CHULANE
blending into the darkness, & it gets harder to see
He is thrilled, smugly pleased with himself, the situation a welcome distraction from the otherwise drab and depressive air that has settled over the region. As everyone slowly accepted what had occurred, as they returned to a new sense of "normal", Chuy was keen to embrace all of the small happinesses that came his way, or that he could construct. And this was indeed a bit of happiness that he had carefully cured, and that he hoped to share. So he was quite pleased when she smiled, when she teased about Auni, when she hesitated, surprised that they didn't keep walking to the lodge, when she came in and beheld the place with her own bright blue eyes. A smile graced his lips at her reaction, his eyes softening as her expression also softened to something he didn't get to see often. He wasn't even sure he had seen it before - just the simple way her smile seemed to reach her eyes more completely, as if somewhere, subconsciously, she had let go of whatever formality forced her to retain a bit of tension, always on guard and rarely showing more than front-facing polite emotions.
He hoped this place could give her the opportunity to just exist, without ever needing to pretend, to wear the face of the Hollowed Grounds Representative, to not hold back of she needed to cry, or laugh, or rage or otherwise express herself. He wanted this to be a safe space for her - and ideally he wanted to be a part of it, if she would have him.
"It would seem Lenny is quite the property mogul in Halo." He held the key up before her, before pressing it into her hands, holding onto them within his own for a moment. "In exchange for helping repair it, among the usual errands, he said I can do what I want with it for the rest of the season." With a smirk and a brow raised, as if daring her to challenge his next words (because he just knew that she would), he then explained. "And I would like to offer it to you." He released her hands then, spreading his own wide, as if presenting the entire building to her; which was exactly what he was doing. "I figure this might free up another room at the Kraai... and, well..."
He paused, hesitating, sudden insecurities rising up. But he met her gaze, and found strength there, and continued on - unable to resist inserting a bit of a joke to breach the topic. "If you don't mind, I'll ask Auni if he'll share his bed in front of fire with me?" In usual style, as he shed his outermost layer, he found a biscuit for the luxere in a pocket, and promptly dropped it for him with a sly grin, his gaze never leaving Kia's.
He hoped this place could give her the opportunity to just exist, without ever needing to pretend, to wear the face of the Hollowed Grounds Representative, to not hold back of she needed to cry, or laugh, or rage or otherwise express herself. He wanted this to be a safe space for her - and ideally he wanted to be a part of it, if she would have him.
"It would seem Lenny is quite the property mogul in Halo." He held the key up before her, before pressing it into her hands, holding onto them within his own for a moment. "In exchange for helping repair it, among the usual errands, he said I can do what I want with it for the rest of the season." With a smirk and a brow raised, as if daring her to challenge his next words (because he just knew that she would), he then explained. "And I would like to offer it to you." He released her hands then, spreading his own wide, as if presenting the entire building to her; which was exactly what he was doing. "I figure this might free up another room at the Kraai... and, well..."
He paused, hesitating, sudden insecurities rising up. But he met her gaze, and found strength there, and continued on - unable to resist inserting a bit of a joke to breach the topic. "If you don't mind, I'll ask Auni if he'll share his bed in front of fire with me?" In usual style, as he shed his outermost layer, he found a biscuit for the luxere in a pocket, and promptly dropped it for him with a sly grin, his gaze never leaving Kia's.
try to stand & unravel what a man's gotta be
