"Mmh. Alternatives are good, but I would guess that you are not suggesting that someone else approach Dahlia for information?" he rumbled as he rummaged in the basket. "And we are worried for your safety." He tilted his head, meeting her eyes warmly as he inclined his head in acknowledgment of her own feelings. "As you are worried for us." When emotions ran high it made for a difficult meeting on all sides. But someone needed to take risks or far more people would be in danger in the days to come. At the moment, limiting who was exposed to that danger seemed to be their only choice, and it was not an easy one. No one wanted to see their friends and loved ones willingly throwing themselves into the whirlpool, not knowing who would come home and whether or not they would be infected if they survived.
But for the moment they had mud that Hadama had purchased from a fancy boutique in upper Haulani and the cucumber slices that had come with it, and Hadama followed Flora obediently to a steam-heated rock so that he could sink down to place his face in easy reach. The water slid over his legs in its comforting embrace but he resisted the urge to slip into his mer form. Instead he watched Flora apply the facial mud to herself first, bright humor twinkling in his eyes as she then dabbed some on for him. Following her method he began to spread it lightly over his brown skin, a low laugh rolling beneath his words. "Now I understand what you were attempting with the frosting," he teased.
With matching pink faces in place he accepted the little jar of cucumber slices from Flora and started to raise a brow as she placed them over her eyes. The tug of the setting mask reminded him to keep his expression serene, but he was holding in laughter at the picture they both made, and he was perhaps quietly glad that there was no one else around in this little grotto--
And then he forgot the mask entirely, emerald eyes widening as he looked past his co-ruler and the steam parted to reveal a flower, gleaming with veins of gold and turquoise. It was identical to the one he had received from the sacrifice of Ray's wand and for a moment his throat closed on the memory of his friend. "Flora..." he said softly instead, his voice reverent as he set aside the cucumbers and stood to make his way over to the divine flower. He knelt in the water as it rose to his chest and cupped his hands around the beautiful bloom, all memories of the stressful meeting indeed forgotten.
But for the moment they had mud that Hadama had purchased from a fancy boutique in upper Haulani and the cucumber slices that had come with it, and Hadama followed Flora obediently to a steam-heated rock so that he could sink down to place his face in easy reach. The water slid over his legs in its comforting embrace but he resisted the urge to slip into his mer form. Instead he watched Flora apply the facial mud to herself first, bright humor twinkling in his eyes as she then dabbed some on for him. Following her method he began to spread it lightly over his brown skin, a low laugh rolling beneath his words. "Now I understand what you were attempting with the frosting," he teased.
With matching pink faces in place he accepted the little jar of cucumber slices from Flora and started to raise a brow as she placed them over her eyes. The tug of the setting mask reminded him to keep his expression serene, but he was holding in laughter at the picture they both made, and he was perhaps quietly glad that there was no one else around in this little grotto--
And then he forgot the mask entirely, emerald eyes widening as he looked past his co-ruler and the steam parted to reveal a flower, gleaming with veins of gold and turquoise. It was identical to the one he had received from the sacrifice of Ray's wand and for a moment his throat closed on the memory of his friend. "Flora..." he said softly instead, his voice reverent as he set aside the cucumbers and stood to make his way over to the divine flower. He knelt in the water as it rose to his chest and cupped his hands around the beautiful bloom, all memories of the stressful meeting indeed forgotten.
