[b][i]Tuesday, Spring 2nd[/b][/i]

Ryder paused for a moment and listened to hear if anyone had stirred while he climbed the building, but not a sound was to be heard, and no one was to be seen. He smiled to himself, thinking this might be a little bit too easy, and began to creep along the windows of the building, being very careful as not to expose himself to anyone inside. He was searching for a vacant room, preferably one that was away from all the others and was least likely to be booked. The figures inside the building were vague, but he could make out which rooms were occupied and which weren't. Generally, the rooms with the curtains drawn shut were occupied, and the tidier rooms with the curtains wide open were still vacant. He settled for a room right at the corner of the building, facing away from the beach and towards the bar next door. Ryder figured that most guests would prefer a room with a view, so he chose the room that had the least pleasurable view, and was cloaked in shade. [i]Perfect,[/i] he thought to himself as he began to maneuver the window. It took him a minute to figure out the lock (and to do so quietly), but after a few moments, Ryder was sliding the window open, and was about to slide himself in.

"Stop, thief!" a husky male voice shouted. Ryder froze.

He could hear doors opening and slamming shut, mixed with the sound of three sets of footsteps pattering the cobbled path between the buildings. [i]I'm done for now...[/i] panicked Ryder. Just as he had began working out an escape route, he noticed that a strange boy with silver hair was fleeing quickly from the bar next door. "Stop!" the voice cried again, but this time Ryder could see where it was coming from, and was relieved to discover that it wasn't directed towards him. A middle aged man with a mustache and scruffy hair had emerged from the bar and was chasing after the vagrant. Behind him was a young blonde woman in a powder-blue nightgown, trying hard to keep up her pace. The silver-haired boy carried a few items in his arms and was sprinting effortlessly away from the duo. Even through the thick darkness of the night, Ryder could see that the boy had a coy grin on his face, as though he was teasing the duo with how easily he could escape from them. They were moving fast, and from Ryder's position, it was difficult to make everything out through the night. The duo were trailing further and further behind the thief, and in the darkness of the night, must have had a difficult time seeing where he was headed. They crossed in front of the Inn, passing Ryder's blind spot. For a moment, he couldn't see what was going on, but he heard two sets of foot steps running across the bridge he had walked over minutes ago. It looked like Forget-Me-Not Valley was already turning out to be the adventure he was hoping for!

Filled with excitement, Ryder turned back to the window, wondering where the thief had run off to. He had just gotten his foot into the window, when suddenly, someone crashed directly into him from behind, causing them both to topple over into the building.