Hydaelyn Role-Players

“Your Mother?” Captain Jenlyns asks sleepily, “Ah, I’m sorry for your loss”. He blinks at the form Natalie had handed him, “You need a week? That’s rather long”.

“Yes Ser, she lived deep in the sands, and our funeral rite is long” she says as she stands at attention.

He regards her, seeing the grief etched on her face, and signs the paper, “It’s a bit unusual, but you so rarely request personal time” he hands it back, “See her off well”.

Natalie nods, her lips tight, “Thank you Ser”

Moment’s later she is in her room, hurriedly grabbing some belongings. The place is empty, unlived. For the past few months she had been here only sporadically, spending almost every night with…

She swallows and tries to force the images from her mind, the blood stained cobblestones, the white gleam of bone, the red froth of a collapsed lung. She falls to her knees and retches, though nothing but a spattering of bile escapes her lips. There is nothing left to expel. Slowly she wipes her lips, and quickly finishes stuffing her bag. She pulls out a small crystal, cradling it in her palm as aetheric energies surround her, blissfully obliterating her surroundings, until she finds herself in front of the NightBlades HQ.

She gathers herself for a moment and walks up and gingerly opens the door. Stanzie and Roh’to had left earlier. Stanzie especially had been exhausted, the energies needed to restart Kayah’s heart almost leaving her comatose on the floor. Nat was exhausted herself, despite her meagre talents, she had expended much attempting to assist Stanzie. Finally resorting to needle and thread when her conjury failed her.

Kage had departed as well, he claimed he misplaced his hat, but Natalie didn’t believe such an obvious lie. She could only trust that Kage had some sort of plan. He was a far cry from the shy lalafell she had first met in the Quicksand. Since then he had made friends, allies, and earned the right to stand and guard the Sultana. All of that and yet…

Natalie braces herself against the wall as waves of self recrimination roll over her. What had she been thinking? She had been bored waiting for Kayah to arrive, but to run off with Kage’s date? She punches the wall, trying to suppress her feelings. The house shudders slightly, and the blossoming pain on her knuckles helps her regain her focus. There would be time for doubt and blame later, for hate and guilt. Now only one thing mattered. She takes a deep breath and nods, walking slowly down the stairs.

Kayah was hurt, near death, and she had no idea who had done it. In fact, he had been killed, and it was only Stanzie’s immediate arrival that brought him back from Thal’s realm. She had come upon him limp on the stones of the royal court, Kage crying and cradling him. She bites her lip hard, unable to stop her mind from going down that path. It was her fault. It was all her fault. She continues forward, trying not to look at Kayah’s battered bandage wrapped form. She slowly gathers him up, carrying him carefully up the stairs. She still has no idea who had done this to him, or why.

Natalie should be able to trust the blades, but a conversation keeps playing in her mind. She didn’t quite know the context, but Armi, a fellow member had attracted some sort of trouble. Angry voices, voices she didn’t know, screamed over the linkpearl, trying to decide Armi’s fate. The safety of the group is more important than Armi, that was the message Natalie took from that. Would they do the same for Kayah? Was he a liability now, who would be discarded if it ensured safety for the others?

Natalie walks through the front doorway, gently placing Kayah on her chocobo, it’s sides already laden with supplies. She couldn’t risk it, the assassins had managed to strike him in the heart of the Royal Court and escape, her only defence was secrecy, she had to head someplace no one would look, away from her friends and allies. Hopefully, away from enemies as well.

She looks at Kayah’s resting form. Who knows how he would react when he woke. Natalie blinks back tears as she realized he might never do so, and even if he did, he might never be the same. The wound to his head was terrifying, and while Stanzie did her utmost, there was no guarantee to such things.

Natalie shakes her head, as if attempting to throw off her doubts, and squares her shoulders. She walks back in the house, leaving a small note on the bed where Kayah had lain.

“Will be back, Don’t come looking for us” - Natalie.

Then she gathers the reins of the Chocobo, and leads it into the night.

It was the dry shhh shhh shhh of leather rubbing against cloth that he first heard. His head ached, and somewhere behind his eyelids there was a light that someone had forgotten to turn out. He stirred, muscles protesting against unreasonable demands that they move, his eyes especially felt crusted shut, sticky. They finally cracked open with an effort, revealing an unfamiliar room that was dark, spare and musty, smelling of damp earth. Too bright light spilled in through the open front door, along with the distant sound of waves and a salt tang that made his nose sting. He lay in a bed, the mattress thin and firm but clean-smelling underneath him. A woman paced the floor. Tall and spare, almost as big as a Hyur, her high leather boots brushed against the coarse cloth of her dress with every step. Solid clothes in plain colors, the garb of a traveller. Her brassy hair brushed against her shoulders and caught the light as she moved.

