With every broken bone, I swear I lived
Damp, slightly sticky apples weighed down her shirt. They were heavy in her lap, yet it wasn't burdensome enough for her to drop and give up on. Why she collected them, Maea wasn't entirely clear over. Habit, perhaps, ingrained into her spine after growing up with the creed of never wasting food. And if nothing else, they made excellent projectiles.
There was no one here deserving of punishment, though. Only two friends with too much baggage, desperately trying to forge new paths for themselves. Whether those wound up crossing, running parallel or veering off in wildly different directions... was too early to tell.
"You can always come stay for a while, if you get tired of roaming," Maea offered, trailing the apple in Harper's hand and contemplating whether to steal another bite or let him keep the prize for himself. "I know it's not the same thing as a proper home of your own, but... you'd be welcome."
Picking wilted grass off her hoard, Maea tried not to read into what he was saying too much. It made her ache for him, to see the sadness in his eyes. She knew the feeling of being rootless; hell, she still was. Just because this was where she had grown up didn't mean she knew it anymore, or even if she really wanted to stay. She had promised herself to try, to give both the Grounds and the Ancients a fair chance - the one she never gave the Ascended - but beyond familiarity... she didn't know if this was where she would remain.
"Is there anything I could do for you?" she asked, looking up suddenly. "Is there anything you need, or want, or... I'm on the council here, now. Pretty sure I could make almost anything happen." He would only have to say the word.
There was no one here deserving of punishment, though. Only two friends with too much baggage, desperately trying to forge new paths for themselves. Whether those wound up crossing, running parallel or veering off in wildly different directions... was too early to tell.
"You can always come stay for a while, if you get tired of roaming," Maea offered, trailing the apple in Harper's hand and contemplating whether to steal another bite or let him keep the prize for himself. "I know it's not the same thing as a proper home of your own, but... you'd be welcome."
Picking wilted grass off her hoard, Maea tried not to read into what he was saying too much. It made her ache for him, to see the sadness in his eyes. She knew the feeling of being rootless; hell, she still was. Just because this was where she had grown up didn't mean she knew it anymore, or even if she really wanted to stay. She had promised herself to try, to give both the Grounds and the Ancients a fair chance - the one she never gave the Ascended - but beyond familiarity... she didn't know if this was where she would remain.
"Is there anything I could do for you?" she asked, looking up suddenly. "Is there anything you need, or want, or... I'm on the council here, now. Pretty sure I could make almost anything happen." He would only have to say the word.
maea
