Lethe Hostel Waves crashing in the evening, ever moving on

[Markus Eldridge]

Finally, Markus found himself walking through the doors of what he thought was the Lethe Hostel. It had been surprisingly hard to locate, seeming to be one of the city's hidden gems. The old refurbished townhouses were pretty, and the front office had plenty of traffic. The redhead went to the front desk and inquired about his purpose for coming today.

Some time ago, Markus met with John, a man who seemed to be down in his luck and lost in the big city, not even knowing who he was. As much as Markus wished he had been in a place to help the other man when they first met, the redhead had his own traumas to deal with and had ended up in Europe for a time.

Now, sometime later, Markus wanted to reach back out. Part of him hoped that John had moved on, found his own slice of happiness, or even discovered more of who he was. If not, perhaps now Markus would be in a better place to help him.

After a time, Markus got the hostel's matron to accept that he meant no harm to John, and she eventually agreed to see if the other man was available. Having nothing else to do, Markus would sit at one of the available spaces in the office and pull out his phone.

[Kai Mahuta]

It was a good thing that the young man named John Smith had been an affable and handsome amnesiac. The staff and other residents at Lethe were as familiar with John's story as he was, which, at first, wasn't very informative. Once his memories had returned - or mostly returned, at least - 'John Smith' had become Kai Mahuta. He continued to be popular, so when Markus asked for John and described his story, the woman behind the front desk knew exactly whom he was seeking.

She just wanted to be certain that the visitor's intentions were not nefarious. That was the phrase she used when she found Kai, who wore shorts, a necklace with a shell pendant, a bracelet made of little beads and shells, and nothing else. The woman knew that if he could, Kai wouldn't wear clothing at all, which would have been exceedingly distracting and be considered indecent exposure.

He was doing push-ups in the main area. A few of the other residents were sitting in the provided chairs, some working on a puzzle at a long table, some reading. Several of them were watching Kai; there may have been drool involved. The woman shook her head and said, “Kai, you have a visitor.” Her voice dropped to a stage whisper. “I wanted to make sure his intentions were not nefarious.”

Kai stopped doing push-ups and stood, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. His skin had a sheen of sweat which accentuated his muscles. He smiled at the woman and thanked her before heading toward the main entrance.

A man with red hair was sitting in one of the uncomfortable chairs made of molded plastic, similar in design to the chairs used in schools everywhere. He was dragging his index finger repeatedly across the small screen. Kai recognized him and his smile widened.

Pausing just inside the room, he said, “Markus!”

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus glanced up with a smile as he heard his name getting called. The redhead glanced up and down the man before him for the briefest moment. He had forgotten how handsome John was. Seeing the beads of sweat that collected on the man's skin made Markus wonder if he was interrupting something, maybe a workout.

“John,” Markus says as he stands up before offering the other man his hand. "“It's good to see you again. How have you been?” Markus asks. He is glad to see that the man looked well. Markus did wonder why he was still at the hostel and what the man had been up to.

[Kai Mahuta]

Kai crossed to his friend and gave him a firm handshake.

“It is good to see you, too. I'm well, thank you.” Still slowly shaking Markus's hand, he added, “We have a lot of catching up to do. Do you have some time? I need to grab some more clothing.” He sighed. “The matron gets concerned when I go out like this in weather like that.”

He nodded toward a nearby window, acknowledging that it was still too cold for most people to be walking around outside in nothing but shorts.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus smiled at the man as he talked. He was pleased that John remembered him and listened as the other man nodded towards the window.“Of course, I know my visit was unexpected. I have time; feel free to change, and then we can go out.”

Markus gave a small chuckle as he heard John talk about the matron. “It's good that she has your back and supports her patrons. Such loyalty is rare.”

“Let me know when you're ready, and we can go,” Markus said with a smile. His tone was light and ready.

[Kai Mahuta]

He released Markus's hand and nodded.

“They take good care of people like me, who need a safe place,” he said, then stepped back, saying, “I'll just be a minute.”

He headed for the room he shared with three other residents. His clothing was stored in one of an old quartet of school lockers. Kai dialed his combination, tugged it open and checked his locker for suitable attire. He chose a red Tee, a pair of blue jeans, a sweater with a blue diamond pattern on a cream background and his running shoes. Casual but clean. No one else was present. Dropping the clothing on his bunk - he had one of the upper ones, because he didn't mind climbing up and down during the night - striped and dressed. He continued to wear the necklace and bracelet, though.

