Completed [The Amphitheater] Mingling In (Rinya)

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

Torik gave Rinya a stern look, and it was clear he wasn't used to women being quite so straightforward. It probably wasn't all that surprising given how circumspect many of the actresses were, but he did not really appear all that upset with her. He snorted when she mentioned that it was a mess.

"You don't know the half of it," he growled. "Fortunately I'm too old to be playing these sorts o' head games."

Torik actually laughed when Rinya said that actors were interesting to watch. "Well, I sure hope so, young lady," he guffawed. "After all, entertainment is what we do. Wouldn't exactly be very good actors if we weren't, right?"

Instead of directly answering Rinya, Torik turned to Jorin and fixed him with a steady look. "And that's why ye don't sneak yer woman in!" he groused. Jorin's hackles rose a bit at that.

"Hey, what's that supposed to-" he started, but Torik waved him off.

"There be audience seats fer a reason, boy," Torik admonished. "Yer woman just done told me she wasn't even able to enjoy the show. Now, whose fault ye think that was?"

And this was why the older actor intimidated Jorin. Because he had an almost uncanny ability to see between the lines, and had no problems pointing out Jorin's still-glaring weaknesses. Still, the old man meant well, and despite his gruffness, it was actually pretty clear he quite approved of Rinya's refreshing bluntness.

When Jorin didn't answer his question, the man grunted and said to Rinya, "Well, yer definitely not an actress, thats fer sure." He peered at her. "I wouldn't worry too much about this here game we actors play," he assured her. "It ain't nothin' serious most of the time."

Jorin decided to interject. "Well, I wasn't planning on playing anyway," he argued, and then decided to bring up what he came to talk about to begin with. "Torik... I wanted to know what your honest opinion of my performance tonight was." Jorin couldn't keep the nervousness out of his voice. Torik's opinion counted for a lot.

The older man just looked at Jorin for a few ticks, then at Rinya, then back at Jorin. "Ye sure ye want me to be sayin' this in front of yer woman?" he finally grunted.

Uh oh.

Jorin gulped and nodded. Torik sighed and shrugged. "Ye was distracted, and ye forgot lines. I gots to tell ye, Jorin, that don't speak well for yer skill as an actor. Yer on that stage ye needs to be focused, and I can't say I saw that today."

Jorin winced a bit at the harsh criticism but kept silent. Nonetheless, he instinctively held Rinya's hand a bit tighter and drew her in a bit closer. Her presence soothed his wounded pride a bit.

"Yer delivery was off in a few places, and I wish ye'd be more conscientious of where yer other actors be standin' before ye start emotin'. That scene in act two, ye nearly blocked yer fellow actors, that's a no-no." The veteran actor's voice wasn't harsh, but it was firm, and Jorin just stood like a statue under the criticism. It was one thing to hear this from a critic; it was their job to be critical. It was even in their name. But from Torik...

"Ye gots a lotta learn before ye can be second billed again, boy. I dun think yer quite ready fer it. Still, I liked yer energy and ye have a quick mind, so ye gots that goin' for ye. And I knows ye'd pay more attention if ye didn't have a pretty lady distractin' ye." Torik gave Rinya a pointed look as he said that. "Even though, technically, if yer a good actor, ye should still be able to operate even if she is."

The older man shrugged. "Ye wanted my honest opinion, ye gots it. I never said it'd be pretty."

With that, Torik smiled, the wrinkles on his older face crinkling as he chuckled at Jorin and Rinya. "Now why's a young couple in love like the two of ye talkin' to an old man like me?" he said, with a small shooing motion. "Get out there, the two of ye! I saw yer little show on the dance floor, ye got better things to do than jaw with me."

Jorin nodded, and led Rinya way from Torik, who just shrugged and took yet another sip of his wine. Jorin turned to Rinya, his face flushed with embarrassment and a little bit of shame. "I... I guess I didn't get the job," he sighed. But he knew how Rinya would take it. That it was somehow her fault he messed up on stage. So Jorin instantly tried to head that line of thought off. It was not Rinya's fault. Even if it was, it wasn't.

"Don't you dare blame yourself for that, Rinya," Jorin insisted, his voice firm. "I just need to try harder. And if you argue with me I'll just kiss you until you stop."

Jorin punctuated that last "threat" with a little grin, but he was quite serious. If Rinya tried to argue the point he really would kiss her into submission. Or at least until both of them completely forgot what they were talking about.

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

Rinya wasn’t entirely sure the older man understood what she meant when she said actors were interesting to watch. Sure, they were meant to be watched as actors, but they were far more interesting off stage than on. There were so many different kind of people shoved into one kind of job it was a little dizzying to think about. A few were like Jorin—genuinely nice people that had no desire to play games and just act. Rinya wasn’t sure if the others liked acted more, or the games they got to play afterwards. But either way it was certainly interesting to watch them. So long as she wasn’t in the middle of it.

