Scene #6280: House Works ft. Inga and Raha

Owner	Pose
Inga Freyjasdottir	It's full into winter in Dun Realtai. There's already a good bit of snow on the ground and the grey sky of heavy clouds above is threatening a doozy of a storm. It was a good time for Inga to request a little help so that she'll be fully stocked with wood to hunker down. She has a pot of hot chocolate ready for when it comes time to warm up. For the time being, Inga is out in her yard feeding the goats. Paths have been cleared of snow so that she can get around the area, and the goats appear to all have sweaters. Inga herself is in her warmest fur lined cloak and her warmest boots lined with rabbit fur. Her hair is braided and wrapped in a coronet around her head to keep it out of her way while she does various chores while waiting for N'raha to arrive.
N'Raha	And that means at least one person. One cat. A catman. Raha's a desert catte, but that doesn't mean he can't bundle up for the winter. Which means he's out in the back yard himself, a whole mess of uncut logs on one side of him, and firewood steadily being stacked up on the other. And in the middle, in his comfy heavy sweater and long pants, is Raha, the spare wood axe he's accquired being put through its paces as he steadily chops and chops and chops firewood. There's a growing pile, that gets moved and stacked when need be. It's been a little quiet though, and a little awkward. There's a question he's been wanting to ask but, well. She'll talk about things if she wants. "How much do you need? All of this?"
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga give the goats a little petting while they greedily gobble down the leftover fruits and veggie she's tossed to them, then turns to stride over toward N'raha to check on his progress. Naturally, she'll feed him in exchange for his hard work. She smiles lightly to see how far he's gotten already. Pays to have superhuman (catman?) people around. "A little more should do the trick," she replies, glancing up at the sky, her lips turning to a frown. "It will snow a great deal, but I can always use my conduit to go elsewhere. But then there may be noone nearby to help the villagers if they need it, so I'd prefer to remain," she replies. He has been quiet, but Inga has not commented, unsure that the tension is all about. Should she ask? For now, she just watches.
N'Raha	There's a bit more chopping, but then The Boss comes over, and Raha shifts to lean on the borrowed axe. "Well, then I'll get some more. Thanks for asking by the way, I felt a little funny not doing much in the way of... well. World saving or actual work, so this is nice. Feeling useful." A glance at Inga, and then he hefts up the axe again. "Though, I thought you'd have someone else out here... doing this." Ease into it, young man.
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga laughs softly. "You cannot be saving the world all of the time. Enjoy a bit of relaxation time, N'raha. Once you're done I have hot chocolate made and some food. I have some salmon to make," she informs him. He's a fan of fish, if she recalls. Her smile falls at his comment. "The man in the village who has been doing it for me...he is needed at home," she explains, looking toward the pile again. She bites the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. "Why don't you take a break and warm up inside? You are not accustomed to this sort of weather, ja?" she asks.
N'Raha	Raha takes a breath. "Right, yeah." He gently shoves the cut firewood from the pile around the cutting block over to the side with the rest of the firewood, rests the axe against the remaining lumber, and cat stretches, his black furred tail puffing out and dusting snow off. "And it's not THAT bad. I mean, I've done fighting in Courthas. That's the far north of Eorzea. Cold regions." The stretch finishes, and he settles in to follow Inga.
Inga Freyjasdottir	"Oh? I have only seen some of your world...apparently mostly the warm portions," she replies, then motions for him to follow her inside. Its fairly spacious for something referred to as a cottage. There is a big living area with a fire and a kitchen with some modern amenities, as well as an actual bathroom. There are two private bedrooms, one of which is Inga's. The other in unoccupied. It seems like it was built for more than one person. Inga moves to the kitchen to get the pot of hot chocolate from the fire and two cups. "You like hot chocolate I hope? I was in the mood for something sweet...and I love chocolate. We didn't have chocolate where I am from," she explains. "Just toss your cloak on the hook by the door," she adds, motioning over her shoulder. There's another of Inga's cloaks hung there, as well as what looks like a man's sweatshirt.
N'Raha	There's... another breath from Raha as he shuffles into the small cabin. It's bigger than he'd been expecting... and for some of the same reasons. Like... Where's the Wizard? The catman's ears flick a bit as he moves to find a seat, and he quietly rests himself down, his tail swishing distractedly as he looks around. It doesn't take the Echo to piece some things together. "Oh, I love chocolate. And don't worry about the 'courls can't eat chocolate' bit. I can handle it just fine." He fluffs up as best he can, looking welcoming and cute rather than threatening.
