carry me

AISHA

when you look at me like
that what did you expect

Aisha had found her way to the Temple today, though it was for no mere exploration as usual. Lately her routines had involved a little more planning to them, they were more routine. She'd come for the Notice Board, to see if there were any events or information she could learn from it. Adventure was just a plus, her main goal was to stay in the know as well as possible. She was still going through the process of acclimating to her new life, and keeping up was just a step.

This was a hair down day, her ribbon in her pocket, never farther. Blonde curls fell in her face when given the chance, but she'd grown used to it by now. So she simply let them do their own thing, she could control it as well as medusa could control her snakes. She picked through the Temple, pausing to admire the architecture where it was particularly ornate.

---

Korbin

i'd probably still adore you with
with your hands around my neck

Don't put your happiness in other people's hands

Amun's talk of storms caused by the gods had lingered in his mind. Korbin didn't like the portal - not using it, nor its very existence - but neither did he like the idea of it disappearing while Halo remained isolated. And if these storms was the cause for the usual scarce traders and messengers no longer coming over the mountains from the south, then he wanted to know as much about them as he could.

So, he braved the creepy white world between home and here, and stepped out into the bleak Leafchange sun. Compared to Halo, it was warm. Too much so for his layers upon layers of clothing; he stripped most of them off before heading off towards the Settlement. It wasn't difficult to find, the road well traversed, and his pace was brisk. Knowing no one here, there was no need to stop and chat. Or pay attention to anyone.

Finding the Temple was just as easy, and the Notice Board within it not even a challenge. Intent upon his own quest for information, Korbin nodded absently to a young woman strolling through the room, then lost himself in the wall of text before him. Searching note by note for the one he was looking for. Only the occasional hiccup could be heard from him... and he remained blissfully unaware of whether they came out loud or not.

They'll drop it

KORBIN

AISHA

when you look at me like
that what did you expect

It wasn't as though she'd expected to be alone, it seemed any time she did she found herself in the company of another. The nature of a dangerous and small world was a congregate of people in a general area, and she'd grown very used to others being in the spots she might think of as hidden. The temple was no hidden spot, people came here often, however a certain sound still made her jump.

She'd been content to wait for the boy to move, give nothing more than a friendly nod of greeting and continue not any the wiser to who he was. There was something about his hiccups that made her focus drift from the temple around her to him, every time the temple grabbed her attention back he made another and her eyes returned to him. Perhaps it was the absence of other sound, but despite enjoying the scenery Korbin had unintentionally become the subject of her curiosity.

Aisha didn't say anything, but did head towards the notice board, deciding not to wait her turn. She planted herself near him and looked ahead, arms crossed, scanning it for something more engaging than a hiccuping man. A memo signed by a familiar name was almost enough to do it, but a sudden sound from the other brought her golden hazel gaze back to him. It was just a glance, she didn't want to seem nosy, but she was obviously curious.

i'd probably still adore you with
with your hands around my neck

Don't put your happiness in other people's hands

Ah, there it was. Storms, a note posted by some person called Maea. It was not very detailed, and the writing was meticulous yet scrawly in a way that nagged at his senses, but the information was to the point. The storms was because of the Ascended and the Voice. And they wouldn't let up. It all had to do with the portals, with keeping the new god contained... Frowning, Korbin read on. Searched for other notes, and searched for the red thread between everything that had been posted there.

Faintly, he was aware of the woman coming closer. While he couldn't hear anything, he was still all too aware of the perpetual hiccups that wracked his frame. Sometimes he could almost forget about them... But as he felt her gaze on him, the boy became increasingly self-conscious about it.

Slowly, while his eyes and attention remained mostly focused on the board, a tint of red began to creep over his cheeks. Coloring the back of his neck and ears ever so slightly.

Damn his bad luck.

They'll drop it

KORBIN

AISHA

when you look at me like
that what did you expect

There was a lot to look at on the board, big notes under small ones and small ones under big. The newest of course situated on top, which was fine with her considering old news wouldn't do much good. The notice that Jigano had left did warrant a quick read over, and huff when she realized she'd missed the event. Fuck, she'd catch up with him at some point, and bug him into reiterating for her.

Once again her attention was dragged to the man with the sound and the slight shoulder jump that accompanied. Fuck, she was probably being rude. She was going to look away quick and cover it up when she noticed a flush at his cheeks, and somewhat of a self satisfied smirk pursed her lips. She didn't set out to embarrass him, but it was pretty amusing.

"Sorry, I'm not trying to be rude I promise," she said with a friendly chuckle, seeking a momentary eye contact. He was lanky and leagues taller than she could ever hope to be, and he still had a youthfulness about his cheeks.

i'd probably still adore you with
with your hands around my neck

Don't put your happiness in other people's hands

It took some work to catch his eye, since he was actively trying to avoid looking at her. But eventually she managed, and said something. She was laughing, and he was quite sure he knew why. As another hiccup broke from his tortured diaphragm, the color of his cheeks intensified.

Gods be damned. Really. He meant it. Damn them, for this arbitrary punishment that seemed so utterly pointless.

Too bad he didn't know what she was saying. Or he might have quipped something back. The way things stood, all he could do was respond with a questioning half-smile, and make a too familiar gesture. Raising a hand to his ear, then shake his head.

'I can't hear you', it suggested.

