✞ - 𝕴𝖙 𝕯𝖔𝖊𝖘𝖓'𝖙 𝕰𝖓𝖉 𝕳𝖊𝖗𝖊 O/A

[☪ℓυηαя∂яσρ☪]

Tagged: Kiren, Aisha, Silver (and puppo)
Rikimaru flinched at the male's reaction, likewise spooked by his sudden cry of alarm. Their face burned, a wave of shame and embarrassment overcoming them as they seemed to have made a spectacle of themself without meaning to. But of course they had- this wasn't the beforetimes, the presence of another person was too uncommon to be able to be taken in stride. Rikimaru chastised themself- of course people would be alarmed, why had they thought it could go differently? They mumbled, almost to the point of a whisper, an apology that was mostly drowned out by the music playing, unable to speak any louder than that.
The man seemed to calm down from being startled rather quickly, and made something resembling a joke, so Rikimaru hadn't had to have scared him that badly. Thinking back, Riki recalled seeing him and his mare yesterday, though they couldn't recall how in the madness that had been last evening. His eyes likewise seemed to spark with that same look of recognition, which made Rikimaru feel even more embarrassed. Reaching up with a hand, they lowered the brim of their hat a little, pursing their lips tightly. The man seemed nice enough, and he addressed Aisha familiarly enough that Riki felt self-assured they hadn't left her in a bad place. But that didn't help the feeling they had of being stared at under a microscope.
The sniffling of a nose in their ear gave Rikimaru a start, though as they looked over their shoulder they instantly recognized the wolf from earlier. He was very friendly, and Riki smiled warmly at him before offering their hand for him to smell so that they could pet him. "Hey, good boy." They cooed quietly, fondly.
The girl retreated then, though Rikimaru had not been looking and wasn't sure if it was due to their presence or not. They just sat there, petting the wolf softly and trying to quell their social anxiety. Riki didn't dare look up past the brim of their hat, keeping it pointed at the ground. Pursing their lips, Rikimaru sat in silence, opting to stew in their awkwardness, unsure of how to fix it.

[lynettetan1]

Aisha Innez
Location: Record shop
Feeling: Rested, hopeful, tentative
Tagged: Kiren (Aria), Silver (Kiba), Riki (Bug)
Mentioned: None

She was met with confusion at first, but when Kiren hopped forward and backwards, testing the sensation, Aisha smiled. It was one thing she'd never quite been able to do, with how she was usually in the center of her own ability, but when she projected her powers from Eve, it was quite the fun thing to do. "Yeah. I'm not much of a fighter, so it helped me scrounge around and survive in this whole situation." Silver was stock still, her face emotionless, but Aisha felt like the other's attention was on the music.

It was something that Aisha had realised a long time ago. Silver was one that held her cards to herself, that always felt like she had multiple shields around her, as if afraid that anyone would attack her at any moment-though with the current situation, perhaps that was the smarter option. Still, even though her body language did not bely anything, there was a lack of the usual burning watchfulness in her. Aisha considered speaking to the other, but then reconsidered. She seemed to be feeling something, and as her breath caught, Aisha smiled, gesturing the other girl toward the player to experiment with the needle and just to hear the sounds more fully.

Meeting both Kiren and Silver's eyes, she looked down, slightly bashful, before she played with the soundwaves again, making them warp just the slightest bit and warp themselves a little, before she let go. "Though if I'm to be honest, I do things like this more than I use my powers in any sort of combat situation. It's not very useful, but I mean..." With a shrug, she grinned wider. "What is life if you don't take some time to play along the way, right?" She swayed gently with the beat as she did, doing a little bit of a mini dance and letting the others feel like it was okay to just to whatever they felt was most comfortable. She'd had company for the first day in many, and got to wake up safe and feel like her life wasn't hanging in the balance. In a way, this was her thanks.

With Kiren's exclamation, however, Aisha quickly turned around, spotting the stranger sitting there, enjoying the music. How had they gotten in? Aisha had thought the same before, but where she had her power, the stranger's silence was all skill and experience, the stealth akin to a velvet dagger.

