Flower Princes

[Lady_Lunevis]

Clarke didn't understand.

Kanvar remained smiling, the blond exceedingly happy. How? Why? Clarke had a million questions he wanted to ask the carefree other, who seemed to remain completely out of touch with reality and any problems whatsoever--a state of life that the dark-haired man couldn't help but feel envious against. Clarke paused, looking away when Kanvar continued to smile at him.

"It's good too see you again," the shorter male said. Clarke grunted in reply, nodding his head along as he eyes focused on a certain bird in the distance, who had landed on a tree and was now flapping its wings impatiently. Whoever said that deities were benevolent, patient beings clearly had not met a certain overgrown chicken.

"Armin."

The other blond--no, not the one grinning from ear-to-ear, the one who looks as if he wants to jumpkick Clarke straight in the face--replies, bringing Clarke from his one-sided glaring contest with the Raven. Just as Clarke was about to reply with the required--useless, really--pleasantries, the newly-dubbed Armin suddenly dragged Kanvar, speaking in hushed tones with his twin while glaring holes into Clarke's existence.

The blond pisses him off. While Kanvar was annoying in a clueless, god-help-you sort of way, this Armin seemed to fully know what was going on and approved of none of it.

Tough luck, kid. I don't like this either.

Clarke watched as they wrapped up, and, with last spiteful glare, Armin headed off. Clarke glowered back, fully prepared to fight the rude other.

"Why don't you like people?"

They exhaust me.

"Huh. So I guess I must be talking too much, huh?"

No.

No.

Don't ever think that.

You could never bore me.

. . . Do I bore you?

There's . . . no answer.

He's so afraid.

Momentarily lost in his memories, Clarke noted with dull recognition that Kanvar had turned towards him with an apologetic smile, rubbing the nape of his neck.

"I'm sorry if Armin was a little hard on you. He's always been a bit overprotective and considering what's happened before... "

Clarke had hardly paid attention to what the blond said--after all, he wasn't here to make friends, was he?--but at the way the blond's voice faded off, at how he seemed to be momentarily caught in a web of his past--

Well, Clarke knows better than anyone what that's like. For a moment, the black-haired male wants to say something, but he doesn't know what he could possibly say that would make anything better as he's possibly the worst person ever at comfort and he's not even certain if Kanvar is truly hurting or just more than a little clueless, so Clarke shuts his mouth and pauses. Awkward tension fills the air, and Clarke clears his throat before replying.

"Don't worry about it," he mutters. "Heard worse. Guess it's nice to have siblings, huh?"

"But that isn't important right now!" Clarke blinked at the sudden change of attitude from the other--what? Was Kanvar so easily able to switch from darker thoughts to being his perfect, happy little self?

The boy was an idiot. Admirable, but an idiot.

And he hates to think how the blond will be once he discovers the cruelties of this profession.

Does he want to know . . . ?

It's not right!

"I dunno; it seems fair to me."

Fair . . . ?

"Think about it, Clarke. An eye for an eye."

But these . . .

Aren't body parts.

These are humans.

"It's like life. Not everyone will succeed. Not every actor becomes famous. You like to write, right? You're not going to become Shakespeare, you know?"

The truth hurts.

"So stop writing tragedies. Trade those for something happier."

Something happier . . . ?

Like you . . . ?

Something feels off, but he's too flushed in the moment of someone who may actually care to realise.

"Just ignore the rest, alright?"

He's just a lonely soul, after all.

"Don't let them become human."

"How have you been? Is your shoulder okay?"

He's just about to reply, when suddenly the blond tacks something on as an afterthought.

"I mean, if you're okay with me asking."

Ah. The blond was still holding on to that 'don't ask questions' thing from earlier.

It's endearing, in a way. However, Clarke expected to be entirely void from questions being directed at his person, not being asked permission.

It was always the other way around, wasn't it?

He doesn't know what to do with this newfound power.

"You can ask for my social security for all I care," he replies, with a careless shrug of the shoulders. "I'm not going to give it to you, but it doesn't stop you from asking, right?"

The black-haired male stops to gather his thoughts. He supposes he'll answer the blond's questions--if that would make it easier for the blond to follow his and the Raven's direction, why not.

"I'm alright," he forces out. Not good. Never good. "School is . . . never fun." A pause. "What grade are you in?"

He doesn't even know why he bothers to ask, but it was just one of those things lingering around in the back of his mind. That, and his many regrets.

At the mention of his shoulder, he rolls it absentmindedly. "Yeah, it's good. Those gems, they work wonders." A small smile suddenly touched upon his face, out of the ordinary. "In fact, once--"

"Grab me that gem, will you?"

You're bleeding all over my new sheets.

"Can't be helped. Warlock was a ***. 'Least we got the gem."

Why can't we keep it?

"Don't be stupid, Clarke, what use would we have for it?"

It's unfair that they don't work for it.

"That's why we're here." A laugh, and fingers entwine in his hair.

His breath hitches, and he forgets everything.

"Now, give me that. The big one. The one with the swirling cream shades. I bet it tastes like vanilla, right?"

He feels dizzy from the fingers caressing his hair.

"Share it with me?"

A silly little smile, and he can't even remember the name of a particular boy they hunted down and slaughtered.

"So--" Clarke says hastily. "How are you?"

Edited August 13, 2015 by Lady_Lunevis

[HomeForFlowers]

"You can ask for my social security for all I care. I'm not going to give it to you, but it doesn't stop you from asking, right?"

"Oh, well..." Armin scratched the side of his neck anxiously as he averted his gaze to the ground with a perplexed look on his face. Clarke's sarcasm didn't settle well with Armin. The blond never really understood sarcasm and was by no means fond of it and yet his entire family seemed to use it frequently, much to Kanvar's dismay. For a moment, Kanvar was at a lost of words. Kanvar most certainly wanted to ask about Clarke's well-being but, at the same time, he didn't want to annoy the taller boy. It was only after Clarke mentioned he was alright in passing did Kanvar brighten up once more.

"That's good to hear!" the blond chimed as he looked back up at Clarke with a smile on his face.

"School is . . . never fun. What grade are you in?" Excited that Clarke asked a question, even if it was in the same stoic tone he had used near Kanvar since they met, Kanvar beamed up at the other boy.

"I'm in tenth grade!" Kanvar replied. "It hasn't been great so far but there's still half a year left for improvement, right?" When Clarke mentioned gems working wonders, Kanvar slipped a glance at the black haired boy's shoulder to see that it looked as though they he hadn't fought a giant plant monster yesterday.

 

Clarke blinked in surprise at the condition of Clarke's shoulder and looked back up to the boy. He opened his mouth to ask a question but quickly closed it again once he remembered the whole "no questions" rule. It was really aggravating to not be able to ask any questions when Clarke was throwing around a bunch of words Kanvar didn't know. What did Clarke mean by the gems did wonders? What was a warlock? What had happened yesterday? Where had his spear gone? Where did Kanvar's armor go? Why did his shield catch fire? Where did the plant monster come from? Why was it in a garden? Kanvar had a million questions buzzing through his head but he kept his mouth shut in respect to Clarke's wishes. Just as Kanvar clicked his tongue thoughtfully, Clarke suddenly smiled with a faint look of nostalgia flickering across his face.

"In fact, once-" Clarke cut himself off halfway through his sentence. The smile slowly faded away and the boy's lightened expression turned monotone and dull once more. Kanvar glanced up at Clarke with his eyebrows furrowed in concern as the momentary joy disappeared from Clarke's face.

"So, how are you?" It took a second for Kanvar to gather his composure as Clarke suddenly asked a question.

"Just dandy," Kanvar replied as he flicked the worry off of his face and replaced it with yet another grin. "I've had some... rough patches lately but nothing to worry about."

Edited August 26, 2015 by Doctortear

[Lady_Lunevis]

He watched as the boy's face fell after his words, silently understanding. Kanvar seemed somewhat agitated at his response, his gaze falling downwards as a small beat of awkward silence settled between them. Clarke cleared his throat, unsure how to reply, but it wasn't long before the boy's face split into a smile once again.

"That's good to hear!"

Clarke nodded along, his mind wandering a mile a minute as the other spoke. At his question, Kanvar positively radiated happiness--how that was possible, he could never say--and replied in a cheery tone.

"I'm in tenth grade! It hasn't been great so far but there's still half a year left for improvement, right?"

Sharp ears caught onto his words, and Clarke narrowed his eyes. Not too great so far? Whatever did he mean?

Well, it wasn't his place to pry, and he understood that feeling well enough.

"Quite," he replied, nodding along to make his words seem less distant. "You still have a couple more years left, after all. Don't worry about things too much."

He watched as Kanvar's eyes flickered to rest on his shoulder, and then briefly at him, and the boy's face was twisted in intense concentration. Internally, Clarke sighed--Kanvar was like a open book, and the black-haired boy could tell as much that the other was buzzing with questions he was eager to ask the other, and Clarke pressed his lips together before speaking.

"You have questions, right?" Without waiting for an answer, the boy continued speaking, his words increasing in speed as he spoke. "Shoot. As long as they're not directly related to me, I'll answer whatever it is you need. I was confused at first, too."

A slight pause, and then he remembered a certain overgrown bird.

"Actually--I suppose you'd prefer the Raven explain everything?"

After his brief pause, Clarke shook himself with a frustrated, somewhat-angry expression on his features before returning to the conversation on hand. No, it benefited none to get caught up in the past. He was better off forgetting past demons, after all, though it was hardly as easy as the books made it out to be.

"Just dandy," Kanvar replied, grinning once again, and Clarke ignored the flicker of concern that brushed across the younger's face. There was no need to explain anything--the last thing he needed was more people getting caught up in such a mess.

He just wanted to fade quickly and effortlessly, after all.

