Verdant Basin Forever's a long time

he grinned. "seriously, dude. it's great to have even a bite in there," he chuckled, gesturing toward his bony stomach. he let his gaze rest on Laika again; she always seemed to glow, despite the ugliness around them. she had an optimism that in anyone else he would have found unrealistic, annoying, but not in the pale girl. 

it was this glow he craved, for maybe it would warm the horrid emptiness of his heart, and on a whim Casmir gestured that she should come closer and lie beside him, his eyes quietly requesting this and his soul hoping she would understand.