By weeks end, the horrific encounter between Shaxx and Eris had been near forgotten; unfortunate for Ikora, the horrid was starting to take its toll.
The Warlock dragged her feet to her post in the War Room, the large stockpile of books she carried made the trip that much worse. Almost immediately, her colleagues took notice.
"Yeesh Ikora," Cayde took no time expressing his thoughts. "You look like you've been hit by a train and then while suspended in mid-air was hit by a jump ship."
Ikora's dead eyes shot daggers at the exo, it took her a moment before finally speaking. "Gee, Thanks." The sarcasm in her voice along with the grizzly aggravation almost made Cayde sorry to even speak... Almost.
Zavala kept to himself, he wasn't like Cayde to outright share his concerns about another unless it was more serious, but also, he did not want backlash from his fellow Vanguard so early in the morning, it wasn't his say anyway. Although, it was difficult for him to keep his silence when every so often he'd hear a soft snore come from Ikora with the snapping of Cayde's fingers following soon after to awake her from her sleep. Cayde on the other hand, found some sort of amusement seeing Ikora sleeping and standing at the same time; his urges to send a marker tip to her face was almost too much for him to resist. His better judgement got the better of him though, and tried to help her stay awake. While the two seeing Ikora sleeping on the job was humorous, it reached its peak when she almost tilted forward and smacked her face against the edge of the table. It was then, Zavala finally spoke.
"Ikora, you need some rest, standing here isn't the most beneficial place to sleep."
"Especially since you almost cracked that pretty head of yours open!" Cayde added.
Zavala let out a soft sigh at Cayde's statement. "In agreement to Cayde, this lack of sleep is not healthy, it's affecting your work as well."
Ikora, groggy and half asleep, nodded at Zavala. "I know, it's just..." She paused to rub the sleep from her eyes. "Eris has kept me up all week, she has night terrors."
"Eris?" Cayde asked. "She's the one with the three eyes, right?" He pointed to his face, trying to point out that she had more eyes than the average man.
"She's also the only Hellmouth survivor," Ikora stated. "Eris has been through a lot, she almost died herself then nearly gets exiled from the Tower."
"But you must understand she is not your responsibility, Ikora."
"I helped her stay here, Zavala." Ikora near defensive. "If I didn't step in, who knows what would've happened to her!" Her exhaustion took Zavala's words and twisted them into something negative, which bothered the Titan. Zavala bit his tongue, trying to think of his next words carefully, this was not a time of argument. His train of thought was cut off by Cayde.
"Zavala is right in a sense, Ikora." Cayde butted in. "Yes, it was great, you saved some creep from being thrown back into the wilderness; but like he said she is not your problem, you can't baby this woman just because she cries over a loss, if that's the case why isn't anyone babying Levante after she lost her family? Heck, why isn't anyone holding Banshee, I mean the guy got wiped forty-four god damn times and lost his wife to that war cult!" Cayde's voice was loud and quite angry. "Where are their hugs, Ikora?"
"Cayde!" Zavala's voice was stern enough to stop the exo's rant.
The whole room heard Cayde and stared on awaiting Ikora's response. After a long pause, Ikora spoke. "I sympathize with them Cayde, I truly do, but I just cannot leave Eris to stand by herself it doesn't seem right to do that in my mind."
"While I do agree with Cayde on you constantly babysitting, perhaps he is not entirely correct on where you stand with Ms. Morn." Zavala walked over to Ikora and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I understand your feelings for Eris, you by now must know her better than anyone she had known in a long while, but constantly going to her side to console her isn't helping anyone."
Ikora looked to Zavala; perhaps he was right, it was like caring for a child and jumping to their aid whenever they cried. She thought of herself and her situation, her sleepless nights without break and the consequences they would bring if she continued... But then Eris appeared again, how would she cope without that tender love Ikora had given her since day one?
"Ikora, are you okay?" Zavala lightly shook her shoulder to knock her out of her deep thoughts.
The Warlock took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "Y-yes, I'm fine, it's just..." Her demeanor seemed upsetting. "How will she cope?" She asked unsure. "She's only known me to help her in her dark times."
