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+---- Thread: meet me in the afterglow (/showthread.php?tid=12615)
meet me in the afterglow - Sohalia - 03-11-2026
Morning sunlight filtered through the window, spilling across the bed in which Soh lay. Bedsheets draped across her slender frame, ribs rising and falling in time with her slow breathing. At some point in the night, she’d turned away from Zavien and towards the window, and now the light shone directly on her closed eyes. Five more minutes, she told herself, shifting slightly in the bed.
Something tugged at the corner of her awareness, some sound that she vaguely recognized but couldn’t yet place. She blinked sleepily and rose on one arm, golden hair cascading over her shoulder. The sheets slipped from where they’d lain over her chest, revealing that she was still very naked. That was strange. She didn’t usually sleep naked.
The sound intensified, and Soh blinked again, realizing that this wasn’t her room at Wildering House, nor the room she’d rented at the House of Midnight. Suddenly, the last twenty-four hours came rushing back, and her eyes snapped wide open. This was Zavien’s house. Zavien, who she’d slept with not once, but several times. Zavien, who she’d apparently developed feelings for without even realizing.
Zavien, who snored behind her right now.
Slowly, so slowly, Soh rolled so that she was propped up on both elbows, looking down at the still-sleeping man. Gods, she’d thought it had been a dream. It sure had felt like one, with how perfect everything had felt. But if it wasn’t a dream, if the ache between her thighs was real, if the bear-like snoring was any indication… then it was all real.
But how could it be real?
Rolling further, Soh lay on her side to face Zavien and reached out to gently touch her fingertips to his cheek. His skin was warm, stubble scratchy, and she withdrew her hand with a shaky breath, a small smile beginning to grow on her face. Gods, he was real. And if he was real, if this wasn’t a dream, then… wait, what did that mean?
They’d have to talk, she knew that. But that could wait until he woke up. Until then, she was content to watch him, marveling at the peaceful lines of his face in sleep.
RE: meet me in the afterglow - Zavien - 03-11-2026
The mattress and pillows around him were the perfect cocoon of comfort, his consciousness barely flickering when that perfect equilibrium shifted. He groaned a soft protest, assuming Sol had come to warn him that he'd overslept his usual training at the break of dawn, but this was perhaps the first time in ages that he had slept fully through the night without a single nightmare or depressing dream. He felt rested and content and completely unwilling to let the day start yet.
Resisting the disruption, Zavien pulled the warmth beside his arm closer, wondering how his pillow had absorbed so much sunlight from the morning rays and why it didn't immediately give to the effort. His groggy mind didn't comprehend how it managed to shift closer after he attempted to pull it, but he didn't care as long as it was within reach, craving whatever it was that had him feeling so peaceful.
His consciousness drifted again, dragging him back to sleep for a few minutes longer until the sunlight filtered through the lucid state of his mind. Taking a deep breath, his eyes began to crack open, his thoughts rustling from their slumber while his arm tugged at the warm pillow to snuggle it subconsciously closer. But when he met more resistance than expected and his eyes started to register reality, Zavien paused and stared, his dry mouth opening to mumble, [say]"Morning."[/say] It sounded dumb - it was dumb. Here he was staring at Sohalia IN HIS BED and all he could say was 'Morning.'
Slowly, like a fog lifting from the mountainous ruins of the mess he'd made, Zavien did his best not to panic. She was looking right at him, and as much as he wanted to start pacing the room and rambling about what had apparently happened yesterday - the many many things that had happened - he did not think that was a good idea. But what was he supposed to say? How was he supposed to explain that he had no idea why he'd acted that way? How he regretted every second but wouldn't take back even a moment? How his heart was both dying and flying at the same time?
So while his mind ran a mile a minute, Zavien looked like the cross between a frog and a puppy, slightly green and begging to be let out before he ruined the sheets.
He suddenly realized his arm was draped possessively around her waist, mid-attempt to drag her into his chest. As comfortable and right as it felt, he slowly removed it and ran it over his face, doing what he could to steady his heartrate, contain the flush rising in his face, and ignore the fact that Soh was naked in his bed so he could figure out what the hell to do about it.
