Ouroboros Spine v. two feet standing on a principle

Raimo listens. He smiles thinly at the similarities between his habits and those of her people, but finds that the more she speaks of them the more unremarkable they sound. It is not his goal to be unkind; he still wishes to learn of them as he wishes to learn of all people, all things. Knowledge is power. He can take pieces of the stories he gathers and patchwork new ones from them. They seem less alien to him the more Lote explains. Much like his own people, who he does miss.

Perhaps some day we can share stories. He offers, but he does not delve in to a story now. There will be time to share and to gather as the days move on. It is enough to have built this small bridge between the two of them — he can work with what she's offered up, coax more when the time comes.

I am late to a patrol, he decides, and nods his chin to her in a silent dismissal of himself. Raimo pauses long enough to hear anything else the youth has to say but it is clear by his reaching gait that he has somewhere to be, and soon enough he is seeking the comfort of the shadows and his work in private.