wandered the establishment, Cor let his emerald gaze start roaming the people present. He picked out a few routes that would make for convenient escape if the need arose. He even eyed a few of the safer looking windows with a thoughtful wrinkle of his brow, in case he needed to dive through one. And then Cor was shaken out of his reverie by the arrival of their hostess. As Dyarhk proclaimed their boundless friendship, Cor ever so slightly tempered it with a minute shaking of his head from left to right before they were whisked away.

While Cor continued to observe the patrons, he nodded in agreement with Raye's observation, adding in, "Yeah. It's a bit of a different sight than in Rhy'din isn't it? Not that people aren't happy there, but it feels different here." And as Cor mused, they reached their table and Cor watched the elf dart in ahead of him. The squint to his eyes could have been just a trick of the imagination, but Raye was sure to see it if she'd been looking at his face just then. It was immaterial regardless, they hadn't come for the seating arrangement, they had come for the food which promised to be something amazing, and Cor huffed out a sight as he carefully slipped in behind Raye, seating himself next to her, almost to the point of their shoulders touching.
He took this moment to lean over, letting his mouth near Raye's ear before he spoke, just loud enough to be heard over the din. "By the way, you really look quite nice in red. You should wear it more often."

A smile then. Grand words from Cor given his taste in clothing.

Gray green hues were narrowed upon Cor, thick lashes lowering to a dangerous level. There were many reasons he received this reaction: the first was because he had altered her seating plan. Never. Change. Princess Rayvinn's. Plans. Ever. The second reason was because she was now fairy certain that this was not Cor, but an alien-inhabited Corlanthis. He was -never- this nice to her. Why was he sitting so close and whispering compliments into her ear? And what would be Raye's reply to Cor's sweet words? "Weirdo!" But at least she hadn't stabbed him, which had been her first reaction. Everyone knew if you stabbed someone that was potentially inhabited by other life forms, their blood would be green slime and there would be proof. She was on her best behavior, however.

Ah yes, there had been the food. Something Dyarhk would touch on as he slipped in beside Cor. This made the curved booth seating arrangements Raye - Cor ? Dyarhk, with Cor in the middle of all places. Somehow Raye had lost out on sitting next to her esteemed host for the duration of her vacation, but the night was still young, and there were many more plans capable of concocting to change this if she so desired.

"You guys are going to love this food. I've got two Rhy'dinian opinions carefully weighing on this, so I chose out eatery especially carefully. Particularly in your case, Cor, I think you'll be able to appreciate the food here, and why I chose to make Adenna, and its cuisine, where I call home. I hope you'll enjoy it." He finished folding his scarf many times over and working it into his coat he had now removed to keep the two together, and then handing it to the waitress who then asked if she could take anyone else's.

Dyarhk now showed his burly masculinity in a forest green short sleeve shirt with some white text emblazonment on the chest, and a long sleeve gray undershirt in wonderful contrast beneath that. His hand helped make always comfortable crow's nest out of his short head of raven hair. "Thank you very much, Miss." Leaving the menus alone and getting comfortable with a stretch and laced fingers behind his head, and a sneaky smile upon his company.

Scooting around the booth, Raye retrieved her coat and purse and then moved to the entrance of the booth and hipchecked the burly Dyarhk in order to get him to scoot over, which would force Cor to scoot as well. A stage whisper, not impossible for Cor to hear, was whispered in Dyarhk's direction. "Cor is acting weird and I don't think it is him if you catch my meaning." Eyes narrowed a bit as she cast her glance back towards him.

?Maybe he is a robot.? Dyarhk whispered back to Rayvinn not impossibly to Cor's hearing while he administered friendly back rubs to make note of the new seating arrangements.

"Can I start you off with something to drink?" She would ask this friendly party, and Dyarhk would move to answer for himself.

"I think I will have a beer boot of Silver Mark, thank you. And for my friends...?" He passed the drink ordering torch. The waitress would hear each their orders with what coats and winter gear she had been entrusted. All this of course after electronic-coding with plastic clamps each of their items. Very fancy! And then with their orders, she would head on to place their drink orders and send them their official waitress.

Rayvinn was happy to hand over her coat, mittens and earmuffs to the waitress, smiling warmly as she did so. "I will just have what he is having...Silver Mark." A little nod before she turned back to study Cor, then Dyarhk with a thoughtful expression upon her face.

A brief amount of time passed while they exchanged pleasantries and a few stories. Dyarhk just couldn't help but tell them about the time he first traveled to Huyglen, the world of the fairies, and was able to join in on the final days of Prince Rauland Dearing's ten year long crusade to rescue his betrothed Lia d'Ivri, a water pixy. How he wore a helmet no larger than a large acorn as part of his custom crafted armor specifically for the campaign was only apart of such a colorful and unique tale. Raye had already heard the story, but Cor, and a few listening ears from neighboring booths sure hadn't. It brightened his cheeks to pass the story on.


Cor settled back against the booth and began to quietly sip his tea and await the meal he had ordered. But once it appeared that Dyarhk was edging into story mode, Cor blinked back into full alertness and gave thanks for the fact that Raye had inadvertently freed his avenue of escape. He held up a hand, offering a quick smile as apology.

"Ah, if you'll both excuse me. I need to borrow the facilities of this fine establishment for a moment. . .sorry. Sorry to interrupt!" Cor was fighting to keep the smirk off of his face, Raye was flicked another wink before Cor darted away from the table before either of them could stop his escape. He probably went off in the wrong direction for the bathrooms, but that was fine. Cor simply hadn't wanted to get caught in the unavoidable mire of that tale. He ducked behind some tables, moved behind a counter, and slinked below a railing. A number of restaurant goers had started watching him and Cor just waved cheerily and offered them all smile.

"Hi there, how are you? Service here is great, isn't it? Enjoying your meal? You are! Fantastic! Is there anything we can do for you? No, I'm sorry, I can't stand up. Back problems you understand. Oh, yes, thank you for your well wishes! Have a good evening! Oh yes, and you too!" Then he was off. Slink slink slink. Occasionally he popped his head up and peered covertly at his table And when it seemed that story time was over, Cor reseated himself, giving another apologetic flash of his smile.

"Sorry. Was having some trouble. It all worked out in the end though." Cor settled back in to await the meal.

?Oh, Cor! I was just telling Raye about the time ? ? Dyarhk began, but was interrupted!

"I don't believe it. It's one of the swimsuit contestants!"

"It is?!"

"Yeah, look!"

"Oh, wow. I think you're right."

"No one would be eating here that beautiful unless they were apart of the swimsuit contest."

"Now, now, friends. Yes, Raye is a very beautiful woman, and yes, I told her to enter the swimsuit competition. But she refused. I'm sorry. But I am sure she appreciates the compliment." Dyarhk spoke in, proudly, for the elf. Even he was flattered that she had received such high praise. She was deserving of it as far as he was concerned.

