A Chance Meeting, or maybe not

RP Type: Regular
Location: Luca
Description: Rien meeting his sister without knowing her relation to him
Time: Day
Rules:
Exclusiveness: Public
Death Setting: Off
Related NPCs: Maybe their mother?

It was a sunny morning in the market. He was staking out his prey as he began to look through the crowds for something in particular. There was someone that was new to town; he would know, especially if this someone was a woman. His eyes began to sift quickly through the narrow streets of the market place from his vantage point of the top of a building close to the main street. A glimpse of dark-brown caught his attention and then the eyes, that he could barely make out from his position, was a sparkling golden hue just like his own. Rien licked his lips to moisten them and applied a bit of bee wax that he had bought earlier from the local vendor onto his lips and smiled as he smoothed out his hair.

What was interesting about this woman was that she seemed so out of place. Her ears were definitely Elenor. He could tell since he was half-Elenor himself. The next was that she was dressed a bit more than everyone else. She wore what seemed to be traditional Elenor garb. Rien dropped from the edge of the roof, catching an empty clothesline, using it to slide down slightly and drop onto a canopy roof of a vendor’s. The drop allowed him to bounce up off the canopy and land on the floor. No one really ever looked up, so most people didn’t even see him as he was ‘tumbling’ down from the roof, but the person who he had landed next to was slightly startled and looked at Rien oddly. Rien looked up and smiled before he stood up and walked towards where he had first made contact with the Elenor.

Slipping through the crowd, not making much of a commotion, he finally caught up with the Elenor as she stood out pretty well, compared to the rest of the Humans that lived in the city and who were at the marketplace. Rien circled around so that he was in front of her and began to walk towards her. He soon realized she was a bit taller than he imagined, but no matter. The streets were crowded and so their meeting, he would set up to be like ‘fate’ that is if this woman believed in fate.

As he was closing the distance between him and her, Rien watched the woman’s eyes from his peripherals to see when she’d look away, nabbing the single best moment that would come to him. As soon as she diverted her eyes away from what was in front of her, he’d attempt to ‘accidentally’ bump into her on the shoulders, enough to throw her balance off and onto the ground if she was hit.

If this happened, Rien would extend his hand to the woman and help her out and introduce himself.

If she did not fall, Rien would pause for a second after apologizing and then tilt his head as he looked at the Elenor woman for a bit. After a good 3 second pause, Rien would shake his head and apologize.

“I’m sorry… you look really familiar… is your name, by any chance, Helena?” He was of course making this Helena person up. It was an attempt to start a conversation with her. He hoped his Elenor-like attractiveness would woo this woman into bed, but only time would tell for this one.

Exiled... for being unstable. A nuisance to the city. Every little kitchen fire or candle left on too long was always somehow her fault. It's not her fault. Damn it. She had so much pent up anger while walking through the forest that she randomly sent fireballs into the trees in the hope one would spread, cause a forest fire, and burn that city to the ground. The last thing she would ever want to do is return to that place. She knew exactly why she was exiled, her very existence was a hindrance to her father's governmental position in the city. Things were fine twenty years ago. Everything was fine until her mother ruined everything, just...

She reached the edge of the forest and looked off to the horizon for any place that looked like a city of some sort. She'd been walking through the forest all morning and now she was hungry. Likely she would have to either find a city or take up hunting. Surely setting the forest on fire would kill and cook something to eat for her.

She brushed off her clothes and got her first really good look at the sun. She looked at her skin and body. She was really pale, not surprising when living in a city always under the canopy cover all of her life. Maybe being out and about here will give her a tan in the very least. She was wearing a green short robe, well short on her. Normally this robe would extend down to the knees, but she lifted it up higher on her body to allow the collar to open up enough to expose her shoulders. The hem now lined just below were the waist of the small black shorts she was wearing that only extended a few centimeters past her inseam, with the bulk of the robe clumped over her behind. A large gold cloth belt wrapped around her midriff and back like a corset, holding the robe in place so it wouldn't move. Two smaller cloth belts wrapped around her upper arms to hold up the sleeves of the robe. A second belt wrapped over her waist, this one black leather, that held the broadsword on her left waist. Most of her thighs and legs were exposed except for her feet and calves, which were covered by brown leather boots that conflicted with the colors she wore, but matched her hair.

