we wear the mask
that grins and lies
that grins and lies
She frees him of any culpability with quivering speech and a small, weak shake of her head ─ but neither make Halcyon feel as if he is free from fault. Is this what it is, to feel empathy? His mother spoke of it often, had taught him that empathy was a great gift to possess. She had told him that the world would try to convince him not to feel that empathy ─ and he understands why, now that he feels pain in the knowledge that he cannot free Jenger from hers. The young tiger's breath catches then, as she whispers to him secrets of her own mother ─
and still, his heart aches for hers.
The ache grows, as she reaches out to touch his chest. Cold in here. His thoughts turn to Aquaria and her warmth ─ and oh, how thankful the Ischian boy is for the relationship he has with the finned woman. He nickers for Jenger, his feline eyes watching her closely as he reaches out with his warm muzzle to touch her. He lingers, only inches away, to let his warm breath wash against her skin before he diminishes the space between them to nothing once more. The touch is brief, but its warmth is genuine.
"It's safe," he murmurs to her quietly as worry knits between his brows, "But I don't want to make you do something you don't want to do." The confession is whispered intimately, and he makes no attempt to hide the worry in his voice. "I... I think you would like it, though. It's warm all the time and ─" he trails off, wondering if he is about to overstep, but makes the plunge anyway, "─ and my family is there. They would like you, I just know it. And I could... I could make you happy, when you're feeling sad." He wills his mind to reach out with tendrils of Happiness again ─ tentatively, testing, and ready to retract if she does not want his emotional interference.
@[Jenger*]
""
and still, his heart aches for hers.
The ache grows, as she reaches out to touch his chest. Cold in here. His thoughts turn to Aquaria and her warmth ─ and oh, how thankful the Ischian boy is for the relationship he has with the finned woman. He nickers for Jenger, his feline eyes watching her closely as he reaches out with his warm muzzle to touch her. He lingers, only inches away, to let his warm breath wash against her skin before he diminishes the space between them to nothing once more. The touch is brief, but its warmth is genuine.
"It's safe," he murmurs to her quietly as worry knits between his brows, "But I don't want to make you do something you don't want to do." The confession is whispered intimately, and he makes no attempt to hide the worry in his voice. "I... I think you would like it, though. It's warm all the time and ─" he trails off, wondering if he is about to overstep, but makes the plunge anyway, "─ and my family is there. They would like you, I just know it. And I could... I could make you happy, when you're feeling sad." He wills his mind to reach out with tendrils of Happiness again ─ tentatively, testing, and ready to retract if she does not want his emotional interference.
""