"Nah, not her! Him!" The man said, pointing to Cor. "I wouldn't forget that face even if I only saw the poster once!" The man exclaimed, and a bit of a rowdy show began to assemble itself outside their booth. People turning around in their chairs just to see who the men were talking about, and of course one of them had been a woman who thought Cor was just to "die" for.

"C-Cor...?" Dyarhk said when a dizzying, wobbling of the head befell him, and the long-lasting damage of his prank was still seeping its venom in. But then... the overly loud chatter was abruptly silenced.

"QUIET!" A warrior man said with a very imposing black mustache. Make no mistake, he was thin. But he looked meaner and more combat capable than almost every person here.

"Crap! It's Isaias!" Random Diner Thug #5 said off-screen as everyone shuffled back to their seats.

In silence now, save for the bootsteps of the chef-dressed Isaias, the head chef himself walked over to and before Dyarhk, Raye, and Cor's table, staring at each of them before pointing very slowly at Cor. "You must be the one that placed that specific order. More things to not get wrong than things ordered..." He held out the meal ticket that Keldon had filled out for Cor, and the damn thing was almost full. "But I think more important than that..." He reached back behind him where a clean cleaver was always kept with its ringed hilt ever-protruding and swung down forward suddenly something that surprised all three at the booth and the entire restaurant that had been watching on with nail-biting interest!
It had been a poster of Cor! Damn, another one! Dyarhk was going to have to apologize something fierce for this one. But hold on a second? It was indeed a poster of Cor, but it was not the one he had put into circulation. No. This was an "old" poster of Cor, and by no means an official one. Cor would not have recognized its publication, but he would have recognized the style in which he was dressed in it as being more than a few years old. And it had been taken in/outside of Oh-Oh.

"I took an over-realms cooking course a few years back..." Isaias began. "A lot of what I had was nothing out of the ordinary. Leave it to the basic breakfast concoction, something I'm still very passionate about, to change my views on omelettes altogether! I had the best omelette I've ever had in my life at your establishment! If only I could cook an omelette like this one day, I told myself! And now the cook is in MY restaurant!! Corlanthis Wystansayr!!"

Isaias turned suddenly with arms up and rose the crowd into a cheer of high energy. He would turn again. "Well, this is a special occasion, indeed. Corlanthis, please consider your meal on the house tonight... But if you would please give me the great honor. You must cook a dish for a lucky customer in our diner tonight!!" More cheering followed, and like one of those birthday groups that approached your table, one would approach and further still increase Dyarhk and Raye's laughter/clapping at Cor's expense. Working Cor out of that booth in only the friendliest demeanor (but with the vicious power a mob commands), not even the windows would be obtainable in their clutches. Cor was worked into an apron and fastened and then guided back toward the kitchen with even more clapping. Dyarhk just could not stop laughing.

"Don't let him make my dinner!" Dyarhk snickered.

Cor cut a bemused glance Dyarhk's way as he tried to play the attention off onto Raye. His "fans" for the most part were completely ignored. That was how you made bad things go away, right? He looked over to Dyarhk, actually turning towards him now, and for a moment there was a hint of the fire and anger that had spurred Cor and Raye to Adenna in the first place. "You know. Your muscled thug was lucky he took us to you instead of doing something more drastic. I really didn't want to have to hurt anyone trying to get those posters down." This was offered in the off-hand tone of one who believed every word that had just been spoken. Not just with the surety of one trying to convince another person, but with the casual disregard that suggested Cor didn't really care if anyone believed him or not. It was just a simple statement of fact.
In the meantime, the adulation of Cor's fans (regardless of whether they were fans of the swimsuit poster or not) was music to Cor's ears as it grew in volume. He let off a few lofty waves now, a smile here or there. But as Isaias arrived and began to criticize Cor's order, Cor lifted a hand up, sputtering in protest. "It's just a pudding! Chocolate pudding! I wanted some caramel sauce on the side, and the skin nice and firm! If that's beyond your establishment's capability, clearly I was in error in allowing this place to be recommended to me." Cor's brows arched upwards and his tone was starting to get belligerent as it did when he was pushed on something. But then Isaias surprised him further by revealing that other, older poster.

Cor's mouth dropped.

"How..di..where. What?! How?" His brows furrowed. "I think I would have remembered if you'd eaten at Oh-Oh. .. maybe. . ." Cor did serve a lot of people. But then the crowd had taken the bit in its teeth and Cor was getting surfed on over to the kitchen. Raye and Dyarhk might hear a enthusiastic "WOOO!" as Cor rode (literally) the wave of adulation. Somehow, he even gained an apron. Sweet. He could use that at the shop. And then. The moment came. The kitchen. Cor approached the workspace, eying the racks and racks of implements. The stoves, the ovens. The cookwear. All of it with the trained eye of the omelet chef. Which to say was that he had only the slightest idea what most of it did. Omelets did not traditionally require much in the way of intricacy. But not knowing much about something had never stopped Cor before.

"Alright, my peoples! Let us do this!"

Dyarhk did wipe his mouth with a cloth napkin and place it on the table now instead of his lap to signify he was done. "Hot. Very hot," He fanned his mouth a few times. "I hope yours were good?" Asking them both.

Rayvinn had dug into her meal with the gusto of a starving individual that hadn't seen food in a week. This fervor ended within moments because she had honestly filled up on ale. She did, at least, taste everything on her plate once.

"That was so so good!" She answered in reply to Dyarhk's inquiry. Cor was looked upon, a long scrutinizing gaze that gave nothing away as to what the elf was thinking. Just be certain she had not forgotten that a certain someone was likely not whom he was pretending to be. She would be watching him closely. As for Dyarhk, Raye smiled sweetly up at him. "Thank you for bringing us here. But I insist on paying." She lifted a hand to forestall the argument she knew was coming. "I insist. And if you refuse, I will be forced to be less nice." Yeah right. She was always nice to him.

"Pay, then! Help me and my stomach up first though, Raye." Dyarhk asked of her when they began getting out of the booth to make a joke of his fullness and with all the appropriate grunts. Checking back to make sure Cor hadn't left anything behind because he would have hated for that to happen, he didn't see anything. Thank goodness. Then he made sure Raye had her purse and everything checked out. It was just down to collecting his and her coats now, and that was a simple scan of a process nearer the front entrance. A genuine thanks for coming was hollered out by Isaias, and then they would be on their way.

Coated and scarf-equipped, they were blown upon by the freezing winds outside once more, and reminded just how different it was from the heater that was hundreds of eating persons around you.

"Everybody got their doggy bags, I hope." Dyarhk Muttley-chuckled with a handsome smile. "I'll walk you lovely ladies home." He gestured with a cant of his head. Starting across the street of pink cobblestone (faintly noticeable at the late hour), and taking a much simpler route to back to the Slipkey. Probably surprising enough to make travelers of a more complicated way, go 'wow!' But it was only so amazing. Dyarhk looked at Raye as they soon stood before the front entrance.

