synthneon | echoes of truth | ❝ tales of loss and fire and flame. ❞

[ She continues to watch him in her half-dreaming state. Different emotions and memories attempt to surface that might wake her, but the exhaustion keeps her from waking entirely. Her head tilts forward slightly with the call to the deeper sleep once more tugging at her. She does not wish to heed it just yet. She must make certain he is well...

Not even a Warrior of Light can save everyone. She prays that the very least she can save those she loves. When Haurchefaunt's life slipped away and the pain was evident in Aymeric's eyes? She felt so very powerless to do anything. Even more so in Norvrandt, yet, those memories and dreams are far from her current mind.

Alkaid nestles into his hold once more. Her eyes have shut now, but she stubbornly clings to being able to speak with him. She loves his voice and the way he speaks. ]

...you embraced me, didn't you? [ A question as opposed to a statement, unsure if she remembers what she wishes happened. After they ahd undone the shackles and tried to keep him from falling forward. ] I won't tell anyone.

[ Her body laxes once more as sleep tries to pull her under once more. He is safe all because of her? Something inside disagrees, but she can barely grasp onto why. ]

... I'll do whatever I have to so you can remain safe. Even if it means staying in Ishgard. E-even if it means loving you from afar... because I'm a Warrior of Light.

[ Of course, she is to be his lady-wife, and thus she has no reason to love him at a distance. She is able to pour all her love and devotion into him. Dreams, especially those of another time, have the tendency to have details slip.

Her hand at his chin curls up against her chest as she nestles into him once more. No space remains between them, and she too feels very safe indeed. ]

[ Similarly, he is trying to navigate his own storm of emotions that her words are bringing back to life. He does not wish to let them take hold, because his priority in this moment is her, and assisting her in drifting back to the sleep that she needs. With one hand, he begins to lightly stroke her ear, hoping that the action will soothe her and send her off to sleep once more. ]

I did, yes. [ Perhaps halfway intentionally, because at the time, he lacked the strength to hold himself up when the shackles were removed. His condition was not so dire, as he maintains, but it was rather the shock of everything that had happened and how quickly the situation unraveled that left him feeling rather weak and unable to maintain his usual posture. But at the same time, that he embraced her was a mark of his gratefulness at being rescued. Even now, he remains grateful to her and the rest of his friends for coming to his aid and freeing him from his cell. ]

I am safe, Lantaa. You do not need to fear about that, and... And you certainly do not need to love me from afar. I am yours, after all, and I certainly hope that you remain here in Ishgard.

[ He realizes now that the details of their relationship and how they have advanced seem to have slipped from her sleeping mind, and so he simply decides to follow her lead and offer the reassurances that she seems to need. ]

I'm right here. [ He continues to stroke her ear, and his other hand moves to lightly stroke the side of her face. ] Go back to sleep. I will not be leaving your side.

[ Her ear lightly twitches under his touch as it always does. Then, the tension she held from her dream seems to ebb away as she melts against him once more. Her knight; the one she had once thought she may never be able to call him out loud.

At his confirmation of events, her tail gives a lazy sway. Perhaps she will never share her side of the events. While she had already come to an understanding that she loved him? Alkaid was unsure if she should ever share those feelings. Perhaps he had no interest in a Warrior of Light the same way. Or, perhaps, he might have been far too busy with the state of affairs to even bother with her affections. All those thoughts has gone from her mind the moment he embraced her in the Vault. Her ears and tail had stood on end, with her arms wrapping around him to help steady him. At least, that was what she would have told anyone who asked. She was far more selfish in the notion, wishing to take the moment to comfort and enjoy his hold as she might never again. It was to be a moment she treasured to herself and remembered as a single incident--until he had kissed her the first time. Had none others been around, she would have inclined her head against his and held him how she deeply wished to.

A smile touches her face as she begins to drift deeper back into her sleep. Her tail still sways slightly. Alkaid places her head back to his shoulder as her ears give another sleep driven twitch. ]

I love you. [ The words are partially mummbled but they still come from her heart.

Finally, she drifts back to sleep.

Hours pass before she properly begins to wake. Her eyes open, with her tail stretching out. She would stretch further, but she is aware Aymeric still holds her and does not wish to disturb him. Alkaid raises her two-toned gaze to him and smiles gently. The morning sun begins to come through the windows, but, the clouds still hide it. The storm lingers outside.

