Where to Go, What to Do Next

[Deleted]

[RAIF] He'd not awaken again until the sun was pouring in through the small window the next morning. But barely. Eyes flickered open just enough to be annoyed by the light, grumbling lowly before trying to turn his head more and bury his face into the pillow. [d]



[KAIA] She, too, had not slept soundly in quite a long time. They had to always be on alert. She was constantly being awoken by a slaver who wanted to feel her warmth but did not want it from his wife. The first few times she had resisted and fought against it, earned her some pretty brutal lashings and beatings. But in Raif's arms, she felt at peace, like he would never let anything happen to her and she could completely be vulnerable around him without needing to worry. So as he held her against his body, she slept soundly and peacefully throughout the night--even when he had turned and pulled her into him again, she barely flinched. It wasn't until morning when she felt him move and heard him groaning in protest from the sun. Her eyes slowly flickered open, only to squint from the light and she buried her face against his chest. "Morning already?" She whispered, drawing the blankets up over their heads to block out the light. "Mmm... Not anymore." [d]



[RAIF] He was forcing himself to try and sleep with that stupid sun, although he knew they should probably get up, figure out where to go next, what they were going to do. Really, he had absolutely no idea now, he finally didn't have a plan. Vaguely hearing her speak, remembering she was right there made it even harder to care about getting out of bed. He was comfortable. Especially when she drew the blanket over their heads to block out the damned light. He was Akasian, he had enough of that fiery orb of torment right now. Why couldn't he enjoy this shit, cold weather in a nice warm bed for more than a day? Because it was dangerous to stay still for too long. Still, his eyes still shut, a smirk cracked on his face. "Crafty minx," he called her again, groggily. [d]



[KAIA] She laughed at him as he called her a crafty minx. She was, wasn't she? She stretched her limbs out, keeping the blanket over their heads, she finally opened her eyes and looked at him. He looked worn and tired still, and she wondered how much or how well he had actually slept. She placed a kiss to his forehead and whispered. "Sleep. I will keep watch now..." They had no where to be right now, unless the slavers ended up on this land and asked the bartender if he had seen them and they were given up. For 6 copper, he better keep his mouth shut. [d]



[RAIF] She was a crafty minx, and it was a good thing, too. Were it not for her quick thinking, they may have succumbed to the frigid weather outside instead of the warmth of this cozy, albeit drafty, room. They had no where to be right now, but that didn't mean he'd be able to remain idle. Staying in one place for too long made him nervous, maybe because he wasn't used to staying in one place for too long. With the kiss to his forehead, his arms subconsciously tightened around her, but he still couldn't bother opening his eyes or allowing him to fall back asleep. "We really need a plan..." The was quite obvious. [d]



[KAIA] She squirmed against him as if fighting to get out of his grip, but she did not fight very hard, as she was quickly relaxing in his arms again, laughing quietly. "I know we do..." She sighed. "Sometimes it would be nice to just stay... pretend we own a house and have a simple, quiet life with nothing to worry about except what to cook for dinner." She laughed at the thought. "Of course, we'd be married, too...because you know no one else would put up with you like I do..." She grinned and nudged him playfully in the ribs. "And no one would put up with me either, though..." Her smile faltered as her words did, because her mind suddenly went to her illness. Raif had been putting up with it for a while, and she honestly didn't know how he did.

Right, they needed a plan. She thought quietly before speaking again. "We can go into the village here.. Buy some new, clean clothes.. Something to EAT" God, was she hungry! "Look around, see what we can find... see if this place is somewhere we can stay for a while..." She shrugged and curled up against him. "But right now, I'm comfortable and don't want to move." [d]



[RAIF] Own a house? What was that even like? It almost made him cringe, just thinking about having to stay put in one place. He should want to. He shouldn't want to get back onto some ship ever again...but he couldn't help it. There was something about the sea, the freedom, even if he'd never been on a ship without shackles on...he could imagine it. 'Of course, we'd be married.' Was he delusional right now? Was he still asleep? Her amused words made one of his eyes open to regard her as though she was losing her mind again. But this was a different kind of madness. This was the ramblings of a happy, free woman. Even still. "What in the seven hells are you goin' on about?" he mumbled, still groggy. He couldn't seem to shake this exhaustion, and yet he wasn't sure he could fall back asleep either. And it wasn't because she was rambling on. Did he look like a man who would marry? Ever? He noticed her smile falter, though, and that was helping to wake him up some more. She didn't have to voice it for him to know where her mind went. Raif didn't have time to respond, because she went off again, something about exploring more of the town. It would be wise to get some sort of supplies. Chuckling lowly, he finally spoke, "Freedom makes you awfully chatty..." He just thought he would point that out. [d](edited)



[KAIA] She couldn't imagine owning a house and staying put either, but it was nice to think about from time to time, like right now, when she didn't want to move out of this bed. At Raif's question, she burst out into laughter. What in the seven hells was she going on about? She pushed her hand into his face. No, he didn't look like a man who would marry, but again-- it was her pretend world of peace and normalcy. (Something that would never exist for them).

"Does it? Am I being too chatty for you?" She laughed a little and squirmed again, trying to get out of his arms. [d]



[RAIF] He could only groan in annoyance when she pushed her hand into face, making him close both eyes again. Not that he was really annoyed, but he'd be more into this giddy Kaia were he still not half asleep. That was his own fault, however, because he wasn't making much of an effort to really wake up. No, maybe that was entirely her fault but she was making it extremely comfortable at the moment. Try all she might, but his arms didn't budge. "Dammit, woman," he grumbled. "Are you a fuckin' eel?" If he wasn't so warm, he may have just shoved her out of that bed. Well, he might still be tempted if she kept this up. [d]



[KAIA] She had told him to go back to sleep, but he wanted to come up with plans and so she gave her ideas and he was calling her chatty for doing so. She laughed as he called her an eel, and she stopped squirming, relaxing against him again, since he wasn't letting her go. She finally felt warm, and she worried that their clothes still might not be dry and as soon as they left the bed, she would be frozen again. He made no attempts at getting up, so she curled against him, wrapping one of her legs around his and tucking her feet under his. "So, are we staying here all day then? Our clothes probably aren't dry yet, anyway." She tried to reason with him, make up any excuse to stay here and continue to rest. They deserved it after all they've been through. She lifted her chin to look up at his face and she whispered in a sing-song tone. "I know you want to...." [d]



[RAIF] He never claimed to be a very smart man, but he was also trying to silently come up with a plan and her idle chatter made it a little difficult. More because it was amusing, thus distracting. Especially when one of those curvaceous legs curled over his. Mm, all the more tempting. "I do..." he murmured lowly. Then he was moving, rolling so that she'd fall to her back and he was hovering over her, that blanket still draped over them like a tent. But an arm was reaching above her head just as slowly, fingers curling into that pillow...to pull it out from underneath her and playfully "suffocate" her with it before he fell back to his side. He tried not to laugh as he turned his back to her now. [d]



[KAIA] Kill her for finally being able to talk--especially to him! They rarely got to with being chained up and watched constantly by the slavers. Or being pulled away from one another. They were free, and she was happy and excited about it.