RE: meet me in the afterglow - Sohalia - 03-11-2026
It was the snoring that stopped first; then the gentle tugging that brought her closer to Zavien, as though he couldn’t bear to let her go even in sleep. Her smile widened as she fought not to giggle - at least until he opened his eyes. Then her gaze softened. [say]”’Morning,”[/say] she replied, voice soft and warm. Completely unaware of the mental gymnastics that poor Zavien was about to perform, she tacked on a sweet, [say]”How’d you sleep?”[/say] And then she reached up to brush a lock of hair from his forehead.
But her happy little bubble was very much about to burst, and as she studied his face - his decidedly not as happy as yesterday, slightly green colored face - she realized that she had about two seconds before something terrible came out of his mouth. Maybe he regretted it. Maybe he wanted her out. Maybe she’d done something wrong.
But how could that be, when everything felt so right?
Swallowing hard, Soh withdrew her hand, suddenly self-conscious in the bright light of the morning. As much as she wanted to reclaim the fun, playful mood of the day before, she couldn’t even begin to imagine how she might go about doing so - not when he was looking at her like that, with such a strange mixture of panic and horror dawning in his eyes.
The loss of his arm around her waist was like a slap in the face, and the hope in her chest crumpled, suddenly ringing hollow. Gods, he was going to tell her it never should have happened, wasn’t he? Then there’d only be a ruined friendship and a memory of what might have been as the only things to show for it. [say]”Don’t,”[/say] she whispered suddenly, throat tight. [say]”Just give me five more minutes.”[/say] Five more minutes before her budding dreams were ground to dust.
RE: meet me in the afterglow - Zavien - 03-11-2026
His hand pressed against his eyes, wishing desperately that he could take away the anguished look on Soh's face. She'd woken up to a completely different person, and while he was trying to wrangle his emotions in order, he'd given her the impression that he was rejecting her. He had to admit that it would be a cruel move after everything that had happened between them, but the problem was that he couldn't fathom what had happened. Nothing he'd done was something he hadn't wanted or thought about before. And yet, how had he been so careless to act on those impulses? How could he betray a friend like that? Koa hadn't deserved it, and Soh definitely didn't. In acting without so much as a thought for anyone but himself, he'd possibly just ruined everything, including what they'd shared yesterday.
And now he was just making it worse.
Taking a deep breath, Zavien sat up in the bed, the sheet falling to his waist as he looked to Soh, wrestling with the desire to pull her into his arms. Experience told him she was on the verge of tears, the pleading in her voice telling him that he needed to shove aside his worries and be brutally honest right now if he was going to keep this from falling apart - if he wanted any chance of saving whatever this was before she went running.
[say]"No."[/say] He shook his head, reaching for her hand if only to keep her there, hoping it might communicate some of what he couldn't. Referring to her earlier question, he admitted, [say]"Because I slept better than I have in years."[/say] Zavien squeezed her hand gently, laughing lightly with so much disbelief that he might have sounded crazy when he looked to the ceiling and he added, [say]"And I know it's because of you and everything feels so easy and right with you and I don't want to lose this, but - "[/say] His breath trembled, struggling between what he hadn't admitted to wanting for himself and the fear of what he might have destroyed by impulsively acting on it. [say]"I just - I need a minute to process how this is going to work."[/say]
RE: meet me in the afterglow - Sohalia - 03-11-2026
Let’s be honest: communication had never been Soh’s strong suit, not when it came to difficult emotions. It was easier to shove it all down, place it in a locked box in the back of her mind where she could deal with it later - except later never came. This was no different. If she could just have another minute, another second to pretend that this wasn’t all a monumental mistake -
But before she could spiral too far, Zavien’s hand was on hers, grounding her back to the present. Swallowing hard, she looked up at him as he sat up, doing her best to quell her racing heart. Okay, he was still touching her. He wasn’t telling her he was filled with regret. Maybe she’d jumped to conclusions. But if that was the case, why did he still look so…
[say]”Oh,”[/say] she said softly after he spoke, eyes widening a fraction as she realized that he wasn’t rejecting her. [say]”Okay. That’s - that’s good.”[/say] That he attributed sleeping well to sleeping with her was a surprise, but she’d take it over a hasty goodbye any day. [say]”I… I thought…”[/say] She took a deep breath, then forged on. [say]”I thought you regretted it. I didn’t think there was going to be a this to lose.”[/say] But she had to admit that she hadn’t fully thought through their actions either, and that his request was a fair one. [say]”Can I… help?”[/say] she offered, squeezing his hand.
