Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
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And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
His eyes widened, then narrowed as the chunk of meat appeared from nowhere. Korbin reached out and took it when Loren offered it up, half expecting it to disappear between his fingers. But it remained, and he examined it closely. Turned it over, looked at the marbling, the fibres, smelled and even licked at it as he tried to detemine what kind of animal it might come from.
"Magic?" he asked, just to clarify; it was fairly obvious. "What kind of meat is this?" He had seen Weaver play with fire all his life, but this was different. Magic wasn't shunned, but not exactly flaunted either. Or hadn't been, until Neron showed up. And Zariah after that.
"Greenhouses? Nothing. The healers grow herbs inside, that's all I know... no idea how. Never was my place to know."
He handed the meat back. Without a fire he couldn't do much with it. And he wasn't hungry enough to eat it raw. Not yet.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Nodding when asked if it was magic, Korbin's next question caused Loren's brow to furrow. "Venison. I think." Recognizing how unsettling that might sound, the healer gave the hunter a slightly chagrined smile. "I can make any type of meat I want. The trick is, as I mentioned, figuring out how to make it permanent." And then finding the energy to create enough of it, but the Launceleyn carefully didn't mention that part.
"Greenhouse are basically controlled rooms that can grow plants. Any type of plant, so long as the conditions are right, and you water them." He gave the other man a curious look. "I was thinking of setting some up and growing both medicinal herbs and food in them, but I don't know how the Halovians would feel about. It would be a lot of work to set them up and maintain them."
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
Venison didn't mean anything to Korbin, he had no idea what that was. He knew Luxere and Ursur, and the other beasts that roamed the Tundra. But he was contented that at least Loren knew, and nodded.
Listening quietly to the rest, he turned the idea over in his mind. Adverse though he was to change, and to the fact that it came from the mouth of an outsider, he wasn't stupid. Korbin could see several immediate benefits and drawbacks to the idea.
"How would you keep it warm? Where would you get the materials? Who is to build it, maintain it, and what happens if it breaks down?" He didn't try to wrap the questions up, and gave no indication on what he thought. Aside from the usual suspicion.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Awkwardly holding the meat in one hand, Loren lowered it when it seemed Korbin was satisfied with the inspection. At the series of questions, the healer blinked, then tried to hide his smile. "Glass. It focuses the sunlight, even on cloudy days, and keeps the interior warm." Pausing briefly, he wondered if he needed to explain further.
Then he shrugged. The hunter could always ask follow up questions. "I already have all the materials we need, as well as the plans. I just need the manpower and the approval to set it up." As for who would be responsible for upkeep, the Launceleyn sighed. "Whoever is willing to do the work is welcome to pitch in. Any broken parts would need to be replaced, of course, and the plants would need to be watered and harvested as appropriate. It's basically a full time job. I could do most of it, but I'd need help from the people of Halo to do it properly."
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
Ah. Of course Loren had everything set up already. Korbin closed his eyes and leaned back, pressed his back to the rocky wall of the cave. Would the people accept it? Weaver would. She leaped at everything new. No doubt others would too. There would be grumbling, and muttering, but if it worked they would soon all embrace it.
Except maybe hunters, whose culture and livelihood suddenly meant less. And those who lived on processing what the hunters brought back. And their families. No matter how he turned it, there would be impacts to life as he knew it... And not doing anything would be seen as just as bad.
He chewed on the mounting frustration for a while, then finally couldn't keep it contained anymore.
"This is exactly what I hate about outsiders!" he growled, and thumped his head back against the wall. "I'm sure it's a great idea, and I'm sure it will help, but it's not ours. It's not Halo, and it will change so many things! If I support it I'm betraying everything we are, and if I don't then I'm a jerk who won't help my people. Why do you all have to come here? Why can't you just leave us the fuck alone and let things stay as they were? We were doing fine without you!"
There was a powerless frustration in his rant, and it wasn't necessarily aimed just at Loren. But he was the one who was there right now, so he became the target anyway.
The thing was... at the bottom of all this anger and frustration, beneath all the sizzling emotions that bled through the bond, escaping his control, was fear. Just plain, simple insecurity, from a boy who saw his world turn upside down and didn't know what was expected of him anymore.
As long as all he had to do was work, eat and sleep, everything had been simple. But now... now nothing was clear anymore.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
As Korbin suddenly started complaining, Loren blinked in surprise. However, he didn't say anything right away, just tried to project as much reassurance as he could to the hunter. For a long moment, the healer stayed silent. Finally, he gingerly reached out to lay a hand on the other man's shoulder. "You're right. It's not yours." The Launceleyn's voice was soft and shockingly gentle.
Taking a deep breath, he smiled. "And I haven't done anything to set it up yet. Just made it so that, if the people of Halo did want it, we could." Still speaking in an almost soothing tone, he gave Korbin an understanding look. "And not much would change. We couldn't maintain that many, so it would mainly just supplement what the hunters bring it. Ease the pressure a bit."
Pausing, Loren bit his lip. "You told me how dangerous it was out there. And that you didn't have the time to pursue what made you happy." He tilted his head to one side, eyes studying the hunter's features. "Would it really be that bad if a few things changed? Things you, and the rest of Halo approved of?" It came out almost in a whisper.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
Nostrils flared wide over lips pressed so tight they whitened when Loren touched his shoulder. He felt the reassurance snake through the bond, and resented it. There was an urge to snap even more, shake off the hand and reject everything about this. He was no wild creature to be placated, yet that was how he was treated. And he resented it even more because it worked.
