[se] wildest dreams

You made yourself a bed
At the bottom of the blackest hole

Alys had precious few true friends. Sure, Deimos was a friend, and Noah, perhaps, and maybe even Evie, but the ones who she truly loved were limited to those select few: Talyson and Hotaru. For a long while, she'd been lonely, cast out by her family and left to wander the world alone. Then she'd worn her solitude like armor, protecting herself against the inevitable loss once people really got to know her. But then, to her surprise, Tal and Ru had adopted her, accepted her, supported her, and she'd come full circle to trusting once more. They were family, after all - found family, perhaps, but family all the same. She'd do anything for them, and she trusted that they would do anything for her.

So, had she known how Tal was feeling, she would have been quick to reassure him in any way she could that she was here to stay, and that he'd better get used to having her around, because she wasn't going anywhere. At least, not emotionally. Physically, she was ready to explore, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be there when he needed her!

But since she didn't know how Tal was feeling, she was content to settle in the warmth that she felt at sharing a meal with a friend, and she blushed faintly at his praise. He'd been a skeptic, back when they'd met, but he'd never belittled her or her work, and she'd always been grateful for it. At his suggestion, though, her eyes widened, and she sat up a little straighter. "I - really?" she asked. "I mean, that would be wonderful, I just - I never dreamed -" She took a breath, touched. "Thank you," she said after a moment, her smile brilliant. "I think that's a marvelous idea. Now we just have to find the right city."

And convinced yourself that
It's not the reason you don't see the sun anymore

Alys

The courier was notoriously chary with unburdening his heart. It took copious amounts of alcohol, a truly traumatic near-death experience, or a full-on public breakdown, on the few occasions it had happened in the past. He and Alys had a great deal in common, if only they'd found the words to tell each other more about their pasts...

But there was time. Tal traveled a great deal, but he always tried to be there when his friends needed him, even if his heart was bruised and battered and - never much of a catch to begin with - was now decidedly in the 'damaged goods' bargain bin.

He'd rolled the dice with his offer, but seeing Alys light up made the risk worth it and he relaxed a little, fingers stilling and drifting back to his silverware. Boreal waited a few more breaths before realizing the snacks had dried up, but her rumble from beneath the table was content as her human found a smile for the woman across from him.

"It's... yeah. You're welcome. Anyplace I've got. Y'should... probably know that. I mean, I should tell you that, so y'can know... it." Was he babbling? He was babbling. Definitely babbling, and his ears warmed further as his eyes dropped to his plate and he realized he couldn't rub the back of his neck without stabbing himself with a fork. Which might at least end the embarrassment of his verbal blunder, and he scrambled to get back on topic.

"Well, th'Grounds are kinda... eh," he started off, grasping for the cities worth mentioning off the top of his head. "Sidhe Village is nice, but it's quiet. Not much excitin' goin' on there. Stormbreak's got lots goin' for it. An' it's cooler'n Torchline. Haulan is, uh..." He grimaced, ducking his head further, but this time it had nothing to do with Alys. "I kinda. Made a fool o' myself there, last Longheat. Been makin' my deliveries quick an' leavin' quicker ever since." And this time he crammed a large bite of sandwich in his mouth to stop himself from saying any more.

You made yourself a bed
At the bottom of the blackest hole

Tal stumbled over a response, and Alys smiled affectionately at her friend. "You should know you're welcome to anything I have, as well," she told him shyly. "Not that I have much, but, um, if I ever get a house of my own or anything... well, you're always welcome." Not, perhaps, the most eloquent thing she could have said, but it was well-intentioned and warm, and she hoped she conveyed her love for her friend appropriately.

"I'm not keen to go back to the Grounds," she admitted. "My family is still there, as far as I know, and we didn't really... get along. They never approved of my tarot, to start with, and I can't imagine that's changed." She couldn't imagine herself living in the woods, either, so Sidhe Village was out - that is, unless she visited and just fell in love with the place. Stormbreak intrigued her, but before she could ask more about the city, Tal ducked his head and grimaced, and Alys honed in on her friend's discomfort. "Do you want to talk about it?" she offered. She wouldn't be offended if he said no, but she had to admit to some curiosity.

