Busy. Halo only knows how to be busy. Really, she'd get sad if she wasn't. When there was a chance for the grey to fade in and color absolutely everything she saw, ever. The grey was the enemy, the grey was what made her feel not so good about herself. If she wasn't busy, they grey got worse. Everything got worse. If things were at least okay, she'd be busy. If she was busy, things were at least okay. It was a vicious cycle, and when things ground to a halt, that was when they got bad.

Ru spoke of the smoke, and he wasn't wrong. Halo's tail twitched a wag. "Sirius smokes things for preservation, yes. I'm familiar with salting too, but I've only learned about smoking and drying since I've been here." Right, she could focus on the conversation. She could focus on things that weren't... well, that weren't breaking the rules of the pack. Why did the Warlord need to go putting thoughts like that in her head. Halo could think of nothing worse than betraying the Armada, really.

"I came from a land far to the north, to the east. Most of the packs there are nomadic and the winters are harsh..." Halo trailed off, checking on the jar of tea as it steeped. "Resources are scarce, if you aren't of use to your family once you reach adulthood then you can't stay." It was more than she planned to say, but the cannabis left her a bit loose in the tongue. Quietly, Halo chewed on the piece of meat before her. She wasn't strong, she wasn't brave-- there was no use for her, to them. They already had a healer. Halo was too soft. She was too weak. Sometimes she was too downright miserable thanks to the grey. She'd been driven off at the start of the winter without a second thought.

Halo was grateful that the Armada was her home now.
"Halo"

“Hrrrm, interesting. I wonder how hard that would be to set up” he mused, wondering what his sisters would think of such a contraption. Of course, that would require him to go home first to build it. He tried not to let the glumness settle over his face, knowing he had little desire to go home, even if he missed his family.

Ru blinked, his eyes shooting up to hers as she explained her family’s way of life. ‘Thats!- He paused, closing his mouth before he could shove his foot in it. He doubted Halo wanted to hear a mostly-stranger describe her family's customs as cruel and barbaric. He lowered his voice back to a normal level again. “A weird custom.” He finished, a little lamely. “Does that mean you can’t… go home?” The reason he couldn’t go home was vastly different, but it was still there. Keeping him away.

"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"

Ru mused about how difficult setting the smokehouse up had been, to which Halo shrugged softly. Admittedly, the pale girl's mouth had been full, but she also knew that the Warlord had his ways. He seemed like enjoy his feats of engineering, many of which the pale girl would never quite understand. Still, the shadow that crosses Ru's face is one that she understands well. It was the same way she felt when the grey settled in. "Here, give this a try and let me know if it needs more honey." Carefully, Halo rolled the jar one last time between her paws, making sure that the golden honey was mixed in before pouring a serving for Ru into a chipped mug.

Seer's immediate reaction hadn't been all that different than the one of the young man before her. There was a much stronger concept of family here, from what Halo could tell. "It's all normal for us. Litters are way smaller on average, and the sense of family is... different. No family names, no staying in one place for too long," she trailed off softly. The concept of home was different, even. At Ru's question, the tenderhearted girl paused. "Really, the Armada is the first home I've ever had." There was a melancholy that played over her features. "But ah, no. I couldn't go back to my parents and my brother, unless they specifically asked me back. I'd be seen as an intruder." She'd be seen as an intruder, and depending on the season, she could only imagine how they'd react and what they'd do.

As she thinks of her home, her roots, Halo sets her chin on her paws. The cannabis was taking effect, bringing the ease and relaxation over her muscles. Some of her anxiety quelled, Halo can be here. That's a nice enough feeling.

"Halo"

“Oh, thank you” he said, accepting the tea. He took a sip of the sweet mixture, and found it delightful on his taste buds. He certainly wasn’t accustomed to many sweet things in life, and he rolled it around his mouth for a moment. Savouring the taste of it. He took another, bigger sip and yelped softly as it burnt his tongue. Too much, too much! He stuck his tongue out, letting it cool in the night air as he winced.

That was strange to him indeed. Family name was… kind of a big thing. His father had been a part of a big family, and ended up getting cut off from it. He was stripped of his family name, and cast out. Another branch of his family lived in Abaven, and he had stayed there. That side of the family was far more accepting. But his father had picked a new name for himself, a new legacy. He swallowed, wondering if his fathers legacy would ever mean anything now. What was left of Rhyme?

Halo talked a little more about her family, explaining that she couldn’t go out. That she’d be an intruder. “That’s tough Halo, I’m sorry. Sounds like you found something better here tho, eh?” he suggested. He leaned forward, a little closer to her. “They don’t know what they’re missing out on!” he declared.


