Rogue Shadow

As I've said before, I've been on my way to visit Rogue Shadow.  Well, today I finally arrived.

I had sent him an e-mail letting him know when I was close, but I wasn't expecting what happened when I arrived.  When I got to the address, he was already there, standing rigidly at the end of the driveway, hands clasped behind his back.

He was dressed all in black.  Black shirt, black pants, black trenchcoat, black boots.  His blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail.  Now, I don't like forming first impressions, but something about how he was standing and how he was dressed made a bit uncomfortable.  I also wasn't sure how long he had been standing there waiting for me, and the thought that he may have been standing there like that all day was a little unnerving.

"Hey.  Shadow, right?"

He nodded.  "It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Mr. Mortel."  He held out his hand, and I took it to shake.

"Yeah.  Nice to meet you."

"If you follow me, I'll take you to your room, then introduce you to the others."

Shadow's got a pretty expansive estate.  It took a bit to get to the house and down the hall, and the room he showed me was pretty well-furnished.  "This is where you'll be staying," he told me.  "I imagine you're tired from your journey, so I'll let you get some rest. The bathroom is across the hall, and dinner will be at 7:00. Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks," I said.  "That'd be great. I'll see you then, and thank you so much for taking me in like this."

 I took a shower then, followed by a nap.  The shower was great, the bed was warm, and I almost slept through the alarm I had set for 6:55.  Dinner was chicken Parmesan, garlic bread, and salad.  That's where I met Keikan and Merciful.  I'd tell you more about them but it's been an exhausting day so I'll save it for the next post.

Shadow, though...he's kind of strange.  He's got this almost robotic or military manner about him.  Always perfect posture.  Always composed.  I asked Keikan afterwards if he felt like there was something just a bit...off about him.  He and Merciful noticed it too, but apparently he's shown them nothing but kindness.

So I guess that, for now, I'll just have to wait and see what exactly is up with my host.