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 Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 2:44 pm
It had been a while since he and Endzela had gone hunting together through the scarefari. There were just so many things going on that sometimes he would neglect going with Endzela anywhere. Today it was different, he would take Endzela out and he would take her to her favorite hunting spots in the Scarefari and cheer at her success each and every time. That is how it always worked.
Currently he stood within a field of tall grass, his head tilted skyward as he watched the Owl glide about majestically through the sky. It was amazing how much bigger Endzela had gotten, the owl barely fit on his shoulder anymore. In fact she didn't fit on his shoulder at all, truth be told.
Still, he watched with the same feeling of pride and satisfaction as before.
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 2:53 pm
The Scarefari was where Lark went when she found herself in search of solitude. The wide open spaces made her feel more comfortable, less constricted, more herself. It was a wonderful feeling and the perfect excuse to let Ben get a little exercise.
Aside from the class she'd gone to, Lark hadn't been making any sort of effort in expanding her friendships, or even making acquaintances with anyone aside from Steffani. She would, in time, but for now she seemed perfectly content to tend to her classes and to her studies.
Carried away in her thoughts, she didn't notice the shadow pass over her - the very owl-shaped shadow that, had she been paying attention, might've caused her to glance up at the sky.
Ben noticed.
"'EY," the roo bellowed skyward, ears perked, "ENDY!"
That got Lark's attention. If Endy was near, was Kettil?
She wasn't sure she was ready.
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 3:00 pm
There was little that could keep Endzela from interacting with whoever she wanted, whenever she wanted. The Owl heard someone calling her and recognized the voice and almost immediately swooped down toward the Kangaroo and his Reaper without any sort of hesitation at all. There was a flicker of gaze from Kangaroo to Lark but for the most part Endzela had no thought or opinions other than acknowledging the ghoul was in fact there. "Hello my dears. It has been a while," she said to the both of them.
Kettil heard a voice at a distance and then saw his Owl swoop down as well. The boil made a small confused face at this before he ran toward where he saw her swoop down only to stop up short when he saw why she had landed.
Awkward.
"Uhh..."
Emotions fluttered through him one after the other and still he tried to smile, "Hi?"
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 3:07 pm
"Too right," Ben rumbled with a daft smile at the owl. "Y'grown even more beautiful, Endy - if it was even possible."
The roo shot his bonded a look, one that was vaguely apologetic and yet not really at the same time.
The urge to burst into tears was there, tickling her nose and dampening her eyes. It caught in her throat like a boulder-sized knot, and then he smiled.
After all the wrong she'd done him, all the ways she'd let him down, he still smiled. It might've been a small smile, but the effort was there, and it coaxed from Lark a smile of her own - wobbly, unsure, hesitant. She'd been a poor friend and an even worse ghoulfriend, but if he could smile at her - no matter how small - that was something to be thankful for.
"Kettil," Lark greeted him, her voice oddly thick with emotion. She wasn't sure what else to say other than his name, but she had to say something.
"Yer.. taller."
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 3:14 pm
Endzela let out a small light laugh, "Still a flatterer~," she cooed over at Ben. She'd always liked the Roo and gotten along well with him. It was simply how things were with her, if she liked someone she wasn't going to just abandon them, "You're as handsome as ever, doing something special with your coat?"
It was almost disturbing how nonchalant the Familiar could be despite the mass amounts of awkward that was now taking place.
Kettil let out a short sudden laugh, "Well, ye..Yeah. Think so? I don't...really notice," he felt as if someone had just ripped out his stomach and tied it into strange knots. Part of him wanted to confront her and yell at her for how things had ended up. Confront her with how much he'd hurt despite how amiable he tried to be with his response. His fingertips wiggled a little bit.
A bigger part just wanted to hug her and bring her back into his life.
"I...uh..." Kettil cleared his throat, "I hope you're doing better..."
