We'll be the best of friends [ Paladienne ]

[SanctifiedSavage]

It always smelled like fish. Salt, fish, and water. Which, in turn, made Ayami hungry. Shifted into an auburn cat with bright gold eyes, she lingered on a moss covered, low wall near the water. Small ships were pushing out from weathered docks so they might start their catches early, before the sun rose too high in the sky and the heat became too unbearable.

Ayami wished she knew how to fish. When was the last time she'd even had a bite to eat? A real meal? Small bugs caught in the grass just weren't cutting it. Tail flicking this way and that, she watched until the last, small fishing boat pushed away from the shore before she jumped down and padded her way toward the small market streets.

The small coastal town wasn't big but quaint. Wide, cobbled streets enabled carts and people to pass freely as they started on their day. Chores and work to be done.

For Yin, it was about getting something to eat. Finding something that would fill her larger self's belly and not tiny crickets and grasshoppers. Maybe a mouse? No... That wasn't big enough.

People barely paid her any mind as she dashed and darted amongst their feet and invariably found her way toward the stalls. They were still setting up, with polite chatter between owners about the suspected weather, how the morning was, and whatever else was included in normal conversation. She wandered between a couple, nose lifting with each pause to find something that smelled like food. Like appetizing food.

It was only after she caught the whiff of a grill being started and meat being put on that she realized, to her dismay, a flaw in her plan. Yin was still a cat. There was only so much she could get away with as a cat. A small piece, maybe? But that was hardly enough food. Moodily, she sat on her haunches and eyed the meat grill stall with golden eyed intent interest. Something would come to her. Some opportunity would present itself.

Or she'd drive herself insane and eventually go eat some bugs.

[Paladienne]

Rhyske trailed after Rubiyah as his mother drove a path between the people gathered in crowds along the merchant's street in the newest town they had entered. Whatever his mother was after, she was relentless right now, and Rhyske was left following her to make sure she didn't hurt herself or anyone else while she was trapped in whatever mood she was trapped in currently.

But that didn't stop him from looking around to see what there was to see. There were so many people, so many strange sights and smells and Rhyske found himself wanting to go explore the town on his own. He had enough money to give himself a cushion even if his mother went off the deep end and spent every last bit of coin he'd given her, so he wouldn't have to steal or con people into giving him money. But exploring would have to come after he made sure his mother wouldn't cause trouble.

As he walked, he caught the scent of grilling fish, and his stomach rumbled. Rhyske hadn't eaten anything since the wee hours of dawn that morning, and that was just a handful of nuts and dried fruit. And he'd been moving since then, so he knew the moment his stomach started arguing with him he was done. He glanced at his mother's back. She wouldn't miss him, and so long as she didn't cause a scene or cause trouble, Rhyske decided she would be okay if he wasn't there to watch over her for a little while. Besides, she was easy to find, and if she had a moment of clarity and looked for him, the young Horizon wasn't hard to find either.

So Rhyske changed course for the smell of the grill and the fish, and stood there watching the grillmaster perform his art. There was a small crowd around the grill, so Rhyske knew the food was good. No one would crowd if the food was terrible. Locals knew, and to Rhyske, these people all looked like locals. The tourists or strangers probably would be closer to the docks or the nicer parts of the city, where they could find things that catered more to their sensibilities. Rhyske, however, was used to being assimilated into the local life, and was far more comfortable with it, unless he was grifting and needed to look the part of a noble. Even then, it wasn't his favorite thing to do.

When it was his turn, Rhyske dug into his pocket for a coin and traded it to the fishmonger for one of the cooked fish. Even as the coin and fish exchanged hands, Rhyske glanced to the side as he caught movement out of his peripheral, and found that he was being stared at by a cat. It was a pretty cat, he decided. Pretty, with its auburn and dark fur. And he didn't miss the way those soulful eyes stared at him, or more accurately, his fish.

Rhyske dug into his pocket again for another coin. "One more," he said to the fisherman.

