such_a_teez | Hadriel Voice Mail

I guess it is.
I haven't slept yet.
Hope you don't mind me bothering you so late. Or early. Whatever.

You're welcome to contact me whenever you please. I don't mind at all.

That's really sweet. I was just thinking about you but I figured you'd reply later or something.

I was up anyway. It made my early wake up worth it.

Why haven't you slept? If you don't mind me being nosy, that is.

I don't sleep well here.

I have nightmares. Being alone makes it worse. I think I'm getting used to it though.

Why are you up so early?

I don't sleep well alone either. I'm used to living in a group, so it gets difficult. But like you, I'm getting used to things. Or something close enough to it.

Well... you can text me any time you want to. I don't mind if it's you.

You'll regret that choice when I send you pictures of random things at all hours, demanding a trusted opinion on whatever it is.

Do you want to have breakfast with me? If not, that's alright. But I've got some food hoarded away, if you want something hot to eat.

Maybe I wouldn't mind that! lol

Yeah, that sounds really nice. Just give me ten minutes to make myself look less like I just crawled out of a hedge.

You've made your bed, now you'll have to lay in it.

Or not, considering the time and that neither of us are heading back to the comforts of sleep. [He almost said that she's dug her grave, but that really didn't seem polite considering some of the issues of Julie's home world.] I'll be here when you're ready.

Maybe we'll feel better after breakfast. Now stop distracting me, Tyki :P

[When she does show up, a little while later, she's bundled up against the cold and her cheeks are flushed with it. She's pulled her hair into a messy ponytail and still has the faint mark of a pillow crease on her cheek.]

Let me innnn. [She hisses the moment the door opens.] It's freezing out here.

[He was tempted to send another text, but for now he'll behave himself. And there's the smell of something hot and savory mixing with the smell of smoke wafting through his shop. It's not entirely warm inside, but it's definitely better than being outdoors.] It's been cold here for too long. I curse whoever pushed us to the frozen hell we're on. We could have had a jungle. [He smiles warmly, and gestures at a generous pile of furs. Monster furs, unfortunately, but they seem warm.] If you want to warm up, grab one. I've got a fire set up in the other room.

We could have, but imagine what it would have done to my hair.

[She's in far better spirits now than when he found her trashing that shop, an easy smile on her face and a slight bounce in her movements. Tyki, though, is one who would best know that appearances can be deceiving.

When she spots the furs, she makes an entirely audible 'ooooh' sound and makes a beeline for them, grabbing the warmest one she can find after running her hand over a few of them. Then, she heads for the fire, sitting near it to thaw herself out.]

Mm... this is nice. What are you making?

[Tyki makes a small sound of contentment, and settles next to the fire as well. There's a covered pot on it, and the food smells are certainly coming from within.] Just some potatoes, eggs, and a bit of dried meat. It's hardly fine dining, but I think in the situation we'll just have to make do.

[Mmm, food smells.

Though she does eye the pot with a note of wariness when he mentions meat, then glances at him with a slightly raised eyebrow.]

Where'd you get the meat from? You shouldn't trust any of the meat this place gives us. [Please say you've read the newbie guide, Tyki. Hopefully he's hunted it himself.]

It's alright. I caught and dried it myself. It's perfect acceptable. I'd rather offer you something better than acceptable, but I suppose we'll make do. [For a while, he was hanging out with an elf and doing all sorts of hunting and fishing. Those days are over now, and he's glad he has a way to stasis food, or anything else for that matter, within him.

Not that he's going to go into detail about it. He's not sure how appetizing eggs and potatoes and meat from within his body would sound to other people.] Do you like coffee? I've got a bit left if you want a cup.

[As she warms up near the fire she lets the fur drop from her shoulders, letting it drape around her waist instead. She watches the flickering flames with a faint and distant smile on her face, then glances to Tyki and gives him a short nod to the offer.]

Sure. Gonna have to stay awake one way or another.

[The coffee here isn't great, but since she's never had really good coffee, she doesn't really have much of a basis for comparison.]

... You know, you don't need to try to impress me. I already like you.