At seeing the other seated and alright, Aisha felt a wave of relief, and couldn't help her smile growing wider. The day seemed like it was only getting better, and there was a thread of pride as well, seeing the other also in her range. With how they'd behaved yesterday, Aisha felt like they would have shifted out of the way of any stimulation, and the fact that she'd even come to meet the group like she said she would was extremely heartening. "It seems they did." Aisha replied, gently squeezing his shoulder to try and help with the surprise. Other than the shock, however, he seemed to be taking it quite good naturedly.

Stepping forward, Aisha quickly remembered herself, stepped back and reached for the needle, gently taking it off the player. Eve slithered unto the player as well, remembering how the other had reacted before. It wouldn't be best if she approached with Eve around her, probably. That done, her power shifted back to herself, and Aisha mentally tore it down as she approached, reminding herself to take it slow.

Silver was clearly tense, shifting behind Aria with her eyes trained upon the stranger. Aisha gave the other a small smile, though she didn't do anything more. Though Silver was very wary, she was never one to attack without reason, and time would probably solve that problem.

Riki seemed to be getting along with Kiba, however, and Aisha smiled, looking at Riki then sparing a glance back at Silver. The two actually had quite a few similarities, from their comfort around animals to their guardedness, though they went about it a different way. Where Silver comandeered her wariness around her like a shield, the stranger held herself the way they did a shadow. With both, Aisha often felt like she might be pushing too far, but where she felt like Silver might just rebuke her or go on the offence, the stranger was different. She felt like if she moved too fast, stepped too far, the stranger would be gone, disappearing soundlessly into the night.

And as such, she wasn't too sure how far she could go. But the stranger had come here, didn't they? That had to have meant something. As such, moving to a distance a little further from where they were yesterday, Aisha sat down on the floor, not wanting to seem like she was towering over the other, and also hoping to see more of the other's face.

The stranger was very pointedly choosing not to look up, however, so Aisha had to accept that this was probably how it was going to be for a while. "Hey stranger." Aisha greeted softly with a chuckle, leaning in slightly. To be fair, she'd been excited since she'd seen the stranger, and it was already pretty astounding that she'd held it in for quite so long. "You came! I'm relieved you're safe. Jackson and I agreed to go look for you if you didn't pop up for too long, we were pretty worried." As she said so, she looked toward the sleeping form in the corner, wondering if she should wake him. He did seem pretty worried, after all. After a beat, however, she shrugged. It'd be a nice surprise when he woke up. "But it seems you beat us to it. Are you okay?"

As she spoke, Aisha found her eyes running over the other's form. Their skin looked a little red, courtesy of the fire yesterday, and there were deep eye bags under their eyes, but they seemed in better shape compared to yesterday. Maybe she could ask Kiren for the burn cream? As she thought of all this, however, Aisha looked at the stranger once more and cracked an awkward smile, hoping to make everyone a little more comfortable. "Before all that, I'm glad you're here. What's your name?" Amusing as it was, she didn't want to call the stranger the stranger forever, and perhaps some introductions would help in easing the atmosphere in the room.

[FluffyBirdie]

Kiren Stewart | Lead Doctor | Location: record shop, inside | Tags: Silver, Aisha, Riki

It was a bizarre sensation, hearing sound 'move' and warp. Aisha must be doing something, which meant her power was perhaps sound manipulation then, instead of what he first thought was a sound barrier. Greyson had a power related to the mind, with him controlling Mazu and then talking to Jackson and himself without words. And Aisha had sound. He wasn't sure about anyone else's powers, though from the two he had seen, they must be impressive as well. He had to admit, his own ability to maintain continuously active for a few days plus a stronger sense of smell paled in comparison to mind and sound manipulation. Though, thinking back to Silver being completely worn out yesterday, he had very little drawbacks, since it was really just a passive ability. Maybe once the group trusted him more, he could volunteer to be the lookout, along with Aria.

When he jumped, everyone unsurprisingly moved, turning first to see what he was shocked about, then noticing the newcomer in their midst. Aisha and Silver had very different responses, with the former approaching the stranger and the latter moving as far away as she could. Still sitting, Kiren watched Aisha turn off the player before gently moving towards the black-clad person, who appeared to be looking intensely at the ground, their hat obscuring their expression. The two appeared to be friendly, though their name was still a mystery even to Aisha. Actually, Kiba was clearly happy as well, standing by the stranger and receiving their touch with contentment, though Silver seemed to not know them. What situation would have occurred for a person and their animal to not know the same people?

