same new beginning

i wonder which will get you killed faster - your loyalty

Moving ahead, person by person, the line began to dwindle in front of them, until there were a scarce few left. But the time was easy to pass while catching up on adventures, distinctions, and relationships he hadn’t been aware of. Between tending to his own with Evie, Deimos could hardly keep up with Ru’s stream of conquests and Kiada’s sudden, surprising interest in Harper. Or that there’d been anything like that in the past.

Brows furrowing at the mention of the mud monster incident, for there’d been a strand of perils immersed within for multitudes of them, he waylaid and bypassed the angst and melancholy for the intrigue. Dancing and then none, promises made, stories told, Deimos’ eyes widened further, not realizing Kiada had spilled so much information about the worlds before. “I see,” still a little baffled and perplexed, loosening a sigh and breath held. “There does seem to be a lot of…drama.” Perhaps the best way to describe it, though the Sword knew little about too many motions – other than Maeve disappearing after her child, and Harper’s subsequent rise to sovereignty in Torchline.

He paused for a moment, deliberating in his share of machinations, and with their opportunity to order, it gave him ample chances to mull and muse. Placing his request, he stepped off to the side, waiting for the meal to be cooked and finished, before proceeding. “And you are grateful for his friendship as well?” Or something else altogether?

or your stubbornness?

DEIMOS

do not fear the dark, wolf cub, for when the sun leaves the world,

She hums her agreement after finishing her order, drawing silent so that Deimos can order his own, before she stands off to the side and looks at him with a softer, but still slightly mischievous smile. “So I’ve heard.” She winces slightly. “He was quite upset about it. But, not unlike you, he tends to work through his thoughts with training. Which is how I found him.” She folds her arms across her chest, the coat moving easily with it to give her almost an air of regality, if it weren’t so hot outside that people seemed to stare in surprise until spotting the onyx horns streaked with ruby.

As for her being grateful for his friendship? Absolutely. “Yes.” She pauses, considering for a moment before she’s incapable of stopping the jest leave her lips. “He’s the best dance partner I’ve found.” She flashes him a brighter, playful smile again – realizing just how that could come off, but not elaborating unless Deimos asked it of her. And perfectly timed, their meals are called out, ready to be picked up, to which she quickly turns to grab them.

the world fears you

KIADA

i wonder which will get you killed faster - your loyalty

Uncertain about the similarities between the Stalwart and Sword, he simply arched a brow. They were both Safrin followers, and Attuned, but other than that, he wasn’t certain about further complexities (he’d watched the man somersault his way down a lighthouse, after all), nor was he about to delve into it. Snagging at his order as they were called, he thanked and paid, nodding in the direction of some tables nearby.

“It did not sound like much else could be done,” other than wandering off and finding Maeve and the whole collective unit without abandoning his land. Torchline probably wouldn’t have taken too kindly to that either – utilized it as an excuse for something else.

At least Kiada had his friendship (though he had to meander and wade through any innuendos or euphemisms loitering within). Snorting at the proclamation, and settling at the table, he shook his head. “Just be careful,” was all he surmised.

or your stubbornness?

DEIMOS

do not fear the dark, wolf cub, for when the sun leaves the world,

Those are all things that Kiada isn’t privy to – not that she cares about it one way or another. If nothing else, she focuses entirely on the here and now (perhaps a perk from dying and coming back to life, then yet another rebirth seemingly from the flames that had once taken that life from her). “I imagine it’s become a rock and a hard place.” And it’s a secret she shares only for him, but she takes a deep breath to inhale the scent of the food before speaking again. “And I know Harper well enough that it took him a while to open up his heart with his biggest fear being that of abandonment.” Which, might be a way of her subtly telling Deimos that obviously she wouldn’t be a good choice with how she seems to float around here and there.

She takes a bite of the food, though, and seemingly melts into the coat she wears, having pushed up the sleeves of it to not get it dirty, a look of pure contentedness streaking across her face. “Of course I’ll be careful.” She tells him with a softer tinged smile. She isn’t intending on trying to get into a situation like she is right now, where the guilt overwhelms the rest of her mind.

the world fears you

KIADA

i wonder which will get you killed faster - your loyalty

Snagging his food from the bag and laying it out to consume, he still listened all the while, features managing a more stoic nuance. He couldn’t make a comment about rock and hard places, nor about experiences in the matter, but he certainly knew about abandonment. Clenching his jaw slightly, gaze going elsewhere, he unfurled another breath and remembered just how far he, and many others, had come. “That is unfortunate then,” and he glanced back at Kiada, at the subtle shifts and changes there. Perhaps he shouldn’t have to worry. For now.

