Room 518 [Saturday Evening]
sixstandingbyAfter that last weekend, Gavin was very grateful for the nice and easy Saturday. He was tired and still sore but it was Sunday and he could relax.
So, he was. With a book. And some chocolate. A lot of chocolate. The chocolate was actually getting more attention than the book.
vkandis_sonAfter spending the day with Trenor - and he was certain his horse had forgiven him for disappearing for so long - he made his way back to the dorms and up the stairs (which was an adventure in itself, since they looked much larger through Altra's eyes and he kept wanting to put his feet in the wrong place). Not to his room, though.
Altra led him to Gavin's door, and Karal hesitated. Altra? I think I want to do this myself, he thought. :And I'm quite sure Gavin can keep me from falling on my nose or running into a wall.:
:Very well,: the 'cat replied after a long moment. :But I won't be far away.:
The door disappeared along with everything else as Altra left, and Karal tapped lightly on it. "Gavin?" he said quietly.
sixstandingbyGavin looked up at the voice, familiar and not very all at the same time. “Karal?” It was worth a shot. It sounded like him. And it could only be him or John being an ass.
vkandis_son"I, yes, it's me," he replied. "I've come back." Maybe he shouldn't have sent Altra away. Hopefully he wouldn't trip over his own feet. "Is it all right if I come in?" he asked, so glad to hear Gavin's voice but feeling oddly uncertain.
sixstandingby“Of course!” Gavin said quickly tossing his book away. “Come inside. Come on, you big doof. Come inside.”
vkandis_son He smiled, uncertainty melting away, and slipped in through the door, keeping one hand on it for guidance. "I--" He stopped, considered and discarded various words, then simply said, "I can't see. I told Altra you'd make sure I didn't run into a wall. It was that, or he would have insisted on staying."
sixstandingby “You can’t see?” Gavin repeated, getting up from his bed and walking closer. “I’m right in front of you. Gimme your hand, we’ll sit down and then you can tell me what happened. It doesn’t hurt right? Do you need something to drink?”
vkandis_sonKaral held out his hand as he shook his head. "It doesn't hurt, not even a small amount. It never did," he assured Gavin. "I don't need anything to drink, I just wanted to see you," he made a face, "well not see, exactly. I can see through Altra's eyes when we're together, but I wanted to talk to you."
sixstandingby"We're about to hit the second bed. You could probably sit down and not fall," Gavin said, keeping a hold just in case. "You sure you don't want anything to drink? I can make some tea."
vkandis_son "Well," Karal said as he carefully moved forward until he felt the bed, then awkwardly sat down, grateful for Gavin's hold. "I wouldn't say no to tea. So long as it's not butter tea, which is about the most horrible thing ever invented."
sixstandingby"It's just regular tea," Gavin assured her, hesitating and just looking at Karal because it was nice to see him whole. Somewhat whole again. He'd missed his friend.
vkandis_son"It sounds wonderful," he replied, sighing a little before he smiled. "I did miss you."
sixstandingby"I missed you too," Gavin said, shaking himself out of his haze and going to start making some tea. "Have you seen Evey?"
vkandis_son"I have." Karal's smile got wider, his head moving to follow Gavin's voice. "I returned last night, Gabriel came for me, brought me back from the tower." The wonder of that was still in his voice. "And Altra fetched Evey right away. It was so good to be with her again, Gavin. I was worried she might have," he lifted a hand and let it fall, "I'm not sure. Become tired of waiting for me, but she hadn't. She was as happy to see me as I was to be seen."
sixstandingby"Good," Gavin said, smiling. And he wanted to lighten the mood, to tease, to get Karal to keep smiling so he said, "I know you can't see but I got your name tattooed on my neck."
vkandis_son"Gavin!" He groaned and shook his head, then felt around until he found the pillow and tossed it in what he thought was Gavin's general direction, completely failing to get it anywhere near him. "I hope you spelled it properly, at least."
sixstandingby"I did," Gavin laughed. "It's spelled with a 'C' right?"
vkandis_sonKaral chuckled and tried to cover it with a pretend sigh. "Obviously I can't leave again, if this is the sort of trouble you get into while I'm gone," he said with mock-severity. "Now you have some stranger's name tattooed on your neck. It's a good thing I can't see it!"
sixstandingby"Altra can tell you what it looks like," Gavin suggested. "He can describe it in great glory for you, Sun's Ray."
