Fishing Trip

Hanako wasn't sure why he bothered. He'd said his piece and the rest of it felt like padding, an attempt to soften the blow. Which of course was a typical Mortis thing to do but try as he might it didn't make her feel any better. Not that she really let it, his words didn't sink in cause she didn't want them to and as long as she kept up that mentality she'd only keep falling in a downward spiral. But that was neither here nor there just yet, as bad as things were she had no idea that worse was yet to come. He valued her as a friend and needed her, yadda yadda. Hanako didn't want to hear that right now, it was simply adding salt to the fresh wound.

He was making it hard to hold on to the pretence, to pretend and act and smile away as though nothing was wrong. If he kept pushing she'd snap, so it was a relief that he dropped it and agreed to the race. Had he not she might have run on without him. Rolling her shoulders, Hanako bounced on her paws, spry and ready to kick off into a sprint. She wasn't holding back this time, every fibre of her frustration and hurt roiled inside of her, begging for release in some form. This would have to do for now. She caught Mortis' gaze and got in line beside him and reached out with her front paw to draw a line in the sand. Their starting point.

"To that tree over there. To the count of three." Just as last time. "One. Two. Three!"

And they were off. Sand was sent flying as the pair went from zero to one hundred. Hanako breathed deep, savouring the salty brine of the sea as her fiery paws whispered against the sand.