Periodically, she would bring her hand to her neck as if trying to cover something up. Even with how much she exposed, it was her neck that made her feel the most naked. She didn't like it, but she didn't really have much time to really look for something to wear.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted what looked like a large city in the distance. shouldn't take too long for her to walk to it, maybe find something to eat.

Now in the city, she couldn't help but notice she stuck out like a sore thumb. There were a few Elenor here and there, but overall she was the only one really wearing Elenor clothing. And she was't even wearing the flashiest outfit she had. She was wearing what could be described as typical village clothes with some simple tweaks, but the humans here looked like they were wearing sacks. She lifted her thumb up to her forehead and casually lifted a bit of sweat off her brow, then started to walk with the sparse crowd of people.

What was she even doing here anyway? Did she have a goal? Perhaps the easiest goal would be to find another Elenor settlement and move in there, clean slate. She could easily ask around. A clean slate sounded nice, really. I chance to start all ne…

While lost in thought, she didn't have time to react before someone struck her on the side, sending her off balance and falling on her back, her head nearly hitting the cobblestone road. She laid there with her eyes closed for a few seconds like this was all a bad dream and she would wake up in her small house in the city as if nothing happened, hoping to smell the scent of freshly cooked meats from the neighbors. Instead, she only smelled the stench of long dried and pancaked horseshit in the cobblestone near her head.

She opened her eyes, lifted her head up and looked at the man who had his hand extended toward her. Perhaps this is the man who knocked her over? Well, hope he got an eyeful, dirty human. She nearly grabbed his hand, but instead she fired a small blast of fire into his outstretched hand. Not enough to burn him outright, but enough to force him to recoil. She pulled her legs closer to her body, planted her hands on parts of the road that didn't have caked in shit on them, and lifted herself off the ground enough so that her legs could hold her weight herself.

Now standing, she was now reconsidering her action of blasting his hand with a bit of fire. A bit late for reconsidering, though. Her initial grimace caused by her sour mood was replaced with a genuine smile, now. As if the thought of not causing a bit of pain after already causing it lightened her mood. "Hi, I'm Elly!" She lightly brushed her hands off and brushed off her back. "I'm a bit new to the city, know any good places to eat?" Preferably not with you...

Rien was dressed in his normal attire which was a tan overcoat that was pretty plain to the eyes. It was very clean considering where he was at the present moment and how much he ran around in the dusty areas of the city in order to get a better look at potential targets of thievery. His daggers were hidden underneath the overcoat, which honestly made him look fat, but that was the trick of being a good magician, being able to conceal what you wanted and showing it whenever you wanted. A good sleight of hand of a coin always earned some coin for him when he decided to do something legitimate. Other times, the sleight was used to take a watch or a wallet or purse off of a rich corrupt man who treated the lower district citizens like dirt. Usually they found themselves without easy transportation back to whence they came, thanks to Rien.

As his hand was stretched towards the woman, she shot a fireball at his hand. His thought process started as he saw it, but he forced himself to not move an inch to go the ‘weak and incompetent human’ route, at least for a while. After the fireball hit, Rien began to shake his hand as he grimaced slightly in pain and glared lightly at the woman. “Hey!” he exclaimed aloud to react. Since it was just a light heat, he could withstand it quite easily, but again, with his façade, he’d continue to act like this for the moment.

The woman’s angry demeanor had lightened and she smiled at him. Rien smiled back. He was in a forgiving mood today. She asked him where a good place to eat was. Rien looked around and smiled. He was in food haven. Since this was the marketplace, finding food would not be difficult. There were plenty of vendors that sold amazing food. He preferred the fresh bread, anyways, so Rien took the hand of the woman and smiled. “Come with me, Elly…” he said, pulling the Elenor woman along. He wondered if she noticed his eyes. It was quite a defining trait of an Elenor. Her traditional garb meant she came from an Elenor city recently. Was it Merdana? Her mother had named his sister Elaninde and called her Elly all the time. He knew this because his mother had always spoken about Merdana and her life there. She didn’t regret ever sleeping with the human, but she did regret making a life like this for her son. She loved him like any mother would, a child, and so she only hoped the best for her son and her estranged daughter.

When Rien finally stopped, both Elly and he were in front of the best bread bakery in all of the market place. Their bread was always fresh and they had several different kinds of breads. He preferred the sweet buns as he paid the 10 pieces of copper to the baker and got the two pieces of bread and handed one of them to his Elenor companion.

