Soaked to the Bone (Leto)

[Denen Sunsinger]

Denen didn't know Leto very well. After all, they'd only met once before this. Still, something told him that Leto was being honest. Perhaps it was the complete meltdown. No self-respecting Drykas man would do such a thing intentionally. He knew, too, just how cold the world could be for men like they were. Leto was fortunate in the fact that he at least had his Pavilion still. Denen was lucky, too, he thought. He couldn't imagine where he'd be if he hadn't met Sam. How strange a thought. His journey into the world had begun with the blessing of meeting Sama'el. He didn't have to suffer through being alone now, for he'd always have his friend. He trusted that. Sam would always be there for him, just as he would always be there for Sam. He considered, however, that perhaps even with his family, Leto needed a friend who understood what he was experiencing. It was, after all, a comfort to know they were not the only ones. Denen watched Leto's story as it was told, his eyes marked by understanding. Like Leto, he had been able to recognize the differences in himself at an early age. He had once confided these feelings in his father, hoping to have some sort of explanation, and had been switched instead. He'd tried to hide it, try to tell himself that he would do what society deemed to be the right thing and marry to make children, but now, there was no reason for it. He had Sam. He was happy to stay as they were, and he trusted his friend enough to know that even when Sam got married and started having children, he wouldn't forget Denen. He pushed back his wet, dripping hair, and his brows furrowed. Leto was a whole decade older than Denen. Could he have been in his shoes had he stayed with his family? He had not often considered how much he relied on the contact he had with Sam to keep himself sane. The sex was a confirmation that it was all right to be what he was, a total, unconditional acceptance. He felt a sudden pang of sympathy for Leto. It must have been agony to be without that sort of love. He reached out a thin hand and gently rubbed his back. “I...I w-will glad-dly listen to y-your concerns,” he assured. “It...It isn't e-easy for any of us.” He thought of Eldon, too, and of the kiss he'd stolen from Denen before leaving Endrykas. Perhaps their particular brand of men was more common than they thought. He stood slowly, offering Leto his hand. “C-Come. Sam...Sam will be h-home soon. You can h-help me cook his...his d-din...dinner.” He smiled softly, encouragingly. Denen would not ever have it said of him that he was a cruel sort of person. There were people, of course, that he struggled with, but those were generally the overly obnoxious warrior types, and Leto certainly didn't give off that sort of vibe, nor did he menace and throw his weight around. Besides, it would be nice to have company while he was cooking. He wasn't very good at it, after all. Still, it wasn't poisonous, and until they got a decent cook in the camp, this would have to do. It was better than starving.

[Leto Sunsinger]

As the young healer touched Leto's back, he tensed up just a little bit, but then relaxed, taking the touch as one of friendly kindness, rather than judgement against him. "I appreciate it..." he said, turning his obsidian gaze towards Denen as he nodded his head in thanks. When the hand was offered to him, he took it, and stood up along side of Denen. Speaking of cooking dinner for Sama'el, Leto nodded his head, and then said, "It's getting around that time now isn't it..." Turning to face Denen, he smiled, and wiped the remainder of the tears away from his cheeks. "I'd be glad to assist you, though i'm not much of a cook at all... but i'll do what I can to help..." he said. I wonder when Sama'el gets here if I should leave before he comes back or not, lest it be awkward that I'm here. Then thinking about his emotional breakdown, he reached forward and gently touched Denen's arm, so that Denen would face him again.

"Please don't tell Sama'el about my breakdown... I'd rather him keep a strong image of me as a teacher to him... if you don't mind that is..." he said, the request seemingly coming out of nowheres, other than deep down inside Leto didn't want Sama'el to think of him as nothing other than a strong drykas with certain faults. He had been a teacher to Sama'el in the ways of the mysteries, at least with summoning and glyphing, which he was fairly competent at, and didn't want that image or reputation soiled by an emotional breakdown which Drykas were not supposed to have. But everything had gotten to Leto with what Denen had said, and the excitement of knowing he wasn't the only one like that.