Couldn't let that one go by.
vkandis_sonKaral started to laugh. It was release of tension and simple joy at being back here, at being with Gavin again, at Gavin's easy acceptance, and he flopped backwards on the bed. "I never should have told you about that," he finally managed to say.
sixstandingby"Like I wouldn't have found out sooner or later," Gavin said, finishing with the tea and coming back over. "C'mon, I only use it because I loooooooove you."
vkandis_sonGavin sounded closer, and so he sat up. "If you really loved me, you would have spelled my name right!" he said, chuckling again.
sixstandingby"Spelling it wrong makes it more endearing," Gavin said and extended the tea. "The cup's right in front of you. Just reach out slowly because it's hot and I don't want to spill it on you."
vkandis_sonHe did just that, moving slowly until his fingers touched the cup, and then he wrapped his hand around it. "It would be a terrible waste of tea," he agreed, taking a long sip, then sighed contentedly. "Perfect."
sixstandingby"Please," Gavin laughed. "It's not perfect tea. You're lucky it's drinkable. I'm still learning how to be all domestic and stuff."
vkandis_son"It doesn't have a huge lump of butter floating in it, butter made from mare's milk I might add." Karal took another sip. "And that makes it perfect. Trust me, I know more about Shin'a'in butter tea than I ever wanted to."
sixstandingby"If you say so," Gavin said, sounding less than convinced while taking a seat on his bed. "So. What happened?"
vkandis_sonHe sipped his tea again, and maybe it wasn't perfect, but it was good, warm and comforting and butter free. "A lot," he replied quietly, smile fading away. "It was six months for me, so a lot. We stopped the storms, forever. There is no more danger. But--" A stab of sorrow and he drew in a deep breath. "We stayed in the tower after you left, and more people joined us, mages and an artificer, to study the other machines. The Storms grew worse and with them the weather, it was winter like the world has never seen, and then there was no more time. The mages decided on a machine, one that absorbed magic, all magic. It was hoped it would be strong enough to eat the magic of the Final Storm. And it did, it worked."
sixstandingby"So...your world's safe now?" Gavin asked. "Like, completely?"
vkandis_son"From the Storms, yes, completely. When I left, it had been only a week since we triggered the machine, and already spring had arrived and the snows covering the plains had melted. The natural weather patterns are returning."
sixstandingby"So, everything's...basically okay?" Gavin asked, still wary because he'd gotten used to these things having catches. "Besides your eyes and all."
vkandis_son"Yes, but--" He paused. "There's-- The machine needed a Mage Channel to trigger it, just as before." He wrapped his hands more tightly around his cup, actually glad he couldn't see. "Each of us had two guardians, to shield us. Altra and Florian were mine." Karal blinked hard, eyes burning. "The power was too strong, there was too much of it. Florian--" There was no way to make this any easier. "He died, Gavin," he said quietly. "He's gone."
sixstandingby"He's gone?" Gavin asked quietly. "Like forever?"
It was a stupid question but it slipped out and maybe it wasn't forever. Maybe Karal's world was special that way.
vkandis_sonKaral carefully set his tea aside and folded his hands in his lap. "I don't know what happens to Companions when they die, exactly, but I'm sure he is in the Havens. He died saving the world. There is nowhere else he could be."
sixstandingbyIt was a little hard to keep a straight face, to make it look like everything was fine and he knew he didn't have to since Karal couldn't see but it was a habit.
"Was he in pain?"
vkandis_sonKaral swallowed, folding his hands more tightly. "The whole world dissolved into light, it was..." His voice trailed off as he remembered the light, the peace of acceptance that had washed away the pain, and when he spoke again, his voice was very quiet. "It didn't hurt." Even if it hurt now, as much as it had when he'd first awakened.
sixstandingby"Oh." Well, it hurt him now. A lot more than he thought. "I'm...sorry, Karal. I really am. God."
vkandis_sonIt plucked at his control, and he swallowed around the lump in his throat. "I miss him. It's only been a week and I already miss him." He lifted his head, suddenly wishing desperately he could see. "He thought so highly of you, you were his good friend. We talked about you, about going into space. He loved the time he got to spend with you. I'm so sorry, Gavin."
sixstandingby"I wished I could've taken him," Gavin said, feeling a pit form in his stomach. He could feel guilt and missed opportunities and it all hurt. "I'm sorry that I didn't."
vkandis_sonKaral hesitated, then stood, placing one foot carefully in front of the other, using Gavin's voice and the memory of the room to find the other bed and sit, reaching out to find Gavin's shoulder. "He knew, Gavin. He knew. We both had our duty. We had to stay in our world until that duty was done."
sixstandingby'Yeah, but still," he said, frowning harder and keeping his eyes on the ground. "I was too slow."
vkandis_son"You weren't too slow," Karal said quietly, not able to keep the sadness out of his voice. "Life was too quick."
sixstandingby“And I was too slow to keep up,” Gavin insisted. “You all right?”