His lips moved soundlessly, his vocal cords complaining. He frowned, his brows furrowing as he tried again to speak, his voice a soft croak. Words came out, but he could not hear them over the pounding of his own head. She turned, surprise on her face, and rushed to the bedside.

“Kayah?” she said, her voice soft yet somehow raw. Her green eyes were wide in the dim light, while the sound of her footsteps rolled through his head.

He ran through a broad stone corridor, the diminutive form of a Lalafell racing ahead of him. Kage, he thought. He’d been chasing him, the snap of his dress shoes against the floor mixing with the quicker drum sound of the Lalafell’s feet.

He stood in a chamber, lit by the steady glow of lanterns. His chest was cold, his shoulders stung where he’d ripped his jacket off and thrown it at the feet of the tall, spare woman standing angrily before him.

He strode towards the blue glow of an aetheryte, his jaw clenched, his hand aching from where he’d slammed it into a stone column. He paused as he reached it. The aetheryte would take him anywhere within Ul’dah, but where was it he could go? The woman he had loved and lived for was somewhere behind him, and all he could think of was to put as much distance between them as he could. Limsa, he thought to himself. I’ll go to Limsa. Natalie’s Sultansworn duties would keep her in or around Ul’dah. He could build a new life in Limsa, the towers and winding paths of the City of Pirates providing ample opportunity for him to begin anew.

There was a flash of light as his head bounced off the aetheryte, and another as it struck the ground. It felt like someone was staving in his ribs with a club. Which, he thought to himself, wasn’t too far off from the truth. At some level he recognized that something was very wrong, that his body was moving without any thought of his own. Through the red fog he could see a growing blur that crashed against the side of his head and he knew no more.

“Natalie…” His voice was a low croak, a sharp lance of pain rewarding his efforts to speak. “I remember…” Dark spots danced before him, the sound of the ocean drowning everything out as his eyes closed again.

She was crying. The wet splash of her tears on his face drew him back from sleep and he opened his eyes. As he reached for her, she lay on the bed next to him, his hands smoothing the brassy locks of her hair. “Shhhhh”, he murmured, his voice soft. She turned her head, her green eyes catching the light from the door, her face streaked and wet. “Shhhhh”, he repeated, his fingers brushing the hair from her face even as darkness claimed him again.

The room was dark, spare and musty, smelling of damp earth. Dim red sunset light spilled in through the open front door, as well as the distant sound of waves, while the only sound within was the gentle whisper of their breathing as they slept, nestled together in the small house by the sea.

Natalie pushes the bacon around the pan, it’s smell filling the small space. She glances over at Kayah’s sleeping from, and allows herself a smile, and begins humming an Ul’dah marching tune.

Kayah stirs in the bed and makes a soft sound. He stretches, then winces, his hand moving to his head, feeling the bandage. His eyes open and he smiles across the room at Natalie, the unlikeliest cook. "G'mrn'g..." he murmurs, before sitting up in bed, wincing again. He sniffs, then sniffs again, a lazy smile spreading across his face. "Natalie", he says, his voice soft. "Are you... *cooking*?"

Natalie almost drops the pan, her ears sticking up in alarm. Instead she moves it away from the heat, "Kayah?" she says as she turns and rushes towards the bed, "Gods... kayah" she shouts as she gently takes him in her arms, her body somehow mustering tears from some last reserve.

He stiffens as her arms go around him, then he relaxes, his own arms slipping around her. He'd always been impressed with her strength, but today she felt frail. Spent. "Hey", he quietly exclaims, "no tears! Nat!"

Natalie sniffs, and wipes her eyes with a forearm, "I'm sorry... I have no right" she says softly while getting up slowly and moving back towards the stove, "I know you don't want to see me here" she bites her lip, "But it's my fault this happened, and my responsibility to ensure your safety, once you've recovered you can leave me and go where you wish"

He lays back down in the bed and stretches, inhaling sharply as his ribs let him know what a mistake that was. "Nat", he gasps, slowly letting himself relax. "Thal's Balls, Nat. What if I want you here?"

