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Lightbringer
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Finnegan Aleister | New Rider | Male | 18 years | Mentions: Koji, Mattis He, Finnegan Aleister, was not short. It was an argument he regularly had with Koji and Mattis may their approximately 3 inches taller than him probably less cause them to hit their heads on an unsuspecting tree branch. He may be the only one in their trio who was not six feet two inches, but he could round up his height to six feet. If only his friends wouldn't bring out a measuring tape every time he tried to. Finn was having a hard time not bouncing up and down on his toes in excitement, which was probably going to annoy anyone who was standing behind him, particularly if they were shorter than him. There was plenty of people here who were shorter than him. He was glad that they had made it in time or at least he didn't see anything that looked like dragon bonding yet. He stepped in front of his friend Koji and grinned at him. He often used the slight but obvious height difference between them to use the excuse that since he was sooo "short" he needed to be in front of them to see. They were far enough apart in height that it was obvious that Koji was taller, but not so much that Finn wouldn't be able to block his friend's eyesight. At least he wasn't younger than both Mattis and Koji. He would never hear the end of it. He was the same age as Koji. "Glad that I dragged you out of the house?" he whispered to Koji. He looked back at his friends arms noting the mix of white scrapes and blood from trying to slow his plummet after he had missed Finn's helping hand. There hadn't been time to clean it up. Finn had decided that Koji would just have to toughen it out, and that if Koji hadn't been so hard to convince they would already be there waiting with the other hopefuls. "I think you might want to work on your accuracy. You're lucky that I knew it was a short enough of a drop that it wouldn't kill you. You would think you would've had the sense to use your legs as well not just your arms." He shook his head disappointed. Finn was definitely going to poke at his "adrenaline junkie" friend because he hadn't been easy to persuade. However, it did make persuading him feel like more of an accomplishment. He had verbally prodded his friend all different ways trying to get him out of his second story bedroom. He told him that he, Finn, was going to bond a dragon and that Koji was going to be all alone, he was going to tell Mattis that Koji wasn't up for an adventure, to but Koji and Mattis and Finn prwomised each other that they would go and try to bond a dragon. He also needed to give Mattis a stern talking to that he had gone and bonded a dragon without them. He tried to lecture him after every new Choosing Session Ceremony. "Where is Mattis? He needs to get off his high horse and see us and try to explain what's going on. It wouldn't kill him to say hi, or at least wave," Finn huffed. "What kind of dragon do you want to bond? What kind of dragon do you think you'll bond?" Finn asked. Finn and Koji were about to age out, and he really wanted them to bond dragons. What could he do to even the odds? Why hadn't Mattis given them more helpful tips? |
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Darkseeker
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Marina West New Rider| Female | 17 | Mention: Open Marina could help but be slightly nervous as she stood in a crowd of people, waiting for the dragons to arrive. She had little hope that she would actually bond one, but she didn't let anyone else see that. To anyone else, she looked the picture of confidence and poise. She would bond a dragon. She had to actually. She couldn't stand to see the disappointment on her father's face if she arrived home unbonded. He had barely agreed to let her go in the first place, since according to him, she was a 'valuable asset' to his crew and other mercenaries. That was exactly what she wanted to hear from her beloved father. She loved working on her father's ship, but when she heard about the Bonding Ceremony, she jumped at the chance. Imagine how much of an asset she could be with a dragon. Marina scanned the crowd. Unsurprisingly, she didn't recognize anyone. There weren't many kids her age in her neighborhood, and she was off at sea so much she never had time to make many friends. She had one or two close friends when she was younger, but she got older and started helping her father out, and she grew apart from them. Marina started fidgeting with her hands, swaying back on forth on her feet anxiously. The dragons better hurry before she lost her nerve and ran. |
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Darkseeker
