Twinflame

Our raid times have solidified. Group One raids 6:30pm-9:30pm PST Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Group Two raids 4:40pm-7:30pm PST Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. We need a solid SCH for group one and some melee DD for group two. We're still recruiting for all roles, though, to fill back-up slots and in certain cases switch around the comp during Coil.

"If you didn't want to be wasteful you'd use a lance!" K'ile said, his smile undamaged. He heft a few arrows in his hand, which he'd already pulled from the carcass. "The whole point of arrows is to poke it to death from afar because you're too scared or weak to get up and fight it straight." This wasn't something he actually believed, nor did he think that a claimed corpse had any value. Oh, no, that wasn't the point at all. "Lances are our ancestral expertise for a reason," K'ile proclaimed, hoisting the bundle of arrows over his head awkwardly each time he got a new one. As if he could urge K'yohko to count along with him. He did nothing to clean himself of the thick blood that still coated him head to toe. "Bows are for sport. If I really want to kill something, all I need is one lance, and I can kill as many things as I want."

K'mih running off was somewhat less than surprising, even if inexplicable. That K'nahli did not immediately fly into a (composed) panic and chase after her was notable, but forgettable. K'yohko's monotone muttering was as boring as ever. The man spoke with the voice of a stone and had far less to say than even the dullest of pebbles. "Hey K'yohko," K'ile said, walking over to the worm's corpse. "Just say that you're sorry and next time you'll kill it sooner. Have some grace, Nunh! And anyway," he stomped one of the arrows deeper intot he body of the monster. "I got more arrows in it than you did. My prey. I claim this worm!"

I thought I'd step in here to update people on what's going on with us. Unity has been highly successful in both recruitment and Coil progression, and is beginning to set up a second Coil team. As such we are currently recruiting for all roles. The main play time for our current raid group is 6-9 pst three nights a week. The second raid group will likely run earlier in the day, and anyone who joins before the times are set can have input on exactly when they run. As always, experience and gear are nice but not necessary; we'll help with those things. Raiding isn't mandatory. Our team and community are a stellar and welcoming group, and we're always happy to have more friends around.

"Then hold still and let me see your face," the ancient Duskwight breathed. He knelt in front of the man and reached out to grab him, one hand behind his head with surprising strength and the other hand brushing mud from the man's cheeks and brow. "If we obscure your features just right, the Shroud will be confused and will not act against you. Spirits can be stupid like that. Do you see my tattoos?" The man was a shivering form in the darkness. He seemed to be hewn from the shadows themselves, except for the silver eyes that caught even this very slight like. His hair hair lay over his pitted face. If his tattoos were visible, they were just as black and dark as everything else. The acolyte of the Wanderer painted lines of mud on the face of the aspect of death. "This may just do. You will need a mask in the future, I think."

The Duskwight's own smirk grew into a smile as he heard the man laugh. A good-humored god of death was so rare. Usually the were somber and boring. He walked forward towards the man, his steps small and laborious. "Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the Sixth Umbral Era, which has just begun. You are in the Black Shroud, outside of Gridania. What is left of it. Your coming, Thal aspect of death, is very well-timed. I should not be surprised." He gestured to the darkness and said, "The Shroud is possessed of vicious spirits, maddened now. They seek to harm you. If you trust me, we can get you out of here in one piece."

"Thal," the Duskwight repeated, the sound like a croak from his haggard throat. "Thal," he said again, as he paced towards the man on the ground, the movements slow, the body rickety and hard-edged, almost as dark as the shadows around him. His hermit's linens, hanging thin and tattered over him, were old and gray enough that they might be a funeral shroud robbed from some moldy tomb. "Thal. Twin aspect of Nald and overseer of the underworld." Dark lips smiled beneath that ragged beard, "Interesting." Spreading his wiry limbs to either side, threads and torn scraps of cloth swaying in the wind beneath, he said, "Thal, aspect of Death. I am Megiddo, acolyte of Oschon the Wanderer. Allow me to be of service. You appear... Hm. Confused."

Framed by dead stags, the Duskwight stretched a single weak limb towards the unearthed man. His placating gesture was almost lost in the darkness, and his weak voice almost lost in the breeze, "Calm. Do not flee this place, or the Shroud will claim you. I think you are safe here for the moment." The Duskwight's eyes stayed on the panicked man. He noted the powerful muscles on the man's body, the tattered tail behind him. Another Miqo'te? He was so much like the girl that had been here before, who seemed to scream out in the forest. He listened for the girl in the woods, but could only hear the animals that paced and growled in response to every twitch of the unearthed man. Would that the Duskwight could have observed both the man and the girl, but even Oschon could not split him in two. "Stranger," his breath shook thinly out of his lungs. "Have you voice? Have you a name?"

"Calm and breathe," the Duskwight said, barely able to breath himself through the weight of his age. He put a hand on the man's back and pressed firmly, "Is there dirt in your lungs? Are you cursed?" A scream again broke the air. The Duskwight's eyes perked up, but his ears wouldn't be fooled. Beneath the scream, from another direction, came the hoofbeats, the stag with its antlers lowered as it was spat from the shadows, trailing the fury of the forest like smoke from its eyes. Metal cracked its skull open, the blade visible and shining polished silver before it was snapped to the side be an unseen force. Red blood, warm, was thrown to the ground, and the blade jerked out of the stag's head so fiercely that the animal's neck broke with an audible crack before it fell. It slid in the dirt and struck the monument, which shook, but did not topple. The blade vanished. The scream did not return. Breath slid out of the dead stag with a gurgling his for a moment, and then the woods were silently watchful once more. The Duskwight that looked like a dead tree could feel the weight of his knife, clean and cool in his pocket, as he returned his hands to the man that had pulled himself from the earth. Skin like mud, hair like clay. He was like the girl. He looked like the ground come to life. "Calm and breathe," the old voice repeated.

It was not roots that broke the soil, though truthfully, the difference between flesh and earth was a technicality. The Duskwight's small eyes grew wide in the night, but the brows did not rise in fear. No, the old brows fell, his lips twitched, his older fingers curled in recognition of what at first looked like a bestial claw. Covered in mud, all gray and black in the darkness, that hand out of the earth clenched and released, clenched and released, shook its fist at the world. The Duskwight gave the monument an accusatory look. If it had been a gravestone, it had been a lie. The dark nature of the thing was unmistakable, but what was it. He exhaled in a huff. That hand in the earth: it moved. What had Oschon brought him here to see? Was it the monument, or was it this grasping hand? Was it beast or man, word or task? What vision had the wanderer brought him upon? A high-pitched screech, shaking as though in panic, cut through the limbs to the Duskwight's ears. It might have been a pained cry from the girl that had been here before, or someone else. A person had screamed, but the cry had not interrupted the noise of the forest. They continued on, perhaps grew louder in response. Beasts in the darkness began to huff and groan. They began to stomp loudly to get his attention. The bark-like skin on the Duskwight's face scrunched up, the tattoos drawing sharp points at his confusion. There was a stink of alchemy in the air. It knit into the mud and the wind and the warm of the angry spirits, the scent of the dead antelope that finally stopped moving well to one side. The forest protested the evening. It protested the monument, the hand in the mud, even the Duskwight himself. It seemed energized by the scream he had heard. Oschon, as ever, was reticent. The Duskwight was tempted to seek the screamer, but he did not. His old knees hit the mud with in front of the monument, and his wiry hand gripped the grasping hand in the earth. If it were not just a disembodied limb, then it was something worth looking into. He pulled on the hand, he dug feebly at the earth. His old bones hurt, but he ignored them.

I'unno. It would be nice to know the end time. I'm, like, staying awake for this at this point.

The shadows were infinitely deep, and on nights like this they loomed like hollow tunnels eager for wanderers to consume. They hid the ground from the sky, and they hid souls that dared to move beneath the shivering boughs of this place, the aptly named Black Shroud. No matter how beautiful it was in the day, it bore the name of it's night, and it's darkness. In that darkness, she moved the earth with her hands. She breathed the scent of mud and exhaled the cracked sound of dry weeping, soar throat and swollen eyes. A young girl, a Miqo'te with long hair and a thin tail, spoke to the ground, "I'm sorry." She said to the mud, "I'll do better next time," and the shaking of her shoulders and shivering twitch of her mournful features was audible. Her delicate ears looked like the leaves in the trees; they quivered in the wind. Her skin was the color of the earth. She was like the shroud given form. But she was not welcome here. The trees bent forward. The darkness moved. In the bark and roots, the warm awareness of the forest reached towards her. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm done." She patted the earth as if to sooth it. But the forest was not soothed. Out in the night, there was the loud crack of breaking wood. The girl's ears pinned flat against her head, the fur on her tail bristled, and her feet dug into the ground as she stood away from the pile of earth she'd been tending and turned to face the trees. An untreated yew branch was in her hand, pointed as a threat at the aura of ink around her. From her wrist hung a band of feathers and bone. Thunder rolled, but lightning did not flash. The girl growled, but did not bother speaking to the forest. Conjurers could not beg indulgence from these woods with words, and the place was thick with the weight of the girl's profane rituals. The forest would have no mercy for her tonight. She brought her dark hood up and pulled it over her head. A mask fell down over her eyes. Again, thunder rolled, but lightning did not flash. The girl frowned at the woods and cast a mournful look at the earth behind her. "I need to do better," she said. When she walked into the night, the shadows consumed her, and she displayed no fear of the forest. The night stretched on, and the air of profanity, of a dark ritual with many victims, clung to the pile of disturbed dirt that the girl had abandoned. Over the dirt, the monument lingered. It was a lump of stone carved with many symbols. It seemed to be a gravestone, but the forest reached for it. The forest reached for the monument, but could not touch it, as though it were unbearably hot. Lightning flashed, but there was no thunder. A tree stepped out of the blackness and into the darkness, and then from the darkness and into the shadow. From the shadow, the tree walked into a patch silver light muffled by overhanging clouds and torn apart by the canopy. The leaves shivered overhead as the dead tree, seemingly limbless, approached the disturbed dirt. The tree moved towards the monument. In the gray light, the bark of the tree was revealed to be wrinkled flesh, its trunk an impossible thin body. Its lumbering movement was the weathered steps of an ancient being, but not one of the forest. It wasn't a tree at all, but an elderly Duskwight who could barely move, plodding out of the forest with curious gray eyes. His hair, brown like a dead plant and tinted green as though with moss, lay dirty and thick over his face. His arms swung limp at his sides. The old man's breathing was indistinguishable from the wind. Lightning flashed, but there was no thunder. A wild stag broke into the clearing, but it was already dead. Its legs collapsed as it pitched is head into the dirt, spraying warm blood from its open neck. Wiping the gore of the kill from his knife before he put it away, the Duskwight turned his gray eyes to the woods around him. His voice was like the sound of living wood bent in the wind when he muttered to the sky, "Oschon, why am I here? What do you want me to see?" He turned his eyes to the monument. In the darkness, the tattoos on his wizened face like like crags in his skull. "Why do the spirits of the Shroud hate you, gravestone? Why can they not touch you? Why..." He heard movement in the dirt. Like growing roots, like digging animals, but also like open wounds and gaping breath. He sensed the forest reaching out, trying, trying, desperate. He heard animals move in the darkness, summoned by the forest. They were likely meant to break the gravestone. Was it enchanted with a counter-spell? The beasts would not come while he was here, though. Not while the corpse of the stag lay hot and twitching to one side. The monument, small and simple, loomed larger than the shadows. Gray eyes watched the dirt.

205k on slot 2.

150 gil is not enough, Merri. I kid. I'm gonna bid 155k on slot 2 now. Feel like I'm playing craps.

Eh. 110,000 on slot 3 then.

110,000 slot 2!

