Empty Bottle

AURELIA

and my hands aren't clean
maybe they never will be

Aurelia breathed out, the vapor clouding against his shoulder, pressing into him. His lips curved against her cheek. She let her shoulders relax, a noticeable drop of the weight that so often consumed her. There was a flutter of her eyelids as his hand trailed along her back. Her other hand came up, leaving the safety of her lap so she could lean against him more fully. Her fingers worked their way from his side, smoothing over his ribs to the back of his shoulder.

Whatcha thinkin 'bout?

Everything.

"Everything. I don't know, I just- sorry..." she mumbled, cutting herself short because she just... couldn't? She finally pulled back and shifted, feeling dizzied. Her legs turned and one hand descended into the sand as she aimed to sit alongside of him instead of in front of him. Her other hand slid down from his neck, to his chest and hovered along his hip line. Of course she wanted him, wanted to keep touching him and exploring him and kissing him but... her mind was going a million miles an hour after that first kiss and she wasn't sure if she could handle anything more right now.

A sigh billowed out into the fire-lit air and she looked up at the stars.

"This is nothing like my home," she commented wistfully. It was a seemingly irrelevant statement but, perhaps she was ready to tell him more, he who wanted to understand. "I've never been able to just... sit and... do this. It was always one thing after the next. If I slowed down... something would happen, something would go wrong. I had my sisters to look out for there, to keep me going, but here..." her head lowered and her eyes wavered as she thought of her past, of the difficulty and the danger and the fast pace of everything. Anything that did happen, seemed to do it all at once. "Here... I've had to slow down so much. It's surreal. Like I'm in a dream I can't wake up from," she chuckled suddenly, "If things were reversed, and you landed in my world, if you tried to do something like this - just sitting on the beach - you'd be... dead meat. The fire would be a dinner bell."

Talk about culture shock. Of course, this made her chuckle but, it was actually a morbid reality. The fact she could laugh about it was just one of the perks of living in such a world.

"Of course, if that was the case, you'd have me to protect you. So.. you wouldn't have anything to worry about," she added with a charming smirk.

but they can still carry you home
when you're ready to sleep

MILO

this is for the snakes and the people they bite
for the friends i've made, for the sleepless nights

He could hold her as long as she wanted, if he’s being honest. A smooth shift despite the warmth that erupts from his body, from the alcohol, from the flush of their kiss. And she mumbles but Milo makes no move to bring offense into the scenario, he’s surprisingly patient as she shifts and he remains, settled a bit more in the sand, fingertips tracing patterns along her skin. But he leans into her touch at his chest as she settles beside him, an arm coming up to wrap around her shoulders, his gaze drifting off to the sand and the ink black waves in the distance, illuminated only by the moon and the pale blue bioluminescent creatures that dwelled within.

There’s a low hum that leaves him, to accompany her saying it was nothing like home. And to Milo, it was the only home he knew. He could only try and understand what it was like for her when he’d taken the trek to the Climb in search of lilies. How everything had been overwhelming, how he had known nothing. But he stays silent, squeezing her shoulder as his attention is brought back to the soft panes of her face. And he can’t help the soft snort that leaves him as she explains, a small nod. “’ve never been ‘nywhere else but here, t’be honest. Don’t imagine I’d make it ‘nywhere else, y’know?” He pauses, that same smile crossing his face. “’m a runner not a fighter.” Except when he has to be.

Which is thankfully quite rare.

But she tells him she would protect him, and Milo can’t help the easy and playful smile on his face that accompanies her smirk. “Well, ‘m glad yer here ‘n can relax. Nothin’s gonna get ya.” That's not entirely true, but he tries to forget the volcano eruption, the sea panther that arrived on shore, the L’ma dragged back into the water. He doesn’t know the depths of her world either, to make such bold claims, but he’s trying. “So enjoy it, ‘Relia. We got LongNight comin’ up. Prime time for partyin’ an’ relaxin’.” He rumbles with a crooked smirk shot back her way. It’s a ways off, a whole season still, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t learn to let go and live a little in the meantime.

for the warning signs i've completely ignored
there's an amount to take, reasons to take more

AURELIA

and my hands aren't clean
maybe they never will be

"I think you could put up a bit of a fight," she grinned playfully. There was a challenge in her voice as she brought her hand up to gently elbow him in the ribs, "it gets easier with practice." The mirth in her eyes slowly faded as she reminded herself of how she knew that.

