Dang he hoped he was bringing up more positive then negative memories. "You think if he was still here, he'd be happy? I think he'd be so proud to see you, and to see his little doll wasn't just a fragile beauty. You could be that, and a strong dominant figure. You could be the silent type observing everything in the room or you could be the center of attention. You got to travel a lot, heck, even if there were things for him to be upset about he'd probably just overlook them because of how proud he could be, how proud I'm sure he is." And she did a great job helping with the little ones, both his and Crimson's.

Oh these were great memories being brought up and being aloud to talk about thanks to Blake. And now someone finally knew something about her, even if it was a small portion.
"Heh, I'm not as strong and tough as I act..."
He did have a point though. If her father was still alive, would he be proud of the way Rynn was living her life nowadays? Would he be proud of her taking care nine different kids, living with one of the parents and having no particular relationship to stay with him.
Would he be proud to still call her his baby doll?
"Sometimes if I'm having a bad day I try to remember him smiling at me, but even now its so hard to keep remembering all of that. I hope your right that he would be proud.."
She smiled softly at Blake, mind still wandering in the depths of old fading memories.
There were many things that she would not be able to talk about right away, especially with the truth behind her father's death and exactly what happened during those years of being alone.

"Heh, no of course not. You're tougher, stronger. And I know dragons, he's proud of you. We're always proud of our family, even more so when we have tons of good reasons to be. Even if I spent one drunken night with someone who hated me and had a kid, I'd still be proud of him or her. Heck even if the kid hated me I'd feel that way. Hope I don't end up in that kind of situation but just an example. Hey, how would you like a picture of him smiling? I can draw or paint one up for you no problem. Give you a constant reminder that you're someone special, and that you're being watched over, cared for."

Rynn usually kept things to herself, including pictures and photos of her past. The only person from her past that she refused to keep pictures of were Makor. To her, he didn't deserve to be remembered. Ashlin and Diablo probably kept pictures of him, but after everything he had done to her, he deserved to rot without justice.
"Oh... I don't know. I don't have a very good photo of him, and its from when he was much younger.."
She pointed to her right eye.
"When he passed away he had the exact same mark on his face as I do... We had the same color eyes, he was a great man.."
She looked away from Blake for a moment as she was fondly remembering all the times they teased each other about looking funny with their matching scars.

"Heh, remember who you're talking to silly. Doesn't matter how good or bad the photo is, heck you give me enouogh details from memory and I can make a perfect image of him for you. And that's not your typical dragon pride talking, that's dozens of years of practice and expertise talking. Come on, he's your father, you deserve to have an extra way of remembering him don't you? And to be able to show off how great he was to others." The black dragon cared about her almost as much as a father figure would, or a boyfriend. He always wanted to see her smile and if she wasn't happy his only goal was to make her feel good.

"I don't know. Blake the master artist still has a lot of dragon pride."
She smirked, considering letting him make a painting of her father. It would be nice to have something more fresh to look at instead of that old photograph she kept with her at all times.
Digging in the cargo pocket of her pants, she pulled out a folded picture frame. In the left frame was a picture of her father in a military uniform. In the right side, was a photo of him and Rynn, when she was seven or eight years old. She was sitting on his lap, laughing with each other as she had his huge military cap on.
Rynn's father was very much a big dragon, especially for an earth dragon at that.
Hesitating quite a bit, she didn't want to part with them but knew it would be an essential in order for Blake to be able to accurately paint him for her.
"Above even my life, these are even more dear to me. It's the only two pictures that had survived from coming over. Please be very careful with them..."
She slowly handed the folding frame over, still hesitating.

Blake smiled, taking a good look and bringing out a little camera and taking several photos of the photos. "This should be good. I know how much those must mean to you, I'll work from these, they're at a pretty good focus and if the drawing I come up with isn't perfect then I can always come back and use these photos directly. Don't want to risk something so precious to you unless I absolutely have to. Or it could be a whole ton of that dragon pride again, heh. Hmm... wait... hang on... I think I recognize that uniform. Hey... um... I'd like to check on something if you don't mind, and I'd like you to come with me. Military used to be one of my big things and the uniform looks familiar. I just hope it's the one I think it is." Two chances. One, they were on the same side at some point. Or two, they were against one another at some time in which case Blake would really feel like a jackass if he was in actual combat against his best friend's dad.

