The Push of Fate....(Tag Orion, Noon to past MId Day)

[Max]

Max thought they were scott free until Galax offered to feed Rion. It was not Max’s place to say no to Galax. He nodded and decided he would wait with Rion.

“Where is Zowie at?”

He wondered as she wasn’t in the kitchen. She must either be seeing or in the garden. He didn’t want to leave Rion with him for to long. That could unravel things very quickly.

[Orion Kou]

Rion jumped as Galax's hand came down on his shoulder, the unexpected touch igniting his fight or flight reflex for a brief moment before the rational part of his brain reminded him that he was safe.

Acting as though nothing had happened and his heart wasn't about to leap out of his throat he smiled at Galax's offer of food. "Food would be great. Thank you."

[Galax]

Galax paid little mind to the newcomer who jumped as he patted the shoulder. It was confirmation that Rion had been through a lot. There was a story which intrigued Galax about why Rion was covered in grime. He paused for a moment as he thought about where Zowie currently was.

“I think she is out on the ledge, the one that overlooks the river and you can see for miles on end. She mentioned that she needed time to think.”

He walked past the two men towards the house as a smile landed on his lips. The girl was often there when her duties were done or there was something deep on her mind. There was something which often caused her bad dreams. He let her have those secrets as all teenagers did.

“Rion, go with Max to wash up. I am sure a bath would do wonders for our guest. Let me see where we can put him for lodgings. I will see you both soon.”

He walked to the house to clean up himself before the midday meal.

[Max]

Max didn’t like the scrutiny that Galax gave Rion but he couldn’t tell him not to look at Rion. Galax had a sharp eye and for those situations that didn’t require intelligence Max handled them.

“I’ll bunk him at my lodge. After all it is the only place we don’t have guests yet. I haven’t seen our barn cat have you Galax?”

He usually deflected with that and he hadn’t seen Quantum and wondered where she was off to the last day. She could take care of herself and he shouldn’t worry but he did in a way.

“Come on Rion I’ll show where you can stay. It’s not to far of a walk. Only a mile or so and we will be back for midday meal. Come on.”

[Orion Kou]

Rion was grateful for Max's quick diversion away from Galax's scrutiny as they made their way away from the house and towards the lodge. He was sure Galax could see right through him, but the man had let the lie slide, much to Rion's surprise.

Now, he was looking forward to getting cleaned up and filling his belly with a decent meal. As they walked, he remembered Max mentioning an upcoming festival.

"So, whats this festival you and Galax were talking about?"

[Max]

Max looked at Rion as he walked them toward the lodge. That was an interesting subject to bring up but a worthwhile one.

“Yes the festival. It honors your dead. It’s seven days long and shuts the planet down. It’s nice and gives people ways to remember their dead. The masquerade is what tourists come to see or participate in. We set up pavilions for those tourist who don’t want to stay in town. Basically a large religious party. I have attended. I had some fun.”

He didn’t say he was following a thief who had stolen from the canteen they ran. Then caught him and cut off his thumb for stealing. You didn’t take from an Araxian without permission.

[Orion Kou]

Rion had heard of such festivals. He'd never been to one. There were no large festivals in his homeland to honor the dead. Remembering lost loved ones was a family affair. A small shrine was erected in the home or families made an outing to their loved ones' burial sites. There were no parties or wild celebrations.

This festival sounded like fun. "I'm surprised there's still a world in this universe that allows themselves the liberty of such a celebration." Truth be told, he didn't know how far Death Phantom's influence had reached, but until landing on this rock he had lost hope of finding a place even marginally free of the demon's grip.

[Max]

Max walked along slowly while they headed to his lodge. The moment he realized that they would need clothing for Rion he headed toward the clothes line and snagged some of Andrews clothing. He handed them to Rion.

“This should fit. We will go into town later and get you some more clothing. After all when you get rested and some real food in you for a day or so you can accompany around.”

The festival wouldn’t be stopped and they had not cared who ruled the universe.

“They weren’t thrilled by Death Phantom taking over but they also just didn’t care. Death Corps came and left without a fuss. They haven’t been back since. That’s the story I gathered.”