RE: meet me in the afterglow - Zavien - 03-11-2026
Relief washed over him when she didn't leave. Instead of placing distance between them, she stayed, and Zavien couldn't even begin to fathom how much that meant to him. It cracked deeper into his chest, another reason why Soh somehow felt inexplicably right.
His laughter this time was sad and a little melancholy. [say]"Regret is such a terrible word."[/say] He paused, trying to figure out what it was he needed to say for her to understand the chaos of his thoughts. After a moment, the squeeze of her hand pulled him back, words surfacing slowly as he analyzed what his emotions were saying.
[say]"I feel guilty and a little confused, but the more I think about yesterday..."[/say] Zavien looked to her, wanting her to see the certainty in his eyes as he said, [say]"No, I don't regret it. I just - "[/say] His gaze cast down, features twisting between disappointment and frustration, his grasp tightening unintentionally. [say]"I'm usually so careful about considering others, and yesterday... I - I don't know. I acted without even thinking about how it would affect you or - "[/say] The name stuck in his throat, knowing they needed to address it but dreading the consequences of saying it aloud. Sucking a breath, he bit the bullet and finished, [say]"or Koa."[/say]
He paused for another second before continuing, quietly resigned. [say]"But I don't regret it unless you do. If I've made you uncomfortable or if this isn't something you want..."[/say] The words trailed off, unsure of what he would do if she did regret it, terrified of how he might have lost another friendship with one of the only people who understood the loss of their home.
RE: meet me in the afterglow - Sohalia - 03-11-2026
Okay, so he didn’t regret it. Or, well, not exactly. It was certainly more complicated than she’d given it credit for, that was for sure.
Soh stilled at the sound of Koa’s name. Of course, of course he would be the reason for this sudden hesitation. And she couldn’t even blame him, not really - gods, what a mess. [say]”Koa and I…”[/say] She paused, unsure what to say. Last time she and Zavien had spoken about Koa, Soh had still had hope that things might work out. She sighed. [say]”We’re not… together. I can’t speak for how this would affect him, but as far as he and I go, it’s over. It already was before last night.”[/say]
She trailed her thumb over the back of Zavien’s hand, looking down at where they connected with a slight frown. [say]”As far as my feelings go, though… this was everything I didn’t know I wanted.”[/say] She looked up at him, earnest. [say]”Of course I don’t regret it. My only regret is that I didn’t see it sooner. That I didn’t really see you sooner.”[/say]
RE: meet me in the afterglow - Zavien - 03-11-2026
Zavien braced for whatever news she might say, whether it was to reveal her unrequited love or admit that they'd secretly been dating and they were 'on a break.' He wasn't sure what to expect, but he couldn't imagine anything good if it started with 'Koa and I.' And yet, she somehow proved him wrong.
It was over. After years of back and forth and maybes that Zavien only knew the surface of, Soh claimed it was over, and perhaps that should have been a relief, a weight falling off his shoulders. His main concern was pointless now. His friend couldn't be mad - shouldn't be mad. Except to find out that his best friend had slept with his ex. One he might still be in love with.
Sighing at the mess of it all, Zavien ran a hand through his hair, the strands mussed by sleep and sticking up in all directions. [say]"Even if Koa feels the same... It sounds stupid - I know it does - "[/say] he paused, hoping Soh wouldn't take it as her fault when he said, [say]"but I don't want him to feel like I betrayed him."[/say] Maybe if he'd been able to ask Koa beforehand or confirm that there was no reason to worry, he might feel differently, but the truth was that Koa had been betrayed when Kai took Flora, and now Zavien had slept with Soh (multiple times, he might add). He wasn't sure if his friend or their friendship would be able to recover from this.
As their talk shifted to her feelings, Zavien found himself bracing again, waiting for the shoe to drop or the guillotine to fall, ending something that had barely begun to start, certain he'd ruined something somehow.
Then her thumb brushed gently across his skin, wiping away the worries so easily that he nearly laughed. He almost did again when she shared her only regret, wondering if the morning brain fog was still lifting or if he was really this lucky right now. Everything felt lighter, a brightness taking root in the flutterings of his heart. He even cracked a smile, finally looking more fully at the beautiful woman next to him as he admitted, [say]"I didn't really give you a reason to."[/say] Hadn't let himself act on anything that might draw her attention in that way. [say]"Plus, we were kind of busy with our world falling apart and all."[/say]
The spark of humor softened, his smile genuine when he turned serious again. [say]"But I'm glad you don't regret it."[/say] Squeezing her hand again, he carefully opened the conversation to the next hurdle they had to face. [say]"What do we do now?"[/say]
RE: meet me in the afterglow - Sohalia - 03-11-2026
So far, Soh had only admitted her feelings about Koa - or the lack thereof - to a select few, and somehow it made it all the more real to tell Zavien. She might have laughed at the absurdity of it all, of it taking sleeping with another man to really solidify the fact that things with Koa were really, truly over. But there was no going back now, and she had told Zavien the truth. She didn’t regret it.