Obtaining the second fish, Rhyske lifted it to his mouth to blow on the fish to cool it as he walked toward the cat. He didn't want to scare it off, so he didn't get too close, but he crouched down and held out the second fish, hoping it was cool enough.

"Here you go," Rhyske said, his voice soft and friendly. He set the fish on the ground between him and the cat. "Just be careful. It might still be hot."

[SanctifiedSavage]

Tuyet remained off to the side, watching the crowd slowly gather around the stall. She could be patient, if the situation called for it. Waiting for an opportunity. Maybe someone dropped a coin she could collect. Money was a common thing she knew she'd could use to exchange for food, even though she did not carry any normally.

Didn't mean she couldn't collect it otherwise, if the situation required it.

Was not the case thus far, though. She remained sitting off to the side, quite observant. It might've been odd for any other animal, but it could be passing for a cat. She went through different phases of thought. Waffling between whether or not she should just jump up and catch one in exchange, between the stall owner and customer, or if she should keep watching. Or, gods forbid, Tuyet scamper off to hunt down a mouse or other tiny creature.

That would probably be the answer, were she a real cat. The obvious answer. But Tuyet was aware she wasn't and she did want something different, something more today. Fish would be great.

She should really learn to fish.

Tuyet was so wrapped up in her thoughts of food that she didn't realize someone was approaching her until they were. Her gold eyes searched them for intent. Not everyone liked strays, after all, but it was immediately apparent that it was not their intention to chase her off.

But to offer her food! What a delightful person!

When he crouched not too far off, Tuyet meowed – because that was all she could in this form – her excited thanks and moved forward to accept the lovely gift. She didn't wait to see if it was too hot, Tuyet just bit into it. It was hot, but she was so hungry and it smelt heavenly.

Even better that she hadn't had to steal it and run off! There was more here than her small cat self could finish, but that wasn't going to stop her from keeping it until there was a place for her to change and finish it. But! Neither did she want to lose track of her new, generous friend.

She'd scarfed it down pretty quick, what she could eat, before moving close to Rhyske and rubbing herself along his leg. What a lovely person. No one had been so nice to her before.

[Paladienne]

Rhyske smiled as the cat rubbed herself against him once finishing what she'd wanted of her fish. He'd assumed that she'd been hungry, but he hadn't expected her to be so hungry that she'd wolfed the fish down. With his free hand, he reached to pet her, stroking his fingers through her fur.

"Did you even taste your food?" he asked, laughing. He reached to scratch her ears and under her chin. "Silly thing. You take care now, okay?"

Rising, Rhyske walked away, eating his own fish. He walked slowly down the street, ostensibly looking for his mother, but just as much was he casing the patrons on the street. It was a habit he couldn't break, and a habit that served him well, in most instances. It wasn't hard to "accidentally" bump into someone and lift their wallet or some valuable of theirs, slipping it into his pocket and continuing on before the person realized what he'd done. And he kept moving, so he couldn't be caught, trying to cut through alleys to break line of sight.

He continued to walk, finishing his food and turning his attention to the serious task of finding his mother. Still, he couldn't help but feel like he was being followed, despite the fact he saw nothing when he glanced over his shoulder.

[SanctifiedSavage]

He even had such a nice laugh. It was nice not to have someone trying to chase her away, throwing things and causing such a loud fuss. Someone to speak nicely and be so kind as to feed her. A very nice, delightful person.

When he said she should take care, Yin peered up at him. She recognized the 'good bye' for what it was, but she wasn't particularly ready to say goodbye herself. When he stood to walk away, she trotted over, picked up what remained of her fish, and darted amongst the stalls. No reason not to take whatever bites she had left with her, after all.

Somewhere during her follow of him, she dashed under the fluttering cloth of a stall and transformed. Just like that. A simple wish, a simple want, and she went from the auburn, gold eyed cat to a small girl, on her hands and knees. Partially eaten fish still in her mouth, she crawled out and didn't even bother to dust off her knees as she skipped after him, the six slender tails entangling themselves behind her to look like one, large one as she did.