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 3:24 pm
"Aww, Endy, y'know jest how t'talk t'me. I ain't been doin' nothin' with m'coat. Jest been spoiled back at home," he patted his belly with clawed fingers, "an' eatin' too much. Y'know how I like t'eat, Endy." He flashed the owl an odd little smile before sending a worried glance over at Lark and Kettil. He turned back to the lovely owl he was quite fond of before clearing his throat. "Y'feel like goin' walkabout w'me, Endy?" He tilted his head just the slightest in the direction of the two reapers, as if indicating that perhaps they should give the pair a little privacy.
Lark didn't notice any of the looks. In truth, she only had eyes for Kettil. He looked wonderful. His hair was different, but she liked it.
"It's nice t'be back. Things're rough back home, an.. well. They needed me."
He'd needed her too, but she'd let him down.
Lark lifted her chin, her jaw forming that same old familiar line of stubbornness.
"M'back now. Fer good. Things're," she paused, pursed her lips, "fresh, I guess. Ain't been makin' any new friends, but. Y'know me. Ain't never been easy fer me t'do."
Lark fell silent for a moment and crossed her gangly arms over her chest. Her voice was uncharacteristically soft when she spoke.
"I.. hope yer.. doin' well. I've," Lark cleared her throat brusquely, glancing away from his face, "missed.. a lot."
I've missed you.
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 3:35 pm
"Never too much to eat, Dearest. Besides if you had gotten bigger then there is more of you to adore~," Endzela said softly and cheerfully at the Roo. At his suggestion there was a small sound of agreement, she understood what he was getting at, "Yes, let us walk about and catch up." With that she started waddling off with the Roo.
The Muut blushed slightly as she told him he looked wonderful, he couldn't help it. Things were different now and they felt alien. "Yeah, I know but...I'm still your friend ain't I? I mean, it ain't like y'lost me entirely."
There was a pause, "I been doin' well enough. I missed talking to ya and stuff..."
Another pause. Tentative and mulling over his feelings and words.
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 3:47 pm
Lark didn't look at Ben or Endy as they took their leave. She shifted on her feet and offered a small smile.
"Y'ain't never stopped bein' my best mate, Ket. If there was one thing that never changed, it was that. Not through none of it, even when we gave it a go. Y'always gonna be my best mate. Ain't gonna change."
Lark watched him closely, a smile flickering over her lips.
"I ain't never meant to hurt you, Ket - and I'm sorry I did. These past months back at home, watchin' m'parents fight - I don't want t'be like 'em, y'know?"
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 4:00 pm
There was a visible difference in him as he relaxed as she assured him that they were still friends or at least the same friends as they ever were. There was a flicker, however, when she mentioned the reasoning behind it and his brow furrowed a bit as he shook his head, "You...You don't know if we woulda been like that. Y'didn't give it a chance to try." His voice rose and lowered with each note as if he was struggling with his emotions over the subject.
His heart struggled within his chest as he bowed his head a bit, his body lowered into a crouch.
"But maybe...Maybe it is better. Maybe we're just meant to be friends. I don't know what it was that was happening back then," he murmured softly. "Maybe I was jus' homesick and you were near me. Maybe I just really felt that way."
Kettil flicked dark eyes back up at her, "I don't want to think that whatever we felt or said was false is all. Cause I do care about ya and I always will whether you like it or not. I even love ya but maybe on a different level than I thought it was..."
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 4:11 pm
"Yer right."
There was no stopping the tears that welled in her green eyes as she watched him, watched him cope and deal with the hurt that she had caused. There was no denying it. How could she? Deep down she'd known that it'd been an excuse. She'd been the one to leave him here, lonely and alone.
"Yer right, Ket, I didn't give it a chance. I ain't ... I ain't sayin' that things mighta been diff'rent. They might not'a been. I jest," the blonde fell silent, lips pursed. She moved forward to crouch in front of him, dared rest a hand against his shoulder.
