HARPER
Harper gives a quiet, rumbling laugh, though he tries not to disturb where her head rests by doing so. "Seren have you considered perhaps you have not met someone untrustworthy then?" Blue eyes look to the horizon, and he prays he's right. "I have been here for a few years now, and even I have yet to encounter anyone who has wished me harm or done more than say a few mean words to me." People - as Oliver had put it when he first arrived here - simply liked to be kind. It was why there was no currency, no capitalism, and open borders. Far beyond anything Harper had ever known in his home world. "I don't think you should hide from them at all. I think you should make a list - on paper - of the secrets you think you need to keep from biggest to smallest. The small ones are okay to share when you feel it's right, and the big ones...well, perhaps for now Ronin can be your Remi, or Safrin, and they can help you figure out if the person can know those. It's okay to look to your parents if there's nobody else to step into that trustworthy role, no matter how old you get." Harper envies her for the ability in fact. Though he'd lost his parents young, there isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't miss them and the wisdom they could have given him. "But people cannot prove they're trustworthy if we do not first trust them with something. It's scary, and daunting, but we have to give them a chance to prove themselves - at risk of ourselves."
Harper lets her go, refusing to keep trapped anyone who didn't want to be near him, but he tracked her with a worried frown. One that only grew deeper as she moved too close to the edge for his comfort. And then more puzzled by her words. "Oh. That's...I didn't have any kind of romantic intentions in hugging you, Seren. And frankly Phoebe would sooner hit me with a spoon if I didn't offer someone comfort when they were upset." He tries to put her worries at ease with a small, warm smile. "But if it makes you feel more comfortable, I understand. I'm a touchy guy, it's who I am." Unwilling to make her feel ashamed or embarrassed, Harper directs it upon himself, cheerful and disarming. Then his face softens and he taps his thumb against his fingers in turn to prevent himself from moving closer, still uncomfortable with where she's standing but unwilling to spook her further. "I just hope you feel a little better. And if not, well...rooftop tag is a time-honored tradition back home that's sure to make you smile." Present her with an escape to take from the conversation - and his space, if she desired - wrapped in a neat package of lighthearted games.
Harper lets her go, refusing to keep trapped anyone who didn't want to be near him, but he tracked her with a worried frown. One that only grew deeper as she moved too close to the edge for his comfort. And then more puzzled by her words. "Oh. That's...I didn't have any kind of romantic intentions in hugging you, Seren. And frankly Phoebe would sooner hit me with a spoon if I didn't offer someone comfort when they were upset." He tries to put her worries at ease with a small, warm smile. "But if it makes you feel more comfortable, I understand. I'm a touchy guy, it's who I am." Unwilling to make her feel ashamed or embarrassed, Harper directs it upon himself, cheerful and disarming. Then his face softens and he taps his thumb against his fingers in turn to prevent himself from moving closer, still uncomfortable with where she's standing but unwilling to spook her further. "I just hope you feel a little better. And if not, well...rooftop tag is a time-honored tradition back home that's sure to make you smile." Present her with an escape to take from the conversation - and his space, if she desired - wrapped in a neat package of lighthearted games.
if brokenness is a form of art
I must be a poster child prodigy
I must be a poster child prodigy