Yin didn't exactly look like a local, but she was short enough she didn't particularly stick out either. With one hand holding the stick of the grilled fish, she happily finished off the remainder of her treat while she followed her newfound friend, red ears perked forward so she wouldn't lose him in the small crowd.

[Paladienne]

Rhyske continued walking, ducking down different alleys and taking crowded streets, slipping between people like a shadow. He wasn't sure what he was trying to do - lure out whoever was following or lose them - but whatever happened, he would deal with it. Of course, he hoped he could lose his pursuit. He didn't like confronting people after stealing from them, because that was a danger in and of itself. He could survive most of what they did to him, but it hurt, and Rhyske wasn't a fan of being hurt.

He stepped quickly and quietly, ducking finally down an alley that offered a clear view of a new street. He hurried down it and took the corner sharply, but instead of continuing in a predicted direction, Rhyske pressed himself flat against the nearby wall. If he was lucky, his pursuit would come into sight and he could figure out exactly why they were following them, or he could slip away in the opposite direction if they ran away from where he stood. He wasn't expecting what he saw at all. A girl, somewhat shorter than he, with red triangular ears and a huge fluffy tail, bounded out of the alley way and began to peer around, obviously looking for something.

Looking for him.

Rhyske was so stunned he couldn't even make himself move. Who was she? Why was she looking for him? A tick of anger bloomed in his chest then, fiery but cold. He didn't recognize her at all, didn't recognize her as anyone he'd encountered before, so...

"Why are you following me?" Rhyske snapped, his blue eyes narrowing to glower at the strange girl.

[SanctifiedSavage]

Following someone was pretty easy for Yin. It was almost like a game, really. She finished up the remainder of her fish while she tailed Rhyske through the crowd, then tossed the stick to the ground. It didn't occur to her that she should go up and say hello or make her presence known. Sometimes, as she did when she was a cat, she just followed. Let someone lead. Humming under her breath to herself, she did just that.

Let him lead.

Rhyske was going to have to jump in a river and have a quick current take him away to really lose her. In a city, it would be incredibly difficult. Between the smell, the sound, and her sharp eyesight, she didn't worry about losing him.

So she knew he'd wandered down an alley and when he was out of sight, she stopped and let her ears and nose do the work.

Cept, he was there. Talking to her. Yin made a happy noise and smiled, her tail swaying to and fro slowly. "Because you're going this way." It seemed the most obvious of answers. Then, tilting her head just a little while she continued to watch him. "Would you prefer I walk with you?" His glare didn't phase her at all. Maybe his face just did that sometimes. There was absolutely no reason for him to be unhappy with her, so it must be something else.

[Paladienne]

Rhyske stared at her, one dark eyebrow steadily climbing higher and higher on his face until it couldn't possibly go any higher. What the hell was she saying? Was she insane? Who in their right mind followed strangers around a city without having an ulterior motive?

But apparently the girl did have an ulterior motive, only it was one Rhyske hadn't been expecting. "Because I'm going this way?" he asked, incredulous. "Who are you? Why are you following me?"

He knew better than to approach the strange girl, even though he wanted to get in her face and try to make himself as intimidating and scary as possible to warn her off. After all, there were creatures in this world that pretended to be one thing and turned out to be another, and they would be more than happy to eat him first and ask questions second. He didn't want to become prey, and he certainly didn't want the girl to think that he was getting closer to her because he liked her, or anything like that.

"You know what? Never mind. I don't even know who you are," Rhyske pointed out, "so you need to leave me alone. Go bother someone else. Stop following me."

He began walking again, almost stalking down the street to get away from the strange girl with the fluffy tail and the large ears. He wanted to find his mother and get out of this town. He'd gotten enough coin to pay their way for a while, so there really was no other reason to stay. And he really didn't want to stay in a town where weird tailed girls randomly decided to follow boys around. More than that, though, he was already noticeable, what with his black hair that seemed to absorb surrounding light and his dark skin, and he didn't want to become even more memorable by having some girl follow him around. It would be impossible to work with someone like her around.

