Nest Hunting

In truth, Zeke had no idea what to expect when he thought about searching out a place to live with Cryosanthia, but he was finding it far more difficult than he anticipated. Many of the homes in Alexandria were flat out too small. As in they had doorways and ceilings that were uncomfortably low for the sith-makar - both of them. Cryosanthia was not much smaller than he himself was, and this lent to a lot of bending down to get through doors. Something that Zeke would rather avoid in a place meant to be their permanent residence.

Then there were the innumerable people on the streets. It had always made Zeke uncomfortable to be the center of attention, and it was true that sith were not terribly common in Alexandria though they were not as uncommon as they might be elsewhere. Still, ever since his trip to the tower being watched was something that made him even more uncomfortable and now... Every little shadow made him flinch in expectation of an attack. Every eye on his person filled him with a sense of being trapped.

Zeke was grateful then to return to the temple district and went by rote to one of the benches around the much-repaired fountain and sat down on it. "Thiss one did not expect that thisss would be sso difficult." He sighs quietly and looks over at his cihuaa, offering her a wan wag of his tail.

Cryosanthia is wearing her layered wizard robes, her haversack, and today has her wide floppy hat on. It's something she hasn't worn in a while, especially with her horns. They slide through purposed holes in the brim and the hat isn't going anywhere no matter how strong a wind there is.

She's eager to search, and likewise has no idea what she'll finally settle on. She had preferences, some she knew beforehand, some which became apparent as they explored. Low doorways are not a favourite either. She glides down onto the seat beside him, gracefully slipping in place. Her tail aligns with his, matching the wan wagging without touching. He can feel the brush of air, she's close, but no contact. Leaning back, she supports herself with her hands, "This one agrees. When I was staying with Mikilos, he re-arranged the guest room using stone shape. I don't think the landlords would let us do that, stretch and smush their stone or wooden buildings just the way we'd like?"

Zeke hums at the thought. "Thisss one hass been thinking. Perhapsss it iss wrong to look at placess that are owned by sssomeone elsse. Perhapsss we ssshould buy our own plasce and adjussst it to our needsss." What he is suggesting is a very expensive proposition, but he seems serious about the thought. In fact it causes him to look around the district itself thoughtfully. "It might alssso be eassier to find a plassce that iss being sssold outright rather than merely rented for sssome given time."

Cryo smiles, "Oh, I like that idea. I have some funds, but not much... I could adventure some more. So, something close to what we would want, or a property with a place to tear down and replace. Would we have a yard? The gardens they have here are cute, they seem quite tame compared to Am'shere jungle. I think I'd want a bit of one, so people wouldn't be passing right by the windows." She too, seems to need a certain buffer of space. At least a good leaps worth.

The blue-scaled sith rolls his right shoulder in a half-shrug and thinks about it. "Thisss one hasss not ssseen much in the way of wildernesss in Alexandria. The noblesss ssseem to have more... land? But thisss one hasss little dessire to live in that disstrict. Thisss one isss sssure we can find a plassce that isss nearby that hasss ssome grasss and plantsss, or placess for sssuch." Zeke glances toward Cryosanthia, wagging his tail again. "You need not worry about how to pay for sssuch. Thiss one... thisss one will take care of it. Thisss one can provide for our nessst."

Cryo chrrrrs a happy trill in her throat, proud and amazed. "That's great. This one doesn't think she'd fit in with nobles well. I almost want to live someplace busy, so there's always something going on. Like the theater district. Being able to see the Temple District would be nice too. People are always going back and forth." She ponders a moment.

"Oh! I had a terrible, horrible idea!" Cryo looks over eagerly, "I was thinking, I don't want a basement. I'm don't want to live below anymore. Then I thought, it would be OK if it had a swimming pool. Then I remembered, some places have access to the cisterns, so we could go swimming, and fish, in the basement. Although things might wander up. This is a wrong idea, yes?"

Still, her tail swishes strongly at the idea, swimming at least.

