(o) devil town is colder in the summertime

moral of the story is, i will gut you if i need to

i will carve my way out

There is no time for distractions, for confusion, not when Halo is so close within reach. Hotaru steps through the portal with a determined stride that eats up the snow beneath her feet. She belongs here as surely as the persistent people in the Citadel, the ravenous beasts that eat indiscriminately out on the ice. Hardened by years of living in these similar conditions, as accustomed to the bite of cold upon her cheek as she is the swell of air in her lungs. She had spent days making clothing in preparation, had made extras with the furs Deimos had brought her after being warned of 'gifts' being a necessary token of passage.

Her leather bag is heavy on her back, filled to the brim with supplies and gifts alike. The Citadel is a dark, imposing jewel in the frozen landscape, but one that she enters all the same. Not fearless, but stalwart. As fierce and imposing as she had been as Queen of a kingdom much like this one. Sharp, dual-toned eyes picking apart those who will meet her gaze, seeking out someone who will not avoid it.

with only my teeth

HOTARU

Cassandra

Cass sat by the fireplace in the little restaurant, absentmindedly watching passerby through the window. Why was she here again? You came to Halo, where you'll be valued, a voice in her head replied, sounding eerily like the Launceleyn family head. Then, the strangest thing happened: in this totally weird new land, she saw a familiar face. (Well, the top half of a familiar face. Hotaru was hardly taller than the bottom of the window Cass was looking through.)

The girl charged outside.

"Mom?"

Did Hotaru follow her here? What the heck? Talk about helicopter parenting. But Cass sort of did deserve it, having tip-toed out late the night before when she again felt the tug to go to Halo: the suggestion of Zariah's magic. It wasn't running away from home, because Cass really was planning to come right back, but she thought maybe if she just came here for a little she could get that stupid little voice in her head to finally shut up.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going. Am I, like, suuuper grounded?"

_{Code base by Skylark!}

moral of the story is, i will gut you if i need to

i will carve my way out

Of all the faces she had expected, foreign and familiar alike, Cassandra is not one of them. Now, Hotaru prides herself on being a good mom. On being understanding of youthful urges and teenage temperaments. But this? Oh, Cass is right to be nervous. Hotaru stares at her daughter uncomprehendingly for a moment, unable to understand the how and why of her presence. She had never locked her daughter down in their home, though after Fiat Lux the temptation had been enormous. Had merely thought she had risen early or stayed out late in the Grounds when she had not been in her bed when Hotaru departed in the morning.

Her eyes narrow as she readjusts her route to step closer to her daughter. "You are very grounded. If you wanted to explore Halo I would have taken you with me, but it is very dangerous here Cassie. Even more than the Grounds." It makes her insides curl to think of her young daughter here alone, even if only for a few hours. "Why in the world are you here?" Curiosity? Meeting one of her nameless friends? But why Halo of all places?

with only my teeth

HOTARU

Cassandra

"You are very grounded."

Annnnd there it was. Welp, that's an L. But Hotaru was right. It was dangerous and sketchy af and honestly despite the grounding, Cass felt a lot safer with Hotaru around. What did surprise her, however, was when Hotaru added that she would have been happy to just bring her along. So all that getting suuuper lost and hiding from those dumb bears... All that was for NOTHING? Ugh, why am I this dumb sometimes? The struggle to keep herself from facepalming was real.

"Okay, so don't get mad...der, but I'm here because like this hella scary lady showed up when I first arrived and told me to come to Halo. I didn't even know what Halo was, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. You should have seen the way people were looking at her, Mom! Like, you'd think she was some kind of monster or whatever with how scared everyone was."

_{Code base by Skylark!}

moral of the story is, i will gut you if i need to

i will carve my way out

With blatantly curious and affronted gazes alike sliding across her and her daughter, Hotaru grabs Cassandra by the elbow and steers the pair of them out of the main path. This is a new overcoat, and she doesn't want to have to ruin it with blood if someone decides to run their fat mouth over where they're having a conversation. At least Cassie looks appropriately cowed, and Hotaru's anger tempers itself quickly. It's borne from concern anyway, a quick-lit fuse that burns bright and fast before turning to slow-heated coals.

Except as Cassandra speaks, that emotion slowly changes until it is genuine simmering anger. Heterochromic eyes narrow into slits, and already she can feel electricity sparking between her fingers as she tries to channel the emotion out of her body. "Did she hurt you? Why did she say she wanted you here? What was her name?" A barrage of questions, but important ones. Whoever had dared to meddle with her daughter - and subsequently, her daughter's safety - is going to meet the nasty end of her magic. Or one of her daggers, depending on how slowly she wants to end this miserable person's life, whoever they are.

with only my teeth

HOTARU

Cassandra

Cass tripped as her mother pulled her into some shady af corner, presumably to ground her forever. Well, gtg, cruel world. Guess this is how I die.

Hotaru proved her wrong: "Did she hurt you? Why did she say she wanted you here? What was her name?"

"Like, she did threaten to kill me, but she didn't punch me or anything. I think she did... something? She said she wanted me here so I could be 'valued,' and I was like: k sounds fake. Suddenly, my head hurt like a butt cheek on a stick. She never said what her name was, but she was like pretty and scary and way too tall to be wearing the heels she had on." Cass said all of this with giant hand gestures.

_{Code base by Skylark!}

moral of the story is, i will gut you if i need to

i will carve my way out

Considering the rage she can feel on her own face - no matter how she tries to conceal it - Hotaru isn't surprised that Cassandra spits the answer out in a swift rush of information. Magic her mind hisses, and her eyes narrow further. Whoever had dared to invade her daughter's mind or whatever the hell it was will feel her wrath.

"It sounds like magic," she says if only to give Cassandra some sort of answer to that. "So she was tall? What color was her hair, her skin, her eyes? Whatever you can remember will help." It's an effort to keep her voice level, calmer than before. If Cassie can't remember it's not her fault, but any information at all will assist Hotaru in her hunt.

And then Cassandra is going home. Probably forever.

with only my teeth

HOTARU