Fight the break of dawn

If he'd had any doubts about Alys's sincerity, they were washed away in the laughter and the hug that followed it as, for a short time, all of Caido's problems faded into the background. Storms and flowers and alien stars had no place in the bubble of light and joy that seemed to surround the four, cushioning them from the worries of the future. It couldn't last, but it could linger on as Tal squeezed Alys's shoulders and, after a length of time that felt like an incredible forever and the blink of an eye, he slowly eased back to look down at her, pale eyes dancing merrily in the moonlight.

"So, think we could start makin' some plans tonight? Leastways talkin' about 'em? Do y'want the courier station an' your shop t'share a main room, or is it better t'have a wall with a door between 'em? All part o' th'same buildin', just separated a little?" He asked, his mind bubbling with ideas that he'd been afraid to put too much thought into until he knew whether or not Alys would be coming with him.

They stood together for a time, content to just be in each other's presence and soak up the joy that permeated the very air on top of the Spyglass, but when Tal slowly pulled back, Alys looked up at him affectionately and grinned. "So impatient," she teased, releasing him only to take a hand and tug him away from the railing. She sat beside the companions, pulling a journal out of a bag that she'd left with them, and looked up at Tal expectantly, waiting for him to sit beside her. Then she opened to a blank page and began a loose sketch; it would take only a few strokes for it to become clear that it was a rough floor plan. "I like the idea of a wall separating them," she murmured, a furrow appearing on her brow as she sketched it out. "Give each their own designated space?" She tilted her head to once side, considering. "Maybe shared storage in the back, and a second floor for living space?" alys glasse

"Yup," he agreed, his grin as smug and happy as Boreal's after successfully stealing a treat. He followed her without hesitation, joining their companions just inside the dome but still looking out on the spectacular night sky. With the storms ringing Stormbreak this season the Spyglass wasn't getting much use so they had the telescope room almost entirely to themselves as they made themselves comfortable on the floor.

He tilted his head at her sketchbook in canine curiosity before realizing what she was drawing and his face lit up again. "Hey, yeah! That's just how I was seein' it!" he agreed, reaching out to tap the upper part of the page. "Havin' my livin' space upstairs of th'stations has worked pretty well. Gets breezes through th'windows in Longheat, an' gets the risin' heat from the shop in Deepfrost. So th'first floor'll just be three big rooms? Hail, the courier side can be small. It's mostly just th'receivin' desk. The storage in back'll be what I need more of. An' that'll give your shop more room in th'front if you're doin' readin's for multiple people. Or for puttin' your art up for sale?" he added slyly, nudging her shoulder companionably with his own.

She could get used to this, she decided - even more so than she had this season. Things had always been pleasant between she and Tal, but in recent weeks she'd been comfortable and confident in a way that no one else could coax from her. As they settled on the floor together, hunched over her sketch, she glanced sidelong at him, hoping that her hasty attempts at capturing their shared space would meet his expectations. It turned out she was worried for nothing. Tal's eyes lit up, and she grinned as she placed a few final lines on the shop side of the sketch - a counter, a sitting area, and a few rows of shelves, building an image both on paper and in her mind of what it might look like. She'd never dared to dream of designing her own shop from the ground up, and yet... "Perfect," she murmured, flipping to a new page and beginning to sketch in a block to represent the upstairs. That would arguably be the more complicated space to build, but she wasn't worried. She wasn't particularly picky, so long as they had the basics. As for the shop, though, she flipped back to the original sketch. "The shop doesn't need to be huge, but I was thinking of having a sitting area for readings, then some shelves to stock a few things." Herbs, crystals, maybe some of the tarot decks she'd designed herself... "I'd only need a little bit of space in the back, just to store any extra items." At the suggestion that she sell her art, she shrugged before nudging him back. "I've got a few custom tarot decks I've been working on," she admitted. "And... I could use the walls to display art pieces..." If they were good enough. She still wasn't entirely convinced. alys glasse

The past season had been... well. Maybe 'nice' wasn't quite the right word. Not just because it wasn't really adequate to express how good it felt to fall into a routine with Alys and let someone become such an integral part of his life, but because there had been nightmares and trauma after their stint in Hak Etme. But aside from that, it had still been good. And now Longheat was going to be even better, with not just a friend but a partner at his side.