He nodded in response, humming along to the boy's words.

"I've had some... rough patches lately but nothing to worry about."

Oh? Rough patches? Clarke raised an eyebrow, a hidden inquiry into Kanvar's words. Well, he couldn't straightforwardly ask about what was bothering the other, right? They weren't friends, certainly not close enough to be discussing something like that, and he feared it would only lead to more trouble.

"Well," he began, taking a moment to think, "things get better." He remembers something Jett had told him once, and though thinking of his old friend only sends a sharp wave of sorrow through his entire being, Clarke gives it the benefit of the doubt and decides to quote him. "Nothing bad lasts forever."

He clears his throat, feeling significantly more embarrassed than before.

[HomeForFlowers]

"You have questions, right?" Kanvar glanced up at Clarke, blinking up at the taller boy inquisitively.

"Shoot. As long as they're not directly related to me, I'll answer whatever it is you need. I was confused at first, too." Ah! So Clarke was going to permit questions? Why, Kanvar had hundreds of things to ask! What was the planet monster? Where did it come from? Why was there a labyrinth? Where did the armor come from? Where did the sword go? Why did the shield set itself on fire? Why were those vines trying to kill them? Where did the vines come from? Where they in a greenhouse? How come those roses were so big? Could they go back and get one? Where did Clarke's spear come from? For that matter, why did he look gloomy all the time? Did he need to talk something out or was he just bottling up his feelings in hopes that they would go away? Hiding one's feelings never worked forever and only led to misery. Though maybe Clarke was just a moody person and Kanvar was reading into nothing. Still, seeing Clarke, or anyone for that matter, not content made Kanvar want to help, no matter if he could or not.

 

Just as Kanvar opened his mouth to let the cascade of questions pour out of his mouth, Clarke cut him off.

"Actually--I suppose you'd prefer the Raven explain everything?" Kanvar closed his mouth and stared at Clarke for a few seconds in silence as he tried to process his questions.

"Oh! Right, the Raven probably knows the answers to my questions," Kanvar said as he rubbed the nape of his neck sheepishly.

"Well, things get better. Nothing bad lasts forever."

"Ain't that the truth," Kanvar chuckled, smiling at Clarke's uplifting comment. It was somewhat surprising to hear Clarke to to comfort Kanvar, however, it was by no means unwelcome. It was nice to hear Clarke to try and make Kanvar feel better, even if they were little more than acquainted.

"Do you know where the Raven is?" Kanvar asked, looking around as though the Raven was nearby. "I mean, if you're okay with telling me where the Raven is that is."

 

(Pffffthsdf I'm so sorry for not posting. I forgot it was my turn to post.)

[Lady_Lunevis]

Clarke watched as the younger boy blinked once, twice, and the older male couldn't help but grimace slightly. Was an invitation to talking from him really that shocking?

He really closed himself off all too much. Clarke can't remember a time where he had been the one to initiate a conversation--it had always been the other way around. He mentally prepared himself for an onrush of words, already feeling exhausted from simply thinking of everything he had to explain.

Was he ever this tired with you?

Perhaps.

The truth is hard to face, after all. However, he was pleasantly--or perhaps not so much--surprised when Kanvar simply closed his mouth that had been opened only moments earlier as soon as the words left his mouth, and the two males awkwardly stared at each other for a couple moments before Kanvar seemed to recollect himself and speak once more.

"Oh! Right, the Raven probably knows the answers to my questions."

Clarke nodded absentmindedly, already scanning the school grounds with a careful eye in order to locate said overgrown bird deity--the phrase wasn't nearly as funny as it had been in the first few months of his contract, when everything had seemed so much easier.

Funny how things--and people--seemed to change.

Kanvar's chuckle brought him back to the current conversation, and Clarke smiled slightly in response, an almost instinctive reaction if anything. The younger one seemed to have the natural ability to brighten up any room he stepped foot in, and Clarke didn't think himself quite mean enough to rain on everybody's parade.

Slightly amused by his analogy, he thought before replying.

"Of course," he said, with a slight shrug of the shoulders. "You know the Raven as well as I do now, anyways. Plus, our glorious majesty has been pestering to speak to you for a while now. It's rather annoying."

He would be proud. You've almost reached his level of sarcastic mocking.

It's not nearly as funny as you think it is.

Or was it funny because he believed in it, and you followed?

With that, Clake turned on his heel and set a brisk march towards one of the secluded areas of the school, the grounds significantly reduced in number now that the day was ending and the adrenaline from a full school day was wearing off. The Raven was perched precariously on the branches of one of the school trees, feathers ruffled in a way that made it seem bigger as it clicked an impatient beak.

At last, it said, and a grim, hollowed voice echoed through their minds. Clarke's eyes narrowed--even after all this time, he still disliked the invasive, telepathic way the Raven communicated.

However, the bird had turned all attention towards Kanvar now, and Clarke watched in stony silence as the two conversed.

He almost feels bad for the innocent look on Kanvar's features--the would-be cause of their undoing was standing before him and Kanvar in the flesh, and it was as if the deity intended to mock them both with the grim reminder of what would happen should they fail to eliminate more Warlocks.

 

omg no friend do not worry all is well ))

Edited September 26, 2015 by Lady_Lunevis

[HomeForFlowers]

"Of course, you know the Raven as well as I do now, anyways. Plus, our glorious majesty has been pestering to speak to you for a while now. It's rather annoying."

Kanvar blinked worriedly as Clarke spoke sarcastically before motioned for the blonde to follow. As Kanvar marched after Clarke, he could not help but feel a bout of concern over his words. What did he mean Kanvar knew the Raven as well Clarke did? If Clarke was comfortable enough with calling the Raven "our glorious majesty" then surely he was somewhat close to the Raven at least enough for them to be more than just mere acquaintances. Surely Clarke would know more about the Raven than Kanvar did considered Clarke knew them for a longer period of time and had to work for them! Alas, Kanvar did not dare to voice his concern and instead quietly followed Clarke into a reclusive part of the school. Kanvar himself had not been near the lone tree squished off into the corner of the campus though he had seen some students slip off into it before. Is this why Kanvar couldn't recall seeing Clarke after school? Had he been hiding off in a secluded part of the campus talking to the Raven? Kanvar thought it was better not to ask and stayed quiet as the two strolled up to tree with a somewhat familiar bird perched on a branch.

 

At last, came a deep monotone voice that rang in Kanvar's head. He stiffened for a moment, trying to figure out where it came from before he remembered his first encounter with the Raven. He recalled feeling the same burst of surprise as a voice cooed softly in his head. Looking up, Kanvar spotted the large avian with glossy black feathers. Extend your arm out for me, child, it commanded and Kanvar obeyed. The bird spread out its wings and gently lowered itself onto Kanvar's outstretched arm. Thankfully, Kanvar's thick jacket made it so Kanvar didn't feel any pain when the Raven sunk its talons into his arm. Greetings, Kanvar, the bird said as he stared at the boy with unblinking brown eyes.

"Hey there, Mister Raven!" Kanvar chimed cheerfully. "Oh uh, is it Madame Raven? Ser Raven? I'm afraid I don't know your pronouns." The Raven chuckled softly, shaking its head dramatically as it did so.

No one has ever had the courtesy of asking me for my pronouns before. the Raven replied as it closed one eye in what Kanvar thought was an attempt to wink. They or them will work for me. Now, do tell me, what exactly has Clarke told you? It took a minute for Kanvar to figure out what the Raven meant, but, he soon understood and began to tell the Raven about the events of yesterday along with the tidbits of information Clarke gave him. The Raven held their silence throughout the entire explanation and, once Kanvar was finished, mumbled, Looks like Clarke failed his job as your elder. It seems as though I will have to take the responsibility of informing you of your new job. The Raven cleared their throat as they shifted themself into a more comfortable position. If that's how it's gonna be, then so be it.

 

You, along with Clarke, are Champions. In exchange for your wish, you have been gifted the power to save the world from the monsters that lurk within it. Such monsters are known as Warlocks and are the product of Champions whose soul gems have cracked. You recall that yellow gem I gave you, yes? That's your soul gem, the source of your power Should it crack, you will become a warlock and turn into a mindless beast bent on the destruction of the world around you so keep it safe. When you suddenly found yourself in that rose garden, you entered a warlock's realm, commonly deemed a labyrinth. Labyrinths are small pocket dimensions warlocks reside in while they wait for humans or Champions to walk into so they can feast upon them. The armor and shield you obtained when fighting the plant warlock are simply part of your power. When in a labyrinth, you can call upon the power stored in your soul gem and transform into a powerful being capable of defeating a warlock. You see, warlocks cannot be killed by Champions and will simply hide in their soul gems once they are defeated. Your job is to seek out warlocks, defeat them, find their soul gems, and hand the gems to me so I can dispose of them properly. Don't keep a warlock's soul gem in your possession as it will sooner or later just come out and wreck havoc once more. Oh! Before I forget, do you remember that stone Clarke gave you that tasted sweet? You must consume those stones regularly as they will strengthen your gem and not only make it harder to crack but make you more powerful in the process. Last I checked, Clarke had quite the collection of stones so you needn't worry about collecting some of your own. Just rely on your elder and do as your told. Do that much and the world will be a safer place for everyone.

 

Kanvar remained silent for several moments, staring at the ground as he tried to process what the Raven had said.

"So you're saying," he began, "that we're supposed to save the world from giant monsters?"

Basically the Raven replied nonchalantly. Think of it like what you read in a comic book or saw in on tv during morning cartoons. You'll be just like the heroes those stories tell you about. Kanvar remained silent once more, his face fixated into a blank expression.

"That's... so cool!" Kanvar suddenly beamed, a wide grin on his face. "How come I didn't hear about this before?"