Phone, keys, Lethe ID...

Kai returned to the main entrance at a light jog, announcing, “All set.”

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus gave the other man a nod and a smile, leaning back on the wall as John went to change. Glancing around, the redhead would take in his surroundings a bit more. Markus was curious how often this place found people who needed such help. He assumed amnisia wasn't exactly common, but he knew there were all kinds of other things someone might need. Markus himself had already learned just how dangerous the city could be.

After a short time, Markus watched as John returned. “Awesome, let's go for a walk then,” he said in a light tone, nodding towards the door. “So, tell me, John. How are you holding up? Sorry it's been so long.” Markus asked as they moved.

[Kai Mahuta]

Kai grinned. “No worries. I bet you've been up to your eyeballs in alligators.”

As he matched pace with Markus and they left Lethe, he said, “I'm not doing too badly. I have a place to stay and I'm in a work program with others like me. I've met some interesting people and I know who I am now.”

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus raised an eyebrow and let out a small laugh as John made a remark he had never heard of before, one he really hoped never to experience. He left his ignorance unsaid, however, as they continued to walk.

“That is excellent!” Markus said with a smile. “So, should I still call you John or?” he asked, a bit hesitantly, unsure how this works. “I am glad things are working out; tell me more about your time.” Markus offered, wanting to hear more about what the other man was doing.

[Kai Mahuta]

“I guess you can still call me John, if you like,” he said, then paused on the sidewalk, turning to Markus and extending his hand with a smile. “Kai Mahuta, from New Zealand.”

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus turned towards the man and grasped his hand with a smile. “It's a Pleasure to meet you, Kai, officially,” he said as he shook the man's hand before letting go. He was really glad the man knew who he was now, though it was interesting as well. An amnesiac from New Zealand, quite the story.

He had no idea where they were going, but he could hear the not-so-distant sound of the waterfront near the Lethe Hostel. “So, New Zealand. Quite the trip. Do you miss home?”

[Kai Mahuta]

Kai didn't really know where they were going either, aside from forward, which was a normal thing for people walking to do. Maybe they could grab a tea somewhere and catch-up for a bit.

“Quite the trip,” he said with a nod. If that wasn't the understatement of the year, he didn't know what that would be. “I miss the people more than the place, I think. I can tell you all about it, if you like, over tea? Have you eaten?” He realized then that he didn't know what time it was, exactly. “Is it a time people usually eat? I mostly eat when I'm hungry.”

Some might wonder if Kai was a little scattered or distracted or, perhaps, experiencing some form of ADHD. Any of those could be possible, but mostly this was just how his brain worked.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus nodded as the man spoke about what he had missed. That made total sense to him. He had never really had a place he called home. However, his family, especially his sister, was always his home. He missed her terribly.

“I typically agree with eating when you are hungry. It stops overeating, is good for the body, plus most people eat too early in the day for me.” Markus responded lightly. “I would love some tea; this feels like a good time to eat.” He decides.

“I would love to hear more about it. Where shall we go?” he asks, happy to go just about anywhere. There are plenty of places on the waterfront that would be perfect for a stop.

[Kai Mahuta]

Kai was also happy to go anywhere, which could leave them waffling about options for long enough that if it wasn't the usual time to eat now, it would be by the time they had a destination sorted.

There were quite a few places not far from Lethe where they could stop for food and tea, though decent tea might narrow it down a bit.

“You know a lot about food,” Kai observed. “You were very knowledgeable at the sushi spot and you've been in Easthaven longer than I have. As long as the tea is better than the nameless tea bag of mostly powder a lot of places use, I'm there.”

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus laughed at John, now Kai's, statement. He didn't think he was all that well-versed in food, but the redhead had no issue being their guiding bolt. He was usually more focused on saving time than thinking about problems that could quickly be answered with a Google search through reviews. “Luckily, that is what these are for,” he would say, pulling out his phone before using his maps app to point him in the direction of the best tea place within walking distance.

Turning down a nearby street, he said, “It looks like we are headed this way,” leading them toward the shop he found.

[Kai Mahuta]

Markus seemed game to search for a place they might enjoy. Kai watched as he used his mobile phone to 'Google' for it or whatever engine he used. Kai used Google for pretty much everything, when he remembered that his phone was also a computer, of sorts. His didn't have the bells and whistles that Markus's phone probably had, but that was okay.

