#♔.* ―𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 ? ᴵ'ᵐ ˢᵗᵃʳᵗⁱⁿᵍ ᵗᵒ ᵗʰⁱⁿᵏ ... [ 𝐢𝐜 ]

[circusroyal]

He   chuckles   .❝     Oh   no   ,   no   Pomni's   background   is   still   much   of   a   mystery   to   me   .   If   anything   she   helps   me   .   Keeps   me   focused   &&   centred   .    ❞   Mouthless   ,   his   hands   do   all   the   talking   .   ❝     It   wasn't   planned   ...   I   feel   like   I   would   have   wanted   a   kid   though...   I   can't   really   remembered   why   never   got   around   to   it   .   ❞   One   thing   he   can   infer   from   what   Captain   John   had   stated   was   that   he   had   adopted   someone   in   need   of   a   father   .

It's   kind   hard   to   string   it   all   together   how   Pomni   &&   I   came   to   have   such   a   dynamic   .   ❝    I   struggle   with   my   memory   .   I   would   have   liked   to   be   able   to   keep   our   memories   but   it's   not   up   to   me   .   ❞ / @sgtcapn

[circusroyal]

❝   𝐖𝐀𝐇   !   ❞   His   shriek   both   in   surprise   ,   he   was   easily   startled   ,   what   made   ,   though   an   after   thought   after   he   recovered   ,   he   knew   the   butterfly   would   disperse   too   .   ❝   Oh   !   ❞   There   it   goes   .

He'd   managed   to   spare   himself   a   stumble   ,   on   just   ,   taking   the   woman   by   the   shoulders   in   case   she   were   to   fall   &&   also   drag   him   down   then   setting   her   right   again   .*

♔.*― ❝   ...   no   ?    ❞    Was   his   reply   ,   eyes   seem   to   wander   a   moment   ,   he   shakes   it   off   .   ❝   Wait   ...   I   mean   yes   !   Yes   I'm   okay   ,   actually   .    ❞    Another   beat   as   he   lets   go   .   ❝   O-oh   ,   are   you   okay   ?   You   were   going   full   throttle   there   I   think   .    ❞  �� He   was   glad   he   remembered   to   check   on   her   too   .

the wind blows gently, and anya is glad to be outside; it's one of those things that she really did take for granted back when she was working on the tulpar. now that she's not suffering on an intergalactic space freighter, she's been learning to rediscover the simple things in life. it's... nice, in a way.

while going on one of her runs to clear her head, she tends to get quite focused; the former tulpar nurse is so lost in the sauce that she quite literally bumps into a stranger who appeared to previously be interacting with a butterfly — one that has now fluttered far away.

❛ ah! oh, god. i am SO sorry! e- excuse me. i didn't see you there... are you all right, sir? ❜

@circusroyal

[circusroyal]

♔.*― ❝  I  want  to  say  that  I  am  𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐃  that  a  woman  so  beautiful  could  fall  for  me  ...  but  having  been  married  to  her  &&  hearing  her  call  a  𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐄  (  of  all  things  )  handsome  ...  it's  not  really  all  that  surprising  ,  actually  .  ❞   

His  dearest  wife,  Bianca  ,  had  also  always  informed  him  that  she  found  him  cute  in  an  odd  way  .  Like  an  insect  .  She  was  always  so  funny  like  that  since  she  meant  it  as  a  compliment  . 

[circusroyal]

ROCKY 𝙵𝙾𝚄𝙽𝙳 𝙰 𝙱𝚄𝙶 : "Ah!! Hey!! Dont you poke me! I am paying attention to you dear I promise!" She promptly pokes him back on the nose with a huff.

In  a  moment  of  detachment  he  simply  prodded  her  for  her  attention  himself  had  long  lost  track  of  what  he  was  prattling  on  with  .

Ted  straightens  himself  up  from  his  slump  when  she  retaliates  ,  surprised  by  her  boldness  then  again  he  had  been  so  bold  to  have  prodded  her  in  the  first  place.

♔* ― ❝   Sorry  ,  I'll  keep  my  hands  to  myself  .  ❞    He  folds  the  into  his  lap  ,  they  often  trembled  or  tic-out  of  their  own  accord  . 

