Jylat - Starting Over

[Yolanda Riona]

Esmeralda couldn't help but fuss as the former trio, now quartet, shuffled into her not-so-humble home. She paused only when Nail bid her a meek welcome, pinching her lips into a well rehearsed smile. After all, gleaming fangs weren't the most housewarming display to showcase to someone who already looked as if they'd seen a ghost. Or, in this case, komodo dragon.

"Hi there, deary. You must be the one Laurelle mentioned. Nail, was it? Here, take a seat. Have a drink."

Riarios watched how calm Esmeralda kept herself and half smiled.

He really doesn't know what he's getting himself into.

As Laurelle zipped up the stairs, he himself pulled up a chair and plopped down with his comic book. At least until he saw Esmeralda shaking a clawed finger his way. Sighing, he shut it for the time being and spent the next couple minutes quietly fuming. In that time frame, the bushbaby appeared again, making note of their session.

"Alright, I'll be over in a minute."

He took a drink from the tray Esmeralda had brought over and sipped it slowly. Lemon spice. He drank it almost greedily. Rios couldn't really bother to help it. He hadn't realized just how thirsty he had been until then. So much for courtesy.

As he set the glass down, he almost wished he hadn't drank so fast. To be frank, the session he had with Laurelle each day was the last thing he looked forward to. It wasn't that the bushbaby didn't do a good job at it. She was fantastic with the gentleness and precision of her work. The careful means he appreciated more so in some nostalgic way, although he would never admit to it. But even so.

He reluctantly grabbed his crutches and hoisted himself until he was standing with his right foot planted. Rios faced Nail a moment. Esmeralda had disappeared back into the kitchen at the moment and it seemed in his guilt by the komodo dragon's coaxing, Dan had complied to help her finish supper.

"Sorry about leaving you with Essy like this. It shouldn't take long."

With that, Rios left the room to meet with Laurelle.

[Nail Strafer]

Aaaaaawkwaaaaaaaard...

He sat down on a nearby couch...feeling rather uneasy about the whole situation. Mostly because everybody seemed to know each other much better than he did...considering he'd only been with them a comparatively short time. And then a dragon of all things. She seemed sweet but the size...it was rather offputting.

In any case, he braced himself for when she got back, not really sure what he was going to say or how he was going to react.

[Laurelle]

*I'm really sorry. It was my finals, last exam today in fact. And instead I'm sat here in my hospital chic bracelet having messed up my ankle at the gym. I'm in pain right now, but I will do this at some point. Feel free to carry on with the scene that doesn't include me, I#ll be one big post thats it.**

[Laurelle]

***Last exam over, promised post incoming! the foot is even getting better too!***

As Rios settled himself comfortably on the couch, Laurelle finishes pulling together the threads of her meditation. Getting up, she warms some soothing oils in her hands and keeping the aura of calm radiating from her hands, she begins to massage Rios' leg, gently unknotting the tension caused by the earlier events. Once his leg is soft and pliable, she then begins to help him through the excercises that he needs to do to return to full strength, maintaining the soothing healing influence about her.

After about 15 minutes, she questions Rios, respectfully, but thoughroughly about how he is progressing, knowing that n private he will be more open than infront of those that will worry about him.

Once Laurelle is satisfied she has done all she can for her patient, and has watched him test his legs, she tells him to go and look after the guests.

Once the room is empty, Laurelle begins to clean up, shaking out the towels, and replacing all the paraphenalia that she was using, still maintaining her trance. She sinks down and slowly breaks the concentration, feeling waves of fatigue wash over her. After a few minutes sat quietly, she gathers herself together and heads off to rejoin the others, gratefully accepting a drink and a seat from her hostess.

[Yolanda Riona]

[I apologize for the long delay~

I heard from Dan that he won't be coming back (unless he's changed his mind in the past hour or something). I will probably play him as a wordless NPC until I get the chance to show him move on or something and we'll roll on without him. Links, we could play out Dromar and Alindel in another topic if you want.]

