It's the same old story

AINO

Something tightened in the jaws of the soldier at the flippant remarks. She wasn't sure what annoyed her the most; that none of this was taken seriously, or that the woman could meet the demands without so much as flinching. It rankled, that someone with the means to live a comfortable life would squander the leisure and freedom on thievery while Aino was denied even the basic pleasure of choosing her own path in life.

"Normally, I would trust that the person I do business with have the honor and decency to pay up in a timely fashion," she bit back, and brushed the roaming hands off her thighs - not harsh, but firmly disinterested in those kinds of games at this point. "But as you have already put yerself above the rules, you get none of that."

Pushing herself up on her feet in a supple move, the blonde woman stepped aside to let her captive - or was it business partner, now? - rise, and folded her arms back over the chest. "My name is Aino Jandar. What are you called - besides miserable thieveing rat?"

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

Either it’s the pregnancy hormones or a sudden development of a conscience, but regret slides up her ribs like cold water at the woman’s dismissal and the microscopic twitch of her expression. Sighing softly to herself she wiggles beneath the taller woman as she backs up by degrees, propping herself up on her elbows, fur-edged hood falling back against her shoulders. Ru remains there for a moment as Aino - newly introduced and freshly committed to memory - stands above her. Then she’s gracefully sliding to her feet as well, balance sure upon the snowy slope of the roof.

“Hotaru Kaito.” Delicate hand waves it away, any notion of notoriety a forgone thought with the fish seller. Stymied by the awareness an outstretched hand would be rebuffed, she begins to rearrange her hair into some semblance of put-togetherness, too proper for anything like fiddling fingers. For all she might rarely apologize, Hotaru still knows how.

“For what it’s worth I apologize. It’s no excuse but my recent Attunement has left me with a lot more...feline urges than I had expected. And you truly did look miserable - hard to spot, but I thought perhaps -” cutting herself off she shakes her head and clears her throat, gesturing to the lean-to they’d scrambled up. “Want me to go first to help you down?” Perhaps an insulting gesture with how small Hotaru appears, but the Valkyrie is confident she is capable of supporting Aino if the woman needs it. She is much stronger than she appears.

AINO

Was that regret? Or merely a good display? Aino's eyes narrowed in suspicion, but her expression thawed a few degrees all the same - the apology was not wasted.

"It's worth much, lassie," she replied, and there was a quirk of the mouth that could almost be mistaken for a smile. "But next time, try chatting for a bit instead, yes? Runnin' around on the market chasing cats is bad for business."

The offer for help was waved away - after an incredulous look at the shorter woman. "No need." With deft efficiency, Aino inched over to the edge of the roof, grabbed hold of it with her hands and swung over with a daredevil lack of care for the long drop beneath. Hanging by her arms, she glanced down and found a decently sized pile of snow. Swinging her legs from side to side until her whole body swayed like a pendulum, she timed the fall and let go, and landed with a muffled thump in the snow.

Brushing herself off, she got up and craned her neck to look up at the woman - Hotaru, was it? "Want me to catch ye?" she retorted; half in jest, she was sure the lady was perfectly able of getting down on her own. It struck her that this also was a perfect moment to disappear; biting her jaws together, the soldier waited tensely to see whether this whole conversation had only been a sham.

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

The quirk of a smile is easy to overlook, but she's not the first to be so subtle with her expressions, and the sight of it has a bit of tension melting from her shoulders as her own smile becomes more genuine. No teasing smirk in sight. "Hopefully I'll more than make up for it," she agrees, but there's a warmth to her voice that communicates she doesn't mind the reparations before her. "Though perhaps I can figure out my paws a little and garner you fish on my own." Hotaru wiggles her fingers at Aino, recalling Deimos' amused notions of her fishing from the ice floes in the Glass. Perhaps it's destiny?

