[For all Varka presents himself as a laid back, leisurely type, he is a skilled military leader, first and foremost. And though he has allowed himself a bit of time at the tavern after dark, the bulk of his days are spent trekking around the perimeter of the little village he's found himself in. He takes note of different buildings, of the faces that come and go. Every now and again, he takes the time to dip into the more public spaces. He's tried good food. He's pet tiny bunnies, and he's even been challenged by a particularly enthusiastic man with fiery hair.
Today, though, he discovers something new: the Archives. From there, it doesn't take long to stumble on something even more interesting than their surroundings. It's history, critical information that might yet give both himself and Nicole a leg up on their current situation. Others had been more than willing to provide information, Varka had deliberately held back when speaking of the more divine aspects of their home.
After all, he couldn't be too sure they were entirely free of the grasp of the heavens.
Books were a different story, though. And after soliciting a handful from the spirit tending to the place, he returns to the inn with a healthy stack.
Unfortunately, with his hands full, it does mean that he has to nudge Nicole's door with his boot. He keeps the touch relatively light, so he doesn't startle her. And when that fails to reassure him, he adds:]
[ Ultimately, she has found herself in a similar predicament. Most of her waking hours—and a significant portion of what should have been sleeping hours—have been allocated to understanding their predicament.
A sizable fraction of that has been dedicated to her magic. In a way, it was similar to starting from square one on the day of her creation: though they were all born with innate power, the ability to wield it effectively had come with time, as all things did. Having grown used to being able to call upon it with ease, though, was certainly complicating the relearning process.
Still. She could feel it in the air, here. Whatever had been circumventing and silencing their power was waning. The Elements were a bubbling brook eroding a stone wrought dam inch by painstaking inch and, surely, if she reached for them consistently they…
It is that which her mind is focused on when there is a sound at her door. She doesn’t startle, but her focus is subverted; her irritation is temporary, biting at her ankles, and subsides for the most part at the sound of Varka's voice. Suspicion replaces it instead.
It’s that suspicion which has her cracking the door open rather than opening it fully. She sticks her head out into the sliver. ]
[Varka huffs, the reluctance rankling him in only the most lighthearted ways. He shifts a hand, balancing the stack of four hefty books in one and motioning to his trove with the other. The weight is hardly a bother.]
I know you're probably just as curious as I am about what's happening here. So I figured you might appreciate a little history lesson.
[The stack tries to slide, and he quickly stumbles to put his hand on the top of the pile to keep it steady. After a few harrowing seconds, it seems to settle, and he flashes her a grin through the doorway.]
Can I come in, or not? [He pauses for a second, then adds:] I'm not expecting you to do all the work. We can split it down the middle.
[Reading isn't his favorite hobby by any means but... if it means getting to the bottom of their predicament, he'll just have to bite the bullet.]
[ Oh. Had Varka gone out of his way to track down books? Perhaps she should have spent more time exploring the actual town rather than staying indoors as much as she had been.
Nicole opens the door fully. After warring with the idea, she reaches out mentally to attempt to utilize her magic to move some of the books indoors telepathically. Though she is able to grab far less of them that she would ideally be able to, when she turns round and moves back into the room with at least a handful of books she counts it as a small victory. ]
I'm sorry. I’ve been trying to get a handle on the thread of magic that I can feel here for days. It’s left me more than a little on edge. Where did you find these?
[While the lightening of his load is appreciated, he's far more pleased with the fact that Nicole manages it at all. He watches her effort with an approving look, and doesn't realize he might have been caught in the act until Nicole turns her gaze back on him.]
Oh, uh - [He tries to lift a hand to scratch at the back of his head, only to nearly upend the remaining books. He scrambles to avoid disaster yet again, muttering to himself all the while.]
Just - you know - [A book slides to the floor, and he swears he sees a corner dent. He's almost certain the spirit in the Archives will have his head for that, but he'll deal with that later.]
Archives! There's an archive building further into town. A whole history of this place. Figured the best way to figure out what's happening now would be cracking open a few books and seeing what came before.
[And there he goes, beaming again. He's allowed to be proud of himself too, thank you.]
[ While it takes both effort and concentration to maintain her hold on the books, she does still manage to turn round enough to catch Varka staring at her. The crux of the issue in this is that she does not realize why he is smiling at her. Her curiosity turns to mild bafflement when Varka has to scramble to try and catch the books he abruptly spills onto the floor.