"I don't know what mighta been - all I know is one thing fer certain, Kajika - and that's that I ain't never gonna not love you. Yer what's kept me grounded fer so long, and... y'know..."
Lark exhaled loudly and closed her eyes. It was time to be completely and perfectly honest.
"I was in love w'you fer the longest time, Ket. When I came here, I didn't want t'leave you. I still love you, and I ain't ever gonna stop. If there's one thin' I know fer sure, it's that. And... I mucked it up, I got scared. Ain't yer fault, it was mine."
She fell silent, her voice low.
"Only hope y'can fergive me is all."
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 4:26 pm
Kettil didn't jerk away from her touch and he let her talk her side of things through. He wasn't going to change anything she felt or said and the part that impacted him the most was her admission of being in love with him. He sort of furrowed his brow a bit as he seemed to digest this, he'd been blind and oblivious to it half the time and they tried it out and now...
"You know I forgive you, I never could be mad at you for long." Kettil said quietly with a small smile.
He cleared his throat a little bit, "And y'know I love you too."
The boil quietly pulled her into a hug, "But I'm with someone else now an' I can't just up and leave 'er."
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 4:39 pm
"I can't even expect anythin' from you but yer friendship. S'all I want. I ain't gonna be the one t'hurt y'again, and I hope that... who yer with now," her voice broke against his shoulder, "I hope she treats you right, Kettil. Y'deserve it." It felt so nice to be in his arms, even as friends. Or maybe... especially as friends.
"Y'deserve t'be happy. I think we both do, y'know?"
She paused.
"Jest.. not together like that. Jest as friends. Best friends."
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 4:45 pm
Kettil rested his head on her shoulder for a moment as he let her talk, "As long as it doesn't hurt you that I'm not yours. I don't want to hurt you either y'know. I'd be a pretty damn rotten friend if I let y'get hurt."
He didn't want her to hurt just because they couldn't try again. He didn't want her to hurt just because things were different between them.
Even if there was the possibility of them trying again he wasn't sure he'd want to, just too much caution filled his heart. He'd end up questioning her motives and emotions each time she would ever have distanced herself from him and so he just nodded.
"Yeah, Best Mates always and forever. Just like we promised back as scarelings, right?" Kettil smiled but this time there was a brightness to his tone.
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 4:54 pm
Never in a million years would she actually admit that it was going to hurt her to see him with someone else. She was far too proud to admit it, and part of Lark also feared that should she show any signs of jealousy, she might lose him altogether.
That was something that Lark couldn't stomach.
And so she would smile, like she did now, and nod - and let him go. He deserved to be happy, and she did too - but she also deserved the loss of their relationship, as much as she mourned it. Lark knew it. She loved him still, and part of it was all a brave face just to assure him that she would be fine.
"Just like we promised back when we were scarelings, Ket."
Time heals all. She allowed herself to enjoy the way his arms felt around her, a little stolen moment that she could tuck away.
"S'now y'gotta tell me who has yer heart. I hope she realizes that she's th'luckiest ghoul, yeah?"
She had to heal sometime. She had to let go, and learn to cherish the relationship they still had. Friends til the end, just like they'd promised.
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Posted: Thu May 09, 2013 5:35 pm
Kettil had sort of paused a moment when she asked who it was.
Any other day he would proudly proclaim that he was dating Freya from the rooftops, but this was different. More delicate. This was someone that Lark had been jealous of and someone that Kettil had crushed upon before he and Lark had started dating in the first place.
If things hadn't happened the way that they had Kettil had been resolute to his fate to just live his life through to whatever end it brought him. There was no way he could sugarcoat it but he didn't exactly want to hurt her with this fact either.
He was simply far too soft hearted for any of this.
"Freya. It wasn't what I had thought would happen or planned it but..." He chewed on his lip a little bit. "She was going through some things and I was there for her. So it kind of changed the dynamics a bit, yeah?"
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