Kajiya navigated his bike quickly through the back streets. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary about it to anyone who happened to notice, as he returned home every night the same way....the only difference being the huddled girl that rode with him, curled up in his lap. A few quick turns, a sharp bend around a cluster of garbage cans, and they pulled in behind Antonio's Pizza Palace. Bringing the bike to a stop, he toggled on the engine shutdown with a flick of the wrist.

Ahni had fallen asleep somewhere between the front of the Inn and the Marketplace. Somehow, she managed to stay on the bike as it moved through the Marketplace. Her head came to rest on his shoulder near his neck, and she breathed softly against it.

He unwrapped the arm from around her waist and fumbled in his pocket for a moment to find his keys. Grabbing them, he quickly scooped up Ahni and carried her to the door, unlocking it and twisting the knob open awkwardly with one hand, the half-elf laying across his arms. Once it was ajar slightly, he kicked the door the rest of the way open and hurried Ahni inside, setting her down gingerly on the stairs. He steadied her for a moment, making sure she wouldn't fall. He still had to drag the bike inside"

"...unh?" And suddenly he wasn't near her. She cracked a violet eye open. It rolled left and right, right and left, trying to find him. "Ka...Kajiya...?" She'd forgotten that her goggles were still down, the noise-canceling earmuffs covering her delicately pointed ears. She couldn't smell blueberry tea anymore, couldn't feel his heartbeat, where....Oh, there he was. Her other eye cracked open and both locked onto him like a lifeline.

He tugged her goggles up to her forehead again, which let her hearing return, her ears no longer covered by the attached sound-canceling ear-muffs. "I'm right here....I just need to go wheel the bike in, and I'll be right back, okay?" He would have just left the bike outside, but he did not want it to look like anything was different tonight. He did not want to give away any hints that Ahni was here. He wouldn't endanger her like that.

Finally she could hear and see him, and she gave a gentle nod in response. Then her head tilted to the side and thudded lightly against the wall once. She needed to rest it. She was so tired...

He hopped back out the door, casually walking over to his bike and wheeling it in....it just barely squeezed through the doorframe, and once pushed in as far as it would go, there was just barely enough space to close the door again. He shut it and locked it, letting out a sigh of relief. They had made it without incident. No angry mobs, no rioters, no xenophobes. He kicked off his boots, then let his one steel gauntlet slip off his arm to clatter on the floor before clambering over the bike chassis to get to the staircase where Ahni was, scooping her up again and whisking her up to his door. He pushed it open, revealing his room which was....less than neat, to say the least. Origami was scattered everywhere, including a pile of cranes that was growing over on the dinner table. He stepped within, Ahni still in his arms, and then he shut the door by pushing his back against it until it swung closed and clicked.

She could feel herself being carried up stairs, but her head was on his shoulder. Violet eyes were closed. "Kajiya, are we...here" Safe...?" When had RhyDin become so unsafe" Everything had spiraled completely out of control. Registration for Mages, humans hunting down lycans and elves, riots...Ahni wouldn't step foot in the Marketplace by herself anymore, and she wished she hadn't lost her cloak. Her ears needed to be hidden for the first time since coming here.

He smiled down at her, offering a nod. "Yes, Ahni....Welcome to my, uh....my haphazardous abode..." He had been looking forward to having company over to his apartment, though not under these circumstances" and not without a chance to clean up a little! He navigated across the room, stepping over old clothes and origami critters, finally making it to his bed and laying her down gently on it. A few folded paper doggies sat on the nightstand close by, each with different bends in their back legs....In truth, it had been more a curious experiment then anything. The timid half-elf's efforts to make his first puppy hop had" "inspired" him, so to speak. He ran a hand through her hair gently. "You're safe now. You can rest easy..." He finally let out a deep breath as he watched her. They had only known each other for a handful of days, and yet' she already trusted him with her safety so completely. Whatever I did to earn this kind of trust, I swear" I won't ever break it. As long as I live, I hope you will always feel safe with me, Ahni...

Sighing softly, she pulled the goggles from her head and just held them. Her free hand slid down her side, smoothing out her wrinkled rust-colored sundress. Violet eyes opened slightly to peer at him. "You're not...asking any questions...?" She lifted her voice slightly at the end to make it sound like a question, but it really wasn't. It was more of an observation.

He laughed nervously as he stood, moving over to the one window in the room and shutting the blinds....He didn't even trust leaving a window open in this city anymore. "With you....I'm not sure where to start..." It sounded wrong when he said it like that. He wasn't blaming it on her" but to be honest, he was not used to the idea of asking about the intimate details of people's lives. Even the ones he cared deeply for. He returned to her side, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He took a hold of one of her hands. "Do you want me to ask" Or should I let you rest...?"

The touch to her hand made her twitch slightly, and she leaned away just a little. If this was what Misty felt on a daily basis - and it was - then Ahni wasn't exactly sure it was as awesome as the Kirn claimed. It was very...overwhelming. She wasn't sure she enjoyed it. But something he said caused her to tilt her head slightly as she gazed at him. "What do you mean, you don't know where to start...?" She's an exceptionally curious creature, and of course she wanted to know why he wasn't as curious as she. It boggled the half-elf's mind that he hadn't asked her about...anything, really.

