The door slams open with a ferocity that Laulis has last witnessed years ago, even before Naoki had escaped back to Gos. She knows exactly just who it is that’s entering her shop with so much enthusiasm.

“Cais po!” The words echo throughout the room as they stand with arms outstretched. “Guess who’s here to bring some life back into the countryside?”

“Lex,” Laulis says, a mixture of amusement and exasperation in her voice, “boimoubou cob.”

Hands find their hips as they look around the shop with a grin. “Gau ‘moubou wa,” Lex replies and sucks in a deep breath, “Is that fresh Bemo that I smell?”

With a triumphant yell, they hop over to the stall and begin shifting through the fruit. Finally, they turn, clutching a Bemo to their chest. “You don’t even know my struggle, Ohy,” they say, “The last time I had a fruit like this was four months ago.” Tears in their eyes, they lift the fruit up to their face, mouth opening to bite in. At the last moment, they stop. Eyes shift to an amused Laulis. “Can I?”

“Oh, no, go ahead.”

The next thing Laulis hears is a barrage of moans and muffled exclamations. She’s missed this — Naoki has long outgrown the childish excitement that used to be so characteristic of him; became a boy with a heart that is more stone than sea, as if Gos had infused itself into his soul in ways beyond her comprehension. But seeing Lex acting like their old self, still full of life and enthusiasm reminds her of the old days, in which her bones were not yet heavy and her body, too, sought the freedom within her youth. 

“Xi’a,” she hears Lex yell out before charging towards the small Qomiat at the back of the store, “tazi!” Another thing that hasn’t changed, it seems. Laulis almost chuckles at the nostalgic longing that wells up within her chest. It’s been a long time since her home has been this full of life.

She shakes her head. You’ve got just as much life inside of you, Laulis, she tells herself, potku xib xoli. 

“Still the same little rascal we shipped off to Gos all that time ago, aren’t they?” The voice is familiar; more than welcome. Laulis feels her lips pull up into a smile.

“Shipped off?” Laulis laughs, “I very clearly remember consoling a very teary you after ‘your little Nonao finally grew up.’”

“I don’t remember that at all,” Kanai mumbles and shuffles closer to the counter. “What I do remember is that with them gone, I finally got to spend some alone time with Xounu.”

Kanai raises his eyebrows suggestively at the words, then throws one of the berries at the counter into the air and catches it with his mouth. Reaching across, Laulis grabs them from his grip with a scolding slant to her mouth. Any disapproval falls from her lips when she sees him pout; the playfulness is not lost on her. Instead of keeping up her facade, she allows the faux misery on his face to make her snicker. “Speaking of Xounu,” she drawls after a moment, reminiscing about the last time they turned up at her shop, smile as handsome as ever, “how are they?”

“You’re actually stocking stuff with her face on it?” 

The words crash into their conversation with the same ferocity as the magazine that is slammed down onto the counter between them. Lex’s eyes are wide; they’re panting. “Naoki once threatened to burn the cover I had back in Gos with her face on it,” they continue, voice rising in pitch as they speak, “and now, she’s here.”

Laulis flicks her eyes up to Kanai in obvious confusion. He shrugs.

“I saw this at the port,” Lex says, hands lovingly caressing the magazine, “almost bought it, didn’t; regretted it, but now,” their voice lowers into a hush, “she’s found me again.”

With something beyond reverence, Lex picks up the magazine and holds it up into the light. Laulis can almost see a twinkle in their eye. “Oh, Ca. Tazat,” they breathe, “May I be blessed by your spectacular arms.”

Kanai sighs next to them. The sound speaks of many years spent listening to numerous rants all involving the same person and topic, over and over again. “Lex wrote a paper on some things involving her research about the economic opportunities of using the salt concentration within Ni’aumi soil for further development.” 

“Not just a paper,” Lex exclaims, hands slamming back onto the counter, “a thesis!” Sheepish, Kanai sends them an apologetic smile.

“Oh, you did finish your degree, didn’t you,” Laulis realises, clasping her hands together in delight, “Congratulations, Lex, that’s wonderful!”

“Thanks!” Their grin is wide, but replaced within seconds with a much more serious expression. “But that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that Ca. Tazat, the Ca. Tazat,” they stress, fingers tapping against Tazat’s face on the magazine at the same time, “is actually spearheading the same idea I wrote about.

“It’s not exactly the same idea,” Kanai whispers to Laulis, hand covering his mouth, “but the same premise.”

Lex waves their arms at both of them, a pout on their lips. “I harnessed a fraction of her brain’s power to write my thesis,” they say, “I had a few things wrong, sure, but we can’t all be as perfect as her.”

“A big fan, I see,” Laulis teases and watches the crimson light up Lex’s cheeks..

They clear their throat, not meeting Laulis’s eyes. “I’m really surprised Aixewos is over here, though,” they decide to change the subject, gesturing to the vehicles parked outside, “Nauwai’s never been part of their plans so far.”

“Yeah,” Laulis sighs, “it’s a very recent development.” So recent, that she can still smell her earlier visitors in the shop.

“Oh?” Leaning back, Lex surveys the rest of the shop. When they find it empty, they turn back to Laulis with widened eyes. “Anything to do with the stuff Kauba’s been working on before he—”

“Lex.”

Kanai’s voice is stern. Yet, Laulis’s heart constricts all the same. What a loaded question. It is in moments like these that she did not miss Lex’s quick mouth. Wincing, Lex hangs their head at Kanai’s scolding tone. “Sorry.”

The lip is worn beneath their teeth as they look around the shop, desperate to uplift the mood once more. The silence of the shop seems wrong somehow, unfamiliar in a way that makes Lex shift from foot to foot. They turn back to Laulis in a flash when realisation strikes. “Where’s Aixewos’s second biggest fan?”

With a thankful smile, Laulis lets out a dramatic sigh. “Not back yet from pulling in your crates,” she says, sending Kanai an exasperated look, “Naoki’s been acting strange lately. Not that I can blame him.” 

Lex’s smile twists, concern overriding their features. Laulis waves it off. “We better keep all of this,” she pats the magazine still lying on the counter, “between us.”