Completed A Copper For Your Thoughts?

[Ricky Maze]

A Copper For Your Thoughts?
Winter 78th 513 AV, 12th Bell
Location: The Docks

It was the only place Ricky ever figured to go when he would look for Ariann, he felt that it was time he and the young Charoda had a talk heart to heart after the other night. There was after all no easier way to say the things he had to say, other than to meet face to face and tell them to the person that needed to hear said words. Aware of the complexity in their relationship he felt the need to apologize not only for his ignorance but the pain he put Ariann through, now that he knew of the feelings she had first developed shortly after they’d met. The docks were just as cold as ever throughout the temperate wintry season, the freezing chill that clung in the air brought on by the moist winds of the sea that rested next to their fair city. It was a busy day as every day would ever be but for Ricky he didn’t have to work just yet, not with a change in hours to better fit a schedule fit for a father as well as a Wave Guard. The busy hustle of the docks was met with the loud rabble brought on by the usual on goers and laborers at work during the bells of the day, and the fisherman who looked to better correct yet another one of his poor mistakes searched for the only thing that could stand out from the ordinary within a crowd.

Though small Ariann is a Charoda, she didn’t exactly look like any normal human. Which meant any simple observational person could pick her out of a crowd, that is if they were smart enough to literally look in that crowd to begin with. For Ricky he wasn’t sure where to look, although the Docks alone were the best indication for him considering she lived within the water. He remembered the other night when her quick run off before he could say anything, she’d merely dove right into the heart of the freezing abyss without a second thought. Therefore left him with nothing but guilt and worry for the young Charoda, and a need to make things right by any means possible… if at all possible to begin with. "Let’s see, maybe Oi should look out int’ de water." The idea didn’t seem so bad, considering that’s where she last went. Convinced the idea was a worth a shot well enough, Ricky went from filing through a crowd to overlooking the sea of Mathew’s Bay in all its splendid frigid temperature.

"Still breaking little hearts Ricky?" The voice almost brought the cold sweat onto his forehead as he already knew just who this was; it had to be Natalie again seeing as how she’d taken a liking to randomly appear, even worse guilt trip Ricky into memories of the time the two spent together. When the fisherman looked over to his right from the water he saw the brunette had taken a seat right on a barrel just next to him, arms crossed in the brown short sleeve shirt she wore in the midst of the cold air.

"Oi’m kinda busy rio ‘bout now, could ya take a rain check on de memories."

"Oh wow," she frolicked with a snicker, "I just noticed that it got colder with you around. Ever thought about being nicer to your dead girlfriend?"

"Sorry t’ burst ye bubble lass but we ain’t t’gether, ya can't feel cold cause yer dead. Why not stay dat way f’r once and leave us poor buggers alone."

"Oh wait, you mean the poor bugger like you that can’t help but smile that amazing smile of yours and end up breaking another’s heart. "

"Like ye broke mine?" She went silent there as the fun clearly left her expression after he thought those words. "Clearly y’ don’t ‘ave anyt’in’ better t’ do ot’er dan mess wit’ me. ‘owever Oi’m kinda busy, so again try later lass when Oi ain’t tryin’ t’ make t’ings work." He shrugged her off like she was nothing now, eyes back into the water as he searched for any movement. The sun hardly helped in that regard since the sea was so thick, but Ricky felt sure Ariann was likely down there somewhere. As far as Natalie was concerned she remained on the barrel lost in her own thought, but invisible to the world around her as the only person who could see her worked hard to ignore her.
oocNotice the fact Ricky speaks to her with his thoughts, it's only because he can see her. To the rest of the world she's invisible, sort of like a ghost.

[Ariann]

Today of all days, Ricky would get a surprise that would make him realize that the charoda he sought out wasn't always as predictable as many thought. Ricky stood on the docks, near the piers and the waves that Ariann was veritably comfortable around. She'd rarely take initiative on her own self to go seek out someone to help out when she herself could have used a helping hand, but today was different.