❝   I  don't  remember  what  I  was  saying  ...  ❞    &&  He  wasn't  blaming  Rocky  .  He  laughs  pitifully  .  ❝   I  must  have  been  rambling  again  .  ❞     He  looks  down  at  his  wrinkled  hands  ,  he  usually  prefers  gloves  ,  he  left  them  at  home  today  ...  forgotten  them  .  It  was  like  watching  himself  slowly  𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐄  mentally  &&  physically  .

❝   I'm  always  surprised  by  your [ / @smolcuriouskitten ] resilience  to  be  patient  ...  grateful  for  it  ,  even  .  ❞  

[circusroyal]

♔.*―     ❝     Just   hold   out   your   hand   flat   &&   let   her   climb   up   your   arm   .   That's   all   she   wants   to   do   .   She   loves   arms   .   ...   I   -   Uh   !    ❞     His   eyes   lock   onto   his   absence   of   them   ,   blinking   one   at   a   time   as   though   calibrating   . 

 ❝    𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓   𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐃   𝐓𝐎   𝐌𝐘   𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐒   ?   !    ❞     He   shrieks   ,   only   to   shake   it   off   .   ❝       Oh   -   oh   yeah   ...   ❞       He   doesn't   have   them   .

❝       Here   ...    ❞     The   insect   is   offered   to   them   once   again   . ❝  You should hold her .    You have arms .    ❞     The   insect   is   offered   to   them   once   again   .

[circusroyal]

❝    𝐍𝐨   .   That's   all   .   I'm   going   to   stay   with   them   until   they   hatch   .   ❞    It's   hard   to   determine   whether   the   eggs   contained   any   life   or   not   .   Kinger   seems   to   have   settled   with   the   idea   that   they   were   ready   to   hatch   soon   nonetheless   .   He   didn't   know   how   or   why   or   even   when   he   started   collecting   them   only   that   it   gives   him   comfort   at   least   for   now   .

Determined   that   they   will   despite   the   eggs   looking   as   though   they   had   miraculously   appeared   straight   out   of   the   supermarket   ,   cardboard   packaging   &&   all   .   Perhaps   something   paternal   in   him   guided   him   to   taking   up   this   likely   short-lived   endeavour   .   It   seems   to   be   a   suffice-able   distraction   nonetheless   .

♔.*   ―  ❝    Wphew   I'm   so   glad   you're   here   ,   Ragatha   ,   I   don't   know   what   I   do   if   these   eggs   hatched   without   being   able   to   properly   record   how   many   I   had   .   You   never   know   when   magnets   are   going   to   come   along    steal   your   eggs   .   ❞ 

His   eyes   drift   apart   from   one   another   .   ❝    I   hope   some   of   them   are   girls   .   𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒   are   such   a   joy   .   ❞ 

@circusroyal starter for Kinger. 🐎

Respectively, she's always felt close to Kinger in some way from their long stay. Even if he's seemed to deteriorate over time, he's always an honest fella that grants the doll the needed reassurances she seeks at times. His company is always more than welcomed, even if the things he seems to say can get lost to her at times.

She couldn't help noticing that he stopped his egg collecting, a feeling began to swirl inside her stomach that she'd done something to upset him; this newfound anxiety has only grown worse with the jester's arrival and stay. Not to say that that demon of hers wasn't a familiar one within the chamber of her mind.

⸺ ❝ Ha, what are ... we doing exactly, Kinger? Are we done or have you had something else in mind for these eggs? ❞

[circusroyal]

AIRIN 𝙵𝙾𝚄𝙽𝙳 𝙰 𝙱𝚄𝙶 : " i’m not afraid of you. " - he says, very afraid &. 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬.

Hand  splays  out  in  front  of  him  ,  waving  a  little  in  exaggeration  maybe  it  wasn't  helping  but  it  was  an  effort  . 

❝   Oh  ,  no  ,  please  I  wouldn't  want  you  to  be  anyway  .  ❞   He  didn't  realize  his  appearance  could  be  so  frightening  or  maybe  there  was  something  wrong  with  the  way  he  had  presented  himself  ... maybe it was the shotgun .

♔* ― ❝   I  apologize  for  frightening  you / @airxn !  ❞   He  offers  a  bow  ,  feeling  all  the  more  guilty  for  how  timid  the  canine  was  . 

