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She had to be thankful, truthfully, that her fellow hunter had agreed to go friendly for this match they shared together.
The other hunter knew of her displeasure to Lakeside Village with what little she spoke of it, once a place she called home before she was cast into its unforgiving waters, so to spend the day in relative leisure was a breath of fresh air for both of them alongside the survivors.
A handful of the survivors had headed back for the manor already, whether by gate or by the dungeon pried open not far from the shore, leaving a few of them behind… Perhaps half, last time she checked.
Grace didn’t really partake in the chaos that had ensued once the gates were ready to be opened, having decided to stay in the company of Memory and Victor as the younger giddily led the two of them around the village.
The trio found themselves huddled in the log cabin a distance away from the shore, Victor humming a tune and Memory trying to follow along as they plastered colorful graffiti upon the wooden walls.
Once the final cipher popped and everyone was left to their own devices, Grace remained with the postman and little girl in silent delight. It was a nice change of pace from otherwise more hectic matches with two hunters, and it was nice to be with people who were unconditionally kind.
… But it’s a shame though how one mishap can sour the mood.
And it’s a shame how people were still undeniably rude for no reason.
Memory was in the middle of placing down another graffiti to show Victor and Grace when a nasty series of sounds suddenly crackled from the naiad’s communicator.
Grace startles slightly with an unheard gasp, and Victor raises his brows in concern. Memory turns to the naiad, tilting her head to the side.
“Big Sister Grace…?” The young girl asks, and Victor voices his own worries with a short hum. When Grace hears the other hunter, however, she gives a wave of her arm, frantic as she gestures for them to follow.
The trio make their journey towards where the water met the land, Victor mindful to keep Memory from splashing in Grace’s puddles longer than she should.
After a brisk walk… Quite the sight greets them.
Shattered glass remains close to Victor’s feet as they come closer with a patch of ice dancing along the shoreline. Memory curiously picks up a magnet left behind, and she voices the thoughts that Grace and Victor have as three pairs of eyes follow the patch towards the shallow water.
“Big Brother Itha?“ She asks, hugging her doll a bit more firmly. “… What happened?”
Ithaqua is found sitting in the water, soaked and undeniably angered.
The sight is enough to make Victor tap the young child on the shoulder, deciding that perhaps they should leave. Without a word, the postman offers an apologetic smile as he leads Memory to the dungeon.
The little girl, on the other hand, waves to the two hunters and she calls innocently.
“I-I hope you cheer up soon, Big Brother Itha! Bye bye, Big Sister Grace!”
Grace gives a kind wave to the postman and the little girl as they jump into the dungeon…
Before her expression noticeably shifts into one of frustration as she glides over to grab the night watch’s ice axe.
She parts her lips in a long sigh, helping him up.
“Damn ice and damn magnets…!”
The two walk in relative silence, save for Ithaqua’s annoyed mutters and grumbles… Which is understandable once Grace was told the full story of what had happened.
Whether planned or through sheer luck, the naiad’s own temper boiled at hearing what had befallen him.
Vera had slapped down a cold flask under the guise of a little ice skating.
Norton had nabbed him with a magnet and propelled him away, leading him to slip on the ice.
He lost his balance on his stilts and the rest ended with a splash as the two escaped through the dungeon so conveniently opened up nearby.
At least she had a new motive for whenever she was in a match with the two survivors in the future, but Ithaqua’s constant muttering made her just a tad bit concerned for how long he was hanging onto this revenge.
“I’ll kill them…” He mutters coldly, fussing with his soaked clothes as he paces back and forth across the dining hall. “I’ll kill them- I swear, I’ll ask the baron to get me into a game right now so I can give those two a piece of my mind-”
Ithaqua doesn’t stop walking about and grumbling to himself until he feels the cautious tug on his sleeve. Grace stands before him, pinching at the wet fabric and urging him to take a seat with a light tug.
He relents, albeit begrudgingly, as the hunter settles onto the dining hall floor, muttering about how the floor felt uncomfortable but it’s better he save himself from the wrath of the manor maids and butlers. He rids himself of his stilts, and Grace watches in silence as he undoes the latches.
She knows he’s a force to be reckoned with whenever he’s in a horribly bad mood, so she knew she probably should keep him company for the sake of his sanity. Perhaps for her own too, considering she was feeling rather generous to seek revenge in his stead.
“You musn’t stay because of me, Grace.” He groans quietly. “I’m sure you have better things to do.”
He turns away, taking off the hood of his cloak, head of silver hair on display.
“I’ll be fine, if that’s what you’re so worried about… This won’t get me sick so long as I change clothes.”
As he slips the cloak off, she notes the way his silver hair has lost volume, usually ruffled tufts now matted… He peels off his gloves, pale complexion revealed as he turns away and his hand comes up to unclasp his mask.
Ithaqua never did show his face much after all, caught up in his enigmatic existence to shed himself of his mask to anyone…
At least until now.