Most of the morning Ariannaliese had fallen into a deepened sadness beneath the waves, attempting to loose her feelings by crying. But given the fact that she was underwater already, she could not produce any tears. The only thing she managed to do was give herself a headache and make her eyes sting. So, as a last resort, she tried an old proverb of her family. True happiness comes from helping others.

She would play the role of the healer for once in her life and she managed to find quite a few people who needed her skills. The first person was not much of a person at all. Actually, it was a kid. He'd scraped his knee when was playing tag with his friends. It wasn't much of a wound, but Ariann couldn't bear to hear the child crying. With a quick dose of ointment and a prayer to Rik'keli, as well as the use of her Gnosis, she sent the kid running happily away.

She had felt a little better, but then she ran into another person in need a few hours later. This one had stumbled into some broken glass and ended up with quite the bloody hole in their back. Although the man was being tended to by another woman, who clearly didn't know how to mend a wound. It took a while, but with the clever use of a greyish algae paste, Ariann had that wound cleaned and bound.

With a full day's work completed, Ariann was about to return home. She was making her own way through the docks behind Ricky, even though she was not aware of the fact that she was mere moments behind the familiar face. She broke the pack of people to see the familiar form gazing out over the water as if searching for something.

"Ricky?" She said softly, walking up behind him. He seemed so... lost in thought. Maybe he was simply distracted? Or maybe he was going crazy? After all, his lips were moving on their own, as if he was thinking he was talking to someone. She blinked her emerald eyes, which widened slightly as she circled about him. "Are you alright?" She asked worriedly.

[Ricky Maze]

"You know," Natalie finally broke the silence, "you should probably look elsewhere if I’m not mistaken. I don’t think your secret girlfriend is in the ocean."

"F’r de last petchin’ time she ain’t me girlfriend, an’ I t’ought I told ya t’ be quiet." His thoughts snapped harshly as he still watched the surface.

"Okay, okay." She raised her hands up in surrender with an amused grin. "Just saying!"

"Yeah well ya’ve been sayin’ an aweful damn lot lately an’ it’s pissin’ me off." Just then a voice said his name in the softest way possible, the sound so like the very person he’d been looking for. The fisherman had thought her to be submerged underwater somewhere but with the reality of her being out of it now present, Ricky tensed up within the blue jacket he wore as he realized just how bad the situation could be now that she was actually here. "Ooooooh SHYKE!" Could his luck get any better? Could he literally be faced with not only talking to Ariann but doing so in front of Natalie of all people. The mumbles he’d done definitely stopped upon her arrival as he shot a glare to Natalie, the look of “I told you so” clearly written on her face as she took in the moment. "Y’ need to leave. Now."

"Oooh but I can’t you see, I’m enjoying this maybe a little too much right about now." She snickered with arms crossed as she watched Ricky slightly cringe nervously. Ariann definitely knew something was up and she already wanted to make sure he was okay, now the fisherman needed to work on some way to get through this mess while at the same time convince Ariann he wanted to help her.

"Just fine actually," He lied as he stopped glaring at the space where Natalie sat at, "actually in need o’ a word wit’ ya if that’s okay." He was honest this time though, yet his ability to cover the truth wasn’t easy. In times where he usually avoided direct eye contact, he gave Ariann a few decent stares in the eyes before looking away. The gravity of the talk he wanted probably certain by now, Ricky could only guess if Ariann knew where this was going already.

"Oh! This is so good! Tell her how much you love her Ricky, or even better! Smash what little remains of her heart she has to dust, tell her you want to be close friends and you’ll always be there for her. Just do it!" She exaggerated with a little dramatic flair put into it, a wild laugh to follow from the wild amount of entertainment she received.

"Shut. T’e. Petch. Up." He worded coldly in his mind as he already knew well enough Natalie was only able to hear it, however the slight flush of red in his face could easily be an indication of how irritated he was getting with her.

