Every thought hurts

He could hear his heart beat.

It pounded in his ears, and with it, pounded an ache as well, echoing about his cranium. While magic was indeed effective, the healer that had attended him had only been able to close up the cut and dull some of the pain, and remove any risk of the concussion getting worse - much of the healing was still left to his body, to him. Fortunately, some light bruising and a bad headache seemed all that was left - it could always be worse, he reminded himself with exasperation.

Strength and coordination had all but left him, he was unable to follow after Korbin, to track down where the boy was. He guessed he wouldn't be attending the boy tomorrow or thereafter to have him check on the very wounds he inflicted - he wouldn't know where to find him (though probably could ask around), and besides, Korbin had bailed on their whole interaction the moment he wasn't bound by some duty to remain.

He managed to get himself home after, to sit in the small but warm cottage, at the kitchen table. He shed some layers, frowning at the blood that stained them, though mostly it stained the last layer, the shirt he still wore. But he was tired, spent, and found himself bending over the table, leaning his head into his hands, idly massaging his temples in an attempt to find some kind of relief from the ache that just wouldn't go away.

chulane

KIADA

you are a weapon

She was exhausted, half way almost ready for bed, as she slings on a long shirt, too big for her body, curled up along the edge of the bedroom on the floor to pet Auni and give him attention before she slipped into the bed to catch up on her journaling and eventually sleep. But she hears the door open, knows that it couldn’t be anyone else other than Chulane, and with one last pat to the Luxere’s head, she stands to slip around to the kitchen.

A bright grin crosses her face at the sight of him, before it fades as she watches him rub at his temples. He looks… Rough, tossed around almost, and is that blood she sees along his clothes? Immediately concern grows, and she jogs over toward the kitchen table. Her iceberg gaze scanning him for the injury before she tries to catch his attention, a soft from finding her lips. “Chuy… Are you okay?” She asks, before realizing it sounded stupid.

He didn’t look okay, nor was the fact there were blood on his clothing. “What happened?” She asks quietly, pulling up a chair and reaching for him to pull him into her to try and relieve some of the pain.

and weapons

don't

weep

He barely registered that she was here, his mind simply unable to fully appreciates it surroundings like he normally would - indeed, on a regular evening he would have come home and looked for signs that she was already home, and found her promptly to pull her into an embrace, to chase the pains of the day away with her in his arms. Tonight had been very different - the day had closed out in rather a blur, he had a lot to think about and every time he tried to think about it his mind protested loudly, leaving him with little capacity to register even that which brought him so much joy: Kiada.

"Mmm," he mumbled at her first question, shifting as he lifted his gaze to view her. At least his vision had cleared up, his ability focus and take in his surrounds slowly improving with each minute that passed. He couldn't help the small smile that softened his expression, though it battled with the sheer fatigue and pain his addled body kept wanting to throw at him. He nodded at her second question to show her that he had heard it, before reaching for a cup of water and taking a deep drink. He hadn't been game enough to stomach anything since bringing up his breakfast soon after being concussed, though his stomach growled in protest, he only drank the water anyway.

"Korbin happened." His voice was steady and deep, but also quiet, as if too much volume would cause his pain to flare up again (it almost definitely would). Slowly, he turned towards her, tenderly reaching out to lean his aching head upon her shoulder, accepting the comfort her touch offered to him. "He was hurt, and to help him I had to restrain him - and well, it didn't exactly go to plan. He got in a hit that ended up with me being concussed." He put a hand on her forearm as if to reassure her that he was still whole, still here. "I've been healed, just stuck with a residual headache now."

chulane

KIADA

you are a weapon

He manages to focus on her, but it still doesn’t draw away any of the concern she feels as she watches him – pulling up a chair as she gives him all of her attention – some simmering rage boiling up within her. The mention of Korbin draws her gaze narrow, a predators gleam as she watches Chulane and the quietness of his voice, the way he slowly shifts to reach out and rest his head upon her shoulder – and her arms wrap around him, pulling him closer as she fights to restrain the frustration building and boiling within her.

