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"Silence is a trap, Olivia," Kieran said. "Stay there long enough and you will lose your voice entirely."
"Your anger is just feral despair, backed into a corner by time and circumstance."
"curiosity blooms in the shade of the unknown."
"it's like my nana always said," reaver drawled, sticking his spoon back in the jar. "if you don't want an audience," he scooped another spoonful of peanut butter and pointed it at them, "don't fuck in the pantry."
"uhhh." Olivia cocked her head. "What?"
"Alright, maybe she never said that," he admitted, waving the spoon around as he spoke. "But it's the kind of thing she would have said."
"uhhh." Olivia cocked her head. "What?"
"Alright, maybe she never said that," he admitted, waving the spoon around as he spoke. "But it's the kind of thing she would have said."
"fear is the most natural thing in the world. it is what keeps us alive. it sharpens your mind, and heightens your senses. it's power in its rawest form. but it is a wild thing, and you must tame it in order to use it to your advantage. if you don't, it will become something else entirely. something with a mind of its own. a parasite that lies and distorts reality. for from untamed fear, panic is born."
"shame is funny that way," he whispered. "exposing it requires trust. All the while, it's usually a breaking of trust that causes shame in the first place."
"having an existential crisis," he drawled. "Thought it was obvious."
"Weird Venue," she mused, a teasing lilt to her voice.
"Hmm," he agreed. "Trust me, It was pure geographical convenience."
"Ah yes," she said lightly. "We are but mere planets orbiting an emotionally unavailable sun, are we not?"
Kieran laughed. "Indeed."
olivia squinted at him.
"what?" he asked.
"why is your hand on my leg."
"Helps me think," he said.
"how does touching my leg help you think?" she asked, indignant.
"well, when I'm not touching your leg, all i can think about is touching your leg," he said, shrugging. "so by touching your leg, I free up space in my brain to think about something else."
Olivia's jaw fell open on a scoff as she sputtered, "well...that...is annoyingly logical."
"what?" he asked.
"why is your hand on my leg."
"Helps me think," he said.
"how does touching my leg help you think?" she asked, indignant.
"well, when I'm not touching your leg, all i can think about is touching your leg," he said, shrugging. "so by touching your leg, I free up space in my brain to think about something else."
Olivia's jaw fell open on a scoff as she sputtered, "well...that...is annoyingly logical."
"And if it doesn't work?" Kieran asked hesitantly.
"then we'll have managed to piss off one of the most dangerous otherwordly magical creatures in existence that moves through the world like a pop-up book from hell," Adamian drawled. "Basically, we'd be fucked."
kieran sighed. "awesome."
"then we'll have managed to piss off one of the most dangerous otherwordly magical creatures in existence that moves through the world like a pop-up book from hell," Adamian drawled. "Basically, we'd be fucked."
kieran sighed. "awesome."
"I wanted to kill you yesterday," olivia admitted.
Adamian scoffed through his nose. "And you think that makes you special?"
"i think it makes me a vehicle for your misery," she said.
Adamian scoffed through his nose. "And you think that makes you special?"
"i think it makes me a vehicle for your misery," she said.
A muscle twitched in her cheek as she shook her head. "I'm fine, Kieran."
"are you really?" he asked. "or is that what the voice in your head tells you strength is, when someone gets too close?"
"are you really?" he asked. "or is that what the voice in your head tells you strength is, when someone gets too close?"
"I don't need to know your life story to know who you are, Olivia," he said. "Though sometimes I do wonder what was taken from you. And i wonder who hurt you enough to make you guard your heart like it's payback for what they stole from you. but payback implies that you owe them something, when the truth is, you don't owe them anything. certainly not the satisfaction of knowing they had any influence on your happiness."
"The existence of rules diminishes individuality, veils morals, and hinders learning through experience." She ticked off each point on a finger as she spoke. "Most rules are the thief of choice in exchange for the threat of consequence. Which means we live only to avoid pain instead of embracing existence as messy and exploratory."
"Hope isn't in here, Adam," she said, dropping her hand. "It's not something you can find in a book because it lives in here," she said, poking him in the chest. "The words may help you find the map, but the treasure is something we create. And if you're looking for it? Then it probably already exists."
"Now go sit. And let me cook for you."
"I can cook, you know," Olivia grumbled, like she couldn't help but defend her independence.
Kieran smiled. "I swear to the gods, I will kiss you right now."
"Okay okay!" she squeaked, jumping back with her hands raised in front of her stomach. "Jeez, you don't have to threaten me."
"I can cook, you know," Olivia grumbled, like she couldn't help but defend her independence.
Kieran smiled. "I swear to the gods, I will kiss you right now."
"Okay okay!" she squeaked, jumping back with her hands raised in front of her stomach. "Jeez, you don't have to threaten me."