Gregory Hanstein ~ Man of many quips ~

Gregory was lost in thought as Alexandra smacked him on the back, instantly snapping him out of his reverie. As he collected himself, he realized that she was talking to him. He smiled in the darkness as she began to speak and responded after her question on whether or not he had met any girls that he found cute.

"Oh of course, absolutely." He started with a hint of playful sarcasm in his voice. "I got the addresses of plenty of girls who I'm going to invite over to my house as we speak. I even found some guys that could turn you straight." Gregory continued to joke with his friend. He knew full-well that she was a lesbian and he hoped that if she had learned anything about him over their teenage years, it was that he had not a slightest bit of interest for women, men, or romantic or sexual relationships in the slightest. The young merchant was more enamored by ideas of meeting people and simply having friends than getting in a relationship with anyone.

"As for how I'm doing, I guess I'm contemplative." Gregory took a seat on a nearby barrel which was propped against the side of a building as he faced Alexandra. He reached into his backpack and offered her a piece of bread from it, beckoning her to sit down and talk with him. "Here. You get a special deal for being my first customer on this new journey. No charge."

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These are a few of my favorite things

Lydia Chandler, with Junior leaving the clock shop taking the boy home.

Lydia smiled lightly at Junior’s appreciation of her offering to take him back home; of course she had no other plans. Certainly not to go back to the Sleepy Sheep, her night was already ruined. She had wondered how all the other apprentices had been coming along, especially after the hot-headed Zephrin lost his screws for the moment. Perhaps she didn’t know the FULL story of what happened between him and Baldemar, but she couldn’t stop, turn back and worry about it now. It was over and done with. Not to mention Lydia had other worries, going back home, repacking, and eating and then trying to sleep for the day ahead. Although, this new worry that Junior had brought up about the celebrations and departing of the apprentices ahead of schedule, she couldn’t quite get it out of her mind. Curiosity can indeed be a bitch.

The older girl walked alongside Junior down the cobblestone street in silence as she began to wrap herself in her own thoughts and worries once more. There is no harm in asking why everyone was leaving early, right? She couldn’t help but feel something bad was going to happen; right here in the town of Amber Falls. Lydia sighed softly as she looked up towards the night sky and with all the beautiful stars twinkling within the pitch darkness that held them there before looking down towards Junior, “Have you ever wondered what lies beyond this world we live in?” she murmured towards the boy, trying to get her mind off the subject of all her worries.

Ariannah Lockhart - Zeph's Lament

She sat beside Zeph, listening to every word he spoke and felt every one of them begin to stack like weights upon her heart. Zeph was probably the most passionate person she had ever met when it came to his trade. She knew he didn't want to be here and she sympathized greatly.

She tilted her head as he shamefully buried his own into the table. Ari instantly began to hum a slow, yet uplifting melody. As she did this tiny, subtle golden wisps appeared and wafted over to him. They fell like gentle snowflakes upon his shirt and began to pull him back into the comfort of his seat and so his back would rest against the chair once more.

She peered into his eyes and smiled, finishing the melody.

"Tomorrow will be better, Zeph. Tomorrow brings the start of a brand new chapter in your life...as well as mine. It's time to let your anger go"

She saw that he had an unfinished drink and had an idea.

"Would you mind fetching a drink for me? I'd love to make a toast with you to celebrate this day"

Sabeam Nightshade: Seated at a table in the corner..conversating

The raven haired young woman listened silently as the young miner spoke about his feelings about the argument that happened moments ago, "well one person's courage is another person's cowardice..." She spoke rather coolly while taking another sip of her water. "Also, has this person ever been in combat?" She spoke while picking up a butter drowned green bean and started to eat it, though remembering her manners. Sabeam chewed the food, not speaking while the contents were still in her mouth, and then swallowed the delicious food, "remember to take particular people who do not have certain experiences with a grain of salt, however," she paused, "you may learn something by seeing the other perspective." The fletcher then went back to eating the rest of her meal slowly.

((sorry if it is short if it is too short pm me so I can add more to my post))

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You've tried so hard until now, you needn't blame yourself.
You've treasured your Rose Signet until now.
I shall give you a kiss as your reward.
This is your consolation.

"Oh, Greg." she mock-giggled. She sat next to him and looked up att the stars, nibbling on the bread he'd offered her. "So, tell me about these guys?" she asked as she burst out laughing. "You know how I feel about guys. Plus, I met cute girl tonight. I don't remember her name but I would recognize her if I saw her."