Torik’s gaze shifted to Jorin and he started to again scold him about bringing her to the actor’s box. Rinya had to grit her teeth together. She wouldn’t have been able to see the play very well with the lower light as the play went on. But of course Torik wouldn’t know that. ”That wasn’t what I meant!” She hissed at Torik, but she felt that Jorin was intimidated again. Reluctantly she kept mouth shut, but she had to force her eyes away from the two of them. She ignored Torik’s attempt to assure her that there wasn’t much to worry about with the games—she honestly didn’t care either way. But Jorin seemed insistent on the older actor’s advice.

Jorin was not the only one wincing as Torik pointed out all of Jorin’s weaknesses. He even used her as one of the excuses—which she easily accepted but she wasn’t willing to back down in front of him. Despite the pointed look Torik gave her, Rinya simply glared balefully back at the man. ”If that’s the terms of a good actor, I’ve yet to meet one.” She growled under her breath and forced her glare towards the crowds again. She wasn’t going to help matters much if she kept this up.

Torik’s shift to far more friendly didn’t entirely take Rinya by surprise, but she didn’t actually welcome it. Apparently she was just as easily as offened as Jorin when someone took after her mate—even if Jorin did want the honest opinion of the man. As Jorin began to lead her away Rinya snorted and rolled her eyes, taking several deep breaths in order to keep her sarcastic mouth in line. There were a many good things she really wished she could say, but it was like the rumor mill. Pointless.

She however hated feeling shame coming from Jorin. Embarrassment she could understand, but there was nothing he should ever be ashamed of. It pricked at her heart painfully and bit her tongue hard. Jorin was already on the war path however, trying to assure her that it wasn’t her fault that he didn’t do well. Part of her understood that and could accept it, but it was natural for her to blame herself—especially when he felt as he did. ”I didn’t realize I was actually that large of a distraction.” Rinya muttered lowly, watching people warily as they passed by.

Jorin’s threat to kiss her until she forgot about the problem was obviously meant to bring up her spirits but she was a mess of emotions. She wished she could tell him that it didn’t matter what a more veteran actor said, but that was a lie and they both knew it. The fact of the matter was if she hadn’t been there it was more than likely he would have certainly done better. Releasing his hand, Rinya crossed her arms under breasts and shook her head slightly. ”Seems a bit of a waste actually.” All his hard work only to be distracted by one person or another—mostly her she supposed.

Glancing up at him from the corner of her eye she tried to judge whether or not he would actually follow through with his threat. Or if she would even let him. She had yet to refuse any sort of advance from him and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to start now or just let him cloud her mind. But clouding her mind wouldn’t remove the guilt eating at her stomach. Sighing softly, Rinya dropped her gaze to the ground at her feet. ”Just because you have to try harder doesn’t mean I’m not partly at fault.”

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

Jorin could feel Rinya's swirling emotions and it caused his own heart to clench painfully. He really hated to make her feel bad; he should have never approached Torik. That had been a mistake; he'd even warned Jorin before he gave his honest opinion. Jorin just didn't know it was going to be that bad or he would've refrained and asked for the bad news in private.

Rinya sounded so morose when she muttered that she didn't realize she'd be that much of a distraction. If Jorin was being honest with himself, he didn't realize she'd be that much of a distraction either. Maybe that was foolish of him, now that he thought about it. He was always distracted by her; at the archery range, when they went swimming, and now when he was acting. There weren't any circumstances where his mate's close proximity didn't cause all his thoughts to fly to her and abandon whatever project they'd been working on before.

But she also grounded him, and he knew that if she hadn't been here, this play wouldn't have been special. It was the fact that it was the first time she'd seen him on stage that made this play special, and it didn't matter that he perhaps hadn't done as well as he could have, or that there were a million disasters as was usual, or that Torik had chewed him out for being distracted by her; if he had to do it all over again, knowing that having her here, he'd probably lost the chance to be second billing for the next show, he would. In a heartbeat.

Rinya had withdrawn her hand and folded them under her breasts, her eyes fixed firmly on the ground, and she muttered about how it was a bit of a waste. Jorin bit his lower lip, then sighed. He really wanted to convince her it wasn't her fault. "No it wasn't," he insisted, coming over and placing an arm on Rinya's shoulder. "I got to act, and the woman I love more than anyone else in the whole entire world was watching me. Rinya, I don't care about any of that other stuff. So I missed second billing. So what? It'll come around again, it always does."

The hand migrated from Rinya's shoulder to her cheek, and he stroked her face softly as he came in a little closer. "So maybe I was a little distracted. I can work around that! But I wouldn't trade the last two bells for anything in the world. Seeing you in that box... it made my whole day, Rinya. I might have been nervous, and I might have screwed up a bit. But I can honestly say, I've never been so happy to be on stage my entire life."

”Just because you have to try harder doesn't mean I’m not partly at fault,” Rinya was all Rinya would say as her eyes sank back down to her feet. Jorin would have none of that.

"Rinya, please look at me?" he asked, still stroking her face. He waited patiently for her to look him in the eyes, just standing there until she could pull herself together enough to do it. He could still feel her swirling emotions and he wondered if she might even resist him if he tried to kiss her. He was only half-joking when he made that "threat", but that didn't mean he was blind to how his mate might be feeling. He'd never forced her on anything in the past, and was determined to never do it in the future.