The hand at her chest uncurls and brushes the bangs from his face. ]

[ Whether she shares her side of events with him or not, it does not change his resolve to never leave her side unless she tells him herself that she wishes for a parting. And given the many interactions they have had thus far and the declarations they have made stating the love they have for eahch other, he is beginning to believe she will never do that.

Finally, he notes that she is beginning to drift back to a deeper sleep, and a quiet sigh of relief escapes him. She needs the sleep, and he hopes that this time, it is a dreamless one. Even so, he is resolved to stay with her and hold her until she awakens once more.

The hours pass and he too manages to nod off, falling into a doze. When he fell asleep, his head also tipped forward slightly, perhaps betraying the notion that he also needed sleep.

It takes him a few more minutes to rouse from his slumber, but the feeling of her hand brushing at his bangs causes him to smile even though he has not yet fully awoken. Another moment passes and his eyes open just a crack, and then they open the rest of the way. Once his vision clears and he can properly see, he realizes she is also awake and is looking at him. ]

Lantaa, how long have you been awake? [ He smiles, glad to see that she is also smiling. ] How was your rest? [ Better, he hopes, after her dreams subsided... if they did, at any rate. ]

Not very long. [ Her smile spreads at the sight of his. ] It seems as if you managed some sleep as well.

[ Her dreams remained, but, they were more of memories than anything else. Memories and perhaps wishes that they shared their feelings with one another sooner. She knew, on some level in her sleep, that he was beside her with his arms wrapped around her. That alone made her dreams calmer and gentler than they had been in some time.

Alkaid gently nudges his chin with her nose. While their situation and location have not slipped her mind? She has missed waking up along side him and spending the early morning hours talking or just enjoying his company. ]

Are you well? Does anything need tending to?

[ He shakes his head at her question, his smile turning warmer and gentle as he surveys her. In his mind, she is the one who needs tending, not himself, but he would not give away the fact that he overheard her speaking in her sleep. ]

Not at the present, but thank you. [ He can, however, disguise it as his usual concern and care for her. ] And are you well? How might I tend to you?

[ He leans in just slightly so that he can nudge his nose against hers. ]

[ Her cheeks puff slightly at his usual tactic of redirection. Still, she does not press it. She instead nudges his nose in return and smiles. Gods, she missed this. ]

I am, for the moment. [ Exhaustion is still in her gaze simply by how much aether she has used recently. ] What might the Lord Speaker of Ishgard do for me... hmm.

[ She pretends to think a moment.]

Staying in bed sounds rather nice.

[ He truly does not wish to draw attention to himself, especially since he believes he is no more deserving of it than anyone else. The truly impressive and astonishing people are the ones like Alkaid and her sister, and the likes of Alphinaud and Estinien, who have all been through so much and come out of it much stronger. Oh, he is aware that Alkaid thinks he is strong in his own right, but he maintains that what he has been through pales in comparison to all the trials that she has had thrown at her.

So the reason for his deflection is both simple and complex all at the same time. Now, however, is not the time for dwelling on such things, and when she nudges his nose, he cannot stop the smile that forms. ]

You have but to name it, whatever it might be, and you can consider it done.

[ He already is a servant to her, if he might say so himself: a willing servant who wishes only to love her and do for her anything and everything she might need.

His smile grows at her next statement, and he is quick to nod. ]

Then we shall do just that. [ And to punctuate the statement, he leans in to brush a kiss against her cheek. ]

[ She would never ask him to serve her as a servant or someone lesser than her. He is her equal. He may see himself as unworthy, but in her mind? Aymeric is the one that shines the brightest out of any she has ever met on their star. He is the source of her strength and her inspiration. Without him, she doubts that she could achieve what she has, even spanning as far back as their time in the Dragonsong War.

Her eyes light up at his response. Her ears perk and her tail raises. A gleeful sound comes from her at his kiss. Both arms wrap around his neck and she rolls onto her back, pulling him along with her. Her nose nudges against the side of his. Alkaid practically beams up at him, tail all but wagging. Then, her gaze slips from a beam to a gentle smile.

She had feared they might never be able to be like this again. Which is why her hands cup his face. ]

I love you, Aymeric.

[ Oh, but he would gladly serve her whether she asked him to or not. He feels as though there is very little he can do that would truly benefit her, and the only thing he can give her is his love. He would give up anything for her, including his very life if it came down to it, but it goes without saying that he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. And, naturally, when her path takes her so far away from him, there are little opportunities for him to protect her as he feels he must.