Aurelia spent many long days and nights training carefully with her mentor, in the art of fighting... of killing and assassinating; moving in the shadows and striking when the time was right. Hand-to-hand combat was often involved, as well, for those close encounters, for when things went wrong. While she appreciated the skills and the grit she now possessed because of that, her reason for it felt like a stain on her character that she couldn't wash away. She wanted to carve it out of her past, to cut it free so that she could be relieved of the guilt that haunted her. All those lives, lost. There were those that had never really put up much of a fight. Many of them were like Milo in that way, just trying to run...

She flinched, clenching her teeth and her fist, looking away with a quick turn of her head in the hopes that he wouldn't notice. It was an involuntary reaction, a sharp, painful disdain for her thoughtless actions and the consequences they now held against her. It pained her.

"What is LongNight, anyway?" she asked in an attempt to join him in his normalcy, voice slightly thick with upset. But still, she glanced back up at him and tried to brush these things off. Her brows pressed together thoughtfully, "I keep hearing people talk about it."

but they can still carry you home
when you're ready to sleep

MILO

this is for the snakes and the people they bite
for the friends i've made, for the sleepless nights

“Ah, I do a’ight in scuffles ‘n the like.” He murmurs with a bit of amusement, shoulders rising and falling in a small shrug. “But ‘m not exactly trained.” He offers, body shifting as she elbows him in the ribs, his free hand coming up to cover the ‘wound’ with mock pain. “Aye!” He chimes with a breathy laugh, before he’s shaking his head and settling in again, arm around her shoulders as the wind makes up for the silence that overcomes them momentarily.

She flinches, and he does notice it, but has no idea what it’s from, so he pulls his arm away and sits a bit forward, head angled toward her, his hand reaching out to run his fingertips along her wrist, an attempt at a soothing motion without being too invasive. But her question is something he can absolutely distract her with as he considers where to even start. His tongue darts along his lower lip, his head tilting slightly back and forth as if he’s considering it. “Well, ya dropped in Torchline so y’know, it’s gonna be a good time.” He offers with a huff of a laugh, moving to lean back in the sand and rest on his hands.

“It’s a week’a darkness. Total darkness. Usually ev’ryone parties all week, then we spend Flowerbirth cleanin’ up the mess we made ‘fore the storms hit.” He rumbles with a shrug. “I mostly spend it drinkin’ and bullshittin’ if ‘m bein’ honest.” There’s a crooked smile that crosses his face with it. “But rumor has it ‘n Halo, it’s cold as fuck and ev’ryone stays inside. The Grounds from what I hear get big ol’ monsters that come out ‘n attack ev’ryone. So… Y’know, Torchline’s really the best place t’be.”

for the warning signs i've completely ignored
there's an amount to take, reasons to take more

AURELIA

and my hands aren't clean
maybe they never will be

Scuffles. Was that the most he'd ever seen of a fight? Aurelia drew back slightly to look at him in surprise when he feigned injury, and then she gave him a knowing shake of her head when she realized he was only joking. The wind did indeed, make up for the silence. She instinctually wanted to say 'oh, well, I can teach you!' or 'show me what you got!' but that fun was dampened by her own destructive thoughts. Would it even be right, would it feel right? To teach him the skills she'd gained with the purpose of killing his kind?

She wondered, for a moment, if she should just come right out and say it. Would he understand? Would he still hold his arm around her? She bit the inside of her cheek, tasting the copper on her tongue. Of course not. And he shouldn't, and she wouldn't blame him. So, then... she wouldn't tell him.

Aurelia eyed him at that idea, as his hand traced along the muscles of her wrist, to soothe and calm her again. He couldn't possibly have any idea what internal struggle was going on behind those green eyes but, she wasn't so sure that she wanted him to know. But she did know that she wanted him close, wanted his company for more than just right now. How could she have that, if he thought she was a cold and ruthless killer of his own kind? How could she ever show him that she could protect him, from anything, if he knew she was meant to do the opposite?

But she quelled her stirring mind and listened to him, watched him lean back into the sand and pull his hand away. All the while, she fought to get back down to earth, to get out of her own head. She was trying, too.

