::She greeted Ramir with a hesitant smile and nod. She knew very little of the man outside of what she had so far only guessed at. Having him in her home felt...uncomfortable...but she trusted her cousin, and if he was ok with the stranger, she would try to be.
Kiga had raised his eyebrow, as if he expected Neko to be both surprised and confused. He himself wasn't altogether familiar with Ramir as yet, but knew just who he was and why he was in town.... which didn't really clear a whole lot up. Kiga had no reasons to question his intent though and there other things about him that assured Kiga there was no real cause for concern.
"Ramir, you know of Neko already, as I understand it. Neko, this is Ramir... or was it Vandal?"
Kiga also looked a little confused as he asked for clarification on his name.
"Ayup, we met earlier. Hey, I hope you're doing better."
Ramir had hear about Piper's mix up, as it wasn't exactly a secret at present. He seemed pretty casual about this encounter, perhaps a little too much so really. Ramir didn't get too worked up over much. Truth be told though, he was just as uneasy about this encounter than he was letting on.
"Well, I guess it's Ramir. I prefer Vandal. Don't ask why, I guess it just stuck a long time ago. My friends call me Vandal, if they know me well enough. But then folks who don't like me usually don't know me by anything else."
Ramir sighed, as if he were exasperating himself. He leaned against the door-frame and narrowed his eyes at Neko, looking her over.
"So you got pretty messed up, or so I'm told. I also hear you can handle yourself pretty well. Must have been some wagon that hit you."
::Her already hesitant smile faltered as she listened to the exchange...she had thought Ramir to be a Vanguard, and thus deserving of a bit of trust without knowing him more. Now she wasn't so sure...
She continued to "speak" through the hood, but addressed everything to Kiga now as she felt he was the only one that could hear.
-He's not Vanguard? What about the headband? It's the same blue...
I guess I need to stop making assumptions. Seeing as where they get me.-
She gestures to the bed she's in.
-Tell him it was more like a ton of bricks. Literally.
Came around a corner straight into a blast of wind that took me off my feet and headfirst into a wall.-
Actually, she felt a bit uncomfortable now opening up to a guy she barely knew and was not what she had first thought...
Kiga continued to speak allowed, as he didn't have any reservations about it, or felt there was any need for secrecy. He studied Ramir as he spoke though.
"No, Vandal isn't Vanguard. I only received word to expect him and help him out. It was a little more detailed, but I'm anticipating he'll have some answers for us. So you know, the Vanguard don't use the hoods for communication anymore. The enchantment was far too easily to exploit, once figured. Old fashioned hand signals and bird calls have sufficed since."
Kiga nods to Neko and relays both her message and her concern.
"She says it was a wagon loaded with bricks, in a manner of speaking. She also isn't sure we can trust you.
Me, well I'd just like to understand this situation a little better. Just what is Grayell up to and where do you fit in?"
Ramir smirked and closed his eyes, before stretching some which really, was reminiscent of Grayell's mannerisms. He looked to them both with an expression that didn't seem altogether surprised and then began.
"Well, I knew the old man a long time ago. I happened to run into him up North. I spent some time and helped him out and he helped me out and taught me a few things. Then he decided that if I'm to get more experience and surpass his teachings, I needed to get back out into the world. He thought Wistvale was a great place to end up in trouble, one way or the other."
He took a moment to tighten the rag tied about his scruffy hair.
"This is nothing important. At least it does nothing important. He told me enough about a few in town, some that he cared about and some he doesn't like in the slightest. He told me a thing or two about the Vanguard too, but I turned down the offer to join. I'm kind of a lone operator, if you know what I mean."
With that remark, Ramir grinned in a smarmy way that was definitely reminiscent of Grayell.
"So that's about it. He's told me that I should look to train with you Neko, if you're planning on getting back into it. Kiga offered to oversee some, I figure he's got to have learned a few things in his time since he trained with Gray, so why not?"
It was a lot to take in, but Ramir really did have a knack for remaining altogether relaxed through it.
::She had to laugh at the image of the vanguard moving about using hand signals to communicate. Something she had been doing her whole life. So she understood first had how difficult it could be for someone that didnt know the signs to understand.
-Well, yeah. Father could have told you that! 'What can be done, can be undone.' Just like physical combat, there is always a counter for what someone does.-
She perked up at the mention of her uncle's name. Sitting up further in bed, she listened to Ramir's tale as she studied him. Now that attention was brought to it, she could see bits and pieces of her uncle in the way he moved and spoke. It was odd, and somehow comforting. Whereever he was, he was still thinking of her and watching out for her. The thought brought her peace and a warm feeling inside.
-Yeah. I can train with him. It won't be easy, but if he's willing, so am I.-
Truth be told, it would be nice to have someone to work with. Perhaps he would push her as much as she would push him.::
Kiga had accepted his part-role as middle man in this conversation, but didn't seem to mind in the slightest.
