Rye

**ABSTRACT**

Rye is a grumpy kid who keeps to himself. The only person to get him to act like a kid is his best friend Calypso. Together they are an unbeatable team taking on the world and slaying monsters together… Well yes it is all just pretend play but to them it’s real!

**BACKGROUND**

Rye is Aiko’s younger brother. He is a quiet, grumpy child who used to keep only to himself. The loss of his father took a deep toll on him. With his sister never agreeing to talk about their great loss he has had no other option than to internalize his grief. Everything changed when Aiko met Hollow and Riptide’s family was introduced to theirs.

Rye was shy when he first met Calypso but she helped him come out of his shell. With her exuberant energy and unending creativity she managed to cut through his defenses to find the real him. He is a completely different person around her, playing adventure and seeing the world together. 

She is a bit of a ditz so he often has to be the responsible one while they play. He needs to keep a close eye on her to make sure she doesn’t stumble off a cliff or eat a poisonous plant. They are thick as thieves and you better bet he has the deepest crush on her.

He gets easily embarrassed whenever his sister or another adult catches him playing with her or teases him about “being in love”. Although it is true he hates being patronized and will immediately storm off to pout. He is very sensitive so although it can be fun to tease him Aiko tries to keep it to a minimum and often pretends not to see him play. 

One of their favorite games is to play “assassin” where they sneak around the house, pretending like no one can see them because they are so stealthy. What they don’t realize is everyone can see them but they pretend not to so as not to ruin their fun. It turns out their version of hiding is akin to standing in a room with a lampshade over their head.

Rye looks up to Hollow and sees him as a father figure in his life. He thinks he is cool and loves how he doesn’t suffocate him with baby talk. Hollow is one of the few adults that treats him like another adult and not just some kid. He loves to make him play “reaper” with him. Rye has expressed that he wants to grow up to be a reaper just like him but no one has the heart to tell him that it is impossible for him to do so.

**RELATIONSHIPS**

**Calypso** She is his best friend and the girl of his heart. Name a more iconic duo than these two I dare you! They may be a bit young for love but even the adults in their life can see it. They are not officially dating but one day Rye will confess his love to her. They spend all their time playing “adventure” and “assassin” together. Rye often finds himself taking a more responsible role in their friendship as he often needs to protect her from hurting herself on accident. She doesn’t seem to realize what a danger she is to herself.

**Aiko** She is his sister and stand-in guardian. After losing their father (their mother was long gone at this point) Aiko took him under her wing. She has done her best to raise him but she refuses to talk to him about what happened. He often resents her for keeping her memories to herself and pretending like nothing ever happened. But he does love her and is grateful for everything she does for him. He often feels bad for how grumpy and mean he can be towards her.

**Hollow** Aiko’s boyfriend and basically his stepfather. Rye looks up to him and can be seen begging him to play “reaper” with him. Rye wants to be just like him when he grows up. Although it is not physically possible Hollow refuses to crush his hope. He is sure it is only a fad he will grow out of over time… Or is it?