But when she is home or by his side wherever they are, he finds himself thinking of ways that he might serve her.

As for now, it does his heart good to see how her eyes light up and how she responds to him. He lets her pull him down without hesitation, although he is mindful of how he positions himself as she rolls onto her back. When her hands slide into place against his face, he smiles at her, the love in his eyes unmistakable. ]

And I love you, with everything that I have.

[ Alkaid's gaze softens suddenly. Her hands cup his face then, gaze unbreaking from his. The realization strikes that she had almost lost this. Not merely being awake with him in bed in the morning, but the gaze he meets hers with such intensity. She bites her lip and closes her eyes, pressing her nose to his as the sudden wave of emotions hits her intensely. ]

I missed you.

[ I missed this.

Despite her best efforts, a hint of fear creeps into her gaze. She had never once feared losing him before. There was always a security that he would be in Ishgard, or surrounded by those that could protect him. Even placed in the hands of those that could heal him if she could not. ]

[ A similar wave of emotions sweeps over him that he can no more control than push aside. If she missed him, then the depth of his own feelings of missing her must be equal to it. Because it seems to him that they are part of each other and cannot imagine being apart, nor do they wish to, regardless of how often they must.

But because of that, the times that they are together are even more special. ]

I- Well, I cannot promise to never be separated from you again, but so long as we are together, I promise to hold onto you as tightly as I can. And should a threat arise with the intent to pull us apart, I shall fight against it as best as I am able.

[ He did his best to do so when held under Thordan's thrall, but part of him still fears that it was not truly his best. ]

I wish only to be by your side, or at the very least, to be in your thoughts when our paths diverge.

There is being separated... then there is what happened... [ Her two-toned eyes close. ] You did fight, Aymeric. You fought so hard...

[ No blame or anger is in her gaze even as she speaks of it. Only love mixed with a fear of losing him when she thought he would be far safer than her and her sister on their travels. It is truly a realization of how naive she had been; believing all would be safe in Ishgard now that the War had concluded and that the Ascians had, for the most part, been taken care of. Aymeric now being a politician rather than a soldier is not a safer option; perhaps it puts him into even more danger...

Alkaid presses her nose to his once more in response. ]

You are in my thoughts. Always. Wherever I go, whatever I see and do, you are always there.

[ Then, she tilts her head to kiss him tenderly. ]

[ He still has a long way to go towards addressing his thoughts and feelings concerning his tempering, not to mention the fear he has that it might happen to him again. If it does, and if he retains any sense of self at all, he would just as soon ask Estinien for one final favor than remain in that state once more. But then again, there exists a cure for it now, and they have far more hope now because of it.

Still, the very thought of being enslaved again is more than he can bear to think about. Rather than answer her with words, his actions seem to do the talking insted; in spite of himself, his face falls even in the face of the love in Alkaid's own gaze. Naturally, he is aware that he cannot let fear control him, but he has yet to fully deal with his fears and find a way to move past them.

In time, however, he finds his voice once more. ]

I must admit that when your steps take you far from home, I find solace in what belongings you have left behind. The visual reminder of you- it bolsters my faith that you will return when your duties allow. And, of course, letters that you send when you are able are very precious to me as well.

[ When she kisses him, he is quick to lean into the kiss, and as always, when the two of them meet together in such an action, it is enough to send all of his churning thoughts and emotions away from him, at least for a time. Instead, all that fills his mind and heart is thoughts of love for her. ]

Edited 2022-07-07 22:06 (UTC)

[ Her gaze softens as his expression falls. Of course, why would he not be afraid? He was the one that was tempered. While it seems he cannot recall the exact memories of what he might have said or did? There is no doubt in her mind that he does not recall feelings, inclinations. Alkaid has already decided she will not ask or prod, and instead let him speak of it when and if he truly is ever ready to. Which is why, instead, she simply brushes her fingers along his cheekbones.

No doubt rests in her mind that Estinien would fulfill the promise between the pair of them. However, she cannot bear to think of it. Estinien would refuse to do the deed in front of the Scions. Even then, the thoughts and images her mind conjures are distressing enough. Nightmares already plague her of the potentiality of losing Aymeric to Black Rose, but, the idea of losing him to being tempered once more...

A breath catches in her throat and she wills herself not to let the water gathering in her eyes fall. ]

Then I will need to leave more things at home for you, and send you far more letters. [ Her tail hits the bed beneath them to vent the emotions she refuses to let out. ] I will always return home, no matter where my charges take me. You are home, Aymeric...

