Closed Moving Day (Khara)

[Zhol]

.











52nd Spring, 515AV

After a long day at work, the last thing Zhol wanted to be doing was lugging heavy boxes from place to place; but right now, he didn't mind in the slightest. The weighty chest currently stretching a few extra inches belonged to his wife, and while it wasn't quite the interpretation of her chest that he'd have liked to have his arms wrapped around, the fact that it provided him with an excuse to think of her as his wife over and over was more than enough to keep even the faintest glimmer of a bad mood from forming, and ensured that even if exertion made it fade, his smile was never more than a split second away from his lips.

Besides, today was a special day. Granted, it had been a season and a half since Zhol and Khara had spent a night apart from each other, and slowly - item by item - Khara's belongings had migrated their way from her room to his. It had still been his room though, and while Khara had said she didn't mind, it hadn't felt right to Zhol. There was something imbalanced about it, something not quite equal. That wasn't what their relationship - their marriage - was about. It had taken a few awkward conversations, some flashing of Chevas marks, and no small amount of eye-rolling from various Inarta who seemed to think they were far too young and couldn't possibly have slept around enough to have properly found the right person to mate for life with, but finally it had been agreed. A slightly larger room - emphasis on the slightly - had been found for them, and in their arms were the last of their belongings, being carried the final few steps to their home.

Zhol reversed into the already unlocked door, awkwardly pushing it open with his backside. A thought struck him however, and rather than back into the room completely he loitered in the doorway, settling the chest on the floor just beside the door before stepping back out into the corridor. Swiftly, he began to unburden Khara of the various items that she was carrying - she'd allowed Zhol to do his husbandly duty and carry the heaviest items, but had insisted on bringing as much as she could possibly carry on her own - and made a small mound against the wall beside him. Khara looked at him questioningly, but her gaze was answered a moment later, when Zhol swept her from her feet and into his arms.

"There is an old tradition in my family," he explained, sneaking a quick kiss before he said any more, "That when newly-weds establish their own pavilion, the husband carries his wife across the threshold into their new home."

His voice faltered, a slight wince tugging at his expression as he considered the possible origins and connotations of such an act. "It is probably supposed to represent the fact that I have stolen you away, and am bringing you to my pavilion to have my way with you, but..."

A flush of red crept onto Zhol's cheeks. "Since I have stolen your heart, that is close enough for me."

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

This template was made by Khara. She is part of the Rebel Alliance, and a traitor.

[Khara]

There were times when Khara honestly wondered if Zhol was simply making up all these different traditions he told her about; not that she cared. They seemed different to her, but never in any sort of way that hinted at some sort of elaborate rouse. The only thing that lent them credit was the doubt that Zhol would lie to her and that they all had their own little stories, some of which weren't exactly the nicest sounding, but Zhol always put a spin on it that made her smile.

It was easy to ignore the passing curious - and moderately disapproving - glances that were cast their ways by others that filtered through the warrens. After all, if she could survive Eva's scrutinizing that had come upon them full force when they'd inquired about a shared room, Khara was fairly certain she could stand to ignore anyone else's judgement just then. She wasn't alone, at least. And now - being married, there was a certain satisfaction in feeling like she may not have to face anything alone ever again.

Still, she was far from capable of simply passing off Zhol scooping her into his arms off as anything normal. Khara felt the slight blush form in response to his and stifled the giggle that tried to leave her. Maybe it wasn't normal for a wife to be so timid and unsure around her husband, but it was normal for her. Out of all the things that may have had to change and all the things that didn't, Khara had promised she'd remain true to who she was - nerves and fidgets and insecurities included - since being herself was the only sure way to make sure that she was also being true to Zhol. He didn't seem to really mind, though, which was all the better. Maybe one day she'd manage some actual confidence, but it would come in it's own time for it's own reasons; there was no need to rush.

"How can you steal what I gave willingly?" She replied to his statement. Her lips quickly fell back into the smile that had refused to leave her for days and she couldn't help but let the soft and playful flutter of laughter finally leave uninhibited."But if you wish to think overwise, you can."

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

[Zhol]

"The only thing I wish to think," Zhol countered, pausing a moment to gaze into Khara's eyes, "Is about the beautiful woman I find here in my arms, and of how much joy it brings me to know that she is my wife."

