Completed [The Amphitheater] Mingling In (Rinya)

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

Later that day...

Jorin was actually not particularly fond of the after parties that often followed productions, both at the amphitheater and in the past with the Thespians. In truth, these sorts of parties involved a lot of dancing, a lot of alcohol, and a lot of games. Exactly the sort of games Jorin had no interest in and never really played, even when he was an understudy.

He'd gone to quite a few of these after parties when he'd been with Farline, however. It was not much of a surprise, really. She reveled in this sort of atmosphere. She was particularly skilled at playing the games that occurred during these parties, and Jorin had to struggle to keep up as he attempted to gain "ground". Nonetheless he couldn't deny the appeal of such events; the actors still in their bright costumes, and no one bothering to be in character anymore.

But today was different. For the first time, Jorin was going to the after party with someone. And it wasn't like with Farline. Rinya didn't play games, and wasn't any more interested in them than he was. Jorin briefly wondered why he even brought her to this event. Rinya was many things; beautiful, strong, independent, capable.

But she was not a social butterfly, and Jorin knew she would not thrive in this sort of environment. Truthfully, despite being quite social himself, Jorin didn't thrive in it either. Perhaps that's why he wanted Rinya here with him; a bit of selfishness on his part. He wanted a friend, an ally, someone who hated the games as much as he did.

Jorin smiled at the passing actors and understudies, some of which had witnessed his passionate kiss with the woman on his arm earlier. Since it was a party, and not a production, tongues wagged freely about the young couple. "Who was the girl? Had anyone seen her before? I thought Jorin was gay!" Jorin mostly ignored the whispers in favor of paying attention to Rinya, who he could sense was not particularly comfortable in this setting.

"Don't worry, Rinya," he murmured to her, as he shook his head to decline a mug of beer that had been offered to him. While he would love to drink it up, and would under different circumstances, today he wanted to have his faculties about him. "These after parties are just a way for the actors, understudies, and stagehands to unwind. After all the stress of a production, sometimes they just need to stretch and relax, you know?"

Already the games had begun. Jorin could see the understudies and actors mingling, jockeying and smiling and laughing. One such actor, a tall lanky man looking to be around Jorin's age, with sandy brown hair and large, intelligent green eyes, walked up to the pair and threw Jorin an easy smile.

"Jorin! Hai of a production we had out there, huh?" he remarked, and then turned to Rinya. "Well, hello there! I don't think I've seen you around here before," he noted, with an appreciative glance.

Jorin felt a surge of jealousy at the man's attention, though he knew this would be a common event today. That was how the game was played, after all, and he needed to figure a way to control himself and not ruin the evening for Rinya. He told himself it would be practice for Beautyfest; after all he'd have to actually watch another man with Rinya for most of the evening. At least here, she was at the party with him. If he couldn't even handle that, Beautyfest would be a disaster for certain.

"Greetings, Laran," Jorin returned. "Rinya, this is Laran, he's one of the actors here at the Amphitheater," Jorin introduced, and Laran gave a rather impressive bow to Rinya, and grinned broadly. "Laran, this is Rinya, my mate." That statement caused a chuckle from the other actor.

"Mate? Oh, no no no, Jorin, you know the rules," Laran replied with a cheerful wink at Rinya. "You can't claim that quickly. You gotta give the rest of us a chance first!"

Jorin sighed, but smiled back. "Sorry, Laran, but that time has come and gone," he replied. The implication was clear; she'd been taken before the party and was not part of the game. Laran just shrugged.

"Shame," was all he said, "She looks like she'd have been a nice challenge. Well in any case, it's good to see you moving up, Jorin! Second billing is pretty impressive for someone who hasn't even been in the Amphitheater a year. Give it another season and you'll be top billing!"

Jorin nodded. "That's the plan," he replied. "Have you seen Torik?" Jorin was referring to the lead actor, who played the role of the commander in the play that had just concluded. Laran shook his head.

"No, but I'm sure he's around," he replied. "But seriously, why such a death-grip on your woman? Shouldn't you let her mingle more? Here," Laran smiled, offering his hand to Rinya. "I'd be happy to show you around!"

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

Rinya was not entirely sure why they had decided to join the after party. In some ways she knew that some of these people might actually be friends with Jorin—a hard stretch for her however seeing as she had only met one person kind enough not to either flirt with her, or call her names. But somehow they had ended up right smack dab in the middle of all the commotion and Rinya instantly felt on edge, twice as bad as before considering these people were no longer working—they could easily pick up on her presence now.

Jorin had mentioned that these people liked their games. Which thoroughly confused her because she couldn’t quite understand the meaning of ‘games’. The only thing she understood was it was more of a social ladder climb within the theater than an actual sport. It made Rinya want to put up a wall between them and her. But that also meant Jorin might be affected by her aloof attitude—because she was no good at dealing with people in general. This was an excellent chance to open up—but somehow Rinya knew she wasn’t exactly going to be friendly. Before she had tolerated it because Jorin’s job could have been on the line. Now… now she had no reason other than Jorin to be nice.

