Hadriel IC Inbox

[claritatis]

"You've reached Ignis Scientia. Leave a message and I will endeavour to get back to you post-haste."

Comments

text.

[claritatis]

I try.

[He is not fooled. He knows what makes her laugh.]

I'll meet you outside. Five minutes?

text.

[dedikated]

( they both have terrible senses of humour and are therefore perfect together. )

Make it ten. Someone just walked in.

text.

[claritatis]

Alright. I'll let Nick know I'm heading out.

action. 👀

[dedikated]

( Well, true to her word, she is there in ten minutes, stifling a yawn as she closes the clinic door behind her. When will the good coffee return to the city, pray tell? )

Busy day? ( Fingers curling into the fabric tossed over her shoulders to serve as protection from the harsh sun, Kate smiles, relaxed despite the bout of flu only a few weeks ago, and that whole business with the demons running around (why is it always demons). )

👀

[claritatis]

Hm. [He leans down to kiss her once they're close enough, lingering for just a moment before he moves away.]

You could say that. I think we're at a loss of what to do about the recent demon-summoning problem.

[dedikated]

( When he leans in, Kate's hand easily finds his, fingers weaving together when they part. Little things that have become second nature to her now, as comfortable as silences shared and evenings spent together.

Her hand tightens just a little around his at the summary. Recent events bringing back memories of poorly made decisions during her last visit, of sitting in front of the Guard leaders as they were then and explaining everything she knew about what happened. )

Can't exactly hold court.

( As has been proven before, time and again. The guard can't really punish anyone without catching flak for it somewhere, and ultimately making things worse. )

[claritatis]

I know. [It's one major failing of this place and the order they try to keep - there are no laws, no rules, only a loosely-held net of morals that hold the worst of them back from killing the rest.

They involve themselves too much, and they appear a police state. Too little, and people ask why they do nothing. It's not something they can win against, they can only hope to do the best they can.

He steps back from her, gently pulling her along with a small, warm smile.]

But let's speak of something else. Work can remain behind the doors we just stepped out of.

[dedikated]

( It must suck to be the guard here, and Kate is often thankful that the clinic doesn't have the same kind of scrutiny, outside of those who simply don't trust doctors.

But, walking together down the street (and yes, she probably does need faster steps to keep up with his tall ass, but we digress), the change of topic is just fine by her. Work will surely be waiting for them both when they get back. )

Wonder how much energy people collected for Hope.

( That should be coming into effect soon, she thinks. )

[claritatis]

We'll find out, soon enough.

[Ignis' words come out on a thoughtful murmur with a gentle swinging of their hands between them as they walk. He measures his steps so she can keep pace without trying too hard - they're in no rush, after all.]

After spending so long keeping the creatures out of the city, I'm beginning to long for some reprieve.

[dedikated]

( True enough, and she doesn't stop the soft swinging, the only response found in the way she leans in towards him just a little bit more. )

Want a sick note?

( The wry smile tugging at the corners of her mouth can be heard when she speaks. )

[claritatis]

[Ignis hums out a soft sound of amusement and squeezes his fingers tight around hers, just for a moment.]

I don't think I've reached that stage, just yet. [He tells her, glancing sidelong at her as a smile warms the edges of his expression.] But I'll be sure to let you know if I do.

[dedikated]

( She catches that warmth as his eyes flick towards her and her stomach tightens in a way which seems to blossom into her heart, so brief it may not have been there at all.

Except for the tingle that lingers afterwards, pricking at her with each step. But silence falls over them, comfortable except for that one little pinprick of emotion which stays, and Kate's eyes eventually trail off towards the windows of stores and the streets around them, happy to walk like this for the moment. )

[claritatis]

[He falls easily into that comfortable silence, hooking the thumb of his free hand through a belt-loop and keeping Kate's held lightly in the other.

When they reach the orchard, he ducks under a tree and lets out a soft huff as the shade takes off the worst of the heat. With his fingers still laced through hers, he tugs her after him.]