She shrieked when he rolled her onto her back and yanked the pillow from underneath her head, but then he was trying to suffocate her. And she was laughing about it? When he rolled back to his side, she was hitting him in the head with that same pillow. "Don't be an ass!" He finally had let go of her, and she was free, so she moved, draping herself over his side, resting on him, playfully kissing his cheek. "Raaaaiiiffffff...." She shook him annoyingly. "I'm fucking starving!" She laughed, because she was whining now in a mockful annoyance, just to get under his skin. "Go get me something to eat." [d]



[RAIF] This was definitely a new side to her. She was strangely, adorably insufferable and simply ignoring her wasn't work. She was like a gnat that just wouldn't go away...constantly flying straight into your face, managing to avoid every swat of your hand no matter how hard you try. He grunted when she hit him back with that pillow but he barely acknowledged her, even when her weight draped over him, jostling him lightly. She was rather persistent, wasn't she? "Me? You're the hungry one!" he exclaimed quietly. "You go out." Of course, he didn't actually mean that, because he'd get paranoid and worry that she wasn't safe. He sighed over that very thought. [d]



[KAIA] She shook him, jumped on him lightly and started whining. "Not hungry... starving!" She laughed and moved off of him, sitting up and taking most of the blankets with her. "You're going to let me venture out on my own?" She gasped playfully, knowing his bluff quite well. "What if they're out there and they capture me? We'll never see each other again! You'll never forgive yourself..." She grinned, knowing he couldn't see her. "Or...." She fell back on the bed next to him, onto her back. "I'll just lay here and wither away..." She was being dramatic now, and it caused her to laugh. Finally, she pulled him back onto his back and climbed onto him, laying her body completely on top of his. Her arms folded over his chest and she rested her chin down on her arms. "You wouldn't want that to happen to me, right?" [d]



[RAIF] An arm reached out, blindly trying to grab at the blanket she was pulling away, grumbling in his usual annoyance once more. But her joking words were doing quite the opposite to him; making that concern slowly begin to filter in and take over. That anger at the slavers, at the various masters both had endured was clouding his judgement. And when he was about to say something, she was pulling him over onto his back and molding that tiny, naked body on top of him. Mixed signals messed with him, and Raif nearly forgot what he was getting so bent out of shape over. Then he remembered as a hand lifted to brush a thumb along her cheek in thought, in memory of it all. "Don't say such things..." he murmured quietly, only mildly berating her for it. He grasped her face then, speaking sincerely and sternly. "They won't take you again, you hear me? They won't." [d]



[KAIA] She stared down at him as he touched her face, and she caught his stern and serious expression. He had taken her joking words seriously, and now she was frowning, falling serious herself now. It had been so long since Kaia had felt what freedom was, and it was near miraculous that they had been able to remain close for so long, or at least find one another if they had ever been separated. She wanted to believe Raif, that they wouldn't take her again, but she had very little hope that this freedom would last. Maybe it was why she was so chatty and energetic, because she wasn't sure when the next time would be that she could feel this. But she wouldn't let Raif know of her doubt. She trusted him, and she knew he would do all that he could to keep them from being captured. But she would never blame him if they did get captured again. She sighed and nodded. "Okay... They won't take us again..." She wouldn't let them take him, either. [d]



[RAIF] He wanted to believe. He had to believe it. This was all they had now and he refused to go back. He refused to let anyone take her. Kaia deserved this freedom, that house she wanted, whatever she wanted. Raif couldn't remember when this had all happened, when he developed this need to protect her and only her. But it felt as though he had always done it, always felt this way and there no longer needed to be a reason for it. He grinned only faintly, his thumb still brushing along her cheek. "Right...us." The only way it had been for years now. Chest rose and fell with the deep breath he took, and he was quiet for a long moment. He almost said something, something else, but opted to sigh in defeat instead. "I guess we should find you something to eat." [d]



[KAIA] She closed her eyes as he continued to brush his thumb along her cheek. It felt almost foreign being touched in such a gentle way. And it calmed her down from whatever hyper chattiness that her claimed her before. A smile grew upon her lips when he repeated us and she opened her eyes to look down at him again. She noticed he seemed to be about to say something but he was sighing and mentioning getting her something to eat. She laughed out loud and leaned down and pressed her lips hard against his cheek, making a loud, obnoxious kissing sound as she released it. "Do you think they have oranges here? Mmmm..." She rolled off of him and back onto her back. "I can feel my mouth watering in thought of it.." Ok, so maybe that chattiness wasn't completely gone. "What food do you miss that you haven't had in a long time?" [d]



[RAIF] He tried to pretend that he was annoyed by that obnoxious kiss, but how could he be? Really? More importantly, how could he simply lay there and do nothing about this...naked situation? He was that tired. Respect, maybe. It was a friendship, a companionship that he'd never had before. He was connected to her in some sort of way, and it simply happened. It was how it always was for awhile and would forever be. When she finally rolled off of him, he was sitting up with a grumble of protest; swinging his legs over the edge and reached for his trousers. "I'm sure they have oranges." Slipping into them as he stood up, he was tying up the laces before he regarded her over his shoulder. "Rum," he answered her question lowly. Raif wasn't entirely kidding. [d]



[KAIA] She rolled onto her side and propped herself up on her elbow, watching as he got out of bed and put his pants on, grumbling and assuring her about there being oranges. But when he mentioned he missed rum, she laughed. "Rum for breakfast, hmm?" She laid back onto her back and sighed, staring up at the ceiling. There was a lot she missed, actually, that they had been deprived of for years. It was going to take a while to get used to this freedom. Even now, she wasn't entirely sure what to do with herself, because there was no one demanding anything of her right now. It was a strange feeling. [d]



[RAIF] For one who was trying to get him out of bed, she wasn't making much of an effort to do so herself. "Rum for everything." It numbed the brain, made everything more bearable. In truth, he would be happy with anything. Anything that wasn't the scraps they often got; but it was either that or nothing, and he hadn't been willing to starve. As she just laid there, he was bending to pick up her dress, and tossed it onto her face as she gazed dreamily up at the ceiling. He tossed his own shirt onto the bed, but was retrieving his boots, sitting back down on the edge now to slip them on. Raif wasn't sure if they could risk staying here another night, or if they'd have to move on...find somewhere else. [d]