She pauses, and looks at him incredulously, "Kayah I...." she looks at him open mouthed, "You told me last night..." she begins before shaking your head, "You must not remember what happened" she turns back to the stove, "Your wound was worse than I thought"

Kayah chuckles painfully, scratching at his ribs. "Which wound?" he murmurs. "I feel like I'm all wound. What happened, anyways? I remember getting hit, and a woman's voice... Then I woke up here. Closing his eyes and inhaling through his nose, a faint smile returns to his lips. "I remember smelling you..."

Inspects the bacon before sliding it onto a plate. "I was hoping you could tell me" she says as she retrieves a bowl of eggs from the table, "I came upon you after the attack had already happened". Natalie waits for the fat in the pan to regain heat, and then begins cracking eggs into it. "Kage might have known... but he's out of contact"

He opens his eyes at the sound of his friend's name, then closes them again. "Kage..." he murmurs sadly. "He was running. Upset. His date... Nat", he says, opening his eyes again. "You and his date? You and Denn?"

She presses her lips together sharply, and turns to face him, an artificial smile plastered on her face "Yes Kayah, Denn and I made love, mere moments before I met you" she says, with a strange cheeriness, she turns around and takes the eggs off the heat, and deposits them on the plates. "So feel free to despise me" she says as she drops a steaming plate of food in his lap.
"Get better, and get the hell out of here, I've heard limsa is nice this time of year, you should try it"
.
Kayah growls and pushes the plate aside, sitting up and swinging his legs out of the bed. He sits there for a moment, steadying himself. "If you wanted me gone", he says, his voice hollow, "you should have... Nat, what is this?"

She bites her lip and attempts to push him back on the bed, "Kayah... we can argue when you're recovered, it's just that..." she sighs, "You're going to hate me once you remember it all, so I just want to get it over with. I don't want any false hope" she mutters.

He furrows his brow, incomprehension on his face as he struggles to remain sitting up. "Nat", he gasps, finally letting himself be pushed back onto the bed, "Why?"

Natalie looks away, "Eat Kayah, you lost a lot of blood" she presses a fork into his hand, "Eat and I'll answer whatever you wish"

Kayah picks up the plate and stabs at an egg. "Nat", he says, narrowing his eyes. "What happened? Talk to me."

She crosses her arms, "Start eating, and I'll start talking"

He cuts a piece of egg, curses as the fork slips in his clumsy fingers, then lifts it to his mouth. "Okay", he says around a mouthful of egg, "start talking". After swallowing he cuts another piece of egg, suddenly ravenous. He stops, the bite half-lifted to his mouth, watching her. Her back turned, arms crossed. "Do you hate me that much, Nat?"

Natalie steadies herself, and begins "I found you dead on the cobblestones of the royal court" She suprised herself with how easily she said it. She starts to continue, but is affected by his words, biting her lip, "How could I hate you kayah" she mutters softly.

He shakes his head, eating another bite of egg almost without his teeth touching it. "Then why, Nat?"

She sighs and turns around, "Why what Kayah?" she says, trying to keep her voice steady.
Kayah gestures with his fork, his voice rising. "What do you think, Nat? While I was buttoning the jacket you bought me for this ball, you took Kage's date by the hand and..." his voice breaks and he sets the fork on the plate. "Which of us do you hate, Nat? Me? Kage? You? All three? Why'd you do this?" He continues, holding himself up with his elbows and looking over at her. "Were you tired of me, Nat? Were you just bored? Did you think ... I remember. You said it was Kage's fault for bringing a fickle date. Is it my fault, too?". He grimaces at something and reaches into his ear, plucking out a linkpearl and setting it on the plate.

"We had an agreement" she says with more calm than she feels, "One that you agreed to" she looks down at the floor and exhales, "But think what you will, as I said you can be rid of me once you are well." she looks at him and forces a smile, "So think of me what you wish, arguing about it will only hamper your recovery"

He exhales through his nose. "We had an agreement", he says, his voice defeated. "I agreed to it. So... it is my fault, then. Fine." He sets the plate aside and sits back up, struggling out of bed. "I'll get out of your hair, Nat", he says. "You wanted me to get the hell out of here, I might as well start now."

Natalie seems pained at that statement, "I'll be outside" she says quickly and bustles out the door, "Eat your eggs, the sooner you recover, the sooner you'll be rid of me". "You're not going anywhere" she says over her shoulder, hoping saying so will make it true.

He howls in rage and throws the plate after her. Eggs splatter on the wall as the plate shatters, the linkpearl spinning away.

