Her smile was soft in the low light, but genuine enough to hear his answer. This was, after all, what she did best. Confidant, counselor, simple listening ear. She had played these roles often in the days before the dark. It was an abstract comfort to be able to slip back into the same patterns, even if things had changed so dramatically.
"Barring the sun coming back, what more could you ask for?" She queried, knowing sometimes there was more, but not often. It was, she decided, just one other who he was asking along the lines of. A heart uncertain of the road ahead, and who could blame him? Still. If it was a partnership like it sounded he'd found, she suspected he had nothing to worry about. Not in that exact way.
To support, and be supported in return. To love and be loved. Everything else was doable, if you had that.
She blinked up at him, understanding luminous in her eyes as she listened. Yes, worry was a familiar sensation to the nereid, one she sometimes wondered if she'd ever be free of. That begged the question though: did she want to be free of worry? What would that mean, really? A life without friends and family to fuss over. Without a home to care for. It made her sick to her stomach half the time, but worrying was how she cared.
That train of thought made his next words all the more relevant, and she felt a sigh of exasperation pass through her. "Inherited it, more or less." She said, and it was true. Generations of her blood line had lived here, and many had taken the helm when required. "There's been a few outliers, of course, but for the most part...My grandmother, my mother, my elder sister and my sister's foster daughter have all taken their turns guiding Ischia. It's my turn now, and one day I hope one of my daughters will take my place." If not, there were nieces and cousins available. The chain would not end with her. Not if she could help it. Not as long as there was still Ischia.
@[Tiercel]