Every whiskey that you're drinking
Charlie’s smile when it comes is knowing but still bright, unshadowed by pity or false reassurance, and she shakes her head gently as if setting something precious back into its proper place. "Nothing is ever the same way twice," she says softly, the words warm rather than heavy. "And understanding that is actually a really important part of understanding Dygra." Then her brows bounce, that familiar spark flaring again as her grin widens. "But," she adds brightly, "that doesn’t mean whatever comes next for us won’t be just as good, or even better."
Her delighted snicker spills out as Thal admits to worshipping more than she thought, and Charlie beams without hesitation, nodding as if the conclusion is obvious. "Oh, I had absolutely no doubt about that," she says cheerfully, tail giving an approving flick.
When Thal begins to speak in earnest, Charlie lets her gaze drift to the candle instead, blue eyes following the slow, patient way the tallow settles and smooths, giving the other woman the space to find her footing without the pressure of being watched. She hums quietly in understanding, nodding along as the words come, her expression soft and attentive. By the time Thal works the next bone free and passes it over, Charlie’s smile is already there, steady and sincere. "I have good news and bad news for you," she says lightly, taking the bone and setting it into place with practiced care. "The bad news is that Dygra will never need to rely on you. Not for anything." She glances up briefly, voice calm and certain. "She’s as powerful as Caido itself. Anything she wants in this world, she can take."
Almost immediately, her expression brightens again, quick to soften the weight of it. "But the good news," she continues, "is that means there are no hurdles you need to clear, no sanctimonious rituals or exhausting acts of devotion required. There’s nothing you have to prove."
Charlie lifts her eyes then, meeting Thal’s with quiet conviction. "All Dygra wants from any of us is to embrace who we are, completely, and to be okay with that at our core. It’s not about perfecting your flaws, or pretending they aren’t there. It’s about knowing your limits, accepting them, and understanding that everything changes and dies." Her smile curves, warm and steady. "So you live in the moment. You don’t live with regret. You live in a way that means you don’t have regrets, because you’re always doing the best you can."
She flashes Thal a quick, playful grin, as if cutting off the argument she knows is coming. "And not in some lofty, noble sense," she adds lightly. "I mean the way a lion does its best. To survive, to thrive, to take what it needs without apology."
Her delighted snicker spills out as Thal admits to worshipping more than she thought, and Charlie beams without hesitation, nodding as if the conclusion is obvious. "Oh, I had absolutely no doubt about that," she says cheerfully, tail giving an approving flick.
When Thal begins to speak in earnest, Charlie lets her gaze drift to the candle instead, blue eyes following the slow, patient way the tallow settles and smooths, giving the other woman the space to find her footing without the pressure of being watched. She hums quietly in understanding, nodding along as the words come, her expression soft and attentive. By the time Thal works the next bone free and passes it over, Charlie’s smile is already there, steady and sincere. "I have good news and bad news for you," she says lightly, taking the bone and setting it into place with practiced care. "The bad news is that Dygra will never need to rely on you. Not for anything." She glances up briefly, voice calm and certain. "She’s as powerful as Caido itself. Anything she wants in this world, she can take."
Almost immediately, her expression brightens again, quick to soften the weight of it. "But the good news," she continues, "is that means there are no hurdles you need to clear, no sanctimonious rituals or exhausting acts of devotion required. There’s nothing you have to prove."
Charlie lifts her eyes then, meeting Thal’s with quiet conviction. "All Dygra wants from any of us is to embrace who we are, completely, and to be okay with that at our core. It’s not about perfecting your flaws, or pretending they aren’t there. It’s about knowing your limits, accepting them, and understanding that everything changes and dies." Her smile curves, warm and steady. "So you live in the moment. You don’t live with regret. You live in a way that means you don’t have regrets, because you’re always doing the best you can."
She flashes Thal a quick, playful grin, as if cutting off the argument she knows is coming. "And not in some lofty, noble sense," she adds lightly. "I mean the way a lion does its best. To survive, to thrive, to take what it needs without apology."
Charlie
You'll be thinking how I burn like that
Hella golden retriever energy. Small unrefined horns made of ruby. Regular spade-shaped tail.
