HOTARU
Though their bodies are different, it feels as if they have climbed into bed together every night of their lives. Hotaru remembers long cold nights, both of them remembering loved ones far from home, their bodies intertwined and companions resting at their feet. The sensations and limbs are different, but there is no hesitation as she draws up the covers, lets the warmth envelope her. Rexanna is cool to the touch, but she does not soak up the heat that Hotaru's body radiates, a phenomenon that admittedly intrigues the Valkyrie. Not enough to question further into her racial characteristics, but something to file away for the inevitable interrogation the next time they had time together. As Rexanna shifts upward, Hotaru uses the extra space to roll more onto her back, seeking Rexanna's face in the dark. The light is understandably minimal, but it glints off the curve of a cheek, the brightness of her eyes, the dark swathe of hair falling across her cheeks. It's enough. Anything at all is enough to appease her.
Laughter spills recklessly from her, stomach shaking beneath their joined hands. Gods, what are the odds? It had been her favorite perk of the Basin, especially with the desert in her blood from Phaedra. She'd been one of the most frequent visitors, and it had been a great way to meet others in the herd who were too afraid to approach her. Hotaru assumed she wasn't as intimidating, untouchable, when soaking wet and practically half-asleep in the water.
The memories keep flowing, and she tries so hard to stifle her giggles but it's a useless endeavor. It's not quite hysterical, but it's tinged with relief that she can still laugh, still remember the good times past the overwhelming horror of the ending. "Oh Gods I remember! That was horrible! I swear twins were a curse upon us, why couldn't we just have them one after the other? I felt like I was going to pop!" Not to mention that the twins immediately after Ru'in and Romina had nearly killed her, which had led to Rexanna taking her to the Edge in the first place.
"I miss them," she whispers suddenly into the silence, blinking away the burn of tears. The grief is not so potent now, but it is one she will have to carry forever even as the sharpness fades. "I spent so long terrified I would be a terrible mother, and then they became my whole world. I would have abandoned the crown at any moment for them, and now I'm here. Alone. Sometimes I wonder why I survived, why I ended up here, and not them...?" Part of her feels deep regret for letting the conversation turn so suddenly dark, but if she doesn't get it out now, Hotaru fears she won't be able to face the dawn with strength and courage.
it's our nature, we destroy
it's the constant of our kind
no matter the color of blood, man will always fall