Kai used his to call and text, mostly.

“Good,” he said, walking beside his friend as they changed direction.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus didn't worry about the lapse in conversation; he wasn't really one who needed all of his time filled with noise or space. He also knew that sometimes people just liked to enjoy a good walk. The tea shop was only a couple blocks from where they had been. It was against one of the rivers that cut through the city and provided an excellent view of Newton and the waterfront.

With a smile, Markus turned towards Kai. “It seems this is it.” His voice was light as he looked at the menu before stepping up to the counter and ordering himself an Earl Grey; he was even pleased to see that they offered honey as a sugar option. He would also order himself a sandwich before pointing his thumb at the other man with him, “And whatever he wants,” Markus informed, winking at his friend.

“Order whatever; I got us, then we can swap stories.”

[Kai Mahuta]

Kai had never been known to have problems with silence. He wasn't shy about speaking with people, as a rule, but didn't feel the need to talk when there wasn't really anything to say. They walked in companionable silence until they reached a place that had a lot of different teas listed on the menu mounted on the wall behind the counter.

Markus went first, then indicated Kai could order whatever he wanted. He didn't want to take advantage of his friend and had planned to at least pay for his own beverage, but with the wink, he took his friend at his word.

“I would like blackcurrant tea and ah... a smoked salmon sandwich on light rye with lettuce and tomato...” He thought about desert, but decided to wait until after he'd consumed his sandwich. “That's it.”

They were given a small, metal stand with a plastic number, black on white, inserted in the clip on top.

“Have a seat, we'll bring it over for you,” the woman behind the counter said. Kai turned to Markus. “A seat by the window?” he suggested. That way, they could look out at the river.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus nodded at the suggestion; he liked window seats as well, always one to snoop, and people watch it afforded the best of both worlds usually. Settling into his seat, he set down the metal stand before leaning back in his chair and turning to Kai.

“So, memories back, that must be really nice?” Markus, of course, had learned about all sorts of supernatural phenomena since meeting Kai, including, ironically, a source of water that could erase memories. While the redhead thought it would be too much of a stretch to assume any relation, he couldn't rule out the possibility and was curious to hear more.

[Kai Mahuta]

“Yes, having my memories again is a relief, now that I know what they are. I mean, if they hadn't returned, I would never know what I was missing, but now that I know, I know would miss them, unless I forgot again.” Kai shared this information as if such a tangled telling was perfectly normal and easy to understand.

He would have no knowledge of water that would erase someone's memory and the very idea of it would be concerning.

Kai glanced at their number - 11 - then at the counter, then back to the number, briefly, before looking at Markus again.

“I am glad to know who I am. No knowing was... disconcerting.”

The woman who had taken their order approached with a tray. There were two cups on saucers, two small tea pots and a bowl containing sugar packages and little containers of milk.

“Here you go,” she said, placing the items on the table. “Sandwiches will just be another minute.” She tucked the tray under one arm and hurried away.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus raised an eyebrow as the man spoke, as he worked to follow along. The way Kai thought, spoke, and emoted was intriguing. At first, Markus thought it might have been the amnisia, but it seemed that this was all Kai. He enjoyed it, even though he had little experience following such diction.

“I think I understand now that you know what you lost. That it was important, you are glad you have it back.” Markus responded, trying to be sure he fully understood. As the woman approached with tea, Markus gave her a carefree smile and voiced his thanks, taking one of the cups and looking back towards his friend.

“How does a New Zealand man find himself in Easthaven with memory loss? I am surprised to find you still at the hostel.” Markus asked. He would assume, along with his memories, Kai would have something to return to. Very few people could just upend their lives, live in a hostel, and be so carefree. Unless, of course, being carefree is what caused him to lose his memories in the first place. Maybe some sort of accident.

[Kai Mahuta]

Markus summed up what Kai had just said fairly well. It was important to know yourself, whether you had experienced amnesia or not.

“I'm fortunate that Lethe doesn't turn people out on the street if they don't have anywhere to go,” he said, removing the lid on his pot to look inside. He leaned a little closer and inhaled the fragrant blackcurrant scent that emerged with the steam. “The program I'm in supports me staying there and finds me odd jobs when possible. They also have someone who helps with resumes and interviews.” He sighed a bit and replaced the lid. “I don't have a formal education beyond the high school equivalent, so at the moment, I've been doing things like mowing lawns, shoveling snow... I recently connected with someone who has a dog walking business. That's been fun.”

