MAEA
Wise, unwise, should or shouldn't... it all depended on what he wanted from her, in the end. If it was friendship then indeed, it was the right thing to do. Placing trust in another was the only way to find out if they were worthy of it, and Maea fully intended to earn his. But... if his thoughts ever strayed beyond camaraderie, if his lazy caress of her shoulder was meant to invite to something else, then talking about his wife and dead lover was not the way to go.
Maea did not pull away or indeed give a sign she minded the roaming of his hands, but she did not respond to it either. Something within her was growing a touch hollow, numb from a wound he wouldn't know he was carving. Whatever attraction he'd suggested towards her was so very shallow compared to these things he talked about - of course it was, they'd only just met - but it still hurt to be labeled as the distraction. The option.
She didn't know what to say to it all. Assure that the likelihood of the same thing happening twice was minimal? Offer condolences over Lusea again, even though it would only be empty words - Maea didn't know her, had never heard anyone speak of her, and her sympathy would be for him alone. Phoebe's jealousy was perhaps easier to understand and comment on, but that too would be hollow; she could understand both parties there, and Sunjata had been put in a hopeless situation where he'd have to hurt either or both of these precious women, and himself regardless of what choice he made.
"Delphia... the Daughter of Mort, that same person?" she asked instead, latching onto the only thing that seemed like it wouldn't hurt either of them to speak of. Perhaps he wanted her to comment on some of it, but Maea couldn't bring herself to do so, not just now.
Maea did not pull away or indeed give a sign she minded the roaming of his hands, but she did not respond to it either. Something within her was growing a touch hollow, numb from a wound he wouldn't know he was carving. Whatever attraction he'd suggested towards her was so very shallow compared to these things he talked about - of course it was, they'd only just met - but it still hurt to be labeled as the distraction. The option.
She didn't know what to say to it all. Assure that the likelihood of the same thing happening twice was minimal? Offer condolences over Lusea again, even though it would only be empty words - Maea didn't know her, had never heard anyone speak of her, and her sympathy would be for him alone. Phoebe's jealousy was perhaps easier to understand and comment on, but that too would be hollow; she could understand both parties there, and Sunjata had been put in a hopeless situation where he'd have to hurt either or both of these precious women, and himself regardless of what choice he made.
"Delphia... the Daughter of Mort, that same person?" she asked instead, latching onto the only thing that seemed like it wouldn't hurt either of them to speak of. Perhaps he wanted her to comment on some of it, but Maea couldn't bring herself to do so, not just now.