[Ariann]

The graceful brow of Ariann's eyes drew upward in a confused bit of a moment. He was mumbling to himself! She'd never thought she'd see the day where Ricky would be bored enough to jibber-jabber to himself about whatever he was jibber-jabbering about. It was actually... kind of cute.

A soft smile graced Ariann's lips and her cheeks blued lightly. She couldn't help but find a sense of joy in the way Ricky was. At times, he was kind, loving and very much a good man. At others, he was frightening, scary but never cruel. And in the grey area, he was awkward, confusing and unaware of how others might feel. He was the perfect example of a conundrum.

She nodded to his words when he asked her for a word with him. She had always liked speaking with Ricky, yet the grave tone he had in his words was like a venom lacing a dagger. She could tell that he was worried about whatever he wanted to speak with her about. It was pretty clearly written on his face and shone quite bright in his eyes. Her smile melted away into a look of worry.

"Oh?" She muttered in reply, her eyes fluttering curiously at him, "What about?" And then she realized that he had asked her to meet his kid the other day before she fled from him and she had totally forgotten!

"OH!" She gave a squeal of apprehension, one akin to fear yet still in the ranges of being apologetic, "Oh, I'm so sorry, Ricky!" She stated, her eyes wide.

She paused for a moment, clapping her hands over her mouth as her face blanched of the blueish hue that it had held, and she looked quite afraid that he might be mad. "I'm so sorry! I forgot! I swear I did!" She stammered quickly. "I was in Zeltiva practicing my healing on people and I totally forgot! Please don't be mad!" She looked really worried now, "I promise tomorrow that I'll come see your child! I promise!" She reassured.

Still, she didn't have a god-loving clue as to what Ricky had really wanted to talk about. She let her eyes fall to the ground in a saddened manner, her lips curving downwards as she pouted. She'd not forgotten something so important in her life! Never! And now she felt horrible!

[Ricky Maze]

There was a massive look of confusion on Ricky’s face could very well spell out the fact that he was lost for a few ticks until she’d apologized well enough, the sorry look of misinterpretation present right then as he tried to clear out the total mix up between what he and she thought. Natalie of course nearly died again but this time laughter being the cause, her amusement great as she watched Ricky try to explain things. "Uh? No, no, no Ariann! Dat’s fine, I git dat ya been busy lassie. I do, dat ain’t even what the pro- er, talk is ‘bout." He tried his best not to fumble around with his words but already he felt himself at a loss, the taunts that Natalie threw at him only added more pressure to the situation too. All in all Ricky was dealing with a really flustering moment he couldn’t quite figure out at the moment, and so the fisherman needed to take just a couple of deep breaths before he finally spoke once more.

"Okay, first Oi’m sorry." Definitely the weirdest way to begin a conversation but it had to be done, even if it might’ve led to be confusing for Ariann at first light would be brought to the meaning soon; and then the two should finally be on the same page. "Oi know now dat Oi’ve been a bit o’ a bother, not a nuisance but a real pain in de arse ‘ere lately." He placed a hand on her shoulder and the smooth grimy feel of the Charoda’s skin cooled his hand rather quickly. "Oi didn’t t’ink ‘bout what de meanin’ behind yer last words were ‘afore ye left Zeltiva, an’ it just dawned on me de ot’er night what ye really must’ve felt." There. There was that part of the speech he had to give out, but the rest was something he’d have to say straight from the heart. Like it or not he’d not really planned the speech out, more so rather just tackled the idea head on like the impulsive bastard of a sailor he really was.

"Oi didn’t t’ink ‘bout ‘ow ‘ard it was on ya, t’ ask that ya come meet me family f’r de first time. I’d been inconsiderate ‘bout ‘ow ya might’ve felt ‘bout me, so Oi decided now would be de best time t’ make up for it while Oi still could." He added sincerely as he knew good and well this had to be a touchy subject for Ariann, he could only hope she wouldn’t runaway this time like she did the other night.

