Redhawk Caldera The quiet life.

Things were different this time around.
It was quieter, for starters. Reyes had been spending very little time with other members of Brecheliant as he adjusted. That was probably for the better - his mood shifted like the tide on the best of days. One wrong look, one word, could set him off. Sometimes it was the place more than the people. Memories of his children had faded somewhat; he'd taken over the places that were once shared with his ex - now they brought to mind Teya, which was better.
Regardless of all that he did to fix his mindset, he couldn't annihilate it. A part of him would ache for the old days before he'd been exiled; that's what it had felt like and Reyes doubted he'd ever label it as anything else.
He had a future here with Teya. He had to look to that future now, heart first. Even if the rest of him screamed for the sea.

She didn't know the red man well. Seen him from time to time—one could hardly miss his figure stark against the grays and whites of winter—but hadn't made a proper introduction. She was fairly sure she had met him once before, but she couldn't be certain; if so, it had been within that whirlwind of her life when Mama had taken her and Bridget up the mountain to look for bodies.

But he was no dead body. He was alive, and well, and Teya seemed to really like him. And if Teya liked him—

Hey, uh, Reyes! Lilitu called out, trotting to catch him up, delicate paws gliding over the packed snow. Once she'd reached his side, or close enough, anyway, she gave him a smile. How's it going? Can I join you?

Reyes was drawn from his thoughts by the arrival of a girl. Her voice was spritely, and when he looked at her, he saw a youthfulness that reminded him of his daughters.
Uh, yeah, sure. He answered - employing the parental tone he'd sometimes used with Sphyra and Tierra; albeit his experience with them was limited so it didn't really suit him.
You're...? Reyes wasn't good with names and faces, given that he'd sequestered himself away from the bulk of Brecheliant lately.

Lilitu, she finished his sentence, smiling more broadly. He employed a paternal tone, but she supposed it was right; he was both her elder and her superior. I'm Ibis's daughter—did you ever meet Ibis? She wasn't sure if he'd been here when her mother still lived.

She fell into step alongside him, paws crunching softly over the packed snow. I've been away, traveling, she explained. But I first came here when I was a girl; Maia is my great-aunt, or something like that. 

And Teya nothing of blood to her, but everything of substance. And, of course, she would always approved of who was linked to the woman. . .

The thought of relationships brought the recent offer of matrimony to her mind, and she pushed it back—though all the while knowing she could not go without an answer for long.

Right. Lilitu. She went on to explain her connection to Brecheliant in more detail, which enlightened Reyes a little bit, but he didn't say anything until Lilitu was finished -- seemingly distracted.

She'd asked about someone named Ibis.

No, I don't think so. He shook his head as he spoke,  his brow furrowing as he thought about it. Teya told me about her once, I think. I don't remember ever having the pleasure of meeting her though.

They walked together quietly for a few beats after that. Reyes didn't know what to say; he wasn't the most social of creatures and was avoidant of those he did not know, often throwing himself in to work or secluding himself with his woman.

But, even he could tell when a silence grew too lengthy.

I used to travel a lot, he remarked, trying to drum up some proper conversation, but at the same time Reyes felt an immediate anxiety spike; she'd probably ask for details about his misadventures and he wasn't exactly keen on doing a deep-dive. My family, they're from the coast. I left there when I was very young and eventually wound up here.

Should he ask after Lilitu's adventures? He wasn't sure, so he left his statement dangling like some kind of fishing lure, unsure if he really wanted to catch anything with it.

sorry this is so late ;-; we can continue or fade out if you want

Oh, okay, she said in response to his not recalling Ibis. At least he'd heard of her. It was easier to talk about her mother to those who'd known her; she couldn't quite capture the essence of the graceful woman, no matter how hard she tried. It was like capturing water in cupped palms—beautiful, cool, fleeting.

She listened carefully to what he said, grateful that the silence had been broken. I've never seen the coast, she admitted, smiling softly. I mean, from a distance. . .like, on top of the mountains. But I've never been close up. What's it like? Um, I mean, from what you can remember.

Those who had been told such fanciful stories of it. Reyes had left quite early, so she wondered how much he'd held onto. Then she wondered, with a grimace, whether she was digging at some old wound she really ought to stay away from.

Oops. Can't go back now, she supposed.