Fool me once, fool me twice
Are you death or paradise?
Are you death or paradise?
Thal listened, running her sleeve over her eyes as she tried not to interrupt. It was hard to hear the words that felt so much like her own thoughts from months ago. Although the feelings still lingered, she was working on moving past that. She couldn't say that Maea was doing the same.
It cooled her burning anger like a shocking plunge into the deep ocean. They weren't so different, their guilt and fears clashing against each other. It was deafening, drowning out all the other instincts to blame Maea for her response. Would she have done any different?
The question caught her off guard. Laughing through the catching of her tears, Thal had to look up at the overcast sky, exasperation making her words crack. "Just stop running. Stop pushing me away." She shook her head, biting her lip to keep more tears from falling, from falling back into the flames of anger. When her eyes met Maea's again, they were filled with deep sadness. "Things won't get better if you don't try. If you just keep avoiding people, nothing will change." Spoken from experience, she was desperate for her fellow Ancient to understand.
Breathing in a shaky breath, her fingers splayed at her side. She tried to release the tension as she wracked her brain for a way to reconnect with the woman before her, because despite everything - despite the abandonment, despite the stubbornness - she still cared for her, she still inexplicably wanted to be friends. So Thal offered an olive branch, her voice soft but strained as she pleaded, "Why don't we start small? Help me get strong enough that you don't have to worry about me, and I'll help you practice controlling your magic. We can see where things go from there. And if you still want to stay away afterwards... then I won't stop you." A fresh tear fell from her eyes, nose and cheeks red with more than just Deepfrost cold.
It cooled her burning anger like a shocking plunge into the deep ocean. They weren't so different, their guilt and fears clashing against each other. It was deafening, drowning out all the other instincts to blame Maea for her response. Would she have done any different?
The question caught her off guard. Laughing through the catching of her tears, Thal had to look up at the overcast sky, exasperation making her words crack. "Just stop running. Stop pushing me away." She shook her head, biting her lip to keep more tears from falling, from falling back into the flames of anger. When her eyes met Maea's again, they were filled with deep sadness. "Things won't get better if you don't try. If you just keep avoiding people, nothing will change." Spoken from experience, she was desperate for her fellow Ancient to understand.
Breathing in a shaky breath, her fingers splayed at her side. She tried to release the tension as she wracked her brain for a way to reconnect with the woman before her, because despite everything - despite the abandonment, despite the stubbornness - she still cared for her, she still inexplicably wanted to be friends. So Thal offered an olive branch, her voice soft but strained as she pleaded, "Why don't we start small? Help me get strong enough that you don't have to worry about me, and I'll help you practice controlling your magic. We can see where things go from there. And if you still want to stay away afterwards... then I won't stop you." A fresh tear fell from her eyes, nose and cheeks red with more than just Deepfrost cold.
Now you'll never see me cry
There's just no time to die
There's just no time to die
Thalassa