"I have met a lot of people in my life, but....never have I met a woman with so many secrets." Or at least, that's how it felt to him. She had never lied as far as he knew, but she always seemed to be whispering to people, changing the subject, withholding the full story' It was sort of startling when he thought about it. "But, I am curious....I just....don't want to scare you away. I don't want you to run because I want to know your secrets." He couldn't deny that he was a little scared himself. Ignorance was safety in a way. If he knew nothing of her, she would never have to be afraid of him. But that' was no way to act towards someone you care deeply for.

She blinked a few times, her head tilted thoughtfully. "I have...'so many secrets'...?" Her hands raised to make air quotes then dropped to her stomach, goggles still in hand. "I'm not sure...I understand. It's quite possible, in my mind, that you just...don't know how to ask correctly, mela..."

He regretted now not being more involved with his curiosity. It had always been his way to let people come to him when they wished to speak. He tried to be the best listener he could. He made a mental note to remember that there is a big different between being a listener and being disinterested. He nodded a little at her comment. "Well, let me try and ask properly then, Ahni. We can work backwards....What....What happened tonight?" He looked down at her with concern filling his eyes.

Oh, she knew he'd ask that. Stupidly wonderful mind-link. She blushed very faintly, but her violet eyes found his. "Do you really...want to know?" Mentally crossing her fingers in hopes that he didn't. Maybe he was joking. Somehow she doubted that.

He nodded to her. The room was dim, but just enough moonlight was filtering through from around the window to cause his eyes to glow faintly, like two azure phantoms watching over her.

"Please." It was a simple response, but he could feel his voice waiver as he spoke. When people came to Rhy'din" or, at the very least, when Kajiya had arrived here, it was a new life for him. People could be whoever they wanted when they came here, and it didn't matter what you had been before. It was your clean slate; your second chance. But it was impossible to ever truly escape the influences you had come from, and no matter who you were, the past was immutable, untouchable; The very definition of sacred. He had mentioned his home world of Techanthalon off-handedly before, but had never spoken of it beyond that to anyone. To show your past to the world was to open your heart to the bitter slings and arrows of judgment. Your history was your own personal portrait of Dorian Grey; Your sins were there for all to see, and it was not something to be shared lightly.

Again she took a deep breath. Of course she heard the odd tinge in his voice, but she wasn't sure what to make of it, what to attribute it to. "I was born in a kingdom far away from here...Marte. My father was a human, my mother an elf. My father used to say that...I looked just like her. He was Captain of the Guard and taught me everything he knew as soon as I was able to learn...He died when I turned thirteen." She paused to sniffle softly, then took a breath before continuing. "Then...at fourteen, I took his place as Captain. I controlled an entire platoon of men, no questions asked. Then something happened...I'm not sure what, I can't remember. Ven helped me remember my past in Marte, up until I turned sixteen." She laced her hands together and put them behind her head. "Something happened to get me stripped of my title and post and sent away...I believe my memory was altered, too, which would explain why I couldn't...remember a damn thing when I came here." She sighed very softly. "After I was sent away from Marte...I was awoken in a forest by a girl my age. Dani Greenleaf, her name was...She took me to her village, which didn't have a name...just went by the name of whoever was Mayor at the time. Makar was the current one, so it was called Makar's Village...I had a cloak, and I used it to hide my face. Dani had told me about horrible half-elves that pillaged and raped, plundered and slaughtered...I worried that they would be able to tell what I am just by my face. They would have, it's not like my eyes are normal...." Ahni bit her lip, taking a few deep breaths through her nose before continuing. "I lived there for five years without incident, and Dani finally came to find out what I am...I showed her my face because I trusted her, and she was...perfectly fine with that, until she wanted to see a spell. I refused, and she...somehow got my spellbook and tried to learn a simple spell...but when she tried it, she mispronounced a word. And it...it killed her. Of course, because I was the newest villager, they accused me...They found out what I am and exiled me. It took me...a year to get here." She gulped a couple of times. Gods, her throat was on fire!

Kajiya remained silent for a very long time....it seemed to drag on and on, though in truth, it was probably only a minute before he opened his mouth to whisper. "I am sorry that fate dealt you a cruel hand, Ahni..." He looked down to the floor, deep in thought again. His own past was a sordid ordeal in and of itself, but....he had always known it. And at least in knowing it, he could make peace with it. But....to walk the path of your life, and turn back to look upon memories from whence you had come and find....emptiness. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He could find no more words. He sat in silence again.

"We have to play with the hand we're dealt, you know." She sighed softly. "...anything else, mela""

He could not even remember any more if he'd had other questions for her. If he had, they were insignificant. He had asked, and she had spoken straight from her heart. He had given her a pair of goggles earlier....but now, in this room he called his home, she had given a piece of herself to him. He had asked, and she handed it to him without hesitation, without excuses. He shook his head slowly. "No more questions, Ahni....Diola lle... for the answers."