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They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies - You will release your life, joining with the god-damned world of the dead and the lonely. - Я сошла с ума, Mне нужна она
Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian
Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of life, guide us to our heart.
We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

"Well there you go. You'll probably have time to talk to her on the way to the city if she's with us." Gregory did not particularly care about how Alexandra felt regarding men, seeing it as a superfluous net of disdain restraining her from truly enjoying herself. However, despite Gregory not enjoying this aspect of his friend, he was no therapist and had never sought in the past to try to remedy it merely because he did not know how best to go about it.

Gregory sat in silence, thinking to himself for a moment before realizing that he had been sidetracked from his intended destination. Quickly he stood up and addressed his friend. "You'll have to excuse me, it's been nice talking with you and I'll gladly talk more on the journey, but I want to get home and get some sleep for tomorrow. You should probably do likewise." He smiled at Alexandra in the darkness, hoping that he could leave in a moment. He wasn't one to abandon a friend without their approval, another habit he had picked up in his quest to try to maintain as many connections as possible, though it came to be a detriment at times when the people simply thought him too submissive, at which point he tended to remedy his behavior around them.

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These are a few of my favorite things

~Zephrin Seams: The Toymaker's Melody~

In his moment of darkness there was a single ray of light. It came so suddenly, lifting him out from the darkness, a slow but happy melody.

Zephrin looked up, seeing Ariannah's eyes as gentle golden snowflakes carried him into the comfort of the back of his chair. He sat, dumbfounded by the beauty around of him, doing nothing but stare into the charming girl in front of him's sparkling eyes, basking in the glow of the golden wisps. It was as if he was in the dream, and Ariannah was this guardian angel.

He snapped out of it once the song ended, blinking stupidly at the girl before him, asking himself what the hell just happened.

"Tomorrow will be better, Zeph. Tomorrow brings the start of a brand new chapter in your life...as well as mine. It's time to let your anger go"

He began to smile too. She was right, tomorrow was the day he will finally get to move on, and make his own destiny, something that would make them both happy. Absent mindedly, the noble boy wiped the tears that had welled up the corners of his eyes. "Ariannah, I-" he stopped himself before he could say anything else, slightly embarrassed. 'Dammit Zephren, you are a noble born' he reminded himself, Ariannah's awaiting gaze still locked on him. He knew his parents wouldn't allow it, unless..."...Thank you." he said finally, brushing the idea aside for now. Right now wasn't the time to dwell on such matters.

"Now don't move a muscle" he winked, getting up from the still warm chair so he could fetch her a drink. Somehow having to be in the same room as Sandra and her friends didn't matter anymore. The melody seemed to have completely wipe his mind of their relevance. For now, at least...

A few minutes later he came up, with a goblet filled to the brim with white wine.

"For the young lady" he offered with a low bow.

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Musicmac: "Sam4Books: Always ready to cheer things up with awesome art. Terms and Conditions apply."

-Amber Falls, Streets-

“Yes.” Elson replied with a nod. “A simple thing for your protection and to avoid total panic, same as the brew.” He sniffed a bit at the night air. “The only risk is from the approaching soldiers. Likely they will not attack the ‘sick’ as it were. Perhaps buy further time to prepare. If we simply evacuate now they are likely to peruse. Exposed townsfolk are vulnerable, and Crenshaw refuses to send aid. There are no men to spare.” He offered, explaining the situation further.

The ranger considered Aldrnari’s words carefully before answering. Even he could tell that the girl was beginning to crack under the weight of the night’s revelations. Still the girl deserved her answer. “There are none better to have at your back than another ranger.” He offered. “But you are young yet, and have much to learn. Do not throw your life away just like that.” He sighed. “We are outnumbered and if we fight we will likely lose. The town will burn. The rangers will have to make yet another hard choice. Fight to the end or disappear and fight another day. Die or run. Either way the result is the same. The town will be lost.” Elson shook his head. “All I know is that Hroth wants us to stay, and you to go. Perhaps you can rouse the men to arms when the elder’s pleas could not.” He shrugged. “That, and he wanted you to have this for your journey.” Elson produced a walking stick from beneath his cloak. It was a simple thing, a long straight stick coming to shoulder height on the girl. It hadn’t been stripped of its bark or carved or treated in any way. It fact it looked like it could have been picked up right off the forest floor. Aldrnari would quickly recognize it as something she could have sworn was carved into the wall above the fireplace in the main room of the lodge. Nothing worth mentioning at all considering the other adornments about the main room. Oh course if Aldrnari ever asked she would well know the old decoration to be the lodge's good luck charm. “It was his when he went on his journey, and his master’s before him. Hroth was uncertain if he would return before you left so I give this to you with your father's regards. Use it well.”