[SanctifiedSavage]

When he asked who she was, it didn't occur to her that was an odd question for someone she was now friendly with. Instead, she just answered, "Tuyet Ayami Yin." Always her full name, because to her, it was her name. Her entire name. She went by pieces and parts of it, but it was her name entirely. She forgot a lot of things, but never her name.

As to why she was following, that was something she'd already answered. "You're going this way?" she repeated. Her ears pricked forward when he said she should leave him alone. She wasn't actually doing anything, so she could easily leave him alone. And if he didn't want her following him, she could do that too. Easily.

Making a happy sound, Tuyet bounced in place before she skipped after him and moved to walk next to him. Not following, like he'd said. Certainly leaving him alone, as she made sure not to pester or ask him anything. Just walking near him. Bouncing a little between each steps. Her tail swayed and she was quite happy to tag-along next to him. He didn't want pestered, so she didn't ask where they were going, but it didn't really matter though. She didn't have anywhere to be.

She also didn't really know anything about the world, as it were. Tuyet tended to take things as they came and react accordingly, with no thought or foresight to the future. She just didn't function that way. Rather, she'd follow her new friend and see where he took her now.

[Paladienne]

Rhyske blew out a breath and tried not to get angry at the weird girl. Tuyet Ayami Yin. Or whatever she wanted to call herself. Maybe she really just didn't get the hint. He didn't want her following him, didn't want her walking beside him, didn't want her doing anything with him involved. He glanced at her and her happy face, her quick steps and her flouncy manner in which he moved. His heart sank. Did he really have the heart to ruin her happiness? What if she was just another street rat like he was, hoping that maybe he'd help her survive? Granted, there were better ways of getting yourself attached to someone in hopes that they'd take care of you, but maybe this was the manner that worked for her.

Either way, the two of them were far too noticeable and the populace was starting to give them both sly glances that made Rhyske feel incredibly uncomfortable. He wanted to find his mother and get out of there, just go somewhere else where their faces weren't so memorable, and just get at least one more day on this earth. It was the same mantra he told himself every time he felt like the heat was beginning to increase and people were looking far too closely at him.

"So what do you want me to call you?" Rhyske asked, finally addressing the girl at his side. "And what will it take for you to go far away from me and leave me alone?"

[SanctifiedSavage]

If people were looking sideways at her, she didn't notice. Tuyet tended not to unless directly confronted and, if backed into a corner, she'd most definitely run. Since she was largely harmless though, the most she would attract were those narrowed eyed looks unless someone was going to target her because she was a foreigner.

For her, though, it was less about how they looked at her when they did and more about simply finding someone who would actually talk to her and treat her with kind actions. That was meaningful and important, especially in a world where she was either largely ignored, treated with suspicion, or thought of as a target. Tuyet couldn't remember specific instances or moments, but her instincts were sharp and she knew better than to follow unsavory strangers down dark alleys.

When he asked about what she should be called, Tuyet glanced his way and offered him much the same, delighted smile she had before. If he wanted to talk, she most certainly would oblige. "Tuyet Ayami Yin." Easiest answer. It was her name, she knew, though she didn't know who gave it to her. As to the last question, she giggled playfully and actually linked her arm with his. "I can go back to following you, if you'd prefer." It wasn't a real answer and she didn't seem to grasp what he was really trying to say.

[Paladienne]

Rhyske blew out a long sigh again. Well, if that was all he was going to get out of her as to what she wanted to be called, then that was fine. He'd just call her whatever. Ayami. That sounded better than calling her Tuyet or Yin. But it was clear to him that she didn't understand anything else he'd said. When he'd told her to leave him alone, she'd said she could go back to following him. He didn't think she was stupid, but he also didn't think she was quite understood the world around her.

Naive.

That's what she was.

