A warm meal and a quiet night

CHULANE

It was hard to tell whether he lived or worked at the Kraai anymore. Since he had agreed with Weaver, before the world turned to shit, that he would help out there wherever he could, it would seem business at the Kraai only got busier. An influx of temporary refugees would do that, and now with the added need for support and care as people deal with loss, the bar was rarely empty.

Chuy, true to his word, helped wherever he could. Between assisting with the clean-up of the ruined city, whatever errands his landlord still needed completed, and the Kraai, he hardly had time for his writing, often falling into an exhausted pile at the end of the night in his bed, and sleeping soundly until the following morning. Still, keeping his mind busy was the best thing he could do to get through not only the trauma of losing everything and everyone that he knew, but also this new shared trauma. And he would always be able to write then the world was less falling into pieces.

The relief he had felt when he had seen Kiada, alive and relatively unscathed, the night of the disaster, was something he had thought on a lot. He had always made an effort to greet and farewell her with a hug and a light kiss to her forehead or cheek, but found they had had little time to just be - and he missed it.

"Kia," he said warmly one evening at the Kraai, almost as if he was saying goodbye early for the night. But when he pulled her into a hug, he did not let go completely, instead holding onto her hands. "C'mon," he said instead, pulling her over to a table in the corner, where he had arranged with the kitchen staff a special meal already for them to share.

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3

KIADA we are all just fighting to survive a world, where 'i miss you' doesn't mean I'm coming back. It is exhausting, day after day, to care for all the needs of the Grounders all by herself. She’s gotten a couple of them who have offered to step up and help just so she can at least have a few moments of sleep and rest for herself. But it reminds her so much of the Rift and the aftermath of all of those traumatic events that it’s hard not to tax it on further. It wears on her, in the lines in her face, in the way her shoulders seem to sag a small amount, but she keeps up as chipperly as she can. Chulane has helped a lot, that other person to kind of just… Understand, to know, without having to use words to explain it. She’s become used to telling him goodnight, to waving him off as he heads back home to his own devices, despite how much there’s a part of her that hopes the nights never truly end when they finally get their time together. Today, however, when he calls her by her nickname and her iceberg gaze lifts to meet his, there’s a slight furrow of her brow – it was early and perhaps she was selfish but she simply just didn’t want to let him go just yet – but, but, he pulls her into a hug, holding onto her hands softly instead of letting them go like usual. “Okay…?” She says in silent question, wondering what exactly is going on, but following through with it. Auni can handle entertaining the Grounders left. She keeps her hand in his until they reach the table – and it almost looks something like a date, a space just for the two of them but secluded enough that Kiada’s gaze slips toward him with a silent question, a pulse of it sent toward him with the bond before a small smile tugs at the corners of her exhausted face. “Dinner?” She asks, giving his hand a soft squeeze, before letting him go to take a seat – some huge amount of relief leaving her shoulders at the idea that he wasn’t simply leaving just yet. and 'I love you' doesn't mean I'll stay...

CHULANE

He knew she was busy, swamped with managing the Grounders, he knew she had responsibilities that had her working day and night, knew there was so much he didn't know about her - that he wanted to know. But he also knew that constantly pushing oneself the way she was wont to do would lead to burnout - to a mental breakdown, to a physical breakdown, to a husk of the woman he had come to thoroughly enjoy the company of. He had seen burnout in people before - it was not something he wanted to see Kia go through, if he could help it.

So he had taken the time to set up a quiet dinner for them, to reserve a quiet corner so that they might have some semblance of privacy without being completely disconnected, to ensure that the Grounders would have their needs met by the barstaff - they weren't completely incapable of looking after themselves, either. He wanted to give her this night, this time, to just be, without guilt or remorse, without any strings attached (except perhaps his heartstrings, which hummed happily whenever his thoughts turned to the woman).

"Dinner." He confirms with a nod and a grin, more than happy to call it a date if she wanted to, squeezing her hand in return before he sat at the table. "And a chance to slow down, at least for a little while." He poured drinks after clarifying with a gesture which she would prefer poured. It was water, as normal, for him. He hoped she liked roast meats and root vegetables - while the food storage had been threatened from the destruction of the palace, they had salvaged enough, and every family had their own little backyard hobby farm - they possibly had to slaughter an extra animal than they initially planned to get through the season.