Kiren looked over at Silver as his thoughts were on her and her wolf, noticing she was hiding behind Aria. He had thought she moved to the wall perhaps, since he heard her footsteps though his gaze was still on the newcomer. Did she trust Aria enough to take shelter behind her? That would be sweet, if it were the case. Kiren jumped between his options, settling on just maintaining his position. The stranger appeared to be shy, and likely wouldn't like someone else crowding in on them. Better to leave the talking to Aisha for now. He also felt he should let Silver calm down and return to the record player, though he did try to catch her eye and gesture her to come back reassuringly. Aisha and Jackson are good people, and if they were so determined to find this stranger, then they must be friendly as well. At the very least, if the stranger had wanted to attack them, they had the chance to. They got so close without anyone noticing after all, but instead they sat nearby to listen to music. Call him gullible, but those two reasons are enough for him to believe that the stranger wasn't a threat.

[☪ℓυηαя∂яσρ☪]

Tagged: Aisha, Kiren, Silver
Rikimaru physically braced themself, tensing as they slowly peered out from under their hat, only enough so that they could look at Aisha. Watching with the corner of their eye they saw the snake slither onto the record player and cringed the slightest bit, looking away back to the ground. They felt Aisha's eyes analyzing them, but remained motionless. Swallowing thickly, they nodded at Aisha's question of 'Are you okay?'; all things considered, they were. Of course, Riki had had another rough night and their skin was still a touch too sensitive and warm, but compared to how they had been tapering off yesterday evening they were feeling much better. There was still a pressure bearing down on the back of their skull in a dull, residual pain, but it was nowhere near debilitating anymore.
Aisha's words were kind, and Rikimaru nodded along as she spoke to show they were listening. They fished out the little stuffed bear Aisha had given them the night before and returned the little plush toy to its original owner. "Thanks for that, by the way." They spoke quietly, only to completely lock up when Aisha asked the question of their name.
Had... had they really never given it? Yesterday was so chaotic and uncertain, with so many new people and so many unknown variables that there really hadn't been much in the way of casual chit-chat. But through all of that, had they not mentioned their name once? Rikimaru's cheeks turned flush, and they pursed their lips, eyes honed in on the floor. Oh god, they hadn't, had they? No wonder they had garnered so many suspicious looks. That's kind of a big deal to forget to introduce yourself.
Rikimaru opened their mouth to speak, but the words caught in their throat. They sputtered for a moment before growling to themself and rubbing at their face with their hands. Grimacing, they dragged their hands down their face and lifted their head up. "I... can't believe I haven't introduced myself. M-my apologies... my name is Rikimaru Renegade. R-Riki, if you want."

[`silver]

SILVER BLACKWOOD | in the record shop | tags: Kiren [Aria], Aisha, Rikimaru | mentions: Jackson, Grayson

Emotions. A vile yet comforting existence packaged in a deluge of depression, anxiety and fleeting happiness just as Silver had remembered it prior to the apocalypse. The veil of distraction that fending for yourself in multiple regions was thick but apparently not thick enough to be halted by a familiar melody heralded to be a comfort to most. Her memories, or at least the few that had been stirred by the music that flooded the manifested space, had reminded her of things she thought she had forgotten. Her brain had rotted away enough, she assumed, so that she didn’t have histories to recall but she knew no matter how much of a distraction she attempted to throw in front of herself, the feelings that were the source of her brooding appearance would be the vice-grip clenching her heart.

Aisha’s power shuddered almost audibly in an odd way, the difference between being in the barrier and out of it quite significant. The woman had meant well in offering them a moment of normalcy but for Silver, she didn’t truly know how that felt. To relax, for her guard to melt away, to be in the moment. Her mind wouldn’t allow it. All she could do was retain her shields and if they threatened to buckle, she would have to obscure her true emotions that broiled underneath, hence her taking a spot beside Aria.

Kiba on the other hand was swift to greet the human familiar to him. They had been the one carrying Jackson’s scent at one point but he noted now that they carried their own kind, his tail beginning to wag as he was acknowledged by them as well. He nosed the brim of their hat playfully whilst being petted, as if telling Rikimaru ‘chin up’ because there was nothing here to be anxious about. He could sense not only theirs but Silver’s as well, the need to be there for them both making him nuzzle Rikimaru’s hand to slip his muzzle over their sleeve and tugging lightly. He wanted them to draw closer to the group and it was then that Aisha approached.

