Her response to his question was very akin to something he would say, that longingness to sate the curiosity that brimmed inside. He followed her gaze to the wildwood, the trees looming there both daunted and beckoned him at the same time. He’d found himself staring past the border like this before, and similarly hadn’t worked up the foolishness courage to go on. Not yet, usually I get about here and can’t make myself go farther. But hey, maybe I’ll be stupider tomorrow, we’ll see, he replied with a roll of his shoulders.
Her eyes drifted back to him, amber and bright, and Kiki turned his head to face her once more. How long had it been? It felt like forever ago that he’d decided to run, to leave behind his nation and their domineering expectations, their war, their rules. He’d thought then that he never wanted to see the capitol again, that this time he wouldn’t return except to find his mother and bring her with him. And he’d gotten exactly what he’d wanted right? He’d never see the capital again that was for sure, and that was all good, but he hadn’t thought about everything else he had to lose. His mom, the goddess, everything familiar. That was gone too.
Anyway, it felt like a long time ago that his life had changed, some parts for better and some for worse. At this point, he’d come to accept it, and come to terms with that balance. There were things he’d miss and things he was glad to be done with, but it all didn’t matter now. Now he had himself and only himself, he was just Kiki. And he could decide on his own what that meant. Almost two weeks? he decided, only two weeks.
oh well, maybe not, let’s try again
