#ertoth

Even if her horns were emitting more spores than normal here in the city the air still felt nice. Things weren't always damp or humid here, she'd learned that after leaving her window open the morning she moved in. She’d be able to actually leave books out without risk of damage if she wanted fresh air.

As the night continued to tick toward dawn the honeyblood hunched yet again over her desk, inputting her latest observations into the database. While she didn't expect any more visitors, hearing the door to the observatory open she still turns, almost hoping someone new will walk in and she'll be able to meet another unafraid of her.

She would have no such luck, however; the figure ducking his head under the doorframe is one that instead made her blood run cold.

Why's he here— her mind hissed the thought as she quickly turned her back to the wall, watching the towering seadweller make his way across the room toward her. Those stupid chains adorning his fins clicking as he leaned down to be closer to her eye level— She could already feel the makings of the headache he’d no doubt bring with his vague way of speaking.

"Rnthyu."

"Ertoth...."

"You're doing what tonight?"

"The same as every time you barge in here."

Every muscle in Rnth’s upper body tenses as the words leave her mouth. While she's said far worse, it's still better for her to not try the heirs wrath; she's seen first hand how easy it is for him to put down anything in his way.

"That wasn't an answer for the question."

Her blood boils for a moment— Why should she even answer? She's always doing the same thing here. She's always studying the stars. Not like there's anything else for her to do— 

Not like she had friends planetside.

"I'm.... Looking at HP Tau.... Seeing if I can learn anything new...."

Rnth feels Ertoth's eyes on her, the lowblood shrinking down to be somewhat hunched, keeping her eyes from meeting his; there's always something about the way he seemed to consume her presence and the very space between them that makes her uneasy. Taking a deep breath she goes to speak, but he cuts h—

"Look somewhere else, then."

"Wh... I can't just do that. I have places I'm required to-"

"Somewhere else. You've done it."

She couldn't argue with him; Rnthyu had often thrown off her assigned research to follow her own goals. Even if everything always got done in the end, trying that somewhere new might not be the best first impression.

"Later- I've only just— Wait...! How did you even fi-"

"I asked them."

Them? Who's them? Her old coworkers? Someone he knew within the Fleet itself….?

Would nowhere be safe from him? 

He'd already found her home before she'd left... Who knows how long he'd actually known about it beforehand.

Her mouth opens to speak but the words die on her lips, the aching pain of tears stinging her eyes adding to the panic in a way.

Calm down. He probably likes it when you get stressed out…. Otherwise he wouldn't keep coming back like this.

"You insist on work, but do none."

"I... Was in the middle of it when you showed up."

"I'm distracting you?"

His tone is almost joyful, like a child after you've told them you're going to the park for them behaving well.

"No..... Not distracting." Terrorizing, more like.

Ertoth frowns, the top of his blindfold coming down slightly as his brow furrows. Moving away from Rnth he finds a place to sit as always, leaning against a table face in hand while he watches her.

At least it's likely security was already warned... Rnth thinks to herself, trying with shaking hands to go back to her work… She still had hours to go before she could leave.

He always stayed until she left. But how she hated leaving... Abandoning things in the middle of research was always awful, but to be away and not have to stay the whole morning trapped there with him—