[say]”No, I get that,”[/say] she insisted, something soft in her eyes as she reached to smooth an errant lock of Zavien’s hair, unable or unwilling to keep her hands to herself. [say]”He’s your friend. I’m… a complication.”[/say] Dropping her hand, she bit her lip. [say]”And as much as it would suck for me, I get it if you… don’t want that.”[/say] Even if it might well destroy her. And even if she already knew Zavien’s answer. He’d already told her he wasn’t rejecting her, and she doubted that would have changed in the last five seconds.
As for what they should do now, Soh tilted her head to one side, squeezing Zavien’s hand once before releasing it. Sitting up, she tried not to be self-conscious as the covers pooled around her waist. [say]”Well,”[/say] she said pragmatically. [say]”First, we could get breakfast? And maybe reassure our companions that we’re still alive?”[/say] She wasn’t entirely sure where the pair had gotten to, but she was glad they’d made themselves scarce the night before. [say]”And then… I guess we should decide what this -“[/say] and she gestured between them, [say]“- is. Are we dating? Are we friends with benefits? Is this something that happened once and will never happen again?”[/say] She knew what she wanted, but what about Zavien?
RE: meet me in the afterglow - Zavien - 03-12-2026
The tender gesture and calm validation softened the tension marring his features, but as her hand and eyes dropped, so did the flicker of peace. His expression darkened with insistence, refusing to let her dig that hole. Zavien turned, his free hand lifting to cup her cheek, forcing her to look nowhere but his face, to see the seriousness steeling across the green in his eyes. [say]"You are not the complication, Soh, and you never will be."[/say] Bringing his head lower, he added confidently, [say]"The circumstances are the complication."[/say]
As for what he wanted, Zavien sighed, deflating as the risks and consequences took that careless abandon he wished desperately to feel again. His hand fell away, a saddened smile gracing his lips as he shook his head. [say]"I wish it was as simple as doing what I want."[/say] But Zavien didn't want to be that kind of friend. Greed was a slippery slope that hamstringed everyone in its path, and it let to nothing but a pit of unhappiness and despair.
Conflict rose in his chest as Soh pulled away. He wanted to drag her back. He wanted to admire her curves in the morning sunlight. He wanted to follow dutifully after her. And every thought scared him beyond comprehension. There was still so much they needed to figure out, so many lines to draw. How could he do that when he hadn't the faintest clue how Koa would react? How could he be reasonable when she looked like that? Blonde hair sat glowing atop her head, a perfect halo around her moonlit eyes. Every slope of her body was outlined against the window, giving her an otherworldly, painted quality that he itched to run his hands along.
But that would only further complicate things, so Zavien had to settle for running a frustrated hand through his own hair before offering a belated and distracted smile at her words. [say]"Both are great ideas."[/say] Food might be scarce, but the companions shouldn't be hard to find.
Having thought she'd continue on the line of pragmatic thoughts, he coughed a laugh at her blunt appraisal of the conversation that would ultimately define whatever this was. He ran a hand along his neck where a flash of redness threatened to appear. [say]"Well... I don't like the idea of 'friends with benefits.' You deserve better than that."[/say] And his mother had made it clear that a woman deserved love and respect, not shallow sex and shallower feelings. Plus, it felt... wrong to think of Soh like that. Nothing if not honest, he added with a sheepish grin, [say]"But I would be lying if I said I didn't want to have a repeat of yesterday."[/say]
Just the view of a gilded Soh propped up naked in his bed was enough to have heat rising again, but if he lingered on thoughts of yesterday, Zavien worried he might make a fool of himself so early in the morning. He cleared his throat, his jaw feathering as he swallowed back the urge to act before they could clarify anything. [say]"Maybe we can discuss it more once we're both dressed with food in our stomachs."[/say] Clear heads seemed the appropriate means for such a conversation.