Jorin leaned close and murmured in her ear not to worry. He must felt her anxiety over meeting these people face to face with no interruptions. His presence made all the difference in her attitude alone though—made it easier to ignore the whispers passing by. At least the whispers would not affect her like it would him when they left. Other than attending more of his plays, she wasn’t likely to interact with these people again. But his whispers always had their secondary effect, and Rinya tightened her hold on his hand, pressing herself up against his side not out of fear, but out of the simple closeness the act brought.

Another actor approached Jorin, hailing him in a friendly tone about the play. And then turned his attention to her. She felt a familiar flash of jealousy and Rinya simply gripped his fingers tighter. ”Hello.” Her tone was slightly clipped, but in her opinion friendly enough. In an attempt to thwart the other man’s advances, Jorin tried to introduce her as his mate—which the man just seemed to laugh off. Rinya just rolled her eyes and looked away from both of them. Territory was territory—regardless of it being land or person. She was the last person to interrupt. After all she had laid the same kind of claim of Jorin with Kirsi—however that had been a slightly different situation.

"But seriously, why such a death-grip on your woman? Shouldn't you let her mingle more? Here, I'd be happy to show you around!" For several ticks Rinya glanced between Jorin’s face and the man’s hand several times. In this type of situation she realized there were two outcomes. She could take the man’s hand in a gesture to be social and let Jorin follow them—or she remained glued to Jorin’s side. And honestly the latter was the only choice for her. She didn’t like to touch other people, or rather she didn’t like them touching her.

”I much rather prefer Jorin’s death grip thank you very much.” Rinya remarked sarcastically, trying to hide the sourness underneath. Tugging at her skirt slightly with her free hand, she realized she was much more exposed than she had realized when choosing the outfit. Swallowing heavily Rinya did her best to shoot Jorin a smile—a tight one but a smile none the less—and she gently tugged his hand in a motion that maybe they should continue on before the man tried to convince her otherwise.

”Let’s go find Torik.” Despite the fact Rinya had no idea who Torik was, she managed to keep the smile on her face. ”The sooner we mingle the sooner we can go home.” It wasn’t in intention entirely, but she dropped her voice slightly as though hinting towards something else. However she doubted that Jorin would mind. After all, they were apparently still squashing the rumor that Jorin may very well be gay. Might as well do it well.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

Jorin could definitely feel Rinya's discomfort. He was fairly certain it was the crush of people all around them, pushing and shoving and talking, that was the source of her discomfort, but there was little he could do about that other than to hold her closer and try to assure her that he was there for her. Truthfully, they could just leave the party anytime they wanted to, but Jorin felt, now more than ever, that if he could not handle this party, which was a relatively light affair with people who already knew him, then he would almost certainly not be able to handle Beautyfest, when everyone in Riverfall would be there.

Laran just laughed and shrugged when Rinya replied that she preferred Jorin's "death-grip". It really wasn't that tight a grip - Jorin had no desire to make Rinya uncomfortable - but his arm was quite firmly wrapped around Rinya's hip and had no intentions of leaving it.

"Well, as you wish," Laran acquiesced. "Though, I can promise you that I am mostly well-behaved," he added, with a wink for Rinya. Still, from all appearances, the man had mostly given up on Rinya when she made it clear who her choice was.

Jorin just held Rinya tighter, her smile doing wonders for his control. It wasn't that Laran was necessarily a threat to him; he knew the man wasn't actually being serious about chasing Rinya. Of all the actors, Laran was the least serious when it came to the game; he played it because he thought it was fun, not because he necessarily actually wanted to take Rinya from him.

But Laran's eyebrow raised at Rinya's tone of voice when she mentioned going home. "Jorin, you sly dog, you!" he laughed, as he grabbed a nearby glass of wine. "And here I was, thinking you had absolutely no luck with the ladies! I suppose you don't need any when you've already got a woman at home. Well, color me surprised."

Jorin gave Laran a nervous chuckle. "Yes, well..." he coughed, and looked over at the other side of the party. "I think I see Torik. Thanks for the chat!"

There was a reason Jorin wanted to speak to Torik. As he deftly maneuvered himself and Rinya across the room, Jorin made sure to keep her close to him. "Torik's the lead actor," Jorin explained, leaning in a bit so that he didn't have to raise his voice to be heard over the noise of the party. "I was hoping to talk to him and try to gauge what he thought of my performance tonight. If he liked it, it's possible he'll be willing to let me play second-billing alongside him again."

Realizing Rinya might not understand the terminology, he explained even further. "Basically, the main character is played by the lead actor, and that's called 'top billing'. It's kinda hard to reach that position, you usually have to be with the theater for a really long time before you get a spot like that," Jorin summarized. "So as you can imagine, second billing is the second-most-important character. That doesn't have to be a good guy, you know," Jorin commented, with his own wink to Rinya.

