Work Text:
Humidity settles over Radz-at-Han like a thick blanket, hot and stuffy and far too heavy for those not acclimated to the Thavnairian heat. Even as the sun begins to set, and the night trickles in with its cooling touch, the heat is dense all around. Capri mutters a complaint under her breath, clenching and unclenching her clammy fists. What she would give for an ice cold drink… or two, or three. Hells, at this point she would welcome a bucket of Coerthan ice water poured over her head. Anything to stop feeling like a fish left to rot on the side of the road.
Still, she’s on a mission, and she’s not one to give up so easily. The Black Shroud came with its own fair share of humid summers, forcing her to seek cooling shade beneath boughs of ancient trees. Thavnair isn’t much different, she tells herself. Except it is. The humidity is stickier, the sun is brighter, and the biting kiss of winter never reaches this far south.
Ah, but no matter. She’s come this far, hasn’t she? As she pushes past a pair of colorful doors, into the corridor of the airship landing, she reminds herself that her trek through the humidity will be worth it. There was a presence she noticed missing from the dinner table, and she would be remiss to let such an absence slip under her nose.
True to her instinct, she finds her target at the usual spot—at the very edge of the landing, overlooking the tangle of jungle stretching for malms. Zero. Capri has lost track of the number of times she’s found the woman here, meandering through the maze of questions in her head, no doubt pondering the newfound discoveries of the day. It seems Zero has learned much about camaraderie and companionship in the past handful of days alone. It would do her well to continue down this path, so Capri thinks, for experience is always better lived than learned.
“Zero!” Capri yips, kicking up her pace into a light jog. She joins her friend at the landing’s edge and leans against the railing, throwing her arms behind her head with an easygoing smile. “We missed you at dinner! Were you, how didja say it, amply fed ?”
“Mm,” Zero hums. Beneath the shadow of her hat, her cool gaze flicks to Capri. It’s a pleasant contrast to the overbearing eye of the setting sun. “The thought of sustenance… elicited an unease.” She lays a hand over her stomach. “Varshahn explained that humans experience this sensation when they’ve had more than an adequate fill of food. It encourages moderation—a strange concept. The voidsent gorge themselves without repercussion.”
“Oh, yeah. You never wanna eat too much. It’ll make your tummy hurt,” Capri adds. She hoists herself onto the bannister and dangles her legs over the railing. Zero watches with a solid stare, but before she finds the words for the concern writ across her lips, Capri laughs. “Don’ worry, I won’t fall. I used to climb trees like it was nothin’.”
“We are several malms from the ground.”
Capri shrugs. “So were the treetops.” She leans back and cants her gaze toward the crimson sky. Above the darkening sun, the moon has begun to lay out its veil across the sky. Cool hues of midnight creep closer and closer toward the horizon. Nightfall will arrive soon, and with it, a reprieve from the oppressive heat. “Well, since you skipped out on dinner, what d’ya plan to do now?”
“I’m unsure,” Zero sighs. She keeps her gaze steady and firm on Capri. Attentive. Protective. Warmth fills Capri’s cheeks, but she blames it on the humidity.
“Why not somethin’ fun?” she offers—an easy distraction, she realizes.
“I…” Zero licks her lips and presses them together. “I’m unsure… as to what constitutes as fun. Leisure is not a luxury we can afford on the Thirteenth. Survival has always taken precedence, so I… I know not what to do with myself in the absence of that need.”
“There’s a lotta things, really,” Capri begins, kicking her legs back and forth. “Depends on what you like. Drinkin’, dancin’, singin’, climbin’ trees… anythin’! Some folks even like to read for fun.”
“I know not what I enjoy… or what I once enjoyed, I suppose.”
“Mm, what about drinkin’? Everybody loves a drink every now an’ then.”
“I’m afraid I’ve never done that.”
Capri cocks her head to the side. “You ain’t never drink before? Honest to gods?”
“Not that I recall, at least,” Zero answers. She nervously rubs the brim of her hat with two fingers. “If I did… it was far too long ago for me to remember what it must’ve felt like.”