Rhyske had met few people who were like Ayami during his travels. He supposed he'd been like her once, when he was younger. But he'd learned, quickly, that naivety only got you hurt and allowed people to take advantage of you. And Ayami seemed like the kind of person who was so naive that she would believe anything anyone told her. Rhyske, though, wasn't that kind of person. He knew how much it sucked to finally realize that the world wasn't completely sunshine and roses and those that you thought were your friends were simply using you for their own advantage. That didn't mean everyone in the world was - there were people who genuinely cared about their fellow beings, and would give you the shirt off their backs if you needed it - but enough of the people that Rhyske had encountered in his long but young life had been enough to jade him and look for the other shoe to drop when a particular situation looked too good.

The moment she linked her arm with his, though, Rhyske quickly shook her off. "Don't touch me," he growled, a little more forcefully than he'd meant to.

It wasn't just that he didn't want the touch, it was also because he wasn't used to being touched, at least not in such a way. His mother gave him hugs sometimes, but only when she was lucid and feeling particularly motherly. Otherwise, Rhyske tried to avoid touching her. And he didn't want anyone touching him for fear that they might actually hurt him. He'd survived wounds that would normally kill a lesser being than he, but doing so just made him even more averse to touching.

"Look," Rhyske said, stopping to focus on Ayami to the exclusion of all else, "why don't you just go back to wherever it is you came from? I don't want you walking beside me. I don't want you following me. I just want you to disappear. Besides your name, I don't know anything else about you. So just leave me alone. Okay?"

He just stared at her, his bright blue eyes staring into hers, a scowl on his face. He hoped she understood now. Otherwise, he wasn't sure what he was going to do.

[SanctifiedSavage]

When he seemed unhappy at the contact, Yin easily bounced away. It didn't faze her in the slightest that he might be upset with her. People got upset. She'd had things thrown at her when she was both a girl, and a cat, so that wasn't really upsetting to her. Sometimes, people were skittish and snappy.

Just an observation.

Instead, she watched him with her tails idly swaying behind her. Eternally patient, infinitely observant.

When he faced her and suggested she go back where she came from, Yin glanced down the street toward where the vendor had been. She wasn't hungry and she didn't want to go back, so... that wasn't happening. Yin also couldn't disappear – she had no magic besides turning into a cat – so that wasn't happening either. When he finished with the remark that he didn't know anything about her, she smiled just a little and dipped a small courtesy.

"You already know my name. We met at the fish vendor. You gave me a fish. Which was sweet." She straightened and smiled sweet, but her attention was fixated. "I don't want to go back there and I rather like being in your company." So, that was that. Yin added, almost as an after thought, "I can go back to being a cat, if that's what you'd prefer."

OOC

I missed that you'd replied. :C I'm sorry.

[close]

[Paladienne]

Rhyske's eyes widened. She was a cat? She was a cat? The cat? The very same cat that had looked so plaintive and hungry that he couldn't help but feel sorry for her and spend his money to buy the poor thing a fish? That was why Ayami was following him? Because he'd given her a damn fish?!

His breath escaped him in one long rush.

Rhyske pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, why don't you go back to being a cat? Since it's obvious you're not gonna stop following me around, you might as well follow me around as something unobtrusive. And Mother might take to you being a cat better than she would with you being a girl."

Rhyske wasn't sure what he'd gotten himself into. How had he suddenly ended up with some strange girl - a girl who could turn into a cat nonetheless - following him? He couldn't even begin to believe it. Had it not been happening to him, he wouldn't have been able to believe it. And since he couldn't figure out how to get rid of his second shadow, nor could he figure out what to say to get her to leave him alone, he had no choice but to let her follow.

He wondered if she was simple. He'd met several people like that while traveling. There was just this innate sweetness to them that other people just didn't possess. They truly didn't comprehend the meanings of the words spoken to them, and often took the words at face value, or even mistook the meanings of the words, where someone else might not. He didn't want to hurt her feelings - and he was beginning to doubt that he really could, considering her current attitude - and he really didn't want her mad at him.

Sighing, Rhyske kept walking, uncertain what to do. It was clear what he couldn't do, so, he supposed he would just have to make the best of it. Ayami wasn't about to get distracted and run off and leave him be. He was stuck with her, for however long it took for her to grow bored with him and leave on her own.