"A week of darkness?" her brows raised in surprise, although it only took a second for her expression to soften as she added, "Well, I spent a lot of time below the surface. Much more than a week, at times, unless I had a job-" and she had gotten so caught up in letting go that she'd let go just a little too much at just the wrong time. Now, he'd probably ask her to elaborate. So she tried to jump ahead of any questions he might have, saying, "my people lived underground, see, in light of all the... things that could eat us up above. Like if you could imagine a city as big as Haulani, under the ground, that's how every city was in my world. And we had huge underground tunnels connecting them."

She cleared her throat then, glossing right past what kind of work she did, and she addressed his points more fully. She leaned forward in forced interest, "Anyway, um..." she bit her lip nervously, eyeing him up and down, "that sounds like fun. Here, I mean. As much as I'd like to go slay monsters in the Grounds, because that sounds like a great time," her voice was heavy with sarcasm, but then her sincerity leaked through and she leaned towards him on one arm, "I think I might just stay here with you."

but they can still carry you home
when you're ready to sleep

MILO

this is for the snakes and the people they bite
for the friends i've made, for the sleepless nights

Scuffles absolutely were the only types of fighting the smuggler had seen. All the bigger battles were left to others more capable, others with more of a reason. Milo was a runner and when things got to be too much, he typically slipped away until someone more capable could handle it. It’s just how he was.

But he reaches out, fingertips tracing along her wrist in the attempts to calm the storm in her eyes, his own surprisingly bright despite the alcohol and the exhaustion that weighs on his mind. But he leans back then, pulling away from her a small amount but remaining close as she goes to explain — brow raising at the mention of living underground. He can’t help the joke that wants to slip past his lips, of how the Torchline sun would tan that pale skin from the underground, so long as it didn’t burn. But he refrains, letting a smaller smile cross his face, distracted enough to not ask as she cuts herself off and continues.

“So like… A city ‘n the Fingers?” He asks, because that’s really only the thing he could relate it to, but he does cock his head a little toward her, dark red hair flopping over with the gesture. But she’s in his space again, nervous though he doesn’t know why, nor does he ask.

“Ah, yeah, sounds like’a great time.” Milo rumbles back in sarcasm, a roll of his eyes for emphasis, before the brown lands back on those pale greens. “I think I’d like that.” He offers her, flashing her an easy grin that creases the corners of his eyes, that scrunches his nose, purely for amusement before it fades into something softer as a thought occurs to him. “Where ‘r ya stayin’ while the Ark’s docked?” Where could he find her again other than happenstance?

for the warning signs i've completely ignored
there's an amount to take, reasons to take more

AURELIA

and my hands aren't clean
maybe they never will be

Upon examination, Milo will find that her skin has already tanned a considerable amount since her arrival in Caido. From the first rays of sunlight that dappled across her skin, her body had begun to shift, adjusting to this world with an ease that - simultaneously - doesn't come without pain. Adaptive, she was. Her body knew it, too. She could overcome anything, especially a change of scenery, and the dark lines that marked the edges of her sleeves were a testiment to that. Perhaps there was the beginnings of burns. Such was the mark of growth. You can't come anew without a bit of pain, right?

"Sure," she replied, an ease in her tone, not truly knowing what the 'Fingers' were. She'd heard conjecture and, judging from the context, it was clear that it was a place that existed underground. Maybe it was similar to her old world, maybe not - but, if it was underground, he could grasp the idea easily enough. It's not like she was in the mood to specify too much.

She missed the intimacy more than she expected as he remained away from her, finding his own dwelling there in the sand. As he joked back at her, she reached a distracted hand up to brush some stray bits of sand out of his red locks. There returned a softness to her gaze, because she liked him. She already felt that protective, overseeing instinct ignite within her. And she knew, then, that telling him the truth was unwise. If she truly wanted to keep him safe, the truth would only hurt him. She was doing this for the betterment of the future, whatever that foresaw.

Her hand withdrew again, hugging the hard line of her own abdomen in comfort. It felt wrong but, she knew she was right in this.

A smile, sincere and admiring, cast towards him. She glanced toward the wrinkle of his nose, finding it cute. Then, he asked where she was staying, and her gaze fluttered back up to his ochre eyes.