Embarrassment rises from Zeke, but its pleased embarrassment. His efforts are recognized by his cihuaa and this fills him with a sense of pride that is not usual for him. The blue-scaled sith nods to Cryosanthia. "Thisss one thinksss that a below-plasce isss one we do not need. If the plassce hasss ssuch we can fill it in, or... sssimply find a plasce that doess not have one. It would be be better thisss one thinksss, to have a plasssce to ssswim outssside yesss? A ssmall pond in a garden perhapsss? Thisss would be pleasssing to the eye, and pleassant to resst in yesss?"

The whitescale smiles brightly, "A pond for two sounds lovely. We can get a Decanter of Endless water and have a small waterfall no one understands how it starts mid-air. A small garden, for the friends who don't swim, with tame plants. No basement, build it taller. I almost wish we had the Tower. Not HER." Cryo's voice gets a hard edge in it on the pronoun, becoming wistful again, "I found I didn't blame the stones, not it. I felt very secure in Mikilos' mountain hall. This one can't explain, the Temple Room gives me nightmares too, though I still like solid stone. Perhaps wood, a hard, hard oak, would be nice."

"Wood would be nisssce yesss. Thiss one likess the idea of being sssurrounded by sssomething warmer than sstone." Zeke shudders slightly, then sighs. "Thisss one doesss not blame the sstoness either, but... Thisss one could never live in sssuch a plasssce. Ssseeing the room where thiss one wasss tortured? Esperimented on?"

Suddenly his tail thrashes, almost hitting Cryosanthia's tail but narrowly missing. Zeke grips his knees with his claws and shakes his head. "Thisss one would rather it all burned to the ground. Sssalted and never ssseen again by any-one. The plassce may not be evil, but it holdsss ghosstss Cryossanthia. The ghosstss of pain and death."

"Mikilos said it exploded, but ... I agree. There's too much there. So much of it in my mind still." Cryosanthia exhales, a long sigh, "It is almost my whole life. Even being outside feels strange. It makes me think we've changed. Sith were not meant to be in a place like that, so long. Is this why... we haven't considered Mictlan?"

She looks over, meeting his green eyes. "I know Mictlan wouldn't work at all. It's too far to travel each way, each day. Not so bad in summer hours, but the gates close early in the winter. Practical reasons we haven't thought of it, but... are you uncomfortable around other sith-makar now?"

Zeke looks at Cryosanthia fully now, blinking at her twice in surprise. "Thisss one did consssider Mictlan but... Thiss one hass never been..." He fails to find the proper words, then finally he reaches out and touches Cryosanthia on her arm with his crystal claw. They were wise to one another, enough that she'd seated herself at his left side so that if he wanted to reach out he could. He'd even sat down on the proper side of the bench, his way of saying without words that he might want to. "We would be sssurrounded by the People. People who would wonder why you are with an old, broken male when you could have your choisce of them. Sssurrounded by thossse who would want to offer comfort that thisss one can not asccept. Here in Alexandria, we are clossse to what kin we have. Kin that assccept usss the way we are."

"You didn't break, my cihuaa. You bent a little at the end but you didn't break. You walked into that knowing what you would suffer. It's incredible strength. You're not broken." Cryosanthia insists, taking his crystal hand and holding tight. "Younger you was delightful, but we reached these ages together. You are the how I remember, always. This one hopes... without Her watching... you will find you can touch me. This one desires eggs in the nest. Not next hatching, but soon. And... you are right. The kin that accept us would be better."

"And please, think not of being broken any more. Change the word. Unbroken. Unbreakable. These are more you, Zeke. Uncrushable."

The blue-scaled sith's tail shifts behind him. Not quite a wag, but a small hopeful movement, but there's sadness in his eyes. "Thissss one did not, but thisss one... Thisss one almossst did not make it back to you. If sshe had known more about the People... Thisss one iss glad sshe doess not." Zeke squeezes her hand gently. "Sshe isss watching usss Cryosssanthia. We will never have peassce until ssshe isss truly dead. Thisss one..." He looks away suddenly, hurt flashing through his eyes, only a glimpse but there. "Isss not even sssure that thisss one can offer you eggss for your nesst."