"I've lost billing places for far stupider reasons than having the woman of my dreams standing next to me," Jorin insisted. "Let me make this clear, Rinya: even if I had to do it all over again, after hearing everything that Torik just said, and even knowing everything that would've happened, I wouldn't change a thing."

Jorin pulled in a little closer still, and there really wasn't any space between them. Fortunately, the two of them was in a fairly secluded corner and after their stunning little performance on the dance floor, most people weren't really all that surprised with the intimacy going on between them and mostly paid them no mind. Jorin's left arm snaked around her waist to finally pull her up to him. He smiled down and touched his nose to hers, then backed away slightly.

"I promised myself I'd never force you in anything. And I meant it," Jorin murmured, as the sound of tinkling wine glasses, murmured conversations, and laughter seemed to fade into the background. He could feel the beating of his own heart, and the only thing in his eyes were Rinya's looking back at him.

"But... I love you Rinya," he whispered, leaning in close. "Won't you please kiss me?"

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

There was no denying that while Jorin wasn’t ready yet for second billing, he certainly had time to improve. After all he already admitted that he was doing better than some of the other actors that had been with the Amphitheater for years. Two seasons with such progress was actually quite amazing. Even with two seasons with the Warren she was just a general guard—though she wasn’t entirely sure she would want any more responsibility than she had now. She had a hard enough time just making time for this play. Anything more and she’d be lucky to see Jorin even at home.

But Jorin was determined to remove her guilt. That was not surprising—he never let her blame herself, much less blame her himself. His fingers brushed against her shoulder and Rinya felt her muscles tense slightly. His words actually sounded muted and she realized she was so deep inside her own head she could barely hear him speaking. And he must’ve realized it. His fingers moved from her shoulder to her cheek and she couldn’t help the natural reaction his touch caused. Her eyes closed on their own accord and she leaned the side of her face into his fingers.

Jorin requested softly that she look at him and Rinya flinched against his hand. That tone of voice was impossible to resist even if he didn’t mean to use it in such a fashion. With his fingers stroking across her skin she sighed softly and tried to gather up the courage to look at him. She could glare at a man she didn’t know for any length of time, but feeling guilty over something that affected Jorin made her skittish—even with all his insistence that he wasn’t even remotely mad at her. Making eye contact meant she was going to cave and cave hard. But he wasn’t likely to give up, so Rinya dragged her eyes from the ground to his face.

”You never want to change a thing Jorin. How you accept things so easily I’ll never know.” Rinya wanted to be irritated with him she really did. ”You will never blame me for anything will you?” It was a rhetorical question seeing as they both knew the answer to this question. She could probably stab him—accidently of course—and he wouldn’t blame her. In fact he would probably find a way to blame himself. Jorin pulled her closer, smiling at her and pressing his nose against hers. Rinya inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the gravitational pull he had over her.

”I know that Jorin. I do.” Rinya breathed out, another guilty spike in her chest hit her. He was always so afraid of pushing her too far. He never even yelled at her in anger, how could he think he could actually force her into anything. In all honesty Rinya didn’t believe Jorin was capable of doing it in the first place. There was no space between them and Rinya had a feeling she knew exactly where this was heading. She simply nodded at his question as her voice got stuck in her throat.

It was a pointless thought of resisting him. Because Jorin never actually pushed for anything. He might have considered himself manipulating her—using his closeness to affect her choices. Which in some ways wasn’t at all wrong, but Rinya knew if she really wanted to say no, she could and he would listen. But he was pretty petching close to begging and Rinya figured she could be guilty later. Her fingers—which had been twitching at her sides over how close he was—reached up to grip his neck on both sides. Instead of pulling him to her, she leaned up to close the distance between them and pressed her lips against his.

Rinya purposefully kept the kiss innocent. The barest brush of her lips against his. If she let herself she would get too caught up in him again. She wasn’t entirely sure if it would be rude to just up and leave the party so early even if Jorin agreed with her. So she let the kiss linger instead before pulling back from him just enough to look up at him. ”So is it entirely rude of us to just up a leave at this point, or is mingling a must before we go? Because I think of a number of things we could do at home instead.” It never hurt to ask did it?

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

Jorin would be lying if he didn't say that it wasn't a relief when Rinya grabbed him on either side of the neck and leaned up to kiss him. Even though the kiss was light, almost chaste, he could still feel her emotions lingering in it, like the breeze off the ocean, flowing through him. It was quite clear at this point that he would never be unaffected by her. Rinya's very presence would be like a beacon, drawing his attention, his concentration, his very soul to her.

Maybe, on an intellectual level, it had been a bad idea to bring her to this production. Technically speaking, if one were to erase all emotions and looked just at the facts, Rinya's presence was a net negative. She distracted Jorin and caused him to freeze on stage, and due to that he forgot his lines and was forced to improvise. Her presence threw the rumor mill into disarray and thus by the next day, inevitably, Jorin would be inundated with all sorts of conflicting whispers about his relationship with that mysterious girl the other day.

