MAEA
It wasn't so much that Maea shrugged, but rather that her shoulders traveled upwards a few notches. A gesture of tense discomfort, mirrored by the grimace that wrinkled the base of her nose.
"Same thing I was doing in the Grounds, towards the end," she replied. "Which was finding excuses to be anywhere else. Running away from what bothered me, growing testy and lashing out at people... I buried myself in work so I wouldn't have to think about what I was feeling, pushing so hard that I wore myself out completely. Maybe if I'd been more honest with myself, I wouldn't have treated Astaroth the way I did. Usually I can reason myself into accepting people's varying differences, but... this time I was so caught up in how it made me feel - adding to my already growing sense of discomfort - that I didn't pause to consider his side."
Rocking back and forth for a bit, she suddenly got up and headed for the small kitchenette in a fit of restless energy. "Want some tea? It's the only thing I've got to offer yet, sorry to say..." Breathing life into the hearth with a touch of magic, she drew water into a kettle and set it over the flames to heat. Despite a certain urge to clatter and slam about with cups and spoons and the fresh bag of tea leaves she had bought the previous day, she made an effort to rein in her emotions. Calm. Careful. What did it matter if she was hated or not? It didn't. It didn't, and yet...
Huffing a sigh, she shrugged again. Shorter, sharper; this time her shoulders arched, weighed down by some heavy burden. "Like a confirmation?" she answered, a bit hesitant. "Like... 'Ah, I knew it.' Even though I know it's not true." Hadama was evidence against it. Thalassa too. Talyson's hand on hers back in Torchline, Alys gratitude, Remi's warm embrace, Ronin's offer to join his guild, Elizabeth sitting in her living room contradicted that claim, Liam smiling to hide his concern when she declined his offer for a room in his cabin... Even though 'everyone' only extended to Flora, and Astaroth, and probably Evie and her family. Danta... she didn't know. The lack of answer to her letter suggested at the very least indifference, along the line of Melita's careless arrows - but at least the Honeybee had replied, which was confusing in itself.
For all that it was a depressing number of people to be on the bad side of, it wasn't everyone.
"Same thing I was doing in the Grounds, towards the end," she replied. "Which was finding excuses to be anywhere else. Running away from what bothered me, growing testy and lashing out at people... I buried myself in work so I wouldn't have to think about what I was feeling, pushing so hard that I wore myself out completely. Maybe if I'd been more honest with myself, I wouldn't have treated Astaroth the way I did. Usually I can reason myself into accepting people's varying differences, but... this time I was so caught up in how it made me feel - adding to my already growing sense of discomfort - that I didn't pause to consider his side."
Rocking back and forth for a bit, she suddenly got up and headed for the small kitchenette in a fit of restless energy. "Want some tea? It's the only thing I've got to offer yet, sorry to say..." Breathing life into the hearth with a touch of magic, she drew water into a kettle and set it over the flames to heat. Despite a certain urge to clatter and slam about with cups and spoons and the fresh bag of tea leaves she had bought the previous day, she made an effort to rein in her emotions. Calm. Careful. What did it matter if she was hated or not? It didn't. It didn't, and yet...
Huffing a sigh, she shrugged again. Shorter, sharper; this time her shoulders arched, weighed down by some heavy burden. "Like a confirmation?" she answered, a bit hesitant. "Like... 'Ah, I knew it.' Even though I know it's not true." Hadama was evidence against it. Thalassa too. Talyson's hand on hers back in Torchline, Alys gratitude, Remi's warm embrace, Ronin's offer to join his guild, Elizabeth sitting in her living room contradicted that claim, Liam smiling to hide his concern when she declined his offer for a room in his cabin... Even though 'everyone' only extended to Flora, and Astaroth, and probably Evie and her family. Danta... she didn't know. The lack of answer to her letter suggested at the very least indifference, along the line of Melita's careless arrows - but at least the Honeybee had replied, which was confusing in itself.
For all that it was a depressing number of people to be on the bad side of, it wasn't everyone.
I see a new horizon, holding on to hope
Say goodbye to all my pain when it's time for me to go
Say goodbye to all my pain when it's time for me to go
BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3