She closes the door and leans against it, breathing heavily. The house is part of lighthouse on the rocky Limsian coast. She swallows her anxiety and watches the waves, the cries of the birds. Finally she grabs her fishing rod and casts her line off the cliff, trying to take her mind off of what just happened.

Minutes later Kayah, struggles out of bed and takes a few tentative steps. He makes his way to the door and out. Ten steps up the path, he wavers and sinks to his knees, then collapses on the ground.

Natalie turns, her heart catching in her throat. "Gods kayah" she yells, throwing her rod aside, "What are you..." she runs over to him and attempts to help him to his feet. "Are you trying to kill yourself?" she asks angrily.

He shrugs off her hand angrily, glaring up at her. "You want me out of her", he growls, "I'm getting out of here. Now get the hell out of my way."

She reaches out a hand to soothe him, before pulling it back. No, she thinks, she has lost that privilege. "You can't" she says in an attempt of spite, "You're too weak" she steps away, "Sit there for all I care" she says with her back turned as she fights to keep her voice steady, "But the only way you'll ever get back to civilization is by regaining your health, and the only way that is happening is if you get back into that bed"

Kayah struggles to sit up, his face livid. "I'm not staying anywhere I'm not wanted!" he roars, then clutches his head, rocking back and forth. "Gaaahh... Let me get the hell out of here, then you can..." , he groans, "then you can fuck whoever you want. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Natalie turns around her face marked with grief, "For fucks sake kayah please, just get into the bed" she chokes out, "That's all I want, for you to get better. You can hate me from in there. You can curse me from it, but please, let me get you back inside" she pleads.

He tries to stand, fails, then looks around, his eyes blazing. "I need a stick", he murmurs. "Get me a Gods damned stick, Nat"

"No kayah" she says softly, shaking her head.

He makes a bitter face and shakes his head. "For what it's worth, I don't hate you, Nat. Now get me a stick."

"No" she repeats, slightly more urgently.

He roars now, a vein standing out on his forehead, throbbing where it goes under the bandage. "GET ME A GODS DAMNED STICK!"

"YOU CAN FUCKING YELL ALL YOU WANT, IT''S NOT HAPPENING" she snaps and screams back at him, "I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU HOBBLE OFF AND DIE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD"

He laughs, a cruel, bitter sound. "What are you going to do, Nat? Beat me up to stop me? You've already done enough of that." He leans forward, toppling onto his hands and begins to crawl, painfully, up the path.

She takes a deep breath calming herself, "I'm going to wait for you to pass out, and then I'm going to carry you back to the bed", her face is hard as stone "And tie you there this time"

He crawls slowly up the path, sweat beading on his face, panting with the effort. "No", he gasps, pain in his voice. "No you're not..."

She follows him slowly, tracing a hand over his back and tapping into the aether of the sea, the shore, as she sends soothing waves of water aether into his body. She can only manage so much with her limited skills, but the energy flows in and out, calmly and relentlessly. Erasing his anger, his pain, his consciousness.

He stiffens as her hand touches him, the aether flowing into him. His eyes roll back into his head and he turns, falling onto his back with a soft "Fuck..."

She watches him for a moment. his crumpled form, the tracks his fingers had made in the dirt, as he scrambled desperately away from the cabin, away from her. Her face finally betraying her anguish, she lifts him gingerly and carries him back into the house, placing him on the bed. She turns to a cabinet, finding a line of rope. She stares at it, for what feels like an eternity. Then finally she shakes her head and slowly closes the cabinet. She instead locks the door, and drags a chair in front of it. She simply watches him for a moment, her eyes following the rise and fall of his chest, then her own head begins to droop and nod, before falling.

It was dark and still in the house by the shore, the only sound the muffled shush of the ocean mixed with the rhythmic breathing of the two sleepers. He slept in the lone bed, fresh bandages wrapped around his ribs and covering his hair, the remnants of a large conjury-healed bruise stretched across the right side of his face. She slept fitfully in a chair stationed in front of the only door, her face twisting every few moment, muttering unintelligibly under her breath.

C'kayah stirred in the bed. He opens his eyes and slowly focuses on the ceiling, then looks around the room. His eyes alight on the woman sleeping in the chair. A series of emotions flicker across his face: love, then pain, then sorrow, then anger. Slowly and quietly he sits up, folding aside the covers. He swung his legs off the bed and tentatively stands, trying to apply a little weight before committing. He winces, but makes his way painstakingly to the table and pours a glass of water from a pewter pitcher, drinking it. He slides a chair away from the table and sits, watching her.