She is about to suggest she move the remainder of the books so that they might emerge unscathed when Varka gathers them back up again. She looks between him and his stack with enough bewilderment to say what she has not: are you good? What’s going on here?
Regardless… she sets her pile down on the bed. ]
Oh, I see! That was some good thinking. It might be able to tell us something about what swept us up here. I have to think that… there are divinities outside of our known ones at work here.
[Varka sees a distraction and gladly takes it, perking up at the very chance to start babbling. He's done some footwork, you see. Please praise him for that.]
You might not be wrong about that. We walked into the middle of a whole cosmic battlefield, it seems like. [Once his books are safely deposited on the table, allows his body to lean against it. His arms fold over his chest, the picture of being right at home.
Never mind the fact that it's Nicole's room that he finds himself in.]
From what I've figured out, we've got two goddesses on our side — the sun and the moon. We've also got one running around in the woods. Or maybe he is the woods? Either way, he's bad news. And part of the reason we're here.
[A hand lifts, scratching behind his head.]
Real unfriendly type, it seems like. Last month, he tasked the residents with killing each other in order to glean enough power to fix the sky.
[ If Nicole is disquieted by the familiarity with which Varka takes up space within her room it does not show on her face. This was a temporary lodging at best and thus barely registered as a private space in her mind. If they were tethered here for long enough, she would have more than enough time to formulate proper lodgings… if their abilities ever truly returned, that is.
The information that Varka provides is meaningful, and helps fill in at least a portion of the gaps of her understanding. With the presence of external deities confirmed, a part of her mind strays to the possibility of an existence free of the thumb of the Heavenly Principles. Could it truly be possible? What all-encompassing effect might that have on her existence?
Dangerously, a single question ekes its way out of the entangled ones: could she be free of her species' curse, here? Would the powers that be here override those that had kept her shackled?
Nicole blinks away the thought physically, instead picking up one of the books she had set down. Her hand lightly, curiously, caresses the cover. These books were old, if the state of them was any indication: this lent itself to the idea that his town was far more long-lived than she might have initially thought given the buildings they had initially encountered. She taps her fingers against the spine. ]
I see. Two benevolent entities, and one with more of a mind for cruel entertainment. I must admit – I don't exactly relish the idea of being caught in the midst of another divine power struggle. Though, at the moment, there's little to be done about that now. There are parts we must play, it seems!
[ She looks to Varka, in all his mortal glory, with a narrow-eyed look. They had only just departed from a realm in which he had been forced to give his all—and then some—to grapple against the machinations of a man-seeking-divinity. She wonders what his thoughts were on the matter. Was he tired with being dragged about by the fickle hand of fate? Had he even stopped to think about it?
As a man of action, perhaps he had chosen to immerse himself in doing rather than contemplating. Some might yield to the despair of their circumstances otherwise. ]
[Both of them see fit to fall into silence, it seems. There is plenty he could say, but for the time being, he keeps those thoughts tucked away. He's had more time to consider this information — the least he can do is grant Nicole a few moments to do the same. Besides, while he wouldn't discredit himself by saying he was "unintelligent," he wouldn't be wrong to call Nicole the brains of their operation, either. That was what happened when you were a many thousand year old angel.
So, while she ponders, his gaze wanders. He studies her room — not so dissimilar to his own in structure, maybe, but that's not what he's after. He seeks out what little personal touches she might have applied to the space, whether her bed was regularly made, if she cared for her dishes, all of that. Despite having worked so closely together for a handful of months, it felt like he knew little about her.
Hell, he hadn't even been to the cottage he'd heard rumor of.
Still, once she begins speaking, his attention snaps back to her. And as she turns the question back to him, Varka finds himself straightening up.]
Well, can't say it's the first time I've been thrust into someone else's conflict. [He says it with a note of mirth.] Part of being a knight is being there for the people that need it, though. It's why I helped out Columbina back home, and why I'll help out here. Might not have been my choice to get dragged into this mess, but I can decide what I do from here on out.
[He can't fathom sitting idly by. Not if there was a chance people could get hurt. And especially not when sitting still leads to him worrying about Mondstadt. Bad things tended to happen when he was away like this.
Crepus. Dvalin. What else could be taken from him next...? He shakes his head, pulling himself from his thoughts.]
Not that I'll blame you if you want to take a step back. I imagine this all strikes a bit too close to home for you, huh?
[As a seasoned and storied knight, Varka is no stranger to the horrors of the battlefield. He has seen his own men die, often in violent, inhumane ways. There have been many nights in which he had woken from a dead sleep, their screams haunting him as he clawed his way back into the waking world.
