03-28-2017, 08:31 PM
Ruan
She opened a wide space between them with a big step back, eyeing the new distance skeptically before asking, is that enough space, Princess?
He tried to give her a wry smile for her snark, but only managed a feeble sort of grimace. The humor was welcome though, a careful balm over everything else that lay hidden and buried within. A temporary relief. But the flicker of concern was still in her eyes, and he felt the urge to avoid it, turn away from that penetrating gaze and that genuine care. He didn't though. He only watched silently as she answered him, wild hair tapping against the soft brown of her as she shook her head.
"Always. Do you blame them though? I am a rather marvelous thing."
His chest pulsed once with a quiet laugh. He agreed, of course. She was marvelous, something entirely unique and untamed. But he didn't say so. He only studied her as she looked up, then back down to him. "And you, Ruan?" Those hawk-eyes sharpened on him and he could feel her take note of the clumsy scrapes and cuts marking his blind run through the forest. Blinded by so much emotion.
He sobered at the question, turned a bitterly cold stare ahead of him as he stiffly rose to his feet. She continued. "You look like you have seen better days, to be completely honest. Much better." He grunted in noncommital agreement, getting his feet steadily beneath him once again. The scars at his sides warped and pinched as he stretched the muscles beneath, rolling a tightness from his shoulders and neck from laying as he had.
"And it's not like you to take naps when vulnerable in the forest."
She was his focus again as his gaze snapped back to her. Vulnerable? He wasn't vulnerable. Or... Maybe he had been. For a few moments. But it'd been necessary. He'd needed it. Blue eyes dulled a little as he responded with a casual shrug, trying to pull a smile to his face to ease the naked truth of it. Yes, I suppose I have seen much better days. His voice was heavy and hard though, and he glanced away. It wasn't every day you try to make up and work through difficult issues only to be immediately accused of the one thing you could never do.
But he threw those thoughts away before they could build him up into another fury. And he didn't expand on his statement. He wasn't really one to open up to anyone; always so private, so distant. If he had a friend, maybe. But apparently he wasn't allowed those, even shallow friendships. Not if they were female. His brows pinched and he shook his head, shaking free the terrible line of thinking. He sighed and looked to her again. She probably could've made a good friend too, so compassionate and kind. He oddly wished she'd go back to the Taiga with him, but he would never ask. Not her. She was happy here, an infectious sort of joy that wafted from her like a perfume. She belonged free.
He did try to smile then, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. I'm glad you're well. It's good to see you again. Have you any new stories to tell me? And then maybe it did reach his eyes just a little, remembering the day they'd met and that storyteller voice of hers as she told him about how she conquered her quest. Maybe she would have more to tell him. Something to take his mind off of everything else for a short while. Or maybe he should ask her.. if it was wrong to wish not to feel anymore. It could be so freeing.
He tried to give her a wry smile for her snark, but only managed a feeble sort of grimace. The humor was welcome though, a careful balm over everything else that lay hidden and buried within. A temporary relief. But the flicker of concern was still in her eyes, and he felt the urge to avoid it, turn away from that penetrating gaze and that genuine care. He didn't though. He only watched silently as she answered him, wild hair tapping against the soft brown of her as she shook her head.
"Always. Do you blame them though? I am a rather marvelous thing."
His chest pulsed once with a quiet laugh. He agreed, of course. She was marvelous, something entirely unique and untamed. But he didn't say so. He only studied her as she looked up, then back down to him. "And you, Ruan?" Those hawk-eyes sharpened on him and he could feel her take note of the clumsy scrapes and cuts marking his blind run through the forest. Blinded by so much emotion.
He sobered at the question, turned a bitterly cold stare ahead of him as he stiffly rose to his feet. She continued. "You look like you have seen better days, to be completely honest. Much better." He grunted in noncommital agreement, getting his feet steadily beneath him once again. The scars at his sides warped and pinched as he stretched the muscles beneath, rolling a tightness from his shoulders and neck from laying as he had.
"And it's not like you to take naps when vulnerable in the forest."
She was his focus again as his gaze snapped back to her. Vulnerable? He wasn't vulnerable. Or... Maybe he had been. For a few moments. But it'd been necessary. He'd needed it. Blue eyes dulled a little as he responded with a casual shrug, trying to pull a smile to his face to ease the naked truth of it. Yes, I suppose I have seen much better days. His voice was heavy and hard though, and he glanced away. It wasn't every day you try to make up and work through difficult issues only to be immediately accused of the one thing you could never do.
But he threw those thoughts away before they could build him up into another fury. And he didn't expand on his statement. He wasn't really one to open up to anyone; always so private, so distant. If he had a friend, maybe. But apparently he wasn't allowed those, even shallow friendships. Not if they were female. His brows pinched and he shook his head, shaking free the terrible line of thinking. He sighed and looked to her again. She probably could've made a good friend too, so compassionate and kind. He oddly wished she'd go back to the Taiga with him, but he would never ask. Not her. She was happy here, an infectious sort of joy that wafted from her like a perfume. She belonged free.
He did try to smile then, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. I'm glad you're well. It's good to see you again. Have you any new stories to tell me? And then maybe it did reach his eyes just a little, remembering the day they'd met and that storyteller voice of hers as she told him about how she conquered her quest. Maybe she would have more to tell him. Something to take his mind off of everything else for a short while. Or maybe he should ask her.. if it was wrong to wish not to feel anymore. It could be so freeing.