Silver had rested her head momentarily against the crook between Aria’s shoulder and neck after sensing that the emotions that had upwelled were threatening to make a physical appearance. She exhaled shakily under her breath, taking a moment to look at her hand that was now shaking a bit and fisting it swiftly when she felt as if she was being watched. Glassy eyes locked onto kind blue ones before quickly being averted as Silver weighed her options, not wanting to expose herself but also wanting to acknowledge Kiren’s reassuring gesture. Why? She wondered to herself, cursing at how easily she’d become attached to the group. With a sigh, the dark-haired woman gave Aria a gentle pat before reluctantly drawing away, shoving her fists into her pockets and burning holes into the ground as she stalked over to Kiren slowly.

Dropping down into a cross-legged position, Silver took a spot beside Kiren, taking another moment to look at her hands. Still shaking a bit. Casually, she propped her chin against a fist as if she had seen nothing. Her position was casual but her body eased into it and froze there, slow breaths raising and lowering her chest nearly indiscernible as she did her best to keep her composure. The intensity in her dark gaze returned as she now stared between Kiba, Aisha and the unnamed stranger, offering Kiren a brief glance. She appeared to be back into her steeled ways but if Kiren were to look closely, the shakiness would remain in the hand that wasn’t holding her head up.

Rikimaru. Silver observed in silence the exchange between the stranger and Aisha, catching sight of a stuffed bear as the flustered Riki offered it back to Aisha. So it belonged to her then? It would make sense that she and Kiba knew them then. A meeting that would’ve occurred during the time that she had been out of commission or in Kiba’s case, the reason why he’d been on the record store’s rooftop stagnant for so long when she, Jackson and Grayson had been planning their beeline escape. Now that someone Kiba knew was here, he would be sure to try and bring them closer for further inspection like the curious wolf he was.

[lynettetan1]

Aisha Innez
Location: Record shop
Feeling: Rested, hopeful, tentative
Tagged: Kiren (Aria), Silver (Kiba), Riki (Bug)
Mentioned: None

The stranger nodded along to her words, which was already a far cry from the outright caution from yesterday. Could she take this as an improvement? It was good that she did seem to be alright,

With the other's movement, Aisha's attention was drawn to the bear that they'd tucked against their body, and she brightened at the sight. It hadn't really been a big thing to her, and she'd felt foolish whilst placing it down yesterday, unsure if the serious stranger would deign themselves to use something like that. For it to have been kept so carefully, and even returned made Aisha feel all the stronger about her own conviction. She trusted this stranger. They had a good heart. "If it helped in any way, I'm glad. You're welcome to it anytime."

They turned away, and were their cheeks burnt too?

As they introduced themselves as Riki, Aisha placed the actions before to be linked to embarassment and looked away, deciding to give the other some space. It was never great to have everyone staring at you, especially if you felt embarrassed. When they looked back up, Aisha nodded, a smile spreading across her features. "Riki, then. It's good to meet you again."

Shifting slightly so she could look at Riki, Kiren and Silver, she tried to gauge their reactions. Riki seemed embarrassed but keen to at least get to know everyone, if her actions were a good estimate. Kiren sat by the floor, looking curious but tentative, probably not wanting to pressure. Silver sat by Kiren, which was closer than she had been before, but was as unreadable as ever. Making them approach might be a little too fast for this group, then.

"Well then, maybe the two of you can introduce yourselves, and then we can start up an actual conversation?" Aisha prompted tentatively, before looking at Kiren. "And if you still have some of that burn cream to spare, I think that'd be nice. I still haven't thanked you for it, it did wonders for me!" As she said so, she brandished her hands before her so both Kiren and Riki could assess it for themselves-the former because they were probably cautious of most things getting applied, the latter because Aisha was quite sure that mention of her own injuries was sure to catch his attention. Though she only knew him for a day, Aisha was quite sure he wouldn't be able to leave something like that alone.

Perhaps if they all started moving and interacting, the awkwardness would ease.