K'luha Haaz: The day wasn't very long considering they had only just rode in that afternoon. After lunch and about an hour signing papers with K'luha under 'Mom' and K'ile under 'Dad', they had said a temporary good bye to Tahj for the night. She would be staying her last few nights in the orphanage and have some time to collect her things before they left via another carriage ride him. K'luha dragged K'ile off to the Carline Canopny and an inn room, which was made of wood and far nicer than the one they had in Drybone. Much more spacious with another private attached bath and a much bigger bed. K'luha quickly flopped onto the bed and rubbed at her aching hip. "So. Dad huh?" K'luha snorted, shooting K'ile a quirked brow. * Twinflame: Standing off to one side and looking at the fontain built into the wall as though he couldn't comprehend of what it was, K'ile answered, "Well, yeah. She's a smart kid. Seemed fun. She wouldn't fit in with Yohko's kids." * K'luha Haaz: "She IS Yohko's kid." K'luha retorted back, pulling her skirt down to expose the skin on her hip and massage it. "But I find it very cute you want to be her dad." * Twinflame: "Cute?" K'ile turned away from the fountain. "It's not cute. But, you know, there aren't a lot of people who know what 'fun' is back in the tribe. And I just got it in my head she might... How's your hip?" * K'luha Haaz: "It is cute." Luha insisted with a small smile, which kept flickering away everytime she hit something painful in her hip. Which was frequent. "Going to teach her how to have fun? I would like that. Only if you invite me too though. When we move, because I'm sure we will move, we should hold a feast. With dancing and singing and a lot of food. We haven't had one in a long time..." K'luha sighed softly, thinking of how nice a feast like that would be. Although her thoughts were distracted when her hip cracked loudly. "Fuck." Luha cursed, looking down at her hip which had turned a very dark shade of purple and blue and looked a bit like bone was jutting out against the skin. "Not good." * Twinflame: "Actually, I had a feast in mind. That's what I wanted your help with. I thought we could set it up to have it before the move. Last hurrah for Sagoli." He blinked, frowned, walked over and dropped to his knees beside the bed, "Let me take a look." * K'luha Haaz: "I think that's a splendid idea actually." K'luha grinned, excited for the prospect. Maybe it wouldn't be a huge feast, but they could hunt whatever they could find. It would be a beautiful night. Something good to remember about their home and to commenmorate moving forward. As K'ile dropped down next to her and sighed and pulled back her skirt more to give him a better view. Dark blue bruise encirled by sallow colored skin and several points where the hip bone looked distorted. At the corner of the bruise was a distinct point where bone stuck out and should not have. * Twinflame: "... Yeah. Your daughter really fucked you up, Luha. And now i have to beat up K'haz." His delivery was deadpan, betraying no hint of frustration. If anything, he was fascinated. * K'luha Haaz: "Don't beat up K'haz." K'luha scolded instantly, her ears folding down on her head. "And it was meant for your genitals. What was I supposed to do? Let her maim you?" * Twinflame: "She can't hurt me with one stupid-ass rock." He said, his temper finding its way into his voice. "I'm trying not to get mad at you for protecting me, because I know that's what you were trying to do, but your daughter doesn't have the backbone to injure me face-to-face." He stood up fromt he bed, and said, "Starting now you aren't allowed to stand and move around. I'll find a conjurer to heal you tonight." * K'luha Haaz: "She broke my hip with her stupid ass rock, she could ruin your face with them if she wanted!" K'luha snapped back, her own temper flaring at K'ile's insistance. "I do not doubt K'ailia would kill you if you were trapped in a room together an I have no idea why anymore!" The frustration at both of them was evident in the way K'luha tugged at her hair. "And you will do no such thing! Haven't I made abudantly clear I am very uncomfortable with healing magic? I will not allow you to go drag one here to violate me!" * Twinflame: "Tch!" K'ile gestured with his hands and sounded like he was about to protest, but cut it off and spent a moment in silence. He exhaled and said, "You're right. That's right. I won't. You still don't get to walk around, though. You're banned from walking." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha huffed, settling down now that K'ile had at least agreed not to bring magical healers into this mess. Non magical? Fine. No problem. Awesome. Magic? No way in hell. Especially after the ordeal with K'ailia, she was NOT accepting any magical means of healing. "How am I to walk tomorrow and help you with whatever it is you need help with them? I will walk. It will be fine. I'll pick up something to numb the pain and it will eventually heal on its own." Luha insisted stubbornly. * Twinflame: K'ile leaned his elbows on the bed and gave K'luha a hard, unimpressed stare. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha stared back unphased. K'luha Haaz: "I'm not bending on this issue." She added. * Twinflame: "Yeah." K'ile reached out and poked her hip. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha winced and took a sharp breath before slapping his hand. "What was that for?" * Twinflame: "You're bending on the issue, Luha." K'ile said, actually smirking a bit. "You don't want magical healing? Fine. But I'm not going to let you hobble around town in pain and make your hip even worse. You've got a broken hip. You need to deal with, not ignore it." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha frowned at K'ile and reached over to flick his ears. "I will hobble where I please, thank you K'ile." * Twinflame: He stood, "No. I'm not going to argue back and forth like this. INjuring yourself so you don't have to take a hit to your pride isn't a fucking option." * K'luha Haaz: "And praytell, how are you going to stop me then K'ile?" K'luha shot back, standing from the bed and crossing her arms beneath her chest. * Twinflame: "I can't," K'ile admitted. "I guess I was just hoping you wanted to portray yourself as something other than some idiot who's so afraid to sit her ass down for two days that she'd rather spend the rest of her life hobbling around the desert too slow to effectively hunt." * K'luha Haaz: "I!.... You!... That's not!..." K'luha attempted to sputter out some sort of retort but clamped her mouth shut after a few attempts before sitting down again and scowling. "So what then? Just sit around forever? That doesn't fix it either!" * Twinflame: Positioning himself in front of her with crossed arms, K'ile said, "Well you aren't going to be treated here. It's Gridania. They're going to want to use conjury, which you're against. So your best bet is to stay still and not hurt it any worse until we get back to the tribe, which you can do by riding the carriage." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and shot K'ile all sorts of dirty looks. "Once again Mr. Sagoli Fire God is right and I want to punc you for it." she hissed before laying back on the bed and moving her hand back to massage the wounded hip. * Twinflame: Turning his smile at the opposite wall, K'ile said, "Don't worry. I'm not gonna smile or gloat or anything. You need to stop getting injured so much. We were supposed to be back in the tribe last week or something." * K'luha Haaz: "They probably think we all died out here." K'luha grumbled irritably, hissing at her painful hip. While she was on and admitting she was hurt, she wasn't going to suffer in silence if she had to put up with not walking anymore. * Twinflame: His smile fading quickly, K'ile was able to look back over at K'luha. "I'll help you walk around where you need to. K'tahjha will probably help too if we ask her. She's sweet. Maybe she can help me while you're in bed." * K'luha Haaz: "How are you gonna help me walk? Carry me? I'm way too heavy for you to carry." She shot back, glancing to K'ile. Just what was he planning besides a feast really? * Twinflame: "We need to keep the weight off the bad side of your hips as much s we can. And that includes for things like when you need to go to the bathroom or whatever." * K'luha Haaz: "I can use the bathroom on my own at least!" K'luha grumbled, sitting up to glare at K'ile. * Twinflame: "I'm not saying I'm going to do it for you. Just help you get there. Don't make me break your... other hip!" * K'luha Haaz: "If you wanted to see me naked that bad you could have just asked!" K'luha shot back, hoping to catch him off guard and derail the entire argument. * Twinflame: "I've seen you naked." K'ile replied coolly. "And that's another one I've got on you, by the way." * K'luha Haaz: "You never actually looked you wuss." She shot back, pouting that he wasn't falling for it. * Twinflame: "I did too." He thought he did anyway. At least to judge her wounds. Besides, whether he'd looked or not, she'd been all over him in the bath tub. What did it matter if he hadn't looked if he'd touched? "I'm just trying to take care of you, so don't make it more than it is. It's okay to be taken care of when you're injured." * K'luha Haaz: "I don't need to be coddled. I can take care of myself you know." K'luha sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair now. * Twinflame: "Okay, but you should be coddled." He sat down on the bed next to her. "You're the only person I've ever met who doesn't want someone else to take care of them every once in awhile." * K'luha Haaz: Should be coddled? Why? K'luha huffed and laid down on the bed again, dropping her head in his lap heavily. "Hngh. Why? Does everyone else what that?" * Twinflame: "Yeah." K'ile lifter an arm and lay it ove K'luha's shoulder. "I mean, everyone seems to want it when they want it and never when they don't. That's how people are. But it's good to be taken care of when you're hurt." * K'luha Haaz: "Hnn, are you volunteering to take care of me when I'm hurt then? You know I get hurt a lot. You're gonna regret that if you volunteer." K'luha teased lightly, lifting a hand to poke at his stomach. * Twinflame: "Right now taking care of you means making sure you stay in your damned bed." K'ile grabbed the hand that poked him. "So it's probably not going to pleasant for either of us. But, yeah, I'm gonna do it." * K'luha Haaz: "Hmph. You have your work cut out for you then. I'm not easy to keep in bed you know." K'luha smirked again, shifting her hand so she might entwine her fingers with his as he caught it. * Twinflame: K'ile watched her fingers moving between hsi with a an expression of curiosity. Like he'd never seen anyone do that before and was trying to figure out just what it was. "Anyroad," he said. "There's not enough food in the Sagoli to have a feast for the tribe, so I was hoping we could get some here and bring it back with us." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha offered no explanations for her actions and instead made herself comfortable on K'ile's lap. If he was going to take care of her and make her lay down, then she was going to exploit the shit out of it. "There's plenty of Antelope here. Could buy a bunch and take it home with us. Of course, that means we should travel by Aetheryte so we can have it fresh for home, yeah?" * Twinflame: "I really don't think that's something I should do too much. And there's no telling if Tahj can travel that way at all, even with help. Not to mention with all the food and you being injured and all." * K'luha Haaz: "So then how do we get the food from here to home? We'd have to make sure it could travel well... maybe magic could do something about that?" K'luha pondered, wondering if magic was good for anything other than murder and healing. * Twinflame: "I don't know. Throw gil at it? If we presere the meat properly it ought to last. Or we could take root vegetables instead. Those are much easier to keep." He was still watching His hand as K'luha held it, though his thoughts were on the problem of getting food to the tribe. * K'luha Haaz: "I think we ougt to ask about some sort of magical method as well. Root vegetables are good, but we want meat for a feast right? We could always, well you could always hunt on the way there and I can preserve the meat pretty well for four days." K'luha mused, squeezing K'ile's hand a little. * Twinflame: The squeeze of his hand pulled a bit of a perplexed lok from his eyes. He shook his head to rid it of whatever thought had settled in, and said, "Well, I'll look into it. While you're resting. What did you want from me?" * K'luha Haaz: K'luha gave a small hum of acknowledgement. "Let me know what you find. Keeping me cooped up in this stupid room forever then?" she smirked over at K'ile again and reached up with her free hand to bat at his hair. * Twinflame: K'ile also caught this hand, without really thinking about it. "If you want to go out I'll have to help you hobble. I'm nto trying to keep you prisoner." He cleared his throat. "What did you want from me?" * K'luha Haaz: "No? Sure seemed to me like you're trying to. Between you and K'ailia I am going to die young." K'luha sighed heavily, ignoring the latter question he was repeating now. * Twinflame: Holding both of K'luha's hands and moving htem to get her attention, he said, "K'luha. You won the bet. What did you want from me?" * K'luha Haaz: "Eh?" She blinked, relaizing finally that's what he was asking about. "Oh that. Well, techincally I think Tahj won but that is a good question. What do I want...?" * Twinflame: "The bet wasn't with Tahj. She just helped you win." * K'luha Haaz: "I know." K'luha shot back, flicking her tail at K'ile now. She squeezed both of his hands before huffing and trying to think of what she wanted. * Twinflame: K'ile didn't respond to that. He just watched his hands get squeezed, and squeezed back. He was distracted watching her tail flip about. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha remained quiet, just letting her tail swish as she thought of what she might cash in for a favor. She noted his returning the squeeze and returned it again as well. For some reason, this was kind of fun. Maybe she was just delirious. * Twinflame: After a period of silence that K'ile find himself strangely content with, the Tia crossed K'luha's hands in front of him and let them fall over her, so that he was hugging her hugging herself. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha gave a soft laugh and smiled warmly as he hugged her so strangely. She enjoyed the hug and leaned towards his head to nuzzle his neck. * Twinflame: "So..." he didn't struggle against the nuzzling. It was more than he bargained for, but at this point he figured he'd brought it on himself. "You wanted cuddles?" * K'luha Haaz: K'luha giggled softly. He was calling them cuddles now? How cute. "I didn't need a favor to get those did I?" * Twinflame: He hummed his concession, and said, "I don't want this hanging over my head. Come on." * K'luha Haaz: "Oh, but I want it to hang there." K'luha grinned mischeviuosly and nipped lightly at his neck. * Twinflame: Smiling and letting a chuckle slip, K'ile said, "I'm starting to think I didn't like that food so much. I mean I didn't like the first thing at all, and that antelope... Did it make up for it?" * K'luha Haaz: K'luha blew out a breath of hot air on K'ile's neck and huffed, feinging hurt. "Don't lie to me now K'ile. You said I won fair and square! No going back on your word." * Twinflame: "I'm just thinking," K'ile said. "Of course you can still come up with something before I do. I'll try to think very slowly." * K'luha Haaz: "So it's a race now? To think of a favor first?" K'luha smirked faintly, ears waggling with amusement at the prospect. What kind of favor would K'ile ask for she wondered. * Twinflame: "Oh!" K'ile had forgotten that on the flip-side of the option, he would get a favor from her. And he didn't want to use it on something lame like 'stay in bed' because she was damned well going to do that no matter what. "I guess it is." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha giggled lightly, feeling very young when she hung out with K'ile like this. "Something good though, not like 'Stay in bed' or whatever. Got it? And nothing stupid like 'Don't talk to Ventus' or anything, okay?" * Twinflame: K'ile moved his head and dipped his chin so he could look down at K'luha's face. His cheek rested agianst her head. "What, are you surrendering now?" * K'luha Haaz: "Never surrender." Luha replied, sticking her tongue out at K'ile before smirking at him again. "I'm just saying. Lame requests don't count." * Twinflame: "I know that." He frowned, "You just trying to confuse me so you get more time to think of what you want from me." * K'luha Haaz: "Bingo." K'luha grinned and flicked her tail against K'ile's side. * Twinflame: "I'm onto you now," he said, and squeezed her lightly across her chest. "So you'd best spit it out." * K'luha Haaz: "But I haven't decided yettttt!" K'luha whined softly, hitting him playfully with her tail again. * Twinflame: "You're so busy keeping me from thinking that you aren't thinking," K'ile said, and pinned her tial with his tail. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha giggled again. "Ah, how am I supposed to think when I'm totally pinned K'ile? No fair, you already wrangled me once!" * Twinflame: "And now it turns out I can wrangle you any time I want." * K'luha Haaz: "Hmm, maybe. Have you prove your maniless one way or another right?" K'luha smirked and giggled again. * Twinflame: K'ile frowned. Did that count as a favor? She hadn't swooped in and beaten him to the punch while they were playing, had she? "What do you mean?" * K'luha Haaz: "Just saying that you have to prove your manliness by wrangling and injured old lady. That's all. Mr. Sagoli Fire God. Since you can't prove it with a bow." K'luha chuckled again. * Twinflame: "Oh, right. No. I just like wrangling you." So it hadn't been a request. That meant he could still get in a request for a favor. But damn it, he didn't want toask for something he could just get by asking for it, and he didn't want to use it to make K'luha do something she didn't want to do! Wow. He was really getting in his own way again with this one. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha hummed cheerfully while she waited. There were only a few things she would ask for, and she felt like they would ruin her light-hearted evening. So she decided she would just let K'ile win. * Twinflame: With a sligh and a small smirk, K'ile eventually said, "I know. My favor is to ask you to ask for your favor in the next thirty seconds. Go!" * K'luha Haaz: "What! No! No fair! Um... um... Idon'tknowdon'tmakemepickonsuchashortime!" K'luha blushed fervently and pouted her bottom lip out at K'ile, giving out her best cute sad face. * Twinflame: Smiling and laughing, K'ile squeezed K'luha again. "I'm counting! Twenty seconds." * K'luha Haaz: "Noooo! No fair! Dont' be so mean to me K'ileeee!" K'luha whined again. She needed a better pouty sad face. It always worked for the women in the cities to show that face! * Twinflame: The Tia wasn't even tempted to show K'luha pity. She could handle it, and he knew it. her own fualt for displaying such a powerful and independent image of herself all the time. "Thirteen... Twelve..." * K'luha Haaz: "What happens if I can't pick!? Ahh, too much pressureeee!" K'luha's ears flattened. No really, what sort of favor could she even ask for right now!? * Twinflame: "Oh, you'll pick," K'ile smiled, and nudged K'luha's forehead with his cheekbone. * K'luha Haaz: "You're making me rush so I'm just gonna pick something you won't or can't do then!" K'luha huffed, ears flattening again. * Twinflame: "Six... Five..." * K'luha Haaz: "Ahhh! I don't know! Fine, fine! Kiss me!" * Twinflame: Laughing briefly, K'ile seemed utterly unphased. "Are you sure? We could get in big trouble for that!" * K'luha Haaz: "Fuf! You made me rush so it was the only thing I could think of!" K'luha retorted with a loud 'hmph'. * Twinflame: "Oh, so you're taking it back then?" * K'luha Haaz: "Nope. You take yours back and then you can take mine back too." K'luha retorted decisively. * Twinflame: "Oh, no. I'll do it." He kissed her forehead. "Done." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha blinked before huffing. "Oh, I got played. Lame." * Twinflame: "Oh, come on. I didn't play you. You got to ask for whatever you want and you got what you asked for." he released K'luha's hands and moved to slide out from under her. * K'luha Haaz: "You forced me to pick in thirty seconds!" Luha retorted, whining a bit when he moved. Well. So much for that. It was nice while it lasted at least. * Twinflame: K'ile swung his tail in her face as he stood, a habit he was probably picking up from K'luha herself. "I'm going to go and 'order food' for us. You'd better still be in that bed when I get back." * K'luha Haaz: "We just, oh fine." K'luha sighed heavily and tugged at her hair. "I'll be here. Not moving. Ever." * Twinflame: Tossing her a smile, he said, "Don't worry, Luha. I'll be back in a minute and you can try to seduce me some more." * K'luha Haaz: "Good." K'luha huffed, adjusting on the bed as she pulled off her skirt and threw it at him. That was becoming a bad habit. Of course she still had on pants beneath the skirt. * Twinflame: Remembering the last time K'luha threw clothes at him, he caught the skirt instead of knocking it aside, and smiled, "You're still wearing pants. Either I'm getting better at this or you're getting worse. Either way." He left the room, taking the skirt with him. * K'luha Haaz: "Wha... hey! Don't take it with you!" K'luha sat up quickly and watched him walk out the door with it. "I... I really like that skirt..."

