E1 Interlude: Hearts 3
FortePlus
The THRILL from Green Hill
- Location
- Toronto
- Pronouns
- He/Him
More than anything, you want to give her a chance. That speech about connecting hit home...you felt the same pull that she did. Like this was meant to happen all along, something like that.
In any case, friendship is something you want to gift her. And hopefully out of that, she would make more friends, more close bonds like this. It's the sort of thing that changes a life. And changed lives can change worlds.
"We're friends, Hannah. Like we've been from the start."
Her eyes widen and her breath hitches in her throat a moment as you give her a smile. She settles after a moment, warmth visible in her cheeks as she smiles back, her violet eyes sparkling with joy. The glow you mentioned before was for real, and brighter than ever; you can see her hair shimmer and small sparkles of light around her head.
"Thank you," she says with absolute gratitude. "Thank you so much for...everything."
"You're welcome, Hannah."
A small, light laugh comes from between her lips as she brushes back her hair. It's quiet, awkward, and joyful. The heat still hasn't died down from her cheeks, and she looks at you with admiration.
"I've never felt so beautiful. Joshua? Make me more tea, please. I want to stay with you and tell you stories about myself. About things that I thought I would have to keep sealed inside of myself forever. Not everything at this moment, because I want to learn how to tell my stories properly...but something in appreciation of this moment. It's dramatic of me to say this. Diva-like, even. But you've changed my life with that one word. Friend."
"I'm happy that I could make a difference."
"I know you are. That's why my heart melted for you the moment we started talking."
"Heh. You really know how to lay it on thick."
"Don't I?" She gives you a wink and you get to making her more tea.
---
Night drifts on.
You can only assume Hannah had a low estimation of her ability, because she tells captivating stories without trying. She talks about herself and experiences outside of the battlefield. About her insecurities when it comes to dealing with people. About reveling in the attention she gets for her body at times. About unsavoury people and situations. She talks about the feelings after a kill, about adrenaline and fear. Discrimination on account of her heritage, which she kept hidden until recently. Wishing to travel as a normal person and not on secretive business trips. How much she loves children and wants to have her own. A weakness for cake, especially red velvet. Being of noble blood and tempering it with her experiences in the dirt. The first time she kissed a man, and then a woman.
She speaks, but not without looking at you and for you. Her pauses are meant to draw you in and hold you there so she can admire you endlessly. Reaching for you and not wanting to let go. It wasn't lust, or misguided romantic attraction.
A friend is someone you can trust. She trusts you. And she gives you many things that only a person she trusts should hold.
Hannah is your friend as much as you are hers.
Night bumps into morning and she lets out a yawn, signalling that it's time to shoo her into her own bed. She's obedient and lets you walk her to her room. Before you can leave, she hugs you. Her fingers press into your back gently, her head against your shoulder. She doesn't say a word before letting go and disappearing into her room, closing the door behind her.
You turn around and head back to your room, cleaning up from your small tea party and then washing up before you flop onto your bed.
The scent of wildflowers soothes you.
Hannah's lingering warmth guides you into sleep.
---
"I like it, boyo. Good that you got a stomach on ya!"
The woman who cooks for the inn is short and plump. Her teeth are big and bright, from what you can see of her perpetual smile. She feeds you food that comes within a country mile of Grams' cooking. But that's unbeatable stuff far as you're concerned.
"Is that so?" Hannah has an appetite herself, but given her healthy frame, it makes sense. She finishes off a bowl of rice as you both enjoy a late lunch. The inn is fairly busy, and popular given the attention to standards that you could see.
"A healthy belly, and child-bearin' hips to boot! Don't let her run off, boyo!" the chef quips, her booming laugh echoing through the dining room.
"We've only just met," Hannah says with a smile. "Patience is a virtue."
"Strike while the iron's red hot, boyo! Good wife, wise mother! Gahahahaha!" She - mercifully - laughs her way back to the kitchen.
"Do you think you could keep me barefoot and pregnant?" Hannah asks, sipping at her tea.
