and I don't wanna let them down

// I tried to scream but my head was underwater //

She hadn't meant to become emotional about this. If anything, Maea had meant to lay out the facts in a dry, clinical manner for the Bastion to dissect, so that they could turn each piece over and examine them in search of some kind of truth, or perhaps a solution. Instead, a simple gesture of kindness was all it took to set all the built up tension over the past season to overflow. It was a sudden storm, a spring shudder that let up almost as soon as it came, and though her eyes were decidedly red when she gently eased away - to breathe, mostly - they burned more than they watered.

"I hope so," she sighed. Rubbing at her nose, offering her friend a weak smile, she shrugged lightly. "It's a bit of a story... you might want to sit down. Don't want the sheer scale of my stupidity to knock you over."
Brushing her hand gently over his, skin to skin, she shared a glimpse of the turmoil that caused her breakdown. Layer upon complex layer of mistrust, fragile hope, disappointment, horror, sickening disgust, self-righteous anger and guilt and confusion, all tangled up in knots like a jesters staff or a basket of yarn after kittens had their way with it, though not half as benign as that. It was just for a moment, and Remi might not become any wiser for it, but at least he might get a chance to brace himself.

It was going to get ugly.

Maea

// They called me weak, like I'm not just somebody's daughter //