the sea speaks a little more honestly
Nate’s hand to his back is one that does anchor him, that steels and settles the turbulence in his stomach at the declaration. And he leans into it a small amount, keeping his hand at Hotaru’s knee, the touch from Nate like a stone in comparison to the waves that crash from Sunjata toward Hotaru — however much he wanted to keep it hidden. And then the Ascended reaches out and completes the circle, hand resting on Hotaru’s shoulder and Sunjata eases a bit more.
Hotaru’s words are sharp and to the point and he offers a small smile back, that same almost masked one of attempting humor despite the step in the dark he tentatively takes. “Ah but I’m so good at it.” He rumbles instead, turning his head back toward Nate, swallowing down everything else he wants to say that would paint him further as the bad guy. Hotaru had said it was done, and the look that crosses the Valkyrie’s face is one that Sunjata knows better than to cross. So he grows silent again.
Even if she tries to hide it, he can feel the tension in her as she utters the words, and his gaze lingers on Nate to give her a few moments while he decides whether or not to give into that similar feeling, that similar sharpness of regret. But he doesn’t, because while he had loved Hotaru, he had also been the one to tell her she deserved more than he could offer. He feels that way about everyone, though, Nate included… and at the end of the day, Nate was still there. Still chose to put up with his bullshit.
He sighs through his nose, reaching out with his other hand to latch onto Nate and pull him over with him to the space that Hotaru sits, sitting at her side and hoping Nate sits opposite — a look granted toward him similarly apologetic before he reaches out toward Hotaru to pull her into him in a hug, one hand lingering on the Ascended, the other hopefully wrapping around Hotaru tightly. “You can stop pretending, Hotaru.” He says lowly, a small frown crossing his face again. He doesn’t apologize, doesn’t offer more than that, because who’s to say it wouldn’t just fall on deaf ears? A half hearted apology?
She needed more than he could offer, but with Nate there he wonders if it might be enough. Nate was enough for him, but Nate also had so much to give, had made Sunjata far more touchy and in tune with the feelings he craved and wished to give, and at this present moment to keep himself from diving down into the depths of his mistakes, he hopes that he and Nate can be enough to pull Hotaru out, to let her trust him again, to let her trust Nate as well.
Hotaru’s words are sharp and to the point and he offers a small smile back, that same almost masked one of attempting humor despite the step in the dark he tentatively takes. “Ah but I’m so good at it.” He rumbles instead, turning his head back toward Nate, swallowing down everything else he wants to say that would paint him further as the bad guy. Hotaru had said it was done, and the look that crosses the Valkyrie’s face is one that Sunjata knows better than to cross. So he grows silent again.
Even if she tries to hide it, he can feel the tension in her as she utters the words, and his gaze lingers on Nate to give her a few moments while he decides whether or not to give into that similar feeling, that similar sharpness of regret. But he doesn’t, because while he had loved Hotaru, he had also been the one to tell her she deserved more than he could offer. He feels that way about everyone, though, Nate included… and at the end of the day, Nate was still there. Still chose to put up with his bullshit.
He sighs through his nose, reaching out with his other hand to latch onto Nate and pull him over with him to the space that Hotaru sits, sitting at her side and hoping Nate sits opposite — a look granted toward him similarly apologetic before he reaches out toward Hotaru to pull her into him in a hug, one hand lingering on the Ascended, the other hopefully wrapping around Hotaru tightly. “You can stop pretending, Hotaru.” He says lowly, a small frown crossing his face again. He doesn’t apologize, doesn’t offer more than that, because who’s to say it wouldn’t just fall on deaf ears? A half hearted apology?
She needed more than he could offer, but with Nate there he wonders if it might be enough. Nate was enough for him, but Nate also had so much to give, had made Sunjata far more touchy and in tune with the feelings he craved and wished to give, and at this present moment to keep himself from diving down into the depths of his mistakes, he hopes that he and Nate can be enough to pull Hotaru out, to let her trust him again, to let her trust Nate as well.
to those who are willing to drown
SUNJATA
Feel free to use magic/force on Sunjata, without killing him <3
Sunjata speaks with an Australian accent and has a passive magic that makes him produce a subtle scent that matches exactly to whatever those around him most desire him to smell like.
