Kit & Shae’s Apartment, Old Rose Harbor
They had been allowing things to stew for close to two weeks now, and Kit hadn’t pushed them for information about anything, even though he would have been justified in seeking answers—demanding them in fact. Instead, he had given them space, both metaphorically and literally, as they actually had a room of their own in this new apartment; the raen had never had their own room before. Once again, they had fallen into the pattern of Shae having things going on—rather obviously going on—while they remained mum about it, while expecting Kit to just deal with it. Poor, suffering Kit who had to deal with their chroveshit while getting nothing in return.
Well, not exactly nothing, but he hadn’t been getting much of that from them of late. The youth had certainly been more reserved since their return, almost on their best behaviour, willing to do whatever was necessary to keep him happy, which was frankly the only reason that they’d had any sort of sexual activity. Although, things had been far more restrained between them in that regard, and the musician might have thought all manner of things from their stiff manner. The poor man probably thought that he was the problem and it wasn’t at all fair that they hadn’t explained anything that was going on with them right now, and that was without mentioning Peregrine Gillespie, which was a whole other matter. Shae wasn’t ready to talk about him yet, least of all because the man was linked to their state of being as a raen.
The former wick had every intention of making a change this morning though, ready to grasp their field and cast as they said. Actually that was currently a rather unfortunate turn of phrase considering that they couldn’t do that in light of whatever the fuck was going on with their field, but speaking purely metaphorically…
Gods, were they already trying to tell themself that they couldn’t do this before they began? They couldn’t be so negative just because of one common phrase—a stupid, magic-oriented phrase at that! Humans and passives couldn’t say that sort of thing so perhaps they should find out what they said instead.
Or you could try fixing whatever’s going on with your field, they pointed out, the mona in the porven thing buzzing in what might have been a reflection of their own displeasure, but they buzzed like that a lot—how were they supposed to tell the difference?
One thing at a time. It’s more important that you explain some things to Kit, they reminded themself. It should also be easier than rectifying whatever was wrong with their—well, Cordelia’s—field, at least in theory.
All they had to do was step outside of their room.
While he was trying to be quiet, it was obvious that the galdor was rattling around out there, newly emerged from his room although he might have been awake for Alioe knew how long and just not arisen, as Shae had been doing, but somehow they didn’t think so.
Leaving the warmth of their bedclothes, the raen dressed hastily, still somewhat amazed by the differences of this new body of theirs, so much more compact, far less easily overbalanced and yet their clumsiness had managed to follow them from their prior, gangly form. Wriggling their feet into their shoes, they bounded energetically into their common living space.
Well, they tried to bound into the next room energetically, but succeeded in pulling open the door a little too enthusiastically so that the handle slipped from their grasp and the wooden portal rebounded off their arm and shoulder. As such, they ended up swearing and wincing as they extricated themself from their door, massaging their injuries as they approached Kit.
"Morning! I was going to say ‘good’ but that was before I accidentally picked a fight with the door and it kicked my erse," they explained, unable to stop themself from smiling as they said it though. They rested a hand on his arm for balance as they stretched up to kiss his cheek. Their lips tingled from grazing the prickle of stubble on his face, but it wasn’t an unpleasant sensation, Shae touching their lips as they drew back.
“I could do with some tea and I can sort it myself. Don’t worry, I’m not going to scald myself or anything,” they added quickly, before he could make some comment about their habitual clumsiness, “I draw a line when it comes to fighting with the kettle.”
They were trying to be funny, but they were nervous as hell, unable to stop a shrill sort of giggle escaping them. They busied themself with tea things, doing their best to focus on that so that they wouldn’t risk catching his eye.
“Kit? I actually wanted to talk to you about… stuff. You know, things that have been happening between us… recently.”
Oh yes, this was going very well. It didn’t sound vague or anything.
“We’re meant to be communicating better and that isn’t… well I haven’t– That isn’t your fault. You shouldn’t have to interrogate me just to find out what’s going on in my head, especially when it comes to stuff… with us.”
There was only so much fiddling with tea leaves and sugar that they could do, only so long that they could avoid looking at the galdor as Shae waited for the water to come to a boil.
“I don’t know what to say—where to start. I suppose that you could ask me things and if I’m not comfortable with it, I won’t answer but I really want… I really want to tell you things, Kit,” they finished in a whisper.
They’d passed control over to him, put this back onto the musician but they honestly didn’t know where to start; there were just so many things.
“Do you… want to know where I went after I left? What I… what I did?”
They couldn’t help but wince at the last part, gazing up at him with an expression of guilt, shame and pain.