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Finnegan Larson - Finn smiled at her gently. "Pretty good," he said softly sipping on his beer. "Hows everything over here?"
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Sera gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, her gaze still on the fire. It was easy to get lost in the flames, in their flickering orange dance, but something about Finn being here made her want to turn her attention back to him. "Glad to hear it," she murmured, her voice just above the crackle of the fire. She couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward, like she should fill the silence with something more, but she didn’t want to push it either. Not with him. Not when the air between them felt so... comfortable, in its own way. She glanced at him, a soft smile tugging at her lips. “You look like you’re having a good time, though,” she added, gesturing to his beer and the way he’d been chatting with everyone else. “You’ve got that look in your eyes. Like you’re at home here.” Sera's gaze lingered for a moment before she looked back at the fire. There was something calming about the way things were right now—nothing was forced, no expectations. It was just... this, with him beside her. She didn’t need anything more. "Thanks for coming over," she added quietly, her tone warm but casual. It was a simple acknowledgment, but it meant something to her.
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Finnegan Larson - Finn smiled at her. "Of course, Sunshine." he said softly and took her hand in his, squeezing it gently.
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Sera’s heart fluttered at the sound of his voice, soft and warm like a promise. She looked up at him, feeling the comforting pressure of his hand in hers. His smile, so genuine and easy, made her breath catch for just a moment. She squeezed his hand back, the familiar warmth of his touch grounding her.
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Finnegan Larson - Finn smiled at her and held onto her hand as he turned back and watched the crowd and the fire. After a while he turned back to Sera with a much more serious expression. Part of him didn't want to tell her this and disturb whatever peace she had right now, but he needed to. He knew he needed too. "Sunshine? Can I tell you something?"
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Sera glanced at Finn, his hand warm in hers, the glow of the fire casting flickering shadows on his face. Her heart settled in a steady rhythm, comfortable in the quiet. But then she saw the shift in his expression—how his eyes clouded, how the smile faded into something more serious. She squeezed his hand gently, her brow furrowing just slightly. "Of course, Finn," she said softly, a quiet concern rising in her chest. "You know you can tell me anything." Her gaze never left his, trying to offer him the same steady calm that always seemed to ground her in moments like these. But the way his voice dropped, the weight in the air, made her wonder if whatever he was about to say might shatter that peace, or change everything between them.
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Finnegan Larson - Finn hesitated for a moment. "...I... I like you... I really like-like you.."
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Sera's heart skipped a beat, her breath catching in her throat. She hadn't expected this—hadn't even realized she'd been hoping for it. Finn's words hung in the air between them, vulnerable and raw. She could see the hesitation in his eyes, the uncertainty that mirrored her own feelings. Her mind raced, but all she could focus on was him, standing there, exposed in a way she'd never seen before. "I... I like you too," she said, her voice soft but sure. "I like you more than I probably should." She offered a small, almost shy smile, not sure if she was doing this right. But the way his eyes brightened told her everything she needed to know.
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Finnegan Larson - Finn brightened up at her response. He was truly not expecting that. He was expecting her to push him away, but I guess he was wrong. "Really?"
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(Sera kinda has an identity crisis lol. She wants to let him in but is afraid of letting him in too much. She's conflicted. "I love you... but don't get to close, I bite....er rather I burn...")
Sera watched Finn closely, her expression unreadable as he looked at her in surprise. He wasn’t the first to expect her to push him away, and she couldn’t decide whether she found it amusing or irritating. "Really?" he repeated, eyes wide with disbelief. Sera leaned back slightly, the weight of her past pressing down on her like it always did, but she pushed it aside for a moment. Her voice was steady, with a slight edge of coldness that came from years of keeping people at a distance. "Yeah, really," she said, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, as if daring him to question her further. She didn't let people close—not without reason. She'd learned that the hard way. But Finn... there was something in the way he wasn’t backing down, wasn’t assuming she’d reject him without a fight. It was almost disarming. Almost. Her hand clenched at her side for a second, the old familiar urge to push him away rising up, but she crushed it. She could afford to show a little vulnerability, just a fraction. It didn’t mean she was going to let him in, but maybe... just maybe, she could stop pretending for a moment that she was a weapon without a soul. "You think I’m some kind of heartless monster?" Her tone was flat, but the words were sharp—laced with that deep, unspoken guilt. "Just because I’ve burned villages and turned armies to ash doesn’t mean I’m incapable of seeing people for who they are." She paused, her gaze flickering briefly to the ground, as if some invisible weight rested there. "Not everyone is a target. Some... some people are worth protecting." She glanced back at him, her eyes hardening just slightly, as though warning him not to mistake this moment of honesty for weakness. "You’re lucky," she added, voice colder now, "I'm not the same as the rest of them. But don’t think that means you can get too close."
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