But, of course, Jorin's mind didn't work on an intellectual level. His mother's influence, really. His father would be livid if he knew. But his usually reasonable, rational mind was often influenced (or infected as his father would prefer to describe it) by emotion and sentiment. And his sentimentality and emotions were telling him that regardless of the facts, Rinya's lips pressed against him in this moment was making it all worthwhile. Because she had chosen to kiss him. It had been her decision to do it. And that made all the difference.

When the kiss ended, they were still wrapped up in each other. Jorin didn't notice or care if any of the surrounding people had caught sight of this act; they'd already kissed each other thoroughly on that dance floor so a light kiss like this shouldn't have made that big an impact. Regardless, his entire concentration was on Rinya, and she was asking him if they could just leave the party, and her suggestion of things they could do at home sent a pleasant shiver through his body.

And really, what else was there to do here? If Rinya had never been in the picture Jorin might've drank a few cups of wine, socialized a bit more, then probably headed home, having really accomplished very little that was important. He'd had his chewing-out by Torik, so now he had no further reason to say. If Rinya had been the social type like Farline, then he might've stayed for her sake, but she was the one asking that they leave. And Jorin had every reason to agree wholeheartedly.

"Probably," he grinned slightly as he planted another small light kiss on her lips before pulling back and smiling. "But I really can't find it in me to care. I'll be honest, Rinya. I really hate the game. I tolerate it because I love to act and, well, the game is part of the life of an actor. But truthfully I'd much rather spend time at home with you."

With that, he disentangled from Rinya's embrace and took her hand, and gently led her to the exit in a measured but determined pace, making sure to not drag her exactly but nonetheless make it clear that the two of them were leaving the party, and that they were together. They'd almost made it when the young understudy from before blocked their way, his face spread into a wide grin and his eyes running up and down Rinya's form.

"Well, well, Jorin, hello again," the young man greeted, with a cheerful smirk. He gave Rinya a playful wink and went over to her side, and offered her his arm.

"I'm sure I can show you a much better time than this old codger," he insisted, laughing a bit at Jorin's expense.

"Actually, Rinya and I were going home," Jorin explained, eyes snapping a bit. But the understudy just shook his head.

"No, no, you're going home. Rinya and I are going to have some fun at this party. Seriously, Jorin, don't you even know how to show a girl a fun time?" As he said this, the understudy grabbed Rinya's arm and tried to pull her from Jorin's side, his grip not painful but firm. Jorin continued to hold Rinya's hand, but he didn't want to get into a tug-of-war with the understudy with Rinya in the middle as he didn't want to injure her.

"Would you mind stopping that?" Jorin demanded through gritted teeth, but the understudy just shot back. "Then why don't you let go?"

Jorin glared at the boy. He was seriously starting to get on Jorin's nerves, and that wasn't easy to do. "Because she's mine," he growled. It was a tone of voice he'd never taken before, with words he'd never used. Rinya undoubtedly felt his own surprise, but he didn't feel any regret. He just never expected to actually vocalize his thoughts in quite that way. But the understudy was nonplussed.

"That's what you think," he smirked. "C'mon gorgeous, I can show you how a real man parties!" he insisted. The young understudy, feeling quite daring with a bit of alcohol in him, swung himself around until he was facing Rinya. Before Jorin could speak or really even stop him, the boy just smirked and leaned in, aiming to kiss Rinya right on the lips.

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

Rinya was highly pleased when Jorin admitted that leaving now was indeed rude, but with a kiss stated he would much rather go home with her. Not that she entirely doubted he would rather be at home with her. Jorin was always happy when he came home and she was there before him. ”I think you play the game rather well. And it’s a lie that you hate the game Jorin. You just only play with me.” The tension in Rinya’s form had melted away into a more playful side. She grinned innocently up at him, but she didn’t bother trying to hide the want that was currently filling her. She wanted several things and she was quite sure she was going to get everything she wanted. But that could have been her biased opinion about Jorin’s attentiveness.

Jorin took the lead however, pulling back and taking one her hands in his. He seemed almost torn. His pace was quick, but he seemed to only keep himself in check just barely. Running wasn’t possible with the amount of people around them, but she was fairly certain if the crowd was smaller they might have just bolted. But their progress was firmly halted by the appearance of someone Rinya would have been happy to never see ever again. The understudy from the play had apparently spotted them and thought an interruption was required. It was like he was a male Farline—impossible to shake.

Rinya didn’t miss his roaming eyes and her body reacted with a slight shudder. Didn’t he get the idea before? Rinya was beginning to realize that even if he did get the idea it did not matter to him in the least. Rinya shifted uncomfortably as the understudy greeted Jorin, seemingly friendly but Rinya had the feeling his appearance wasn’t going to end well. Almost as soon as the thought drifted across her mind the understudy came up to her side and offered his arm. Which Rinya stared at a little dumbly for several ticks.