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga blinks. "Oh. I did not even think of that. I knew cats could not have chocolate--I did not make a connection. You are not a cat, despite the features you share," she chuckles. She pours him a cup of cocoa with marshmallows. "It really is rather amazing isn't it? I miss my time, but....there's honestly such good food here." Inga sits at the modern style table. It looks like its from Ikea. She looks across at N'raha, her hands curled around her warm cup as she fixes her gaze upon him. "Something is bothering you," she states. "How can I help?"
N'Raha	Raha takes his mug, thankfully wrapping his hands around it as he settles in, and bites his lip. Well, either he was going to broach the subject or the Echo was going to kick in because... well. A Chosen Seer was with him. "I suppose I should ask how I can help... with the Wizard not being here." There, he said it. A breath, and he looks at his hot chocolate, before anxiously taking a sip. Cocoa doesn't ask awkward questions.
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga's already pale face drains of color. She looks away. So that is what has been hanging in the air. His curiosity is natural of course. The people she was close to would start asking questions. Perhaps that's why she avoided them for so long. She has to be able to answer. She has to keep going, somehow. "Yes. He's...gone," she says, her voice quiet and unsteady. Grief is plain on the surface. The puzzle pieces should be coming together from that prior conversation about loss on the beach. She swallows, staring down into her hot cocoa. She's trying, but its too painful. She feels herself slipping out of focus again. Shutting down.
N'Raha	Welp. Raha sighs a bit, getting up from his chair. There's a bit of scraping as he shuffles around the table to sit next to Inga, settling in. Yeah, he was afraid of that. His face downturns, ears wilting, as he makes sure he's close but not to close. Let her find the right amount of comfort here. "...I'm sorry." He grips at his cup, looking into the surface like it might have some answers. "I guess... that's why you've been gone too?"
Inga Freyjasdottir	She answers after a few moments, her voice almost ghostly as she retreats from the pain. "Yes. A lot happened. Then...I just couldn't face people," she says. She doesn't move or react in any way to him moving to sit beside her. She's unnervingly still, her eyes far away. She speaks again, even softer. "I think I went mad. I didn't know how much time passed. I was a ghost. I'm..." she trails off. Just falls quiet. Outside, it starts to snow.
N'Raha	It takes a moment, but then there's a shifting of motion next to the Far Looking seer. A shuffle of cloth, and then a gloved hand slides over to take a hold of one of Inga's hands. Raha's taking some precautions against Sudden Premonitions, it seems, or trying to. He squeezes a little bit. "I get that. Really I do. I've seen that in... lots of people back home. War does that... and... well." A murmur. "You seened to be... very close with The Wizard."
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga startles slightly when he takes her hand. She closes her eyes as a tear slips down her cheek. "Yes," she chokes out. They were very close, obviously, and for many years. There's still a door out there, with their names on it. "I knew someday...but I thought we would have more time. Then...I tried. I did everything I could to stop it," she says, squeezing his hand hard. There's anger in her face now, surging up among the grief. "I saw things. I knew this was a possible path...but I could not avoid it. What is the point of this gift if I cannot stop something like this!?" she demands.
N'Raha	That... gets a breath from Raha. Right. She can't die and Wizards... well, they tend to live a while, don't they? Unless they get killed. The Warrior of Light takes a breath, and then murmurs. "Because sometimes that's just... it sucks. Yeah. I've seen stories that I can't change. Pasts and futures that I literally have no accounting for. Nothing I can do to help." He wilts. "And I haven't had... anyone close to me like that, so that part I can't even begin to imagine."
Inga Freyjasdottir	Her shoulders start to shake. "What is the point? I start to think it is no gift at all. How many tragedies must I see? How many deaths? I knew, I knew I should never have let myself be close to someone like that. Seers always live apart. There's a good reason for it. I should never have let it happen," she says, a sob escaping. This wasn't part of her plans today, but it needed to happen. She hasn't talked about this with anyone. No one has brought it up. Perhaps they knew.
N'Raha	There's a breath from Raha... before he settles in a bit, turning his chair to face Inga. That gloved had remains firmly squeezing hers, not painful but contact that's needed. "I think... it might help if you talked with some of the other people who knew him. I just know we're alike as Chosen, but..." He bites his lip, a fang nearly drawing blood. "I think Mr. Dresden would have liked to have his story told." "...No one dies alone that way, so long as they're remembered by a person."