She shifted at the sound of the chair's leg on the floor, blinking sleepily before opening her eyes. "Morning", she said reflexively. "Sleep well?"

C'kayah poured a fresh glass of water, drinking half of it before setting it back down on the table. His expression was neutral. "Guarding the door, mmm, Nat?" he said.

Natalie stared at him for a moment, as if not understanding. Her sleepy expression turned into a pained one. "If I don't you'd crawl out", she softly said, shaking her head. "And you're too weak to make it back to town."

"Then take me there", he said, his voice toneless and flat. "You've done enough, and now you want me gone. You said so yourself."

She opened her mouth, then nodded once, looking down at the floor. "Do you promise you'll stay away from Ul'dah? From me? From whatever did this to you?"

He closed his eyes and placed his head in his hands. He breathed deeply, and when he lifted his head to look at her his eyes were wet. "If that's what you want, Nat", he said. "Keep Ul'dah. It's yours."

"You'll...", she began, biting her lip.

He nodded, his expression pained. "I'll stay out of Ul'dah", he said. "I'll stay away from you." He cradled his head in his hands again as his shoulders began to shake.

"Aye", she forced herself to say, turning away. Her words cracked in her throat, her shoulders beginning to quiver. "That's... that's for the best. You'll be safe that way", she whispered.

They sat like that for a long moment before he spoke again, his voice faint through his fingers.

"When did you stop loving me, Natalie?"

"Gods, Kayah", she said, standing and driving her fist into the wall, frustration on her face. "This is because I love you! Can't you see that? All I ever do is hurt you!"

He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again without a word. He nodded, his cheeks wet with tears. "Only when we're not alone", he said, his voice cracking.

"Gods, Kayah, I know", she said, whirling to face him, desperation in her voice, her face filled with pain. "But what are we supposed to do? Just live in this shack for the rest of our lives?"

"This is what you want, though", he croaks, nodding again and closing his eyes, "isn't it? You'll be able to do what you want without me getting in the way."

She shook her head, biting her lip white. "Gods, Kayah, is that what you think? I just want you to be safe!"

She turned again, pacing with nervous energy. She pressed her hand to her chest. "Should I leave? I can go, Kayah. I'll be a mercenary, go far away from here."

"What am I supposed to think? You're a delight when we're alone, then we go someplace together and I'm something you've scraped off your shoe. Why the hell did you ever want to be with me, when you can't wait to leave me for someone more interesting when we're not alone?"

She looked up at the ceiling, sighing. She steadied herself, meeting his eyes. "Kayah", she said, "do you really think I don't love you?"

He rubbed his temples, his face a mask of pain. "I don't know, Nat", he moaned. "I think you like the idea of loving me. It's just the practice that doesn't do it for you."

She stiffened, resisting the urge to turn away. "Kayah", she said, struggling to keep her voice steady, "I need to know."

He raised his head, looking at her with red-rimmed eyes. "If I think you don't love me? No, Nat. I think you love me. I just don't think you know what to do with that."

She blinked, his words sinking into her and seeming to prick some bubble of tension. She almost deflated with relief. "Well then for twelve's sake, Kayah, tell me what to do with it!"

He drew a deep breath, his jaw clenched. A muscle worked in his face and his eyes darkened. "What kind of question is that?"

"We talk about things", she said, trying to explain. "We make agreements. I follow them, but it just makes things worse." She shook her head, her face falling. "I just want you to be happy, Kayah."

He furrowed his brow, his eyes flashing. "Our agreement", he snorts. "I thought I could live with it. I knew it was important to you. But I can't. I can't, Natalie. Especially when..."

He swallowed, his voice catching in his throat. "You were so beautiful the other day, Natalie", he said, his voice softening. "At the ball. I saw you and I thought my heart was going to burst. But you didn't look like that for me. You looked like that for Kage's date. For Denn. Do you know what that felt like?"

She groaned, incomprehension plain on her face. "That was just a distraction, Kayah."

She stood, moving to the side of the room that doubled as the house's spartan kitchen, where a pair of gutted fish waited on a slab of ice. "I'm going to make food. Do you promise you won't run?"

He slumped in the chair, defeated. "My attackers did me a kindness, Nat", he said. "Nothing they did hurt as much as when you told me that you'd just..." His voice cracked again, silencing him.

She bit her lip, busying herself at the stove. "I'll take you to town after this", she said. "If that's what you want."

She poured oil into a pan and set it on the stove to heat. "Kayah", she said, slicing the fish, "The agreement was never important to me. I thought it's what you wanted..."