[KAIA] Oh, he was going to make her go with him to find food? Hmmph. She just wanted to spend the day lazily relaxing, but she knew that probably wouldn't be possible anyway. As he dress hit her face, unexpectedly, it made her jump and she laughed. "Hey!" She shouted at him, before she sat up and groaned loudly, getting off the bed. She glared at him playfully and then started to put her dress back on. It smelled like salt water and sweat, and she really didn't want to wear it right now, but she had nothing else. Once it was on, she went and retrieved her boots before sitting back on the edge of the bed, slipping her feet into them and lacing them up. Once she was done, she found the mirror and glanced at herself before gasping. "Why didn't you tell me I looked like this!?" She untied her hair, letting it instantly fall in an unruly mess of curls. She tried to smooth it out and regather it up into a long braid. [d]



[RAIF] Now that he was moving, he could feel all the aches in his body, the stress he had put himself through. His head was even aching a little and it was probably from dehydration and having nothing in his stomach yet. He avoided cringing outwardly as he slipped his shirt back on, turning his attention to her when she gasped. "Look like what?" he inquired. "You always look like that." Was he missing something? Or was he just being a "typical man" as was said, not noticing much of anything until it was convenient for him. Raif retrieved the small coin pouch and approached her before blatantly shoving it down in between her breasts. You know, for safe keeping. "Let's go find you some oranges, hmm?" He'd leave the room, not bothering to check if they'd left anything behind, because, well...they had no belongings. [d]



[KAIA] Her eyes narrowed at Raif as he told her she always looked like this. Did he not notice she looked like an absolute mess? She had dirt on her face and hands that were probably permanent, and her hair was becoming a frizzy mess. When was the last time she had a proper bath? She gasped as he shoved the coin purse between her breasts and she pushed him away, sticking her hand down there now to adjust herself and the coin purse so it wasn't as noticeable or uncomfortable. She rolled her eyes at him and then laughed, leaving the room and trailing her fingers along his chest as she walked passed him. Quietly, she moved down the stairs, but making sure not to stray too far ahead from him. Just in case. [d]



[RAIF] Again, how was this any different from what she normally looked like? He was definitely missing something, but he wasn't going to argue with her, either. He looked amused, though, as it seemed to bother her. It caused him to lightly chuckle while following her down the steps, only giving the innkeeper a quick glance. It was early, so there weren't many people downstairs. When they set foot outside, however, he was grumbling in that usual way as the sun temporarily blinded him and the chill hit him. Fuck these winter countries. People of the town were a bit more lively than the inn, already rushing about, setting up their small shops and stands. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Raif gestured with his hand for her to go find her oranges, or whatever else she wanted. [d]



[KAIA] She instantly squinted from the sunlight, and shielded her eyes with her arm. Glancing around the area until Raif gestured her to move on to find what she wanted. Her stomach was grumbling now, and she felt slightly weak and dizzy, probably from her hunger and dehydration. She slowly moved, eyeing each of the stands as they moved past him until she came across the fruit stand, where she instantly spotted that round orange fruit. She gasped excitedly and rushed forward, picking a few up. The stand keeper instantly regarded her and grabbed her wrist tightly. "HEY! I hope you intend on paying for those!" Had she not have snatched that pouch of coins, she would not have been able to pay for them, but still, who was this man to judge her so quickly and assume she was going to steal? "Excuse me?" Kaia hissed back at the man and tried to pull her wrist free, but failed. "Let go of me!" [d]



[RAIF] Still trying to rub the sleep from his face, the commotion at the fruit stand had alerted him immediately. It would not take this man long to get there, long strides carrying him to Kaia's side where his hand was grasping the vendor's wrist of the one holding hers. And he squeezed in a subtle threat. "She has the coin," he growled quietly, knowing this could cause a scene and it wasn't something they should chance right now. He was trying so hard not to go overboard. Raif leaned closer to the man's face, towering over him. "Let her go before I make you..." [d]



[KAIA] When Raif came to her side and grasped hold of the vendor's wrist, she sighed. He could never let her handle things on her own, could he? The man glared at Raif before he let go of Kaia's wrist and looked at her. "Well? Then where it is?" Kaia narrowed her eyes at him and set the oranges back down. "Fuck off. I will go somewhere else." She was angry. Even in freedom, she was going to be treated this way. Like a nobody. And she didn't understand it. Before Raif or the vendor could say anything, she was walking off and glancing around still. Her appetite had suddenly gone away. [d]



[RAIF] No, he couldn't. Because every time she was face to face with an angry man, something went horrible wrong. Also, he didn't need her making a bigger scene. Not that he was taking the bastard's side, at all, in this...but she tended to, well, lose her mind at the wrong times. They were still playing this low key. Only when the vendor let go of Kaia did Raif let go of him. Now, she refused to buy anything all together, and he supposed he couldn't blame her. Yet while she told the man to "fuck off", a stealthy hand was snatching one of those oranges unseen and hiding it at his side before following behind her. This was a small village, so he doubted she would really find another fruit stand. "Kaia..." he called out to her before finally catching up. "I'm sorry that happened..." What else could he really say? They were foreigners in a new world. It wasn't right, but something clearly had these people wary of strangers. [d]



[KAIA] She was fuming with anger, and trying hard to calm herself down, as if she thought she could control herself from being taken over by her illness. She stopped suddenly when Raif caught up to her and she looked up at him, shaking her head. "It's fine..." It really wasn't, but Kaia knew better. They were foreign strangers in this place, dressed like slaves, dirty and tattered. They'd need to find better clothes if they wanted to at least try to fit in, even a little bit. She turned away from him and stepped up to another stand where there were clothes. She glanced over a few of the garments before pulling that pouch out from between her breasts. "How much for this dress?" She asked the woman behind the stand. "1 copper" the woman answered her, raising a brow as if doubting Kaia could afford it. She dug into the coin pouch and pulled out the 1 copper and set it down on the counter. "The dress, please." The woman nodded, suddenly feeling embarrassed for her judgement. "I'm sorry, miss." She reached for the dress that was asked for and she handed it over to Kaia. "Thank you." Kaia said simply before taking the dress and stepping away. She turned to Raif, "You need to find something now. We can't keep standing out like this." She forced a smile and rubbed his arm, before she held that dress up against her. "What do you think?" She smiled, questioning him. It had been quite some time that Kaia had a dress so clean and pretty. She would just need to find a place to change into it. Draping the dress over one of her arms, she continued on, glancing through the stands in search of men's clothing and food. When she spotted some clothing for him, she motioned to him to take a look, handing him some coins before she wandered off nearby to a bread stand, buying some bread and butter. She turned back to where Raif was and waited for him. [d]



[RAIF] It wasn't fine. Clearly. Still, he wasn't going to fight her on it. There was no point. But he couldn't help but wonder if these people were demeaning them over the color of their skin or for something else. He silently watched the exchange with the dress before she was turning to him. "I don't much care for clothes shopping..." he muttered. Then she was asking his opinion and he shrugged a single shoulder. "It looks...nice?" How was he supposed to know? But she was flitting off again and he was slowly lumbering behind. He barely spent time at the other stand, grabbing the first plain shirt and trousers that he could find before she returned. He was idly tossing that orange up into the air like a ball. "Find something good?" [d]



