[hr][center][color=808B96][color=00AEFF][h2][b]Akaeyla[/b][/h2][/color]Mir [b]-[/b] The Fall[/color][/center]
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...Facing a girl of about her own age, with red and black fur in a rather striking striped pattern, and an expression so tranquil she could have been meditating in amongst the statues the entire day. Although it was difficult to see in what light there now was, her hair was cut in a bob that covered almost one half of her face and the eyes were completely hidden by a thick blindfold. Akaeyla had spotted the group, already getting mobile, as she'd approached the second downed aircraft. Having seen that the pilot was alive and in company, and noticed the general direction in which they were headed, she'd decided to head to the Sculpture Copse. Sculpture Copse- as the friendlier inhabitants of The Fall called it- was the collection of sculptures that lay ahead of the group, assuming they continued on their present bearing. She'd settled there approximately ten minutes ahead of them- she'd expected it to be five at the most, but the unexpected arrival of another party member had delayed them a little, it seemed. Her reasoning for waiting up ahead was quite simple- a person waiting quietly ahead of them had less chance of being attacked, or fired upon, than did someone or something who just dropped out of the sky upon them. Reasoning, it seemed, that had been flawed... the Lotori girl had been busy informing the others of the way to their intended destination and, with only her flashlight and the moonlight to see by, had leaned right up against the plinth Akaeyla was seated cross-legged upon, not realising she wasn't a statue. In fact, it looked like the other members of the party hadn't sensed her presence, or at least not been certain of it, until she'd risen from her seated position to a standing one- and horribly startled the Lotori girl as a result. Noticing the increased tension the sudden awareness of her presence had caused, Akaeyla decided she needed to address the situation immediately... which was something of a problem for Akaeyla herself.

Though perfectly capable of looking after herself, and content in only her own company, Akaeyla had always been somewhat shy around people... originally because she was blind, later because she saw too much. Whilst some people, the moment they step into a room, radiate a commanding presence which seems to take up all ambient space so they cannot be ignored, Akaeyla was more the opposite: When [i]she[/i] stepped into a room, all the ambient space seemed to absorb her presence until she was almost invisible, and had to actually make an effort to be noticed. That, coupled with- as a friend had once observed- a tendency to think twice before doing nothing, made this situation awkward- the more so since she'd been living away from people for some time now. Deciding it would be best to speak to the Lotori girl first (since there was a reasonable chance of getting clubbed with a flashlight if she didn't) Akaeyla spoke in a soft but clear voice.

"Pardon me if I startled you," she addressed Taffy, "That wasn't meant at all... I forgot you might not be able to see me so well at this time of day. I thought this might be a good place to wait in case the pilot of that downed plane happened by, as I found out something earlier it might be useful for them to know". Akaeyla paused once she'd said that, not quite sure what she should say next, or if she should wait for a response. As she took in the various members of the party, the odd thought struck her that they resembled the kind of line up you find in a joke. Smiling slightly at that thought, she spoke the words that came to her head as a result, addressing all the people present as she did so.

"Stop me if you've heard this one before," she said, rearranging the leathery wings that were now draped comfortably around her shoulders as she did so, "A Lotori, a Spicati, a Draconi, a Nekomi, a hybrid and a child all walk up to a hermit in The Fall after sunset. The hermit says she knows something that might be important... what do they say in return?" She looked around the group as she finished her statement.They looked like they weren't sure if she was playing games with them, or was actually making a joke. She paused, tilting her head and adding, a touch lamely, "uh... any takers?"