“Here! Try this… this is the best bread in town… You won’t find anything close to this quality, even in the higher districts…” he proclaimed, even in front of the baker. The baker smiled and handed Rien a complimentary bun for his compliment about his bakery. He looked at Elly and smiled, hoping she’d enjoy it as well.

She would... allow the human to touch her, to grab her hand and guide her along. This apprehension to the humans was not really about her being intolerant toward them, though they did live in stinky cities. Simply put, a human ruined her life. A human took her mother away, caused Elaninde to go into depression for so long, and a human that ultimately led to her being exiled in the first place. Although it was her mother's actions, those actions were caused by a human. One human with a gross libido ruined her and her mother's life.

That's not an excuse for treating all humans bad though… perhaps they're just trying to live the best they can. Maybe they aren't all pigs that try to take advantage of lonely Elenor women for their own short-lived pleasure. Most probably are, though. The fact this human was being so nice somewhat implied that he was after something. And seeing that Elly didn't have much on her but her sword, some loose change, and her body, he's probably after the latter. If that becomes the case, then she will burn him far worse than the little puff earlier. She wouldn't end up like her mother, who can never return to any Elenor settlement because of fleeting affair.

He pulled her along to a small building that radiated the smell of baked goods. Anything made with flour in Merdana was a delicacy because the flour was mostly imported from human settlements for trade. Merdana mostly produced herbs, funguses, and various hard fruits and vegetables from the farms in the trees. There wasn't enough space for large plantations that won't get enough sunlight anyway with the tree canopy and it is too much of a hassle to trim the trees to keep constant sunlight on the plants that do need sunlight as is. Some traders make a great deal of money trading back and forth foods and ingredients between settlements. During those times is about the only time she ever saw other races, and even then they weren't allowed inside the city itself, just on the ground.

He bought two bread with some of his own money and somehow sweet-talked the baker into giving him one extra. It was a bit of an odd exchange, really. He gave her one of the buns and smiled. Although she had planned to pay for herself, free food was nice still. She held the bun up to her face, sniffed it a bit, then took a small bite of the edge. She could taste the sweetness and her eyes lit up at the new flavor. She lifted one of her fingers off the bun and looked at it, slightly covered in a sticky substance from the bread. "What is this?" She licked her finger, then took another bite of the bread. She knew what sugar tasted like, this wasn't sugar, though. Something made with sugar? Something else entirely? The bread was lightly coated in it.

She took a third bite, the texture of the bread didn't taste quite right, though. Like it was missing a bit of substance. She placed her finger on the corner of the area she was munching on and very carefully summoned small puffs of fire that lightly toasted the edge. When it was browned, she then bit into the newly toasted area, a bit of a crunch. "Heh, it's even better toasted a little bit." Sure she may be changing what the bread is supposed to be, but she liked the change.

Elly had asked him what the sticky substance was on the bread. He explained pretty easily without too much of a hassle. “Well you see, it’s a sweetened milk… It’s called condensed milk. In its original form, it’s very thick, but it goes great with bread, fruits, and coffees. Glad you enjoyed it though…” he said as he finished his own bit and placed the last bite into his mouth. He tipped the baker an extra copper and he began to lead Elly through the city. He began showing her the roads and the major landmarks of the city so that she’d be able to find her way through the city without too much trouble. He pointed out that there was a map at every corner of the streets to allow for easy locating of whatever she needed to find. Rien smiled and looked over at the Elenor and decided to finally ask something a bit more personal about her. “So Elly, what brings you to Pa’lorn? I mean… most Elenors don’t leave their cities… You also don’t seem like the type to want to leave either…” he asked as he walked at her side. He was indeed curious, but if she was going to throw a fireball at him, one that would actually hurt, he’d rather avoid something as painful as that.

Rien took her around the marketplace towards the tailors and the smithies to see if she wanted to buy anything around there. He didn’t imply anything about making her buy new clothes. He didn’t even know if she was planning on staying long. All he knew was that she was new here… her clothes were evidence of that.

