they are ferocious beasts, the tyrantrum. fabled as kings of the earth in the era they once thrived in, brought back through resurrection to become the kings undying. they have long been a symbol for royalty and ever-lasting life. she watches their powerful jaws snap at the meat she flings towards them. 

their humming shakes the caves. most would be petrified by the sound, but freya smiles at their contentment. 

clanging scales make her turn her head. two of her kommo-o shake their forearms, tails swinging in warning, and freya follows them to the slight woman at the mouth of the cave. her expression softens (as much as freya's expressions can soften) and she shucks off her gloves, maneuvers the wheelbarrow away from the greedy jaws of the dragons, and beckons her closer. 

"it's good to see you," she says. "i'm glad you stopped by."

Yuina Higashi

☉

she recalls what John Sullivan said to her, about how yuina had walked away from their only meeting afraid of her. which, granted, is fair. freya's not known to be the friendliest person and the events that had transpired certainly didn't inspire confidence. 

could I bother ya with patching that up when ya can?

"that frightening, hm?" she says at yuina's stammering, one brow raised. when she asks what she's after, freya nods. "nothing you don't want to do," she assures her. 

"but before we get to that, how are you? i'm not sure how much doug told you, but you came up in aqua. said you were scared of yourself. navidson told us you wanted to turn yourself in?"

Yuina Higashi

☉

"and it's frightening to not know whether you can trust yourself," she says and though the words are plain, there is a heavy admittance that comes alongside it. she looks down at her hands, at this body that has oft felt not like her own - that has been, in many ways, taken from her, used against her, made undone.

"but as long as you have others you can trust, you'll be okay." it's what saved her, in the end. 

she clears her throat. "the white-haired woman. the woman who clearly doesn't want to be found, save for when it's convenient. i want to go after her. and i think your naganadel might be all the lead we need."

Yuina Higashi

☉

freya considers her for a long time. she rolls her shoulders, fiddles with the ends of her gloves draped over wheelbarrow, and breathes in the scent of miltank blood and nesting dragons. it's been easier since rayquaza filled in her fracturing mind with liquid gold, but there are still times when she spins out. 

nightmares in the dark, sobbing and lashing into wakefulness, only for her husband's strong arms to pin her back and wait for her to return to herself. 

"you have to start somewhere," she says firmly and waves away the incredulous question. clearly they're not going to get anywhere like this - and if they're going to go after the drk triad, they need trust. 

"and i brought you here, and want you with me, because you deserve answers." she tilts her head. 

Yuina Higashi

☉

and then there's headway. freya's jaw sets and a muscle flicks in her cheek. the blood-chilling realization that they are always watching and that they can interrupt whenever they so please has come and gone, but that hopelessness festers sorely inside of her. 

too much of her life as of late has come about because of inevitability. 

"and what did you say?" she asks, hating that intonation of desperation on the tip of her tongue. her blood slithers through her, red cells linked like chains, binding her to sootopolis and to rocket and to the frenzied leviathan. 

Yuina Higashi

☉

"it does matter," freya insists, but how can she hope to persuade her when she's looking at her own reflection? still, i fight, is her pitiful mewl - she runs her body ragged and works tirelessly for her people not to pay back her debts (not anymore) but because at the end of the day, some of it must matter. 

she must pretend there is a choice, and that her choice is to do good. 

freya narrows her eyes, words clipped and harsh. "you release it here and we command it and even if nothing comes of it, then at least we can say we haven't rolled over and waited to die."

Yuina Higashi

☉