Now, Grace witnesses Ithaqua as what the other survivors were and what she once was.
Human.
Just purely, utterly, undeniably human.
His sharp eyes narrow in discontent, teeth gritted as he slips off his vest and sets his mask down.
“Dammit, the lake water smells horrid…”
Sometimes Grace forgets that Ithaqua is human, though he insists that he’s not so much a human as he is a god; something that makes her scoff every now and then.
Perhaps that’s how he guards himself. Perhaps that’s also why he stands on his stilts; to be higher than others in the face of whatever inferiority he possesses.
It’s rather… Charming, however, in some odd way not being at eye level with him. The naiad is a few inches taller than him as he rises and stands flat on his feet.
Webbed hands are held out, a silent invitation to help with his clothes… And despite his reluctance, he agrees. Ithaqua gives Grace his cloak and vest whilst he raises up his ice axe, the weapon now towering over him whilst he rests it upon his shoulder, and snatches his stilts.
“… If you insist on staying then…”
He looks up at her, cold blue hues meeting the deep ebony of her own… Scowl less pronounced as they lock gazes.
She looks at him expectantly, blinking once to which he takes it as a signal to continue.
“… We can walk to my room.”
He mutters softly, just barely audible, and Grace nods in agreement… A faint smile dancing on her lips as their tempers begin to subside, leaving the dining hall behind.
With a quick pit stop to the communal bathrooms to fetch some towels, the naiad and night watch make it just outside his room, having walked in a comfortable silence.
Ithaqua looks up at her then, sighing as he collects and bundles up his damp clothes from Grace’s webbed grasp.
“You didn’t have to stay with me for so long…” A hint of guilt worms its way into his voice, anger forgotten and in its place, embarrassment… And such is obvious in the way Ithaqua’s pale cheeks flush hard.
Yet Grace insists, waving a dismissive hand and signing as best as she could manage to express.
‘It’s okay. Needed company.’
He’s caught off guard momentarily. He watches her movements closely, studying, perhaps… Before he makes an attempt to reciprocate her silent words.
‘Sorry.’
It’s the best he can manage for what little sign language he’s been able to pick up. He only flushes deeper in embarrassment; how could he ramble on and on and leave Grace as but an earpiece?
But perhaps his perception of how he saw Grace was much different to how she took the situation, only shaking her head once more and simply signing once again.
‘It’s okay.’
“Still.” Ithaqua pouts, recollecting his clothing in his arms as the silence threatens to settle… And the expression is kind of cute, actually. She smiles gently at the young man as he speaks once more, using his hands to speak in basic sign. “Thank you, though… For staying, Grace. Albeit I’m ashamed you have to see me this way.”
The scowl comes back on his face, wrinkles pressed where his brows scrunch up as he looks away.
To put it nicely, Grace thinks he looks like a sad wet cat. It’s kind of amusing and perhaps she’d be more inclined to tease him if he wasn’t looking so sorrowful.
There’s an odd tension in the hallway as the two of them stand there, unspeaking, unmoving, and perhaps now, the night watch thinks, is a good time to excuse himself.
“I should handle myself-”
Just when he’s using his elbow to fiddle with the door handle to his room, the naiad slaps the towel onto his head, earning an undignified yelp to escape him.
“H-Hey-!”
He thinks he hears her make a sound, something akin to a bubble popping as he feels his hair tousled and ruffled against the towel. There’s not much he can do, what with holding his clothes and weapon and stilts as best he can in his hands, and he surrenders to the naiad’s onslaught.
It’s after a few seconds does he regain his sight, immediately met face to face with Grace and her almost ethereal smile, webbed hands gently brushing along his cheeks that have exploded in another brush of dark red.
For what feels like an uncomfortably long amount of time to be staring at someone and admiring them, he violently clears his throat.
“T-Thank you for drying my hair,” Ithaqua sputters out, and she lowers her hands, wrapping the towel about his neck. “I’ll be fine from here.”
His need for independence is also charming, Grace notes, and she nods, hands now free to sign gently as she mouths,
‘Feel better?’
Ithaqua watches her, perhaps a bit dazed, and he nods… Echoing her hand signals as he speaks awkwardly.
“Yes… I feel better. Thank you.”
A sense of pride washes over her, and she clasps her hands at the lightening of her fellow hunter’s mood. With that, she grabs the doorknob to Ithaqua’s room, pushing it open to allow him entry.
‘See you later.’
She signs with a pleasant smile, and she waves as she sets off on her way gliding down the hall with leisure.
“See you too, G-Grace.”
The slight crack in his voice makes the young man nearly curse himself out for his lack of composure, and the naiad looks back to catch Ithaqua’s face going red hot as he pushes his door closed.
She didn’t know his blush could reach the tips of his ears, but that point aside… She’s glad she was able to help him in some regard.
And perhaps she’s looking forward to her next time with the night watch.