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus took a drink of his tea as Kai answered him. It was disappointing to hear that Kai didn't have anywhere to go; the redhead wondered if that would be something he could help with. Perhaps the man was trying to get home or move on. A few possibilities came to mind as Markus listened. He could make a few phone calls, someone would hire Kai as an assistant, or if the man wasn't against it, there were always places looking for janitors or other tasks. Of course, however, being from New Zealand meant whoever hired him would have to take over or renew his work visa.

There was, of course, the possibility of Markus offering him a job. The redhead had done it for friends in need plenty of times before. However, he doesn't have any direct need to employ the man at the moment. The sort of things an assistant would help Markus with either required an understanding of advanced computer systems or knowledge about the supernatural.

So Markus decided to figure out what Kai wanted instead—to discover the problem before inventing solutions. “You don't have anywhere to go?” Markus would ask delicately. “If you had the option, what would you do with your life? Would you return home, stay here, or do something else entirely?” He tried to keep his tone light and curious but not too direct. He didn't want to seem like he was interrogating the man.

[Kai Mahuta]

Kai had no idea of the myriad of possibilities that were running through Markus's head. It would have surprised him, had he known. Not because he didn't think his friend was a generous person, but to pull out all the stops for someone he didn't know terribly well was the type of action that might lead to sainthood in some cultures.

He considered the question and nodded wisely, as if he had an answer.

“Well, I could go home, stay here or go somewhere else.” Kai considered his words, then decided they might not be terribly useful, since they had basically echoed Markus's question. “I want to help protect the environment,” he said thoughtfully. “That requires money and influence. I want to remove that 'plastic island' in the ocean, which is a more specific project than just helping the environment. There are other things along that vein, I know, but... its a start.”

Their sandwiches arrived, delivered by the same woman on the same tray: two plates and a handful of napkins. “Enjoy,” she said cheerily and returned to her counter and whatever duties were there. The place wasn't empty - three other tables were occupied - but they looked like they had already finished and were lingering over coffee or tea.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus nodded once more as Kai spoke. Kai's ambitions were kind and far more noble than anything Markus had done up until now, though they did give him ideas.

He was ruminating about Kai's words when the woman returned with their food, giving them a kind comment and then returning to her work. Markus would take the time to eat a bite before responding.

“That is really quite kind of you and is an awesome goal. Have you thought about pursuing a degree? Perhaps in wildlife or marine conservation. It would give you some background and even maybe allow you to network.” Markus questioned, wondering how much thought Kai had put into these goals. Even if he hadn't thought about it, Markus was enjoying the conversation.

[Kai Mahuta]

Kai took a bite of his sandwich, too, and it was delicious. Just what he'd felt like eating. He listened to Markus as he chewed and swallowed before he spoke.

“I have thought about working on a degree,” he said, putting his sandwich down, wiping his hands on a napkin and lifting his pot to pour some tea into his cup, of course, for if he poured it elsewhere, that would just be odd. “I think I did okay in school, but I... joined my father's community when I was seventeen, so I graduated, but that was it.”

He had almost said he'd joined his father's pod at seventeen, but that wouldn't have made any sense to Markus.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus listened as Kai talked, taking a moment to eat some of his food. It was good, but that didn't surprise Markus. The reviews had been accurate, and most hole-in-the-wall locations like this were gems within a city such as Easthaven.

Nodding, Markus didn't feel the need to push the need for a degree. Plenty of people did perfectly fine with them. The main use of it was time, letting Kai discover, plan, and consider what his future would hold, even though some people don't even get that far by the time they graduate college.

“Well, if you ever want to go that route, let me know; I might can help,” Markus said with a smile. One of his LLCs offered scholarship opportunities to prospective students. While they were usually offered to STEM fields, Markus knew he could sway it a bit. It was dual purpose. It allowed him to keep an eye on possible talent and competition while providing pretty good tax benefits. Some of his best friends had been met through the program. “It would mean you would have to apply, get accepted, and get a student Visa unless you already have citizenship. But that isn't too hard.” Markus mentioned.