[KAIA] She should have known better that Raif would be clueless and unable to give his opinion on fashion. Or that he'd want to pick something out for himself. She was about to do it for him, when she finished buying the bread and butter, but it looked like he had already picked something out. And what was he tossing in the air? Her eyes widened at the sight of the orange. And she was the crafty minx? Her lips formed a grin rather quickly and she grabbed his arm, suddenly snatching up that orange before it fell back into his hand. "Thank you." She rested her head on his shoulder real quickly as a brief sign of affection, before she was off again, scanning through the marketplace for anything else they could use. "How much money do we have left?" Obviously she wasn't planning on spending it all here, they would need some more for more nights of shelter, food and possibly boarding on another ship, eventually. [d]



[RAIF] She had wanted an orange...so he got her an orange. Sure, they were trying not to stand out (which was proving harder than he thought), but it was why he only stole one. One orange would go unnoticed, he imagined. That wry grin curled his lips as she snatched the fruit from him, seeming pleased. "You're welcome," he told her quietly before he was taking the coin purse to quickly take a guess as to how many coins they had left. Not a lot, he figured, because the merchant she took it from wasn't exactly a well-paid sailor. Still, it was a lot more money than either of them had ever seen. "Maybe...ten copper?" Raif told her. He wasn't going to blatantly count it all right out in the open. What they really needed to do was figure out where to go from here. Was it worth trying to stay? Should they press on and hope they found a safe haven? [d]



[KAIA] She frowned slightly when he told her they had about ten copper left. It wasn't much, especially if they had to stay at that inn and were charged 6 more again. But bread and an orange weren't going to fill them up for long either. "Well, we can't afford to get you some rum yet... so what else do you want to eat?" She glanced around again, trying to see if there were any other stands that had food they could purchase. "Have you thought of a plan yet?" She finally glanced back at him and shrugged her shoulders. "We are going to need more money..." She moved closer to her and touched his arm, leaning in to whisper. "Should I see if there's.... a brothel or something I could.. work a day at?" What else could they do to make quick money? And she had already seemingly lived the life of a whore, though unwillingly. [d]



[RAIF] There had been an idea lingering at the back of his mind, but he thought it was foolish. It was the only thing he could think about all of a sudden, and he didn't know why. Maybe it was that urge to keep moving, that need to be back on the sea...but on his own terms. Those bright eyes just watched her as she contemplated things, just wondered if he should say anything. However, at her suggestion, he was quick to grab her by the arm and draw her close enough that she would feel the sudden, seething rage coming off of him. "No," he told her immediately, a growl deep within his chest. "That is not an option." His tone made it clear that he wasn't going to argue her on it. He rather suffer out in the cold than subject her to such things. He'd kill a man for his coin purse before he allowed her to do that. He settled that steely gaze upon her, quiet for a moment before he finally said it, "What Nani told us..." His words were barely audible, but he spoke of the story the old slave had told them, about the journal, the waters, the wealth... [d]



[KAIA] She blinked with startle as Raif grabbed her and drew her closer to him, instantly shooting her suggestion down with that rage she had seen before, as if he were fighting off someone trying to harm her. She sighed, but also felt grateful Raif didn't want to subject her to such things. Kaia had already been through enough abuse in her life. She would have argued with him, but he had made it quite clear that he didn't want to discuss it any further, so she said nothing more. Not until Raif was bringing up Nani. She raised a brow in question, "Nani told us a lot of things? You'll have to be a little more specific...." She laughed slightly and nudged him. Nani had told them a lot of stories, or at least a lot to Kaia, so she couldn't quite grasp her head around whatever it was Raif was getting at. Or, her mind just wasn't what it used to be... [d]



[RAIF] Damn right they weren't going to discuss it further. How could she even suggest that or even ask him to allow her to do it? He wasn't her master. But if he let her sell her body like that, what made him any different than the slavers who had once bound them? He blinked, shaking his head to rid himself of these thoughts when she was asking about Nani. Now, truth be told, the woman told a lot of stories, and most probably couldn't be believed. But it was this one in particular that she had told them, and only them, several times over. Whereas the rest of her tales had never been repeated. Raif couldn't help but wonder if it was somehow true. "The thief's journal," he whispered. "The waters that heal..." It wasn't just his need for adventure, to keep moving...it was far more than that. It was for her, as most things were with him. [d]



[KAIA] Light brown eyes searched him as he mentioned the journal and the waters that heal. She studied him for a moment, as if asking him if her were for real. Finally, she laughed and nudged him again. "Come on, Raif... Seriously... That was just a story she told. None of it is real. It was her way of giving me hope that there's something out there that might heal me... That's all it was. Hope. A false hope. It's not real." She shook her head and turned away from him. It was hurtful, because it had given her hope for such a long time. But the older she grew, and the more torture and abuse she had been through, the more skeptical she became of anything of that nature existing. It had been no wonder that she hadn't completely lost her mind by now. "We're not going to waste our time on things like that, Raif..." She turned around facing him, an angry expression on her face now. [d]



[RAIF] He knew the moment she wasn't believing him. But even as she laughed, denying it all, he simply watched her in silence before he frowned as she began to walk away from him. Raif stood where he was, as she would come to find as she spun around to face him again, attempting to put her foot down. It may have been deemed cute if he wasn't already annoyed. "So you rather waltz around here where people glare at you or whore yourself for money? Great plan, Kaia." It was clear that his anger was rising...but his tone was still calm and collected, which was probably far worse. [d]



[KAIA] "No I wouldn't rather waltz around here getting glared at or whore myself for money. But you are chasing after some fantasy, Raif... Where would we even start to even divulge in that? Where would we find a ship? We still need money to do all of that... To get anywhere..." She was rambling, her own anger rising, because she had been trying to come to terms with her illness and that it was something she would live with and eventually die from. To throw such a false hope and long stretch of an idea at her, well, it hurt. Because she didn't want to get her hopes up anymore. She wasn't even letting her hopes get up with this new freedom that they escaped into. In her mind, it wouldn't be long before they'd be captured and thrown right back into chains. "So what do you suggest we do, then? Search blindly for a stupid journal? That could be anywhere. Doesn't seem like much of a better idea than this..." She motioned to around them, in their current situation. [d]



[RAIF] He wasn't willing to give up. And even though she was angry at him, Raif couldn't give up on her. He just couldn't. He saw first hand what that illness did, and he worried that one day he would not be able to bring her back from it. "How do you know it's just a tale?!" he spat back at her. Now his voice had risen, and it alarmed some passersby, putting eyes on them that he didn't like. Taking her by the arm, he pulled her to the side of one of the small buildings, pushing her back against the wall so she couldn't look much of anywhere else but at him. "We've come this far, Kaia...why not take that leap of faith? Because what if it is real?" Raif looked down the alley as if searching for a direction to go, to try and figure out what to do next. It was hard to concentrate with her seething, with her refusal to even consider it, but he tried to remember the old woman's story. Of course he remembered it because it was the one she told them several times. "Sanctuary Outpost," he finally said, so matter-of-fact. "That's where we start. We can work for our voyage." Ships always needed crews and help...and it didn't involve whoring. [d]