Esmeralda smiled as Rios returned to the table. By then, she'd managed to collect a couple extra chairs with the help of a few others. Dan had left to fetch the others by Essy's request. She, herself, left the room again briefly to return with plates and utensils. She took to setting each with care, pausing a moment and switching the placement of utensils of the first set before continuing on to the others.

"Please don't mind the rubbish set up, Nail, deary. We usually don't see to this many guests these days."

________

Crosis looked up from his spot in the garden as Dan waved them inside.

"Dinner's already ready? Time can sure fly that it can."

He tucked the shovel into the ground as if to mark his spot and very slowly regained his footing, a trickle of cracking joints following up. He groaned and gave what could only be described as something between a sigh and a chuckle. Crosis motioned to the kitchen's back door.

"Shall we?"

Whether Links replied or not, he started off back into the house.

[Links Tyrell]

Links looked up at the call, the voice drawing his attention. He rose an eyebrow slightly, the owner of the voice was a new face...either they had more guests or there were even more people in the family than he had been told about. Shrugging it off he gave a nod at Crosis and began to follow him. "Yes lets, I must say I'm interested in sampling someone elses cooking for a change. Alindel is good but sometimes one craves something a little different."

[Laurelle]

Laurelle settles into her place at the table, smiling tiredly round at everyone, still pleased with her good fortune in finding such lovely people...

She sits and eats quietly, eager to hear what else is yet to unfold.

[Nail Strafer]

Nail noticed Dan waving out the window as he took a seat at the table. More people outside? He turned to have a look at them. He didn't see one of them but the other was an odd blue fox. Looked like something out of Lord of the Rings, he did. Nail found magic very perplexing himself.

Made him kind of nervous really, since he never knew what to expect from magical folk. Thank goodness he rarely met them in his line of work. Usually they'd send merc mages after magical objects or people.

But anyway, now there were two people here that made him feel more than a little uneasy. He tried not to show it though, adopting a neutral expression as he sat down.

[Yolanda Riona]

[Whew! First week of camp complete! I don't know just how much you guys want to play out this part. It doesn't have to be long if it's boring you. =B]

Essy hustled back into the dining room just as Crosis and Links stepped in the door, balancing two trays brimmed with appetizers: on one, fresh cut vegetables with a variety of homemade dips in the middle while the other sported something more of a meat lover's paradise with plenty of wings to go around. The entrees were what really might have off set anyone: the cod appeared as if it were fresh from the ocean which wouldn't seem very impressive unless one realized just how far off any particular seabed was from Jylat. It was delicately sauted in a light, almost creamy tropical sauce that hinted the slightest essence of authentic pineapple- with the real thing cut atop in ringlets. Several different side dishes had already been presented of various textures and colors that left the serving platters feeling open and welcoming. Fizzy drinks had already been poured and Rios was already inhaling his food.

Esmeralda motioned to her husband and Links to sit as she placed the trays on the table. Then she took a chair of her own in between Crosis and what would have been Dromar's seat. It seemed that he and Alindel would be late to the table. If they arrived at all. Poor Dan had been sent to get them. Jodie too. But he'd return without any luck and no will to bug the vixen since she'd been sleeping at the time. Riarios and Crosis quickly started on their meal, but Essy, noticing Nail out of the corner of her eye, folded her hands in her lap and beamed.

"So, what brings you here? Don't be shy now. I promise not to bite!"

[Links Tyrell]

Links walked slowly into the room behind Crosis, glancing curiously at the new faces and giving a small nod at each of them in turn, Links' rarely greeted anyone directly. He set his staff against the wall, his gaze sweeping the room in a warning type of expression, and then settled into his seat. If he had been anyone else he would have commented on the empty seats, instead he simply gave a few nods to himself and glanced at Ezma.

He waited a moment before helping himself to a small helping of the dish in front of him and slowly started to eat himself. His eyebrow rose ever so slightly as he looked at Rios and then turned his attention to the conversation and its subject, Nail.

He turned in his seat slightly, surveying Nail out of the corner of his eye. It was clear to tell he was nervous about something, Links normal to that look. He turned back to his food, taking another mouthful before speaking, "I wouldn't worry, as Esma so eliquately put it neither will I."