❝   I  thiiink  ❞   he  draws  it  out  as  he  actually  tries  to  think  &&  gather  his  thoughts  ,  ❝   This  is  a  first  for  me  but  I  hope  it  will  be  a  last  too  .  No  one  has  ever  found  me  frightening  before  !  Maybe  𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐙𝐘  &&   𝐎𝐋𝐃-  ❞   Yes  he  was aware of  how  others  felt  about  him  but  it  didn't  get  to  him  .  It's probably just true .

♔* ― ❝  I  don't  remember  what  I  looked  like  before  but  I  know  I  must  look  strange  .  Maybe  ?  No...  𝐘𝐄𝐒   !  Strange  perhaps  even  𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃  .❞   But  he  isn't  the  one  here  with  teeth  !  In  fact  outwardly  he  has  no  teeth  at  all  not  even  a  mouth  !

The  poor  creature  must  have  seen  his  weapon  .  Caine  had  advertised  this  as  an  adventure  where  the  NPC  was  dangerous  .  He  doesn't  see  that  here  .

[circusroyal]

Cautious  on  approach  ,  hands  splayed  out  ,  he  shouldn't  have  intervened  ...  he  really  shouldn't  be  here  .  He  was  a  𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓  𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐋  .  He  just  so  happened  to  be  crossing  the  street  with  his  own  groceries  when  the  scene  unfolded  ,  he  thought  he  knew  the  situation  .  The  kid  had  stolen  something  ,likely  hungry  ,  desperate  at  least  .

Kingsley  appears  to  be  a  well-off  man  &&  he  is  .  Far  more  so  than  this  young  boy  .  As  he  approaches  ,  he  hears  voices  echoing  behind  them  .  Head  turning  in  the  direction  of  the  sound  .  He  knew  he  could  maybe  get  rid  of  them  this  once  ,  offer  more  than  what  the  worth  of  the  item  the  boy  had  stolen  .  It's  not  a  permanent  solution  ;  he  doesn't  like  to  believe  he'd  do  it  again  but  ...  desperate  times  .

♔.*―  ❝   Whatever  it  was  you  stole  ...  you  clearly  thought  it  was  worth  the  risk  .  ❞   He  wouldn't  know  what  it  was  like  to  have  resorted  to  such  measures  yet  he  is  humbled  .  He  doesn't  expect  the  to  trust  him  so  he  doesn't  ask  of  it  .  He's  already  moving  towards  the  voices  ,  pulling  out  his  wallet  .

@circusroyal

"Oi! Let go y'fuckin' bastard!" Drake's wrist currently held something that he should NOT have in the first place. Stuffed in a pack bag he held by the top strap, Drake knows he just got caught stealing from the store and he's been currently chased down by the local security of the shop. They lost him some time ago, but it's clear that Drake had gotten the BAD kind of attention that he had HOPED he got away from in the first place.

Drake believed he got away AGAIN scot free as long as he covered his tracks by freezing the ground to slow down pursuers. Clearly, someone must've caught wind of his little 'adventure' from the store.

Whether this guy followed him or had heard about some thief... and Drake did NOT look innocent. His rash mouth and cutting tongue. The twelve year old's teeth snarl at the older man who probably thought it was the RIGHT thing to do to apprehend a naught little thief. What was he even going to do anyway? Throw him to the lions den? Drake would rather die.

Going back to Benjamin without his stolen loot in hand would certainly be a death sentence. Drake has fucked up time and time again. And this time didn't look pretty on Drake's little dirty record of going back empty handed. Slacker... losing his touch. Whatever the case is. Drake knew if this guy didn't unhand him in the next five seconds, he's about to lose a hand or a knee. Whatever Drake's method of desperate escape is.

[circusroyal]

He  could  hear  it  in  the  young  man's  tone  ,  he  lets  his  eyes  drift  away  for  a  moment  .   ❝   Well  ,  ❞    He  starts  ,  breathy  as  though  it  was  a  laugh  or  scoff  of  disbelief  .  ❝   I   think  that  it's  a  little  too  early  for  that  to  be  𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐄  .  You  have  all  your  life  to  work  that  out  .❞   He  leans  back  a  little  to  look  into  the  sky  ,  he  may  have  lost  a  good  sum  of  his  mind  but  he  knows  what  he's  talking  about  .

