Aurelia
Aurelia's mind is too clouded with worry and confliction to entertain ideas of the Greatwood too much, especially not when Maeve's fingers curl around her wrist and she is forced to stop sooner than she would've on her own. But she does, halting sharply even if the touch itself is gentle. Her gaze lifts to Maeve, but there is nothing expectant within it. Only a muddled mixture of her own emotions, which she doesn't try much harder to hide than she already has.
There's a gentle breath that pleads through her lungs as Maeve tells her about a conversation she's had with Phoebe. Not that Aurelia has a damn clue who that is. Not personally, anyway. Perhaps the name jogs some distant knowledge of demi-gods. Demi-gods could... probably.. be trusted. Right?
So when Maeve's head dips towards hers, instead of letting their foreheads touch she leans back. One of her hands moves up to rest against the inside of Maeve's shoulder, stopping her but not pushing her away. She searches the Nightshade's eyes for a moment, no longer concerned with cutting vines, and says, "If you really believe I won't let anything bad happen to you or the baby, then please... lean on me a bit more. Trust me," she states firmly. Her fingers smooth around the crook of Maeve's neck, and she leans in to press a tender kiss to the woman's forehead. One that lasts until they're quietly parting and the tension bleeds back into Aurelia's features.
But at least she can still laugh at this shit.
The laugh, however, fades as she realizes that Maeve has a far deeper understanding of her than she'd anticipated. The hands that climb around her middle don't go unnoticed, and Aurelia reaches out to pull one of them back. Her calloused, scarred hand grips around Maeve's smooth, dainty fingers. "Maeve..." her voice takes on a cautionary tone and her brows lift before lowering, "that woman is a manipulator. I don't know what happened between you two, but..." and her grip around the woman's fingers squeezes, "it must end now. Your loyalty is to Torchline. And me. Don't fall for her whims, they will not last... and that... Hotaru does not know the first thing about loyalty. No matter what she tells you." Aurelia knows, from personal fucking experience, and she expects Maeve to trust her on this - but if she needs to elaborate, she certainly will.
There are practically monuments supporting Aurelia's views of the Valkyrie.
At Maeve's support, she smiles gently, though her gaze is troubled. She worries still, uncertain of if Maeve will have the heart to turn Hotaru away entirely. It could spell worse things out for them.
There's a gentle breath that pleads through her lungs as Maeve tells her about a conversation she's had with Phoebe. Not that Aurelia has a damn clue who that is. Not personally, anyway. Perhaps the name jogs some distant knowledge of demi-gods. Demi-gods could... probably.. be trusted. Right?
So when Maeve's head dips towards hers, instead of letting their foreheads touch she leans back. One of her hands moves up to rest against the inside of Maeve's shoulder, stopping her but not pushing her away. She searches the Nightshade's eyes for a moment, no longer concerned with cutting vines, and says, "If you really believe I won't let anything bad happen to you or the baby, then please... lean on me a bit more. Trust me," she states firmly. Her fingers smooth around the crook of Maeve's neck, and she leans in to press a tender kiss to the woman's forehead. One that lasts until they're quietly parting and the tension bleeds back into Aurelia's features.
But at least she can still laugh at this shit.
The laugh, however, fades as she realizes that Maeve has a far deeper understanding of her than she'd anticipated. The hands that climb around her middle don't go unnoticed, and Aurelia reaches out to pull one of them back. Her calloused, scarred hand grips around Maeve's smooth, dainty fingers. "Maeve..." her voice takes on a cautionary tone and her brows lift before lowering, "that woman is a manipulator. I don't know what happened between you two, but..." and her grip around the woman's fingers squeezes, "it must end now. Your loyalty is to Torchline. And me. Don't fall for her whims, they will not last... and that... Hotaru does not know the first thing about loyalty. No matter what she tells you." Aurelia knows, from personal fucking experience, and she expects Maeve to trust her on this - but if she needs to elaborate, she certainly will.
There are practically monuments supporting Aurelia's views of the Valkyrie.
At Maeve's support, she smiles gently, though her gaze is troubled. She worries still, uncertain of if Maeve will have the heart to turn Hotaru away entirely. It could spell worse things out for them.
looking in the mirror, drop of rum on my tongue
with the warning to help me see myself clearer
with the warning to help me see myself clearer