They'll drop it

KORBIN

AISHA

when you look at me like
that what did you expect

Her comment meant to break the (near) silence only reddened his cheeks further. She would've felt bad (maybe) if she didn't find it cute. She continued to smile and wait for his response, but when it came her smile dropped a bit, only remaining in the quirk of her lips so as not to seem too surprised. He couldn't hear her? That sucks, was he deaf? He wasn't trying, but he was becoming far more interesting than the notice board the more they interacted.

"You can't hear at all? Are you ok?" she asked before realizing it was dumb to, he couldn't hear her. It was her turn to falter and blush a moment, then she pointed to him and went between thumbs up and down as if to say, You good or no?

i'd probably still adore you with
with your hands around my neck

Don't put your happiness in other people's hands

Tucking his hands into the pockets of his pants, Korbin frowned slightly when the girl kept talking anyway. Didn't she understand? No, there it caught up with her. She blushed too and looked rather awkward; he couldn't help but smile at her. A little  wry and lopsided, but not unkind.

Her gesture... didn't make much sense though. Okay? What was okay? Was it supposed to be a question? The hiccuping young man looked around, found a table nearby with a few official looking boxes. Possibly some government thing... what he really cared about was the pen and paper that sat next to them.

Strolling over, he made use of both and scribbled down a question, that he held up; "What did you mean?" He was hoping quietly that the girl could read and wasn't looking at the notice board just for fun.

They'll drop it

KORBIN

AISHA

when you look at me like
that what did you expect

The other gave a wry smile at her fumble, in turn she pursed her lips. There, even. When she tried to communicate her concern he seemed confused, her message not gotten across as she'd hoped. This was complicated, it would be easier if they could just write. She glanced away from him about the same time he did, probably thinking the same thing.

The dark haired boy found the pad and pen first, Aisha followed him over, stopping when he turned around and held up his message. She narrowed her eyes into a playful pout and grabbed the paper from him, scribbling down her own message against the hard of the table. A message jotted down in handwriting nicer than needed for the occasion, she offer him the paper; on it he would find underneath his question the words, Are you ok?

i'd probably still adore you with
with your hands around my neck

Don't put your happiness in other people's hands

He chuffed in quiet amusement as she grimaced back. It was a strange thing, this communication without words, but somehow Korbin felt he didn't hate it. Not hearing words forced him to look more closely at the things - and people - around him, and in a way it let him learn more about them than words could ever allow.

The followed to the table, snatched the paper from him and wrote back. Surrendering the pen to find another, Korbin nodded that yes, he was indeed alright. But beneath her writing, he added: "I'm ok. Just cursed."

His expression was almost somber as he looked down at her, with a touch of martyred suffering that was just a trifle overdone. There was some mischief in his gaze though... like he was possibly telling a fib. Or possibly not.

They'll drop it

KORBIN

AISHA

when you look at me like
that what did you expect

The other chuffed at her grimace, the first sound he’d made that wasn’t a hiccup. She too wasn’t all that upset about the silent exchange, it was different yet but not in a particularly bad way. She was a more physically expressive person anyway, so it was no big trouble.

The lanky man resigned his pen to her, and sought another, then explaining his problem under her question. She was glad that he was ok of course, but she wasn’t quite done with him yet. Cursed? That posed for a curious glance, she looked up at him squintingly, trying to read the mischievous look he gave her. With a huff she then went back to the paper. How? she wrote, pulling the pen back to rest in a balled fist on her hip.

i'd probably still adore you with
with your hands around my neck

Don't put your happiness in other people's hands

She was curious, he could see that. Korbin regarded her for a moment, considered whether to say anything. If he should tell the truth, or make up some outrageous story.

He decided that the truth was incredible enough, and set his pen to the paper again.

"Prayed at a shrine. Gods didn't like my offering of music, so they took my hearing."

He gave her the chance to read it. Then, after a somewhat dramatic pause, he added: "Figured I just had to play better. So I went back. This time, I got hiccups."

The raven stood back, rested his hands on slim hips and waited for the reaction.

They'll drop it

KORBIN

AISHA

when you look at me like
that what did you expect

The other was wary, studying her thoughtfully. She cocked her head at him, waiting to see how he would respond to her question with a glint of dare in her eyes. Egging him into an explanation, perhaps she was a bit nosy. But how could she resist? It wasn't everyday she met someone cursed to deafness and a gruesome affliction of the hiccups.

She scanned quickly over what he wrote, of course it was the gods. She'd heard loads about monsters here causing damage and wrecking havoc, but the gods seemed to be just as spiteful. He added one more note, to which Aisha gave a small humorous snort. No it wasn't funny at all, but it was a little funny.

She grabbed the paper back, scrawling down her response quickly, and holding it up for him to see, That blows, was written in dark neat ink. Before he could take the paper back she returned it to the table to scribble more, glancing up at him every so often as she wrote. Once again holding it up, A forever thing? You gonna be carrying around paper and pen everywhere now?

i'd probably still adore you with
with your hands around my neck

Don't put your happiness in other people's hands

His expression became one of long suffering patience when she snorted. He didn't hear it, but Korbin could still see the amusement on her. Yeah yeah. Laugh on, it's fine.

Throwing a glance on the note, he held his hands up in a rather overdone shrug, a 'who knows' kind of gesture that hopefully conveyed some of the horror he was going through. Perpetual hiccups? Never being able to hear again? It might be funny for a bit, but if it went on forever... then it became all kinds of dreadful.

But he still took the paper back, and scritched down a quick: "You could always pray for my recovery next time you visit a shrine." and handed it back with a slight wink, a charming and playful smile that wasn't very serious at all.

They'll drop it

KORBIN