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Evie
fear has favourites
This time she plucks the berries directly from his palm to feed herself, standing from their shared crouch to pull on his elbow distractedly until he joins her on her new path to the herbs. Even the shock of touching his skin when she expected cloth where his sleeves are rolled up is a reminder of how long she has gone without human contact. It helps rationalize the need for him to be close, even if it does nothing to stop her disgruntlement over what she perceives as girlish weakness. But for all her fire, her life had always been full of touch. Amalia’s hugs and handholding, chaste kisses and less chaste hookups with various fancies, Deimos’ steady hands hauling her from the dirt during sparring, even the rare and convoluted emotions spurred by proud claps of a hand across her shoulders from her father or her mother’s hesitant cupping of her lightly freckled cheeks.
Here and now she’s grateful that Deimos has never done more than lightly tease her for her inclinations to touch. It had taken them seasons to get here, but it was well worth the effort of building that closeness. “Bring something as in a weapon or a gift?” she can’t help but snort, leaning on that Caido brand of dark humor. Her hands bury themselves in soil to keep them safely busied, shamelessly moving a bundle of rosemary away from the neighboring plant that she knows would discourage its natural growth. Whoever tends to the greenhouse could take up the decision with Evie if they didn’t like it. “I still use the throwing knives you taught me to use, but anything else I left in the Grounds. Figured they were all weapons I could find here, and better quality at that.” It’s a tangle of things, that sentence; memories, loyalty to all he has done for her by continuing his lessons, revelation of all she has given up to be here so short notice. But also, more humorously, a revelation that she is woefully under-armed these days. Dusting the soil idly off her hands (badly, leaving stains behind) the Evergreen turns and smiles beatifically up at Deimos. “Also - I am never leaving this place.” Even just standing within its walls she feels like she’s actively healing. don't let one be you |
Table made by Sky!