"You really have no idea what I mean when I say 'leave me alone', do you?" Rhyske asked her, his hands on his hips. "You really don't know what I mean, do you?"

[SanctifiedSavage]

It did not bother Tuyet at all that someone would prefer her cat form. To her, it was all one in the same. Two sides of the same coin. It was like if someone preferred another person with their hair up or down. A minor physical change, to the shapeshifter. It was still who she was, so it didn't make any difference to her.

She smiled, quite happy she could do something that wouldn't make him so... upset... but before she could bounce away to do just that, he had another question for her. Her amber eyes narrowed a little, catching the light while she considered. "I suppose you mean to tell me that you don't want me in your company." Her hands clasped behind her back and she took a step forward, invading his personal space for just a moment. "But I did say that I didn't want to go back where I came from, and I like being around you."

Tuyet stepped back, smile still in place. "So, I can follow you as a cat, should you like. We can make a game out of it, too. I like games." Her smile widened a little more. Nothing like a nice game of 'chase' or 'delivery'. Tuyet liked bringing random things to people and hiding them on their person, waiting for them to discover what it was she'd brought. It was always a challenge to see if she could do so without getting caught. Doing it while they were asleep or while they were distracted.

@Paladienne

[Paladienne]

Maybe she did understand what he wanted, but she certainly didn't seem to comprehend that he wanted her as far away as possible from him, and he didn't want to interact with her anymore. Rhyske really wondered if she was simple. But, for all he knew, it was an act, and she was some sort of dangerous being that would just as easily kill him as entertain herself with him. When she invaded his space, he stiffened and leaned away from her, not enjoying the fact that she was so close to his face.

Her words sounded more like a threat than a statement to him, and he knew then, for sure, that she was never going to leave him alone.

So Rhyske sighed. "Do whatever you want, Ayami. I can't stop you. That's very clear to me. But, look, just don't draw attention to yourself? Or me. It's bad enough I already draw enough attention to myself just by existing. Now, I need to find my mother, and then we're going to leave this town."

He took a step back from her, and then headed back toward the last location where he'd seen his mother. Once he found her, and was able to drag her away from whatever it was she was doing, then he could convince her to leave, and maybe she wouldn't notice that there was a strange cat trailing them. She didn't notice a lot of the world if it didn't have anything to do with her, after all.

Rhyske found Rubiyah sitting in a tavern, surrounded by empty steins of alcohol and empty plates of food. She looked as if she were half asleep, and maybe she was. Rhyske approached her cautiously, ignoring the looks the other people in the tavern were giving him. He spoke to her in soft tones, then gently pulled her up and out of the seat, and left on the table the bag of coins that he'd given to her when they had arrived. He had to fish it out of her robes, which embarrassed him beyond all reason. But he did it, and then he pulled her arm over his shoulder and walked her out. He didn't care what Ayami thought upon seeing them. He looked nothing like his mother, after all. But she was his, and she was his responsibility to take care of.

"Come on, mom." Rhyske said softly. "Let's go somewhere quiet. You can sleep."

If Rubiyah said anything in response to her son's words, they were inaudible. Her head lolling on a limp neck, the woman allowed Rhyske to guide her through the street and toward the outskirts of town.

[SanctifiedSavage]

Tuyet was quite happy now that they both seemed on the same page, though she'd have been quite happy to continue as she had been anyways. Life was generally simple to her. His sigh made her perk up, ears upright, and she smiled.  All she seemed to hear was the do what you want.

Lovely.

She would do her best not to draw attention though. So she walked just a step or two behind him and idly looked around as she followed him. The town itself wasn't particularly interesting to her and she was definitely ready for something different. Wherever that might be. Since it seemed they'd be leaving, all the better.

What she was certainly not expecting was the odd smelling woman in the tavern. Her face crinkled up as Rhyske took the time to tend to her, fishing out coins and then hauling her away. That Tuyet certainly did not understand. Having no family of her own, the obligation or attachment was foreign to her. In a way.