The recent events had only accelerated the man's desire to bring some of his farming knowledge to this land, to help ensure a reliable food source for the region going forward. But he didn't want to think on that tonight - tonight was for Kia. They were both exhausted, and yet he found this time he had secured for them energising him, enough at least that he could engage in conversation, learn more about her, share more about himself. Being with her felt so right, so natural - he was honestly dreading the time that she would return to the Hollowed Ground. But there was little point in worrying about something that was so far away into the future - if this introduction to the Deepfrost season was anything to go by, they had plenty of challenges yet to endure before he would have to worry about farewelling her (or…?)

"To a night spent with good company," he said, raising his drink to clink with hers across the table, hoping she would reciprocate.

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3

KIADA we are all just fighting to survive a world, where 'i miss you' doesn't mean I'm coming back. His grins are soft and sweet, and she quietly melts before them as she takes her seat – looking between the drinks that he’s brought – opting to start with water and sitting back gently as he pours her a glass. Tucking a few stray dark hairs from her face, she looks back to him and simply just takes a moment to take it in – the air around them, the quiet corner they have, the closeness of them right now. A soft smile crosses her face and sticks. Something so nice and small meant the world to her – that he’d go out of his way to do something like this for her of all people. Is that guilt she still feels, that he thinks this painted picture of her when she’s done so much that would tarnish his image of her? Would it actually tarnish what he thought? She’s terrified to find out, and even if this doesn’t last, she absolutely can let herself let go to enjoy it while it lasts. Her glass lifts to clink against his as she goes to take a sip from it. “And having a few moments to breathe.” She adds on, flashing him a wink before setting the glass down and settling in a small amount at her seat. “So what’s on the menu, Chuy?” She asks, not even looking down to the plate before them or anything – wanting to hear him explain what he’d picked as she slowly begins to realize just how starved she is. and 'I love you' doesn't mean I'll stay...

CHULANE

Chulane was a long-term commitment kind of guy. Even in friendships, he was dedicated, determined to give them his all, to prove himself worth their time. He missed his old home, his family, his friends, his life - but he was purposefully focussing on his life here, in Halo, always considering what he could give the region, what life he could build here, now and into the future. It just was him, to think of the long-term, to look ahead and hope that those he had grown close to would do similar.

Because Kia was in his future, the full capacity at which was unknown. They had a great friendship going, a relationship that toed the line between platonic and romantic, both of them too scared to progress it too quickly, too scared to talk about it directly, too scared to acknowledge it openly. So Chuy did what he could do to express himself, and that was to be his honest self - to help, to support, and to sneak in a kiss or a cuddle whenever he could.

"Roast ningo and root vegetables," he announces with a flourish over the plates before them. "I promise I didn't drop these vegetables on the street," he follows up with a wink and a warm chuckle. "Dig in, there's gravy too." He tipped some of the dark sauce on top of his meat and vegetables, then picked up a fork and popped a potato in his mouth, relishing the flavour.

"Do you like it?" He asks almost immediately after she tries her first bite, the hope evident in his eyes as he watches her closely.

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3

KIADA we are all just fighting to survive a world, where 'i miss you' doesn't mean I'm coming back. She listens, a soft smile playing on her lips as she focuses on Chulane’s explanation – a chime of laughter slipping from her lips despite the exhaustion that weighs on her shoulders now that she’s taken a moment to simply be. “Even if they were vegetables that rolled across all of Snowcloak, I’d still eat them.” She replies easily, flashing him a wider smile before she’s picking up a fork and looking down to the plate now – half debating whether or not to add that it’s because he’d put this all together and she could care less about where it came from. Still, she follows his lead, grabbing the gravy and pouring it over the plate and diving into the meat first, finding it easier to try and down the protein before she got too full on the potatoes (regardless of how much she loved carbs and the like), and as soon as it hits her tongue she can taste it melting on her tongue – a satisfied sigh leaving her as she takes her time to down the bite even as his question is aired. And when she swallows it, her iceberg gaze finds him again and offers a bright smile back. “It’s amazing, Chuy, thank you.” She gives him all the honesty she can, none of the flirtatious tones within this sweet gesture. “You went through all of this just for me?” She asks, piercing a potato and taking a bite of that as well as she focuses on him to answer her question. and 'I love you' doesn't mean I'll stay...