“Oh, ‘m sorry,” Capri mutters, her ears wilting flat against her head. She notices the downturn of Zero’s lips, the furrow of her brow. There’s pain writ in every ilm of Zero’s face. A longing for something lost to distant memory. Still, it won’t do her any good to seeks answers from memories that will never deign to speak. “...D’ya wanna try it?”
Zero quirks a brow. “Try what?”
“Drinkin’, of course! Just one. Maybe two if you’re up for it.” Smiling from ear to ear, Capri swings her legs back over the railing and hops down onto her feet. “We can head on over to Mehryde’s Meyhane. They’ve got all sorts of tasty drinks there, an’ I’m sure we can find you somethin’ light an’ easy to start with. It’ll be my treat! Let’s do it, yeah?”
Confusion eases the pain from Zero’s face, but it soon ebbs into curiosity as she turns her gaze to Capri and finds the Miqo’te holding out her hand. “What… what would you have me do in return?”
“Nothin’! Just enjoy yourself. We’re friends now, remember?” Capri grins, her fluffy stump of a tail wagging behind her. “C’mon, it’ll be fun.”
Quietly, Zero steps away from the landing’s edge and eyes Capri’s hand with a nervous shift of her gaze. From firm to flustered, all in a matter of moments. Capri’s heart pounds in her chest and her tail wags faster until it’s nothing but a blur—to think this coolheaded reaper could be so utterly adorable leaves her giddy with delight.
“...If you so insist,” Zero mutters, laying her hand onto Capri’s palm. “I will follow your lead.”
Capri all but yips and howls. “Yeah, yeah! Let’s go, let’s go!” Giggling, she clasps Zero’s hand and breaks into a run through the airship landing. A startled grunt knocks out of Zero’s chest, but she quickly regains her footing to keep up after the spirited Seeker as best she can.
By now, the sun has disappeared beneath the horizon, leaving the moon to cast a soothing glow over the city. Golden lanterns light up the streets, lively chatter echoes throughout the colorful halls. The Hannish nightlife is just as vibrant and energetic as the day, perhaps even more so as people find themselves invigorated by the cool, crisp night.
Capri brings Zero to Mehryde’s Meyhane in a matter of moments, energized by the prospect of deepening her friendship with the reaper. She spares Zero a chance to catch her breath beside the door, but once both of them have properly recomposed themselves, they step into the meyhane and find a comfortable spot for two against the open terrace. They sit across from each other, only a small, flower-shaped lantern between them. To the north, fragrant night winds roll in from the jungle, carrying the distant cry of some nocturnal bird; to the east, a pair of dancers take the stage in their ruby red and sapphire blue garments, twisting and turning their bodies in total synchrony.
“It’s lively,” Zero notes, nodding her head in affirmation. She scans the rest of the meyhane and hums. A handful of patrons crowd around the stage, cheering and whistling and, of course, drinking their hearts out. Several more sit at the bar, while a dozen or so others fill the tables at the center of the venue. “I did not think to find many people here at this hour.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised,” Capri giggles. She flips open the little menu book listing the meyhane’s drinks and taps each one as she reads their descriptions. “Many folks like to come down here after a long day. It’s the same everywhere you go, really. People love to wind down with a drink and good company.”
“Am I… good company?” Zero mutters. She fidgets with the brim of her hat again, sliding her finger over the edge back and forth a few times.
Capri beams. “Of course you are! That’s why I—we missed you at dinner. You’re learnin’ a bunch of new things here. I… I mean, we, we want to be a part of it. The Scions an’ me.” She rubs her knees together beneath the table. “Though, I don’ blame you if it gets overwhelmin’ tryin’ to keep up with everythin’. That’s why I figured we’d have this lil’ date by ourselves, y’know?”
Zero tilts her head. “Date?”
