if I cross the line

NIKI

”That would be nice,” Niki agrees readily of the tea, nodding to Theea. ”I am more partial to coffee myself, but I have visited many of these tea houses and they do not disappoint.” And besides, it gets him out of the house, which can occasionally be an issue for an introvert who gets over-involved in his projects. So, all in all, it’s a resounding agreement from him towards their future meetings.

Having fallen to a halt as well to peer up at the Skyport, Niki’s smile is small but genuine - understandably, he only finds himself up at those sorts of heights when absolutely necessary, given the effort it would take for him to get up to the Observatory. ”This is the only one I have ever seen,” he says with a gentle shrug. ”But if the others are anything like this, I imagine they must be quite special to see.”

He gazes back to Theea as she talks of flight and her mother, interested but in the detached way of someone who never truly believes they will experience it. ”I do not think so,” he admits. ”The Greatwood has been nothing but kind to me. It is used to my quirks, and I am used to it in turn. I do not know whether that will be the same of anywhere else I visit.”

my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now
I can feel the light shine on my face

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Theea

I grin at his agreement, with a little breath of relief. I may be too earnestly hopeful for a friend, but I’ve had so few of those, if any could be counted as such. “I do like a little bit of coffee with my cream and sugar sometimes,” I say. Can I drink black coffee? Sure. Do I like it? Hardly. Cream isn’t so readily available on the road, so I learned to love tea early on, with ample amounts of sugar.

My gaze falls from the Skyport to Niki when he speaks, and his expression is hard to decipher. I wonder if he resents how hard it is to get to places like that, but I’m at least wise enough not to ask such an invasive question. We’ve only just met, after all.

I smile a little at him and his response to flight and if he would go. I don’t know whether to be sad that he feels that way or glad for him, that he has such a good home. “I think you might find kindness, perhaps even accommodation elsewhere too,” I remark. “But I have to admit my jealousy of you. I’ve never had any one place to call home. A few haunts, some places my parents kept empty for when we wanted to stop for a while, or stay warm.” My expression becomes fondly nostalgic. “Some of our best memories were in those cabins and apartments, snowed in or rained in, getting through Longnight. I suppose that those places were home in their own ways.”

I swipe water from my face again, squinting one eye up at the sky. “And I suspect today is a day we would have been rained in.”

welcome to the world of pretend
where we pretend we don't feel pain

NIKI

”Ah, is that right? You are in luck, then, because I will happily give you both of mine,” Niki assures Theea; preferring black coffee, perhaps more out of habit than anything else, she will nevertheless find him to be a man with a very simple drinks order. Glancing back to her as well as they turn their attention from the Skyport, she is far from the first person to try to sell him on the merits of travel, and it’s with a polite smile that Niki listens, while simultaneously never really seeing himself on any sort of ship. 

”There is nothing stopping you from making a home for yourself now,” he points out. ”Perhaps you will want to settle down in Torchline, once you find your uncles.” There’s always a chance, at least, Niki turning to continue to lead them through the village, especially as he’s reminded of the fact that they are still stuck in the middle of a downpour. ”I think you will be less likely to be rained in down south as well,” he adds with a crooked smile.

my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now
I can feel the light shine on my face

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Theea

I laugh, bumping my elbow lightly against his arm. "Deal. I’ll take all your sugar and cream rations and leave you with the bitter stuff. Sounds like we both win," I say, flashing him a quick grin. The rain drums a little softer under the cover of the buildings, and even though my hair’s a soaked mess and my boots are probably more puddle than leather by now, I find I don’t really mind. Walking alongside someone makes the storm seem smaller somehow.

"Maybe," I say, thinking about it. "Maybe Torchline’ll feel like home, and... if things don't work out the way I hope... I'll just keep wandering until some place feels right." I laugh under my breath, wringing some water from the ends of my hair. "Either way, it'll be... an adventure, I guess. As cringey as that sounds."

I glance over at him, my smile tilting slyly. "Thanks for helping me out. Pretty sure I’d be a soggy ghost in Ludo’s Woods if you hadn’t found me. You sure you're not some secret agent of the Greatwood, sent to rescue hopeless travelers?"

welcome to the world of pretend
where we pretend we don't feel pain

NIKI

"It is only bitter to those with unrefined tastes," Niki tells her with dry amusement and a quiet twinkle in his eyes, though he nods willingly enough at their agreement regarding any future meetings over tea or coffee. The rain does seem lesser among the buildings and people hurrying to and fro, not to mention the company, though the boy does spot the trail he'll need to take towards home up ahead.

Drawing to a natural stop outside one of the several inns that they have passed, Niki offers Theea a warm smile. "Well, if nothing else, you are always welcome back at the Greatwood. As a secret agent of this region, I feel as though I am in a position to give such reassurances." Winking, as if to tell her that this ought to stay between the two of them, he gestures towards the trail.

"This is where I will have to leave you though, I am afraid. Will you be alright from here, do you think?"

my body's on the line now, I can't fight this time now
I can feel the light shine on my face

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Theea

I follow his gesture toward the trail, then glance back at one of the inns that had been pointed out. The roof’s a little crooked, but there’s light in the windows and smoke curling from the chimney. It’s more than enough. I nod quickly, brushing wet hair from my face. "Yeah. I’ll be alright."

I look up at him again, the grin that pulls at my mouth small but genuine. "Thank you again—for everything. Really. You didn’t have to do all that, and I would’ve been soaked and lost for way longer without you."

My fingers drum lightly on the strap of my bag as I linger for a beat longer. "I’m definitely coming back to visit. Tea, coffee, whatever weird brew the Greatwood’s got, and hauling whatever you’ve got. You’ve been warned." The smile slips wider, a little brighter. "And if you get a letter from some girl who forgets to sign things with smeared ink and too many run-on sentences? That’s me."

I step back, nodding once more. Then I head toward the inn, humming to myself with boots squelching against the path, heart a little lighter than it was an hour ago.

~FIN

welcome to the world of pretend
where we pretend we don't feel pain