I'll make us some, then. [Tyki pulls the pot from the fire, and replaces it with another smaller one. Then water goes in and all he has to do is wait.] It's not like that. If it's for you, I'd rather go out of my way a little. You're worth the effort. If I settled for just enough, because you enjoy my company, I'd be a worthless man. [Tyki is go big or go home as a general rule. Unfortunately for most, he chooses go home almost every time. For Julie, he'll do more than he has to any time.]

Tch, charmer. [She shrugs his words off as her cheeks flush slightly, not for any dislike in hearing them but rather the way that his apparent high regard for her makes her squirm a little inside.

Julie puffs a curl of hair out of her face, then pushes her sleeves up. It's warm, but she doesn't want to move away from her cosy position just yet.]

But I'd still enjoy your company even if you weren't giving me breakfast.

[His smile is surprisingly sweet, but then he's back to fussing over the makings of coffee and breakfast.] I'm glad to hear that. But honestly, food can't hurt. And I think we're both famished. [Tyki rations food heavily, eating less than he should because his body can take it. But it doesn't mean that he feels good with his portions, and he's happy to have her company and an excuse to actually eat something filling.]

I haven't resorted to the carbtein yet, but it hasn't been easy to manage here. [She knows it's because it's so cold, and her body needs more calories purely for the sake of keeping warm. Even indoors, she's usually shivering.

With her palms turned to the fire, she warms her hands and forearms against the heat, flexing her fingers slightly.]

Were you really awake, or just humouring me?

I have enough food for both of us. Possibly a couple more people. I've been pretty careful about saving things and hunting. And I'm rationing carefully so there's plenty to go around. [The cold may not harm him, but he finds this weather miserable. All of the worst parts of winter in one setting, always cold but never with the joyful feelings that come with Christmas.

Christmas. It must have passed by now. He's a year older, most likely. If time and aging even work in Hadriel at all. It doesn't matter, he supposes. But he's disappointed that he didn't get his Christmas eve dinner. He'd even saved some fish for it.] I was awake when I texted you. [Tyki shivers suddenly, and then makes an irritated sound.] I'm starting to wonder if it's warmer outside. No amount of fire seems to keep the place comfortable.

[Julie has been here long enough to miss at least one birthday, but she also went home once, so does it reset? She tries not to think about it too much, or think about her age too much, given that relative youth has never really mattered when it comes to surviving a zombie apocalypse.]

Hmm. [She says, but gives up on pressing it. If he wasn't awake already, it doesn't look like he's going to tell her about it. Never mind.

When he shivers, she snickers softly at his complaining and shakes her head. So, the cold's finally starting to get to him.]

It's not that bad. [Her voice has a gentle challenge in it. Portugal probably never sees this kind of cold so consistently, but New York could be gridlocked in snow for days during the winter.

She lifts up an edge of the fur she still has draped around her hips.]

Come in under this with me.

It's not. But it's not pleasant. And I'm longing for that jungle planet more every day.

[Tyki sighs. The food probably needs a little longer anyway, and it can't hurt to share some body heat. It's not that he doesn't want to be near her, but he worries that he's pushing too much sometimes.

He worries about a lot for someone who supposedly isn't supposed to care at all.] Just for a moment. [And with that, he sits next to her and under that warm fur. It's luxurious, something that he didn't particularly enjoy for fashion back home, but that here he's come to enjoy greatly. And the luxury is dimmed and outshone by the feeling of warmth that comes from being near Julie.] It's nice.

I don't know what I'd prefer. The cold, or mosquitos. [Maybe even giant mosquitos. She hadn't given too much thought to the idea of extraordinary large insect life, but now it comes up... there was no way to know what to expect on the other planet either.

When he joins her, she moves to toss the fur up over both of their shoulders and leans very gently against his arm. Her own, resting loose in her lap with the sleeves pushed up, bear the marks of a history that she long since stopped being ashamed of.

And he's right. It is nice.]

Hey, Tyki... [She likes his name; the way it sounds when it rolls off her tongue.] Do you have anyone? You know, back home.

[Though she knows he isn't interested in marriage, the question drifts up to the surface of her thoughts as she shifts and rests the side of her head against his shoulder.]

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