~Kurokage Shuriken Jr. with Lydia, walking him home~

Junior blinked a little, his attention drawn away from the stars for a moment as Lydia addressed him with a curious question. He tilted his head to side for a moment as she wondered a bit what she meant, then glanced back up at the starry sky. "Well...I guess I do, sometimes," he replied softly. "When I look outside my window...up at the sky, when it's sunrise or sunset, or a pretty night sky like this one. Or when I squint my eyes over to the horizon, just a bit beyond the village where I can see some of the hills and tree tops from the woods...sometimes, I like to imagine, what it might be like on the other side. What the world looks like from over those hills and tree tops. Or what it might look like, up there where the stars are."

Junior looked up at Lydia, his eyes lit with curiosity. "What do you think?" he asked her in return.

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☽Aldrnari - Amber Falls, Streets☾

Aldrnari sighed as Elson further explained the plan. Her was going to cause a fake epidemic to try and keep the soldiers at bay. "There's no guarantee that will work though. Grendel was almost fanatical about the existence of that branch." Thinking about the supposed artifact, Aldrnari began to ponder something. "Could the branch be the source of magic in the falls? What does the magic in the water do anyways?" It was disconcerting, almost terrifying, that Crenshaw was refusing to send help, and Aldrnari had to wonder what sort of crisis was happening in the city for them to have no men to spare the small neighboring town.

It was surprising, that Elson thought she was willing to throw her life away fighting to be with her adoptive father. She had every intention to fight and survive. It was said, that with their archery skills, that rangers carried 24 lives with them in their quiver. Aldrnari had never had to shoot another human being in her life, but she had no doubt that she was going to have to at some point. It wouldn't be hard for her to empty her quiver and disappear into the forest, where only another ranger would be able to catch her. And while a handfull of rangers wouldn't shatter the force, they would be more than just a minor annoyance.

It hurt to hear what was most likely to happen to the town. To hear the choice that her father was going to face while she was safely tucked away in Crenshaw. But Elson was giving her a task, something to help her father where Elder Her had failed. It wasn't likely that the leaders of Crenshaw would give her the time of day, but she had to try. She could use her skills in the same way she had earlier that night. She had been well-trained, and proved she was perfectly capable as a young ranger. Her physical skills were in top form, and her further training would be in tactics, history and diplomacy, social skills that made the ranger corps so valued throughout the land.

And then Elson handed her a walking stick. She recognized it from the lodge. It hung above the fireplace, blending in to the point of being a part of the wall, which was odd, since the walls had been de-barked and treated, and the walking stick obviously had not. It had hung over the mantle her entire life, and when she asked Hroth what it was, he simply smiled and told her she would find out when she was older. She knew it was well-cherished, so the rough wood made her smile. "The blessing of the lodge, for my journey. What a sneaky old man." She smiled up at Elson with tears in her eyes. "Thank you for everything tonight Elson."

Of course, the moment was ruined by a rather loud grumble coming from Aldrnari's stomach, longing for the dinner she had skipped. Her face flushed scarlet for a moment, as she quickly looked away from Elson. She should have grabbed something to eat while she was tailing Her, to prevent something like this from happening, but in her eagerness, she had forgotten. Now it was going to interfere when she and Elson were supposed to be looking to find out where Grendel had disappeared to.

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Zath: Behold, Karo: The only woman in existence who can make Fenix shut the fuck up.
Redsnow: That, and, frankly, if Karo doesn't like you that much, your character is probably going to die soon after his acceptance anyway.
Keiran: Bad RPs don't get picked, unmemberable RPs get ignored.
Zelosse: I don't usually laugh at blatant attitude, but when I do. It usually involves Karo.

Ariannah Lockhart - And all was right with the world again~

Ari saw the joy return to Zeph and she too become much happier. She blushed as he struggled to show his gratitude and remained seated as he sped off to fetch her a goblet of wine. She took the drink from him and smiled as he bowed like a true gentleman.

"To the start of a new dawn and a new path in life!" she said delightfully as she raised the goblet, waiting for Zeph to clang his own glass against it.

She stared into his eyes, glad that he was feeling better and that they could spend this time together.

"I-I wonder what to expect...having never left Amber Falls. I'm just glad I have someone special to go with"

- Sandra -

Sandra permitted herself a smile, as Rem agreed to drop the subject. Score one for her. It didn't even bother her that he had taken the flask out of her hands, it was nearly empty anyway. Though she wasn't nearly as drunk as she had promised herself, it was the last day here after all, lets end this with a bang! Not that kind of bang of course, she ought to be careful using those kind of words around Rem and Veint.

