Ocean's Breath Plateau times could be much worse

She mentioned leaving, and he instinctively pulled back from the ledge and the puke-stain and looked to her, at first dead-on to her face, then h is gaze dropped to watch her paws. Almost as if he were waiting for the inevitable departure, but knowing he would be overwhelmed with sadness again once she was gone. Tryphon was incredibly needy and lonely. It did not matter who had found him, he would have eagerly done anything to keep them from vanishing — and not been aware of this desire in himself at all.

When he admitted to his fear, he thought there would be some kind of... Ease. An acceptance lit with a halo of light from the heavens, perhaps. Something dramatic. But he still felt the sickness in his gut and it made him bitter. The stranger offered herself with words, tempting him away from the edge of the plateau, and he solemnly followed her.

It is not... beautiful, he managed to say with his quiet, shaky voice. It... She, he wanted to look back again because -- no, he did not love the sea, but it was alive and it was a part of him, and it only felt right to regard the entity which he spoke of, as one might a mother or a sister, even if they were hated as vehemently as this. Yet he kept himself staring straight ahead, his eyes tired. She devours. I was... lucky, but, but... the man shook his head and fell silent.

He had survived his near-drowning as a child, but at what cost?