"I've actually played villains before. I was so evil! Muahaha!" Jorin punctuated the sentence with a stereotypical cheesy evil villain laugh. At any other party, that might have drawn a few stares, but among actors it barely raised an eyebrow. But as he spoke, a lively tune started being played by some of the actors with musical talents, and Jorin decided that before he spoke to the lead actor, perhaps he could dance with Rinya a little. After all, Torik would still be there after the song was over, and he never really had a chance to dance with his mate. And perhaps it would erase her own unhappy memories of not being his first dance partner.

"Rinya... would you, um," Jorin began, as he flushed slightly. "Would you care to dance?" he finally got out. "Not that I'm particularly good at dancing or anything..." he rushed to add, as his blush grew deeper. In truth, Jorin barely knew how to dance at all, and while his "lesson" with Farline taught him the barest of basics, he as still basically a novice. Still, he couldn't imagine anyone else in the whole world he'd rather dance with.

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

Rinya actually snorted in response to the man that he might actually be well behaved. Even if Jorin believed that one she didn’t. He fit the exact type of guy she wouldn’t have been interested in even if Jorin was not in the picture. The more she hung around the crowds of people, the more she believed Jorin really was just a rare kind of man—one that was overlooked because he was just too nice for his own good. Better to use and wait for another. Apparently ‘better looking’ was also thrown in the cards… ridiculous.

Rinya however was a little surprised at the amount of shy nervousness coming from Jorin over him having a girl waiting for him at home. She wasn’t entirely blind to the situation—after all she was the one that hinted at just how together they were. It did not bother her in the least that other people knew, but she realized that she might have miss stepped her boundaries. For once Jorin was the uncomfortable one. Rinya however refrained from frowning and allowed Jorin to steer her away.

”So… top billed is the best place to be. Second billed—which the part you played today—is next best.” Rinya repeated his words simplified. If that was true, no wonder Jorin wanted her to see him up on stage. He wasn’t just any actor or extra—he was actually quite important to the play itself. ”That actor mentioned that you might hit top billed rather quickly. I never realized you were moving up that quickly with the Amphitheater.” Then again, it wasn’t something Jorin really brought up. He would spend his days telling how work went and who pulled funny pranks or stunts—but never which part he was playing. Or at least how important that part of the play might be.

Rinya figured at best it was just Jorin. He never bragged, even about her apparently. No one knew who she was or that Jorin was off limits. However at the moment he seemed quite willing to stake claim over her. Her thoughts were derailed as Jorin mentioned that he played second billed as an evil villain. It actually took her several ticks of just staring up at him before she pressed her lips into a firm line. And tried very hard not to laugh.

Her straight face did not last for very long in the least. He pulled a laugh meant to be ‘dark’—only half seriously—and she broke. Looking away from Jorin to the rest of the crowd around them, she laughed out loud. A few people, mostly those whispering about them, went about pointing at them. It took her several chimes to actually calm herself down however. Her ribs actually hurt from the force, and she tried to grin up at him in her best carefree sort of smile.

”I’m sorry just… I know you, and I just cannot imagine you being the evil character. I’m sure you do just fine! But it’s just… it’s…” Rinya tried to motion at Jorin, dearly hoping that she hadn’t offended him. It was hard enough watching him at the play today. Acting one way and feeling another…but Jorin being the evil sort just did not fit. Maybe that was why he was second billed already. He was capable of pulling off such a task. But regardless, Rinya made it a future reference to never see him such a play. Even if it was acting, she never wanted to imagine that side of him.

”Rinya… would you, um,” Rinya cocked her head to the side slightly as Jorin stumbled over his words. For a moment she wondered if she really had offended him and now he had no idea what to say. But he simply had another idea out of the blue. Instead of finding the actor he had been on stage with, the music that had begun to play instead attracted his attention. He asked her to dance and Rinya wasn’t entirely sure what to say to the question. She knew Jorin didn’t know much of dancing—his first dance had been with Farline of all people. But he actually looked—and felt—rather excited about the idea of dancing with her.

She knew very little about dancing. Her first bondmate had showed her all sorts of dances, but that was about all she knew. How they were supposed to go, but whether or not she could actually pull the moves off was another question. Biting her bottom lip she flushed across her cheeks as well. Shrugging her shoulders didn’t seem like a decent enough answer. ”Sure. Though I’m not exactly good at it myself.” But Rinya allowed Jorin to lead her towards the dance floor regardless.

It had been fun learning how to dance with Nickolas. But he already had known what he was doing. Other than being a tradesman, he was quite the dancer. In fact she was rather positive if it had not been for his father, that Nickolas would have been an entertainer like Jorin. So as the two of them finally settled onto the dance floor, Rinya could feel her face turn even redder. She had no idea what kind of dancing Jorin and Farline had learned—hopefully nothing terribly romantic or worse—but she had forgotten how to start off. So she just reached out her fingers and laced them through his. ”So what kind of dancing did you learn? With Farline that is...”

