Private Kalinda Adventures

[Kiran Arlos]

Kalinda
Persephone Dashiell
​

A few weeks later, Kiran Arlos stood in a quiet Kalinda hallway with a small bag of snacks hanging from one hand and two caf cups balanced carefully in the other. The building smelled faintly like fresh paint and new tile, that clean, sharp scent of renovation that clung to everything no matter how many windows were open.

He had let Persephone know he was coming by. He had not just appeared.

He had also made a point of not turning this visit into a rerun of old mistakes. He was not dwelling on what happened at the gala, and he was not dragging Life Day back into the room like a ghost neither of them asked for. He could not keep returning to it and calling that growth. If he wanted to be better, he had to practice being better in the present. He had to let the past stay where it was and prove, in small consistent ways, that he could be trusted with what came next.

The snacks were simple, things he thought she would actually eat without rolling her eyes. The caf was the real effort, though. He had stopped by a café on the way and ordered what he remembered as her usual, sweet with cream but still strong enough to taste like caf. He had gotten one for himself as well.

Kiran adjusted his grip, careful not to spill, and shifted his weight in front of her door. He did not fidget. He didn't overthink. He just took a deep breath.

Then he lifted his knuckles and gave the door a small, polite knock.

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

Before the knock could even finish, Kiran Arlos would be greeted by a droid. A very familiar droid to him at this point. Zee looked the teenager up and down, regarding his appearance the the presence of food. It was as if the droid was not so silently judging the appearance of Kiran and his intentions for showing at the penthouse. Of course Zee knew why.

[ Mister Arlos. I see you made it. ] Zee moved to the side. [ Please come in. ]

Inside the penthouse there wasn't much. Two pieces of furniture. Scattered construction materials, some in and out of boxes. Cans of paint still left. It was quite literally still a construction zone. A small layer of dust coated multiple surfaces.

Hearing Kiran entering, Persephone emerged from another room. Casual, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Kiran had given her no context for his meeting so she wasn't sure what to expect. Or do. Awkwardness settled in quickly.

"Kiran, hey. Uh, thanks for visiting."

 

[Kiran Arlos]

Persephone Dashiell
​

Kiran's knock barely had time to exist before the door opened and Zee filled the frame, perfectly upright and perfectly unimpressed. Kiran stopped short, balancing the caf like it was suddenly a high risk operation.

He met the droid's stare and felt, irrationally, like he was being scanned for contraband and bad intentions at the same time.

"Zee," Kiran said, and his tone carried an easy familiarity now, even if his posture stayed polite. "Good to see you too."

The droid's assessment flicked from Kiran's face to the bag of snacks and the caf cups, and Kiran could not help the faint, crooked smile that tugged at his mouth.

"Before you ask," he added, low and dry, "it's only caf and snacks. No foolishness."

Zee stepped aside, and Kiran nodded his thanks and moved in.

The penthouse looked exactly like what Persephone had described. It was not really a home yet, more like the idea of one mid assembly. Two lonely pieces of furniture sat in the open space like they were waiting for the rest of the room to arrive. Boxes and construction materials were scattered in loose clusters. Paint cans sat where someone had left them after getting interrupted. A fine layer of dust dulled the shine of everything it touched.

Kiran took it in with a quiet sort of respect. This place was becoming hers, piece by piece, and it felt strangely intimate to be allowed inside it before it was finished.

He heard movement, then Persephone appeared from another room, casual and unguarded in a way the gala had never allowed. Hair pulled back, clothes simple, her face carrying that quick flicker of uncertainty that made Kiran's chest tighten.

Awkwardness tried to settle between them like dust. Kiran's expression softened immediately. He did not step closer than was comfortable. He did not reach for her. He simply lifted the caf cups slightly, offering them like a peace token without calling them one.

"Hey," he said gently. "Thanks for letting me stop by."

He held out the cup he had brought for her first, careful and steady. "I grabbed you your usual," he said, voice warm but not presumptuous. "Sweet with cream, still strong. If I remembered wrong, tell me and I'll owe you a better one."

Then he lifted the small bag in his other hand. "And I brought snacks, because I figured you've been living on renovation fumes and dust."

A small pause followed, and Kiran let the humor fade into something more sincere.

"I just wanted to see you. Check out the place. Help if you want help." His eyes flicked to the paint cans and the boxes, then back to her. "And if you don't want help, then I can sit on that one piece of furniture and drink caf like a responsible citizen." His mouth curved into a small, careful smile.

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

Persephone carefully reached for the caf, her fingers brushing those of Kiran Arlos .Idly she wondered where he got the drink, there were no shortage of cafes nearby given the proximity to the university. She would examine the bag a little better later or, if the conversation flowed, merely asked. It was difficult to say right now.

"Anytime, thank you for coming. Perfect caf order. You didn't have to get me anything."

Taking a sip, she looked around at the dust and debris. There wasn't much to do. Cleaning up was fruitless. The moment she wiped dust more appeared. She kept the few clothes she had brought with her in a garment bag as a failsafe. No doubt she would still end up taking dust back to Joiol.

"Help? No, not much to help with. That's why my parents hired the construction crew. They should be done by the end of the week though. Not too much longer of weird dust being everywhere."

Persephone gave a small pause, rocking on her heels.

"So, what have you been up to?"

 

[Kiran Arlos]

Persephone Dashiell
​

Kiran's expression warmed at her thanks, and he gave a small shrug that was meant to keep it light.

"It's no problem at all," he said gently. "And I know, but I wanted to."

He lifted the snack bag a little and gave it a faint shake. "And some snacks in case you get a sweet tooth for anything. I kind of grabbed almost everything sweet related and some other snack items." His smile turned sheepish for a second. "I may have overcommitted to the snack portion."

When Persephone explained there was not much to help with, Kiran nodded without pushing it. He set the bag down carefully on one of the clear surfaces, making sure not to disturb any construction stuff or kick up more dust than necessary.

"That's alright," he said. "Do you want to go take a walk, maybe check out some of these places around here, or even a movie?"

A small smile returned to his face, easy and hopeful without being pushy. "I even saw there's a really nice park nearby."

Then his expression brightened with a bit of mischief, and he gave a light giggle, glancing toward Zee. "They're having a take your droid to the park day."

He laughed again, the sound quick and warm, then caught Zee's look and lifted a hand in surrender. "I'm just kidding, Zee. It was a joke." He paused, then added with a crooked grin, "Kinda."

 

[Persephone Dashiell]

Persephone blinked. Head turned to look at Zee, his optical sensors meeting her gaze. There was a silent plea there.

Yet she found the entire premise odd. Droids were fairly common in the galaxy. Many operated on their own. There was even a push for freedom among fringe groups. So bringing a droid to a park like a common pet was just puzzling. Given they were close in proximity to a university campus, perhaps it was one of those prank things. A gathering designed to bring students together. Or something put on by a company in order to promote their brand.

"Sure, let's go walk by and see what it is all about. Sounds weird."

Kiran Arlos ​