"Uuuh, my God! Would you just cut the act and either kiss her or break her heart already? You’re making me nauseous with the good guy with mistakes act you always do." Natalie crossed her arms and Ricky shot another glare in her direction, then looked back down to Ariann before he finished with hopes to make things better between them.

"Ye don’t ‘ave t’ do anyt’in ya don’t wanna do, even if dat means meetin’ me family. My only concern roi now is tryin’ t’ make things better between us. Oi want t’ ‘elp ya Ariann, ‘elp ya feel better an’ move past de whole awkward friendship ya feel goin’ on." He probably chose his words correctly but his intention had been said rather clearly, and all it took for Ariann to know what he meant was to connect the fact that he was married and faithful to Telion, and the fact he wanted to make any friendship work in the least painful way possible to understand his meaning. Natalie of course counted the ticks aloud, to see how long it took for this conversation to go either way.

[Ariann]

She was just about on the verge of tears when Ricky had halted her, assuring her she was mistaken. Her eyes were partially shut with tears and her hands rubbed at them. She felt really guilty for forgetting, but Ricky's reassurance made her feel better instantaneously. Her head was bowed slightly as he spoke, but she raised it to stare wide-eyed at the man that stood before her. Even though she lacked proper organs to cry, the emotions still welled up in her and gave her the headache and pain in her eyes.

She looked up at him with a sweet look of pained sorrow, her lips parting slightly as she raised her head, revealing jagged rows of teeth beneath her lips. She looked like she would interrupt him at first, but she waited patiently. What was he saying? Something about being sorry for being a bother? When was he a bother? She thought, frowning meekly. It struck her hard when he first began to speak about her feelings for him. Oh, no! Does he know? He thought, her eyes widening. He was talking about something being difficult, about a family and about being inconsiderate. She didn't know what inconsiderate was.

Her eyes softened and began to close, her lips wavering as she tried to hold back a whimper. She didn't have to do anything she didn't want to, he said. She realized he was only trying to be helpful, but something in her hurt. And it hurt bad. She couldn't tell why it hurt. He thought being friends with her was awkward. Was it awkward? Had she made it awkward? She felt her eyes beginning to sting again. Her lips begun to shake violently and she felt herself folding in on her.

"I'm..." She begun, trying to hold back the wave of feelings that were trying to tear her to pieces from the inside out, "Do you really think it was awkward?" She asked. Her lips parted as they were turned downward, opening to reveal her several rows of teeth. It was a frightening look, to see her weeping with such a dangerous maw of teeth. She felt her voice slip into several gasps, weeping. "Why?" She mumbled between gasps of air, "Why do you say this?"

She didn't understand her feelings at all. They were jumbled, complex and yet simplified down to a few. She could feel fear twisting in her gut, anger boiling within her chest and sadness chilling within her heart. But she didn't know why it came out like this. Had she been dreading the day when he finally put the breaks on her feelings? She knew he was being nice about it, but she could not get the feeling of the pain his words struck in her.

She fell to her knees, crying fully now without the tears, her hands rubbing at her eyes as if the rub away tears that were not there. She felt so weak and helpless, despite how confident she was this morning. She had recovered too quickly without dealing with her feelings fully, and now she was dealing with the consequences, her raw feelings bursting from her without a dam to hold the stream back.

[Ricky Maze]

"Oh no! Oh Gods, Gods no!" His words were in fact taken differently, and now she somehow believed he felt awkward with her. Now that was all a mess, a wonderfully piss poor mess of a job at patching up a relationship. "No Ariann! Oi didn’t," She’d fallen to her knees not just in tears but face in her hands, face in her hands, and started to weep before him. "Shyke…" He felt ready to cave in, ready to blow up and fall apart at any given moment. "Shyke! Shyke! Shyke! Shyke!" It was plain across his face that he didn’t intend for things to unravel this way, emotional pain overloaded in an agonizing pressure that only built in major proportions all throughout his head and heart. This wasn’t how everything was suppose to unfold, sure Ariann would’ve cried like she did now but at least would’ve done so gently.

