KINGDOM MEETING | ACTIVITY CHECK

[zai]

have you ever thought about what protects our hearts?
just a cage of rib bones and other various parts

Even in his youth, he had not enjoyed kingdom meetings. Of course, back then, it had been because he had too many other things to do. He had adventures to uncover and people to talk to and wonderful things to see. Now, he dreaded them for altogether different reasons. He hated the prospect of having to actually face the rest of Sylva’s residents and see, for himself, how they were not his family. He hated having to be so near to others, feign the politeness that had been trained so throughly into him during his youth. He hated having to wear that smile, remind himself of his parents and yet have none of their warmth.

Still, he had told Djinni that he would stay and while he did not look forward to the meeting, he also knew that it was part of the package deal. He was many things, but he was not someone who broke his word. So, despite his desire to stay locked away and hidden within the perpetual autumn of the forest, he broke from it with a groan at the sound of her call. Rolling his massive shoulders, he rolled his eyes and then ventured toward the center of the land where she stood, perched up on the rock. How regal of her.

For a second, he reminded himself that he should smile, and instead he bargained with himself, ending up with a stern face but not entirely a frown. It was progress, he told himself. When she introduced him, he grimaced internally but looked around to make eye contact with the others, nodding briefly before returning his gaze to Djinni. She would get an earful later for putting him on the spot like that.

He cleared his throat at the mention of activities, surprising even himself. “I will participate,” his voice was husky, deep, rattling from his chest. “In the spars, that is.” It’d give himself something to do at least.

so it's fairly simple to cut right through the mess
and to stop the muscle that makes us confess

ZAI