♔.*―   ❝ One  day  you'll  meet  someone  who  sees  something  in  you  that  you  could  never  even  believe  .  ❞    He  chuckles  .  ❝   I  didn't  think  I  had  much  to  offer  her  ,  ...  my  …❞    he  hesitates  as  thought  it  was  breaking  a  barrier  to  speak  of  her  .  ❝   wife  ...  though  I  was  well-off  &&  we  were  both  studying  ,  I  wasn't  exactly  made  from  angels  ...  but  she  loved  me  anyway  .  Of  course  she  loved  tarantulas  &&  centipedes  too  ;  so  I  suppose  it's  not  all  too  surprising  but  you-you  probably  get  it  .  ❞  

He  often  rambles  but  there  is  a  point  to  it  . 

❝   I  wasted  too  much  time  trying  to  be  something  substantial  ,  do  something  𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐒𝐄  when  ,  really  ,  I  should  have  spent  every  moment  just  with  her  .  I'm  not  sure  what  it's  all  about  but  I  know  that  some  people  think  I'm  good  enough  ,  flaws  &&  all  ,  past  &&  all  .  ❞  

↳  @circusroyal spoke : ♔.* ― ❝  I-Think you're worth more than you're ready to allow yourself to believe .   ❞ / Have Kinger in his human v. <333

❝   𝑰   𝑫𝑶𝑵'𝑻   𝑲𝑵𝑶𝑾,   man.   I'm   not   that   great   of   a   guy   when   all's   said   &&   done.   ❞   He   answers   quite   earnestly,   shrugging   his   shoulders.   He   really   isn't   being   down   on   himself   so   much   as   speaking   what   he   perceives   as   his   𝑻𝑹𝑼𝑻𝑯,   a   casual   tone   to   his   voice.

Yet,   deep   in   his   eyes,   there   is   that   𝑯𝑶𝑷𝑬   that   maybe   he   is,   or   he   could   be,   worth   more   after   all.   It's   a   little   hidden,   but   still   it's   there.   Glimpsed   as   he   tries   to   make   himself   look   like   he's   more   focused   on   the   work   than   on   the   thought   that   he   could   be   better   than   he   thinks   he   is.

[circusroyal]

He  catches  himself  rambling  ,  eyes  moving  to  the  Cucurbitaceae  .  Like  most  non-playable  characters  he  was  unaware  of  his  possible  one-purpose  existence  ...  it  doesn't  sit  well  with  Kinger  to  think  of  the  little  guy  this  way  .  He's  full  of  personality  &&  young  .

Kinger's  only  just  now  realizing  he's  old  enough  to  be  the  gourds  grandfather  !  Leave  it  to  the  bright-eyes  ...uh  pin-lit  eyes  of  the  young  to  listen  to  his  tangents  .

❝  Hm  ,  yes  well  ...  𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘  I'm  always  playing  a  game  .  ❞  He  looks  at  his  own  hands  ,  startling  himself  for  a  second  as  he  was  reminded  that  they  were  disembodied  now  longer  the  hands  of  a  man  but  of  a  thing  that  could  never  be  thought  of  to  be  human  .

&&  likely  the  sweet  ,  little  gourd  could  never  have  been  .  Fingers  seize  up  at  the  thought  .  It  would  be  wrong  to  make  the  kid  consciously  aware  of  his  own  existence  .  To  suggest  this  was  all  a  game  ,  that  it  wasn't  real  ...  so  he  digresses  .

❝  Life  IS  a  game  .  Didn't  ya  know  that  ?  It's  one  big  adventure  .  ❞

❝ Wow. ❞ He slowly nodded, eyes sparkling as he murmured to himself, low enough for the other not to hear: ❝ A wrinkly centipede... ❞ That was NOT what he meat by "textures". Alas, it seemed like, the more exposition Kinger gave, the more marveled Pump became.

The seven-year-old's comprehension might have been... limited, to say the least. But he was not getting tired of listening to the chess piece go on tangents. Life at the circus sounded very fun!! It was like listening to his grandfather tell stories about his job at the post office before he would randomly drift off and fall asleep.

