Saul Chibi is by Requiem!

The news that Barrett was not coming back had weighed heavily on the young Stormbringer for the past few days. When Lilin had returned, Saul had no idea what kind of bombshell she would be dropping. The long scar on his cousins arm was worrying, especially since she'd revealed that her own mother had given it to her. Her trip inland hadn't been a concern for him until she'd returned five days ago, saturated from the storm raging outside and the tears that were pouring freely from her caribbean blue eyes. Saul had done the only thing he could think of to comfort his cousin- he'd dropped to the floor and held her while she'd cried. When she'd calmed down enough to tell him what was wrong, he'd been very confused about her words. She hadn't made a lot of sense, but he got from her that her mother had practically disowned her and had disinherited her from some kind of inheritance. He still didn't quite understand what she'd been talking about, but the news she'd bought back was, in his mind, more worrying than her cut arms. Barrett wasn't coming back, and in Saul's mind, that meant that their contract had been terminated.


It hadn't taken him long to work up the courage to scout out somewhere for them to go. In his mind, he didn't particularly want to go too close to a city. The hunting prospects that Halifax offered with slim to none, and the male had found himself travelling further and further as they'd exhausted the prey source around where they'd lived. It had occurred to Saul that for the summer at least, they didn't have to find anywhere perminant as long as the rains stayed away. Saul had surprised himself as he'd travelled north, finding a stretch of land near some lakes that was the on the fringe of the Dampwoods. He'd stayed there for the night, enjoying the shelter the forest provided and thinking that he'd probably found somewhere good to stay. He'd returned to Hilsburn the day before yesterday, trying to gather the courage to go and speak to Lilin. It was time for them to move on.


A soft shiver raced up his spine, although he had no idea why, as he moved out of his room and across the hallway to his cousins. They'd been close since her breakdown and Saul hoped that she was still being open with him. A creamy hand raised to knock on her door, three sharp raps before he called out. Lilin? You in there? He asked, green eyes searching the door- he was determined to wait this time for her to answer instead of barging in. Twisting his fingers into themselves, he waited her answer.

(432)

A second birthday had come and gone and yet, she felt none the wiser. Lilin actually had less stability than she'd had exactly a year ago, while still in the care of the madwoman she now begrudgingly called mother. She had not left the property since her return that day: that fated afternoon when she'd sought refuge in her cousin's brotherly embrace. While he would occasionally check up on her every once in a while, Saul understood boundaries and never imposed himself unless necessary. She knew where he was at all times as he kept her mildly aware of his comings and goings. This was all the two-toned female really needed to feel at ease and as it seemed, the Stormbringer male understood her needs perfectly.

While other residents might not have deemed it necessary to uphold their part of a void contract with their now missing landlord, Lilin had not changed anything to her daily routine. It kept her mind busy and every morning, at the crack of dawn, she still rose with the sun to fulfil her responsibilities around the property. Barrett had gotten around to showing her quite a few things during their time together, including how to harvest, cut, trim and dry cannabis. She hadn't quite realized how valuable his practice was from a trader's standpoint, at the time assuming the coffee-coloured male was in it for the free consumption and optimized debauchery. Now that she understood his reasons for such dedication; Lilin found herself nurturing the plants so that she too, could barter her way around as he'd done.

With her morning chores done and over with, the would-be cult heir found herself sitting at the dressing table in her bedroom; staring down at the slicker brush and steel-toothed groomer's comb she'd once upon a time used on Barrett. A bittersweet smile stretched her lips thinly as she remembered the way he'd winced during the dematting procedure, the laughs and nonchalant conversation they'd shared. Four new moons had passed and already, his presence was a memory.

Saul's approaching footsteps had been caught before his arrival, doing so hadn't been difficult. Lilin tried not to think of the way he'd found her during the storm; it was humiliating to have openly displayed such mental weakness in front of a peer. She spoke nothing of her discomfort though, choosing to avoid the subject deliberately whenever they interacted. ''Yes,'' she responded then, turning away from the dusty mirror, anticipating her relative's entrance. There was no need for formal invitations, Saul should've known by now that his presence was welcomed.