Seren
It was so much more than she had hoped. Not a burden, but a weight all the same. Of understanding, of expectation and purpose. It settled over her like a robe might, silken and soft, until Seren felt truly comfortable - perhaps for the first time since her return to the mortal world. There had been a sense of reaching in everything she did up until now. Fumbling hands grasping for hold, testing and trying, like a toddler might put everything in the mouth just to try. Likely that would not stop after a single conversation, but at least Seren might be less inclined to force herself into doing things that felt wrong, merely for the sake of it.
She leaned her cheek against Safrin's gentle caress, her smile soft and awed. Though overwhelmed was perhaps the better choice of word, and in her struggle to comprehend her mother's vision and all the possible paths to reach that goal, the starchild fell back on humor to take the edge off. "It seems I have a long way to go, before I can inspire to more than laughter," she murmured, amused by a moment of insight. "Though perhaps that is a good start? If people are on the ground, writhing with mirth, they are less likely to hurt themselves. Or others."
Watching the stars in Safrin's eyes, her thoughts kept spinning. Straining, reaching. Snagged, over and over, on a topic that remained as an obstacle no matter how she tried to think around it. She breathed in, then sighed and twisted where she stood. Squirmed, before she could get the words out.
"Mother... I used a Portal. I am sorry." There, it was said. And before the storm broke over her, if it would, she hurried on. "Caido is so big, and so beautiful! I want to see all of it, and learn all I can. But there are places I cannot reach on my own feet, and I don't want to use... the.. eh... yeah." Why was it harder to say it the second time? Maybe because she had the image of repeatedly poking a stick into a beehive. "Do... you think I could maybe have a skyboat? Or at least learn how to captain one?"
And then Seren held her breath, not sure whether to expect a storm or a black hole or - even worse - cold disappointment. After all that radiant love and tenderness, it would be like a bucket of ice water; but she was ready. Probably.
She leaned her cheek against Safrin's gentle caress, her smile soft and awed. Though overwhelmed was perhaps the better choice of word, and in her struggle to comprehend her mother's vision and all the possible paths to reach that goal, the starchild fell back on humor to take the edge off. "It seems I have a long way to go, before I can inspire to more than laughter," she murmured, amused by a moment of insight. "Though perhaps that is a good start? If people are on the ground, writhing with mirth, they are less likely to hurt themselves. Or others."
Watching the stars in Safrin's eyes, her thoughts kept spinning. Straining, reaching. Snagged, over and over, on a topic that remained as an obstacle no matter how she tried to think around it. She breathed in, then sighed and twisted where she stood. Squirmed, before she could get the words out.
"Mother... I used a Portal. I am sorry." There, it was said. And before the storm broke over her, if it would, she hurried on. "Caido is so big, and so beautiful! I want to see all of it, and learn all I can. But there are places I cannot reach on my own feet, and I don't want to use... the.. eh... yeah." Why was it harder to say it the second time? Maybe because she had the image of repeatedly poking a stick into a beehive. "Do... you think I could maybe have a skyboat? Or at least learn how to captain one?"
And then Seren held her breath, not sure whether to expect a storm or a black hole or - even worse - cold disappointment. After all that radiant love and tenderness, it would be like a bucket of ice water; but she was ready. Probably.
I'm ready to start the conquest of spaces
Reaching the starlight and silver fields
Reaching the starlight and silver fields
