Kintsugi

[Nox]

The underground was cooler than above, Nox huddled in his hoodie as he flung the power from the earth to erect walls and floors, and makeshift homes. He couldn't give those people their lives above, but he could make coming back here more comfortable, more private. He was making presumptions that they wanted privacy and warmth. Walls made of rock were better than nothing. He'd never had a home before, never lived in a house, or something that his parents had owned. He wasn't homeless exactly, but he was without a home. Home was where the heart was.

He felt broken without Raffe. Knew that they'd talk eventually, he'd come back to Kallisti to work. Or he wouldn't, but Nox couldn't sit around and pout and wait. He'd fucked up. He knew that. He would pray to the gods if he thought it would do any good. He had nothing but his promise. And even though he'd broken an important one, Nox intended to live up to the rest. He could help protect the people Raffe cared about. Provide for them. Give them what he could. He didn't have anything to offer.

Not really.

But there were some folks living under the rooves he built. Nox had watched a pair of girls scamper away from him the past two evenings. They even followed him home some nights, watching him from the shadows. Nox left them food in the mornings, and a rechargeable speaker with music they might like in their little den. He left a glowing orb for light and a warm fire to sleep by. He also cleaned the blankets and the bunny that sat in the den each night. He'd do more if he could, but they never came close.

Nox left a note with the speaker.

Leave it outside the door when it dies and I'll charge it again. - Nox (my name by the way, what's yours?")

He hadn't expected a response but the next day the speaker sat outside their little door and scratched with dirt (he hoped it wasn't blood) was the word 'hi'. The simple words made Nox smile and with the speaker Nox left a bundle of coloring book with coloring sticks and some extra paper with them. He didn't ask for their names again, but continued leaving them small notes for the next couple days. They didn't trust him. But they were starting too. He saw them more and more on each trip.

Nox missed Raffe, but at least he had another reason to get up in the morning. Those girls made his internal darkness a little bit better.

He thought about them, while he sat on the bench outside of Paragon's building. It wasn't enough to be that close and Nox stopped himself several times from going inside. But it was better than nothing, and he knew he couldn't sit there forever. But he came everyday at the same time, to sit and wait and watch and find the flaws in the ring he was making. It'd be perfect by the time he saw Raffe again. Or at least as perfect as he could make it.