The fish sizzled as she placed it in the pan. "We could have gotten rid of that whenever you liked."

He rested his chin in his hands, just watching her. He watched her back as if she were the most precious thing he'd ever seen. He laughed, the laugh turning into a cough. "You thought it was what I wanted", he said, laughing again before breaking into a fit of coughing. His hand smacks the table. "Gods, Nat", he said, "we should have done that on day one."

"Kayah... Why? Why have we been doing this to each other?"

He squeezed the bridge of his nose with his fingers, then slid his hand up to cup his bandaged head. His voice softened, relief clear on his face. "Because you've always had a harem, and I've always had a harem, and we each thought the other wanted that. Nat", he said, "we're some kind of fools, aren't we?"

She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "Kayah, that's what I thought I wanted. Until I met you.

"The thing with Denn, that was nothing", she said, biting her lip girlishly. "I didn't think you would care. It was just a bit of a distraction. If I'd have known..."

He groaned. "The thing with Denn", he begins, looking up at her. "It was just more of what always happens. Like when you asked me to come to that Valentione's day masquerade. Sitting on Steel's lap, smiling at me as if to say 'look, this is what I really wanted'."

He shook his head, wincing. "And it hurt Kage", he continued. "Gods help me, but I love that little guy, and it hurt him."

She turns the fish in the pan, closing her eyes. "I know, Kayah", she said, gripping the spatula, her fingers bone white. "Gods do I know. It's just... For some reason, I thought of the agreement, and what it allowed. And only that."

He stared at her for a moment, thinking not of Natalie, but of N'tali. He slid forward, leaning on the table, his eyes riveted on hers. When he spoke, the anger was gone from his voice and he was simply C'kayah again.

"How could you have known", he said. "You've never really known love before. Not from your tribe. Not when you were a gladiator. You couldn't know..."

She blinked, crossing her arms. Irritation flashed in her eyes. "Kayah, I... Of course I know what love is! It's like..."

Her voice trailed off and she frowns, puzzled. She pokes her finger together. "Like when", she said, blushing and pausing again. "I know what it is!"

"Your tribe doesn't love, Nat", he said. "They're all tempered. They don't love, they just fuck. Nat, fucking isn't love."

"I know that", she said defensively. "What I did with Denn, that wasn't love. I just..."

"You just?"

She turned back to the fish, the spatula scraping on the pan. "I know that wasn't... I'm just not sure how I know."

She slid the fish onto a pair of plates, biting her lip. "I know... I know what we have. It wasn't like that. I'm not sure how it's different, though."

He watched her as she carried the plates of steaming fish to the table, placing on in front of him. "Which do you like better?"

She blinked, surprised. "Gods, Kayah, do you have to ask? I don't always understand what we have", she says, running her hand through her hair, "or how to keep it. But nothing else even compares."

She shook her head, a faint smile on her lips. "By the twelve it doesn't."

He looked up at her, the corners of his mouth curling up into the hint of a grin. He reaches out to take her hand, pulling her into his lap with sudden strength. Her eyes widened and he grunted, his free hand sliding around her waist. "I think you're getting heavier", he laughed. His eyes continued to sparkle and smile, though his expression grew serious. "Nat", he purred, "it's worth fighting for, then."

“Kayah”, she said, and shook her head. “That’s what I wanted to hear more than anything, but”, she looks toward the door, away from him. “More than anything, it just makes me afraid.”

She bites her lip, then continues, her voice quiet. “Afraid I’ll hurt you again. Afraid I won’t be there when you need me.”

He slipped his hand behind her neck, his eyes on hers, and smiled. "Gods, Nat", he purred, "we can deal with that. We've just got to talk about it, instead of thinking we know what's best for the other."

He brushed his fingertip along the end of her nose, his smile widening. "We're Kayah and Natalie, after all", he said. "What can't we deal with?"

She allowed a smile to creep onto her face. "Nothing" she laughed, "Except each other." 

Leaning her forehead against his, she grinned wickedly. "So… Teach me about love then.

“No, wait", she blinked at him, sliding off his lap and into her own seat, giving him a stern look. "Eat your fish first. Then we can talk about this."

He smirked at her as he watched her walk around the table, then forked up a bite of fish. His expression brightened, another bite following it. “Nat! This is good! Eat yours, while it’s hot!”

“I caught it earlier while you were asleep. I guess I managed not to mess it up too much. Ahhh…”, she chewed thoughtfully. “You definitely can’t fish like this in Ul’Dah.”

