Welcome to Gaia! ::

Raemos loved Serenia, and it had been a while since he'd been back to its beautiful countryside. He had always been fond of the peaceful pleasantness that seemed to reside in these soft fields and glowing forests. They were golden, his sister had told him, and he thought it was fitting of such a treasure of a place.

Every breath of clean, spring-laden air told him where he was, but his heart was not at ease. He felt exposed, horribly exposed, and the fear that had been born in him at the end of his visit to Ashen city, among the dark waves of the ocean, returned, nagging at his mind. Ever since he had joined the Guardians, he had been required to keep his face uncovered, and he was not allowed to wear the bandages he had always covered himself with. His goggles were permitted, though they were currently up, and he could clothe himself from the neck down however he chose (he chose to cover as much of his dark skin as possible with cloth and, in the case of his arms, with decorative bandages) and he could even bring his wings along, though they were not with him today. They had broken down and were kept in his locker in the headquarters, awaiting his attention to repair them.

He had gotten used to being so 'naked', but that was back in Eowyn. Here, it reminded him fully how different he was. Heck, he was such a vile abomination that he needed a chaperone, a keeper to keep him in check. He hated the concept, hated the idea that he couldn't be trusted, and half believed it himself.

Not that he disliked said keeper. Cearlan was very good company, and Raemos was actually happy to be spending time with him. He thought it would be presumptuous to call the older adept a 'friend', but he did find the orderite... enthralling.

He was starting to think - again presumptuous - that he might be attracted to the man. It was strange to think that he could be attracted to men. Vona and his mother (he knew to his great regret) had experimented with woman. He had just never thought of men attracted-to-men as a thing that was relevant to him, as Mallew was as straight as they came.

Still, it was undeniable. Cearlan was so beautiful... he had an ethereal look to him, as if he was made of light itself. That wasn't all - his voice was resonant, like a bell, and smooth like warm honey. His stories were not always the best, but Raemos just liked to hear him talk. Raemos had not yet figured out why he seemed so familiar, but it only added to the older boy's mystique.

Raemos hid the reflexive cringe at hearing himself called an 'oblivionite' in that beautiful voice. Yes. Of course. He was out of Cearlan's league rank wise and he was filthy scum besides. Who scared little girls just by existing. "Yes sir." he said neutrally. Was he ever not gentle?! "I'll be careful, sir. I'll stay out of sight until you introduce me, if that will make them feel better." he struggled to keep his bitterness out of his voice.

Raemos would almost have liked to hide.

"I could, I suppose talk to her abut Sheron..." he murmured. And Kargoths, but you could not raise those on Serenia - they became ill and died in the strange wet land.

When the older orderites - the owners of the farm, he assumed - approached, he wanted to hide even more. Hypersensitive, he caught the hesitation in their glances when they saw him. It struck him how much like his own parents they were - different, of course, in most respects, but with the same wholesome sun-kissed look to them. Farmers. Ranchers. People of the land. He bit his lip, standing formally and at attention beside Cearlan. He felt both homesick and sad. These were his people, they should be his people... yet they looked at him with suspicion. He wanted his mask back.

"At your service." he said neutrally, bowing politely. He would let Cearlan do the rest of the talking. He didn't trust his own voice to stay neutral and professional.

Raemos was not happy. Great. Throw him into the deep end. Reveal all of his personal details AND his family to these - probably pleasant - strangers.

Damn it Cearlan... RAemos gave him a sharp look. if he wasn't so gorgeous...

Raemos smiled at the farmer - though he was ruffled and annoyed at his companion, he was a well trained GOOD BOY and had no quarrel with the man. Or the little girl. Who he was probably going to scare with his terrible appearance. He couldn't shake that thought - that he - he of all people - was scary.

Then again, she had stable-seeming parents. And wanted to be a rancher. And he did have advice on that.

He shook the mans hand, politely, respectfully, and firmly.

Then again, apparently her brother had been seriously harmed. If something ever happened to Vona - Seren forbid - he himself wouldn't be the most stable of people. Plus, he was barely used to interacting with young people his age... let alone younger.

"I'll help if I can, sir." he said neutrally. Gods, this was a bad idea.

Raemos waited, trying not to appear too uncomfortable. He was, though. He felt far too visible, but that was nothing new.