You snort. "Fat chance of that."
"A fount of wisdom. Joshua, you are truly a gem."
"I try."
"I'm amazed you're single, in all seriousness. I mean, even if you were a bit antisocial and on the scholarly side...how long ago did you come into your bronzed god phase?"
"Three or four years ago at the latest. I started working out, kinda. It was boring just lifting weights and running, so I challenged myself with fun looking things. Sports, competitions with others. Light social stuff, you know?"
"I can see now, yes."
"What about you? When'd you get scorching hot?"
"Thirteen, three years ago. I could tell because there were more head turns than usual from normal looking men."
You chuckle. "Yeah, I remember you told me. Puberty makes life a whole different ballgame."
"You don't know the half of it," Hannah says with a sigh. She dabs at her mouth with a napkin and whips out a compact mirror to inspect herself briefly. "I'm all done. Shall we?"
"Yup. Let's head out."
The two of you pop into the kitchen to bid your friendly chef farewell, where she gives you a crushing group hug first, and plenty of provisions for the road second. You check out with a generous trip between the both of you, and hit the road again. It's a winding path further north this time, and somewhat colder, if you had to say. Not enough to worry about either way.
"The ruins are of a small, obscure village that has long been abandoned," Hannah says as you walk together through the trees. It's getting dark by now, and you're probably going to settle down soon enough. "Allegedly, the former inhabitants were of the Inugami."
You sniff once. "Thought they were a myth."
"Hence allegedly. It could have been some other clan...more than likely. Cloud is...hmph, well," she says while making a face. "If only they were more like kokoahito such as yourself."
"Heh. Maybe you're biased."
Hannah gives you a look of false exasperation before continuing on. "Anyways...the scroll itself. It's of no value to those who can't understand its meaning. So...like many other scrolls, to be honest. Not the point, though. It contains important clues and directions to an even more important item."
"Weapon?"
"Wonderful first guess. Yes. A cursed blade."
"Spooky."
"Indeed. It is a fearsome tool. A lost blade of Kusanagi. Nisshoku."
"Lost blade, I can see. Cursed, though. What's with that?" you ask.
"Mm. It's originally from the time of Susano'o - one of the blades he carried on him. Divine qualities, all of that. Not much is said through the records, but the blade was continually passed down and stained with blood and malice until it transformed into something frightening. Followers of the Sage of Six Paths found the blade and took pains to seal it away. The blade and the research on it were eventually scattered, due to things like invasion, natural disaster, theft, etcetera, etcetera. My fixer picked up a rather oblique hint and passed it onto me. Now we're here. Oh, I'll be paying you a proper sum, don't you worry."
"Got it." You know better than to put relationships in between business transactions, and Hannah does too. Whether you spend the money on a thank you gift or something is your business, but only after you finish up your contract. You learned from watching your parents go through headaches how messy things can get when you mix friendship and money badly.
"Fabulous. Now, the legends say that it's a katana with a blade as black as night, and an aura that devours the souls of men. Anyone who can make the blade submit will take hold of its incredible power."
"The curse thing sounds like a minus. Is it like those, uh..." You rub your head in search of the name. "Kurosawa...no, Muramasa. Those get talk about being cursed all the time, though I understand it's more urban legend than anything."
"Correct. Muramasa blades are of the finest quality, and certainly not demonic. If one is indeed cursed, it's solely because of human recklessness."
You nod. "Makes sense. So Nisshoku would give you a power advantage."
"Not to my liking as it is. I want to see it purified and restored to its proper glory."
You blink. "That so...huh. Sounds like a big undertaking."
"It is. I'll have to call on a certain acquaintance to help with the purifying process. But that all comes after finding the blade, which I know will not be easy. I have another thing to ask you when all of this is done. Hopefully the scroll is where I think it is."
"Same here." You spin around and look at the forest as you walk. "Wanna set up camp?"
"That would be lovely. Let's stop near the stream up ahead. First watch?"
"Flip for it. I call tails."
