[private] take a look in the mirror

[Altissima]

Altissima manages to stop herself from scowling at his sharp tone. She doesn't understand the reason for it - he can't have been that bothered by her hasty retreat the last time they spoke, he hadn't complained then - but she's determined not to let it bother her or to give into the curious thoughts that might have her ask just what is his problem. She shouldn't want to know, there's no point in guarding herself if she's just going to ask questions. Her ears twitch when he says her name and she finds herself wishing he would just call her Wildling. Her proper name in his voice is… well it’s too nice to hear. She doesn’t know if he uses it to be formal (because they are back to being strangers with no nicknames for one another) or intimate (because they have moved past those nicknames). Altissima reminds herself that she should prefer for it to be the former - that it would surely make it easier to pretend she does not care for him if they are stilted and formal with one another. It is too easy to fall into the habit she’s formed, though, and her guarded blue gaze shifts to violet when her response to his question comes quickly and easily. “No, it’s only fun if you’re…” But she stops herself before she can continue that particular train of thought, the one that would’ve had her said ‘there to catch me’. It feels like those words are hanging in the air and if he looks at her at just the right angle, he’ll be able to see them. So she backtracks and continues, a spark in her eyes and a little of her self-caused tension eases out of her body. “It’s only fun if I get to see the look on your face when I'm successful.” Which was true enough, and a faint smile appears so she looks away - up to the sky that is shifting colours. She’d come here to watch the sunset, after all, and that is what she tells herself is her excuse for looking away from him. “It should be a bright moon tonight, no clouds. Are you excited, Tarian?” The use of his name meant to be a test of sorts, to see how he reacted to her using it, but even with the barb it is attached to, all it does is remind her of when she had first spoken it out loud.

artwork by cal

@[Tarian]