It was all far from planned, Ricky had definitely hoped for a gentler way to release the stress in their relationship. Not the stress he felt as there was none to be had, but the stress Ariann carried knowing he was not only married but a father too. That being what definitely crushed her just now he could only wish all of this had been easier. Natalie of course had her laughs and she now clapped obnoxiously for Ricky to hear over the sobs Ariann made. "Oh petch yes! Well done, well done Ricky Maze! You’re an official heartbreak,"

"Shut t'e petch up woman! Oi ain’t tellin ya again." With this thought his face practically flushed a full red upon his glare to her, but a quick pull of his attitude and focus allowed him to take in a deep breath and keep calm as he tried to fix the err of his misunderstood reason. "Ariann," he was sincere and apologetic when he spoke, "Ya misunderstand lassie. Believe me when Oi say Oi ain’t ever t’ought ya awkward ‘round me, Oi was tryin’ t’ point out yew." Of course yew was “you” when he said it, although his Zeltivan sailor accent got in the way of that. "What Oi’d been worried ‘bout was ‘ow ‘ard it’s been t’ be ‘round me is all, cause Oi know now what it is ya feel inside." As he spoke he’d placed a rough hand gently on her shoulder once more, the smooth cold muscle chilled the surface of his palm as he tried to coax her.

"Please please don’t cry Ariann, Oi ain’t wantin’ t’ cause more o’ yer sufferin’. Oi only want t’ help find some way t’ make it easier, so y’ don’t ‘ave to ‘urt when Oi’m ‘round." He pleaded like a guilty verdict knowing that he was the cause of her heartache, what was worse was the fact he didn’t even know how to help her. Make her feel any better. He could only try to help her understand that he wanted to help her, make it easier for the two to be around one another without any awkward feelings on her part. So he’d knelt next to her as she cried and rubbed his hand along her back and shoulders, and remained hopeful that everything between them would be better in several chimes if not longer. All the while Natalie tried to tease Ricky further to annoy him, yet found her behind some invisible wall as the fisherman shut her out. All her screams and pleads to be heard muffled as Ricky solely concentrated on Ariann, and shut out all other obstacles that haunted his mind.

[Ariann]

Her stomach was twisted and churned, her emotions causing her to break down even more as she continued to weep. She didn't know what she was thinking. Why did she even bother feeling such feelings for a man who thought she was awkward?

Her tears, non-existent as they were, dried up as she began to suck sharp breaths through her teeth, a few quick inhales through her nostril-slits making the same noises as a child sniffling. She misunderstood him? How is that possible? He said she was awkward around him.

Ricky spoke to her in a gentle way, though, and the very tone made Ariann's sadness slowly melt away. It was just too kind, too nice, and it felt bad to be crying because of something so nice. He spoke of what she felt inside for him and immediately, she found herself beginning to feel self-conscious again.

When he asked her not to cry, her body suddenly churned inward on itself and she felt as though she couldn't cry anymore. It wasn't the request of Ricky asking her not to that did it, it was her body saying that she didn't have any more metaphorical tears to shed. Her stomach still flip-flopped every which way when she tried to give him eye contact, her cheeks flushed with blue from a mixture of embarrassment at her own feelings and sadness.

"You've never made me hurt, Ricky..." She mumbled softly, "I've never felt anything more than... than happiness around you." She felt a lump forming in her throat. The truth was always hard to say, especially when it was the truth about her feelings for ricky. " And now, I... I know that you don't like me the way I like you." She drew a shaky breath, unable to keep her eyes anywhere near Ricky so she just cast them off into the waters, "But it really hurt when you said that... If I'm really that awkward, why didn't you tell me from the git-go?" She whimpered, "You've been a good friend, Ricky wave guard."

