03-29-2023, 08:59 PM
“Wise?” Nimeda laughed a little; she found it an incongruous title. Her smile softened. “I am just old.”
Her empty palms floated for a while longer before they drifted down again to her side. Hurt flashed behind her eyes, but it settled into the reflection of an unusual quietude. Even Mara stayed in her place, chastened by Noctua and the Dream Eater both. It was the span of a few steps but Nimeda felt a thousand miles away, and quite alone for it.
“Your head is overstuffed with thoughts, Noctua. They pull you down like rocks.” She recognised the defensiveness of his position; hands in pockets, eyes closed. With anyone else she would have reached to cup their cheeks in comfort. Her fingers itched, but the memory of his patient and firm rejection, while forgiven, was not so distant as to not give her pause. It would not stay her affection forever, but for now she was just gratified to see he had not woken.
“You are afraid of what the dream will show you, so you will not even try. Caution is commendable! I am told that often. You should know I would never try to force you to do something you didn’t want to do. But you are standing in a place of possibility.”
After a moment, she added. “I went to your home, like you said.”
Her empty palms floated for a while longer before they drifted down again to her side. Hurt flashed behind her eyes, but it settled into the reflection of an unusual quietude. Even Mara stayed in her place, chastened by Noctua and the Dream Eater both. It was the span of a few steps but Nimeda felt a thousand miles away, and quite alone for it.
“Your head is overstuffed with thoughts, Noctua. They pull you down like rocks.” She recognised the defensiveness of his position; hands in pockets, eyes closed. With anyone else she would have reached to cup their cheeks in comfort. Her fingers itched, but the memory of his patient and firm rejection, while forgiven, was not so distant as to not give her pause. It would not stay her affection forever, but for now she was just gratified to see he had not woken.
“You are afraid of what the dream will show you, so you will not even try. Caution is commendable! I am told that often. You should know I would never try to force you to do something you didn’t want to do. But you are standing in a place of possibility.”
After a moment, she added. “I went to your home, like you said.”
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