“Um, uh, y’know, like…” Capri’s cheeks flush bright pink as she fumbles for the right words. “Two people hangin’ out together. People do it all the time. Yeah. All the time! Ahaha!” She quickly waves off the question before the steam in her face rises to her ears. “Anyway, let’s start you off with the mors, ‘kay? It’s fermented lingonberries. Sweet an’ easy.”
“I’ll defer to your judgment.” Zero absentmindedly traces the elaborate design on the table. “I’ve not much to go by, after all.”
“Mhm, mhm. Mors it is!”
The first round arrives not long after Capri hails a server—a mors for Zero, and an amra cocktail for Capri. Zero stares at her deep, wine red drink with a contemplative press of her lips, and raises the glass to her nose. One sniff, two sniff. She winces and sets the drink down, only to look up and find Capri sipping her cocktail without a care in the world. “The smell is… unpleasant.”
“Mm, yeah, that’s normal if you’re not used to it,” Capri says. “It’ll taste good, though. C’mon, try it!”
“Very well.” Slowly, Zero raises the glass to her lips, hesitates, and tips it up ever so slightly. The drink slips past her pale lips—only to be promptly spat back out. “...The taste is also unpleasant,” she says, dismay weighing her tone.
“Yeah, that’s also normal,” Capri giggles as she hands Zero a handkerchief. She takes another easy sip of her cocktail and shrugs. “I’ll be honest. Drinkin’ ain’t so much about the flavor. It’s all about the experience.” She gestures toward the stage and the other patrons laughing among their companions. “People get together and drink but they’re really just here for each other. Drinkin’s just an easy way to relax and let go of yourself.”
“How?” Zero asks, wiping the mors dripping off her chin. “I can hardly imagine that pungent flavor encouraging… relaxation.”
Capri stares a little too intently at Zero’s lips, but quickly catches herself and chuckles. “It, uh, loosens people up. Turns tight-lipped people into talkers. Quiet people into criers. Calm people into fighters. That kind of stuff.”
“Is it some manner of magic?”
“Mm, nope, just alcohol.” Capri takes another sip, watching Zero as she eyes the mors with vague distrust. “Some people call it liquid courage ‘cuz it helps you be the person you want to be. Or the person you really are. Everyone has a different opinion on it.”
“I see,” Zero mutters. “The person… I really am…” Puffing out her chest ever so slightly, Zero picks up her glass again and braves another sip. She wills herself to swallow, but the disgust doesn’t go unnoticed.
“The more you drink, the easier it gets. I promise!”
Zero grunts a skeptical huff, but nods her assent regardless. She takes another sip, and another, stopping between each one to process the strange, bitter flavor accosting her tongue. Capri can’t say she’s surprised—up until now, Zero has only received meals and beverages meant to be enjoyed for their nourishment and flavor. Alcohol is an entirely different beast.
But to see Zero brave this new foe—it warms Capri’s heart. She giggles behind her cocktail as Zero musters another sip, but Zero hardly seems to notice. She’s far too preoccupied with the offensive drink in her hand.
“C’mon,” Capri chimes, reaching over to give a good, hearty slap to Zero’s shoulder. “You’re doin’ great!” As a further show of encouragement, Capri leans back and drains the rest of her cocktail down her throat. She drinks it all down without a fuss, letting out a satisfied exhale.
Zero stares. She flicks her gaze back to her mors—the glass closer to full than anything else—and grips it firmly. In one swift motion, she downs the entire drink and swallows, much to Capri’s shock.
“Zero!”
Zero sputters and coughs, but triumphantly slams the emptied glass onto the table. “A-another, please,” she stammers. “The s-sensation is odd, like a fire in m-my neck, b-but… if t-this is what humans do… if this is h-how they enjoy life …” She gasps, stops, exhales slowly through her lips. “I… wish to learn.”
Capri flutters her ears and beams, her tail whipping into another wag. “You got it!” She cheerfully orders another round for them both—the same drink, to spare some mercy on Zero.
As they drink—Capri with the same ease as before, and Zero braving every sip with more confidence than the last—Capri rambles on about every little thing Zero should experience once matters with the void have been appropriately dealt with. She tells her of the snowy mountains of Coerthas, the rice paddies of Yanxia, the salt lochs of Ala Mhigo. Every scent, every flavor. Every sound, every feeling.