[dedikated]

( She more than has the reflexes, the strength, to resist that movement, but Kate falls into it anyway, steps quick as she stumbles into the shade and into him with a breathless huff of laughter, hand curling into fabric before it slips up to his necklace. )

Fancy meeting like this.

( And, with that, she tugs him down for a kiss. )

[claritatis]

[A soft breath catches in his throat, his hand coming up reflexively to grasp hers and keep her from putting too much tension on the chain around his neck. There's enough strength in her to fight anything he tries to make her do but she so rarely uses it, and Ignis chooses not to point that fact out.

He leans down to the kiss she tugs him into, lingering on the soft, warm press of lips. It's a warmth entirely unlike the constant barrage of the suns and the heat that always hangs in the air. Something that sinks in slowly and gently, settling into the part of his heart that's set aside just for her.]

[dedikated]

( It's a slow kiss, gentle and longer than it needs to be under the shade. Her fingers never clutch the chain too tightly, but her hand wraps around his when it curls around hers, squeezing as she pulls back. Easy moments seem to come so naturally when he's here, and her heart is full in her chest as she looks up at him. )

I—

( Hm. )

— So. What d'ya want?

( To eat. Of course. )

[claritatis]

Hm. [A kiss falls to her forehead, so easy with the difference in their heights and when she never hurries to move away from him. There's a reluctance in the way his eyes pull from hers, and he scans the branches above them with another low sound of thought.]

Given the level of choice I'd be foolish to be too picky. [His tone is wry, but warmly so.]

Did you have something in mind?

[dedikated]

( Hm. )

No idea.

( The orchard isn't exactly blossoming like it used to, but there's enough to scrape together something resembling a meal. She glances up to the tree above them first at something shaped vaguely like a pear. If it was drawn by someone who had never seen a pear. )

Tastes like cherries.

[claritatis]

Does it?

[He looks quizzically up at the fruit on the branches above them. There is never going to be a day that he gets used to the oddities around the food here, but he can at least get used to cooking with them. So far, he's not managed to make anything inedible.]

I can't say it looks entirely appetising.

[dedikated]

( Kate either. It's a strange thing to bite into something which tastes nothing like your brain expects it to. Apple tasting grapes, oranges which look like bananas... )

Does anything?

( That's certainly a truth of Hadriel. Nothing ever really looks... mouthwatering. Or close to it. )

Still edible.

( Which, for the most part, is all Kate ever cares about. If it tastes good, that's just a bonus. )

[claritatis]

[Ignis sighs, pulling a piece of the fruit down for himself and looking at it with an entirely unsatisfied expression.]

It says little for food when the best compliment there is to bestow upon it is 'edible'. [He laments wryly before taking a bite.]

... Unfortunately, that's truly the best to be said at the moment.

[dedikated]

( It's all sorts of wrong, crispy like an apple with the taste of a cherry and unbearably dry all at the same time. Kate's fingers curl around Ignis' wrist and pull the fruit towards her, stealing a bite once he's taken his, eyes fixed on his face as her teeth sink into it. )

That a no, then?

( He is the one who knows food here, not her. )

[claritatis]

[A sigh.]

Ordinarily it would be, but as things are, beggars can't be choosers.

[He looks from her to the piece of fruit, and lifts his eyebrows slightly.]

Will you get your own, or are you content with taking bites from mine?

[dedikated]

( Ignis is that really an avenue of questioning you want to go down, when it makes a playful smirk flit across Kate's face, her brows raising in response to his.

There are many things she could take bites of here. But she won't, instead smoothly taking that hand from his wrist and finding the collar of his shirt this time to pull him close for a kiss. )

[claritatis]

[There are so many reasons he was attracted to her to begin with, and so many reasons that he loves her now. The way she challenges him is certainly not the least of them.

He leans down to her easily, not resisting the pull on his collar even for a moment and when his lips meet hers it's a soft, warm, lingering thing that he doesn't rush to pull away from.]