[Flashback] Sun Kisses and Bright Smiles [Kashik]

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon was confused by her statement. Eldon, somehow in her mind, wasn't supposed to be reckless or dangerous or getting himself into trouble. He understood that much, since he was typically dragged into every situation they got in, be it innocent or one that earned a nice scolding from their parents. She was the one that tended to get hurt, tended to be more rough and tough, which was an odd switch of gender. Eldon could only theorize that, perhaps, she felt protective of him, somewhat like his father, except without the power or voice to do so. Eldon bit down on his lip as his eyes lowered to the ground. He looked like a wounded child that was told he did something bad and genuinely didn't know it. He knew he was blameless, but that hardly helped him stomach it. "I know. I didn't mean to hurt you like that. I wanted to come home but... couldn't." Eldon looked up as she called him an ass. She must have been really upset, and he was stricken silent. He didn't know what to say or do. How could he mend the situation? He was alive, healthy, he was a survivor so far in life, and now he had come home, came to visit the person he had wanted to see since the day he left. He often feared that while he was gone something would happen to her. What if he wasn't there to get her home that time? What if it was something really bad? An adventure out on the plain without Eldon and she got lost or attacked or broke her arm, he wouldn't have been able to help her. He had several short, unpleasant dreams like this, along with others of being killed by a giant in blue skin. Eldon, finally reached over, wrapping his arm behind her and latching onto her shoulder, pulling her into him. His other arm cradled her head against him as well. "I'm sorry. I'm safe now. I'm not going anywhere."

[Kashik]

When his arm came around her, she stiffened for just a moment in surprise - not because she wasn't used to being hugged, no, she came from a large and loving family. It was because she couldn't really remember him ever hugging her. She was always the one throwing her arms around him, assaulting the cautious boy with affection as often as she did with playful punches and kicks. All their lives they had played a strange game of role-reversal, with Kashik being the brash, danger-loving one who showed her passions and tempers without hesitation, while Eldon had been quiet, cautious, always giving in to her overbearing demands but ever-careful of displeasing his family or showing too much of himself to her.

When his other hand raised and she felt his fingers in her hair, she gave a shuddering sigh and simply collapsed against his chest, the wine now forgotten in her lap though it buzzed through her blood enough to let her know it was there. "I know it's not your fault," she mumbled into his shirt. "And I know you can't stay safe all the time. I mean, shyke, I'm one to talk about staying safe!" she said, chuckling as she tangled one of her hands in the front of his shirt. "I just... I wish I could have helped. I would have taken care of you, after you... you know..." The sickness that reimancy left, well, she had heard rumors of that as well. "I know your dad hates me and thinks I'm the worst kind of influence on you, and I probably am, but I still would have come."

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon listened to her patiently. He was a good listener, always had been whenever there was something that needed to be said, something important, serious or joyous. "I know you would. If it were up to me, I would have asked you to come." Eldon sighed, his breath falling onto that dark hair of hers that rested against his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment, just listening to her voice, to his his throbbing pulse through his chest, his neck, his head. "Father doesn't hate you. He actually asks about you often." Eldon stopped short of admitting his father's hope that they would get married as soon as they were of age. He was the kind of man that would only sacrifice his overbearing gaze if it meant Eldon found a mate. Those talks made Eldon uncomfortable though. He was still a child. "I don't care about influence. You're fun. I'd rather be scraping knees and being pushed into ponds and rivers, running from angry dogs or riding through the plains on our striders than being stuck at home, just learning how to make water. There's nothing fun in that." Eldon smiled, feeling that she might have finally calmed down a little, returned to normal perhaps. "Are you okay? We've been talking about me since you found me and I haven't heard shyke about you." Eldon would much rather talk about Kashik too.

[Kashik]

Kashik refused to sniffle, even if she felt a little like sniffling, mainly because she didn't know why she felt like sniffling. He was fine, and everything should have been back to normal. She was being a silly ass, and no use for it.