”Somehow I don’t believe you.” Rinya remarked snidely. She wasn’t sure if he was after her to get on Jorin’s nerves or just to add her to a probably large tally of women he probably bedded. And Rinya had no doubt that was what he was attempting to do with her. It caused another shudder to crawl across her skin. The whole idea was just wrong and instinctively Rinya pressed herself into Jorin’s side in attempt to put any sort of space between her and the understudy.

She could feel Jorin’s irritation beginning to build as well. Insisting to the understudy that they were going home and there wasn’t any room for argument on that end. Well there shouldn’t have been anyways. But the understudy reached out and snagged her free arm and Rinya felt her entire body freeze. Her muscles strained to remain where she was next to Jorin and not allow the boy to quite literally drag her from her own mate. It only added further to Jorin’s anger—or was that her anger? It was becoming a little hard to tell as they both were getting fed up with the understudy’s actions.

Somehow the argument melted down into a child’s mentality. One of them was to let go of her and if Jorin did she was quite sure she would throttle both of them for the simple sake of decency. Though she highly doubted Jorin would, especially not to this kid. ”You cannot be serious right now.” Rinya growled and quite furiously yanked her arm from the understudy’s grip. And then Jorin did something she never thought he would do. He all but snarled at understudy that she was his and there was no denying the claim.

Several things seemed to happen at once. Rinya’s head whipped from glaring at the understudy to look up at Jorin in a rather shocked expression. Without the bond Jorin could have possibly considered that he might have offended with her such words but it wouldn’t have been further from the truth. There were two distinct emotions running through her, and only one of them was slightly stronger than the other. One of them was—oddly enough—desire. She wasn’t sure what it was about the words but they set off every instinct inside her.

The only thing stronger than desire was just the shock. All night Jorin had been intent on convincing her he didn’t want anyone to see her as a trophy or that she had every choice and he would never force her into anything. And while the words were neither calling her a trophy or that she didn’t have a choice—it wasn’t something Jorin ever said. Rinya had thought that honestly it was just her—she had used the words once before, when trying to convince Jorin that what Farline didn’t matter to her. She was so distracted by the fact that he had quite literally staked his claim she didn’t notice the understudy move.

By the time she turned to face to actually look at the petching kid she didn’t have time to react. His lips landed on hers and another thrill of shock filled her. But most certainly not the good kind. It took her brain several ticks to even catch up to what exactly happened. He tasted of alcohol and… nothing. It was nothing like when Jorin kissed her; she could have been kissed by a wall for all she knew. And then everything caught up to her. Pulling her hand from Jorin’s, Rinya shoved the understudy hard. The kid stumbled back from her before nearly losing his balance.

If she had caught him before his intrusion to her personal space—again—Rinya might have let it be. But he had pushed too far and in the back of her head she swore she could hear her father’s voice about boys how they enjoyed treating females. In some ways she wasn’t even thinking her next actions through. Striding forward, Rinya reached out and snagged the fabric of the kid’s shirt at his shoulders and brought her knee up straight into some rather—sensitive parts. The understudy let out a cross sound between a groan and a whine. Releasing his shirt and shoving him again Rinya glared hatefully down at the understudy... Between the pain and the alcohol in his system he easily collapsed and she couldn’t find it in her to feel badly over her actions.

”Do that again, and I will have no issues removing parts I’m rather sure you’d miss otherwise.” Rinya stated in a dark tone, barely able to contain the fury moving through her. After several long ticks she finally backed away from the understudy, completely unaware of scene she had probably just caused.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

Jorin just chuckled lightly when Rinya told him he did love the game, but only when he played it with her. It was true, of course. And it pleased him to no end that they would know one another so well, even though they'd only been mates so short a period of time. An interesting dichotomy they were; they knew each other and yet were learning so much about one another every single day.

When the understudy grasped Rinya's arm Jorin could feel something he hadn't felt in a long time. Anger. It wasn't just annoyed anger either, it was pure fury that the boy would have such impertinence to touch his mate without anyone's permission, Jorin's or Rinya's. He had enough problems watching someone touch her when she had given permission but this kid was seriously going several steps above and beyond.

And Jorin felt a curious surge of desire from Rinya when he'd growled that she was his. He didn't know where that had come from; it just popped out of his mouth involuntarily. But he would not take it back, because it was true. She was his, and no petching kid was going to take her from him. Certainly not like this he wasn't. Her shock was less of a surprise; Jorin rather shocked himself with that announcement. Still, he had a feeling that, despite his fear he might have offended Rinya with that pronouncement, it was something he needed to say. Besides, if her reaction and the emotions that bled across the bond was anything to go by, she wasn't upset by it at all.

And then the understudy swung around, leaning in to kiss Rinya fully on the lips, making sure to look up from the kiss as though to taunt Jorin that he'd managed to snag a kiss from his woman right in front of her date. Jorin's jaw dropped and for a few moments was rooted and speechless, because for a few ticks he genuinely was so shocked his mind went blank.

