entering the world of espionage taught bond that the sky was the limit of possibility, showing him more than he could have even imagined. recently, however, he has never been proven more wrong. the limit never stopped at the sky but the entire universe beyond this planet. whether he would ever fully comprehend it wasn't his concern right now ... nor had it been since encountering the twilight princess. otherworldly dictators, mirror shards & teleporting royalty with supernatural powers were only scraping the surface for him. the recently titled agent has already jeopardised a lot to get this far, refusing to turn her in to both the americans & his own territory. thankfully, a select few back in mi6 were willing to cooperate enough in exchange for information from midna. whether they got that far was still up for debate. for now, they had ventured far enough to a luxury resort in vietnam, preparing for the highly anticipated dinner event.

                    using the glasses now adjusted on his face, they would be able to record every second of the event to review later. the technology was impressive, yet he struggles to properly appreciate its value given what his partner can conjure. with his bowtie loose around his collar, james turns at her request only to be stunned into silence before he could even speak. she was beautiful. she was beyond that. bond was lucky enough to see her true hues, the way her skin hums gently with blue under the setting sunlight. it contrasts with the burning tones of her hair, leaving him completely caught with her ethereal features. midna's chosen attire held back zero punches either, accentuating every feature while showing just enough to leave teasing what isn't shown.

' . . . am i?' kit blinks behind his glasses, the quiet question slipping out before he can catch it. a faint laugh of genuine surprise huffs from his chest as he looks at theo. he isn't used to being the center of anyone's gravity, even temporarily. in a town like solace, kit has spent years perfecting the art of blending into the background, operating like a background gear that keeps the shop running without ever drawing a second glance. he shifts his weight, suddenly a bit self conscious. he reaches up, calloused fingers idly adjusting the collar of his shirt, looking more at the side of theo's temple rather than meeting his eye. kit holds a rare fascination with the way theo says things so easily, and directly. 'should i say thank you? assuming it's a compliment, that is,' @studiodrafts.

                        the eridian works, as the hail mary carries them ever closer to tau ceti e ... efficiency is becoming necessary. the samples must be collected, for if this planet holds the resistance key to the star-eating astrophage that's devouring suns, understanding it is critical. within his sphere, his limbs move to weave xenonite into structures for collecting. then — there is an impact, a small knock against the shell. rocky pauses, before body shifts and rotates toward the source.

❝ green baby.   ❞ he greets, the translation coming from grace's nearby laptop. the term not a direct translation of rocky's chords, but instead something inputted by grace. ❝ do not lift rocky's ball, statement.   ❞ he adds, moving closer to the child. ❝ rocky like ground. rocky stay on ground.   ❞

the kiss was as gentle as the evening breeze, a fleeting thing that almost had him second-guessing whether it had happened at all. if it weren't for gustave's hand on his shoulder to ground him, and the teasing whisper by his ear, that is. they had certainly made strides in the past few weeks to no complaint of his. this was much more fun.

“ ... 'a bit sloppy?' ᅳand here i thought you enjoyed me at my most indulgent, ” astarion caught the man's wink, a wry smile curved at the edge of his mouth.

A sharp intake of breath, followed by the tone of someone very small, attempting desperately to sound alright. "I'm fine." Her voice wobbled, not a great sign, but neither was the newly broken skin, raw and red, climbing up either arm. That damned Nevron, what a... Her parry had been perfect, right on cue, but a good defense didn't exactly take into account the force that'd send her backwards at the same time. Unstoppable force met extremely movable object, apparently as it sent her sprawling several feet across the ground.

It was a miracle some scraped arms were the worst of it, but it stung something fierce, and Maelle found she really didn't enjoy the feeling of her skin burning. He reached for her, painfully perceptive of how close she was to tears, but Maelle busied herself with pacing instead, wringing out each limb as if to cool them off. Ow, ow ow...

"No, I don't need to-I'm okay, old man." Head tilts to the side to allow cheek to rub irritably against her shoulder. "Really. Stop hoverin' like a mother hen, I just fell." If falling somehow changed its definition to getting tossed at a terrifying speed, sure. "Lune will heal it... soon as they're done over there..." Which, hopefully, would be in the next moment because the way Gustave was looking at her was slowly turning her resolve into dust.

SLENDER FINGERS, PARTLY ADORED BY GOLD ; THEY REMAIN POSITIONED BY HER SIDE SO, READY TO SUMMON A WEAPON IF NEED BE. it all remains the decision of the passing by what appears to be merchants ... yet, everything within her warns her of more going underneath. it is the way their voice drips a little too satin-like, sleaze underneath ; it is the way another man stayed silent, but with his one-good eye, he scanned over the warrior of light &. theo beside him.

but so do ethereal golds radiate ; dim their glow, but the warning echoes nonetheless. it is the presence of something bright, but something that can burn before one gets close enough to touch. &. what swirls in seas of gold is enough to pass further as an advice to move along, even as voice comes out smooth &. refined, ❝ it would be the wisest to move along, ❞ she says, pausing only for long enough to allow the warning to take root, before the edge gets smoothed, ❝ before the sun sets. we found no trouble passing this far from the town, i hope the same goes for you. ❞

&. THERE IT IS ; NO OPTIONS GIVEN, JUST THE HOPE THEY DO NOT LOOK CLOSER, &. CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD. for one moment, the atmosphere holds suspense, ... but eventually, the man with bronze-hair decides his battles well, &. what is truly worth it ; gesturing the caravan to move along, to make the others glance forward. whatever they thought to see in theo, abandoned for now.

but sarastus' gaze turns to follow their movements down the road, for an adventurer like hers has stories to tell, &. she knows better. but, for now, the caravan disappears behind a hill, the sounds growing more distant. &. so, the hero too can relax her hand at her side fully, even when the readiness in her was subtle to begin with.

@studiodrafts + theo : they should know to leave us alone.