And just like that, the bitter smirk was gone, replaced by a genuine smile. He leaned forward and tweaked her nose, very much reminded of the demanding little girl he'd had to teach many many things.
"Oh they are s'posed t'love ye are they? Well I'll keep that in mind th'next time."
She was naive in some ways. After all, although she'd suffered such a grievous wound and a great blow to her self image and confidence, she had always been loved. He didn't think she knew what a blessing that was, or maybe she did. It wasn't bad for her to be a little ignorant in that regard. A second generation Tarsian like her... she didn't know what it was like to just come into the world, remembering a childhood but really having no one, being trained by the older ones, set on a path and just released, like an arrow. Zo had no real parents among the Iyarai, and really that meant he had no one to "have to love him unconditionally". He was warmly received, most of the time, by most of the Iyarai. Generally he was thought of as a little odd. His coloring, for one, his size, for another, and his completely cold to hot transitive temper marked him as not quite the same. Granted, he still had the tattoos, and the loyalty to the clan.
"Why don't y'come with? Runnin' aroun' th'mountain s'a real relaxin' experience. If only fer a little while. I think ye'd enjoy nature and solitude. It'd be like th'old days, jess you an' me."
His pale eyes seemed brighter, the blue ringing his pupil the only way to track the movement of his eyes, which scanned the room and pinned a maid. He held up a hand gestured with two fingers. Another round.
If Cel couldn't tell, he was not interested in companionship of the warm and soft kind at the moment. He was also sobering up frighteningly fast.
"Oh they are s'posed t'love ye are they? Well I'll keep that in mind th'next time."
She was naive in some ways. After all, although she'd suffered such a grievous wound and a great blow to her self image and confidence, she had always been loved. He didn't think she knew what a blessing that was, or maybe she did. It wasn't bad for her to be a little ignorant in that regard. A second generation Tarsian like her... she didn't know what it was like to just come into the world, remembering a childhood but really having no one, being trained by the older ones, set on a path and just released, like an arrow. Zo had no real parents among the Iyarai, and really that meant he had no one to "have to love him unconditionally". He was warmly received, most of the time, by most of the Iyarai. Generally he was thought of as a little odd. His coloring, for one, his size, for another, and his completely cold to hot transitive temper marked him as not quite the same. Granted, he still had the tattoos, and the loyalty to the clan.
"Why don't y'come with? Runnin' aroun' th'mountain s'a real relaxin' experience. If only fer a little while. I think ye'd enjoy nature and solitude. It'd be like th'old days, jess you an' me."
His pale eyes seemed brighter, the blue ringing his pupil the only way to track the movement of his eyes, which scanned the room and pinned a maid. He held up a hand gestured with two fingers. Another round.
If Cel couldn't tell, he was not interested in companionship of the warm and soft kind at the moment. He was also sobering up frighteningly fast.