“Speaking of which, and please, don't answer if its too much. It really isn't any of my business.” Markus realized some of Kai's story didn't add up. If he were on travel, the amount of time he has been in the USA would start to draw concerns without a VISA, and if he didn't have a steady job, odds were he didn't have a Work Visa. Perhaps he was married or had dual citizenship. Though looking at the man, Markus couldn't believe that was the possibility. “Are you legally able to work in the United States? Through either Citizenship, Visa, or travel?”

Markus knew it was a tough question, and he didn't want to grill the guy. But if he were going to help in some of the ways he was thinking, it would be important for him to know. Markus had no intention of reporting the man either way, but he also had to know what he was getting into.

[Kai Mahuta]

Kai sipped his tea while Markus made an offer to assist him with his education. That was very kind of him, and though his mother might be able to provide some assistance in that direction, Kai was still undecided if that was really the direction he wanted to take. There was no point spending money on higher learning and that possibly important piece of paper if it wasn't the right piece of paper or even the proper area to study.

If he wanted to enact any positive changes to the environment, on a scale appropriate to the need, it would probably take at least three to four years before his education was complete. Then he'd need to find a job and get his feet wet, as it were, within the field.

And even then, he didn't think he'd be earning enough to start a foundation or something for quite a while. It was something billionaires should do, along with global poverty and education, and though some were, there were conspicuous people at the top of the food chain who were not bothering to exert themselves to affect change.

Too busy sending cars into space...

He wanted to shake them until all their money fell out.

“Through a connection with Lethe, I have a Visa,” he said, then took a bite of his sandwich and chewed it thoroughly.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus nodded as Kai answered. It was good to hear that wasn't a concern. Visas could complicate things, slowing down options at best and, worse, locking Kai out. “Good to hear. Well, if there is anything I can do, job, education, aid, let me know, and don't be afraid to ask. I can't promise anything, however,” Markus said as he ate more of his sandwich.

For Markus, this was always the most challenging part of small talk. He was curious about the man and wanted to ask for more. However, he never knew which questions to ask: physics, math, or engineering. Those were the simple, however, talking about day-to-day life, now that was complicated.

[Kai Mahuta]

Kai swallowed and laughed a little. “Thank you, I'll let you know when I know what I'm going to do.”

Another sip of tea, another bite of sandwich. The smoked salmon was very good. Kai would have to remember this place. Once he swallowed his most recent mouthful, he said, “You asked how I... how I got here. I'm not sure how to tell you about it, so...” He studied Markus for a few beats. “Can I ask you a question?”

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus continued to drink his tea, contemplating as he glanced out the window. He smiled and nodded towards Kai when he confirmed that he would let Markus know. That was all the redhead asked; he wasn't one to push aid onto others if they didn't want or need it.

As the man spoke up again, Markus raised an inquisitive eyebrow. He noticed the change in tone and the slight hesitation before Kai asked him if he could ask him a question. For the briefest moment, the redhead is contemplating teasing the other man and informing Kai that he has just asked a question. But he dropped it and spoke up.

“Of course, what's up?” Markus asked, turning his attention fully to Kai so that he could ask his question.

[Kai Mahuta]

Depending on how distracted he was with the very thought of outing himself as a supernatural creature to Markus, he might not have understood the teasing, so it was just as well it didn't come up.

“Now that I've decided to start this part of our conversation, I'm not sure where to start,” Kai admitted. “Do you... Do you believe in dragons? Ghosts? Mermaids?”

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus took a drink as Kai started up, mentioning that he needed help figuring out where to start. He was curious about what the man could be worried about. When Kai finished, Markus had to remind himself not to spill his drink or show too much on his face. He was almost sure that the question wasn't an accident. With the amount of supernatural Markus has run into recently, he knew there was little chance the question was hypothetical. But he knew he would still have to be careful.

“Well,” Markus started carefully. “I think there are absolutely unexplained things in the world, and discoveries are constantly being made or unveiled.” His answer was more political than anything, giving ground towards his willingness to accept it. “Why do you ask?”

[Kai Mahuta]

Kai noted the very careful answer. Was it due to Markus thinking his friend might be crazy, delusional, a few fries short of a Happy Meal? Or was it due to having knowledge of such things, but being uncertain where Kai was going with his questions? He seemed open to the idea of the strange and unusual. That was a positive sign.

“I ask because I'm one of them.” Kai kept his eyes on Markus's face to see what his reaction would be.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus took a deep breath as the man revealed that he was supernatural. However, the statement left Markus with many more questions than answers.Even more so, he was surprised that Kai had just outright told him.