"Right. Well that does explain quite a lot and I understand Gray's logic. Just make sure your 'trouble' doesn't become my problem and I think you'll learn a lot whilst your here."
Kiga closed the distance to Neko then and half-sat on the end of the bed. It was odd, in that he did so without really moving the bed at all. He smiled at Neko and then looked back to Ramir.
"Neko will train with you. I think you'll have a lot in common, but some really key differences that you can both do to learn from. I'll have to give it some thought, too. My training regime before Gray was much too extreme and I learned far less with it than I did in my time with him. I'll have to imagine what he'd want you both doing.
The first part is easy though. You'll have to get further acquainted, which is going to prove difficult unless I come up with something."
Back to Neko, specifically.
"I'd say Piper was quick to fence and hide whatever he chose of your equipment. I have access to a small armory, so I can see you set straight for gear."
And back to Ramir, once more.
"As I understand it, you're not to have any help from me, not in regards to your equipment. Again, I understand his method, but if you need advice, or somewhere to stay, you let me know. I'm sure we can come up with something that's to your liking."
Ramir tried a familiar smile, which didn't work quite so well for him. They had only just met of course.
"I haven't given much thought on where to stay. I mean, the Catalina could do, but she's seen much better days since limping it back here. The tavern's reasonable enough though, when they have the room."
::She noted the odd feeling of Kiga being on the bed, but seemingly not "on the bed", but chose not to bring it up in current company.
-Thank you, cousin. He left me with little but what I had when I first came here. Anything you can do would I would be very grateful for.-
She said the former with her usual gesture for "thank you" before looking at Ramir. She wasn't quite ready to let him in her home on a permanent basis quite yet, but maybe there was something she could do.
-Let him know that if he is not opposed to roughing it, he is welcome to camp at the training grounds I made. You know the place. Maybe, in time, I can let him move in here. I'm just not quite ready yet.
Besides, he's going to have alot of work to do there. It may do him good to stay close.
If those don't suit him, I could maybe talk to Father...
Again, Kiga smiled in response and relayed the message. It was evident to him that he might want to address Neko's limitations with conversation where he to source new equipment for her.
"Ah, it's ok. I'd much rather be in the thick of it anyways. Something about the smell in the busy towns makes me grin. I'd just be a nuisance anywhere else."
Ramir had given Neko a genuine smile as he'd spoken, he seemed a little more friendly than when he'd first met her. His next answer might remind of someone, though. The gestures he made were also pretty familiar, though his thoughts on the subject were certainly his own.
"I don't care for magic and mages are a callous lot in my experience. I see it this way. When all the magic in creation runs dry, I won't be caught with my pants down because my magical belt just quit on me."
He laughed a little and it was obvious that he meant no insult. Both Neko and Kiga were accomplished with magic use, after all. Ramir though, he was all regular guy. He liked dirt, blood and steel. Magefire singed his senses and he didn't much like what magical was capable of.
Having enough of discussion though, Ramir decided it was time to move on and leave Neko to her business.
"Anyways, I've got to round up some dinner. It's been a real treat meeting you, I'll be seeing you again I'm sure."
He wasn't excited or altogether enthused about events, but it seemed to Ramir that they were likable enough. Besides, he'd been given instructions. Besides that, he was quite keen to see what these two were actually capable of.
::Her body moved with silent laughter as she listened to Ramir and again noted just how similar his mannerisms were to her uncle.
-Oddly enough, Father feels the same way.-
She returned Ramir's friendly smile with one of her own. He was already growing on her it seemed. The traits picked up from his teacher adding a bit more familiarity so that their interections already had that edge of comfort to them.
When he made his move to leave, she waved goodbye and was already thinking of things she needed to teach him herself, and where to start.
Yes. This was going to be good for her she thought.::
Kiga watched as Ramir took his leave a studied him for a moment, before turning back to Neko and shrugging with an odd smile.
"The old man will never fail to surprise me. Here he is retiring in the middle of nowhere and now, he sends a new student our way. I checked him out though. He's been around and I'm surprised he's the student type. It'll be interesting to see what he's capable of."
Kiga smiled then. He crossed the room and looks at Neko with a warm smile, before taking the initiative to scratch her head in a fond manner (and most certainly not as you would a cat).
"You need to stay out of trouble for a time? Do you think you can do that? I'd like to know if you'd like a job."
That was an odd bundle of words. Jobs didn't often mean keeping out of trouble.
::She looked back up at him with a playfully annoyed look. Truth was she was enjoying the company.
-It will definately be interesting. I think...
I'm sure I could do some work for you, if you need me. Tho I don't know how I could do so AND stay out of trouble at the same time.-
She smiled back, knowing that while she MAY try to take it easy for a bit, in the end she would have to make her own judgements on what needed to be done.
Sometimes pushing yourself is the only way to get better.