The blueprint took shape beneath Alys's deft and talented fingers and Tal pointed out a few additions of his own to the living space before they flipped back to the first page and he considered it thoughtfully. "I can make shelves in my sleep," he assured her with a wry grin. After all the shelving that had gone in for the courier stations, he was almost as good at that as he was at sleds by now! "But it isn't like th'back needs t'be separated. Just th'front..." And maybe she wasn't quite ready to try and sell her art yet, but Tal knew it was more than good enough to interest customers. He nodded approval of what to put on the walls, and then tapped his finger on the storage area. "So, have th'stairs t'the livin' space back here, so no one can wander up from th'front? Least in King's End there'll be plenty o' yard for th'companions." His tone was a bit wry, but not displeased at having more space than he'd had in Snowcloak.

"Hmm. Big question is, d'we build in th'Refuge? More people're there, an' it's technically safer, but I think... I dunno. How d'you feel about th'anti-magic field in it?" Tal's wrinkled nose was enough of a tell that he wasn't entirely keen on it, but he was willing to build where Alys felt safest and most comfortable.

It wasn't a perfect blueprint, by any means, but it was enough that the seer was confident that an actual architect could build something real out of it. "Mmhmm," she murmured in confirmation that there would be no need to separate the back. Really, the only reason to separate the front was to make it less confusing for customers. She added in the stairs to the living space where he indicated, nodding along with the plans. She flipped back to the living quarters, adding in a few notes in the margins. "How do you feel about windows?" she asked, indicating what would be the back wall. "I was thinking, maybe make this a living room and kitchen, with lots of windows into the yard. Maybe a balcony?" She pictured something light and airy, with a variety of ways to let the companions in and out at their leisure. Besides, King's End was beautiful, and it would be a shame to hide away from the stunning views. His reminder about the Refuge gave her pause, and she glanced up, unable to hide a flicker of fear in her eyes. She might not have always appreciated her magic, but to live with a part of her stripped away... "I'd... rather not live without my magic," she admitted. "It would be... uncomfortable, I think. Is that okay?" alys glasse

"Windows? I dunno..." It was Tal's turn to stop and think, but he no longer scowled quite as much when he did it. His nose wrinkled and his brows furrowed, but he didn't look like he was trying to intimidate the question into submission. "They let out so much heat..." And then he stopped and smacked his forehead with a free hand, grin returning. "But I guess that doesn't matter as much in King's End, huh? We're gonna have to plan for a real Longheat now. An' we can always hang heavy curtains in Deepfrost t'keep the heat in. So... sure, let's do it!"

It was weird, not planning for a one-season year, and if he hadn't done so much traveling in recent years he couldn't have even imagined it. Even now it took effort, and he was grateful he had Alys to pick up where he struggled.

Just as he did for her. He caught the fear in her eyes and his hand dropped to hers, squeezing it gently around the pencil. "It's more'n okay," he assured her without hesitation. "I've gotten so used t'my gear, I'd feel like I was walkin' around naked in th'Refuge. I'd learn to live with it, if y'needed me to, but I'd rather build outside it. We'll be close enough t'retreat to it if there's no other choice," he added pragmatically.

"An' speakin' o' gear, have y'thought about askin' one o' th'gods for anythin'? My offer still stands." To come with her and lend his luck and moral support to a prayer if she still wanted it.

