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"Oh, I understand, I think. I've never had anything but water before." Corwin wasn't sure if he'd tasted other drinks before his memories stopped. It was possible, he supposed. "Anything you can set on fire is probably a good thing in my books, though." Corwin smiled.

When Corwin had brushed Ro'ark with both hands to demonstrate his abilities, he realized that the cold would have been uncomfortable, if not painful. He smoothed the same shoulder over with a much warmer touch, easing away any memory of the cold. "It's not so bad... I had someone who guided me. He was chilled to the bone, so I became strong with my warmth... It just feels right, to try and fill others with warmth and light. The stronger I get, the easier it is. I'm not just good for physical temperatures, either; I can feel inside anyone, whether they're warm or cold, and call either out. It's useful for waking people up," he laughed. "As for getting them mixed up... well, freezing people is a definite fear." Corwin brushed the back of his neck with his warm hand and then his cool hand, soothing himself. He remembered Etoile. He couldn't help but match temperatures, sometimes, if someone was overwhelmingly one or the other. He disliked being around Etoile in his weak state, because she was so cold that it overcame Corwin's flames. One day, maybe it would work the other way around.

When Ro'ark purred at Corwin, he tilted his head to the side and blinked sluggishly, then burst into laughter when Ro'ark made a face that Corwin couldn't reproduce if he tried. Was it supposed to look attractive, or just creepy? He didn't know, but he split his side laughing, his markings glowing in the night. The pulsed with his laughter, until he calmed down and sighed happily. He became a little more serious, and added, "I'm sorry if I hurt you with my cold, but I won't ever have to show you again," Corwin ran a hand through his hair.

"Are you warm to the touch, then?" Corwin couldn't tell, himself, since he was a bit of both temperatures. "I love the summer, though! It's so nice. I get to sleep in."

Corwin nudged gravel away with his foot as they walked, keeping an eye out all the while. It was nice, being with someone who represented a consuming heat, like he wished he could. Still, he couldn't change what he was, he could only strive to be more heat than cold.

(Lol, it took me almost a MONTH To reply?! Holy fruitbats D: I'M SORRY SHINI ;~ wink

"An ice constellation?" Corwin shivered, pressing his hand against his chest. "Is... he kind?" Corwin had yet to meet any ice which made him comfortable, but perhaps this friend of Ro'ark was a different kind of ice. He sincerely hoped so. He believed Ro'ark would not recommend someone who was bad for his kind of heat; Ro'ark was even more heat than Corwin himself was.

Talking with Ro'ark was pleasant. It made Corwin feel at ease. He didn't have to work nearly half as hard to keep the air around them warm. "I'm glad it didn't hurt you, my cold touch." He braced his cold hand against his warm one, taking a deep breath. "And if I ever need water boiled, I guess I could go see you," even though he could handle his own water, he would be happy to see Ro'ark again.

"Ro'ark? Do you know...how we get here? Twilifs, Constellations... my friend never told me. I don't think he knew, either. But Filante spoke of being gods... I doubt I was ever a God." Corwin grabbed idly at one of his flames, twisting it around in his hand. Nothing made him feel quite as good as heat, as drawing it into himself and not letting it go.

Corwin shuddered. Pure ice? What kind of mood would he get into if he was in that hermit's company for too long? It wasn't as if he was the opposite of cold. No, it was because of his ties to it that it frightened him. Hevn had told him, once, in passing, that he was strong. Was he? Corwin did not want to test his mettle, especially not on an individual who was pure ice. When he heard that the individual used to be... different, Corwin felt a little bubble of hope, however tenuous. If anything other than cold had existed in that friend of Ro'ark's, even once, Corwin could potentially find it. "Sometimes... I can reach into ice, and draw out warmth. I have only met one individual who refused to feel my call." Corwin rubbed his eye with the back of his hand. He disliked thinking of that Constellation, thinking something similar to Ro'ark without knowing it: hoping that they did not all turn out so unpleasant, turning into Constellations.

