Anniversary/celebratory page 1/3 ❤️ [spoiler]happy 4 year anniversary to this story lol as I mentioned before, these are fillers for before Beyond Light. They have no specific time or date, they are more personal pages, just to celebrate [/spoiler] Far-away stars speckle the night sky. The hunter puffs out a cloud into the chilled air. Her boots crunch against frost sharpened ground as she crests a hill. Despite being out of breath, Shadow stops breathing entirely as her eyes find Variks, sitting beneath the starlight. She watches him silently for a long moment, admiring its soft glow against his skin. Catching sight of her, Variks stands to greet her. "I was beginning to wonder if you would show up," he scoffs teasingly as he hobbles over to her. His rasping voice echos in the stillness of the night. Shaking her head, Shadow breaks her trance. "Sorry..." She straightens her shoulders, meeting his eyes. "You look stunning in starlight," she murmurs. Variks snorts, sending a cloud into the air. His mandibles open but he hesitates.   "... It suits you better," he responds matter-of-factly. Heart leaping into her throat, the hunter's confidence evaporates. "Come, I have something to show you," Variks burbles before she can respond, taking one of her hands in his own. "Oh—" The hunter catches her breath as he guides her to where he'd been sitting, overlooking an endless, snow-touched landscape. She takes a moment to admire the beauty of its frosty stillness. At the foot of the hill, something catches her eye. "What's that?" She squints at what appears to be a skiff. "Is this what you wanted to show me?" "I've brought you here for more than one reason..." Shivering, the hunter looks to him with searching golden eyes. Variks slips a hand into a pocket, and brings something out to her. Shadow opens her hands, a small metallic object falling into them, warmed by Variks's body. "What's this...?" She trails off, holding up the old, beat up set of keys.... to a guardian ship. She looks back up at Variks, whose wide, entertained eyes are focused on her. "Do you remember these?" he asks. "These are the keys I gave you for that ship..." She frowns. "I know you had to leave your old one behind— did you want a new one?" "What? No, no, no." Variks waves her off, shaking his head. "I am simply trying to show you..." His eyes wander to the skiff downhill. Shadow blinks. "The skiff..." "Is yours." Head snapping in his direction, Shadow leans back in shock. "Wh-what?" Before Variks can respond, she looks back at the ship in awe. "You got me my own skiff?!" Variks chuckles, watching her with amusement. "Yes, for you. And that's not all," he adds. "Come." Unsteady, Shadow follows her Kell. Leading her along the ridge, Variks stops in front of a large object covered by an old tarp. "What's this...?" she asks, still dazed. Variks chitters and burbles to himself as he pulls the tarp away with a flourish, revealing a flawless, brand new pike. A gasp escapes the hunter. "A pike?!" She rushes forward, her hands tracing over its shimmering black paint. "And it's black!" she breathes dramatically. Laughter rumbles deep in the eliksni's chest. "I knew it was your favorite color," he says simply. "Wh... why?" Shadow tears her gaze away from the beautiful pike to look up at him in confusion. Variks takes a step closer to her. "You first." She tilts her head, confused. "You said you liked seeing me happy. But I know you wanted to say something else that night. Tell me what it was." He closes the space between them, his hands wrapping around the hunter's waist. Taken aback, Shadow's own hands rest against Variks's broad chest. "Wh.. what?" "You remember that night, do you not?" "Uh— Of course I do, I just..." She pauses, feeling hot despite the stinging cold against her skin. "I wanted to tell you... " "Yes?" he encourages, eyes soft with affection. "That I ...liked you," she says quietly. "You were more than a friend to me." A pleased expression crosses his face, making the hunter scowl. "Did you bring me out here just to tease me?" "No," he responds. "I brought you out here to give you a ship and a pike."   "Stop." She fights against a smile, indignant. Variks tilts his head, a mischievous sparkle in his eye. "No, I don't think I will." Sighing, the hunter wraps her arms around him, squeezing tight. "Thank you..." she murmurs, breathing in his scent. "You're amazing." His claws gently trail through her hair. "You are welcome..." he purrs. "It is the least I can do, for everything you have done for me." Humming contentedly, Shadow pulls away. Her eyes dart over to the pike again. "You want to go for a ride?" "Yes!" she purrs gleefully, hauling one leg over the seat of the pike and getting comfortable. "Wow, this is so cool..." She hesitates at Variks's quizzical expression. "What?" She blinks, confused. "Oh... I misunderstood." Variks interlocks his lower hands, feigning innocence. "You meant the pike." The hunter's jaw drops, earning a deep chuckle from the eliksni. "I-" "Your face," he snorts. "Joke." "Wait wait wait! I take it back!" she sputters, hopping off the vehicle and leaping into Variks's arms. Breath clouding the air around him, Variks huffs as she slams into him. He wraps his arms around her tightly, sitting on the edge of the pike to balance himself. "Ah, I'm afraid you've already made your choice..." he burbles amusedly as he locks eyes with her. A moment of silence passes between them, each second making the air around them warmer. "What else did you want to do that night?" Variks purrs, holding her tighter, hands wandering over her body. Shuddering, the hunter sucks in a lungful of cold air. "Let me show you..." she breathes, grasping the eliksni's mandibles and pulling him in for his mouth to meet hers. [spoiler]edit: the people saying “stays on Europa” are making me so happy [/spoiler]