Zhol didn't bother trying to keep his smile under control. It happened often, without warning or provocation even. A thought would cross his mind, a word, or a place, or a notion would remind him of her, and his lips would grace themselves with the most broad, beaming grin that his face was capable of. The knowledge that every passing moment, every instant of work brought him a moment and an instant closer to being with her again. The memory of her gazing at him when his eyes first opened, or of the timid smile that came whenever her eyes opened and saw him, whichever of them happened to wake first. An experience that he longed to tell her about, and the realisation that he truly could; a little patience, and he could share every single detail of his day, and then hang off every word the beautiful chirps of her voice uttered as she did the very same.

She is my wife, the sentiment echoed through his mind again, and Zhol sincerely wondered if there could possibly be anything dark, or sad, or bleak that could not be made instantly better by that fact alone.

Careful to evade the door frame, Zhol carried Khara through the doorway into their new home. A few steps, and then a playful twirl followed, a gleeful grin on his face as he spun them both, carefree. His motions slowed, and his eyes fell to her again, a slight shift of his arm pulling her closer to him, enough to settle her head against his chest, and bring her close enough so that his lips could place a gentle kiss against her copper waves of hair.

"I will always love you," he uttered, the smile on his lips battling against the deep sincerity in his voice over which would dominate the way the words left him, "As much as I do now, or perhaps even more."

His eyes glanced away for the briefest of moments, and his smile grew broader still. "Welcome to our new home, my beautiful bride."

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

This template was made by Khara. She is part of the Rebel Alliance, and a traitor.

[Khara]

Khara had heard love described at something reserved only for the foolish, for dreamers and those that refused to accept the harsh reality it was that they lived in. She had always considered herself a reasonable person, who knew better than to try and let her thoughts be filled with too much fantasy. Moments like this, however, no matter how silly they seemed were entirely cherished; she could go back to being overly serious out in the Unforgiving another day.

The smile that had been playing across her lips only broadened and her eyes lit up as he somewhat formally welcomed them both to their new room. While the sentiment was sweet, it was something specific he said that caused her to practically beam with enthusiasm. "Bribe? I know that word! Is... is..."

Her expression softened, turning more pensive than excited as she considered it. Bribe? That was a word that meant giving money or other things to someone so that they would do something they wouldn't normally do, wasn't it? No, that couldn't have been right. She must have heard wrong. What had he said... Bride? That word was familiar too but where had she heard it...

"Bridle is the thing that horses wear," Khara said slowly, her hand making some gesture in front of her face that she could only guess was her attempt at mimicking a horse's nose.

The more she spoke the less sure of herself she became. Bribe wasn't right but anything related to the other word didn't seem correct either. Maybe it was some sort of Drykas thing? "Why am I that?" Khara asked sheepishly, fairly certain she was entirely missing something by that point.

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

[Zhol]

Zhol didn't want to smile. He didn't want to laugh. He knew that if he did either, it would be taken the wrong way; it would seem like a judgement, or a mockery, when in truth it was rooted in the deepest affection and utter adoration. That Khara spoke with him in Common at all was a constant wonder to him; a constant gift. True, Common was not his native language either, but his mother had always spoken it, and had encouraged Zhol and his twin to do so. It had become something of a defiance in a way, speaking Common in order to distance themselves from their father, who insisted on never uttering a word of anything but Pavi.

Khara though, she had never had a need to speak the language, not really. Her city, her peers, everyone she had ever known spoke Nari. She was capable, but Zhol and his inability to learn Nari at any sort of respectable rate had put a barrier between them. Most in Wind Reach peered over that barrier with disdain, uttering Common for his benefit as if the words tasted disgusting in their mouths. Khara though had crept nervously over that barrier; when presented with a choice between struggling to speak Common and not speaking to Zhol at all, unlike anyone else in the city she had chosen the former. Every stumbled sentence, confused word, every mixed idiom; that rare scattering of mistakes reminded Zhol of just how lucky he was that Khara had ever tried to speak to him at all. He loved and adored each and every one of them, because what they represented meant the world to him.

