Chapter Text
“It’s us, come dooown!” Claudia yelled into the intercom that Corvus was actually using, making him perhaps the only person in the world to do so. There was an answer Rayla couldn’t hear, and Claudia nodded wildly, despite the fact that of course Corvus could not see her. “Yees, come on!”
He spoke again, then there was a click, but he didn’t bother to buzz them in.
“Guess we’ll wait then,” Rayla shrugged, turning towards Callum. “I don’t know Corvus, right?”
He shook his head. “You haven’t met … as far as I know. But then I thought that about you and Ezran as well, so …”
“Nah, she doesn’t know him,” Soko chimed in before narrowing his eyes at her. “Unless she is keeping secrets from me.”
“You’re one to talk,” Rayla retorted, her eyes flicking to Wolf and back to him again.
Truth be told she wasn’t quite sure about the exact nature of their relationship. They were squabbling and teasing each other a lot, but so far she hadn’t seen them kiss. Still, the fact that they were hanging out at all was already news to her. Ever since coming together in the starweb, the more … hands-on members of ‘How Do You Sleep’ had avoided private interactions to keep each other safe in case the police caught one of them. But apparently Soko and Wolf had had too much fun together.
“No idea what you’re talking about,” Soko said dryly. “Jelly tart?”
“I’m good, thanks.” He seemed to carry a whole backpack full of provisions with him, which she wouldn’t complain about, but it appeared a little excessive. “How long have you known Corvus?”
Callum rubbed his chin. “Not that long actually. He isn’t originally from here. He was an apprentice for our aunt Amaya – she’s an electrician – and then moved to Katolis when he was finished. So she kind of introduced us because he didn’t know anyone here and … yeah.”
“Mh,” Rayla nodded while a young man opened the door and stepped outside. “That’s him?”
“Ah, yep. Hey Corvus!”
“Happy birthday, Callum.”
Corvus’s earnest expression disappeared as a smile spread on his face. He seemed older than the others in their odd group, but perhaps that was just due to his beard. His black hair was long and thick, and Rayla instinctively reached out to ruffle Callum’s hair for a moment.
“Thanks – mh …” Exhaling slowly, Callum bumped his shoulder against hers. “Uhm, you ready for a walk? Claudia is dragging us all over the city.”
“It’s summer, dummy!” the culprit announced loudly. She was always loud now; their combined efforts – but Claudia’s efforts in particular – had drained the first bottle and they were now well into the second one. “And you still haven’t won the lottery.”
“Whatever,” Callum snorted. “Let’s get going.”
All in all they needed one or two hours and more than one or two bottles to reach the beer garden, but they also hadn’t taken the most direct route. Wherever they could they instead stuck to small streets and alleyways that were hardly wide enough for a few bikes to pass each other, everyone keen on showing Rayla the nicest spots of the city – squares that were practically surrounded by all kinds of restaurants. Streets full of cute cafés shaded by ancient trees. Ice cream parlours next to small streams heading for the Katol river. And, well, backyards with garbage bins that were apparently perfect for dumpster diving. It made Rayla a little self-conscious about being a stranger here, but … it was probably also the best way to become less of a stranger.
Eventually, however, they reached the beer garden where dozens of benches were arranged beneath chestnut trees and hundreds of people were drinking and talking and laughing. Ezran called Soren to find out if he had arrived yet while the others waited and craned their necks. Callum took Rayla’s hand, interlacing their fingers, and smiled at her.
“Everything alright?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah!” she immediately replied, giving him a wide smile. “You have nice friends.”
He grinned. “Did you expect anything else from me?”
“I expected a bunch of artists spouting poetry all the time,” she teased. “And … appreciating the beauty of nature while being sad about the impermanence of existence.”
Laughing out loud, he bumped her with his shoulder. “That’s how people think of artists?”
“Of course. What else do you do all day?”
“Have excellent ideas for a lot of different projects,” Callum replied. “Then never get anything done because we despair about our inability to realize them … or because we soon get distracted by the next idea that this time will surely work out.”
“Tough,” Rayla deadpanned. “But I’ve seen you do some amazing art already.”
“Ah, well. But only because you were there.”
