Kale shrugged though she couldn't see, "You can tell me." he replied quietly but honestly.

Blaze took another minute before speaking up. "... I've... always wanted... a relationship," she tried to explain. "But, as I understand them, you are supposed to... give a piece of yourself to the other person or some dirt... which somehow relates to giving them your time. But..." There was a long pause. "If I start dating you then I'd have to disobey Sheng. And if I disobey Sheng, then I don't have much time left."

Kale paused for a moment before slowly standing and grabbing his bag. Then he walking over and sat down behind Blaze, leaning his back against her back. "The way I understand it." he said quietly, "Is that dating... it kind of what we're already doing. Meeting at night and eating meals together. The only difference is that you've expressed your feelings for each other." He starting digging through his bag, "I don't see why Sheng would get angry at that. You're still protecting Yue."

"... It's... not that," Blaze tried to explain quietly. "I can date whoever I want, but... in the end... Sheng and Yue would expect me to betray you and the neonates and everyone else. And if I date you, Yue would catch on that I have no intention of doing that. I'm not too hard to see through."

Kale sighed a little, "I suppose... it was rather naive of James to agree to take you two in at the beginning. Wolfe was wary of it but James... no one knows what the terra he's thinking sometimes." He paused, "I trust you but I foresee a problem though. If Yue decides to betray us, I would have to kill her, Blaze. As stupid as I look with this hair, I am lethal. As much as I respect you, the mission I am fighting for is so much bigger than us." He shifted a little, leaning his head back and resting it against the back of hers with another sigh.

"... I know..." Blaze replied quietly, leaning back against Kale. "... I hope she decides to trust the neonates... Sheng hurt her pretty badly. And she knows he's up to no good. But her family is all she's ever had. And after her father was murdered, Yue and her older brother became inseparable. Honor is life to them. But if she thinks her brother betrayed her... then who knows what she'll do."

Kale nodded a little, "Surprisingly James seems to be spending a lot of time with her. Perhaps that will help, or maybe it'll just make it worse." he murmured before blinking, "Wait, aren't her and Nic related?" he asked, voice a little confused.

"Not anymore," Blaze replied with a sigh.

Kale blinked, tilting his head a little, "Huh..." he sighed a little, "I'm guessing he betrayed Sheng then or something?" he guessed.

Blaze sighed again. "... Ask Yue if you really want to know. I think she'd get mad at me if I say anything more about it." Blaze was remarkably warm considering the cold weather.

Kale nodded, respecting Blaze's silence on the matter. "At least we know Nic won't betray us." he said, "... As long as Laurel's a part of it anyway." He was actually a bit cold as he shifted again.

Blaze didn't notice or didn't comment. Either way, she remained silent.

Kale was silent for awhile. "Do you have Devil's kiss?" he asked quietly.

"No," Blaze replied simply.

"But you have an illness that needs constant medication?" he asked.

"... Not really," Blaze replied.

"... I'm confused." Kale finally just stated.

"... I need an injection every day to keep my organs functioning properly," Blaze explained quietly.

Kale nodded, "Because of all the operations?" he replied.

Kale could feel Blaze nod.

"... Who did this to you?" he barely breathed.

"I don't know," Blaze replied calmly.

"You have no memories of it?" Kale inquired, rustling through his bag again.

"... I remember," Blaze replied quietly. "... I guess in theory I could put the clues together to track it down to the one person responsible. But I'd rather spend the time I have left trying to enjoy the life I have. They tried to make me a fighting machine; I think the better revenge is proving to them and myself that despite their best efforts, I'm the better human."

Kale was silent for a long time. Then suddenly he tossed an carrot over his shoulder to Blaze, "How much time do you think you have? If you could stay on the shots."

Blaze caught it. "I don't know how many are left," she explained. "... I took the last one I had after dinner, but Yue has more. If Yue keeps doing what she's doing, then tomorrow she'll give me another week. I know Yue has at least a year and a half - that's the most I've ever seen. But I don't know if there's any more after that..."

Kale moved his head so that it fell back and rested on Blaze's shoulder, "Hmm... do you know what's in the shots?" he asked.

"Sorta," Blaze replied.

Kale was staring up at the sky, "... Are you willing to possibly live a shorter life to date me?"

"... Are you willing to date me if tomorrow I might be dying?" Blaze asked back.

Kale sighed a bit, "I could go scouting tomorrow... and not come back." he replied, "What's the difference? It's all in the way you live your life. I want to date you, so I will for however long I can... Even if it ends up being just for tonight."

There was a pause before Blaze nodded a little. "I'd rather try and live a shorter life than never know."

Kale smiled, "I've lived twenty-nine years on my own. I'd like to have a relationship with someone." he paused, "And don't settle for a shorter life yet, we have time to figure out what's in the shots." He nodded to himself, "We have time."

"... It's not about the time," Blaze replied quietly. "... It's how expensive they are to make."

Kale started chuckling, "Girl, I haven't worked for two decades for nothing. Plus if we find the lab before Hayden we should be able to able to produce it there." He readjusted himself on her back and closed his eyes.

Blaze was silent for a long moment. "... It's very expensive," she repeated in a whisper.

Blaze could feel Kale shrug before he lifted his hand, putting it behind him and on her lap, "Pixie stick please."

There was a pause before Blaze pulled two pixie sticks out of her pocket and put them in Kale's hand.

Kale caught her hand for a brief moment, squeezing it slightly before pulling his hand back with his pixie sticks. "One day at a time..." he reminded her quietly.

Once again, James found himself looking for Yue. This was becoming a pattern... a serious issue he'd have to think through later. Why the terra did he always find himself looking for her? What was his excuse this time? Ah, right... some boulderdirt about Nic or something.

Her hand was very warm. Blaze sighed a little. That was the only way she knew how to live. After a little while, she readjusted herself and put her head on his shoulder.

Yue was in her favorite dinning hall, drinking... hot chocolate? Yep, she was poking at the tiny marshmallows floating at the surface.