This is the reality that he has grown used to. With so many decades spent dedicated to the fray, it was little wonder that the faces of his comrades yet lingered. With each blink, the faces of those under his command danced behind his eyes.
Once more, he wakes with a start. He may be in the comfort of his room, tucked away within the home that Nicole had helped create for them, but the dreams haunt him all the same. It seems ridiculous, to dream of war and despair when he has it so well, but here he is.
The routine, at least, is the same. He throws himself from his bed, casting blankets aside as if they themselves held the dreams within them. He stumbles into the bathroom, footsteps inadvertently thundering, and splashes cold water on his face. Again and again, he tries to wash the vestiges of the dream away.
Yet when he tries to turn back to his bed, the memory of the dream curls around his throat like a noose. Little wonder, then, that he bypasses it in favor of marching through his door and toward the kitchen. Nicole is surely asleep, so he doesn't even think about throwing on a shirt or making himself look presentable.
Right now, he needs a glass of water. ... Or maybe something stronger, now that he thinks about it.]
[ It had been an expression of respect and an understanding of reality that had dictated she request two separate bedrooms for them. Regardless of how much time they might spend with one another, it seemed wise to allow Varka a place to retreat: she had known many leaders of men and many soldiers, and all had their scars. Varka, for all his bluster, undoubtedly nursed wounds of his own.
It's why the sound of pounding steps does not startle her, necessarily. Sleep is not a necessity for her, but a creature comfort. She rouses easily, drifting from her bedroom to investigate. She knew the sound to be Varka but, given the hour...
She hasn't bothered to pull on anything more substantial than... okay, a shirt she had stolen from Varka. Don't blame her. She casts her mental voice out to him long before she grows overly near. ]
[Perhaps it was an oversight, to not consider how his racket might have roused the angel. It only occurs as the sound of her voice touches the back of his mind. Absently, he shoots her a sheepish smile, trying to force the tension in his shoulders to ebb before he turns back around.
It doesn't last.]
Mm, did I wake you up? [He keeps his tone light, or at least tries his best. He knows the sound is lacking, that the weight of his dream hangs heavy upon his words. Maybe she'll be tired enough not to notice. Or at leas think twice about asking.] Sorry about that. Got a little too thirsty and wasn't thinking straight.
[He downs the last of his water before setting the cup at the corner of the sink. He'll use it again in the morning. For now, he makes his way toward Nicole's side and presses a kiss to the top of her head. It's easier to hide his face like this.]
[ Incomplete though her understanding of human emotion might be, she has observed Varka closely enough, for long enough, to be capable of discerning his discomfort. She waits patiently for him to close the distance, conscious of the fact that it would be unwise to force proximity if Varka was not comfortable doing so.
When he presses a kiss to the crown of her head, she lingers in the closeness for a moment. Then she takes a single step back and lifts a hand to cradle his cheek. Her touch is careful, but not distant. ]
[Though he doubted Nicole would ever hold it against him, he's still relieved when she relents. That feeling doubles as she accepts his affection, and triples when she doesn't immediately ask any questions.
He can't even bring himself to be disappointed when she finally does deign to pry into his business. He'd made it rather obvious, considering the way he'd disturbed her rest. And it wasn't as if he was actively trying to keep any of his past a secret. He just hates to drag other people down, or to dwell on his own shortcomings.
Unfortunately, he knows that denying Nicole information was next to impossible. Or at least he tells himself that. Some part of him knows that if he really, truly asked, she would let it go and leave him to his own devices. So maybe part of him does want to talk about it.
His head leans further into her touch, while his eyes drift close.]
Bad dreams. You know how it is. [Does she? Probably, considering all she's been through.] Just... remembering some of the faces I've lost. Happens from time to time.
[ She may not know much about bad dreams, but she knows more than enough about loss. Even putting her personal losses aside, she had witnessed more than her fair share over her long life. That was to say nothing about her understanding of humanity: even for creatures with such regretfully short existences, they spun relationships and tales of great attachment and greater heartbreak.
She lifts her other hand to more effectively cradle Varka's face. Her thumbs skim lightly, tenderly, over the skin. The fact he delves into the matter at all... she gets the sense that she should pursue this thread.
Besides. To know his heartache was to know him, and she would ask for nothing more than to know his everything. ]
Would you like to talk about it? I would be heartened to listen.
