mama bore a girl with a gun for a mouth, teeth dripping lead and lips bleeding red
Shutters fall across his face, and she had prepared for it enough for the hurt to be dull and removed. Admittedly Hotaru has had to face the consequences of her actions in many ways throughout her life. Nothing has ever been something so distinctly painful and personal as this though. An appropriate penance, then.
Her hands remain folded with almost militaristic neatness before her, one hand gripping the opposite wrist until the knuckles bleed white. If she holds herself like this, she can control any reaction her body might want to make without her approval. It’s a good thing she does. His words are an icy slap, and she tilts her chin higher, bearing it with as much grace as she can. As much allowance and grace as he deserves.
“Contrary to popular belief, old dogs can learn new tricks,” she murmurs. Letting her eyes unfocus just enough to let the fire warp his facial features to make it a little less painful to meet his eyes. “Now seems as good a time as any to change things around. Can’t make anything worse.” And maybe she’s not perfectly able to control herself, because she can’t help the slight challenging rise to her tone at the end. She bites her lip and frowns slightly in the wake of it, frustrated at herself for being unable to do even this much.
Her hands remain folded with almost militaristic neatness before her, one hand gripping the opposite wrist until the knuckles bleed white. If she holds herself like this, she can control any reaction her body might want to make without her approval. It’s a good thing she does. His words are an icy slap, and she tilts her chin higher, bearing it with as much grace as she can. As much allowance and grace as he deserves.
“Contrary to popular belief, old dogs can learn new tricks,” she murmurs. Letting her eyes unfocus just enough to let the fire warp his facial features to make it a little less painful to meet his eyes. “Now seems as good a time as any to change things around. Can’t make anything worse.” And maybe she’s not perfectly able to control herself, because she can’t help the slight challenging rise to her tone at the end. She bites her lip and frowns slightly in the wake of it, frustrated at herself for being unable to do even this much.