Zavala's voice was kind and assuring. "You don't have to cut her out of your life completely, but let her deal with her problems herself so she doesn't have to rely on you every second of the day."
Hearing those words sent relief through Ikora, she had valued Eris before herself and while this idea might be difficult to execute at first, she had the feeling it was worthwhile.
"So, in the meantime Ikora," Zavala slipped his hand from her shoulder. "Try to resist the urges, it'll make this plan a lot easier."
"Now that that problem is out of the way, can we please get Shaxx to stop messaging me about the three-eyed woman?!"
Zavala and Ikora looked at Cayde puzzled. "Why?" Ikora asked with a chuckle. "What is he saying to you?"
Cayde picked up his tablet at started reciting the messages to the two. "He keeps asking: 'Do you know anything of that three-eyed beauty in the plaza?'" His voice was deep to sound similar to Lord Shaxx's.
Zavala and Ikora laughed lightly. "Not exactly poetic." Said Ikora.
Cayde's tablet received another message. "Look!" He exclaimed, giving a small tap to his device. "He sent another one!"
"I didn't know Shaxx had eyes for a woman." Zavala continued his chuckle.
Frustrated, Cayde shut off his tablet. "Can one of you puh-leease, tell him to stop talking to me about this woman?" He held his hands together in hopes they would comply. "I'm so tired of seeing messages about his weird fantasies, it's what the kids these days call it 'TMI'."
"I'm going to have a word with Eris later, I'll swing by Shaxx afterwards."
"Thank you!" Cayde couldn't be more grateful.
As the pleading from the exo came to a close, Zavala turned back to Ikora. "In all seriousness Ikora, please be mindful of my words." He said. "Things will get better with time, I promise you that."
"Shaxx, don't you have Crucible matches to spectate or something?!" Cayde shouted from the War Room.
Zavala and Ikora once again shared in a laugh before turning to each other a last time. "Don't worry old friend, I'll keep your words handy."
The evening came sooner than expected, Ikora had decided to end her studies early. She didn't carry her large stack of journals and notes as she did that morning; it was her night off and she was going to enjoy it any way possible, but first... Shaxx.
As usual, the Lord of the Crucible sat at his quarters spectating Guardians in the famous blood sport, perhaps this conversation wouldn't take up too much of his time.
"Shaxx," Ikora interrupted the man from his deep concentration. His head tilted up to somewhat face the Warlock. "Might I speak to you for a moment?"
"Just a minute Ikora," He looked back to the screen displaying the occurring Crucible match. "This Hunter is about to end it all!"
"Please..." She barely took long to continue. "It involves Eris Morn."
The Titan shot his head up from the screens and then immediately the rest of his body stood up and rushed over to the Warlock. "Why, what's the matter?" He held his hands to his chest. "Is she hurt?!"
Ikora held her hands up from his excitement and worry. "No, she's fine," She placed her hands gingerly on his fists that stayed stiffened to his chest plate. "I just wanted to talk about the other day with you both."
"Oh yes, please tell her I'm sorry..." He lowered his hands with hers and rushed behind his desk to retrieve something. "Please give her this." He handed her an envelope with a small plush doll.
Ikora retrieved the gifts. "This is very nice of you to think of her so highly as to buy her gifts." She held the items at her side.
"I would've given them to her if she were here today."
"She wasn't working today?" Ikora sounded almost surprised.
"None from what I know of, perhaps she was still upset from the other day..." Shaxx's tone began to become self-loathing. "It was stupid of me."
"Shaxx, we all make mistakes, and I doubt anyone would've known she would react like she did."
"Please though, tell her I'm sorry."
Ikora smiled. "I promise." She was about to turn when she remembered Cayde. "Also, Shaxx,"
The Titan looked up.
"Go easy on the messages with Cayde, he was throwing quite the hissy fit before in the War Room... Not that Zavala and I didn't enjoy it."
"Heh, I heard him yell at me a few times over it, it's funny when a grown man's voice is high pitch."
Ikora laughed as she couldn't agree more. "I hope to see you here tomorrow Shaxx."
"Like always, I'll be here." He waved as she departed to the dorms.
