07-16-2023, 04:32 PM
Her gaze was solemn and disappointed, but ultimately pulled by Roza’s flight. She didn’t wait for Cruz’s response; she could already feel it. Instead she took hold of Rena’s hand and pulled her away, like she regretted sharing the gift of camaraderie with a boy who clearly couldn’t take a joke. “It’s just a sticker,” she muttered to Rena as she slipped her arm through the other girl’s and steered them after Roza. Her brows rose in a shared look. The carnival swallowed them up as they left the safety of the tent, and Esper called over her shoulder: “Well come on then, Cruz, before she gets too far ahead. Maybe if you ask her nicely she’ll let you have another one.”
By now she understood Roza’s direction. There was no actual rush beyond the one that insinuated Cruz was about to be left behind. Given how quickly he had come to the crook of Roza’s finger before, like a bounding puppy, she did not expect he would take long to make the decision. And if not? Well, the carnival was a wondrous place. But it was not always a nice place to be lost and alone.
Esper was quiet but companionable as they followed, soaking in the emotions around her rather than dwelling on the ones emanating from the girl at her side. Rena was a guest and Esper naturally treated her with the respect of such, which was also why she did not push that annoying sense of reticence away. The light bounced and caught in the sequins of Esper’s jacket, casting little rainbows all around them that drew the eye as they passed. Her attention lingered several times on those who paused to look. The hint of a smile greeted. She could have corralled, performed a little, until people trickled after out of curiosity. But tonight the show was private, and Esper’s smile only promised a secret she would not tell.
Roza called back to them once they were within earshot. Pressed this close to Rena was like slipping on another skin, and from what she could feel she was not sure how the other girl would handle the show in question. The choice was hers, though; to hesitate or risk. A little fear never hurt anyone. And it would taste delicious. She turned her gaze to Cruz, to see how he would respond.
[[double posting to make it easier for Rena and Cruz to decide whether to accept the show]]
By now she understood Roza’s direction. There was no actual rush beyond the one that insinuated Cruz was about to be left behind. Given how quickly he had come to the crook of Roza’s finger before, like a bounding puppy, she did not expect he would take long to make the decision. And if not? Well, the carnival was a wondrous place. But it was not always a nice place to be lost and alone.
Esper was quiet but companionable as they followed, soaking in the emotions around her rather than dwelling on the ones emanating from the girl at her side. Rena was a guest and Esper naturally treated her with the respect of such, which was also why she did not push that annoying sense of reticence away. The light bounced and caught in the sequins of Esper’s jacket, casting little rainbows all around them that drew the eye as they passed. Her attention lingered several times on those who paused to look. The hint of a smile greeted. She could have corralled, performed a little, until people trickled after out of curiosity. But tonight the show was private, and Esper’s smile only promised a secret she would not tell.
Roza called back to them once they were within earshot. Pressed this close to Rena was like slipping on another skin, and from what she could feel she was not sure how the other girl would handle the show in question. The choice was hers, though; to hesitate or risk. A little fear never hurt anyone. And it would taste delicious. She turned her gaze to Cruz, to see how he would respond.
[[double posting to make it easier for Rena and Cruz to decide whether to accept the show]]