[attr="class","hana"]

[attr="class","hana b"]

[attr="class","hana i"]a stumble precedes a stop, her head turning slightly to stare at him.

"stay here?" right, yeah, good idea.

her lips quirk into a hazy smile and she's offering a light squeeze of his hand.

"okay, that's probably a good idea," she doesn't trust her legs to walk much farther, anyway. heels were a terrible choice. and before she can process anything else, she starts wandering again, gently tugging him along. "i -- i don't really know slateport too well."

aka please pick a hotel n drag her there thank u.

NIKO MANNER

[attr="class","hana"]

[attr="class","hana b"]

[attr="class","hana i"]he forces them to the side and her steps are confused, stumbling little footprints in sand. a soft squeak follows. it's easily swallowed up by the roaring sandstorm. she tries to shield her eyes with her free hand but it's of little use.

irritating. sand sucks.

"how?" she shouts a little to be heard over the wind. it whips up more sand as they begin to continue. and faintly, she's thanking her lucky stars that he's leading. she would still be in the forest if he wasn't, sobbing on the ground as seconds tick down to death.

"weren't we just on mt. pyre? how could we travel that far without knowing?"

NIKO MANNER
mission

[attr="class","hana"]

[attr="class","hana b"]

[attr="class","hana i"]cheeks radiate warmth beneath a compliment. there's no qualms here when she's led away. honestly, she's still slightly reeling from the kind words. her body follows on autopilot.

"thank you," she murmurs. it only squeaks a little toward the ending syllables. "don't be jealous, you're cuter." jessie's nice, pretty, and her hand fits so well in hers... hana will more than likely be a tomato by the time this is over.

jessie leads them out into the cold air. it hasn't quite started snowing yet but judging by the smell in the air, it's close. her head tilts up toward moving clouds for a moment before returning.

"decorations first sounds good," her smile is bright, excited. "what kind of theme do you want to do?"

Jessica Manner
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[attr="class","hana"]

[attr="class","hana b"]

[attr="class","hana i"]an exit would be nice...

unfortunately, hope is crushed beneath a sudden spike of heat. it's almost blistering.

what the fuck?

her head whips as scenery shifts and morphs into that of a desert. were... were they not in a forest this whole time? she remembers blades of grass tickling her back, though. what's happening?

a sandstorm whips up, little granules slicing at skin. she squeaks, shifting closer to him as if he'll somehow be able to stop it.

"what's going on? i -- i thought we were in the forest?" this has to be some sick joke.

NIKO MANNER
mission

[attr="class","hana"]

[attr="class","hana b"]

[attr="class","hana i"]a promise not yet broken rises and with it, a bright smile.

she's easy to please, apparently. that much he's probably aware of.

his hand meets hers and she's lacing their fingers together without a second thought. it's warm, even against the dropping temperature.

"okay," she murmurs. and her legs are slow moving, sluggish and wobbly. after a few steps, she finds a rhythm that sort of works enough. petalburg is far, though. maybe it'd be best to find somewhere closer... regardless, she leads almost blindly.

NIKO MANNER

[attr="class","hana"]

[attr="class","hana b"]

[attr="class","hana i"]maybe it wouldn't kill her to be confident... this worked out in her favor, didn't it?

her head bobs into a nod, loose hair tickling flushed cheeks. the cigarette rises and two inhales and exhales later, it's down to filter. she lets it drop gently to the ground before shifting a spiked heel to snuff it out against cracked pavement.

"promise?" her smile is bright, hopeful, almost affectionate. and maybe it's stupid to ask him to make a promise he couldn't keep but she's naïve enough to hope he will.

even if he didn't, she'd stay as long as he wanted her.

NIKO MANNER

[attr="class","hana"]

[attr="class","hana b"]

[attr="class","hana i"]her grip tightens as darkness descends. it creeps until everything is black. without eyesight, the forest feels more alive than ever...

sounds echo around them. creaking branches, rustling leaves, an odd dripping sound. she shivers.

warm breath turns into cold puffs of air and she's desperately trying to swallow the urge to cry. it pricks at the corners of her eyes, clawing to be released.

closer... she voices the question tentatively. it comes out terrified, with nails digging slightly into his skin.