Alys's hand paused over her drawing, flipping over the pencil to prepare to erase some of her notes. Windows were one thing she'd missed about her family home in the Grounds, but if Tal didn't like them, she'd make do. Fortunately for her, though, the courier seemed to realize that they were building a very different kind of home than those in Halo, and she chuckled as he smacked himself on the forehead. "Windows will help in Longheat. If we build so that we can catch the breezes, it'll be nice to be able to open them." Then, studying her drawing, she flipped her pencil and added one more thing. "A fireplace, here, maybe?" she asked, her dark eyes flicking up to search for Tal's approval. "For Deepfrost." She could envision it already, down to the placement of the furniture to frame the fireplace, a well-appointed kitchen, plenty of light from the windows... The common area was really coming together. Alys tilted her head to the side, considering the rest of the floor plan, which was notably blank. "How many bedrooms?" she asked. "At least one guest room might be nice, but I don't know how many people I'd have on my side coming to visit." She considered as she drew a few light lines, laying out some options. It was really just Deimos and Evie, and she couldn't imagine the Wardens coming to King's End. The seer relaxed against her partner as the decision was made to stay outside the Refuge. She would have lived inside if he'd wanted it, but it wouldn't have been her first choice. "Probably more space outside, too," she said pragmatically. They could build whatever they wanted, wherever they wanted, and still have room left over. Her hand stilled on the page. "I... thought about going to see Frey," she admitted. "For some armor. I've come a long way with my bow, and I'm doing alright with throwing daggers, but if I'm ever caught without a weapon..." Her brow furrowed. She was small and weak, and without any real defensive magic... She shook away her unease. "I was thinking about something to make me faster, maybe? So that I could dodge better." alys glasse

"Huh. Breezes..." Tal mused, still wrapping his head around wanting breezes. In a house, not a boat. But then, again, he hated being too hot even more than he hated being too cold, so... "Windows it is!" He followed her pencil to the next spot on the second floor and nodded easily. "Two fireplaces," he said firmly. "One for th'main room, an' a smaller one in the bedroom. In fact..." He reached over to flip the page so he could point at their shop spaces. "We'll want 'em down here, too. Can build chimneys on opposite sides o' th'house, though, an' have the first an' second floor share a flue, see?" He grinned at Alys ruefully. "We've done our share o' fixin' those up with th'courier stations already!"

Her question on bedrooms had him wrinkling his nose, not relishing the idea of company, but when she suggested a single extra he nodded, if a touch reluctantly. "Mmm... yeah, one, I guess. For Sah, I s'pose." Ru was already there, and he couldn't imagine Noah spending the night away from his family when he could teleport.

The thought of Deimos or Evie under their roof didn't even occur to him, which was probably for the best.

They were in accord on staying outside the Refuge's weird anti-magic field, and he nodded agreement at having more space, relaxing as well. His claustrophobia wasn't as bad as it used to be, but he still hated feeling boxed in. Then he asked about the gods and their gifts, and he nodded again, mere vehemently, in agreement at getting her some armor. "For dodgin', that might be more like... I dunno. A piece o' jewelry?" he hazarded a guess. "Armor's more for blockin' hits than dodgin' 'em. Usually, at least." Then he shrugged. "Though with gods an' magic I guess it's whatever y'want it t'be. Th'form an' th'function don't gotta match up."

Alys added the spot for the second fireplace, then waited for Tal to flip to the previous page, adding in the downstairs fireplaces as well. She nodded as he explained about chimneys and flues, trusting that her rough sketches would be enough for a real architect to draw up plans that would work. At least they had everything in place now, and it seemed like they were in agreement - a promising start to building a life together, to be sure. A few final touches, and Alys flipped between the pages again. "Can you think of anything else?" she asked, turning her head to look up at him. She thought they'd covered everything, but maybe Tal had other ideas. As for her ideas on approaching the gods, she felt her cheeks heat at Tal's explanation. She knew nothing about asking for an item, and even less about how their blessings worked. It made her all the more nervous about going to see one. "Oh," she said. "That... makes sense. I guess I was just thinking of protection and evasion. You know, killing two birds with one stone?" She paused. "I guess I could also just get regular armor made," she mused, tapping her chin with the pencil she still held in her hand. And she should get some kind of armor, even if it wasn't magic. The world wasn't getting any safer, after all. alys glasse

He looked down at her, the silly, sappy grin still on his face as he gave a little shake of his head. "Nope, I think it'll do just fine." All the major architectural bits were sorted out. Smaller details like window boxes, storm shutters, and interior decorating could all come later. Those would be even more fun to pick out together, he hoped, smiling down at his new partner and savoring the hope for the future that fluttered in his chest.

