"Can you see them?" He asked her in a soft and gentle voice.<span style="font-style: italic">Can I see them?</span>This statement confused her. Though she would probably learn the answer soon. He then interjected her thoughts, "You have blood on your face." He said in a nonchalant way that made Serenity relax slightly.<span style="font-style: italic">No wonder he is under Christine's wing. If he can accept myself like this so easily I wouldn't be surprised if he had her blood flowing within him. Not like I would bite him of course, Christine would try to kill me. If the look she gave me when saying he was a guest meant what I think it did...</span><br/><br/>She then noticed he had pulled out a well used rag that smelled of metal, stone, nature, graveyard soil, and a type of cleaner.  He walked over to her and offered the rag to her. He didn't say anything else for quite a long time. Then she head "Wonder... vampire... elven... Only... end... blood... face..." A Yuureiã€Œã‚†ã†ã‚Œã„ã€.<span style="font-style: italic">It's been a while since I've heard the voice of one... and felt so many in one place as well...</span>Serenity could feel the energy they gave off quite well. There were probably twenty or more just in this graveyard, but that isn't what surprised her the most.<br/><br/>What surprised her was when the young one seemed to answer the Yuurei, "I don't know Peter. I don't know the answer to that." The young ones eyes returned to her own after looking away, probably to the Yuurei Peter.<br/><br/>"Are you an old friend of Momma Christines?" He asked. His eyes connected with hers and stayed there for a moment. "I'm Koda." He added then feel silent. After a bit of silence she could smell that he was feeling uneasy with her or with the silence.<br/><br/>She then began to feel the Yuurei coming closer in the graveyard. Little spirit orbs known as will-o-wisps began to visably form and swirl around him. Then fly around and dance like they were trying to speak. He looked back to the where the Yuurei were before going and sitting down on a step to a tomb. He started to shush some of the Yuurei that were being quite chatty, even to her less spiritually sensitive ears.<br/><br/>He looked back to her once again. He was definitely someone Christine would take in. "No, young one, I cannot see the Yuurei, but I can feel their presences in this graveyard. And I am aware that there is blood upon thy face, but it doesn't warrant me to use your rag to clean it." She paused to heft her loot upon her should again, it kept trying to fall down.<br/><br/>"I'm afraid it would be ill of me to use your rag to wipe the petty blood off my face compared to the divine task you use it for..." She paused again and tilted her head slightly, "It is said that death is life's next great adventure and for you to be able to converse with those upon that journey and show them the great respect they deserve makes you the saintest of us all." She paused again and felt a bit of her loot,<span style="font-style: italic">Damn the cold and blood are not helping tonight...</span><br/><br/>"Merry meet and merry meet again young Koda as the stars shine upon our meeting," She bowed slightly at the waist while lowering her head and eyes before straightening, "I must take my loot inside before it is unfit for you and the others to feast upon. I bid you and your companions good day for now, but remember... you are blessed by being able to converse as you do and never forget that."<br/><br/>With that stated, she nodded once more to Koda before hurrying inside and to the kitchens to deliver the loot.<span style="font-style: italic">I forgot to answer his last question... It will most likely be answered at a later date by Christine or myself.</span>She entered the kitchen and glanced around for Jared, the Gilbert family's head chef.<br/><br/>"Jared!" She called out as she manuvered around to him, when he noticed her his eyes lit up. "Mon Petite~! It is so good to see you again!" He cried out in joy, his hands clapping all the while. "Here let me help you with that loot! You always know exactly what to bring me don't you, Mon Petite~?"<br/><br/>She chuckled, "Indeed I do, indeed I do. Shall I put two of them in the freezer for you?"<br/><br/>"Please if you would dearie. I'll take the top one and the freezer is right over there." He pointed to the large metal door in the far left of the kitchen. She quickly took them inside the freezer and hung them on the already placed hooks and string. She exited once again, but this time she noticed the looks she was getting because of the blood upon her face.<span style="font-style: italic">They are all new... they'll get used to it... I hope...</span><br/><br/>"Jared I must go clean myself up. Do you wish for me to drag Christine out of her shop?" Even though she wanted nothing more than for her weapons to be done, she wouldn't risk the health of any Gilbert.<br/><br/>"Please do~! She hasn't eaten in a week! That's when your missive arrived, so she could prepare her work room." She studied Jared for a moment, though she knew he wouldn't exaggerate or lie to her.<br/><br/>Jared was a black man, more on the lighter side, with pink dreadlocks that ended just beneath his shoulders. He usually wore a sleeveless button up shirt, black sunglasses, slacks, and an apron. Today his shirt was light blue, his slacks black, and his apron a dark blue.<br/><br/>"I will drag her out by her toes if I need to. What time is dinner?"<br/><br/>"It's in an hour, Mon Petite~!"<br/><br/>Serenity nodded and left to take a shower.<br/><br/>~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~<br/><br/>Once out of her shower she dressed in a green and silver corset, black pants that looked like skinny jeans but were made from a soft and flexible material, black and silver knee high combat boots, and three black and silver belts with one that had extra straps that wrapped around her shoulders creating a cross on torso and back for her blades. And lastly, she tied her waist length silver hair up in a low ponytail, still showing off her pointed ears, before heading upstairs to drag Christine out of her shop.<br/><br/>She walked leisurely upstairs while thinking about Koda.<span style="font-style: italic">In all my years, I have only run across two other Speakers like him. I am glad that he has retained his sanity and good nature unlike those two. Prejudice and death can do a lot to a person's psyche, I'd know... And he was handsome with the most soul searching eyes... It'd  probably be best if I didn't go that route...</span>Once she came out of her thoughts, she noticed she had just knocked on Christine's work shop door.<br/><br/>"What!" Christine shouted, her voice full of irritation.<br/><br/>"Christine, dinner is in thirty and you need to clean yourself up before going to eat." Once she said the word dinner, Christine started making a lot of racket before she snatched the door open.<br/><br/>"Serenity~! You know I don't want to go~! I need to finish-" Serenity put her hand over Christine's mouth, grabbed her arm, and pulled her out of the doorway. Serenity quickly closed the door after throwing Christine over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes.<br/><br/>"SERENITY! PUT ME DOWN!" Christine started yelling at the top of her lungs. Once she noticed Serenity wasn't letting her down nor changing course to her workshop, she started yelling obscenities and kicking. Serenity was going deaf, but she swore she could hear Jared laughing in the kitchen downstairs.<br/><br/>Serenity finally made it to Christine's room in record time. She went straight to the bathroom, turned on the water, and dropped Christine in it before turning around and leaving the bathroom. Serenity closed the door and leaned against it. "Now that your in there Christine, you might as well clean up!"<br/><br/>"Ugh! I hate you!"<br/><br/>"I know!" Once Serenity heard Christine start to actually take her shower, she gathered Christine some clothes and dropped them on the sink just inside the bathroom. Then she sat on Christine's bed to escort her to dinner.<span style="font-style: italic">I wonder what the young one talks with the Yuurei about?</span><br/><br/>Serenity snapped out of her thoughts when Christine came out of the bathroom, dressed and pouting. Serenity stood and made a sweeping motion with her arm towards the door, "After you?"<br/><br/>Christine stomped out and all the way to the dinning hall, while Serenity followed behind her and chuckled. Christine sat at the head seat and Serenity took her place to Christine's right. Koda wasn't there yet and Christine's eyes were on the door, most likely waiting for him. Serenity sat back and waited. She wouldn't eat, but she'd at least sit and converse with them.<br/>_________________________________________________________________________________________<br/><br/>Think of Jared as the cook Jerry from D. Gray Man. It's who I'm basing him off of.