[open] did I build this ship to wreck

[Tiasa]

She had been genuinely asking, rather than simply using flirtation has a distraction. If she had been given a less serious answer, she would have been disappointed. It would have been a path that could have led them somewhere she was not interested in going. Neither was he, it would seem, and though there is some part of Tiasa’s pride that tells her she should be wounded by his lack of interest, she cannot bring herself to care at the moment. The idea of seeing something new is too tantalizing all on its own, everything else is secondary. Will they have to travel far, she wonders? Judging by his rattling breath, she does not think a significant amount of physical exercise is likely. So it must be close - her limited imagination does not allow her to consider any other possibility. Despite this excitement over such a vague offer, she is on-edge about that step he takes to bring them closer. There may be a mutual disinterest but she feels that proximity like the air has condensed and it is physically brushing up against her. Wariness is at war with her desperation for something, anything, and in the end - her bright eyes focused intently on him - she nods. “Alright.” And then, a not-so-casual afterthought. “So long as you don’t touch me.” Maybe that had not even been in the realm of possibility, maybe she was overreacting. Still, best to be upfront about her boundaries, she reasons with herself. It is not personal, these boundaries extend to everyone who breaths and walks and swims. Surely they can travel wherever they need to go without that one thing. tiasa

art by dozymare

@ jamie