Rinya was actually quite amazed. She managed to keep her voice level despite the jealous spike crawling up her spine. Somehow Rinya had the feeling part of her would always be jealous of Farline to some extent. Anyone touching her mate regardless of how long ago was capable of being the feeling out in her. The jealousy streak was something she was going to have to work at right along with her temper. So she tried to switch up the thoughts in her head. ”I hope I didn’t embarrass you earlier with um... the whole going ‘home’ thing. I forget humans don’t usually talk about things like that in the open.”

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

Jorin nodded at Rinya's simplification of his words"Yup! Pretty much!" he agreed. "There's third billed, and fourth, and so on, all the way down," he explained, "and poor understudies don't even count as billed at all."

Jorin's cheeks flushed with embarrassment when Rinya suggested he was moving up quickly in the Amphitheater. His free hand automatically went up to rub the back of his neck and he coughed slightly. "Uh, well, that remains to be seen," he evaded slightly, but still giving Rinya a slight grin. "I just... hate to be seen as arrogant, you know? Some of these guys have been here years and haven't gotten second billing; it sometimes feels like I'm stealing the spot from them."

Jorin shrugged helplessly. It wasn't that he wanted to steal the spot from them. He loved to act; if they'd stuck him in some minor role he'd still be just as happy. Well... OK maybe not just as happy; any actor would prefer a larger role. But he wasn't the type of person to complain about such things. The role had been given to him, he hadn't asked for it. Yet some of the actors here seemed to think that he'd somehow manipulated events to get the part. That he was a master actor; playing the part of the nice guy while working the game for all he was worth.

"Not a lot I can do about it, I suppose..." he finally concluded. But Jorin's embarrassment gave way to amusement when he saw Rinya's reaction to his being a villain in some productions. He grinned widely as she laughed, not letting go of her waist but chuckling alongside her. When she'd calmed down, he just shrugged.

"Believe it or not, it's actually a lot of fun playing villains," he commented, with a wry smirk. "It's great! You get to act bad and nobody says anything! Everybody knows it's acting anyway, but still it can be quite amusing to play a character so entirely not who you are."

Jorin felt a flood of relief when Rinya agreed to dance with him. Truthfully, he'd wanted to do this a long time ago; he always wanted to dance with her but never really had an opportunity. Jorin just squeezed her waist to assure her when he saw the blush spread across her cheeks when she assured him she wasn't good at dancing either. Jorin really didn't care about that. He was the last person to complain about not being good at dancing, though in his defense when he was dancing with Farline he was not exactly fully concentrating.

Speaking of Farline, Rinya's mention of the other woman, despite being level, carried with it a surge of jealousy that Jorin could feel stab through the bond like a hot knife. He was beginning to regret going to Farline for comfort during their week apart, but really there wasn't anything to be done about it now. "I'm really not sure we were doing any specific sort of dance," he confessed, with a little shrug.

"I remember mostly learning not to step on my partner's toes, and a few of the basic movements, but..." Jorin concluded with a helpless shrug. He was going to conclude that he was pretty distracted at the time, but he knew Rinya already felt bad about what her cutting off the bond did to him. No need to bring that back up again.

”I hope I didn’t embarrass you earlier with um... the whole going ‘home’ thing. I forget humans don’t usually talk about things like that in the open.”

Jorin just smiled as he led Rinya out to a more open area, taking a few awkward steps to the beat of the music. He needed to concentrate if he was to do this while leading the whole thing; the man was supposed to lead... right? At least, that was what he remembered from the one time he ever danced. Jorin stepped forward with his right foot, hoping that it was the right thing to do, and turn the both of them gently. At least his right arm was already in the right place.

"Actually, I don't mind at all," he assured her, voice soft. "It's just that, well, among actors, what you said basically was... well, it basically meant that I'd claimed you. Which I have, but..." Jorin sighed a bit. "I suppose to them, it comes across as somewhat boastful. And I hate doing that... showing you off like you're some sort of prize or trophy. Even though I'm not, it still..." Jorin sighed, a bit annoyed that for some reason he couldn't find the words to describe what he wanted to say.

"We both know I can't see you like that. You're my bondmate, my mate, my whole world," he tried again, as he attempted to slide them to the left. His foot caught a bit and he stumbled, but managed to catch himself before he fell or worse, dragged Rinya down with him. "Sorry," he apologized, face red. Wow, he really was bad at this.

"But here, if I stake claim on you like that, they just see you as a trophy," Jorin groused, not really hiding his frustration at the situation. "And nothing I say or do really changes their minds. So I try not to bring it up at all. I guess it just irks me that they think I see you that way, but there's nothing I can do about it. But I still want them to know how I feel about you. Because I do love you, and they need to know that, even if they don't believe it."

Jorin laughed with wry amusement. "For people who portray love on stage for a living, we actors can be a cynical bunch."