It's all top secret, kiddo. the Raven replied, clearly pleased by Kanvar's reaction.

"Wow I... I'm not sure what to say," Kanvar said. "This all sounds like something straight from a story. It's a bit hard to believe it's all real."

Oh it's real alright the Raven assured him with an affirmative nod. Isn't that right, Clarke? Both the Raven and Kanvar glanced over in Clarke's direction with the same expectant expression. Isn't this all painstakingly real?

Edited October 19, 2015 by Doctortear

[Lady_Lunevis]

Clarke muttered under his breath as the deep baritoned voice of the Raven echoed in his mind, and he watched with feigned disinterest as the Raven and Kanvar conversed. He was never quite sure how to react to the Raven being able to communicate with them telepathically--to him, it felt more like a branch of personal security rather than anything remotely convenient.

However, he couldn't help but blink in surprise at Kanvar's words--at least the boy had spoken out loud, he was never one for the mental communication crap--but was he . . . asking the Raven about their pronouns?

He doesn't remember ever even thinking about something like that. In his mind, the Raven had always been the Raven, an overgrown bird deity that existed to make his life miserable. What kind of jaded world did Kanvar live in where the boy seemed to radiate near-infinite levels of kindness and care?

Looks like Clarke failed his job as your elder. It seems as though I will have to take the responsibility of informing you of your new job.

I never wanted the job to be begin with, Clarke thought angrily, curling his hands into fists and stuffing them into his pockets. If the Raven thought Clarke could just move on and begin anew, they were wrong.

After all, a deity doesn't understand what it means to lose the only good thing in your life, could they?

He glared holes at the bird as they spoke, and in response the Raven ruffled their feathers. He wanted to yell in response as the bird delivered a painfully-sugarcoated version of their current lives, with Kanvar nodding eagerly along. The Raven seemed more than pleased to have such a willing participant caught up in their games, and Clarke would've said something if he had the mental energy to deal with such a task.

But . . . no. Kanvar had to learn, just as he had, just as countless others had before them, of the cruelty this world was capable of bestowing.

"That's... so cool!"

Internally, Clarke cringed at the sheer excitement in Kanvar's voice, as a bright smile split his innocent face.

 

"Do we get to be heroes?"

"You can be whatever you want to be, Clarke."

A laugh.

"Let's get ice cream on the way home."

(My home is wherever you are.)

 

Oh it's real alright. Isn't that right, Clarke?

Clarke jumped as the Raven and Kanvar suddenly both turned towards him, almost in harmony. The bird was perched on Kanvar's outstretched arm, beady black eyes glaring holes into his being. Clarke felt his blood chill in his bones as he met the eyes of the Raven, hearing the deep voice echo throughout his mind.

Isn't this all painstakingly real?

"Don't talk to me," he spat back, anger suddenly clouding his judgement. Like a vile maelstrom seconds from striking, he advanced angrily on the bird, and, by extension, Kanvar. He stared at the Raven for a few precious seconds before his rampage broke, giving in to only despair.

I want . . .

I want it all back.

"Do as you will," he choked out. With hands still tightly gripped inside his pockets, Clarke realised he was shaking.

(Weak.)

He turned, unable to stare at the bird, the deity, the murderer.

It's your fault.

It's all your fault he's dead.

(Because you were too weak.)

 

"You can't always run away, Clarke. Sooner or later you have to face it."

He feels like he's going to vomit.

There's a hand pulling him along, fingertips pressing into his arm.

Stop it.

Why are you doing this?

I don't want to.

(I trusted you.)

 

Unable to be in the same vicinity any longer, Clarke turned and bolted off in the other direction. He sprinted, rounding a sharp corner around the school--and attracting some strange looks all the while--before his adrenaline left him suddenly. Hands on his knees, he lowers his head.

The Raven's calm monotone echoes through his head.

How childish, the bird remarks faintly.

[HomeForFlowers]

"Don't talk to me,"

The sheer intensity of Clarke's voice was enough to make Kanvar's grin vanish. His expression contorted as concern flooded his mind. A tinge of fear bloomed in Kanvar's mind as Clarke began to advance upon him with a look completely clouded by rage. Kanvar, shaken by Clarke's sudden anger, took a step back as the taller boy neared. Although the Raven could clearly sense Kanvar's unease, they made no gesture to flee or protect the blond. Instead, the Raven held tight onto Kanvar's arm, lifting their chin as though they were daring him to attack. Clarke stopped, glaring at the Raven with a look of pure hatred before before his wrathful expression melted into a look of despair. His entire body began to shake uncontrollably. Kanvar's eyebrows furrowed in worry and, for a moment, he felt sorry for Clarke.

"Do as you will," Clarke finally choked out before turning around and sprinting away.

How childish, the Raven sighed as they shook their head pitifully.

"Is he going to be okay?" Kanvar asked as he glanced over at his avian companion.

No, but that's his own fault, the Raven replied tiredly. He's nothing more than a child throwing a fit over a toy that was broken long ago. He has let grief consume him for far too long. It is because of his ceaseless wailing that I came to you.

"Is he going to come back?" Kanvar asked hopefully. The Raven pondered the question for a moment as though they weren't sure of the answer.

Eventually, they finally replied. he always comes back.

 

-------------------------------

 

Five weeks after the incident with the Raven and the two still had not seen Clarke. Kanvar had proposed going to the boy's house and seeing if he was around but the Raven told him that Clarke would only send him away and that they would deal with the issue. When Kanvar inquired as to if the Raven had gone to visit Clarke the bird replied that they had tried but the boy was not responsive to their call. As such, the two had spent the following weeks together training Kanvar's prowess. The Raven had explained the basics of combat with Kanvar and the two of them discovered just what Kanvar was capable of. His armor made for a great defense as did his shield but it greatly weighed down on him and restricted his movements. As it turned out, Kanvar's shield was in fact a weapon. No matter where he threw it, the shield always came flying back to Kanvar. That was, of course, no one caught it before it returned to Kanvar. The two companions also discovered that the shield had a tendency to catch fire as soon as it was thrown. Although Kanvar was immune to the flames and the Raven could easily dodge them, the surrounding area did not take well to being set aflame. As such, the two had to change their training location several times due to the shield burning down a majority of the area. The Raven had informed Kanvar that they had slipped a paper into Clarke's room every time they changed a training location in case he wanted to come and help but it didn't seem like he was paying attention.

 

This would be much easier if you had a sparring partner, Raven commented as Kanvar stood up after doing his routine stretches.

"Well if Clarke isn't up to it, we shouldn't push him," Kanvar replied as he rolled his shoulders. "Forcing people to do something that they don't want to do is just going to make them frustrated and upset."

You care far too much for someone you barely know, the Raven chided as they shook their head. The current training ground was a open square off in the far reaches of the city. Very few people came around and the Raven was keen enough to tell if someone was in the way. As of late, the two had been training Kanvar's shield wielding knowledge. The Raven wanted to make sure Kanvar knew how to control his shield and the flames it produced.

The last thing we want is for everything to be set aflame, the Raven said as Kanvar looked up at them expectantly.

"I've already learned that lesson," Kanvar replied as he glanced back worriedly at a faded scorch mark which had been the result of Kanvar being careless with his flames the previous day. "So, what are we doing today?" The Raven cocked their head to side thoughtfully.

We're going to work on your fire control for sure, they said as they through their their options. Give me a moment to figure out exactly what we're going to do. We'll be sure to do more than just that. Grinning patiently, Kanvar sat down on a nearby bench and waited as the Raven contemplated their training options.

Edited April 30, 2016 by Doctortear

[Lady_Lunevis]

Clarke pulled his scarf further up, digging his nose into the material as he walked. True to the bird's word, the Raven had indeed been slipping small pieces of paper under his door, into his windowstill, wherever they could fit it. All the papers contained locations, and Clarke had wanted nothing more than to toss them all into the trash.

But . . . something made him keep them. He doesn't quite know what it is, but something made the male hold onto the locations. They were good training spots--of course, for the Raven knew best, after all--and more than one place had been where he and Jett frequented on their off days.

The thought brings a spike to his heart, and Clarke wonders. If he had trained harder, perhaps acted faster, or gained better control of his powers, then would he perhaps have been able to save his old partner?

The male shakes his head. Not today. He'd spent the last five weeks in a haze of self-pity, broken only by his mother continuously shaking her head. His family knew something had happened--they knew Jett was gone, and they knew he had little friends other than his former partner, but they didn't know all of it. Only he and the Raven knew the specifics, and every single piece of information weighed him down until the male felt as if he was choking.

He'd visited the locations after a new one had been planted, and Clarke was not a fool. He knew the Raven was watching, waiting for him to come closer, closer, drawing him in with false words of reassurance and the promise of more souls to be sacrificed.

He pitied the new boy--what was his name? Kanvar?--more than anything, really. He was no more than a child--really, highschool teenagers were not fit to be protectors of the universe--and seemed entirely too innocent for this line of work.

When he reached the places they had previously trained, Clarke understood why they seemed to be frequently moving spots. Kanvar left broken trees and charred grass in his wake, and Clarke ran his fingers through the remains of ash and wondered.

Fire? The male was powerful, it seemed, for the tops of trees had been seared off completely and the grass gave way to a barren wasteland. The Raven cared not for what they destroyed in their process to overtake all, and he could tell that Kanvar's spells, although powerful, lacked experience. His casting was clumsy, awkward even, and though an entire section of trees had been cleared off to the left, half of the target still remained perfectly in place.

So maybe that was why he was walking towards their newest training ground, without a future location in sight. They would be there, Clarke knew, and he thought it was perhaps best to come to terms. He was angry, yes, but there was little one could do against a deity--mortals were not made to summon the gods, but he will wait and bide his time and see what results this game that went beyond their existences could relay.