And as if the gods of inebriation had heard her pleas, or maybe Rem had read her mind -- a terrifying thought -- he pulled out a second even bigger flask! She eyed the flask curiously, and with a tinge of hunger, as Rem pulled three glasses together and opened the flask. The smell hit her nostrils almost immediately, such a strong and very aromatic smell. She had smelled it before, in the distillery, but Rem had never allowed her to taste any of it. Always saying it was not for her.

She watched Rem pour three glasses and felt her excitement rising, after all, this was the so called "forbidden drink". She eagerly took her glass and looked at the liquid, twirling it a bit in her glass. It didn't look special, although it had a very strong smell. But her excitement turned into doubt, wouldn't it be too much for her? After all, she wasn't such a heavy weight when it came to drinking. But what the hell? It was their last night in town, and she said to end it with a bang!

"Bottoms up!" she cheered towards Veint and Rem, and down the liquid in one go. It had a very sweet taste to it, with a rather spicy after taste. It also spread a very comfortable warmth down her throat, to her stomach and then the rest of her body. she coughed "Ooh, now there's the good stuff!" slamming the glass on the counter. The red blush started to intensify.

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"I'll walk with you." she smiled. "My place isn't far from yours." She stood and smiled, nearly falling on her ass with a laugh. "I think that ale's starting to catch up to me." she laughed at herself as she regained her balance. "Oh, but how good was that cake?" she asked, rubbing her belly. She waited for him to begin walking before following alongside him.

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They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies - You will release your life, joining with the god-damned world of the dead and the lonely. - Я сошла с ума, Mне нужна она
Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian
Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of life, guide us to our heart.
We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

Lydia Chandler, what lies beyond?

Lydia smiled down towards Junior as she walked alongside him, “Well, I think there could be many worlds like this one.” She rose up her hand towards the skies, pointing towards the stars. “I mean, there are millions of stars out there and there could be millions of worlds like this one too.”
She always wondered what did lie behind this world and its galaxy, she didn’t know much but the universe she did know was vast and filled with many possibilities with what did lie within. “They sure are beautiful.” She smiled lightly sighing.

"In all honesty, I did not try that cake. It looked good but I wasn't in the mood for much in the way of sweets." Gregory thought on the feast, remembering his conversation with Orcus and how the Spook had seemed interested in Ariannah; the starry-eyed merchant considered mentioning this to Alexandra but decided against doing so, thinking it wasn't enough of an important topic for him to dabble in.

If someone was interested in another person, then he felt it best to let them handle their own affections and not get involved so directly. Gregory continued small-talking with Alexandra as they walked until he eventually reached his house and bid her adieu for the night, wishing her a restful evening as he himself climbed into bed to awake the following morning.

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These are a few of my favorite things

"It was delicious." she began describing how the cake tasted. "And I'd heard it was made by the baker's son. He's like 13 or 14 I think." Alex continued her chat with Greg before he had to go. "Sleep well." she smiled, giving him a friendly hug before headinf off down the street to her own house. When she got there, her father was sitting in his chair, facing the door. "You're late." he said, not moving. "I know, I had a lot of fun at the party and I forgot about the time. Plus, I'm leaving tomorrow, so I need to go to bed."
Not even 10 minutes later, she was under her covers, fast asleep.

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They taped over your mouth, scribbled out the truth with their lies, you little spies - You will release your life, joining with the god-damned world of the dead and the lonely. - Я сошла с ума, Mне нужна она
Innuendo Squad's Resident Lesbian
Mother of darkness, mother of light, earth beneath us, soul in flight, songs of love and love of life, guide us to our heart.
We all come from the Goddess and to her we shall return like a drop of rain flowing to the ocean.

-Errant Milask, The Sleepy Sheep-

The sound of buzzing conversations danced within Errant's mind as he listened to the world below him, in truth he didn't hold anything against the lad across from him. Though Zephrin's personality rubbed many the wrong way, Errant could understand his view to a degree when he put the world into the lad's perspective; Zephrin was a noble, not use to the so called common-life, he held standards that could not be matched through most means here in the village, sent away from his family to learn an apprenticeship he at first despised... yes, to be cast into the deep end was something all would come to face. Though Zephrin was arrogant and careless with his words, for the most part his heart was in the right place.
Perhaps if the young tailor saw the world from another's eyes...

With a sigh, Errant continued to write on the parchment before him, in his heart Errant knew that it wasn't fair of him to ask Zephrin to look at the world from another perspective. Not yet. After all what reason was there for him to change? Sure his manners and chosen method of confronting others were far from... diplomatic... It's what made Zephrin who he was, his flaws and strengths.

