Falls of the Hinterlands and i'm always tired, but never of you

eyes emojis @Mona <3 backdated to 2/29

 

The strange device wrapped around Mona's neck seemed to be bothering her quite a bit, and it had Nathaniel worried. Perhaps more than he should have been. He remembered well that it hadn't been very long since their first meeting; since she had shrank from him in front of that cave. Sometimes he wondered if she had truly stopped fearing him, or if she was hiding it. It wouldn't surprise the ex-soldier.
Such thoughts came to him as his face was buried in the earliest blooming flowers he had found, carefully selecting those he deemed prettiest and nipping them towards the base of the stem. This is a stupid idea, he reminded himself stiffly as he gathered the flowers gently into a sort of messy bouquet. But really, he couldn't think of anything else, and-- and he was desperate to see his firebird smile. To be without it felt strangely like drowning, so here he was, ass-deep in flowers.
When he felt his offering was sufficient, the ex-soldier took the bundle in his mouth and carried it back to the place he had been setting up. He arranged them carefully just outside the entrance of what he hoped would be a makeshift den for the day-- a fallen boulder propped against a rocky slope offered sheltered space he had not hesitated to clear out upon discovery. It offered a clear view of the falls, which Nat hadn't really considered until after he had gone off to hunt.
The spoils of that effort lay within the space, under assorted foliage he had collected to cover it. A mountain goat, wounded when he found it. Nathaniel considered himself lucky; perhaps his efforts at lifting Mona's spirits would be successful. The ex-soldier gave his set-up one last sweeping glance before he turned and made his way out towards the Sweep. He had asked that Mona meet him there-- then he would lead her to his surprise, and then... well, Nat hadn't thought that far yet. But he was sure it'd be worth it.