Max shrugged his massive shoulders as they walked after handing over the clothes.

“It’s just like they rolled over and didn’t even fight. Where’s the honor in that? I’d at least fight and die with my honor intact than live without any honor.”

They entered a wooded area and after a short five minutes they came to a large lodge that resembled a large hand built log cabin.

“Let’s get you settled then I’ll show you where the river is.”

[Orion Kou]

Rion accepted the clothes. "Thank you." He hoped their owner wouldn't mind them being borrowed for a short while. He was looking forward to getting some of his own clothes, since it appeared he would be sticking around for a while here. "I don't have any money, though."

"So does that mean this planet is technically controlled by them?" he asked. He felt much the same as Max. He didn't understand how anyone would just roll over while their home was invaded. But then, maybe the people here didn't have a reason to fight back. Maybe it didn't matter to them who ruled over the planet. He didn't know anything about Jalleus, after all. Maybe they didn't have a Kakyuu or Serenity, so it was no big loss to them.

Rion was equal parts impressed and apprehensive as they approached the lodge. "Ah, rustic living." He grinned when Max mentioned showing him the river, assuming that was where bathing took place. "No running water, then?"

[Max]

Max understood why Rion said that and shook his head. Rion was his guest and he would take care of him. He also would show him how to farm and basically help out around the farm. He had been here longer than the five seasons he intended and was now a farmer and he didn’t mind it. It kept him busy.

“Don’t worry about the coin. I’ll take care of it. You need stuff to call your own. I’ll just ask for your assistance when it comes to erecting the pavilions for the tourists that will come with the festival. First I want you to get some good rest. You look like you’ve been out through a wringer.”

The next question was a good one and one he had attempted to find an answer to several times over. They were technically part of Death Phantom’s conquests but they didn’t have enough interesting technology or raw materials to warrant having a Death Corps general assigned to manage the planet.

“Technically yes. Although not enough to have one of Death Phantom’s generals assigned to oversee the planet. It’s just the government sends a monthly report to them and they stay away from what they consider a planet of very little importance. It’s relatively quiet here.”

He chuckled about the rustic living comment but he would show him around. The No running water wasn’t quite true as he did have a large area he had irrigated to do he could have a small reservoir to do his cooking and washing with. He had also acquired a large copper basin several months ago and had finished a proper Araxian communal bath.

“There is but the river is being shown so if you need a bucket of water and also because I have a large stone irrigation channel that runs water to the lodge. I’m showing you it so if the grate is clogged you can unclog it and we can have water. Plus I have to go back up to the barn to get several bales of hay to make you a mattress.”

He took Rion around the east side of the lodge and showed him the irrigation channel which was a stone paved channel joined with mortar that allowed for water to run to a large pool that could have fit at least five people in the gathering pool. Just four meters to the right of it was the copper tub which was supported on metal beams with another paved area below it. Rion could see the remnants of ash below it and see the sides of the tub had been scorched by fire. He would notice if he looked at with a pride.

“We’ll bath tonight as all Araxians do in the communal bath. I’ll warm it as the sun sets if you fill it. You need the hot water to loosen your tired body. It will help you sleep. Follow me to the river.”

He led him to the river and pointed to the grate. He then motioned him to follow back to the lodge. They got back pretty quick and he took Rion inside. He would see it was not a bad size and could sleep five or six comfortably. He pointed to the western wall with the shelves.

“I’ll build your bed there. Those will be your storage shelves.”

He went over to his shelf and removed a small knife in the sheath. It was at least a foot long and he gave him the belt.

“You’ll need those as I don’t want you caught unarmed. Animals other than livestock wander these woods and the farm.”

He looked at his shelves and tossed him a pair of socks.

“I’ll repair your shoes tonight but for now wear the socks as they are thick and Zowie made them slightly to small for me. They were her second attempt.”

He smiled at the first attempt which was on the shelf and almost a size to large.

[Orion Kou]

Rion chuckled dryly at Max's mention of his appearance. He hadn't so much as looked in a mirror in...much too long, and had no doubts that he looked like absolute shit. He felt like shit. "Not gonna lie, I'm looking forward to getting some decent rest. I can't remember the last time I slept on a bed.

