it comes with a price

MELITA

She swallowed some rue, some regrets, for her words as Nate answered her questions. Things he’d lost, maybe more than just senses, the appeals of whims and capricious efforts others considered natural and human. He didn’t have that anymore, and the inability to go back on his decision, to confront either the Voice or some Old Gods, to try and retain something, seemed all the more sobering. “Did -,” and the girl stopped for there for a moment, narrowing her eyes to gaze out over the sea, but it couldn’t provide the answers, and maybe she was still prying too deep, still opening up wounds yet to fully heal. “Did you rush into your decision?” Was that why there was something embittered within? Or was she just trying to rationalize the entire conundrum?

The honeybee might’ve dove further into the story of the Naiad, the entire, wonderful experience, if the Ascended breaches didn’t cling so harshly either. It was a shame, really, now that she truly thought about it, time and distance and expanse allowing her to breathe, that those not even involved had been discarded from its limbs. Nate hadn’t been immersed amongst the Mathair incident, that she was aware of, hadn’t done anything awry except exist in the Voice’s threshold. “It was,” she said quieter, snagging at Fangorn, bringing him back to where they nestled and sat.

Too long lingering in those scalding depths, and it circled right back to her. The nightmares weren’t there now, in accord with his efforts, guidance, and distraction. She curled her arms around the gourd, not too tightly, and managed another smile, turning and twisting back his way. “Yes. Thank you.”

You're all gonna watch me
Disappear into the sun