"Goodnight, Raye. You two feel free to carry on the party up in your room. There's a bottomless pit of liquor in there, and it is called the telephone to the front desk. In-fact, treat it like a genie with infinite wishes. That's much more appropriate." He grinned brightly before enveloping her up in his arms once more for the night's farewell, then he was facing Cor. He held out his hand.
"Put her there, Iron Chef." He winked, taking his hand. "Mission accomplished. I don't think anyone around here is going to want to bother you again for a long time. Oh-Oh should even be peaceful. Just how you like it." He'd pocket his hands then and take a step back. "I'll see you guys around." He winked, and then headed off down the road enthusiastic as always.

End.

Do not kill this man. One of the many upon many restrictions she had been given by the White Witch. She was a tool, a weapon - that was all she knew in this new life of hers and that's all she cared for. Being forced to sit here with this man had rubbed her the wrong way, but the way she handled herself spoke different. Dyarhk had asked a favor of her Mistress, and when she is put to task by her, she will do as she is told.

"I am not angry." She'd said.

The pause between Dyarhk's words and her own had been little to none. Her eyes downcast themselves for a moment so that she could stare down at the beautiful dress that adorn her form. Those blues didn't stay down for long, and instead placed their sights back onto the man across from her once more; and in doing so catching his own greens as well. Silence. Silence could be golden, as it allowed the sound of shifting fabric to be heard. Hand rising from her lap and gently reaching out to be taken by Dyarhk's own. ".. It is."

With that hand in his own, she was pulled up rather suddenly and into his proximity for a brief moment's surprise, and then ushered out, led by that hand to those dancers gathered. When you were somebody, a big somebody, you danced in the outer circle. When you were the king and the queen, when you were royalty, when you were the reason the ball was being held, you danced in the center; and that was right where he led Celestial. He turned to face her not wasting of one moment with eyes off her to keep a hold of her by her blue eyes, later joined by both his hands on her satin-covered hips. He took a breath and became smooth and quiet in preparation of such close quarter talking.

"You're either one or two things, Celestial. You're, one, confident and uncaring of what others think of you, or you're, two, shy and nervous... in which case you might not care to know that every pair of eyes in the room are now upon you." He stated while he gave look past the sides of her eyes, sure to never wander far from them.

Celestial looked about herself. Those hands at her hips, the close proximity the two of them had been at with one another. Just then, before Dyarhk would have to take the time to guide her arms, the puppet rose her appendages. Fingers running along the males sides, his shoulders, and finally allowing arms to wrap about the back of his neck. Loosely held, but enough pressure brought about to draw the two of them even closer to one another. It could be said that she must have done something like this before.

"... Others are not my concern. I am here to spend this evening with you."

It was surely noticed when she wasn't stepping on his toes, either. The slow dance wasn't a complicated one by any means, but it shewed she spoke some of the language. He would only look outside of her eyes once more and it was in the clockwork-like preparations he'd made this evening. The music changed. Many of the lights lowered like those at the gamblers' tables. And the baby chandelier of the less than full-sized ballroom became the central focus. He looked away just as the cellos and violins of the house orchestra begun telling a musical story of romance.

"Say... you're not bad at this, are you. Swords, dresses, dancing... you do it all? I've heard a little from Lilith... but that doesn't mean I don't want to hear it from you. What do you know about yourself?" He had spoken the Lilith portion over her shoulder and directly into her ear as the dance entered that stage of closeness.

Words softly reaching her ear. The woman pressed her chin against Dyarhk's shoulder while also giving the smallest tilt of her head. ".. I know what I must." Then he spoke of wanting to know about her. This was a subject that caused the pause to return. Celestial continued to dance, but in silence, till finally those painted lips parted to speak once more. "I am a weapon to the Mistress.. my memories, to her, are problematic.."

Almost immediately following her words his smirk was dropped in favor of something much more serious. ?That is so very sad..."

They'd continued to ever-slowly rotate. As of now, he had view of the bar that bridged the gamblers' pool hall-like a deep in the back of the lobby, and the instrumentalists carpeted step-up stage with the tapestry-like auburn curtains.

"Beauty that no one sees... a person that no one can know... I realize, that is, I understand your life is one that has already been paid. That was the time of your complete freedom, and it is gone now. As you are now, this is the part of life what I'm sure a lot of people would say comes, after. But... I would not call it suffering... and I would not say your freedom is removed, not entirely. There are still some decisions you can make, Celestial." He placed his hand on the back of her head just glancing to adoringly alert her of his intention to no longer warm her ear and instead look her in the eyes again. "Your story's very sad. Your... memories. But they are yours. I can't arrange for you to get them all back... but some..."
He'd stop the dance in a very slow and peaceful transition into standing while he'd reach inside of his suit jacket side. What he produced was what looked like a jewelry case. He'd hold it between them, but not out. "Lilith hasn't taken away all of your freedom, Celestial. You can still choose to remember some of your past. You can keep on like you always have... oblivious... and it's worked so far. Or you can discover more of who that person is that looks like you."

Hands grasped gently against one another at her front. Standing there in a way, as if waiting for him to make the next move, Celestial's blue eyes fell and took notice of the produced box; something about it caused her to give it a stare before slowly closing her eyes. "... I choose what is granted to me, Dyarhk."

Opening the box and closing it again having removed the contents. He took that step closer where the passing of the item would be almost unnoticeable. To everyone else, it seemed as he had just been holding her hand.

"Open your eyes, Celestial. Open your eyes and remember." His fingers slowly uncurled and left her hand now to hold onto the item. A most normal-looking bell, but that it did not ring. This was because of a folded slip of paper that had been fed into the vents that imprisoned the ball bearing from making the bell ring until the time it would be removed. Celestial's head dipped and eyes opened to take in the sight of the gift.. and once taken, only then did she freeze. Her palm relaxed, fingers curled in a sort of way to crate a cage around the bell.. but even as it rolled within her palm for that small second of time, it did not chime. But it did ring; the sound echoing through her mind.

Fingers curled even more. Clenching the bell within her palm while she grit her teeth. What was this feeling? She could make out a small girl. Furred.. wings fluttering.. mewling out happily. "... Renya.."

He'd watch her as if expecting either a volcanic eruption or tons of ice to melt from this cold and direct tool of destruction Lilith has been using. He wasn't one to dullen or damage others tools, especially since he was known for borrowing them on occasion, but this was one instance where he had to intervene in this woman's life, even if it had already ended long ago. He did not know why.

"You do not have to rush it returning. That's the beauty of mementos. They're not going anywhere, and they're not going to be taken by Lilith. I do think, though, you at least owe it to me to share it with...just what you remember." He'd smile and extend his hand for hers once more, her hand that did not hold the bell.

With her hand given freely once more, he would hold it just up in guiding out of the ball floor, but this was doubly interpreted as a celebratory gesture and the end of their dance, and a brief applause was given to the twosome that gave a most unique performance while it has lasted. Very strong and brief appreciation came to an end by the time he had escorted her to their table and given her chair to her with a conclusive tucking-in after she'd sat down. He moved then to join her at his own chair across from her, placing the box back within his interior breast pocket.