Twinflame: Having left their carriage behind when they arrived in Gridania, K'ile Tia insisted on going immediately to retrieve Maka's daughter. He practically fled discussion of anything else, and would not cease moving in directions he did not know. After all, where was the orphanage? He was still getting over the fact that Gridania wasn't built out of a single giant tree, like he had assumed it would be based on how Ul'dah had appeared to be one giant rock. Of course, left to his own, K'ile would get lost in Gridania immediately. He didn't know how to pick Maka's child out of a crowd, so he couldn't even get lucky. In fact, "I don't even know her name," he admitted, stopping for just a moment to turn to K'luha, "Hopefully you're better-equipped to find her than me." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha was none too happy about K'ile insistance. She'd slept most of the ride over after he decided to stop being a wuss, only to wuss out again. She wanted to get settled in Gridania again first but nooo. K'ile had to find her now. Right now. And there was no other way about it. "Of course I am." she snapped back. "I was here for a month with K'ailia remember?" * Twinflame: "I know that," he said. "I mean her name. Where we find her! What she looks like, and who to talk to." * K'luha Haaz: "The orphanage is over this way." K'luha sighed heavily, motioning for K'ile to follow to another older looking building made of wood. She carefully came up to the door and knocked. "We'll talk to the woman who is in charge and she can tell us." K'luha huffed as the door opened. "Oh, hello. You're in charge of the Orphanage? I'm K'luha of the Hipparon tribe. This is K'ile." She motioned vaguely at the other miq'ote. "We're looking for the daughter of one of our lost members and we received a letter she was here? Would you direct us to her." K'luha smiled kindly before the elder Elezen would blinked at them. "Oh, yes. Of course." The orphange director nodded before walking the two in towards the main living room where most of the children were seated, reading or playing. * Twinflame: K'ile followed quietly. He was vivdly aware of his surroundings, but he coudln't understand them. he could sense the many kinds of people, plants, various things of the city, but this mesh of things was so foreign from any experience that most of it didn't make any sense. There was a certain warmth to the smell of the place that he didn't understand. The orphanage and the people inside were no exception. It leaft him careful and aware, but he didn't feel threatened at all. Just, out of place. And trusting that K'luha knew where they were going and what to do with it. She let him into a building full of children, and the sounds the made had him frowning before he took his first step in. he didn't complain, though. he just kept pace. * K'tahjha Yohko: A young Miqo'te girl sits reading to a group of younger children, one small boy is pulling on her tail while another is trying to sit on her shoulders. * K'luha Haaz: "Miss K'tahjha..." The Elezen woman called out, motioning to the miqo'te girl reading in the back corner alone. She gave a frowned and called out again. "K'tahjha, these people are responding to the letter." K'luha's eyes glanced over to where the Orphange caretaker motioned and nearly had to do a touble take. She looked so much Maka it was almost like... she was a young Maka. * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj's ears twitched at the sound of her name and she glanced up from the book she was reading. Spotting the two strange Miqo'te her ears drooped slightly but she put the book aside and approached the group with a shy smile. * Twinflame: Doing his very best not to greet the orphaned girl with too much upfront examination, K'ile kept his lips a straight line and forced his ears to pop up and forward. The girl did look like one of them, at least as fair as features went. He found himself suspicious, though. Not because they were in Gridania or because he thought of the girl as an outsider. The girl was Maka's daughter, and that was enough. All the same... To K'luha, he muttered simply, "She looks well taken care of." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha's ears flickered up and down, confused whether to be happy or sad or what entirely she should be feeling. "She does..." was all she could mutter back to K'ile before clearing her throat. "Hi.. um. I'm K'luha. I would be your aunt. Your mom was... is my sister." * K'tahjha Yohko: For a second Tahj thought all the air had left her lungs, it was easy to see the family resemblence to her mother in this woman's features. Hertail tucked firmly between her legs in a fit of nervousness, she offered her hand to K'luha,"H-Hello, my friends call me Tahj." her voice trembling slightly. * Twinflame: With his arm's crossed over his chest, K'ile moved ato stand beside 'Tahj', saying, "Hey. I'm K'ile. We're a bit more distantly related, but still family. Your father is nephew." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha took her hand and smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you Tahj. You look... a lot like your mom. Although... I hate to ask so soon but... what happened to Maka, I mean, your mom? We always used to call her Maka..." * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj smiled shyly at the male and bobbed her head courteously,"nice to meet you."Redirecting her attention to K'luha, her ears flattened against her skull in repsonse to the question. Eyes fixed firmly on her feet she spoke soflty,"It was five years ago, our camp was destroyed.." her voice trailed off and she swiped at her eyes and fell silent. * K'luha Haaz: "Ah..." K'luha quickly shut her mouth and decided she shouldn't have said anything. "Maka... I'm so sorry..." she muttered to herself, turning away to take a few breaths. * Twinflame: K'ile lifted a hand to put it on Tahj's shoulder, looking at K'luha with a smile, "Yeah, not the best hello, Luha." And then, grabbing Tahj by the shoulder and into her face, he said, "Hey, Tahj. We all loved Maka. How would you like to have a family so big you can't even remember who half of them are, but they've all got your back anyway?" * K'tahjha Yohko: K'tahjha's ears lifted slightly and she managed a small smile,"I have more family? I'd like to see where mama was born." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha turned back around, putting on a smile. She couldn't fuck this up that quickly. Or she was going to look worse than K'ile. And that was just sad. "So much family you won't know what to do with them all. I certainly don't know what to do with them. Or K'ile." she chuckled softly. * Twinflame: "I'm difficult to figure out," he said, sounding cheerful. "What have you been doing with yourself for the last five years? I heard you're good with a bow." * K'tahjha Yohko: Allowing herself to be distracted Tahj grinned,"Mama started me on her bow when I was little, and the archery lessons have been helping. I've learned some about plants from the teacher here, and mostly learning to read and write and helping take care of the smaller kids." Finally stopping to take a breather she blushed faintly,"Sorry to talk so much." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha waved a had dismissively. "You can't get K'ile or myself to shut up most of the time so don't worry about it. Besides, I'd like to hear what you've been up to all this time." K'luha smiled brightly and Tahj and offered her a hand. "We can talk about it over some lunch maybe?" * Twinflame: Somewhat less enthused about food hunted and cooked by others in a foreign land, K'ile just shrugged and said, "I'm sure we'd love to hear all about you, tahj." * K'tahjha Yohko: Not hesitating Tahj took K'luha's hand with a smile,"It would be nice, can we eat outside?" * K'luha Haaz: "Of course!" K'luha promised, leading Tahj and K'ile towards the door. "I know a good place around here. Even K'ile will like the food there." She chuckled. * Twinflame: Not following immediately, K'ile gave K'luha a frown. "Want to make a bet on it?" * K'tahjha Yohko: Grinning at the exchange between the two adults,Tahj walked beside K'luha quietly until her brow furrowed,"Mama taught me to scrape hair off the hides so she could tan 'em, and I can cook and she taught me to bandage wounds." she peered up at K'luha witha worried expression,"Is that good enough? I don't want to be any trouble." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha nodded to Tahj quickly, giving her another warm smile. "Of course. Anything you need to know I'll teach you, so don't worry about being a burden. We're really happy to have you." K'luha turned her hand back at K'ile and snorted. "Yes. I will bet on that by the way. If I win you owe me a favor. Etc." * Twinflame: "Great. Favor." K'ile said, unenthused, but as he follwed them outside he stretched and grinned, saying, "I'm probably not going to lose a bet about my own tastes, ya know." * K'tahjha Yohko: Eyeing K'ile curiously, Tahj asked,"Are you the tribe's Nunh?" * K'luha Haaz: K'luha snorted loudly. * Twinflame: "That didn't take long," K'ile muttered, and turning his eyes on Tahj, he said, "No. I'm just a friend of Luha's. The Nunh is still your father." * K'tahjha Yohko: Brow furrowed in thought Tahj was silent several moments."He'd be kinda old? Do I have many brothers and sisters?" * K'luha Haaz: K'luha sighed a bit and rubbed her aching hip. Which was, yes, stil very painful. She was trying not to mind it as she walked. "No, he's actually younger than K'ile. A little older than me. And you have my daughter K'ailia. Then there's K'mih and K'nahli..." * Twinflame: Giving K'luha a knowing look, K'ile interjected, "There's K'mih and K'nahli at least. And K'haali. A mess of others, but those three would be the closest to Tahj's age." * K'tahjha Yohko: Eyes wide, Tahj smiled,"That's a bunch, kinda like here. Except here there's no kids like me, and the boys like to pull my tail,"she frowned slightly. * K'luha Haaz: "Well don't worry. No one's gonna pull your tail. But you can pull K'ile's tail if youw ant." K'luha chuckled, subtly moving her tail to hit K'ile again as they walked. * Twinflame: K'ile moved his tail away, "If she can get it. It's not that easy." * K'tahjha Yohko: Peering from one adult to the other Tahj was slighlty puzzled,"Why would I pull his tail? It hurts."shrugging and moving on she tugs at K'luha's hand,"Are we almost there? I'm hungry." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha smiled and shook her head lightly. "We're almost there. Just a bit further." she motioned as they walked out into Old Gridania. There was a small hole in the wall sort of place with outdoor tables and the best food she'd ever had there. She'd eaten there for almost the whole month she was there with K'ailia. * Twinflame: As they went, K'ile was mostly distracted by the strangeness of Gridania. He didn't talk much. * K'luha Haaz: With all the silence, it was good there were only a few feet from the place. "Here we are!" she smiled, presenting the place before walking inside of it. "Everything on the menu is good, but if you want I can order for everyone. What sort of foods would you two like?" * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj shrugs, suddenly shy again,"Anything is fine, I like fruit for dessert though." * K'luha Haaz: "And you K'ile?" * Twinflame: "It's you bet," he said, looking over the stall and the people around, smelling the various samples of food and business. "You bet I'd enjoy the food, so you order." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha sighed and gave a small shrug before motioning them to the tables. "Pick your favorite seats. I'll order and bring back the food. It'll only be a few moments." She smiled brightly at K'ile and at Tahj, a smile K'ile probably hadn't seen in awhile. * K'tahjha Yohko: Studying the available tables the young girl reached for K'ile's hand to pull him towards a table in the corner. * Twinflame: Distracted by watching K'luha's behavior, K'ile's ears twitched when Tahj took his hand, and he let himself be led to one of the tables. "Oh, alright. So we just sit over hear?" Taking in the area again, he muttered, "This isn't too strange. Outside cooking and eating. Is this normal for around here?" * K'tahjha Yohko: K'tahjha nods happily,"It's nice to sit under the trees and listen to the bitds while you eat." * Twinflame: "No birds and trees in the Sagoli," he said, sitting at the table Tahj had taken him to. "Well, there are birds. Just not as many of them. Not usually very pretty." * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj settles in a chair next to K'ile hooking her feet over the rungs,"Is it very different than here?" * Twinflame: "It isn't even similar," K'ile answered, looking Tahj over. "But you'll handle it jsut fine if you're anything like your mother, which I bet you are." * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj sighs at the mention of her mother,"I miss her so much, she was always strrong she took care of us. Why did she leave home and bring us here?" * Twinflame: "Uhm." K'ile blinked, frowned, looked paralyzed for a moment. "You don't know why she left Sagoli?" * K'tahjha Yohko: FrowningTahj toys with her right ear,"It made mama sad to talk about it, all she would tell me was we weren't alowed to talk to anyone from there." * Twinflame: K'ile made a face, and pulled on one ear for a moment. "That's... true. I guess you've figured out by now it wasn't exactly something good that happened, right?" * K'tahjha Yohko: She nods solemnly,"But mama loved her family, she said family was more important than anything. She couldn't have done anything bad." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha returned after a few moments with three large trays of food balanced along her hands and one atop her head. She set the first one down in front of Tahj, the second in front of K'ile, and the third in the empty seat. "Here we are. Did you guys want drinks? I'll go get some." she smiled again and walked back up to the front. * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj smiles at K'luha and nibbles on a slice of apple while waiting for an answer to her question. * Twinflame: (ah, hey, you should tell me what she got Twin, cause of the bet and all! No cheating!) K'luha Haaz: ( How about a Miqabob with Oppopo meat and Muy Bean Sauce? ) Twinflame: (Sounds good. Dafuq's a Miqabob?) K'luha Haaz: ( A shishkabob. ) * Twinflame: K'ile gave the strange item on the plate a look, frowning at it as he tried to discern what exactly it was. Obviously meat. Not a kind of meat from anywhere near Sagoli or Thanalan. It didn't look or smell anything similar, but he could smell the residual blood beneath the char. As quickly as she'd come, K'luha was walking away from them, and K'ile's pleading look at her back didn't do any good. "Urg." He looked over at Tahj, and said, "Is this stuff typical or did she get us something weird?" * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj eyes K'ile's plate,"Nope those are good.But I like my burger better."she picks it up and takes a large bite bloody juices oozing down her chin. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha busied herself at the counter again, procuring three drinks. Water for Tahj, Lemonade for herself, and Water for K'ile as well. She returned a few moments later and set the drinks down before taking a seat and sighing. "Finally. I'm starving." she smiled faintly and picked up her own kabob. With a swift movement she bit off the first vegatable on the stick and chewed it happily. * Twinflame: Giving K'luha a dubious look, K'ile tried to decide if she was plotting to poison him somehow. Not kill him, but get him sick. She would do that, to get back at him for earlier. There was no other way this bet favored her. Well. If that's how it was, then that's how it was. He would just have to deal with her plotting. Thus resigned, he pulled a vegetable from the metal shaft and stuck it in his mouth to chew on it. * K'luha Haaz: "Soooooo~?" K'luha grinned widely, watching K'ile eat. He would love it. She was positive of it. There was no way he wouldn't like it. * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj raises an eyebrow at K'ile with a grin,"It's all ready dead it won't bite back." * Twinflame: K'ile made a face, and muttered, "That thing tasted like a campfire. What kind of meat is this? Looks sort of... brown? Smells like wood." He gave the Miqabob an inquisatorial look, as though he could pressure it into revealing its secrets. * K'luha Haaz: "Eat it K'ile. Before I eat you." K'luha chuckled and leaned back in her chair, moving on to eat the rest of her own lunch. * Twinflame: K'ile feigned intimidation, and looked at Tahj, "Well, I wasn't gong to say it up front, but cannibalization does happen in our tribe." He put the meat in his mouth, and chewed on it thoughtfully. * K'luha Haaz: "It doesn't." K'luha retorted, looking to Tahj. "He's just a big baby." * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj's ears flatten slightly as she peered from one adult to the other trying to figure out who was pulling her leg."Aunt K'luha,K'ile won't answer my question." she pouted. * K'luha Haaz: "Your question?" K'luha tilted her head looking at Tahj. "What was that? I'll do my best to answer it." she smiled. * Twinflame: K'ile said warningly, "Wait a second, Tahj. Got a secret for you." And K'ile, who had learned the hard way how exquisite K'luha's hearing was, leaned in to whisper to Tahj, "Don't ask about your mom. It makes K'luha very sad." * K'tahjha Yohko: Ears flattening slightly further, a spark lights in Tahj's eyes showing she recieved more than her looks from her mother, but she keeps quiet and takes another biite of her food, tail lashing against her chair. * Twinflame: Leaning back again, still holding that peice of meat in his mouth, K'ile followed up with, "We'll talk about it later," and then, to K'luha, "So about that bet..." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha was about to make a remark about secrets being rude but K'ile distracted her with talk of the bet. "Oh, yes? You like it, right? And don't lie and say you don't when you do!" * Twinflame: Shaking his head, K'ile said, "Sorry. It tastes like they cooked it over wood or something weird like that. Tastes like the trees smell." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha pouted and crossed her arms over her chest. "You're too picky." * Twinflame: "And you should know I don't like things that taste like wood and dirt." He pointed at her with the miqabob, "You're aquiring the same tastes as the outsiders." * K'tahjha Yohko: With a sigh Tahj cuts a piece off her burger, exposing the rare, juice filled meat and shoving it towards K'ile's mouth. "It's antelope, it's good." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha pouted again and looked away. Aquiring the same tastes as outsiders? Well she was in Gridanai for a month.. * Twinflame: His ears popping up and his eyes brightening, K'ile bit it right out of K'tahjha's hand. * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj grins and shoves her plate in K'ile's direction,"Trade?" * Twinflame: "Awesome," K'ile said, eagerly placing his plate of food in front of Thaj. "Now, antelope is a thing I know. I can eat that all day. Hey Tahj," he leaned forward again, smiling from ear to ear, "Your dad, the Nunh, is a super boring stuffy guy. You should let me be your dad. I'll teach you how to cook all the best meat in Sagoli. And fire dance too!" * K'luha Haaz: K'luha's ears flattened atop her head as she pouted at them. But only for a moment. She couldn't help but lighten up and chuckle at K'ile's suggestion. Wasn't it not that long ago he said how he would be a terrible father? Well, she guessed they were going to find out now. * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj giggles at K'ile biting a piece of well cooked carrot off the skewer and chewing on it. * Twinflame: "Although," K'ile paused while he bit into the burger, and swallowed. "You did just lose the bet for me. I don't like that weird thin on the stick but the antelope is good, so now I like the food here. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha grinned to Tahj and gave her a thumbs up. "Excellent. Thank you Tahj!" * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj flashes a smile at K'luha although still slightly puzzledas to what she had done,"You're welcome!" * Twinflame: "Save your demand for later, Luha," K'ile said, still smiling as he munched on the meat Tahk had given him. He couldn't win them all, so why pout? "We wouldn't want you tramatizing your new daughter." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha blushed a bit and chuckled. "New daughter huh? So then we have a kid together now?" K'luha snorted again and picked at her meal. "Anyway Tahj, you never said if you wanted to come with us or not." * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj's smiles fades slightly at K'ile's words and she looks at K;luha with a serious expression,"Are you adopting me? Do I have to call you mama?" * Twinflame: K'ile stears clear of this particular question, chising to hide behind the eating of his delicious plate of antelope. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha bluhsed again and coughed awkwardly. "Well, I think we might have to fill out that paperwork to take you home anyway but, but you don't have to call me that unless you want to. Haha." * Twinflame: "What're you going to call me?" K'ile snapped forward, his eyes twitching and tail swinging around behind him. "Dad? Papa? Pop?" * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj is silent for a moment, deep in thought then chooses this particular moment to be disobedient,"Before I say yes I want to know why mama left home!,"she demands dropping the now empty stick back in the plate. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha blinked at Tahj's sudden force. Feisty one... just like her mom. Still, it surrised her that she didn't already know. K'luha looked down, saddened for a moment while she recalled what she could of the fight. "She left because she was exiled." K'luha answered quietly, her eyes looking to the table in shame. "She didn't have another choice. And she was exiled because of me. We got into a fight. She accidently knocked my head back into a rock. By the time I woke up it was a month later and she was long gone..." * Twinflame: K'ile put on a disappointed frown, and said, "It was a mistake, and sometimes mistakes can't be undone even when everyone knows it." He watched Tahj carefully. * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj sat quietly for several moments a few tears trickling down her face before she queitly gets up and crosses to stand behind K'luha. She slips both arms around her aunt's neck and nuzzles gently into her right ear,:Don't be sad, mama loved you and missed you very much and I think she's be happy for me to go with you." * K'luha Haaz: That was it. K'luha was so sure that Tahj would walk away now. So much for that trip to Gridania. It was so long ago, but the shame seemed to bubble up fresh like it was only yesterday. Luha gripped her shirt tightly, preparing herself to listen to those words of rejection. Strangely enough though, they didn't seem to come. Instead, she felt arms around her neck and a soft nuzzle into her ear. K'luha turned her head lightly towards Tahj and quickly tried to wipe her eyes. Damn waterworks. She had to stop getting so emotional. "I hope so... I never meant to hurt Maka. I never meant for her to leave. I loved her. I still do. I had always hoped she was doing well somewhere out in the world..." * Twinflame: "I spent a long time worrying, too, for what it's worth." He took another bite. * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj hugs her aunt a little tighter for a second then whispers in her ear,"I have a present for you." * K'luha Haaz: "A... present?" K'luha mumbled, glancing back to Tahj again. * Twinflame: K'ile leaned back and tossed a suspicious look over at Tahj and K'luha. * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj lets go of K'luha's neck and comes to stand beside her,"I notice you wear your hair like mama did."she reaches out to touch the hair ornament, then fumbles in her pocket pulling out a pair of silver hair ornaments."I- I want you to have them, they were mama's." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha watched Tahj for a moment as she fumbled with her pocket. Just what was she getting...? Her face paled a little as Tahj pulled out her present and presented it to K'luha. Maka's hair bands...? She didn't... well she certainly wasn't hungry again. K'luha shakily took the present and unclapsed her own to replace them with Maka's. "T-thank you Tahj..." * Twinflame: He just smiled at that and finished off his food while the girls did girl stuff next to him. Hair braids? Okay, whatever. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha had to pull herself together before before breathing in slowly. "Well, if you want to come with us you'll have to see about that paperwork. It might take some time to process but we should sign it today." * Twinflame: "I'm signing the 'dad' line," K'ile said, which thoroughly demonstrated his failure to nderstand anything about the adption process. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha chuckled faintly and wiped her eyes again. "Alright then Mr. Dad." * K'tahjha Yohko: Tahj smiles and nods reaching out to take K'luha's hand,"I'm ready." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha squeezed Tahj's hand tightly before standing. "Then let's go finish the paperwork. We can leave tomorrow morning bright and early." * Twinflame: "Don't be in a rush," K'ile said, standing. "There's something I need to do in town that I'll need K'luha's help with. It might be wise to wait an extra day." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha blinked a bit confused and glanced back to K'ile. Something he needed help with in town? "Oh, yeah. That's fine then..."