“Hm?” She raised her eyebrows. “How so?”
He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. “I don’t know, just … You’re inspiring. Which might just be a cheesy way to say ‘I want to show off in front of you’, but, I don’t know. It’s fun having you around … or even thinking about having you around, and art is easy when you’re having fun. Sorry, the sap is getting out of hand again.”
“Eh, I’m getting used to it. And I guess I have to get used to it if I want to stay here … long-term.”
She got a bit nervous saying those words. Long-term. Were they this far gone already? But she had wanted to move to Katolis anyway and it made no sense to move just for a few months, irrespective of the Callum situation.
Yeah, just keep pretending that he isn’t a factor at all.
“In other words, you like my sappiness,” he grinned.
“Shut up.”
“You always say that when I’m right.”
Damn him and his emotional intelligence. Rayla at least got a temporary respite from it when Soko announced that Soren would join them soon. They managed to find a third of a table where they could all sit down, and Callum’s little brother immediately opened his backpack, setting the table with its contents.
“You can bring your own food if you want,” he explained when she looked back and forth between him and the various food stalls in the garden. “Just have to buy your drinks here.”
That sounded nice. And affordable, especially if you were a bunch of twenty-somethings – if even that – still attending university. As far as Rayla could see, Corvus was the only one with a regular full-time job among them. She got herself a beer, pondering over Callum’s earlier words. Had he really not gotten anything done before they had met? He always seemed so happy when they saw each other, but, well, he liked her. Liked her very much and she, too, forgot her troubles when she was with him.
“So,” she said casually. “I’m pretty much your muse, hm?”
He smiled, opening his mouth, then shut it again to think about the question. “You know what? Maybe you are. I never really understood this … muse stuff, maybe because I never really had one. But you might qualify.”
“Glad to hear that,” Rayla smirked. Then she smiled and, putting her arm around him, rested her head on the shoulder of her director of merchandise and head dietician. “We are each other’s best employers, it seems.”
“Mhmm. And as your head dietician I strongly suggest you try this potato salad,” Callum said, pushing one of Soko’s tupperware containers towards her.
She wasn’t sure if she would have called it a salad since the vegetable content seemed rather negligible, but she took a spoonful and regarded the supposed salad from up close.
“And … was this why you became a volunteer?” she asked her spoon. “To get some inspiration?”
“Well, kind of, I suppose,” Callum replied thoughtfully, snaking an arm around her as well. “I knew I needed something because I just didn’t feel … I don’t know …”
Rayla nodded, waiting for him to continue while she chewed her potato salad. The wind rustled in the chestnut tree above them, making a few leaves rain down on them. Grinning, she plucked one of them out of Callum’s fluffy hair, and he hugged her tighter.
“I guess I wasn’t really confident about where I was going,” he eventually said. “Felt a little directionless. Or a lot. But now everything is more … balanced.”
“Mh. Glad to hear that,” she smiled, giving him a peck on the cheek.
“You two are so adorable,” the chestnut tree suddenly said.
Rayla looked up – to where Nyx was perching on one of the lower branches. “What the – you again? Are you stalking me?”
“Don’t be so full of yourself,” Nyx grinned, then, waving, called across the beer garden. “Soren, over here!”
Callum rubbed his forehead. “Soren? How did he pick her up?”
“Are you sure it’s not the other way around?” Sighing, Rayla tried to ignore the overgrown pigeon above them and watched Soren approach. He was wearing cycling shorts and was carrying a helmet, looking like the kind of guy for whom every short trip was just another workout. “He’s Claudia’s brother, right?”
“Yep.”
“Hey guys! Hope I’m not too late – wanted to leave earlier, but then I met Nyx at the Olympic Village. Happy birthday by the way.”
At the Village? Was he an athlete too? He certainly looked the part.
“Thanks,” Callum smiled. “I think we still have some space left.”
“Great. Be there in a minute.”
He returned a short time later with food and something to drink, squeezing himself on the bench opposite Rayla. Nyx had gotten herself a chair from somewhere and was lounging at the head of the table as if she were a natural part of the group.
“So, you must be the athlete,” Soren addressed Rayla cheerfully. “From Xadia?”
