Danger gleams like sunshine
Zavien's captivated by her every word, wrestling with the disbelief in his own capabilities and her contrasting perception of him. It certainly feels like he'd faltered. He'd died, he hadn't been able to come home for weeks, and he'd done little to stop the destruction of the city. Yet she was right in that his faith and determination had rarely wavered. Despite every obstacle or lack of ability, he'd attempted to find new avenues to assist in the cause, to free the city from tyranny and make it safe again.
Whether that makes him a good leader is another question, and he prepares to say as much before she's shifting his hair in a way that's very distracting. He holds his breath so he can listen to the message he's certain has to be important. The sentiments are ones he's heard before, but never something he's thought to apply to himself; yet the way she bolsters him and reminds him of Vi's approval and looks at him like she already knows that he'll succeed... It turns the idea into less of an impossibility and more of an inevitability.
He doesn't move, watching and listening like she holds him hostage with the hovering of her hand. By the end, Zavien is shifting slightly on his heels, a bright blush now spreading to his ears from the embarrassed smile on his face. The Risen Sun. It feels like a crown of light being placed on his head, weighted with the knowledge of expectation yet so natural, like the brightness of his hopes for Stormbreak taking shape. It changes nothing and yet it changes everything.
His head dips so low that it nearly touches his chest, lifting a hand to place it over his heart that's full of sunshine. "Thank you, Safrin. I can't express how much you honor me." Feeling like the spell has been broken, he pauses to really consider what it is she's suggesting. The idea of leadership takes a sharper form in his mind but he still hesitates, meeting Safrin's starlit eyes with as much respect as he can deliver, a polite smile on his lips. "I... don't want to undermine Soh." He couldn't imagine how cruel it would be to rip the leadership from her hands after all the time and effort she'd put into regaining it, but he also couldn't ignore how much work there was still to be done and how much he wanted to be part of every aspect. Did she?
Uncertain that Soh has such motivations, he nods his head, the idea planted and taking root as he says, "But I'll talk with her."
Whether that makes him a good leader is another question, and he prepares to say as much before she's shifting his hair in a way that's very distracting. He holds his breath so he can listen to the message he's certain has to be important. The sentiments are ones he's heard before, but never something he's thought to apply to himself; yet the way she bolsters him and reminds him of Vi's approval and looks at him like she already knows that he'll succeed... It turns the idea into less of an impossibility and more of an inevitability.
He doesn't move, watching and listening like she holds him hostage with the hovering of her hand. By the end, Zavien is shifting slightly on his heels, a bright blush now spreading to his ears from the embarrassed smile on his face. The Risen Sun. It feels like a crown of light being placed on his head, weighted with the knowledge of expectation yet so natural, like the brightness of his hopes for Stormbreak taking shape. It changes nothing and yet it changes everything.
His head dips so low that it nearly touches his chest, lifting a hand to place it over his heart that's full of sunshine. "Thank you, Safrin. I can't express how much you honor me." Feeling like the spell has been broken, he pauses to really consider what it is she's suggesting. The idea of leadership takes a sharper form in his mind but he still hesitates, meeting Safrin's starlit eyes with as much respect as he can deliver, a polite smile on his lips. "I... don't want to undermine Soh." He couldn't imagine how cruel it would be to rip the leadership from her hands after all the time and effort she'd put into regaining it, but he also couldn't ignore how much work there was still to be done and how much he wanted to be part of every aspect. Did she?
Uncertain that Soh has such motivations, he nods his head, the idea planted and taking root as he says, "But I'll talk with her."
Zavien
to a brave man's eyes.