Her lips still curved downwards in that ever-so-sweet whimper of sadness, her eyes half-lidded and sad. She sat there, hunched over as if wanting to fold in on herself, "But I think... I think that we shouldn't be friends now... because friends are not awkward." She said softly, her eyes wavering a bit as her lips shivvered again, as if tears were about to flow once more, "It does not feel the same to me anymore... and I feel like a burden."

[Ricky Maze]

Her words were something he’d only been able hope to hear in the beginning upon being told she felt happy around him, yet his meaning still never came across clearly to Ariann as she mentioned the recognition she felt in his approach. He came off as disapproving, even when he tried to be friendly. That alone brought a crack in Ricky’s spirit as he felt not just his stomach, but the very beating muscle that kept him alive dropped as well as the next of her words sunk in. "Wha? Ariann!" There was a shock that developed from the pure denial that settled within his mind, a heart now broken as the last sentence she chose punched a hole right through Ricky’s chest. Sure he didn’t actually see Ariann as a lover and the Cheva Mark under his left ear symbolized his oath, but for Ricky to not have love for others he cared for wouldn’t make him so human now would it?

No Ricky was deep down a very emotional human being, stimulated with the philosophy that intellectuality can bring to a man in his lifetime. The feeling of losing someone who not only felt happy around you, a dream and goal he worked so hard to make real, nearly brought the fisherman to his own knees as water quickly filled his deep blue eyes. "R…ck….Ri….cky!" Her voice not only muffled by the wall he put before her, but so far in the distance that she merely echoed in shadows within his mind, Natalie had gone from amused to panicked quickly as he fell silent. Should he give up? Should he try to explain? Should he even care? That was a given. There was no way for him NOT to care for Gods sake. Oh Gods…. Oh Gods….

He had already dropped on one knee, already at the same height Ariann stood if not a head or two lower. At this level even with his eyes averted into the space before him, Ariann could see he felt pain. Pure pain that ripped its way through his heart, tore every part to fragments until naught but a remnant remained. Did she worry for him? Did she care? Everything was all in a haze, a blur as he tried to avoid choking. Why did this seem a big deal to him all of a sudden, it wasn’t like him to lose himself within public. No… none of that mattered, what truly mattered was that he’d ruined a friendship that counted for him. Ariann was special, unique in her own sense. Ricky cared about her but he worried that wasn’t enough, he didn’t want to be the one that made her always wonder what if. He didn’t want to be the cause of any pain or heartache, yet here he stood now in the moment that no doubt ruined everything. His stupidity, his assumption, all of led to this. Why did he have the impression she felt awkward? Not him, but her for crying out loud. Son of a bitch he was stupid! A stupid bastard that didn’t know any better and a stupid foolish man who failed to rightfully observe the real feelings behind a friend.

Of course. It all made sense now. The moment she worried it would’ve been awkward to hug him, the other night upon their first encounter after a few seasons…. She was worried for him! She didn’t want him to feel any awkwardness to their friendship, and now with everything that’s been said there was no way for him to take it back. To turn back the page and rewrite history to make a better example out of this conversation, oh what a foolish stupid idiot he played today. "Ri…cky! Ricky!" His mind at a loss he didn’t think about how Ariann might’ve reacted, all he knew was that Natalie now looked to be concerned for him. For a moment there he almost thought he was actually seeing Natalie again as a person, she held his face dearly as though she was worried but she still wasn’t really there. "Don’t shut me out Ricky! You can still fix this! You can still correct your mistake!" She’d worked hard to get her message through, and with its wind finally caught in Ricky’s mind he slowly started to become aware of the world around him once more. He’d been breathing heavy and no doubt tears had streaked down his cheeks a few times, he’d looked to Ariann in the deepest apologetic manner as he thought he felt snot run from his noise. Quick to wipe it away with the back of his left hand he started to recollect on his original breathing habit, so that he could bring himself to apologize and fix the huge mistake that he made. Little did he notice though that what he thought to be snot was actually something different, the vital essence of red that was meant to flow within his body had somehow decided to bleed through his nostrils. Not by a lot but a small noticeable amount, only Ricky was too caught up in making amends to notice it.