He'd known the kid to be a very aggressive player and quite the lady's man, and that he was supremely confident. But he hadn't suspected that he'd be this confident. Even the surge of shock from Rinya almost didn't register in his brain. He could feel his anger and jealousy twisting like fire in his gut, but it was almost as though he was a stranger inside his own head, watching from the outside, so shocked was he.

Rinya, it seemed, recovered faster than Jorin did, because she pulled her hand from his and shoved the understudy hard. The kid stumbled back but didn't have time to recover when she grabbed him by the shirt and sent a knee right into his most sensitive region. The surrounding actors, at least the male ones, winced simultaneously in sympathetic pain. The understudy groaned on the ground, as he struggled to rise to his feet. The entire party had gone quiet.

”Do that again, and I will have no issues removing parts I’m rather sure you’d miss otherwise.” Rinya's words were loud in the suddenly quiet room. No one moved for several ticks, until Rinya backed away from the understudy. Jorin's brain finally caught up to the situation and he immediately strode forward, wrapping one arm around Rinya's waist possessively and glaring down at the kid.

"I think it's time for you to go home as well, kid," Jorin stated evenly. On the surface, his face was placid and calm but his insides were a roaring storm. He wasn't angry at Rinya for being kissed; she couldn't have stopped it from happening and didn't know it was coming. But he was furious at the boy and the depth of that anger frankly frightened him somewhat.

Laran had worked his way over to the fallen understudy, offering a hand up. "Come on, kid, Jorin's right," he suggested gently. "I think you might've had too much to drink."

The kid just glared up at Laran, then over at Jorin, and finally his eyes landed on Rinya. Despite the pain, he gave her the best smouldering look he could manage under the circumstances. "I didn't realize you loved me that much, sweet lips," he croaked out. Laran just groaned and palmed his face for a few moments.

"Game's over boy. You lost," Laran sighed, helping the understudy up. Glancing over at Jorin, he shrugged helplessly. "You two go home. I'll take care of this." he suggested. Jorin nodded, leading Rinya gently out of the room and out the Amphitheater. It was dark, and he knew her eyes weren't suited to the lighting, so he was careful to always be by her side.

As soon as the crush of people was no longer surrounding him, Jorin's anger started to fade a bit. He was still enraged at the boy, but he knew that it just wasn't in his nature to wish vengeance upon the understudy's head. Laran would take care of it, as he'd promised. Which probably meant bringing the kid home to sleep off his drunken behavior, and perhaps a stern lecture later. But it wouldn't change the kid, wouldn't change how he behaved or thought.

Jorin stopped walking after a few ticks, turning Rinya to face him. Even in the low light, her dress still sent shivers of desire racing up his spine and despite what just happened he couldn't help but want her, just like he felt her want earlier. The anger was fading quickly, but he wanted her to know that none of it was directed at her.

"Seriously, that kid..." he growled, but then he sighed. "Rinya, I want you to know, I'm not angry at you. I'll never be angry at you. At some point, that kid and I might well have a... conversation about taking the game too far. But right now, I'm more interested in just putting this behind us."

Really, the whole party was something of a disaster. Besides their dance, and their kiss, nothing had gone right. But Jorin decided there was one thing he could do to maybe erase the memory of that kid's kiss from his mate's lips.

"I'll admit, Rinya, I really didn't like seeing his lips on yours," Jorin confessed. "I just can't help it. You're mine... and I know its selfish but I just don't like it."

Jorin leaned in closer to Rinya. "So what do you say we erase the memory of that kiss with one of our own?" he suggested. After all, they were now far from the Amphitheater, and no crowd was watching them. "We can always finish the rest when we get home..."

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

The world suddenly seemed to come back to her as Jorin’s arm came up and around her waist. It almost felt like she had blacked out—only she could distinctly remember everything that happened. She just forgot that everyone else saw it too. The whole party seemed to have their eyes on them and Rinya wanted nothing more than to shrink away and pretend that she didn’t exist. However it seemed like a very unlikely scenario seeing as in order to flee like she wanted required her to leave Jorin behind. And while she was still full of fury at the understudy, she found it intensely easier to control her actions with all eyes glued on her.

Jorin’s rage was a little hard to separate from her own. In fact trying to think back—anything to distract her mind at the moment—she couldn’t remember a time when Jorin was this angry. Even when he had yelled at Farline his anger ebbed away rather quickly. As Laran appeared from the crowd to help the kid, Rinya really wanted to scream. Regardless of having too much to drink both Jorin and Laran were just—accepting this kind of attitude! No wonder the games these people played weren’t a big deal, they got away with everything. Though in the back of her mind she logically knew it was probably useless to argue this. It was their world not hers.

Though if Jorin’s arm had not been on her waist and holding her firmly to his side she might have very well attempted another attack on the kid. One that would have certainly ended the boy in the medical center. Even if she did not have a weapon on her, she was rather sure she could easily find one. Rinya had no issues improvising. The was one little fact that was starting to itch in the back of her mind though—a highly unpleasant one that was slowly eating away at her rage and tampering it with darker emotions.