There as only one thing for it; Zhol drew Khara to him again, succumbing to his heart's desire to kiss her passionately, forcing his lips to focus their attention on far more important things than mistakeable smiles. They leapt to their new task with enthusiasm, so committed that when Zhol tried to pull himself away and speak they protested, a flurry of reluctant smooches left lingering against Khara's lips.

"Bride, not bridle, he explained gently, kissing her again before her mind had the opportunity to muster any embarrassment in her mistake. "It is another word for wife, but a little different. It is the word that is used on the day of the wedding, and when the marriage is new. Sometimes, depending on the ceremony, the bride will have bridesmaids attending to her; and the husband is known as the bridegroom, but -" He frowned, suddenly struck by the absurdity of the title. "I do not know why he is called that. Not a groom like the stables, or -"

He stopped himself, shaking his head slightly to clear away those thoughts, his smile gently reasserting itself on his features as he gazed into Khara's eyes. "It does not matter," he said softly, his voice full of contentment. "It means that you are mine and I am yours, and that means it is a word I like very much. If there were a hundred different ways to call you my wife, I would use each and every one of them over and over until I could no longer speak."

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

This template was made by Khara. She is part of the Rebel Alliance, and a traitor.

[Khara]

"Do not do that," Khara countered. "Because if you cannot speak, then who is going to help me to learn better Common? Or teach me more Pavi?"

Before he could answer she leaned forward against him, employing Zhol's own tactics at cutting off his objections or comments with a kiss. It didn't matter if there were others who actually could teach her such things; Khara didn't care. She liked learning from Zhol, and even while she knew he was only kidding, the thought of him suddenly being unable to continue to do so for any reason was simply unacceptable.

"And who would say to me that I am important? Or remind me that you love me? No, I am scared you will only get to use the small list of words like wife that you know and must keep talking." Khara finished with and grinned as if she had just won some great argument.

She caught sight of the open door out of the corner of her eye an glanced towards it, letting a small laugh leave her. "Though for now, I think you may need to put me down so we can finish putting things away. I think that is a little hard to do with a girl in your arms."

It had to be against some sort of rules of the universe for someone like her to feel as happy as she did. Khara hadn't been lying in the slightest when she had told Zhol that it hadn't mattered that they had previously been technically living in his room. The only guilt really came from the fact she had still kept her own at the time, even if it had long since been emptied of practically everything she owned. Khara had planned on telling the woman who ran the Common Rooms that she wouldn't need it anymore come Summer anyway, but getting a brand new room for her and Zhol certainly hadn't been among her expectations.

So now they had a place that was truly theirs, even if Khara had no clue what to do aside from simply moving their things into it. Did people celebrate this sort of thing? She couldn't remember anyone making a big fuss when they went from living as Yasi in the communal areas to getting a room of your own - aside from just not being a Yasi anymore in some people's cases.

"Is there anything else people in Endrykas do when they get a new home?" She asked, curiosity evident. It wasn't just the question that caused the feeling, but the idea of learning more about where Zhol came from.

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

[Zhol]

One thing instantly sprung to mind, and Zhol blushed at how readily that thought appeared there. While it certainly was an answer to Khara's question, it was the sort of thing that should have gone unthought, let alone unsaid, and yet there it was, dancing through Zhol's mind, pointing out how he could lay Khara down on the bed, kiss her passionately, and then rush to close the door and be back before she had the chance to even catch her breath. His mind glared at himself for entertaining the notion, though; such intimacy between Khara and he was still new, still deeply romantic and special beyond words, and he would not allow some impulse or urge to get the better of him and steal that perfection away.

Gently, he set Khara down on her feet, but his arms refused to let go of her completely, drawing her into an embrace that held her close against his chest. Contentment filled the subtle rise and fall as he sighed happily. "Would you believe me if I said they stood and held each other in their arms for many hours?" he asked, though it wasn't a question he needed answered. Perhaps she wouldn't believe such an obvious falsehood, but she'd still do it if he asked; she'd do it if she knew that was what he wanted. Part of him did; part of him wanted to stand there with her until the ravages of time turned them both to stone. An eternity in Khara's arms didn't sound bad at all.