He saw them in the distance, before they caught sight of him--a ruffle of the bird's feathers told him that they knew he was approaching, but Kanvar had his back turned towards him, steadily focusing on the target beforehand.

His posture was all wrong. Clarke had an image of Jett directing him, guiding his unsteady fingertips that clasped tightly the handle of a blade. The male still found the other's weapon strange--a shield, really?--but he decided to spare them all the horrifics. As smart as the Raven may be--and this he had to admit grudgingly--they were still not fit for sparring. And there was only so much single, unmoving target squares could do.

A flick of his wrist, and he sends a bolt of electricity straight past Kanvar's form, onwards to the target.

"Fight me," he stated simply.

[HomeForFlowers]

You missed the target by three feet, Kanvar. Try it again.

"Shouldn't I try getting closer towards-"

No. You must learn how to hit your target from a distance. Otherwise, you're going to end up getting yourself killed. Now, try again.

Kanvar let out a shaky sigh as he wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of his gauntlet. One might think having fire burst right next to Kanvar would be the cause of his sweating, but it was not at fault. The flames tore apart each and every training ground the Raven brought Kanvar to but they did nothing to the boy who conjured them. Kanvar was not hurt by the flames nor did the heat bother him. The Raven seemed extraordinarily pleased with fire's sheer destructive power and it's lack of said power when it came to hurting Kanvar. It was almost a blessing that Clarke had not arrived to any of the training sessions. Although the Raven insisted that Kanvar needed a sparring partner, the blond was afraid of accidentally burning his companion in some freak accident. Although Kanvar knew very little about Clarke, it wasn't hard to see that he was in pain. Whenever Kanvar tried to question the Raven on the matter, they simply shook their head and gave a brief cryptic speech about Clarke's pain being his own fault. Kanvar didn't understand what the Raven meant, but, seeing as they wanted to hurry up with his training, he made no move to press the issue.

 

The Raven and Kanvar had discussed new ways for Kanvar to control his partner for twenty minutes or so as Kanvar relaxed on the bench. Being able to slump down and relax on the bench as he breathed in the cool air was heavenly. The clear gray sky might have looked dull to most people, but Kanvar found it inviting if not calming. The Raven's calm soothing voice accompanied with the wave of exhaustion spreading across Kanvar's body almost lulled him to sleep. It was only after the Raven had finish discussing their new training proposals did they realize Kanvar was nodding off. They had flown to his shoulder and gave him a sharp peck at the cheek to which he yelled in protest. From there, they had chastised him for falling asleep and hastily told him to get up and begin training again. Now, after nearly half an hour of trying, and failing, to hit the target, Kanvar was ready to collapse all over again.

 

Before Kanvar could request to end the training session however, a bolt of lightning sped past him hitting the target directly. Kanvar let out a sharp cry of warning as he threw himself out of the way, landing hard on his read as he watched the lighting tear the stuffed target apart, searing it as it swayed in the air. The target was clearly broken as it was limply hanging on it's side. Whoever had just attacked it clearly had far better aim than Kanvar did.

W-Who could have done that?

Kanvar's fear quickly turned to unexpected joy as he heard a vaguely familiar voice proclaim, "Fight me."

"Clarke!" Kanvar exclaimed happily as he scrambled to his feet and turned his gaze to his fellow Champion. The other boy's face did not reflect Kanvar's excited. Clarke looked completely indifferent as though shooting lightning out of his body was a normal occurrence which, considering his job, it probably was, but Kanvar still thought he should be somewhat happy to see him.

So you finally decided to show up, the Raven said dryly as they stared at Clarke with their dark beady eyes. We've been waiting for you.

"How have you been?" Kanvar asked, relaxing his shoulders as he took a step forward. "I mean, you look fine, but you never know right? I can't tell how you feel just about your appearance alone. Oh shoot look at me, I'm rambling. Uh, just ignore me, I just wanted to know if you were doing-"

 

Kanvar. the Raven stated simply, cutting the boy off. The blond looked up at the bird questioningly. Clarke isn't here to talk," the Raven said. He's here to fight, do not lower your guard.

"But I-" Kanvar began.

He's your enemy, the Raven barked, causing Kanvar to shrink back. Now's your chance to put your weeks of training to the test. He will not hold back and neither should you. Fight him and do not disappoint me. The grin that had appeared on Kanvar's face when Clarke had arrived had disappeared. His burrow was furrowed in worry and concern flickered through his eyes, but he nodded solemnly. He raised his shield up to his chest and took a defensive stance as he stared at Clarke. The Raven had told him that his armor and weapon had built him to be more of a tank than anything. If he remembered correctly from the fight with the plant monster, Clarke had a spear and moved around quiet a bit. How on earth he was supposed to beat Clarke, who was agile and experienced, when he would realistically be protecting him on the battlefield was beyond Kanvar. One look at the Raven however assured Kanvar that this was what was expected of him. Taking a deep breath, Kanvar braced himself for Clarke's first attack.

[Lady_Lunevis]

Clarke watched as Kanvar’s face lit up in excitement upon seeing him, and the dark-haired male grimaced. Time had passed, yes, but the excitable male was still the same--and Clarke wondered about that. How much had the Raven revealed to him? How could the bird still be holding such secrets?

 

Clarke took a step back just as Kanvar stepped forwards, his brow furrowing. He wasn’t here to answer questions--the boy’s curiosity was heartwarming, yes, but Clarke wasn’t here to share his life story and shed tears. However, Kanvar stopped suddenly, eyes widening, and Clarke saw the bird’s feathers ruffle. Ah, so the Raven was speaking?

 

The smile faded from his face, and Kanvar raised his shield up with a pensive expression on his face. Similarly, Clarke held out a hand, feeling the lightning crawling up and down his arm, and then his spear materialized from nowhere.

 

He spun the weapon around, the tip glowing with white-hot energy. Kanvar had raised his shield up, awaiting an attack, and Clarke quickly scanned his opponent. Kanvar’s armour and shield all screamed defense, which meant Clarke would have to move fast if he wanted to get a hit in.

 

He saw the annoying bird from the corner of his eye, watching with sharp black eyes, and Clarke sprung forwards. He thrust the spear forwards, spinning, and slammed the tip of the weapon into Kanvar’s shield, lightning crackling across the surface. Kanvar grimaced at the impact of the shield and took a step backwards with a grunt. He clenched his teeth and and shifted towards the left before pulling his shield backwards. Letting out a wail, Kanvar swung his shield forward and shoved the spear off. The shield swung to his side and Kanvar began his advance, swinging his weapon at Clarke’s chest.

 

Clarke grunted as Kanvar shifted and the dark-haired boy momentarily lost his momentum, just as Kanvar swung his shield forwards and flicked Clarke’s invading spear off his weapon. Clarke took a step back, realising that, in terms of strength, the boy was perfectly capable of matching him--if not overwhelming. Kanvar rushed at him, swinging the weapon as he went, and Clarke dodged by throwing his weapon into the air, and doing a backflip backwards. He caught the weapon as it came down, and slammed it downwards, catching himself as he waited Kanvar’s next move.

 

Kanvar, apparently startled, by Clarke’s blackflip, halted for a moment and stared at Clarke with his mouth agape in a goofy fashion. The anxiety and worry that filled his face before vanished and a lighthearted smile appeared on his face once more. Chuckling with delight, Kanvar sprinted forward, bringing his shield to his front as he charged towards Clarke.

 

Clarke paused, surprised as Kanvar’s face split into a grin. Well, his cheerful expression fit him much better than the worried one had, and Clarke couldn’t resist--he gave the other a small smile, before dodging abruptly to the right, sliding past Kanvar just as the boy came crashing down. All that armour . . . if Kanvar had bodyslammed him, Clarke was sure his ribs would be mauled. The dark-haired one focused in, bringing his spear down--he sliced at Kanvar’s knee, lightning striking the hard armour.

 

Kanvar let out a shocked cry as the lightning struck his knee. He fell down on knee as he gasped involuntarily. Glancing at Clarke from the side, he swung his shield at the tall boy’s legs.

 

Clarke gasped as suddenly, the ground was swept up before him and his vision spun. He felt Kanvar’s shield slam into his shin, and his back met the hard ground. Grimacing, he took a moment to collect himself before reaching out and slamming the wooden end of the spear into the boy’s other knee. Kanvar grunted with pain as the wood slammed into his knee. Sharp pain bursted from his knee and he slammed down onto the ground face first. Clenching his teeth, Kanvar rolled over on top of Clarke and lifted his shield high into the air before slamming it downward.

 

Clarke wheezed as Kanvar suddenly clamoured on top of him, and his eyes widened as Kanvar raised the shield, slamming it downwards. Clarke grasped his spear and raised it up at the last second, meeting the metal with his weapon.

 

“That armour is heavy,” he said, feeling his spear tremble as they faced each other.

“Really?” Kanvar asked, his eyebrows knitting together as genuine concern flashed upon his face. “This isn’t too much for you, is it?” As though he was just now noticing Clarke’s shaking hands, Kanvar bit his lip and suddenly swung his shield out of the way before picking himself off of Clarke.

“Kanvar, what are you doing?” the Raven barked as he glared over at the blonde. The boy blinked at the bird in confusion.

“He said I was heavy,” he replied simply. “I didn’t want to crush him. We are just training, aren’t we?”

 

Clarke shot a glance at the Raven as if to say, where did you find this guy? Before rolling over, clutching his spear. He came to a stop, brushing himself up on one knee.

“Training or not,” he replied, raising his spear. “You can’t go easy on the enemy.”

He flipped the blade, jamming it into the cracks of Kanvar’s armour. Lightning crawled up the weapon, and Clarke felt the energy release before him.

