Futures encased in concrete miseries

The good ruins were taken that were close to his mother's home and Elphaba's tower. There were things he wanted in his home that he had not yet discussed with Kamari, but it was something they were simply both going to have to agree on if they were going to make their unfortunate betrothal work out for the both of them. They both had to be pleased with their home, and he had convinced her that they ought to start looking proactively so no one could say they were shirking the expectations of their duty.

That Kamari agreed entertained him endlessly but put them on the path to what would likely as not be far more arguments than he likely had before with his friend. He did not look forward to it, but it was necessary for them. They needed a home to make together, regardless. The two of them were stuck so they ought to make the most of it.

He sighed as they walked, hands jammed into pockets in his vest. With the days warming, he was wearing fewer and fewer layers, though he much liked the dapper effect his many layers often gave him. Now, he just looked under-dressed, but it did show off the muscles that were slowly building in his arms from archery and spars with various other members of Salsola. He had also taken to climbing trees regularly to build up strength and simply get good at climbing them. An archer from a vantage, that was his motto.

He glanced sidelong down at Kamari and still found it difficult to really think of her as "his betrothed" and his future "wife". It was an odd feeling and he did not know what to make of it.

"So. What are your thoughts, wife-to-be?" he said with a sigh.

(+358)

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She had only agreed because she had known that, eventually, it would have been expected of her, of them. There would be too much talk, too much gossip and wild assumptions and horrible rumors otherwise. A union announced publicly before the Kingdom, and yet neither party lived with the other? It was a headache that Kamari would have rather avoided. Still, it didn’t make the idea any easier to swallow.

They would be sharing a home…together. It was a dreadful reminder that they would be “mated” soon, and the Kaiser was still unsure of how she felt about the whole ordeal other than wishing their little argument in the woods had never happened. Perhaps then, she could have still been free …instead, she was with her intended trying to figure out a suitable home for the two of them.

Kamari padded alongside Krios, doing her best to keep some distance between them without making it obviously so. She wore her usual clothes; a simple tunic with some pants and her knife strapped to the small of her back. Krios had dressed up a little for the achingly domestic outing, and, while he wasn’t the peacock that he had been during the winter months, he had still done well to look refined. With the fewer layers, there were parts of him that were more accentuated than before, that hinted that he was no longer the angry boy firing half-cocked arrows.

Her eyes roved over the dilapidated ruins that passed them by, searching for something that she might actually like. Thus far, she had no been enticed by the closeness of everyone in the Ruins. She flicked an ear to Krios when he sighed, her cornflower blue eyes sending him a quick glare before she resumed her idly searching.

“You know I don’t like that term,” she groused softly. If it had anything to do with their betrothal though, she didn’t like it. She let out a frustrated sigh, “…why not somewhere further out? Away from the center of things? I don’t understand why you’d want to live so close to everyone…”

"Then what would you prefer? Future bride? The lady who I get to marry in a while?" he asked with a smirk. He did not mind just calling her Kamari, but it was far more amusing to tease her about it. It set her off, though, which was kind of a downside. How was he supposed to banter with her playfully if she got agitated at every little damn thing he did? It was hard, but he wanted to at least simmer them down. They had to make it work and he refused to be the one to let it fail.

He frowned at her though, noticing her disinterested glances at the remaining ruins close to the heart of their broken down town. Something further away? Away from everyone else? He did not quite understand her. "Because it's in the bustle of everything, don't you know? It just means we'd be able to stay in the loop with what's going on." He gave a mighty roll of the shoulders, shrugging as though it were not a big deal. But it was. He knew that they had to stay in the loop if they wanted to rise in the ranks. But Kamari did not seem inclined; she seemed less sociable than he. It was a good thing, though! He could be the social butterfly for them both!

"And why further out? I don't understand why you don't want to be where the action is." Elphaba was power hungry and he wanted to stay close to wherever his half-sister was. It was his best bet on keeping an eye on her, if for his and Kamari's well being. He did not want that red gaze shifting onto him, not after her eagerness at their fighting proved to lash them together.

