On The Run Spoof (SPOILERS AHEAD!!)

[Shira]

Okay, since OTR on the other site is movin' way too slowly for me and Rie, we decided to do a little spoof on the ideas we came up with (well, it was mainly me) and move the story line quicker.

In case you didn't see, SPOILERS AHEAD. Especially for Ru and Lali.

Okay, Rie, you first.

[Ru'Thor]

*shies away* I don't want to ruin things! XD I'm trying to think of a reason for Jakkin to stay that isn't completely bizarre. He wants to leave, and Queezle being stubborn won't work. XD

[Riemman Old Site]

Riemman huffed in annoyance, a scowl marring his face. Flicking a strand of purple-tipped black hair out of his face, he paused for a moment, considering what he might do. It was obvious he couldn't stay where he was; he'd been found out some way or another. Ah well, time to improvise.

Riemman stood, quickly assessing the positions of his weapons just in case he'd need them. Turning back the way he came, he let out a short growl-shout to Kyvvas, asking him to come close enough to cover him should he need it but still be able to provide some sense of surprise. Although it might not work too well, since he didn't know what had given him away in the first place.

Turning back, he gave a somewhat feral smirk. This was about to get interesting. He walked forward silently, but confidently, striding forward into the clearing and instantly assessing his options. The girl who had called him out was facing him, probably hiding weapons under her cloak. He had seen the dagger the thief had reached for. The other man, not counting the one unconscious on the floor, he didn't really know about. The small dragon next to theif was another unknown; he knew it wasn't a real dragon but he wasn't sure if it was just a shapeshifter or something else.

He figured the best thing to do was be blunt. The girl and the unconscious man were his targets. Facing the girl he called out to her with a smirk on his face.

"Care to show me your right arm?"

[Shira]

She slipped the cloak off of her right side, and rolled up her shirt sleeve. Tattooed in brown ink on her upper arm was:

Sheridan Ri'eck
"Shira"
App. Mage
Thievery/Lying
5/19

"Do you want to see his, too?" She asked.

((5/19 is about three months ago))

[Riemman]

Riemman grinned. Jackpot.

"Yeah. His too."

[Shira]

Shira rolled her eyes, and crossed over to Joniak. She moved the cloak enough to bare his shirt, and rolled up his sleeve. His said:

Joniak Mikeala
Gyspy
Thievery/Lying
5/19

"Happy?"

[Riemman]

Riemman stared at the tattoo imprinted on the man's arm. The name mocked him and dug up painful memories he'd rather remained buried.

His knees suddenly felt weak and collapsed from under him, dropping him down to the ground with a thud. Feeling something odd, a wetness on his face he couldn't remember being there before, he raised a hand to his face only to have it come away damp. Tears. He was crying? He hadn't cried in years. And the fact made him angry. Growling under his breath, his hands clenched into fists as he made he stood and made his way to Joniak's side.

Alarmed, Kyvvas tried to stop his wayward Ryder, but failed miserably as Riemman delivered a few sharp kicks to the prone body before falling to the ground again and proceeded to slam fists down atop the other man. Tears streamed down his face as he cursed Joniak in every language he knew, from gypsy to wyvern. Kyvvas actually flinched at some of the obscenities spilling from his lips.

[Shira]

"Ouch. Ouch. Hey, Shira, knock it off!" With every kick, and then punch, he groaned. "I'm sorry!"

That was when he opened his eyes, and saw a very, very confused Shira standing just a few feet in front of him.....

Joniak twisted around, and, even though he wasn't able to stop the bruising punches, he was able to block them so they didn't do as bad as damage as he tried to figure out who the hell was wailing on him. That was when he saw those streaming eyes, as purple as purple could be.....the cat necklace.....

Impossible!

"Saix......Saix, is that really you?" Joniak asked, tears threatening but not falling. Not now, at least.

[Riemman]

Riemman growled and proceeded to hit him harder. "Damn Joniak! Why'd you have to be the one I'm supposed to bring in, huh? Why can't you stay out of trouble for once?"

[Shira]

Something snapped. "Stay out of trouble? You're alive an' you never came back! You never came back!" Joniak started to fight back as best he could, sitting up, his legs tangled in blankets.

-----

Shira sat down on the ground, and proceeded to watch the fight. Obviously this had something to do with the gypsies -- she had heard the name "Saix" before, but excatly what, she had no clue.

------

"Psst."

"What?"

"What the hell is going on?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Queezle."

The shape-shifter snorted.

[Riemman]

"Right. Like I'd be welcomed back with open arms. After what I've become? Not very likely."

[Shira]

"What you become? It doesen't matter what you are now -- it matters on what you grew up as, and that's a gypsy. You still are a gypsy, no matter what anyone else thinks." Joniak said.

[Riemman]

"You don't understand!" Riemman exclaimed. "You know, Faye never showed that night," he says more softly. "This one Ryder was supposedly helping her; got all us gypsy children at the edge of the camp. But no one came. And we got caught and punished. You don't know anything." Riemman shudders at the memory.

[Shira]

"I'm sorry......" He shook his head, and tried to talk several times before he was able to say anything. "We were on our way...bad rains had made us late...me, Joss, and Faye were behind the caravan, playing tag in the woods next to it....she left my sight, deeper into the trees, and a huge lightingbolt came down....we couldn't find her....screams were coming from the 'van -- we were getting raided...when the ryders finally left, there were so many missing that no one knew what to do....."

Joniak wiped the tears out of his eyes annoyingly -- he hated thinking about where Faye was. "I should've gone in her place....I'm sorry."

[Riemman]

Riemman shook his head. "No," he said softly. "The past can't be changed anyway. Nothing that has been done can be undone."

[Shira]

Joniak said, "You know you're welcome back any time, Ryder or not. The past can't be changed, but the present can."

[Riemman]

"Gypsies don't like Ryders much," he murmured softly, his anger and odd grief melting away and leaving him empty.

[Shira]

Joniak smiled. "Who knows. Maybe that can change, finally. At least a little bit."

[Riemman]

Riemman snorted. "Not likely. Some Ryders are decent, but unfortunately, the ones in charge are obviously fatherless in the non-literal way."

[Shira]

Joniak laughed softly. "I'm glad you're back. And alive."

No one knew -- well, perhaps Josselin -- how much he had blamed himself for all the kids lost under his watch. It seemed any time he made a mistake, a kid disappeared.