"I stay on the Ark, still," she clarified easily, a breath leaving her lungs that relaxed her. He didn't ask her hard questions, and she so appreciated it in ways he didn't even know. "Jack offered me a bunker, when I first arrived, so long as I pulled my weight. Our agreement hasn't changed much since then," she raised her brow pointedly, wanting more, itching for something better and more official, to carve out her own in this world. Her shoulders raised with that inclination. "But.. I hope I can prove myself." The words were an admittance, maybe perceived as a small honesty. To her, however, it was larger. She already trusted Milo with her own insecurities, though she was still reserved, there was something about him that... made her want to give to him.

"There's plenty room there, for you, if you really don't want to go home tonight," she said, an offer in her words, that he only needed to interpret if he wanted to accept. Then again... the beach was quite welcoming, for her tastes, and she looked across the sands then. "Although, it's... real nice out tonight. It'd be a waste not to enjoy it..." Something like sleeping beneath the stars was a privilege she had never enjoyed. Her gaze lifted back up to the sky, where wonder struck her, as the stars beamed out towards them.

but they can still carry you home
when you're ready to sleep

MILO

this is for the snakes and the people they bite
for the friends i've made, for the sleepless nights

Sure, she says, and he begins to vaguely understand what it’s like. It’s not something he wishes to see, already too used to the sun on his face and the stars overhead. He’d miss it, often finding the stars and their patterns to help guide him home when he inevitably gets lost occasionally in the jungles on excursions. But he peers back at her as she reaches up to brush some sand from his fiery hair, the hue quite orange and golden in the light of the dying fire, and he offers her a crooked smile in response to it, even as she withdraws.

It’s fine, he can wait. It’s not like he’s got anything else to do other than sit here and enjoy her company, however much she’s willing to give. Milo isn’t a pusher, either, whether it ended here or continued was something he’d just deal with. He wasn’t stuck on it one way or another. The same with her story – however much she wanted to give, Milo realizing it was a sensitive subject, wouldn’t push her on any of it until she was ready. In the meantime, he’d just use his imagination to try and understand where she was coming from, what it was like for her.

She informs him not long after that she stays on the Ark still, a slow nod given in response before he pulls his gaze away from her reluctantly, his free hand moving to that it might rest in her space so he wasn’t too far away from her. And he listens as she continues, nodding once more as she delves into a few more details. “Mm, ‘m sure ya can. It ain’t hard. Judgin’ by yer last world, seems like you’ll do a pretty good job.” What else was there to say? He didn’t talk to Jack much, didn’t know what the man was like on the Ark. But he knew Zeph, and he knew what it was like to work for the Ark in an inadvertent way.

When she tells him there’s plenty of room for him, he looks back to her with a red brow raised, a half crooked grin forming on his face. “Yeah?” He murmurs, making a show of considering it until she continues on, suggesting the night not being wasted. His gaze lifts with hers to look to the stars, to see them shining down and the moon that’s partially covered by soft and puffy navy clouds. “It is really nice.” But his attention soon drifts, to the things left behind by the rest of the crew beside the fire. A few blankets remain, ones set out to sit on while they worked on their lanterns, and Milo’s shifting forward to grab one and shake it out of the sand.

But then, because he’s feeling a bit rebellious, he looks like he’s about to drag it up around her, before the last second moving to wear it like a cape, using his hands to tighten it around his body in a makeshift cocoon, only his face seen outside of the blanket. “If ya wanna sleep here I won’t complain.” He begins, that little shithead grin forming on his face. “’m already ready.” And for good measure, he tacks on a wink at the end.

for the warning signs i've completely ignored
there's an amount to take, reasons to take more

AURELIA

and my hands aren't clean
maybe they never will be

Well, she was sorry her life was mess but, she couldn't very well formulate how to break that to him. So, whether he pushed or not, she still felt that inkling of pressure; that guilt, that obligation, and the disappointment that she couldn't pull through. Aurelia knew she was not a bad person. Yet, if judged only by her actions, the same conclusion could not be reached.

How inconcenient... and complicated... His hand strayed nearer to her. She was tempted to reciprocate but, exercising some form of restraint, she did not. She only looked down at it for a moment.

She lifted her head, almost proudly, at his confidence in her. "I'm good at the things I put my mind to. It's just a matter of trusting me to do it," and she flashed a look to the docks, towards the ships and the boats that drifted peacefully there. She hoped that Jack could find something in her that was worth giving that chance.