But she followed, attention a little sharper on the woman and son. Like she was trying to figure out a very complicated puzzle. It was only once they'd reached the outskirts of the town, well out of the cluster of people and earshot of such, that she asked, "Why did you not just leave her?" It wasn't a malicious question, but one asked out of pure curiosity.

@Paladienne

[Paladienne]

Rhyske glanced back at Ayami and wondered, yet again, about her intelligence. But then, maybe it was because she wasn't really a girl. Maybe she was just a cat. A cat with the ability to turn into a girl. Cats were a law unto themselves, after all. They did what they wanted with impunity. Kind of like nobles. His own joke made him crack a smile, but he did his best not to let either the cat-girl nor his mother see it.

Honestly, he didn't know how to answer Ayami. He could at any time abandon his mother to her vices. Just leave her somewhere and never look back. It was strange, but each time he thought about doing that, he just... couldn't. As much as his mother acted strangely and gave him a strange sort of attention, she was his mother. He couldn't just leave her. And if he didn't stay and take care of her, who would?

So he finally said, "She's my mother. I'd be the worst kind of person to just leave her behind. Besides that, she took care of me all of my young life, and now that I'm at an age to take care of her, it's only fair that I look after her."

He readjusted his grip on Rubiyah and half turned to look at Ayami. "Isn't there anyone that you want to take care of? Anyone whose side you want to stay beside, even though it may be strange in the eyes of others?"

[SanctifiedSavage]

Yin could not begin to imagine the sort of beholden obligation one might feel toward a mother. She didn't remember her own family, after all, and could only feel the flighting attachment to those that were kind to her in some shape or fashion, until they too were forgotten.

A  frown etched itself across her face at his answer, then, because it was both unsatisfactory and something she didn't understand. The woman that was his mother seemed more a burden than someone who might be kind – which mattered the most to Yin.

Not that she was going to suggest Rhyske do anything he didn't want to. If he'd asked, she'd have helped. As of yet, though, he seemed still leery about her presence in his life. So she kept her distance and followed.

At his question, she tilted her head a little and contemplated. Only for a moment. "I don't really remember anyone. Just the faces of the people on the street, but I don't know their name. They have no significance in my life. I know your name." It might've been said with sadness by anyone who understood how much it might mean to lose everyone in their life, or be unable to remember them, but because she couldn't... Yin couldn't be sad over anything she couldn't remember. So it was just a statement, simple and uncomplicated.

She added, trying to be helpful, "You were nice though, so I do want to help you. Is there something I could do to help?" Yin didn't want to distress him, as she had earlier, or upset him. Her tail swayed a little faster, perked up at the thought she could do something in part to repay the kindness he'd shown her earlier.

@Paladienne

[Paladienne]

Rhyske frowned slightly as he listened to what she had to say. She didn't remember anyone? She didn't remember anything at all? That seemed like a sad existence to him, to make friends and then forget them soon after making them. To move on, never knowing where you were from and who you'd left behind. Rhyske realized now that Ayami's inability to remember contributed greatly to how she acted. If she had nothing to feel sad over, why should she feel sad? If she had no happy memories to remember, why should she feel happy? Her world was simple and easy. She lived day to day, taking everything that happened to her at face value. That was why she didn't understand him when he'd told her to leave him alone. It had to be.

Sighing, Rhyske shook his head. "You wanna get her other side? Just hook her arm over your shoulder, like how I have this one. Put your other arm around her back, like me. We're going to get her out of town and to somewhere nice and quiet where she can rest for a while."

Honestly, Rhyske didn't know where he was going or what he was going to do when he got there. He just knew that eventually, Rubiyah would fall asleep and become dead weight, and then it would be all but impossible to carry her until she woke up. He wasn't expecting Ayami to stick around that long, considering she seemed to find his devotion to his mother extremely strange. But... once he got used to the idea of Ayami being there, Rhyske found himself feeling almost ashamed that he'd told her to go away and leave him alone. She was as alone as he was. The only difference was that she didn't remember any of the connections that she made, and he did.

"We'll figure out what to do from there, okay? It's just gonna be one big adventure."