There she sat. Inspecting the bell that had been resting within the palm of her hand. Gentle twists of her wrist, causing it to roll about silently; but once more, with what he would hear as silence - Celestial would hear as a steady chime. "A girl.." She'd start. Closing fingers about the bell once more so that she could draw the hand closer to press it to her chest. ".. Young, smiling.. I do not know who she is.. but she makes my heart feel at peace."

He softly smiled. "Now it is an okay thing for you to look that beautiful. You have a memory in your heart. You are no longer empty. Better yet, you were able to share that with someone. It wasn't just something you discovered and remained quiet about. That would have been different. Everyone should have a person that thinks of them. Everyone." He leaned back then and made his long-awaited return to the dining menu.

Back of her hand pressed to the palm of her left; both now resting within her lap. While Dyarhk looked over the menu, Celestial only kept her sights on the bell. "... The Mistress.. I do not know how long I will be allowed to keep this memory."

"Assuming you do not lose it, you shouldn't have to worry much. If you do lose it, at least you have it for tonight." He called the waiter over. "We'll both have the sirloin cooked on one side." Pointing to the one in which he referred and the waiter would be off. Dyarhk sniffed the droopiness of his approaching cold away and sat up more straight with his eyes and thoughts up at the ceiling.
"I made a lot of preparations, Celestial... It's all planned out. Enough planning and you can do anything. I really believe that. Almost anything." He looked down and casually gripped his face in his hand. "But there are some things you... can't prepare for. But I wouldn't worry. That bell, and the memories with it, are yours again now."

The map was an old one, or at the least it dated back to the swimsuit competition. Cartoon icons aside it was a detailed street map. The acquisition of the map however was a complete coincidence. Kruger had discovered it in the room at the inn he had shared with S?jira. He had no idea where she had gotten it. It was entirely possible that she had found it while cleaning the rooms and kept it because she wanted to study it completely. Whatever the circumstance, Kruger found himself with map in hand standing on a corner looking at the road signs. He hoped he hadn?t misunderstood Aurast?s invitation, or worse been the butt of some joke. He didn?t get that particular feeling from Aurast; he felt the man?s sense of humor was true and deep, but not to the point that he would send another on a wild chase that could have him facing peril.

He perused the map once again, the icon for the Bird?s Nest Gym seemed to be left three blocks and then right another two. The problem was that the street signs didn?t seem to match. Well one of them did, the street he was progressing on was the same as the one on the map. This particular cross street though didn?t appear on the map at all. He supposed that it could have been renamed, such would be his luck. He took a left down Dyarhk?s Way, and went a block to compare that street name to the map.

Adenna at surface level was an imposing place. Take away the people and the buildings still seemed to wish to intimidate, or perhaps dominate the landscape. Then again maybe that was just his take on them. New situations always had his defensive paranoia running on full. The people themselves were curious, not the ?hmm, that?s curious?, but the curious about the obvious stranger. For the most part Kruger ignored the head turns and double takes he received. He was aware that he had picked up a small following though. It started with just one or two, but it easily encompassed six now. They were kids, well teens really and since working with Nayun he had redefined the word kid.

The next street did indeed pick up on the map; this encouraged the smith to continue onward. The group seemed to pick up one or two with every block he progressed. He hadn?t come here to make any trouble; he only hoped to be able to make the remaining four blocks without it finding him anyway. He made every effort not to alter his relaxed pace, something told him that should he change speed one way or another that trouble he felt would explode around him. He had come here unarmed, a whisper he had picked up from a conversation not meant for him, but he adhered to that standard. He held firm to it even when the question ?define unarmed? came to mind. The time for being a smarta*s was not when doing so would end the day before it actually began.

Kruger stopped before his destination, he heard the tell tale signs of people working heavy bags inside. There was a rhythmic thwapping of jump ropes on whatever the building had for a floor. The group had at some point turned into a crowd. There was the outside possibility that they just happened to be going the same way Kruger was. That they paused as he did was a counter indication of that presumption. When Kruger put his hand on the door to the Robin?s Nest, that crowd dispersed in what seemed to be twelve directions at the same time. Kruger?s entry had the effect of a quarterback calling break on the huddle. Some lingered, while others set off up and down the sidewalk. The door closing behind him severed any lingering concerns he had for them.

The inside was much as he pictured it would be. Fighters sparred, and trained on both heavy and speed bags. Jump ropes twirled over and around lean men who were worshipping the gods of sweat. He noticed one younger fighter with a couple of dumbbells in his hands. He was throwing punches in a mirror, Kruger gave a nod knowing that this type of work would increase the boys hand speed and power. There was an office and it was lit, the window that looked out onto the gym itself held the seated profile of a woman.

The one thing Kruger didn?t see was Aurast. He took the shortest route to the office that wouldn?t interrupt any training. There was no curiosity in here; everyone was intent on their training. Kruger stood in the doorway which barely had the width for his shoulders. He turned that wolf branded face on the person behind the desk. Eyes the color of burnt grass in summer took her in.

?Excuse me?my name is Kruger, and I am looking for Aurast Dagger Sasc.? As he spoke his hands went in front of him and the left grabbed the forearm of the right. ?Do you know if he is in today??

"I have to say. It came out pretty nice. Then again, I'm one of the best in the city." The ego that spilled from the mans lips was far different than the words she had heard beforehand. It was something Nayun couldn't quite understand -- nor did she care to. As of now, she was far too much fitting her top back down onto her figure. Bra had been left off, as it would irritate the area of the tattoo. For now Nayun only stuffed it away within her jacket pocket as she moved to slip it on next. She felt it, when the heavy jacket pressed against her back; the stinging sensation from that bandaged covered tattoo. She paused, letting the feeling linger upon her form.

"How much?" Nayun said in mid turn. Peering over to the artist who stood behind her. He was busy toweling water from his hands while stepping closer. "Not counting the deposit? Fifty coin." Then came after without much delay. "Plus tip." Said with a flashed smile. What was the proper amount to tip; Nayun thought. Pulling the pouch of coin she usually kept on her person from her pocket. Pulling it open, she'd reach inside and pinch out three and fold them into a closed palm.. as for the pouch -- she'd reach out and hand the rest of the contents over. It was far beyond fifty, the weight could be felt within the mans palm. He almost wanted to question it, but the girls words stopped him. "Thank you for your time." Pocketing those three coins and turning to leave. ".. Yeah, no problem. Come back anytime!"

Nayun ventured out from the shop and looked to the busy streets before her. Nostrils flared with a slow intake of air, and finally her lips parted to exhale at the same speed. A sudden turn of her head came after as focused changed to something else. An easy stride, only slightly hampered by the limp from her right leg, led her across the sidewalk. A stride that came to a stop so that she could lift her leg, a small pivot of her short form, and finally a drop. Nayun lowered herself onto that motorcycle and moved to level it before pressing heel to kickstand and pushing it up. Helmet pulled from behind her and settled upon her head. That visor flicked down so that tinted black covered the sight of her red eyes.