[Regardless, Varka appreciates the offer. Enough so that he pulls her all the closer, and then outright scoops her off her feet. If she seems that keen on his company, then surely she won't mind if he carries her off to the couch to get comfortable.
He can't imagine sleeping any time soon.
Settling on the couch, he keeps Nicole draped across his lap. Rather than immediately start in, he buries his face into her hair. The softness there, coupled with the warm weight of her body against him, is far more comforting than anything else.]
[ She certainly doesn't mind being carried, but she is surprised! She loops her arms around Varka's neck, silently thanking the Guardians of the Grove for enabling her to purchase a property so soon into her tenure here. She cannot imagine getting to enjoy this level of casual contact at the Inn.
She settles in equally carefully, smoothing her hands down over Varka's shoulders. He could remain curled into her for as long as he needed. She had a feeling he did need it. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-05 07:07 am (UTC)Today, though, he discovers something new: the Archives. From there, it doesn't take long to stumble on something even more interesting than their surroundings. It's history, critical information that might yet give both himself and Nicole a leg up on their current situation. Others had been more than willing to provide information, Varka had deliberately held back when speaking of the more divine aspects of their home.
After all, he couldn't be too sure they were entirely free of the grasp of the heavens.
Books were a different story, though. And after soliciting a handful from the spirit tending to the place, he returns to the inn with a healthy stack.
Unfortunately, with his hands full, it does mean that he has to nudge Nicole's door with his boot. He keeps the touch relatively light, so he doesn't startle her. And when that fails to reassure him, he adds:]
Hey, it's me! Got a surprise for you.
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-05 07:58 am (UTC)A sizable fraction of that has been dedicated to her magic. In a way, it was similar to starting from square one on the day of her creation: though they were all born with innate power, the ability to wield it effectively had come with time, as all things did. Having grown used to being able to call upon it with ease, though, was certainly complicating the relearning process.
Still. She could feel it in the air, here. Whatever had been circumventing and silencing their power was waning. The Elements were a bubbling brook eroding a stone wrought dam inch by painstaking inch and, surely, if she reached for them consistently they…
It is that which her mind is focused on when there is a sound at her door. She doesn’t startle, but her focus is subverted; her irritation is temporary, biting at her ankles, and subsides for the most part at the sound of Varka's voice. Suspicion replaces it instead.
It’s that suspicion which has her cracking the door open rather than opening it fully. She sticks her head out into the sliver. ]
A surprise?
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-05 08:06 am (UTC)I know you're probably just as curious as I am about what's happening here. So I figured you might appreciate a little history lesson.
[The stack tries to slide, and he quickly stumbles to put his hand on the top of the pile to keep it steady. After a few harrowing seconds, it seems to settle, and he flashes her a grin through the doorway.]
Can I come in, or not? [He pauses for a second, then adds:] I'm not expecting you to do all the work. We can split it down the middle.
[Reading isn't his favorite hobby by any means but... if it means getting to the bottom of their predicament, he'll just have to bite the bullet.]
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-05 08:21 am (UTC)Nicole opens the door fully. After warring with the idea, she reaches out mentally to attempt to utilize her magic to move some of the books indoors telepathically. Though she is able to grab far less of them that she would ideally be able to, when she turns round and moves back into the room with at least a handful of books she counts it as a small victory. ]
I'm sorry. I’ve been trying to get a handle on the thread of magic that I can feel here for days. It’s left me more than a little on edge. Where did you find these?
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-05 08:28 am (UTC)Oh, uh - [He tries to lift a hand to scratch at the back of his head, only to nearly upend the remaining books. He scrambles to avoid disaster yet again, muttering to himself all the while.]
Just - you know - [A book slides to the floor, and he swears he sees a corner dent. He's almost certain the spirit in the Archives will have his head for that, but he'll deal with that later.]
Archives! There's an archive building further into town. A whole history of this place. Figured the best way to figure out what's happening now would be cracking open a few books and seeing what came before.
[And there he goes, beaming again. He's allowed to be proud of himself too, thank you.]
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-06 09:08 pm (UTC)She is about to suggest she move the remainder of the books so that they might emerge unscathed when Varka gathers them back up again. She looks between him and his stack with enough bewilderment to say what she has not: are you good? What’s going on here?
Regardless… she sets her pile down on the bed. ]
Oh, I see! That was some good thinking. It might be able to tell us something about what swept us up here. I have to think that… there are divinities outside of our known ones at work here.
