THIN MY HEART

WITH LITTLE THINGS

THE PROBLEM WITH HARD LIQUOR ISN’T THE TASTE. fouler beast have been braved, and he is all the stronger for it. no. the issues stems from the arid aftertaste that long outlasts its invitation. the need to quench this barren thirst is a provocation that leads into an uneasy spiral. a weakness that only grows stronger until one finally gives in.

but fernando does not give up. not now. not ever. this self adhered creed is what keeps him from relishing in shot after shot. while others allow an open bar to line their pockets with gluttony, he paces himself at a steady rate. one drink, two if his conversation partner matches, and then a water before perusing anything else.

somehow, his count still remains within the limit of both hands. one he pushes to the brink each time he visits the bar. however, the repugnance of his conversation with Kazimir Wynter and freya morningstar can’t push him there quick enough.

the amount of people clustered at the other end of the bar means he’ll stand here awkwardly for a good while before some attention is paid his way. enough time to strike up some small talk with whoever is nearby.

a certain glimmer makes his choice easy.

“that’s a lovely stone,” is his word of introduction. not far off from the nefarious guile of her last suitor.

that rogue bastard.

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
Naomi Sato

THIN MY HEART

WITH LITTLE THINGS

“HM?”

there is a defensiveness to her diction that puts him at ease. the way she strings her words together—they taste of a presumptuousness that can only be concocted by scorn. which makes picking her apart easy enough. for the guarded come from bastardized expectations.

all he has to do is unravel them.

“not quite. just admiration.”

a sleight of hands produces his own TERA SHARD. it’s unpolished, more an object of interest than one repurposed for wear. beneath its rough surface is the refracted gleam of dirty white light. a fragment of the SILENT ICELANDS, a crystalized clue-in as to the TERA TYPE that resides inside.

“after all, its rare to find someone with the same appreciation.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
Naomi Sato

THIN MY HEART

WITH LITTLE THINGS

“HEAVENS NO.”

her inquiry fashions a firm chuckle. the way his TERA SHARD shifts between his fingers allows its sheen to twinkle against the bar’s dull lighting.

“for all of hoenn’s mystery, there is equal parts danger.”

as if to annunciate his point, he returns the gem to his pocket.

“a risk not worth taking when i can wait for the league to do it for me.”

he fashions a pause.

“or rocket—you never know these days.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
Naomi Sato

THIN MY HEART

WITH LITTLE THINGS

“A MAN WHO HAS LIVED IN HOENN FOR MANY, MANY YEARS,” is a far cry hint at his actual identity.

that alone, considering the region’s history, should explain his particular penchant for caution over adventure. despite the gushing immigration of trainers to seek out hoenn’ untold wonders, the people who live here simply persist to see another day. they are, in a way, the ones who truly get to watch as the world changes day by day.

“i think—”

he pauses to weigh in on his thought. looking upwards, chin tilted, as if the answer reside just out of reach.

“—they are a catalyst. not unlike MEGA STONES, they will open a phenomenon we do not understand but must undertake in fear that someone else will beat us to the punch. the only difference is that there are more eyes than ever, waiting for an opportune moment.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
Naomi Sato

THIN MY HEART

WITH LITTLE THINGS

THE GRANDEUR OF HIS HEIGHT SEEMS MINISCULE AT HER BEHEST. for every steps she looks to close between them, so too does the discrepancy between eye level. it brings them to a level where they meet as peers. just as easily in one another’s grasp—

“possibly.”

his eyes gravitate back down at her presumption. regions that many people don’t even consider how prevalent hoenn has become. but even that is too small a scope to sate hoenn’s mastermind.

“that’d be correct, i suppose. a trainer for hire must navigate his work with his life on the line.”

his own smile is milder in comparison.

“but my business in hoenn has taught me that you have more to handle than other regions. the war with aliens was my first time battling something other than humans.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
Naomi Sato

THIN MY HEART

WITH LITTLE THINGS

“ME?”

he sounds amused by her question. as if she were to put him on a pedestal he doesn’t deserve.

“sit back and let the professionals handle it. the league has done quite well both times so far. them and their avatars, i suppose.”

until he peaks at her with the slightest fox grin.

“and if they need my help, they’ll know where to reach me.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
Naomi Sato

THIN MY HEART

WITH LITTLE THINGS

“PERHAPS.” not even the strongest detraction can wipe away his smile. “but they hadn’t called me in for METENO. i imagine they got better at fighting the megalopolans since the ULTRA BEAST WAR.”

he extends a hand, all bravado. roleplaying his own sense of what charming should look like. undermining the very deceit of such an event.

“i’m far from a dancer.”

his face tilts to the dance floor.

“but it would be my pleasure.”

[attr="class","spiralpee"]
Naomi Sato