And convinced yourself that
It's not the reason you don't see the sun anymore

Alys

The warmth was more than enough, even if the words were almost as 'eloquent' as Tal's own, and he froze for a moment to savor them before finding a flicker of a smile for his friend, neither wry nor crooked but as brief and bright as the sun peeking out from behind storm clouds before he ducked his head again, ears and back of his neck burning as he pretended to be focused on the remains of his sandwich. "I... yeah. Thanks," he mumbled, too pleased to know what else to say until the topic of conversation became something a little less emotionally complicated.

Well... for a little while, at least.

He nodded in understanding of her decision to avoid the Grounds. "Yeah, I mean, I'm lucky my sisters always have my back," he admitted. "But I can understand that. Th'way things've been here..." He sighed and stabbed a piece of lettuce, the clouds coming back over his expression and he didn't quite manage to hide his wince at the offer, but... hail. It had been long enough now that he nodded slowly. He took his time chewing the leaf before swallowing it and sighing. "I mean. It's not really a good story. I kinda... made an ass o'myself. At th'big bar, there. Ludo had me singin' in public for a quest--" He shuddered at the memory, "--an' Flora had given me somethin' t'drink t'make it go easier. An', well... there was this girl. In th'audience. Someone I... I'd admired for a long ass time. She was strong, an' tough, an' pretty, an'..." He waved his empty fork in a desultory circle before bringing it down in a half-hearted stab at a piece of tomato. "An' as it turned out, really not interested in me. An' instead o' takin' her first 'no' an' droppin' it, I listened t'her pal who said she was just bein' shy, an' I asked again an'... well. She threatened t'pull a knife on me. An' it was in front o' a bunch o'people an'... fuckin' hail, Alys. It was awful," he moaned, dropping his fork and hiding his head in his hands.

Beneath the table Boreal crooned her support, nudging his foot with her nose.

You made yourself a bed
At the bottom of the blackest hole

Alys listened quietly and nonjudgmentally, nodding along sympathetically as she did so. She'd never been one for romance, but she'd seen plenty of it through the cards. It seemed that everyone always wanted to know about their love lives when they consulted her, and so for someone with no actual experience, she had plenty to offer in terms of advice.

For Tal's situation, though, there was really nothing she could say. The cards were of little use when one was heartbroken - she'd seen it enough to know their response like the back of her hand. It was different at the beginning of a new romance or even during the course of a relationship - but the after? That was simply no fun at all.

So she simply reached out to grip Tal's shoulder companionably. "I'm sorry, Tal. Is there anything I can do to help?"

And convinced yourself that
It's not the reason you don't see the sun anymore

Alys

Sometimes that was what he needed most. Not someone to offer scolding, or advice, or recriminations, or misplaced reassurance that 'things would be okay.' Just... someone who listened. No judgment. No opinion on what he should have done. Just the quiet support of a friend who was in his corner even when he fucked up.

Ru had been that for him, ever since before the War. And yet... now she was so rarely home at all, so often was she gone to King's End.

Not that the courier was anyone to talk, and he knew it.

But knowing that he was losing another friend the slow, gentle way as she swanned off to her own happily ever after and left him behind didn't make it hurt less.

He didn't even realize that he'd covered Alys's hand on his shoulder until he squeezed it and felt the contact through his own shirt. He managed to dredge up a shadow of a smile along with the shake of his head. A sigh worked its way up his chest and out of his throat before he could stop it... not that he really wanted to. "Pretty sure romance isn't in th'cards for a scruffy delivery boy like me," he said, trying to pretend it was just a joke. Lighten the mood back up. Alys hadn't come here to listen to his depressed whinging, after all! "But thanks, Alys. I 'preciate it. I'm over her now, I just wish I hadn't acted the fool in public. Or, y'know, at all. But I can't change the past so..." He gave a wry shrug, finally releasing her hand so he could reach down and rub Boreal's worried head reassuringly.