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Avery Solstråle | Squad Leader | 23 | M: Aziza (ind) Mattis (ind) Max (ind) Metztli (ind) Avery wandered down into the crowd, keeping to the back. He wanted to be there for the bonding, as he really did enjoy seeing it, but there wasn't that much for him to actually do, which lead to severe boredom for him. He also wasn't positive as to where his own beloved dragon had gone off to, but didn't feel like attempting to either search for Metztli. He thought back on his own bonding with fondness, it was something that had shaped him as a person. As the hopefuls swarmed around him, he kept half an eye on the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of his proud, queenly lunar dragon, but couldn't spot her, and his memories wandered back to a similar day, mild weather, gentle breeze. It had been a bit hotter that day. He'd been surrounded by other teens, nervous and uncomfortable beneath the eyes of not only the Academy teachers, but also his stern parents. Although looking back, there was no way either of them had actually been paying attention. He felt a pang in his chest, and momentarily his eyes dropped to the ground. Drew had been there though, so at least someone had watched him in the most important moment of his life. The nerves in the crowd were making him jumpy, so he started pacing, when a though hit him. He actually knew quite a few of the new riders, hoping for a dragon. His cousin, an old childhood friend, and a few others that he recognized their faces if not their names. At this point, he was honestly getting frustrated at how slow things seemed to be moving, and without a doubt, the hopefuls were feeling the same way. The stress of waiting to see if a huge beast will choose you or not? It doesn't exactly leave you in the best mental state. He paced back and forth, missing his own dragon more than he expected. He normally didn't spend that much time away from her, so even the shortest amount of time started to weigh heavily on his shoulders. As he tried to get out of the way of a passing group of students heading out towards the field, he sighed. Where were any of the other squad leaders or mentors? He knew for a fact that the guys supposed to be with him were not, which pissed him off more than he was willing to admit. Mattis and Max were probably off spending time with their dragons, telling the newest students how they'd get eaten if they tried to bond a dragon too early. He rolled his eyes, and walked away from the hordes of people, uncomfortable with the closeness, and wanting to find his dragon. |
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Darkseeker
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Koji Tveit New Rider | Male | 18 years | Mentions: Mattis[ind.] Finnegan[dir.] Avery [dir.] If anyone had asked Koji if he was supposed to be away from home, and in Dragon Valley, he would have told you yes. However, this was far from the truth. He had worked with Finn to hatch a very elaborate, and totally not last-minute plan to get him out of his house. His parents were far from supportive of his choice to attend the ceremony, so, like the good son he was, told them he wouldn't go, and instead would take a nap in his room. And as soon as he closed the door behind him, he raced over to open his window to find Finn shimmying up the tree beside it. At first, Koji had been nervous about making the jump, but after some taunting from Finn, and his FOMO taking over, he made the jump. Unfortunately, it wasn't as elegant as he had planned, and he missed his friend's outstretched hand and found himself sliding down the tree. His arms and hands were now littered with cuts and scrapes but he was grinning wildly. “I am so glad you dragged me out of that house,” he spoke, giving Finn a friendly shove as his friend chided him about his lack of accuracy and his lack of sense. Koji was just happy to have made it out of that situation with the few injuries he had. The young man had been looking forward to today, for his chance at “freedom”, to separate himself from his parent's expectations they still threw at him, despite their lack of appearances in his life. With a hand he ruffled the hair from his eyes, his hair had once been long, grown past the nape of his neck, and just brushing his shoulders. But he had since cut it. He was still getting used to the new hair himself, still shocked whenever he saw his reflection. At his friend's mention of a missing Mattis, Koji let out a huff of laughter.“Perhaps he will make an appearance later? If I were him I would want to watch the Choosing Ceremony.” Despite having already gone through it all himself, he knew his friend loved new and exciting things, and that's exactly what each Choosing Ceremony offered. Turning his attention back to Finn’s question, he spoke.
“I honestly have no clue, being so close to aging out I feel as if I can’t be picky about the Dragon that could choose me,” In the previous years Koji had managed to attend, he hadn't picked any particular dragon as his “favorite”, he was too fascinated by all of them to have only one in particular that he would wish to bond with. His thoughts were distracted when he saw a familiar blonde moving about the crowd.
