12-20-2021, 04:21 PM
The chuff of his breath made her wonder if he was about to bite, but he only stared down with those unnatural eyes. For a moment she considered just moving past, like a river snaking around his feet, to see if he really did plan to do more than stand like a stone in her path. But while she would plunge on irrespective of their decisions to come or not, or even whether they tried to stop her or not, she did crave both the company and the connection. Her comment before had been offhand, but spoken out loud it had rung her with a startling deeper truth. She didn’t think she could do this alone, not successfully. But, persistent as wild waters, she realised then that she did not think he could do it without her either.
“If I thought she hurt me on purpose, I would not be going back,” she said quietly. It probably wasn’t much in the way of reassurance, but it was the truth; her measure of the risk was that it was worth it, at least for her. Her life was ruled by urges beyond her control, and the frustration of sitting idle, of waiting and ruminating over whether this really was all madness, was far more frightening a prospect to her than diving into those unknown waters and maybe never coming back.
She did nod, though, quiet a moment in turn. Her eyes were full and thoughtful, awash with calmer waters and things she did not speak. She wasn’t sure if his overbearingly protective streak was for her benefit, or for the creature they both came to find, but she was so tired of being told to be careful, of being assumed out of her depth.
When her gaze dropped, his tattoos were at eye-height. A sigh stirred the hairs on his chest, not quite a sign of acquiesce, but one that accepted he had fears of his own, whatever they truly were, and that she did not wish to make those fears harder for him to bear. Her finger traced the centremost symbol before she thought better of the gesture, following the pattern she had drawn in her sketches and not the faded imprint on his skin. “Together,” she said, tucking her hand finally away. “I will follow behind you, and I won’t put any of us in danger, but please don’t ask me to wait behind.”
[[new thread here when you’re all ready. If there’s anything else to add here first, feel free.]]
“If I thought she hurt me on purpose, I would not be going back,” she said quietly. It probably wasn’t much in the way of reassurance, but it was the truth; her measure of the risk was that it was worth it, at least for her. Her life was ruled by urges beyond her control, and the frustration of sitting idle, of waiting and ruminating over whether this really was all madness, was far more frightening a prospect to her than diving into those unknown waters and maybe never coming back.
She did nod, though, quiet a moment in turn. Her eyes were full and thoughtful, awash with calmer waters and things she did not speak. She wasn’t sure if his overbearingly protective streak was for her benefit, or for the creature they both came to find, but she was so tired of being told to be careful, of being assumed out of her depth.
When her gaze dropped, his tattoos were at eye-height. A sigh stirred the hairs on his chest, not quite a sign of acquiesce, but one that accepted he had fears of his own, whatever they truly were, and that she did not wish to make those fears harder for him to bear. Her finger traced the centremost symbol before she thought better of the gesture, following the pattern she had drawn in her sketches and not the faded imprint on his skin. “Together,” she said, tucking her hand finally away. “I will follow behind you, and I won’t put any of us in danger, but please don’t ask me to wait behind.”
[[new thread here when you’re all ready. If there’s anything else to add here first, feel free.]]
![[Image: thal-banner-scaled.jpg]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/thal-banner-scaled.jpg)