The hybrid was glad that he wasn't going to be taking her photos for a long period of time.
Then again, she knew it would always be a ton of dragon pride with most of the dragons around here, especially the Drago family with them being so highly lifted.
But her smirk disappeared into a curiousity when he mentioned the uniform.
"Father was a highly respected General back in the military. If I remember correctly, his codename was General Chey, short for General Cheyenne... I don't remember what branch though... Unfortunately Makor destroyed most things pertaining to father..."
She looked at the photos and tried to remember everything that her father tended to gloat about to his old buddies when she should have been in bed.
"I know when I was born he getting close to one hundred, so should have only been sixty-five when this first photo was taken. He was an earth dragon, which they never look their age..."

"I'll be able to look up records on him no problem. Name sounds kinda familiar, and not just because of you, heh. I probably did work with him at some point, don't really remember ever having to go up against anyone like him. So odds are he was on the same side as me and I might have even served under him. I never really made officer type impressions, more like a shock troop. And he looks like the kind that would have been fine giving someone like me an order to take out a vital target. Knowing I could handle it of course, not thinking I'd be on a suicide mission."

Turns out, even if she refused to be infamous for any reason- whether it being here or world wide- she would still be known, along with Ashlin and Diablo, thanks to their father.
"I don't doubt that. Y'know? Strange thing about it was, even though he was of a military background, he never raised me as if to even indicate that I should have been more obiedient or less trouble. But I guess it was also thanks to him having retired long before I was born. It's very interesting to have learned that you may have served under him."
The creature smirked, finding it a bit odd that she would never truly be able to escape it all. But despite it all, over time, this matter will only become a passing memory.. something not really worth digging up, especially when she finally got around to having her own children later down the road.

"Course half the time I didn't really pay much attention to who the CO was, just read through the mission briefing. Sometimes crossed a few things out, sometimes actually followed it all the way it was. Usually had to improvise at least a little. Once even took a bullet from my own squad because I had to change things up on the fly and they couldn't hear me calling back to hold fire. Worked out for the best though, I mean, why shoot a lone supply truck and blow it up when you can knock out the driver and guard, take everything, and put it to good use? Heh, well anyway, I've got all the old albums in my room. Never really show them off since it's not often anyoone really cares about my military days."

As he seemed to briefly describe a mission, she began to think back to a similar mission that Athos had once told her about. Though similar, she knew that being a soldier and being an assassin were two different things... entirely!
"Normally I don't either, but then again I've never had the actual experience like you and father have. And again, I like hearing old stories even when I appear disinterested..."
Perhaps the hybrid shouldn't have admitted to that, but it was more or less something that almost no one knew about. Even Verdy never wanted to finish any of his stories because she always discerned things..
"Would I have to go with you? Couldn't I just stay here and wait for you?"
There was an uneasiness in her voice.
Though the kids were more than likely in bed by now, they would still wake up at the simple sound of her voice.
And besides that, she still wasn't ready to return yet, further unsure if she wanted to be involved with Athan. Sure she enjoyed those days they spent together, but she was still concerned if that was the correct path to choose.
She had a wild side that would not tame easily..

"Sure, long as you're here when I get back so I can actually show you. And I've got dozens of stories I could tell... only half of them exaggerated, heh. The other half are mostly true, with a few creative liberties taken here and there to make it more interesting. Nothing blatantly false though... least I don't think. I won't mention seeing you, just go grab the old album and come back. Unless you want me to bring anything else in addition? Don't remember you leaving much back at the school though."

Obviously, if she wanted to run, she would have done so while Blake was still turned away. Then again, yes it would be the perfect oppurtunity. In all honesty, if she wanted to escape, she would have easily done so and not leave a single trace of where she had been.
When he mentioned her things, her ears twitched slightly.
"I've never had that much stuff to begin with.. Its always been kept in the pack out of habit since I first arrived here.."
Sad it was true, even sadder that she had been here for over half a decade.
Sad fact is sad, the hybrid wasn't about to change her habit anytime soon.

"I see. Well in that case, just give me maybe fifteen minutes and I should be back. Unless the kids ambush me, then half an hour."
He smiled, lifting the bag of stones and spreading his wings. Waiting for a moment in case something else was on Rynn's mind, the dragon flew off to get his old war album. Chronologically arranged and with notes on each outfit he was with, and mission briefs that he had kept. Depending on which unit, and other things of that nature, changed how much he actually had logged. The jerks he kind of left out of the book as much as possible, the great commanders got a better spot.