By the time they’re both deep into their fourth drink, Capri is sitting beside Zero, leaning against her shoulder and motioning wide with her arm. “We’ll see it aaaalll,” she says, smiling wide. “Everythin’ I’ve seen an’ done, I’ll make sure ya see an’ do it, too.”
Zero barely holds herself up against the table, nodding dumbly along to whatever it is Capri is saying. “I am… I am eager to see it,” she manages, reaching for her half-empty mors. “And do it.”
Capri giggles, her cheeks awfully warm. She’s not quite sure if it’s the alcohol or something else altogether. “I think that’s enough drinkin’ for us both,” she says, laying her hand over Zero’s wrist. “Don’ wanna have to drag ya all the way back to the Meghaduta by myself.” She coaxes Zero to set the glass down, and then intertwines their fingers without any preemptive thought. “Ya skin’s a bit rough. I’ll give ya some of my balm when we get back, yeah?”
“Balm?” Zero blinks, gazing down at their interlocked hands.
“Mhm! The good stuff. Ya really should take better care of yaself, Zero,” Capri chides lightly, tapping Zero’s cheek with her free hand. “It’s okay, though. I don’ mind takin’ care of ya.” She giggles. “It’s what friends do!”
“What… friends do…,” Zero parrots absentmindedly. She nods in agreement, but at this point, she’ll nod to Capri declaring that clouds are made out of sugar. “My chest feels strange, like there’s—” She lets out a long burp, and immediately furrows her brow. “W-what was that—”
“Oh!” Capri laughs. “Ya burped! That’s so cute. I figured ya’d be a lightweight, but I didn’t think ya’d burp like that.” She drapes herself over Zero’s lap and taps the reaper’s lips. “Burpin’s normal! Happens all the time when ya drink. It’s good for ya!”
Zero doesn’t look quite convinced, but she nods anyway. “I see…”
“I’m really happy we met, y’know,” Capri rambles on, “really, really happy. I get to show ya all my favorite places an’ things an’ teach ya about new stuff an’ help ya find ya way again. It means a lot to me, really.” She sighs, almost wistful, but not quite. Her face burns hot with a mixture of sensations—mostly the potent blend of alcohol and affection bubbling in her stomach. It’s unbearably hot, leaving her clammy and sweaty, but for some reason, she doesn’t mind it this time.
She sits herself up and stares directly at Zero. “Hey, hey, d’ya think I can kiss ya?”
“What?” Zero blinks.
“A kiss,” Capri says, courage burning hot in her cheeks. “Just a lil’ one.”
“Is that what friends do?”
Capri stops. Her stomach flutters and flips, and her heart thrums a fierce beat against her chest. She feels the steam rising off her face and from her ears, and it’s like the oppressive Thavnairian heat never left at all. “...Yes,” she says, resolute. She’s come this far, hasn’t she?”
“Then… yes. You can,” Zero says. She closes her eyes, and Capri is relieved Zero knows what a kiss is.
With her tail wagging at full speed, Capri scrunches her eyes shut, and leans forward to press her lips against Zero’s. They’re cold, and somewhat dry, but pleasant all the same. Gentle, yet firm. Zero doesn’t have much technique in the way she kisses, whether from inexperience or inebriation, Capri can’t bring herself to care. She’s happy to simply sit there, her lips against Zero’s, sharing in the reprieve of intimacy.
Capri pulls herself away and clears her throat. “Um, that was… nice. T-thank you.”
Zero opens her eyes and blinks. “I’m afraid… I don’t remember much in the way of kissing, either.”
“N-no! You were fine.” Capri chuckles and fidgets with a tuft of hair behind her ear. “Nothin’ a bit of practice won’t fix.”
“Oh,” Zero says blankly. She nods, even as Capri realizes the implication of her own words and nearly screams. “I… look forward to that as well.”
Capri hails the server. She needs a fifth drink.