Eyes that soon closed.

She could see it. The vision she saw in the mirrors as the man showed her the tattoo once he had finished. The Clovered Cross. The symbol of Adenna. The mark that flew high on their flag. Permanently embedded upon her skin. That way she knew.. not only did she have Adenna in her heart -- but now it was on her skin. The symbolization of everything she stood to protect: Adenna. Slanted eyelids parted and peered out from the visor. The Clovered Cross was burned in her vision. With it in mind, she started up that bike.

"Did you hear? A man came from Rhy'Din."
"Mhm. I heard he was heading for the Bird?s Nest."

Nayun turned her head. Peering in the direction of the voices. A man from Rhy'Din, they said. Who exactly could that be? In the end it wasn't like she could really investigate if she had wanted to. The Bird's Nest Gym was a male only establishment. Nayun wasn't allowed to step foot within that sanctuary of men. It's not my problem; that had come to mind. Boot covered foot rose up and bike began to accelerate. She had a market to visit.

Aurast grunted while jogging to the side of the ring from the back with his trainer, Nordem, behind him. Dressed in full sweats, he looked very sad like he were about to live out a horrific punishment. The breaths he exhaled from his disappointed lips were an all too similar wave of depressing.

?This is going to suck.. like... the maximum suck.? Aurast complained quietly before his back had been smacked severely hard by Nordem, who only smiled like it was a truly friendly thing to do.

?We?re going to have a good exercise today, Aurast. I call it ?Nordem?s Fast Sobering Workout of Eventual Death?.? the middle-aged prize fighter chortled, which only upset Aurast more. Nordem continued to laugh as he entered the office, politely patting Kruger on the shoulder to step past him and collect his keys that had their bikes chained up outside.

?You?re going out now?? Robin asked, standing up.

?Yep!? Nordem said with a wave, eager to get outside and unchain the bikes. ?36 kilometer bike excursion around Adenna, on and off the bikes. I haven?t backpacked a bike through those trails in so long anyway. Then when we reach the trail outside on the upper isle we?ll start riding again, stopping every three minutes for 30 reps air squats alternating with push ups.? He shadowboxed with the jingling keys a total of two jabs back out into the main gym.

Aurast cried.

The night that he had won his Madness match was a celebration, but Aurast proved very easily that he was not yet the great man that he was shaping up to be, but still the irresponsible and ignorant man much in need of growing up. He went out unwisely with one of Rhy?Din?s most notorious drinkers and gravely paid the price for it.

Several different electronic, global information databases had video footage of him in a drunken stupor back at the Outback later that night thanks to Rayvinn and Apple?s cellular phone meddling. A horrible thing for any teen or otherwise to discover upon waking up with a hangover-induced headquake. But that was just the start of his bad day. Aurast had the poor misfortune of having and knowing people who cared about them, and worse still, two of them were Robin and Nordem, and they were quickly whipping him back on the beaten path.

Nordem again smacked his back playfully.

?After that we?ll end the day with five full lengths of the Basin. How?s that sound?? Nordem wore a wicked smile. He knew this haunted Aurast so badly. He?d probably never drink outside of moderation again! And thus was the message. But the workout would serve to beat his mind back into a dedicated, committed, and responsible line of thinking that had been doing him so good up until now.

?Just kill me now.? He whispered back to Nordem, looking to see how much fun Robin had been having with him. No doubt, she had to have been enjoying this. He wanted everyone to laugh it up. He?d work himself to death today and then he?d back back to normal and everybody could move on. He sighed, but that was when he spotted Kruger in the office.

?Huh??? He stopped sulking to blink and make sure it was in-fact Kruger he saw before him. ?Kruger? What are you doing here??

?Oh?? Nordem looked back at the man curiously.

?Aurast, your friend here came looking for you.? Robin placed her hands on her hips and waited to see just what explanation unfolded from this situation.

Kruger was right about the younger Dagger Sasc brother. He wasn?t going to leave him hanging. He filled in the blanks for Robin about who Kruger was and that he was his friend, and he?d forgotten that he invited him to the gym sometime ago.

?If he wants to, put him on a workout. You?re good at that kind of stuff, Robin. Kruger, we?ll meet back up... later I guess,? he frowned, remembering again. But he did make sure to fist-bump Kruger. ?Robin will take care of you, man. See you. I gotta go.? He frowned to his elementary school pal as his abusive father was dragging him away.

?To our graves!? Nordem cheered enthusiastically.

?I am a weapons maker by trade. I can probably adjust my schedule to be here in the mornings. I tend to work in the dark more often than not anyway.? Kruger answered her questions as she gave them to him. The inaugural trip was indeed anticlimactic, the shoes went from stylish to well gaudy, but he knew that people?s tastes were broad and varied. Robin was talking fast, Kruger should have been warned by this. Aurast had sworn by the place though so he forged ahead and followed Robin on her mini tour.

Kruger set to putting on those plain red and white shoes. He supposed the shirt would need to come off eventually, but that could wait for now. He set aside his work boots, and put on shoes of a new kind of work. He wasn?t comfortable by any means in them. The lack of a heel dropped him another inch below Robin. He wore an expression of confusion as she raised those mitts up. His eyes went from one to the other. He had never seen anyone use those in a fight, all that padding looked to dull the blow to almost nothing if you were to get a hit in.

He raised his eyes to her questioningly as he waited for her to begin her attack. After a few moments of standing there, she finally filled him in on what she wanted. He hoped the flushed feeling in his face wasn?t as bad as he thought it was. Kruger took up that stance he had taken since starting in the dueling venues. He would strike at the moving mitts?one jab..two jab..three left hook..four right cross. She did this over and over again, he could feel her eyes studying him. At one point she swung one of those mitts towards his head. Oddly enough she hit him, this caused her to stop the session for a moment to inform him that he was supposed to avoid being hit, and what kind of fighter let?s himself get hit? He wanted to tell her that was probably why he was called the anvil?because he got hit a lot.

With this information now filed away, Robin made him pick up the pace. She was turning the mitts and seeing how long it took him to make contact. He didn?t completely understand that all his punches didn?t have to be full power. Robin would tell him as she worked him around the ring, making him chase her down for those punches that sometimes speed is desired over power.

Kruger listened and focused on her, on the mitts she manipulated. The flat of her left came up angled for a left to hit, and wiggled for him to do it again. He couldn?t keep track of the time they spent in there. To his recollection though battles, and fights seemed to slow time. Things happened very quickly in a skirmish and reactions had to be just as fast. All that motion and adjustment could make five minutes feel like thirty. He moved closer to her, and his strike speed increased. There were still those hesitations, that look to verify where the punch was meant to go, but his reaction time was better. He would tell her later after she ended the session that in many of his recent fights he would shoot way ahead only to lose in the end.

?No Stamina? It was all she had said. She looked thoughtfully on him, as if waiting for something. Kruger thought perhaps it was his answer to her final question.