The apprentice archivist shook his head as his table guest bid his thanks and farewells, with an impromptu sitting bow and a slight wave of the hand Errant replied without words.
Once more Errant found himself alone with his thoughts and reflections, once more below him he could observe those who enjoyed the party for what it was meant to be. A fond farewell and a night that was meant to be remembered joyfully, if not with a hint bitterness. Looking down at he felt satisfaction with what he had written down, for now anyway perhaps later he'd edit his work to reflect anything he may have missed until then, he had one more person he had to visit before he left on his journey.
Packing up the parchment and quill Errant walked downstairs to find his uncle, it didn't take long to locate the man amongst the other adults. From what he heard he could hear each of them boasting about the pride they feel about their treasured child, adding how they would miss the little things, he heard mentor's eagerly looking forward to what their pupil would learn from the guild and what adventures they would find. He would've listened further if not for the errand he had, gently tapping on his uncle's shoulder to draw his attention, "I'm going to pay her a visit uncle, did you bring the bottle of wine as I had asked?"

"Of course I did... Do you want some company?" The man replied softly but Errant shook his head.
"It'll be fine, I'd rather have some alone time with her besides, it seems like your preoccupied so why ruin the mood right?" Errant smiled before walking off leaving Tristan to watch the boy walk out the door without even saying goodbye to anyone in the room, no eye contact or pats on the back. He had made sure his presence was not noticed.
"Isolation won't cure it you know...." Tristan muttered sadly before the other adults teased him to smile again, not knowing what the man had meant.


It didn't take long for Errant retrieve the small pouch containing the wine bottle, the night time air was refreshing, no smell of ale or the excited sound of people dancing and smiling. All that was a feint flutter in the wind as the teen walked further and further away from the Sleepy Sheep. It took him ten minutes to reach his destination; The Amber Fall graves. In the moonlight Errant could see the local church, it's pristine walls almost glistening in the darkness as the soft glow of torches lit the halls inside. A part of him wondered if there was anyone minding the place or if someone was praying right now. The fading sounds of the wind whistling through the long grass was all that accompanied Errant as he moved between the graves of the departed until he reached the memorial stone of his mother; Jillian Milask.

Carefully sitting down in front of the stone, Errant gave a regretful sigh, "The day's finally here, today I begin my journey beyond your hometown Ma. Your brother seemed, proud... would you believe it? Proud of an upstart, smart-alley, arrogant loudmouth.... who would've thought? I certainly don't. " Errant gave a soft chuckle, "You should've seen the Sleepy Sheep tonight, I wonder if it decorated like it was back on your farewell feast. If it was then the adults here truly do lack imagination...... Your... brother did his best, he gave it his all to help me fit in, gave me more than I can return... psh, probably to guilt-trip me in time I bet but still.... it's the thought that counts right Ma? He's starting to gain some white hair now, even losing some of that fabled hair of his... got his shop running again but unfortunate the women here seem to know better, still unmarried but I don't think he really cares.... he was never interested in all that serious business after all."
The teen chuckled softly again as he felt his heart become heavy again, "It's been hard without you... Even now... It's... been so long since I heard you laugh, part of me worries I've already forget that sound... But hey, that's what it's like to grew senile I suppose, haha, guess that what Ol'Welkin feels like... would you believe the old man's still in good health? Nearly eighty but still fit as a fiddle... course he can't organize a bookshelf to save his life... The town's library is in for a rough time without me." He tried to laugh but Errant had to choke back some of his emotions before he could find the will to force even a grin.

"Tried follow the news as of late, still no news about dad... I'm... I'm still... afraid Ma. Uncle says that he wouldn't come into town without being spotted by the local guard or by the rangers... But no matter how many books or tales I tell, there isn't a day that goes by that makes me wonder where he is...Haha, you know speaking of tales, I had to babysit the Tollen Twins again, they're about four now, can't sit still those two, anyway told them the tale about The Wayward Fox, first time I told that one... it felt strange, being the one to tell the tale. After all you were the only one who ever told me that story... I was surprised I could even remember it, I didn't even choke once! I felt... relieved, almost happy... To see them smile as ask me to go on with big wide eyes... You'd have been proud... I hope..."