“Solstråle! Is that you!” he yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth to project his voice. |
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Lightbringer
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Shikoba Dilwyn-Rima Anschutz
New Rider | Seventeen | Mentions : Ellis, Koji & Finnegan, Marina ( ind. ) The Dragons ( ind. ) The young prospective rider was buzzing with excitement for the possibilities of the day. Today they would get to see dragons. Such magnificent beasts! They've only seen them in texts books and from far away when sneaking in to speculate the ceremony. They had practically begged their parents to let them participate this year, much to their annoyance. They wanted them go to a fancy musical school to further their talents for dance and playing musical instruments so they could keep the family legacy of musicians alive. And while they wanted to, they were more intrigued by dragons and serving their nation . After all part of their legacy was warriors as well, and so they wanted to make their father proud. They could remember, the tears of their mother this morning as they left the house - oh she was so upset, and they felt bad for making her cry but she had to understand that they had ambition and dreams as well. And that they wanted to make a name for themselves. After all, this was the perfect age to do such a thing - and they weren't about to miss their shot at it. Plus even if they aren't chosen, they had at least saw dragons close up. It was a win - win situation, but they were hoping that the gods showed them a little favor and granted them their wish. It was a rather beautiful day in outside, the sun was shining - yet it wasn't terribly hot. It was that sweet spot of warmth and coolness, that made them love spring so much. They could hear the excited chatter of the candidates as they approached the Valley. Most of them were looking to the skies for incoming dragons, and Shikoba had to gasp in wonder as a dragon flew in, at top speeds and made a rather showy entrance. A small grin spread across their face as they picked up the pace, it seemed that only two dragons had made their appearance to the crowd. They were looking at the skies now, wondering what type of dragon would come next. All this was so exciting, and they felt the excitement of the others start to infect them, their usually gloomy demeanor slightly brightening up at this prospect of getting a dragon to become their companion. They held a shimmering pearl, it was their gift to their prospective dragon - they had spent ages wading in various rivers and fishing in oceans and shores to find a beautiful pearl. They put it back in their side bag and watched the dragons. One seemed to be making itself a little bed of fire, and it looked quite content with itself. They gave a soft hum of amusement at the actions. How amusing and interesting dragons were. They could only dream of being bonded with such interesting creatures. And so they just watched from afar, and walked around, searching and hoping they would feel the tug of a Bond with a dragon. It had been years since anyone in their family bonded with a dragon and they hoped this would be the start to something wonderful. They tucked a loose strand of their pale locks behind their ear as they lazily scanned the crowd, they noticed two prospective riders chatting together and they felt a pang, they wondered where Ellis was, as they usually came to this thing together . But they didn't see their friend, and so they kept looking throughout the crowd - looking on at the dragons in awe and hoping, that they were one of the "chosen ones". They clasped their hands together and squeezed their eyes shut, "Please, whatever deity their is above, let me get chosen, I don't care what dragon - I just wish to not be stuck to ground anymore." They said this prayer with a slight reverence and gave a soft sigh, and seeing a dandelion on the grass- bent down and picked it up, and then softly blowing it Watching the little seeds scatter, they felt a sense of hope and promise, because now their wish was with the wind. |
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Darkseeker
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Azarimous New Dragon |Fire Dragon | Male | 221 | Mentions: Open Azar's molten eyes scanned the field below him. The sun warmed the stone he was laying on, hidden away from the human's eyes. He felt that unrelenting tug in his chest, telling him to go down to the valley and find his rider. He tried to ignore it. He gazed down at the gathering on people far below, sensing their nerves even from his place on the cliff edge. The bond kept tugging, and he was tempted to fly down there now, but the sun warmed his black scales and his eyes fluttered. The sound of a dragon flying overhead woke him, and he noticed a few of the dragons gathering already. The bond still felt slightly distant. He didn't know how, but he knew his rider hadn't arrived yet. The cluster of humans in the valley all stood in a few groups, some with friends and others by themselves. They were merely little specks in the distance, too far away to be observed. Azar relaxed in the sun until the annoying tug of the bond made him want to scorch a tree. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore and stood slowly, stretching his unused muscles. The dragon spread his huge wings and dove off the edge of the cliff. It didn't take long for the wind to bring him back up. He banked left, toward the group of humans. The cool air chilled him slightly, but the tug of the bond overpowered it. That was starting to get really annoying. When Azar had nearly reached the cluster of people, he slowed, decending and landing softly. Debris stirred from the beat of his wings, but settled after he had landed. He folded his wings at his side and took a closer look at the humans. He landed a good distance from them, not to content to get close. He watched them with a wary eye, quickly determining that his rider had not yet arrived. He quickly got bored of standing and settled down in another patch of sunlight, keeping an eye on the group of creatures before him. No one was stupid enough to murder a dragon, but he wouldn't put it past some of the creatures to try. |
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Darkseeker
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Sthirseth Vanthael | O | 17 | New Rider | M: Dev (dir.), Valthael Family (ind.), open - They were the one. To themself? They couldn't care less. Why was it such a big deal that they were the first in the Valthael family to tame and possibly ride a dragon? "Seth, stay away from that meadow, there are dragons there." "How cute of you, Fuzz. But dragons are dangerous." Seth was dangerous. So, that was exactly why they were here. To prove all of them wrong. To be the very first, and to show that dragons were more than just mindless beasts. But first, they had to get chosen. And waiting? Was absolute torture. "You bored out of your mind, too?" Seth asked Dev, resting their head on her shoulder, picking at the grass below their crossed legs and letting the breeze play with their fiery ginger hair. The weather was nice, at least - but, as typical of them, Seth would rather be waiting outside anyway. More rather in a forest than in a clearing with about three trees, but they'd take what they could get. The teen turned their gaze to the sky, squinting into the sunlight and searching, once more, uselessly, for any sign of a dragon, and cursing softly under their breath, turning away from the blinding sun. If there was a God, Seth wanted to yell at them for creating astigmatism. ~~~ Firix | O | 82 | New Dragon | M: The Riders (ind.), Dev (ind.) - He was bored. Humans were boring. How long until he could go back to the rainforest? Firix dug his claws into the stone, narrowing his eyes at the riders below. He'd found a rock cliff high above, where the white clouds and light blue sky blended into his scales and made him relatively invisible. He knew who it was already. Not just from the connection, but also because there was something about her that drew him to her. Something about her hair, the loose strands being picked up by the wind. Speaking of. His back spikes had been annoyingly ruffling for the entire day, whipped around and knocking into each other, making small clinking sounds. How was he supposed to be scary when he sounded like a wind chime? |
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Darkseeker
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Mattis | Mentor | Male | 20 years old | Mentions: Zadok, Koji, Finn (Dir). Avery, Max (Ind) As Mattis scrambled out of the Academy’s doors, he cursed his bad luck. He had woken up late, and Max and Avery were probably already there. Of all days to be late, it had to be the ceremony day! New riders were probably arriving - what a great first impression it would be to see a Mentor arriving late. He let out a frustrated growl as he neared the horse stables, praying Zadok - his Psyche dragon - was already in the Valley. The morning air was crisp, biting at his skin as he sprinted across the courtyard. His heart pounded in his chest, a mix of anxiety and exertion. He was excited to see the new recruits, their eyes wide with excitement and nerves. This was their first glimpse of the Academy, and they deserved to see it at its best. Instead, they would see him - disheveled and out of breath. As he neared the stables, he reached out to his dragon - “Please, tell me you’re there” He quickly saddled one of the horses, a sleek mare named Aria, and swung himself onto her back. He could feel Aria's muscles tensing beneath him, ready to sprint at his command. "Let's go," he urged, and Aria leapt forward, galloping across the courtyard and out towards the Valley. The wind whipped past Mattis's face, the landscape blurring around them. He pushed Aria faster, his thoughts focused on the new recruits who were waiting. The scenery shifted as they rode, the Academy's towers