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

Rinya resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Jorin. Only the people here would view talent as arrogance—including Jorin. She supposed that made a big difference when you were an entertainer compared to jobs that were more risky to general health. Arrogance was a common occurrence that tended to lead to death. At least it usually did if there wasn’t at least something else to balance it out. Judging by Jorin’s comment of stealing a high ranking spot, he really didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes in an attempt to do what he loved. It was a headache just to think about it.

”Jorin…” Rinya tried to find the words that wouldn’t come out harsh, but she realized there was no nice way to say what was on her mind. So she just closed her mouth with a sigh and shook her head. Even if she wanted to argue the point, Jorin probably would never understand her point of view. Instead Rinya just let Jorin lead her to a more open area on the dance floor, insisting that the only thing he really learned was not to step on the other’s toes.

”That is a decent place to start I suppose.” Rinya grinned up at him slightly. Jorin adjusted them, and started to lead her gently. She could recognize the dance to be one of the harder once Nickolas had taught her. And while on human legs she wasn’t entirely known for gracefulness, Rinya was a little surprised in herself that she actually followed without much trouble. Hesitant, but not enough to leave her feet at the mercy of his… at least not yet. But it was hard to focus on conversation and dance at the time. But Jorin seemed determined to make it known that he was and wasn’t claiming her.

Rinya finally snorted. He was wandering in circles around himself and she was tempted to just let him. He was far more confused over the idea than she was—though she was sure Jorin was trying desperately not to offend her in some way. That and once again the views of everyone else affect how he saw them, whether he realized it or not. He couldn’t act one way or the other around these people without starting some kind of rumor and Rinya didn’t really see what the big deal was.

”So you… will let them gossip about whether or not you may happen to be gay. But you cannot stand for them to see me as a trophy?” Of course, trophy could be used as a replacement word for pet. Which if anyone figured out she was Kelvic would probably be the next word Jorin would have to put up with. That his little trophy girl also doubled as a good pet. He stumbled and Rinya readied herself for his weight, but he seemed to catch himself just in time.

”You actors really are confusing creatures.” Rinya groused gently before she shook her head again. Reaching down, she pulled his arm from her waist to free it. But she kept her other hand firmly clasped with his as she stepped back from him until their arms were stretched out between them. ”You worry way too much about what everyone else thinks you know that right?” She didn’t give him a chance to answer her however. It was mostly more of a statement than an actual question. They both knew the answer.

Instead she let herself twist under his arm in an attempt to quite literally twirl back to him. However she misjudged the distance and instead of meeting back up with him chest to chest, she lost her footing and stumbled backwards herself. She hit his chest not with enough force to send them both to the ground, however she did knock a little air from her lungs with huff. Rinya couldn’t help it either. She giggled brightly and looked over her shoulder up at him with a grin reserved just for him. ”It doesn’t matter how anyone sees me. Just you. I can handle them now that the play is over. Stop over thinking—including dancing. It doesn’t always have to be proper either you know.”

Rinya belated realized that her comment could be viewed in an entirely different way than she originally intended. ”I don’t mean…uhm… Just try and relax okay?” She kept her back pressed to his chest, willing the bright red blush on her face down. She was back to stumbling over words again.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

Jorin could feel a slight bit of frustration when Rinya said his name, like she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words she wanted to say it. Jorin sighed slightly, and looked Rinya right in the eyes. "Rinya," he insisted, pausing for just a moment so that he could get the seriousness of his tone across. "I love you, and will never take offense to anything you say. If you want to say something to me, please say it. I promise, I will always listen. No secrets, remember?"

It was rather difficult to concentrate on both dancing and speaking, but he wanted to get his point across. It seemed Rinya understood at least portions of what he was trying to say, but nodded vigorously when Rinya spoke of his reaction to what the actors were saying about him. "Yes, exactly!" he agreed as they stepped a bit to the left, Jorin careful not to bump into any of the other dancing couples around them. "I really don't care what they say about me, but I won't let them say such things about you."

It was a significant sore point for Jorin. It was part of who he was, to never judge anyone regardless of who they were. Whenever he did, he always felt it was a failing on his part, not on the part of the other person, and he worked to try to correct it. He did not see Uleru as a monster, he saw her as a person. The fact that she wasn't human was utterly irrelevant to him.

And the same thing extended, of course, to Rinya. She was a Kelvic, and apparently that made her less of a person? Horse-shyke! She was as much a person as he was, and she deserved the same respect as anyone else. Jorin didn't view Rinya as a Kelvic, or as a pet, or as a trophy. She wasn't property. She was a person, an amazing person who chose to be his partner in life. As far as he was concerned that was where the definition began and ended.

But the folks at the amphitheater didn't see it that way. Since he was dancing with her, and didn't leave her side, the whispers already began. That Jorin had snagged himself a trophy. And really, even though he knew it didn't bother Rinya, he felt that it should. She was so much more, and he wanted to leap up onto the tables and shout to the whole room just how much more she was. But it wouldn't help. It never helped.