“That prick.” She half snarls, quite like her caracal shift, before she draws silent again as he explains. She recalls briefly when she’d felt bad about accidentally breaking a bone in him in his raven form, snuffing out those thoughts with this as her protectiveness takes over – a fiercely protective woman of those she cared about and those she deigned to give her attention and affection upon. “I… Let me guess, he didn’t want to be restrained, wanted to go fuck off and nobody will let him, blah blah blah.” She manages through slightly clenched teeth, trying to keep her tone down but the effort causes it to shake ever so slightly.

She gets the whole grief ordeal – she really does, but the more Korbin gets in deep with it, the more Kiada can’t decide whether or not she cares what happens to the raven boy anymore.

and weapons

don't

weep

The growl that rumbles from her earns a murmur of agreement - he had also thought Korbin to be a dickhead at times, and recent events had him forgiving that behaviour quite readily. But when it led to things like this… He could understand Kia's frustration, and he could understand Korbin's grief. But right now, with his head pounding, and the memory of being beaten down so completely so fresh, he could not find himself disagreeing with his lover's summation.

"To be honest, I'm not sure what happened. He got me off balance, and then I think his elbow? clocked me square on the temple. I was out cold." He reaches a hand to hug her back, hoping to reassure herself as much as himself. "He was quite drunk, but seemed to sober up enough to get us to safety before… Well. I'm here now." He didn't know what else to say, his memory fogged over the details.

He remembered feeling like he and Korbin were getting along, finding a rhythm almost, for a short time during it all. Then Weaver had been mentioned, and Korbin had gone back to…

He frowned. "I didn't see where he ended up after I was healed." He sighed quietly, lifting his head slowly, not in pain so much as nervous that any sudden moves would summon the pain back again.

chulane

KIADA

you are a weapon

His hand wraps around her to hug her back, and Kiada can’t help the slight sigh that passes through her lips as he manages to relieve some of the fury boiling within her with that simple touch. But regardless, it remains, an ever simmering and smoldering flame at the base of her gut, waiting to be unleashed. And gods, how she wishes she had her fire magic once more, but it along with Khairi was gone. Now all she had were her wit and her tongue.

And her shifts, of course, but those are useless here.

So she focuses on him instead, letting him steady her and anchor her as she nods slowly. She tries to keep her heartbeat even, tries to keep her body from shaking with the restrained frustration and anger. “You are here now.” She agrees quietly, even if it comes out sharply, as she sighs heavily through her nose before she moves to rest her head gently near his. “Can I get you anything?” She asks instead of what she wants to ask – details as to where she could find Korbin and perhaps knock his head around.

and weapons

don't

weep

She was so passionate, he could feel it in the way her body tremored, shivering with anticipation that the flames of rage stoked within her. It was a quality he loved, he admired, and he dearly hoped to never have aimed at him, lest he turn to a pile of ash after a simple glare from her. Despite the headache, the concussion, everything, he almost felt sorry for Korbin should he face Kia again in the near future.

Almost.

"I think I might be able to stomach some toast, eventually." He said quietly, almost reluctantly, as he didn't want her move away from him - he enjoyed their close proximity too much. Happy to just sit here, with her, a bit different to their usual nights lounging in front of the fireplace, or 'retiring' to bed, or having a bath…

He was suddenly mad at the raven-boy again, for incapacitating him from an enjoyable evening with Kia.

But then he was determined not to let Korbin have such an influence on his life, at least not long term. He was alive, he was home, he was with her, and his headache would soon be gone for good as his body realised it had been healed - he was probably just due for a good sleep now.

"You're gonna kick my arse next training sesh huh." He mentioned in an attempt to shift the mood, the topic, to safer waters.

chulane

KIADA

you are a weapon

Toast. That’s something she can do. And it helps steady her a bit as she focuses on him and not the simmering rage that continues to bloom within her. And eventually her body stops its trembling, its restraint, a huff of a sigh leaving with some of the tension as she latches onto him and keeps him close – keeps him there with her until she decides perhaps it’s time for the toast. But she doesn’t know what else to say, too worried that whatever comes out of her lips will be sharp and harsh, when her anger wasn’t directed at him so much as it was Korbin.