[ Then, she barely manages a smile. ] I only remove my engagement ring when I bathe. Otherwise, it is always with me. Not just to remind me that we will be together--but, because it is a gift from you. It's the only thing I have to look down at and feel you beside me when I'm so very far away.

[ Her thoughts, however, do not melt away as they might normally when they kiss. Her eyebrows knit together and she attempts to pull him closer. Alkaid has asked for very little in her life, and now all she can think is to ask that her love remains with her. That somehow, she will be able to put the mantle of Warrior of Light down, and join him at his side. All she asks of their patron goddesses, Hydaelyn, whoever might be listening that he be left for her.

The familiar feeling from the night before strikes her hard. Longing, loneliness, an hole inside her left from ancient times. It causes a familiar sound of distress to come forward, but she attempts to bury it by deepening their kiss. He could be pulled away at any moment--as they are still in Monument Tower with a mission to complete--and it only helps to strive the sudden vortex of emotions inside her.

Don't go where I can't--don't leave me alone here. ]

Edited (few more details) 2022-07-08 09:41 (UTC)

[ There is so much he has not talked about or even thought about, and he knows full well that he cannot keep pushing aside the things he needs to process. It seems to him that there is no good time for it, and that is the main reason he has yet to even start. What else troubles him about beginning to sort through his thoughts on the matter is that he does not wish to burden Alkaid with more than he already has. He knows he has placed more than enough upon her, and considering how she already has her own troubles, the last thing he intends to do is give her more.

His eyes slide closed as her fingers brush along his cheekbones, and he tries desperately to regain some of his usual control and poise. He is not blind to her emotions or to how it seems she is close to tears. He shakes his head once. ]

I would not ask you to nor expect you to simply because I have developed this habit. However, if you desire to send letters as you are able, I can accept that.

[ He will not have her inconveniencing herself by leaving her belongings behind for his benefit. ]

Perhaps it is I who should gift to you more of my belongings so that you have something else to look upon when we are far apart. Anything that I own is, by my reckoning, yours, so if there is anything that you desire to have- by all means, take it.

[ So far as he is concerned, what he once thought of as his possessions now are theirs, and nothing is off-limits for her in his mind.

When they join together in a kiss, he not only deepens it, but he does not pull away from her even when many minutes have passed. Perhaps he sensees that she needs this: their closeness and the opportunity to feel each other: to know that they are together and for the moment, nothing shall separate them.

Duty and responsibility will surely surface again, and quicker than they would like, but until then, he intends to kiss the woman he loves. ]

[ The look in her eyes expresses that her mind is already decided on the matter. Even if they are simply flowers, or a blanket or scarf made for him to wear that mind remind him of her presence? Then, she will see to it. He is the one who must wait in silence and hope that she will return. In her mind, he is the one who needs the support while she is away and cannot give it herself. ]

The others may take to me sleeping in one of your shirts as something odd, given how large they are on me. [ She forces a smile in an attempt to make light of their situation. ] I would rather you at my side... but if I cannot have that, then I shall have to find something from home.

[ Her rational side, as always, attempts to tell her that the reaction she has is uncalled for and ridiculous. Aymeric is here and with her, no longer tempered, and she is not a world away. She shifts under him, her fingers moving from cradling his face to wrapping her arms around his neck. The tips of them move along the edges of his hair and down his neck, slipping under the neckline of his shirt.

She thought that he might pull away and attempt to turn things to duty or their mission. Yet, he continues, and a pleased sound comes from her. ]

As I said, anything of mine that you desire is already yours, whether that be an article of clothing or something else entirely. I would just as soon accompany you myself so that you did not have to resort to such things, but alas, that is something I cannot commit to regardless of how much I desire it.

[ They both know that there is no immediate fix for that particular detail. He still has responsibilities he must perform, and of course, so does she, so for the moment, they will have to content themselves with the other's belongings.

Rather than continue to dwell upon a topic that has no clear remedy, he chooses instead to focus on giving her all the love that he can. And that, of course, means kisses and touches, two things that they do very well. A satisfied moan leaves him when her fingers find their way below his shirt.

When they both have to come up for air, he adds: ] Would that our moments together could be more than just moments, but a regular occurrence.