[FluffyBirdie]

Kiren Stewart | Lead Doctor | Location: record shop, inside | Tags: Silver, Aisha, Riki

Kiren watched as Silver walked over, looking not too happy about it. He looked at the record player as she sat, not wishing to stare the entire time at her, though his focus wasn't on the object. Through the corner of his eyes he could see her looking at her hands before shifting into a relaxed posture, looking like she never left at all. The pose felt stiff however, and when he did finally give her another look, the fierce glare seemed to have returned to her eyes. Ah, so much for hoping she was only guarded last night because of all the new faces. She was more relaxed earlier this morning at least, and had responded to his gesture just then, so it wasn't like she was trying to avoid contact. It may just be in her nature to be more cautious regardless of the situation, which was a better trait to have than carelessness in this current world.

He remembered she was looking at her hands before, did she get a scrape from somewhere? Unless she was hiding it in the fist that propped her head up, which felt like something she would do, it looked fine. The other hand was okay too but...was it trembling? Adrenaline from the stranger's sudden appearance perhaps, he knew his heart was still slowing down from the jumpscare-like nature of their presence. He had been planning to move himself and Silver closer to the other pair later so there wasn't a gap between them, but it might be better to let Aisha and the stranger to approach instead, or for Silver to fully calm down first. There wasn't any need to rush things here.

Aisha mentioned for their name, and Kiren turned his attention back to the pair, though he leaned back a bit, propping himself up with his arms behind him. Silver was very good at keeping a cool appearance, but he still wanted to keep an eye on her regardless, even if that was in his peripherals. The stranger looked pained, staring at the ground with their hands on their face, and Kiren hoped they didn't happen to stumble on a topic they weren't comfortable with. Luckily, it appeared that they were just embarrassed at forgetting to share, and wow, "Rikimaru Renegade?" he said aloud, continuing his thoughts. "That's an awesome name. You can go around being referred to as Miss Renegade. Or Dr Renegade, if PhD's are still a thing." At the mention of introductions, he lifted an arm to give a quick wave. "I'm Kiren. It's good you're here, Riki. And oh I definitely do, we didn't use that much yesterday." He got up, pausing to look at Aisha's hands which did indeed look better, thankfully. "Are they hurting again?" He asked as he walked to his bags, wondering why she brought it up now. Unless Riki needed some too? The two knew each other, and maybe they were caught in the same blast that caused the burns. He retrieved the used tube, judging there's enough for 4 hands, and picked up a bottle of water too, dropping it by Silver with a smile as he walked past. Drinking might help calm her nerves, giving her something else to focus on. And if not, there wasn't anything wrong with having water.

He looked over Riki as he approached, confirming they had burns too. Should he hold out the tube for them to apply it, or to Aisha perhaps? They were more reserved, and likely did not want a stranger, whatever the intent, to go around touching them. He decided to offer the tube to Aisha, reasoning that she could apply it to Riki if they were willing, and he could in turn put some on Aisha's hands if she needed any.

[☪ℓυηαя∂яσρ☪]

Tagged: Aisha, Kiren, Silver
Rikimaru swallowed thickly, their hand petting Kiba turning into a fist around his fur for a moment. “I-I’m sorry about that, by the way…” They spoke timidly, referring to the burns on Aisha's hands. Riki managed to draw their eyes away from the floor to look at Aisha properly. “I wasn’t aware that anyone was in the blast radius.” Riki bowed their head down and closed their eyes. “I am sorry I… almost killed you yesterday.” Despite really not wanting to, Rikimaru pulled their head up from their bow and looked into Aisha’s eyes directly. They weren’t sure if Aisha knew the specifics of the pyrotechnics Rikimaru had rigged up yesterday, or even if she knew Rikimaru was the one who had done so in the first place. But they still felt the need to apologize, and to explain. “I was trying to draw the herd away from the others.”
They gave a weak smile and joked, shrugging their shoulders up a bit “if it makes you feel any better, it worked?”
Looking over at the other two, who had made to move closer, Rikimaru smiled uncertainly and tipped their hat in greeting. Their nerves likely showed, as their blue eyes were way too round and their body language was still tense. The man, who introduced himself as ‘Kiren’ spoke, and Rikimaru pursed their lips for a moment, flustered by the unexpected compliment -they were not used to those at all. But something needed corrected (which would coincidentally excuse them from having to respond to the compliment)- hopefully Kiren wasn’t old-fashioned when it came to gender views… “Well met. Though, um… I’m not a girl, actually. I’m nonbinary. I use they pronouns- but it’s okay if you don’t get it right all the time!” they were quick to add, “S-so long as you aren’t malicious about it, it’s the thought that counts.”
Aaaaand they were already embarrassing themself. Riki looked down to see the tube that Kiren held out, seeing it was for burns. Rikimaru said nothing, simply watching him hand the tube to Aisha- their own burns weren’t super serious, and it was always important to save for actual emergencies. With a small glance up they looked at the other girl, the owner of the wolf, who had not introduced herself yet. She was standoffish and guarded, that was easy to see. Then, a thought occurred. “Oh, that’s right, we haven’t all been properly introduced.” But instead of addressing the girl, Rikimaru looked down at their pocket and shook it, gently but firmly, smirking down at it. “Wake up, you little monster. See how you like it, huh?”
There was a small high-pitched grunt and drowsy babbling. Rikimaru chuckled to themself and closed their hand gently around the little bat. Withdrawing their hand from their pocket, Rikimaru lifted Bug up and presented the curled-up little bundle of fur and membranous wings to the group. He had his mouth hung open wide at Rikimaru, probably in an attempt to look intimidating. But Rikimaru wasn't fooled, they had known him for too long. “This little s___ is Bug.” They smiled fondly at him, watching his mouth waver as he started to fall back asleep.
Rikimaru looked back to the rest of the group. Hopefully, the redirection would make the unintroduced girl feel more comfortable, giving her more time to sort herself out. "He's harmless, except for being a pain in the a__ sometimes."