"I have a dagger just for her. She will succumb." Cryo says, voice firm, eyes impassive. She watches her mate carefully, leaning in, full of concern and touching gently at his crystal arm. "What is wrong? You are a little past middle-age, it should be possible. All injuries can be healed. If we will it, and perhaps a couple gods will it, won't it happen? Or you... think you'll... never tolerate my touch?"

"Thisss one doess not know." It's a miserable utterance. Zeke can't look at her, stares at the ground instead. "Thisss one... For ssso long thiss one was given nothing but pain by thisss onesss nesst-mother. It took yearss for thisss one to begin to trusst. To even think of allowing othersss closse enough for ssuch and then..."

He's silent for a long moment. "Ssshe took ssso much from thisss one. Her handsss... inssside thiss one. Touching what sshould not be touched! Ssso cold. Alwayssss... Alwaysss touching and hurting." Zeke lets her keep his arm, because he can't feel it and he can give this much to her. It's all he has right now. "How can thisss one promisse what thisss one doess not know?"

"I'm sorry I'm cold and my touch is cold." She sounds equally miserable. A spot on the ground has become her focal point as well. Cryosanthia exhales, two long visible streams condensing into a mist in front of her nostrils. "I loved winter. I love winter. In Am'shere, it was mythical. So hot. I thought I'd never see snow..."

The whitescale is quiet, exhaling again. "She touched every part of me. You know, you saw. You have twice the horrors, but in them. How much you being there helped. How I feel, when you're near. She... fixed things, Zeke. I don't understand why. My magic was ugly, things were wrong, you saw my hide. It hurt but... something necessary happened. This one... your nest-mother... this one has no words. She will not hurt you again. I will never hurt you. I'm sorry at times I'm like those who have."

Finally Zeke looks up, squeezes her hand again. "Thisss one would change nothing about you Cryosssanthia. Thisss one isss glad that you have found sssome sssmall thingsss that are good to come from all thisss bad. If thiss one could promissse you that thisss one would wake up tomorrow and be... better, thisss one would give you that in an insstant."

"Then... promise only that you will keep trying, and I will keep hoping." Cryo clasps his crystal hand between both of hers. "Our own place, for our size, our builds, full of our smells and things we find pleasing. Solid. Tall. So this one can look down sometimes, or see far. Not feel closed in. Our territory. Your territory. This will, you will feel it, I know."

She seems certain. Perhaps she is. Some anxiety hooked to the knowledge that nowhere is hers, nowhere is safe. She's always travelling. It's why she always has the haversack with her. Everything she owns is in it, Zeke would know. Two magic items where all her property for eighty years and she holds on tight to everything now. A lingering legacy, damage, more subtle. One that might vanish with her own net. Safety.

"Every day, a step forward. We'll make it."

Zeke wags his tail back at her, shifting so that he is facing her. So that he can take in her confidant scent. Take in her eyes, so full of hope that feels crushed inside of him. She seems certain, but certainty was drained out of Zeke in the tower. "Thisss one likess the sssound of that. Of a plasce that isss oursss. A plassce that ssshe hass never been and will never be. A plassce that we can be." He reaches out with his other claw. So afraid. Always afraid, but he clasps her hand anyways, his eyes sad and his scent uncertain. All he has are small steps. Small offerings to someone he feels deserves so much more.

Cryo's scent flowers strong and pleased. When she is confident it is glorious, though that too has moments where it is still scarred by the Tower. "Windows, big windows. Is it possible to get a room enchanted like the Magic Mansion, so like AnyGarment sleeves it can be anything at a thought? Ha! If we could build the spell itself into a room, imagine, a house in the house. That is too crazy. This one should focus on simple things. Like shutters. And a flat roof we can get up on? This is sounding more like a place we will build and not find, unless there is some eccentric mage's hideaway. The first floor, should be a room for receiving guests, and a kitchen to cook food for them, and a walk out to the back where there is the pond and garden, and places for a small big bonfire, like there is at Mictlan, for proper people's cooking."

Zeke chuffs, huffing out a little laugh that's pleased. "Thisss one isss glad that you have sssuch ideasss. Thiss one hass never thought to want beyond a room to sssleep in." He shakes his head a little and then squeezes his hands before taking back the one on top. "Perhapsss we can find a plassce and then... have people make it more what we want for it to be? Thisss one would dissslike having people in and out, but thisss one wantsss for you to be happy."