[KAIA] She blinked, startled, by his outburst and she glanced around, seeing the dirty looks they gave them. But, before she could say anything, he had grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out of the crowd and into an alley, pinning her against a wall. She narrowed her eyes at him as he tried to justify all of this. To go on some silly ghost treasure hunt. Why not take a leap of faith? Because she didn't want to get her hopes up if it wasn't real. She sighed and stared at him as if he were the one going crazy. Nani had been a crazy old woman who had many tales. She never took Raif to be someone to believe her. So she started laughing when he brought up Sanctuary Outpost, as if he were now taking over in telling this damn tale that they had been told so many times before. "Right... And where the fuck is that, Raif? Have you even ever heard of anywhere by that name? We would need to find a map... Go searching through thousands of maps to try and find something called Sanctuary Outpost...and it's probably not even listed on a map... It's probably a damn marketplace like this one." She shook

her head. "You're grasping at nothing, Raif..." This was strange. Typically it was him trying to talk her down off of some crazy idea, because he was the more cynical and logical one. [d]



[RAIF] She was expecting all of these answers to questions he didn't have. The point of a fucking treasure hunt was the hunt. It wasn't going to be handed to them on a silver platter. Just like everything else in life wasn't. Kaia kept bitching about maps, as if it was such an impossibility...but maps were created for a reason. She had poor excuses for everything, which was probably why he was annoyingly watching her as she spewed curses at him. She wasn't going to make him change his mind. They had no other leads, they had no other direction right now. "At least I'm making a fucking effort," he spat at her lowly. "Stay here, then, and beg for survival, get pissed off when people look at you wrong...or take control of your damn life. I'm not subjecting myself to that bullshit. I have the choice now." Raif began to turn to walk away, only to stop and whirl around once again to make another point. "You can't deny something isn't real unless you make a bloody effort to find it first. Really, what do we possibly have to lose?" Absolutely nothing. [d]



[KAIA] Raif was being foolish, she thought. And he seemingly wasn't budging. She wasn't getting through to him that this was such a silly idea to divulge in. He didn't seem to care. She narrowed her eyes at him anger and folded her arms over her chest. stay here then, he threatened to leave her and even turned to start to walk away. She highly doubted he would just leave her, abandon her like that. It would be so highly unlike him. So she wore no worry on her face, and sure enough, he was turning around again to continue his argument.

Maybe she shouldn't deny that Nani's tale was real--but it just seemed so far out of grasp, she wasn't sure she wanted to believe it all. Only to get her hopes up? She glanced around them, sighing annoyed. What did they have to lose? Possibly their sanity? Then again, Kaia already was losing that... She growled at him and threw her hands up in defeat. "Whatever, Raif... Don't cry to me when we get nowhere. This one is on you. I'll tag along because I have nothing else to do and no where to go...And I fucking need you for some reason..." She huffed and raised a brow at him. "So what do we do first, oh wise one?" Her voice was laced with such annoyance and sarcasm. She would doubt this whole thing until they'd start finding clues that hinted that this really was real. Raif constantly indulged in her wishes.. So the least she could do was grant this one, even if she did not think it was a good idea. [d]



[RAIF] If he were being honest, he was a little surprised that she was fighting him on this. It weren't as though she had any other brilliant ideas, and hell, maybe this idea would prove stupid...but he was still willing to try. For so many reasons, and one that should have been quite obvious. "It's always on me," he challenged darkly. Nothing was different about that. He protected and looked after her. He got them off of that ship and to freedom. She was far from indulging him right now, even after everything he has done, and her agreement was only because she didn't know what else to do. On top of it all, she was going to be an insufferable bitch about it. "We find that impossible map," he told her harshly. "We find a way to Sanctuary." He let those bright eyes bore into her just a moment longer, as if he was waiting for a challenge...but knowing her doubt, there was no point, and he turned to finally walk away, knowing she would follow. [d]



[KAIA] He didn’t seem to understand what this could do to her if it weren’t real, what the journey alone would do for her. The stress, the travel, the problems they’d run into—it would only aggravate her illness and further dig at her, pulling her further away from him and into insanity. And for the whole thing to be false? What then? Sure, if it was real, great. But would it really be worth the risk? Would she be too far gone to even care by then? All of these thoughts haunted her as she stood there, as Raif’s eyes bore into her as he fumed with his anger. It’s always on me he challenged her. Maybe it was, but that was mostly because he was the take-charge kind of person. Kaia didn’t have the ideas or the strength that he did. And as he went off on her, she began to wonder what the hell her purpose even was. All she knew was slavery, and maybe that was all she was good for anyway.

As he turned to walk away, she didn’t move to follow. Instead, she yelled after him. “Fine. If I am that much of a burden….” He hadn’t said that to her, but she could feel it in his words as he stated it was always all on him. Like she did absolutely nothing for him, for them. “Then just go without me. I’ll just slow you down and hold you back, anyway.” She turned away from him and moved in the opposite direction, into the crowd. She’d not follow him as he was probably expecting her to. He made it quite clear that there was no point in listening to her anymore. [d]



[RAIF] And what of what might happen should they do absolutely nothing? He'd noticed her illness gradually getting worse, and he wasn't willing to accept that yet. As infuriating as she was suddenly being right now, he wasn't willing to give up and give in, and just accept whatever fate had in store for her. It appeared as though she was okay with it...but he wasn't, and probably never would be. And now she was being even more ridiculous, twisting his words around. If she knew him at all, she'd know that if he truly thought she was a burden, he wouldn't be here. He wouldn't even have bothered getting her off that ship. Raif had only paused in his step with her outburst, but he didn't turn around to look at her, knowing she was going to wander off and get into gods know what. He wasn't going to cater to this attitude, even still. She wasn't a fucking child. But because he gave a shit, he was now going to have to tail her and keep an eye on her, thus delaying getting anywhere close to any map. Maybe he should just truly walk away, because he was beginning to wonder if he needed her more than she even needed him. She was willing to just wither away, so what was the point? She had her freedom, then let her do what she wanted with it. She wasn't his. [d]



[KAIA] She was fuming with anger. How could he be so careless, so hopeful of something that seemed such a long stretch. And now, he was just walking away, leaving her on her own, expecting her to just follow along with him. Because that's all she was, his little dog to tag along with everything he wanted to do. She always went along with what he asked her to. And now that she didn't agree with him, he was angry with her. She didn't know how much fight she had left in her, honestly, so why couldn't she just....rest for a while? Which is precisely what she was going to do now. She found a bench and plopped herself down on it, pouting like an angry child. She set her things down next to her on the bench and pulled that orange out that Raif had stolen for her. She quietly peeled it, throwing the peels out behind her in some grass and she ate a slice, savoring it as if it were the best thing to touch her tongue in the longest time. "Mmmm..." She moaned quietly, pleased with the taste. It was perfect.