The comment thereafter, as he went to bite into his burger, assured a snort followed after. The Sword could recall an amazing number of times she hadn’t been careful; much more prone to impulsive, emboldened fissures – recalling news of her death, and simultaneous other things. “Forgive me, but I do find that hard to believe,” and he gave an impish grin, going towards jocular measures, before finally snagging at his meal.

or your stubbornness?

DEIMOS

do not fear the dark, wolf cub, for when the sun leaves the world,

His comment brings a nod from the Harpy, a sound of agreement as she dives into her food – preoccupied by it to not elaborate any further. Besides, it truly isn’t her place to get into the nitty gritty details and she trusts that Deimos can understand between the lines she’s offered. That Harper’s biggest fear was abandonment, and yet Phoebe and Maeve had both vanished into the abyss of nothingness for a time, to return and try to pick their lives back up where they had left them.

She supposes she’s done the same to Chuy, which is why she hasn’t gone back or reached out. And why she suddenly realizes she likely never will. He’s made a life for himself without her in it, why should she go and ruin that now?

Her iceberg gaze finds his grin and tease back to her and she swallows down her bite before she laughs and squints at him, a shit-eating grin spanning her face. “Excuse me, Deimos, I have always been careful on matters of the heart.” This time she winks, flashes him that very same grin. If nothing else, that part was true. She was brash and impulsive and often got too deep into her emotions when it came to her own self preservation – but for her heart? That had always been kept on a tight leash.

the world fears you

KIADA

i wonder which will get you killed faster - your loyalty

It sounded as though multitudes needed to be sorting out, and with it not being his business, he let the subject dissipate into the rest of the void and surroundings, munching on food, waiting for her reaction to other statements.

With another Cheshire grin to follow, matching hers in all their juvenile tendencies. “Sure,” he rendered in return – thoughts rambling to Ru’in, and the sentiments layered within LongNights, or whomever else managed to catch the Harpy’s eye. Sighing, and letting that fizzle away too, for he wasn’t going to pick at old wounds and scars, he instead meandered and inched his way into another topic. “Would you be interested,” given the newfound jacket, “in coming over for dinner at some point?”

or your stubbornness?

DEIMOS

do not fear the dark, wolf cub, for when the sun leaves the world,

His childish suuure only brings quite the visible roll of her eyes and scoff of annoyance, even as she flashes him an amused smile all the same. She grows silently for the moment, thankful that he doesn’t continue to poke and prod as she devours her food, so content to be able to taste things again. Of course, it does little to stave off the upcoming blood lust, but she’s sure she could find something to hunt later to get the blood pumping through her veins.

It's a rabbit hole that drags her mind into the possibilities of it – at least, here in Halo – that she almost looks surprised for a moment when his question reaches her and her iceberg gaze snaps up to his face. She nods, though, swallowing down her bite before offering him a more genuine smile. “That sounds really nice. I’d like that.” She would need all the company and food to get her through returning there where the memories would start to burn into the back of her lids.

the world fears you

KIADA

i wonder which will get you killed faster - your loyalty

Amused by the reaction, they might’ve continued in the residual display of childish tendencies, but he had enough food to distract him for a moment – opting to dive into the fries on his plate. He hadn’t anticipated or expected her surprise with the inquiry; arching his brow as his eyes rounded back over to her features, watching them change with enduring complexity.

Was Halo painful for her, even now?

His gaze narrowed slightly, pondering if it had been selfish on his part to think she’d want to return, even for a short stay. There’d been plenty of good intermingled with…other assortments, wondering if he should dig further, or leave it be, as Kiada accepted the invitation regardless. These were the moments where he might’ve craved the Attuned bond for her, but only so he had more insight, rather than rampant and silent speculation. Otherwise, he’d have to leave it where it lingered, off to the side, proceeding onward unless she told him. Swallowing down several more bites, he gave a small grin in return, the uncertainty weighing along the back of his mind. “Good. Do you need or want anything in particular?”

or your stubbornness?