"Sweet disposition?" Corwin laughed when Ro'ark stuck his tongue out, and again at that. "If I've been walking with you for this long, of course you're more than a water heater! It was just an excuse to see you--" Corwin grew silent suddenly, thinking. He chewed at his lip. He hadn't meant to admit that aloud, and in response to his slip, he moved right along.

"I'm relieved to hear that we were not all gods...I think I would have made a lousy god! I am far too divided for that. What would I have been god of, anyway? God of the sleepless night! God of tripping over yourself in the dark. God of firefly-catching. I wonder what you would have been! God of water-heating, surely." Corwin giggled, and held up his warm hand to his mouth. A nice, hot breeze swirled around them, as Corwin heated the air up out of joy. "Daskri? I've never met a painter before... Of course I believe in such things! But... I do wonder where I came from, then..." Corwin looked off into the distance, rubbing his sides with his hands.

"Or maybe you're the god of story-telling," Corwin smiled at Ro'ark. He wished the night would last substantially longer, but knew that it couldn't. He appreciated their walk, and reveled in the heat that Ro'ark drew to his surface. Corwin felt a desire to be happy, for once.

"Ice from fire?" Corwin looked at Ro'ark, his eyes flat and his face completely seriously. "Of course I can. There is cold even in heat, just like there's head in cold." Corwin looked away again, at the night sky, taking a deep breath and exhaling. The purr again? Corwin smiled, breaking his serious demeanor. He couldn't help but lose his smile when he thought of the cold inside him.

"I don't know how sweet ashes can be," Corwin mumbled shyly, rubbing the back of his neck again. He truly didn't believe he was that sweet; he felt more melancholy and prone to awkwardness than anything else. He was also still embarassed he had phrased himself that way, to tell Ro'ark he wanted to see him. It was nice to have friends; Corwin didn't even have a handful of them, so every one of them was cherished. "What's wrong with lowly statuses? I have one, it's not that bad... God of lava? You're pretty ambitious! I don't know anything about dragons, really." Corwin laughed again, shaking his head.

Finally, Ro'ark broached the topic of dawn. Yes, it was close; their walk would have to end. And Ro'ark asked him something he never thought he would be asked. Did he have a home? Once. Not now, he didn't. Maybe someday... Until then, the night was his home, and it was a cruel one. Briefly, he bit the inside of his cheek, and ran first his warm hand then his cold hand through his hair. He steeled himself to answer, smiling as much as he could, "A home? Why wouldn't I have one of those? I'm always in the night, anyway." And he laughed, but it wasn't all of him. Then his smile shifted, and it looked almost sincere. He was fine really. He'd just sleep like he always did. It wasn't so hard. It wasn't. Was it?

"Do you live far from here? I hope you know your way back!" If Ro'ark didn't, Corwin would direct him back to his home, and then he would find a nice dry place to curl up for the day... Maybe under a good tree somewhere. Corwin stretched and yawned, trying to plan his day.

"I... don't like the taste of ash," Corwin rubbed the back of his neck, "And I'm made of fire, sort of! Maybe it's my ice talking, though." He smiled again, admitting to himself as well as to Ro'ark that he was quite possibly just a mix of too many things. "I hope I'm not candy, though!" Corwin laughed, his joy slipping off into the darkness. He rubbed his arms, shaking his head, his smile lingering.

"The night is my home, at least. Or it's where I am, and I guess I've made a home out of it. The night is like a big blanket over the world; maybe it alone can't keep those things out, but the shelters within the night can, I think. It is pretty free, out here. So wide. I could go anywhere, forever, and end up somewhere." Corwin contemplated it, briefly; wandering from where he was and just letting the road take him elsewhere seemed so appealing. But if he did that, he'd never be able to lead people home. He'd just be lost himself. It was alright, for Corwin, to keep wandering in the night, the same roads he was familiar with. There was beauty there, as well. "Sounds like you've lived in some pretty varied places, Ro'ark! I was only recently in the town for maybe my third time. I tend to avoid it. But it sounds nice, sometimes. I'm glad you don't get lost easily!"