?How much will the shoes cost me and do you have them in black and purple?? His curls hung limp against his head, and that shirt was sporting a nice wet V down the front and back. His breathing was heavy?a little too heavy perhaps; this was very little like swinging a hammer all day.

It only took two things to inspire Robin in her everyday life. 1. Seeing the pure desire to win in her students? eyes. 2. Receiving funding to keep her gym open.

Having her new members purchase their own shoes before anything else accomplished both of these at the same time in a way. What a waste of money in theory unless you knew what you were getting into beforehand. Even if Robin were a bad head coach and the gym a poor training environment, it could still have represented a powerful resolve and promise internally.
No, buying your own shoes like this, blindly, it only sounded stupid. Having seen men make sacrifices for immeasurable causes firsthand, within these very walls, Robin understood better than anyone else that it wasn?t stupid.

The day Kruger came in through her doors in the disorder he was the day Robin decided she?d have a word with him. She wrapped up her work with one of her first boxers, Shannon, a multi-weight (and currently middleweight) hybrid boxer.

He had his work cut out for him, though it wasn?t noticeable to anyone but him and Robin. All the proof was in the tiny calendar book on the ringside bench that had his murderous workout mapped out within it. It was a lot to process, and he needed a few further instructions; instructions she gave him while Kruger ran some hot water on himself back in the shower.

?There you go.? Robin muttered, intently staring at Shannon while he tied his shoelaces with his still taped hands. ?Hey,? she nudged him. ?Your fight?s coming up soon, too, you know.?

?I know.? he replied in his strong voice. He reached over to Robin and took up that little calendar book, regarding it very valuably as he put it in his sweatshirt pocket with a protective pat. They made eye contact and shared a serious moment. Everything was riding on this fight for Shannon, and likewise her as his coach. It was a very critical time coming up for them. She broke it off and gestured him to the door.

?Go run.?

?Yes.? he replied, getting up and heading out the door leaving only the entry chime to ring and show that he had left.

Robin then looked to the showers.

She wouldn?t wait for him to finish before walking right on in with him. A modest steam had filled the room in the time that she had spent wrapping up with Shannon, and she wasn?t about to let the sight of a naked man disturb her in the slightest. This was her gym, and that was precisely what she was going to talk to Kruger about.

Her bright and colorful sneakers squeaked on the wet floor past the vacant stalls and over to the one Kruger had been using when she put her hands on her hips in that way that you knew you were in trouble. ?What happened to you?? she asked, not out of concern, but that he let something like this happen to him and then lead him here. She shook her head with her eyes tightly closed for just a moment. ?No, don?t tell me.?

She took a deep breath and looked him over again. She didn?t see the body of a man, but rather the potential of an athlete, and wondered if he was capable of achieving what she envisioned for him under her training.

?I want to tell you something Kruger, and I will only say it once...? she began, ?So you just listen. This gym is for men who are reaching for something greater than where they are at right now. They are doing that, not by thinking backwards, looking backwards, or moving backwards. If you have demons outside of this gym, they are not allowed inside of this gym.

?Your eyes don?t lie to me, and neither do your fists. And they?ll both be the first to admit that. I?ve seen enough eyes, and I?ve read enough fists to know. There are gyms back in Rhydin that will accept fighters with emotional baggage. Maybe you would be better suited for one of those if this is how you are going to come into mine.?

She took a deep breath. It was obvious that she didn?t like this sort of talk, but she had to stand up for her father?s name on the outside of this place. ?However...? and here is where things got a lot nicer-sounding. ?If you still want to train here, don?t you bring nothing in my doors but your body. That?s what I?ll train.? She headed for the doors then, but she did stop between them and looked back to Kruger.

?Think over what I said, and remember that the hardest opponent in the ring is yourself, Kruger...? choosing the proper wording. She assumed Kruger had already heard and understood this before, but it bore repeating in a time such as this. She closed the door behind her.

Nordem was very quiet company for roadwork. When he got ahead of Kruger, he did not leave him behind, as many Adennian men joked that he was doing. He was never so cruel to someone he was paired up with. And anything that Robin did, she did for a very well thought-out reason. But of course he would not let anyone interrupt his training.

When he got ahead of Kruger, he stopped to shadowbox. He fought the ghost of a belt-retainer he had yet to take, and sent him to the path or sidewalk or wherever he had stopped. His punches were furious and endless, pouring from a bottomless source that his heart also resided in. Like Robin, his time was incredibly precious and stood to be wasted on someone who was not worth it.

Was Kruger?

Nordem answered that question every time they ran together and he stopped to shadowbox. He told him he was worth it by not leaving him behind, just like Robin told him he was worth it by taking the time to talk to him. They were crude ways of showing faith, but that was exactly what they were.

Hitting Robin?s mitts was one thing, but trading blows with another large man was something Kruger could appreciate spreading his wings a little on. Getting hit was no fun, but apart of fighting. So after the spar had warmed up, both men had decided that they were going to try and not get hit anymore. This produced a very profitable spar of technique and training between Kruger and Shannon.

Like Robin had foretold, he was an experienced fighter, but of course he was not going all out. His punches had the power and speed that they had, and that was what he was giving Kruger to work with. Likewise with his powerful and agile punches, he was light and springy on his feet, and gave Kruger a very hard-to-hit target with the man?s own punches.

Shannon was a middle range fighter, well into his 20s like Aurast, and adaptable on-top of that having been in a number of different weight classes, and even fighting with a style entirely based around the flicker-jab?s awkward presentation. Terry was much younger, only approaching 20.

They all had their goals.

Shannon was going for the Adenna All-Rookie Championship.

Terry was going for his pro-boxer certification.

Nordem was going for multiple championships simultaneously.

And Robin wanted to take them all there.

What was Kruger?s motivation within his Ox-blood-colored gloves?

Whatever it was, he would need to believe in it as passionately as they all did. Because there was no training in The Nest that was survivable without absolute commitment.

9:00 AST

It was later than The Nest was ever normally open. The overhead lights above the gym?s ring reflected that healthy-looking ocean blue canvas quite a way?s out from the window even. Likewise the tile had been lit and both of these effects gave that unusual and strange air to the sense of time that it was for the normally morning trainers.

What was so special to attending the gym at this hour? And on a day when they had already worked to top it off?

Well, it had been this gym?s way of bringing its fighters together for your stereotypical family bonding. It was a necessary thing to families, and it was necessary even to this one. It could get forgotten sometimes, or even overlooked depending on the seriousness of the current schedule, but Robin looked for openings when she could to get everyone at the gym together to realize it wasn?t all about the work, and the reminder that they cared for each other was ever important.

Kruger?s arrival was when Terry and Robin were already here. The quiet of night outside was too eerie for Terry to put up with, and he was already excited anyway, so he took to hitting the bags after he dressed up for another workout.

The sounds of the bags being hit at night was entirely different and its own kind of wonderful. It was great, and rare on-top of that, which surely factored into that delightfulness.

