Private Finished A Safe Haven in the Forest

To say that Ria was angry was an understatement of there ever was one. She was furious, and the reason for her wrath only added to it as it was beyond ridiculous to her opinion and not worthy of her anger. An especially unpleasant, if not bastardly customer had had the genius idea of sexually harassing Ria. And although her employers had advised her to let small incidents go Ria's coating had reacted accordingly and zapped the man. Naturally it had led to him assaulting Ria, and she had acted accordingly. Thrown the man to the ground. Ria had ended up being released early from her shift and the man threatened to sue. Truly, Ria should just let it go. And yet here she was, her coating blazing red as she walked among the trees in the forbidden forest.
For reasons unknown the monsters in the forest, though surely much mightier than Ria, were wary of her natural ability and normally kept their distance. In this situation it frustrated Ria and she had to make do as any larger rocks she found as targets. But she felt like hitting flesh and imagining it had that son of a bitch's face.

Not sure how long she kept walking Ria wandered deeper into the forest fuming with anger. Whatever sturdy enough she found she hit, aside from trees because they would not be able to handle her it. And she left a trail of splintered logs and shattered rocks behind.
Ria didn't hear any sounds of humanoid life, just the screeches and growls of beasts and monsters. But eventually Ria did hear the sounds of other aside from feral, her ears picked up breathing and movement. Ria headed towards the origin of said sounds, partly out of curiosity but mostly hoping someone this deep in the forbidden forest would be a good sparring partner. No weak survived here.
After a short while, as Ria got closer to her destination, she picked up a scent too. A scent that was...familiar? Ria frowned and started jogging. She saw a clearing ahead of her, and on that clearing a humanoid figure. And as Ria reached and stepped into the clearing her face was painted with confusion, as she looked upon a person she more or less knew, although in a very different getup.
"What are you doing here?"

Ria frowned when, upon her speaking, the man who was to her memory named Ain flipped and pulled a bow and arrow on her. It was not the first time and Ria ears perked. She instinctively tensed all her muscles and dropped in a low stance, her coating flaring crimson around her. She was ready for evasive maneuvers if the situation required it. But it didn't, since Ain seemed to recognize her after a second and lowered his bow. Ria rose from her stance but her aura was still flaring red and her muscles were tense. And it showed, since Ria's muscles were quite discernable on her bare arms.

It took Ria a moment to remember Ain could not speak, and so she stopped waiting for an answer and looked around. There was a small cottage on the clearing, and it was clearly habited. Ria could hear monsters and beasts circling the clearing, for some reason not entering. Was it the man's curse or her coating? Ain certainly seemed accustomed to living here, his movements had been trained and fluid and quite impressive. With that thought Ria returned her eyes to Ain, and his strange attire. Ria had not seen anything like it before.
The man tilted his head and motioned with his arms rather frantically, and Ria had too little patience to try interpret his meanings purely through body language. She used her empathy and tapped into the man's emotions, though she felt rather guilty about. As she had suspected, confusion and curiosity, topped with slight relief.
Ain took a small step closer, and gave Ria a slight wave. Ria resisted the urge to take a step back upon remembering the man's aura and instead gave him a nod and probbed her arms on her hips.
"It would be foolish of me to present anymore questions that can't be answered with simple yes or no. Is this your actual living space?"
Ria gestured towards the house, absently tightening the ponytail her long blonde hair was on.

Ria was able to relax her muscles when Ain removed his helmet. His scent had been a giveaway of his identity but after seeing his face properly Ria's last doubts were driven away. But Ria's coating was still active and although it wasn't flaring anymore it still dyed the surface of her body dimly red. It was proof that Ria, although her emotions were pushed back at the moment, was still angry or at least irritated.
Ria nodded a bit and pulled her legs a bit closer together, still in a position good for a moment's flight but tad more relaxed.
"Good to see I was not talking to a complete stranger, although your scent was quite clear. How are your injuries?"

Ria did not exactly feel comfortable when she saw that Ain looked her over, although through her empathy she could feel the man was not experiencing any indecent or hostile emotions. The slight glow in his, though momentary, cause Ria's ears to twitch and her brow furrowed a bit in suspicioun. But Ria didn't feel any effects of magic and Ain felt no malevolence. Although he did feel flustered for a moment when his eyes briefly brushed over Ria's chest area and she could see it on his face as well. Ria had to admit his muteness made even her slightly uncomfortable, although just slightly. Ria was used to spending long periods on her own in silence, silence with other people couldn't be that different. Right?
During the time it took Ain to briefly look her over Ria observed him as well, his messy looking blonde hair and rather slim figure. His possible injuries were not visible from outer appearance but Ain's movements didn't seem stiff or unnatural. That was enough proof for Ria, although the instinctive worry she carried inside of her flared and gave her coating slight tinge or purple.

Ria followed how Ain in simple gestures made it clear that this indeed was his true abode. She wasn't nearly keen enough to notice the craftsmanship of the cottage itself, but she deemed it seemed sturdy and practical, a good place to live in such an environment. Ria nodded slightly, and wanted to ask what Ain had done in Celeste's house, so far away from the forbidden forest. But that was a question much too personal since it was none of her business, and Ain wouldn't be able to answer it in any case.

