"Splitting up so soon after being through so much. It doesn't seem right. I'd feel better if we didn't seperate completely."
"Well, we sure brought this conversation down a few notches, didn't we?" Tam says with a slightly forced laugh. :)
He sighs.
"So it sounds like we're heading in different directions for a little while. I guess we'd better enjoy the meal then, right?" he says as he pulls a small plate of food over.
She looks even more sad. "Oh. Yeah, I guess so."
"Splitting up so soon after being through so much. It doesn't seem right. I'd feel better if we didn't seperate completely."
** spoiler omitted **
"Ummmmm.....yeah," she says, looking a little guilty. Her shoulders slump.
"Now, we can't ruin a meal with all this talk. I can go where I wish. We rogues are by nature, free spirits."
"When one door closes, others open. Or, can be opened." He chuckles at some private joke.
"Ummmmm.....yeah," she says, looking a little guilty. Her shoulders slump."Splitting up so soon after being through so much. It doesn't seem right. I'd feel better if we didn't seperate completely."
** spoiler omitted **
"Ummmmm.....yeah," she says, looking a little guilty. Her shoulders slump."Splitting up so soon after being through so much. It doesn't seem right. I'd feel better if we didn't seperate completely."
** spoiler omitted **
Ruji curls up in Aananda's lap, purring loudly, as Ryo puts a comforting(now metal) hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'll help you if you want me to, and even if you don't."
He pauses for a moment, then smiles.
"Just don't jerk me around like Tamrin, or my new arm may pop off!"
"Ummmmm.....yeah," she says, looking a little guilty. Her shoulders slump."Splitting up so soon after being through so much. It doesn't seem right. I'd feel better if we didn't seperate completely."
** spoiler omitted **Ruji curls up in Aananda's lap, purring loudly, as Ryo puts a comforting(now metal) hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'll help you if you want me to, and even if you don't."
He pauses for a moment, then smiles.
"Just don't jerk me around like Tamrin, or my new arm may pop off!"
She giggled a little halfheartedly. "Or I just have to remember to grab the other arm." ^.^
She giggled a little halfheartedly. "Or I just have to remember to grab the other arm." ^.^"Ummmmm.....yeah," she says, looking a little guilty. Her shoulders slump."Splitting up so soon after being through so much. It doesn't seem right. I'd feel better if we didn't seperate completely."
** spoiler omitted **Ruji curls up in Aananda's lap, purring loudly, as Ryo puts a comforting(now metal) hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'll help you if you want me to, and even if you don't."
He pauses for a moment, then smiles.
"Just don't jerk me around like Tamrin, or my new arm may pop off!"
"Hey now - my arms haven't come off yet. And I'm making sure she grabs each arm equally so they stay the same length," Tam laughs as he examines his arms critically for a moment. :)
"Hey now - my arms haven't come off yet. And I'm making sure she grabs each arm equally so they stay the same length," Tam laughs as he examines his arms critically for a moment. :)
"The difference being both of you arms are flesh and bone."
He looks at Tam's arms for a second before eating again.
"The left one is longer."
"Hey now - my arms haven't come off yet. And I'm making sure she grabs each arm equally so they stay the same length," Tam laughs as he examines his arms critically for a moment. :)"The difference being both of you arms are flesh and bone."
He looks at Tam's arms for a second before eating again.
"The left one is longer."
Kannic looks up for a second between mouthfuls, "It's more bowed than the other too."
"Hey now! I don't pull that hard!"
"Hey now! I don't pull that hard!"
"Of course not. I mean, your only a monk. Perhaps he has weak bones?"
"Hey now! I don't pull that hard!""Of course not. I mean, your only a monk. Perhaps he has weak bones?"
"Well that tells me whether or not all the sedatives have worn off - Ryo's back to his bubbly, cheerful self again," Tam says with a chuckle as he flags down their server for another drink. ;P
"I...I didn't actually hurt your arm, did I?" Aananda asks, concerned.
"I...I didn't actually hurt your arm, did I?" Aananda asks, concerned.
Ryo can't help but laugh.
"Aananda, we were just teasing Tam! If you had hurt him, don't you think he would have said something already?"
"I...I didn't actually hurt your arm, did I?" Aananda asks, concerned.Ryo can't help but laugh.