"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"

As Ru let out a yelp, Halo shook her head softly. A bit of a giggle played in her throat, and danced in her eyes. "Sorry, I should have warned you," it was hot, after all. Still, it seemed like the boy wasn't worse for wear... at least too badly. She's warmed a bit, likely from the drugs, and settled carefully with her chin resting on her paws to watch her charge. "How's the leg, now that you've been off it for a little bit?" The question was soft, gaze flickering to his face. Sometimes it was easy to say things were okay when they weren't actually, and if anyone knew that it was Halo.

"Much better," she agreed, smiling softly to herself. Mr. Raccoon came tumbling back into the den just then, tossing a small, fluffy pelt around Halo's shoulders, and bringing the second one deeper into the den and rolling himself up in it. She couldn't help but giggle, watching him as he did. The cheeky, silly creature that he was, the tenderhearted creature was grateful for him. Always here to lighten her moods.

"Halo"

He lay with his injured forepaw stretched out before him, and his other cupped lightly around the tea. He glanced at it as Halo asked, and shrugged carefully. “It’s fine, really” he promised. And it mostly was, now that it was patched up, relaxed, and the drugs she had given him still coursing through his veins.

He grinned as her racoon returned with two pelts, one that went around the healers shoulders, and the other the little critter wrapped up in. ‘Handy” he commented idly as he took the last sip of his tea and pushed it gently aside. “So, do you often camp out in your patients' den?” he asked, a touch of curiosity in his voice. Most healers he knew brought the injured wolf into their den. But then, Halo was tiny, and he was a lot bigger. Maybe her den just wasn’t big enough.

"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"

He swore it was okay, but Halo was still skeptical. "I feel like you and I have very different ideas of, um, fine," she offered a soft smile. Halo was a worrier by nature, sure, but it really seemed like the injury would have only gotten worse with time. Worrying was basically her job, to boot. A healer had to worry. If she wasn't worrying, then the tenderhearted creature might not be doing her job. If she wasn't doing her job then she was letting others down, and if she was letting others down then... well, it was a vicious cycle. Like, really and truly vicious. She'd only make herself sad that way, and that was something Halo was really pretty good at.

"He likes to think he is," Halo giggled. She couldn't help it... blame the cannabis. "He just likes to be cozy though, sorry. We're going to sleep in the den right next door. Sorry, are you getting tired? We can go now," the words came quickly, a bit of a blush to them as well. Shoot, she'd overstayed her welcome. Right. He's a stranger. She can't get too comfortable with him. Shoot, she's gone and put her paw in her mouth... er... something like that. Her actions reflect badly on herself. Flustered, she began to tidy what she could into Mr. Raccoon's basket.

"Halo"

He flashed her a quick impish grin. Not quite agreeing with her assessment, but amused at the likeness that it was probably true. He was far more likely to shake it off, then this gentle healer was to let him.

He was surprised to learn she was sleeping in the den next door, and a little disappointed. He was enjoying her company, he realised. Most of his life he had been accustomed to sleeping with others, this whole lone wolf thing was very new to him.

“Oh! No, don’t hurry” he said quickly as she suggested they could leave now. “Stay a while… if you want to, that is”


"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"

Being on her own was something that Halo was more than used to. It was interesting, the idea that maybe she wouldn't need to be alone all the time. Even with life within the Armada, the pale healer hadn't really let herself get too close to anyone. It was really just Mortis, and the idea of crashing in with him (at least for more than a sleepover or two) was one that was a bit out of Halo's reach. Nearness... felt vulnerable. Felt dangerous. For as tender as she is, the pale creature is also rather guarded.

His words were quick to come, and Halo offered a small, shy smile in his direction. Okay, if he... if he didn't want her to go yet, she didn't have to. Halo settled for a moment, back to the place where she sat beside Ru. "Sorry um, normally I'd bring you down to my den but ah, it's a bit of a mess right now, sorry." A bit sheepish to admit it, but the pale girl wasn't all that accustomed to visitors either. "I'm starting to get things ready for winter, and fixing my storage system and all... and it's down a ways, I didn't really want you to have to walk more." Sheepish as ever, but Halo speaks in earnest. Gentle. Always gentle.

"Halo"

His smile returned as she gave no move to leave. Her presence in the den was more comforting than he would have expected. Perhaps beneath his bluster and defensiveness, there was still just a boy. A boy afraid and angry in the realisation of what he had to lose. Had lost. He didn’t want her to go, and even that thought was a little frightening.

He pushed it aside, concentrating on the here and now. Of the chill breeze that managed to shuffle around the edge of the den. Of the scents of tea and fur blankets, and muskiness from a den not often used. “Sounds lovely. It feels like it's been a long time since I’ve seen a proper healers den.” he said a little wistfully.

"Senryū Cavaliere-Klein"