Mason started to explain that he had arrived quite late, and that Tempest had told him that she was a returning camper, but then thought better of it, figuring that the tiny spitfire was likely to find some insult in anything he said, ill-intentioned or not. The girl was really starting to grate on him, and she interrupted whenever he was starting to see some connection between himself and Tempest. He scolded himself slightly, remembering the fact that there were plenty of eligible young ladies here, and that it would hardly do to tie his interests down to just one so early. Even that approach was flawed; these girls were people, not prizes. He finally shook himself back to reality as the tiny girl's brother arrived.

"Hey there, kid! You here with your little sister?" He smiled as welcomingly as he could, wishing desperately that he wasn't so far out of his depth. He just didn't know anything; the proper etiquette, any of the people, the races that were represented... nothing. He made a decision, then. He'd have to accept a loss in visible status, and ask for help.

"I'm sorry to interrupt again, Miss Tempest, but... is it rude to ask someone what sort of... creature they are? It's frankly impossible that miss... what was your name? is thirteen, unless she's a naiad or something. Are Naiads a thing? I'm a bit lost on what's real and what isn't." He shook his head ruefully. "And you, you two little ones, I'm really not trying to be rude, I just... I don't... It's all really new to me, that is. I thought I was the only strange one until just recently."

[@candlelitcraft][@Tenma Tendo]