Reunite, Rekindle, Remember

A break from the rain is a welcome thing, at least in Zeke's opinion. The weather isn't quite warm, but it's not as cold as it has been either. In the temple itself it's downright cozy, which is as Zeke prefers it being Sith-makar and thus from a jungle region where the weather is rarely cold. Today, at this time, Zeke is perched on a bench with a tea set settled beside him having his early-morning break. The temple is quite insistent that he take these breaks, otherwise the sith would likely work right through them without thinking about it. The meal is light, fruits divided and skinned for the eating alongside a nice minty tea that fills the air with its welcome scent.

A break from the rain, and perhaps some from the cold, is something appreciated by many. Perhaps especially so those having recently traveled through both. Kira enters the temple grounds, her traveling cloak worn against the not-quite-warm, but her hood down as it's not needed to stave off wind and rain. Her eye roams slowly over the raised slab and the columns; a familiar setting, though also one not recently seen.

Her smile is offered to those passersby she notes, clergy, visitor, or petitioner alike. Said smile widens further when she spies the cerulean-scaled Sunguard. Like the grounds, he is a familiar yet long absent sight, and she makes her way to approach him.

It doesn't take long for Zeke to notice that someone is headed specifically for him, and he recognizes Kira immediately - how could he not? Sometimes it feels a lifetime ago... but other days. He sets his boxed fruit aside and rises to his feet, offering a very low nod or a near bow to Kira. It's a far cry from how he once reacted to her presence. "Peasssce on your nessst Kira. It hasss been a long time sssince we sshared wordsss."

Kira's face splits warmly, her smile beaming in response as she comes to a stop before him. Her hands rise partly from her sides towards him, though halt, perhaps awkwardly, as reflex is caught up and overcome by memory. None of that seems to dim her smile nor focus on him. "Peace on your nest, Zeke. It has been far too long. It is good to see you," her eyes flit briefly to the tray and back, "and that you are taking time to eat. I hope I'm not interrupting?"

A small shift of Zeke's tail gives away both his discomfort and his amusement. "Thissss one isss taking a repassst, you are welcome to join thisss one if you like." He motions to the bench which he had been sitting on. He notices her hand stalling before it actually reaches its destination and his eyes nictate once. "You do not have to forsssstall your-sssself Kira, thisss one isss no longer beholden to fearssss. Or at leassst not ass much asss thisss one once wasss. Thisss one went to the temple for healing, and the temple found a way to cure much of the fear that thisss one held. Come, join thisss one."

"I would like to, thank you." Kira's cheeks pink some, though that could be as much from her delight at Zeke's words, or more, than the correction in them. She follows his motion and seats herself on the bench. "It is a bit strange, " she remarks with a brief glance about them,"So many things are familiar and the same, and yet so many things have also changed."

With her joining him at the bench, Zeke settles down once again, careful of his tail. He politely offers her some of his fruit and some of his tea, having always an extra cup with him. This is done silently so as to not break into the words that she offers him, and he nods his own agreement with her statement. "Thisss one wassss gone for nearly a year from Alexandria, and thisss one findsss it ssso. Thisss one hasss not ssseen you; were you alssso gone from the scity?"

Kira accepts both with thanks. A sip is taken from the tea and the fruit is mostly held for the moment. She answers first with a nod, though her eyes are more upon her tea than to him as she expounds. "After ... everything that happened, there were many places, many people, in need of help." A pause before she adds, "I... I think that I was one of them, and needed time, and a change, to heal."

"Thisss one can underssstand that." Zeke nods once. Indeed he can, as he himself had felt much the same way. "Thisss one hopess that you received the help that you needed?" There's a gentle question in there, an offer to listen and share which requires nothing of her if she does not wish to share it. It's clear from that question however, that he is concerned for her.

Her eyes leave the tea for him and her smile re-blooms. "With the help of my sisters in the Order, and reflection... yes. Thank you. Maybe we were both beholden to fears, before. Now we are not. What of you? How has all been since for you, Zeke?"

