Nine

[pendantry]

[It's moving day.

It took her a while to think about it, and another while to really decide, but after more than enough talking to herself on the matter, Raven is moving out of building two and into an empty room in Leon's house. Maybe they aren't family anymore; it doesn't matter, Raven is sick of living so completely alone, with an empty floor and emptiness all above her, too.

Maybe she isn't so thrilled to have Sokka and Ikki's noisy house as close neighbors...but maybe she's also kind of glad for it. For the closeness of people she can pretend to teeter on the edge of trusting. Kyle will also be closer to Soren and she thinks that'll do her good.

She didn't think to warn Leon of any of this beyond a short message this morning, so at least the first part of her day involves a long walk carrying a few packed boxes. Kyle follows along behind, half-carrying a drawstring bag of things - it's not a very heavy bag, she's just being lackluster about it. It is a distance to house 59 and Raven keeps turning around to offer encouragement.]

You like Leon. It'll be okay. [Never mind all of her own private apprehension. As she passes through the plaza she looks at Slash 'n' Crash with a sigh, wondering if they found her note about being busy with moving and coming to work late.

Once Leon's sorted out her moving issues, though, she walks through the smithy door looking...content. Maybe smiling. Depends on who's in there.]

Comments

[tokennonbender]

[Asami is on her way back from the blacksmith, a small box of parts in her arms when she spots Raven heading in the same direction with an armful of...boxes? She didn't know the girl that well, she worked with her sometimes but...she was pretty sure the redhead didn't live right here, did she?]

[She hurries her footsteps to catch up, offering her what she hopes is a friendly smile.]

Raven! Hello! ...Do you live around here now?

[pendantry]

Hey. [She has to shift the boxes in order to look at Asami while she talks.] What do you mean, around here?

[tokennonbender]

[Asami just bobs her head to indicate the nearby houses.]

Here. Ish. I just meant...you look like you're moving.

[Her green eyes flick to the stuff the other is carrying as if in explanation.]

[pendantry]

I am. I'm moving to number fifty-nine.

[Which she knows is near Sokka's; she hasn't put it together that Asami also lives there and just how near they are all going to be.]

[tokennonbender]

[So near. So near. Asami brightens at that.]

Oh! I live right near there. Practically next door.

[pendantry]

You live with Sokka?

[Hopefully he wasn't after her as some kind of new new girlfriend.]

[tokennonbender]

Yes. Well. [She hesitates.] I mean, not with, just...we live in the same house. Almost everyone from our world does, except Suki.

[pendantry]

[Suki, if she recalls correctly, was The Girlfriend. This recognition probably shows on Raven's face for a second.]

It's so crowded. [None of them ever seem bothered by this.]

[tokennonbender]

...Yeah, it is. But it's a pretty big house, honestly. And it's better than being alone all the time.

[Asami did go for walks every day to get away, though. Being an only child was a hard habit to shake.]

[pendantry]

[Well that hits home. Raven is alone all the time, except for Kyle.]

It would be too loud for me.

[tokennonbender]

It's not so bad, really. You learn to tune a lot of it out. [She grins.]

And go for walks.

[pendantry]

[For Raven, that would be so much walking that she'd never be home.]

I don't think I could do it.

[tokennonbender]

...Really? It's not so hard, honestly.

Why do you think you couldn't?

[pendantry]

[Because it would be too many people, really. Raven prefers her privacy even while she longs to be less alone.]

I just do. [If she could, she'd fluff her feathers and turn her head; the feathers on her Luceti wings are doing just that.]

[tokennonbender]

[Asami knows the wrong place to tread when she sees it, so she'll just nod her head at that and shrug.]

Okay. [A pause.] If you're so close, we could walk to the forge together sometimes.

[pendantry]

[Oh. That one is more acceptable. It's a long walk back to the center of town from here.]

That's fine.

[tokennonbender]

Great. [Asami was nothing if not optimistic. At the moment, at least.]

So why are you moving? If you don't mind me asking.

[pendantry]

Leon asked if I would...and my apartment was lonely.

[tokennonbender]

I can understand that. I don't think I'd want to live by myself.

[pendantry]

Why not? [It's lonely sometimes, but genuinely refreshing at others.]

[tokennonbender]

[Asami shrugs.]

It would be lonely.

[pendantry]

[It's hard to answer that. In Sharance, she did not live alone, though sometimes it seemed that way when Gaius got really into the business of smithing. But his moods were reliable and annoying in an endearing way, and they looked out for each other.

This was the first time she'd really lived alone. And now it was over; was she relieved? Or frustrated?]

Living with people can be lonely too.

[tokennonbender]

Maybe. But it usually isn't.