He nodded, chewing enthusiastically. “You can say that again”, he purrs. “You know, this little shack is starting to grow on me…”

She paused, her mood suddenly serious. “So, should I still be planning to take you to Moraby after this?”

He tucked another forkful of fish into his mouth, then shook his head. “It was a dumb idea”, he admits, his eyes locked on hers. “Take off those silly boots, we’re staying right here.”

She closed her eyes, sinking into her chair. Her face was a picture of relief. “Gods, Kayah”, she said, burying her face in her palms. “I don’t know what I would do if you did.”

He set his fork down and stood, moving around the table to kneel next to her. Placing his hand on her back, he felt her shoulders shake. “Neither of us flinched”, he murmured, “so we almost made a big mistake.

“But Nat”, he purred, his forehead resting against her shoulder, “we didn’t.”

She closed her eyes and nodded silently, her body quieting to his touch. Lifting her head, she looked at him. “Kayah, I…”, she began, her body trembling again. She nodded then, and smiled. “We… we didn’t.”

They sat like that for a moment, with everything still around them. She laughed then, breaking the spell.

“Now finish your fish. If you’re coming back to Ul’dah, then you need to be in the right condition.”

He nodded, his eyes serious. Leaning into her, he brushed his lips against hers. His eyes stared into hers for a moment, then he grinned. “Deal”, he purred, his breath warm and silky against her lips.

“Where did you find this house?”

She grinned in return, watching him eat with adoring eyes. “Oh? I saw it silhouetted against the moon. The light was off, so I figured it was abandoned.

“I guess I was right, so far”, she said with a laugh. She gestured around her, taking in the kitchen, the sturdy furnishings. “All this stuff was here, though, so perhaps it’s used seasonally?”

He stretched, then winced and rubbed at one of his ribs. “I like it here”, he said, grinning rakishly. “I think we should keep it.”

“Oh? You and ? Live the life of lighthouse keepers?”

She smirks, then smiles, her eyes thoughtful. “It would be simpler”, she acknowledged. “No hidden daggers in the alleys. No plats. No temptations. No chances to break each other’s hearts…”

He grinned in return, nodding. “Catching our dinner every day. Nothing to do”, he added, his grin becoming wolfish, “but learn new ways to please one another.”

“I can’t say it’s not an attractive idea”, she purred.

He rolled his shoulders, then winced again. “Hidden daggers, you said. Did that Roegadyn really stab me? Gods, I’m really starting to hate Roegadyn…”

“I’m not sure who stabbed you, Kayah”, she answered. “I came upon you after it happened. Kage was there, it’s possible he might know.”

He smirked at her, grinning wickedly. “You want to go get them together?”

“Gods, Kayah, I want to smash their faces in”, she laughed. “But first, you need to get better”, she continued, leaning back in her chair.

“No more trying to crawl to town”, he nodded. “We’ll just stay here for a while. Together.”

She grinned hungrily at him, her eyes flashing. “I took a week off from duty, you know? Told them my mother died.”

He rose from his chair and moved to stand near her, his eyes on her. “Your poor mother”, he purred. “You must be devastated. Here, let me comfort you.”

She laughed, rising to embrace him. “Haven’t you been listening? You’re injured! You should be in bed.”

“I can’t remember where the bed is”, he purred, nuzzling her hair. His lips pressed against her neck. “You’ll have to show me…”

Natalie watches Kayah with concern as they walk along the shores and cliffs of Moraby Bay. He is pressing himself hard, attempting to keep pace with Natalie’s energetic strides. She had found him a walking stick, but it was soon discarded. Suddenly the already murky weather turned dark, as rain began pattering around them. Wordlessly they huddled together and hastened back towards the house.

As they get close they see strange flashes of light emanating from the direction of it, and eventually the animated figures and angry voices of people in combat.

Kayah pauses, his eyes narrowing. "Our quiet little corner isn't so quiet..."

She frowns, "Let's just watch" she looks up, "They just had to choose our house to fight outside on a rainy day"

He laughs softly, squeezing Natalie's arm with his hand. "Maybe it's a club", he smirks. Settling in to watch, he tilts his head, his gazing on a dark haired Mi’qote. "Nat...?"

Natalie takes him by the hand, and pulls him quietly down the path around the corner of the building. She follows his gaze as she squeezes his hand comfortingly, "Kayah...?" she whispers.

He turns to her, his brows raised, and whispers. "Nat, does that one fighter over there look familiar to you?"