The news that the planet was not patrolled by any of the Death Phantom's troops made it a little easier to breathe and relax. It was a relief, to finally end up somewhere away from the chaos and have room to relax and think and, hell, simply exist without looking over his shoulder constantly.

Rion couldn't miss the look of pride as Max showed him the irrigation system and the tub. He was impressed, though not surprised that the Araxian man had done it all by hand. "You made all of this yourself?" He asked, a note of wonder and respect in his tone. While he was not opposed to hard work, it had certainly took strength and skill to gt everything completed.

And then the words "communal bath" hit him. He hadn't been naked in front of anyone since he was a toddler. He was almost certain that there wasn't much that could make him feel inadequate like his short, scrawny frame in the buff anywhere near the much taller and much more muscular Araxian. But he wasn't about to disrespect Max's customs, especially with as much as he knew about Araxian views about outsiders. He felt that it was no insignificant thing that he was being included as such, so he was determined to move past his self-consciousness.

"A hot bath sounds amazing." He could already feel his tired muscles begging for a soak. He followed Max around to the river and then back to the lodge. It was very roomy. His gaze followed to the direction Max was pointing, at the empty western wall and the shelves. "Thanks. I'm good with just a cot on the floor, though. You don't need to go out of your way." He knew Max was already busy and had other things to worry about than building him a bed. A mattress stuffed with hay on the floor would be an upgrade.

Rion accepted the sheathed knife. Even though the reason for lending it to him was practical, he was beginning to feel overwhelmed by the hospitality. The most he had hoped for was a corner to crash in for a couple of days and food to fend of starvation. He wasn't sure how he was going to be able to express his gratitude. Sure, he would help out on the farm and with the festival and everything, but that really didn't seem like enough.

He caught the soft, thick socks Max tossed his way, confused for a moment. "Are my shoes that bad?" He asked, looking down at the boots that weren't all that...well, yeah, ok, they had seen better days along with the rest of him. He laughed. "To be honest, I hadn't even noticed."

Even though the socks were too small for Max, he made a silent vow to take good care of them while he used them. He could see the way Max smiled at the other pair and knew that they were special because Zowie made them. He didn't want to be responsible for ruining them.

"Thank you, Max," he said quietly. In ten minutes Max had done more for him than any other acquaintance he'd ever met.

[Max]

"Rest you shall have and a good meal. Zowie and Galax are two of the best cooks I know. They feed me and I have quite an appetite."

He was not a prideful man but he did enjoy the work that he had done to help make this farm a success. He also was hiding from himself from the one he cared for and that was why he was here and not at the main house.

"Yes it makes living on this farm more than just working the land and living rough. It makes it a home. I never thought I would call it a home but it's my home and I do enjoy living here."

His view of people had been modified as they had lived here. He did help the other farmers when they asked for the assistance and they tried to overpay them for his work. He let Galax handle the business side of things. He found the work to be good for him and keep him busy.

"We will bathe tonight when the sun is setting. I ask that you assist in filling the tub after you have had some rest."

Max turned and looked at Rion his brow knitting as he said all he needed was a cot. While he would have taken that as politeness he wouldn't allow it. Rion had been through things that he didn't know about and the man deserved a bed, not a cot. He had the lumber and would have the frame and mattess constructed before the sun fell. He didn't go out of his way for people. He gave people the respect they deserved until they proved otherwise.

"Yes you boots have seen better days. I have learned how to repair things when they break. It is a small task as many things are on the farm. I am usually up before the son rises to gather eggs from those creatures we keep that are like what Terrans call chickens. Much larger eggs and animals but I am told it tastes the same by Galax. I just eat to keep my energy up. Which means we need to get you washed up. You can use that basin over there, it is filled. The cloth and towel are communal so don't worry about getting them dirty. I change them this morning."

Max pointed to the small stand with the ceramic basin in it. He moved to pull out a large sack which was empty and looked soft. He was going to use this for Rion's mattress. He waited while Rion washed up and changed into his clothing so that he could get back to that house for lunch and go into the barn for the lumber he needed to make Rion a proper bed. He didn't miss the thank you.