Robin wasn?t in her normal workout gear, but it was little different from her street clothes which she had been wearing. Coming in behind of Kruger had been the bulky blond boxer walking in-front of the window and in the door after him.

?Ohhh, it?s been awhile since I?ve come here in the evening.? Nordem said, taking a look around. He seemed to be pleased by the setting, and came right on into the gym, heading for Robin?s office.

Last but not horribly late was Shannon, who had come in with his wife and daughter of around .

?Sorry I?m late everybody. I am late, aren?t I?? he asked, smiling firs to Kruger there leaning by the corner of the ring that had been so well illuminated.

?No, you?re not late. Just get in here.? Terry said to him since it had been them two who had the big celebratory news of the night.

?Oi,? Robin said from the office and around Nordem. ?I see you?ve brought the whole family with you.? flashing a grin at the surprise.

?I have!? Shannon replied, opening a larger vent at the neck of his sporty jacket.

?Hello Miss Mackay.? Shannon?s wife greeted with a quick bow. Her daughter did much of the same after her.

?Well let?s all move to the rec room.? Robin suggested, getting up and heading there first. This paved the way to form the train behind her and soon fill the very small room.

It was not long after filing in that the surprise Shannon had spoken of earlier in the day arrived. Catered food from Isaias? Dragon House arrived, and at the pretty penny at that. All paid for by Robin, who showed no hesitation to front the bill, the food was escorted inside in bags by bags of chockful of foods and condiments for the foods.

Unsure and awkward as the surprise dinner started, it very quickly proved itself to be humorous and comfortable. Shannon?s daughter, Allison, was the light of the party with her boxing-curious mind and unafraid questions that surprised most of those at the table. Such as her inquiring on how difficult boxing was, how Kruger knew her father, if they had ever broken any bones, and if Nordem could demonstrate his most dangerous move. Naturally he made a joke of the question, threatening he could use it on her to show her, so she quickly withdrew her request.

It came time to close up the gym, and almost everybody had headed out but Robin, Kruger and Nordem. The kid, Terry, headed on after Shannon and his family to go and help with his father?s shop before opening hours in the morning. Nordem stood outside with Kruger ever since Robin had ordered them out the front while she shut down the place for the night.

Nordem looked up at the light beams that shot down the various holes in the earthen ceiling high above them. ?I sure do like it here. Don?t get to jog under a roof like this one most places,? he looked back to that open front door that was pitch black. The crickets chirped delightfully and you had the creeping feeling that mosquitos were out for your arms tonight. ?I sure do like this gym. Well, goodnight, Kruger.? He turned from both him and the gym, and walked on down the sidewalk.

While Kruger had watched him go, Robin stepped out with him, a smile to only apologize for how long she had took. But locking that door, she looked back to see that Nordem was leaving, and she joined Kruger in the watch after she?d gotten her key back out.

?Did you know he?s from Rhydin? He?s got a wife and kid too, I hear. But I?ve never seen hide nor picture of them...? she took a deep breath but kept her gaze in that direction. ?I don?t know why he came here, but I?m sure glad he did. He?s promising championship belts for my gym, and I know my father would be proud... he?s always wanted to decorate these ugly walls with gold.? she looked back to her place.

Another look was spared for Kruger. She felt bad about how she had talked to him, but she was not the sort of person to apologize for her motivational words, and that?s what they had been. Even so, she still had her own way of making up for it. ?Come on, I want you to come with me before you head home. We?re going to go to a little store. If you can?t keep up with Nordem, maybe you can keep up with me, yeah??

She took off with the surprise lead, but that was all it had been. She was mostly bluffing, and didn?t have any unheard of speed to overwhelm Kruger with, nor would she have if she did. But they did lightly jog across the road and market, and down one of the still open streets that was very well lit and still somewhat trafficked. It was risky-looking at first, like the Adennian back alley alliance gangs might have been out, but it was not so late yet, and these were but simple shoppers doing their end-day shopping and browsing.

One shop had been the interest of Robin right now, and it was a shop that had no doors and was entirely walk-in accessible until closing time and flimsy steel gates were lowered. Her and Kruger made in and she began looking around for what she had come for. She grabbed one magazine and pressed it into Kruger?s chest, and then she grabbed another, and another, and even another.

Kruger could see very easily that they were sports magazines, and to go a step further, they were boxing mags. ?Punch Crazy Magazine,? ?Fighting Zone,? ?Adenna Boxing,? and ?KO Kings.?

They were all four of them colorful and enticing in their own ways, and some were local and some were off-world (and a bit dated). Robin led him to the check-out counter and told him that he would be paying for them and even the candystick that she threw in on-top of that. The nerve of that woman.

While ?Kruger? was being checked out, she explained all this. ?I want you to review some of these magazines when you get a second. There?s a lot to do with boxing theory and there are a couple diet charts that are way better than the ones I could write out for you in these; you can rip them out when you get home?? she flipped open one of the pages. ??there?s a stub article for Shannon in here and previewing his upcoming match. I would read up on that if you like. I?m not as fancy with my words as these sportswriters are. I think the knowledge would benefit you next time you saw Shannon.?

?Nordem?s in one of these ? this one.? she indicated Punch Crazy Mag. ?A large article on his past few fights. There?s a world of boxing out there, Kruger, that might be calling your name. Take ?em home and think it over before you write-out your two weeks notice to me, okay?? she patted him on the shoulder before heading past him at a casual pace, same with her farewell. ?Goodnight.? sticking her hands into her jacket pockets.

(This post is tied to the events of This post.)

Kruger wouldn't have made it two steps in the door on a cool and seemingly ordinary Tuesday morning before hearing Robin shouting.

?I'm sorry! I really am! But your time in my gym is over!? Merciless as always.

From her office she could be seen talking with Aurast, and what a cold scene it was. All the training in the gym even stopped to regard this emotional moment, but that would not be tolerated no more than the infraction that she was currently delivering punishment for. She came out into the main gym, grabbing both sides of her doorway to address her fighters.

?Is it the end of your workout? Did the fire alarm go off? Who said you could stop training?? She asked those gathered, who quickly got back to work. Kruger was given a look as well, but none of this came within comparison to the beatdown she was laying on Aurast.

She came back into her office and placed her hands on the side of the desk nearest the Dagger Sasc brother and turned her head over to look at him. ?Did you think we were just wasting our time with you, Aurast? I let you in here cause I believed you were going to go places, and because I thought I saw that you believed it. But I must've been wrong.?

?Robin ? ? Aurast shook his head, about to defend himself or even apologize.

? ? Don't say anything. Only members are allowed to talk in my gym, and you're not a member anymore. Clean out your things.? Robin said, never unlocking her eyes off him while she pointed outside of her office.

What a shameful walk Aurast had to walk in-front of everyone, but he did it.

Terry was hitting the mitts with Nordem in one of the rings, but even the veteran boxer had spared a moment to watch this trip Aurast was making, probably because there was a very high likelihood he'd never see him in the gym again. Outside and on the streets no matter what he'd be doing after this ? it would be different.