Smiling at her, he turned away to stand. The breeze immediately revealed to him that he was equally as bare. A flush rose to his cheeks and he ate up the distance to his single dresser in a manner of three strides, sliding on a pair of boxers with a quiet breath of relief. By the time he looked back to Soh, some of his composure had returned, but a faint blush remained to brighten his smile. [say]"Do you want to borrow something?"[/say] He wasn't sure how she felt about putting on the same clothes as yesterday, the same ones that had grown stale sitting on the floor of his living room.
RE: meet me in the afterglow - Sohalia - 03-12-2026
Gods, but she wished she could believe him. And in a way, she did - she knew that he didn’t see her as a complication. The steel in his green eyes brokered no argument on that point. But the truth remained: she had royally fucked up by acting on impulse yesterday, for not thinking beyond what she’d wanted in the moment. She’d made life harder for Zavien, and that was something that she truly could not bear when all she wanted now was to make him happy. To bring back the smiling, lighthearted man she’d seen the day before.
[say]”Me too,”[/say] she said, maybe a little sadly, already resigning herself to the fact that this seemed doomed before it even started. But she understood all too well that friendship was important, maybe the most important thing there was. After all, she wouldn’t risk her friendship with Flora for anything in the world, certainly not a man, not after everything that they’d been through and shared. But Flora hadn’t dated Zavien, or had whatever there was between she and Koa. There was far less to complicate things on her end than there were on his.
Maybe that was why she hesitated to share what it was that she wanted, despite knowing in her heart of hearts exactly what - and who - that was.
A small smile appeared on her face at Zavien’s blunt honesty. [say]”A repeat of yesterday could always be arranged,”[/say] she suggested, only half joking. [say]”But… I agree with you. I don’t think friends with benefits is the answer.”[/say] Not when her feelings were already involved. There was only heartbreak down that path for her, and she wasn’t so keen to shatter herself all over again, not when she’d just started to put herself back together.
Soh nodded as Zavien repeated her earlier suggestion of food, even if all she wanted was to either drag him back into bed to stay for the day or to force a conversation that he clearly wasn’t ready for. In the end, she did neither, settling on watching his naked form as he walked away from the bed to pull on a pair of boxers. Sighing softly, Soh nodded. [say]”If you don’t mind, that would be great.”[/say] She didn’t mind wearing her own clothes, but a part of her was loathe to give up the opportunity to have him wrapped around her in one way or another.
RE: meet me in the afterglow - Zavien - 03-12-2026
The mood was too dark. The bright, loving side of him struggled to break free, to wrap her in his arms and forget the consequences. There was nothing he wanted more, wondering if there was anything he'd ever wanted more than to feel that same happiness and contentment that she'd brought him yesterday. But the thought pained him, straining against every loyal bone in his body. Could he be so selfish? What had he done to earn that kind of happiness? What had Koa done to deserve that kind of hurt?
Zavien did what he could to bury the thoughts, but the sting remained. Even as he cracked a playful smile at Soh's tease, he felt the faint pang that screamed 'betrayal' in his head. He'd had sex with Soh - and he wanted to do it a thousand times more. The desire was so strong that it hurt, stabbing him with the truth of what it meant, that yesterday hadn't just exposed his feelings, they'd been thrown into the light where they grew stronger, no longer willing to be ignored.
His breath rushed in with shaky effort, securing the bright smile on his face in an effort to disguise the bit of panic still rising in his chest. Chuckling, he shrugged his shoulders. [say]"Only if you don't mind the size."[/say] Although only moderately taller than her, his shoulders had enough width to make him certain of the disparity. Still, he chose an olive green t-shirt and a pair of black basketball shorts that bordered on too small for him. Stepping in front of her wearing nothing more than his boxers, he gently offered the clothes, adding a small smile as he suggested, [say]"Why don't I check on the companions while you try these on?"[/say] Perhaps she needed a moment of privacy as much as he did.
RE: meet me in the afterglow - Sohalia - 03-12-2026
It wasn’t that Soh didn’t care about Koa and his feelings. She did. It was just that she was done letting her concerns about his feelings dictate her life. She didn’t want to hurt him. On the contrary, she wished him well. She hoped he found happiness. It just wasn’t going to be with her, and she hoped very much that he didn’t interfere with hers any more than he already had.
Every part of her screamed at the injustice of it all. How was it that she had ended things with Koa only to end up in a… whatever this was with his friend? How was it that she had stumbled into something that had made her so happy only a few hours prior only to have it ripped unceremoniously away?