She blinks as one of the combatants releases a wave of force from her staff, temporarily obscuring her view. She shakes her head, “Between the rain and the fighting I can’t really tell”. She taps her jaw, "Something about the hair though..." she mutters. "If only he wasn’t wearing a mask"

Kayah nods. "Everyone's hair looks the same when they're soaked, too", he murmurs. "They had to pick *our* house..."

Natalie frowns as small explosion goes off, amidst the telltale blue flickers of a cerulean powered device. “That’s Magitek” with a shake of her head, “Forget the house, let’s just head down to the port, I don’t think we should stay here any longer.”

He matches her frown, his expression hard. "Garleans here? Yeah. We're not in any shape for this."’

She nods, "I'll grab the chocobo, meet me at the end of the path". Walking briskly around the back of the the building, Natalie unties her chocobo, giving it a reassuring pat, before heading down to to meet Kayah.

-----------------
Some time later they arrive in Moraby Port, entering a tavern to escape the rain

Kayah shakes out his cloak with a grin. "Nice to get out of the rain..."

Natalie laughs, "Somehow I think it’s not helping your wounds" She heads for the door "I'm going to check if there are any letters for me, it's been a few days since we left. I asked Kage to contact me if he had any problems". She returns after a moment, clutching two slightly damp letters, a frown appears on her face as the first is opened.

He watches her read, curiosity on his face. "What is it?"

"It says here Suri is involved somehow... kage said the leader of the attack was a tall purple haired female Roe" she rereads the letter. "Apparently Suri told him that"

He frowns. "Suri?"

Natalienods, "That's what it says" she opens the second letter and stares at it wordlessly for a few moments. She clears her throat, "Info is solid. Almost died today. Had my head smashed and arm in a sling. Denn came by and brought me to Remi to get healed. Ruru saved my life. His eye, it's gone. No clues on who the miqo'te who attacked me was", sheputs it down, "Fuck”

Kayah blinks in surprise, his mouth open. "Whoever attacked me, it wasn't about me", he says, shock in his voice. "They're attacking the Blades. All of them."

She taps her jaw as she thinks for a moment, "Well... kage isn't a blade, not really"

He cocks his head, nodding thoughtfully. "Then what is it?"

"They were after you" she nods, "And kage saw the attackers, they probably thought you died, I mean you basically did" she grimaces and then continues, "So kage was the only witness, if they got rid of him it would be much harder to find them"

He winces and nods. "It makes sense", he says. "We've got to do something, though. They'll try again..." he rubs his ribs with a grimace. "Whatever it is we can do..."

Natalie taps her jaw, "Denn though... that's the curious part, Why would she take him to Remi? Why not stanzie....?"

Kayah blinks, “Who’s Remi?”

"Someone in the Grim, though I've only met her in passing"

He shrugs, "The Grim? How melodramatic..."

Natalie laughs, "I agree, But you're right, we have to do something about it. Though if they find out you're alive, they might come again"

Kayah nods. "Where is he now?"

She shakes her head, "It doesn't say, I guess I’ll write him a response". She obtains writing materials from the Inn, and quickly scribbles out a response, and arranges it to be sent back to Ul’dah (Don’t ask how mail works ok)

Nodding again, Kayah frowns as Natalie writes the letter. "I'm not in any shape to meet them now..."

"There" she says as she finishes "But where to from here?”

"What did you tell them?" he asks curiously as he watches her finish.

"That we were safe, and asked where he was" she replies.

[22:47]C'kayah Tia nods, satisfied. "We should contact Suri, see if she knows anything else about the attackers. And this Ruru? The one who lost an eye?"

"Kage's apprentice" Natalie says with a sighs "Things seem to be getting out of hand” She heads for the pier "I'm going to see where we can catch a boat to from here". She returns with a frown after conversing with the various sailors scattered around the dock. "We can only take it to the Wolves Den, a rather rough place” she grins slightly “Though I do have quite a few friends there..."

Kayah frowns. "Wolves den... I know someone over there as well"

Natalie taps her jaw, "It would be a good place to lie low for a bit...and we might be able to find someone there to take us wherever we want" She breaks out into laughter, "Although I was hoping to spend a day in Costa del Sol, I've heard it's lovely, but I've never been"

He considers the water, then shrugs. "I'm game. We can always hit Costa after that." a grin comes unbidden to his face. "You'll like it, though. I've... smuggled through there quite a bit."

Natalie laughs and nods, "Spare me the details, and you’ve convinced me" she talks to the ferryman and climbs into the boat.