You made yourself a bed
At the bottom of the blackest hole

Alys had always been happy to be a quiet listener, and that, as far as she was concerned, would never change, especially not for her friends. And while she didn't know what Tal was feeling, she, too, had felt Hotaru's absence in that quiet, dismal way of losing a friend to her happy ending. And while she was happy for Ru - for anyone who found that happiness - it certainly didn't make her feel any less left behind. Perhaps that was why she longed to travel when she'd been so content in Halo for seasons now, but that was neither here nor there.

"You know where to find me if you ever want a love reading," Alys offered with a smile of her own. "Although it's rarely a black and white thing. Romance is complicated," she said, with the wisdom of someone beyond her years. With that, she turned to trying to cheer her friend up. She didn't say that it would be okay, because she didn't know that it would; nor did she say that people would forget about it, because she didn't know that they would. What she did instead was return to the topic of travel. "Well, we can avoid Torchline. I'll definitely visit Stormbreak with you, though." Then, realizing that he hadn't exactly invited her along as such, she backtracked. "I mean, if you don't mind. It would be kind of nice to travel with a friend."

And convinced yourself that
It's not the reason you don't see the sun anymore

Alys

He blinked, having never quite considered that maybe Alys could read his love life in her cards. Or at least, might have been able to offer the right advice to keep him from putting his whole ass leg in his mouth over Melita. Talking romance with her felt... well... vulnerable in a way he struggled to be with anyone these days.

But on the other hand, what could it hurt? It wasn't like he was chasing after anyone in particular right now. He'd learned his lesson the hard way - several times! "Thanks," he said instead at her offer, grin quirking crookedly at her sage caveat to her readings. "Maybe after dinner, then? Just t'pass th'time," he hurried to assure her. "No pressure on it or anythin'."

And she was careful to put no pressure on him to return to Torchline. He flashed her a look of silent gratitude that shifted to an expression of pleased surprise, another layer of clouds lifting from his eyes. "'Course I don't mind!" he agreed, voice gruff but warm. "If y'can put up with me for th'week in close quarters it'll take to fly there, I'd be glad of the company!"

You made yourself a bed
At the bottom of the blackest hole

Alys was a little surprised that Tal agreed so readily to a reading, given his skepticism when they'd first met. It was different with Ru, who had taken her skill seriously from the beginning; she'd read for the Valkyrie often, but for Tal only the one time. But she smiled, a little thrill going through her at the prospect of a reading, and nodded. "After dinner," she agreed, and took a bite of her sandwich.

Relief washed over her as Tal agreed to take her with him; she'd been worried that she'd invited herself along, but the warmth with which he spoke sent any concerns she had to the winds. "I think we'll manage," she teased with a laugh. There was a moment of companionable silence as the two ate, but Alys quickly found another topic. "Hey, can I ask you a question?" she said. "You said that what happened in Torchline was because of Ludo. Is it normal for Ludo to give such strange quests?"

And convinced yourself that
It's not the reason you don't see the sun anymore

Alys

He grinned at her teasing, enjoying the comfort of being able to enjoy a night with his friend when they weren't on some crazy quest or adventure. It was... nice. To just be together, with no plans or expectations. Even if some of the topics of conversation weren't the most fun, at least they weren't so hard to talk about with Alys, who was a good listener and a supportive presence across the table.

The sandwiches soon made their ways into stomachs - some human, some companion - and as Tal sat back to heave a sigh of contentment at his full stomach, Alys asked her question. The courier snorted and wrinkled his nose as he let his fingers dangle for Boreal to lick.

"I dunno. Maybe not for everyone? But for me? Yeah." His mouth tugged towards its familiar scowl, though he couldn't muster much energy for it under the circumstances. "Most of 'em involve gettin' beat up or embarrassed in some way. It's... Ludo's a rough god, Alys. Careful prayin' to it. Y'might get more'n what y'asked for." And not in the 'oh, yay, a holiday bonus!' kind of way!

He started to wipe his fingers on his shirt and then surreptitiously managed to switch to his napkin at the last minute. He had a guest, after all! "Y'got somethin' in mind y'want t'pray for?" he asked curiously.

