Private Finished Yes Or No?

Ria could really understand, how it felt to be isolated from others because of something you couldn't control. That had been, was, Ria's life. Bevause even if her coating was a minor issue on the island she realized growing up with it and surrounded by people, who were afraid of it had done its damage to her emotional and social progress. It had left her with a good control of her emotions but unable to express them in a healthy way.
Ria didn't know how long Ain had been cursed but Ria knew that even if it was his whole life or a short while it left its marks. Ria wasn't about to add to those marks knowingly, even if she could. And she couldn't, she trusted Ain too much.

All these thoughts were packed into the simple, light pat Ria gave Ain's arm. And when Ain suddenly moved his hand to grab Ria's she flinched a bit, but didn't move her hand away like she normally would. Instead Ria blushed slightly and momentarily her coating flared pink, especially around the hand Ain was holding. Ain would feel gentle, pleasant vibrations in his hand from the coating during the short moment it was pink. But the shade disappeared quickly and Ria took a breath and looked away. The tips of her fluffy ears were slightly pink from blush even if her face was void of it now.
She never drew her hand away, and just waited for Ain to stop holding it.

Even Ria momentarily forgot that she had presented a question but remembered again when Ain nodded yes. Ria frowned slightly and her ears twitched.
"So it blocks everything? Even sign language?"

Ria almost wanted to punch herself when Ain letting go of her hand disappointed her slightly. Ria had not, for some reason, minded his hold of her hand. Well, Ria knew why she had not minded, she wasn't stupid. It was clear Ria was attracted to Ain, she realized that. But she didn't admit it to herself, didn't let herself think about it. It was all too fast and soon, it was unwise and not logical and Ria had no experience in it aside from few occasions in the past.
Ria had never felt the urge to be held before.

Ria shook these thoughts, they were outrageous, she barely knew Ain. So when he did release her hand Ria put it back on the grass and tried to ignore the lingering feeling of Ain's warmth. Instead she concentrated on the man himself and frowned when he looked confused at the mention of sign language.
"You do not know what sign language is? It is a language deaf people use to communicate, where the words are formed with hand motions."
Ria turned her body more to face Ain and made a motion with her hands, one of the few words she knew in sign language. There was an old deaf Pixan in their village and all the young people had taken the effort to at least learn one or two words.
"This is the word for 'thank you'. Try imitating me, I want to see if you are capable of sign language."
Just in case Ain didn't catch it Ria repeated the motion in slow, deliberate movements.

Ria watched nervously how Ain mimicked her movements, and somehow she felt immensely relieved when he was able to repeat the motion back at Ria. She couldn't help but smile a little and her ears perked a bit. Ria's excitement was visible in her eyes as she looked at Ain.
"What a useful loophole. If you learn sign language you can communicate with m-, others, more effectively. You..."
Ria trailed off, she had been about to say "you don't have to be alone", but Ria didn't exactly know why Ain lived in this place. Of course there was the case of his fear aura, but weren't there power bracelets on the island? Although if Ain was curse it could mean they didn't work. Ria tapped her chin a bit, sinking in thought. Eventually she snapped out of it and looked at Ain. She could ask questions when they had a better way of communicating.
"I unfortunately cannot teach you sign language aside from the few words I know. We need to find you a teacher, or I will start studying it and teach you as I go. Oh, and there is the option of self-learning. But before that..."
Ria lifted her hand and made another sign and motion with her hand.
"This motion means 'see you late'."
Ria wasn't aware of it, but the motion she just made had a whole different meaning from 'see you later'.

Ria smiled a bit yet again when Ain repeated her hand movements. She got a sudden urge to grab his hands, or maybe even hug him, but Ria was able to hold herself back and instead patted Ain's arm lightly again, trying not to think how he had held her hand earlier.
"I'm glad for you, this opens many new doors. Say, Ain, you have thought about breaking this curse, haven't you?"
Ria's expression shifted to serious and she leaned forward slightly.
"Whether you have or haven't I want to help you. I study magic theory, I know enough about curses to know they are nearly always breakable, somehow."
Ria sounded and looked determined and her hands squeezed into fists slowly. She wanted to help Ain, this case was different from her sister's. Jii had been cursed but it had been much simpler than this one. Ria could understand this was a powerful curse, much more so than some simple witch's little magic trick.
Ria lifted her hand again and did another motion, different from earlier.
"This one means 'please'"

Ria stifled her disappointment before it could even raise its head, when Ain accepted her pat without doing anything. Though Ria did notice him moving his arms but that was merely for moving them behind his back, nothing else.
Ria didn't want to, and wouldn't, sink down to a level where she felt sorry for herself for being much younger than Ain. It was clear Ain would not feel anything similar to what Ria was feeling, and she had accepted and would live with that.

So Ain had thought about breaking the curse. Ria wasn't surprised, living with his kind of curse was obviously hard. Ria nodded and tapped her chin with her hand a bit.
"You have been outside the forbidden forest before. Have you done any research on your curse, and how to break it?"

Ain thanked her, and Ria didn't have to guess it. She clearly knew that Ain was thanking her, and that touched Ria surprisingly much. She nodded a little, ignoring how moved she truly was, and opened her hands slowly and set them on the ground.
And as Ain repeated the motion for 'please' back at her Ria nodded and smiled a small, confident smile.
"I will help you, in any way I can spare my time and resources on."