Bane
Your shadows betray you
They serve me
They serve me
Bane watched her carefully, the steam from the hot springs rising around them like a shroud. He let out a low, rumbling chuckle, his mask amplifying the sound so it seemed to resonate off the stone walls. But then, in a surprisingly fluid motion for someone of his size, he reached up and unclasped the mask, setting it aside on the rocks behind him.
For the first time, his face was exposed—scarred, hardened by countless battles, yet there was something unexpected in his expression. A grin curled at the corner of his mouth, sharp and amused. "Interrupting?" he repeated, his voice now unfiltered, a little rougher, but somehow lighter, almost teasing. "No, little flower seeker, you do not interrupt. You provide… an unexpected distraction."
He leaned back against the edge of the hot spring, the heat of the water soaking into his muscles, a quiet satisfaction visible in the way his shoulders loosened. "And if I needed quiet, I wouldn’t have come here, would I?" His grin widened, a playful glint in his eyes. "Though I admit, it's not every day one finds a woman so determined to find flowers in a place like this."
He watched her reaction closely, enjoying the shift in her expression. "So, no," he continued, his tone a blend of challenge and curiosity, "you are not a bother. But perhaps you can tell me… what makes these lilies so special that you risk the travel?"
He rested his arms on the stone, his grin lingering, as if daring her to answer. The water's warmth seemed to have brought out a side of him that was both disarming and, in its way, just a little bit dangerous.
For the first time, his face was exposed—scarred, hardened by countless battles, yet there was something unexpected in his expression. A grin curled at the corner of his mouth, sharp and amused. "Interrupting?" he repeated, his voice now unfiltered, a little rougher, but somehow lighter, almost teasing. "No, little flower seeker, you do not interrupt. You provide… an unexpected distraction."
He leaned back against the edge of the hot spring, the heat of the water soaking into his muscles, a quiet satisfaction visible in the way his shoulders loosened. "And if I needed quiet, I wouldn’t have come here, would I?" His grin widened, a playful glint in his eyes. "Though I admit, it's not every day one finds a woman so determined to find flowers in a place like this."
He watched her reaction closely, enjoying the shift in her expression. "So, no," he continued, his tone a blend of challenge and curiosity, "you are not a bother. But perhaps you can tell me… what makes these lilies so special that you risk the travel?"
He rested his arms on the stone, his grin lingering, as if daring her to answer. The water's warmth seemed to have brought out a side of him that was both disarming and, in its way, just a little bit dangerous.
Pain is a teacher that never forgets
Etched in the flesh
Etched in the flesh