 

Kanvar, who had pulled his attention away from Clarke, scream in pain as the electricity coursed through his body. Fear flickered through his eyes and he fell backwards onto this bottom. He crawled backwards away from Clarke and looked up at him. Raising his arm, he suddenly threw his shield at Clarke. The shield, however, did not make its mark and flew past Clarke.

“Ah, it missed,” Kanvar said softly as he watched the shield fly behind its intended target.

 

Clarke, despite dodging to the side, realised that Kanvar’s shield has missed its mark. He raised an eyebrow--could the boy be having trouble throwing? Surely not. Well, the dark-haired male didn’t think too hard on that. He advanced, looking down at the other as he moved to draw his spear up--

Burning pain suddenly filled him, and Clarke gasped--white flashed at the sides of his eyes and he staggered forwards before collapsing entirely onto the other before him, his spear lost in the commotion.

 

“Oh God, are you alright?” Kanvar asked as Clarke suddenly slammed into his lap. “Shoot, it wasn’t on fire this time, was it?” A quick look over at his shield confirmed that yes, it was not on fire and yes, nothing was burning this time. A sigh of relief escaped Kanvar as he leaned backwards. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Clarke’s spear that had been flung several feet away. “Um, we’re both disarmed,” Kanvar said as he looked down at Clarke. “Call it a draw?”

 

Clarke groaned, taking a moment to collect himself--Kanvar’s seemingly fifty pound shield slamming directly into his back had knocked all of the breath out of him. “I think my spine’s cracked,” he groaned melodramatically, taking in several deep breaths. Then, the dark-haired boy became aware of his surroundings, and, oh god, he was directly in the other’s chest. “Sounds about fair,” he grunted, rolling off the other. Delicately, he drew himself up off the ground.

 

After patiently waiting for Clarke to get off his chest, Kanvar stumbled onto his feet. In a suddenly flash of blinding white light, Kanvar’s armor dissipated into the air and he was left standing with a grey hoodie, jeans, and black sneakers. He trotted over to his shield which had disappeared as well and picked up his gem from the remains of his shield. Once his gem was safely pocketed, Kanvar ran back over to Clarke which his hands raised up to his chest and balled into fists.

“You were so cool!” he said aloud, stars practically dancing in his eyes. “I had no idea you could do a blackflip! Where did you learn how to do that?”

 

Clarke got up gently, brushing dust and dirt from his pants. He closed his eyes as white surrounded his body for a brief moment, and then his outfit disappeared and was replaced his common, everyday shirt and jeans. The boy took a glance of the arena, looking for his spear--ah, there it was. Flung a far distance away in his shock, Clarke quickly jogged up to the thing to pick up the little gem. Once it was safely clutched within his shoulders, Clarke grimaced and rolled his shoulders to rid his stiff shoulder muscles of their ache.

 

On the way back, he was met by an excited Kanvar, who seemed positively glowing after the fight. Clarke jolted, surprised, and blinked down at the other. “Uh,” he replied. “It comes with the job, I guess,” he murmured, looking downwards. Then, the dark-haired male glanced up and scanned the other over. “Are you okay, though? I hit you pretty hard.”

 

“That’s amazing!” Kanvar said, his eyes shining with awe. “Can you do that when you’re not transformed too? I mean, it’s still amazing if you can only do it when you’re transformed. It’s just-” Kanvar suddenly closed his mouth once he realized he went off on a tangent. He lowered his hands as Clarke spoke to him and he nodded gently. “I, uh, scraped my knee a little,” he confessed as he pointed down towards the blue bruise that spread across his knee. “My entire body is sore as well but it’s no big deal, really!” As though suddenly remembering what he had done before, Kanvar let out a horrified gasp. “Oh no, I didn’t hurt you when I was sitting on you, did I?” he asked as concern flickered across his face. “I-I hope I didn’t hurt you too much!”

 

Clarke laughed slightly, brushing the back of his head. “I trained when I first got my gem,” he explained, then hesitated slightly. “Someone taught me.”

The boy’s face fell for a slight moment, but then Clarke shook himself together. He could think about that another day--he wasn’t sure right now was the best time. He took a glance at Kanvar’s aforementioned bruise--ouch. “Be sure to rest,” he said, cocking his head. “You’ll be sore for a little bit, but you’re okay.” In response to the other’s questions, the dark-haired boy shrugged a casual shoulder. “You’re fine--for a battle, you did really good. The intention is to hurt your enemy, after all.” He gave the other a small smirk.

 

Kanvar visibly relaxed at Clarke’s response and gave the boy a shy smile. He didn’t like the thought of hurting Clarke but the praise was well-welcomed.

“Even if we were supposed to hurt one another, I don’t like the idea of hurting a fr- ally,” Kanvar said before quickly correcting himself. “I guess I need to get used to it.” Kanvar anxiously rubbed the back of his neck and glanced down at the ground. Knowing how Clarke had acted for the past few weeks, he wasn’t sure just how good of terms to two of them were. Kanvar wasn’t sure if Clarke just didn’t like him or if the boy just didn’t like anyone in particular but he felt like that was an issue he shouldn’t press. “So, are you going to head home now?” Kanvar asked as he looked up at Clarke inquisitively. The Raven had left the scene, but Kanvar hadn’t noticed. He was too wrapped up in the battle to pay heed to the bird’s whereabouts.

 

Clarke tilted his head, catching Kanvar’s slip, and the male wasn’t sure how to feel. On one hand, he was absolutely sure he didn’t want to make friends with the other, but the thought that he had virtually no one else was a lonely one. “You will,” he confirmed with two simple words, and then looked off into the distance. The Raven was nowhere to be seen--good, he hoped that bird had flown off and gotten caught in an airplane or something. At the other’s prompt, the dark-haired one took a second to think. Home wasn’t a bad thought, but there he was surrounded by past memories and polaroids of him and Jett.

“Maybe not,” he replied slowly. “You hungry?”

 

“Hm?” Kanvar blinked in surprise at Clarke’s question and waited a moment before replying. “Ah well, I ate breakfast but that was about ten hours ago and I skipped lunch for training so uh, I’m a little hungry.” That was a lie of course. Kanvar was absolutely famished but he didn’t want to bother Clarke with his needs and wants. “I guess I should eat and head back home before my family gets worried,” he added on, pulling his phone out of his pocket and checking the time. He let out a sharp hiss as he realized just how late it was. “Geez, how long have we been out here for?”

 

Clarke paused. Skipped lunch? His eyes narrowed at the other’s words, disbelieving. If Kanvar had been training hard all day, he would’ve been super hungry by now. “A while,” he responded, watching as Kanvar took out his phone to check the time. Awkwardly, Clarke shuffled his feet in the sand. “Well, if you have time, we could grab a bite. If you want to, that is.” The dark-haired male grimaced--he was absolutely terrible at asking such things of anyone.

 

It took a moment for Kanvar to realize just what Clarke had asked him.

“Oh!” he exclaimed in surprise. “You want to go out for…” Honestly, the last thing Kanvar expected Clarke to do at the end of the training session was ask him out for dinner. Sure it was a surprise but it wasn’t necessarily a bad surprise. In fact, Kanvar was beginning to feel a little giddy. “S-Sure!” he said as his normal goofy grin returned to his face. “I’d love to! Do you know where you’d like to go? I know the area pretty well so if you’re not sure I can recommend something for you.”

 

Clarke flushed as Kanvar rambled on. Well, at least the other had finally caught onto his meaning. “Anywhere is okay for me,” he replied, “I’m not picky. Are you craving anything?”

“Hmm,” Kanvar hummed as he tapped his chin. “I know a noodle bar-like place about three blocks down south. It’s nestled into an alleyway so most people don’t know about it but it has pretty decent food. Does that sound okay to you?”

Clarke nodded, trying to picture what a place like that would look like in his mind. “Fine by me,” he replied. “Lead the way.” With a satisfied grin, Kanvar grabbed a hold of Clarke’s hand and began to drag him along as he briskly walked to the noodle bar.

 

[HomeForFlowers]

The two Champions were the only customers in the restaurant. It was pretty late and the restaurant was pretty secluded. The two had settled themself at the bar and ordered their drinks and meals. Kanvar had ordered some veggie rolls to ease his rumbling stomach. The rolls came out relatively early, much to his delight. The smell of food made Kanvar absolutely ravenous. Kanvar had placed a roll onto his plate and cut it into sections. It wasn’t until after he had dipped the first piece into the soy sauce did he realize that he and Clarke hadn’t said anything to each other since they arrived. It was an awkward revelation. Despite knowing each other for a few months, the two boys barely knew anything about each other. Heck, Kanvar didn’t even know Clarke existed until the incident with the flower monster. The only reason they were eating together was because Clarke decided to show up to practice. Even the Raven, who Kanvar suddenly realized had flown away after Clarke arrived, wasn’t sure if the tall boy was ever going to show up to practice. Their relationship wasn’t going to consist of Clarke leaving and reappearing out of thin air, was it? The mere thought of it was unsettling.

 

“So uh, Clarke,” Kanvar awkwardly began as he absentmindedly twirled his chopsticks around, his eyes averted down onto the table. “We, um, haven’t much time to talk.” That wasn’t necessarily true. They had plenty of time to talk. The Raven told Kanvar that Clarke was simply brooding at him and wasting his time angsting over the past. The Raven never really explained why Clarke was so despondent. Their answers were always cryptic and they were quick to dismiss the matter and get back to training. They made it very clear that Clarke was simply choosing not to come to practice as opposed to being unable to. Kanvar didn’t understand why Clarke was so preoccupied but he understood that Clarke was dealing with something. He just didn’t know what.

