Dragoncrest Cliffs Of moon, of sea

ajei revealed she didn’t like meeting new people — or leaving her borders often. sobeille examined this statement - both the words spoken, and unspoken; she tried to remember what ajei was like when she first met her. did that version of ajei think the way the ajei that stood in front of her did? did that version of ajei already undergo whatever foundational stressor it was that made her loathe leaving home?

what did that say about her coming here? sobeille appraised ajei with a sentiment akin to possessive pride; ajei had knowingly left home — a place she loved very much — to come here, a place she didn’t like going.

she had done this for sobeille.

a ripple of some unknowable emotion stirred under her skin. she would protect ajei — both the then-version, and this version now — from whatever transpired to make her afraid of experiencing the world. it was the closest thing to empathy sobeille ever knew.

you don’t need to be afraid when i’m here, ajei. sobeille murmured, her expression dark. she liked the way ajei rolled off her tongue. she liked that small, perfectly ajei-sized space that had been carved in the corner of her mind, just for ajei. she liked ajei’s face, and she liked that ajei had killed for her — each of these things were powerful in their effect on sobeille. i will protect you. what startles you, ajei?