#esperelle

           ONE  hand shoots up to dissuade the stranger from standing, fingers splayed and mouth agape. The poor woman was just minding her own business on one of several benches throughout the mall, totally unaware of the mischievous snowflake hiding behind the relative safety of her ankles. Rin slowly sinks to her knees before lowering even further, trying to not make any sudden movements of her own... Even if it was still mild at best, there was no way she’d shoot a Gandr at such close range when the target was so flighty. Sure enough, the moment she’s under the bench and ready to pounce it flits away — her fingers catch only air, and her chest connects with the ground with a soft ‘oof !’. 

       ❛   Ghh— sorry about that...   ❜   Rin offers a flimsy apology, dusting off her shirt after rising to her knees.  ❛   These little enchanted snowflakes are almost more trouble than they’re worth.   ❜

But something is wrong. Not just with the beast-- with himself, too. An attempt to puncture the beast’s eyes gone awry, a tendril slammed full force into his gut, his spine meeting the thick trunk of a tree at a quite unhealthy velocity. Normally it doesn’t feel great, of course, but this...

“Alright,” he says through clenched teeth, attempting to rise to his feet, “That hurt. Way more than usual. Way more--” Nero fumbles. His ankle is unresponsive. Agonizing to put any pressure on. “--way, way more than it should.”

Blue eyes flick upward. Lips twist into a bit of a grimace at the beast rearing back another tendril to lash out with. “Nah,” he hisses under his breath, “I’m not dying here.” A bit of a last resort, he pulls the flimsy BB gun from his holster, slides to one knee, then up just long enough to fling that thing at the creature’s face before his ankle gives out again. 

And straight into the thing’s bulging eye it goes. Not enough firepower to accomplish much, that’s for sure, but the creature shrieks at having its most delicate organ injured. Which is enough time to drag himself around the back of a tree and debate his next course of action.

The fairy leads her to a suit of magitek armor, which gives her pause at a distance. Before she realizes it doesn’t seem to be moving, that it’s inactive-- and only then does Winni approach, reaching out to run her hand along the bipedal suit, noting some immediate distinctions between it and the magitek armor units of Garlean make that she’s familiar with.

Lifting his head only when a visitor emerges. A petite woman with soft eyes. Sparda can barely muster the will to meet her gaze, and offer her a sad smile.  ❝ IF YOU HAVE COME SEEKING REFUGE FROM THE MIST, I CAN OFFER YOU THAT. NOT MUCH MORE, THOUGH, I AM AFRAID. ❞

       ... and yet, for all his resentment, his tread leads him here... to her.

       no--- she is not a crutch to be leaned on in his time of need; he abhors the very notion. he must be strong enough to stand on his own, for these are his mistakes, and his alone. he is a sinking ship that's burning, and she deserves better than that.

       he falters at her door, a fist raised and poised to knock upon it. hesitation grips him, stills him, as every crime, every sin he's committed--- every person he's wronged--- flashes behind his eyes like the shards of a broken mirror. he closes them tightly, attempting to will away the memories, but to little avail. the feelings he thought lost to his torment rush back to him, welling in his chest, filling it with ache.

       with a heavy brow and wounded pride, V bows his head, and knocks, against his better judgement.

“My... there’s so many animals here...” Seles had been looking around Cotes, and had ended up following one of the paths for a short walk through the woods. She’d been surprised by how alive the forest was, though- you could almost forget how large the city was when out here.

the trail coils around several blocks and stretches even further, bringing him closer towards the giggles of children and their hurried footsteps.  frankly, he was half-expecting to face a group of snotty brats for their sweets but happens upon the small discovery of a familiar face instead.

❝  you━━  ❞      he says, blinking back at the recognition.  heine knows her━━ no, not know; they have met before.  he cants his head to one side, grasping for a name to call her by and draws blanks, only coming to realize that he had never bothered to learn it.  

No matter what he tries he cannot move the door that seems to be permanently shut, even using all of his strength in both of his arms and legs. 

He’s not about to give up, but he might enlist the help of another. He perks up when he sees someone walking by the alley he’s in, and it’s the first time in ten minutes that he’s let go of the door handle. He hadn’t realized how cold his fingers had gotten.

“Hey! Hey, miss! Sorry, do you have a minute?”