I'm kind of terrified someone's going to snipe this away from me last second, a la early 2000s ebay.

K'luha Haaz: The trip to Gridania was not an easy one. Well, it was easy in the sense that they were riding on a floating carriage but for a floating carriage it was rather uncomfortable and bumpy at times. Not to mention her injuries had been aching her and from seemingly no where, her hip was in excuriating pain. So much so that she did her best not to move it as much as possible and quietly promised herself to find some sort of potion to get rid of pain when she was in Gridania. K'ile and herself had yet to exchange too many words as usually she or he were sleeping out of boredom. That and he had insisted she rest because of her injuries on the way there. It was as good a time as any to rest. Finally this afternoon they had entered the Black Shroud and were beneath the cool canopy of the forest. It was a welcome break from the heat and severe weather of Drybone. K'luha eye's tensed in pain, the cooler weather making her hip act up. Her joints usually ached a bit with severe changes in weather but with the injury to her hip now thanks to K'ailia's stone, it was terribly painful. K'luha took a deep breath and looked up at the carriage's overhang, wondering if K'ile was awake now or not. She glanced over to where she thought he might be to check. * Twinflame: K'ile Tia was leaning over the side of the carriage, staring out at the woods. What he was really doing was smelling them. There were a thousand kinds of plant and animal out there that he'd never encountered before, and it was overwhelming to be able to sense them all at once. He could catch hints of their movement in the woods, of things that had passed along this road minutes or hours or an entire day before the carriage came along. But before he could sense enough of that passage to understant it, a new and vivid scent would find him and tear at his attention. He caught a thousand tiny glimpses of everything that lived in the forest. And a whole lot of those damned, smelly chocobos getting in the way. Disgusting birds. Foul and diseased no matter how well cared-for they were, as far as he was concerned. He'd heard there were breeders near Gridania. The tribe would be wise to contact them and see if their mutual pursuits could lead to business. His tail flicking around behind him, K'ile Tia was all smile and wide eyes, ears perked up and swiveling everywhere. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha watched K'ile's back for a few minutes. He was... well perkier than usual. Excited? He did seem to like to travel. She would have invited him to come to Ul'dah with her more if he really enjoyed the travel. Perhaps for the holiday season, albeit it was more of an outsider's tradition but she enjoyed it anyway, she would ask him if he wanted to go to Limsa. He had said something about it being somewhere he'd like to go. To see the ocean, if she remembered properly. K'luha had meant to speak up and actually talk to him, but she simply ended up staring at his back for a prolonged period of time. She watched his muscles twitch everytime he seemed to swap his attention to something new. The way his tail flicked about behind him with so much energy. Even his ears were swiveling around his head like mad. So much energy. It was really like he was still a kid. He was older than she, and yet K'luha was starting to already feel like an old cat. * Twinflame: After a time, K'ile relaxed, easing back into the carriage rather suddenly. He was on the seat on his knees, with his back facing K'luha. The Tia flicked his tail near the woman's face, looking over his shoulder to smile at her. "Hey Luha, what're you looking at?" * K'luha Haaz: Ah. So he knew. K'luha smirked faintly, her ears shifting on her head to get comfortably. "Obviously your ass." she replied cheekily, glancing back up to the ceiling. "Get back up so I can stare some more." * Twinflame: His ears dipped in discomfort. "Uhm." He tried to decide if that was a demand K'luha would back with a threat. It took effort to disguise his uncertainty, and he wasn't sure if he succeeded. After a few moments he flicked his tail at her again and said, "No freebies." He thought it was an excellent response and was very proud of himself. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha snorted loudly before breaking into a laugh that turned into a coughing fit and eventually settled into silence. She sighed after a moment of peace and rubbed at her hip uncomfortably. "Come on. You won't even give a dying old woman a freebie?" Luha teased again, her eyes still glancing up towards the overhang and not at K'ile. Despite not looking at him she could picture him perfectly in her mind's eyes. * Twinflame: Dammit. She got him back with that one. She was injured so of course she deserved freebies. And that put him in a terribly awkward position of either giving her one or being seen as someone without any sense of generosity. K'ile stretched his arms high above his head and lifted his haunched just enough to touch the ceiling. "I'm not sure," he said. The movement looked like he was jsut easing cramps, so he didn't feel embarassed by it. "You might still be indebt over the whole bath-tub thing." * K'luha Haaz: "Yes, right. Because Mr. Fairy Princess couldn't just do as planned and land in the tub next to me, he had to flail about and almost die first." She scoffed and peered sideways over to K'ile as he stretched. He was really bad at knowing when she was teasing, and that amused her terribly. A wicked smile slipped on her face as she reached over to pinch the base of his tail. "By the way I'm joking K'ile. I don't need you to show me your ass. I can just stalk you while you're cleaning, I mean, what?" she chuckled again more softly and shook her head. "I'm teasing again, in case you didn't figure it out that time." * Twinflame: "Gah!" He flinched at the pinch on his tail, but not overly much. He recovered quickly and swung his tail around to ward her off, "I know you're teasing! I'm not five. I know what teasing sounds like! I even know what it smells like!" It didn't smell like anything. He spun around and dropped into his seat, arms crossed. "And that's why I don't like rock-and-metal buildings. They're deathtraps! No give. One fall and you're done." * K'luha Haaz: "Oooh, please. Enlighten me. What does teasing smell like? I would very much like to know." K'luha cackled at K'ile again. For all of his red hair, it couldn't portray his hot-headedness enough. Maybe not hot-headedness... but his passion. Yes, passion was a better word for it. K'ile was certainly passionate, and that was something K'luha found she enjoyed about him a lot. Reguardless, she watched him spin around and sit, whining about metal-death-traps or buildings. She pinched the bridge of her nose and huffed at the comment. "They're not." She assured him, gazing over lazily at him again. "They really aren't. They can be very comfortable. Good shelter from the weather, really. Good places to store food where pests can't get to it easily. They have use if you're not nomadic. You're just a Fairy Princess who can't deal with them." * Twinflame: Skewing his features, he mutted, "I am not. Maybe you're a... strange person who finds rocks comfortable. I don't know," he pointed and said, "You got punched through a tree!" as if it completely invalidated any criticism she might have. His attention turned back to the forest around them, gaze pointing out the back of the carriage. * K'luha Haaz: "Mmm..." she agreed with a quiet hum, letting K'ile get frustrated and turn away for the time being. They would be there soon. How she was going to walk was beyond her at the moment, but she assumed she would just have to power through it. Like usual really. Despite K'ailia's departure... everything seemed like it was going back to normal. Really, she knew when she would feel it the most was when she slept in her tent along after she gave K'ailia her things. It would be... empty. For awhile longer she laid still in silence, looking only at K'ile's firey hair absent-mindedly. * Twinflame: Staring off into space for a long time, K'ile would eventually mutter, "...It feels stange to be getting someone..." * K'luha Haaz: "Eh?" K'luha blinked having spaced out for awhile there. Her hand reached forward lightly to touch K'ile's head but it was too far away to reach it. A bit dissappointed, she dropped her hand down to her side again and cleared her throat. "You mean getting Maka's daughter?" * Twinflame: He flicked his eyes over to K'luha, blinked, and then turned to look at her. "Yeah. To be gaining a person for a change." * K'luha Haaz: "Loose one, gain one I suppose..." A heavy sigh and silence followed as K'luha's thoughts turned towards K'ailia. * Twinflame: With a sigh, he said, "I was trying not to mention the flipside. You're not losing K'ailia." He hovered a moment in stillness in quiet, though it felt a great deal longer than the half-second's pause it really was. Then he leaned forward and put his fingertips on K'luha's knee, "It's not something to wonder or worry or talk about. You'll see." * K'luha Haaz: Right... she wasn't loosing K'ailia. She had already lost K'ailia. And her son. Of course. Where was the one who would make up for her lost son? With both of them having left her... the thought was more agonizing than the pain in her hip or torso combined. Thankfully she didn't get much time to brood on it as K'ile spoke up again and touched her knee. She glanced over to him, her eyes full of mixed motions that swirled about in gold and green. "No... it's not. It's just something I don't know how to deal with..." Was K'luha's vague answer before looking away again. * Twinflame: "Just wait," he said, and thought that sounded a little stupid. Patting her knee dumbly, he overclocked his brain long enough to say, "Just be here in the woods with me and look forward to meeting this kid. Brooding's no fun." * K'luha Haaz: "I am having trouble not brooding when I think that both my son and daughter are gone and the reason we have to come out here in the first place is because my sister made some comment about K'ailia being a wayward daughter that was obviously going to leave the tribe someday and I punched her in the face." K'luha answered back in a completely deadpan. * Twinflame: Frowning, more in frustration than anything, K'ile said, "Well. Try. You've got every right to be sad but if you're not going to let anyone cheer you up, then that's all you're going to be. Do you want me to show you my ass again? Or I can let you beat me up! You haven't done that in awhile." * K'luha Haaz: "You brought it up first." she mumbled more to herself than to him before looking back over at him. K'luha moved to sit up but the pain quickly made her lie back down and she grumbled. "I can't even sit up. How am I supposed to beat your ass?" * Twinflame: Smiling, he said, "I can make it easy! I'll just pput my ass in easy reach." Though, his smile faded after a moment. "Why are you hurting so much all of a sudden? K'ailia and K'haz said they'd healed you. If K'haz missed something I'm gonna stomp on his neck!" * K'luha Haaz: "Bah. No one healed me after I took that stupid rock K'ailia casted at you. I think it reopened things. That and I've been laying down for too long. Everything's stiff." K'luha sighed heavily before forcing herself to sit up with a great whine. "Ugh. Not fun." * Twinflame: K'ile managed to chuckle at that, easing back into a relaxed posture. "See. You can sit up, so you can totally kick my ass if you want. I'm just a 'fairy princess' or something, right?" * K'luha Haaz: "Yes. You are." K'luha grunted and forced herself unsteadily to her feet. "Stupid fucking princess..." she grumbled angirly to herself. * Twinflame: Canting his head to one side, K'ile's expression fell into one of concerned bemusement. "Uhm... Luha? Are you...?" * K'luha Haaz: "Am I?" She mirrored back at him, glancing over to K'ile irritably. * Twinflame: Pulling his chin in and frowning, he said, "Give me a good kick if it helps. I'm within swinging distance." * K'luha Haaz: "I would give you a..." The rest of the sentence trailed off into unintelligable grumbles before K'luha clusmily sat back down and sighed. * Twinflame: Absolutely failing to understand K'luha's before while she stood and sat -- okay, she was probably just in pain, but she was mad at him for someting probably also -- K'ile was giving K'luha a dubious sideways look. He didn't bother crossing his arms to close off his body language. He could never dream of staving off the woman. "... Feeling better?" * K'luha Haaz: "No." came the once again deadpan response before once again she grumbled beneath her breath so K'ile couldn't hear. * Twinflame: Leaning forward again, he said, "Okay, keeping in mind I can't help you with the pain, what can I do to make you feel better?" * K'luha Haaz: K'luha raised a brow at K'ile before laying back down on the bend to get comfortable. "What do you think you could do?" * Twinflame: Holy shit women. Seriously. K'ile rolled his eyes and his ears and his tail and swayed on the bench and eventually brought his attention back to K'luha, "I don't know. Well I do know. Maybe. No, you know what? You want such crazy things at such crazy times, let's just go with 'I don't know' on this one. So you've got to tell me." * K'luha Haaz: "Keep your tail on. I was just curious as to your thoughts for once." A frown crossed her features before it relaxed away. Her mind wandered for a bit and she chuckled to herself, having thought of something amusing. * Twinflame: "My thoughts are that your thoughts would be more useful than my thoughts," K'ile said dryly, staring down into K'luha's face with an only vaguely impatient expression. * K'luha Haaz: "You wanna kiss it and make it better?" K'luha could barely finish the setence before laughing again. * Twinflame: His ears went flat against his head and his tail shivered. "Kiss what? Your... hip?" * K'luha Haaz: K'luha waggled her ears at K'ile and smirked some more. "Was that a yes then?" * Twinflame: "Uhm." K'ile blinked, and his ears shifted on his head, and his tail shivered. "Wait." He fell back into sitting on his bench, leaning against the side of the carriage. He put a hand to his ear and pulled on it, his eyes pointing at K'luha but his gaze a thousand malms away as he pondered. He wasn't even sure what exactly he was pondering. The significance of the invitiation, or the implications of acceptance, or perhaps the best method in which to reject? What would K'thalen do in this siituaition? K'thalen would probably just like her all over and then carry off to his tent for a few hours. but K'thalen was a Nunh, so that wasn't useful at all. He shrugged. "Okay." It was just a hip. It's not like she'd asked him for a kiss on the lips or anything. And besides, he was betting that she was convinced he would say 'no'. * K'luha Haaz: What? He was seriously thinking about it? Seriously? K'luha gaped at K'ile as he sat down and actually seriously thought about doing it. No way. No way in hell. She was obviously already dead if he was really going to do that. K'ailia must have killed her with that rock or Ventus killed her when he punched her through a tree and she was just dreaming that kind of nonsense. K'ile doing something remotely sexual? No way. He might have had a dick, she was pretty sure he did at least, but she was also pretty sure it was there for decoration and he'd never touched the thing. Besides to clean it or something. K'luha's jaw dropped when he shrugged and agreed. No way in hell. "Holy shit, am I dead? Pinch me I think I'm dead." * Twinflame: He laughed at her. He knew when he did it that it'd prolly piss her off, but he couldn't help it. His back bowed forward and his hair shook while he laughed loudly and suddenly enough that one of the Chocobo at the front of the carriage squawked in surprise. K'ile clapped his hands, and continued to laugh far longer than was probably wise. For almost half a minute. "I have never," he cughed through the laughter, "I've never seen you look like that! You really thought you had one on me!" * K'luha Haaz: K'luha blushed fervently when he started laugh. It wasn't THAT funny. No seriously. It wasn't. The more he laughed the more she blushed until her ears were down on her head and she pulled her hair in front of her face to hid her embarrasset ment. "Y-yeah well! I never thought y-youd agree!' she shot back, stammering from her own embassment. God she had never been so embarassed before. * Twinflame: "Well, I agreed." He crossed his arms, smiling broadly. He was smug. The laughter subsiding, he leaned over and loomed over K'luha, forcing her to bask in his victory and surveying her defeat as if it were a thing he possessed and prized greatly. "So what are you going to do now? Care to change your request? I just might let you." * K'luha Haaz: "Oh! But it's not over yet!" K'luha retorted, puffing her chest out a little bit to ward him off. "You're smug, but can you really go through with it? It's one thing to say yes, another to do it! I won't rescind my request." she smirked back as if she had one the fight. * Twinflame: Still looming, K'ile said, "Of course you won't. You can't. You've trapped yourself, Luha." He stood and bent over her, extending his hands to lean against the opposite wall of the carriage. His body was arched over her. "So, let's see that hip." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha's ears dropped again and she slinked backwards to the edge of the carriage. "Yes, well. I haven't!" she shot back before blushing again. "And where do you think hips are moron?" * ((K'luha, by the way, is wearing pants with a skirt over them.)) * Twinflame: Leaning back a bit, K'ile frowned for a moment. Then, he smirked again, "I know where your hips are. They're under your pants. Are you trying to suggest you want me to just take off your pants too?" * K'luha Haaz: K'luha scoffed again and waved a hand dismissively at him. "Like you could ever have the balls to do it. You can just kiss it with my skirt on since you're too much of a pussy otherwise." * Twinflame: K'ile maintained his smile for a few seconds, and then it slowly lost its curve. His ears, so perky before, tiled to the sides. His lips moved to chew on his thoughts, and after a time, his whole body deflated. "Yeah, alright," he confessed, "You got me figured out. Just hold still, okay? Wouldn't want to hurt your hips at all." He leaned back and dropped to his knees beside her, crossing his arms and leaning his elbows on her bench. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha smiled widely, finally having defeated K'ile. Indeed he was too much of a wuss, but that was too bad. She might have let him. Maybe. Perhaps. Still, she chuckled softly and waggled her ears in triumph. * Twinflame: Giving K'luha a look of defiance, he said, "Hey, what'd you think I was going to do? Just reach up into your skirt and pull your pants down?" As he did this, he reached up into her skirt and pulled her pants down. * K'luha Haaz: "Well I-" K'luha was about to reply before she realized that he had actually gone ahead and done it. And it was very cold without her pants. She squeeked loudly and her face turned about the shade of K'ile's haircolor. Her eyes promplty closed tightly and she hid her face with her hands. "I really did must have die..." she muttered to herself, completely mortified. * Twinflame: K'ile declared, "I'm kind of tired of people underestimating me all the time. You think I'm afraid of a little hip?" He pulled up her skirt and leaned down to kiss her bare hip, absolutely not flinching at all. * K'luha Haaz: "To be completely honest... I thought you were terrified of it..." K'luha mumbly mostly to herself, her face still completley red. Well this was really awkward now. She really had thought he was afraid of such a thing. Guess not. If his brother had been even half as attractive as K'ile was, it was a good thing she hadn't mated with him. Else she would have a lot more kids. And not because she wanted the kids. * Twinflame: Well, that was done. He'd kissed her hip so lightly out of concern for hurting it that he'd barely felt more than a brush between the lips and the skin, his sparse facial hair brushing her leg, before pulling away. He found himself staring down at her naked hip which, after all, wasn't a thing he hadn't seen and touched before. Now, however, it was dark purple with a bruise that had grown only after the injury had settled, as bruises often do. It hadn't been so bad on the night they'd spent in Drybone. No wonder she couldn't walk. K'ailia had done this to her, when she'd tried to hurt him. K'ile choked on a sudden rush of anger, but a quick breath and the emotion was gone. he was angry at K'luha for thinking she needed to defend him, but that was the kind of person she was. She couldn't have acted differently. He should've made it more obvious that he wasn't going to let himself get hurt. Thinking this over for several seconds in silence, K'ile at length leaned down and kissed K'luha's bare hip again. This kiss was just as soft, but it lingered. He honestly wouldn't have done this if not for the injury. But he was worried. And he felt a bit guilty. There was nothing he could say about it, though, that meant nearly as much as that kiss. * K'luha Haaz: There was this really awkward long span of time where K'luha could feel K'ile staring at her nude hip. But she couldn't precisely do anything about it. And she couldn't really tell him no. And she didn't really want to either but she simply was at a loss for what to do. Even K'yohko didn't stare at her that long. The more K'ile stared the more K'luha's face went red and her stomach turned in knots. What precisely was he staring at? Was there something wrong with her hip? Did it look so terrible he had to stare at it in disgust? No really, why the hell was he staring so long? Was it that amazing then? Never in a thousand years had she expected the first kiss, and the second kiss was really only an assurance to her that she was dead and imagining this from limbo or something. Although, there was something very distinct about that second kiss that made shivers run up her spine and her tail flick up, hair standing on ends. In a good way, of course. * Twinflame: A second after the second kiss, K'ile said, "It's up to you if you want to be sad. Finding something to smile about isn't hard," and then, so quick he didn't even look at K'luha at all, he was off the carriage. The sudden shift of weight made the Chocobos lurch and the carriage bounce in mid-air where it floated, as he landed on the ground behind it. Keeping up with it was easy. He didn't even have to jog; a quick walk was enough. He felt the beginnings of cramps in his legs and back beginning to work themselves out. More importantly, he felt burning heat in his cheeks and ears, a certain breathlessness in his chest, and as he stretched and moved on the open road, the forest cooled it. Catching up with the carriage, he moved to walk beside it, on the side opposite K'luha. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha was so taken aback by the second kiss itself she almost missed his words. Finding something to smile about? She was about to asked him what he meant when the whole carriage lurched and he was gone. It left K'luah alone on the bench feeling somehow.... strange. Too many fixed feelings to pick out any particular one. Besides freezing. She managed to pull herself back together enough to get her clothing on properly before scooting herself onto the carriage floor and curling up. K'luha was thinking... probably overthinking. She didn't see K'ile because she was too busy staring at the floor and thinking. Something to smile about? What could it be...?