“One of what?” Markus asked, genuinely curious. “Obviously not a spirit...” Markus muttered to himself, revealing that he did, in fact, know something.

“Mermaid? Dragon? or were those just hypotheticals?” Markus didn't actually know how magical creatures presented themselves, and he certainly didn't see a tail instead of legs where Kai sat, though he was tempted to check again.

If he learned that dragons just looked like everyday people, he wasn't quite sure how he would feel about that. He knew Sunako and her brother had some strange bloodline. Trevelyan had revealed that he knew magic but didn't give any more beyond that.

[Kai Mahuta]

Markus didn't laugh, lash out or run screaming, so those were good signs. Kai heard him mutter about spirits. Perhaps his friend was not completely unaware of the existence of beings other than the 'usual'.

“Those options are not hypothetical, in any way, they are real,” Kai replied with a small smile. The smile wavered a little as Kai considered how Markus would react when he actually saw the evidence of his biology. “I'm trusting you, Markus,” he said continued quietly. “If I accept any assistance you wish to give, you need to know, to understand who I am. There will be... certain things to take into account.”

Kai didn't want to alarm the man, but he felt this step was crucial to moving forward, with their friendship, pursuing an education, finding more regular employment, anything. It would be so much easier if he didn't have to watch everything he said to Markus or have to omit important information that would make decisions and actions more complicated, or even impossible.

[Markus Eldridge]

Cinder Collection Exceptional Success,
The Feeling of a Whispered Secret(Good Quality)
Markus listened as Kai spoke; he would give the man a slight nod. He could see a bit of hesitance in the man and heard him speak up quietly. He felt honored to have the man's trust and agreed. If Markus was going to help him, this added an entirely new set of layers to the scenario. However, from what he could tell, the supernatural lived within the mundane pretty fluidly, so long as people didn't draw attention. So he wondered what else he would have to take into account.

Taking a deep breath, Markus felt it would be good to make sure Kai was confident that he was on board and understood. Markus could feel the anxiety, his heartbeat, and the moment between two people as a secret was shared. Holding up his hand, he would pluck that feeling out of the air and make a slight show to Kai of forming the magic thread of that moment. It felt as if he was moving his hand through water as he formed it, collected it, and placed it within a small vial that he had pulled out. Typically, Markus was much more subtle when focusing on such magic, and he would place it into something mundane. While he made sure they were not being watched, this time, he wanted Kai to see so he was more overt.

“Kai. I understand you are safe with me. There is nothing you are that I would judge.” Markus said, hoping that ends up being the case. So far, he had a poor track record of his response to confronting the paranormal. Though, he was trying to change that.

[Kai Mahuta]

He watched with interest as Markus as he selected something invisible to him and placed it in a vial he just happened to have in his pocket. Looking at the vial, he wondered what was inside it now. He suspected that magic of some kind had just occurred and could picture Markus on a stage, performing a show,

Nothing in this hand, nothing in this hand - Look! I put nothing in a vial, smash the vial and Presto! Kai couldn't imagine what might appear, but something would, as if it came from nothing. Which it might have done.

Trying to curb his anxiety, he took a few slow breaths, relieved when Markus said he was safe with him and that he wouldn't judge. Though he wondered about the latter part of the statement, he had hope.

“I'm what you would call a merman,” he all but whispered. “I can show you after lunch, if you like.” Was this lunch? Whatever.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus put away the vial and watched how Kai responded. The redhead wasn't sure if Kai knew exactly what he had done, but he seemed to calm down after a few breaths. Markus would smile at him softly.

“I would like that, whenever you are ready,” Markus said, eating more of his sandwich. “I have a few questions if you don't mind. I will be frank; I am... relatively new... to a lot of this.”

[Kai Mahuta]

Kai took another bite of his sandwich and nodded when Markus said he had some questions. He would have been more surprised if his friend didn't have questions. He finished chewing, swallowed and had another sip of his blackcurrant tea.

“Of course, ask whatever you want.”

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus nodded, as the man gave him leyway. Frankly Markus wasn't certain what to ask first, some of it of course should probably wait till Kai showed him more.

“Well, I guess we can start with the simple ones.” Markus took a breath, speaking softly. “I am guessing you grew up with the... paranormal, supernatural? Other world?” Markus said with laugh, still not sure the lingo. “What is that like, it must be difficult?”

