Love mends even the broken parts
As Hotaru laid out her terms, Loren found himself grinning. "Show off, hm? And what if I want to keep you all to myself?" There was equal parts playfulness and flirtation in his voice. Still, he let out a huff of laughter. "I think you'll find that I'm up for quite a bit of punishment." His voice dropped to a lower register for the last word, and gained a bit of a rough edge.
Smiling a bit sheepishly, it gained a more genuine edge as she mentioned she was considering moving here. "I wouldn't object to that." He gave her an excited and sly look, equally amused.
Nodding at her questions, he glanced towards the entrance to the school. "It has been quite successful, from all reports." When she asked who ran it, he grinned, though she'd be able to feel him tense slightly given their arms were linked. "Ah, that's the one wrinkle. It's run by my cousin Zariah." He watched her carefully to see how she'd react to the name.
Regardless, he'd lead her on the next stop of the tour. Walking down a flight of stairs, he'd bring her to a door tucked away in a corner of the Palace. Opening it would reveal a modest library. "We don't have that many books here. There aren't really the supplies for it, so most of our histories are passed down orally. Still, we've collected a few over the years." Entering the room, he would let her browse the volumes at her leisure.
Smiling a bit sheepishly, it gained a more genuine edge as she mentioned she was considering moving here. "I wouldn't object to that." He gave her an excited and sly look, equally amused.
Nodding at her questions, he glanced towards the entrance to the school. "It has been quite successful, from all reports." When she asked who ran it, he grinned, though she'd be able to feel him tense slightly given their arms were linked. "Ah, that's the one wrinkle. It's run by my cousin Zariah." He watched her carefully to see how she'd react to the name.
Regardless, he'd lead her on the next stop of the tour. Walking down a flight of stairs, he'd bring her to a door tucked away in a corner of the Palace. Opening it would reveal a modest library. "We don't have that many books here. There aren't really the supplies for it, so most of our histories are passed down orally. Still, we've collected a few over the years." Entering the room, he would let her browse the volumes at her leisure.
loren