"So... what are we going to cook for Sama'el?" Leto would then ask, wondering if Denen had something planned to cook for him, something hopefully easy that Leto would be able to assist with. He certainly didn't have any cooking skills, and his aunt was the cook of his pavilion, so he usually relied on her to help make food whenever him or his uncle happened to be hungry. So he awaited patiently for an answer from Denen, so as to be able to know what exactly they were cooking for Sama'el when he arrived back at the camp...

[Denen Sunsinger]

It occurred to Denen that Sama'el might bring home rabbits or something. Sometimes, he caught such things, though Denen allowed him to tend to dressing them. Even his surgeon hands were not eager to be put to work there. He didn't like cold blood, or their tiny, sad faces. Rabbit was delicious, of course, but he didn't like dead animals. He offered Leto a small smile. “I am...a h-h-horrible cook,” he admitted. But practice helped, and he was willing to experiment. Sam was always grateful to simply have something warm, and both of them knew they were lucky to have food in the first place. As they cooked more, they got better, going through a series of trials and errors. They learned what worked and what didn't. Most of the time, being clueless beginners, they had more failures than successes, but food was food, and it kept them both moving and full. Denen simply hoped that Sam would marry a cook. Denen's eyes softened as Leto spoke, and he nodded in response. Of course he wouldn't tell Sam. This was a private sort of moment, wasn't it? Denen had enough respect for the confidentiality between a healer and those who visited him, even when it came to wounds that went beyond being physical. Leto was hurting inside, and Denen, as a healer, would respect that. He was willing, too, to be a shoulder, should Leto ever need it. It could be enjoyable, perhaps, to have a friend around who knew what he was experiencing. Denen was, of course, grateful for Sam's listening ear, but it was different to have been raised all of his life in such circumstances. Perhaps they could exchange stories. “Stew,” he answered simply. It was easy, warm, and filling. He moved to his tent, where supplies were now kept, to gather up some edible roots, dried meat, and vegetables. He motioned to a pot, as if to ask if Leto would mind picking it up and bringing it out to the fire with him. He yawned in spite of himself and sat down near the fire, waiting for the pot, so that he could cut up the vegetables and meat, and get everything cooking. “W-Would...nnn...Would you like to s-stay for dinner?”

[Leto Sunsinger]

As Denen motioned for the pot, Leto bent down and picked one up for Denen's usage to be able to cook within it. Making his way over to the fire with Denen, he would set the pot down infront of him, and then sit down next to him, watching carefully what he was doing. As he spoke of Leto staying for dinner, Leto smiled gently, and then said, "If you want me to stay, i'll be more than happy to stay, if nothing more than to thank you for your kindness and understanding..."

Leto was certainly a gentle kind of folk, much more gentler than a normal drykas, who always seemed to be hardened and ready for a fight. Then again, they more than likely had to be that way in order to defend their ways, the ways of the drykas, the family, and the city. Leto understood this, and wished that one day he'd be able to defend the city too, even if it was just to help with things other than actual combat. He wasn't any good at it, and was much better at just glyphing, and writing, and things of that sort. That being said, he'd still defend what he loved, even if he was no good at it, he's still make an effort to do it, just as all drykas would.

Watching Denen break up the herbs and roots, he smiled, and awaited any further instructions as to what to do next after he had brought the pot over to Denen for him to place the stew within. "Do you need water or something for the stew?" he asked, slightly, cocking his head to the side wondering if there was a secret way of making stew without some form of liquid, in Leto's mind it would have been water or something.

But he asked more out of curiosity and unknowing since he never really assisted his aunt in making stew or any other type of food. As his obsidian orbs gazed at Denen in eager wait for his response, or other instructions as to what to do next, he would scratch the back of his head briefly, his hands running through his short multicolored hair. He certainly was an oddity of a drykas, not quite knowing why his hair was of a different hued colors, but then again not really minding it as he had grown up with it all of his life, so not really caring much what others thought about it.

