there's a lot of bad things out there

This was a nice dream. Haku didn't often have those, but she was always glad when they were pleasant. It was a strange place, but a beautiful one, and Haku was still as she laid in the shadow beneath a large, unfamiliar type of tree. Warm in contrast to what was supposed to be winter, filled with birdsong and lush vegetation. Like nothing she'd ever seen before.

Contentment washed over her. She was safe here, she knew. Free from politics and expectations and the Emperor's snaggly grin as he looked her over like a particularly delicious piece of meat.

There was none of that here.

With a burst of energy that only came from breaking one's chains, Haku got up and raced down the hill toward a babbling stream, laughing as she plunged into the water. It streamed from her fur in rivers, warmed by the setting sun, and she simply stood after, basking in the freedom and the waning sunlight both.

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misc. skill: hoarder

---

 Maui had fallen asleep after an eventful night of dancing in the ocean waves located in Saltwoods. It hadn't been without the help of some fermented berries that she'd squandered away in her little time here. The cold nights presented an optimal time to store them away in their almost frozen state (she'd had to travel a short spell to the North for them, but it was worth it all-in-all and nothing she couldn't manage with a few day's trip.)

 Nonetheless, in a drunken stupor, the pirate collapsed onto the sand just below the rolling hills that led into the trees and field where the wildflowers grew. Sleep soon overtook her, the scent of wildflowers blending into her dream as she snored.

---

 "Waking" in the dream world, she followed the flowery scent, opening her eyes to the flatlands that grew lush with a different kind of wildflowers than the one she'd fallen asleep near. Indeed, though, this was a dream, the land warm and wind whisking her fur, lending the singing of the birds upon its whispy tendrils. The world of sleep accounted for the drunkness that she'd fallen asleep with, having her worries lifted and feeling elated by the nice dream she was having (which she might have felt either way, but it was a nice addition.)

 The sound of rushing water caught Maui's ears and immediately chased it, her heart always leading her to the open sea — or in this case, the river. A sense of magic drifted into her dream; leaf boats as big as a few wolves floated along the river, making way for parts of the lulled stream. A laugh tugged at her attention, drawing her body towards it. Who else was in her dream?

 Moving downstream, her eyes caught on the stranger, and it started to make sense why she'd dreamed up another here. She was obviously made for the pirate's attention, her wild laughter and water dredged fur, and most importantly, female. “Oi, having fun over there, pretty thing?” She crept over the side of the river, with full intent to plunge herself in at some point, but for now, observing the slender girl.

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Haku's mind felt fuzzy and distant, dreamy. This was a wonderful place, she decided, fading laughter on her tongue as she turned her head up to let the sun warm her muzzle and chest. What would her parents think, she wondered, if they knew what their girl had become? That she'd fought with teeth and claws and bathed the palace with blood just to get here?

This was a blessing. A gift.

She would never take it for granted.

Oi, having fun over there, pretty thing?

A voice like the sensation of a strong drink warming her chest. Alcohol in her veins. She'd stolen into the Emperor's stash a few times, but was only caught once. Each time, she'd found herself entangled with another concubine or two, giggling and drowning in one another, if only for a night.

Under normal circumstances, her guard would be up, a bastion around her heart to keep everyone out.

And this woman... well, she was something out of one of Haku's deepest fantasies. Large and muscular, bulky in a way that would fence Haku in perfectly.

She had every intention of enjoying this dream to the fullest.

"It'd be more fun if you joined me," she pointed out, moving to swipe her paw at the other woman, sending a spray of water in her direction. Her tail was sweeping high above her back as she bowed in the shallows, playful and inviting.

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 Maui crept alongside the river, slow, prowling like a panther as she watched, a slight smirk playing on the edges of her lips. She wondered how much of a challenge this dream girl would provoke.

 It didn't take long for the mermaid to recognize the less-than-sober pirate's presence; Maui shifted in the spotlight of her gaze, grinning a bit wider. Though she was a bit too tipsy to avoid the oncoming spray of water, she probably needed it to quell the river girl's previous words in the pit of her stomach — “Don't have 'ta tell me twice.” She paused briefly in her words to take a few steps back, “But, yar' gonna be payin' for this.” She waved a paw over the water she'd been splashed with.

 And in a moment's breath, Maui booked it towards the river, making sure to aim her jump near the other girl, folding her limbs to her body and tucking her head; showing off the perfect form of what was known as a 'cannon-ball.' Before hitting the water a few feet from her dream girl, her mass causing a disruption in the calm river, sending waves splashing every which way.

 The feeling of water surrounding her was like a homecoming, unperturbed by the transition from dry to wet. After a few moments, the pirate used the bottom of the river to propel herself upwards, kicking off it, and breaching the water, sending a few more small waves as she popped up nearby. She shook the water off of her head, sending droplets flying, before setting her gaze once more on the other, her charming grin unchanged.

 Paddling a little forward, leaving just a small distance between them, “Damn, even prettier up close.” Something that maybe should have only been an internal thought, but there was a very thin filter of what Maui thought versus what she said. “'Ey there, dream girl.”

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