{open} a nice warm drink

JUNIPER

you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do

Juniper sighed, eyes downcast, at Deimos' question. "Not well. After what happened to the Mathair -- I've never been very in tune with the rest of my people, but even I can tell that recent events weigh heavily on us. Things are ... quieter than usual. It feels like there's a storm coming."

She stopped, realizing she'd confided in Deimos more than she intended to -- these were thoughts she hadn't even mentioned to Alina or Nephele. Why had she opened up to this stranger? It wasn't as if she had any solid reasoning behind those thoughts, either; it was just a feeling, a heaviness in the pit of her stomach.

"Something, yes," Juniper answered. What was she looking for here? The Warden's help, but more than that: "I want to know more about outsiders. How you live, how you think. Especially about us."

if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.

table by Skylark