[Ariann]

Ariann had long since been lost to her own thoughts of misery when she realized how utterly cruel what she had said was. Despite the pain she felt from what Ricky had said to her, she didn't want to feel any more yet for some reason now, she felt a dull stabbing in the pit of her heart. She looked up at him, eyes still holding those fake tears that she could not physically shed, her lips quivering in sadness. She hadn't realized how gravely she had hurt Ricky until his infamous 'Wave Guard'-ness crumbled. The expressions he showed on his face was a mixture of regret, sadness and fear at loosing a friend. It was the same thing that Ariann had felt, but on an opposite tier.

He fell to a knee slowly, his face wracked with a strange look that Ariann did not understand. Real tears rushed down his cheeks, leaving pristine trails behind them. His eyes were reddened from the strain of his tear ducts and his nose leaked red fluids.

Ariann did a double-take when she saw the red blood coming from his nose. He was bleeding and he didn't even realize it. He brought his hand up to wipe it away as if it were just ordinary mucus, the red color smearing on his upper lip and more so on the back of his hand. Ariann's wide eyes blinked, unsure of what to do. She leaned forward, a hand reaching out to him, "Ricky..." She gasped, her voice hard to conjure through the dulling feelings of pain and loss that swelled within her. She closed her eyes for a split second, pushing the strange things out of her mind and into the pit of her gut again as she leaned forward more, crawling over to him and giving him a worried look, "Ricky, your nose..." She muttered, unsure of what to say now that she really did feel awkward around him. She went to touch his face, but her hand simply refused to make contact, withdrawing instead. She looked away for a moment in silence, her expression vague as she tried to piece together why she suddenly felt awkward.

She thought back on her trip to Nyka. The roaring waves that crashed upon the docks, the sailors that had traversed the pier. But there was a man there. She had flung herself at him from the water in the thoughts that he was Ricky, not realizing that she was gravely mistaken until she was on top of him and he on the ground. He had looked startlingly similar to Ricky, the same build, the same hair color and even the same gentle tone. Yet she hadn't felt awkward with him. He was strong and caring, poised like the brawler he was, and shedding a formidable aura that was almost tactile.

Ariann blinked, turning back to Ricky. Now she knew what had made it awkward to her. Ricky's formidable aura had crumbled when she had stated that they shouldn't be friends. His strength and his courage seemed all but washed away when he fell to a knee, tears welling in his eyes. He was... like a child. Ariann blinked. A child. Martin.

"Ricky... don't be sad." She said, softly, "Fathers cannot be sad. Think... think about Martin." She said softly, her own sadness and fears washing away in the wake of her thoughts. She had managed to easily push away the hurt she felt to try and help another who was feeling the same, a characteristic that she had always had. "I'm sorry Ricky, I should not have said what I said... I was in pain and thinking impurely." She muttered, her head bowed as she scooted closer to him, "But you cannot cry. You are Ricky Wave-Guard. You are strong. And it saddens me to see you so sad."

Her words faded off as she reached a gentle hand up to place on his cheek, turning his face towards her. She had a look of sincere worry for him on her own face, her left had reaching up as well to rest on his open cheek. The mark of Rik'keli was glowing brightly. The genuine worry for his health of body and mind was like an innate trigger for the gnosis mark, its magic flooding from her hand into his face to seek out the vessel that he broken in his nostrils. The bleeding would stop quickly before the gnosis mark would fade and dull back into the dark-blue mark it was. She gave him a soft smile, like a mother to a child, and bowed her head, her hands retreating from his face, "I should not have said what I said." She repeated, this time quieter and in a shy-ish manner, her cheeks turning blue again.