They walked on, past the homes that Krios would have very happily settled into and further away. They grew more sparse but seemed to be a little larger, more intact. His thoughts amused him but he dare not voice them. A big home meant room to fill them with children. Kamari would not have liked that sentiment at all and he was not stupid enough to voice it. "Fine, further out. How about rooms. What do you need?" He did not know what Kamari needed; he barely knew what he needed himself.

(+472)

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She sent a glare his way, obviously not amused by the pleasure he took in teasing her. “Kamari,” she answered anyway, her tone obvious and her teeth slightly bared. The Kaiser hated the reminders of what she was, of what she would be when associated with him. It made the ever-impending date seem that much closer. It was unnerving and made her feel anxious and…well, weird. Where she wanted nothing more than to run away though, Krios had a different tactic for dealing with it; humor. And, oh, how she despised it.

The Arbiter looked almost offended by her words, frowning down at her as he did. She let out a snort at his reasoning, and when he batted his own question back at her, only then did she cease her disinterested glances at the passing ruins to look at him. “There are other ways of staying aware of what the gossipers say,” she reasoned, “Other ways that do not put us, too, at the center of another’s eye in the process.” Sneaky ways, the ways the Sapienza preferred. Shadows, familiars, loose tongues.

The last thing she wanted was to have her life and everything that went wrong in it known to those that could not keep their nose out of other’s business. Kamari’s eyes left him then, her ears falling against her hair. She let out a soft sigh as her voice quieted, “Or have you forgotten what put us into this mess?” Elphaba witnessing them fighting. At least, that was what the Kaiser had come to conclude. The Hierophant being witness to that and then their subsequent betrothal seemed unlikely to have been mere coincidence.

They traveled a ways, continuing to pass the vacant housing locations closer to the rest of the Kingdom’s ranking subjects. The more they traveled out, the less rigid Kamari felt. Begrudgingly, Krios seemed somewhat open to the idea…or at least enough to appease her for the time being. “Somewhere for…sleeping,” her tongue twisted and she suddenly felt embarrassed and shy at the prospect of what their marriage would entail. She wasn’t ready to think of…well, being with the growing man beside her.

“A dining room area for sure,” she added quickly, trying to steer back into less dangerous waters. “Storage areas for our gear…” She tried to think of anything else that she could think of that would be “essential.” “And…” Kamari hesitated, shy to suggest something that he might tease her for. “…maybe a study too, that would be nice.” A place where she could stash her notes, intel, and maps.

Kamari snuck a glance at Krios before looking away again. “What about you? I don’t…have a lot of things…just a few clothes and my weapons, and then my cats too.”

Krios could only give a huff to her, especially since calling her a kill-joy was no good. She would probably retort with something about being responsible and trying to be actually decorous rather than obnoxious. Or something to that effect, at least, and he was not having it. They were trying to get along and he was really doing his best, even if Kamari was obstinately avoiding the fun of it all. It was not fun but he could not let it all be frowns and pouts. They ought to at least make it enjoyable, rather than tolerable.

He rolled his eyes. Other ways of staying aware. She meant spying and cajoling information. He did not find that as amusing, but he let it go. She had her preferences, and he had his. He would do as he pleased in the end, and she could just accept that as plain fact.

Not that he was going to put them in danger. Again. Probably.

"I haven't," he said without a flicker of amusement in his voice. It was hard to forget the way his half-sister lunged at the chance to shackle him, for all that it had sort of backfired. Sort of.

Kamari listed off her requirements, and he sighed in agreement, though he noticed how hesitant she was for the very first item on that list. It had crossed his mind rather frequently that there was an expectation of their relationship to culminate in a particular sort of gymnastics. He wondered if Kamari was even open to it, or if she was going to prefer that they keep things platonic behind closed doors. He did not know what to think about, especially when the vague thought that he would have actually quite enjoyed doing those things with Kamari surfaced, he forced them down and away again.

