#lcstkey

"IF I PISS IN A BOTTLE IS SOMEONE GONNAE DRINK IT--"

Steam rose from the liquid being poured, it swirling in the air. The elder shifted back into his seat once he had done it for her, now doing it for his own tea cup. The rich, dense smell of the herbal drink filled the ocean around them, as he know reached for the sugar nearby -- several scoops were put into his own tea. Nice, and sugary. His preference, ever since decades ago.

This village -- it was nice enough, but it didn't compare to the homeliness of Twilight Town. Shame there had been limited tea available, but .. alas. He couldn't just take her off to some world, not when they were still getting to know each other. Once he had gotten some snacks as well from the tea tray, he scooted back within his chair, far as his back would allow.

"Enjoy,'' he gestured out before him, a small smile smearing across his face. "Best I could do with what is available."

He then lapsed into silence, taking a sip of his tea. Such warmth. A pleasure -- despite being detached from worldly attachments. A clink bloomed into the atmosphere.

It was strange what could be forgotten in the heat of the moment. Things that would feel so important in any other situation fell to the wayside when it was clear there would be neither time nor energy to waste. Was it rude to not introduce himself, even if he was freezing and it had felt like there was every chance he wouldn't survive? Maybe - but the same could be said about her, and her own lack of interest in even asking for his.

Truthfully Terra hadn't even noticed, and even if he had he doubted he would have cared. There was so much else that mattered far more than a name.

He had been chewing on a piece of something, maybe jerky?, when the question was finally asked. Terra gave himself a moment to finish chewing and to swallow before looking at the woman. "It's Terra. And don't worry about it. We had more important things to worry about."

That was an understatement, really.

"For Real life?!" The child's attention snapped up almost instantly, wiggling slightly and jumping down from the wall she sat on, practically bouncing on her heels.

"I'm ready! I can do it! Promise! I'm already really really REEEEAAAAALLY good at magic! I can learn it!"

Iesha stared at Selena expectantly before she finally stopped her movements, remembering her manners despite her expression showing the impatient excitement behind her eyes.

...which quickly vanished at a question she thought of.

"Being who I am has only left me more alone."

` 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬…

[ … ]   But it was an expected given,  a potential end he knew things would inevitably play out as once it all slowed to a halt   —   long before he’d started to work alongside the mysterious fighter,  it’d been long set in stone.  @lcstkey for all her willingness to work alongside the stranger in eliminating the hostile threats had been little more than a means to an end in deciphering more of this strange world’s state.

A vessel to aid in him regaining his grounding again,  a sense of stability lost at being flung into this new vast new place where darkness differing from his own reigned free.  But simply leaving their freshly  cleaved partnership as such made his mouth taste heavy of ash,  bitterness permeating through like the swallowing of spoiled ichor,  something not entirely agreeing as he keeps the ever languid curling of his grin in place like a well-set mask.

It never falters,  far too used to bearing the brunt of most pressures fit for several lifetimes to so much as tremble beneath.

Her path lie in a far different direction,  one he’d do a final kindness in straying a fair berth’s way from if only out of polite thanks as a repayment for not immediately cursing him a daemon upon seeing his more destructive magic at play.  For all the callous cruelty he was known for,  all too used to expressing given his corruption at the Gods hands,  some shared acts of kindness still managed to burrow beneath iron-guarded flesh.

Splinter like in how it stubbornly remained,  she’d made enough of an impact on the old healer to garner his respect.

So now,  even as he holds her eye,  steps back pace by slowed pace,  arms held out at his sides in draped garb singed in the remnants of a former flames touch,  the wide brim of his hat casting a comfortable enough shadow to add more illusory eeriness to his image to unsettle…   Sharp fanged teeth peek past his lips as a deepened chuckle rings through the air like an old church bells chime.

❝ Secrecy?  Why,  I’ve never bothered to hide what I am.  You chose to believe what you wanted.  Whatever will you do now? ❞