[Mini Event] Midwinter Conference

Maea

My heroes had the heart to lose their lives out on the limb

Tension thickened in the room. The silence was deafening, screaming the truth of her mistake louder than any words could have. Subtle shuffling behind her brought a terrible realization of the danger she had brought not only to herself, but to everyone else in the room. Her friends, her allies, a former lover, a child... gods, why did they bring an infant to a fucking meeting? Hadama's presence behind her was an alarm bell going off in her head rather than a bulwark of support, but though she knew she had to do something, her mind had gone blank.

Purple eyes turned on her and even though her back stiffened and her cheeks flushed with something that might have been humiliating or even irritation when Sunjata stepped in, all that really went through her mind was that she didn't want to die, didn't want to die, didn't want to die...

And Evie's son was in the room. Infinitely more precious than her own damnable pride.

"... yes. As no one else is voicing objections, it would seem that I am indeed mistaken about your welcome here." Somehow she managed to unfurl her hands from the tight fists they had balled into, and as if this was yet another sentient book story she needed to play along with, Maea affected a deep bow."Please accept my deepest apology."

And I remember thinking — I want to be like them