trans_9 | Finally some roomie tim-whoops.

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Finally some roomie tim-whoops.

It had been an arduous few days. Between the situation with people losing memories and then the people coming back from the Ohm attack, Kaya had been pretty busy. She hadn't even left the med bay, preferring to sleep here instead of back at the Outsider's hotel. She knew she had already missed quite a bit due to this: sessions with Chase, the upkeep of the hotel, and general having fun time, but priorities were priorities. Now that she had some time to herself though, she was hoping to spent some time helping her roommate decorate and at least have some general fun: Alex, after all, had brought all of those interesting black light things, why not put them to good use?

She walked up the stairs of the hotel, making a beeline straight for the hotel suite. It was one of the good things about not having to be alone: it didn't matter that Alex was a boy, at least he was SOMEONE she could talk to on a daily basis. Besides, she had those sliding doors now, so they could respect each others privacy.

But then she reached the room and opened the door, and saw all of his things were gone, specifically the laptop he prized so much, and she knew he had been podded. She closed her eyes a moment, slowly counting to ten, tears springing to her eyes.
Of course.
She took a breath, then wiped her eyes and closed the door, going back down the steps, and quietly closing the door behind her. She wanted to scream, or cry, or throw a fit at least, but none of these things would bring Alex back. So she just wandered the city park for the moment, looking tired.

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Of all of the people in the city, the last person she expected to see was Nokosi, especially when he seemed to come out of nowhere. She was so startled she actually tripped, and righted herself, looking flustered.

"Oh, hello Nokosi," she greeted. "How are you?"

"Good!" he exclaimed, a smile tugging at his lips. "I have certainly been better but as they say, 'I cannot complain'."

He folded his arms behind his back as they walked, eyes focused on the path ahead. "I already know your answer will be much different but for courtesy's sake-"

"'And how are you, Kaya?'"

She gave him a brave smile, brave in the way that she was willing to engage him in conversation to forget her own loss for the moment. As it stood, Nokosi was choosing to focus on her, and that was sweet, no matter what was said.

"I've been better too. I had a friend podded, and I didn't know it with all the things happening on the ship. I would at least have liked to have hung out one more time. He was supposed to be my roommate."

And she said this in a way that Nokosi knew that was what he would have been, a roommate, a friend.

"Roommate?" he questioned, eyes turned to the sky in thought. "That is unfortunate," he finally said, tilting his head to look at her.

"Were you close?"

"Yes," she said, looking sad, "It's been a long time since I had one. Usually it didn't matter, since I had so much work to do, but I got lonely, and Alex definitely was after he lost his roommate."

She nodded. "I looked after him, and he helped me once during a pretty bad time. We decided to be roommates after he was melancholy about losing Tavros, his last roomie. He was so excited: we were going to do the room really well and everything. Black lights and posters and all..."

She stopped here, on the verge of a sob. "I just hate people I care about still being taken away from me."

"I do not know what a 'black light' is, but your relationship sounded fun!" he exclaimed, seemingly oblivious to the downcast mood of the conversation.

"Loss is a part of life; if he is just podded you can always take heart that you may see him again one day before this war is over. If not...well, you will see parts of who he was in other people." Nokosi bobbed his head a few times in agreement to his own statement.

"And once you recognize those things, I think it will make you smile even if it is only a part of who your 'roomie' was."

Kaya stared at Nokosi a moment. She knew enough that he didn't really get what sh was upset about, and while that was a little depressing, she could see he was trying to help, in how own quirky way.

"Loss has been a part of my life a long time, Kaya answered, looking glum. "Honestly, I would prefer a part of my life that didn't have to involve losing something. And he was one of a kind."

She shook her head. "I've been on this ship a long time, Nokosi, and have had to lose many people. If I have a horrible quality, its remembering all of them and not having a chance to say a proper goodbye."

"As it has been of mine, as well. Normal animals rarely live a quarter of the lifespan of a human, much less that of an elf, you know," he said with a smile.

"Knowing how finite death is when it concerns nature, I just take a different outlook on these things. Why spend your time wallowing about what you loss when you can enjoy the things of that person that made you happy? Besides," he said with a shrug.

"I do not mind not being able to tell someone a 'proper goodbye'. It sounds very final, as if you are making sure you'll be able to push back the things you knew about them without guilt. I suppose I just prefer to smile regardless."

"I'm not the kind of person that can just get over someone leaving," Kaya said. "I'm grateful for the memories and all that we've shared, but it's not quite the same thing when you lose someone you were planning on really connecting with. I'd befriended him ever since he podpopped, and watched his progression. I'm sad I won't be able to do that anymore."

She shrugged. "I miss people, and in the time I've been here, they just seem to get whisked away all too often. It makes me sad."

He laughed. "It has nothing to do with 'getting over' them. It is more about accepting such a thing. People are born and people die all the time. That is the way of life, but this...is not truly 'death', is it?"

Nokosi paused and looked thoughtful for a few moments. "It is like sleeping in the Emerald Dreamm," he finally said.

"I suppose not," Kaya said softly. "I guess I just let myself get excited. The last few days have been staying put in the med bay to help with the confusion, and before that, I've just felt very alone, that's all. Alex as a roommate wsa a way of forgetting that."

She looked a litle confused. "Emerald Dream? What's that?"

"Lonely..." he repeated, turning his gaze away. "That is the worst part..."

His voice trailed off but after a moment he looked back in her direction a smile on his lips again. "I thought you had a lot of friends; you could spend much time with them. And if not, you could avoid loneliness with Fontaine and I, though I would say we are not the most 'exciting' people to be around."

