A little kindness went a long way to soothing a wild animal, and Kel was closer to that than usual these days with his loneliness and the isolation he had sought out while he tried to get his mental feet under him. He still had a ways to go, but Hotaru's smile and the grace with which she held herself and spoke to him soothed some of the need for social contact that he had been holding himself back from for too long.
Besides, she was beautiful enough that he thought he might not mind being tricked by her, as long as she continued to smile at him as she did it.
Her question brought a flash of pleased surprise to his expression as he started to nod, glad that she understood so swiftly, but the crackle of electricity around her fingers had him hopping back with wide eyes, new caution in his stance that faded only a little at her laugh. Beautiful and dangerous, he made a mental note, his attention drawn reluctantly from her face to her wiggling fingers as she apologized and he smiled tentatively back. "Like magic," he agreed. "At least, that's what humans would probably call it." It was still strange to think that there were no Hidden here, unless the merfolk the Torchliners spoke of were real. Though the only merfolk he had any personal experience with were the rusalka of the Forest, and they were generally unfriendly to those of the male persuasion, regardless of lineage.
Kel listened with surprise and sudden sympathy to Hotaru's tale, reaching up impulsively to brush his necklace at hearing of a home destroyed. Her comfort for him after all she had been through touched the young hunter and he smiled shyly at the kindness. "Most of those I've met seem to be locals," he admitted. "And I was warned that Outlanders were... often unwelcome." He stepped back a little sheepishly to where he had been before her electricity had startled him into retreat, reaching out to touch the glass of the cathedral as well with a fondness for the structure that had brought him such bittersweet solace in recent weeks. "Have... have you been here long?"
Besides, she was beautiful enough that he thought he might not mind being tricked by her, as long as she continued to smile at him as she did it.
Her question brought a flash of pleased surprise to his expression as he started to nod, glad that she understood so swiftly, but the crackle of electricity around her fingers had him hopping back with wide eyes, new caution in his stance that faded only a little at her laugh. Beautiful and dangerous, he made a mental note, his attention drawn reluctantly from her face to her wiggling fingers as she apologized and he smiled tentatively back. "Like magic," he agreed. "At least, that's what humans would probably call it." It was still strange to think that there were no Hidden here, unless the merfolk the Torchliners spoke of were real. Though the only merfolk he had any personal experience with were the rusalka of the Forest, and they were generally unfriendly to those of the male persuasion, regardless of lineage.
Kel listened with surprise and sudden sympathy to Hotaru's tale, reaching up impulsively to brush his necklace at hearing of a home destroyed. Her comfort for him after all she had been through touched the young hunter and he smiled shyly at the kindness. "Most of those I've met seem to be locals," he admitted. "And I was warned that Outlanders were... often unwelcome." He stepped back a little sheepishly to where he had been before her electricity had startled him into retreat, reaching out to touch the glass of the cathedral as well with a fondness for the structure that had brought him such bittersweet solace in recent weeks. "Have... have you been here long?"