"Where did you get that orange?!" That man from the fruit stand spotted her, recognizing her from earlier. Kaia glanced up spotting the man and she lowered her eyebrows, closing her hand around the remaining orange. "It was given to me."

He laughed and glanced around. "Where is your friend? Not here to protect you now, is he?"

Kaia glared at him, and popped another slice of orange in her mouth, chewing it with exaggeration, maybe to further anger the man. Which seemed to work. He grabbed Kaia's wrist, squeezing it tightly until she opened her hand and released the orange, sending it to the ground. The man shoved her down and laughed. "If you want it, you can eat it dirty and spoiled... Just like you." He spit at the ground in front of her and walked away. Kaia sat there on the ground, forcing herself not to cry. She wouldn't give into it. [d]



[RAIF] It wasn't that she argued with him, but how she was arguing. It were almost as though she wasn't herself. His idea, his hope was far-fetched, yes...but it was hope. It was an idea. It was something to help her. Something he always did. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if she would just be better off going ahead alone. Naturally he wasn't committed to these thoughts, because he was quietly trailing her as she stormed off, all the while he was wondering if there was someone he could ask about maps. They were by a port, but this village was small. Which was how that particular vendor managed to find Kaia again so easily. Raif took a few steps closer as if to intercept...but he forced himself to stop. The man was rude, cruel, but her life wasn't in danger. This was what she wanted, wasn't it? She walked away. Gritting his teeth, he was just about to go against his own thoughts when the man finally released her, shoving her to the ground. Instinct and his heart wanted to go to her, but she was on this rampage of suddenly believing all the wrong things. Like, all of a sudden, and he didn't quite know how to deal with it. Instead, he watched as an elderly woman carefully approached her- it looked as though she ran the butchers shop with her husband. "Oh, my dear...are you alright?" she asked Kaia quietly, offering her a hand. Raif was still on edge, but he couldn't show himself now after all of this. Bright eyes flickered to the shop she ran from, spotting the man wiping his hands upon his apron, wondering what had happened. [d]



[KAIA] She felt defeated. Especially since Raif was right.. If they stayed, she would just continue to be treated like this. She didn't belong anywhere, and that was the problem. The only person who seemed to accept her as she was, was Raif... And she didn't understand why. She was a burden, and her condition only made it even worse. Why did he continue to stay and put up with her? Well, maybe he was done with her now, since he had just walked away from her. She had kept her head down, fighting back tears, but failing miserably, until she heard the elderly woman's voice. Slowly, she lifted her head to look at the woman, squinting from the sun. She nodded, even though the tears in her eyes betrayed her denial. "Yes... I'm fine." She lied, but took the woman's hand and slowly stood up, brushing herself off. "The man over there took my orange and threw it on the ground, then pushed me." She had scrapes on the palms of her hands as she had fallen and caught herself with her hands. "Told me I should only be allowed to eat dirty and spoiled things...like me..." She was shaking slightly, as she repeated the words, they hurt even more, and she couldn't hold back her tears anymore. She crouched down and picked up the orange, brushing it off, as if she was going to eat it anyway. They didn't have any other food, aside from the bread she had bought, and she was still starving, despite feeling so upset. "I'll be alright.." She waved the woman off, moving over to the bench where her things were and she started to collect them, but she really didn't know where she would go... Or where Raif had gone. [d]



[RAIF] He was trying really hard not to charge after that man and shove his head through a wall. Normally it was Kaia that was keeping this thoughts at bay, and without her there, it was proving very difficult to be remain logical. But maybe it was the choice between doing that or keeping an eye on her from that short distance away...and despite what she believed, he hadn't and couldn't walk away. If anything, she had walked away first. "That man is a miserable bastard," the butcher's wife told her. "You cannot listen to a word he says." The woman didn't pursue when Kaia tried dismissing her, but she didn't exactly move away, either. She watched her move back to that bench before she was gesturing to her husband back at the shop. Raif noted how he rushed back inside. When Kaia tried dusting off that orange, the woman rushed to her. "No, no, do not eat that." After a moment, her husband was stepping out with his hands carrying of a couple small wrapped slabs of salted meat, and a few pieces of fruit. His wife was taking the fruit from him to hold them to Kaia, "It's not much...but it is what we can afford to offer." She paused, because she had certainly noticed the girl was not from around here, if only by the color of her skin. "Where...are you from? Are you alone here?" She could tell her husband was only slightly irritated, because she always wanted to "help the strays". But the way the economy was these days, it wasn't something they should be so quick to do...as horrible as that sounded. "No," came Raif's gruff voice as he slowly approached from where he had been watching. "She isn't alone." The two Aralorians looked to him wide-eyed, but the woman's eyes strayed to Raif's chest, over by his left shoulder when his loosely fitted shirt exposed some of that scarred marking. "Oh..." she breathed, clearly knowing what that brand was. Was that sadness in her eyes? Pity? Scrutiny? He couldn't tell. [d]



[KAIA] Eyes glanced up to the elderly woman as she rushed towards her instructing her not to eat the orange. “But…” Kaia argued lightly. She had only gotten to eat two slices of the fruit, and it was the one thing she had looked forward to—Raif had stolen it for her, she couldn’t let it go to waste. She frowned and looked at the woman questioningly, as if asking her why she shouldn’t eat it. It was still good, wasn’t it? Just needed to brush the dirt off of it, maybe rinse it in some water. But then the woman’s husband was handing her the meat and fruits and in turn, it was held out to Kaia. Again, her eyes questioned the woman and she shook her head. “No, no… You do not have to…” She did not want to take from someone else who needed this—or couldn’t afford to offer. It was nice of the woman to offer, and Kaia was starving. Before she could answer the woman’s question, she heard that gruff voice from behind her. Raif. She nearly cringed. Count on him to step in and answer for her, again. She forced a smile and was about to say something, but noticed that look in the woman’s eyes. Damn it, Raif. Cover your damn chest up! She thought as she looked at him and saw his brand exposed for the world to see—making it obvious that they were escaped slaves. They’d be turned in for sure. She quickly stood and held her hands up. “Thank you, ma’am… I appreciate your kindness.” She was panicked, worried the woman and her husband would turn them in now, and without taking the offered food, she backed away and grabbed Raif’s arm. [d]



