Fantasy Kaizoic: Earth Reborn

[Da Doofus]

“It’s fine.” She shrugged. “I’ll see you two later, ok?” Her demeanor shifted back to her usual brightness and she turned away to the Vindav females still hard at work mixing and brewing herbs.

Darrek waved at her upon departure and nudged Kairo with a claw.
“Come on. I’ll help you carry the box.” He said.

 

[Chai_T3a]

Kairo continued waving, even as Darrek started pushing him towards the library. He only stopped when he was sure Crina wasn't watching them anymore.

"She's a nice girl." Kairo added, looking over at Darrek. "You two were childhood friends or something?"

 

[Da Doofus]

“Still are.” He answered. “We all grew up together, you see. Her and Cräga’s parents died in that fire, so Cräga pretty much had to raise her with Bom’s help. He already took me and Talom in, and gave up leading Clan Khazid to watch over us.” He stepped back in front of the library and opened the door for Kairo.
“This was before the Vindav came back to live in Drafisl, you see. So for a while it was just us.
We’re all pretty much family.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

Kairo gave Darrek his utmost attention as he listened to the Irokai talk about his family. He had to admit, the five of them definitely put a complete different spin of what a family was, but it made him happy that they at least had each other. That also explained why Bom wasn't leading a clan anymore, he'd always been a bit curious as to why he had stopped.

There was one other thing that did intrigue him though, and when Darrek kindly opened the door for Kairo, he decided to ask him about it. "Before the Vindav came back? You're saying for a time this entire place was ghost town?" He inquired.

 

[Da Doofus]

“Not necessarily a ghost town.” Darrek admitted. “It was me, Bom, Talom and his parents, Cräga, and Crina.” He stepped inside and continued to hold the door with his tail.
“A few families of Vindav showed up a few years later and just moved in. Walls are nice to avoid being eaten, you know?” He smiled.

 

[Chai_T3a]

Kairo made a beeline to where he left the box, it was definitely a mistake to leave it in such plane sight where anyone could see it through the window. Next time he needed to be way more careful with this thing.

"Pfft yeah. I keep on forgetting everything in this world wants to eat you" Kairo picked up the box and put it between his arm. "You know, I've met everyone else in your family except Talom. Figure you could introduce me to him someday?"

 

[Da Doofus]

“Yeah, of course.” Darrek chuckled cheerfully. “He should come back into town for the festival, so it should be another few weeks.
Hopefully you and Rufus won’t have gotten yourselves killed by then.” He winked.

 

[Chai_T3a]

"No promises." He laughed, as much as he was scared by it, he was pretty sure his lifespan in this place wasn't gonna be too long. He thought of the time he spent outside of the Noah, pretty much everyday had become a challenge just to survive. So much so that the Pouncer wasp that could have possibly killed him seemed like a break from it all.

As he walked back out the door, a thought popped into his mind. He walked back into the door and motioned Darrek to come in as well.

 

[Da Doofus]

The irokai glanced back toward the road before re-entering Bom’s library with a suspicious yet inquisitive look.

“Something on your mind?” He asked.

 

[Chai_T3a]

Kairo smiled, grabbing and openning the box. Once the shiny content within had been fully revealed, he held it out to Darrek.
"I'd like you to have some of it." He said, gesturing with his head to the coins. "Me and Rufus aren't ever gonna finish spending these. Think of it as payment for helping us out."

 

[Da Doofus]

“I . . . I don’t deserve that, Kairo.” He said softly. “Thank you, but I can’t accept this.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

"And I suddenly do? What have I done that makes me any more deserving?" Kairo questioned. "Take some for the others too. I don't feel like keeping it myself.

 

[Da Doofus]

“You earned it.” Darrek said blankly. “I didn’t.

I . . .” He scratched his crest, the claws softly scraping like knives on dry stone. “Jeez; I sorta stretched the truth on how I worked with Bazin’s gang.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

Kairo tilted his head slightly, clearly confused as to what Darrek was talking about. How did what he was saying affect his ability to take the coins?
"What do you mean?"