You fish out a coin and flip it into the air, closing your eyes. It comes down in your palm and you look. "Heads. Your pick."
"I'll sleep first and then watch the sunrise. Fair?"
"Yup."
"By the by. You closed your eyes earlier..." She stops midspeech and laughs. "You really are a boy scout."
"What? I wanted to be fair."
"You're such a good boy, and I adore you for it," Hannah says with one of her teasing smiles. "Come on, let's get camp set up. And I can make you a blindfold for when I take my bath in a few minutes."
"Smart mouth," you mutter. You shake your head and get started on the fire.
---
You have yourselves a light snack out of the inn provisions, conveniently sealed in a scroll earlier. Hannah goes to sleep, resting against a log with her sword at her side.
She looks really peaceful.
A smile comes to your lips as you go back to your watch, rolling a kunai in your hand.
---
Hannah yawns and rubs her eyes before stretching. The sun's poking up through the horizon. "Joshua, darling."
"Right here."
"Time to switch."
"Alright. Here you go, it's coffee this time. Instant stuff isn't glamorous, but...ah, how do you take it?"
"Put in three helpings of cream and a generous bit of honey."
As you go to mix the cream in, you get a sinking feeling.
"Ah, crackerjacks."
"What's up?" Hannah asks. "Joshua?"
"I know you're still waking up, but can you do a scan of the area for me?"
"Not a problem, love. Hold tight." You see her close her eyes before snapping them open. "Oh. There's a sizable sort of pulse."
"Yeah?"
"Correction. That's...a rather big pulse."
"Y-yeah?"
"It's coming for us."
"Yeah. Yeah, of course it is." You put out the fire with a basic water jutsu and dump the coffee. "Oh, sorry."
"I don't drink it black anyways. No worries." She finishes sealing everything away and picks up her sword. "Our next course of action, then."
---
[] Wait for whatever's coming for you. You're not exactly lightweights, but you might have to prep for a throwdown.
[] Get out of dodge. You want no parts of this garbage since it's probably Cloud goons.
-[] Haul butt together.
-[] Split with Hannah and set a rendezvous point.
[] Write in.
---
Systems and data will be updated soon.
In any case, friendship is something you want to gift her. And hopefully out of that, she would make more friends, more close bonds like this. It's the sort of thing that changes a life. And changed lives can change worlds.
"We're friends, Hannah. Like we've been from the start."
Her eyes widen and her breath hitches in her throat a moment as you give her a smile. She settles after a moment, warmth visible in her cheeks as she smiles back, her violet eyes sparkling with joy. The glow you mentioned before was for real, and brighter than ever; you can see her hair shimmer and small sparkles of light around her head.
"Thank you," she says with absolute gratitude. "Thank you so much for...everything."
"You're welcome, Hannah."
A small, light laugh comes from between her lips as she brushes back her hair. It's quiet, awkward, and joyful. The heat still hasn't died down from her cheeks, and she looks at you with admiration.
"I've never felt so beautiful. Joshua? Make me more tea, please. I want to stay with you and tell you stories about myself. About things that I thought I would have to keep sealed inside of myself forever. Not everything at this moment, because I want to learn how to tell my stories properly...but something in appreciation of this moment. It's dramatic of me to say this. Diva-like, even. But you've changed my life with that one word. Friend."
"I'm happy that I could make a difference."
"I know you are. That's why my heart melted for you the moment we started talking."
"Heh. You really know how to lay it on thick."
"Don't I?" She gives you a wink and you get to making her more tea.
---
Night drifts on.
You can only assume Hannah had a low estimation of her ability, because she tells captivating stories without trying. She talks about herself and experiences outside of the battlefield. About her insecurities when it comes to dealing with people. About reveling in the attention she gets for her body at times. About unsavoury people and situations. She talks about the feelings after a kill, about adrenaline and fear. Discrimination on account of her heritage, which she kept hidden until recently. Wishing to travel as a normal person and not on secretive business trips. How much she loves children and wants to have her own. A weakness for cake, especially red velvet. Being of noble blood and tempering it with her experiences in the dirt. The first time she kissed a man, and then a woman.