Zeke glances downward for a moment. "It wasss difficult at firssst, but thisss one'sss kin wasss kind and patient. Thisss one recovered bit by bit, and then left Alexandria. To find healing." He looks at her with a sort of peace in his gaze that was never there before. "It wassss amusssing really, thissss one wasss afraid of ssso much. The temple put thisss one in charge of little sssoft-sskin babiesss, and thisss one wasss terrified."

He tilts his head slightly. "Did you know, that sssoft-ssskin babiess need to be touched to be healthy? For their sssake thisss one learned." He nods once. "Thisss one learned to be patient with thisss onessss sself. It wasss not easssy, but thisss one isss isss doing much better now."

Zeke looks at Kira, reaching out and telegraphing a gentle touch of his crystal hand on her own hand. She has plenty of time to pull away if it makes her uncomfortable, but this too is something that the old Zeke would never have done. "To be free of the fear that we were given isss a great thing, and thisss one isss glad that you found sssuccor amonssst your Order."

Any fears that Kira may or may not have had never included physical contact. She doesn't shy away from it, whether blue scale or blue crystal. In fact, though it requires the barest moment of thought given the recent update (and to pop the piece of fruit in her mouth), her other now-free hand moves to rest atop his. Reciprocal and hopefully assuring, not entrapping.

The thought of Zeke's treatment can only make her smile further, and now with some amusement, too, at the the mental image. "They need care and attention like anyone else... just much more. Your temple and elders are very wise. I have cared for children before, but not babies, and not like that. I would be terrified."

The bluescale nods solemnly. "At firssst thisss one wassss. They are ssso... delicate, and they require much care. They are not like the children of the People. Yet they are not ssso different either." He shifts his tail again in amusement, his eyes twinkling with goodwill. "Yet their need wasss obviousss, and thisss one isss a healer. Thissss one learned to over-come that fear for thossse reasssonsss."

His hand rests comfortably with hers now. "Thisss one isss ssure that you would have found your own way."

Kira's smile now curls slightly into something more ... knowing. "To best help others, you had to heal yourself. My sisters urged me not too differently." She gives his hand a pat . "Though not with children. If they had surrounded me with little ones, and I became comfortable... I might never have returned to Alexandria." Amusement returns to her smile, and extends to her eyes. "Now I know who to ask for guidance on children, or who to send them to.."

Zeke laughs then, the sound of his laughter a good thing. "Thisss one isss not sso practiced asss all that, but thisss one would be happy to aid you in what-ever way you require." His eyes grow more serious here. "Thissss one owess you a great debt."

His laugh is a good thing. A great thing. A contagious thing, even, as she cannot resist briefly joining him with her own. "I always welcome your aid and wisdom." As his glance grows more serious, her smile firms and Kira shakes her head slightly. "You owe me nothing, Zeke. You were in need, and I am a healer. Even if I weren't, you are a friend. If you feel anything is owed... seeing you well, now, laughing... consider that repayment in full."

The bluescale blinks at her and then nods. It's not so easy as that to forget his perceived debt, but he understands her words and their meaning. If he were in her place... he would say very much the same thing. "It isss good that we have reunited. Thisss one hasss been consssidering leaving Alexandria again. Ssso thisss one isss glad to ssseee you again and ssshare wordsss before then."

Kira's brows lift at that and some worry dims her smile some. Worry and perhaps a bit of selfish sadness. "Oh? Is everything alright... or are you needed elsewhere?" She catches herself a bit late in expanding the question. Something need not be wrong, afterall.

Zeke seems to consider the question seriously for a moment, and then explains. "Thisss one hasss become involved with a difficult sssituation. Ssseldan - thisss onesss kin - freed the Veil from the elvesss, and they are greatly dissspleasssed. Yet ssshe wasss a sssentient thing, being trapped by her people. It wasss necesssasssary. Her freedom meansss freedom for the Mul'niesssssa. There isss more, but sssome of it thisss one may not ssshare wordsss of, for it isss ssseacret. Sssuffice to sssay that Alexandria hasss not become the mossst comfortable plassce to sstay of late."