Twinflame: K'ile Tia still didn't like the inn and its rigid rooms, but caverns were good places to run to when someone was injured. Nothing kept the elements out quite like stone walls, though the stench of corpses slipped in anyway. The soapweed he had procured previously had at least taken over as the primary scent in the room, a mix of herb, dirt, and the strange smell of cleanliness. He preceded K'luha into the room, if only because he was still pulling her behind him. K'ile had refused to talk about anything during their walk back to Drybone. Too much talking had taken place that evening, in his opinion. Now, though, as they entered the room, he said, "This whole situation's a mess now. You all love to take things that a perfectly under control and just complicate it." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha found her being dragged blindly through the sodden desert. All of those sudden storms were really beginning to get on her nerves and under her skin. She hated the rain more than anything. Still, she was tired now from such a stupidly stressful day and didn't try to make the walk over anymore pleasure. All she wished was for K'ile to stop dragging her by the arm, which was starting to hurt. Finally, and K'luha was extremely glad for it, they returned to the room. Athough he didn't stop pulling her behind him. She sighed at his final declaration of the mess she'd made of things and tried to shake her arm free. * Twinflame: Releasing her arm mostly on his own, K'ile turned to K'luha and crossed his arms over his chest. He frowned at her, looking her over. "How are you feeling?" * K'luha Haaz: "Like shit." she answered bluntly honest. Normally she would attempt in some weak way to conceal this, especially after she had quietly vowed to herself to suffer in silence again, but really she just didn't have the energy anymore to hide it. Luha rubbed her wrist and sat down on the edge of the bed with a wince. Really... punched through a tree? How... pathetic. "My daughter talked down to me, I looked like an idiot, I was fire punched through a tree and almost killed then yelled at by everyone I know..." K'luha shook her head sighed heavily. "I really almost wish that stupid man had killed me. I don't think I've felt this dumb in ages." * Twinflame: K'ile pulled on one ear, looking away. "Well, all of that being what it is. It's not really your fault Ventus tried to kill you. That's all on him, and he's going to pay for it." * K'luha Haaz: "Don't." K'luha warned irritably, shooting K'ile a death glare. "He wiped the floor with me. He didn't even break a sweat. Don't challenge him K'ile. You'll just get yourself killed and Azeyma help me if you were to die." * Twinflame: "I'm not an idiot, K'luha. Now let's just drop that for now." He began to look around the room as though lost. "How does that bath thing work? You look like you could use one." * K'luha Haaz: "Eh? You go turn the water on... in the other room..." she mmumbled, motioning. * Twinflame: Making a face, "Turn water on? How does a person turn water on?" He goes to peak into the room, and observes, "There's some kind of mechanical contraption on this basin?" * K'luha Haaz: K'luha nodded and sighed before forcing herself to her feet and padding over to the bathroom. "Here, look. The nob, turn it to the right and water comes out of here..." she explained, demonstrating to him in the process of the explanation. * Twinflame: His expression rolled in a mix of bemusement and judgement. He mutted after a moment, "Ul'dahns have so much water it literally just comes right out of the ground on command." He shook hsi head brushed at his face with one hand. "Whatever." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha shrugged and let the tub fill up with hot water before she turned the nob again to turn it off. Grumbling, she rubbed at her wound again anyway and looked to K'ile. "It's rather nice you know but." * Twinflame: His arms crossed over his chest, a frown on his face, he said, "But what?" * K'luha Haaz: She sighed and waved a had dismissively. "You going to watch me undress and bathe or are you going to go wait in the other room?" K'luha smirked faintly and raised a brow at the Tia, knowing he would never choose the first. * Twinflame: With a thoughtful blink and a moment of hesitation, he shrugged and said, "Maybe I'll get in too. Everyone already thinks we're screwing, apparently." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha blinked. What? He wasn't running scared at the mention of nudity? Well that was... uh... different. And as for that second part. "I don't get why K'ailia said that... do we really give off that vibe?" She pouted and carefully pulled off her robe. Her eyes glanced down to the wound which was nicely healed but still a bit strange looking and it still felt very weird and painful. * Twinflame: K'ile averted his eyes when she began to undress. "She's a kid. K'haz too. A person has to mature a little bit before they figure out that not all relationships are about sex." After a few seconds, K'ile grudgingly looked over towards K'luha, eyeing the extent of her injuries. His expression showed his displeasure. "Do you feel like you've been healed well enough?" * K'luha Haaz: "K'haz is almost as old as I am." K'luha remark, slowly standing and continuing to undress. Although, she couldn't help but to look at her wound as well and poke at it. Certailny it looked healed enough on the outside and yet... She bit her bottom lip and grumbled. "It feels weird. Like there is something... inside holding it all together. I really... hate... that feeling." K'luha sighed and gave up on trying to figure it out before slipping into the bath and laying down. At least the warm water helped ease the strange feeling of the wound. * Twinflame: "I don't blame you. We're talking about something K'ailia did, right? Her healing magic?" * K'luha Haaz: "Eh? Well... K'ailia healed most of it yes... it feels very strange. So I suppose so..." K'luha frowned deeply and dunked her head under the water for a moment. She sat back up a little and shook out her now soaking hair before pulling the small clips from it so it might hand naturally. "My hair's starting to get long..." she mumbled to herself. * Twinflame: While K'luha was underwater, K'ile paced over nearer the tub, and then sat with his back facing it. Looking at the opposite wall, he said, "K'ailia shouldn't have meddled with Maka's daughter. She's made things more difficult. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha looked to K'ile's back for a moment. "Has she...?" Her voice was soft and solmen. "We couldn't leave Maka's daughter on her own K'ile... I... couldn't. It's my fault she's by herself now. I'm sure... that the elders will see her daughter as innocent. They will..." K'luha insisted, having to believe that herself more than she really had to convince K'ile. * Twinflame: "I was thinking it over again, and it shouldn't be a problem." He spoke as if to the wall across from him. "I was going to say, before you went running off like an idiot, that we should go to Gridania and get her ouselves. She's your family and she hasn't done anything wrong, so the Elders just have to deal with it." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha smiled at K'ile's back and carefully put her hand against the small of the exposed skin. "You're a softie K'ile." she chuckled. * Twinflame: Stiffening at the touch, K'ile said, "I am not a-" and stopped himself. He pulled on one ear, "K'ailia just had to get involved and give her a linkpearl and enroll her in the archers guild and who knows what else! I know she's trying to help but damn it!" * K'luha Haaz: "Of course she did." K'luha chuckled lightly, sitting up in the bath to reach K'ile's head and grab one of his ears. She tugged it lightly before smirking again. "It's K'ailia. A whole new K'ailia. She's 'saving Eorzea'. You heard it. One miq'ote at a time apparently." * Twinflame: "Hey!" K'ile protested, but didn't really struggle. He turned his head to look at K'luha. "This is a serious issue. Maka's daughter needs to come back to the tribe, which means she can't be a member of an archers' guild in Gridania. And as much as K'ailia wants to help the world, she won't be a good influence on a kid." * K'luha Haaz: "I don't think Maka's kid will stay with us for long anyway K'ile." she sighed, reaching up to grab his other ear and playfully tug at both of them. "Probably only for a year or so before K'ailia usurps her to the Garden or something..." * Twinflame: Letting her have his way with his ears, he still managed to look dubious in his scowl. "It bothers me that you think that's acceptable. This is why there's a rule against talking to those who have left the tribe! It makes other people more likely to leave." * K'luha Haaz: "I never said I thought it was acceptable. I simply see it as the way things will happen." K'luha frowned and pinched on of K'ile's ears before releasing them both and slinking back into the water. "I've said it before... is there really a purpose to our way of life anymore? We just seem to be a bunch of outdated relics living in the past to everyone else. Is that really what we are?" * Twinflame: "I'm not a relic. None of us are." K'ile exhaled, sullenly. He bent forward and kept his arms crossed, closing himself off. His ears lay flat on his head. * K'luha Haaz: K'luha watched him pout, closing himself off. Well then. If he was going to pout... K'luha smirked devously and slowly grabbed his tail before pulling it just enough to knock him off balance and hopefully have him land in the tub next to her. * Twinflame: Ever deliberate and mindful, K'ile instinctively knew what K'luha was trying to do the moment before it happened. This didn't necessarily save his balance, but he was able to control himself somewhat. He extended one arm to catch himself on the opposite side of the tub. It was wet, though, and his hand slipped under his weight, which twisted his torso and pitch him forward. The next thing to hit the opposite side of the tub was his head, with an audible crack. He slid into the tub crookedly with his head drawing a line of blood on its way down. * K'luha Haaz: Luha squeaked as K'ile so ungracefully. She winced and opened an eye to check as he somehow awkwardly slid in the tub. She noticed the blood instantly and cursed. "K'ile you fucking cunt! You're a frail god damn fair princess!" She hissed, dragging herself from the tub and picking picking up princess style and carrying him back to the room. She set him gently on the bed and threw on her things. * Twinflame: When K'luha reached down to grab him, K'ile flinched and clumsily tried to push her hands away, sitting up in the tub under his own power. He was absolutely drenched, and his hair stuck to his face like a red veil. A line of blood ran down one cheek. He sat stunned, and mutted, "What... dammit." And put a hand to his head. * K'luha Haaz: "You..." K'luha hissed and jumped forward to hug him, being very mindful this time not to push his head around. "You tucking clumsy moron! You are a god damn fairy princess! Getting hurt so easily! Fucker!" She growled angrily, refusing to give up on hugging him. * Twinflame: He didn't struggle against the hug. With his eyes closed and pressing his hand firmly against his head, K'ile actually leaned limply into K'luha a bit. "What... the hell did you think was going to happen?" * K'luha Haaz: "Shut up you giant baby!" Luha snapped, gripping K'ile tightly and pulling him closer. "You weren't supposed to be a freaking idiot and hit your head and die!" * Twinflame: Uttering a quiet grunt at the strength of K'luha's hug, he replied, "Maybe you shouldn't be knocking me over into some kind of... watery death trap." He reached his free arm up and drped it over K'luha's back in a weak gesture. "And I didn't die. I'm just all wet." * K'luha Haaz: "You're bleeding." She shit back sharply, scowling at the blood she could still see in the tub. * Twinflame: "Don't make this about me," he said, rubbing at his head again. "It's just a little blood. Never hurt anybody." He took the hand from his head and put it on her back with his other one. Turning his face towards her, long hair still plastered on his features but leaving one bue eyes exposed, he said, "I'm fine." * K'luha Haaz: K'luha looked deeply into his eye for a moment only to shake her head. " You are the one who told me head injuries are very serious and should never be ignored! It's about you now." She insisted, running a hand up his back to lightly feel his head. * Twinflame: "And coming from you that's hilarious. Anyway." His arms over her back suddenly gripped, pulled and twisted, to pull her sideways into the tub. * K'luha Haaz: "Yeah but you-eh? What are you doing?" She questioned as she was suddenly moved somehow sideways in the tub. It was all very disorienting. * Twinflame: His response came easily, "Wrangling you, like you said I couldn't." Of course he hadn't thought out the action and had no idea what to do with her now. "And, uhm." In his daze, he'd actually forgotten she was naked, which he was now realizing anew since he'd pulled her up against him. "You're supposed to be relaxing. Not stressing out over my head." * K'luha Haaz: "Oh." She replied awkwardly. She'd all but forgotten in the sudden trauma. She blinked again realizing the somewhat, well more like damningly comprising position they were in. She smirked faintly at K'ile and chuckled. "Well, I never thought you would be so forward K'ile." * Twinflame: "I'm not... It's not... Uhm." He leaned away from K'luha, back into the tub. She was more or less on top of him so he couldn't really just escape without throwing her off, which, she was still injured. "I'm not being forward about anything." * K'luha Haaz: Kluha giggled at his awkwardness and stuck her tongue out at him. "I know. I'm kidding." * Twinflame: "Oh," he looked at the ceiling. His face was almost as red as his hair. "Good. That's good." This bath was not very relaxing. He realized belatedly that he still had his arms around K'luha, and released her to fall backwards into the water with a slosh. He put one hand behind his head to protect it from the water, concentrating on his headache to distract himself from the lethal combination of K'luha's nudity, proximity, and the way the water washed over her legs. * K'luha Haaz: It was funny to see his face so red. So indeed he did get embarrassed with nudity. Kluha had never minded it so much. It felt natural and she tended to go with what felt right. "K'ile, hiding from me does not make me go away." She reminded him teasingly. * Twinflame: "I'm not hiding!" He snapped back, very insistant. He turned his defiant eyes on K'luha, crossed his arms over his chest. The whole situation was very incomfortable to him, and not just because he was soaking in the water fully clothed. "Where would I hide? What are you getting at?" * K'luha Haaz: Luha raised her hands up in defense. "Alright alright, get out if it so pleases you. Or stay and take off your dirty clothes. They're making the bath dirty." * Twinflame: He sat up. That this put him so very close to K'luha's body again was not something he could do anything about. He said to the woman, "I'm not going to let you trick me into taking off my clothes." * K'luha Haaz: "I'm not tricking you. What? So you think I'm trying to seduce you know?" She smirked. * Twinflame: "You know what? Yes." Against his better judgement, he found himself moving forward so that the warmth of his body mingled with K'luha's, so that he was talking to her face to face. "It's so obviouseven K'haz noticed it. It only took him two minutes." * K'luha Haaz: "Hmmm. Well I'm not." She replies, still smiling slyly. "You would know if I was seducing you." * Twinflame: With a dubious frown on his face, K'ile said, "I don't think you could get much more obvious than this." * K'luha Haaz: "You were pouting. I wanted to give you something real to pout about." She chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest . "Am I not allowed to have any fun with you? I only act this way because I trust you and I feel comfortable around you." K'luha smiled warmly at him for a moment before pinching his cheek. "Besides, I know there isn't much point to seducing you Mr. Tia unless we both want to get kicked out of the tribe." * Twinflame: Remaining stoic as his cheeks were pinched, he maintained his dubious tone and said, "You've expressed your wish for me to become Nunh. I would need a woman to commit to me before I even tried. Is that something you'd do?" * K'luha Haaz: Kluha blinked. What? Seriously? "I... I mean I would. I think you would be a good nunh. But seriously? Or are you just messing with me again." She quirked a brow at him and hummed. * Twinflame: "I'm just asking a question," he said, but decided that was a week reply. So he added, "I don't want to be Nunh, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't consider it. Judging from K'rei's behavior I could probably get her to vouch for me. But I'm not interested in doing it for her. It wouldn't mean anything to me." * K'luha Haaz: Kluha thought about it. K'ile becoming nunh... She nodded finally a yes. "No, I would support you if you decided to do that. I just, don't wanna get my hopes dashed you know?" She chuckled lightly. * Twinflame: K'ile sighed, and was distracted for a moment by what to do with his hands in the small, suddenly very intimate space. He was dynamically away of the position of both of their bodies, and didn't want to alter the awkward equilibrium. Of course, because he was himself, he ended up just putting his hands behind K'luha and letting them sit on her back. Because he didn't know what else to do and she had accepted that earlier. "There isn't much to get your hopes up about." He said. "I'm still not planning on it. I only mentioned it in the first place because I trust you and you seemed like you wanted a bit more from me than what a Tia can give." * K'luha Haaz: Kluha shrugged, letting K'ile rest his hands comfortably on her back. Did she want more from him? She wasn't against it. More like she was worried he would hurt himself if she actually managed to seduce him. "I'll take whatever you can give. I don't really mind if you won't be a nunh. I wanted another child but I think another k'ailia would be my death." Kluha chucked at herself a bit and smiled at K'ile. "Besides, I think you'd end up hurting yourself if you acted tried that with me." She grinned widely at him and laughed again. * Twinflame: He quirked his expression and looked to one side. The headache was still serving as a decent distraction, so he wasn't going to freak out over the thought of it. It was hard not to think about sex in this situation, but he tried not to just obsess over the idea of K'luha's body. K'ile tried to imagine himself having kids, trying to be for the tribe what K'thalen had once been, and what K'raqi and K'yohko could never hope to be. "It just doesn't seem like me. Being Nunh." He confessed. "It's a lot more than just being strong and having women. The whole reason we're in this situation as a tribe is because K'yohko's an awful dad." * K'luha Haaz: "You think? Perhaps it's just me. Maybe I'm simply a bad mother." She sighed disheartened. "I tried so hard for K'ailia... I don't really think it was K'yohok's fault. I think it was moreso, my own." * Twinflame: "No way," K'ile said. After a moment's heistation, he pulled K'luha up against him and squeezed her. "K'ailia got all of her best qualities from you. You didn't do a single thing wrong with her." * K'luha Haaz: Kluha blinked, surprised but genuinely comforted by the action. She leaned into him and sighed a bit. "Think so? She's a wild one that girl... I did my best... I only hope that she'll one day understand a little more. I don't know when she started seeing me as such an idiot. The way she talked to me last night? I simply..." Kluha sighed heavily again and frowned. * Twinflame: "She's just mad," he said, his shoulders and back stiff. K'ile wanted to relax, but... * K'luha Haaz: "Hnngh, but still! She shouldn't have talked to me like that..." Kluha pouted and grumbled. "I'm still her mother... That was rather rude." * Twinflame: He shrugged at that. "What's more rude was meddling with Maka's daughter. We're going to have to unenroll her from the Archers' Guild when we take her back to the tribe." * K'luha Haaz: "It would be good for her to start leaning in the meantime though..." * Twinflame: "Meantime when?" K'ile said, pulling away from K'luha far enough to look her in the eye, "I would've talked you into going to Gridania hours ago if you hadn't gotten in your head to go start trouble." * K'luha Haaz: Kluha frowned again. "Sorry... We could go now?" * Twinflame: "Now you're recovering from someone trying to kill you." And, flicking one wet ear on the side of his head where a line of blood drew down his face, he added, "So am I. We'll go tomorrow." * K'luha Haaz: Kluha nodded and made a face of annoyance at him. "I have to teach you to use the aetherytes so you can stop me before I do dumb things." * Twinflame: "I don't think that's something a person can just pick up and do." He said. He looked down at the cooling water, and said, "I'm not sure I understand how baths are supposed to be good for you." * K'luha Haaz: "Hmm, well usually the water is hot and you clean yourself with soap, rinse off, then get out. We... Kind if did it wrong." She chuckled, looking down at the water. "I propose another bath later." * Twinflame: "Hmph." K'ile brought his gaze back up to K'luha's eyes, fixing her with a very serious look, and said, "You aren't allowed to get hurt anymore. So no more picking stupid fights. And stay away from Ventus." * K'luha Haaz: Kluha could only laugh in reply. "When do I ever listen to common sense?" She smiled at him and fave a heavy sigh. "I need to investigate Ventus more. " * Twinflame: "No, you don't." He dropped his hands to squeeze her lower on her back, drawing her close while still being able to look her in the eye. "The tribe needs you, and the Garden isn't your problem. Trust K'ailia." * K'luha Haaz: For a moment, K'luha felt like her breath was gone. Truly? Did the tribe need her so much? Or maybe, it was just K'ile. She didn't think she would mind so much if it was indeed just K'ile. "I..." She tried to reply, but the words just caught in her throat. * Twinflame: He leaned in and pushed his forehead up against K'luha's, softly enough to not make his headache any worse. He said, "Just worry about our family for now, alright?" * K'luha Haaz: "K'ailia is still my family... And K'haz and Maka's daughter... But... I will try to not get hurt anymore!" She whispered in return. * Twinflame: "Don't be so stubborn," he pressed his forehead against K'luha's more firmly, but stopped when it made his headache worse. "You know what I mean." * K'luha Haaz: Kluha gingerly touched his cheek. "I know." She replied quietly. "But my family is more than those in the tribe now..." * Twinflame: With a note of bitterness in his voice, K'ile said, "You just don't want to admit that they can handle their situations on their own." * K'luha Haaz: "No, I don't." Was her only sad reply. * Twinflame: "Well, they can. It's the rest of us that are in trouble. You don't see K'ailia sitting in a tub all broken and half-starved." * K'luha Haaz: "I... I'm not half broken!" She scowled, moving her hand to flick his arm. "Starving maybe, but not half broken!" * Twinflame: "Half starved, all broken," he reiterated. "You can't keep pouring everything into K'ailia. She doesn't need that and it's not good for you." * K'luha Haaz: "I am not all broken!" She hissed any, insistent on being perfectly fine despite being anything but. "K'ailia is... She is more important than I am. Besides, I put everything I had into her since she was born... I... What else would I even do?" * Twinflame: "K'ailia is not more important than you," K'ile snapped, as though he were scolding her. "It doesn't work that way. Everyone's important. Can you really not imagine, out of everyone around you, the entire tribe, a single other thing that needs your attention?" * K'luha Haaz: Kluha winced and pulled back a bit. Something else that needed her attention? Well, the huntresses would be help and she was after looking for somewhere new for them all the live. "I..." Luha faltered again and went silent. * Twinflame: K'ile dropped his head to K'luha's shoulder and exhaled in exasperation, "Really? There's no way." * K'luha Haaz: Luha frowned and patted Kiles back lightly without an answer for him.

