Beyond the Shadow of a Doubt: Hunter x OC

The Waterfall

"Come on, Hunter. Let's just see what happens," Omega begged, directing her most winning smile at him as he stared flatly from across the table. They were enjoying a late breakfast on a lazy day, and her curiosity about the mysterious blossom he'd discovered a while ago had taken front and center stage. He didn't want anything to do with it, despite the baffling way it had come to him; it was too tightly wound around painful memories that he'd done his best to stuff away.

"You take it, if you want," he offered, but she shook her head immediately.

"It had to be the 'recipient' or whatever word it was," she corrected. "It might turn me into a frog if I try."

"That could be interesting," said Hunter, eyes sparkling with a bit of mischief. It warmed Omega's heart, not having seen his brighter side for nearly a month now. He'd been fairly upbeat during his wild adventures with Luciana, but after his overindulgence on Plata, and more so after the recent wedding, he'd seemed weighed down with an internal conflict that he refused to share.

"I'll try it if you come along," she smiled, lifting her chin slightly as she became fairly certain she had him convinced.

"Alright," he said, softening considerably as she beamed in enthusiasm. Her internship year had come to a close, and upon the completion of all of her evaluations and reflections, she had decided to take two part-time jobs to further narrow down her interests as she prepared for the Advancement Ceremony, after which she would officially be free to craft her life however she saw fit. One of the current pursuits was with a group of engineers on one of the neighboring islands, and the other was in one of the shops in The Cobbles, where she was learning about natural remedies and holistic healing methods. She was equally drawn to things requiring mental acuity as well as the tender-hearted care of others, and Hunter realized he didn't often take time to fully appreciate how incredibly well-rounded she was. He was, however, continually amazed at her impervious optimism, and it had encouraged him many times over.

He brought up the coordinates that Tech had sent for this "magical waterfall" and put the flower in his backpack, handling it carefully even though it had been secured in some kind of stasis orb that kept it perfectly suspended within the round shell. Omega threw in a few snacks as well as a couple of packable towels that would expand when the seal was broken, and the two of them set off.

The walk was thoroughly enjoyable – a leisurely stroll punctuated with happy conversation and periods of quiet. It reminded him of Lyra, so he started thinking about all of his recent dates with Luci instead. It seemed that they'd spent every free moment they had in each other's company over the last few weeks. If she wasn't at work, she was visiting his shop, and if she had a day off, they had plans for workouts or adventures. He'd been out hunting increasingly longer, blaming the bountiful season of herd migration, but it was also the only place he was able to enjoy solitary time in a peaceful setting anymore.

The waterfall came into view, tucked deep within The Forest between two craggy mountains that were covered in trees. A single flat area was etched into the otherwise steep terrain, and the water poured into a pool from the flowing creek above. Omega was bouncing with excitement as they drew near, dropping their bags and inspecting the sight before them.

"Well, go on!" she encouraged, opening his backpack to remove the orb. "Take it out and let's have a go."

"Calm down," he smiled, pulling his shirt over his head and leaving his swim shorts on. The sun was filtering through the trees, providing some spotty places of warmth, but the rest of the space was mostly shady, which wouldn't feel great if the water were as cold as he sensed.

"There's that beautiful sight again," Omega teased, pointing at the half-skull butterfly tattoo on his ribcage. He sighed, shaking his head, and she patted him on the back. "You could probably go somewhere to have it removed easily enough."