CHULANE

He was glad he could still make her laugh even if exhaustion tried to drag her down - that was the purpose of all of this, to get her mind off things, to get her laughing again, living again. To remind her, however hard it is, that life must go on. Hell, life would go on regardless, it was up to them to keep up, to not let it trample over them and leave them in the dust behind.

It gave him hope to hear her laugh, to watch her enjoy her first bite, to banter with her on the vegetables' questionable histories.

The genuine gratitude she gives him was received with relief, and he puts another potato in his mouth to chew on until her next question sounds.

His motions paused, as he considered the question, and all the implications behind it. Gone were the playful winks and pulses of amusement that often radiated from her; he was left to his own devices to contemplate all that it meant, all that it could mean. A blush colours his neck and cheeks, and he swallows his mouthful down, as his mind finally settles on an answer for her.

"I did, yeah." Deep tones speak softly but clearly, before he sipped at his water to help the potato go down. "I wanted to spend time with you, as just us again," he admitted, shrugging nonchalantly, though the blush certainly told otherwise. Despite the blush however, he did not break her gaze, he owned his stance and his reasoning.

"Should I not have?" He posed to her in return.

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3

KIADA we are all just fighting to survive a world, where 'i miss you' doesn't mean I'm coming back. She pops the potato into her mouth after airing her question – letting her gaze linger along him as she waits for the reaction, the response. And it’s actually somewhat amusing, as is the blush that creeps along his neck and cheeks – and it causes her to swallow down the food a bit harder than before as she listens to the response. And it also sparks some sort of blush along her face as well – flushing the back of her neck and her own cheeks as she averts her gaze to her plate once more as if she’s debating which next bite would be best as she mulls over his answer. It does little to keep the soft, gentle smile from remaining on her face, the slight feeling of surprise and honesty that lingers within her that she tries to keep to herself. That he wants this time with her, that she’s something special when she really didn’t consider herself to be. But Chulane was special too, a sweet and kind Outlander that reminded her so much of Rixen that it almost hurt when she considers him again. Here’s to new memories, isn’t that what they had said before? So she manages to pierce another bit of food and line them up on her fork, her head remaining angled down toward the plate but her eyes lift to meet him as his question is posed back to her and she blinks a small amount – some uncharacteristically shyness crossing over her as she contemplates the answer. “I think you should have.” She agrees, trying to add in some of that humor and watching it fall short. “But I’m not exactly sure how to pay you back for this.” She adds a bit more honestly – all the kind things he’s done for her. How could that be repaid? Did it even need to be? Aside from her presence being enough? She supposes the better question that crosses her mind is whether or not she’s worth all of this, when he hardly seems to know her darker past, what causes her to edge and shift into that sharpened blade of a person she was when he’d found her after the palace had fallen. Had he noticed the shift? Did he care? Did she care anymore? and 'I love you' doesn't mean I'll stay...

CHULANE

Warm satisfaction blossomed somewhere in the man's chest as Kia's reaction was similar to his own, and he recalled memories of their time training together, of the hints of affection and desire they shared with each other (though his was accidentally shared, hers less so). Of their night following the 'drinking games', where they returned to his lodge and just held each other, just slept in an embrace that to Chuy, was almost more intimate than anything else they could have done (almost - not quite completely). He was a traditionalist, he didn't want to have reality-shifting substances altering his perception if he was going to take that step, and he was glad that she understood this - that she seemed to appreciate him all the more for it.

At her words however, a little frown creased his brow, and he simply looked at her in silence for a moment, considering her with a quiet soberness. That she thought she owed him anything baffled him, that she thought herself so undeserving of this little bit of kindness tore him up inside. Everyone deserved a bit of kindness, and if Chuy had the capacity to give it to those he cared about, he would, with nothing expected in return. Besides, she had already given him so much, even if she didn't realise it.

