|
Rather pleased with herself at the mild witticism, Sheba awaited what was sure to be the buckskin pegasus’ stuttering reply. Though their meeting before had been brief, she remembered having the distinct impression that he and his bleeding-heart friend had a pair of the worst savior complexes that she’d yet to encounter. Of course that had been to her benefit at the time, as they’d found her literally sprawled in the mud and left to rot, but her sharp judgment played no favorites and she’d held it against them all the same. Thus, she found herself genuinely surprised at Miykael’s less-than-gentle reply—perhaps she hadn’t changed in two years, but maybe he had grown a backbone.
“Fireball’s been a little scarce around these parts,” the crone replied disparagingly, a raised brow the only sign that she had noted his tone. “Fancy that—someone who’s even better at disappearing than you,” Sheba went on with a derisive smirk, “why, I hadn’t thought it possible!” As for his speculations on her condition, she ignored them without much thought. What did he know about where the answer lay? She wouldn’t deign to reply to such presumption.
However, she couldn’t contain her laugher at his next comment. Tone growing decidedly defensive, he bade her recall that his blundering rescue mission hadn’t been a solo act: his friend Alysanne had been there too, he distinctly remembered. “And there I had made you out to be a gentleman,” she crooned, rheumy eyes blinking in merriment, “but it’s hardly proper etiquette to blame a lady, much less one who isn’t here.” She cast him a glance of mock reproach, wondering if the giantess was one to put up with this blubbering. The no-nonsense mare didn’t seem like the type, but then again, she supposed, they all had their weaknesses.
But it seemed that she had reached the limit of Miykael’s patience, for when her eyes found his, they were decidedly steely. “This is what you do, isn’t it?” the buckskin asked, “You simply push away anyone that’s willing to help you.” Out of consideration for December (who had been forced to stand there during the heated exchange), she spared him an eye-roll and a comment on how well he seemed to know her after years of friendship, settling instead for an expression of vague annoyance and pained tolerance towards the giantess’ mate. Anyway, the accusation was entirely unfounded—just because she hadn’t begged him to save her sorry hide two years ago didn’t make his insecurity her problem. December was here, wasn’t she? Try again, Good Doctor.
And yet…he rallied.
“What are you afraid of?”
Until this point, Sheba had been eyeing him serenely, waiting for him to finish his lecture in time for her to deliver another sarcastic quip, but at the challenge she recoiled as if she had been slapped. Though she might have been many things: deformed, unpleasant, repugnant even, to accuse her of fear was the worst insult he could have possibly hurled at her. “I am no coward,” she hissed, ears pinned and December momentarily forgotten. “I am not afraid of ugliness, I am not afraid of loneliness, I am not afraid of even death--regardez-moi!” the crone growled, gesturing to her emaciated shell. “Perhaps you are the one who lives in fear, because without those who need you, you are nothing,” she breathed, eyes wild and sides heaving slightly despite not having moved an inch from where she stood, “I don’t need anyone, and I am not weak.”
He had begun to move forward to inspect her sores before her outburst, but she flinched away, teeth bared in warning. Angry gaze moving past him, she finally addressed December. “I will not hold him against you,” she murmured, voice low and tightly controlled, “but I will not stand for this. If you wish to find me, return alone.”
And stiffly, with as much dignity as she could muster after so uncharacteristic an outburst, she turned and made to disappear under the curtain of the nearest willow.
"speech"
OOC: I'm sorry, I'm sorry--I feel like the mother dragging her screaming toddler off of the other kid at the daycare. She's not 100% out if you want to try and stop her/yell at her/whatever (doesn't move very fast), just heading that way.
| |
.svg/2000px-Google_Chrome_icon_(2011).svg.png){kind=icon}