But her attention was brought back to Milo easily as the conversation continued past that, centering on her offer. It was bold, she realized, but still it left her lips with an easy confidence that she didn't need to think much about. If he wanted to avoid going home, she would give him an alternative option. Whatever that entailed, she wasn't sure and she hadn't planned that far ahead, but she was willing.

Unexpectedly, he got to his feet and made his way over to one of the blankets that strayed over the ground. She hadn't really noticed, quite wrapped up in her thoughts - and in him. So when he seemingly went to wave the blanket towards her, she flinched back in surprise, looking up at him. Then, he wound it about himself so that only his winking face was unveiled.

An easy grin crossed her features and she tilted her head to the side. Laughter rumbled through her, automatic - and she let it. Her fingers moved over her mouth to cover her grin, the fingers gliding across her lips.

Then, she got to her own feet and wandered towards another blanket. "You look ridiculous," she mumbled as she passed him, her laughter casually fading into her words. She grabbed another blanket and, turning towards him, she quickly threw it over his face.

Then, she took a large step forward in the sand back towards him, the crunch of sand audible beneath her. Her hands tucked into his flanks and she tackled him while he was unable to react, a playful giggle emanating from her as they landed softly into the sand. She leaned over him and pulled the blankets back so she could see his face again, peering at him with such a mischievous, shit-eating grin, "Lesson number one! A good fighter never lets their guard down."

but they can still carry you home
when you're ready to sleep

MILO

this is for the snakes and the people they bite
for the friends i've made, for the sleepless nights

“That’s th’spirit.” He chimes, flashing an amused grin her way even if she looks away from him. It’s a surprised bit of happiness that blooms in his face, of content, of being able to see her again with the promise that they might all work on the same things, that something would give her a goal to focus on to keep her going and hopefully create a beautiful life for herself.

From what he understands of what she’s told him, it sounds like she deserves it.

But he stands, grabs a blanket that’s been disregarded, playfully aims to hand it to her before snatching it up and wrapping it around himself, a cheeky grin formed along his face. “I’ll take that as’a compliment.” He says rather proudly, a breathy chuckle leaving him too. And he watches her momentarily when she goes to stand and grab her own blanket. He half expects her to wrap it around herself and for them to sink back into the sand, but she doesn’t.

Instead, there’s suddenly a blanket covering his face and blotting out the stars and the light around him. And of course, since he’s wrapped up so nice and tightly, there’s little he can do as she suddenly tackles him, hands on him, thrown off balance with a hiccupped yelp of surprise. “Aye, now!” He chimes, muffled by the blanket that’s wrapped around him as he lands onto the sand with an oof, flat on his back.

She pulls the blanket back and he blinks up at her with a feigned look of frustration. “’m yeah, that’s why yer the good fighter, huh? I told ya I ain’t.” He tries to remain serious, but the frown on his face twitches upward and he can’t quite get through the sentence without letting the laughter tumble out. And he wiggles a bit in the blanket so that his hands are free, swiftly reaching up to latch onto her and hopefully pull her into him so he might roll them a bit so her back is in the sand with him on his side, an attempt made with a similarly mischievous grin.

for the warning signs i've completely ignored
there's an amount to take, reasons to take more

AURELIA

and my hands aren't clean
maybe they never will be

Her head ducked under his arm, pressed into the nook between it and his flank, as she brought him down to the sand. His muted words of protest did little to stop her, not a lick of hesitation in her actions once they'd been decided. The laughter left her lungs before they even descended, altogether impish and victorious.

Upon revealing those furrowed red brows, however, she couldn't help her grin growing even bigger. But his frown disappeared as quickly as it appeared, the act crumbling down around him before he could really even commit to it. Her toothy smile softened. She watched him wriggle about in the blankets, amused and quite pleased with herself, not even suspecting him to launch a counter-attack.

But he did, and her eyes widened with a small gasp of realization. Before she could even respond, his arms wrapped around her, clutched her against him so she could not avoid his deserved retaliation, and pulled her down into the sand beside him.

She landed with a soft, faint thud, her back pressed to the cool sands beneath them. Now it was her turn to have a frustrated smile on her face, glaring up at him as if to say 'how dare you'. "And you said you ain't a fighter," she said, very matter-of-fact, "I think you're lying."

