Returning To A Display

JP with Lorem and Omni

Worry had finally climb all the way to the top of Gonyaul’s tower of patience. There was no reason, that he could think of, that would have her out this late. Something must have happened. It was a rational and easy conclusion to jump to, since the locals seemed to have a disdain for Helians. There was a part of him though, that thought it more likely that she went looking for trouble than was the victim of it.

Gonyaul had geared up to begin his search, but the moment he turned around to leave, Voah came running around the corner and nearly ran right into him. She was breathing heavily, which means she had been pushing herself beyond a casual pace to get back. Was she running from something, or had she just lost track of time?

His staff fell to the ground as he let it drop to gladly bring her into his arms in welcome. He hugged her tightly, like having just found something that one thought was lost, the stress from the unknown evaporating.

“So glad home. I begin worry.” He kissed her on the forehead and gave her space to continue to recover and perhaps fill him in on what was going on without him having to probe.

Her eyes were wide with surprise but gladness to be running into the right person's arms and nt some guard or annoyed citizen. She recognized immediately that Gonyaul was very clearly perturbed.

"I'm so sorry I'm late." she breathed. "Come on, let's go inside before someone sees us."

She grabbed up his staff and vivaciously pulled him back into their hideout, her body still full of energy stimulated from the impromptu stealth mission and from hurrying back.

As the reached the second floor of the abandoned house, Voah saw the display of cards.

"What's all this, yai bu'jah?" she asked, her chest rising and falling heavily.

Relationships felt like a river, sometimes peaceful and other times lively, thought Gonyaul as he went from projected concern to enthusiastically getting pulled back inside. He had already forgotten about the need to inquire where she had been, in view of watching her ascend the stairs in front of him. He may have not liked to see Voah leave, but it was a beautiful thing watching her do so. His teasing thoughts had quickly wrapped up his attention, that he almost didn’t register she was asking him a question. In addition, her labored breath wasn’t helping the fantasy in his mind.

He looked around for a split second as if someone else had rearranged cards about the room. Reorienting himself, Gonyaul went to retrieve her journal and opened it to where he had recorded the kagim mark ceremony in Vauxian. He held it out in case she wanted to take it from him, hoping it was acceptable that he had used her journal in the first place.

“I use card and make mark kagim ceremony.” He looked around remembering how much this all fell short in comparison.

He shrugged brushing off comparing it to the actual thing. He was rather pleased with how he was able to adapt it and do the best with what they had to work with, “Well, best I manage it.”

If Gonyaul had indeed gone through her journal, he would have seen Mizaran accounts of her trip across the Sea of Storms, post arrival missions to the Grey Mouth and Sentinel Island, depictions of runes and glyphs both magik and anti-magik, confessions of shaken faith, pressed flowers, an old poem from an admirer, transcriptions of Gonyaul's poems, notes on her understanding of the Children of the Void, and sketches of familiar faces, including his own.

She was too enamored by the the beautiful calligraphic record of the ceremony inked in his hand to worry about the fact that he had breached her privacy. Little did it matter anyhow as they tried to be as open and honest with each other as possible.

She recognized the work as that of the tattoos which encircle his belly button and integrated into the river that ran up and down his body with the mark of kagim itself at the heart region.

As she regarded the markings and the display of cards laid out before them, her heart was exploding at the care he put into it. She was fluttered by the anticipation of this next step which would allow her to learn more about Gonyaul and his people and join them as a Vaux, not in body, but in name and spirit. To eternally cinch the entwining of their souls which had already begun to form a tight braid.