if I cross the line

NIKI

"Let us hope the rain does not get any worse, then," Niki says, if they are going to be waiting together in it for the wagon to loop around and come back. It still falls around them in a steady, drumming downpour, and even with the heavy wool of his coat and the large hood shielding him from the worst of the weather, the boy will be soaked before the day is through.

Having to be careful of the mud as they go, luckily they aren't waylaid as they emerge back onto the main trail, the wheels of the cart having left deep rivulets in the sodden ground that are already filling back in with water. "If ever anybody did operate on a schedule, I do hope it is the driver of this wagon," he admits to her with a crooked smile. "Aimless travelling, though? What changed, for you to aim for Torchline and the Taliesins now?" he wonders.

As for the skyships, Niki can only shake his head apologetically. "I have never travelled on one, so I do not know," he admits. "But there is plenty of work in the village, if you need to raise the money to get a ticket."

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

The rain has been problematic. My jacket can only take so much saturation, and if my things weren’t wet before, they are now with that blanket in there. Nothing to do but trudge on, even if the mud is trying to suck my boots clean off my feet. ”Here’s hoping.”

I smirk a little and nod with amusement. "Yes, the carriage being on time would be ideal, even early, perhaps." And maybe I could convince the driver to let me on, this once. I’m starting to get chilled already, even in the seasonal warmth of Flowerbirth. As I catch up — not hard, with that leg of is — I look up at his question.

”They’re family,” I answer. ”Mom calls them my uncles, she told me to find them once I struck out. Got… tired of all her hiding, I guess. She's got a lot she's ashamed of.” I bite the inside of my cheek again. It is thrilling to be so honest, but discomforting too. He’s as stranger as a stranger can be, and here I am dumping my damn life on him. Can’t seem to shut my mouth. ”If I can work up enough to get a ticket to Torchline, I hope they can be family.”

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

NIKI

"Ah, early? I did not even consider such a thing. I suppose if things can be as late as they like, there is nothing stopping them being early too," Niki says with a bob of his head, as if the concept of optimism isn't one he usually gives much credit. (And it isn't). Still, now that they are at the side of the road and waiting for the cart to come creaking back their way, they can always hope. Hells, maybe the rain will even ease off a bit before the driver comes into view.

So far so not, though. "That is quite the family tie," he says with a small smile. "Having met their daughter Flora, I think you will likely be welcomed with open arms. By her at least - she is a very kind person, if not a little..." His brow furrows, searching for a word that would do the Doubletake any sort of justice. "Energetic?" he tries, already shaking his head as if to say it's not quite right.

"Either way, I am sure tickets cannot be too expensive. You may even be able to work aboard the ship as payment?" It's only a suggestion, but Niki doesn't think it's unheard of.

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 as I stop at his shoulder, the trenched road at my toes. It’s a relief to a real road and not just shifting game trails and strange trees. Even if the carriage is late, I’ll be glad to . ”Doesn’t hurt to hope, does it?”

Quite the family tie. I suppose he’s right. To claim to be the niece of two of the most legendary demigods in Caido is… well, I suppose I’m fortunate he even believes me at all. ”You’ve met the queen?” I say with a touch of surprise. She’d be like a cousin, wouldn’t she? ”It’s strange to think of someone will so much power welcoming me. Even Remi and Ronin. I think I met them when I was a child, but I don’t remember well.”

I think about working on an airship, and the concept sounds almost exciting. ”That would be interesting, wouldn’t it,” I consider. I hook my thumbs into my bag’s straps, glancing either way down the trail, hoping to spot an early carriage. ”Have you ever traveled far outside the Greatwood?”

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

NIKI

"I suppose it does not," Niki agrees, his grin a quick thing that's just about visible beneath the deep shade of his hood. "And yes, I met her back last Leafchange. She came to find me again in Deepfrost, though I do not know why, she helped me when I was sick. We have met a few times since, and I... well, I guess you could say we are friends." And it is as strange for Niki to imagine himself as the friend of a queen as it must be for Theea to be niece to a pair of demigods, but here they both are.

"If your mother was close enough to them to consider them brothers, perhaps they will surprise you. I have not had the pleasure of meeting them, though," he says softly. But that doesn't seem like a reason for Theea to worry. Demigods were demigods for a reason, right?

"Me, though? I have never left the Greatwood," Niki confesses. "I do not travel well." He gestures with his cane as if to let it explain further, before a soft and creaky rumbling from down the road draws his attention, cutting through even the sound of the rain. "You know, I think your hope has paid off, Theea."