The sun dimmed over the mountains, casting its shadows over the city, it was the sign of the ending day and all was calm and peaceful. Ikora wasted no time heading to her dorm, she couldn't wait to rest her head, she couldn't wait to sleep. The Warlock opened the front door to a pitch-black apartment, she wouldn't have even known anyone was there if it wasn't for three glowing green eyes staring back at her from the kitchen.
"Eris, there you are," Ikora turned the room lights on, shedding some light on the Hunter who sat at the kitchen table. "How are you?"
The Warlock did not receive a response. "I have a present for you," She walked over and placed the envelope and doll before Eris. "Actually, it was Lord Shaxx who wanted me to give them to you, he was worried that you weren't at work today."
The Hunter finally spoke, hunched over the table with her hands stationed by her mouth, almost contemplated. "He was worried so he purchased me children's toys?".
"No, it's an apology gift from the incident that happened a week ago." Ikora sat in the chair across from Eris. "He wanted to give them to you personally, but you weren't at work today."
Eris stayed silent and remained unmoved.
"The question stands Eris; why weren't you working today?"
Eris remained silent until she felt fit to answer. "I was working."
"That's not what Shaxx said."
"What does he know?"
Ikora turned her head slightly, and gave a light sigh. "Alright, if you were working, why aren't you still at work?" Ikora asked. "You work till midnight, it is—" Ikora stopped to check the wall clock. "Eight twenty-seven in the evening."
Eris knew she was caught in a lie, her fingers curled in nervousness. She needed a quick way out. "I left my Guardian packages here."
"Look Eris, we can do this the easy way by you telling me what is wrong, or..." Ikora slumped back in her seat. "We can do this the hard way."
"What I do is none of your business." Eris scowled.
"Actually, it is my business; I saved you from exile, took you into my Hidden, welcomed you to my home..." She noticed Eris's scowl become more neutral. "Lastly, I took a promise for you, it's like a blood oath to me Eris." Ikora sat straight. "Now please, answer my question."
Eris leaned back in her chair, trying not to keep eye contact with Ikora and instead focusing on the doll. "I was working today but I felt very sick not long in and I, in simple terms, threw up at my post." Eris felt her throat, as if feeling the burn of the bile that escaped her some time ago.
"Are you alright?"
Eris shook her head lightly, tapping her index finger on the table. "I went to the infirmary right after, the doctor there asked some questions and he ran a few tests... He said it might be a stomach virus." Her hands rested on her lap. "I hope it might be a stomach virus."
"When will you get your results back?"
"Tomorrow... The day after tomorrow?" Eris spoke in mystery as if she herself didn't know.
Ikora stood up and went to Eris, placing her hand at her back. "Well, don't worry so much, at least you have an admirer." She pointed at the gifts, still untouched on the table.
Eris now curious, picked the doll up and examined it with her poor vision, and quickly returned it next to the envelope.
"Don't you want to read the letter at least?" Ikora asked, reaching for the note.
"Read it to me?"
Ikora complied and removed the letter from its covering. She then cleared her throat.
"Dear Eris,
I am writing this letter to formally apologize for my behavior during our last meet. I was unaware of the horrific damage that was brought on by certain words or phrases. All week I had tried to personally give my apologies face to face, but was afraid to upset you. So as this letter implies my regret, it will also state my feelings of attraction for you—"
"Stop." Eris held her hand up to signal the end of the speech.
"It's not done yet."
"Yes it is." Eris stood up from the chair and began walking to the bedroom.
"Eris..." Ikora followed Eris into the bedroom, where she had begun readying herself for sleep.
"All he should've done was apologize, not make it pathetic." Eris pulled back the bed comforter. "If he truly wanted to have something with me, it will have to be with more than a few sappy words and a children's toy." She removed her eye bandage and placed it on the night stand before laying down in the bed.
Ikora sighed at the Hunter's ignorance and refusal for affection. She wanted to speak, but knew it was fruitless to argue. Instead she asked a small request. "Mind if I sleep in the bed too?"
Eris moved her body away from the bed's center to allow space for Warlock friend, who immediately changed into her nightwear. Ikora laid in bed, didn't cover herself with the heavy comforter to keep her warmth.
"Goodnight Eris." Ikora granted after situating herself comfortably.
"As to you, Ikora."