Aurelia
maybe that's enlightenment enough: to know that there is no final resting place of the mind; no moment of smug clarity
perhaps wisdom is realizing how small I am, and unwise
perhaps wisdom is realizing how small I am, and unwise
Aurelia smiled as she watched him eat one, though she would exercise some restraint and keep herself from eating them all before she even gave their actual dinner a chance. Instead, she went for the bottle he handed back to her and lifted it up toward him a bit - a small gesture. Then, she took a drink, feeling the alcohol blaze its way down too. The taste of coconut wasn't lost on her, it being something she hadn't really had many times before. It was sweet. She liked it, but she closed the bottle and set it down in apprehension of eating.
If he thought she didn't notice the brow that's raised and the location his eyes were on for just a moment, he's wrong. She caught it, and perhaps he caught her catching it. But, for a moment, there was nothing she could say. Words fluttered in her throat but they, too, were caught. As far as the marks on his neck go, yes, she'd noticed. But it was clear to her that the scar was old and, if he wanted to say something about it, she was sure he would. She didn't quite know how to feel about it herself, so she wouldn't prod. As for her bite... she felt she owed an explanation. Regardless of expectation, if only to be honest with him in all the ways that she could allow herself to be.
As Aurelia was trying to think of the words to say, he started speaking - and she was sure that he would address it. Sure that it would be something to confront, but when he did nothing more than thank her and hand her a plate of food, she was confused. She did a good enough job of hiding it, though, accepting the plate.
"Oh, um... well, there's no way I'd miss this anyway!" She smiled, and the honest words had fumbled out so quickly she didn't realize how cheesy they sounded. Picking up a fork, she took a few bites, hoping it might quell her thoughts and dumb words. It was steamy and paired nicely together, which prompted her to take a few more bites. Aurelia ate food fast, this was just a fact about her. She realized she might want to slow down, though, so she paused.
Then, she lifted her eyes up to Milo. "I'm not picky. Common food in my world was usually... tough and bland. I got used to that, so... anything that has flavor will impress me, basically," She smirked at that, joking a bit of course, "This is good, though."
Thinking on it a bit more, she admitted, "There are a few things I don't like. Raptor, for instance, but I don't think you have those here... Anyway, um..."
She wanted to address this whole... Nate 'ordeal' (if it could even be called that) but, a smooth transition for that was impossible. Awkwardly, she cleared her throat. "I should probably tell you about this," she lifted her hand up to let the sleeve slip down to her elbow, revealing the bite against her wrist again. "It's not a big deal, nothing happened," she thought that might've been a good preface for her news, only to realize that made it sound worse, actually.
"I mean- it's not what you think."
"I mean, I don't know what you're thinking, but it's not what most people would think? Uh, heh," she was feeling nervous now, talking fast, her other hand reaching up to rub the back of her neck. "It was Nate. Maybe you know him? He's a doctor, and he was able to tell me what's wrong with me by uh... biting me."
And then she waved her hands, "but-but nothing happened! Like, nothing weird. Or, nothing weirder than that, I guess? And there's nothing really wrong with me, except for.. you know, I was cursed.. before .. and a bit of it carried over into this world. So- my body isn't as strong as I'm used to. Which is why I went to go see a doctor in the first place- oh, and I'm... Abandoned." Her tornado of speech finally slowed down at the end of that last sentence, as the weight of it befell her again. Her hands lowered to her lap, gently hugging the plate against it, and her gaze followed.
Maybe this sort of news would excite and enthrall someone else but, to her, it was... not exciting or enthralling. At least, not as things were. She was still processing.
If he thought she didn't notice the brow that's raised and the location his eyes were on for just a moment, he's wrong. She caught it, and perhaps he caught her catching it. But, for a moment, there was nothing she could say. Words fluttered in her throat but they, too, were caught. As far as the marks on his neck go, yes, she'd noticed. But it was clear to her that the scar was old and, if he wanted to say something about it, she was sure he would. She didn't quite know how to feel about it herself, so she wouldn't prod. As for her bite... she felt she owed an explanation. Regardless of expectation, if only to be honest with him in all the ways that she could allow herself to be.
As Aurelia was trying to think of the words to say, he started speaking - and she was sure that he would address it. Sure that it would be something to confront, but when he did nothing more than thank her and hand her a plate of food, she was confused. She did a good enough job of hiding it, though, accepting the plate.
"Oh, um... well, there's no way I'd miss this anyway!" She smiled, and the honest words had fumbled out so quickly she didn't realize how cheesy they sounded. Picking up a fork, she took a few bites, hoping it might quell her thoughts and dumb words. It was steamy and paired nicely together, which prompted her to take a few more bites. Aurelia ate food fast, this was just a fact about her. She realized she might want to slow down, though, so she paused.
Then, she lifted her eyes up to Milo. "I'm not picky. Common food in my world was usually... tough and bland. I got used to that, so... anything that has flavor will impress me, basically," She smirked at that, joking a bit of course, "This is good, though."
Thinking on it a bit more, she admitted, "There are a few things I don't like. Raptor, for instance, but I don't think you have those here... Anyway, um..."
She wanted to address this whole... Nate 'ordeal' (if it could even be called that) but, a smooth transition for that was impossible. Awkwardly, she cleared her throat. "I should probably tell you about this," she lifted her hand up to let the sleeve slip down to her elbow, revealing the bite against her wrist again. "It's not a big deal, nothing happened," she thought that might've been a good preface for her news, only to realize that made it sound worse, actually.
"I mean- it's not what you think."
"I mean, I don't know what you're thinking, but it's not what most people would think? Uh, heh," she was feeling nervous now, talking fast, her other hand reaching up to rub the back of her neck. "It was Nate. Maybe you know him? He's a doctor, and he was able to tell me what's wrong with me by uh... biting me."
And then she waved her hands, "but-but nothing happened! Like, nothing weird. Or, nothing weirder than that, I guess? And there's nothing really wrong with me, except for.. you know, I was cursed.. before .. and a bit of it carried over into this world. So- my body isn't as strong as I'm used to. Which is why I went to go see a doctor in the first place- oh, and I'm... Abandoned." Her tornado of speech finally slowed down at the end of that last sentence, as the weight of it befell her again. Her hands lowered to her lap, gently hugging the plate against it, and her gaze followed.
Maybe this sort of news would excite and enthrall someone else but, to her, it was... not exciting or enthralling. At least, not as things were. She was still processing.
and how far I have yet to go
