[private] such a simple thing

[Vastra]

Vastra does not look from him so she can see the way his eyes slip away occasionally, so she can guess at the emotions. There’s a grin at his silence to her suggestion of bringing the lion out to play - a feral, teasing, predatory grin but it is a joy to leave someone speechless. Verbal sparring was not something she felt that she excelled in so she would be sure to disappoint if he offered a quip back to her, though it has been easier to form words lately. Not like when she couldn’t shift and it seemed like her entire brain got stuck in the process. When he does speak again, she’s not sure what he’s asking - whether he means in her lifetimes as a lioness, or to reach this ease - and she’s far too stubborn to ask for clarification. So she decides on the answer she thinks might help him. Not out of charity, nor sympathy, but just out of a desire to see what he’ll do. Plus she likes the idea of being wise enough to give advice. Vastra maintains her lounging demeanour when he moves closer - though her muscles are at the ready to leap when needed and she itches to stand. The desire for both space and a complete lack of it are both equally strong in her mind. Perhaps if he hadn’t turned out to be so interesting, it would be easier to decide. She looks away for a moment, towards the Playground, a small reprieve for him. When her watchful gaze returns to the gold and ivory stallion, it is softer - a little less predatory as she replies honestly - even if it’s not quite what he was looking for. “I also spent some time being stuck as a horse, fresh from living as a lion, and now that I can shift again…” A pause while she tries to explain the feeling and the freedom she feels both when she is in this form and when she is in the sky as her horse-self. That is when she truly feels like Vastra, like she belongs somewhere. It’s never been about kingdoms or families for her. Until Chel, all she needed was some mountains to roam and a bright sky to soar and that would be enough. Lucky then that she can bring her daughter along to both, now. “Both forms are a part of me, denying one over the other only ever brought me pain and uncertainty. So I practiced until I could move back and forth as the desire took me.” She can shift into other animals too, but none of them have the same feeling of being home as this lioness does. And then, because she is bold, she opts for a more obvious poke. “Maybe that’s all you need too? Some practice?” v a s t r a

artwork by space1993

@[Svedka]