[ Ah. Well, it seems as though he has brought them back to the topic of how they must be separated by their duties, even if it is only idle musings on his part. He looks forward to the day when they do not have such a separation looming over them. ]

[ No verbal answer is given to his statement. Instead, her gaze merely softens with a frown on her lips. There is little they can do to change their current situation, and that fact alone continues to eat at her heart. If only the Scions would relenquish her so she might live the life she wishes.

His reaction causes her expression to change. The sound tugs at her heart, causing the desire to give him more reasons to react in such ways. The fact that they are holed away in an obscure place in Corethas is meaning very little to her as she tries to catch her breath from their kiss. ]

Then, we should find ways to make it so.

[ Of course that is rather impossible, but Alkaid finds she would rather not focus on the impossible at the moment. In fact, she'd rather focus on him. She gently nudges his nose with hers before placing a kidd to his jaw and front of his neck. Her hand slips further underneath his shirt, fingers trailing over the lighter scars on his back.

Of course, he could always stop her if he wishes. ]

[ So much of their present situation eats at his heart to the point that he would step down from his position simply so they could be together. He already knows that he would put all of it aside without a second of hesitation because he wishes for nothing more than to be by her side with nothing coming in between them. Even if all he did was remain at the manor and see to its day to day affairs while he waited for her to return from her various duties instead of overseeing meetings and procedures, he would. ]

Ah, if only it were that simple. Alas, that it is not. [ Nothing in life is, as they have both learned, but he knows full well that anything worth having is also worth fighting for and making sacrifices for. He would give up just about everything he has to have a life with her.

As for stopping her, he would never do such a thing. He misses her touch when she is away, and when she has returned, he longs for the closeness that they share now. And although he has said it many times already, the words slip out once more: ]

Lantaa, I love you.

I know.

[ Still, she hopes that one day, it may be that simple. Maybe there will be a day where she is not needed as a Warrior of Light, Hydaelyn's Champion. That she can travel simply because she wishes to with him at her side. They can see all the star might have to offer as a simple traveling couple time to time before returning to Ishgard and him tending to his people. She does not find it a demanding or selfish dream, merely a simple one.

No matter how many times he may say the words? They always cause her heart to flutter. Perhaps she says it too much with her affectionate names for him. Perhaps they undermine the emotions she attempts to express to him. She always feels as if she falls short of saying the depth in which she feels them. Her small touches and kisses may even fail to truly say to him how much he means to her. ]

And I love you, Aymeric de Borel.

[ She nuzzles the spot in which his neck and shoulder meet before pressing a kiss to his skin. They have spent much time together in the last weeks, but he was truly not himself. Some part of him remained through the battle and fight with the primal's influence. Yet, at the heart of it, she knows that the primal truly struck at something Aymeric must long for. Alkaid is under no illusion that her love can truly heal or cover the damage that the Archbishop inflicted upon his son; from abandonment to betrayal. She merely hopes she may make the wound easier to bear, as he helps bear the ones that Emet-Selch gave her.

Her eyes flick towards the door to make certain that no one is shifting about it. Then, her head tilts and she turns to placing kisses up the side of his neck, then back down to where his neck and shoulder meet. While she has missed him? Part of her strives to make certain that the God-King primal has not damaged Aymeric nor their relationship to the point where they cannot share any form of intimacy together. ]

Is there anything I can do for you?

[ In Aymeric's mind, that is his deepest wish, that one day, the two of them will finally be able to be themselves: not the Warrior of Light and not Ishgard's Lord Speaker. He is well aware that both of them will retain the love they have for their star, and he knows without a doubt that it is impossible for him to lose his love he has for his homeland. But one day, he wishes that they can simply be who they are, with no titles or duties to see them separated.

And, as far as her feelings for him, he also knows without a doubt that she loves him. She does not need to say it or do anything to show it; he simply knows that she does. But when she does say it, and when she nuzzles against him, he is quick to lean into the touch and to pull her in even closer. There is a part of him that is still raw and hurt from everything that transpired, and he wonders if that will lessen with time.

If it does not, at least he has Alkaid by his side to offer what comfort she can. He waits for a moment as she pauses, but when she begins to plant kisses on his neck and further down as well, he finds himself going slack in her hold. The love she has for him still astonishes him every day, and of course, he is so very grateful for it. It does leave him feeling rather weak at the knees, or so the saying goes.