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-06 09:52 pm (UTC)You might not be wrong about that. We walked into the middle of a whole cosmic battlefield, it seems like. [Once his books are safely deposited on the table, allows his body to lean against it. His arms fold over his chest, the picture of being right at home.
Never mind the fact that it's Nicole's room that he finds himself in.]
From what I've figured out, we've got two goddesses on our side — the sun and the moon. We've also got one running around in the woods. Or maybe he is the woods? Either way, he's bad news. And part of the reason we're here.
[A hand lifts, scratching behind his head.]
Real unfriendly type, it seems like. Last month, he tasked the residents with killing each other in order to glean enough power to fix the sky.
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-08 04:03 am (UTC)The information that Varka provides is meaningful, and helps fill in at least a portion of the gaps of her understanding. With the presence of external deities confirmed, a part of her mind strays to the possibility of an existence free of the thumb of the Heavenly Principles. Could it truly be possible? What all-encompassing effect might that have on her existence?
Dangerously, a single question ekes its way out of the entangled ones: could she be free of her species' curse, here? Would the powers that be here override those that had kept her shackled?
Nicole blinks away the thought physically, instead picking up one of the books she had set down. Her hand lightly, curiously, caresses the cover. These books were old, if the state of them was any indication: this lent itself to the idea that his town was far more long-lived than she might have initially thought given the buildings they had initially encountered. She taps her fingers against the spine. ]
I see. Two benevolent entities, and one with more of a mind for cruel entertainment. I must admit – I don't exactly relish the idea of being caught in the midst of another divine power struggle. Though, at the moment, there's little to be done about that now. There are parts we must play, it seems!
[ She looks to Varka, in all his mortal glory, with a narrow-eyed look. They had only just departed from a realm in which he had been forced to give his all—and then some—to grapple against the machinations of a man-seeking-divinity. She wonders what his thoughts were on the matter. Was he tired with being dragged about by the fickle hand of fate? Had he even stopped to think about it?
As a man of action, perhaps he had chosen to immerse himself in doing rather than contemplating. Some might yield to the despair of their circumstances otherwise. ]
What do you make of all of this?
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-08 04:25 am (UTC)So, while she ponders, his gaze wanders. He studies her room — not so dissimilar to his own in structure, maybe, but that's not what he's after. He seeks out what little personal touches she might have applied to the space, whether her bed was regularly made, if she cared for her dishes, all of that. Despite having worked so closely together for a handful of months, it felt like he knew little about her.
Hell, he hadn't even been to the cottage he'd heard rumor of.
Still, once she begins speaking, his attention snaps back to her. And as she turns the question back to him, Varka finds himself straightening up.]
Well, can't say it's the first time I've been thrust into someone else's conflict. [He says it with a note of mirth.] Part of being a knight is being there for the people that need it, though. It's why I helped out Columbina back home, and why I'll help out here. Might not have been my choice to get dragged into this mess, but I can decide what I do from here on out.
[He can't fathom sitting idly by. Not if there was a chance people could get hurt. And especially not when sitting still leads to him worrying about Mondstadt. Bad things tended to happen when he was away like this.
Crepus. Dvalin. What else could be taken from him next...? He shakes his head, pulling himself from his thoughts.]
Not that I'll blame you if you want to take a step back. I imagine this all strikes a bit too close to home for you, huh?
(no subject)
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Date: 2026-03-16 05:11 am (UTC)Man, if only there were someone who loved to help humanity out available right now. My goblet is empty and I'm out of nuts.
[Translation: he misses Nicole and feels like bothering her.]
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-16 05:15 am (UTC)If you are drinking from a goblet, I can only imagine that you are sat at the local bar. Can the bartender not refill it?
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-16 05:18 am (UTC)I borrowed it while I was doing some light reading at the archives! And now I'm thirsty.
What a shame!
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-16 05:21 am (UTC)Having food or drink around books, especially very old ones, is not a good idea.
Should I conjure a refill for you?
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-16 05:33 am (UTC)Mostly.
It's fine.
Can you still do that?
Somebody would appreciate it if you did!
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-16 05:36 am (UTC)Which, while you might not protest, the books certainly would.
(no subject)
Date: 2026-03-16 05:40 am (UTC)What then?
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From:After Camp
Date: 2026-04-29 05:29 am (UTC)This is the reality that he has grown used to. With so many decades spent dedicated to the fray, it was little wonder that the faces of his comrades yet lingered. With each blink, the faces of those under his command danced behind his eyes.