You made yourself a bed
At the bottom of the blackest hole

Alys toyed with her glass as she listened, her expression thoughtful. "I'm not sure," she said. "I just... I used to hate the gods, you know. I was always taught that they turned their backs on us because of our magic. But then I met Ru, and Deimos, and others who have had good experiences with the gods. Who have gotten things from them, even though they have magic." She paused, frowning into her wine. "It's confusing."

Sascha, feeling her bonded's turmoil, looked up from her seat and made a confused sort of bleating sound, startling the seer from her thoughts. "Besides, all I really could have wanted was Sascha," she said, reaching over to rub the cub's head affectionately. "I have a home, I have friends, I have her. What more could I ask for?"

And convinced yourself that
It's not the reason you don't see the sun anymore

Alys

It was Tal's turn to listen and he nodded slowly. He could see why it would be confusing, even though Halo had always - at least as long as anyone could remember - gone by the beat of its own drum. "It's... weird," he agreed slowly. "I mean, back in th'old days, when the Grounds were still stuck in that Barrier, things were different. The Heralds were somethin' I prayed to but... never thought I'd meet, y'know? Like the big old gods. 'Course, back then we didn't know that the heralds had gotten stuck inside the Barrier with th'Voice." He gave a shrug, sitting back to sip his wine. "But it didn't matter if y'had magic or not. Accepted, Abandoned, Attuned, whatever. No one was gettin' much of anythin'. Not curses, not blessin's. 'Cept from the White Lady," he added with a shudder. "An' she isn't picky, long as she can make a deal." His scowl tugged briefly at his lips but faded quickly as he looked at Alys again. "Guess what I'm sayin' is, it might not hurt t'try? Long as y'go with someone who's not, y'know..." He wrinkled his nose and looked around as if to make sure they weren't being watched, but Ludo didn't much care for Halo and none of the gods were usually seen on LongNight. Still, he lowered his voice to a whisper to finish: "Not as much of a bully."

Sitting back, he cleared his throat and took a larger swallow of wine to reward himself for his courage before flashing Alys a more roguish grin. "Well, have y'ever thought about gettin' some magic armor?" he asked curiously. "Like my Vest?"

You made yourself a bed
At the bottom of the blackest hole

Talk of the gods always made Alys's skin itch. She'd hated them for so long that she wasn't sure what to do with her newfound tolerance. She was a creature of habit, of stability: change didn't come easily to the seer, even less so when the proposed change was one within her own mind. Still, she also knew that she had to adapt to survive, and so adapt she did - even when it meant questioning the very foundation of her existence.

As Tal talked, Alys took another sip of her drink, then set her glass down. Propping her head on her other hand, she ran a finger around the rim of the glass. "I haven't, really," she admitted, making a face. "I never really thought I'd have need of armor, but I suppose with Safrin gone... well, anything's possible." She still wasn't sure what to make of the herald's disappearance, except that it couldn't be a sign of anything good. "I thought about maybe something to help with my Sight," she said. "I read the tarot, and I'm alright with other forms of divination, but I thought maybe... maybe the gods could give me something more solid? I dunno," she hurried to add. "That's probably silly."

And convinced yourself that
It's not the reason you don't see the sun anymore

Alys

"Everyone needs armor," Tal said fervently, remembering...

He winced and drew a breath, then let it out slowly without saying more, not wanting to drag the night down again so soon. Pale eyes found Alys's and he nodded with an understanding grimace for Safrin's disappearance and how it had upended their stability, but the grimace faded as she laid out her idea.

"Huh... well, it ain't silly, that's for sure." He cocked his head to the side, looking a great deal like one of his sled dogs. "Readin' th' future would prob'ly be Safrin's sorta thing, though." If it could even be done... but, hail, it wasn't like they'd know until someone tried, right? And never mind that if almost anyone else had suggested it he would have scoffed. This was Alys, after all, and if she wanted to try it, well, then it was worth the attempt. "Maybe she could bless one o' your decks?" And speaking of decks, Tal hadn't forgotten their earlier agreement. As Alys answered the courier rose and began clearing the table of all but the wine, giving it a good wipe-down so the surface was clean and smooth for her cards.