Hotaru wanders closer on deft feet as Aino maneuvers down from the roof with far more grace than the Valkyrie had expected from a fisher. Peering over the edge, she watches carefully until the woman has landed safely in the snow, frowning softly to herself at the unfamiliar worry that blossoms in her breast. The offer of a catch is a surprise, pale eyes widening as they flicker down to gauge the distance between the roof and Aino's arms. Oh, but it's tempting for many reasons. "I think that has a better chance of making me swoon off my feet than the ice does," she laughs brightly, crystalline breath tickling her cheeks. "Steady me instead?" So saying she gracefully grabs the edge of the roof, though she uses her boots to kick off the side of the house to gain her momentum. They land in the snow moments later, back to Aino, where she immediately stumbles backwards as she feared she would - she'd worn her city boots, not her hiking ones, and with how short she is the snow is quite high on her legs. Arms flailing, she reaches blindly for the woman with a yelp of noise.

AINO

A strong arm encircled Hotaru's waist the moment she landed, and as she staggered back it was into Aino's waiting chest. The grasp was firm and secure, but not forceful; quite possible to get out of, without much effort.

The catching part had been jest on Aino's part, more or less, though as she smiled down at the short woman, she wondered if it wouldn't have been possible to actually do it.
"You've got guts, I'll give ye that," she remarked, with a hint of reluctant respect. It was quite a drop, and yet she had landed rather gracefully. As expected of a cat.

"Now, where would ye like to start?" Fetching items, or facing down Ilma Jandar? Either way, Aino would be dogging her every step of the way.

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

Her yelp is swallowed into her chest like an air bubble as Aino grabs and steadies her with one strong arm, cheeks flaring with twin spots of rosy color as soon as she is firmly back on her feet. There's certainly no attempt to pull away. Instead she lingers, breaths shallow but still somewhat controlled as she drinks in the touch that she has been so starved for for going on months now. It's like alcohol in her veins, dizzying and intoxicating, and made all the more so by the grin on Aino's face when Hotaru twists her head to gaze up at her. Surely she must look like a flushed, startled fawn instead of a graceful predator, but at least the woman doesn't call attention to it.

Clearing her throat as softly as she can so as not to alert the merchant, Hotaru stumbles out of the deep embankment of snow and back to the cobblestone pathway. "Spa first, before we lose the light." It takes a moment of gazing down each end of the street to determine where they are, having not paid much attention - proof all the more that she'd grabbed the fish for the chase instead of any dreams of escaping. As she sets the pace, she readjusts her impossibly long hair, muttering to herself when she doesn't find an elastic anywhere on her person. She really should just cut it, but admittedly it keeps her warm in a lot of ways. "So how long have you been selling fish? Do you catch them yourself, or a family member?" Finding she's genuinely curious about the answer.

AINO

Once they entered the main streets again, Aino kept a certain distance to the other woman. Unwilling to draw the attention of gossip mongers of her mother's ilk, and even less inclined to hover like a jailer over Hotaru, she walked by her side instead. That was not to say she wasn't wary, but if the woman hadn't run thus far, then she likely wouldn't now either.

"Lead the way," she said, pulling a simple leather thong to offer the other woman; no elastics here, only plain, sturdy and serviceable. Yet as a woman of long hair, Aino knew the plight. "My brother and I go onto the Sea of Glass and drill through the ice. Then we haul up as much fish as we can get, before it thaws over. That's a few times a week. The rest of the time we process the catch, and sell what we don't need on the market." Scarce little was left over after the family had been fed; it was a hard, dirty and thankless job that never ended. Every scrap was needed, and it was hard not to keep berating Hotaru for stealing that hard earned goods just for fun.

"It's been... two years? Since my pa and little sister died, at any rate." The way she said it was laconical and to the point, emotions buried so deep that not even a flicker showed on her face. "That's when I came home to help the family." Pale blue eyes flicked over to regard the slender female beside her. Assessing, whether this had been enough of an answer.