Elaninde continued to munch and toast the bread as she enjoyed it. It felt good to be eating something new and the chance to explore all these new food possibilities certainly piqued her interest. Condensed milk, was that milk that has been left out so the water in it evaporates or something? That would only make it smell, but this didn't smell bad, it was sweet. Then he mentioned coffee. "Coffee? That stuff can't grow around here, is it imported?" Coffee was a commodity that was rarely bought in Merdana. She's never tried it herself, but she loved the smell. To put this milk stuff in coffee would make it sweet like the bread? She had a lot to think about. Perhaps this exile thing wasn't all that bad, really. To be able to go out, see this world, and eat all it has to offer…

She finished the bread and started to lick her fingers, then the man, whose name she sort of forgot, began to lead her around the city. For a smelly city, he sure held it in high regard. Perhaps he's lived here all his life just like she'd lived hers in Merdana? It made her wonder just what others would think of Merdana, if they would think it too was smelly or crowded or a maze of roads, houses, and buildings. Perhaps everyone holds their home in high regard if they've never left it before.

The maps engraved in metal on the poles at street corners were a nice touch. Good thinking for a city that sees a lot of visitors. Probably not many like her, though. Not in twenty years, at least.

"So how long have you been holding that question in…" She spoke, rhetorical. She would be curious too in his place. But something about the way he asked it just… just… "It's not like I left of my own will! 'Unstable' is what was written on the paper. Unstable unstable. UNSTABLE UNSTABLE UNSTABLE!" She shouted, throwing fireballs fueled with her anger into the cobblestone street. Luckily they weren't in a busy section of the city, otherwise she would have turned on the man right there and set his hair on fire…

She slowly lowered her body so she could wrap her arms around her legs, then she let her butt fall to the cobblestone street and she kept her arms around her legs. She slowly rested her head on her knees and was on the verge of tears. "I hate them, I hate them all. I hate my father, all the men and women, everyone, just everyone in that city… but it was still my home…"

“Aye, imported from the south coast of this region… trade routes are numerous in human cities, so getting things like coffee at low prices is somewhat common. There are still things that are quite expensive and require a bit more… coin to get it. Maybe if you stick around long enough in town, I’ll take you out for some coffee as well.” he smiled at the Elenor.

When she asked her rhetorical question, Rien was about to open his mouth to answer. Unfortunately, before he could start, she had already spoken again. Well… spoken was an understatement, as her voice elevated to something short of ferocious. Her hands began to glow red as she began to throw fireballs all over the place, releasing her frustration to the poor cobblestone roads that they were walking on. Rien bent down to examine the landings of the fireballs which had darkened the stone just a bit. Thankfully, cobblestone roads weren’t able to ignite. Rien looked back towards Elly who had began to fall slowly into a sitting position as she pulled her knees together.

He knew that he was in danger of getting burned, but it wasn’t like he wasn’t use to a little pain. Rien patted her head as he approached her in his knelt down position. He smiled as he rubbed her back like a pal and shook his head. “Unstable? I think you’re just misunderstood… To me, it looks like you just need to find an outlet for all that stored up energy you have there. I’ve met many people like you. Well let’s just say I’ve had my fair share of experience with people like you.” he said as he patted the side of his abdomen on the left side inconspicuously.

There was a scar there. It was a cut scar, made by an Aerokinesis woman who was mad when she found out he was having an affair with another woman. Well, it wasn’t the first time she almost took his head off. Whenever she was pushed to the limit, both in pleasure and in madness, he had to be careful of how he oriented himself. One wrong step and he would be without something of importance, and he was lucky only to escape any permanent damage, the only one being the scar at his left. The cut was deep and it festered slightly as the wind she had controlled was carrying some bacteria. He had more pain from the bacteria than he did from the cut. It was unfortunate really.

Rien stood up and then gently grabbed the wrist of Elly and pulled her up, even if against her will. “Seems like you don’t have a place to stay… why don’t you stay with my mother until you can settle things down…” he said as he began to lead him to his house where his mother was currently. Today was her off day, so she chose to relax by reading and studying tomes. I guess that was how mages were.

She just rolled her head a bit on her knees after he spoke. "My only real outlet was smoking… I don't suppose you have any cannabis on you?" Here she was asking a random human if he had any marijuana on him. But that was about the only thing that really helped her calm down when she was angry and was about to set something on fire because of it. He tried to pull her up, but she just kept her arms around her knees. But eventually, his strength to life her up overcame her desire to remain put. Wrapped in a ball of hate was about the only thing she could still really do, all she really had control over. And here this human was, touching her and trying to comfort her like a child.