Aurast came back out with an open box containing some of his clothes and his boxing shoes that he paid for just like everyone else, only what he had bought was not the membership everyone regarded, but just a pair of shoes, apparently. This was a thing Aurast was wondering himself if he had done. He felt bad about it, that much was certain.

Robin leaned in her doorway to watch and make sure he left.

All he had to do was get past Kruger now. Presumably this would answer why he hadn't seen him at the gym. He looked at him with guilt, but had to get past him. He took a deep breath. Kruger surely understood this as well. He'd respect Robin's wishes and not speak in her gym anymore.

He walked past Kruger like he would have spoken to him in any other situation, but not this one. He pushed open the door, and walked on out like a homeless person, unsure of where to go. But the look on Robin's face, after this insult her gym's suffered, told she didn't care where he went from here.

She clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. ?Hey! Get to work, you guys!? pulling rank. She gaze them all an authoritative stare, and then looked back to Nordem before going back in her office and closing the door.

?Hey there, Anvil,? Nordem said, removing his mitts and walking to the end of the ring to hang on the ropes and greet him. ?Mind helping the kid with his uppercuts while I go in there and check on things?? he asked of Kruger, holding the mittens to him.

Terry trained in the background, very in the zone, and noticeably excited about getting his boxing license. On the beaten path, this kid, and a perfect example (if you needed one) of how not to fall off like Aurast had. Being kind or smart or sociable all fell short if you did not understand things like commitment and responsibility; two things that weighed heavy in this gym.

?I'll be back.? Nordem said, going to Robin's office and joining her behind the closed door.

How vicious she had been, but that was not all thanks to her iron-fisted parenting and gym creed. She had faith in Aurast, and he disappointed her and all of that trust. It didn't happen often, but it did happen.

?You've lost fighters before now, Robin.? Nordem said.

?I know.?

?Do what you always do: give the ones your time who are serious, and the rest don't matter.? he said very simply, but it had a certain coldness to it.

?That's what I intend to do..... How is Terry's uppercut??

?He needs coaching... Coach.? Nordem said.

?Alright,? Robin took a deep breath. ?Here's what we're going to do...?

Seirichi?s taking of the diamond had him curious. Today he brought along some more tapes, strangely enough he was not a part of them. He brought them from the night of the tournament in which his Sifu had won her prize. He went first to his locker and changed out, he started to stretch as he had been shown to do. He had fallen into that routine over the last couple of weeks, enter change stretch and then run. Today however he made a stop at the viewing room and deposited his tapes in there. Later he would discuss his thoughts with Robin, and Nordem.

The big man was already waiting on Kruger, it seemed this way every day. Kruger of course was coming from Rhy?Din, and of course after working a few hours at his forge. Hammer had to be caged or deposited with someone to sit for him. Cute puppies had no problems finding sitters. Kruger would feel guilty for it but he knew the rules here. Nothing but his body was aloud here. He gave Nord a smile today, a different kind of smile than he usually gave. This smile was one that said I have found a goal, though it may be more than I can chew.

He stepped through the door after the heavy weight fighter and started down that well known pathway. He was trying harder today. He stayed longer next to the man, and never fell further back than he could easily see him or sprint to catch up. The miles wore away from them both, but the trip was completed more quickly than it had been previously. Nordem would perhaps notice that Kruger seemed to be more serious today than he had been since coming to the gym. He might even guess that those tapes had a great deal to do with it.

Kruger grabbed a quick drink of water at the fountain and then grabbed a jump rope. He was more proficient now than he had been, though he still struggled with his timing occasionally. He was coming late to this game in life a fact that hindered his development as a fighter. He still had to concentrate on his footing, and hand position. Things had seemed much simpler when he stuck to grappling.

After the jumping, came the sparring. First was Shannon a man whose soul goal seemed to be hitting Kruger wherever he could find a spot. That was well and good since it was Kruger?s job to hit him back. They would go back and forth across the ring, never going all out but even practice blows have a distinctive sting to them.

Terry would be next, the lighter man had fast hands. Kruger?s job here was to avoid getting hit as much as he could manage. Kruger?s bulk gave Terry a good place to land blows and his swift feet often carried him out of range. Honestly Kruger couldn?t see the benefit for Terry, unless Robin?s goal had been his punching technique. He managed to land a few blows to Terry by outguessing where he would be.

Last would come Nordem, The heavy weight and Kruger were closer in size than Krug?s was with either Shannon or Terry. Some days Nord would just work Kruger over with the medicine ball. Kruger would lie on the canvas while Nord dropped the ball onto his abdomen. If Nord were working towards a fight, it was up to Kruger to stand in and give the man someone to hit. This served essentially the same purpose as the medicine ball except that Nord?s gloved hand had a more localized impact point. Kruger didn?t mind, his torso was becoming harder with every day of this. He had started to look forward to the sparring sessions with Nord.

The end of his day had him in front of that locker once again. He had showered and donned his clothes, but instead of leaving as he normally would, he went back to that viewing room. A half dozen sat there all with the same person?s name on it against different opponents. He slid the first one into the machine and turned on the television. He backed away and sat down in one of the few chairs in the room. When the images came up and the fighters began to work, Kruger?s eyes narrowed.

?You?.I want you first. Then I will take the others but you will be my first victim. The only one that I will take a trophy from I think.? He was so intent on pointing at the screen he didn?t hear the shuffling in the doorway behind him. He had no idea if it was Nord or Robin that had been there. It could just as easily have been Terry or Shannon, either way Kruger was oblivious as he stared looking at that goal he had been tasked to find.

He wasn't here for magazine pictures, or interviews. He wasn't here to impress the people of any venue. He was here because he was training. The use of weight benches while not exactly unheard of was not the main focus of the gym.

Kruger had shown up early, dressed out as usual, but rather than take straight to the streets he set up one of those hardly used benches. It was Nord who stood over him as he pushed those weights up. It was Nord's big hand that reached down and grabbed a falling barbell because Kruger refused to stop, and it was Nord's slow look that fixed on him.

Nord was not unintelligent, quite the opposite in fact. His look was one tempered with patience and full of appraisal. It was a look that would find the opening in a good defense. It held the ability to see when his opponent was hiding an injury. It was a look that turned on Kruger had him speaking because he knew the man would understand.

"Four straight victories Nord, four." As emphasis Kruger held up four fingers. "A winning streak against some really good fighters, and I let that..." Kruger's jaw clicked shut, Nord would understand Kruger's anger and frustration. He wouldn't look so kindly on disrespect for an opponent who had won fairly.

"I ran against my instincts Nord...kept looking for the trap, and in the end I trapped myself." Nord stood silently listening to Kruger's words, and his probably accurate assessment of what went wrong.

Finally Nord stopped him. "Come on Kruger, run with me. Breathe don't think." It would be a productive run, and neither man would utter another word all the way through it.