Then, a plan formed and he might see that same look come back to her eye, the very one she'd had before she tackled him in the first place. If he did notice it, by that time, it was too late.

She brought her leg up, using the motion in it alongside the strength of her arm to roll with him back into the blankets. Having the upper hand once more, she straddled him, pressing her thighs against either of his hips. She then grabbed both his hands and, in a rush of movement, pushed them into sand above his head. Her face lingered over his, dangerously close, her labored breaths shallow against his chest.

"What will you do now?" she challenged, a soft growl in her words. A smirk pressed across her face, "Give up?" She failed to see the irony in that question.

but they can still carry you home
when you're ready to sleep

MILO

this is for the snakes and the people they bite
for the friends i've made, for the sleepless nights

The widen of her eyes, the small gasp as he turns the tables on her, has him barking a laugh as well – succeeding in flipping them over after pulling her tight, until she’s on her back and he’s peering down at her with a feline smirk along his face. “’m not. Maybe yah just kept yer guard down ‘cause I told ya I wasn’t.” He teases her, despite the matter-of-factness with which she’d spoken.

But he does notice the shift, sees a bit of a glimmer in her eyes, and he realizes the mistake as it’s made, unable to do anything much as she had. He rolls over onto his back while she straddles him, her hands a tight hold on his wrists as they’re placed together and he’s effectively bound by her hands. A huff of a laugh leaves him, replacing the surprise and the boldness of it, honey brown eyes glimmering with light and a surprising amount of happiness and content at finding himself in this position.

“Give up?” He asks, a repeat as his grin shifts to something closer to an amused smirk, lifting his head just enough to maybe brush his nose by hers. “What’ll happen if I do 'r don't?” He challenges, fingers shifting enough that the hold on his wrists would be felt through her hands, the tendons and muscles shifting over themselves in her grasp. And for equal measure, he wiggles his body a bit, as if he’s trying to dislodge her when in reality he’s simply just trying to see how far she intends to take it.

for the warning signs i've completely ignored
there's an amount to take, reasons to take more

AURELIA

and my hands aren't clean
maybe they never will be

"Give up," the words found their way into the small distance between them for a third time. Although they sounded more like a request, this time. Her lower body shifted as he pushed back against her but, she made no notion of flinching back. She could feel his warmth beneath her, could feel the intricacies of his body as she dared to lean further into him - 'til only their clothes provided a pathetic barrier.

His smirk is returned, reflected back down at him across her own supple, yearning lips. She felt especially provoked when the skin of his nose brushed by hers but, for a moment, she resisted temptation - strong as it was. Even if he allowed his head to fall back against the blanket beneath him, she would lean in to keep their noses touching.

She felt his arms shift and her own hands eased off then. Steady, gentle fingers began to make their descent as they edged along the warm muscles in his wrists, consequentially freeing him. She didn't answer his question. At least, not verbally. She tilted her nose to the side so that it brushed past his, her lips and her hips intending to melt into his with the movement. Her smile still pushed against her mouth and he could probably feel it against his own.

If he gave up, that is. She certainly had, no question about it.

but they can still carry you home
when you're ready to sleep

MILO

this is for the snakes and the people they bite
for the friends i've made, for the sleepless nights

“Give up.” And gods how he would, right here, in this moment with that gleaming look in her pale green gaze. And he somewhat does, remaining in her space just enough that she nearly lays upon him, his mind attuned to each curve of her body, the space she takes up over him far warmer than the space she doesn’t, where the cool night wind can brush against his clothes and his skin.

He keeps his head near hers, even as his neck begins to twinge with a bit of pain. It’s worth it, he winds, as his charades are soon stopped with her loosening her grip on his wrists, as her hands rub along the muscles there. And he gives up, finding it quite easy to do so as she leans in for the kiss, as her hips press into his, a soft sigh leaving him as the sensation courses through him.

Milo keeps one hand where it is, in her grip, but the other slips out to run along the curve of her arm, to reach her shoulder and her neck, where he might run his fingertips along the shown skin before running through a bit of dark brown locks. The smuggler does his best to not try and go too fast, though, despite the yearning in his body, the way he tries to deepen the kiss, the way the hand lowers to her hip to try and keep her just as close against him.

for the warning signs i've completely ignored
there's an amount to take, reasons to take more