giving way to the rolling hills and the expansive Valley beyond. The sky was alive with dragons, their majestic forms casting shadows on the ground below. Mattis felt a pang of pride and urgency; this was their home, their legacy, and today was a day to be remembered. Finally, they reached the Valley. Mattis dismounted swiftly, giving Aria a grateful pat before striding toward the gathering. The new riders were still arriving, their faces a mixture of awe and anticipation as they gazed at the dragons circling above. As Mattis adjusted his appearance and surveyed the scene, his gaze fell upon his brothers from a distance. Koji stood among the new recruits, his commanding presence unmistakable even from afar. His strong, lean figure stood out in the crowd. Next to him, Finn stood tall, his slender frame a sharp contrast to Koji's solidity. At 5'11", Finn was often the subject of teasing about his height from both Koji and Mattis, and Mattis couldn't help but wonder if Koji had brought a ruler this time. A small smile tugged at the corners of Mattis's lips as he made his way over to the two. Though the three weren’t actually related, they had grown up together, quickly becoming the three musketeers. "Finn! Koji!" Mattis called out as he jogged over to them, his smile widening with each step. As he reached them, he enveloped both of them in a bear hug. |
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Lightbringer
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Choilleich
Earth Dragon | 140 Years Old | New Dragon | Mentions: Sthirseth The forest was humming, and it was thriving with life. Spring had spring, and the forest was full of new life ; the chorus of songbirds filled the air, and they could be seen taking care of the newest additions within their nests. The ants were busy preparing for winter to be bothered by the relevance of this new start. The young earth dragon sighed, content to stay within her forest home. Her appearance helping her blend in with the forest itself, she could hear the faint buzzing of the seasonal pollenaiters as they tended to the fresh blooms on her body and butterflies could be seen hovering around her as well. The young female gave a soft chuckle, and she turned her head, to a doe licking her newborn fawn and helping to rise to its feet - the poor thing stumbling around a bit before coordinating its moves a bit more. Such was the way of life within this densely forested area that she called home - the female had only woken up a little while after spring had arrived, her shoots and flora and fauna were coming in nicely on her, and she decided they needed a bit of sun - after all she hadn't gotten sunlight in a good bit due to her hibernation. She slowly rose from her spot, startling the doe and her fawn ; the skittish creatures taking off, and weaving through the trees. Choilleich lumbered over to the flowing creek, and she leaned head down to drink some water - the water was cool and refreshing, and she drunk some more of it, and then she holds some of the water in her mount HC and she gently sprays her foliage, feeling more refreshed and hydrated as she did so. The female shook the loose dirt from her body, and began shuffling her wings. A growth of vines and such were constricting them and so as she shuffled, the snapping of the thick vines could be heard along with the low rumbling do the stone plates that protected her leafy wing membranes. And soon she could comfortably open her wings and she sighed relieved and she did so. And so she made her way outside of the forest to an open meadow, where she began flapping them to warm them up, after all she hadn't flown at all last season. Soon her wings were pumped up, and she could feel the sun warming her up and the chlorophyll within her scales beginning to shimmer and charge underneath her foliage. Soon she was up in the air, and she took a deep inhale, the sweet spring air filling her lungs with warmth and joy. Spring was her favorite season, because of the new life and the rejuvenation she feels when spring comes around. The song of her rider could be felt within her heart, it pulled and tugged her to her current destination, one that she rose to travel to every year. Until she found her chosen one, her little bud - the one she would be bonded with for life through all their lives. It was a bit scary, but she hopeful that she was going to find a way to get through this. Soon the clearing came into view, and she could see all the prospective riders mingling on the ground. Their excitement could be seen from where she flew, and she was happy to see the excitement of the little humans. And she let out an affectionate warbling churr as she approached, and she realized that she was coming in a bit too hot and was bout to nearly crash, and so she quickly caused an earthen dome to wrap around the group she was about to crash into. And she rather roughly landed on top the dome and gingerly looked around to gather her bearings. She then descended and caused the dome