from the mornings you ease to the evenings you quiet
I'm always thinking of you, I'm always dreaming of you
I'm always thinking of you, I'm always dreaming of you
The bark of laughter that crawls out of her chest is more beholden to memories of other post-breakup arson events than anything truly humorous, but the notion is endearing and emphasizes how much Tal cares for her which is all that truly matters to Hotaru. "I'll make sure to let you know - and recruit you - if that happens," she laughs, a soft sound infused with all the warmth curling in her heart at his loyalty to her and her happiness. Something she never thought she'd feel again after the war, or even before it - when friendship was a concept she'd forgotten, and loneliness more than just a bedmate.
That love lingers even as he flushes and mumbles, and it's all that sustains her as the weight of what she has to say comes to rest upon her shoulders, forcing her down to the cushions of the sofa.
He knows her too well not to see the shift in her mood, or feel the change in energy around their conversation. It makes it hurt all the more to see him sit so trustingly beside her, because it feels like the news she has to share is a betrayal, no matter how many times she has to reassure herself that it's not. It's harder to remember that when he stares at her, wan then flushed, already hurting before it has really sunk in.
"It is," she agrees quietly. "And it always has been. I suspect it always will be, in some fashion." No matter the distance or change in her citizenship. Turning away (selfishly) she stares into her own cup, thumb idly tracing the edge in slow circles. "But Halo has not needed me in a long time. Not the same way I've needed her." Any value she brought as a soldier or a headmistress had dwindled as Halo burned ever brighter, drawing more talented souls like moths to flame. "The person I love cannot visit me here. My daughter is half a world away. And the mission I upheld for so long is showing fruit - and Enzo himself told me it was never a mission he gave me." It pains her that Stormbreak's decision had been made internally, without any of her aid, but at least it was a step in the right direction even if it could not be attributed to the Valkyrie's efforts.
This may be her only chance to truly explain herself to Talyson, and she takes it with both hands, hoping to fill his stunned silence with anything she can think of to abate the sting. "Even you are blossoming without needing me so much. Or I you." Because they had both leaned on each other like crutches for so many seasons, and while she does not look down on that, she equally can't deny that he has far more friends to support him than before. "Enzo asked me to live. And I think I have been hiding away in Halo, using the Academy as an excuse, instead of actually doing that." And with happiness so close at hand, she can't envision turning it aside.
That love lingers even as he flushes and mumbles, and it's all that sustains her as the weight of what she has to say comes to rest upon her shoulders, forcing her down to the cushions of the sofa.
He knows her too well not to see the shift in her mood, or feel the change in energy around their conversation. It makes it hurt all the more to see him sit so trustingly beside her, because it feels like the news she has to share is a betrayal, no matter how many times she has to reassure herself that it's not. It's harder to remember that when he stares at her, wan then flushed, already hurting before it has really sunk in.
"It is," she agrees quietly. "And it always has been. I suspect it always will be, in some fashion." No matter the distance or change in her citizenship. Turning away (selfishly) she stares into her own cup, thumb idly tracing the edge in slow circles. "But Halo has not needed me in a long time. Not the same way I've needed her." Any value she brought as a soldier or a headmistress had dwindled as Halo burned ever brighter, drawing more talented souls like moths to flame. "The person I love cannot visit me here. My daughter is half a world away. And the mission I upheld for so long is showing fruit - and Enzo himself told me it was never a mission he gave me." It pains her that Stormbreak's decision had been made internally, without any of her aid, but at least it was a step in the right direction even if it could not be attributed to the Valkyrie's efforts.
This may be her only chance to truly explain herself to Talyson, and she takes it with both hands, hoping to fill his stunned silence with anything she can think of to abate the sting. "Even you are blossoming without needing me so much. Or I you." Because they had both leaned on each other like crutches for so many seasons, and while she does not look down on that, she equally can't deny that he has far more friends to support him than before. "Enzo asked me to live. And I think I have been hiding away in Halo, using the Academy as an excuse, instead of actually doing that." And with happiness so close at hand, she can't envision turning it aside.
the valkyrie
say my name, say I'm yours
promise we'll never be oceans apart
promise we'll never be oceans apart
totally sniped from odd ilu