Reluctantly he turned away, parting from Khara for a few moments, so that he could return to the doorway and shuffle the last few belongings from the corridor into their room. As the last few items were placed back on the ground, he straightened up and reached for the door, closing it with almost a sense of residence, shutting out the rest of the world, as if it were some magic spell that would make all of Wind Reach disappear out of sight and mind until either of them was forced by obligation to brave it again. Perhaps needlessly he locked it; people seldom entered the rooms of others uninvited, but it was an old habit from the days when Khara had first sought refuge in his room, and one that he had never broken.

As he turned back to Khara, he sidestepped the question. It wasn't that he didn't want to answer; he just didn't really have an answer to give. He had been young when his father's other sons had moved into their on pavilions with their wives, and had been of the age where he had little interest in romance, marriage, and the specifics of any of it. Yahalla would be the one to ask: she had a wistful romanticism about everything, and would know exactly the step by step details of what a man and a woman were meant to do once they finally had a pavilion, beyond getting to work on expanding it's population.

"I am not sure if this is true for all families, or just mine; but when Marhaus and his wives left the Emberwing pavilion, my father arranged for a feast. There was drinking, and music, and dancing, from the moment Syna set until long after Leth began to descend from the top of the sky."

A chuckle escaped him as the memories began to form in his mind, Zhol relaxing back against the door, his gaze focusing on nothingness. "One of my brother's friends had acquired something from a merchant. Some sort of strange, pointed fruit, I can't recall the name. It looked harmless, but on your tongue it burned hotter than lava. The hunters and warriors, they all tried to show how tough they were, and each and every one of them cried tears at the pain of it. They tried to make me taste it as well, but I refused. They called me a coward, and I was content to let them, but Dinah? She wouldn't have any of it. She strode up, snatched it out of their hand, and jammed it against her tongue without flinching; and then when she was done, she tossed it into the fire so that no one else could try."

Zhol's smile flickered, not quite a falter, his voice hesitating long enough for a faint sigh to creep out. His eyes blinked, before refocusing, his gaze settling upon his wife this time. The sight of her bolstered his smile against the sagging weight that had tried to subdue it. "It wasn't until Dinah was out of sight of the others that she let the pain show. Her tongue swelled, and she couldn't talk for the rest of the evening. Our father was furious. He kept arranging for her to dance with all the men from the other pavilions, hoping that she might catch the eye of some prospective suitor that he could entice a good dowry out of, and yet Dinah spent the entire time miserable and glaring. I think everyone was terrified of her by the end of the night."

His smile really did falter this time, a hint of sadness creeping into his voice, and yet his smile grew larger at the memory. "No one danced with me, though. Not until the last song. Dinah snuck off to fetch Yahalla; she was meant to be sleeping, but she had spent the entire time peeking out of our pavilion, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening. Dinah snuck her back to the feast, and then sent her to ask me to dance, just so that I wouldn't be sat alone n the corner the entire night."

Zhol fell silent, suddenly surprised by the journey through his memories that his mind had taken him down. He didn't dislike remembering, nor sharing; he just usually didn't, and wasn't sure what it was about now that had shaken this particular memory loose. Perhaps it was the combination of everything: a new room, being alone with Khara, the Chevas mark glistening upon the side of her neck and it's identical twin on his. Perhaps it was just about time.

Pushing himself away from the door, Zhol crossed the few paces to be close to his wife once again. "My father told me that I did not get to dance because he could not find the right partner. Could not find a father with low enough expectations of his daughter's prospects was what he really meant. Dinah said that he was wrong; that all I had to do was wait, and the perfect partner would find me, it was all a matter of time."

His fingers gently brushed against the side of Khara's cheek. "And she was right. You did."

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

This template was made by Khara. She is part of the Rebel Alliance, and a traitor.

[Khara]

Khara listened to the story with a gaze filled with curiosity and amusement. It wasn't often that Zhol spoke of his family, his twin specifically it seemed, and she knew the reasons why. There was always a sadness there that accompanied the memories, even good ones from what Khara could tell, but for once the typical shadow across Zhol's features didn't make its usual appearance as he spoke, for once it seemed like the memory in his mind wasn't accompanied by the flickering flames that always seemed to scorch the edges. Not for the first time Khara found herself wishing she could meet these sisters that Zhol had once been so close to.

"I am glad you waited," she replied softly to his sentiment.

