After the Storm (Rae and Keros) 07/06/2023
Jun 7, 2023 21:54:14 GMT
Jaezred Vandree, Lykksie, and 10 more like this
Post by Harry on Jun 7, 2023 21:54:14 GMT
Keros limping through the portal into Daring Heights hears a familiar voice in his head.
“Keros? Tell me you are okay. Enlace is okay. We need to talk about everything. You get twenty five words to respond, if you can.”
“Rae?” there’s a pause with a deep relived exhale “Yes we do. I’m fine. Kul Goran… could be a lot worse. Are you in Daring Heights? I just got back. Still in Portal-“
Another Sending arrives.
“Stay right where you are, the Crystal can send me back to Daring.”
After some time, Rae appears on one of the teleportation circles in portal plaza. Looking exhausted, nervously fiddling with a ring, they do not immediately see Keros.
Keros is standing leaning on his spear, he’s covered in blood. He came back without getting any healing let alone stopping to bathe. In his mind his thoughts are racing, he wants to scream about how Rae abandoned him, how his country is about to tear itself apart, how he had to let Antonia go again… but when he sees Rae the only words that come out of his mouth are “I’m so glad you’re okay” as his whole body relaxes for the first time since he left Kantas the day before.
Rae hears Keros’ voice and moves to him with a speed unmatched and instinctively wraps their arms around his massive form.
“I’m so glad you are too.”
Rae then pulls away and realises the state he is in.
“Wait, are you okay? Gods, Keros what happened? We need to get you to a healer!”
Keros stumbles back and winces as Rae crashes into him and hugs directly into a lightning burn.
“Oh no I’ve had wor- wait your clothes I’m so sorry!”
Rae manages, in spite of everything, to laugh. It is bright and loud and released all of the tension they had.
“Keros, I literally have a spell made exactly for cleaning clothes! That is not-“ They cut themselves off with more laughter.
As Rae’s face lights up so does Keros’s “Look you know I don’t understand your magic stuff, you don’t have to make fun of me.” he says as he playfully shoves Rae in the shoulder (edited)
Keros chuckles and lets out a deep sigh “Is everything okay with you and Ziha? I’m sorry for… making things complicated. I saw you hurt and something just… snapped.”
Rae stumbles after the shove and takes a moment to sort themselves out. They take a deep breath and consider their words carefully.
“Ziha apologised, almost the moment I saw her. I know Enlace was confusing for you, I’m sorry for not explaining it enough. The Genasi that live there are not like me, or the air genasi of K’ul Goran. They embody emotional elements among other things. Ziha embodies Lightning and.. Selfish Desires. It’s how she’s built, she said. She was extremely sorry for hurting me, and specifically asked me to apologise to you. For being cruel and overstepping her boundaries.”
Keros opens his mouth to speak, then closes it and shuts his eyes for a few seconds. “Okay I can forgive her for hitting me with lightning. That’s fine, but...” he grits his teeth “Look Rae, I’m not going to tell you how to live your life and if she makes you happy then that’s great, but if she hurts you like that again I will not be okay with it. That’s how I’m built. And for the record? You deserve better.”
Rae smiles at Keros.
"I do not think you fully understand. Ziha makes me happy, yes, but as a friend. She is like me, Keros. She's got too much on her shoulders for someone her age and is prone to making mistakes. She's a very interesting person to get to know when you break through her tough exterior, and I intend to spend more time with her where I can, as friends." Rae gently rests their hand on Keros' forearm, just as they did when they left Jarvenhol aboard a Windsurfer.
In that moment Keros is back on the hillsurfer, watching someone he barely knew taking the time and effort to halt his self destructive instincts for no reason other than them not wanting him to be in pain. He’d never forgotten that moment. He stumbles over his words, “I… I wish I could see people the way you do. Rae, I know I said some things before that made everything awkward, but if we’re just friends and you don’t want to be any more than that you’re an amazing friend to have.” he gives an emotionally and physically exhausted smile, placing his hand gently on top of Rae’s.
Rae pauses, having a true moment of clarity, realising that they are not the only person this bad at understanding people's true feelings. "Oh Keros.." With their other hand, they reach up to cup the side of Keros' face, and with a gentle and slight tug at his fur, pulls him down to kiss him.
Completely taken by surprise Keros momentarily freezes before letting his spear fall to the side and grabbing Rae, physically lifting them off the ground as he pulls them in close. The rain pouring over the pair of them as they kiss in the destruction and ruins of Portal Plaza that neither of them seem to even notice.
Rae chuckles as the kiss ends, enjoying the warmth of being held in Keros' arms. "I think you're amazing, Keros Pactsworn." They wrap their arms around Keros' head and rest their forehead against his. "Now let's go and find you a healer right now you insane minotaur!"
Keros smiles so contentedly that you could be forgiven wondering if it’s just rain water on his face “As if I could say no to you.”
His expression changes as he has a sudden realisation
“I need you to promise me something though”
Rae's own expression becomes more serious, and they look Keros in the eyes.
"What is it?"
“We need to not tell Jaezred. He’ll be insufferable.”
"Keros, here is what is going to happen. We are going to walk into Gossamer Threads to report to Jaezred on what occurred in Enlace and K'ul Goran, and that man is going to see through us as if we were glass." Rae chuckles again. "We cannot hide ANYTHING from him"
Keros groans and rolls his head back “Can’t someone just hit me with lightning again?”
