The mention of Hyaline’s lake is so confusing and annoying that the vision Gale shares with those sharp words blindsides her. The shadow wings that had been curling at Mazikeen’s sides vanish at her sharp intake of breath, eyes widening slightly as she takes in what he shares with her. It’s her, but... more. Everything she wants to be, everything she fears she isn’t. The opposite of what she had assumed he saw her as. Fierce and beautiful, wreathed in fire and lightning. And then she sees how the world spins around her, how she is the centre of it all. Disbelief mixes with a flush of terror.
Terror because of the intensity of this vision, what it might mean, and the uncertainty that waivers in her thundering heart because of it. Is really this how Gale sees her, thinks of her, or is it a trick - playing on her emotions to get her to leave? Both options have such a heavy weight to them. Mazikeen doesn’t understand the scope of his vision magic any more than she understands what to expect from the curse - but if there was a time to quiz him for answers, it is not now.
The vision doesn’t linger for long and when it fades, Mazikeen doesn’t have words. She can barely string together a coherent thought. A very faint tremble passes through her body and she doesn’t have the presence of mind to worry over if he can feel it. With her gaze refocused on his, she manages a small nod, as though she gets it - as though she understands - even though she feels nothing but doubt. She wonders about the correct response for what had just been shared with her and her instinct is to touch him, something kinder than the press and push of their chest and shoulder.
Gale speaks before she is able to decide what to do. His gruff words are hardly a compliment but they make her smile anyway. A true smile that causes her orange eyes to dance just a little. “On that, we can agree.”
She steps back then - not much, just enough so there’s a single stride between them. It doesn’t bother her as much as it normally would, this yielding of ground. It is such a small thing in the scope of everything else and a small kindness in exchange for what he shared with her. Probably made even smaller by the words she’s about to say while her attention remains on his face like she’s memorizing every hair. “If you’ll be so kind as to point out which direction I should start swimming in, I’ll leave... but I’ll be back. And I’m going to keep coming back to check on you. Once I visit the mountain I can return in disguise so you don’t have to see me or even know I’m here but…”
Here she inhales to steady herself as she’s washed over with a strong desire to look away. But she cannot share with him her thoughts so she has to let them shine in her eyes - every damning emotion that is spinning like a cyclone within her, not a single one is hidden. Determination, concern, confusion, affection, fear, and above them all (though she doesn’t understand it) - hope. And in return, she’ll face his disappointment, annoyance, anger, whatever he has to throw at her for being such a stubborn fool. They just agreed she's frustrating - this is hardly the time to go and contradict that now.
“I’m not giving up."
@[Gale]