Nokosi considered her question, trying to think of a way to explain it to someone who knew nothing of Azeroth, or the powers that resided there.

"It is the realm of one of our dragon aspects, Ysera the Dreamer. It is a spirit world that mirrors our own where many of the denizens of nature reside. My father once told me that he and the other druids spent time sleeping there and that is how they were able to gain their mastery over nature."

"I haven't been able to spend much time with anyone lately, to eb honest," Kaya admitted. "To be honest, most of it is either in med bay or traning, the former being most important. Alex as a roommate would have been a dream, honestly: we were so looking forward to what we'd be able to do together, you know?"

She sighed. "No, you guys are great, actually. I know I won't be lonely long, I just would have liked somone close, around. I guess maybe I'm still not used to getting over those two years as much as I thought."

Well, that distracted her momentarily. "Have you ever been there?"

"Then your solution to loneliness is simple, is it not? Find another roommate in which you will be able to complete you and Alex's goals. Then you will no longer be lonely and you will have done something to remember Alex by."

After a beat he shook his head, causing a soft jingle with the motion. "I have not. I am told that only Druids are allowed to enter the Emerald Dream and unfortunately, I do not have the combination of traits necessary to be a druid. Turning into a Saber cat would have been very fun, too."

"That isn't as simple as it sounds, though," Kaya said. "There aren't a lot of people I would feel that comfortable sharing a room with. Alex was not only special, we both respected each other and had our own space, you know? Now that he isn't here, I don't know who would be sharing that space with me in the hotel suite."

Kaya looked at him questionably. "Well, I'll admit that I know very little abut being a druid obviously: I don't know the first thing about them. But what prevents you from being one?"

"Other than physical limitations at the time, I do not think I have the deeper understanding of nature that's necessary or the connection. Also I think that I would get very antsy if they asked me to sleep in the Emerald Dream for years at a time."

Nokosi stopped in his tracks and turned to face her, a puzzled look on his face. He simply stared at her, unblinking as the awkward seconds ticked by. Leaning forward, the elf wrapped his arms around her and embraced her tightly.

"Cheer up," was all he said as he released her.

"I don't think it would suit you, I guess because I sort of see you as a free spirit anyway. But I wouldn't want you to sleep away in the Emerald Dream thing, if it meant that we wouldn't get to see you for a long time."

Then he reached over and hugged her, and Kaya froze a moment, astounded. The last thing she expected was that sort of physical contact from Nokosi. Billy of course, and any of her female friends, but not him. For a moment, she hugged back, letting a few tears out. They weren't ones feeling sorry for herself, but rather a reminder that she was still surrounded by people who cared about her, who would attempt to make her feel better when she was feeling down.

When he released her, she wiped her eyes, managing a smile.

"You're not exactly the best at this, are you?"

Nokosi looked thoughtful for a moment before glancing down to Kaya. "I think that is the definition of an 'understatement'. I have gotten some 'practice' on Ronnae over the few years as she is prone to feeling down, but I have realized that the things that make one person happy do not always make the next person happy."

He shrugged, "And so the best I can do is guess at it or try the things that make me happy; both of which are rarely the correct choice."

Kaya smiled. "I appreciate the though, but I'm a little different from Ronnae. Still, a hug is always appreciated, wherever you go. If its one that has good meaning behind it, it has a way of making things better, I think."

She laughed. "And what usually makes you happy?"

"Oh, many things. Hearing a good story, playing or listening to music or other sounds, talking to my animal companions, climbing trees, adventures!, playing in the snow, sleeping under a tree, running around in the rain, rolling in leaves or down a hill, taking a bath under a waterfall, having a cup of tea, hearing the answers to my questions, alchemy!, picking herbs and flowers, getting my hair brushed, learning something interesting, taking a long ride."

Nokosi took a large breath, slowly exhaled then turned to look at Kaya, a smile tugging at his lips. "Many things."

Kaya laughed. Really, it was pretty hard to stay depressed when there was someone like Nokosi around. She figured this was why Ronnae had always been so happy to be around him: there was something about him that was infectious, it reminded her a lot of Aang, the memories of him Katara had, anyway.

"Maybe I've been thinking about this all the wrong way. After all, the last thing Alex would want would be me depressed and crying. He cared a lot about what happened with me. The least I can do for him is give him a smile when I think of him, keep him around in my thoughts, express him when I dance."

"Exactly," he said, placing his hands on either side of her face. He pressed his thumbs against her cheeks, pushing her face into a number of silly expressions.

A criticizing brow was furrowed and a bit of his tongue stuck out of his mouth as if he were working hard on some bit of art or other crafting. Nokosi moved her face slightly with his hands, altering her face until there was a rather forced but goofy smile on it.

"There," he finally said. "A worthy smile, I'd say."

Kaya had no idea what on earth Nokosi was doing, but for whatever reason, she went along with it. Her face was contorted into several weird expressions, and she actually crossed her eyes at one point, she looked so confused.

"You are, by far, one of the oddest males on this entire ship," she said with an obvious hint of warmth. "But yoiu actually are making me feel better somehow. Still, with all you described, I can hardly believe you don't have the makings of a druid."

He pulled his hands back and scratched at the stubble on his chin in thought. "Missing something special, I suppose or nature doesn't think I'm worthy enough. But I'm happy being a Hunter, even if I can't be a Sentinel," he said with annoyance.

Kaya looked a little skeptical here. With all that Nokosi had described, along with all that he said of the attributes of a Drud, it would seem to be a pretty obvious choice. Maybe it was just one of those things she wouldn't understand because she DID come from her own world. That tended to happen a lot.

"You seem pretty worthy to me, but then I'm not nature," Kaya said. "What's a Sentinel?"

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