“Yeah … I’m Rayla. Nice to meet you.”
He scratched his chin. “I’m not good with names, so I doubt I’ll be able to remember it, unless you stick around long-term. What brings you to Callum’s birthday?”
“Uhm.” She glanced at Callum and he came to her rescue.
“Well, we’re together.” There was a pause during which Soren just frowned. “Like, relationship-wise,” Callum added. “As a couple.”
“Oh! Okay.” He looked back and forth between them, then shook his head. “Lucky guy. What’s your discipline?”
Rayla wasn’t quite sure what to make of Soren. He seemed nice enough, but not like the most thoughtful person. She kept her answer short.
“Climbing.”
“Ah, cool.” He looked her up and down. “Yeah, nice. It’s hard, right? We should train together some time.”
“Hm,” she replied non-committally.
“And I heard you work in an animal shelter!” he added. Where had he heard that, while not hearing about her discipline? Rayla felt like she was the topic of far too much gossip. Soren nodded to himself. “You should team up with Ezran. He loves that kind of stuff.”
Rayla pursed her lips. “Well, not exactly an animal shelter …” Callum poked her in the side and she shrugged. “But, eh, close enough.”
“Really? Aww,” Nyx interjected. “You never told me that, I could spin such a good story … Animals are always good, right?”
Soren nodded happily. “Everyone loves them! I love them,” he declared, taking another bite of his sausage. “Although I wonder if there aren’t more important things.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know …” He waved his hand around. “Hunger? Child poverty?”
“And what do you do for the poor children?” Rayla asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Me?” Soren looked surprised for a moment, then grinned. “Point taken. But I’m not totally useless, you know. Ask Ezran, I once helped them haul a whole-ass load of … material up to the castle.”
“Nice,” Rayla nodded – had probably been material for one of Soko’s propaganda efforts.
“Yeah, and I try to get my meat from the butcher around the corner,” Soren continued. “To … you know.”
“Diminish suffering?”
“Exactly!”
Of course if you asked people, no one was getting cheap meat from the discounter, but Rayla had always assumed there wasn’t a huge difference anyway. Butchers had to get their meat from somewhere too, and animal factories like the one she had broken into were the biggest source. But especially with Nyx right at the table, she tried to be cautious and steered the topic in another direction until Soren had finished his food and pulled out a deck of cards, starting to shuffle them.
“Interested in a game?”
Rayla frowned. The cards looked completely unfamiliar. “What kind of cards are those?”
Soren gave her a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”
“It’s a Katolian suit,” Callum explained. “There are coins, clubs … that’s swords … and cups.”
“No hearts?”
“No hearts. Although Xadian cards are used as well for some games. But the Katolian suit is more popular here.”
Rayla felt a bit stupid. She had never even considered the possibility that there might be other types of cards. She hadn’t even seen the – to her – familiar cards as Xadian, just as … cards. She shook her head.
“I don’t think I know the rules for Katolian games.”
“You’ll have to learn them if you stick around!” Soren warned her.
“Oh, I definitely will,” she grinned, poking Callum in the side under the table. “Stick around at least.”
Soren looked back and forth between them and rolled his eyes. “I’ll hold you to it.”
For the moment, however, he left his place to join Corvus down the bench. Rayla leaned against Callum’s shoulder again and he took her hand.
“So –” Nyx began.
“Hey,” Callum interrupted, giving Rayla’s fingers a gentle squeeze. “No reporter questions, okay? Give her a break.”
“I’m just curious –”
“Exactly. Why don’t you tell us something about yourself for a change? Consider it my birthday present.”
Nyx raised her eyebrows. “It’s your birthday?”
A quiet snort. “Where were you when Soren … Whatever. Yes. So …?”
“Ugh, fine,” the skywing elf shrugged, peering along the table. “Telling stories makes for a dry mouth though …”
Rayla would have facepalmed, but could only find the energy to roll her eyes. What was this, a medieval tavern where everyone was waiting for tales of invading armies? Callum wasn’t having any of it either.
“You can pay for your own drinks,” he said dryly. “Especially since you weren’t actually invited in the first place.”
“Ugh,” Nyx complained. “You’re no fun.”