Even standing, all Elly could do was grip her left arm with her right hand and she just looked down at the road. Wasn't she thinking about the positives about this not too long ago? She's finally free of her father, though not of her own will… She's free of the accusations from the city whenever something lit on fire. She's got her feet on solid ground in a new place and just ate something new and learned about new ingredients. And then there was this man, who was showing her more kindness than someone with nothing to offer ought to be given.

After he offered her a place at his mother's home, she thought perhaps he's just too kind for his own good. Is this what all humans were like? Under their stench, they're this caring? Perhaps that's how her mother was so easily enamored by one. She could certainly see how easily it was when the only other man in her life was her father. Was that what this human was trying to do? Was this how her mother also sucked in? Because she felt she couldn't find any help from her own people so she left to find someone she could escape from the world with? Then it cost her everything she had…

She shook her head. "Is this what you human men do? Find a vulnerable woman, offer her a place to stay, then what's the next step?" Her depression was beginning to get replaced with anger now. The fingers on her right hand, wrapped around her left arm, were beginning to be shrouded in a thin glove of fire that flickered hotter than a simple candle. She might just be jumping to conclusions, but her life was already in shambles. She just didn't care anymore.

“Sorry, love… I don’t have a knack for things that mess with the body… I like to keep fit… and smoke in your body… that just doesn’t bode well for me…” he said to her. When he tried to pull her up, she resisted, but despite that, her body was light and easy to pick up. Pretty soon she was on her feet, even if it was against her will. He began to lead her to his mother’s house.

Typically for a girl he attempted to woo, he’d whisk them away and bring them to a nice hotel and continue there. This was a peculiar case because this was the only Elenor woman he had seen in a while that wasn’t with an entourage of a sort. It allowed him to explore who these people were. Rien took up the opportunity, and since his mother had not spoken to an Elenor in so long, he figured it’d be nice for them to converse. He figured for another Elenor to speak to another, they’d be able to find comfort within each other, or at least he hoped.

She then made an accusation, one that was somewhat out of place. While it could be perceived that he was attempting to flirt with her, even the most stubborn of woman did not attempt to kill him on his attempt to woo them into bed, even if this situation was different. While this woman was different, he could only believe that despite her ‘instability’ she had some underlying reasoning to be against it. Most women were flattered by his attempts and that was what usually won them over, however this woman was going against it.

“Whoa there… I don’t look for vulnerable women… they’re too easy to manipulate… I usually go for the ones that make it worthwhile, for example, you. Even by looks alone, you don’t look vulnerable at all, and the fire throwing hands show that. My plan is to just be as nice as possible… the woman usually does the rest… so whether something happens afterwards or not, that’s completely up to you… I’m just offering you a place to sleep the night.” he said definitively. What he said was true. By the time the day was ending, most of the women he helped were already falling head over heels for him. The women usually began to come onto him, and one thing lead to another and bam, he slept with another woman… Life was good for good ol’ Rien, but this Elenor, he knew he wasn’t likely to get in bed with her… since he knew that if he did, he might get burnt… everywhere.

Rien continued to lead the way to his house, but he didn’t pull her along. It was up to her to continue to follow him or to leave him.

"Tch. I didn't mean physically vulnerable…" His ignorance of her situation was probably understandable. All he probably knew was what she told him in her little moment of anger/sadness. How would this random human know what she went through because of the actions of another human?

And is that it? Be nice to a woman and expect her to fall for him? Elaninde, fall for a human? Ridiculous. If that's what drove the mind of this man, the hope that if he's nice he'll get sex, then she wanted nothing more to do with the dirty creature. Heh, perhaps the most stable choice she's made today was to turn where she was and simply walk away. She wouldn't follow him despite his offer. If Elly had to, she would sleep in a back alley before sleeping in the same building as him.

The fire in her fingers extinguished and she lightly patted the cloth of her sleeve to extinguish any random fire that caught. Perhaps she shouldn't have done that, now the sleeve of her robe was charred. The markets, that's right. There were some elenor men there, she remembered. Perhaps they could tell her where the closest elenor city was that wasn't Merdana. She would go there and ask.

"Sorry, love. Merdana is about the only large elenor settlement in the country. Most others are like me, just living the day to day," He hoisted a large box onto a cart, "Just living the day to day staying alive. I'm about ready to head off, though. Tell you what, I can just take you to Merdana. Not far from my path. You don't seem the type to leave the city."

