#avinia

The ocean stretched endlessly around you.

Waves lapped gently against the shoreline of the small, untouched island you and Avinia had stumbled upon during your travels. No footprints or any signs of sentient life. A few monster tracks here and there with the largest appearing to be from some brute wyvern. Apex predator perhaps, but it wasn't hunting alongside the shoreline now.

Just wind, water… and quiet.

“...It’s beautiful,” Avinia murmured softly, wind gently brushing through her blonde tangles.

You glanced back at her, smiling. “Feels like it was waiting for us, doesn’t it?”

She nodded, her pale blue eyes scanning the horizon, her expression calm—but softer than usual. Frostfang had found a nice sunny rock and curled up to doze upon it. Seeing her monstie enjoying the scenery made you acutely aware of your own.

Behind you, a low, rumbling snort broke the silence.

“Hey—Thornax, don’t start,” you warned, already turning.

Your Espinas monstie shifted its weight, spiked tail flicking with unmistakable mischief. A second later—

It lunged.

You barely dodged, laughing as you stumbled back into the grass. Yes, there has been many a time where poison and paralysis plagued your body from roughhousing with your monstie, but it was a playful personality that you could never ignore.

“Oh, you wanna go?!”

Thornax huffed, lowering its head, and charged again—not with real aggression, but a playful, exaggerated force. You met it halfway, grabbing onto one of its horns as it pushed forward, boots digging into the dirt.

“C’mon—!” you strained, grinning, “—I just fed you!”

The two of you tumbled together, you rolling off its side as it let out a low, almost smug growl. You shoved its side with a smirk.

It nudged you back harder, tail flicking back and forth with the excitement of an energetic Palico.

“Hey—!”

Another shove. Another push.

Soon enough, it turned into full-on roughhousing—laughing, wrestling, dodging swipes that were just a little too slow to ever actually hit you. Frostfang lifted his head, noticed the playfighting, and then went right back to snoozing. Endemic life fled the scene.

A few steps away, Avinia watched quietly.

The wind brushed through her hair, carrying the sound of your laughter across the open field.

She didn’t interrupt.

Didn’t call out.

Didn’t move at all.

Her hands rested loosely in front of her, fingers gently intertwined as her gaze softened.

You looked… so free.

Not a Rider burdened by expectations. Not someone chasing answers or fighting fate.

Just… you.

Laughing. Alive. Happy. Just a human being enjoying a precious moment with their monstie.

Her eyes drifted to Thornax as it bumped you back again, sending you stumbling with a laugh. An Espinas with such playful energy was a rare sight in its own right.

You didn’t get angry.

You never did.

Even with a monster as dangerous as an Espinas—you treated it with warmth, trust… and affection.

And it trusted you right back.

Avinia’s lips curved into the faintest smile.

“...You’re amazing,” she whispered under her breath.

The words were carried off by the wind before they could ever reach you. The waves swallowed them up, but that didn't make them disappear.

Her gaze lingered, something deeper settling behind her calm expression.

A quiet ache. A quiet warmth.

Something she didn’t say out loud—couldn’t, not yet.

Her fingers tightened slightly together.

Gods…

Her smile grew just a little, softer now. More vulnerable.

...I really love him too much.

You yelped as Thornax suddenly knocked you flat onto your back and into the ocean water.

“Okay—okay! I surrender!”

It loomed over you for a second… then huffed and flopped down beside you instead, clearly pleased with itself. But now before it launched a fireball of triumph into the sky, probably alerting your guys' presence to every living thing on the island.

Panting, you turned your head—

And caught Avinia watching.

“…What?” you asked, a little breathless, smiling anyway.

She blinked, as if pulled from a distant thought.

Then she shook her head gently.

“...Nothing.”

But her smile lingered, soft and light.