Take My Hand

[Tree]

/Ok.... looooove you.... I miss you.....I wanna see you. /

Well, maybe the unfiltered marina wasn't so bad? It wasn't like she harassed him or anything. She was soon out on Hale's chest though, soothed right to sleep by the steady rise and fall of his chest.

[Sushi]

Hale got up in the morning, showering and dressing. He sat, tapping away on a tablet when the help brought her some breakfast.

"You'd like it better while it's warm."

[Tree]

Marina mumbled something about sleep, warmth, cocks, and cakes. She mumbled more as she made her way to place her head in his lap. She curled tight to him, nuzzling her face into his stomach.

/ sleepy time is better. /

She shared, sleepily pulling one of his hands to her head for attention as her mouth pressed little kisses against him. She was also the most pleased with herself when she managed to secretly unbutton two of his buttons.

[Sushi]

"you're gonna be pouty when you go to eat it and it's cold later."

He wrapped an arm around her so he could keep doing his thing

[Tree]

/I can think of better uses for time than eating breakfast..... breakfast....!/

She sat up, blinking the sleep from her face.

"Did you feed the crazy lady? "

[Sushi]

"why would I do that?"

Hale raised a brow at her.

[Tree]

"She eats. "

Marina bounced up and grabbed her bowl of strawberry shortcake, kissing Hale and heading off from the room. She barely remembered to grab his robe to pull on as she headed off.

She would return in about five minutes, though, looking amused as she crawled up with Hale, nudging the tablet from his hands.

"Me.. you're hands should only be full of me. "

[Sushi]

"you're the one that wandered off to make friends with an annoyance."

[Tree]

"I'm not making friends. "

She defended with a little pout.

"I just made sure she got fed. "

She shifted to kiss him, nipping and kissing at his neck now, wanting full attention..

[Sushi]

"why would you want to make her stronger?"

He shook his head, thinking it was a bad idea

[Tree]

"I am sitting in your lap, naked.... and your thinking about her?"

Mains asked with a sad look on her face.

[Sushi]

"you were in the middle of a conversation about her. Don't act like I'm being weird for engaging with you."

[Tree]

Marina smiled a tiny bit.

"Point. "

She bit his lower lip, pulling him into a heated kiss.

/ But I've got a good point, too./

[Sushi]

"I dunno. Things don't keep forever, and you made it easier for her to get over it all."

[Tree]

/Fiiiiine. I'll work on it. /

But smexy time sounded better

[Sushi]

"you did this to us," he pointed out.

[Tree]

"I expect champagne later. "

She called after herself.

[Sushi]

"let's see how things go first."

But that was mostly for show. He liked nice things

[Tree]

Marina hummmed as her voice echoed down the hall.

She was gone for much longer now, and there was occasionally echoed yelling but nothing worrisome. She returned in a -much- more disgruntled mood, plopping down in the livingroom on the couch rather than going into the bedroom.

/ So .... humane options for a valkyrie that is pretty insistent that I'm to pay in blood? /

This was technically her and Ephriam's life on this line, but his ex wife didn't fancy the idea of killing without cause and really only if it was the only choice.

/ She's not very intent on sharing my wrong doing, either. /

[Sushi]

/up to you./

Ephriam wasn't putting his hands on the problem in any way. He sounded a little more alert now than he had before, though.

[Tree]

Marina shifted a bit, thinking it all over.

/ Are you alright? /

She asked him, unable to help the notice in changes as she spoke with him. She was currently reading while talking with him, trying to find exactly what should be done to handle her problematic feind in the basement.

/I don't want to make the wrong choice and cost us both. /

She knew he was on the line too if she didn't figure this all out.

[Sushi]

/yes. It's fine, either way. I've lived a long life./

He didn't sound like he felt any way about it at all.

[Tree]

/ Maybe long, but fulfilled is still to be determined..... and I'm not sure I'm ready to die. /

She admitted with a heart heavy sadness.


/ ... I don't understand some of this.../

She ventured softly, reading the passage to him, trying to not start crumbling into tears.

/I love you./

This felt kind of scary now that she didn't have something to distract from how worried she actually was.

[Sushi]

/ what don't you understand? /

[Tree]

/ like.... I think they are saying they're both good and bad creatures. But that's contradicting? And I'm not sure why knowing is helpful just yet? /

[Sushi]

/ some creatures are mostly malicious, others benevolent. They fall in the middle, like a person. Capable of persuasion and reason. /

[Tree]

/.... then why start stalking me with such an aggressive vengeance? /

She asked with such defeat.

/I don't..... am I such a bad person that needs ended with no chance of redemption? /

She was genuine in asking, willing to hear whatever judgement he'd give out. She might very well let this creature caught in Hale's basement have her life if she was so far beyond help.

[Sushi]

/ that wouldn't be my verdict if you had to stand trial in my court. /

Ephriam sighed.

/ anyone is capable of making a mistake, including your new frenemy./

[Tree]

Marina thought about it, heart heavy.

/I don't .... I love you so much. /

She whispered, kind of wishing she could just hug him. This felt like too much.

[Sushi]

/ don't worry. i'm sure you'll be fine if you want to be. /

[Tree]

Marina stilled.

/ If I want to be? /

She asked gently, but understanding.

[Sushi]

/ if you want to be fine, you will/

[Tree]

Marina settled a tiny bit.

/ You still believe in me? /

After all this time?

[Sushi]

/ it's simply truth/

Fact, even, as far as he was concerned

[Tree]

Marina swallowed down the tidbit of sadness as it tugged at her.

/I guess I set myself up for that. /

She couldn't hide the echos of hurt, she didn't try either as she wished he was beside her right now.

/ Thank you for being here for me./

Even if he didn't believe in her or wasn't physically here. He was helping her all the same.

[Sushi]

Ephriam didn't sigh at her, but his voice was suddenly weary.

/ good luck. /

[Tree]

/.... if I asked you to come to me.... would you?/

She asked him gently, tone soft and hesitant as she asked of him before she'd even thought it through.

[Sushi]

He paused to think about it.

/ you don't need me for this. You'd be better without. /

[Tree]

/... maybe. I still need you though. /

She answered softly, hoping he understood the meaning as she recovered from the dip she'd had earlier.

/I trust you. /

Because in this moment it wasn't self confidence or a good bye given to him. It was a statement of fact. She trusted him, if he felt she was going to be alright through this, she would be. She got up, grabbing the next book. She didn't want to face the basement without having any clue what she was up against.

[Sushi]

Hale wandered in right about then.

"You're in my seat."

He seemed almost amused by it rather than annoyed, though.