"Aananda, we were just teasing Tam! If you had hurt him, don't you think he would have said something already?"
"Or at least yelped quite loudly. Allergic to pain, remember?" Tam says with a grin.
When she still doesn't look convinced, he holds his hands up in surrender.
"Alright - I promise to let you know immediately if you ever hurt me. And I'm going on record (with witnesses) to state that you haven't hurt me yet. I'm springy - I bounce back really good. Now stop looking worried like that and mind your plate before Kannic swipes the rest of it," he finishes with a smile.
I'm springy - I bounce back really good.
Ruji, upon hearing this, stands on his hind legs and holds his wings up. Between them, an image of Tamrin bouncing like a ball appears. Followed by a qeustion mark.
I'm springy - I bounce back really good.Ruji, upon hearing this, stands on his hind legs and holds his wings up. Between them, an image of Tamrin bouncing like a ball appears. Followed by a qeustion mark.
Tamrin looks at the image, then sighs.
"This could be worse than a talking parrot with the wrong kind of vocabulary...." ;D
"He is intelligent. He understands what is being said, but can't always grasp humor and sarcasm. It's actually kinda funny."
"He is intelligent. He understands what is being said, but can't always grasp humor and sarcasm. It's actually kinda funny."
"Rune's the same way. Though I think sometimes he's more in on the jokes than I am. What're ya gonna do, right?"
He looks down at Ruji and scratches his cheek.
"Yeah - something like that, Ruji. If I cast the right spells first, at any rate." :)
Aananda blushes. "Oh. It was a joke. Ummmm. Okay."
"And I guess I don't get humor and sarcasm much better than Ruji," she sighed. "I am beginning to think that the Masters left out a lot of practical things from our education."
"That just means you have to travel to learn. A good thing about that is all the new food you get to try."
"That just means you have to travel to learn. A good thing about that is all the new food you get to try."
"Well, that's true. It's much better than the rice gruel at the Temple." ^.^
Aananda blushes. "Oh. It was a joke. Ummmm. Okay."
"And I guess I don't get humor and sarcasm much better than Ruji," she sighed. "I am beginning to think that the Masters left out a lot of practical things from our education."
"That just means you have to travel to learn. A good thing about that is all the new food you get to try."
"Well said, Ryo - some of the best reasons to travel right there. You can learn a lot about people by what they eat and what they laugh at - even if occasionally that's you," Tam says, inclining his head in a slightly self-deprecating way. ;)
Aananda blushes. "Oh. It was a joke. Ummmm. Okay."
"And I guess I don't get humor and sarcasm much better than Ruji," she sighed. "I am beginning to think that the Masters left out a lot of practical things from our education."
"That just means you have to travel to learn. A good thing about that is all the new food you get to try.""Well said, Ryo - some of the best reasons to travel right there. You can learn a lot about people by what they eat and what they laugh at - even if occasionally that's you," Tam says, inclining his head in a slightly self-deprecating way. ;)
"Why don't you visit Aananda's temple then? I'm sure the other monks can stretch your arms even more. After all, if they laugh at your stretchy arms, you're learning."
"Why don't you visit Aananda's temple then? I'm sure the other monks can stretch your arms even more. After all, if they laugh at your stretchy arms, you're learning."
Tam looks at Ryo in a bit of shock - like he just crossed a line he shouldn't have with that comment. He shakes his head to get him to drop that subject while he steals a glance back at Aananda to gauge her reaction.
"Why don't you visit Aananda's temple then? I'm sure the other monks can stretch your arms even more. After all, if they laugh at your stretchy arms, you're learning."Tam looks at Ryo in a bit of shock - like he just crossed a line he shouldn't have with that comment. He shakes his head to get him to drop that subject while he steals a glance back at Aananda to gauge her reaction.
Catching Tam's nod and realizing he may have gone to far, Ryo looks at Kannic.
"So how long will you be gone from our delightful company?"
He pauses for a moment, and seems to be counting.
"Do you realize we have only known each other for three or four days, and we're already good friends?"
"Why don't you visit Aananda's temple then? I'm sure the other monks can stretch your arms even more. After all, if they laugh at your stretchy arms, you're learning."Tam looks at Ryo in a bit of shock - like he just crossed a line he shouldn't have with that comment. He shakes his head to get him to drop that subject while he steals a glance back at Aananda to gauge her reaction.