He kisses Rae again,
“Heh, worth it.”
“Keros? Tell me you are okay. Enlace is okay. We need to talk about everything. You get twenty five words to respond, if you can.”
“Rae?” there’s a pause with a deep relived exhale “Yes we do. I’m fine. Kul Goran… could be a lot worse. Are you in Daring Heights? I just got back. Still in Portal-“
Another Sending arrives.
“Stay right where you are, the Crystal can send me back to Daring.”
After some time, Rae appears on one of the teleportation circles in portal plaza. Looking exhausted, nervously fiddling with a ring, they do not immediately see Keros.
Keros is standing leaning on his spear, he’s covered in blood. He came back without getting any healing let alone stopping to bathe. In his mind his thoughts are racing, he wants to scream about how Rae abandoned him, how his country is about to tear itself apart, how he had to let Antonia go again… but when he sees Rae the only words that come out of his mouth are “I’m so glad you’re okay” as his whole body relaxes for the first time since he left Kantas the day before.
Rae hears Keros’ voice and moves to him with a speed unmatched and instinctively wraps their arms around his massive form.
“I’m so glad you are too.”
Rae then pulls away and realises the state he is in.
“Wait, are you okay? Gods, Keros what happened? We need to get you to a healer!”
Keros stumbles back and winces as Rae crashes into him and hugs directly into a lightning burn.
“Oh no I’ve had wor- wait your clothes I’m so sorry!”
Rae manages, in spite of everything, to laugh. It is bright and loud and released all of the tension they had.
“Keros, I literally have a spell made exactly for cleaning clothes! That is not-“ They cut themselves off with more laughter.
As Rae’s face lights up so does Keros’s “Look you know I don’t understand your magic stuff, you don’t have to make fun of me.” he says as he playfully shoves Rae in the shoulder (edited)
Keros chuckles and lets out a deep sigh “Is everything okay with you and Ziha? I’m sorry for… making things complicated. I saw you hurt and something just… snapped.”
Rae stumbles after the shove and takes a moment to sort themselves out. They take a deep breath and consider their words carefully.
“Ziha apologised, almost the moment I saw her. I know Enlace was confusing for you, I’m sorry for not explaining it enough. The Genasi that live there are not like me, or the air genasi of K’ul Goran. They embody emotional elements among other things. Ziha embodies Lightning and.. Selfish Desires. It’s how she’s built, she said. She was extremely sorry for hurting me, and specifically asked me to apologise to you. For being cruel and overstepping her boundaries.”
Keros opens his mouth to speak, then closes it and shuts his eyes for a few seconds. “Okay I can forgive her for hitting me with lightning. That’s fine, but...” he grits his teeth “Look Rae, I’m not going to tell you how to live your life and if she makes you happy then that’s great, but if she hurts you like that again I will not be okay with it. That’s how I’m built. And for the record? You deserve better.”
Rae smiles at Keros.
"I do not think you fully understand. Ziha makes me happy, yes, but as a friend. She is like me, Keros. She's got too much on her shoulders for someone her age and is prone to making mistakes. She's a very interesting person to get to know when you break through her tough exterior, and I intend to spend more time with her where I can, as friends." Rae gently rests their hand on Keros' forearm, just as they did when they left Jarvenhol aboard a Windsurfer.
In that moment Keros is back on the hillsurfer, watching someone he barely knew taking the time and effort to halt his self destructive instincts for no reason other than them not wanting him to be in pain. He’d never forgotten that moment. He stumbles over his words, “I… I wish I could see people the way you do. Rae, I know I said some things before that made everything awkward, but if we’re just friends and you don’t want to be any more than that you’re an amazing friend to have.” he gives an emotionally and physically exhausted smile, placing his hand gently on top of Rae’s.
Rae pauses, having a true moment of clarity, realising that they are not the only person this bad at understanding people's true feelings. "Oh Keros.." With their other hand, they reach up to cup the side of Keros' face, and with a gentle and slight tug at his fur, pulls him down to kiss him.
Completely taken by surprise Keros momentarily freezes before letting his spear fall to the side and grabbing Rae, physically lifting them off the ground as he pulls them in close. The rain pouring over the pair of them as they kiss in the destruction and ruins of Portal Plaza that neither of them seem to even notice.
Rae chuckles as the kiss ends, enjoying the warmth of being held in Keros' arms. "I think you're amazing, Keros Pactsworn." They wrap their arms around Keros' head and rest their forehead against his. "Now let's go and find you a healer right now you insane minotaur!"
Keros smiles so contentedly that you could be forgiven wondering if it’s just rain water on his face “As if I could say no to you.”
His expression changes as he has a sudden realisation
“I need you to promise me something though”
Rae's own expression becomes more serious, and they look Keros in the eyes.
"What is it?"
“We need to not tell Jaezred. He’ll be insufferable.”
"Keros, here is what is going to happen. We are going to walk into Gossamer Threads to report to Jaezred on what occurred in Enlace and K'ul Goran, and that man is going to see through us as if we were glass." Rae chuckles again. "We cannot hide ANYTHING from him"
Keros groans and rolls his head back “Can’t someone just hit me with lightning again?”
He kisses Rae again,
“Heh, worth it.”