She smiled faintly and looked at him. Her eyes were no longer violet, but amber. She almost wanted to hide her eyes, but there was no way he'd know what it meant. He probably didn't even notice. "Lle creoso, mela...Remember, if you want an answer, be sure to ask the right question..." The half-elf rolled onto her side, still watching him. "I do have a question of my own, though..."

He nodded, looking to her eyes, gazing into those now amber pools. Someday, he would ask her about her eyes" but for now, he was too afraid she would answer him truthfully. Their mystery only added to their beauty. He nodded calmly. "Then I hope that I have an answer..." A smile spread across his face.

Did she really want to ask" "What about me...makes me so intriguing" Why did you come to the Isle after your date with, er...Whatsherface?" She'd never been exactly good with names. She could remember her face, just...not her name. She technically asked two questions, but who's counting" Ahni was curious as to why he seemed to want to spend so much time with her since cheering for her at the tournament.

He thought on that for a spell, then spoke. "I....don't know if I can say for sure. My heart told me that....it was what I had to do. I think....I think it was so easy for you to look at me without prejudice, without..." He struggled for a word that he wasn't sure existed for a moment, then changed his strategy. "Other people see me as a racer who has some strange habits....They reassess me again and again until they can describe me in simplified terms. But when I met you....it didn't feel like you were trying to explain me to yourself. I didn't have to be simple." He let out a contented sigh. "Also, blueberry tea" I should have known right then and there, I suppose..." A grin crept across his face.

"Prejudice..." Why in the world would I be prejudiced against you?" Her eyes narrowed very slightly, and she stared at him. She had other questions, but they'd have to wait. Prejudice had become an unwelcome part of her life, and it shocked her completely to almost be told that she should be prejudiced against someone she...cared about.

He shrugged a little. "So many other people know me before I say a word. Sometimes before I even walk into a room. They hear my bike outside, and they know who I am. I'm overcompensating. I'm addicted to speed. I'm a gear-head. I'm a bad boy." He bobbed his head back and forth, putting a tired emphasis on each archetype before rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Sometimes I can get people to look past that sort of stuff....but you always seemed to be open to the idea that I was....well, me."

At his description of how others perceive him, she tilted her head. "Gear...head" Your head is...perfectly normal...?" Maybe she missed something" She blinked a few times. Her eyes shifted to emerald but remained on his.

He blinked for a moment. "Oh, it's a slang term....a gear-head is someone who thinks about machinery or vehicles all the time..."

The corner of her mouth tilted upwards in a smirk. "Oh...is that all you think about' Somehow I doubt that..." The half-elf waved a hand dismissively. "Anyway, my point is...you couldn't look at me and say, 'that girl can swordfight. That girl used to lead an army.' Yes, I used to be that person, but...I'm not now. I have no reason to be prejudiced...against anyone." She knew she was rambling, but she really didn't care. She meant to get her point across...and hopefully it worked. "As for explaining...you do a perfectly fine job of it yourself, mela. There's no need for me to add my two coppers, when I can just observe you." Which she did. She liked to observe, especially him.

He bowed his head with a smile. He enjoyed it when she rambled" it meant her heart was speaking through her lips without asking for the brain's permission first. Sometimes it got a little off track, but it was worth every moment of it. "I am glad to hear you say that....Now, did that answer your question?" He looked to her calmly, hoping she was satisfied. He did not have any answer beyond that. She had just' drawn him to her.

"Yes, mela, it answered my question perfectly..." She smiled faintly. "Are you tired" It's...very early, you know." Head tilted toward the blinds.

He glanced to the window for a moment, spotting the little rays of sunlight filtering through the blinds. He did not want the night to end....He wanted her to ask him every question she might be pondering. But....he would not mar this beautiful evening of sharing truths between them by lying to her. "I'm very tired, in fact..." He turned to look down at her again with a smile.

She rolled to face him and scooted a little to give him more room. It was his bed, after all. Her goggles were silently dropped to the floor beside her. She stretched, then smoothed down her sundress. "You...you know I won't leave unless you're with me, right?" Ahni didn't pat the empty part of the bed beside her because she was quite certain he would understand what her shifting was about. He was perceptive at times. Little flecks of amber began to swirl in her emerald irises as she gazed at him.

He nodded. "I'll take you away from here whenever you are ready tomorrow." He removed his own goggles and set them down on the nightstand, then slid off his jacket and tossed it onto a nearby chair. He climbed into bed beside her, his cheeks flushing faintly as he did. He offered her a smile. He wanted to offer more, but' that would have to wait for another time.

Her eyes fluttered closed, a faint smile on her lips. "Good night, Kajiya Crimsonheart....the bad boy..." She bit her lip to hold back a snicker. Did I really...just say that" Her faint smile widened slightly as she drifted off to sleep beside him.

He grinned at that, then laughed. "'Quel kaima, Ahni Valyntine..." Clearly, he'd been practicing his elven pronunciation. He let his eyes slip closed. Soon, sleep would overtake him too...

(( Thank you to all the players who were on the Isle that night, and tons of thanks to Kaji-mun for his cooperation and patience~ *puts away whip* ))