Look so pretty but your heart got teeth

Maea

Blood on my shirt, rose in my hand

Huffing a cynical little laugh, the Ancient woman nodded fervently. "You could say that," she agreed, somehow still smiling; somehow more amused by the insane things she'd brought on in her attempt - and subsequent failure - to adapt. "I could tell you about it, but it's the kind of story that require lots of drinks and a good deal of privacy." Gazing at Liam from across the table, her expression fell somewhat, sharp fangs worrying at her lips. "And possibly, I worry you'll think less of me after hearing it." Between the two of them, he was definitely the better person. Tolerant of Dygra the former dragoon may be. But how much of her could he stand, before this budding friendship between them shattered like the illusion she often feared it to be?

Maybe it would be easier to just say nothing of the past, continue to strive for change in herself and let history remain buried. The only problem with that was her own conscience, and the fact that few things in this world ever truly stayed dead.

You're looking at me like you don't know who I am

Liam

And I feel like my castle's crumbling down
And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground

Liam watched her steadily as she huffed a little noise that could have been a laugh if not for the cynicism that pervaded it. He might not know her story, might not be able to relate in many ways, but he did know that she’d been hurt in the past, and that hurt people tended to lash out in ways that might not be good or right or healthy. He knew all too well the toll that loss could have on a person, after all, and he could hardly think of a reason he would have to judge Maea or hold her past against her. Wasn’t it better to see a person for who they were now as opposed to who they had been before? He knew he wouldn’t want to be seen as anything other than what he was now: just a man, striving to make the world a little bit better through whatever means he could, his past inaction be damned.

”I can’t imagine that I would,” he said honestly, but feared that the words would fall on deaf ears; it was one thing to say such things in the bright light of day, but another to prove them after things were all out in the open. If Maea one day did share her story with him, he would simply strive to be open minded and supportive. Until then, he could only act on what he knew. ”But it’s your story to tell, if and when you’re ready.” He could wait - and he would, for her.

And you don't want to know me, I will just let you down
You don't wanna know me now

Maea

Blood on my shirt, rose in my hand

Not deaf ears, no. Maea expected he would do his best to understand, no matter what dreadful tale she came dragging. She just didn't think he had any idea just how fucked up she could get. That he was a soldier might make it easier - he had seen war and what it did to people - but it might also backfire on them... because despite war and troubled times, there were things you just didn't do.

Stretching out a hand to pat Liam's forearm in a gesture of gratitude as well as reassurance, Maea's expression softened as she looked at him."Some other time, then. Thank you - you're too kind, honestly. Have you considered scowling a bit more? Keep this up and someone's gonna take advantage of you, one of these days..." 

Shifting to a more laid back tone, the rest of the lunch was spent lightly bantering and talking about pleasant nothings. There was an elephant sitting next to them all the while, looming like the question of where she was going after this, where she would end up, whether she'd come crawling with a change of mind once sunlight faded and the night chill set in... But they didn't talk about Bruno it. They still hadn't mentioned it again by the time they parted ways - and as Maea waved the soldier goodbye and her smile slowly faded, she had to question what the fuck she was doing.

A thought that would linger, all through the night, into the morning of the next day. But that was a tale for later.

[FIN]

You're looking at me like you don't know who I am