When Rinya mentioned that he worried too much about how everyone else thought, Jorin was tempted to answer that he could not help it; being an actor, he relied on the audience's reactions for his bread and butter. What everyone else thought was critical to the success of his work, so he found that sometimes he couldn't turn it off.

When he was alone with Rinya, he didn't care. The rest of the world didn't exist, it was just the two of them. But out here, sometimes he worried that what he did reflected poorly on her. And that mattered to him. He couldn't care less if his own reputation took a dip, but Rinya... whether she cared or not, he didn't want to mar her.

Regardless, he never had a chance to say any of this, as Rinya had taken his arm from her hips and stepped out so that their joined hands were outstretched. Then, she twisted back, but stumbled a bit and hit him slightly in the chest. Jorin felt the air being pushed from his lungs a bit from the impact, but he was more concerned about arresting her fall, and making sure she was alright.

When he was confident she was, he wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. Her playful grin sent a surge of joy and even a little desire through him, as she told him what he already knew. That really the only person's opinion she cared about was his.

"It doesn’t always have to be proper either you know." Jorin grinned as Rinya blushed heavily, the embarrassment from what she clearly thought her words could be interpreted to mean obvious on her face. Jorin decided to have a little fun with his mate, and as she stammered out that they should just try and relax, he bend down so that his chin was in the crook of her shoulder.

"Now, now, my love. You can't make an offer like that to your mate and then just retract it," he whispered in her ear. Even though she couldn't see it, Rinya could probably hear the mischievous grin on Jorin's voice. He knew what affect that would have on her.

Using the hand that was still firmly held onto Rinya's, as well as his other arm, Jorin spun Rinya around until she faced him again. This time, when he went to place his arm around her waist, he brought her flush up against him, their chests touching and barely any space existed between them. Jorin was still grinning, and stepped forward, looking down and to the side a bit to make sure he was not stepping on Rinya's feet before commencing with the motion.

Jorin shifted them slightly to the right, slowly so as not to have either of them stumble, before his grin turned into a gentler smile. Leaning in, he murmured to her, their lips mere inches apart, "Was this a little more of what you had in mind, my love?"

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

"I really don't care what they say about me, but I won't let them say such things about you." Rinya grumbled under her breath slightly. It didn’t matter what Jorin wanted, they would make up what they would. Just being seen with Jorin could cause several different rumors to pop up. Even the lead actress’ point about her being a ‘hussy’ could fall into this category. But it was still moot point to actually argue about it. As much as she would have loved to debate with Jorin over the finer points, this was not the place to do it. She would rather be cuddled in bed with him without having to worry about dealing with others.

Jorin took to her badly placed twirl though with ease. Though she was rather sure she knocked some air out of him too. As Jorin wrapped her up into his arms, she let herself lean back against him. Even as her face calmed, Jorin apparently was in a playful mood out of the blue. A different kind of playful than she was aiming for. His pulled a rather teasing comment out of nowhere, whispering in her ear with pure intent. She had felt the tingle of desire before when she had smiled at him, but at the time it had been easy enough to ignore. This was not. A shiver passed through her and she closed her eyes for a tick in order to keep her wits about her.

”I can do whatever I wish Jorin.” She figured the words might have had more impact if she hadn’t been so breathless. He twisted her back to face him, leaving no space this time. In her opinion it was far more comfortable than before, however she had the feeling Jorin would be hearing about it in the future… maybe even tonight. Jorin began to move again, and Rinya let him lead as he should, trying to gauge his next movements so they could flow more fluidly together.

"Was this a little more of what you had in mind, my love?" She gritted her teeth slightly, not in annoyance but over the fact he was actually teasing her in public—well in public with people around. It was incredibly difficult to think, much less keep track of their dancing with him leaning in so close to her. ”Actually no this was not what I had in mind.” Rinya smirked up at him in an attempt to gain ground. If he was going to pull this stunt he wasn’t going to get away with it easily. ”You realize you are going to cause quite the stir if you keep this up right?”

Rinya glanced over her shoulder at the most obvious of the crowd that seemed to soak up all the ideas for rumors. She resisted the urge to actually stick her tongue out at them like a child. She could only imagine what could happen then. So she forced herself to face the less of two evils—facing Jorin again and his onslaught of little tricks. He had it so much easier than she did honestly. A whisper here, or a touch there and she would be instantly ready to drag him home regardless of the rumor mills.

Granted she had her own abilities to make Jorin weak in the knees, but they generally leaned more towards the physical touch than anything else. She had no idea how to wield feminine charm like some. Though she highly doubted Jorin would want her to. But in all honesty she almost wished she had her own personal ways—if she did have any she certainly couldn’t think of any. Deep down she blamed him for her lack of thoughts.

