Aurelia
If things weren't so hard for them now, she might've rumbled out something akin to a purr and tried to cheer him up using the allure of her shift. At least that's one positive; it's undeniably cute. But the weight is heavy, even with his gratitude and the feeling of his hand stroking through her fur. Still, she leans into the touch and lets them both find some comfort in it while they can.
Her gaze swivels across to the empty space where it would appear a door once was, cleverly hidden in his office. She'd been in it before, when they'd first met and she'd felt so lost. It's a shell of its former glory, blackened and scarred. A pang of sadness shivers across the bond at the sight of it, having not dared to check it before now. She watches carefully as he tests out the staircase, hairs along her nape prickling with unease.
But his words to her are met with a steely, regretful silence. And he goes on to describe why he doesn't understand the meaning of all of this. Even after finding out it was Hotaru, all she could think... The fact she would do something like this... just to hurt you. There is no reason, Sunjata... she looks at him again, ears lowering, I did what I thought would hurt her the most. I was angry, even without knowing who it was. And now that I know, I still...
The glint of silver catches their attention, however, and Aurelia lets her words trail off into the rubble. She can feel the sudden emotion pour out from his side of the bond and, while she's expecting it, it's not over something she thinks it would be. It's a lantern, and paired with Sunjata's wave of agony, she thinks she knows what it must have been for. It's a piece of him, she can feel that, could see it even without the bond.
She does give him several moments of silence, because this clearly deserves it.
Sunjata... she tightens the grip of her paws around his shoulder, but if he doesn't want to look at her she won't push for it. We're gonna make things right. We're gonna fix this. I'll help you every step of the way. Support and reassurance are compelled across their attuned connection, trying to overwhelm his own emotions if such a thing were possible, to console and hold him up through all of this.
Her gaze swivels across to the empty space where it would appear a door once was, cleverly hidden in his office. She'd been in it before, when they'd first met and she'd felt so lost. It's a shell of its former glory, blackened and scarred. A pang of sadness shivers across the bond at the sight of it, having not dared to check it before now. She watches carefully as he tests out the staircase, hairs along her nape prickling with unease.
But his words to her are met with a steely, regretful silence. And he goes on to describe why he doesn't understand the meaning of all of this. Even after finding out it was Hotaru, all she could think... The fact she would do something like this... just to hurt you. There is no reason, Sunjata... she looks at him again, ears lowering, I did what I thought would hurt her the most. I was angry, even without knowing who it was. And now that I know, I still...
The glint of silver catches their attention, however, and Aurelia lets her words trail off into the rubble. She can feel the sudden emotion pour out from his side of the bond and, while she's expecting it, it's not over something she thinks it would be. It's a lantern, and paired with Sunjata's wave of agony, she thinks she knows what it must have been for. It's a piece of him, she can feel that, could see it even without the bond.
She does give him several moments of silence, because this clearly deserves it.
Sunjata... she tightens the grip of her paws around his shoulder, but if he doesn't want to look at her she won't push for it. We're gonna make things right. We're gonna fix this. I'll help you every step of the way. Support and reassurance are compelled across their attuned connection, trying to overwhelm his own emotions if such a thing were possible, to console and hold him up through all of this.
'Cause you brought out the best of me