"Kiada," his tones were serious, and he reached across the table to place a hand over hers to ensure she would take him seriously. "You're my friend. You don't owe me anything. Ever. Alright?" He gave a gentle squeeze, emphasising his words, raising a brow in inquiry, piercing her icy gaze with his own. Friendships, hell, relationships were just that to him, just someone you could rely on, someone who knew when you needed a hand, someone who just gave themselves to you without expecting anything in return.

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3

KIADA we are all just fighting to survive a world, where 'i miss you' doesn't mean I'm coming back. She immediately averts her gaze when her question is aired – feeling undeserving of even the little bit of attention she receives – and again, it’s because he doesn’t know her deep down. But it’s not something she can rectify now, and if he’s happy enough with how things have turned out so far, who is she to say anything else to that? Maybe she shouldn’t tear herself up over and over again for her past mistakes when she’s atoned so much for them already in the mental scars, in the physical scars, in everything. How bad would it be to let someone in, as possessive as she can be when it comes to being absolutely terrified they might leave? Be torn from her again? When this world inevitably breaks and she’s thrown from it once more, leaving everything and all she knows behind? His tone is serious when he calls her that nickname, and her mouth is half full as she focuses on him again, her own iceberg gaze a bit surprised at the tone – though never in a bad way – and when he reaches for her hand and she opens hers up for him, running calloused fingertips along the inside of his hand should he let her before he’s squeezing her hand. “Alright.” She agrees softly, offering him a small smile for that but finding it hard to believe. What if one day he grew tired of her? What if she wasn’t enough? What then? She tries her hardest to drown those thoughts where they stand, offering him a slightly brighter smile with it as the shadows begin to pass from her vibrant gaze as she meets his again. “I never thanked you for the jacket in the aftermath.” She says instead, an almost sheepish smile crossing over her face with it. She wants to tell him that it meant the world for her, that she had been too furious to realize the danger she was in until he was there wrapping and bundling her up. And so she sends that feeling of thankfulness and relief for him down the bond, because perhaps it’s something he might understand better than her simply spouting the words for it (what words were even good enough for that?) and 'I love you' doesn't mean I'll stay...

CHULANE

He knew she had been through more than he could ever imagine, he knew she had fought battles, had been dragged by more powerful, mystical forces through more worlds than he could fathom existed, knew that there was so much to her still unknown to him that it was possibly insane that he should feel the way he does about - but  this knowledge, or lack thereof, didn't stop those feelings. He hoped she would come to trust him, would come to seek him out, to rely on him and open up to him more and more, to help carry her emotional burden, but he also didn't want to push her into it, to coerce or force her. He didn't know the full extent of the doubt that she was filled with, the sheer disbelief that she herself deserved this simple kindness he offered, but he would continue to act this way anyway, unless she asked him directly to stop and take a step back.

So far, she had accepted all that he had to offer, and so he had continued onwards, gently demonstrated his true feelings for her through these small gestures, sweet whisperings and feather-light kisses. She was fully entitled to push him away, or to turn away from him, and yet she didn't - it gave him hope, that despite whatever was holding them both back that made them take this journey one crawling, inching step at a time, they would take those steps together and one day, eventually, find themselves with a beautiful gift in each other.

Perhaps he was just an old romantic, determined to believe that love could and would win out against all other odds.

She might fear that his attentions would not last, that he would find someone else to comfort, to console, to train with, and the honest truth was: He didn't know what the future held. But, while he might spend a lot of time in his books, learning lore and medicine, practising medicine and otherwise coming up with great farming endeavours that would revolutionise the small region of Halo, there was only one spot within his heart reserved for the sort of attachment he knew was growing for the woman sitting across from him. He smiled as she agreed with him, lifting her hand to his lips to press a kiss to her knuckles with a soft "Good," breathing out between his lips, before he released her hand once more.