He was more than happy to hear that she was willing to brave the gods for armor, and maybe he'd just set his own expectations too low when asking for his own items from them. "Hey, it doesn't hurt t'ask for both," he assured her, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "Worst thing that happens is they say 'no,' yeah?" The courier reached up to rub the back of his neck, feeling bad that he'd caused the seer to doubt herself. "Look, don't let me tell y'what t'do. It's your prayer an' your choice, no matter what I say. Ask for whatever y'want an' I'll help however I can."

As Alys sat with her shoulder against Tal’s, looking down at the sketches, there was a warmth in her chest that began to blossom that she couldn’t quite identify. All she knew was that she was the happiest she’d ever been, and that where before had lain an endless stretch of loneliness, there now bloomed something new and beautiful and strong. She’d always thought her destiny would lead her to be alone, but the sureness now that she didn’t have to be - that she wouldn’t be - was something she had no words for. There was only him, only them , and in this moment, it was all that mattered. The seer packed away her journal and pencil with one last look at their shared vision, a happy smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Tomorrow, she’d have to see about finding an architect who could help them put their plans into action. For now, though, she’d be content to stay up here, high above the worries of the world, sharing a perfect evening with her partner -her partner she thought giddily - for as long as he wanted to stay. At Tal’s reassurance, something tight and tense in Alys’s shoulders relaxed, and she twisted to wrap an arm around Tal’s chest as he squeezed his arm tighter around her. The smell of him tickled her nose, and she closed her eyes as she hugged him, content to just breathe him in. ”Thanks, Tal,” she whispered, and she didn’t just mean the offer to help her with the gods. She was grateful to bursting for him, for putting his heart out there, for his acceptance of her as she was, for the quiet affection that she’d come to appreciate so much from him… it was more than she could ever say or do, she was sure, but the feeling settled there under her skin all the same. alys glasse

He had several 'houses' now, in a sense. Courier stations set up in most of the major cities, so that he had a place that was his own and safe to sleep in, with small living quarters usually built in above them. Room for a hammock, a bathroom, and a small kitchen. Enough for a couple of nights while he delivered and collected packages before heading off to the next stop in his route.

He even had two homes, technically. The one he'd grown up in that now belonged to his eldest sister, but where he would always be welcome; and the much nicer quarters above the Snowcloak Shipping Center. But he'd left the Seawright household because he needed a place to call his own, and he was so busy traveling that he didn't get to spend much time at his Snowcloak home.

Now... well. He'd never expected he'd find someone he wanted to share his space with. Not with his luck with romance and acting the fool over it. Looking down at the blueprints with Alys - a place built specially for them and not recycled from someone else's leftover dreams like his courier stations had all been - and leaning against her, there was the warm wonder that he'd found something better than the tongue-tied tension and lapdog desperation he'd always chased before. This was... nothing easy to put into words, but when he was with Alys he felt calm, and sure, and steady. And most of all, happy. Not with the giddy madness of puppy love, but with the bone-deep trust and affection for someone who knew him and all his many flaws, and accepted him anyways.

And she wanted to stick around with him and build a future together!

A future they both needed to survive, and that meant staying as safe as they could. He couldn't help but be a little anxious about it - and her. The high-strung courier wasn't happy unless he had something to worry about. But he forced himself to take a breath and step back, letting the trust he felt for her push back the shadows. "Welcome, Alys," he murmured, relaxing into her hug as a soft smile played over his face, lighting him up from within. "Always."

~Fin~