Sea Lion Shores i.vi : who was broken by trained personnel

he'd expected something different, certainly, but perhaps not quite this different. peryite loves you, she says, and he's struck by the sincerity of the statement more than anything else. he can't tear his gaze away from the exposed inside of her mouth, the rows of teeth glinting at him from a mess of scar tissue, feeling her words reverberate around him as she continues. he takes in a slow breath, moving closer to her with no small measure of hesitation. if he's allowed so close, he presses his nose gently into the pale girl's shoulder, lingering for a few beats. he does not know who peryite is, or how to pray — but he knows what is being offered here. acceptance, comfort — companionship, if only for the moment. it brings him a sense of peace he has only ever known through the drifting song he chases endlessly.