"If I could go back, I wouldn't have left to begin with!" It was all Elly could do to not yell at the man outright. She wasn't angry with him, just frustrated.

"Well," He hoisted another box onto a cart, "Next time I'll be visiting an elenor city won't be for some time. There's a place in Sky that's rather lovely. I can take you there if you'd like if you wouldn't mind a little bit of work to pay for your food and other expenses." He picked up another box and placed it on the cart. "Old man like me could use the company anyway. What'dya say?" To say she trusted the elenor man more than the human was an understatement. Here was someone who was actually able and willing to help her!

"What kind of work?" Elly asked, curious now as to what he would have her do in order to 'pay' her trip to another elenor city.

"Ahh, just some lifting here and there. Maybe have you help set up shop in various cities. It's not going to be a straight trip, man's gotta make a living. If you can cook at all, would make camping a lot easier on both of us, I suppose. That's up to you, though."

It seemed that the Elenor woman had made her choice. Despite his attempts to be nice and allow her to meet another Elenor, she declined. Rien shrugged when he noticed she stopped following him, and so he went on home to tell his mother of the story of the Elenor woman named Elly.

“Mother… she’s a bit taller than me… throws fire, easily enraged, and she’s an Elenor. Her name is Elly, or that’s what she told me… From what it looks like from her wear, from Merdana and she can’t go back. I can’t say I envy her… alone in a new city…”

“Rien! You said her name was Elly and she’s from Merdana?”

“Yes… why?”

“Go get her right this instant.”

“What?! But why?! She’s probably gone already…”

“Foolish child… she’s my daughter… your half-sister… the pyrokinesis and name, it’s unmistakable. Find her and bring her back…”

Rien fumed for a few seconds and shook his head as he made his way back towards the city via the rooftops. With the vantage point, he would be able to spot any Elenor with Elenor clothing from a mile away. Running atop the roofs of the building back to where they had parted ways, Rien was able to swiftly locate the woman without too much trouble. Jumping down from the building and using his Photokinesis to stop him from hitting the ground hard enough by manipulating the light around him to condense into particles that were able to be stepped on, Rien landed behind Elly with barely a sound and he yelled in protest after hearing the possibility of her leaving with this other Elenor. “Wait a sec would you?” he said as his hand reached out for the woman’s shoulder. Not grabbing it on purpose, Rien went past her from the side and began speaking to the merchant. “Sorry sir… I just need to talk to her for a little bit…” he said as took Elly aside and engaged in a private conversation with her.

“Look… maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I didn’t mean to scare you or anything… Just wanted you to meet someone… an Elenor… I think she’s gone through something similar as your situation, since she’s not able to return to Merdana either. She may be able to shed some light upon the situation… how about it?” he asked her.

If she agreed, Rien would bring her to his house and she would be able to meet her mother. If she refused… well… there were other ways to make sure the merchant couldn’t travel today… nothing too devilitating, just something that would delay him for a day.

Elaninde spun around and faced the human again. How long would this man continue to bother her now? What did he want from her? "Damn it, you. Why are you here?!" He tried to touch her shoulder, to which, she forcefully slapped his hand with the back of her right hand before it made contact. She was getting tired of this man. Just when she found someone who would take her to civilization, this human just keeps trying to deny her of it! "No, I'm done talking to you. I'm done listening to you!" She wouldn't give him the ear to listen to whatever he had to say or what ever he would have said.

Elly felt a hand on her shoulder. The coarse feel of his hands on the smoothness of her own skin felt like the divide between heaven and earth. His were the hands of a man who's lived so long and worked so hard. The old elenor man was behind her now, gently petting her shoulder. His centuries of wisdom perhaps the only thing that would calm her mind. "Now now, child. Don't be like that. I think he has something valuable to say. I can see it in his eyes…" Although it wasn't visible for Elly, the old man looked Rien in the eyes, winked, and smiled a kind, knowing smile. "I don't plan to leave for a few hours, so there's plenty of time to talk."

Elly just looked right ahead, then her head slowly sank down in a sort of defeated way. "You're too kind." She spoke to the merchant. Though it could be taken in two ways, her words. They could be heard as sincere, or they could be heard as vexing.

"Nonsense. I'm just an old man. I've seen my fair share of the world and I know the value of words. The whole world can change because of a conversation, you know. Now along with you. I'll be here if nothing changes." He said, patting her shoulder, then lifting his hand off it to let her go and make her choice. He would turn and return to his lifting.