Once more, he wakes with a start. He may be in the comfort of his room, tucked away within the home that Nicole had helped create for them, but the dreams haunt him all the same. It seems ridiculous, to dream of war and despair when he has it so well, but here he is.
The routine, at least, is the same. He throws himself from his bed, casting blankets aside as if they themselves held the dreams within them. He stumbles into the bathroom, footsteps inadvertently thundering, and splashes cold water on his face. Again and again, he tries to wash the vestiges of the dream away.
Yet when he tries to turn back to his bed, the memory of the dream curls around his throat like a noose. Little wonder, then, that he bypasses it in favor of marching through his door and toward the kitchen. Nicole is surely asleep, so he doesn't even think about throwing on a shirt or making himself look presentable.
Right now, he needs a glass of water. ... Or maybe something stronger, now that he thinks about it.]
(no subject)
Date: 2026-04-29 05:40 am (UTC)It's why the sound of pounding steps does not startle her, necessarily. Sleep is not a necessity for her, but a creature comfort. She rouses easily, drifting from her bedroom to investigate. She knew the sound to be Varka but, given the hour...
She hasn't bothered to pull on anything more substantial than... okay, a shirt she had stolen from Varka. Don't blame her. She casts her mental voice out to him long before she grows overly near. ]
Varka?
(no subject)
Date: 2026-04-29 06:25 am (UTC)It doesn't last.]
Mm, did I wake you up? [He keeps his tone light, or at least tries his best. He knows the sound is lacking, that the weight of his dream hangs heavy upon his words. Maybe she'll be tired enough not to notice. Or at leas think twice about asking.] Sorry about that. Got a little too thirsty and wasn't thinking straight.
[He downs the last of his water before setting the cup at the corner of the sink. He'll use it again in the morning. For now, he makes his way toward Nicole's side and presses a kiss to the top of her head. It's easier to hide his face like this.]
Think you could forgive me?
(no subject)
Date: 2026-04-30 05:47 pm (UTC)[ Incomplete though her understanding of human emotion might be, she has observed Varka closely enough, for long enough, to be capable of discerning his discomfort. She waits patiently for him to close the distance, conscious of the fact that it would be unwise to force proximity if Varka was not comfortable doing so.
When he presses a kiss to the crown of her head, she lingers in the closeness for a moment. Then she takes a single step back and lifts a hand to cradle his cheek. Her touch is careful, but not distant. ]
Are you alright?
(no subject)
Date: 2026-04-30 07:42 pm (UTC)He can't even bring himself to be disappointed when she finally does deign to pry into his business. He'd made it rather obvious, considering the way he'd disturbed her rest. And it wasn't as if he was actively trying to keep any of his past a secret. He just hates to drag other people down, or to dwell on his own shortcomings.
Unfortunately, he knows that denying Nicole information was next to impossible. Or at least he tells himself that. Some part of him knows that if he really, truly asked, she would let it go and leave him to his own devices. So maybe part of him does want to talk about it.
His head leans further into her touch, while his eyes drift close.]
Bad dreams. You know how it is. [Does she? Probably, considering all she's been through.] Just... remembering some of the faces I've lost. Happens from time to time.
(no subject)
Date: 2026-05-07 02:27 am (UTC)She lifts her other hand to more effectively cradle Varka's face. Her thumbs skim lightly, tenderly, over the skin. The fact he delves into the matter at all... she gets the sense that she should pursue this thread.
Besides. To know his heartache was to know him, and she would ask for nothing more than to know his everything. ]
Would you like to talk about it? I would be heartened to listen.
(no subject)
Date: 2026-05-07 04:17 am (UTC)[Regardless, Varka appreciates the offer. Enough so that he pulls her all the closer, and then outright scoops her off her feet. If she seems that keen on his company, then surely she won't mind if he carries her off to the couch to get comfortable.
He can't imagine sleeping any time soon.
Settling on the couch, he keeps Nicole draped across his lap. Rather than immediately start in, he buries his face into her hair. The softness there, coupled with the warm weight of her body against him, is far more comforting than anything else.]
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Date: 2026-05-11 03:20 pm (UTC)[ She certainly doesn't mind being carried, but she is surprised! She loops her arms around Varka's neck, silently thanking the Guardians of the Grove for enabling her to purchase a property so soon into her tenure here. She cannot imagine getting to enjoy this level of casual contact at the Inn.
She settles in equally carefully, smoothing her hands down over Varka's shoulders. He could remain curled into her for as long as he needed. She had a feeling he did need it. ]
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