to turn to sand and dissipated, before letting it return to normal earth. She gave a worried look at the students that were affected, some were stunned and others were looking at her in awe. And she curiously bent her head down to look at them, and she gave a small snort. Causing the hair of a giggling little boy to blow, his eyes blue like the spring sky and they were wide with wonder. He was quite cute - yet, he wasn't her rider, and she hummed softly as she turned her attention to the crowd. She noticed some dragons had already arrived, so she wasn't too late as it seemed only three others were in attendance. And she frowned slightly as she noticed two were fire dragons, and she didn't feel comfortable with her wings being out around them. And so she tucked her wings in neatly beside her and she began her search. And that's when she felt a strong tug, and turning her head. She noticed that her tug was getting stronger and it was guiding her to her rider. And she followed the tug until she came upon two young people, one being a young maiden and the other she wasn't quite so sure. But they had pale skin, reminding her of fresh lain snow and then fiery reddish-orange hair that tending them of a maple forest in the middle of fall. She felt something click within place and with happiness she realizes she had found her rider! |
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Lightbringer
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Zadok | Male | 249 Years | Mentor Psyche Dragon | M: Mattis, Valley Dwellers (Ind) Perched on a ledge above the clearing a dragon of black and gold lay, his blazing eyes boring into the very land he resided above. Front paws lay outstretched, crossing over one another in a comfortable position. Gold talons – or those that could reach – dug into the rocky surface beneath them, their sheen on full display under the young sun’s light. His scales and crown glimmered in tandem. The head this aforementioned crown rested upon was held high, not tilting downwards for a second in his scanning. A serious expression had been bestowed upon him, dark and imposing to most but more neutral towards those that knew him. To say Zadok was merely focused was a criminal understatement, insulting to the highest degree. His gaze was sharp and unrelenting, taking in all the inhabitants of the area had to offer. It was his present “job” after all. A task of utmost importance. Yes, for it was a busy day for him and the other mentors. A day of excitement had settled over the Valley, one they knew all too well. The Bonding Ceremony had once more arrived in the land of Ederia, a much welcomed event to its commoners and nobles alike. Hope filled the hearts of many for this short period, all wishing for the chance to earn the title of Dragon Rider. It was a curious thing really, leading even those not participating to the area just to see the outcome. The pleasantly warm atmosphere that had found its way into the area didn’t help with the crowds either, nor did the gentle breeze that offered some relief to what little heat there was. But as intriguing as the event was, he had a job to do – watching over the incoming dragons to ensure they didn’t cause any trouble. Speaking of dragons, the beast’s eyes flicker to the three new arrivals to the Ceremony. Three of his kind had already made their presence known, easily gaining stares of awe from some of the humans. A low growl of a hum resonates through him as he watches them settle. An interesting batch they were from the looks of things, but not a face he recognized. His feet shuffle off one another as he watches, preparing to step in if necessary. He did not necessarily hold any distrust towards them – having yet to meet – but caution was well advised. A small “whisper” breaks through his keen observations, a familiar feeling by now that always seemed to put the looming beast at ease – the lessening of tensions within his muscles being a testament to this. His eyes flicker towards the entrance of the Valley and towards the infamous Academy. An effort to spy the speaker, but knowing in the back of his mind that he was not here just yet. A deep chuckle bellows through the bond, amused by the little rider’s plea, “Seems like someone is finally up the day,” he huffs, looking back at the crowd that still seemed to be forming while keeping a half mind on the trail into the Valley, “Fret not, Mattis. I made sure that one of us was here in time. Besides, I know how much you need your beauty sleep.” It didn’t take much longer for the dragon to spy his favorite human, striding into the clearing and towards what he could only assume to be familiar faces. He huffs amusedly, not surprised that the golden retriever of a man had already found some companions. Still, there was no time for common chatter in his mind. Turning his gaze back to the open space, he goes back to his original task with a much more pleasant expression. |
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Fall 
Day Weather: 
Heavy Rain