Clowns with evil confetti powers, bugs that were not what they seemed, talking chess pieces... Needless to say, the other was feeding his already-wild imagination without realizing it. None of these concepts made the correct sense in his head!

He even had only grasped bits and pieces, like the the word "player"-- ❝ Are you playing a game right now? ❞ --but it had been more than enough to pique his interest. Cue a soft gasp, his voice quieting down accordingly. ❝ A secret game? ❞ Whatever that "Aye Eye" was, it sounded pretty spooky! Like an all-watching, gigantic eye! (Nothing to do with me, Flesh.) He knew that!

[circusroyal]

Her  words  are  a  respite  from  his  spiralling  .  He  had  noticed  she  had  alluded  to  '  𝐖𝐄  '  but  he  saw  no  one  else  they  could  possibly  be  referring  to  .  He  breathes  fingers  running  over  his  own  whitened  knuckles  .  ❝   Thank  you  .  I-  I'm  sorry  ,  I  didn't  mean  to  -  ❞ 

Gradually  he's  recollecting  himself  ,  reminding  himself  that  he  was  free  of  that  polygonal  prison  .  It  could  no  longer  torture  him  or  keep  him  prison  .  But  the  infernal  computer  program  still  had  his  wife  .  That's  probably  what  Caine  wants  .  For  him  to  come  crawling  back  for  her  .

His  hands  now  fold  into  his  lap  . 

❝   I'm  just  not  used  to  being  outside  anymore  .  I  think  it's  ...  overwhelming  . I- ❞  What  can  he  really  say  ?  He  cannot  exactly  explain  his  situation  to  someone  it  would  sound  entirely  insane  even  if  they  don't  seem  so  judgemental  .  He  wouldn't  believe  𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅  .  Overwhelmed  was  a  viable  answer  .  Uncoordinated  eyes  try  to  find  somewhere  to  lie  &&  fall  on  her  empty  page  .  ❝   I  didn't  mean  to  disturb  your  drawing  or  writing  .  ❞ 

They're not quite sure when they gained company. Too lost in their head, must've been, if they hadn't even noticed. There's a journal open in their lap, but no actual writing on the pages, just their hand and their pen like they were going to and froze up at the last moment.

She just listens to him talk. Trying to pinpoint what exactly is going on. His wife is... Gone? Kidnapped? Hurt? ( Dead! ) No, don't say that. Veronica should say something, though. He seems nervous. Jittery. Like something's out to get him but she can't see what. She understands.

" ... Hey, dude. 's alright, " they finally look up from their notebook at him. He's a lot older than she is... " We don't think you've lost your mind. " She'd be a hypocrite otherwise. Lots of people thought she'd lost hers. They'd since stopped talking to them. " Just... Take a moment, yeah? Breathe. I'm not gonna like, call the cops on you or anything. " ( Not like they'd do shit to begin with. ) Veronica grabs her slushie from near her feet and takes a sip big enough to get her brain to freeze, both physically and mentally.

" Do-- do you want to just talk for a bit? I can tell you're uh-- kinda going through it. "

[circusroyal]

It   was   true   young   or   old   a   parent   was   a   parent   .   Whoever   is   ready   to   step   in   &&   serve   his   role   as   the   paternal   figure   ,   dedication   &&   all   was   what   counted   most   of   all   .   It   had   almost   been   𝟐𝐧𝐝   𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄   to   him   somehow...   however   it   had   come   about   .   Would   that   he   could   .   It   wasn't   up   to   him   .   No   matter   how   he   tried   .   At   least   The   Captain   could   say   he   remembered   it   all   .

Kinger   doesn't   remember   his   own   parents   ,   the   realisation   was   a   stressor   he   we   quickly   represses   though   maybe   it   didn't   matter   .   ❝   Better   late   than   never   ,   you   know   ?    ❞        He   nods   ,   solemnly   as   though   understanding   [   &&   really   he   does   ]   .   A   good-heart   .   Not   quite   a   model   citizen   well   at   least   the   fellow   father   was   proud   of   his   kid   .

♔.*―   ❝   Oh   ,   ...   hm   lets   see   .    ❞        His   mind   was   it's   usual   state   ,   a   mess   ,   everything   so   jumbled   up   &&   hard   to   access   but   he   wagers   maybe   if   he   starts   talking   the   words   will   come   naturally   .