Ain's next gestures made Ria's ears press down a bit and she tilted her head just slightly in confusion. Stretches and then punches to the air? Ria interpreted it that Ain either fought or sparred here, perhaps with the monsters. Which made Ria wonder...
"The monsters of this forest are not entering this clearing. They do not approach me because of a certain ability I have, but why do they avoid this clearing? Is it because of your abilities?"
Ria was studying magic theory as her major, and in all honesty Ain's ability, the fear aura, fascinated her. Ria was trying to find a way for her sister to control her empathy, and maybe for herself to control her coating. She was curious about any abilities that were the same way passive as her coating and Jii's empathy.

The moment Ain stepped closer Ria could feel the fear grip her. But it wasn't nearly as bad as she remembered. Now that she was fully rested, and in addition filled with adrenaline and anger, the fear couldn't get as bad of a grip on her and she did not react in any way aside from a slight ear twitch. Ain gestured on the clearing and cottage in a wide gesture, as if to present it to Ria, and she took it as a kind of welcoming gesture. Ain's feelings were neutral and positive, he felt awkward but also glad. Ria wasn't exactly sure what there was to be glad about but Ain's feelings were his own. Ria would not comment on them.
Ria answered Ain's smile with a nod and a slight smile of her own.
"I must admit I'm very surprised to see you here. I was under the impression you lived with Celeste."

Ria could feel Ain's curiosity, probably aimed at the reason why Ria was in the forbidden forest in the first place. Understandable question, and Ria felt Ain deserved an answer. She had seen him in a situation he had probably not wanted to be seen in, Ria could at least be honest with him.
"I come to the forbidden forest when I feel agitated about something, or feel anger. I recommend you do not get too close, my ability will have a negative effect on you. Much worse than last time."
Ria also didn't break eye contact and her eyes were hard, telling Ain to not even try what her coating could do. That would only anger her further.

Ria could feel Ain's concern, buy she wasn't sure what he was directing it at. Certainly not her, that thought Ria rejected outright. Ria frowned a bit, confused. Sure, she could feel what others were feeling, but that did not mean she could read people as well as Jii or her parents or other members of her species could. Thankfully Ain's concern changed to curiosity quite quickly and he...smelled himself? Ria raised a brow slightly at that.

As Ain proved his injuries were indeed fine by hopping on his ankle and tapping his shoulder Ria felt a small wave of relief. After what had happened Ria had been slightly concerned for the man, most probably out of sense of duty. She was glad to have the concern off her mind. Though it was replaced with slight curiosity, since Ain was in all honesty quite the peculiar individual. But Ria was not one to dig into things that were not essential, especially since Ain couldn't exactly tell her anything.

Ria could feel Ain's confusion before he even shrugged, and Ria's ears twitched a bit. She frowned and looked around the clearing, looking for any landmarks or signs of a ward spell. But she couldn't see anything, and she couldn't inspect Ain's cottage how she pleased. Ria sighed slightly and decided to let it go.

Ria's ears twitched and drooped a bit when he felt sad and sent her a sorrowful look. Ria felt guilty for stepping on a landmine, she was not aware of Ain's circumstances and yet had talked about something personal. Jii often reminded her to try and be considerate of other people but Ria was not that good at following said advice. She cleared her throat a bit, her ears still a big droopy.
"I won't mention Celeste again. Forgive me."

Ria watched with confusion as Ain stepped away from her with a sigh and walked over to the center of the clearing. He undid his cloak and the leather straps that held his weaponry and equipment. And as Ain even took his shirt off Ria blushed slightly under her fur and her coating flared slightly pink for a moment when she looked at the man with slight shock.
"What are y-"
But she understood what he was doing while mid-sentence. Ain was still not feeling anything suspicious, and he had taken a martial arts stance. Was he intending to...spar with Ria? Ria observed Ain, now with analytical eyes, trying to find out if he would be a worthy opponent. The man had a well-toned body but he was rather thin and lacked Ria's muscle mass. Though on this island Ria had very quickly learned outward appearance could be very deceiving.
Ria widened her stance slightly and raised a brow at Ain.
"This may hurt your pride, but I am not certain if I should spar you. My coating can cause serious damage, and I do not wish to hurt hou just when your injuries have healed."
Ria said this, but her hands were twitching a bit, itching to see some action. Ria looked down at them briefly and sighed, she had to learn to be in control more.

Ria could feel Ain's confidence but it didn't help her uneasiness. He did not know what her coating could do. Ria had seen strong people, much stronger than Ain seemed, writhe on the floor from pain after touching Ria when she was furious. Those memories haunted Ria and her coating flared slightly dark blue here and there.
But Ain felt sure of himself, and Ria smiled slightly at his small grin. In all honesty she was curious to try and fight the man, Ria hadn't had a proper sparring match since her encounter with John in the forest.

When Ain dashed towards her Ria took a fighting stance as well but not fast enough so she could get outside Ain's reach in time. He attacked from two directions at once, but his movements were slow and predictable enough for Ria to revise a counter attack. Normally she would've blocked and strike back immediately. But Ria wanted to avoid too much physical contact, ease Ain into the pain caused by her coating, so to say. She used her small stature and would swiftly get close to Ain. Ria would try to send one firm blow to Ain's lower stomach, and after that she'd try to do the same thing Ain had atyempted and sweep him off his feet with one wide kick.