There was shame and disgust filling her stomach. Right along with a touch of dread and several what if thoughts that just wouldn’t quiet down. Rinya didn’t bother trying to resist Jorin leading them from the Amphitheater. She wanted out and there was no way she was getting home without his help anyways. His anger was still present, though not nearly as strong as before. For once Rinya resented Jorin just a little. He could forgive so easily and Rinya was just the opposite. She would likely hate the petching kid the rest of her life.

”If you were angry with me I would probably just hit you too.” Rinya growled lowly, intent on looking anywhere in the dark but him. Jorin wanted to put the whole evening behind them, only for her it wasn’t that easy. Even if nothing would have happened past the stolen kiss, Rinya herself felt rather violated. There were so many things in her head that could have happened past that kiss that made her so incredibly uncomfortable that even Jorin’s offer to try and make her forget with one of his own felt wrong.

”It doesn’t work like that Jorin. Even with everyone there he just… took something from me. Something I wasn’t willing to give and in one fell swoop he made every story my father told me true.” Rinya didn’t realize her voice was probably more harsh than it needed to be with him, but she couldn’t help it. ”I get that you aren’t the violent type, and that’s fine. But you all just… let it go. Like it’s a common occurrence and that it’s alright for him to act like that.” Shaking her head slightly, Rinya tried to block several darker thoughts filtering in her head. If she had been alone just how far would he have pushed…

Biting her bottom lip, Rinya exhaled sharply. The disgust and shame were still present—she still couldn’t believe she let herself get caught in a situation like this—but there was a twinge of fear. Maybe it was just her brain overworking, because deep down she knew it didn’t matter. It didn’t happen, but the idea that it could have just got under her skin and wouldn’t let go.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

Jorin just froze at Rinya's words. He could feel the shame and disgust coming from her, now that the height of his own emotions had died down. And he knew that this was something very important that he needed to discuss with his mate. Pulling back, Jorin took a deep breath and dove right in.

"Rinya, what he did was not OK. It was not OK in the least. And when his lips touched yours I felt anger like i'd never felt in my life, which I'm sure you felt too." Even just thinking about it brought back echoes of that rage, and Jorin had to take a few breaths to calm himself down.

"And this isn't a common occurrence. What he did crossed every line we have among actors. Laran, for all his talk, would never have done anything like that. Not in a million years."

But he was going to get away with it. Despite what he did, despite what he took, he was going to get off with a light scolding and little more. And the more Jorin thought about it the darker his thoughts got, about how maybe he should do something about it and that frightened him. It just wasn't in his nature to think like that.

"I just... I think about it, Rinya, and I get these thoughts, and they scare the shyke out of me because they're thoughts I've never had before. Angry thoughts... violent thoughts. It's not who I am, but I see what he did and..." the jealousy and anger returned as the image of the kid kissing Rinya, his arrogant smirk as he glanced up at him, almost daring Jorin to do something...

"I was this close to hitting him, Rinya," Jorin confessed. "Besides the Kendoka I've never once hit anyone, and I've certainly never done it in anger. You know me."

With a tired groan, Jorin passed a hand over his face. "I just... I wish there was something I could do, but the fact is that I could rant and rave, I could march back into the party, find that little petcher and haul off and deck him as hard as I can, then kick him repeatedly, but in the end it wouldn't change anything."

"That's not true. It would sure change his face, I'd hope," a voice called out from behind them. Jorin whiled around, arm already protectively on Rinya, but it was just Laran.

"Laran, what-" he began, but the other actor cut him off.

"You know, you are too nice for your own good, Jorin," he commented, with a tired sigh. "But I guess that's a part of your charm. Idiots like that kid, they see guys like you and they think you're a sucker. Maybe you are, but at least you're a sucker with friends."

Jorin stared at the other actor uncomprehendingly. "How did you... what are you talking about?"

Laran chuckled. "Jorin, for all the shyke Torik and I and the rest of the guys give you, we really do like you. Did you really think we'd let you go through this alone?"

Jorin was... dumbfounded. It hadn't occurred to him that the others in the Amphitheater might spring to his defense. They tormented him with pranks, and yelled at him on a regular basis, he hadn't considered that they might see him as a friend...

"Torik? He-"

"- is having a 'talk' with the kid. Have you ever seen the old man angry before?"

Jorin just gaped at Laran. "He was pretty harsh with me earlier..." Jorin managed, before Laran just barked out an amused laugh.

"Oh that? That was just Torik trying to rib you for being distracted by your girl. That wasn't the old man being angry. No, I've been an actor for six years in the Amphitheater. I'd only seen him that angry twice. And this was the second time."

Jorin didn't know what to say, so Laran just continued. "Look... Rinya, was it? On behalf of the Amphitheater I'd like to apologize. The kid went way out of line. The game's the game, but what he did wasn't part of any game."

Jorin finally found his voice. "T-thank you..." he stammered out, but Laran just put a calming hand on Jorin's shoulder.

"Jorin, you remember last season? You were barely an actor here three weeks, and I'd screwed up inventory a third time. Ordered too many dresses and not enough shirts. And you fixed my math like it was nothing... saved my hide. Never asked for anything in return." Laran's voice was gentle as he recalled the event. "You have more friends than you realize."

