[ "I almost want to whisk you away—" He blinks at that, caught a little offguard. And it's a good thing she continues because he would have laughed rather sheepishly and squirmed at trying to figure out how to answer that. Though in fact his expression drops a bit as she goes on. Going slack with surprise, but—with awe too, and his eyes widen. The way she's talking...
There is something so profoundly lonely about it. And he doesn't buy how she trails off like that, that it's just to "learn more about his world" even if he isn't certain what she meant to say. Just that it's sad, that his words would seem to strike her so hard, and that she would reach out to him in a way that seems so very lonely.
Like she doesn't have anyone else. That's what it feels like.
And a dark, ugly part of him also tenses up at that, because is it really safe for him to form any kind of lasting friendship with someone like her. Is the 14th actually gone? Is his existence, at least for now, no longer a threat to others? If it starts to awaken again, can he fight it better this time?
But that darkness... it doesn't feel as suffocating as before. Nowhere near as oppressive and hopeless. Because even just talking like that have been, even if it hasn't been long...
...it's nice. It's really nice, being able to talk to someone like this. Like a warm light. One that makes his chest feel heavy and ache with a pleasant warmth.
Because it feels hopeful. And that's a scary sort of thing to realize, because it makes him realize just how bleak everything felt before. Is it real? The situation has changed so much, after all. Can he believe this, that it won't come crashing down like a house of cards?
(That there's nothing she wouldn't get unfairly caught up in if it does?) ]
1/2
There is something so profoundly lonely about it. And he doesn't buy how she trails off like that, that it's just to "learn more about his world" even if he isn't certain what she meant to say. Just that it's sad, that his words would seem to strike her so hard, and that she would reach out to him in a way that seems so very lonely.
Like she doesn't have anyone else. That's what it feels like.
And a dark, ugly part of him also tenses up at that, because is it really safe for him to form any kind of lasting friendship with someone like her. Is the 14th actually gone? Is his existence, at least for now, no longer a threat to others? If it starts to awaken again, can he fight it better this time?
But that darkness... it doesn't feel as suffocating as before. Nowhere near as oppressive and hopeless. Because even just talking like that have been, even if it hasn't been long...
...it's nice. It's really nice, being able to talk to someone like this. Like a warm light. One that makes his chest feel heavy and ache with a pleasant warmth.
Because it feels hopeful. And that's a scary sort of thing to realize, because it makes him realize just how bleak everything felt before. Is it real? The situation has changed so much, after all. Can he believe this, that it won't come crashing down like a house of cards?
(That there's nothing she wouldn't get unfairly caught up in if it does?) ]