She speaks, but not without looking at you and for you. Her pauses are meant to draw you in and hold you there so she can admire you endlessly. Reaching for you and not wanting to let go. It wasn't lust, or misguided romantic attraction.
A friend is someone you can trust. She trusts you. And she gives you many things that only a person she trusts should hold.
Hannah is your friend as much as you are hers.
Night bumps into morning and she lets out a yawn, signalling that it's time to shoo her into her own bed. She's obedient and lets you walk her to her room. Before you can leave, she hugs you. Her fingers press into your back gently, her head against your shoulder. She doesn't say a word before letting go and disappearing into her room, closing the door behind her.
You turn around and head back to your room, cleaning up from your small tea party and then washing up before you flop onto your bed.
The scent of wildflowers soothes you.
Hannah's lingering warmth guides you into sleep.
---
"I like it, boyo. Good that you got a stomach on ya!"
The woman who cooks for the inn is short and plump. Her teeth are big and bright, from what you can see of her perpetual smile. She feeds you food that comes within a country mile of Grams' cooking. But that's unbeatable stuff far as you're concerned.
"Is that so?" Hannah has an appetite herself, but given her healthy frame, it makes sense. She finishes off a bowl of rice as you both enjoy a late lunch. The inn is fairly busy, and popular given the attention to standards that you could see.
"A healthy belly, and child-bearin' hips to boot! Don't let her run off, boyo!" the chef quips, her booming laugh echoing through the dining room.
"We've only just met," Hannah says with a smile. "Patience is a virtue."
"Strike while the iron's red hot, boyo! Good wife, wise mother! Gahahahaha!" She - mercifully - laughs her way back to the kitchen.
"Do you think you could keep me barefoot and pregnant?" Hannah asks, sipping at her tea.
You snort. "Fat chance of that."
"A fount of wisdom. Joshua, you are truly a gem."
"I try."
"I'm amazed you're single, in all seriousness. I mean, even if you were a bit antisocial and on the scholarly side...how long ago did you come into your bronzed god phase?"
"Three or four years ago at the latest. I started working out, kinda. It was boring just lifting weights and running, so I challenged myself with fun looking things. Sports, competitions with others. Light social stuff, you know?"
"I can see now, yes."
"What about you? When'd you get scorching hot?"
"Thirteen, three years ago. I could tell because there were more head turns than usual from normal looking men."
You chuckle. "Yeah, I remember you told me. Puberty makes life a whole different ballgame."
"You don't know the half of it," Hannah says with a sigh. She dabs at her mouth with a napkin and whips out a compact mirror to inspect herself briefly. "I'm all done. Shall we?"
"Yup. Let's head out."
The two of you pop into the kitchen to bid your friendly chef farewell, where she gives you a crushing group hug first, and plenty of provisions for the road second. You check out with a generous trip between the both of you, and hit the road again. It's a winding path further north this time, and somewhat colder, if you had to say. Not enough to worry about either way.
"The ruins are of a small, obscure village that has long been abandoned," Hannah says as you walk together through the trees. It's getting dark by now, and you're probably going to settle down soon enough. "Allegedly, the former inhabitants were of the Inugami."
You sniff once. "Thought they were a myth."
"Hence allegedly. It could have been some other clan...more than likely. Cloud is...hmph, well," she says while making a face. "If only they were more like kokoahito such as yourself."
"Heh. Maybe you're biased."
Hannah gives you a look of false exasperation before continuing on. "Anyways...the scroll itself. It's of no value to those who can't understand its meaning. So...like many other scrolls, to be honest. Not the point, though. It contains important clues and directions to an even more important item."
"Weapon?"
"Wonderful first guess. Yes. A cursed blade."
"Spooky."
"Indeed. It is a fearsome tool. A lost blade of Kusanagi. Nisshoku."
"Lost blade, I can see. Cursed, though. What's with that?" you ask.