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

A noise of appreciation escapes her as her deft fingers pluck the leather from Aino's outstretched hand, hair piled high in efficient, practiced motions and then tied up with the gifted thong. "Thank you," she says simply, faint smile fading to give her full attention to the woman as her business and life unravel like a spool of thread beneath her singular question. The expression slowly thaws into a contemplative frown as she continues on, and even when it's clear Aino has finished she continues in her silence, thinking hard. It's not that she didn't know the efforts that went into such menial but important work; Hotaru wasn't born into royalty for all she'd achieved it. Her own beginnings had been humble at best. It does remind her of how she has become slightly out-of-touch however, and she is more frustrated with herself than anything.

As a ruler, she'd made a point to uplift everyone in her kingdom. To know them intimately, to help all who sought her out find their true purposes in life. It's a drive that has not died in her in the time she has been without a crown. Knowing Aino has lost family only cements her decision. "Is it what you must do to help your family, or is it something you genuinely enjoy?" The sharp clarity in her eyes as they cut sideways towards the woman request sincerity in their intense, unblinking stare. Cogs turning behind beautiful pale eyes.

AINO

Narrowing eyes rebelled against the notion that this person had any right to requestion anything from Aino. There was a long silence as she contemplated whether to answer at all - but it was not much of a secret, really. Any person on the street could have answered Hotaru and not strayed far from the mark.

"Family comes first," she replied, firm in this belief. "If what I do help keep my kin safe, clothed and fed, then I ask for no more." There was a brief pause, to let this sink home.

"But no, I do not enjoy the work. I am a soldier. That is what I am good at, and what I wish to do. But my work as a Shield would not feed all who need it. My brother would be overwhelmed on his own, and his children are not old enough to take up the workload yet."

Turning her gaze forward to see where they were headed, Aino rolled her shoulders to ease the tension away. It was not pleasant to speak of these things, and she wasn't quite sure why she did. Some petty desire for Hotaru to regret her actions, perhaps - though it irked her to admit it, the Jandars were poor, and not as well off as many other clans. They were no hunters, and scraped by at the edge of life here; filling the smallest of niches.

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

A Shield, then. Perhaps one of Deimos', if the timeline of her family's demise was recent as she'd said. Hotaru chews on the inside of her cheek, mind humming as it is always wont to do. "I understand the sentiment," she assures, gaze sliding away back to the horizon, voice soft with slight distraction as plans unravel in her mind. "If being a Shield will not sustain you, would you be open to alternatives?" A hand rises at her side halfway, cutting off any objections based in pride that the woman may instinctively try to raise.

"Not out of pity, I assure. I have already imposed enough on your day, but...for all my antics, I do not leave my kin behind. I may not rule here like I did in my home land, but I still have plenty to offer you." Material items, yes, as they were journeying to retrieve. But so much more beyond that. Opportunities, knowledge, training. Even more, if given some time. "I could teach you many things that could earn you better bartering, and I have plenty of connections to businesses. I helped build most of what has been constructed since the portal opened." The Kraai, Noah's home, Chulane's farm, her own spa. "And if you gave me time..." trailing off, she slants her eyes back towards Aino, sharp and calculating behind the veneer of beauty. "Would you let me try?"

AINO

There would indeed have been objections, and they kept flashing in eyes turned iceberg cold at the implication that charity was being offered. Hotaru was certainly pushing the limits of Aino's tolerance towards interference with her family; wolfish and instinctive, she would not tolerate anyone's tracking feet to trample what was already fragile.

She did listen, but it was with a suspicion deeply engraved that mirrored so many other Naturals of the region.

"Very generous," she replied, not answering the question tagged on at the end. "Just answer this; why should I trust you?" Thus far, she had done absolutely nothing to make herself worthy of it.

True, agreeing to recompensate for the stolen fish was a step in the right direction, but Aino had to chase her down for it in the first place. A jest to free her from boring tasks sounded well and good, but it was also irresponsible, tactless and inconsiderate. Impulsive, in a way that was simply not acceptable here, where one misstep could and did cost lives.