He notices her gaze, her thoughts drifting away on various things outside of this moment, and he does of course wonder at what it could mean, what it could stand for, that she does not want to speak of it, to bring it up, to give a reason for her doubt, for her feeling like she owed him for this little bit of kindness. And again, she gives thanks for a thing that seemed so normal to Chuy - surely anyone would have done the same to her had they seen her standing in the cold after a literal disaster, and had a blanket available to give her? But he holds his tongue, he accepts her thanks with a nod, and then a broader smile as she follows it up with that damn attunnedness. It was as if she was giving him a warm, soothing hug but in a way far more intimate and close than just words or gestures alone could ever achieve.

"I was just relieved to find you not in the same condition as the palace; -" destroyed, demolished, broken, torn open and no longer supporting life "- I was so scared that night." He shook his head at the memory, goosebumps rising along his forearms as the memory of dread echoed within him. He looked back into her eyes, as if checking again that she was indeed there, alive, whole, and with him.

"Could hardly let you perish from the cold after you survived the attack. And to think, you and the other Grounders came here to escape such terrors." He spoke with a somewhat guarded tone, popping some more meat into his mouth afterwards. He wasn't really a fan of this topic of conversation - it reminded him too much that she was only here temporarily, and it frustrated him that she had come here to protect her people and this region proved to have its own spectacular kinds of dangers as well. Though… "Was there really a child sacrifice involved in this.. Shitshow?" he asked hesitantly, his tone clearly reluctant, but determined to gleam more details, to gain more of an understanding than the one he had pieced together.

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3

KIADA we are all just fighting to survive a world, where 'i miss you' doesn't mean I'm coming back. Perhaps he would stay through all of her trials and pain, perhaps it wouldn’t be that big of a deal in the end because she had changed so much. There were so many what ifs she couldn’t answer just yet because she didn’t know... How would he feel about her once he knew she’d helped a god butcher her people all in the name of wanting to grow more powerful, strong? To become something when all she had was a shattered family and a twin that had been kidnapped? He lifts her knuckles to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to them that has her blushing a small amount more, a finger extending to stroke along his cheek in a tender and loving touch as well, before he releases her hand. And she finds she craves the warmth he brings to her cold, the almost gentle innocence that’s bright and vibrant against her jaded thoughts. But there was time for that — time like after the bar when he’d held her and they’d shared their night together in such a comfortable way that she couldn’t quite imagine anything less when she looked into eyes so much like her own. “I was too.” She confides. She might bear the strict sharp stone faced exterior of Deimos, but much like him she brooded and raged and tore away at herself inside. But she meets his gaze regardless, full of shadows and light, a cross between the memory of that night and the lightness she finds here with him, of not caring. Gods, was she falling for him? “They’ve been through worse.” Kiada says softly. She has been through worse. “The worst part about it I think is that it was such a surprise. We spend all of Deepfrost preparing for LongNight. People know what to expect. But this? This was out of the blue and really shook everything up.” She sighs, pausing to continue to eat before his next question is uttered and she’s lifting her gaze to his again. A child sacrifice. “I think so.” She frowns lightly. “Why else would the Academy be safe if not for Zariah’s words?” It’s the only thing she could think of, if the gods here were anything like the ones of her previous world. and 'I love you' doesn't mean I'll stay...

CHULANE

Her touch was most welcome, a gentle gesture, a hint that she accepted the little tokens of affection he offered, that she wanted to return them. He didn't know how else to be, how else to express himself, to show that he cared for her a great deal. He so longed to be brave enough to speak openly about the emotions that swirled within him whenever he thought of her, whenever he saw her, held her, spent time with her; but he was also afraid to burst the safe little bubble they had formed around them, of stolen smiles, soft laughs and warm embraces. It felt too soon, like they had only just met, and yet, here they were anyway, letting their emotions grow and develop, sharing experiences, both mundane and mystical, and coming out the other side of them together.

Soft words spoken, and Chuy could only admire the resilience that she and the other Grounders showed - he had been witness to it already, at ground zero, and he prayed (though again, to who exactly he wasn't sure) that they never had to show such resilience again, that they would never be subject to the whims of such dangerous, powerful mystical forces that barely involved them. He keeps chewing, trying to focus on the flavour of the roast meat rather than get lost in the tragedy of lives so recently lost.