Cryo wiggles on her seat, shaking her tail behind her. "The sleeping room would be on the second floor. Unless you think a library should be there, then the sleeping room could be higher. A room to do things in, like an office. We don't need to be there when the people are in and out. We can come to see they are making it the way we want, and leave, and come back when they are done and clean their scents out. This one could handle the people herself, talking is my thing, but wants you involved so they are your decisions also. This needs to be a place you enjoy too. This one thinks a place to make ours is good. Yes."

"Thisss sssoundsss very nissce. Though thisss one would not want the nesst to be too high. It sssoundss unsssafe to thiss one. Alssso there are better libariess in the scity, ssso we can do with-out one. Thiss one appresciatess that you are willing to talk to othersss for thiss one, and thisss one will try to be helpful. Thisss one will do the besst that thisss one can." Zeke nods and wags his tail at Cryosanthia. "Come, let usss return to our nesst-hunting now that we have a better idea what we desssire."

Cryosanthia stands, "Yes. An eccentric mage fixer-upper with a yard. Oooooo... or maybe an eccentric philandering bachelor's place. A Scarletmoucher's! No... that would be in the noble section. This one would enjoy conquering it, but such things should exist for dramatic purposes. We shall see what is out there."

Zeke chuckles again, rising slowly and with care to his feet. He leaves his hand in Cryosanthia's care, the better to offer her aid to her own feet, and then to hold her hand as they make their way through the district. "It isss beautiful here. Ssso much bad hass happened, but look." He waves to the fountain. "Alexandria refussess to remain broken. Itss people fixesss it."

Cryosanthia grins. Her gait is bouncy, her hands swinging. Not a youthful energy but an energy still. She gives a careful glance at the fountain and laughs, "True, but this one hopes to be a distance from it. I've had too many surprises that it was the cause."

She looks around, mostly for ideas in buildings. It's hard to tell which might be bought. "How is getting a house handled? Do you knock and ask if they will sell, is a price painted on them? Is there a house selling guild we must speak with, that has apprentices who are only qualified to sell doors and windows?"

There is another laugh from Zeke as he rolls his right shoulder and wags his tail. "Thisss one will assk Sseldan. He and hissss cihuaa have a nessst sssurely. They will know how to do thisss." It sounded like a better idea than knocking on doors to Zeke.

Cryo nods thoughtfully, "This one has not seen his nest. Perhaps once, visiting with Ezil. I am unsure if he moved." Her tail sways in great arcs as she moves, clearly she's happy to be outside and not worrying about hitting something. "Do houses have ghosts? Or curses. They would need to be magically inspected. Hmm."

The little hmmm, is followed by a stronger hmmm, "Should we look at your maps, find areas that have infrequent disappearances, and perhaps, are not on top of the summoning circle? This one would hate to find a lovely looking place and discover demons appear daily near it. Although, the price would likely be very affordable if so."

Zeke shudders at Cryosanthia's question. "According to the map, there isss very little of the scity that isss /not/ within the scircle, and it isss directly under the temple disstrict." Which means of course that if they want a home here, it will be at the epicenter of the summoning circle. "It isss besst not to think of sssuch thingsss. Thisss one doubtsss that any nesst here hass a cursse or ghosstss inssside it." He shakes his head again, uncertain.

Cryo nods, lost in thought. The two sith-makar wander. The Temple District is so named because of the temples. All surrounding a large open area with the fountain in the middle. Outside of this orderly layout, but still nearby is a section of businesses that cater directly to temple needs. Clothing, ritual items, books, objects for remembrance and sacrifice, candle-makers. Most of these have apartments above them, where the proprietors live. Behind the Temples' backs, so to speak, are residential sections. The pair of sith are not the first to want to live near where they work. The nearest are small single dwellings, for high status clergy. Further out are tenement apartments, and townhouses, for lesser temple workers. There are no mansions and estates, that's more common to find in the noble district, but there are clusters where the buildings aren't shoulder to shoulder.

-End