Pressing back the urge to attack his neck just to get the better of him, Rinya took a deep breath and smiled up at him. ”It may not be what I had in mind, but that will come later,” Rinya’s tone made it obvious there was no argument to be made there. ”But this will do for now.” It would have to. ”I could tell you enjoyed tonight even if half of it did try to fall apart. It’s a shame I don’t get to see more of your plays.” That seemed like a fairly safe subject at least.

Vaguely an odd thought came to her mind. The bond they personally shared bled emotions nearly constantly. With all the actors at this party she wanted to pointedly avoid, she wondered how she actually came to trust Jorin even before the bond had grown its roots. Other than a gentle nature that was obvious, Rinya could not for the life of her figure out just how his mother had shaped him to be completely different. No games—unless they both knew the rules of course—no drive to climb a social ladder. Trusting an actor of all people however... Tilting her head a little, Rinya pressed her face into his neck. She would have to make more of an effort to ensure that she could see more of his plays.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

Jorin just returned Rinya's smirk, especially when she mentioned that he was going to cause a stir with what he was doing. "I know," he admitted. "But the fact is, the rumor mill has started already." Jorin shrugged. "I really don't like it, and what they're probably saying about you, but honestly I can't stop them if I wanted to."

Jorin knew that it was a futile effort to try to change the mind of the rumor mill once it started. There would be all sorts of rumors after today. Petch, the rumors were undoubtedly started right now. He figured that anywhere between a quarter and a half of the people watching them were thinking that he'd borrowed Rinya from someplace to act as his date, and the rest would be convinced that she was his wife.

”It may not be what I had in mind, but that will come later,” Rinya said, and Jorin couldn't stop the shiver that ran down his spine. He knew what she meant and it always affected him the same way. Rinya probably didn't realize it, but all she really had to do was smile at him and say such things and he would always feel the urge to just drop everything and go home with her. She mentioned how he enjoyed the production, despite the many messes, and how she wanted to see more of his plays.

"Well, I don't always get second-billing," Jorin confessed. "But it's true that I enjoy what I do. And unfortunately, every production is rife with disaster."

Jorin didn't say that angrily or sourly, but with the sound of resignation. Rinya could undoubtedly feel the sort of tired resignation with which he approached that particular part of theater life. It wasn't the best part of it, for sure, but he really couldn't see any other way around it. It came with the job, and either you dealt with it or it dealt with you. Jorin just wished they didn't dump all the responsibility on his head; he vaguely wondered if it wasn't because he'd always had trouble saying "no".

"I'd love for you to see more of our plays, though," Jorin continued. As they moved slowly across the dance floor, Jorin made sure to watch the other dancers in the room and how they moved. Some were doing this fancy spinning thing, which Jorin was not sure he could ever replicate. Others, were doing this thing where the man leaned the woman back almost to being on his knee, supporting her back with his arm. Jorin decided he might try that.

When the dip in the music came that implied such a motion (or at least, Jorin assumed that to be the case since it was when the motion appeared to be performed the most often), he quickly took a step forward, bent down almost as though he were kneeling and supported Rinya with his left arm as he kept a tight hold of her other hand with his right. This meant, of course, that they were face-to-face with her lying almost horizontally, and for some reason he was seized with a sudden urge to kiss her. So he did.

It was quite easy; all he needed to do was lean down a bit more and press his lips against hers. He vaguely heard the cheers and applause in the background, and he tried to pretend it was probably for some other couple's impressive dance skills and not the fact that he was making such a blatantly intimate act right there on the dance floor. The kiss, as with all their kisses, sent shivers of desire down his spine. But it was also one of assurance, he wanted her to know that it was OK, that what they were doing was OK, that it didn't matter what the rumor mill spit out.

Because it didn't. Jorin handled rumors about himself all the time. Beyond the ones that had been mentioned there were others he'd caught wind of. He was sterile. He was an eunuch. He was secretly a Kelvic. That last one amused him to no end, because having joined with Rinya quite a few times he knew that rumor could only have stemmed from someone who was utterly unfamiliar with the species.

When Jorin broke the kiss, the cheers still hadn't died down. Petch. Well, might as well face the music, as they say. Standing them both back up, he faced the rest of the room, which as he suspected had gathered around them the moment he'd pressed his lips to hers.

"Well, that's one way to end the game quick!" Laran called from behind a table, his face red from the wine he'd drunk.

"Shut up Laran!" Jorin called back good-naturedly, and the other actor just laughed. In any case, it seemed the dance was now over, and Jorin spotted Torik in the distance, sipping on some wine himself and observing the proceedings with interest. Or at least Jorin thought it was interest. He couldn't be sure what with the fact that the man was a very skilled actor.

Jorin took Rinya's hand, face flushed with their recent intimate activity, but heart holding absolutely no regrets for having done it. He had decided a long time ago that if they were going to be together, they were going to be together.

And that meant there should be no reason they shouldn't announce that to those who needed to know. And given the games that went on around the actors, Jorin thought they needed to know. "Come on, Rinya, let's go find Torik," he suggested, indicating with his head the elder actor.