Inga Freyjasdottir	Hearing his name is too much. She leans forward until her head hits his shoulder and she sobs, her whole body shaking with the violence of it. Its not a pretty cry. It's violent and ugly, like grief itself. She knows he's right. She resolves to visit the people that meant the most to him. Check on them. She has to find the strength to do so. But right now, she's not going anywhere. Right now, she's a barely functioning person.
N'Raha	Ah heck. Now you've done it. Hands shift to pluck up Inga, as much as she'll allow, a hand moving to wrap around her shoulders in a close, quiet hug. His chin rests on her head, and the cat man just pats and rubs at Inga's back quietly. No words. Until the Echo hits him. The Red Court. His ex. His... daughter. The Sacrifice. Death comes for Harry. And he lets out a breath. "...Gods above."
Inga Freyjasdottir	The seer isn't used to not being the only one with that particular gift around. She isn't expecting N'raha to be privy to her past. It's a very strange phenomenon. She sees him, watching, like someone standing outside a window, watching someone else watch a video about their life. A vision within another vision. It is incredibly unnerving. She knows she does this to people all the time. He can't help it anymore than she can. It is still hard not to feel like it's a violation of privacy. She stiffens, pulling away and covering her face with her hands. "I'm sorry," she chokes out.
N'Raha	And it is, it's a huge violation and Raha knows it. He stammers and sputters and swears a little bit, releasing Inga from that hug. "Dammit dammit dammit hells damn it. No. Not like that." The look on his face is of absolute contrition, as he avoids Inga's gaze, ears and tail all the way down in shame. "S-sorry."
Inga Freyjasdottir	She cries for a while, but starts to pull herself back together again as the moments pass. She finds a handkerchief and dries her face, focusing on just breathing in and out. "N'Raha, don't...I know you can't help it," she says eventually. "If anyone understands, it is me. You...get used to it, more or less. Seeing things like this. It's...a bit like walking in on someone in the bathroom," she manages a short laugh. Maybe a laugh would help.
N'Raha	The catman unwilts himself, and snorts. "Something like that, yeah. It's rare when something I see like that turns out to be... pleasant. Or anything approaching pleasant." He sighs quietly, and then... A breath, and he shuffles a bit, scooting off the chair and moving to find the pot of hot chocolate again. He tops off Inga's cup, and even tosses in a handful of mini marshmallows to boot. "Here. Sweets."
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga, her eyes and the tip of her nose red from crying, clicks her tongue. "Isn't that the way. I've seen the personal tragedies of so many. It isn't...all bad. But I think we are most likely to see the events that really have shaped a person--and so often, those events are of conflict and pain," she replies. She sounds wrung out. A good cry will do that to a person. She picks up the cup and takes a couple of sips, feeling the warmth spread through her. Chocolate is magical. She looks toward the window. "There's the snow."
N'Raha	There's a happy lion noise from the miqo'te, as Raha turns to spot the snow falling outside. He smiles gently, and... And moves to sit on the floor next to Inga, putting fluffy cat ears at the right height. "Conflict. Pain. Joy." A sigh. "This wouldn't be so hard for you if you didn't share all the good parts of you with him."
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga blinks as he slinks out of his chair and onto the floor. She tilts her head slightly, puzzled by this behavior, as if he's a cat that wants... Oh. Inga bites her lip, but before she can think to hard about it, reaches out and gives his ears a scritch as if he were Mister damanding pets. This would be weird if she thought about it too hard. "What do you mean?" she asks.
N'Raha	Well, there's benefits to petting cats, right? Why not miqs? He takes it in stride, because he offered. "...I'm saying it would be weird if you didn't... miss him, this much." He sips on his coffee, his ears flicking a little bit, as he considers. "...If you need help putting your thoughts together for the others... I can help?"
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga sighs heavily. "Yes, I suppose it would not," she replies. "I don't...know what to say. Or who to say it to. Most of my friends, they aren't really around anymore. That made it both easier and more difficult. I...will go see the people that were important to him though. Make sure they're all...taken care of."
N'Raha	Raha nods a bit, patting some damp off his sweater, and getting up from his spot. A swish of his tail, and he stands, turning to face Inga. A hand reaches out of hers again for a squeeze. "Well. You've got one friend back, at least, and I'll help as best I can." A smile. "And for now, that means finishing off your firewood?"
Inga Freyjasdottir	Inga nods, ears no longer in petting range. She should perhaps actually get a cat. Goats aren't as cuddly. "Heh. Thank you, N'raha," she says, sounding a bit embarrassed Inga is a bit of a private person. She doesn't like going to pieces like that in front of anyone. "Yes, better do that before we're snowed in," she says, and would use his hand to get to her feet. "I'll start cooking."