Thank you so much for your support! Which slot shall I put you under? c: I'll take second I guess? I'unno. Not picky just want pretty picshurs :3

The worm seemed to have five hundred legs that were undulating in a sick rhythm, away from its body and back, swinging up and down, like a mass of sickles organized to harvest his flesh from his bones. They all worked as one and failed as one, while K'ile ducked in between them to stick the arrows between the rigid plates on the worm's sides and into its gut. The task was mostly symbolic at this point. K'ile's efforts had never been required to kill it. That did not mean this wasn't worthwhile. As the worm's legs and body spasmed, growing gradually weaker, K'ile chose to stab his arrows into increasingly difficult places. The guts and sides were easy. The pits of flesh where its legs attached to its body were more difficult. As it fell and weakened, its maw and eyes remained risky targets, which he went for. It came with disappointing ease, but the exertion and the violence were satisfying enough to make up for his ruined archery lesson. When its body hit the dirt with a loud thud, and did not rise again, K'ile finally danced away from it on nimble feet. He ended up standing two meters from the things twitching head, the smell of its failing breath not quite enough to sicken him, as wrapped as he was in an aura of pungent gore. Spitefully, he cast his last arrow into the things open mouth, and spat at it, "Bitch worm. Annoying piece of shit." He cast his gaze towards K'mih and K'nahli, bypassing K'yohko completely. Everyone seemed alright.

Well considering the situation I'll bid 100k. I can raise that. Probably.

