( between his tears he coughs hard, practically a child racked with grief with his inability to tamp it down. perhaps fate has dealt him a kind hand today. perhaps laurent cannot recognize the lavender petals that he coughs up, almond-shaped with a yellow speck. every time aspen coughs up wisteria petals, he finds himself overcome with the desire to cry. laurent may have been right. maybe they were both still those scared, helpless children at heart.
despite all of aspen's kindness and openness, he regards the promise laurent makes with such terrified suspicion, it's as if the two have swapped bodies. violet-blue eyes are wide with trepidation, a deer caught in a hunt, petal-filled hand only an inch away from his mouth from where he'd been suppressing his coughs. )
... thank you. ( but he does relent and accept the help, gaze lowering. ) If you have need of it, I will do the same. I may not be the best in combat, but a second pair of eyes to watch your back is always a boon.
( he seems fit to relax in the dark and catch his breath, back against the wall of the ship. aspen even closes his eyes.
and it feels like laurent saw this moment to drive a knife in his chest. he stares at laurent, lips parted in shock, then he shuts his eyes tightly with a clear grimace.
does he have to say anything? even his expression is a clear 'aw, fuck, jig's up'. he runs a hand through his bangs, pushing them back away from his face as his wings slump in exhaustion - but also in relaxation. in a way, keeping this secret has been just as fraught as anything else he keeps close to the chest. )
To be clear, Aza, Wisteria, and I are... ( he sighs. ) were. The three of us were lovers. They were close, and understood each other in ways I could never even hope to fathom, and - Aza was the most powerful in combat, the best of us. He didn't jump into the fight just to protect me, he did it because he was furious his lover had been killed by a good-for-nothing slaver looking to bring him and I and all of our people back as chattel. Even if he were king instead of me, I think he would have done the same.
( aspen sets his staff away from him, giving it an accusatory glare before he fixes the scarf around laurent's shoulders, now. it's a clear account that what aspen claimed - being without his catalyst depriving him of magic - is true. ) I was born as Crown Prince Aquila of Zephyr, but that does not mean much when seeing my land and people killed robbed me of my memory. My earliest memory is that my name was Aspen, and that Master Phelans had bought me.
I didn't - and still don't - remember anything before.
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despite all of aspen's kindness and openness, he regards the promise laurent makes with such terrified suspicion, it's as if the two have swapped bodies. violet-blue eyes are wide with trepidation, a deer caught in a hunt, petal-filled hand only an inch away from his mouth from where he'd been suppressing his coughs. )
... thank you. ( but he does relent and accept the help, gaze lowering. ) If you have need of it, I will do the same. I may not be the best in combat, but a second pair of eyes to watch your back is always a boon.
( he seems fit to relax in the dark and catch his breath, back against the wall of the ship. aspen even closes his eyes.
and it feels like laurent saw this moment to drive a knife in his chest. he stares at laurent, lips parted in shock, then he shuts his eyes tightly with a clear grimace.
does he have to say anything? even his expression is a clear 'aw, fuck, jig's up'. he runs a hand through his bangs, pushing them back away from his face as his wings slump in exhaustion - but also in relaxation. in a way, keeping this secret has been just as fraught as anything else he keeps close to the chest. )
To be clear, Aza, Wisteria, and I are... ( he sighs. ) were. The three of us were lovers. They were close, and understood each other in ways I could never even hope to fathom, and - Aza was the most powerful in combat, the best of us. He didn't jump into the fight just to protect me, he did it because he was furious his lover had been killed by a good-for-nothing slaver looking to bring him and I and all of our people back as chattel. Even if he were king instead of me, I think he would have done the same.
( aspen sets his staff away from him, giving it an accusatory glare before he fixes the scarf around laurent's shoulders, now. it's a clear account that what aspen claimed - being without his catalyst depriving him of magic - is true. ) I was born as Crown Prince Aquila of Zephyr, but that does not mean much when seeing my land and people killed robbed me of my memory. My earliest memory is that my name was Aspen, and that Master Phelans had bought me.
I didn't - and still don't - remember anything before.