Oh, that wink made Arialla's skin burn; she also let out a little disbelieving laugh. Was the goddess ... flirting with her? No. No way. Maybe not the best idea to laugh at her, either -- not that Arialla had really been laughing at Safrin per se: more at herself, and her own flustered confusion. But too late; the sound had already escaped her.
As Safrin spoke, however, Arialla grew more solemn. So much more in you than you're ever aware of ... If you trust me ... That sounded like Safrin intended something serious, something perhaps irreversible -- it reminded Arialla a little of the language Apollo had used when offering to transform her body. While Arialla didn't want to insult Safrin by appearing hesitant, she did have to think for a little bit. Did she trust Safrin?
Considering -- or perhaps because of -- her time as a priestess, Arialla had a rather cynical view of gods. She didn't trust Safrin the way she would a mortal woman, a mother or best friend: trust to have compassion, to forgive mistakes, to have empathy. However, did she believe Safrin meant her harm? No, not at all. She believed everything Safrin had told her about wanting her as a follower, and while she might have been a little more cautious were she speaking to, say, Ludo -- she believed that Safrin would reward and protect her followers.
So Arialla raised her eyes to meet Safrin's -- she'd never moved her face out of the goddess's hands, thought the close contact made her blood rush, her heart pound -- and said, a bit shyly, "I would like that. What dp you have in mind?"
please don't take my sunshine away