[`silver]

SILVER BLACKWOOD | in the record shop | tags: Riki | mentions: Aisha, Kieran

The situation the unfurled before Silver became all the more clarified as words were exchanged and her unwavering gaze studied the body languages of both Riki and Aisha. It seemed that prior to this, Aisha herself hadn’t even known who Rikimaru was until they properly introduced themselves to all three of them. A pang of concern washed over her when Aisha inquired about Kiren having any more burn cream and she couldn’t help but seek for the other woman’s hands to perhaps capture a glance at how bad they were. She had noticed them the night prior but the darkness had cloaked just how much worse they may have been. The feeling of being watched momentarily distracted her as she spared Kiren another glance only for the side of his face to greet her. He appeared to be paying attention to what Aisha was saying. Silver shook her head as if to clear her mind, thinking a tired fog must still be clouding her senses.

Kiba on the other hand still had his attention trained on Riki whom he gave a light nudge to when his fur was bunched into their fist. Similar to how Silver had held Aisha’s wrist out of awareness for her injuries, Kiba did the same in her stead for Riki, earning himself a curious look from Silver just before Kiren returning from his rummaging. She huffed quietly after catching another one of the man’s smiles, burning holes into the water bottle he’d set down as if it would make it disappear. Kiren was too kind. His niceties made her want to avert her eyes and hide somewhere, unusually enough. Adamantly, she cracked the plastic bottle open with a swift swipe, taking a swig to drown the lump in her throat as she watched the exchange of burn cream occur. Riki’s meek explanation of the situation that appeared to have caused the injuries reflected their apologetic demeanor towards it—they had meant no honest harm. She couldn’t recall hearing an explosion last night but then again, perhaps she had been unconscious during that point. How much had she missed, she wondered.

Riki’s eyes had been swallowed up by the brim of that hat of theirs along with how often they kept their head lowered, a single glance upwards being the only way for Silver to attach a face to their quiet murmurs. From what she saw, they had bright blue eyes against dark hair kind of like Kiren which caused her head to unconsciously tilt a bit in question. They smirked devilishly which hardened the woman’s burning stare but little rumbles erupted from their flank, Riki soon revealing their concealed little friend. Silver couldn’t help but snort at the description they gave their chittery friend, taking a moment to stand and even dare venture closer to the crowd. She took another spot between Riki and Kiren, though kept a bit of a distance so as to not corner the timid addition to the group.

“Is Bug...soft?” Her question came out slowly, a wary curiosity but a notable interest nonetheless coming from the steeled woman. “Sorry. I’m Silver.” Her dark gaze trained on the fuzzy bat settling into Riki’s hands betrayed her brief apology as her attention was obviously piqued at the sight of the creature. She remembered how it had attached itself to Jackson like Velcro when they’d first met, attempting to guide them in the right direction with its companion having been someone they’d subtly known of all along.

