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After a silent moment, the flame-angel speaks. "Hey? What can I do for you?" |
| You stammer at the unexpected dialogue and think up a less
than quick response, but the casual redhead interrupts. "Don't just stand
out there, come in. My name is Ria Belouve. What's yours? And uh... why
are you on my doorstep?"
Ria leads you into the sitting room of the manor. The walls are a comfortable parchment color, while the plush rug is a deep crimson. You sit down on a mahogany and crimson velvet armchair, marveling at the interior decor. Your hostess shoots an amused glance in your direction and inquires whether or not you'd like something to drink while contemplating the ever-so-pressing questions she had asked you in the foyer. Ooops. You reply with your name, your preferred drink, and explain that you were just walking back from the Rhydin Waterfalls when you saw the manor so frequently gossiped about, and was intrigued to find out what all the mystery was behind the place. "Mystery? Oh, I'm sure there's plenty of that lying around here somewhere... but it seems to be missing at the moment. Let me get you that drink," she chuckles softly. A good-natured smirk... (or is that a smile? Who knows...) turns the corners of her mouth upwards, and Ria makes her way into the kitchen for glasses and beverages. Ria returns, beverages in tote, and again begins conversation. "My wife, Bethanna, is out running errands with our children. She'll be sorry to have missed such a... talkative... guest." You blink. "You have children?" is your reply. Surely such a young, lithe figure couldn't be fit with childbearing hips. Ria chuckles. "Yes, Beth and I have four children. Luke is the eldest, and Malchaviam, Adrianna, and Ria are the triplets. They're all still young ones." You relax and chide yourself for your awkward behavior earlier. Why all the rumors about this manor, you wonder? The occupants seem like perfectly sociable people. And children in the household... why, nothing seemed out of place. Such a lovely family. While in thought, you realize that Ria is telling you about herself and you have just missed about a fourth of her verbal biography. "Well, alright," she says, when you ask her to repeat. "I suppose I could just start at the beginning again." You take a sip of your drink and sink back into that lovely crimson velvet, eyeing Ria attentively. "I was born with my brother, Shadow, on a planet lightyears away from here. My mother died during my birth, so I was adopted by a royal family of Rhydin. I never knew what had become of Shadow until recently. We've reunited, of course..." A soft chuckle with the thought of her brother. Even a fool could tell that Ria was fond of him. "I age in dragonian years. As of today, I am 50,964,535. When I was roughly 527 years old, I left my adopting parents and joined a band of gypsies. I got along with them so well that eventually I became their leader, but when I was 1,054, I left the band in search of Shadow. After locating Shadow, I met an amazing woman named Bethanna. My wife, of course." At that, Ria's eyes shone like emeralds. She was obviously very much in love with Bethanna, and not afraid to show it. "Ah, yes... my Beth. She was so peaceful, and her inner-strength mesmerized me. It was a year or three before I finally got up enough nerve to tell her about my strong feelings. Can you imagine my surprise, hearing that she felt the same way?" Ria pauses to take a drink of her beverage, eyes still agleam with admiration for her spouse. "Here, my biography ends. Since I married Beth, I have been living here in Belouve Manor. Shadow had a manor of his own built after letting me stay here, but at times lives in a place called Angel's Corner, with his daughter, Krystal, and his wife, Manda... who I believe is pregnant with Shadow's second child." After taking another sip of her drink, Ria stands up and offers to take your glass into the kitchen. You hadn't even realized that you had already finished off your glass, and hand it to her. Just then, the front door opens and another woman enters the manor. You hear the laughter of young children in the front yard. Ria smiles broadly, stepping out of the kitchen and enveloping the second woman in a long hug, followed by a sweet kiss of adoration. You smile warmly at the two love-birds, and chuckle. Perhaps you'll just show yourself to the door...
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