⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ ⠀ glimpsing at her once, head lowered, the reaper observed in silence, listening to every fold and ripple her words made in the air. a breeze rolled through, carrying the salt of the sea, and his attention drifted toward the horizon. then came the crashing waves, their roar folding over itself again and again. bitter nostalgia filled his chest, fleeting yet sharp. for a moment he allowed himself the unfamiliar ease of it, the serenity of the horizon, and her quiet, haunting presence. rurik lifted his gaze to the water, chest rising and falling like the tide itself. perhaps it was the loneliness eating at him from within, or perhaps the memory of something once lost, but he found himself envying her, her sheer will, her unyielding commitment to endure. and surely, if he were to dig through the valley of her secrecy, he would find more humanity buried beneath than deceit or treachery. for that reason alone, he stepped back, granting her space, though his arms still caged around her, barely brushing her frame. at the somber look settling over his mismatched eyes, one jade green, the other iced grey, the reaper tilted his head, lowering his mouth near her ear. without so much as a touch, he murmured, amusement lingering in the gravel of his tone. “no, i suppose not. but you cannot blame the captain for doing his duty.”
⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ again came that rough tug of nostalgia. yet this time, he knew what caused it⎯⎯her. the thought of home, of something once pure and alive with love, clawed at him until his grip on the railing tightened. his teeth ground together; his voice deepened to a rasp.