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 shake my head in something like amazement. Just to be casual friends with the queen is no small thing. Or, perhaps by the way he speaks of her, it isn't so casual. She cared for him in illness, continues to visit... that sounds as true of a friend as one can be, right?

Shit. I don't think I've ever had a friend. Not unless you count mom's unicorn and spider. 

I nod this time, and puff out a heavy breath as I heft my bag again. "She says she loves them like her brothers. It's yet to be seen what they'll think of me." I'm determined to find them, but every time I think of meeting them, face to face, my hands start to tingle and my heart starts to race. I haven't figured out what I'll say. "It's both exciting and frightening."

I hear the slosh of creaky wheels in the mud, and I try not to cringe. "Confession, Nikki," I say. "I have no funds for... anything. At all. I ran out. It's why I've been hoofing it through the woods." I bite my lip a little too hard as the carriage comes into view. "Could I do something to repay you for a ride? A meal, a job around your house? I'm a great cook! And bit of a jack-of-all-trades."

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

NIKI

Feeling heat rush to his cheeks at the mere idea of someone treating him as a person with connections, Niki clears his throat and becomes increasingly glad that the cart appears to be on the approach. "More exciting than frightening, I hope," he adds with a quick smile regarding her journey south to find two long lost uncles. "And at least you will be able to do a lot of sight seeing on the way, right?" Presumably. Again, having nevr actually left, Niki can only imagine.

Through the downpour the cart soon appears, creaking and rocking its way through the mud, and it has almost drawn up beside them when Theea comes clean. "Oh," he says softly, his brow furrowing beneath his hood. "I cannot think of any repayment I would need at this very moment, but of course I can secure you a ride on the cart. We can discuss it at a later time?" he suggests, offering a quick smile to the terse looking driver who draws to a stop before them.

He seems especially suspicious of Theea - perhaps he thinks she's a shade? - but Niki's payment soon chases away any reservations, and he grunts for them to climb into the back of the cart among burlap sacks of beets and crates of carrots.

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 nod earnestly at the notion of sightseeing, eyes bright. “You’d think for someone who travels so much, I’d have seen more.” Always staying in the smallest of towns if we weren’t one of the hides they’d made over the years, scattered all across Caido’s most remote places.

I blow at a droplet of water as it hangs off the tip of my nose, and I give Nikki a relieved smile at his graciousness. “We can, sure,” I agree. “Just make sure you let me pay you back. If nothing else, once I’ve earned some wages.”

The carriage driver gets a small wave and a thank you over the drumming rain. I climb into the back and offer Nikki a hand, if he wants it. Otherwise I just find myself somewhere comfortable before it takes off. The road as muddy as it is, the ride is jarring at best. Not that I’m ungrateful—it sure as hell beats walking.

And, I’ve got kind company.

I sit and stare at said company for a moment. My brows pull together in thought, and I don’t look away if he looks. My lips just purse a little. It finally bursts out of me, ”Would it be terribly rude of me to ask what happened to your leg?”

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

NIKI

"I think there is a difference between travelling for necessity and travelling for pleasure," Niki quips with a quick smile as he hauls himself into the cart, grateful for Theea's help as he gets himself situated. Sitting against one of the sturdy sides of the wagon where he can set his cane down and draw his good knee up towards his chest, the other he stretches out straight, almost gingerly.

"The Greatwood is a region of trade and borrowing," he assures her with a dip of his head. "I am sure something will come up that will soothe your conscience about accepting my help, even if it is just helping me to carry a few supplies home one day." Tugging his hood further up as the rain becomes particularly lashing for a few minutes, he's content to sit in silence until such a time Theea breaks it.

Which she does, and Niki almost hides his smile, as if he's impressed it has taken so long for her to ask. "It is not rude at all, but you may be disappointed with the answer, because the truth is that I do not remember." He tugs his coat aside enough and knocks a knuckle against his pant leg near the knee, where she'll be able to hear the sound of metal and leather of the brace beneath his clothing.

"I am an orphan of the Greatwood. I do not remember my parents, and I have been like this for as long as I can recall. No one is sure if it is something I was born with, or if I suffered some injury that was never healed properly." He shrugs.

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

It’s a relief to hear of the bartering. I can manage that. And I like the way Nikki suggests it—it’s a friendly thing, just helping him carry something home or something of the like. I wonder if there’s a chance at a friend here, a connection to come back to.