Errant went silent as the night sky and the winds comforted him, "Tomorrow I'm going on my journey so I won't be here to speak to you... not for a long time anyway, your brother promised me that he'd do it in my stead, so you'll have the grate your teeth until I'm back... It's a beautiful evening Ma, I'm not sure how you see it from up there but from down here, it's like a curtain made of silk, decorated with the finest gems that reflect the sunlight on a summer's day, I can see all the stars you mentioned, the guide, the watcher, all of them. Can you? " Errant sat for a while longer, looking at the words engraved on the stone until he was ready again, "Hey Ma, I'm off. Gotta hit they hay and dry up. Let the water works run for a bit too long I think, haha... I left you your favorite wine; Galine Red, your brother assured me it was of fine vintage... who knows when I'm back maybe I'll drink it with you, you know assuming someone doesn't go and steal the bottle from your grave. Until then... I'll... be thinking of you Ma. Watch over me during my journey cause these hotheads I'm going with are going to drive me up the wall.... I can feel it in my bones, haha." Getting up slowly, Errant brushed the dirt off himself before making sure everything was in order before he walked solemnly away.

~Kurokage Shuriken Jr. with Lydia, nearing home~

Junior looked up at Lydia and listened intently as she told him how she believed there could be other worlds out there much like their own. He looked up at the sky once more as Lydia pointed towards the stars, turning the thought over in his mind. "Other worlds like ours...maybe there are other worlds out there--with people in them just like us. Maybe they have their own Amber Falls in one of those worlds, and maybe they wonder or worry about the same things we do...." he thought to himself. He nodded in agreement as Lydia commented about how beautiful the stars were. "Yeah, they sure are..." he replied softly.

He looked down from the sky and It was then that he realized that the two had arrived at their destination. He blinked a little, having been so drawn in by their conversation that he hadn't noticed that they we're already close to his home. Had he not looked at his surroundings as he did right then, the two most certainly would have walked on past an onto the other side of the village. He paused before the porch steps of his house and glanced up at Lydia meekly. "Well, um, I guess we're here already. Thank you for walking me home, Lydia," he said appreciatively as he walked up the steps and stood in front of the door.

It was right about then that the door swung open before him, and a man who looked much like Junior appeared at the entrance. He was a rather tall man, and, like Junior, his skin was very pale, rather grey-ish in color, with spiky dark grey hair that was a tad on the long side, the back of his hair swooping downwards towards his shoulder blades. Unlike Junior, however, he had pale grey eyes, in contrast to Junior's baby blues. He wore a black long sleeve shirt, dark grey pants that were rolled up a bit at the bottom, black fingerless gloves, grey shoes, and a long grayish-white scarf wrapped loosely around his neck and tied from behind.

He suddenly knelt before Junior and pulled the young boy into a tight embrace, eliciting a startled yelp from the boy. "Oh thank Emball, you've returned!" he exclaimed in relief.

Junior blinked and looked up at his father, his namesake. "D-Dad, were you just standing there waiting for me this entire time?" he asked him incredulously.

"No, I was just about to go searching for you, actually. It was getting late and I thought perhaps to check up on--WHY ARE YOUR EYES RED?!" he questioned suddenly as he took a closer look at Junior's face, just then noticing how puffy and red his eyes looked, signs of recent tears being shed. He placed his hands on Junior's shoulders and looked him directly in the eyes. "What happened, who made you cry? Someone was picking on you, weren't they?! Tell me who did it, tell me what happened!" he interrogated him.

"What's all the ruckus about?" a soft voice called out from inside the house. Soon a woman appeared behind Kurokage and Junior, wiping flour from her hands on her apron. She was of average height, if not perhaps leaning a bit on the short side. She had fair skin and medium length hair that reached her mid back and that was, curiously, tri-colored, the ends of her hair black which faded into grey and then pure white at the top of her head. Her eyes were baby blue, the same color as Junior's. Along with the white apron tied around her waist, she wore a light violet sweater, a white dress skirt that extended a few inches past her knees, and a pair of grey moccasins.

"Junior was crying when he was over at the party, Whispers. See, I told you it was a bad idea to let him go there alone! I should have gone with him, I could have prevented it, set it straight in their minds that they shouldn't mess around with my son!" Kurokage told her. "In fact, I should probably head over there right now and find the brat who upset him, give them a piece of my mind!"

"D-Dad, that's not necessary, really!" Junior piped up nervously. "It wasn't like that at all, no one was picking on me. I-I was just crying earlier 'cause I got nervous, a-about the cake," he lied, not wanting Zephrin to get in trouble over a statement that wasn't technically directed at him in the first place, even if it did strike a little too close to home and hurt him personally. "I-In fact, I had a good time, and I even made a new friend, and she gave me these gifts, see?" he said, holding up the leather journal and hourglass up for his mother and father to see.

"My, those are some lovely gifts you got, Junior. Well, you see there, Kuro? I told you there was nothing to worry about," Whispers said in response.

Kurokage frowned a bit and stood up in silence, not completely convinced.

Whispers then looked behind Junior, noticing the bespectacled blue haired girl standing there. "Oh, is that your friend, Junior?" she asked him.