As he led Rinya to Torik's location, he tried to ignore the stares and whispers that followed them. He knew what they'd be saying anyway, but nonetheless he tried his best not to let any of it follow him. as he'd mentioned to Rinya he really didn't care what they said about him, but he worried maybe he went too far, and now they thought less of Rinya? He desperately hoped not. He had initiated that kiss, after all, so he hoped that would mean that any negative reactions would hopefully land on his head and not hers.

"D'ya really need to make such a stir so early in the evening?" Torik said as soon as they entered range of his voice. Jorin flinched a bit. The veteran actor could be a bit intimidating.

"Uhm, well," he tried to begin, but Torik cut him off.

"So she's the girl ye snuck in? Oh don't look so surprised, Jorin," the older man admonished. "Ye really think you're the only actor ever snuck his girl in?"

Jorin had the graciousness to look chastened. Torik just snorted. "I can see why she made ye forget yer lines," the older man commented, glancing at Rinya. "She's quite the looker. But that ain't no excuse, y'hear? Don't matter who's in the box, when yer on that stage ye pay attention. I dun wanna be seein' ye freeze like that again."

Jorin gulped and nodded. The man shrugged and took another sip of his wine. "So how are ye likin' the afterparty, young lady?" Torik asked Rinya, eyeing her critically. "As ye probably know, I'm Torik. And who might ye be?"

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

Rinya had not noticed Jorin observing the other dancers around them. She was quite comfortable focusing entirely on their physical closeness—the scent and feel of him despite the fact she felt him every day. It wasn’t even meant to be anything beyond contentment, though she would have been lying to say there wasn’t desire vaguely in the mix. But it was another thing she was just learning to associate with Jorin. Their level of attraction to the other had not yet waned with time—she highly doubted it ever would even as she aged.

The squeal that actually left her throat however gave away just how little she had been paying attention. With both of them having almost no dance experience a dip was the last thing she expected out of Jorin. Her fingers of her left hand resting on his shoulder gripped him tightly from the sudden movement. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him to hold her up, but the sudden vertigo of the movement made her head spin. As her head caught up to Jorin’s actions she realized just how close his face was to hers and she swallowed thickly. His hold on her was secure, but she felt a familiar surge of simple want. Impossible to decipher what it was he wanted of course, but it was there.

Jorin however found the need to show her what he wanted. Despite her curved position, Rinya returned the kiss thoroughly. Allowing herself to flood their bond with her emotions more strongly than she usually allotted herself. It was something they generally saved for home as it always more appropriate there. In the back of her mind she could hear an echo of sorts from the sound around them. Too foggy for her mind to make out, but just present enough to keep her grounded on the dance floor and not his arms. Though rumors were certainly the last thing on her mind.

As Jorin broke the kiss and righted them, Rinya realized just how much attention they had apparently attracted. She was glad her face was flushed from their kiss, because the amount of eyes on them would have normally sent her straight to red anyways. But it didn’t stop the uncomfortable feeling of being watched. Did they really have nothing better to do? Jorin himself joked with the actor from earlier and Rinya was envious again. How did he have the mind to be able to speak after pulling a stunt like that.

Grasping her hand, he began to lead her off the dance floor and through the crowd to find ‘Torik’. She assumed that Jorin had spotted him from a distance, because he picked a direction and trailed her through the throng of people. Torik’s voice penetrated the people around them as they got close enough, and Rinya would have had to of been blind not to notice Jorin’s flinch. ”If you had the night I’ve had then yes… it was absolutely required.” While she was actually answering the older actor’s question, the response wasn’t actually aimed at either of the men. Though they both undoubtedly heard it.

Torik went about scolding Jorin slightly over the fact he had not only snuck her into the theater, but the fact she apparently made him forget lines. She was quite intent on ignoring the fact the older man technically gave her a compliment over her looks without staring at her like she was something to eat rather than a person. Her fingers tightened around Jorin’s hand however. She wasn’t entirely sure if she should be upset by Torik’s scolding or not. But Torik’s rant seemed over almost as quickly as it begun and suddenly she was the center of attention.

”Rinya.” She supplied her name in a slightly clipped tone. Jorin couldn’t hide the fact that the man intimidated him, but Rinya found that she liked the actor more than some of the others she had met. But she most certainly wasn’t intimidated. ”It’s a mess if you ask me. All the head games and drinking to go on top of it.” Rinya eyed Torik’s wine for a moment before she snorted. ”You actors are quite interesting creatures to watch however.” Rinya murmured cooly. Technically she didn’t count Jorin among the actor population. He had his own title in her life.

Looking the man square in the eye, she shrugged lightly. ”I enjoyed the play—for what I could watch of it.” It took several ticks after she said this that she realized she was perhaps being a little too blunt for her own good. She dearly hoped he wasn’t an actor who was going to take it out on Jorin for her attitude.