So, he patiently waited, miling over thoughts in his mind, of Sama'el, of Denen, random instances of aquaintances that he hoped would grow and blossom into friendships for life. But that would only happen if he tried, and so here he was, trying his hardest to make friends, and perhaps assisting in the cooking of a meal would bring him and Denen closer to each other, just maybe...

[Denen Sunsinger]

Denen smiled eagerly. It was nice to think that they would be able to bring visitors into their home. It was a mark of success, and while Denen knew they had a long way to go, he was eager to share what they did have. It was the Drykas way. Giving and providing for one another as best they could. They were all family in a sense, and these misfits banded together for that sense of belonging. “P-Please, do,” he answered. He only hoped that Leto wouldn't mind his bland cooking. At the question regarding water, Denen nodded. “P-Please.” He only needed a little at first to get the juices from the meat. The goat, who was chewing on a clump of grass nearby, wandered over, and Denen caught hold of her rope and gave a teat a few squeezes into the pot as well. That would help with the thickening. He sang quietly to himself, though Denen was admittedly a lousy singer, and tugged his legs near his chest. Once Leto got the water, he intended to tip a bit into the pot, and then hang it above the low fire to cook.

[Leto Sunsinger]

Leto nodded, smiled, and then said, "You need only ask for me to stay, and I would, I thank you for your hospitality..." He then got up, and picked up the bucket of water for Denen to use to put into the pot. His obsidian gaze ever wary of Denen, he sat back down next to him, and continued to watch what he did with the vegetables, meats, and the goat. He hadn't really watched his aunt cook very much, so definitely didn't have any experience in cooking at all. Looking towards Denen's hands, he would notice them, soft and supple, working their way around the food that he was preparing in the stew.

Ah, if only he would touch me with those hands, thought Leto, but knew there was something with Denen that would more than likely prevent him from doing it out in the open. The elder drykas, didn't comment on it though, he knew better to ask such a silly question, and in doing so, merely watched Denen work his way around the food, and then set the pot upon the fire to cook for a bit. I wonder when Sama'el will be back, thought Leto, his extraneous thoughts seeping into his mind every time he seemed to turn around, or do something else, another thought popped into his mind about the two of them, and Sama'el.

Letting his obsidian gaze drift off to look at the grasslands, he asked Denen, "Do you know when Sama'el will be getting back?" He had half a mind to look into the web, and see if he couldn't figure out where Sama'el was given the strength of the webbing around his camp. His gaze turned back to Denen, and he then said, "If you don't know, I may be able to find out..."

As he spoke, he stretched his arms up into the air, stretching his body as well, shirtless, and lean, clean and strong, he then allowed his arms to drop back down besides him as he leaned back on them, his gaze shifting towards the fire pit, watching it carefully, and watching the pot of stew upon it, wondering when it would be finished. But he knew the old saying, a watched pot never boils, so he turned his head from the fire place to look towards Denen once more, a grin crossing his face as he looked at the boy that was a decade if not more younger than him.

It didn't bother him that he was hanging out with younger drykas, as they all seemed to have something in common, acceptance for each other given their varying differences. And each of them seemed to be able to bring something new to the table, at least that's what Leto was learning every time he was with them. Each had something different they were good at, and together they were all learning about each other, and possibly growing from their experiences together. Leto was glad about this, and nothing could change the good mood that he had been set in that day, at least, he felt like nothing could change it, even after his breakdown...

[Lariat]

Denen Brokensong

Experience:

Cooking: 3 xp
Rhetoric: 2 xp
Observation: 1 xp

Lores:

Leto's Secret

Leto Treebearer

Experience:

Rhetoric: 3 xp
Cooking: 2 xp
Observation: 2 xp

Lores:

Denen's Secret

Comments

A wonderful thread from the pair of you, hope to see more in the future. If you think I missed anything or have any questions feel free to pm me.