it's surreal to receive a greeting like that again - councilwoman morningstar. as she was signing on for the transition, she had thought the first time it's said might hurt. she was prepared for thoughts of inadequacy, a reminder of the person she had unbecome in those lost years. 

but she feels only warmth. and gratitude. perhaps it's because the person saying it genuinely seems to appreciate her position. 

not everyone believes you will fail. 

"you're the first to call me that again," she admits nervously. "i'm well. still adjusting. thought it'd be nice to take some time to myself before the assembly meeting. i hear you're on security detail."

she tilts her cone out to him. "cotton candy? if you're here by yourself, would you mind some company?"

Gunner Graves

☉

"and we'll be all the more safer for it." but what she doesn't say is that she fears some of the people attending the meeting more than she does any potential attack on the league headquarters. her skin still crawls thinking about MATIAS SILPH stepping into her office. 

FERNANDO SILPH still does not respect her. 

the others? she doesn't know. dahlia believes in her enough to have extended this olive branch, if one could call it that. 

she tilts her head up and eyes the skitty. it's a cute little plush, more round than the actual thing, with a prim, pudgy face. she hands over her tickets and looks out at the bottles. others crowding the stall toss their rings with pling-pling-pling sounds. 

"aren't most of these meant to be unbeatable?" she says, but she readies a toss anyway. the three in hand bounce off of the bottles and rattle onto the ground. 

"yeah, we'll blame it on being rigged," she says with a laugh and clasps gunner on the shoulder. "good luck. let's see it."

Gunner Graves

☉

wonderful and not great at the same time. she'd known KING WAYLAND wouldn't take kindly to the new position. she'd known they'd disagree. what she hadn't been prepared for was the complete and utter shutdown. that infuriating shell he wraps himself around. 

and she knows it's so he doesn't lash out. so he doesn't bubble and boil and burn them both. but it hurts all the same. and besides, she's weathered worse before. the twisted, reddened skin of her shoulder is a testament to that. 

"i've been alright. hardly feels like i have time for a break, even before starting. i've tried to get as much time in with the dragons as i can." that's another bridge she'll have to cross. 

hopefully, though, with her new standing, she'll be able to reinstate the leasing agreement she had with the rangers. of course, annalise henderson is still missing...

"and you're well? aside from letting down your friend down? oh, actually - look. that same skitty is winnable at the magikarp fishing. i bet we can do this."

Gunner Graves

☉

"something like that," she says with a tight-lipped smile. she almost mentions the estate, but their surroundings are simply too cheery to bring up the problems surrounding sootopolis. her lack of home. 

it can't be that easy, she thinks. whatever magic gunner used doesn't exist in freya because the magikarp are not as keen as wriggling into her own net. her attempts at fishing for them instead of letting them swim in on their own volition go poorly, too.

her nose crumples as she hands the net back. "at least you got your plush."

Gunner Graves

☉

he's smiling down at his phone and freya's gaze lingers for a moment, content, before shifting away. she wonders if KING WAYLAND ever looks at his phone like that while texting her. you're going soft, she thinks. he'd probably say the same. 

"you make me sound so pitiful," she says with a huff, teasing with her mock-anger. 

at his suggestion, the jut of his chin, freya looks in time to see the man get launched off the back of the mechanical tauros. she pretends to think about it for a moment. even adds in a light hmmmm and then clasps gunner on the shoulder. 

"yeah, i got this."

when she gets up to the front of the line, the carny tells her she has some options. stay on for the lowest setting and win a small prize - bouncy balls, candy, and the like. medium setting? some small, threadbare plush. expert? the large plushies. she spies a ferocious looking salamence, nestled between a sleepy jigglypuff and a clever looking decidueye. 

"expert," she says breezily and he gives her a look. but she's already mounted the bull. 

confidence is one thing. cockiness? another. and the latter is what she'd started with, so she gets a rough surprise when the yanking motions start under her. her fingers curl tighter on the metal handle until they hurt and her shoulder aches as she's tossed around. 

her dragons are predictable. this is anything but. 

still, she manages to scrape by. she's scowling by the time she slips back down and her thighs hurt, but at least she didn't embarrass herself. 

he asks which prize she'd like and she says, "the decidueye please," and tucks it under her arm before joining gunner. 

"give it to me straight, graves. how ridiculous did i look?"

Gunner Graves

☉

oh gods, he recorded it. she looks absolutely ridiculous. the worst part about it, honestly, is just how serious she looks on top of it, as though riding this bull might just be life or death. the mechanical tauros puts up a fight, but definitely not a fight worth the flint-eyed stare. 

still, she wins. and it's more impressive than the crumpling tug-of-war contest happening in the background.

"can't believe i'm letting you walk out of here with this blackmail on me," she says with a shake of her head. 

"who knew having fun could be so tiring?" she points at the ferris wheel down the way. "care to? i've never been on one."

Gunner Graves

☉