 

“I figured we should get to know each other a little better if we’re going to be uh, working together,” Kanvar said as he set his chopsticks down and stared at Clarke directly. A silence suddenly filled the restaurant. The shuffling sounds from the kitchen were soft and seemed far away. The serious mood was too much for Kanvar to handle. “T-That doesn’t mean you don’t have to tell everything!” Kanvar quickly added in an exasperated tone. “If you don’t want to tell me something, I won’t pry. I just figured it would be easier working together if we understood one another better, y’know?” Kanvar still had a secret hope of befriending Clarke but he dare not voice such desires. Kanvar got the impression that Clarke was not in the mood for making friends. If that was the case, then Kanvar could live with keeping their relationship professional at least, for the time being. Kanvar made it his goal to befriend Clarke, but he wasn’t going to rush it. Taking another bite out of his spring roll, Kanvar patiently waited for Clarke’s response.

Edited May 14, 2016 by Doctortear

[Lady_Lunevis]

Clarke fingered the edge of his cup, eyes watching Kanvar as the smaller shifted nervously. Get to know each other? To say he was adverse to the idea would be an understatement; Clarke had decided long ago that befriending anyone in this line of work was generally not a good idea. The male raised the cup to his lips, taking a sip, before humming appreciatively and setting it down. Ah, he was halfway into his drink--without looking at Kanvar, Clarke reached for the large jade teapot sitting at the edge of the bar rather dangerously, and poured himself more tea. He could feel the other getting steadily more nervous, but only hoped Kanvar would distract himself with the rolls while Clarke was given time to mull this over.

“Ah,” he said, nodding. “You’re right.” He gestured towards Kanvar’s cup, the teapot still in his hand. “More tea?”

 

Kanvar let out a small sigh of relief, as Clarke, after momentarily fiddling with the teapot, agreed to the arrangement. He had been anticipating for the taller boy to reject his offer so hearing him agree to open up was a success all of its own.

“Y-Yes, he stammered at Clarke’s offer for more tea. He picked up his cup and held it towards Clarke as he waited for a refill. “Thank you,” he said softly before looking up at Clarke. “So, um, should I start first or would you prefer to talk a bit about yourself first?”

 

Clarke raised the teapot, thinking as he poured Kanvar another drink, making sure the cup was not too full as he feared overfilling the teacup. How would he even talk about himself? I’m Clarke, and I messed my life up. Clarke shook his head gently, setting the teapot down with a soft clink. He folded his hands then, eyes flickering up to meet Kanvar as he waited for their food to arrive. “You go ahead,” he said. “I don’t mind listening.”

 

Gingerly, Kanvar brought the cup to his lips, blowing the steam off gently, before taking a sip. After training for an entire day, Kanvar was absolutely exhausted and even the smallest drop of tea sent a rejuvenating wave of ease over him. Licking his lips, Kanvar set the cup down and picked up a piece of his spring roll with his chopsticks. “Me?” Kanvar asked as he Clarke motioned for him to speak first. “Well,” he began as he dipped his spring roll into the provided sauce. “My full name is Kanvar Asmel and I live with my mother and all of my siblings in the northern side of the city. I have my younger brother Garrett whose in Elementary, my twin brother Armin who you met earlier, my older sister Marian who's in between jobs, and my eldest brother Asher whose part of a professional swimming team.” Kanvar paused his speech as he shoved the spring roll into his mouth, savoring the taste as he chewed thoroughly. “As you can tell, we both Xander High although I haven’t seen you at any grade wide meetings so I can only assume we’re not in the same grade. I lived in Saint Niles my entire life and I’ve never left the city before so uh, I don’t really know much about the outside world beyond what I read in newspaper and internet articles and from what I hear on the news.” Kanvar took another sip of his tea before looking up expectantly at Clarke. “Anything else you’d like to know about me?” he inquired with a slight tilt of his head.

 

Clarke blinked, his cup partially forgotten as the blond before speaking rapidly, giving Clarke insight into his personal life and education. The black-haired male paused for a couple seconds after Kanvar had ended his tirade, making sure the younger was finished before he began speaking. “You have a big family,” he remarked, surprised. Then, Clarke paused, slightly uncertain. “Ah, well,” the male began, shifting. “I haven’t been at school for the past few . . . months, so that may be why.” Since the blond had been so open with information, Clarke supposed he owed it to the other to be honest. “Honestly, same here.” Clarke ran a hand through his hair before speaking on, “I haven’t left the city before, so I’ve been pretty sheltered.” He blinked. “Oh, and my name is Clarke, but I suppose you knew that already. Clarke Carlyle.”

 

“Oh!” Kanvar said as Clarke finished talking. “Carlyle is a… really pretty name,” he said simply as he drummed his fingers along the side of the bar. He let out a soft chuckle and rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, my family is pretty big, especially when you dive into cousins. I only know about eleven of them, and that’s not even half of them!” Clarke’s mentioning of him not attending school for several months was… troubling to say at the least. Was that he even legal? How had he not got expelled? Was there some sort of medical reason for his absence? Deciding the approach the topic delicately, Kanvar gave a shy grin before looking Clarke straight in the eyes. “You haven’t attended school for months, huh?” he asked. “How exactly did that happen?”

 

“Thank you,” Clarke said, and then looked up--ah, their food finally arrived. He cracked open his chopsticks and dug into the noodles, stirring them once as he picked up his spoon. He paled at the mention of Kanvar’s extended family; eleven cousins, and not even half of them? “I can’t imagine,” he commented mildly. “I think I only have one cousin or something, I’m honestly not too sure.” He frowned--his parents weren’t too connected with the rest of his family, so he only had brief memories of interactions from when he was very little.

At the mention of his absence, Clarke sighed and set down his chopsticks and spoon. “Hm,” he began, wondering how to approach the topic. Well . . . if he and Kanvar were going to see more of each other--and if the Raven had any say in it, they were--then the blond had a right to know. “Before you,” he began, gesturing vaguely to the blond before him. “I had another partner.” He paused, taking a moment collect himself. “We had a mission, and I failed him. That’s it.”

 

When the food had finally arrived, Kanvar instantly brightened up. He graciously thanked the waiter for bringing the food and dug in, whirling the noodles around his chopsticks as he happily shoveled the food into his mouth, letting out a soft satisfied sound as he swallowed the noodles. Such joy was quickly replaced to concern as Clarke sighed before dramatically setting down his utensils. Kanvar could feel a lump in his throat as Clarke quickly summarized what had to be an anguishing event.

 

“Oh,” Kanvar said simply as he laid his chopsticks down, averting his gaze to the ground momentarily. “I’m… sorry to hear.” From the way Clarke spoke, it appeared as though the subject was a very touchy matter and not something to be prodded at. Kanvar’s natural instinct was to gently squeeze Clarke’s shoulder, or perhaps his hand, but it did not feel appropriate. Kanvar reached out to touch Clarke’s shoulder, but pulled his hand back before he made contact. “My apologizes for bringing back any bad memories,” he said as he glared down at his noodles. He suddenly didn’t feel hungry anymore.

 

Clarke paused, glancing at the other. Ah . . . he didn’t mean to make the atmosphere so upsetting. The black-haired male paused, before picking up his chopsticks. “It’s fine,” he said dismissively, though he could only imagine--if not wish--that Jett was here instead, perhaps enjoying a bowl with him. The male shrugged it off, feeling his guilt wash over him and through as a roaring waterfall, come suddenly and gone quickly. “How are your noodles?” he prompted, hoping Kanvar would pick up conversation once again as he ate a bite of his own.

 

Clarke’s dismissive tone only made Kanvar feel even more guilty. Of course he would bring up a sensitive topic, why wouldn’t he? If there was any way to make the atmosphere even more unbearable, it was digging up old memories that still needed to mend. It was only after Clarke asked Kanvar how his noodles were did he realize he was the only one moping. The blond opened his mouth, unable to speak before, shaking his head and plastering a grin on his face. “It’s good,” he chimed as he picked up his chopsticks and started eating again. “After mmptraining for an--Mmph-entire mphday, anything mmtastes--ah--mmreat!” Kanvar continued with a mouth full of food. He wanted to slap his cheeks after his previous mopey behavior. If Clarke could carry on the conversation after such a drastic turn, then so could he! Swallowing the noodles, that had left quite a bit of grease on his lips, in his mouth, Kanvar shot a glance over at Clarke. “What about you?” he inquired as he began skillfully spinning more noodles around his chopsticks. “Enjoying your meal? I’d hate for our first dinner out to end poorly.”

 

Clarke watched, amused, as Kanvar began speaking even though the blond was attempting to eat the same time. The other found it slightly endearing, if anything, and sat back to allow Kanvar to finish his rambling before Clarke processed all the words suddenly being flung towards him. He held up a hand to indicate a pause as Kanvar asked on the status of his food, and finished swallowing before he spoke again. “It’s pretty good,” he finally concluded. “This is a nice place.” A pause, and then Clarke smiled slightly. “Yeah, you do get pretty hungry after training all day. If anything, this job helps keep you fit.” Then, the dark haired male paused. Ah, right--he’d been out of comission for a while. Maybe it was time to start training.

 

A bubbly giggle erupted from Kanvar’s throat after Clarke spoke.

“I’m not sure loading up on carbohydrates will keep me fit,” Kanvar argued. As to further prove his point, he lifted noodles from his bowl and held them up in the air as he glanced knowingly at Clarke. “This isn’t exactly the healthiest place we could have gotten out for dinner,” Kanvar said. “But it sure is one of the tastier options.” Bringing the noodles to his lips, Kanvar continued eating with a pleased expression across his face. He was glad that he got Clarke to smile, even if it was a little one. Kanvar wanted Clarke to be comfortable with him. After all, they were going to work with one another. “So,” Kanvar asked as he lowered his chopsticks and took a sip of his tea, “Are you going to be coming to more of the training sessions or was today just a special occasion?”