Corwin paused, smiled, and clapped Ro'ark on the shoulder gently with his warm hand. "Thank you for the offer... but I don't belong there. I never have, and I won't start soon. I appreciate it, though... maybe I'll still see you sometimes, even though I live out here." Corwin surveyed the land around him, and the sun trying to rise. He couldn't help but yawn, yet again. It was nice of Ro'ark to offer him a place to stay; really nice. But Corwin would never feel comfortable there, because he hardly warmed up to anyone, and living with Ro'ark seemed like it would be stressful on them both. He tried not to dwell on it much, but rather beamed in a sleepy sort of way, walking contentedly.

Startled, Corwin blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, smiling awkwardly, "Ah! No, no, I think we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, my friend. If you taste me, my temperatures will go haywire; moisture, even from a bite, makes it hard to control them. I hate dew." Corwin threw that last part on as an almost ridiculous afterthought. It's true; he'd try to sleep on rocks, mostly, to avoid the damn condensation, but it was hard to find suitable rocks for sleeping every morning. At least most of the condensation burned up while he slept.

"Maybe it is..." Corwin looked down the path, again; they'd walked towards the city? He subconsciously hesitated a moment, biting his lip. He kept walking with Ro'Ark, but when they reached the city limits, Corwin would have to bid his new friend farewell. Maybe the night was more than just a home to Corwin, but really he had said those things with meaning mostly to reassure Ro'ark he was fine. To him, the night was more of a cell. Hopefully, someday, he could change that... but for now, it was someplace he was miserable and in pain. He hated the ice he held, some days; it was a curse which dogged him. "Well, hey now, it wouldn't be so bad!" Corwin laughed, "I'm not in the habit of just lighting everything on fire, but I don't know about you!" Corwin shook his head, pressing his warm hand against his heart. Soon the sun would rise, and he would be able to sleep at last. It felt like a long time since he had slept.

Corwin stared at Ro'ark's hand blankly for a moment, unsure of what to do. He thought he remembered some kind of gesture?... Corwin took Ro'ark's hand and shook it, awkwardly, before pulling away and rubbing the back of his neck again, smiling in a shy sort of way. Social finesse was not something Corwin had in volumes. "Maybe I'll do that, someday... but I don't think there's much room for me in the city." And what remained unspoken was that he had no idea how to behave around so many other folk, no idea what their lives were like, no idea what they enjoyed and what they hated. He was content to wander mostly in isolation, if only because it was easier.

"I'll try to visit you, though, okay? If you give me directions. I should be able to remember them, I think."

It seemed like Ro'ark had been amused by Corwin's response, which just made him more flustered. "I guess so..." Corwin answered. He was avoiding the topic of a house, now, uncomfortable. The idea of a blanket amused him, though; he'd never needed one, because the sun kept him warm, combined with his heat. It was at night that he wished he could wander around swaddled in blankets. It would make it hard to walk, though; he'd be the lesser-flamed blanket beast, scouring the countryside. Not good. "Thank you for your well-wishes, it really is frustrating. But that's just a small problem, I think," Corwin smiled. It really wasn't such a big deal, just kind of irritating.

They were more or less at the gates, and Corwin sighed. It meant he would sleep soon, which he was grateful for, but he didn't know when he'd see Ro'ark next. Corwin bit back protests; what he did wasn't brave. It was all he knew how to do. Having no other choice didn't make what he did bravery. He didn't say anything, though, lest they get into an argument or he should make Ro'ark feel bad. "A little hut, Frie's doll shop; I've got it. Or the mountains. Never Priyal. Hopefully, I'll remember all that," he sighed at himself, pushed a smile to the surface, and stopping at the gates. "Time to say goodbye, yeah. Well, till we meet again, you know?" Corwin put his hand on Ro'ark's shoulder and gave him a tendril of heat, in parting. Without turning, he dropped his hand and took a step backwards, away from the gates. He pressed his hands against his thighs and didn't budge, then he realized he was being weird again. He waved goodbye, waiting for Ro'ark to start to walk into the village before he himself left to find a place to sleep. "The walk has been fun," Corwin added, quickly. It was a thank you, in his own way.