every bait and switch was a work of art
Safrin stands as she always does—unhurried, composed—while the weight of the words settles into Sohalia, while the silence stretches and fills with all that rushes unspoken through the Luminary’s mind. There is no impatience in her stillness, no intrusion upon the swell of feeling that flickers so visibly across Sohalia’s face; only quiet observation, the kind that sees without pressing, that allows without softening. The starlight woven faintly through the parchment catches as Sohalia’s hand trembles, and though Safrin does not look at it again, there is the distinct sense that she does not need to.
When Sohalia’s gaze lifts—wide, searching, caught somewhere between wonder and fear—she finds the goddess already watching her. Smiling; a knowing curve of her lips that carries neither surprise nor concern, only a quiet certainty that settles as gently as dusk itself. Safrin inclines her head, the motion small, graceful, as though acknowledging something that has long since been written. "Is it really so surprising?" Her voice is soft, threaded with the faintest note of amusement, though never unkind. One brow lifts just slightly, her expression inviting without pressing, as though the answer matters less than the understanding that will follow
When Sohalia’s gaze lifts—wide, searching, caught somewhere between wonder and fear—she finds the goddess already watching her. Smiling; a knowing curve of her lips that carries neither surprise nor concern, only a quiet certainty that settles as gently as dusk itself. Safrin inclines her head, the motion small, graceful, as though acknowledging something that has long since been written. "Is it really so surprising?" Her voice is soft, threaded with the faintest note of amusement, though never unkind. One brow lifts just slightly, her expression inviting without pressing, as though the answer matters less than the understanding that will follow
you're the one prize i'd cheat to win
