Life rarely cooperates with our desires.

[homeless_pard]

Who: Khemrys, assorted
When: Six months into dating Jason.
What: Her first trip home since her arrival.

She recalled the last thing her friends had said, Beryl had told her to enjoy the date, Nathaniel had whistled teasingly and said she looked good, and that was what she had to remember them by as ran pelted down from above in yet another round of fall storms.

The date had been fun, honestly, to a point. Jason had approved of her outfit, she could tell by the curve of his smile and the fact he kept sneaking glances at her as he drove. And well he should, in Beryl's words, she'd adopted some corsetry into her date dresses, and lighter skirts, but still soft and touchable, and her boots laced well and high up the legs visible through various slits in peeks and moments.

A dancing dress, mayhap, for the newer dances they still were teaching at the Circus. There was a club in the next city over Jason wanted to 'research' but no reason not to mix dating with business so they'd set out early to see a museum and the take a meal...

...that had been the plan anyway.

"You should come in out of the rain, lady," a voice murmured behind her.

She shifted slightly, water creasing off the oiled hood of the cape she wore, "in a moment," she sighed. "Do not worry for me."

The scholar she'd been traveling with sighed, "worry is warranted when you look like a tragic illustration in the doorway, lady."

"I miss my home and friends," she sighed. "Allow me that."

"Still?"

"And should such as matter be forgotten in a mere two years?" she countered, a small thread of anger warming her against the damp chill.

"No, never," he sighed, "but you've a life to live of your own as well...here." With...new friends.

Ah yes, the lonely scholar. She'd no doubt laugh later about such, but she'd landed in an old keep where a single man rattled around, taking rubbings and analyzing pre-chaos war history but...he'd jumped at the chance to potentially locate functional gates when she couldn't get the one she arrived through to open again.

And my she had been quite angry when the stone arch in the garden of the ruins had refused to let her return to the museum she'd been taken from. Three months of trying and research before she'd determined it would be necessary to travel to the one she KNEW led to the park on Jason's world.

The only problem being she hadn't exactly been able to draw a map upon her first journey there. And while her companion was actually delighted by her ability toy shapeshift and had many theories about her, essentially, breaking her own bloodline restrictions with her nascent healing abilities, well, it was not best for others in Arvon to know of her ability.

It slowed things, monthly, when they dared not travel in settled lands. Of a certainty her healing ability set them in good stead for travel goods, clothing and food ere easy to trade for health, but it also added complications of people wishing her to stay.

For all Jason's world confused her many days even yet, she had forgotten the burden of expectation every person seemed to have in her own world.

It was exhausting.

Much like the Scholar Nenniv's hopeful attentions.

It made it much easier to stand in the rain outside the small cottage that had been granted them for an evening after she'd healed a harvest injury. Easier to stand and remember those she wished to return to; her own high lord, her friends, her companion in stillwork, and Jason...

Thankfully the rain passed by morning and they were traveling again, they'd been walking the edges of the wastes, hoping to chance upon the route she recalled from her flight, and thankfully they had traced it, they were near two years from her arrival now but the land was finally growing hilly and rocky again. She last remembered scrambling up these stones on four exhausted, feet, and while her two now were no less sore from travel, they at least were shod in abused boots and not bleeding. "There's a path I believe ne-" the call died in her throat as she turned back to spy a dark horse wandering up to the stones below, the rider upon it looking up at her and waving the scholar over to speak.

No.

No.

She didn't need to hear Nenniv's scream to run in order to start moving. However the word had spread didn't matter now, the Hunter had come to check the rumors, and again escape would be found in running...

...she tore up the path, boots skidding and sliding, a sole splitting entire on a sharper stone, but it mattered not if she could reach the cave.

He tried to stop her, how not? The dart gun she'd feared in the Hunt was raised behind her, she could hear darts ping and ricochet around her, stone chips flying from the metal shafts...thankfully the one that finally caught her, tip grounded in her shoulderblade, spun her into the crevasse where her way home lay.

Thank all the Powers honestly, she gasped, fingers, slamming against unyielding stone for a brief moment before she was falling through and down upon the piled stones of a world that smelled far different from the old, misty winds of Arvon.

She was...just going to rest a bit honestly. Darts were...far from a joke yes. Idly as she closed her eyes she wondered how long it had been in this world rather than her own...

Comments

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[homeless_pard]

"I can throw stuff in a crockpot at least?" Beryl offered, "and will." Hundred percent?

"Alright, Jason, smelling salts time I believe," Lillian noted, passing the small packet to him. "I assume you want to do the honors?"

Requiem snorted, amused, but get a hand on Khemrys's back in case she jumped.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[jasonpschuyler]

He eyed the packet, his own nose already wrinkling. "Just...hold it under her nose?" Because pouring smelling salts into someone's nose is Not good, no.

He was crouched down close to her face as he gently fanned the packet under her nose.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[homeless_pard]

"...yes, how else would you use it?" Lillian blinked.

They did their job? Khemrys winced and slitted an eye open, trying not to gag, "ugh."

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[jasonpschuyler]

It was so good to hear her voice, even a disgusted sound like that. Jason's face nearly instantaneously transformed as he saw her eye wink open, a private smile that still held worry, but was still not something he let out around others very often.

"Hey," he said softly.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[homeless_pard]

"My lord," she smiled, cracking the other eye open. Oh...oh my. "I hurt." And apparently sounded inane at the moment.

"You were shot," Requiem noted.

"Ah...yes. I hope Nenniv escaped..."

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[jasonpschuyler]

She was...oddly calm. Still, seeing her eyes open did a lot to soothe him. His fingers came up to brush at her cheek. "Can you tell us what happened?"

