Family

Jp with Lucian Omni and Bandorchu

Tarmen returned to the two women looking rather deflated, but he could see with some hope that Alexis didn't seem so far from them. With that in mind he approached them with a more relaxed attitude.

"Those two are glued to their posts. Turns out neither have much stomach for the finer bits of battle."

Voah responded in a similar casual tone, “Whether we have a taste for it or not, battle is what's being served... a five-course feast of fear, blood, grit, pain, and death. They’ll either learn to stomach it, or they won’t survive the banquet.” Realizing her words and thoughts seemed to have a shadow over them, she excused herself. "Apologies... I do not mean to be so grim about it..."

Such a callous and grisly statement caught Tarmen off guard. He would have expected such a thing from himself or even Alexis for sure, but hearing it from her was, rather humorous actually.

"Grim is the life most often suffered and supped, lest the dessert of the new dawns' light be squandered."

He remembered hearing the quip somewhere back home, yet couldn't place the specific origin. It had always scratched his poetic itch regardless and enjoyed having a chance to use it. He looked to Alexis to bring her into the exchange.

Alexis gave a raised eyebrow and crooked smile.

“If you are waiting for me to add to this poetic culinary turn of conversation, you may have to be patient. My repertoire is sorely lacking.”

He lowered his head to her with a witty grin, chewing on a moment of levity he wasn't ready to let go.

"Truly a marvel. I do wonder what would be said if word got out you lost to a savage such as myself in a spar of fine literature."

He struck a rather silly pose for a person in full armor, calling on memories of acting troops he had witnessed back home. One arm dramatically held high while the other rested on his hip, his legs straightened as he flashed the two a smile.

"Might give me dreams of grandeur if you let it go to my head. Think I could pull off the stage life?"

Tarmen’s lightheartedness was effective in clearing some of the fog of doom that hovered over the maverick-arbiter’s mind, triggering the memory of one possible future she had discussed with Gonyaul. Traveling and entertaining like the Atsigani people.

“Keep it up, poet, and we may just have to form our own traveling show. It will have to be aptly called *’A Little Revelry’*,” she chuckled with a smirk.

“I’ll gladly surrender the stage to the masters of the craft.”

Alexis mock-bowed to her friends.

“How about I’ll be your adoring admirer?”

His dramatic show and the lingering emotions from the protective ritual with Voah led Tarmen to consider Alexis's words on a deeper level. He also felt driven to reevaluate his current form of showing affection. Even now he had removed himself, forcing Voah to be the one to reach out. Without Gon'yaul to be the heart of the group and his own burgeoning emotional growth, Tarmen felt the urge to go beyond his usual role. To be more than a respected crewmate, but a trusted member of a family, one he had felt separate from even now despite the others kind words. If he was to open himself fully to the Gods, why not open himself to those he had begun to hold higher than all else. He felt emboldened to follow such a path.

Tarmen received the bow in kind, keeping his smile strong but sincere.

"If it won your admiration, it would be worth more than a cities' cheers."

Sensing the shift Alexis cocked her head to the side, regarding her friend contemplatively. They certainly had come a long way from strangers coincidentally riding the same boat to an uncertain future, hadn’t they?

“No stage needed for that.”

She answered, her smile affectionate.

Voah watched the exchange between Tarmen and Alexis. This feeling of warmth that spread through her felt like more than camaraderie, something resembling family.

For a moment, she allowed herself to bask in that feeling, cherishing the weight it lifted from the heavy burdens they all carried.

But as much as she wanted to hold onto this one moment, the reality of her situation, as well as the impending war, pressed down on her. With a soft sigh, Voah gave them both a grateful smile.

"I wish we could linger here in this moment, but we have our paths to walk... Sir Zane will be expecting me alone, and it probably wouldn’t do for us all to be seen together, not just yet. Not unless you can convince him that I’ve been working on my own."

She stepped forward, placing a hand on each of their shoulders, her gaze steady and sincere. "Thank you both, for everything. May the Gods watch over you, and guide you safely through what’s to come. Until we meet again... here or in Zin’s Garden."

Voah then took a step back, her expression bittersweet as she silently bid them farewell. It was clear that this might be the last time they would stand together like this, and she wanted them to carry that warmth with them, no matter what awaited.

"Go now," she added, her voice soft but firm.