"No need to thank me, you are one of few people I call friend. I have very few of those. I appreciate you giving me some of your trust. Later if you want when we relax we can have some ale after our bath and listen to the sounds of the farm."

He stopped and thought to tell him about Quantum.

"If you see a black cat wandering the farm, that is Quantum. She is our farm cat. She will approach you and see if you are good. I hope you're not allergic."

[Orion Kou]

Rion grinned when Max mentioned his appetite. "I never would have guessed." His heart ached at the thought of home. What he wouldn't give to have a home again.

He nodded when Max again mentioned having his help filling the tub. "No problem. I'm happy to do my part."

Rion's gaze followed the direction Max was pointing to and landed on the basin. It was like something out of a history book, but something he would get used to. He set his borrowed clothes on one of his shelves and went to the basin, taking the cloth and dipping it in the water. He started with his face, and the cool water was refreshing against the heat of the day as he scrubbed away the dirt, grime, and blood. After he had given his body as thorough of a once-over as he could, he held his head over the basin and scooped water over his hair, scrubbing at the tangled mess with his fingers to work out the dirt and grime.

Glancing at the water as he rinsed his hair off for the final time, he noted that the copper tub outside was not the only thing he'd need to fill up. The water in the basin had reached the end of its useful life. He'd make sure to find out where they kept the soap and give the basin a good scrub, too. He used the towel to dry himself off, thankful Max was for the moment otherwise occupied as he made his way back to his side of the cabin and pulled on the fresh clothes. Under normal circumstances they would have been a close fit, but for the moment they hung off his malnourished frame.

He turned and smiled as Max addressed him again, calling him "friend." "I don't have many, either. Friends, that is. And as far as trust goes....maybe with how things are now, I shouldn't trust so easily, but...I feel like if I couldn't trust you, I'd know it. I know enough about Araxians and their honor to be confident in that."

He slipped the socks Max had given him on and started following him out of the cabin. He perked up when Max mentioned the cat. A black one at that. He liked cats. His cousins called him the Cat-Whisperer because every stray he came across he tried to coax into coming to him, and he was usually successful. He'd had his own cat, too, and was often found curled up in a chair or under a tree with a book and the cat curled up in his lap.

Needless to say, he was beyond pleased that there were cats here. "No, I'm not allergic. I hope I pass her test." If the kitty rejected him...well, saying his would be brokenhearted was dramatic, but he would definitely be bummed.

[Max]

Max turned to Rion as he spoke about friends and trust. He was right it was a hard thing to have to give to someone you met once mayfbe twice. He was willing to extend to Rion due to his current state and would call him friend. He wouldn't push this as it this was most likely very uncommon for Rion.

"I'm glad you count me among them. I wouldn't have turned you away if you didn't, it would have been the same."

He took a moment and looked a Rion now that he was cleaned up. He could use a haircut but that would be his choice and he was clean in fresh clothing. It was a good thing to have fresh clothing and feel somewhat clean.

"Let's go get some food in us. After the afternoon meal I can show you aroudn the rest of the farm. We should be in time for you to meet Zowie and the rest of the people who reside here. Those are the ones who live in the barn."

He motioned Rion to follow him as they were going to head back to the house.

"Leave you're clothing, I will repair and wash it later, same for cloth and towel. It won't be until you've had a few days rest that I will ask much of you. You have to get some meat back on your bones and some rest to ensure you won't drop over. Plus we have to go into town and get you some clothing so we aren't stealing Andrew's clothing. He might disapprove but if he voices it I will snap him in two."

He laughed at the last and waited for him to arrange his space before they left.

[Orion Kou]

Rion looked over his shoulder at the pile of clothes he'd discarded by the basin and shook his head as they left the lodge. "You sure you wouldn't rather just burn them? Might be easier." He was looking forward to feeling more like himself again. A few good meals and some decent rest and he would be back to normal. Physically, at least. He was also looking forward to learning more about his new environment. He gave Max a wry smile when the man mentioned Andrew possibly disliking his clothes being borrowed. "Can't say I would blame him, though." Not that he wanted to get off to a rocky start with anyone, but he wouldn't hold it against the man.