Later, when the wound wasn't quite so fresh, he'd ask about her family again; their personalities and adventures under that faraway sky. Their wars and loves and losses. Those who were related to her by blood and those she'd chosen along the way. He would listen, and marvel, and offer unsolicited opinions on some of them.
Of his own tame, bland little family though, he would say little, too self-conscious now to tell the small, boring stories of a merchant and a simple guard. It wasn't pain or grief that stopped his tongue but embarrassment that his family couldn't measure up to the fairy tale lives of Outlanders and their kin - each one a king or queen, noble or royal thief, assassin or warrior-hero in their own right, it sometimes seemed.
He loved Hotaru too much to resent her for it, but it didn't stop the pain of that realization.
Her acceptance of his challenge came as a relief, then. A welcome distraction from the bruising in his heart. He followed her onto the rocks, hopping lightly to find one that he liked the feel of under his boots. He didn't know the history of her own dagger, but his was comfortable in his grip, even if he wouldn't be using its special abilities today. "I should warn you, I'm gettin' pretty good with-- Hey!" His cocky boast was cut short by Hotaru's lunge, and she took a generous slice out of his sleeve as he made a desperate, awkward hop to another rock off to the side to avoid further damage. "Rude!" he informed her, torn between laughter and a scowl at his own sloppy footwork.
He made a quick slash towards her shoulder as soon as he landed on his new perch, hoping to keep her at bay and buy himself a few seconds to get his aplomb back.
Of his own tame, bland little family though, he would say little, too self-conscious now to tell the small, boring stories of a merchant and a simple guard. It wasn't pain or grief that stopped his tongue but embarrassment that his family couldn't measure up to the fairy tale lives of Outlanders and their kin - each one a king or queen, noble or royal thief, assassin or warrior-hero in their own right, it sometimes seemed.
He loved Hotaru too much to resent her for it, but it didn't stop the pain of that realization.
Her acceptance of his challenge came as a relief, then. A welcome distraction from the bruising in his heart. He followed her onto the rocks, hopping lightly to find one that he liked the feel of under his boots. He didn't know the history of her own dagger, but his was comfortable in his grip, even if he wouldn't be using its special abilities today. "I should warn you, I'm gettin' pretty good with-- Hey!" His cocky boast was cut short by Hotaru's lunge, and she took a generous slice out of his sleeve as he made a desperate, awkward hop to another rock off to the side to avoid further damage. "Rude!" he informed her, torn between laughter and a scowl at his own sloppy footwork.
He made a quick slash towards her shoulder as soon as he landed on his new perch, hoping to keep her at bay and buy himself a few seconds to get his aplomb back.