((A couple days passed. After they got back to Drybone K'ile began to share K'luha's room in the inn, though not entirely without the occasional complaint. This thread happened. The subsequent evening, K'luha left K'ile alone in Drybone and vanished into the Aetheryte. A few hours after her departure, K'ile catches a familiar scent mingled with blood and follows it off into the drylands of Eastern Thanalan...)) K'ile Twinflame dashes through the desert, spear in hand, oddly silent. He moves quietly, too, but when he notices K'luha, he's fast to approach her. "Luha!" K'luha Haaz grunted, her hand pressed to her wound as she sat. She had ripped off most of her clothing to inspect it better now that she was finally alone. Of course though, she wasn't alone. She glanced up as K'ile came dashing to her and grimaced. "K'ile..." K'ile Twinflame dropped to his knees in front of K'luha, unafraid of touching her, though only aon her shoulders and arm, staying well away from any visible wounds. "What happened to you? WHy are you out here?" K'luha Haaz grunted again and pulled back to pressing her back to the wall. Everything hurt like a bitch still. Damnit. She hadn't expected to be so completely ruined so quickly. "I thought... I wanted to test Ventus's strength. I knew he was in Ul'dah so I went out and found him. It's my own fault. I didn't know he could punch fire and control and manipulate the earth..." K'ile Twinflame squints, and then shakes his head. "What? You're saying Ventus did this to you?" K'luha Haaz scoffed and looked away. "I fought him. He punches hard. One of his friends interrupted us. That's all. He didn't attack me. I asked for the fight." she shot back, knowing where K'ile was going with this. "I refused medical treatment, but somehow I was dragged into it anyway. K'ailia was trying to treat me, but I have no desire to be treated by her so I left." K'haz Tia : The murmer of claws against stone would announce K'haz's approach. He'd been following a bloody trail for a while now, sharp eyes spotting spots of red against the brown hues of the thanalands from atop his mount. The going had been slow - K'haz having been forced to dismount a number of times to relocate the trail. Finally, however he seemed to be approaching his quary. Not sure if the injured party was still being persued or not K'haz unslung his staff - guiding his mount by the regins as he rounded the bend right into plain view of the two miqo'te. K'ile Twinflame growls deeply, the scowl on his expression not managing to convery the extent of anger he felt. "You know you-" he shakes his head and starts again, "And you made it this far on your own? Why are you /here/ instead of Drybone? You could get healed there." K'luha Haaz scoffed again and closed her eyes, her hand idly prodding and poking at her chest wound. "Because I suspect K'ailia will follow me and I have no desire to explain myself to her." K'ile Twinflame the spear in K'ile's hand raises to point at the newcomer in warning. You cant sneak up on K'ile Tia. He had sensed K'haz coming. Turning his head slowly, he said, "Who are you? Are you with the Garden?" K'ile Twinflame belatedly reached out to take K'luha's hand from her wound, wihtout comment. K'haz Tia nose crinkled as the sound wind carried the aroma of blood. Lowering his staff, K'haz would relax into a more open stance. "Nay. Just a traveler who spot a bit an trouble and wishes to help." Pulling on his aether he lets a trickle of white, blue flame leap into his palms. "I'm a healer and it's my reckonin' one of you needs healin'" The shadows of the rockface hid the two's features from him - though K'haz was sure they were miqo'te. K'luha Haaz squinted towards the stranger for a moment, at least until K'ile took her head. She grumbled lightly and looked back to him. Magic healers... she was getting a little tired of them. "Isn't there a normal healer? I'm sick of magic for one day." K'haz Tia grin caught the magical light before he dismisses it. "I know more mundane remidies if that is what you prefer. Though if it's between that an' savin' your life you'll have ta' pardon a cure or two." K'ile Twinflame glared, and said, "I don't know if I trust it anyway. COudl easily be just another one of Ventus' cronies." K'luha Haaz scoffed and looked away from them both. "I'm not dying you ninnies. K'ailia fixed the worst part of it already.... It just opened up against when I ran." K'haz Tia : His mount follows him steadily, her great head bobbing back and forth between the two miqo'te. K'haz frowns at the words and shrugs before pulling a vial from a pouch attatched to the bird's saddle. Gauze and a potion were tossed over. "Here then. Wrap yourself up. I'll instruct you on how if you don't know." K'ile Twinflame looks down at K'luha, "You can't just sit here in the desert being in pain. You've done too much stupid stuff today, so how about breaking it up with some reason?" K'luha Haaz huffed again but laid fairly still for the time being. "Fine. But no more damned magic." K'ile Twinflame stands and turns to the newcomer, "K'haz, right?" K'haz Tia grins easily, leaning against the rock face even as the voices sent his ears twitching. There was something familiar about them...Suddenly the male stood and spoke his name. His tail tucked around his leg as he made the connection. "Aye...more K tribers...been runnin' in you all alot lately." He flashed a lopsided smile. K'luha Haaz opened her eyes immediatley and looked towards the newcomer immediatley. "K'haz?" she questioned, disbelieving before staggering to stand up. K'haz Tia tail tightens even further as he finally put a name to the face. Ah shite. Instinctivly he offered a little finger wave - the one he'd always had whenever the other male caught him. "'lo K'ile, K'luha." K'ile Twinflame puts a hand on K'luha's shoulder to push her back down, pointing his other finger at K'haz, "Don't get friendly weith me. You know we aren't supposed to be talking to you. Don't ask questions and do a good job, or I'll kick your ass." K'luha Haaz grumbled at K'ile and moved to stand again. "We haven't seen K'haz since he was alittle bratty kid... I didn't even know he was still alive. Let me see him." she whined. K'ile Twinflame ushes her back down and says, "He's coming over to heal you. Stay put." K'haz Tia ears flatten and he ducks his head instinctivly - before a flash of anger runs through him. Gold eyes hardening he suddenly lifts his chin a bit higher. "Except I'm the healer here K'ile. Not you. An' if you interfere with my job I'll be the one kickin' yer sorry arse." Striding up to K'luha he kneels over her - replacing his earlier grin. "Hey, gettin' into trouble again?" K'ile Twinflame smiles and chuckles a bit at K'haz, "Ah ha. Alright, that's fair." K'luha Haaz grumbled and rubbed her aching back before glancing to K'haz. She smiled warmly to him and motioned for him to come closer. "I would hug you but it's a little difficult at the moment. How are you? It's been a very long time." K'luha Haaz smiles at K'haz Tia. K'haz Tia shrugs. "Aye it has an' I'm fine. Not the one bleedin' all over the thanalands. So what happened - and ye sure about the no magic thing?" He asks, leaning closer to further inspect the wound. K'ile Twinflame rolles one shoulder, saying, "I said no questions, K'haz. Just cause you got a backbone doens't mean you start blowing me off." K'haz Tia rolled his eyes. "Kinda hard to heal her if I don't know what I should be healin'." K'ile Twinflame shakes his head, red ears flicking about like fire. He turns and walks a bit of a ways away. K'haz Tia : K'wehkweh eyed K'ile's tail with intrest. K'haz Tia : Just another inch...she opens her beak - ready to strike. K'ile Twinflame flickes his tail away from the Chocobo and turns to glare at it. K'haz Tia : The bird seems to glare back Artorias Rivendare: She is your mother after all. K'ailia Yohko growls upon seeing K'ile. K'ailia Yohko then looks at her mother. K'haz Tia ears twitch at the growl but ignores it - focusing on his healing for now. K'ile Twinflame points his spear at K'ailia's face well before she has a chance to approach, "Turn around, go away." K'ailia Yohko: Oh sure, go against my orders to stay put so you don't kill yourself?! Artorias Rivendare stops his mount at K'ailia's action and holds back, giving the girl space and privacy. K'luha Haaz shivers lightly in the rain and faintly notices K'ailia beyond K'ile. She frowns at his spear and throws her shoe at his head. "Knock it off K'ile!" K'ailia Yohko: and where do you freaking run?! straight into this... this TIA'S ARMS?! K'haz Tia He snaps his head up at the whistle of steel however. "Woa, woa! No pointy things! Healer's orders." K'ailia Yohko: You talk about amturity! K'ailia Yohko points at K'luha Haaz. K'ailia Yohko: You are way more immature than me. K'ile Twinflame glares over at K'luha, grits his teeth meanly, and puts his spear away. "You let me know if you want me to whip her." K'luha Haaz sighs a bit and motions for K'haz to stop for a moment. She grabbed her wet robe and threw it on before standing again. "I can handle her K'ile." she mumbled, staggering over towards her. K'ile Twinflame: Oh, I don't doubt it. K'ailia Yohko shoots a look at K'ile, and now you've given me plenty of reason to strike" she then stomps her foot and sends a boulder flying straight for K'ile's groin as hard as she could. Artorias Rivendare: o boy.... K'luha Haaz promptly noticed the boulder and stepped in front of it to protect K'ile. K'haz Tia glances between the group, suddenly lost in all the family drama. "Wait...hold on. Everyone calm down." Artorias Rivendare dismounts from the coreul immediately and moves in a bit closer as per K'ailia's orders, he reached for his belt where the tranquilizer darts were but held his ground for now upon the stranger's request. K'ailia Yohko shoots an angered look at K'haz, I patched the bloody fool up, told her she needed to rest or she'd reinjur herself and she told me basically to screw off and ran to her lover! K'luha Haaz looks at K'ailia Yohko in shock! K'luha Haaz: What!? K'luha Haaz: I ran off into the desert! K'ailia Yohko: You want that no good brainless twit, you can have him! I am leaving the tribe. K'luha Haaz winced at the stone's point of impact on her leg and rubbed hip. "K'ailia!" K'haz Tia notes the movement and snarls - aether twisting aboud him as he sends a harsh wind to hopefully pull the darts away. K'luha Haaz runs after her daughter regaurdless of the pain and grabs at her robe. "K'ailia, wwait!" K'ailia Yohko growls deeply. K'haz Tia looks between the men - hoping for morre sanity there. "What the fuck?!" K'ailia Yohko shoots a look at her mother. K'luha Haaz: I rejected your help because I never wanted to be treated in Ul'dah in the first place! And you have shown me a serious lack of respect for some time now. Just because you are an adult doesn't mean you can treat your family that way. Artorias Rivendare blinked a moment and shook his head, looks like... The wind suddenly picked up and one of the darts did fly, however his reaction was just as quick and his armored hand snatched it out of the air before it got too far. He narrowed his eyes at the Tia before stepping back to retreat after K'ailia. He wanted this settled without violence if it could be helped. K'ailia Yohko: You want lack of respect? I cared about you. Enough to patch your sorry ass up after you picked an uncalled for fight! K'ailia Yohko: You talk about maturity, yet you lack it mother! K'luha Haaz: I did not ask to be punted through a three with fire! K'haz Tia looked to K'ile for an explanation - a drowning amn searching for a final boat to sanity island. K'ailia Yohko: You picked a damn fight! K'ailia Yohko: What the hells did you think would happen?! K'haz Tia: "What's happenin?" K'ile Twinflame didn't just stand there like a derp. He kept step behind K'luha, and seeing Artoias hands, points his spear at him in warning. "They're just arguing. You want this sto stay peaceful, don't you?" K'luha Haaz: I asked for a match to test his strength! Not to have rocks and earth thrown at my face! K'ailia! I thought we would fight and I would loose, but I would be able to see if he was a capable leader! I didn't think he would try and kill me! Would you? K'haz Tia kept a careful eye on the one with the darts, digging his aether into the earth as he pretended to be distracted. His family relationships might be...tense but that didn't mean he wanted them attacked. A mage might sense the tendrils of aether sinking into the ground beneathe the dragoon's feet - ready to make him knee high with the earth if the man made another move. K'ailia Yohko looks at K'luha "I heard the whole damn story! You challenged him to the death! Even when you were beaten you kept trying to fight! You damn idiot!!!!" K'luha Haaz: I did not challenge him to the death! I challenge him until one of us admitted defeat! K'haz Tia ears flicked between the back and forth - trying to make sense of it all. Mates...somethin' to do with mates...agh women. Artorias Rivendare: "I'm following what I've been ordered to do by the Chief herself." Artorias replied cooly, his gaze level with K'lie despite the fact he had a spear drawn on him. The other Tia was being watched as well and his instincts were alert as ever. K'ailia Yohko: It was a stupid pointless challenge. You know this. What the hells is going through your head?! And then after I patch you up and tell you the wounds aren't fully healed to stay put you aether away" K'ailia Yohko: You trying to kill yourself?! K'haz Tia frowned at the words: Cheif. Tribal? No this man certainly wasn't miqo'te...another organization involved with his clan then? Since when? K'haz Tia held his tongue - though he kept his aether ready. Best to just watch and listen. He wasn't involved with the caln anymore and he -certainly- didn't want to get between mother and daughter. That'd be a death wish by the looks of it. K'luha Haaz rubbed her head in frustration and stomped a painful foot on the ground. "It was not pointless. I wanted to test him. Because I know that you have already entrusted yourself to him and I wanted to know that he could protect you. I did it because I have known you are leaving ever since we fought in Ul'dah and I cannot stand to watch my child leave me again!" she shouted, breaking into tears before sinking to the ground and crying. "I can't... d-do that again... " K'luha Haaz weeps in sorrow before K'ailia Yohko. K'haz Tia ears twitched, instinctivly moving forward at his sister's sorrow but does his best to hold himself. K'ile Twinflame says to Artorias, "You just think about what those orders might get you into." He then looks to K'ailia, "You two better skip the fighting part and go right to understanding, if you want what's best for everyone." Artorias Rivendare watched the whole drama unfold without a spark of emotion on his face. He just hoped K'ailia wouldn't make him use the darts on her as she instructed if she got out of control. K'ailia Yohko shoots an angered look at K'ile "You are a tia. Know your damn role and shut the hells up!!!!" K'ile Twinflame growls, calmly, "Listen to yourself. You're just angry." K'ailia Yohko looks back at her mother, "You seem to think everything needs to revolve around you. Guess what. My decision isn't just about the tribe. It's about all of Eorzea" K'haz Tia can't help but nod along with K'ile's words. He however bristles at K'ailia's. "An' I'm a medic." He snapped. "And it anin't waise to be upsetting a wounded women like that." Artorias Rivendare heard K'lie's words but ignored them, he would follow his orders to the point. K'ailia Yohko: If I can help all of Eorzea to make things better for this land. K'ailia Yohko: Then it benefits the tribe. K'ailia Yohko looks at K'haz "You even been listening? I patched them burns, I started the healing on her rib and spine. She just basically tells me to bugger off and runs away even when I told her it could kill her" K'luha Haaz looked back up to K'ailia through tear stained eyes. "I am selfish K'ailia! As much as I said I wasn't I am! You are my daughter! I-i have always w-wanted what is best for you but it is hard t-to watch you go! I-i don't w-want you to leave... n-not like this!" K'ailia Yohko: It's time this spoiled brat needs told the truth. She is being detrimental to her own health! K'ile Twinflame put a hand on K'haz's shoulder, "Get in there and heal her. They can argue while you work." K'ailia Yohko: I am selfish to mother. I was healing you so I can keep you around. I don't want you to die. K'ailia Yohko: But disrespecting me, is disrespecting what I do. You've made me feel worthless. K'ailia Yohko: What good is you accompanying me to Gridania to learn healing, if you just going to run away with injuries? K'luha Haaz shook her head and grapsed lightly at her daughter's robe. "I'm sorry I left... I'm sorry I didn't listen. I-i only... I don't know what to do. I c-can't leave you... but I c-can't leave the tribe. I don't know h-how to accept all of this healing magic... it scares me K'ailia." K'haz Tia kneels down - running his hands over her wounds to reasure himself of the other medic's words. They rang true - and after doing a few touch ups of his own he flashed her a glare. He remains quiet - letting the women talk it out for now. K'ailia Yohko: The magic is no different than what K'piru taught me. Conjury is just a more advance form of the tribe shamanism mother. K'ailia Yohko kneels down before her mother. K'ailia Yohko: But my training has now gone beyond Conjurer. Artorias Rivendare continued to look on, keeping a stone mask for an expression, deep inside however, he seemed relieved that things were calming down. K'ailia Yohko pulls out the white crystal that glows slightly. K'luha Haaz shook her head a little and looked to the ground. "I know... you say that... but still. It scares me.... It somehow feels... invasive whenever you use it. Like it is wrong somehow... I do not like the way it feels when you heal me..." K'haz Tia steps back as K'ailia kneels down - trying to give the two some mroe space. He knew how the tribe felt about outside magicks - knew even of his sister's distaste but to see this level of...fear startled him. K'ailia Yohko: I am a white mage. My duties stretches beyond the tribe. Beyond family. K'ailia Yohko: Do you want to know what the spells did to help you? K'luha Haaz hesitantly nodded and gripped at her robe. K'ile Twinflame steps forward, and turns to fix Artorias straight on with a glare, "What exactly did your 'chief' order you to do?" K'ailia Yohko: The first spell, removed the splinters from your mine and repaired the bone. That is something traditional medicine would not be able to do. K'ailia Yohko: You would of been unable to move otherwise, maybe even died. K'haz Tia ears snapped forward at the title. A question falls unbidden from his lips. "A true white mage? Of the padjal's keen?" K'ailia Yohko: the second spell moved your rib back into place and had started mending the bone. K'ailia Yohko nods "Yes, the same" K'ailia Yohko places the crystal back inside her robes. "These are white mage robes. Attuned to me" K'haz Tia tries to keep his attention on teh other convorsation but gold eyes were fixated on K'ailia, surprise holding his gaze. "How?" His own magicks had been learned in secret through the blades....but for another to know and for her to be flaunting it about... Artorias Rivendare returned the Tia's gaze, but one with cool indifference. He would enlighten him with the truth, he was a Dragoon and he would not hide his intentions. "If the Chief was to lose control of her emotions and go ..