11.May.20, 11:16 AM
Madiquel flushed at the strangled way A’tay spoke her name, feeling a coil of uncommon emotion in her belly and ripple up her spine. It took her a moment to place it: shame. The realisation caused confusion, though, because she didn’t know why she felt that way. It wasn’t in her nature to become angry or defensive, and so she simply slid down from Zezeth’s back and stood beside her dragon, not looking in A’tay’s direction for a while as she collected herself. His question surprised her, and she looked up, tilting her head slightly at him and blinking in the darkness. There really wasn’t very much light, and she could mostly only make out the shadowy contours of A’tay’s face, and the dark blob that she knew was his body.
“Yes.” A pause. “No,” she said softly, shoulders slumping. “TayTay, I’m sorry.” The moment after those words had spilled free, Madiquel threw herself from beside Zezeth, who was chatting with (or at, Madiquel wasn’t sure) Xyxyth. The girl wrapped her arms around A’tay’s neck – once more surprised by how tall he had gotten – and clung to him fiercely for several moments. Loosening her grip just enough to stare up at A’tay intently, Madiquel puffed out a breath gently, aiming it up past her own face, causing the hair around her face to fluff up briefly. “I’m not mad at you, I swear!” Eyes wide, face worried. “I was angry at me, for not being there for Quin.” Madiquel sighed, and dropped her head, chin to her chest and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against A’tay’s chest.
“I’ve been a terrible friend!” she said, horrified at herself and how much the vocalisation of that fact caused more guilt to bubble up, filling her with dread. She really had been awful! She’d been so selfish, because she hadn’t been able to be there. Which meant she wasn’t there at all for A’tay or any of her other friends over the past several days, and wasn’t that worse? Madiquel pouted, but she was disgusted with herself. She’d never thought of herself as a selfish person, but now she wasn’t sure! Maybe she’d always been a terrible friend? Oh, that was such a disgusting thought!
Leaning back again, Madiquel frowned intently up at A’tay, eyebrows furrowed. “Have you been okay?” she asked gently, knowing A’tay was at the Hatching that day and she hadn’t spoken to him since he told her about Quinvalis and she took off. She really was a terrible friend. She knew how that upset him since his own mishap on the Sands before Impressing. Madiquel leaned back just slightly, shifting so her hands were resting lightly on A’tay’s shoulders as she thought to grab his hand to examine, as if the past hatching might somehow have re-opened the old wound, but realised in the process that his hands were on her hips. She was surprised for a moment, before beaming up at him, eyes bright in the darkness, remembering their dance at the Gather before she Impressed.
“We just need some music!” She said softly, and giggled when Zezeth started humming quietly in response.
“Yes.” A pause. “No,” she said softly, shoulders slumping. “TayTay, I’m sorry.” The moment after those words had spilled free, Madiquel threw herself from beside Zezeth, who was chatting with (or at, Madiquel wasn’t sure) Xyxyth. The girl wrapped her arms around A’tay’s neck – once more surprised by how tall he had gotten – and clung to him fiercely for several moments. Loosening her grip just enough to stare up at A’tay intently, Madiquel puffed out a breath gently, aiming it up past her own face, causing the hair around her face to fluff up briefly. “I’m not mad at you, I swear!” Eyes wide, face worried. “I was angry at me, for not being there for Quin.” Madiquel sighed, and dropped her head, chin to her chest and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against A’tay’s chest.
“I’ve been a terrible friend!” she said, horrified at herself and how much the vocalisation of that fact caused more guilt to bubble up, filling her with dread. She really had been awful! She’d been so selfish, because she hadn’t been able to be there. Which meant she wasn’t there at all for A’tay or any of her other friends over the past several days, and wasn’t that worse? Madiquel pouted, but she was disgusted with herself. She’d never thought of herself as a selfish person, but now she wasn’t sure! Maybe she’d always been a terrible friend? Oh, that was such a disgusting thought!
Leaning back again, Madiquel frowned intently up at A’tay, eyebrows furrowed. “Have you been okay?” she asked gently, knowing A’tay was at the Hatching that day and she hadn’t spoken to him since he told her about Quinvalis and she took off. She really was a terrible friend. She knew how that upset him since his own mishap on the Sands before Impressing. Madiquel leaned back just slightly, shifting so her hands were resting lightly on A’tay’s shoulders as she thought to grab his hand to examine, as if the past hatching might somehow have re-opened the old wound, but realised in the process that his hands were on her hips. She was surprised for a moment, before beaming up at him, eyes bright in the darkness, remembering their dance at the Gather before she Impressed.
“We just need some music!” She said softly, and giggled when Zezeth started humming quietly in response.