Rosalite Member

Kris bristled in alarm when she heard the boy coughing, her eyes growing round as she failed to notice the canteen of water he grasped in his hand. Gods, had she caused the poor guy to swallow his tongue or something? ...Was that even possible? It didn't even seem like she had fully processed his words as she lost herself to her own fretting. Prior experience with a choking father had led her to learn that a hard thump on the back was much more effective than gentle patting, so she closed her hand into a fist and raised it in preparation-- --only to freeze when he turned to face her. Staring up at him owlishly, she very slowly lowered her fisted hand and tucked it behind her back, as if hiding it would somehow make him forget that he had ever seen it. Clearing her throat, she took a step back and returned his bow with one of her own. "Er, no, not at all! I'm sorry for walking in to you. I should have been more mindful of my surroundings." Gaze awkwardly flickering from side to side, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Her focus then fell back onto the figure before her as a wide smile spread across her lips at his question. "Yes! I've wanted to become one for as long as I can remember, and I've finally come of age." If she noticed the wariness in his eyes, she certainly didn't show it. Reaching out, she abruptly grasped his free hand in both of hers and absolutely _beamed_ up at him. "You asked me if I was 'also' here to become a knight of Altea, right? Then could it be that you...?"

Ah ha, another mercenary then. Thalia couldn't say that she had anything against them personally, though the knowledge that a number of them were driven more by gold than morals did make her a little uneasy. She supposed that there wasn't anything for her to worry about so long as they weren't the type to be easily swayed to betray Jacob. Perhaps it would be in her best interest to gauge this man's intents, then? His sly compliment took her aback, and he earned a somewhat tentative "thank you?" before she gave a little shake of her head. "My name is Thalia. And is a smiling knight really that unusual?" She arched a brow, thinking back to her friends in the pegasus knight squad, "Though we take our duties seriously, I assure you that knights aren't much different from others, Sir Lorne. We are just as capable of facial expressions as anyone else." Smiling wryly, she turned her back to the man as they continued on towards the barracks. She knew that she'd best get him to Sir Marius and then head back to the dining hall, but this seemed like a nice opportunity to find out just why he had decided to join Jacob. "So, if I may ask...is gold the only reason you are here? You called the Champion 'conceited' a moment ago, so it doesn't sound like you have the best impression of him."

Haha, no rush! I had a friend over until just a while ago too, so I know what it's like @ trying to post. :'D Take your time!

Looking up from his work upon hearing another voice, Rylan offered Jerod a short "hey" in greeting. Ah yes, the mercenary who had caused Marianne to have that little meltdown earlier, right? Whatever the case, he was just relieved to see that he and Marius wouldn't have to deal with the inventory alone. Three people wasn't a whole lot, but it still better than just the two of them chipping away at the pile of work that had to be done. "Huh," He paused to watched Jerod's hands as he worked, noting how quickly the man got through each box, "You're pretty impressive. Done this before?" In contrast, Rylan was taking his sweet time going through the contents of the boxes, his movements languid. At the very least, he was making to count everything carefully and ensure that his work was accurate, but he didn't seem willing to exert any more energy than was necessary. "Where the hell is everyone else, anyways?" He asked a moment later, glancing towards the doorway, "It's quieter than I thought it'd be in here." --- Reminding herself that this was a part of her duties, she offered both Caroline and the Exalt an apologetic look and quietly excused herself. Gesturing for Lorne to follow her, she made her way out of the dining hall, waiting until she was out of earshot of the others before letting out a quiet sigh. Walking into the Exalt's private dinner of all things? It certainly had been a careless move, though she was relieved that the situation hadn't escalated into something unpleasant. Folding her hands behind her back, she glanced over her shoulder at the stranger. "So you have joined the Champion's cause, then?" She couldn't recall seeing him today, either in the meeting when Jacob and the others first arrived or around on the grounds, but he could have easily been recruited by someone when she hadn't been looking. "With the exception of the few who are dining with the Exalt, I believe the other soldiers are partaking in inventory duty in the barracks. I'll bring you to them." Now that Thalia wasn't in the presence of royals and nobility, her expression and posture had both relaxed. Turning to walk backwards so that she could face him as they talked, the pegasus knight gave him a faint, lopsided smile. "What is your name, sir?"

> Lorne will hug you. > > _tenderly_ _Denied._

:T I quite like hug better, thank you! Okay, done gaming with my friend for today. Time to tag RPs P:

...(/òuó)/ GROUP HUG

> I get the distinct feeling that I'm not wanted around these parts. I don't get that feeling from anyone here? ( oAo)/ Everyone seems pretty pleasant if we're talking OOC wise! IC wise, it's just the situation that is making everyone so guarded!

Thalia seemed a little surprised to see that Marianne was present, but judging from the fact she was hanging onto Jacob's arm, she assumed that he had brought her as a personal guest. Could it be that she and the Champion were...? The girl's lips curled into a smile that quickly faded upon the arrival of a completr stranger at the table. Pushing herself up to her feet, Thalia immediately placed herself between the princess and the man. "It is as the Exalt says, sir," She spoke carefully but politely, her eyes wary, "This is a private gathering. Perhaps you meant to be somewhere else? I would be happy to escort you to your destination if you were to ask." Having an unfamiliar face in a room full of important people was making her a little nervous to say the least. God forbid anything happen to them while she was on duty.

Gon' type up a quick tag. ouo On my phone, so probably going to be shorttt