Sunspire Mountains all the butterflies have turned to vultures in my stomach

tightened the looseness of his tongue, or tightened the looseness of his belt? she may have had the charisma of a jezebel (being captain of a ship called the male gaze) but she didn't have intentions to cradle-rob; on her oath, she wasn't gonna pop this kid's cherry. she could feel his eyes linger after her, leaving him with stirrings wrought-up by her prancing about, and it was the immediate vibe of feeling like a succubus that did it in for her. 

riley managed to dignify himself when she looked back sure he'd heard and planned on answering her question, eyes coursing his gesture through the spinney. esmé whipped to face him and stomped her foot just as petulantly as he had when he'd gestured—"an hour? outstanding. who needs sleep?" she should have asked how far away it was before she'd a) manifested the idea in his brainpan and b) implored to join him just for a chuckle at his expense. fuck. now she'd have to make it worthwhile. she wasn't going to spend hours trooping up and down mountains for devil of it. 

when riley didn't hurry to join her as she expected, esmé eyed him leerily, then impatiently huffed: "i'm just—"

"can we live together?" 

she stared dumbly at him for a while, blinking somnolently with insane-question-induced narcosis.  "mm run that by me one more time?" she bid, staring like so at the resolve on his face. "oh god, you're serious," she set her jaw and glanced sideways, put utterly out of countenance. "you have a home, if i recall, and i do recall." she needed to sit down, "uuuum ... it's not you, it's me?

actually, it's a bit of both of us. one more than the other, really," she tacked on without elaborating on the last bit, shrugging dismissively, "anyway," she smiled, "no. sorry." her apology made tersely, she hoped they could trudge on without any moping on his part, but she harboured suspicion with a sigh that this was not the end of it.

he lived with the saints and she was scroundel. they were diametrically opposed.