Campfire Stories

MadEmperor · March 24, 2023, 02:52:39 PM

The campfire danced in Grav's blue eyes as he watched the flames. He was busy trying to wrap his head around his near death and the fact that he was fresh out of excuses to not confront the issue of Kiara's feelings for him. And Kit was doubtlessly about to ask again about the former.

DragonSong · March 24, 2023, 02:59:02 PM

"I just..." Kit shook his head. He was curled around the two humans and their campfire, forming a barrier with the length of his body and tail in a semicircle around them. "I can't believe he shot you—no, I can believe that, I just...can't believe you're alive..."

Kiara nodded, leaning back against the dragon's flank. "It was terrifying," she said bluntly, staring at the fire and not Grav. "And then the Tear..." She shook her head. "It—they?—spoke to me. Like, we had something of a conversation."

MadEmperor · March 24, 2023, 03:28:25 PM

The mention of speaking with the Tear tore him from his reverie. "Wait. It spoke to you? When did this happen?"

The swordsman ran his fingers through his hair with a rueful chuckle. "Gods. I must have been really out of it by that point. "

DragonSong · March 24, 2023, 03:34:11 PM

"Well, it..." She exhaled. "I think it might've...stopped time? Sort of? It was speaking directly into my mind, but we were in this place, like an endless night sky..."

She trailed off, remembering. Then Kit gave her a small nudge and a concerned rumble and she shook herself back into the presence.

"I—I just...asked it to save you," she said with a shrug. "It told me that I actually was asking for more."

MadEmperor · March 24, 2023, 04:08:13 PM

"More than just to make me myself again?" he asked curiously. There was definitely something she wasn't saying. But then, there was a lot he wasn't saying either.

DragonSong · March 24, 2023, 04:20:08 PM

She shook her head. "I—I don't think I really knew what I was asking, but...I sorta started to wish that...you'd never met me," she admitted quietly.

Kit snorted and jerked his head up, eyes wide. She quickly raised her hands. "I didn't! Obviously! I—they told me they couldn't do that anyway, it would twist time up too much or...something. Anyway." She shrugged. "So I wished they would fix you. Make you yourself again."

She cocked her head, glancing at him sidelong, then offered a small smile. "Not sure why they decided to give you the fancy new shirt, though."

MadEmperor · March 24, 2023, 04:47:12 PM

"You tried to un-know me?" Grav asked, hurt deeper than he would have thought by the idea. "You had to know I'd never want that."

"If it wasn't for you, I'd probably have gotten myself killed a long time ago. And I..." He drifted off, unsure how to finish that sentence.

DragonSong · March 24, 2023, 04:53:47 PM

"It's not like I wanted to!" Kiara said quickly. "I—I wasn't even sure what I was saying I just—I just started rambling, about how if you'd never met me you never would have even been there, you wouldn't have been fucking shot and—and..."

Her throat was weirdly tight. She stood abruptly. "I...I think I need to take a walk," she muttered, stepping quickly over Kit's tail. When the dragon growled in concern she said quickly, "I won't go far, I just...need a second."

Arms wrapped tight around her middle, she hurried away from the campfire.

Kit rumbled as he watched her go, the tip of his tail twitching anxiously. "I...she doesn't get like that often," he muttered, glancing sidelong at Grav.

MadEmperor · March 24, 2023, 05:31:46 PM

Grav looked down, feeling even worse for setting her off. "Gods, I'm bad at this," he sighed. "I can't seem to take my own life seriously enough. And every time it's in danger, that hurts her."

"I don't want to hurt her anymore."

DragonSong · March 24, 2023, 05:36:41 PM

"So tell her that." Kit slowly lowered his head to rest on his paws. "And for the record—what just happened isn't your fault. I can't believe she might have half-accidentally wished away your whole friendship through some misguided attempt to save you."

He glanced in the direction Kiara had gone. "...Go talk to her. She thinks she needs to be alone, to force herself to be alone, but she doesn't. And...this seems like something between the two of you. Not sure how much good I would do just now."

MadEmperor · March 24, 2023, 06:20:08 PM

Grav nodded slowly and stood. He shook himself. "Yeah... I--I'll do that."