"I don't really have much either. Just bow, clothes, some things my mother insisted I take. I mostly just sleep on pelts, and I don't have too many knick-knacks," he admitted with a shrug. But he had a lot of clothes, considering that one of his grandmothers had been a tailor for all that he never knew her. There were plenty of clothes to be had and Ondine did her best for him.

He was silent for a moment as they walked.

"Have you.. thought about when they're going to have us tie the knot?" he asked after a rough clearing of the throat, looking up and away from Kamari.

(+504)

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She nodded contemplatively with the things he listed. He appeared to have much of the same as she; essentials, with a few luxuries. Though, she assumed, he probably had a larger selection of fancy clothes to choose from. Kamari could only guess what vague mention of items Krios’ mother intended that he take. The woman seemed pretty nice and motherly, so, probably useful household things…or maybe family heirlooms or something of that nature.

“We’ll have plenty of pelts,” she commented distractedly, her eyes still roving over the various terrain and vacant homes that they passed. Making quality furs was a trade her father had passed to her, so, they would never have to worry about not having enough of them to make a comfortable bed with. Additionally, furs traded well before and during the colder, winter season.

They continued on for a bit before her betrothed suddenly cleared his throat. The sound drew her attention to him quickly, however, his question made her look away from him just as fast. “…I try not to,” she admitted softly. The Kaiser felt her heartbeat quicken a bit at the subject that was the current bane of her existence. Only once she had forced it to calm did she speak again. “We’re barely older than a year,” she said almost defensively before letting out a soft exhale, “My Vati says that there hasn’t been a betrothal in the Kingdom since your fath—the Pentiti—” Perhaps it was not wise to speak of Krios’ sire in such a way. She had yet to figure out what the Revlis son thought about the whole matter other than being arrogant enough to boast it to Elphaba for whatever reason. “—was wed to the Boss’ daughter, Lady Osrath.”

Her jaw tightened and her cornflower blue gaze shifted to her feet as they moved across the worn path. “I hope the outcome is not similar to the last.” She meant no ill towards Krios, however, her thoughts found themselves wandering back to the Biff’s Bar and the scene the pair of them had caused. She was a lowborn, he, a highborn. She had no interest in becoming…romantically involved with her friend, and, from the sounds of it, he already had a taste for pretty females. He had the looks, the title, and now the bloodline to get whatever he wanted.

Even without an attraction or becoming sexually involved with the teenager beside her, still, the humiliation of dealing with the Kingdom gossip of a failed marriage—even though it was forced one—did not sit well in her mind, not when the Kaiser was as private about her affairs and lifestyle as they came.

Deciding to change the subject, she let out a dry snort, “But, anyway, I don’t even know what to expect of a marriage. My parents were freed slaves when they were mated. All of the others as of late were mutually decided between the couple, and announced at a Last Supper.”

Krios's lips tightened as she mentioned his father, and he felt that terribly familiar pang in his chest. It was an old hurt, but it still felt fresh all the time. It was a constant, painful reminder that he was the son of a branded traitor, even if it was presumably a conception forced upon his mother. He knew better and he knew that his father had been some what affectionate toward him despite the distance he kept.

He did not turn his gaze on Kamari, but wished she knew exactly how conflicted and pained he felt about the whole matter. He had always wanted a father and then had him ripped away before he had even known the man was there.

"It won't be," insisted the Arbiter. There was a sharp edge to his words, as though he was insisting on a better outcome. Krios certainly hoped that they would not repeat the disaster that was Lokr's marriage to Osrath, but he had no intentions of wandering from Salsola and from his future wife, even if they never got on as he saw his mother behave with the father of his half-siblings. That was a relationship built on affection, and the young man found himself keenly jealous; he realized he longed for the same sort of intimacy and cordiality.

He wanted love.

He also doubted Kamari would ever feel that way about him, but he was a dutiful son and would persevere through the challenges it brought.

His features softened as they moved on from his father's disastrous betrothal. "I'm sorry that this was put on you, truly. But I promise I'll do my best for you, even if you don't particularly want to marry me," he admitted softly, feeling his face flush with heat. Krios kept his gaze up, which was easy considering how tiny the woman was next to him.