Gods, what was it about this man that made him want to punch his teeth in so badly?
"What does it matter to you if I'm happy or not? Don't act like you care when you don't know anything."
He'd met this person all of three times, and yet here they were. Acting all familiar. Did having his life saved really change that much? It was not a bond Korbin wanted, and he was doing his best to reject it.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Loren was actually taken aback by Korbin's questions. Studying the hunter's features, the healer found himself biting his lip again. "Why wouldn't I care if you were happy?" It was clear he was both confused and hurt by that particular comment.
Sighing, he pulled his knees into his chest and ran a hand through his hair. "Even if I didn't think you were someone worth knowing, which I do, I'd want you to be happy because you're a citizen of Halo and I'm trying to do right by all of you." He spoke quietly and uncertainly, as if he wasn't sure how the other man would react to that statement. Mostly because the Launceleyn was entirely unsure: he'd thought they'd been making progress, but apparently his judgment about how he came across to people was as faulty as ever.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
He was as taken aback by the response as Loren was by his question. Uncertainty fluttered down the bond, shame and regret upon seeing the genuine hurt.
"Because I've been a jerk to you," he said, trying to maintain that harsh rejection... but it was faltering. "Because no matter what you say, I won't trust you. You shouldn't care, you should give up and leave me be."
It's what most people would do. It's what Korbin expected, counted on, hoped for.
He watched Loren warily. The shift from the sly, cunning way he'd lured Korbin into talking about the greenhouse into this insecurity was sudden, and he didn't know what to make of it. Which was the mask, which was genuine?
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
"So?" Loren shrugged. "Most people are jerks to me. If I let that bother me I wouldn't talk to anyone." Tone wry, he was only partially kidding about that. "Plus I've never been good at reacting or acting the way people think I should."
Sighing, he scratched the back of his head a bit sheepishly. "You don't get to decide who or what I care about." It came out softly, and he gave Korbin a gentle smile.
Then the healer took a deep breath. "Alright, so I don't have your trust. And maybe I'll never earn it. I can live with that." He grinned a bit. "That isn't going to stop me from caring, or from trying to help you." His lips twitched with amusement. "Not with charity, and not with too many changes. But by being here." Glancing around the cave, he let out a huff of laughter. "Well hopefully not here, here, but you get what I mean."
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
This man... was confusing. Korbin wasn't sure if he was being scolded or reassured, because the words said one thing but Loren's tone and expression another. He found himself shifting uncomfortably. Didn't know what he was supposed to say here. Or do. Having anyone care about him personally aside from Weaver was... not something he was used to.
"You'll tear yourself to pieces, being like that," he warned. "Or get punched in the face, when you try to help someone who doesn't want it."
The very fact that Loren thought he needed help was really rather insulting. Korbin was perfectly capable of looking after himself. And he had Weaver. Why would he need anything else?
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Snorting, Loren nodded. "Probably. So what? You don't care about me, remember?" Letting out a huff of laughter, he grinned faintly at Korbin. "And I've taken a few lickings in my life." The healer waggled his fingers suggestively. "Good thing I can heal, right?"
Then his expression grew a bit more serious. For a long moment, he just stared at the hunter, meeting his gaze squarely. Sighing, the Launceleyn finally looked away. "Why does that idea bother you so much?" The question came out uncertainly. Biting his lip, he played with a stray thread on his lips as he waited for the other man to answer it.
And round about his home the glory That blushed and bloomed,
Korbin flinched and looked away. No, he most certainly did not care. The man could go jump off the tallest tower in the Palace and his only concern would be the unpaid debt. At least, that's what he told himself. The attempted humor was met with the same guarded stare as before, and Korbin grew more tense as Loren met his gaze, not looking away.
He looked down at his hands at the sigh. Opened and closed them, considering whether it was even worth answering. "People leave," he eventually said, speaking slowly. Avoided looking at Loren. "Or they die. It's inevitable. It's part of life. But if I let them in... if I care, they'll take away a part of me when they leave.
"Already I'm less than I was. And there's less and less left... I don't have room for people who can't be trusted, who will waltz off whenever it pleases them. There's not enough of me left to hand out so carelessly. What's left is for Weaver. Only her."
So he stayed away from them. Kept everyone at arms length. Shied away from those who cared, because they always craved the same thing back, and he just didn't have anything to give.
Is but a dim-remembered story Of the old time entombed.
Listening to Korbin's words, Loren's expression grew a bit wistful. Indeed, though he smiled, it was the sad smile of someone who'd loved and lost as well. "They do." He couldn't, wouldn't deny that, even as he met the hunter's gaze.
The healer took a deep breath. "This is not a time for grief, though, but for rejoicing in the memory of what they gave us." This time, his smile was happier, though sorrow still lurked around the edges and in his eyes. "Because what we lose when they leave is only a fraction of what we gain for having them in our lives to begin with." If it felt weird to be parroting the daughter of death's words while a storm howled outside the cave they'd taken shelter in after they'd murdered a cannibal, well, that was Caido. And no sign of any strangeness showed on his features, just a kind of peace.
However, he search the other man's features for some sign of how he felt about that. "Isn't it?" The Launceleyn asked the question barely above a whisper. "Isn't that part of life too?"
