Witch's Marsh the cry of a loon

With the extended isolation for the last year, it was no marvel that Kukulkan was rusty, to put it kindly, in his normally brilliant skill of reading the room, of being able to bring it to life and laughter with the simplest of efforts. When they had first run in together, K felt those insecurities drift away as they two connected almost instantly, despite the literal clumsy start.

And yet here he was, a prince to be, with the weight on his shoulders, a song in his heart, and he feels helpless at the inner turmoil of his newly-found friend. The son of seas was never helpless - this did not suit him well. A burning in his chest began to swell, countering the nips and stings of the chill around him, as he felt a tension wave down from his neck to his limbs. He... he could fix this. He would.

"You -- you mean stay?" Any other moment and off-white teeth would glisten and twinkle from the biggest of grins, the deepest laughs shattering that silence that pulled them down from their throats. But not this moment. Something lingered in his mind, a reminiscence of what it meant to stay, and the true reasons behind his necessity to do so. Instead, that smile simply glided back on, snaggleteeth poking as his gaze brightened and warmed. Arching his neck down to her, K let the very tip of his nose carefully, barely rest on the crown of her head. One second. Two. Slowly pull back an inch.

"Yeah, Lady Ibis." Though the warmth, as always, lingered in his words, there was something new. Something subtle. Solemn. I... I'ma here fer many reasons, but nothin's really that... pressin' or anythin'. No deadline..." It wasn't a lie, though his guts knew it wasn't exactly the full truth. Completing his mission meant leaving and, hopefully, coming back. But Ibis was hurting now. His... his only friend was in need now...

Matters could afford to be postponed, right?
But then her final question...

"Aha well ye see," He'd burst in with a layered chuckle, trying to buy himself a second to both hide his true worries - he couldn't share them, no, not to further burden the poor Lady - and come up with something convincing enough for her. Lady Ibis, there're many places I need'ta see, wanna be, y'know. Curse f'a bein' a pirate 'n all." Dramatic shrug. "An'--" Lump in his throat, emotion suddenly coming and threatening to break, but he expertly shoved that doubt back down and maintained that carefree, reassuring tone, "This jus' happen t'be one of the places I need'ta be..."

That grin beamed all the same, his head whipping up and giving itself a thorough shake as though trying to disperse the tension that had cloaked the two of them. Kukulkan was never one to allow misery to wallow if he could help it. Especially not for others.

"I promis'..."

@Ibis