 

Clarke finished off the spoonful of soup he had been drinking before a mischievous smirk spread across his features. “I never said my definition of fit didn’t include enough carbohydrates to fell a man.” He hummed thoughtfully as his considered Kanvar’s question; well, between training together with the blond or training alone with that awful bird, the choice was obvious. “I suppose I should start coming,” he said, shrugging casually. “Or else the Raven would hunt me down.” He paused, wondering how their future aforementioned training sessions would be. He and Jett always had a set schedule they stuck to, and not much change in the timetable beyond that--it would be strange for all of this to change. Clarke wasn’t sure, but his brow furrowed--he had no choice, after all. Perhaps he could gently suggest his previous system and hope Kanvar agreed enough to implement such a thing--he was in no hurry for change, after all.

 

Kanvar perked up when Clarke agree, albeit in a vague manner, to attend the training sessions.

“Heh, I know how pushy the Raven could be,” Kanvar said with a fond grin. “Once, they pecked ceaselessly at my window at two am in the morning. They made me go out and work on my aim until five in the afternoon. We had to stop because I burned one too many trees down.” Kanvar suddenly frowned. “Actually, I think we were supposed to go until nine but I messed up to much for the Raven’s liking. Armin didn’t like me coming home so late. Neither did mom. It wasn’t a very pleasant day.” Realizing he had gone off on a tangent, Kanvar’s face grew a bright red. “S-Sorry,” he said as he pushed his empty bowl away from him. “I went off on a rant, didn’t I? I tend to do that. Sorry!” Hoping to mask his embarrassment, Kanvar took a long sip from his tea, glancing away from Clarke as he did so.

 

 

Clarke continued eating, briefly marvelling at how fast Kanvar had finished his meal. At the blond’s tale, Clarke shook his head, laughing slightly. “Don’t be sorry,” the older said. “Better for you to ramble than for there to be silence. I said I didn’t mind listening, right?” A pause.”But you know, you can tell the Raven if you have a curfew or something.” The black-haired male frowned, wondering if the bird was working the other too hard. For what reason? What was the bird expecting?

 

“Oh, sorry,” Kanvar said as he lowered the tea. Ah, did he just apologize for apologizing too much? That probably wasn’t what Clarke was expecting of him. Ah well, it was a habit: a habit that wasn’t going to die anytime soon. “Oh uh, I don’t actually have a curfew,” Kanvar said quickly. “It’s just um, I don’t exactly live in a great neighborhood if you catch my meaning. Armin tends to get a bit squeamish if I’m not home by nine. I think that’s part of why he hangs out with me a lot, y’know? To make sure I don’t get lost or hurt or…” Kanvar drifted off. Clarke could probably imagine any other possible scenarios on his own. After all, anything could happen to a young boy walking down dangerous streets at night.

 

Clarke rolled his eyes at the boy apologising but didn’t comment; he supposed it wasn’t too pressing of an issue. At the blond’s mentioning of his home, Clarke paused and took a moment to think. The city was large, and one could skate by easily enough without knowing anyone who lived on the opposite side of town. “It’s nice he looks out for you,” the dark-haired one remarks, unsure what else to say. “Tell you the truth, I don’t really know what my sister gets up to,” he said, somewhat ruefully. “Be careful, that’s for sure.”

 

Little sister? That was the first time Clarke had made any remarks about his family. Kanvar cocked his head to the side at Clarke’s most likely unintended confession. Was he getting comfortable with Kanvar? The blond certainly hoped so, that was what he was going for afterall. “Oh, I’ll know what Armin is doing without being beside him,” Kanvar said dismissively with a wave of his hand. “He’ll probably be off punching trees with his bare hands or trying to see how many firecrackers he can put into a pomegranate before it becomes lethal.” Kanvar decided not to mention that both activities he mentioned were things that Armin, and Asher sadly, had done. Deciding not to bring all the focus on himself, Kanvar asked, “Hey, how old is your little sister anyhow?

 

Clarke blinked, making sure he had heard correctly. “Making a lethal . . . pomegranate?” Why would anyone have use for such a thing? The male shook his head; this Armin character was strange, for sure. At Kanvar’s question, the male began, “Oh, she’s--” before he abruptly cut himself off, a frown on his features. How old was she again? He could’ve sworn he attended a birthday party sometime along the way, but what age had that been for? He paused, trying to mentally configure an image of his sister in his mind, and then retrace his steps. “Thirteen?” he spoke it more as a question than a statement, and internally winced.

 

A nervous chuckle escaped Kanvar as Clarke inquired about the lethality of the firecracker pomegranate. “Ha uh, Armin’s “Pomegranate Grenade” could be deadly in some circumstances but he never actually managed to kill anyone if that’s what you’re wondering,” Kanvar said sheepishly. “Both him and Asher acquired got a few bad scars from those grenades. They had to stop making them when I, um, accidentally mistook one for a normal pomegranate and tried to eat it.” Smiling nervously, Kanvar took a sip from his tea as Clarke tried to tell him his sister’s age. “Oh! Garrett’s thirteen as well,” Kanvar exclaimed. “That’s quite the coincidence, huh?”

 

Clarke couldn’t help it; he gaped as Kanvar recalled nearly eating one of the so dubbed “Pomegranate Grenades”. “You tried to eat one? How did that go?” Still somewhat concerned for past-Kanvar’s wellbeing, the male was thankful the blond didn’t mention his slip up regarding his sister’s age. “Definitely,” he agreed. “What school does your brother go to?”

 

“Oh nothing too exciting happened,” Kanvar said with a shrug. “My brothers screamed, mom screamed, Marian screamed, we were all screaming. Armin threw the grenade away--which probably wasn’t smart since it exploded--and they weren’t allowed to make grenades anymore. Nothing really happened. Well, except maybe for this!” Kanvar, who had shoved his arm into his sleeve, slammed it on the bar in front of Clarke. The loose sleeve laid pathetically on the table as Kanvar gave Clarke a playful grin. “Oh uh, my brother goes to Shigure Elementary,” he said after finally pulling his arm back out onto his sleeve. “That’s where I went before I attended Xander. How about you?”

 

Clarke blanched at Kanvar’s careless description of how his entire family had been screaming at once, and when the blond suddenly slammed a loose sleeve onto the counter of the bar Clarke visibly jumped up in his seat--wait, what? Kanvar’s arm . . . huh? He could’ve sworn he had two in their previous battle . . . or was he really just that bad at paying attention? The dark-haired male’s mind swam with thoughts, unsure, but when Kanvar pulled his arm back out while remarking about elementary schools, Clarke was sure he was going to light this boy on fire. “Don’t!” he remarked, slightly louder than needed. “Oh my god, I really thought--your arm--” Clarke took a second to compose himself and then glared at the other, before sighing. “I’ll admit, that was a good one.” A pause, and then the male mentally recollected Kanvar’s earlier words. “Shigure Elementary? Where is that?” He thought back. “Uh, Elise goes to Lord Chrom Elementary.”

 

Guilt washed over Kanvar’s face as soon as Clarke loudly shouted at him to stop teasing.

“S-Sorry!” he squealed as he slightly shrank in his chair. “I didn’t think it would actually scare you. I thought you’d just find it… dumb.” Whenever he pulled a prank on Armin, Asher, or Marian, they would usually just laugh at give him a noogie. He should have known not everyone would react the same way. Still, it was surprising to hear Clarke be so vocal about his dislike of the prank. Kanvar straightened his back once Clarke got back onto topic. “Chrom eh?” Kanvar said in a soft tone. “That’s a private school, isn’t it? You must be pretty well off to have your sister attend that school!”

 

Clarke sighed, feeling slightly guilty for reacting so intensely now that things had calmed down. “It was dumb,” he declared. “Extremely. But,” his face softened. “I don’t mind. I’ve just never really been pranked, really.” An awkward pause and Clarke shifted. “Do you want dessert or anything? I could go for some ice cream.” A pause, as he regarded the menu hung over their heads. At Kanvar’s recognition of the school, Clarke coughed awkwardly and turned his gaze back to the other. “Ah, well,” he began,”Elise is the little star of the family, my parents wouldn’t expect anything else. They expect a lot of her.” On the contrary to him, the almost-adult son who just stayed in his room for six whole months, his mind supplied bitterly.

 

A smile once again creeped onto Kanvar’s face as Clarke reassured him that he did nothing wrong. That was good, he didn’t want to offend Clarke or make him uncomfortable. That would negate the whole purpose of going out to dinner in the first place.

“Oh, if you want ice cream, you should check out the pandan ice cream,” Kanvar said as he pointed to said item on the menu. “I’ve had it countless times and I can personally say I enjoy it more than any other desert on the menu.” Hearing Clarke talk about his sister brought about a wave of confusion over Kanvar. “Wait, so you didn’t attend Chrom as well?” Kanvar asked with genuine curiosity. “I mean, I don’t see why you wouldn’t have but it seems a bit odd to have one kid go to a public school while the other goes to a private.”

 

“Pandan ice cream?” Clarke repeated. “What’s that?” He found the aforementioned item on the above menu and shrugged. “Sure, it sounds good. Are you getting one?” At the other’s question, Clarke coughed nervously. “Oh, I did. It was terrible--uniforms, regulations, and all that. I hated it as a child, so I asked my parents if I could go to Xander once I graduated.”

 

“Makes sense,” Kandar said with a nod as he leaned back in his seat. “Running around in uniforms with strict rules sounds like a bore. Who would like to have their freedom restricted anyhow.” Hearing Clarke speak about the ice cream made Kanvar bit his lip. “Hm, actually,” he said gently. “Each order is… pretty big to be perfectly honest. It’s about three scoops per bowl and they are rather gracious scoops I might add. If you’re feeling up for some ice cream, I’d say only get one to share. We wouldn’t be able to finish them off individually and I’d hate to waste food.” After a moment of thought, Kanvar quickly added, “If you’re not comfortable sharing bowls though, we could try working something else out i-if that’s what you want.”