The measuring, weighing look as Aino gazed down at Hotaru somehow managed to imply all these things - and if not there, then in the arms folding across her chest, or the sceptical cast to the jaw.

"For all I know, all that is just a charity project you take up because you're bored. Can you guarantee that you are not going to tire of it halfway through and disappear?"

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

Suspicion is the least of what Hotaru expected when she’d let the proposition fall from her tongue. As such, she’s already relatively prepared with an answer for Aino’s initial question, though she waits patiently for the woman to finish before she considers a response. Doubt is a measure of intelligence, and Aino’s esteem only rises in her eyes when she isn’t persuaded and swayed by the illusory idea as others might.

“I don’t have a good reason for you to. Pregnancy hormones have certainly left a first impression to be desired.” Speaking of, her stomach rumbles with the reminder that she hadn’t eaten that fish she had so craved moments ago. She’s hardly surprised to find the idea is unappealing now. “But I was a Queen once, and aid was given to all who asked it of me. Old habits die hard.” And though she may not have a case to bring to Morgan so long as her family was not actively in peril, Hotaru is not one to settler for ‘good enough’.

“Consider it an investment. Deimos is family to me, and if he loses out on a prime candidate in the Shields, that impacts the entire Citadel and his own ranks.” Ru would also make sure to speak to him regarding Aino’s talents - already she has proven herself determined and bullheaded in a way she knows Deimos will approve of. “If I can help your family thrive instead of survive, it frees you to return to your station. And if you wanted to be more cynical - it satisfies my debt to you as well.” Beyond what is already agreed upon.

AINO

There was much in the response for her to process. The woman was pregnant. She had been a queen - what passed for warden in other places, Aino presumed. The General was her brother. As she had not met the man yet she had no idea what to think of that, but it was also fairly irrelevant.

So far there had been contacts offered, business proposals, names thrown around... but none of this managed to completely ease Aino's douobts.
"So you're someone who knows everyone. A spider in its web. But you're not Queen here, missy. Nor are you on the Council, as far as I know," she pointed out. Slow, thoughtful; suspicious.

"You say you've contributed to the people here, and that's good and all, but... I don't know. Is this some subtle power grab meant to undermine Morgan? Because let me be clear - there is no way I'm letting my family be dragged into something like that. Good intentions or no."

She was not trying to be ungrateful, but this was just too incredible to swallow. Who in their right mind would go out of their way to all this for a complete stranger? Especially when there seemed to be no benefits to Hotaru whatsoever. Aino was cynical enough to believe that getting out of a debt was not good enough of a reason for the trouble it would take.

For the good times that we share,
and the bad times that we'll have

A slow smile spreads on her face, pleased by Aino’s sharpness instead of dissuaded by her continued doubt. Hotaru appreciated strong and capable women, far more than men. There are no hurt feelings to be found when the force of that scrutiny is placed upon her shoulders. “A spider, hm? I’ve been called that before, though not in some time. I won’t lie and say you’re wrong.” Though her network is a fraction of its former size here in Caido, it is not nonexistent.

“No offense love, but I don’t think your family or your singular status would have an impact on Morgan’s reign even if I desired it. There’s nothing to fear there.” In a way it’s a benefit to Aino to be insignificant. Hotaru does not desire to make her into a pawn. Whether that will remain that way is admittedly up in the air. “Halovians may not be well-practiced in the art of philanthropy but I am not a Natural.” Shrugging her delicate shoulders, Ru smiles at Aino. “I know what it’s like to scrape and claw for the bare minimum - if I can help someone escape that life, I will, just as someone once did for me.” When they’d welcomed her into the ranks of the Basin. Offered her a position as a thief. Believed in her, scrawny and untested, despite all the reasons why they shouldn’t. “Like paying it forward. Plus, you won’t be indebted to me in any material way - all I’ll be sharing is knowledge. Training. Connections that I can introduce, but which you must foster on your own.”