“Nice to meet you.” Silver mumbled in addition almost awkwardly, a bit of her own nervousness showing at meeting another person as she took another swig of water in order to redirect her attention to Riki so as to not seem as if she was only interested in what animals each new person had to offer. Kiba wagged his tail earnestly as he looked to Silver, his stance tall as he took a seat beside her with his chest seeming a bit puffed out. He appeared to be proud of her in some way, to Silver’s embarrassment as she looked away from everyone.

[lynettetan1]

Aisha Innez
Location: Record shop
Feeling: Rested, hopeful, tentative
Tagged: Kiren (Aria), Silver (Kiba), Riki (Bug)
Mentioned: None

It seemed she struck a nerve. In response to her mentioning her hands, Riki spoke, their voice going softer than it was previously. Aisha looked up instinctively in response to the shift in tone, catching Riki's eyes. In the short amount of time she'd known the other, Aisha already knew that the other looking at someone was rare, and she couldn't help noticing the blue of her eyes hidden under the dark eye circles that seemed permanently etched unto their features. It was a light sky blue, and Aisha was almost a little too lost in them to catch the Riki's words.

Except it was clearly important, so Aisha fought to not get distracted. At their words, Aisha couldn't help but pause for a second, her eyes widening. That was her? Well that was a few mysteries solved. The sound of shattering glass she'd heard just before the explosion, the force and timing of it all. Perhaps that was a part of why Riki had felt quite so indebted to her.

But if Riki hadn't told her themselves, she wouldn't even have known. Even if she had known, she would have been content with simply never mentioning it again. It had all turned out for the better, after all, and she'd gained the company of others, even if she'd had to be forced out her own quarters. Did they know that? Or were they appeasing their conscience? Aisha'd been at the brunt of many lies and cover ups, and had learned how to take them all with stride, brush her reservations off so as to smoothen fractured relations. If Riki had done the same, it would certainly have been easier for them, compared to this honesty and directness. They held her gaze with stubbornness and directness, as if forcing themselves to uncover wounds that she hadn't even known were there.

And she wasn't quite sure how to deal with that. A part of her felt grateful, relieved for them going out their way to right the slight to her that they had perceived, but it felt like to respond in kind would be to acknowledge one's own hurt, to meet them at the level with which they'd came to her with. "It's okay, it turned out well." She said, accepting the apology as much as she could whilst also giving Riki the deflections she'd often been offered. At their joke, a small, awkward smile came up to her lips, and Aisha relaxed enough to let out a soft chuckle, returning to jab. "You certainly made an explosive impression. I'd love it if you taught me how you did that." Whilst she didn't see herself adding explosives into her usual repertoire, what with the burns they seemed to cause, it was never bad to learn something new.

When Riki started speaking of gender pronouns, Aisha looked over curiously. She hadn't known this bit of information, and she lodged it carefully into her mind, a new interesting fact about her new company. It was also nice to see that Riki could stand up for herself when necessary, which Aisha had been a little worried about before. As Kiren offered her the tube, Aisha reached up and took it, smiling up at him in thanks. "A little, but they're a lot better." At that, she offered the tube up to Riki, giving the other a smile. "Want to apply this on your burns? It really helps."

As Riki took Bug out her pocket-the bat grumbling the entire while, Aisha pressed her lips together to avoid gushing about how cute the little bat was. With how energetic Bug had been yesterday, seeing him drowsy was new, and Aisha couldn't help staring at the cutie. As she did, she noticed Riki's fond smile as she looked at the bat, distinctly reminded of Silver with Kiba. Though the two were wary of each other-or perhaps because of it-it seemed they shared many similarities.

And as if right on cue, Silver shifted closer, asking about Bug, and Aisha suddenly had to spend double the effort controlling a little giggle that wanted to come out. Keeping it to herself, she stretched out her hand to Kiba instead, letting the wolf have a sniff so it wasn't too surprised, before scratching the soft fur under his jaw that she could reach from her seated position. As the wolf walked over to Silver, looking very proud for some reason, Aisha wondered if the animals paired to them tended to be opposites in order to even out one's own personality. More than happy at the recent turn of events, Aisha smiled encouragingly, but then was distracted by a pang of hunger. Right.

"Anyone want some breakfast? I still have bread left over from last night, with some jam and cheese. I'm digging into my stock a little because I only packed for one, but if someone can go with me to my previous hideout later, I can bring more stuff back."