"to what? the exit?" god, she really hopes so...

NIKO MANNER
mission

[attr="class","hana"]

[attr="class","hana b"]

[attr="class","hana i"]it's difficult to fight off a fond smile as it spreads and really, she doesn't even try. jessie's excited squeal makes her giddy, bashful, and excited all at once. she giggles in response, gently stepping a little closer.

"hana," she supplies, cheeks radiating warmth. their names don't clash. in fact, they actually mesh a little better than she would have thought. a new friendship in the making, perhaps.

her head bobs in agreement and without really thinking much of it, she's gingerly reaching to take jessie's hand.

"lead the way," comes in a chirped rush of excitement. "we'll find the best christmas tree they've ever seen!" ah, but... are there christmas trees still left in dewford?

god, she hopes so. otherwise, they'll have to improvise.

Jessica Manner
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[attr="class","hana"]

[attr="class","hana b"]

[attr="class","hana i"]her smile brightens at confirmation. reassurance is one of her many love languages.

it gives her enough confidence to be bold, to raise her chin a little higher and look him in the eye. and now, it's time to say it with her chest.

of course, it's mostly alcohol leading her admittance but it's genuine regardless.

she uses her cigarette as a lifeline before speaking. inhale, exhale, repeat until she's slightly dizzy.

"you could stay if you'd like," she pauses and any confidence she had dissipates with the picking up of wind.

softly, as eyes fall to shoes, she adds, "with me."

NIKO MANNER

[attr="class","hana"]

[attr="class","hana b"]

[attr="class","hana i"]anywhere...

is he so sure they'll be able to escape that easily? she stays quiet, silencing whatever doubt she has.

he promised and she blindly trusts him.

he leads them further into the thick of it, trees winding and branches creaking to watch them. shadows skitter behind them with eager fingers.

"okay," she murmurs. another promise. how can she say no to that? her grip tightens on his hand as the burning sensation in her body claws through nerves and muscles. it's bordering on irritating now but... he said stop.

and she's too obedient to not listen.

NIKO MANNER
mission

[attr="class","hana"]

[attr="class","hana b"]

[attr="class","hana i"]she hums. verdanturf is pretty, quaint, peaceful. she wouldn’t mind lingering in a town like that, existing quietly and undisturbed. it’s a nice but impossible thought.

her head tilts as if weighing options.

”do you want to?” comes softly, almost unsure. a single night to end up leaving her wanting and waiting and alone. she squirms mildly at the thought.

and alcohol makes brain functions work slower than usual. it results in a bold statement, one she’ll kick herself for later.

”you could stay as long as you’d like to, you know.” the with me is silent, afraid, insecure.

NIKO MANNER

[attr="class","hana"]

[attr="class","hana b"]

[attr="class","hana i"]he reaches up and yanks. the corviknight crashes down with a sickening crack. she feels it in her bones, in her teeth, and she shivers into his side.

it flees shortly after to nurse whatever injuries it just sustained.

and when he turns, offers a hand to her, she takes it with trembling fingers. her grip is tight despite the delicate structure of her hands.

”run where?” is there even a way out of here?

her skin crawls at the thought. fear slowly spreads as does the searing sensation of pain. it crawls from neck to shoulders to arms to chest.

god, this fucking sucks.

NIKO MANNER
mission

[attr="class","hana"]

[attr="class","hana b"]

[attr="class","hana i"]whatever remains of a frown dissipates. lips morph and shift into an empathetic smile. the sentiment is shared between both women tonight.

while she agrees with making up for what was stolen... her, having an eye for detail? she flushes a soft pink at the thought. what if she picks the wrong decoration, the wrong color scheme? god, aesthetics are everything for the perfect holiday display. she fiddles with long sleeves as nerves pick up where they left off.

it's admittedly difficult to turn down, however, when the woman claps excitedly. her grin solidifies hana's agreement before it even begins to form in her throat.

and when it finally escapes, it's soft and paired with a shy smile.

"okay," she murmurs. the smile grows a little brighter. "sounds like a plan!"

ah, but...

"where should we begin?"

Jessica Manner
mission