DEIMOS

do not fear the dark, wolf cub, for when the sun leaves the world,

Halo is painful in the way that she’d remember all that had happened there. While she loves the snow and the mountains and it would forever be a part of her soul, lately it’s been singed with the memories of protecting the Grounders during LongNight when the cultists had attacked. It’s singed with the thought of trying to save Korbin after Weaver’s untimely death. It’s singed with the closeness she’s had with Chuy during the hardships she’d dealt with and the remembrance of her death. She wonders, idly, if their house still remains there and whether or not she’d feel anything at all if she were to walk right by it (or has she repressed so much of the thought of that happiness that she would feel numb instead)?

It's hard for her to say how Halo will make her feel until she gets there. So far now, with the uncertainty hanging in the balance, she chews on her food and swallows down another bite, before giving Deimos a playful grin. “I could really go for a blackberry cobbler of sorts. And, it’s in season.” She ends with a sing-songy tone, lips quirking more into that grin.

the world fears you

KIADA

i wonder which will get you killed faster - your loyalty

Most lands amidst Caido, unfortunately, held a stigma for a majority of individuals. Rampant death, disease, and disasters had spelled and spilled across many a region, and perhaps why many of their Outlander constituents avoided the Hollowed Grounds. So maybe it was all about choice and what they yearned to endure, what they could put aside from traumatic events – Deimos could meander his way into the Grounds for short periods of time, before scars marred and lacerated too deep. Whether or not the same happened with Kiada amidst the snow of Halo remained to be seen – but he’d given her the option and opportunity nonetheless.

He managed to laugh around the answer though, not loud, but a deep rumble to surround their table. As an Ascended, she wouldn’t have had the taste of such a favored dessert, and as an Ancient, he couldn’t blame her for wanting to have that sentiment fulfilled whenever she had the chance. “Of course,” arching his brow and shaking his head, recalling hordes of blackberry bushes within the greenhouse. “What about a meat portion?” Snagging at another fry, he put it back to her. “Unless you would like to bring some.” An excuse to hunt and maul.

or your stubbornness?

DEIMOS

do not fear the dark, wolf cub, for when the sun leaves the world,

She won’t know until she gets there either, so for now she’s more than content to settle into the here and now – Torchline, the warmth of the air around them, the jacket that keeps it all trapped against her body, one that is so content and comfortable with the heat of it all. There’s the meal, too, one that she nearly finishes quickly as he agrees to the idea of a blackberry dessert.

It’s with a brighter grin that she shoots him, once she’s finished her food, that the question reaches her and she tilts her head playfully as if considering it. “I’m sure whatever you decide will be great.” That and she doesn’t want to try and deal with rushing from place to place in Halo so she doesn’t turn to stone alongside the fact of trying to coordinate and grab any meat she brings with her. So something there would likely be best, and truthfully a bit more homey than she’s had in a long while.

As for her bloodlust, she fully intends on taking care of that before heading to Halo anyway, trying to keep herself in check as much as she can.

the world fears you

KIADA

i wonder which will get you killed faster - your loyalty

Swallowing down the remainder of his fries and burger, his brow arched in a residual, habitual incline as she denounced any intentions of hunting. He was mildly surprised, given past inclinations, but muffled the notions behind his teeth, figuring it didn’t truly matter. Change was bound to happen, when it had been so readily heaped upon Kiada time after time after time. “I see. So I am making the dessert, the meat dish…,” playfully listing the amount of items on his hands, numbering them off on his fingers. He’d invited her after all, and guests weren't required to bring anything but themselves – but he wouldn’t hesitate to tease and taunt when the opportunity presented itself.

Tilting his head and wrinkling his nose, he desecrated the remains of the food bag by smashing it into a paper ball. To air on the side of sentiments rather than anything else in the interim, his piercing gaze landed back on her. “I will be content with you there, nonetheless.”

or your stubbornness?

DEIMOS

do not fear the dark, wolf cub, for when the sun leaves the world,

Kiada huffs a laugh, rolling her eyes visibly at his teasing. “I can bring any nonperishables, but I’d rather try and focus my attention on not becoming the perishable.” Despite his jacket that he’s made her for that particular instance – there’s a part of her that doesn’t know how short the short amount of time would be. And with that concern, comes the turning to stone and dying for a second time. Unfortunately by the hands of something she loved.

But he settles and she’s finished her meal and she sits back slightly to flash him a bright smile as she wipes off her hands with the little cloth given with the food before offering it over to Deimos. “I look forward to it.” She murmurs softly, the smile shifting a hint more nostalgic the longer she thinks about having dinner again in Halo.

the world fears you

KIADA