KOA
"I mean, they're not besties or anything. I'm pretty sure Noe doesn't even like Soh that much. But Soh knows how important Noe is to me - not that I asked her to do it, or she's doing it for my sake." Koa's babbling now, anticipating Zavien will ask the questions he's too scared to ask himself. It means he misses his friend's ongoing implosion, too stuck in his own personal well of anxiety to see beyond its lip.
And then Zavien confirms all his greatest fears - or doesn't really at all, but unfortunately Koa is primed to take the worst possible scenario and grossly overreact. Tensing, Koa looks away, his expression abruptly dark. "Okay, sure- maybe the right thing is to use it on Starfall. But I can't just let Noe stay under their thumb." He begins to pace, temper flaring, a week's worth of suppressed emotional conflict deciding it's time to be utterly misplaced. "She's my family. Doesn't that matter? What if it was your family, or Lena, or--"
It's Pipsqueak mental screeching that suddenly cuts him off and spins him on his heel, an aghast expression spreading over his face. She's descended to the ground beside the Dragoon, her inky eyes blinking in liquid concern as she shoves her scaly nose against him, attempting to burrow into his arms. The little dragonling has noticed Zavien's apparently deteriorating mental state; she snarls at Koa mentally, clearly unimpressed by her bonded's inattention to his friends.
Koa, in turn, drops down to his heels, kneeling in the dirt beside his friend. "Zav, hey, you okay?" Koa asks, peering concernedly into Zavien's face.
And then Zavien confirms all his greatest fears - or doesn't really at all, but unfortunately Koa is primed to take the worst possible scenario and grossly overreact. Tensing, Koa looks away, his expression abruptly dark. "Okay, sure- maybe the right thing is to use it on Starfall. But I can't just let Noe stay under their thumb." He begins to pace, temper flaring, a week's worth of suppressed emotional conflict deciding it's time to be utterly misplaced. "She's my family. Doesn't that matter? What if it was your family, or Lena, or--"
It's Pipsqueak mental screeching that suddenly cuts him off and spins him on his heel, an aghast expression spreading over his face. She's descended to the ground beside the Dragoon, her inky eyes blinking in liquid concern as she shoves her scaly nose against him, attempting to burrow into his arms. The little dragonling has noticed Zavien's apparently deteriorating mental state; she snarls at Koa mentally, clearly unimpressed by her bonded's inattention to his friends.
Koa, in turn, drops down to his heels, kneeling in the dirt beside his friend. "Zav, hey, you okay?" Koa asks, peering concernedly into Zavien's face.
With each love I cut loose, I was never the same
Watching still living roots be consumed by the flame
Watching still living roots be consumed by the flame