Child sacrifice. The guards who sacrificed themselves in the defence of their home. So much death, all of it unnecessary, in Chuy's eyes. But who could be so heartless as to offer their own child in sacrifice, and to what? Protect a school? "I have even less of an explanation than you," he said in response, a little bit of a hopeless look on his face. "Such whims of gods and seasons is still quite new and hard for me to fathom." He shook his head slightly. Having been in Halo for some time now, having immersed himself with the culture, the people, and even the temporary residents, he had heard tales of the Launceleyn family, though the ones he had met directly (Loren and Neron) had not fit the narrative that was told for the other one, this Zariah.

The Academy had been something Chuy had so desired to visit, to learn what he could about magical, even if only in a theoretical sense. But the rules were strict, and it would seem that in being only an attuned, he was not permitted to even borrow a book, or sit as witness to others practicing, so that he might gleam a deeper understanding of that which he might never get to wield himself. It was something he had come to peace with quickly - the knowledge and books that Jigano had lent him would suffice, and besides, he was a healer the mundane way, with clean bandages and water, time and rest.

"I still cannot imagine that someone with so much power and influence could be so blinded as to the effects their own actions could have on others - on an entire city." Whether he was talking about this Eirachi or the woman Zariah was unclear - perhaps his words fit both narratives. "But then, maybe I shouldn't be so surprised," he sighed, and kept eating. His world had been full of such selfish people, had it not? Moguls, billionaires, hoarders of wealth and influence who only sought to grow their own wealth despite the damage it did to the rest of the population, to the very environment and world they all shared. One day, they too would face a disaster that their money and influence couldn't stop, and then the entire world would pay the price.

"My world was full of selfish assholes as well." He supplied with a soft grin hoping to turn the conversation back to a lighter mood, to move on from the deaths, to return to the here and now.

it is better to know some of the questions
than all of the answers

code shamelessly stolen from Skylark <3

KIADA we are all just fighting to survive a world, where 'i miss you' doesn't mean I'm coming back. There’s an almost grave nod that she gives him when he mentions that he has less of an explanation than she does. It’s the only thing that makes sense – but when he mentions gods and seasons, still being new to him, she feels that awkward swirling in her gut begin again anew. “I’m… Intimately familiar with the whims of gods.” She admits, turning her attention back down to her plate and continuing to dig in, finding it comfortable to not look at him while she explains it. She’s told him of her failed quest for Ludo – the herald here that she hopes she has not offended… But of Kaos? Of Hope? She pauses in her eating to take a sip from her water, thankful partially for the way he continues on, her gaze lifting to meet his across the table as she nods. She had wanted to be one of those once – when someone in the Basin had asked her if she were to become queen, if she’d rather be feared or loved, how she had chosen fear instead of love. Probably because love only ended up in heartache and the Harpy didn’t know how much more she could handle, how much more she could take. The mention of selfish assholes has a small smile growing across her face as she continues to eat, pausing only when she finally has her thoughts in line. “I think that’s common in every world.” She replies with a small wry smile. Perhaps it’s the way the conversation has shifted, but there’s a part of her that feels like she needs to tell him now, before things progress, before things grow too close to where it would be awful if she revealed it to him later. Worse if someone else did, like Melita. “Chuy…” She begins, inhaling, her face growing a bit more solemn and quiet. “I… Used to be like that, too. When…” Another pause as she swallows hard and tries to figure out how the fuck to say this without appearing like the terrible person she was. “When Kianzo was kidnapped, I found a god named Kisamoa in my first world. He promised to reward me if I helped him, and in the hopes that I might grow strong enough to find my brother, I did it. It… Resulted in a lot of death, when he grew strong enough to kill our gods and push us through a portal to his world.” She’s trying to tell him that she’s not innocent of any crimes, that she’d helped in the fact he’d grown so strong and powerful, powerful enough to destroy her world and her life, to kill her childhood love, to kill so many others. “It was Kisamoa’s amulet that exploded around my neck. It marked me in the Rift, that is why it glowed. It matched his own glow. Everything was tampered with - the armor, the magic, everything - but... He did reward me.” Her gaze has fallen from him now, to look back at her plate as she reaches for her water, to try and do something with her hands and avoid what sort of reaction she might receive. and 'I love you' doesn't mean I'll stay...