<div class="floatright">(https://i.imgur.com/w68J68x.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Ria Thorn<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Expedition Camp - Tents<br/><strong>Warnings:</strong>None<br/><strong>Open/Closed:</strong>Open<br/><strong>Direct Interaction Tags:</strong>None<br/><strong>Mentioned Tags:</strong>Kael<br/><strong>Actions Taken:</strong>Sunbathing, reading, and not caring<br/><hr/><br/>"Trouble's brewing." The raspy declaration was spoken under the breath, originating from a figure that had more in common with a boulder than a man. His physique was that of a brute: thick, meaty limbs that lacked the definition found on leaner men but nonetheless felt like solid iron to the touch. Errant gray hairs were scattered throughout an otherwise black beard that had started to grow to a disheveled length. Hair that would normally hang in his face was neatly combed and pulled back into a short ponytail as if the gesture would somehow make him a presentable gentleman. His blue eyes were stoic, alert, and prone to staring at anyone that even so much as looked at Ria in a way he didn't like. Officially, he was a bodyguard. Felt more like he was hired to be a babysitter, though.<br/><br/>The man's charge was barefoot and sprawled along the length of a divan just outside one of the camp's largest tents. She wore an airy, pastel red dress that left her shoulders bare. The hem had been purposely allowed to climb to mid-thigh, no doubt due to the fact that Ria had spent the last hour letting what skin she could bathe in the final, dying rays of the sun. That same light was just enough to allow for comfortable reading, which had been keeping the scion of House Thorn blissfully quiet until now. With a huff that announced to the world just how terribly inconvenient this all was, Ria let the book that she was reading fall across her chest. The outer cover read<em>High Illusion: A Treatise on Advanced Essence Crafting</em>in bold, plain text, but that was nothing more than the product of Ria's magic. The book that the young mage was<em>actually</em>reading was far less dry and a bit on the scandalous side.<br/><br/>Ria's sparkling green eyes traced a path from her bodyguard's gaze to the disturbance happening where the masses gathered for their meal. It could be said that the drunken bravado placed on display was at least partially the fault of Foloven's illusionist prodigy. The trip originally called for just enough alcohol to keep the mercenaries from having to combat parched throats. But where was the fun in carrying a slight buzz a few hours a day from rationed drinks? So yeah, maybe Ria bought a few extra barrels so the men could let loose. The drama playing out across the camp was already offering a return on her investment.<br/><br/>"Yeah." Ria's reply was dismissive and unconcerned. And it was apparently all the reply she cared to give as she had already picked her book back up and started scanning for where she had left off. With any luck, the demon and the troublemaking drunkard would both get a few good stabs in on each other and rid the camp of two problems. It was nice when life sorted itself out like that.