(+300)

The most shipper-infuriating couple ever, we give you xD

---

Despite herself, Kamari found her eyes flicking to her taller companion at his declaration that their arranged marriage would not become a topic of Kingdom gossip like the last male Revlis’ had. He sounded so certain, so resolute about the matter, and it made the Kaiser wonder if he had matured in more ways than one since the winter altercation. It welcomed a small feeling of her trust in his favor, though, she would never admit such a thing out loud to him. Though they were young, it appeared that neither of them wanted to repeat history. It made Kamari a bit more open to the idea that their betrothal would not be as hellish as she had so stubbornly made it out to be.

From the looks of it, their arrangement had made the teenager—confusing as it was—a bit more sufferable.

Hearing an apology from him was not what she had expected from their little house-shopping jaunt. Krios sounded, truly, regretful of their forced union, and his words and the tone they were spoken in made something catch in her chest. It felt…funny, weird, and the unknown of what had caused it or what it was made Kamari irritated, defensive. “I…” Her tongue felt suddenly dry, her thoughts blanked out on whatever she had meant to say.

She what? Would try to make this work too? Would find some sort of light to their dim situation?

Kamari’s cornflower blue eyes tore away from Krios, her ears pinning against her short hair as her feet unconsciously moved to put a little more distance between them. She grimaced, clearing her throat, “We’ve deviated from our original purpose. Have you seen any houses that you like yet? Besides the ones that are deep within the Ruins?”

Kamari had no words for him, but he had not wanted any. He expected that she would not have a real answer to give him, more so along the lines of not being able to forgive him for ruining her independence and freedom. Yet, she said nothing besides a stuttering word, which was definitely not something that said "I don't forgive you for ruining my life". It was better than he had hoped, but he knew better than to pester her for a better answer or for elaboration on what the rest of her sentence was going to be.

She changed the topic, which meant he had struck a chord with her. That felt like enough for the moment. He would ask about it some other time, when she was either already in a rage at him, or they were shouting their emotions at each other in a huff. It was always going to be emotional so a moment with just calm and thoughtfulness seemed welcome. Krios loved energy, too, and drama.

He hummed at her question, looking with more purpose than he had for a few moments. He settled his gaze on one hidden behind a handful of trees, shadowed by tall mammoths born decades before them. He pointed toward it, almost lazily. "Is that one hidden enough for your purposes?" asked the Arbiter with a hint of amusement in his voice, as though he had not voiced a very heartfelt confession a few minutes prior. He was quite a confusing youth, if anything.

"Let's check it out, maybe it's what we want," he added with a shrug. Krios barely knew what he wanted. All he knew was that he wanted to keep Kamari happy enough not to kill him outright.

short bc I suck

(+277)

Thanks for the thread<333 Poor Krios has the husband mindset already xDD

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Krios, thankfully, did not prod her when words failed her. He merely accepted her silence, and even her change of subject, and she was thankful. She knew not how she would have answered him. The only thing that could have been coaxed from her would have been a defensive snap or bitter remark. And after the heavy subject they had spoken on, she didn’t feel it in her to ruin…whatever it was that had transpired in that moment.

In her desperate need to distract herself, she hadn’t noticed the home that the Revlis saw until he had pointed it out. Her cornflower blue eyes fell upon it, preparing to scrutinize it as she had with all of the others that he had chosen. This one though, hidden away behind a few trees, actually intrigued Kamari, and such could be seen by her more attentive stare at it; how her ears pricked, how her brows rose high, how her eyes were cast upon it in imaginary wonder of how things might be if she—they lived there.

“Actually…yes.”

While Krios might have been rather nonchalant about the matter, the Kaiser was curious to see if it might, in fact, work out. She started out ahead of him, pausing after a few steps as an impish idea invaded her thoughts of a way to permanently—for now, at least—leave the heavy topic they had stumbled upon. “I’ll race you to the front door.”

She broke into a sprint without waiting for his reply.

Their forced union may have not been what she wanted, but…in time, perhaps she could make it work too.