And what had been so special about yesterday that Zavien hadn’t had these qualms then?
Fighting down the myriad emotions threatening to storm her, Soh accepted the offered clothes with a soft, [say]”Thank you.”[/say] As the door clicked shut behind Zavien, Soh stared after him, only to flop back on the bed and stare at the ceiling, holding his clothes possessively to her chest. They smelled like him. Maybe this was all a mistake. Maybe she should just go get dressed, make some excuse, and run.
But wasn’t that what she always did? Shove aside her feelings and lock them away, only for them to turn up in the dead of night to fuel her nightmares? No, she was done running. For better or worse, she would at least see this through. Zavien deserved no less.
Soh took her time getting dressed, figuring that Zavien needed a moment of privacy as much as she did. She padded to the bathroom, where she stared into the mirror, arms braced on either side of the sink. There were a few faint marks on her neck that made her blush, but she did her best to ignore them as she schooled her expression into something pleasant and neutral. Gods, what was she going to do?
The olive green of the shirt Zavien had given her made her think of his eyes. It looked good on her, even if it was so big that it hung loosely on her slender frame. The shorts, too, were big, but she could make them work, and at least it was a comfortable outfit, even if she was missing underwear and a bra. Oh well. It wasn’t anything Zavien hadn’t already seen, anyway.
Steeling herself, she left the bathroom and made her way cautiously out to the living room. Anani, who had apparently been curled up in a ray of morning sun, greeted her with a chiming purr, though the little cloud wyrm glanced towards Zavien and back with something like reproach. Swallowing hard, Soh knelt by her companion, trying to dispel any awkwardness from her movements by focusing on Anani. She scratched her companion under the chin, murmuring a good morning as she did so. She wasn’t quite sure what to do with herself now, though, and watched Zavien from beneath her lashes as she tried to figure out what to say.
RE: meet me in the afterglow - Zavien - 03-12-2026
Leaving Soh to dress, Zavien shut the door to the bedroom softly, the click snapping the moment so fast that he had to brace a hand against the wall. No longer under Soh's watchful - heartbreakingly beautiful - eyes, the thoughts surged hard and fast.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.
Not even his virtuous mind could stop the curses. They echoed like the frantic alarm bells of an invading army, warning of the death and destruction to come with a chiming glee. He tried to ground himself in the wood beneath his fingertips, faintly aware of Sol stretching leisurely from the bed he'd dragged into a ray of sunlight. His companion cocked his head before rushing forward with a rumble of worry, having realized that something was terribly wrong with his bonded.
But was it so wrong?
Why did it have to be wrong?
His mind jumped between reasons this couldn't - shouldn't - work, and all the reasons he had to try and make it work. He felt like he was being torn apart, fraying at the edges, worried he wouldn't be the same afterwards. It was true that nothing would be the same with Soh, and he couldn't even imagine how he was going to explain this to Koa, but what about him? The impulses he'd always been so careful in containing had been let loose, the feelings running rampant with his heart. How could he trust himself again? How was he supposed to go on after experiencing so much joy and pleasure and such completeness that he'd never known existed?
Sol's scaled nose pressed against his bare leg, his thoughts vanishing in a puff of smoke. Zavien took a deep breath, steadying the thundering race of his heart. [say]"Sorry bud."[/say] Running a reassuring hand over the dragon's head, he moved into the kitchen to pop the lid on a glass jar full of jerky. It would be enough to tide him over until breakfast was ready.
When he spotted Anani, he smiled softly, tenderly offering her the same. The jerky was poised delicately in his fingers, not wanting to scare her away. If she chose to take it, his smile would widen, but if not, he was content to set the treat on the floor for her to claim in her own time, ensuring Sol didn't steal the extra portion.
Then he got to work, muttering to himself as he gathered pans and the small spattering of ingredients he possessed. It wasn't much: some eggs, bread, a small slab of cheese, and the unending supply of jerky. Zavien grimaced at the meager options, hoping Soh wouldn't mind. Determined to make the best of it, he turned on the stove, cracking a few eggs into the pan - and immediately getting shells in them. Gritting his teeth, he was too distracted by his pathetic attempts to salvage the eggs that he didn't notice Soh come in. His head was close enough to the pan that it threatened to burn him, his eyes squinted to spot the white flecks eluding the grasp of his large fingers. This was starting out terribly.