Elaninde sheepishly took a step toward the human, her head still slightly down, and she would listen to what he had to say.

"It doesn't surprise me that there are others. What do you think will happen if she talks to me? You think she can just teach me how to live outside the city or something like that? You think she will pity me and we can somehow relate? Don't make me laugh…" Her words were quiet, like the old man had quenched what flame she had and what was left now was a cinder.

She would follow him, though. Follow him to whoever he was going to introduce her to. She would enter the building, the smell of ground up grass and the scent of flowers was in the air. It was a nice smell, it made her happy, perhaps. She followed the human into another room and there she stood. "M…M…Mama…?" She could feel tears stinging her eyes, blurring her vision, but there stood her mother still.

Rien watched as the emotional scene ensued. As soon as his sister had stepped into the house, she would see their mother. Elly was in shock and could only stand there. Tears began to well up behind her eyes. Rien stood there as he knew if he approached her, well, he might get his hair lit on fire. Tadali, on the other hand, a trained mage, moved towards her daughter as she embraced her with so much heart and so much love. “My dear Elly!” she cried out, holding Elly tightly against herself. Tadali would not let go of her daughter as it had been 22 years since she had seen her. She would savor every moment she had. Tears streamed down her eyes, tears of joy and happiness, to see her daughter alive and well.

After a few seconds in that position, Tadali had moved her arms onto Elly’s shoulders and pushed her away slightly and suddenly. “Why? Why did they exile you from Merdana? From the looks of it, you’ve never left Merdana until today… and from what I’ve been told by your brother, he says that they did so because you were too instable… but why now? Of all times, why now? There has to be meaning behind your exile… especially after all these years.” she pondered aloud, indirectly asking her daughter the situation of what was happening while wiping her tears away and sniffling a few times during the sentence.

Rien looked at his mother and then to his new-found sister. “She’s my sister?” he said in a look of disbelief, [color=red]“Of all people… her?!

Tadali looked at Rien and nodded. “Be respectful Rien… this is your elder sister… by 20 years. In human terms, she deserves your respect!” Rien scoffed and shook his head. He was a bit bitter about the fact that he was literally hitting on his sister. That in itself was enough to make any normal man wish to commit suicide, however Rien wasn’t normal. He’d get over it in about an hour or so. Rien would lean against the wall, listening into the discussion that his mother and sister would have about her exile.

Elaninde buried her face in her mother's shoulder and just cried, holding her mother for the first time in over twenty years. It was like a dream. Not the nightmare she thought she'd been having, but the dream she'd hoped for. Part of her had hoped her mother was in the city. Another wanted to leave as soon as she could so she wouldn't have to face her. Not after what she, Elly, had done the night of her mother's exile. That was, setting half of a residential district on fire. But that didn't matter anymore, she was here now and with her mother. She didn't want this embrace to end. She didn't know if she could stop crying. Here she was acting like a child again. When was the last time she cried like this?

Despite Elly's reluctance to end the embrace, her mother pulled the two apart and started to ask questions. Questions she'd rather not need to answer. Not now, not ever if she can help it. She had her mama back! Wait… brother?

Elly hesitated in saying anything. The next voice that spoke was the voice of the human who had brought her here. He'd never said anything about his mother being elenor… It made Elly slightly angry, but she was still too overcome with joy. She lost her home, but she got her mother and little brother back~.

She slowly broke free of her mother gripping her shoulders, turned, and before she gave him time to react, she moved and wrapped her arms around her lost human brother. Despite the fact it was his birth that made her lose her mother and it was her mother's choice that lead to Elly setting the fire, being locked up in psychiatric care, to her becoming the blame of all fires in the city after her release, and ultimately the cause of her father's decision to exile her… Elly knew he had no choice in any of it. He was not at fault, but a poor child caught up in the politics of another race. Maybe that was all it was in the end, her father's politics that doomed their family. Well, perhaps not doomed. Elaninde's family is right here, after all. She hated her father. She never wanted to see that man again. Elaninde will never tell these two the terms of her exile and what she will have to do in order to return because now… she doesn't ever want to return.

She hugged her brother in a tight embrace. "My dirty human brother~" she said softly, still with tears in her eyes. Dirty because of his ill intentions, not that he didn't smell a bit. Oh well, he probably got the point.