Fool me once, fool me twice
Are you death or paradise?
Are you death or paradise?
The words sounded like Maea. Her hand reached up to the pale face, tenderly feeling to see if the vision was real. She felt the soft, warm skin against the delicate brush of her fingers. It released a flood of emotions from the dam she'd carefully constructed in her mind, the one she'd painstakingly built brick by brick for months. In an instant, it was gone, her breath catching to keep her from drowning in the crashing waves that threatened to pull her under. Despite every instinct and ingrained willpower not to, the well of emotions overflowed into her eyes which brimmed with tears. "You - you're... alive." Her voice was uncertain but aching with realization.
Thal grit her teeth, trying to peer through the haze at the undeniably realistic Ancient. A single emotion burst forth from the whirlpool of indecipherable chaos, flaring in her body so strongly that she acted without thinking - and slapped Maea across the cheek.
The anger vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by pain and guilt. The blue of her eyes shone as a single tear became dislodged with the movement. Her hands clenched at her sides, white with shock and tightened grasps. Whatever she'd been expecting in the moment didn't compare to the turmoil building within. "Where have you been?! I thought you were dead. Do you know how worried I was?! I looked everywhere for you. I thought you were dead! Because of me and my selfishness! I thought you were dead!!" She couldn't seem to stop saying the words, disbelief and horror still running rampant as her breathing came faster with each admission. Thal couldn't figure out if she was angry at Maea, or angry at herself for believing they'd been friends. She'd been such a fool.
Thal grit her teeth, trying to peer through the haze at the undeniably realistic Ancient. A single emotion burst forth from the whirlpool of indecipherable chaos, flaring in her body so strongly that she acted without thinking - and slapped Maea across the cheek.
The anger vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by pain and guilt. The blue of her eyes shone as a single tear became dislodged with the movement. Her hands clenched at her sides, white with shock and tightened grasps. Whatever she'd been expecting in the moment didn't compare to the turmoil building within. "Where have you been?! I thought you were dead. Do you know how worried I was?! I looked everywhere for you. I thought you were dead! Because of me and my selfishness! I thought you were dead!!" She couldn't seem to stop saying the words, disbelief and horror still running rampant as her breathing came faster with each admission. Thal couldn't figure out if she was angry at Maea, or angry at herself for believing they'd been friends. She'd been such a fool.
Now you'll never see me cry
There's just no time to die
There's just no time to die
Thalassa