"Mm. It's originally from the time of Susano'o - one of the blades he carried on him. Divine qualities, all of that. Not much is said through the records, but the blade was continually passed down and stained with blood and malice until it transformed into something frightening. Followers of the Sage of Six Paths found the blade and took pains to seal it away. The blade and the research on it were eventually scattered, due to things like invasion, natural disaster, theft, etcetera, etcetera. My fixer picked up a rather oblique hint and passed it onto me. Now we're here. Oh, I'll be paying you a proper sum, don't you worry."
"Got it." You know better than to put relationships in between business transactions, and Hannah does too. Whether you spend the money on a thank you gift or something is your business, but only after you finish up your contract. You learned from watching your parents go through headaches how messy things can get when you mix friendship and money badly.
"Fabulous. Now, the legends say that it's a katana with a blade as black as night, and an aura that devours the souls of men. Anyone who can make the blade submit will take hold of its incredible power."
"The curse thing sounds like a minus. Is it like those, uh..." You rub your head in search of the name. "Kurosawa...no, Muramasa. Those get talk about being cursed all the time, though I understand it's more urban legend than anything."
"Correct. Muramasa blades are of the finest quality, and certainly not demonic. If one is indeed cursed, it's solely because of human recklessness."
You nod. "Makes sense. So Nisshoku would give you a power advantage."
"Not to my liking as it is. I want to see it purified and restored to its proper glory."
You blink. "That so...huh. Sounds like a big undertaking."
"It is. I'll have to call on a certain acquaintance to help with the purifying process. But that all comes after finding the blade, which I know will not be easy. I have another thing to ask you when all of this is done. Hopefully the scroll is where I think it is."
"Same here." You spin around and look at the forest as you walk. "Wanna set up camp?"
"That would be lovely. Let's stop near the stream up ahead. First watch?"
"Flip for it. I call tails."
You fish out a coin and flip it into the air, closing your eyes. It comes down in your palm and you look. "Heads. Your pick."
"I'll sleep first and then watch the sunrise. Fair?"
"Yup."
"By the by. You closed your eyes earlier..." She stops midspeech and laughs. "You really are a boy scout."
"What? I wanted to be fair."
"You're such a good boy, and I adore you for it," Hannah says with one of her teasing smiles. "Come on, let's get camp set up. And I can make you a blindfold for when I take my bath in a few minutes."
"Smart mouth," you mutter. You shake your head and get started on the fire.
---
You have yourselves a light snack out of the inn provisions, conveniently sealed in a scroll earlier. Hannah goes to sleep, resting against a log with her sword at her side.
She looks really peaceful.
A smile comes to your lips as you go back to your watch, rolling a kunai in your hand.
---
Hannah yawns and rubs her eyes before stretching. The sun's poking up through the horizon. "Joshua, darling."
"Right here."
"Time to switch."
"Alright. Here you go, it's coffee this time. Instant stuff isn't glamorous, but...ah, how do you take it?"
"Put in three helpings of cream and a generous bit of honey."
As you go to mix the cream in, you get a sinking feeling.
"Ah, crackerjacks."
"What's up?" Hannah asks. "Joshua?"
"I know you're still waking up, but can you do a scan of the area for me?"
"Not a problem, love. Hold tight." You see her close her eyes before snapping them open. "Oh. There's a sizable sort of pulse."
"Yeah?"
"Correction. That's...a rather big pulse."
"Y-yeah?"
"It's coming for us."
"Yeah. Yeah, of course it is." You put out the fire with a basic water jutsu and dump the coffee. "Oh, sorry."
"I don't drink it black anyways. No worries." She finishes sealing everything away and picks up her sword. "Our next course of action, then."
---
[] Wait for whatever's coming for you. You're not exactly lightweights, but you might have to prep for a throwdown.
[] Get out of dodge. You want no parts of this garbage since it's probably Cloud goons.
-[] Haul butt together.
-[] Split with Hannah and set a rendezvous point.
[] Write in.
---
Systems and data will be updated soon.