I watch with piqued curiosity as he moves aside his coat, and knocks on some metal under his trousers. It’s a terribly sad story, though I’m sure he doesn’t need me to react in such a way. I still find myself meeting his eye with a certain sort of ache in my chest. I’d been lonely, true, but to be without my parents too…

”That’s very unfortunate,” I say, just barely audible over the rain, but then gently smile. ”It’s fortunate that you’re here though, yes? Despite it all.”

I adjust my jacket and hug my knees to my chest, some sort of attempt at staying warm. Silly, really, I’m already as drenched as a drowned rat, but it provides something.

”Who was it that took care of you as a child?” I ask. ”Were you raised by the fae?” Whatever Nikki thinks of himself, as lightly as he conveys his life, he’s an interesting man.

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

NIKI

"It could have been worse," Niki says with a dry smile across the cart. "I could have been without a leg at all, no? I will count my blessings - and my limbs - wherever I can." Chuckling and letting his coat fall back again, he braces a little against the side of the wagon as they rumble through a particularly rough patch of the trail, before it smooths out somewhat, though for how long who knows.

"Not the fae, no. There was a small children's home out just beyond the Sidhe Village." Which, he supposes, is a fancy word for orphanage. "I was there until I was nine or ten, when I was old enough to be apprenticed out. We actually just paid our respects to one of the matrons there. That sapling was hers. It feels strange to call her such, though - I do not remember her being all that old."

Glancing across at Theea, he tilts his head. "And you? Was it just you and your mother travelling?"

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 snort a little bit of a laugh and nod. “The correct amount of limbs is certainly a plus, regardless of condition.” Then the cart jumps particularly hard over a rough patch, and the back of my head thunks against the wall of the cart. ”Ouch,” I complain, rubbing the back of my head with a frown while I hang onto the crate beside me.

Once it evens out a little more, Nikki is able to respond to my question. I look back to where we came from, to where one of the women who had a hand in raising him was laid to rest. I’m glad I helped light candles. I look back at the mention of an apprenticeship, tilting my head. ”What’d you learn to do?”

And then the conversation turns toward me. Sometimes I share a little too much, but when people are actually listening, it’s uncomfortable. Too long hiding, I think. I feel something gutter a little bit inside, like a candle nearly blown out. I still manage a smile. ”My mom and dad. When I was four we left the Hallowed Grounds and rarely stopped moving. It was just the three of us, a couple unicorns, and a really drunk spider.” My smile flashes wider for a second. I miss that little spider.

But my smile tempers a little, until it fades, and I fiddle with the ends of my sleeves. ”Up until a few years ago. Then, yeah. It was just the two of us.”

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

NIKI

"Careful," Niki says automatically as Theea's head bounces against the side of the cart. He winces his sympathy, peeping over the crates and sacks towards the driver. "Most are not keen to linger in Ludo's Woods, and the rain probably is not helping," he says. "Still, you would think he would lose half his cargo driving like this."

Smirking and shifting to make sure he's comfortable enough without being at risk of a concussion, Niki glances back to his new aquaintance. At her next question, as much as it might have been expected, his smile fades somewhat. "I was apprenticed to an undertaker for a few years," he explains. "But I never finished my apprenticeship. He died, and although I still live and work out of the mortuary, I do not perform those services. Nowadays I make my living through metalwork. Jewellery, trinkets, those sorts of things."

Wiping rain out of his eyes and shivering a bit as the full, soaking wet weight of his coat settles upon him, he frowns to hear Theea's story - and all the things she doesn't say. "I am sorry for your loss."

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 in agreement, and speak low enough so that the driver won’t hear me over the rain. “I wonder how much of it he already has lost to the mud.” And then I crinkle my nose. “I wonder how much of it he pulls out of the mud and puts back in here.”

I then blink a little—he really just keeps getting more and more interesting. Or am I just easily fascinated? No, I decide. An orphan with a leg doing its best, raised in the Greatwood, apprenticed under an undertaker… For never leaving home, he didn’t live what might be called a typical life. ”That sounds like a hard job. I’m glad for you, that you’re creating now. I’d love to see your wares sometime.”

It’s strange to hear those words—I realize that people don’t know my dad died. Why would they? No one knows me. ”Thank you,” I say, meeting his eye. ”I am too.” I take a deep breath and try not to think too hard about all the things I miss about him, or how hollow our lives felt after he was gone. It had been difficult to carry on, for mom most especially. I try not to resent her for how much she shut down. ”Pretty sure she’s off trying to figure out how to bring him back. She’s never said so, but I’m not stupid. I don’t think that’ll happen though. He must be happy in Mort’s halls right? Just waiting for us.”

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