The primal has done his share of damage, but one thing that has not been destroyed is their ability to be together and to share in those moments of intimacy together. ]

Nay, you have already done so much for me, Lantaa. [ And what he still needs to do, he hesitates to place upon her, even though he is aware she would gladly take on any and all of the things that still burden him. But as he previously thought, he will begin the process of coming to grips with his tempering and the hurt that the primal inflicted when the time is right. He does not wish to bring either of them down with the gravity of that process. ] Simply being with me is enough.

[ She moves with his pull, seeking to be as close to him as she can. The pair of them soldier on quite well despite the fact she knows they are both still nursing wounds from his enthrallment. He no doubt still struggles to understand what transpired and happened, but Alkaid has no desire to give him the details of what was said or done. She will answer any questions he asks. But... she does not want him to hurt more, and worse, pull away from her because of it. She almost lost him entirely to King Thordan... which would have further meant losing him to Estinien's Lance.

The thought comes and she flinches as if she had been struck. Her face buries in his neck for but a moment until she kisses below his ear. As ridiculous as it might sound? She feels as if she cannot lose him. She does not wish to spend the rest of this lifetime without him only to return to the aetheric sea and wait to find him once more. The thoughts seem to throw a switch in her mind and she finds herself even more determined to keep him with her.

She places a kiss to her jaw before beginning to leave open mouth kisses to the side of his neck. Her hand pulls back from his shirt in order to move down his back. It works with the other to settle on his hips and then until his shirt. A part of her scolds her, for surely Aymeric will tell her to stop given their situation and remind her this is neither the time nor the place. However, the voice is not enough to stop her. ]

Being with you in what way, my love? [ Alkaid knows what he means, yet she tries to make their situation light hearted regardless. ] How would you have me?

[ Something inside him simply aches with a longing for her closeness and her love, but there is something else that also aches with the knowledge that there are gaps in his memory. Perhaps it is best that he not recall what happened, and he certainly should not ask those who witnessed it to recount it for him. He also does not wish to hurt more nor to cause hurt to others, but there is a part of him that needs to know. And yet when the thought of asking for help filling in those missing parts of his memories comes to him, he hesitates.

It would not only hurt him, but it would bring hurt to those he cares about, and so he knows he cannot do that. He has not missed the way that Alkaid reacts when certain thoughts seem to enter her mind, and while he cannot read her mind, in such moments, the look that he sees on her face is reminder that he ought not cause her hurt as well, even if she is not recalling his tempering.

He is quick to circle his arm around her, hoping that his touch is comforting as well. He would hold onto her with everything that he has in hopes that they might remain together in this lifetime and beyond.

As always, her kisses and her touches upon his back elicit a pleasure reaction from him. When she slides her hands beneath his shirt, he all but goes slack in her hold. How easily she can render him truly relaxed and unresisting. She could do anything to him in those moments and he would not fight nor protest.

She asks those questions, and the answer is on the tip of his tongue: lie next to me and hold me. But even as he thinks those words in his mind, they sound so very selfish. A part of him still fears that she will come to despise him because of his needs, and so he remains silent rather than answer.

But even though he has yet to answer her with words, his fingers curl and tighten around her, as if to say he has no intentions of letting her go or of pulling away. ]

[ As she waits for his answer, there is a thought that perhaps he does not wish to engage in intimacy so deeply at the moment. Perhaps it has nothing to do with where they are or what mission they might have. It may deal with more that he simply does not wish it--nor need it. She is the one that tends to seek such things, and perhaps that is due to her Miqo'te tendencies. The thoughts make her pause, lifting her head from his neck. The part of her that scolds her seems to win, especially more as his fingers curl around her and Alkaid feels as if she has his answer.

Her head tilts up to rest against his. Her arms wrap around his lower back to pull him closer. If he simply wishes to be held? She can most certainly do such a thing. Far too often has Aymeric indulged her. The least she might do is tend to his wishes and place them above her own. At least now he is responsive and himself, as opposed to the husk that the primal attempted to make him. Her hands then rest against his skin and her eyes close.

What should she say--if anything? Would he prefer the comfortable silence instead? Alkaid feels as if she might know what he wishes or needs often, but, now it seems so very hard to tell. Most certainly that is due to the fact she struggles with her own hurt from this endeavor. Alkaid tilts her head to press her nose to the side of his and falls quiet. ]

echoes of truth | ❝ tales of loss and fire and flame. ❞

BOOK 3.5: EVER HEAVENSWARD

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/how about this whambam to bring feels back

that sure is a whambam of feels