Kurokage blinked and looked over in Lydia's direction, now noticing the girl himself. Truth be told, he had been so distracted about worrying over Junior that he had not even noticed her presence, despite being only a few feet away.

Junior nodded his head. "Uh-huh! Her name's Lydia, and she's the one who gave me these gifts, and she walked me home," he replied.

"Oh, is that so? Well, in that case, it's nice to meet you, Lydia," Whispers said with smile and a wave. "We appreciate you walking our son home."

"Yes, thank you for taking him home," Kurokage murmured in response.

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There wasn’t really much more Lydia had thought about the possibility of other worlds much like their own, but it was certainly an interesting subject. Astronomy? That would have been a great apprenticeship she could have taken. Still she loved working with clocks; it’s only fair to have other interests as well besides time and clock making.

Then finally Lydia and Junior arrived at the doorstep to his home, she nodded towards them and smiled gently. “You’re welcome.” She watched as he ascends the stairs to the door when suddenly it had opened; right there a man before them. He seemed quite happy about Junior’s return.

Lydia watched in silence as Junior’s father became too worried about Junior and his having red previously teary eyes. She had felt almost uncomfortable standing there watching the whole scene as Junior and his father and now mother conversed until she had been addressed, taking her attention up towards Whispers and Kuro and smiled lightly, “Nice to meet you as well, I really didn’t mind walking Junior home, you are very welcome. He seemed like he needed some company, and well. I did as well.”

-Amber Falls, Streets-

“There is no guarantee of anything.” Elson said with a shrug. “We can only do what we think is best.” The question of the magic in the water was simple enough to answer. He knew as much as anybody else. “Makes it glow.” He replied simply. “Nothing more.” The other question was easy enough to answer. “I do not know. I’ve never heard of the branch before. It does share a name with the, falls but it could be mere coincidence.” The Ranger rubbed his chin, before letting his arm drop limp again to his side. There was no telling one way or another.

“Your father is not yet that old.” He smirked. “But you are welcome.” The man was silent for a moment as he half heartedly returned Aldrnari’s smile. It really should have been Hroth sharing this moment with the girl, not him. The silence abruptly ended when the young ranger’s stomach made its needs known. “Get yourself some food and some rest. You have a long day’s travel ahead tomorrow. I need to return to the others. Hroth will want to know what has happened here. Good night Aldrnari, and farewell.” Elson Redgrove nodded to the girl before turning and walking off and quietly disappearing into the forest.

~Kurokage Shuriken Jr. with Lydia and his parents at his doorstep~

Whispers smiled softly. "Well, I'm sure Junior appreciated your company. I'm afraid that he doesn't have many friends yet, so it's good to see that he'll have at least one friend to accompany him on the journey tomorrow," she replied as she walked around Kurokage and stood beside Junior, extending an arm around his shoulder and gently pulling him close to her side. "You are amongst the apprentices going on that journey, am I right?"

Kurokage noticeably tensed a bit as his wife mentioned the dreaded journey that was to take place tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow, his little twelve year old son was to be heading off on what could potentially be a dangerous journey with a bunch of strangers, most of whom were much older than him. Perhaps it was just a tad comforting to know that Junior had at least made a new friend or two, and it looked like this girl was decent enough company for Junior. She certainly looked nice, and she had even given Junior some gifts---wait, where did those gifts come from? Certainly Lydia wasn't just carrying them around while at the Sleepy Sheep just looking for some random person to give them to, was she? And if she was, well, that would most certainly be an odd thing to do. Was there another purpose to handing the gifts out to a random stranger, especially a mere child? He stared down at Junior and the things he held in his arms as this new thought crossed his mind. "She gave him a leather journal and an hourglass. Certainly nothing suspicious about that, right? Or...is it?" the overly paranoid father thought to himself as he began to imagine all sorts of absurd things that could be "bad" or "potentially dangerous" about these gifts.

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The Shuriken’s certainly seemed like a loving family, even though a bit over protective something she had already noticed. She knew what it was like to live somewhat of a sheltered upbringing, Junior must have had it worse. By the sounds, he didn’t even have friends. Lydia felt a lump of sadness swell to her throat as she thought at about it, even worse she began to feel like her presence was unappreciated and even her gifts to the boy. What possible threat could she be? What about the book and the hourglass? Were they a threat? She was beginning to feel she had done something wrong here.

“Yes ma’am. I am one of the one of the apprentices leaving for the city of Crenshaw and the Dawn Guild. I’m sure you have met my parents or Grandfather from the clock shop? My Grandfather was my tutor.”

