Toffee Campfire, Friday Early Evening

[furnaceface]

The sun wasn't quite down yet, no, but Jono had gone through the pains of lighting a campfire (the good old-fashioned way, yes) and had made himself comfortable not too far off.

There was something about watching a fire with a smile on his face that he could totally get used to, he decided.

Well, that and S'mores. He could totally get used to S'mores, too.

You better believe that he was enjoying himself this evening, roasting marshmallows and singing. Loudly. He didn't even need to pull out his guitars for that!

[Open campfire yay!]

Comments

[weetuskenraider]

"Some beings can't appreciate that sort of charm," Tahiri -- who knew no small number of people who might fall under that category -- answered with a slight smile. She popped a marshmallow into her mouth, took a handful more, and offered him the bag back just before settling against a log. "Do you mind awfully if I ask how this happened?"

[furnaceface]

"I don't," Jono replied, and pleasantly so. "There are healers on the island, luv. Raven... She's been asking if she could for bloody near a year, now. I guess I've just been too afraid of what might happen if it didn't work to let her, until now."

[weetuskenraider]

"Force, Raven," Tahiri said wryly, pulling a marshmallow apart with her fingers. "She's very persistent that way, isn't she?"

Spoken like someone who was all too familiar with the persistence, yes.

[furnaceface]

"Incredibly so," he laughed, rolling his eyes skyward. "At this point, I don't think I have any reason to complain, though. As it turns out, th'gel knows what she's doing."

[weetuskenraider]

"She does," Tahiri agreed. "Very much so, and she did a good job on you."

Though she didn't mind him the other way, either.

Even though one of her instincts was to not understand why, the other knew how good it felt to be whole and she smiled. "It certainly seems to have you in a good mood. Does it still feel weird?"

[furnaceface]

"It's like... pulling on a favourite shirt that you'd forgot even existed," Jono said, slowly, trying to find a better way to explain it.

His upper torso and lower jaw were not an old shirt.

"For over a year and a half, I haven't been able to breathe. Or eat. I was a musician with hopes of a career, and then I couldn't sing anymore or show my face in public. This is like... Like somebody hit rewind and decided to give me a second chance. It's overwhelming, yes. I'll have to get used to so many things all over again, I'm certain. But none of that matters."

[weetuskenraider]

"No. Not the way being . . ." It was Tahiri's turn to search for the words. "In control of things again, I guess -- the way that matters. I know what you mean."

[furnaceface]

"I don't feel like I have to dread what th'next five minutes will bring, anymore," Jono said. "It's more than just a relief. It's my life back."

[weetuskenraider]

Like not losing chunks of time to Riina, or hoping she didn't lapse into some alien cultural tic or other and have to explain it.

Tahiri nodded, toasted him with a piece of marshmallow, and ate it. "Are there even words to really describe what it's like? I never could come up with them."

[furnaceface]

"That's what it is," Jono replied, giving his head a nod. "There are no words."

It was that simple. It was too massive for words. It was what it was, and there was now way to measure what that meant.

"You know what I'm talking about, then."

[weetuskenraider]

"I do," Tahiri answered, unconsciously bringing her fingers up to the scars on her forehead, mostly hidden by her hair. "It isn't exactly the same, but I imagine I have a fairly good idea of how big it must feel for you."

[furnaceface]

"Well..." He gave her a sincere little quirk of a smile. "Then it's good to know that somebody else has gotten the same sort of opportunity that I have."

[weetuskenraider]

"I suppose this calls for a toast of some sort," Tahiri answered with a returning flash of warmth, and raised a marshmallow. "Thanks, Raven."

[furnaceface]

"Thank you, Raven," Jono agreed, lifting his own marshmallow and tapping it against the side of Tahiri's.

It was a toast to Raven, and under the circumstances, with as much sugar in him as he had at the moment, he could overlook the fact that he was toasting with fluffy white confection instead of alcohol. Just this once.

"Really, I ought to find a better way to thank her for this, somewhere down th'road," he added, thoughtfully.

[weetuskenraider]

Sugar was just as well; Tahiri and alcohol did not tolerate each other for very long. Anyhow, as Raven didn't drink, perhaps it was more appropriate?

"She'll insist you don't owe her anything," Tahiri predicted with affectionate amusement. "I've been trying for months."

[furnaceface]

"Well, I've got to make the attempt," Jono insisted. "Even if it's just something simple... like... bath salts."

...

"I have no idea."

[weetuskenraider]

"That's actually not a bad idea," Tahiri remarked. "It isn't something awfully huge or fancy that she'd feel weird about accepting, but it is something nice, that she can use. Let herself indulge a little, which is something she's still trying to learn to do."

She smiled. "It'd show your appreciation, and help her out a bit as well."

[furnaceface]

"Well, I'm glad you think it's a good idea," chuckled Jono. He shook his head a little, thinking it over. "Because there are only so many ways to say, 'Thank you for rebuilding my face.'"

Bath salts...

"I'll pick some up in town tomorrow, then. Maybe fill out a blank card or something as well. It's th'least I can do."

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri took another marshmallow and popped it into her mouth, saying around it, "I'm sure she'll be touched."