Aananda goes very quiet and still, setting down her fork even though she hasn't finished the food on her plate.
"I...I'm not hungry anymore."
Ruji hisses at him while Ryo's expression changes from worried to horrified. He never thought she'd stop eating! He stands, mad at himself for not thinking before he talked.
"Uh, dammit.. I'm sorry. You probably don't..* I'll go take care of Keaton now.. Sorry."
He hurries out the door, not even noticing that Ruji is staying behind and trying to comfort Aananda.
Tam watches Ryo as he starts to leave, then looks back to Aananda.
"He didn't mean anything by that - he had no way of knowing about why you left. No need to dwell on it. Today's supposed to be a good day, right?"
He makes a face.
"I really stink at this whole pep talk thing - sorry."
Tam watches Ryo as he starts to leave, then looks back to Aananda.
"He didn't mean anything by that - he had no way of knowing about why you left. No need to dwell on it. Today's supposed to be a good day, right?"
He makes a face.
"I really stink at this whole pep talk thing - sorry."
"Yeah, he did. I told him. About my foster brother and why I got sent away. I thought it would help him shake free of Keaton's control. He just...must have forgot....Wait," she said, alarmed, "did he just say something about 'taking care' of Keaton?"
"He didn't mean anything by that - he had no way of knowing about why you left."
"He didn't mean anything by that - he had no way of knowing about why you left."
"Yeah, he did. I told him. About my foster brother and why I got sent away. I thought it would help him shake free of Keaton's control. He just...must have forgot....Wait," she said, alarmed, "did he just say something about 'taking care' of Keaton?"Tam watches Ryo as he starts to leave, then looks back to Aananda.
"He didn't mean anything by that - he had no way of knowing about why you left. No need to dwell on it. Today's supposed to be a good day, right?"
He makes a face.
"I really stink at this whole pep talk thing - sorry."
"Yes he did. Said he was going to take care of it away from here and all of us, for safety's sake. "
"Yes he did. Said he was going to take care of it away from here and all of us, for safety's sake. ""Yeah, he did. I told him. About my foster brother and why I got sent away. I thought it would help him shake free of Keaton's control. He just...must have forgot....Wait," she said, alarmed, "did he just say something about 'taking care' of Keaton?"Tam watches Ryo as he starts to leave, then looks back to Aananda.
"He didn't mean anything by that - he had no way of knowing about why you left. No need to dwell on it. Today's supposed to be a good day, right?"
He makes a face.
"I really stink at this whole pep talk thing - sorry."
"And how are we supposed to know that he's okay? What if Keaton gets free again?"
"And how are we supposed to know that he's okay? What if Keaton gets free again?"
"I didn't say it was a good idea, or that I agreed with it. Now if we're going to catch up to him we'd better get going before he disappears on us," Tam says as he stands up and drops coinage to cover their part of the meal.
"I didn't say it was a good idea, or that I agreed with it. Now if we're going to catch up to him we'd better get going before he disappears on us," Tam says as he stands up and drops coinage to cover their part of the meal.
"And how are we supposed to know that he's okay? What if Keaton gets free again?"
"Oh. Right. Good idea. Tam, later, after we're sure that Ryo isn't accidentally letting the vampire loose again, I need to talk to you, 'kay?"
He pauses for a moment while she gets up, then nods.
"You got it. Let's go keep him from losing his other arm, then I'm all yours" he says, a smile returning to his face. He looks back to the table as they head out. "You coming with, Kannic, or are you heading out?"
He pauses for a moment while she gets up, then nods.
"You got it. Let's go keep him from losing his other arm, then I'm all yours" he says, a smile returning to his face. He looks back to the table as they head out. "You coming with, Kannic, or are you heading out?"
"Sorry, kids. I'm a bit tied up right now. There are a couple of things that need to be straightened out. Have fun."
He pauses for a moment while she gets up, then nods.
"You got it. Let's go keep him from losing his other arm, then I'm all yours" he says, a smile returning to his face. He looks back to the table as they head out. "You coming with, Kannic, or are you heading out?"
"Sorry, kids. I'm a bit tied up right now. There are a couple of things that need to be straightened out. Have fun."