But he changes the subject, and she exhales another bit of a tense sigh before she nestles in for a gentle squeeze to not hurt him. “Oh, absolutely.” She assures him, surprisingly managing to feel the edge of a smile try to break through her clenched jaw. But she gives him a light squeeze, pulls away quite slowly to give him time to adjust, before she’s moving to start the toast – grabbing a pan and setting it down, slicing off some pieces as the pan heats up and she puts some butter of a sort within it and waits for it to melt. “I suppose some hand to hand training would be beneficial, yeah?” She asks, glancing over to him over her shoulder.

and weapons

don't

weep

Slowly they part, and Chuy re-balanced himself with elbows upon the table again. He missed her touch, but found a quiet contentedness in watching her anyway - the simple way she moved, the way she focussed on her task, the way she worried at her lower lip sometimes, the way her hair flowed down her back. Even the smell of butter melting and bread frying was barely enough to pull him from his reverie - it was her glance and her question that forced his sluggish brain to get back into motion, into the conversation at hand.

"Definitely," he agreed, making to nod before frowning at the tingle of pain the small action sent through his head. Ugh, he was so ready to be done with this damn headache. The smell of food had his stomach grumbling audibly now, and he swallowed a gulp of water down from his cup to try and satiate it for now to no effect.

He wasn't a huge fan of learning how to fight, the practice was so… unnecessary to him on Earth. And yet, he could see that he was sorely in need of it here, where morals and simple survival in this world were so different, they necessitated such measures. "I can dodge kicks from a horse not wanting to take its meds pretty well." Just apparently can't dodge a Korbin. "Never thought I'd be putting my animal handling skills into hand-to-hand combat skills." he commented idly, vocalising his thoughts as he was wont to do with Kia around. "But there's no denying I need it. Do you reckon Deimos would train me? Come Flowerbirth?"

chulane

KIADA

you are a weapon

The butter begins to melt, and she shifts her weight a small amount as she grabs the loaf of bread and a sharp knife, cutting away at a few slices for him and a few for her. She starts with the food for him, however, when the pan is hot enough she slips in two slices of bread to begin to toast them on one side. And she listens to him, glancing over her shoulder to look at him and watch him as he explains he can dodge kicks from a horse.

It does wonders to relieve some of the anger within her as she snorts to that. “I imagine they were restrained in some way, yes?” She asks, turning to him a bit more fully and moving to grab his glass and refill it with more water, before setting it down and moving to flip the slices of toast and add a bit more butter.

“I think he would. You might have to suffer through a family dinner, but I can absolutely get him to train you.” She offers with a lighter laugh, feeling some of the tension relieve from her shoulders as the bread toasts on the other side and she reaches for a plate to place the bread on and return to him to set it down. Then, she moves back to work on her own slices.

and weapons

don't

weep

The simple smell of buttery toast is something he enjoyed immensely. It filled the room, reminding him of mornings at the farm, with freshly toasted bread dripping with the stuff, greasy and salty and buttery and altogether too delicious - yes, he would be able to stomach toast, he would not let recent events take that away from him.

"Usually restrained, yeah. The ponies were the worst. Smaller they are, the cleverer they are - and slippery too. Had one slip right out of its headcollar and kick me in the balls while I was trying to worm it one time." It was a little shit of a shetland pony, hating everyone around it except for its precious owner, a child who upon looking back might have been possessed by the same devil as the pony. He huffed a small laugh, pleased that the motion didn't cause him pain anymore.

It felt good to laugh again.

Then she spoke of family dinner and that old feeling of anxiety rose up in him. It wasn't the first time he had thought about meeting her family, her 'parents', the ones she had chosen, not been born to, as seemed to be a common theme in this realm. It wasn't that he didn't want to meet them, he was just so scared of the judgement, the scrutiny, of her opinion changing because of theirs - he didn't want to disappoint her. "What's he like? When I met him, before Deepfrost closed the portal, he was a… hellhound I think. Some kind of terrifying canine, anyway."

