Hotaru
Somewhere my lifeline still hums and sings
In the mess of all I have thrown away
From behind, Ru indulgently watches the flexed muscle of Colt's tricep relax from the prolonged bow-draw, pleased as punch with how this evening had gone despite the utter derailment. It's a damn shame she didn't visit that ranch more often. Maybe she still offers trail rides like those sad gimmicky business models that target parents trying to reconnect with their kids who hate them? Ru doesn't exactly fit that criteria, but whatever Colt's new business venture might be, she trusts it will be less brain-numbing than that. In the mess of all I have thrown away
Perking up visibly at the idea, the Valkyrie laughs; it sweeps through her without a second thought, bright and amused, and she leaves herself stunned in its wake because of it. It's the first time it's happened since she woke up on that cliffside. It's...nice.
"We'd grow tired of our millions, don't you think? We'd have to start getting creative to avoid detection," she simpers, hand rising as if to flick her long golden hair over her shoulder, only to do so at a quarter speed - showboating the way dark brunette shades cascade from root to tip, following the passage of her hand until the tips trickle off her wrist to land back at her waist, leaving the Valkyrie a much different looking woman. But, ah, always the same coy smirk.
Watching - again, indulgently - as Colt crudely wipes her knife against the slug's shirt, Hotaru waves away the offer with a graceful flick of her hand that accompanies her straightening off from the table. "Nonsense, I only wandered over to make sure you won. I have no need of it." In more ways than one frankly. That confidence is what has her extending an elbow, stepping over the unconscious figure on the floor without breaking eye contact with Colt. "Drinks indeed. There's a great pop-up oceanside bar just outside of the Fingers. Good business, buttering up a deal before it ever goes down." The bartenders are easy to sway so long as you don't pin the trouble on their heads, greased palms leading to over-pours and spiked drinks. Luckily, Ru and Colt have no such targets on their heads.
Andraste prowls just ahead as the Valkyrie sweeps them out of the cavern and into the crisp air beyond, stagnant smells whisked away to be replaced with sea breeze cold enough to burn inside the nose. Just as promised, the beachside bar stands just beyond the reach of high tide, dune grass trampled by frequent visitors. Luckily, tonight there aren't too many; the girls have had enough run ins for at least another hour surely.
Sliding onto a well-worn barstool (she's mastered the art of doing so gracefully, in a way that hides how short she is) the Valkyrie leans partially onto the bar, breasts perfectly aligned across her forearms to call the bartender to heel without lifting a hand. "Two Bee's Knees dear, if you will? I'll pay extra, I know it's a bit of a hassle," she promises before so much as an annoyed crease can fissure the man's brow. Tilting her head to rest her cheek on the swell of her shoulder, she peers past it with eyes shadowed by the low lamplight and absent sun, lit only by her own inner radiance. Even now the dark hair and near-black eyes stick around. "If it's not to your taste I'll take yours, no harm done. You seem like a whiskey girl, I confess. Perhaps beer? Certainly nothing a fancy Torchline cocktail bar could offer." It's an easy build into the question that's been sitting on her tongue for nearly an hour now. One that's released as their drinks are slid across into their waiting hands.
"Seems we're both far from King's End - and I never expected that of you. You surprised me, and that makes me curious. So...what happened?"
Hungry now,
I am gathering new seeds to throw wide
I am gathering new seeds to throw wide