He glanced back as he walked after Kiara. "Thanks, Kit."

The moon was full and bright, glittering off of the small stream that blocked her chosen path. She didn't get much time to enjoy the solitude before he jogged onto the path after her. His current attire made him look like a character from a cheesy romance story.

"Kiara, wait!" he called after her.

DragonSong · March 24, 2023, 06:34:05 PM

Kit snorted and gave him a slow, feline blink in return as he hurried off.

Kiara had settled herself on a fallen tree near the stream, one knee drawn up to her chest and her head tipped back to the moonlight as she tried to force herself to breathe, to not spiral down into the endless trail of thoughts tugging at her mind.

She started a bit when Grav called for her, twisting halfway around to blink at him as he approached. "You--what's wrong? Is everything okay?" She started to get to her feet, clearly assuming something had happened if he was coming to get her.

MadEmperor · March 24, 2023, 06:47:26 PM

Grav shook his head. "No. Nothing like that." He smiled crookedly. "A certain someone told me you shouldn't be alone right now."

"And I..." The adventurer took a seat by her giving her a sidelong look, too nervous to look her directly in the eyes. "I need to tell you something. Of course, I'm sure he knew that too."

DragonSong · March 24, 2023, 06:52:44 PM

"Oh." She exhaled, relieved, and sank back down onto the log. She couldn't seem to look at him either, eyes fixed on her feet as she braced her palms to either side of her hips. "Well, Kit doesn't know everything," she muttered, a little petulant.

Then she sighed, and admitted, "But...yeah. He's probably right. I just..." She bit her lip. "The last few days have been...a lot." She was quiet a moment, then gave herse;f a little shake and risked a quick glance in his direction. "What, um, what do you need to tell me?"

MadEmperor · March 25, 2023, 06:32:43 AM

"I... well, I..." Grav took a second to gather his thoughts. "It's not like I don't care about my own life. I just--I've always put everyone else first."

He sighed. "I never realized how much of a burden that puts on the people that care about me, and I'm sorry. I never wanted to make you worry. I... I love you too much for that."

DragonSong · March 25, 2023, 07:33:47 AM

Kiara was quiet for a few moments. Then, slowly, she slid her hand across the small space between them until her little finger bumped gently against his.

"I know," she murmured, still not quite looking at him. "You don't have to apologize for being selfless, Grav. I mean, yeah, I'd probably feel a bit better if you gave more of a shit about your own life, but..."

She risked a glance at him, smiling softly. "I...I love who you are. I'm not asking you to change."

MadEmperor · March 25, 2023, 09:01:37 AM

Grav's eyes met hers at that exact moment, glimmering in the moonlight. He smiled tenderly. "I... hells, I'm out of reasons not to tell you how I feel about you."

He faced her fully, practically trembling with hesitation but pushing through nonetheless. "I... honestly, I'm just as afraid of risking what we already have for the possibility of something more as you are."

"But, sooner or later Kit's going to get tired of dancing around the subject anyway, sooo..." He smirked crookedly. "I'm game if you are."

DragonSong · March 25, 2023, 09:30:24 AM

Kiara laughed quietly, though the sound was a little shaky. "...Yeah."

She hesitated a moment longer, then moved to take his hand, twining their fingers together gently. "Yeah, I am."

Her stomach flipped giddily. She let out a low breath. "Wow. Okay. Why is that still so scary?"

MadEmperor · March 25, 2023, 10:31:51 AM

"Because we're both terrible at being genuine?" Grav joked, his pulse racing with nervous energy.

He squeezed her hand a little. "Really. I'm scared too. But I was more scared of actually dying without telling you how I feel. I've hidden from it for long enough."

DragonSong · March 25, 2023, 10:41:38 AM

She chuckled again and nodded. "Yeah, we are." She glanced down at their linked hands when he squeezed hers.

She sighed, then cautiously pulled their hands up to pressed a quick kiss to the backs of his fingers. "For what it's worth...what you looked like never made a difference to me." She smiled a bit and added, "But I'm glad you seem to be feeling better."