[Kai Mahuta]

“Yes, I did,” he replied, taking another sip of his cooling tea before he continued. “I couldn't go into public easily, so I was home schooled. I went into town for the tests and started regular attendance in high school.” Kai smiled a little. “By then, I was old enough to understand how and why I was different, what I couldn't show or tell anyone and how to blend in.”

Kai wasn't sure how well he had 'blended' with the other kids, being tall and rather striking as his body grew into his height, but his secret had remained intact.

“And, yes, it was difficult, sometimes.”

[Markus Eldridge]

“Hmmmm,” Markus let out an understanding sound and nodded in sympathy as Kai responded. It made sense, but it was unfortunate to hear. Markus had never had issues like that. He knew his life had been pretty tame and relatively uneventful until he graduated college.

“Well, I'm sorry to hear it,” Markus said between bites as he finished his sandwich. “And what brought you to Easthaven? Are there others like you here?”

[Kai Mahuta]

“Don't be sorry,” he said with a smile. “Not your fault and I survived without being abducted for someone's science experiment.” That was a plus.

Kai finished his sandwich and wiped his mouth with his napkin before he answered the other questions. He wasn't quite sure how to begin, bit decided to deal with the second one first.

“I don't know if there are others like me here.” He thought of Lin, but other than not knowing much about her connection to the ocean - and her ability to create a gorgeous pearl in her throat - it wasn't his place to even mention her in this context. He smiled at the memory of their last encounter. “I have heard there are sirens in the harbour, though they haven't introduced themselves to me yet.”

Now came the difficult part: how he had reached Easthaven?

“A boat,” he said quietly, his smile faltering a little. “Brought me to Easthaven, that is, or close enough to the coast.”

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus nodded in understanding as the man told him not to apologize. He continued sipping his tea, listening attentively without interruption. As the man mentioned the sirens, Markus nodded in agreement. He remembered that he had previously warned Kai about the dangers of the water when they first met, in part due to the sirens, even if he didn't mention them directly.

Markus observed the man's smile falter as the conversation changed, and he responded with a sympathetic smile of his own. “I see,” Markus said, motioning for the man to continue. He had no intention of interrupting and was willing to give Kai all the time he needed.

[Kai Mahuta]

Kai sighed and folded his hands in front of him on the table, his fingers interlocked.

“There's more to it, of course,” he said quietly, with a quick glance around the room. “It wasn't my intention to be on that boat, Markus. It was... It was a fishing boat, a commercial trawler type. They cast a net and... caught more than they'd expected.” It had been such a strange thing to happen and he had become quickly entangled. He had hoped the people on the boat would free him from the net and let him go. Unfortunately, they didn't see a person, they saw a valuable item.

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus finished his tea and watched Kai. He could tell that the man was uncomfortable talking about this, and he felt terrible. “Kai, what happened wasn't your fault, and monsters come in all forms, supernatural and human alike,” Markus said with certainty and a bit of sadness.

“I am sorry that happened to you,” he said, offering sympathy. He couldn't imagine what that must have been like, and trying to empathize would be wrong. He was glad Kai made it out on the other side.

[Kai Mahuta]

Kai didn't think it was his fault, but he had felt so helpless, tied to a chair and locked in a closet. He had been scared, too, of course, but hope had never abandoned him.

“Thank you,” he said, continuing to keep his voice low. They were in public, after all. “It shouldn't happen to anyone, what I went through.” He swallowed. “The captain... wanted to sell me to a collector... in New York.”

[Markus Eldridge]

Markus nodded in understanding, and he agreed. No one should have to go through that. He knew there were human trafficking trades all around the world, and it didn't surprise him to hear that it extended into the supernatural. It was disgusting to listen to either way.

“I understand. That is awful.” Markus responded, looking the man in the eyes. “Thank you for telling me. Is there more to the story? How did you get away? Does it have to do with your amnesia?” Markus knew it was a lot of questions, and he didn't expect the man to answer them all. But, the more he knew, the better.

[Kai Mahuta]

“I don't know what caused the amnesia,” he replied. “It could've been... shock, the beatings, the small amount of food and water, the questions and...”

Kai sighed. He figured he might as well tell Markus that - “They tortured me a bit, too, wanting to know if there were more... freaks like me. The captain put a stop to that when he found out. Mostly so I wasn't damaged goods for this buyer he found, I think, than any real concern for me as a person...”