Kira nods simply after a moment. Whether this means she is aware of matters with Seldan or others... or simply accepts Zeke's reasoning, she doesn't say. "I understand if you are not comfortable here." A bit of purse to her lips relaxes back to a warm smile. "I want you to be comfortable, and I hope that you will find that peace and comfort, wherever you may... though I will miss you."

For just a moment Zeke squeezes Kira's hand. "Thisss one isss grateful for alliesss like you. Now and then. Without sssuch ass you, thisss one would not have made it thisss far." His words are sincere and heartfelt, and he meets her gaze solidly. "There issss much troubling Alexandria of late. Werewolvessss, demonsss, figuresss sssent by the deitiesss. Sssome-timesss thisss one thinksss that thisss plasce musst be both blesssed and curssed to be ssso filled with good and evil."

And now her lips flatten somewhat again. "Yes. I thought that everything would be much better once I heard the news, and it seemed time to return..." She exhales a light sigh, "but there are still many strange and terrible things around this city. Things corrupting magic, more demons... and werewolves?" She might not have heard of everything.

A pause and a breath. "There will always need to be good to stand against evil. You are right. If this place is cursed, it is also blessed to have the light against the darkness."

"Thisss one apologizesss for bringing up ill newsss." Zeke offers a refill of the tea with his free hand and finishes off his own. "It isss good to know though, in cassse you become involved in sssuch. It isss almossst imposssible not to at leassst some-what."

He nods here, "You are never with-out alliesss Kira; thisss one will come if you call, even if thisss one iss far away."

"You don't need to apologize, Zeke," Kira notes. "There was some strange Void being in a village to the north, and I ran into some sort of demons in the market the day I first returned here. I am grateful for your warning, still... and your offer. I will always welcome your help and company."

She politely declines the refill; he has finished his tea and hers is somewhat behind. She is not very good at drinking and conversing at the same time.

Zeke tilts his head lightly, curious about these things that she had faced. "Thisss one would ssshare wordsss with you about thessse thingsss asss it pleasssesss you. The demonssss in particular are of conssscern to thisss one." Indeed, as a healer and cleric, the disposition of demons in the city was of great concern to him; particularly considering that they should not be in the city at all. "Do you know how they got into the scity?"

Kira shakes her head slightly. "No. They were disguised as ordinary people, but once they were discovered... they chose to cause as much suffering and destruction as they could..." This may not be surprising for demons, but is upsetting all the same. "They used that to escape."

The bluescale shakes his head, none too pleased to hear that there are demons loose in the city. "It will make finding them more difficult if they can be hidden asss ordinary citizensss. Yet thisss one hass no doubt that they will be found and dealt with. Hopefully too the one that ssummoned them will be held accountable asss well." He shakes his head. "And thisss void-perssson? That ssssoundsss... unusssual?"

Kira's lips purse at the inquiry, or rather the recollection, and a light shiver runs through her. "It was very ... unusual. Something not from our world that was corrupting mana, the land, even people... I still don't know exactly what it was. " A pause, a breath, and a swallow before she assures, "It is gone, now. We forced it out. It is no longer threatening anything or anyone."

Another reassuring squeeze and Zeke nods. "There issss that much at leassst. Thisss one isss glad that you were there to deal with sssuch." He seems to consider something, and resists a shudder of his own only by giving his tail a light thump. "You might consssider, for your demon-problem, asssking a Ssunblade to accompany you about town. Sssee if they might sssensse the evil of the demonsss and be able to direct you to them."

Kira seems happy(?) to shift back to the topic of demons and nods. "That is wise option. I was able to sense them once there was suspicion to look. I..." her smile tightens not quite flat. "I didn't think there was need for me to seek out evil around me, at all times..." That is a most worrisome thought all on its own.

"There is a difference between a hunt, and looking at all with sssusspicion." Zeke clarifies gently. "You need not ussse the giftsss that the godsss have given you at all timesss, but to look with open eyesss while one huntsss evil isss wissse." The sith-makar gives a somewhat abashed shrug. "Thisss one isss not blesssed with sssuch ability, but thisss one trussstss that you will ussse what you are given wisssely."

-End