Lonan struggled to think straight as he stared at a door leading to a small office. He had stood in that hallway for nearly a bell, reaching for the handle only to be stopped and pulled back again. The ginger held on to a bouquet of roses, a gesture that he had performed for over an Epoch through courier. A few had already lost a petal or two due to his nervous fidgeting. He had no idea what he would say to her after all of these years. What would she think?
Sounds of glass clattering and faint humming echoing from the other side of the door were rather soothing. They helped him gather the courage, to finally see her again. A deep breath and a twist of a wrist later he found himself inside, clutching the flowers like his life depended on them.
The room was much smaller than he had expected, and carried a scent of old paper and chemicals. There were two large bookcases separated by a door leading to what he assumed to be her living quarters. The walls were barren, except for a map of the continent and a small shelf cluttered with various bottles and vials. A sofa and a coffee table to his left, and a desk to his right with goggled Miqo'te focused on her alembic and vials. She seemed hard at work, as always, making his heart flutter with relief. She truly had grown up well: she had her own place, her own practice, and a folded uniform in a corner of her office indicated she had even fought in the war. To him, she had always been inspiring, and he was glad to see there wasn’t a reason for that to change.
Her purple ears perked up as they picked up the sound of a potential customer, a bubbling voice coated with sheer excitement left her lips to greet him:
“I will be with you in just a moment! Please take a seat on the sofa until then.”
With a nod he took a seat as he was told, placing the bouquet on his lap. Her muffled words had carried a hint of a melody to them, something that had always been there when she was enthralled by what she loved. Her passion now seemed to be alchemy. What had brought forth the change? She used to be obsessed with conjury. He could clearly recall the girl singing to the Elementals, comforting everything capable of listening.
She was why he had learned to sing – to help her on her quest.
Watching her work eased his worries. Quite comfortable with the strange chemicals, she was adding a dark liquid in drops to a large flask of a clear solution. Each droplet caused steam to appear, which faded as she mixed it with a glass rod. The signature smell of sulphur enveloped the space. Her lips stretched upwards, a hum echoing off the wood walls. The Keeper’s ears flicking ever so slightly to show that she was pleased. He couldn't help but share her smile, despite the stinging pain in his heart.
The corners of his mouth sank. He didn't want to disrupt her joy with his presence. He couldn't bear the thought of being the reason for her smile fading. Again. He knew she had suffered since his departure, alone, surrounded by people who'd rather she not exist. He took the bouquet back into his hands, preparing to make his leave. But it was too late.
“I apologise for taking so long, how can I help... ” Her words cut off after the alchemist’s nocturnal eyes were finally able to focus on her visitor in the brightly lit room. Both of them froze, Lonan halfway off the couch, her with a customer service smile that quickly transformed to a rather dangerous glare. Convinced that he was about to meet a brutal end, the ginger launched back to his feet, waving the roses in his hand. He attempted to let out words, failing to produce any that made sense.
She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath. He tried to stand as tall as possible, using his nigh two fulm height advantage to avoid getting strangled. As she slowly made her way towards him, a nervous laugh left his lips.
“Look, Nel... I thought I'd deliver them in person for a change?” He tried, but was met with a roundhouse kick to the abdomen, causing him to stumble backwards on to the sofa’s plush cushions. He gasped for air as the Keeper laid her narrowed eyes upon him.
“You've been working out!” The man attempted to laugh, which really didn't help his situation as the Miqo'te wrapped her small hands around his neck. Her determined expression would've likely frightened anyone on the receiving end as she tried to squeeze the life out of him. Luckily it didn’t take long for Lonan to peel her mitts off of his throat, making her retaliate with a hefty headbutt. They cried out in unison, but it did not stop her from wrestling her hands free. The tiny fists began to pound at his chest, a raspy hiss emanating from her larynx. Lonan wrapped his arms around her, holding her close in an attempt to stop the rampage. With her hands now pinned between their bodies, the Miqo’te turned to bite his left shoulder to make him let go. He didn’t.
Minutes later, her cries of anger had turned to sobs and Lonan could feel his heart drop to his stomach. This was his fault, there was nobody else to blame. Lonan laid his chin to rest on top of her head, eyes staring across the room as she softly wept into his chest. He lifted up her goggles, loosening his grip on the alchemist. Guilt weighed heavy on his heart. He had caused this.
“I'm sorry.” He spoke, now holding back tears of his own. Her reply came in the form of a weak punch to his shoulder. It forced a chuckle out of him.
He had been through so much the past sixteen years. He had lost almost everything. He had been hunted, broken many a bone, and gained countless scars. From having killed, to nearly being killed himself. None of it compared to this gut wrenching feeling, the agony of knowing that he had hurt her.
Silence took the room hostage, both stuck in the loveless embrace from fear of what was to follow. They both knew what his return meant. They both knew what he had done, and what that brought with it. The hopes of a happy end to their stories now eternally lost in the abyss of uncertainty. He lost track of time, focusing on the map hanging on the opposing wall as he tried to take his mind off of everything. He dared not to let her know more than she already knew. A sensation of nausea began to overwhelm him. For the first time in ages, he felt powerless – useless. That feeling only grew stronger once she broke the deafening silence.
Her strength never failed to impress him. Despite everything, she had the courage to speak, to address him regarding the things he was too terrified to mention. Holding her closer, the man fought to not show how little humanity he had left.