"Oh, me?" she asked, straightening up so they could talk, though she didn't exactly pull away from the arm around her. "I'm fine," she said with a self-conscious little shrug, still adjusting to this new whatever-it-was that was making her feel awkward around her best friend. "I getting pretty good with the spear - da says that if I keep improving, he'll take me over to the War Pavilion and trade for lessons," she said, her smile returning and the blushes of their previous conversation fading away. She remembered the wine with a start, and tipped it back for another sip before offering it back to him. "But I'm just... busy. I mean, Grampa's getting sick a lot lately, and Uncle Drindal is worried he'll have no heirs. I mean, Marista just had Unduul last season - oh! You weren't here for that! Yes, she had a son, so technically he's the heir, but after losing two sons already he's a bit worried. So he remarried, and she's pregnant, so they're just hoping they have enough boys to fill out the ranks again." The lineage of the Brightsmile pavilion was not unlike that of Eldon's father, except instead of striking out on his own and refusing to remarry, the Ankal's heir had followed the advice that young Kashik had once spouted to Eldon the first day they'd met. "Bremon got engaged, though, so we should have that wedding soon. You should come! I'm sure Mama won't mind if I bring a friend with me," she said, her grin returning. "But, oh sweet gods my gramma has started me learning politics and it's so boring," she moaned, rolling her eyes. "I just want to go riding and hunting and learn how to fight, and she wants me to memorize clan names and drone on about histories. I've been crazy without you around to help distract me," she giggled.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon grinned as he took the bottle and took another drink. He was starting to feel the effects already, but he was alright with it. He wasn't a heavy drinker, he was probably considered a lightweight, but he enjoyed it every now and then. Father wouldn't approve, but he was too busy with his duties to take notice of Eldon very often nowadays. Only drug him around everywhere to keep him close, kept him in bed to ensure he doesn't hurt himself while weak. He wasn't really there though, not there for Eldon, he forced Eldon to be there for himself, not for Eldon. Eldon wasn't one to share these aching thoughts he occasionally got for his father. He knew he loved Eldon. He knew he would die for Eldon, but still he felt neglected, like he was denied the care of a woman like every child should have. He tried to pass of his desire to be around Kashik so much because he desired the smell of a woman that he never had in a mother, but even at that age, he knew the difference between wishing for a mother when he was younger, and being genuinely attracted to someone. Eldon took another drink and handed it back, sighing lightly. He was done drinking for a bit. "That sounds boring. But I meant, how are you? I love your family and everything, but I didn't come to see them. I came to see you, Brightsmile." Eldon grinned, always calling her by her family name. He started that years ago, not long after they first met really. Silly childlike thoughts caused him to tease himself though, calling her Kashik Sunkiss, and despite it sounding nice and rolling off the tongue as if it truly was meant to fit, it was bad to think of such things. He was too young, too many duties. By Makutsi's grace, he was turning into his father! Eldon chuckled lightly at himself, half fearing, half proudly accepting he was actually his father in the making. His father's busy life was going to absorb Eldon soon, it was all set up now. The training, the initiation, the perfect age. He was going to become the man his father is, and he wasn't even fighting it. At least he appreciated what watermakers did now, he could be proud of them, being one of them. The Drykas viewed them as essential, and they were nothing less. "I think it hit me a little harder than I expected." Eldon chuckled lightly again as he looked at the bottle. Did he drink more than he thought he did? Sometimes he lost himself when thinking. "I missed you. I'm sorry for disappearing like that. I should have come back home, despite what my father said." Of course, that would have been suicide, traveling through the plains alone and at such a young age. Foolish thoughts.

[Kashik]

"Stop apologizing," she said with a wave of her hand before taking the bottle back and finishing it off in a few gulps. Her cheeks were flushed, deep rose against the silken coffee of her skin, but she didn't seem to notice. "We're getting older. It's inevitable. You'll go off to become this incredible watermaker, and I'll be a famous warrior, and we'll see less of each other for being so busy. But we'll find time here and there to share a bottle of wine and spend some time together, right?" she laughed. Yes, it would just be that easy.

She quieted, though, as she considered his question - really considered it, took a moment to ponder how she was beyond the normal family concerns. "I'm all right, I suppose," she said with a heavy sigh. "I've been... gods, I'm starting to think I'll never be a Stormwarden," she said, frowning at the now-empty bottle. "I mean, I always knew that you're born a Stormwarden, that Zulrav chooses who he will so young, but I thought maybe... maybe if I asked enough, prayed enough, worked hard and proved myself, maybe He would notice me. But I just... I'm starting to doubt. And since that's all I've ever really wanted... I don't know. I feel lost," she said, voice trailing away to a whisper as she traced a fingertip around the mouth of the bottle, round and round again until it let out a mournful note.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon sat up and stared across the pavilion as she spoke. He was listening, but what she said sounded very familiar, very true. He wasn't sure if he liked it, but he couldn't deny. He was going to be a man in a few years. He would be expected to lead hunts instead of just watching and taking shots while being protected. He would be expected to earn windmark after windmark after windmark. Marriage, children, being Ankal, introduction and master of the web. It was all expected of him, and it would start soon. Already the training for it was beginning. He was a water reimancer now, he had his profession, an income. It wasn't long until he was expected to do everything else. "Yes, I'll always come back to you and share a bottle." Eldon smiled weakly as he looked over at Kashik, finishing the wine in one final vigorous drink. Eldon felt himself leaning closer to Kashik as she began to talk about herself, how she had been. It startled him to see her feeling so down on herself. She had always been the person who wouldn't accept anything but complete and utter victory. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Eldon wasn't buying that. He reached up and massaged her cheek gently with his thumb. "You know better than to think like that. You're too strong to give up already. This was your dream since... since forever." Eldon was staring at her lips when he managed to catch himself. "Everyone gets that feeling of being lost."