[ there's a peculiar kind of pain to getting what you want.
seeing her again, seeing her here like this. feeling, no matter how irrational a part of him knows it is, like he can save her this time. the sympathy in amos's voice. we're not leaving her behind, i promise. how many years has he wished to hear that? how many years has he wished that maarva or clem had, somehow, known about kerri and promised him this before taking him offworld? how much better is it to be promised they won't abandon her, than to be told there were no survivors on kenari?
he trusts the raw emotion in amos's voice more than he trusts the idea of yima. he trusts the promise more than he should. for no better reason, he knows, than it's what he wants. he's manipulated people in this way more times than he can count. he should know better. he does know better. he watches kerri draw near, and he closes his eyes, and he nods in response to amos's promises. softly, ]
She'll come with me.
[ his voice is not gentle, because he's long since cut everything gentle out of himself. but it is fragile in a way he rarely is. rarely allows himself to be. his eyes are still closed when she's near enough to raise a hand to his cheek. when she touches his face, he exhales a long breath, shivering. ]
1/2
seeing her again, seeing her here like this. feeling, no matter how irrational a part of him knows it is, like he can save her this time. the sympathy in amos's voice. we're not leaving her behind, i promise. how many years has he wished to hear that? how many years has he wished that maarva or clem had, somehow, known about kerri and promised him this before taking him offworld? how much better is it to be promised they won't abandon her, than to be told there were no survivors on kenari?
he trusts the raw emotion in amos's voice more than he trusts the idea of yima. he trusts the promise more than he should. for no better reason, he knows, than it's what he wants. he's manipulated people in this way more times than he can count. he should know better. he does know better. he watches kerri draw near, and he closes his eyes, and he nods in response to amos's promises. softly, ]
She'll come with me.
[ his voice is not gentle, because he's long since cut everything gentle out of himself. but it is fragile in a way he rarely is. rarely allows himself to be. his eyes are still closed when she's near enough to raise a hand to his cheek. when she touches his face, he exhales a long breath, shivering. ]