 

Clarke nodded along. “Precisely. Did you attend Shigure as well?” At Kanvar suggestion, the male paused for a moment as he considered his options. Well, their meals had been pretty good, and Kanvar was right--Clarke didn’t know if he could finish one either, if the servings were truly as big as the blond male was suggesting. He held Kanvar’s gaze for a long moment before replying. “Sure,” he said, almost automatically, “I don’t mind. We can just ask for two spoons.” With that, he flagged down the one attending the bar tonight and placed his order politely.

 

“Mhmm!” Kanvar affirmed with a nod. “Yup, my entire family has attended Shigure and Xander! I guess it’s a bit of a tradition, eh?” It was a relief to hear that Clarke was okay with sharing a bowl. Kanvar always shared a bowl with Armin whenever he came to the noodle bar. In fact, he mostly came to the bar after school with his family on special occasions. It wasn’t always easy to pay for the food, so they could only go on occasion. Actually talking to Clarke and being able to bond with him was special all in itself so Kanvar didn’t feel too guilty about spending money for dinner. When the desert finally arrived, Kanvar was eager to dig his spoon into the green ice cream and chug it into his mouth. The the cold sensation that flooded his mouth when he stuffed the sweet green ice cream into his mouth was heavenly. It had been hot training outside so finally tasting something nice and cold was lovely. “How do you like it?” Kanvar asked as he shoveled another spoonful into his mouth.

 

Clarke hummed in agreement. “It must be nice,” he said, “I suppose the teachers must know your family by heart, then.” Their ice cream arrived soon enough, and Clarke was surprised to see the refreshing green colour by which it had been served. It was strange; he didn’t share food often--in fact, the last time probably had been with Elise when they were both young enough to do so. He approached the dessert with unknowing curiosity, and dug in a spoonful. The ice cream was delicious enough; chill in the surprising autumn afternoon heat. “It’s good,” he declared, taking another spoonful.

 

Kanvar let out a pleased sound as Clarke confirmed his fancy for the ice cream.

“I’m glad you like it,” Kanvar said pleasantly as he took another spoonful. “It’s always nice to share something nice with others, eh?” After they finished up, they paid the bill and headed on outside. “That took a little while longer than I thought it would,” Kanvar admitted after checking his watch. Armin was going to kill him when he got him. He was two hours late and he didn’t have a good explanation on hand. “So,” Kanvar said as he turned to face Clarke. “You gonna head home now? See ya tomorrow and all that?”

 

They finished quickly and Clarke was surprised to see that it was already darkening outside--perhaps time had passed by quicker than they thought. He pulled out his phone to check the time--ah. Well, his parents weren’t too concerned by what time he got home, as long as he made it home eventually. He’d spent a few nights out late at Jett’s request, after all.

“Ah, yeah,” he confirmed, “that sounds good. What about you?” He glanced at Kanvar questioningly. “Are you going to be okay?” The male remembered that the blond had mentioned his neighbourhood being not exactly safe at night--and the Raven would murder Clarke should anything happen to their new recruit.

 

“Hm? Oh yeah, I should…” Kanvar drifted off as he stared down the alleyway. He didn’t usually walk home alone. Normally, he had one of two of his siblings along with him. Most of the time he just walked home with Armin and if he didn’t, he’d have one of his older siblings pick him up and take him home. It was pretty dangerous to walk home alone and Kanvar could scarcely remember the last time he had done so. Still, there was no reason to drag Clarke out with him. After all, it would be dangerous for Clarke after he dropped Kanvar home. It would be hypocritical to bring Clarke along on the basis that it was dangerous to go alone only to have Clarke walk home alone. Besides, Kanvar didn’t want to scare Clarke away. Who knew if Clarke was really going to start showing up at the training sessions or not? Kanvar didn’t want to worsen his chances to spend more time with his sparring partner. “I should be fine,” Kanvar finally said with a wave of his hand. “I don’t normally walk home, but I’m sure it’ll be fine! You needn’t worry about me.”

 

Clarke regarded the other, thinking slightly. Kanvar seemed worried about something--was it walking back so late? Clarke resisted the urge to tell the younger that he could probably set anything dangerous on fire or just full on bodyslam it, and the dark-haired male sighed and ran a hand through his hair before clicking his tongue on his teeth, thinking.

“Are you sure?” the dark-haired one questioned, looking into the distance. “Your house is that way, right? I was going to take the bus home, but I can walk.”

 

Kanvar rubbed the nape of his neck. Clarke was offering to come along? He certainly didn’t expect that. Of course, Kanvar didn’t want to worry his sparring partner, but, at the same time, he didn’t want to force him to do anything he didn’t want to.

“Yeah I’ll probably be fine,” Kanvar said with a sheepish smile. “If you want to come along, you’re free to of course, but don’t worry too much about it.”

 

Clarke shrugged nonchalantly, looking up at the fading sky. “Sure,” he said. “I have nothing else to do, and my parents aren’t too concerned. Lead the way.” If his estimate was correct, than Kanvar’s house wasn’t far from his own, anyway.

 

Kanvar nodded before walking forward, looking behind him to make sure Clarke was following, as he began walking home. It was a relatively silent trip. Kanvar supposed anything that they might have wanted to say to one another was said at the noodle house and he didn’t take Clarke as the kind of person who did well with smalltalk. Kanvar was relieved when they finally made it to his house. It was an a relatively old house and it wasn’t very big. The entire family used to live in an apartment complex but after Mother got a new job, they were able to afford the new home. They had lived in it for a couple of years now and while it may look rusty and most likely not safe to live in, Kanvar was pleased that it was significantly bigger than the apartment.

“Ah well this is it,” Kanvar stated as he stopped in place. “Thanks for uh, taking me home!” Kanvar beamed up at Clarke with a large outstretched smile. “I’m glad you came to practice! If uh, you don’t mind me asking. What made you come this time and not the other times?”

 

Clarke followed Kanvar, letting the other lead as the dark-haired male set his pace to fall slightly behind the other. He had a faint idea of where they were going, but it wasn’t a lie that everything looked different when the town became dark. When at last they reached Kanvar’s house, Clarke glanced it over. The house itself looked old, though not unkept, and the male wondered briefly if all of Kanvar’s huge family lived there. The atmosphere must be lively at best, chaotic at worst, and the dark-haired one was slightly curious.

Clarke shifted as Kanvar smiled up at him, nodding. “It’s nothing,” he reassured. “My house is along this way too, anyways.” A pause, and Clarke regarded Kanvar’s question. He thought back to the events earlier this day, events that seemed to have happened forever ago, and stumbled his way around an answer. “To tell you the truth, uh, I’m not sure,” Clarke began, “I guess it’s just . . . been awhile since I’ve actually trained, I was missing it a bit.” A pause, and Clarke coughed awkwardly to cover up the silence.

 

Kanvar raised an eyebrow at Clarke’s response but didn’t question it. Did his lack of training have to do with his previous partner? Clarke had been very curt when talking about his previous partner and it was clear that the whole ordeal was a touchy subject. It would be rude to prod Clarke for more information when the two barely knew each other so Kanvar decided to ignore Clarke’s awkward response.

“Well, I’m glad you came today,” Kanvar admitted as he tried to break the silence. “I certainly hope you come to more training sessions in the future even if it’s just to keep me from burning down the place. I swear, if we have to move training spots again, the Raven is just going to throw me in the ocean in hopes that I won’t be able to catch anything on fire while drenched in salt water.” For a moment, Kanvar felt a spark of mischief. He wanted to lighten the mood but he wasn’t entirely sure how to do it. He had already pulled a prank on Clarke earlier and while Kanvar was surprised at Clarke’s outrageous reaction, it did end up making Clarke smile after the ordeal. Perhaps doing something like that again would have the same result. “Welp,” Kanvar said as he placed his hands on his hips. “I oughta go before Armin throws something out of the window in anger. Again. See ya later, Clarke!” Kanvar turned away and took a few steps towards the front door before looking over his shoulder. “Oh and, just as a head’s up. Next time we go out for dinner, let’s got a bit earlier, alright? Dates don’t normally last so late unless you’re planning on taking someone home and it’s too early for that, y’know?” Winking mischievously, Kanvar hurried inside before Clarke could reply and walked face into the wave of worried siblings that waited just inside.

 

Clarke chucked as Kanvar recalled how his earlier training sessions had gone, the dark-haired male shrugging goodnaturedly. In some ways, it felt nice that Kanvar was so appreciative of his appearing today. Sure, he didn’t deserve such praise as he had been missing in action for half a year, give or take, but to feel as if someone actually wanted him to be there--and the Raven didn’t count--he supposed it was nice, in a way.

Clarke was just about to say his farewells and turn back at the mention of Kanvar’s brother throwing something out the window--after all, he was in no hurry to be pelted by whatever a certain triggerhappy brother had in mind, when suddenly Kanvar stopped going up to his door and instead tossed a look over his shoulder. Clarke paused, momentarily wondering what the other had in mind--perhaps something he’d forgotten to say? A message from the Raven?

Clarke’s mind stuttered to a stop as Kanvar spoke, winked at him and then rushed inside.

. . . What?

The dark-haired boy blinked at where Kanvar had been only a moment ago. A date?

Taking someone home?

He scoffed, kicking the cement with the toe of his shoe as he felt his face flush up. A date--they hardly knew each other! It was just two friends having fun, wasn’t it?

Deciding not to fret on the issue for fear of coming up with a truth he neither liked nor disliked, Clarke turned and began walking home, replaying Kanvar’s words in his mind.