*ballistic* I am to use these darts to tranquilize her to prevent this from escalating further. That is all." K'luha Haaz shook her head again, disagreeing with K'ailia. "I... I can see how they are useful but that doesn't change that they feel so invasive. I am left with a sicky feeling like something is in my body that I do not want there K'ailia... " she mumbled, although it seemed her daughter hardly cared to listen to her any further. K'ailia Yohko smiles at K'luha Haaz. K'ailia Yohko: In every person is aether. K'ile Twinflame: Wait, what? Who is this chief person now? K'ailia Yohko: It is how you use your teleport. K'luha Haaz: I know about Aether. I have used it extensively to teleport you know... K'ailia Yohko: The magic moves the aether in your own body to fix what is broken. Artorias Rivendare shifted his gaze on K'ailia in answer. K'luha Haaz: Maybe I am just... sensitive to it then? K'ailia Yohko smiles at K'luha Haaz. K'ile Twinflame blinks, "Oh." His ears bounce a bit, and his demeanor lightens, "That's alright then." K'ailia Yohko: The world has changed mother. I have changed. I am not the scared little helpless kit I once was. K'haz Tia "everythin' has aether," K'haz couldn't help but add. "Every livin' thing. There are sensitives - they're more common in Gridania due to the shroud but aye. Y you could be." K'ailia Yohko: In my own way, I am doing what is best for the tribe. By ensuring the lands are safe, I ensure the tribe is safe. K'haz Tia shakes his head and grabs firmly onto his tongue. It seemed teh convorsation had drifted back to being between mother and daughter. Giving his sister her peace he instead turned his focus back on teh two males. K'ailia Yohko gives a smile to K'luha "You've already gone against tribe laws." she looks over to K'haz "Hasn't she K'haz?" K'luha Haaz frowned at the ground. Well it explained a lot if that was the case but... she rubbed her legs which stung painfully from the cold. "No. You are not. And even if you have a duty to Eorzea... do you not have one to me as well?" K'luha looked up to K'ailia and bit her bottom lip. "I..." Artorias Rivendare shifted his weight from one foot to the other while crossing his arms over his chest. He listened to the conversation and for the first time, got a chance to learn about these so called "tribesfolk" K'ile Twinflame takes a step to the side so that he is next to K'luha, and then drops into a crouch. "It's been a long time since K'haz left. People change. We are to shun the person who left, but I'd place my bet that that person doesn't exist anymore." K'haz Tia frowns at Yohko's words - not catching her meaning. K'haz Tia suddenly understood at K'ile's words and his ears flattened. K'luha Haaz: K'ile... I can't shun K'ailia... no matter the tribe law... I... I can't... and I can't shun K'haz either.... K'haz Tia blinked, tail halting it's usual sway in surprise. K'ailia Yohko stands "I am the chief medical officer of Ul'dah Garden. My duty is to heal those needing healed. Yes even that fool Ventus received healing." Artorias Rivendare shifted slightly when he heard Ventus' name. K'ailia Yohko: I do not think like the tribe. I trust all, until they give me reasons not to trust them. K'ile Twinflame looks thoughtful at K'luha's words, but has nothing to say to K'ailia's. Artorias Rivendare was thankful for his helmet because it hid the frown when the man was mentioned. K'luha Haaz: K'ailia, there is something strange with Ventus. Something... wrong... with his I think it would be Aether? K'ile Twinflame makes a curious hum, and his ears perk up. K'haz Tia frowns at the title. Ul'dah Garden...he'd have to look into the archives about that group. K'ailia Yohko: I cannot say. But I will set right, whatever is wrong with him. K'haz Tia cocks his head, finally speaking up. "Perhaps another healer's eyes might help?" K'luha Haaz: I just... I wanted you to know. To be careful. He is powerful, surely but... something is strange about it. Dark almost. K'ailia Yohko nods to K'luha Haaz. K'ailia Yohko: I will be careful. K'ailia Yohko smiles at K'luha Haaz. K'luha Haaz glanced back to K'haz and blinked. "Another healer's eyes on... Ventus?" K'haz Tia shrugs. "I'm unfamiliar with the situation. Only know that somethin's wrong and you be needin' help by the sounds of it." K'ailia Yohko: What will you do? Stick with the tribe? I am sure the rest of the tribe will not approve of you continuing relations with two outcasts. K'ile Twinflame sits up a bit higher, smiling. He proclaims, "DOn't assume anything." K'luha Haaz: I... that is my problem K'ailia. I don't know what to do. I can't... I can't leave you and... K'ile? What do you mean? K'ile Twinflame: The tribe, like anything else, changes. We're moving to a new home, after all, and we need to subsist partially off trade going forward. Can't stay hermitted in the desert. K'luha Haaz looks at you in shock! K'luha Haaz: Then we could... perhaps align with the Garden and perhaps welcome back our exiled members? K'haz Tia also stares at the other male miqo'te in disbelief. What the fuck had happened since he'd been gone? Artorias Rivendare stood there blankly, being the only one who was clueless about the tribe. Still, all that mattered to him was that this meeting went smoothly and that no complications came out of it. K'ile Twinflame glances up at K'luha, saying sternly, "We will never align with the garden. Not if this Ventus is the man you all protray him as. I'm just saying it might not be a crime, in the future, to speak with those who have left the tribe." K'haz Tia heart raced a bit at the thought of being welcomed back into his family but he quickly swallowed the feeling. K'ile's words were bold and K'luha's acceptance was heart warming but neither of these things could rewrite so many years of history. K'ailia Yohko looks at K'ile, "Well I have just one warning for you. If you ever draw your spear on me again, not even my mother jumping in the way will save you." K'luha Haaz looked disheartened. Really, she was weary about Ventus but he wasn't a particularly bad guy. She didn't care so much about Ventus as she did about having a alliance with K'ailia. "Well... then maybe we just align with K'ailia's portion of the Garden?" K'ile Twinflame looks at K'ailia and says, "Do not threaten me with violence. That's not wise." K'luha Haaz frowned and stepped between K'ile and K'ailia again. "If you two don't stop it I am going to... do somethign stupid again! Stop bickering! You're worse than me!" K'ile Twinflame pretends to cower away from K'luha, "I'd better stop then." K'ailia Yohko: It was only a warning. It's one thing to ask me to stay back. Another to draw a weapon on me. K'haz Tia snickered. "K'ile's always been picken' on the young. Make's 'im feel less old." K'ailia Yohko: And if you want trade with me, that's fine. I will gladly help the tribe when needed. K'ile Twinflame tosses a frown at K'haz. "I'm not old. You wait til you see how I move before you call me old." K'luha Haaz glanced back up to K'haz and smiled. "Well, I could see that being true." Her eyes slowly trailed back to K'ailia and she felt a heavy sadness. "I would rather have the Tribe in the Garden so you were closer..." K'ailia Yohko smiles at K'luha Haaz. K'haz Tia sticks his tongue out at the red head. "Probaly go deaf from all yer bones creakin' and groanin' from the effort." K'ailia Yohko: You and I both know that was never going to happen. K'luha Haaz: Maybe it could! K'ailia Yohko: For now... I am going back to Ul'dah. Could I ask one thing of you mother? K'luha Haaz nods to K'ailia Yohko. K'ile Twinflame stands and says, "If we're done fighting, I need K'luha to rest." K'ailia Yohko: Could you bring my things? And... maybe some of the ritual stuff K'piru left me? K'luha Haaz weeps in sorrow before K'ailia Yohko. K'luha Haaz: I... I will bring your remaining things... K'ailia Yohko: Thanks mother. K'ailia Yohko smiles at K'luha Haaz. K'luha Haaz cried quietly now before suddenly moving forward to hug K'ailia tightly. "Where did my baby girl go...?" K'ile Twinflame sighs in slight exasperation. Artorias Rivendare just remained silent as he always did. K'ailia Yohko: She grew up... she became a person that now focuses on learning and helping everyone in Eorzea. K'haz Tia sigh is similar. "Always were a crybaby." He murmered light heartedly under his breath. K'ailia Yohko: Hey, if tribe life ever becomes too much for you, there's always room with me. K'ailia Yohko smiles at K'luha Haaz. K'luha Haaz: Is she still my daughter though? If she helps everyone in Eorzea, is it possible to still have time for me? K'ailia Yohko: Always mother. And... you've got another daughter waiting for you in Gridania. Zii'na Fyr'bain agrees wholeheartedly with Aurora Vlondett. K'luha Haaz: ... Maka's daughter? You met her? Zii'na Fyr'bain pokes Aurora Vlondett. K'ailia Yohko smiles at K'luha Haaz. K'haz Tia tried to imagine such strong personalities sharing the same room....One would be dead within the week. Zii'na Fyr'bain pokes Aurora Vlondett. K'ile Twinflame clears hsi throat loudly, "Hey! We aren't talking about that right now!" K'luha Haaz: How... how is she? Is she angry with me? K'ailia Yohko pulls out a linkpearl handing it to K'luha "I gave her one. I also enrolled her in the archers guild. She will be ready soon for her trials" K'ile Twinflame looks at K'ailia blankly, "...What?" K'luha Haaz promptly ignores K'ile and smacks his chest with her tail harshly as if to tell him to shut the fuck up. K'ailia Yohko: She's worried that her mothers crimes apply to her. K'ile Twinflame has also honed his skills at ignoring K'luha and doesn't even notice. K'ailia Yohko: But she's a good kid. Her mother has taught her much of the tribe even in exile. K'haz Tia leans in to whisper dryly into a red ear. "Might not want to be interuptin' aye? Less you want 'em to turn their temper on you." K'luha Haaz carefully took the linkpearl and examined it. "She... wants to come to us then? Truely? How do I use this thing?" she grumbled, shaking the linkpearl. K'ailia Yohko: You just speak into it. K'ile Twinflame swing a hand at K'haz to chase him off. K'luha Haaz: Who can I talk to with it? K'ailia Yohko: Also... she looks kind of like you. K'luha Haaz: Eh!? K'luha Haaz looks at K'ailia Yohko in shock! K'ailia Yohko: You can talk to her, and to me. K'luha Haaz: What about Ventus? I will... have to... apolgize I suppose... K'haz Tia dodges the swat - flicking the back of K'iles kneecap with his tail in retaliation. K'ailia Yohko: Give him time. He's undergone my... caring treatment himself. K'ailia Yohko winks at K'luha. K'luha Haaz laughs at K'ailia Yohko. K'ailia Yohko: No one hurts my mother. K'luha Haaz smiles at K'ailia Yohko. K'luha Haaz: And no one hurts my daughter. Got that one K'ile? Artorias Rivendare almost perked up about the fact that Ventus himself had some apologizing to do as well, but this was not his place to do so. K'haz Tia bored now, K'haz stick his nose into the lancer's buisness, cocking his head curiously as he sidles up to the man. K'ile Twinflame looks sideways at K'luha, "I was done with this conversation five minutes ago. You're wounded. You need to go to bed. Wrap this up or I'm going to wrangle you." K'luha Haaz: As if you could K'ile! K'ailia Yohko: For once I agree with dodo brains. You need to rest. K'ailia Yohko: I will always be with you in that pearl. K'ailia Yohko beams with delight at K'luha Haaz. K'ailia Yohko: See you later. K'luha Haaz cleared her throat and tucked the linkpearl into her clevage for safe keeping. "Alright... I expect frequent updates on Eorzea!" Artorias Rivendare side glanced at the approaching Tia, though he did his best not to let his presence disturb his peace and quiet. K'luha Haaz: If you're leaving me to save Eorzea then damnit, I want to know about it! K'ailia Yohko: Of course. K'ailia Yohko: We can go now Rivendare. K'luha Haaz: K'ailia! K'luha Haaz: Goodbye... K'ailia Yohko smiles at K'luha Haaz. K'haz Tia waves his farewells. "Nice to meet ya niece...perhaps teh next time will be less...dramatic." K'ailia Yohko: not goodbye. Just see you later. K'ailia Yohko smiles at K'haz Tia. K'ailia Yohko: maybe you can teach me some of your techniques. K'luha Haaz cried anyway, but nodded solemnly and looked back to K'haz. "Forgive me... I've been a bit of a trainwreck lately..." K'haz Tia glances to the lancer. "An' perhaps this one will talk more...or be more interesting...and Aye I'd like that. Same to you." K'ailia Yohko looks at Artorias "Mind handing me them darts?" K'luha Haaz: Darts? K'ile Twinflame crosses his arms, muttering, "This whole thing is a... train? What? Wrecked training?" K'luha Haaz: Figure of speech K'ile. It's used in the cities a lot. Artorias Rivendare: As you wish, Chief. Farewell..... Why, yes, of course. K'haz Tia nods. "Aye he's been twirlin' 'em about for a while now. Pay more attention K'luha." He winks cheekily. K'luha Haaz: What are you on about K'haz? I'm fine. Pefect health. K'ailia Yohko takes the three darts in hand then tosses one to K'haz "That's loaded with strong knockout juice. Ma don't do as she's told, use it" K'haz Tia grins. "Aye just a bit blind is all...must be gettin' old too. Honestly I'm surrounded by ye decrepit folk." K'luha Haaz frowned at K'ailia and then K'haz. "Don't you even think about it K'haz." K'ailia Yohko laughs at K'haz Tia. K'haz Tia notes the darts with intrest and grins sheepishly at K'luha's scolding. "Was think'n nothin." K'luha Haaz: I swear if you use that on me I will... do... something... terrible to you! K'ailia Yohko: Alright, time to get back K'luha Haaz bids farewell to K'ailia Yohko. K'haz Tia waves his own good byes - his lopsided grin becoming straigh and true for once. K'ile Twinflame looks over at K'haz and says, "I told you not to ask questions because it's confusing. Don't expect an explanation." Artorias Rivendare walks over to his Coreul and pats her on the head, glad that this time she behaved and didn't pounce on him like usual. He mounted up and then ushered the feline to move forward after the Chief. K'luha Haaz sighed heavily and flopped on the ground, holding her aching chest. "I can't believe she really left..." K'haz Tia just chuckled good naturdly at K'luha's threats. "Like I said. Won't do nothin'." A shrug is K'ile's responce. "Ah I'll just find me' own answers. Makeing 'em up is more fun anway.." K'ile Twinflame drops down next to K'luha and puts a hand on her, "It's fine. You were prepared for it." K'haz Tia glanced at K'ile a sharpness to his grin. "Also..yer way to old to be flirten' with my sister." K'luha Haaz: Honestly... if I had known challenging Ventus to a fight was going to send me flying through a tree I wouldn't have done it. Flirten'? What the hell is that? K'ile Twinflame: You don't even know how old I am, kid K'haz Tia snikers. "It's a form of couplin' old man. Surly yer not so shrivled ye forgot about couplin?" K'luha Haaz: He's like fourty. And he's still a Tia. Even if he wanted to he couldn't. K'haz Tia shrugs. "Older than me." K'haz Tia shruged again. "Not unheard of for...certain bonds to grow. Love's love an all that sweet fluffy shite." K'luha Haaz fails to understand K'haz Tia. K'ile Twinflame: Leave it to a child to call forty old. Anyway, I've got no interest in coupling, so you can take your suggestions and bury them. K'haz Tia: "Also fourty? How come ye aint dead yet?" K'luha Haaz: Speaking of coupling, would you believe Ventus came forward and apparently adores me or some nonsense like that? K'ile Twinflame scoffs. "He has a fancy way of showing it. He knows he need to beat a Nunh to become a Nunh, not the woman, right?" K'haz Tia cocks his head at the name. "Ventus again. Who is this exactly? Another Hyur with a miqo'te fetish?" K'luha Haaz: That's about right. He's strange. And I told him so but I also told him if he couldn't beat me no way I would let him go near K'yohko. But... honestly? I think he could wipe the floor with K'yohko. K'haz Tia ears twitched in surprise. "Truly? What kind of fighter is he?" K'ile Twinflame: K'haz could wipe the floor with K'yohko. We haven't had a good Nunh since the Calamity. K'luha Haaz: Well... he made the earth rise up in pillars. And then kicked them at me. And then he pucnhed me and somehow that punch exploded into fire and knocked me through a tree so... K'haz Tia: "I'll take that compliment...backhanded or not. Also...ain't K'yhohko a bit...old to still be a nuhn?" K'ile Twinflame: So it doesn't count if he just uses flashy magic to through you around like some wuss that doesn't want to touch you. K'luha Haaz: He's only a bit older than me but... we have no Tias fit to take over as the new Nunh. Save for K'ile who refuses. K'haz Tia frowned at the discription. "Sounds like a monk...who might dabble in a bit o conjury." K'luha Haaz: Well he used his fists... I haven't the faintest idea. But then he tried to kill me with some strange... orb of dark Aether or something so... K'ile Twinflame: Wait. K'ile Twinflame: He fucking tried to kill you!? K'haz Tia ears snapped up. "Dark aether?" K'luha Haaz: Oh. Well. Sort of. For a moment I thought he would. Then the others insisted he was going to if he hadn't been stopped. K'ile Twinflame: And you left K'ailia in that man's garden? K'haz Tia frowns, cocking his head. "I'm still stuck on the aether bit. Mind goin' into more detail? How'd it feel exactly?" K'luha Haaz: Well what are you going to do to stop her and bring her back K'ile? Drag her back only to have her pummel you with rocks!? K'ile Twinflame: I don't know! You didn't say he tried to kill you! What the hell is that!? And you're still on about wishing we could join up with that graden? Did your brain get broken? K'luha Haaz: As for the Aether it was... it simply felt wrong. Tainted almost. Very dark. There was simply something wrong about the way it felt. K'haz Tia scowls. "Might it have been of the void?" K'luha Haaz frowned and hit K'ile's face with her tail again. "I can't stop K'ailia, nor can I stop Ventus! And honestly, he threw me into a tree with a fire punch. So yes. It might be." K'luha Haaz: The void...? I... maybe? I would let you know if I find out anything about it. K'haz Tia leans against the rock face, crossing his arms as his tail twisted with his thoughts. "What's this man's station within' the guild?" K'luha Haaz: The Headmaster. K'ile Twinflame throws his arms in the air, "Okay, stop! This is... I'm getting K'luha back to Drybone." K'ile Twinflame he grabs K'luha's arm and stands, attempting to pull her up with him. "Come on." K'haz Tia frowns deeply and holds out an arm to stop K'ile. "Hold yerself and think a tick. K'luha is apart of this man's guild aye?" K'luha Haaz: No. K'ailia is. K'haz Tia nods. "Right then she knows him better than any of us. She knows what she's doin. If we go runin' in there flashin' our claws we might cause more harm then help." K'luha Haaz: Trust me. Not planning on running after him for a fight anymore. K'haz Tia shrugs. "An' if she's a white mage as she says she knows of his aether. Knows it's potential and can likely feel it when it's movin' about. If anythin' he won't catch her by surprise. She's probably better prepared for 'em than the two of ye." K'luha Haaz nods to K'haz Tia. K'ile Twinflame: Don't misunderstand. I'm not doing anything about it, except keeping him the hell away from the tribe. I know K'ailia can handle him. She's meddlesome and emotional, but she's not tame. K'luha Haaz frowned and winced a bit, rubbing at her wounds. Too much stress and headaches... but at least she felt... somewhat relieved if not weightened with sadness. K'haz Tia tail taps against stone and nods in understanding. "Alright. You've never been one to put the tribe in danger so I'll trust ye. Still...foul magic headin' a guild...one interested in all of Eorzea? I don't like the sound of it." K'luha Haaz: You think he's up to no good then? K'haz Tia shakes his head. "Aether is a thing of life. Wild, untamed - that's how healthy aether feels. Like sun itself. This...darkness isn't right. Ain't somethin' of life anyway." K'ile Twinflame: Here's an idea, K'haz. Why don't you go find K'ailia and you two do something about it. I've got to worry about getting the tribe moved out of the Sagolii before they starve. K'ile Twinflame adds on as an afterthought, "And K'luha needs to fix some of K'ailia's meddling in Gridania." K'haz Tia nods. "I can do that. Not a problem. Just a matter of findin' her." K'ile Twinflame: The garden's in Ul'dah. Ask around. You'll find it. Or they'll find you. K'luha Haaz: Stay safe K'haz... I don't wanna loose you again and I don't care what the tribe laws is. K'ile Twinflame pulls on K'luha's arm again, "Come on. If you're going to sit at least sit back in Drybone." K'haz Tia boyish grin softens into something more genuin. "You won't be losin' me any time soon. Don't frest. I've learned a thing or two on my own and have good comrads watchin' my back for when I slip up." K'luha Haaz glanced to K'haz before looking back to K'ile. "Alright..." she finally gave in before slowly standing. "It's freezing out here..." K'haz Tia nods at the pair - already walking up to his mount. "Aye listen to the flirt. Rest up an' get some food. Healers orders." K'luha Haaz nods to K'haz Tia. K'haz Tia mounting the bird, K'haz clicks his tongue - offering a final parting. "An' K'ile...put on a shirt. Stop forcin' my sister to look at yer wrinkled old arse." K'luha Haaz: Stay in touch! K'luha Haaz bids farewell to K'haz Tia. K'ile Twinflame begins to move away, pulling K'luha by her arm. He doesn't spare a farewell for K'haz. K'luha Haaz grunts and is pulled along, whining ab it at a fair amount of pain. "You could be nicer about it..." K'ile Twinflame: I could be a lot meaner about it too. K'luha Haaz: You could. I would prefer nice though. K'ile Twinflame: Let's just get back to the inn. K'luha Haaz nods to you.