She probably would prefer to be upright before launching into a tale, but he wasn't thinking clearly.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[homeless_pard]

"...may I sit up?" she asked, tilting her cheek slightly into his touch.

"Yes, we had to cut your dress though, you may want to change..." Requiem noted, shifting his hand so she could ease upright, wincing.

"And you get a sling!" Beryl announced, coming back up the stairs.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[jasonpschuyler]

"Can you manage or do you want a blanket to cover up with?" Jason asked, rising from his crouch with his hands out in case she needed to brace herself.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[homeless_pard]

Oh yes, that hurt a lot more when she started moving yes. She did not recommend being shot, no, not at all. "...a blanket," she decided. She'd figure out changing...later.

Granted she was figuring out she was on the table now and that was also a problem.

"You hit your head when you came through this time," Requiem winced.

"...oh, that explains it." The fuzzy, disconnected logic!

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[jasonpschuyler]

Jason glanced up but Nathaniel was already moving, grabbing a warm blanket from the closet and coming to drape it carefully around her shoulders.

"Would some tea help?" Jason asked. "We have some ready if you want some."

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[homeless_pard]

"If you could help me off the table?" She asked him softly. "And sit with me?" A Jason lap with tea sounded good?

Beryle was...pouring cups yup.

"I've care instructions dear, but you know them, I'll leave them written for your troop here. Welcome home," Lillian chuckled, repacking her things to leave.

"Home," Khemrys repeated with s tired smile.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[jasonpschuyler]

"Yeah," Jason nodded, his arm sweeping carefully around her waist to help ease her to the floor. At least they'd been able to leave the couch intact when building up her bed, so he was able to guide her to the couch, pulling her carefully down to sit cradled against him.

Nathaniel gave Beryl a smile as he took a few of the cups from her, handing one to Khemrys and setting the other next to Jason for when his hands were free. "Did you want tea, Lillian, or do you have to get back?"

Jason couldn't help resting his nose lightly against the nape of her neck, breathing deeply as she sipped at her tea.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[homeless_pard]

"I'll take a cup to go," she smiled at Nathaniel, "I'm on call tonight," so best to be closer at need!

"I'll be back to helping as soon as I'm able," Khemrys winced.

"You'll rest and recover first, girl, or all the boys will sit on you!"

Khemrys winced again, settling carefully against Jason and nodding, "yes dame..."

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[jasonpschuyler]

Thankfully they had plenty of travel mugs from Jason and Nathaniel's visits, and Nathaniel filled one and handed it off to her.

There was a soft sound from her neck. "You're crazy if you think I'm letting you out of my sight," he murmured.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[homeless_pard]

She wasn't so out of it that those words did not get a mild blush! "I am oft called such these days," she muttered back. "How long was I away?"

"Four months," Requiem noted mildly.

"...oh."

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[jasonpschuyler]

"I've told you before those people don't know what they're talking about." He was going to be angry if he heard about more social cruelties towards her while she was gone.

The pages and pages of the journal were flashing in Jason's mind, and he could feel her reaction to Requiem's words. "How long were you away?" he asked softly.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[homeless_pard]

"As ever, my lord, it was thought a kindness. A way to deter from a fools errand," she sighed sipping her tea. "Two turns yet again." Eight hundred days.

"And the name you mentioned?" Requiem prompted.

"A travel companion, eager to witness live gates, should I manage to find it again..."

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[jasonpschuyler]

Jason stiffened. "Two years?" Four months of missing her, wondering if she was ok...but she had two years of that. "Khem..." he murmured softly into her hair.

Two years, and she still carried a pack of hope that she'd find her way back.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[homeless_pard]

"I had to find my trail from the wastes," she mused softly. "And healing paid our way in safer travels, but many wished me to settle in their lands due to such." Which delayed her!

"It seems two years is a common span for me."

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[jasonpschuyler]

Jason was a sober presence at her back. "I'm sorry," he said in a whisper. "I didn't know what to do. I kept going back to the museum, I tried the rocks..."

Frequently, until threats of calling the police turned to action and he found himself blacklisted at the museum. And too many people knew about his meltdowns at the rocks...

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[homeless_pard]

"I do not know you could trigger such lord, but I am truly grateful you tried..." she admitted, equally soft. "The one I arrive through this time would not reopen to here..." and that had made her rather angry in her own right yes.

"Grateful I am that the shop still stands..."

"We wouldn't let it close," Requiem assured, Beryl nodding as she sipped her tea and leaned against Nat.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[jasonpschuyler]

Nathaniel was happily supporting Beryl, so grateful that she didn't shy away from touch. He wasn't going to push his way in, but he could feel vulnerable when left on the side.

He hoped she knew he would have tried. But everything happening as it did... Keeping his nose buried in her hair was doing a lot for keeping him calm, though, after the frenzied worrying he'd done earlier.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[homeless_pard]

"Hmmm," Beryl mused, arm around Nathaniel's waist, "think we should sit downstairs for a bit?" she offered.

Requiem glanced at her, then Jason, evaluating quietly, "I can finish some blending..." he allowed.

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[jasonpschuyler]

Nathaniel smiled, "Sure, since you asked so nicely. Maybe we can see about getting something for everyone to eat."

Jason stayed with his face buried in her hair, listening as he heard their footsteps fading down the stairs. He didn't move, but there was a deep breath against the back of her neck. "I'm...so, so sorry, Khem."

Re: Some ties are honored, some are severed.

[homeless_pard]

"That sounds like a plan kitty-man," Beryl chuckled. "I approve."

Khemrys blinked when Jason apologized, confused..."whyever would you be lord?" What? She tried to turn a bit to look at him but that hurt so she stopped like a sensible creature!