-Irving, winding down-
"Really? Well, at least they calmed down. Be terrible for them to walk all the way to Crenshaw with black eyes." Irving laughed lightly. Sliding his plate of food down on the nearby table, he pulled out a chair with his good arm. His left arm naturally rested itself on the table as he sat down, hungrily eying the food. He grabbed a piece of meat and started biting into it, enjoying the rich taste of it. He doubted he'd get food this good again for some time. Stopping for a moment, he spoke up again at Renaldo's question. "Not sure. I suppose everyone here obviously. Maybe a few others I don't know... let's see. Think the ranger's girl is going. Least we won't get lost." Laughing again, he took another large bite of food. "Certainly plenty of us though. I'm glad to finally get going myself, and its nice to know we'll all have some people to talk to I guess. How about you Ren? Ready for the big adventure?"

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☽Aldrnari - Amber Falls☾

Aldrnari gave a half-hearted sort of smile as Elson spoke of doing what they thought was best. It wasn't very reassuring, but considering the circumstances, it was the most that could be expected. She frowned though, as Elson talked about the waterfall. It seemed like a bit of a letdown, since most of the magic she had encountered was useful in some way. Then again, it wasn't like she had much experience with magic occurring in nature, so maybe magic could be more useless than she thought.

Aldrnari let out a chuckle as Elson commented on Hroth's age. "No, but he's going to go grey before his time if he doesn't start to share more of the Lodge's responsibilities with someone. And someone has to make sure he eats properly while I'm gone. And field rations do not count as properly." Aldrnari smiled. She had been taking care of the lodge's kitchen for so long now that she doubted any of the other rangers actually remembered how to cook.

She turned to leave after Elson told her to get food, that he needed to get back to Hroth. "Tell him I'll see him again soon." She turned back to add more to her statement, but Elson was already gone, and she could barely make out his outline before he slipped into the forest. Turning again, she walked the short distance remaining to the Inn and opened the door. Immediately she was hit by a wall of heat, so she quickly stepped inside and shut the door behind her, blinking her eyes rapidly to combat the watering from the sudden change in temperature. Looking around, she was pleased to see that the taproom was much less crowded than it had been earlier. Many of the children who would be leaving tomorrow had gone home early, no doubt to get a good night's sleep. Fixing herself a plate from the leftovers, she took a cup of coffee rather than a tankard of beer. She didn't like alcohol much, a ranger with dulled senses and sluggish movement was worse than useless, after all. Spotting an empty table near the kitchen, she took her plate and sat down, eating in small, measured bites. She was incredibly hungry, but the last thing she wanted to do was draw attention to herself with bad manners.

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Zath: Behold, Karo: The only woman in existence who can make Fenix shut the fuck up.
Redsnow: That, and, frankly, if Karo doesn't like you that much, your character is probably going to die soon after his acceptance anyway.
Keiran: Bad RPs don't get picked, unmemberable RPs get ignored.
Zelosse: I don't usually laugh at blatant attitude, but when I do. It usually involves Karo.

~Kurokage Shuriken Jr. with Lydia and his parents~

"Oh, yes, the clock-maker! I know him, every now and again I come to the shop to get one of my clocks fixed. Never a good idea to start baking things if you don't have something to keep track of the time, or else you end up burning things, you know?" Whispers replied with a small chuckle. "So, if he's your tutor, then must mean you're studying to be a clock-maker just like him, too. Well, I wish you luck on accomplishing your goal." She smiled warmly, but then frowned for a moment as she noticed that Lydia seemed a tad uncomfortable. She glanced over to Kurokage, suspecting him to be the source of Lydia's discomfort, and found that he was staring rather intensely at the gifts Junior was holding. She rolled her eyes and nudged his side. "Kurokage, stop that. Can't you see you're making her feel bad?" she scolded him.

Kurokage blinked and looked towards Lydia as Whispers drew his attention away from the 'suspicious" gifts. He stared at her for a moment, then sighed. No, he was being silly. Lydia clearly looked harmless, not at all the sort of person to do the sort of things he had been worrying about. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

Whispers sighed a looked over to Lydia. "Well, it seems to be getting late. I think it might be a good idea for you to be heading home before it gets too dark. Oh, but before you go, I'd like to give you something," she said as she let go of Junior and disappeared back inside the house and into the kitchen.

Junior watched his mother leave, wondering a little to himself what she had in store for Lydia. Soon, however, Whispers came back with some sweet bread wrapped in a white napkin. "Here you go. Just a little treat, as a thank-you for what you've done for Junior," she said with a smile as she handed the bread over to Lydia. "Take care on your way home, alright?"

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