[RAIF] There was a fresh, new orange in the woman's hands that were outstretched to the girl, even still after the woman had noticed Raif. Of course, both she and her husband knew what that symbol was- slave trade was becoming far too popular in the South, and it was horrendous. She blinked, drifting her eyes back to Kaia as she denied the offering. "Please," she said. "We are happy to provide..." Perhaps it was pity in her eyes now, because she did feel sorry for them. Raif didn't flinch when that brand was spotted. If anything, this was a good test to see where this land- wherever they were- stood about slavery. Then he noticed the sad glint in the elder woman's eyes, and he couldn't help but believe they meant no harm, even offering them food. Kaia didn't much believe it, though, already trying to usher them away. But he wouldn't budge. "Is there a library here? A map?" he asked the butcher and his wife quietly. The man shook his head, "Not here. You would have to check the city." He wanted to ask Raif why, but refrained. It wasn't his place, and by the looks of them, they had recently been set free...or escaped. "If you need a place to stay, even for a night..." the man's wife began. "We could make room for you." Her eyes drifted to Kaia. "Please don't be afraid, we wish you no harm..." But her tone made it clear that not everyone in this village would be as considerate. [d]



[KAIA] Her eyes were pleading with Raif as he wasn't seeming to budge, and she didn't understand why. Was he not afraid of being captured again? But when she heard the woman's voice, pleading with her to trust them, offering her the food again, and even a place to stay for the night, her eyes calmed and her tensed up body relaxed slightly. Her gaze shifted back to the elderly woman and her eyes brightened a bit. "You would offer us shelter? Even with what we are....were... Not knowing us? Will you turn us in?" Her voice was slightly shaken, nervous. She glanced back to Raif as if to ask him what he thought. They wouldn't be able to afford staying another night at the inn, if that man was going to charge them six copper again. She wanted to believe the woman... But with everything they had been through, it was so hard to trust anyone, except for Raif. [d]



[RAIF] Of course he was worried about being captured again, but he could also sense good intentions...and these two really were trying to be helpful. It was slowly becoming more clear that something had happened on this island, dividing the people on the border of trust and distrust. A war, maybe? "It's not much," the woman confessed. "Just a spot in the storage room...but it would be warm." She regarded Kaia with honest eyes. "Your life is your own, as it always should be," she added to answer her last question. Aralore didn't dabble in the slave trade, but she wouldn't be surprised if certain kingdoms in Elysium did. It was a horrible new trend that she couldn't get behind, and it might've been obvious that she and her husband had done this before. "Head off in the morning for the city. It'll be too late to travel now. The nights can get fairly cold here." Raif's eyes never flickered away from the two, as if he had been sizing them up this entire time, as though he would be able to detect if they were lying. He knew Kaia wasn't sure, was looking to him for what to do. "Alright," he finally said with a small nod. "Thank you." It was still early, so there was still time for them to leave should they find it necessary. [d]



[KAIA] She seemed to ease up a bit as the woman spoke, and she offered a warm smile of appreciation. When Raif agreed to stay with them, she felt almost relieved. He was a better judge of character than she was, so if he felt he could trust them, then she would, too. And if not, well, they have gotten out of worse things. “Thank you for your kindness…” Kaia repeated, nodding her head in assurance. “We can help you with anything you might need done in your home, around your home…” Well, they were slaves, and only knew labor, so they could be help to pay back the debt of their kindness. She still hadn’t taken the food from the woman—now it seemed a bit rude to take it since they were offering their hospitality. But her eyes wandered to the items in the woman’s arms, and she spotted the orange and smiled softly. [d]



[RAIF] They would still be sent off with these provisions, but the woman spotted Kaia smiling at the orange she still held in her hand. Offering it out to her, she nodded, "Help would be appreciated." Whatever they were willing to do, of course. Perhaps hard labor was different when it was earning you something in return. It felt tiring but in a good way, fulfilling even. Raif spent most of the day helping the butcher chop up the cuts of meat that would be sold in the shop, while Kaia helped the man's wife with whatever she needed. When it finally came to the evening, they were fed with a modest meal, perhaps the biggest and best Raif had ever tasted before the butcher's wife brought them some extra blankets for their makeshift bed in their storage room. "I'm sorry it is not much," the woman said. "It is fine. Thank you," Raif answered quietly and honestly. Even spending all day with these people, Harold and Grear, he didn't speak much. But that was just the way Raif was. He really was grateful, though. [d]



[KAIA] She would talk enough for the both of them, as she typically did. Once she felt comfortable, Kaia had opened up, mostly to Grear, as she helped her around the house. She mostly helped with cleaning and then preparing foods for their dinner. For the first time in a really long time, Kaia felt what it was like to have a full stomach.

As they were brought to the storage room, Kaia took the blankets from the woman and smiled, shaking her head at her apologies. “It is more than you know, ma’am… Thank you… For everything. Truly.” When Grear left, she turned to Raif, handing him one of the blankets. “Thank you… For letting us stay…” They hadn’t spoken much since their little argument, and she still didn’t want to admit that maybe he was right. But also, he assumed there weren’t any good people left in the world, and today proved him wrong of that. And maybe her expression spoke that, even if she didn’t speak it. [d]



[RAIF] In a way, he was glad they were kept busy, because he really didn't wish to have any sort of discussion with Kaia right now. He just didn't see the point of it anymore, but being as she was a woman, it was probably inevitable. He'd found out that they were on the island of Aralore, a kingdom still recovering from a devastating war that had only ended roughly a year ago. Some farms were completely destroyed, some still struggled, so shopkeepers were trying to still restock their shelves. It explained the people's wariness of those who did not look like them, as racist as that may have seemed. Sighing lightly, he placed his blanket down to try and make some sort of bed against the grain sacks. "Mhm," he simply replied. As gracious as their hosts had been, they couldn't remember here indefinitely, so it was still a matter of what to do or where to go, and she hadn't liked his suggestion from earlier. [d]



[KAIA] She, too, had learned about the war and how it had affected Grear and her husband. She was glad that Aralore was not a kingdom that did believe in slavery, but she understood now that their foreign appearance was regarded more as a precaution than of actual discrimination.