He had assumed to earn Kia's love and admiration as he had, he must be a top bloke, and the brief yet educational meeting Chulane had had with him had suggested as much as well. But he was curious all the same, what she would say about him.

Toast was served up before him, and as Kia turned away again, he reached out for her, his grip light and still a bit uncoordinated, but gently tugged at her hand to have her bend to his level so that he might plant a kiss upon her cheek. "Thanks," he murmured, before releasing her again, and leaning over his plate to take a tentative bite.

chulane

KIADA

you are a weapon

The comments of ponies does spark a small smile on her face, glancing over her shoulder to look at him with a soft smile as if she’s about to say something particularly amusing, before she hears him mention that it’d kicked him in the balls and she can’t help but let the last of her anger dissipate into a small snicker as she shakes her head. “Yikes.” She says instead with a softer laugh.

But he seemed better enough to laugh at that, despite the pain it might’ve caused, and she settles a bit as she considers the question he’s poised. “Ah, sounds like him.” She muses aloud, another soft hum of a laugh slipping from her throat before she shakes her head. “He’s quiet, can also be a little shit when he wants to be. I don’t think he realizes how many people care about him.” She shrugs as she plates the toast and moves to go hand it to him.

As she sets the plate down and begins to turn, he latches onto her surprisingly fast and she turns back to bend toward him and shifts her head just enough so his kiss to the cheek lands on her lips. “You’re welcome.” She says softly, giving him an innocent smile before turning back to finish her toast – tossing in some of the butter and the bread to toast them up as well.

and weapons

don't

weep

The simple kiss stirred something within him, that primal, carnal desire - but it wasn't to be, for even as he might want to, his body simply could not keep up. A wave of dizziness swallowed him as their lips met, though he tried to focus on the pleasure that was simply kissing her to chase it away. None of that tonight, he knew, his body simply not strong enough, not steady enough - especially if a simple kiss sent him off feeling like his head was spinning.

It at least didn't hurt, it was mostly just very disconcerting, and irritating. He focussed instead on her form as it pulled away to return to the toast, before drifting to his own plate, to bringing the toast to his lips. The buttery flavour danced across his tongue, his stomach roaring in triumph as the simple food hit it. After his first swallow he hesitated, as if testing the waters to see if they would settle after throwing a pebble into their depths.

"Mmm," he said after a short moment, appreciating the food, appreciating Kia, appreciating everything in this little moment. "Who knew toast could be so satisfying," he commented, before taking another bite, more confident now as the meal seemed content to stay within the confines of his starved stomach.

He ate, and waited for Kia to join him, smiling as she sat to begin her feast. A thought had occurred to him, a curiosity - how did Kia know Korbin, anyway? "Not to drag the conversation back to less fun areas, but how did you meet Korbin anyway?" He had always assumed they knew each other because of Korbin's constant presence at the bar, but on thinking back, she seemed more familiar than a simple acquaintance relationship with him when they both attended to help with the Healing school supplies, and she had certainly tried to be a friend to him when news of Weaver's passing had hit.

chulane

KIADA

you are a weapon

Her back is partially turned to him and she can’t help the slight laugh that leaves her when he comments about the toast. “It’s the best when you feel like you’re dying.” She agrees, glancing over her shoulder at him as she adds a small amount more butter to the pan for her own toast. But then she focuses forward again, flipping the toast when his question is aired. The spatula she uses to flip them stills a moment as she figures out what to say, but ultimately decides to be honest as she can with it.

She adds a bit more butter to it and the unbuttered side of the bread before she turns to face him a bit more fully. “I met him at the Kraai just after I’d arrived here. He helped me with some of the guild stuff.” She shrugs a small amount before an awkward laugh leaves her. “And we miiight have had a one night stand.” Her shoulders rise and fall in a shrug, arms coming to cross over her chest as she lets her blue gaze lift to him, a dark brow raised a small amount to see how he takes it.

She doesn’t think it should bother him, not with the fact that she’s with Chuy now. But that added tidbit might make a bit more sense as to her and Korbin’s own rocky relationship.

and weapons

don't

weep