The white sheep of the family
Loren shook his head slowly. "It's...well." Taking a deep breath, he gave Weaver a rueful smile. "Being ridiculed by my family is different from being hated by the gods and disliked by everyone else." However, his voice was far from certain.
When she expressed a desire to explore her magic more, he found himself actually smiling, and raising his mug. "That's the spirit." His expression grew bashful, though, as she asked about his own magic. Flushing slightly, he gulped, then took a sip from his mug. "Well, um, I have mastered healing, along with a mutation that lets me heal at a distance. I have mastered summoning and water magic as well, along with basic creation and telekinesis. And I'm a hybrid." The words came out in a half-mumbled rush, and his embarrassment was clear.
It shifted almost seamlessly into guilt. "I'm, I've never really been the one in harm's way." Of course, he'd been injured and put himself into dangerous situations, but it always seemed to work out fine for him, and the shame he felt about surviving where others more worthy than he didn't was eating away at him.
Forcing himself to smile, though it didn't reach his eyes, he looked back at her. "I'm glad." Thankfully, her excitement turned out to be infectious, and he found his smile turning genuine, even if it was faint. "Great. I'm looking forward to it."
Tapping a finger against his mug, he eventually took a long drink from it, and then set the empty cup down. "Again, I know you're right, but it's hard to learn when you don't even know how to start." He shrugged a bit helplessly.
When she expressed a desire to explore her magic more, he found himself actually smiling, and raising his mug. "That's the spirit." His expression grew bashful, though, as she asked about his own magic. Flushing slightly, he gulped, then took a sip from his mug. "Well, um, I have mastered healing, along with a mutation that lets me heal at a distance. I have mastered summoning and water magic as well, along with basic creation and telekinesis. And I'm a hybrid." The words came out in a half-mumbled rush, and his embarrassment was clear.
It shifted almost seamlessly into guilt. "I'm, I've never really been the one in harm's way." Of course, he'd been injured and put himself into dangerous situations, but it always seemed to work out fine for him, and the shame he felt about surviving where others more worthy than he didn't was eating away at him.
Forcing himself to smile, though it didn't reach his eyes, he looked back at her. "I'm glad." Thankfully, her excitement turned out to be infectious, and he found his smile turning genuine, even if it was faint. "Great. I'm looking forward to it."
Tapping a finger against his mug, he eventually took a long drink from it, and then set the empty cup down. "Again, I know you're right, but it's hard to learn when you don't even know how to start." He shrugged a bit helplessly.
Will blood tell