❝   Where   to   start   .   She   lacks   a   lot   of   confidence   in   herself   but   she's  remarkable   with   improvisation    .   A   real   sweetheart   too   .   She's   our   troupe's   newest   member   , She’s real hard on herself too , her eyes are like pinwheels -    Maybe   our   '   kids   '   will   get   along     ?    ❞  

ㅤAll he could've asked for. It was fucked up that a boy could face such unimaginable horrors, only to be turned away by his own family. Forced to either end up in the care of an inexperienced soldier, or be passed around foster homes like a hot potato. Captain didn't like to think about the alternatives, of course. As if it could've gone any other way.

ㅤ“ Heh. Yeah, that's true. But if you ask me, most people are never old enough to raise another human. My parents had me pretty late, but that didn't make the quality of their parenting any better. ”

ㅤParents whose faces he could not recall, faces that had never existed. Mere lines in a backstory.

ㅤThe smile on his face widened, as he barked out a sharp laugh at the question.

ㅤ“ Hah ! Oh, hell no. I mean, I've always liked kids, but I just didn't think being a dad was in the cards for me. Thought I wasn't made for it, or there'd be too many steps involved, or maybe I'd even have to get married, ugh… But, Pico came along, and I did what I had to do. We just figured out all the details as we went. Can't imagine my life without him now. He didn't exactly grow up to be a model citizen, but he's got a big heart. ”

ㅤHe spoke of his past actions, his thoughts, as if they were truly his own, despite being aware of the truth. Really, he saw his very nature as something to be blasé about. An existential crisis wasn't in the cards for him, especially not during a casual conversation.

ㅤ“ So ? What's your girl like ? Pomni, ” he asked, a genuine note of interest coloring his words.

[circusroyal]

He  used  to  be  more  put  together  than  this  he  recalls  .  More  strung  together  .  He  would  have  been  more  courteous  to  keep  his  hands  to  himself  ...  these  days  its  like  he  loses  pieces  of  himself  &&  all  that  remains  is  a  shell  in  desperate  need  for  comfort  as  it's  always  on  the  kilt  of  breaking  down  .

He  listens  to  Rockelle's  reiteration  of  his  own  words  ...  He  looks  at  his  hands  ,  starting  to  become  wrinkled  &&  hoarse  .  He  hums  in  thought  had  he  said  those  things  ?  Shoe  sizes  had  been  difficult  to  readjust  to  after  decades  of  having  his  mind  displaced  into  a  body  that  entirely  did  not  require  footwear  ...  &&  his  coworkers  ...    well  he  only  resented  to  ones  who  had  allowed  him  &&  others  to  be  subjected  to  the  tortures  they  had  faced  ...  his  current  volunteer  work  at  the  local  zoo  in  regards  to  the  insect  enclosures  ;𝐇𝐄  𝐇𝐀𝐒  𝐍𝐎  𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐒  ...  only  that  he  isn't  welcome  to  take  them  home  .

He  resigns  ,  sighing  a  little  .   

❝ Thank  you  ,  dear  ...  thank  you  for  the  recap  ...     ❞  He  leans  back  in  his  chair  ,  tilting  his  head  towards  the  window  so  the  sun  could  shine  on  his  skin  ...  it  was  almost  too  natural  .   ❝   You  probably  have  your  own  family  to  worry  about  ;  you  shouldn't  have  to  worry  about  me  .     ❞  Appreciate  her  as  he  does  .

Rockelle didnt mind his rambles. She found them strangely endearing with her moving around her kitchen as she cooked. Sometimes the rambles would be positive, other times they would be negative. With her back being turned from him despite her nodding in confirmation of his words, it scared her to feel a poke.

"Oh darling its okay! Im not upset with you, you just surprised me is all." She paused and put the spice down that she was using and turned to face him, leaning on her counter. "You were talking about your job and how its been on your joints. You complained about your coworkers and a few other things tossed in. Shoe sizes being hard to understand, recycling being too complicated..." She trails off and starts to ramble about his ramble, stopping when she realized she was going off again.

"Paitence is a virtue. Besides, you are worthy of the paitence given since you are such a sweetheart yourself." She reassures with a smile.