 

[Da Doofus]

“I wasn’t working with them on scrap hunts. I was with them, plain and simple.” He said, like he were tearing off a bandage. “I was in Bazin’s gang, and you two coming in that outpost were my best way out. Away from him, away from Victor, and away from Seythe.” He spoke the Irokai woman’s name in a way that showed lingering hurt for whatever happened between them.

 

[Chai_T3a]

"Oh." Kairo mumbled, not expecting any of that to have come out of Darrek. He had no clue how to feel about that, and for a few moments he seemed to just look confused. The way Darrek had sat alone in the trading post, so far from the other's in Bazin's gang made it hard to believe that he had been apart of them too. So hard to believe the Irokai had been running with them the whole time. He felt guilty once he realized he was beginning to feel a bit uneasy.

Even though that was the case, he knew it wasn't Darrek's fault. He wasn't the type of guy who blindly stay with such terrible people, and what had mattered in the end is that he'd left. Kairo beat himself mentally for even doubting Darrek's intentions for a second.
"I can't blame you for that. That Seythe girl was hot for an Irokai." Kairo joked, hoping to cheer Darrek up a little. "Look. It doesn't matter what you did then, because I know you've learned from your mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes man, its about what you do after that that counts." He held the box a bit closer to Darrek. "And I'd say you're doing pretty well."

 

[Da Doofus]

Darrek was silent, and despite being an almost eight foot being of predatory strength, he was humbled and unsure of who he was and where he would end up. Finally, he lifted his head to smile softly.

It was unsure at the time if Archosaurians were capable of crying, but Darrek’s eyes seemed to bear a bit more moisture than before.
“Thank you.” He said quietly, taking two coins from the box.

 

[Chai_T3a]

For a second, he thought he had messed up. Darrek didn’t talk and seemed like he was deep in thought. He wondered what he had said that made the irokai like this.

Then, when Darrek looked up at him, a smile on his face, Kairo was more then surprised to see the emotion he now bared. A genuine smile made its way on his face as he realized Darrek wasn’t sad, but rather touched.

“Oh there’s too many emotions there.” He said awkwardly. “C’mon you told me not to get mushy earlier right?” he joked.

 

[Da Doofus]

Darrek jabbed a claw into Kairo’s arm.
“Can’t help that. You’re covered in mush.” He joked, turning back outside.
“Come on. I want to see Vincent’s face when you buy him out.”

 

[Chai_T3a]

Kairo rolled his eyes, muttering an exaggerated ouch at the jab.
“I’m not gonna buy him out...yet.” He said, leaving the library. “You should hold out yours too, just to make things even more fun for him.”

 

[Da Doofus]

“I’ll wait in case he tries anything on you, how bout that?” He glanced back and grinned with those serrated teeth that bore similarities to museum fossils of predatory dinosaurs.

 

[Chai_T3a]

Kairo laughed a bit at that. Picturing Darrek scaring the crap out of the little man. "C'mon man, that guy is tiny. I could handle my own against him." He quipped, walking the few steps to get to Vincent's shop. "Just make sure he isn't ripping me off."

 

[Da Doofus]

“That’s what I mean, you fool.” Darrek corrected. “What’s the worst he can do? Gnaw at your ankles if you get too close?”

 

[Chai_T3a]

That pretty much did it for Kairo. The man started bellowing with laughter at the thought of the Vincent doing just what Darrek said. It made it funnier that Kairo could actually see the man doing that.
"Ahhh fuck...you're killing me." He said, wiping a tear from his eyes. He took a few deep breathes, making sure to calm himself. "Okay....straight face. We're heading in." He added, opening the door to the general store.

 

[Da Doofus]

When they entered, Vincent was stocking jars of preserves upon the shelves atop a ladder. He glanced over and saw the man and Irokai.

“Welcome back.” He said to Kairo. “Darrek.” He said to the smirking Archo.