(o) crystal tides

Hotaru

we're not lovers, we're just strangers
with the same damn hunger

For all his weathered exterior, there is something pure and boyish in this man, and it charms her far too easily. Finding she'd be more willing to forsake information if it meant keeping that smile on his face. Blasphemous, really, to a woman such as she. But alas, she has always been weak for rugged exteriors hiding golden hearts.

"I can't say I'm the type to avoid battle, but they seem a nasty enough opponent to make me glad we chose retreat." Hotaru is aware he, like many others before him, might consider her frail. Weak, breakable. She is so used to applying this in a beneficial way as an underdog that it no longer truly stings. But she would happily continue to prove everyone wrong all the same. He may not let her assist with the seal, but she's confident she could bring him to his knees if the situation warranted it.

"I'd like to. Admittedly though aside from the shop I am setting up, I have nowhere to stay long term. I'll likely return to the Grounds during Deepfrost at the very least." The woman is experienced with winter's effect on a land such as this, and doubts she will even be able to return considering the substantial hike from the portal to any kind of civilization. "And you? You live here, but I'd the idea of a vacation for the season tempting?" Now that the portals are open, would be be inclined to run away to Torchline for a beach getaway during Deepfrost? Or would duty keep him rooted in Halo?

to be touched, to be loved
to feel anything at all

noah

Free from all old stories Ive been told, I walk through the valley of my own shadow

Noah meant what he said: their choice not to engage the cannibals was wise. He liked to think that he was a truthful man, and even though he might not be the most gifted when it came to forming beautiful sentences, he wanted his words to matter and for what he said to be what he meant. Now, he was not infallible--often in arguments he let anger rule his tongue, but that was something Noah wanted to wage war against. He did not think her weak, not for choosing to disengage from the potential fight against the cannibals nor for his lack of handing over his seal for her to carry.

At her affirmative answer to his question, he instantly brightens. While a great deal of the other Halovians were still opposed to the outlanders overtaking their home with their presence, Noah was willing to see how it played out. "What type of shop?" He asked. "My friend Weaver Hale runs a bar and inn called The Kraai. She is always welcoming guests. I am sure she has room for you." He offers up the Kraai to her, because Time can't remember timelines and doesn't care because he was confident that Weaver would welcome her, especially if she were doing something beneficial for Halo.

"I've been to Torchline and the Hollowed Grounds, though only briefly. I am Halo born and bred, and my heart belongs there. As a hunter, there are too many people who rely on what I do to abandon them to sit on the beach." Plus, the idea of taking a vacation had never entered his mind--all he knew was work.

Hotaru

we're not lovers, we're just strangers
with the same damn hunger

Pleasure turns into a pink hue against her cheeks, dimples appearing as she smiles at the inquisitiveness shown towards the shop she is already so proud of. "It's a large thing, with a variety of offerings. There's an area for massages and adjustments, and a mud bath with volcanic ash and mineral waters. I'm still building the hotspring and steam house." Idly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear where it has escaped to tickle at the side of her nose, she gives a self-conscious shrug. "We had natural springs in my kingdom, it's motivated by nostalgia. But fire is not the only source of warmth, and I'd like to share that with the people of Halo." Share the benefits that her own people had taken for granted perhaps. "I know Weaver, actually. I didn't even consider that option, which is amusing considering I helped her build the Kraai." Laughter bubbles against her lips, wondering how it had possibly escaped her mind.

"Meat and heat, is what I've always said." An agreements an understanding that she extends in a particular manner, allowing him to respond to it seriously or not. "Hopefully with the portals open, trade can increase and help sustain the Halovians. You deserve rest and enjoyment, no matter how honorable your cause."

to be touched, to be loved
to feel anything at all

noah

Free from all old stories Ive been told, I walk through the valley of my own shadow

As Hotaru began to explain her shop, he nodded with understanding. It was visible the way that the wires connected in his brain as she spoke. He was putting in place the recent construction to their town to her. "The people of Halo have never known such luxury. We might not know what to do with ourselves." He chuckled, the wrinkles in the corners of his eyes deepening as he did so. It was true: such hardy people barely knew how to pamper themselves. Oftentimes their luxury was found in the price of Weaver's liquor and in the arms of a lover. What seemed like such an incredible thing coming to the frozen town was nearly unfathomable. "I'm sure the people will find themselves grateful, though." The idea of getting an adjustment even appealed to the hunter, especially as the weight of the seal began to set in his lower back.

There was no need to describe his blushing. It was ever-present before the small, blonde woman. She spoke in innuendo enough for Noah to catch on, but he tried to move past it. to say that she wasn't attractive, and that Noah wouldn't mind feeling how her body felt against his, writhing and sweaty and breathy, would be a lie. He just was not a man who wanted to dwell on such thoughts, to diminish someone to such that it was their only value. He hardly acknowledged they way she almost gave him permission to take a vacation, but simply grunting a small hmm. "When you finish your shop, will you stay in Halo or will you still travel?"

Hotaru

we're not lovers, we're just strangers
with the same damn hunger

"So long as they leave happy and deign to return, I don't mind a bit of confusion and trepidation." Laughter trembles in her voice, not mocking the man at all but still almost sadly amused by the lack of fun and relaxation this land has to offer its citizens. "I'd be happy to show you around and give you a day of free services if you'll give your honest review?" Her grin is lightly teasing to assure that he will receive quality care even if he doesn't spread the word. "I'm sure you'll need a massage after lugging that seal around." Chin tilting towards it meaningfully.

Her silence goes perhaps a tad too long after his question, musing over it with the weight it deserves to be treated with. "I'm...still uncertain, admittedly. But I hope the answer will come to me soon." Eyes crinkling slightly at the edges, promising a better future that she hopes will come. Not just for her, but for the both of them.

- FIN (because I'm slow as hell)

to be touched, to be loved
to feel anything at all