i keep on running toward the fire

And if you feel like night is falling
I wanna be the one you're calling

Making things addicting? Ru, you are on the right track. Every piece of the puzzle that fell into place only served to reveal several more that were missing; each new tidbit of information was like peeling back a fresh layer to reveal even more to explore. George couldn't help but wonder if each revelation was chipping away at Hotaru's walls; he was, after all, eager to find out who she was at her core. Though he'd long since stopped wearing his heart on his sleeve, it was with a fragile hope that he regarded Hotaru tonight - a hope that, perhaps, this could be the beginning of something wonderful. Terrifying, for it had been some time since he'd had to be vulnerable and open with someone like this - but wonderful all the same.

"Mm, more of an afternoon blue," he clarified, picking up his wine glass to swirl the liquid inside thoughtfully. "And for green, something like the green of fresh grass." Grass was, perhaps, somewhat rare in Torchline, what with its sandy beaches, but he loved it all the same. The color, the feel of it beneath his feet, the smell of fresh-cut grass; there was something soothing about it all, something that felt strangely like home.

He couldn't care less if Hotaru drank or didn't, but he filed away the information on her favorites in the ever-expanding box in his mind labeled with her name. Hopefully, the information would someday be of use. "I can't say I've tried huckleberry lemonade," he said. "But I have to admit that now I'm curious." Was it as rare and refreshing as Hotaru herself?

With the departure from their game, George leaned in closer, as though imparting a secret. "Legend has it that once, a massive roc called the L'ma flew through the skies over Torchline, but it has since been cast down into the sea without its wings. They say it lives at the bottom of the Miana Pool, forced to swim through eternity rather than to fly. But it loves brightly-colored stones from the surface, and supposedly, if you make a wish and toss a rock into the pool -" And at this, he reached into a pocket, pulling out two shining stones - rainbow opals. "- it will be taken by the evening tides into the L'ma's lair, and the giver of the most beautiful stones will find their wishes granted."

He held out his palm, offering the stones to Hotaru, his eyes dancing in the dying light of the sun. "Care to make a wish, love?"

'Cause I believe that you could lead the way

George