She fought the urge to roll her eyes at Raif’s response. He still seemed angry with her from their discussion earlier. Spreading her blanket out on the floor next to him, before she laid down next to him, on her side, folding her arm under her head, she looked at him for a long moment, not saying anything as she thought to herself. Finally, she spoke quietly with just a whisper. “We stay here… In Aralore… Until we find a map that will help us find Sanctuary Outpost… Find passage on a ship…And have enough money to get by. We cannot do this blindly and on a whim… We need to be smart about it.” She was giving in to him, this time, genuinely and not like she was this morning. It seemed to be important to him—and if he was right, if Nani’s tales were true, then maybe she would benefit from it. [d]



[RAIF] Settling down on the hard floor, it was still more comfortable than what he had known, although not as comfortable as the bed from the inn...but they couldn't go back there. The innkeeper didn't seem too fond of them, and they didn't have even currency. These people were kind enough to let them stay here, and he wasn't about to complain. Lying down, he rested a forehead upon his face as he tried to relax, knowing full well that she was just...staring at him. She was going to bring up their conversation from her earlier, but he just didn't know what her mood was like. It had seemed strangely harsh and out of character earlier. So, he was mildly surprised when she seemed to give in, and less mean this time. He didn't move, though, only sighing softly as he replied, "I thought Sanctuary didn't exist?" Raif wasn't exactly arguing back or sounding mean about it, but he didn't know why she suddenly changed her mind. [d]



[KAIA] The floor wasn't the most comfortable, no, but it was clean and warm, compared to what they were used to, it was an upgrade. But that bed from the inn was much better, and she was missing it already. Her light brown eyes remained on Raif, even when he questioned her. She lightly nudged him in response. "You seem to think it does....So I trust you." She sighed quietly and lifted his arm from his face, holding his hand in her own. "I'm sorry about before... I just... Am afraid of getting my hopes up... But you're right... We'll never know if we don't try." [d]



[RAIF] He grumbled in response to her before she was lifting his arm but he kept his eyes closed. he was exhausted again, it seemed. Then he sighed- it wasn't so much one out of frustration but out of mild concern. "You don't think it'd be getting my hopes up, too?" A slight shift of his face, he opened a single eye to regard her. He was afraid it was nothing but a story, but he was trying to be strong enough to believe that, well, maybe there was a chance that it wasn't. And if it wasn't, there was a chance he could help her. Maybe even give them both just a better life. [d]



[KAIA] "I know..." She answered quietly, understanding. They both had a lot of hope riding on this idea, and with the way their life had gone, Kaia wasn't feeling hopeful. Maybe the nice elderly couple's kindness had given her back a little hope. "I am just...afraid." She quietly admitted. "Afraid that I won't survive the journey before we get there...That I will get worse. You know how much stress triggers it..." She didn't know what would happen, or how long it would take them, but she knew, or hoped, he would be there with her helping her throughout the way. Maybe she just needed that assurance. She sighed quietly and rolled onto her stomach, propping herself onto her elbows and she looked down at him. "What if I completely lose myself?" [d]



[RAIF] Turning his face more, he looked at her with both eyes now when she admitted she was afraid. And he understood. "I know," he said quietly. He shifted to rest on his side so that he could face her, reaching for her face with his other hand. "You won't completely lose yourself. I won't allow it." He'd always managed to bring her back down from that shift whenever it happened, and he was going to continue to do so, no matter the cost. It was why he was so desperate for Nani's tale to be real, because he didn't know what else that could help her. "You just need to trust me..." [d]



[KAIA] She stared at Raif when he took her face into his hand and assured her that she wouldn't lose herself. She nodded slowly in response, a bit reluctantly at first, but then she nodded in full understanding. It was the assurance she needed. Closing her eyes, she moved her face to nuzzle against his hand. "I do trust you...I always have and I always will. You know that, right?" How could she not trust him? He had seen her at her best and worst, and still, he refused to ever let her go...Refused to leave her. She wondered if he had just felt obligated to because they had grown up together and have been through so much already. [d]



[RAIF] Those bright eyes narrowed slightly, studying her as she flowered him with that trust. Raif didn't know whether to roll his eyes or laugh, so he did neither. "You didn't this morning," he reminded her. She hadn't just argued with him, she had been blatantly cruel and cynical about it. It had been a vast difference to how she often was. "I know it's a risk, there's a chance it could be just some fairy tale...but still. We already have nothing else to lose." They had nothing, period. [d]



[KAIA] Her own eyes narrowed back at him as he accused her of not trusting him. "Of course I did... I just didn't want to..." She quietly admitted to him. There was a difference--at least to her there was. Though she didn't expect Raif to understand. Her mind was often a jumbled mess, and for all she knew, whatever had control over her, may have been speaking for her. She didn't know. "I know...." She repeated, knowing that he understood her fear and nervousness of it all. They really didn't have anything to lose. Except for maybe her sanity--and that's what she feared the most. Raif didn't seem to understand that. "I'm sorry for giving you a hard time... I wasn't thinking straight...I was letting my fear get the best of me." Her brows furrowed in confusion. "I can't seem to think clearly anymore..." [d]



[RAIF] Maybe he didn't understand...but this madness, illness, whatever you wanted to call it, could consume her no matter where they went. Whether on land or a ship, it was all the same. She didn't seem to grasp that. Stress was going to be everywhere. Danger was going to be everywhere. What did it matter? Perhaps he should have explained this, but he was too tired to, and even with her he had this tendency not to talk too much. It just wasn't in his nature. And maybe he never had a terrible lot to say. So he just drew her to his side and sighed again. "Which is why I want to at least try..." he replied. Yes, it might get their hopes up, but staying idle wasn't something he could do anymore. Not now that the shackles were gone. [d]



[KAIA] As he pulled her to his side, she curled up against him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Okay..." She replied quietly. "We can try...I just ask you that if I get really bad... and do lose myself... You will end me... I don't want to live like that..." She frowned, knowing he probably wouldn't agree to that. That he would not be able to kill her if it came down to it. "I have lived most of my life chained up and trapped.... I do not wish to become trapped in my own mind...Please promise me you won't let that happen..." She lifted her head off of him and looked him in the eyes. She was serious and she hoped he would respect her wishes. [d]



[RAIF] Yes, he could respect her wishes, but he wouldn't look her in the eye. He wouldn't make that promise. Deep down he knew and understood where she was coming from...but he couldn't, in good conscience, promise her such a thing, because he rather die first before letting her get that bad. His jaw visibly clenched and he set his gaze to the ceiling of the dimly lit storage room. "It won't come to that," he said flatly, confidently. There was always a chance, but he wasn't willing to think about it or accept it. Not right now. Not while they finally gained their freedom. [d]



[KAIA] She sighed at his response. He mistook his hope with his confidence that everything would be alright and that it would not come down to her losing herself. She understood what he was doing, he did not wish to think about the worst case scenario, because he did not wish to face it. He would be unprepared if or when that time ever came. "Alright... It won't come down to that..." She rested her head back down on him and draped her arm around his chest. "Get some rest... You didn't sleep well last night." She urged him, and tilted her head to kiss him on the cheek. [d]

February 21, 2020



[RAIF] He was the man rarely with a plan...although it often looked as though he had planned out every step. In reality, he just took one step at a time. Sometimes it was all one could really do. And it was why he was jumping on this idea of Nani's so easily. That, and again, they just weren't going to know unless they tried. They had nothing else going for them now. He sighed softly to free himself of all these burdening thoughts, even if for a short time, as she curled up next to him. His eyes crinkled lightly from the kiss to his cheek, and he brought his arm around to secure her against his side. His other hand slipped behind his head and he simply watched the single, flickering candle in the room before finally shutting his eyes. [d]