[Hearthian] has a crush on [Hearthian]!
Esker has a crush on Chert! Ok ok, it’s a bit of a stretch, but check out this dialogue from Esker’s North Pole diary:
Listened to Chert play for a while today. Unrelated, someone should tell Porphy and Gossan their flirting is not subtle from an aerial perspective.
Let’s break it down.
They listened to Chert play for “a while”. It’s a pretty cool drum beat, but it’s still just a repetitive rhythm. The only reason to listen to it for longer than a few minutes is infatuation.
“Unrelated”, yeah right. You’re not fooling me, Esker. Something got you thinking about romance.
Esker’s apparent annoyance at not-so-subtle flirting is pretty unwarranted. Clearly, Esker is frustrated with either their own inability to communicate their true feelings, their unrequited love, or their long distance relationship.
Chert and Esker make a cute match. As the most active and scientific of the travelers, Chert probably visits the Attlerock more than anyone. And their instruments are perfect for each other; they can erupt into Travelers without any instruments (Chert can always beat on a trash can or whatever).
Chert bemoaning the end of the world takes on even more tragedy. What good is a lifetime of scientific discovery if you spent it away from your true love? It’s wasted! WASTED, YOU UNDERSTAND?!
Thank you for attending my lecture. Apologies if this is either so obvious no one felt the need to point it out, or so much of a stretch that it’s not worth pointing out.