"[i]Useless? [/i]I do have qualities aside from magic, you know." Ghent slipped his backpack off of his shoulders, taking this chance to retrieve the dark gray hoodie he'd packed. On the back, there was a large, faded emblem of a skull, hardly visible after so much wear. No use risking a cold the day of venturing into Wonderland.
	"I can be stealthy, I'm quick on my feet, and -- I know I don't look it -- but I'm strong, too. Bet I could pick up you and Drust without breaking a sweat." Ghent figured he'd get away with these claims; he was almost certain Elayra wouldn't want him to prove it. 
	"Plus, I'm handling all of this pretty darn well. If you pulled someone off the street and told them everything you've told me...they'd either think you were crazy, or they'd have a mental breakdown. The way I see it, you lucked out," he started to put the hoodie on, words muffled until he found where to put his arms and head. "You guys need [i]stability,[/i]" he put emphasis on the word as if were the master of the meaning. "Someone with a good head on their shoulders. I'm the perfect member for your little team." 
	With the world visible once again, Ghent saw one big difference. Elayra's smirk had vanished, replaced with a troubled frown.
	[b]“If you’ve damaged this…”[/b]
	[i]Uh oh. [/i]"Oh, [i]come on[/i]...cut me some slack! It's not actually broken, is it?"
	Ghent peered over her shoulder, surveying the bow for himself. The mark was impossible to miss, but thankfully Elayra didn't seem overly concerned about the cosmetics of the bow, only the functionally. 
	"Guess I should work on my aim," he laughed nervously, understanding that he'd avoided two deadly encounters. Hitting Elayra may have killed her, while hitting her bow may have resulted in[i] his[/i] death. 
	Ghent hadn't heard the word used to summon the rain shield, but he wasn't sure he wanted to try casting a spell so soon after the bolts-shooting-everywhere incident. Using a hand to pull up his hood, he was well prepared to face the rain, though the shimmer of the shield caught his eye. To his surprise, the shield was about twice the size as before. Ghent couldn't tell if this was a friendly gesture or not, so he hung back a few paces until Elayra announced it was time to leave. 
	"Uh...right! Coming." Distracted by the shield, Ghent tripped over one of the tables, regaining his footing just in time to fall into step alongside of her. "I think some of the magic moved the tables around." Ghent would rather give a lame excuse rather than to give no excuse at all. He had just started to get on Elayra's good side, he didn't want to lose his progress by being a klutz.
	[b]“What is a ‘java,’ anyway?”[/b]
	Elayra's question offered a chance to change the subject, plus it was easy to answer. 
	"Java's just a fancy way to say coffee. It's an overpriced drink that girls your age go crazy over." While he talked, Ghent busied himself with readjusting the left strap of his backpack. "It's alright, I guess...it's either too bitter, or sickeningly sweet."
 	Curious as to how she'd known about java, Ghent studied her face, wondering who had taught her to read in the first place. Drust didn't seem like he had the patience to teach reading as well as magic and combat. 
	"Why? You want some?"