As the nice older lady returned with the girl on her shoulders, he smiled. "Hello..." he began, and then tensed as it became clear that she feared him. His smile flickered, then returned, slightly strained. Her fear... hurt. But he knew he had to keep his mood up, even just on the surface. His job was to help cheer up this girl, and he would at least give it a damn good try.

He bowed. "Hello Sueno." he said, hoping he had gotten her name right, "I am Raemos Medrol of the Guardians." he bowed slightly. "At your service."

Hopefully, that would make her less afraid of him. He wanted it to be so. Badly...

Raemos was very proud of himself. He was a very well trained and proper boy. He'd been taught how to be polite and neutral and how to hold his tongue.

Oh was he holding it now. In fact, he thought he could taste blood in his mouth, he was biting it so hard. Or was that the inside of his lip? Either way, he was somehow managing to not throw a tantrum.

Keep your temper, Rae. Do your job. he reminded himself. Oh he bet Cearlan was loving this.

Somehow, the thought was... calming. If Wry.

He looked down at the girl, and was quiet for a moment. Temper... you're supposed to cheer the girl up, Rae. Don't make her more scared...

Besides. She was cute. And so young! Too young for tragedy. He couldn't be angry at her. He wasn't. He just wished he wasn't scary, that was all. He wished he wasn't... this.

Well. He'd said he'd try.

He crouched down to her level. "Do I?" he said, managing a smile, "What about now?" he said, working his face into the ridiculously dumb expression - complete with handshape horns - that had always made his sister giggle and compare him to a Sheron. He had no idea what else to do and, even as he moved, he regretted it.

Aaaand there. Cearlan was leaving them. How on Magesc had he seen this coming.

At least they weren't hostile to him, and at least the girl wasn't so scared of him. He hoped that, in situations like this, he wouldn't have to make a fool of himself quite to that extent.

"Yes. My sister says that too." he returned his face to normal - with some relief - and rested his hands on his bent knee, smiling again in a way he hoped was friendly and disarming.

He stood up to follow Liopa, giving Veran an understanding sort of nod. She seemed like a cute sort of girl. He was just new. And different. And scary. But his silliness had worked, and, hopefully, she wouldn't be scared of him for much longer. That would be nice. It would make his job easier, and he'd certainly feel a lot better.

"Yes, Miss Sueno. My family owns a ranch on Eowyn. We raise Kargoth, Kugel, and Sheron." he said, "I hear you want to be a rancher?"

Sharing a room with Cearlan~~~
The thought pleased him more than it should have, and Raemos mentally kicked himself.
Its just professional.
Of course it was.
Besides, he's so far out of my league...
Raemos admonished himself again. That wasn't the point.

"Thank you very much, Ma'am." he said, inclining his head politely, "That would be very convenient. I tend to make a round of patrolling in the early morning, and I would hate to disturb anybody in the process."

His attention turned back to Sueno. "I might be able to help you." he said, giving her another smile, since she was clearly getting over his... everything. "What sort of large creatures were you thinking of? Some don't get along well with farm animals..." He knew that some large battler-friendly creatures were unfriendly in general, and that some might even eat other farm animals. The husbandry involved in keeping farm animals and battling and guard animals happy and separate would be intense. He was thankful that Kargoth were fairly docile.

He was about to provide examples that he knew of - most involving Sheron and Baowi - but her next question stopped him short. He bit his lip for a moment.

Calm down, Raemos. he thoucht to himself, using every social trick in the book - literally in the book, one he'd read about being socially pleasant and likable - to not twitch and snap at her. It was a question only to be expected from someone who had never seen an oblivionite - he mentally recoiled from the word - before. "I see... fine." he managed, "You need not worry." he knew his voice sounded clipped, almost distant, and more than a little crabby, and he felt terrible about it. It genuinely, he knew, was not her fault. It was his for being born this way.
"Just... don't ask me what color anything is." he said, his voice softening a little, "I couldn't tell red from green from blue if you pressed it to my face." he smiled, "Trust me, my sister has tried that very thing."

There.

That should make up for it.

He set down his - and Cearlan's... things. He'd made Raemos carry everything.

Everything.

Raemos grumbled internally, but twas a rookie's lot. "anyway, What animals were you thinking of raising, Miss Sueno?" he asked again, hoping for a return to a subject that wouldn't involve his eyes or lack thereof...