not tryna be romantic / i'll hit it from the back
just so you don't get attached (Finch)
5 hours ago
Finch had begun to play her cards closer to her chest. Insulting Calliope had gotten her into hot water and compliments only went so far, so she'd decided on being generally amenable to whatever the larger girl wanted. It seemed to be the best way to get by. Finch had been somewhat reluctant to cross the Bifrost - this would only be her second time in Auster, the first having been for the Hallows bonfire festival. Crossing the bridge felt very final in a way she hadn't anticipated, but even as her heart sand further with each paw step towards the other continent, she hadn't figured out an alternative. Auster it was. Calliope wasted no time in laying down an order disguised as a cute quip once they arrived at their destination. Finch wanted to make a joke in kind, but she wasn't ready to test her limits again so soon. The memory of Calliope's open mouth centimeters from the side of her face was still seared into her psyche - those sharp, shiny teeth had been so close to her eyes. "This little bird will fly down into the tunnel for you, but there's no telling how far or deep it may go once I'm down there," she said mildly. "The earth has been moving in unpredictable ways. For all we know, there's a tunnel beneath the sea straight back to Boreas. I'll go down and get my bearings." There, the innocent seed of doubt was planted. If Finch went down there, would she come back? Would it really be better to beckon Calliope down in after her? Finch wasn't sure, but she hated the thought of being down there alone in the dark. It was good to have even a monster for company. She carefully observed the edge of the pit that opened in to the tunnel and scrambled down the edge that was most intact. Dirt fell down behind her in her wake, but the wall held. Finch landed lightly on her feet and stared ahead into the dark, unsure of what laid in wait. "Use the same way down I did, but be careful and light on your feet," she warned, looking back up at Calliope. From this angle, with the red sun outlining her against Auster's sky, she looked startlingly beautiful - and frightening. A vengeful angel or a gracious demon. Finch kept that one to herself. It wasn't quite a compliment, after all. |