She thought of other things he had spoken of, of feasts and dancing. Such things happened in Wind Reach quite often, or at least they used to. People were always looking for reasons to celebrate in the volcanic city and numerous holidays always seemed to be popping up. That had been before the famine, though. Even a year past and no one seemed to think the food stores of the city were plentiful enough to even consider such a thing again. Even the Marketplace had lost some of it's festive atmosphere in recent times… Then again, maybe that was only due to her perception of it.

That line of thought was forcefully pulled away from. Of all things to be thinking of at a time like this, anything that could darken their mood was ranked so low that it should have been far beneath her notice. Instead she brought a hand up to rest the knuckle of her index finger against her lips as a small hum of thought left her. If she had known about the tradition beforehand she might have tried to use the last market day to purchase some special goods. Not that the undead wouldn't have disrupted that plan anyway, but that was besides the point.

"I do not know about dancing, though. I am not so good at that so I think I shall spare you my attempts," Khara said with a grin. "But a feast? Maybe we can do that. Not anything too big, though."

Her voice drifted off sheepishly as her gaze flickered away before returning to him. "Probably not anything more than the evening meal, really. I didn't think to get anything special."

Once more Khara's eyes wandered away from Zhol as her mind caught up with her suggestion. Eating together was something they always did. Sure, they could go get their meals and come back to their room and enjoy it here if they wanted, but they'd still have to go get it and it would be the same as it always was. It would be nice, certainly. But just like she had said, it wouldn't be special, not like-

Her eyes widened as they drifted over one of the last containers to make it to their room: the small woven basket that Zhol had purchased and stocked full of items last Winter for her birthday. Wrapped in an extra piece of clothing for protection was a bottle - not the same from that day, but something even better, maybe. Zhol had purchased the wine the last time they had gone to the market together and had said it was good to have it on hand if there was ever something to celebrate; what better time than now?

She quickly slipped away from the gentle embrace he had snared her in and snatched the item from the basket, slipping the shirt away from the bottle. With a shrug and an unsure smile she turned towards Zhol and held up the bottle.

"Maybe it is time to open this, though?"

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

[Zhol]

Oh no, she wasn't getting away from him that easily.

A few gentle paces gave chase, closing the distance between them. He didn't surge back into her arms, didn't pull her back into an embrace; he just wanted to be close, enough for a barely touching hand to gently come to rest against her waist, the other faintly brushing his fingertips across the side of her cheek, ghosting across her shoulder before they meandered their way down her arm to ensnare her fingers.

"I don't need anything special," he said softly, his eyes not yet meeting hers, carefully exploring their way across the unrivalled beauty that he still couldn't quite believe had agreed - wanted - to become his wife. That thought tugged at the smile his lips already held, broadening it noticeably. If he had ever felt so happy, so constantly content, he could not remember it. It was if the Chevas mark that followed the curve of his jaw had begun to seep pure joy into his bloodstream the instant it had appeared, and had yet to stop. Zhol doubted it ever would; for as long as it remained, for as long as he was fortunate enough to be Khara's husband, happiness would only ever be a thought of her away, like Syna on a cloudy day, shining down on everything despite the obstacles, waiting for a breath of wind to clear the skies and let her radiate warmth and brightness upon everything.

Zhol's eyes finally found Khara's, and his smile grew even more. "This place is ours, and I am here with you. No amount of feasts, or dancing, or anything else could possibly make this any more special than it already is."

His smile faltered, not from lack of joy, but rather from the irresistible urge that swept over him. Slowly, holding Khara's gaze for as long as he possibly could, Zhol lowered his head to hers, placing a soft and fleeting kiss against her lips. His forehead came to rest against hers, and a breath escaped him as a contented sigh, carrying with it a few whispered words. "You are my everything, more special to me than anything in all the world. With you in my life, I want for nothing."

He let that sentiment linger in the air between them for a few moments, before his easy smile readily returned. "A little wine sounds nice though," he conceded, gently taking hold of the bottle and easing it from Khara's hand. "As long as it does not mean you need to leave my arms again. They have spent too long carrying boxes and belongings... they miss you."

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

This template was made by Khara. She is part of the Rebel Alliance, and a traitor.