Jorin gulped, once again not knowing what to say. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment; this wasn't a sort of situation he was used to, so he just held Rinya closer, and tried to search the bond to see how she was taking this. "And the kid...?"

Laran shrugged. "Well, technically there isn't much we can do about him. Your... mate isn't a member of the Amphitheater, and it was technically, just a kiss."

Jorin almost snapped at that. "Hey, it was a lot more than that!" he shouted hotly, and Laran held up his hands to calm him down.

"Hey, no need to yell at me, Jorin. I'm on your side," he said, soothingly. "And I agree he did a lot more than that, but making a scene at the party won't change anything, and you know that. But suffice it to say, Torik and I, we have ways of making his life miserable. I said I'd take care of it, Jorin. I meant it."

With a sweeping bow, Laran grinned at Rinya, winking at her one last time. "Told you I was mostly well-behaved!" he chuckled, before turning and walking off back to the amphitheater, leaving Jorin and Rinya alone again. Jorin stared after the man for a good chime before turning to Rinya. His insides were a mess of different emotions, and all he could manage to say was, "Uh... well that was... unexpected..."

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

Jorin was a thinker—he never spoke without thinking things through. And normally Rinya was more than patient enough to wait for an answer from him, even though technically she did not ask a question. It had been merely her way of venting. Though she did feel a little bad with the somewhat threat of hitting him if he was angry at her. He was Jorin and as he had already stated—he would never be mad at her. Well at least not to the extent that she was with him on occasion. But he didn't take time to think, he reacted to her words almost instantly.

”It doesn’t matter Jorin. You may be angry, but you weren’t the one who had to withstand it. It’s just…” Rinya sighed roughly, shaking her head slightly. While Jorin knew about her father’s stories, he didn’t know how badly they were drilled into her head. How terrible she felt that despite the warning she was given—she somehow fell prey to it. And it was completely irrational thinking she knew it. But there wasn’t anything she could do to convince herself otherwise. In her father’s views it was bad enough she let Jorin so close—inconceivable actually—and now someone had tried to take her choices away completely from her. Not even Rhys, for all his chasing, pulled such tactics.

Jorin mentioned that he had thoughts and they scared him. Violence for Jorin was an incredibly rare thing of him and the fact that he wanted to hit the understudy made her feel marginally better—but only just. She did know him. If he had acted out of anger he would feel terrible about it, and it really wasn’t a road either of them was willing to travel down. Rinya wasn’t entirely sure just how far the understudy would have had to go however to truly make Jorin snap. It was another line of dark thoughts that caused her to shiver. Most certainly not something to think about either.

The voice in the dark however caused Rinya to jump drastically. Her fear and heart felt stuck in her throat and she was nearly close to screaming—which did not make her feel any better. It was only Jorin’s presence that kept her grounded. His arm was already firmly reattached to her and she swallowed the scream in her throat as Laran appeared. ”Jorin isn’t likely to rearrange anyone’s face.” There was no bitterness to her tone this time, more of a simple fact that Laran probably already knew.

Jorin’s surprise that he had allies and friends amongst his fellow actors left him a little shocked, but to Rinya it wasn’t shocking in the least. She had told him once that he affected people in ways he didn’t know and this seemed a very good example of that very point. Jorin just never could believe it, and while he loved her with everything he had in some ways she was a blind point to him. As if she was the exception to the rule. Laran turned to her, apologizing on the behalf of the theaters and she was tempted to tell him this wasn’t the first time the ‘game’ had been twisted on her. Farline used it quite often to make her life miserable.

”It’s fine Laran. It isn’t the first time the game ended up on my bad side. Just ask Jorin.” Rinya waved a hand in dismissal—she really couldn’t be rude to the man after what he had just told Jorin. Especially with the way Jorin tried to pull her closer as Laran gently reminded him that he had more friends than he thought. But Rinya figured there wasn’t much to be done about the understudy. Most of her emotions were muted however as she was trying to reign them. She was much calmer for the most part, the fear and disgust at least had simmered low, and even her anger had mostly ebbed. But there wasn’t much positive emotions either. She felt stretched thin for the moment.

”Don’t worry about it Jorin. If I really need to all I have to do is send Rhys on his tail. He can get away with the violence.” She sniffed lightly as if the request wasn’t a big deal—which it really wasn’t. They were friends after all, even with how much Rhys liked to torture Jorin. Rinya groaned however the moment Laran was out of sight. ”Not as unexpected as one would think actually.” Rinya hummed lightly before she shifted under his arm to look up at him. ”It’s probably better you didn’t hit the kid. Can’t have you ruining that good boy image.” Rinya tried her best to joke, but it fell slightly flat and she knew it.

”I’m sorry Jorin, I didn’t mean to make it sound like I blamed you. I’ve never had something like that happen before. I can barely handle normal people, much less those who apparently take risks with their lives.” Pressing her forehead against his shoulder, she shrugged with a soft sigh. ”Whatever do we do now? Home?”