vkandis_son"Truthfully, no, I'm not. I will be, but right now…" He let his hand fall, folding them in his lap again. "I'm about as all right as you are."
sixstandingby“Yeah.” Gavin frowned and looked at the floor. “I’d suggest colored drinks but that never turns out well.”
vkandis_son"No, no it doesn't." He smiled a little at the memory Gavin's words invoked. "Did Florian ever tell you that he went to Caritas while he was here?"
sixstandingby“No,” Gavin said, laughing in surprise. “How’d he like that?”
vkandis_son"He drank buckets of beer, ate all the peanuts, flirted with Aravis' friend, Hwin, and woke up on the front lawn of the dorms with the closest a Companion can get to hangover." Karal's smile got a lot stronger. "I think he really enjoyed it."
sixstandingby“He flirted with Aravis?” Oh, Gavin loved Karal for telling him that. He had some ammo now. “Did she like it?”
vkandis_son"Not Aravis, her friend, Hwin! The talking horse. Florian thought she was very nice, though I think Rolan disapproved."
sixstandingby"Oh." Gavin was almost crestfallen. "Damn, that would've been awesome if it was true."
vkandis_son"It would have been disturbing if it was true!" Karal corrected. "You could still tease her about it, though. Hwin was quite taken with him." He was quiet for a moment, then bumped Gavin's shoulder with his own. "We should go to Caritas, and have a drink to remember him."
sixstandingby"Okay," Gavin said in a small voice. "Not tonight. Did the thing that took Florian make your eyes this way?"
vkandis_son"No, not tonight." He folded his hands together tightly, the momentary lightness fading, as he answered, "Yes. He and Altra, they were protecting me while I acted as a Channel. The mages sent the Final Storm through me and into the machine. Florian, he stood between me and the Void. It, if not for him, I'd have lost far more than my sight." His voice got very quiet. "He died keeping me alive."
sixstandingby"Oh god, I'm sorry Karal," Gavin said, sliding an arm around his shoulders. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
vkandis_sonIt was the first time he'd said it out loud, the first time he'd let himself think it since he'd woken up blind, and it hurt all over. "I know...I know he knew it could happen - none of us thought we'd survive, not really - he accepted the risk gladly, but it still hurts," he said, shoulders slumping and he leaned into Gavin.
sixstandingby"It will for awhile," Gavin said, rubbing Karal's shoulder. "That's normal. Are your eyes...permanent?"
vkandis_son"It is, yes. The healers tried, but there is nothing anyone can do. I don't mind so much," he said, and it was almost true. "Sharing Altra's eyes makes reading much more difficult, but I can see in the dark, now."
sixstandingby"So..." Gavin paused. "You're part Firecat now!"
vkandis_sonKaral made a choking sound. "Altra will be so pleased to hear you say that," he said. "I know everything is bigger and there's almost no colour, but that doesn't make me part Firecat!"
sixstandingby"Yeah, it does," Gavin laughed. "Soon, you'll have whiskers and a tail and a craving for fish."
vkandis_sonKaral patted his face, checking for whiskers. "If I'm part Firecat, I'll be able to Jump you into the lake!" he said, grateful for the teasing. "Remember that when your teasing me about whiskers and a tail."
sixstandingby"And then I'd have to go back to the original Firecat and make fun of his Jumping abilities and tell him you told me to," Gavin responded laughingly.
vkandis_son"Gavin!" Karal shook his head and tried to elbow him (gently). "Altra won't believe you for a moment."
sixstandingbyGavin laughed and said, "He would if I gave him some treats."
vkandis_son"No bribing Altra to Jump me anywhere." Karal discovered pretending to glare didn't work very well when you couldn't see where you were glaring. "I'd never find my way back!"
sixstandingby"Aww, you'd be so cute all lost," Gavin said, smiling. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that alone, Karal."
vkandis_son"I wasn't alone, not entirely, but it was lonely," he said quietly, then smiled. "But I'm not anymore."
sixstandingby"You're not anymore," Gavin said, tightening his hand on Karal's shoulder. "Not for a long time if a lot of us here can help it."
vkandis_sonKaral smiled gratefully. "I know," he said quietly.
This was why he'd wanted to come back so badly, to these people, to this place. So much had changed, he had changed so much, it felt like the only place he truly belonged.
Now," he said, deliberately reaching for a light tone, "tell me some of what I missed while I was gone?"
sixstandingby"Well, you just missed an invasion..." Gavin said and started to go into huge amounts of detail about everything Karal had missed. He was a good friend like that. And he liked to talk.
vkandis_sonAnd Karal leaned back on his elbows, listening to everything he'd missed, happy simply to listen to Gavin, and happy just to be back with his friend.
[Preplayed with the one and only vkandis_son. NFI.]