[Possibly. Too much of his demeanor suggests something they cannot wholly ignore, in part because they find it too pointed, too akin to a blade slipped easily between the ribs and used to lever away the pieces of them. It's never as simple as fearing something the way one might fear spiders, or heights, or the dark.]
[He's afraid to disappoint her. So what does it make him, when he no longer has to perform for her benefit?]
[He changes the subject. They do not elect to FIGHT it at the present time. Their smile is still too uneven, not nearly as poised and plastered-on as is typical, and they cannot for the life of them discern how best to correct it.]
Because things tend to come away from me broken, and I think it prudent to attempt to mitigate that damage.
no subject
[Possibly. Too much of his demeanor suggests something they cannot wholly ignore, in part because they find it too pointed, too akin to a blade slipped easily between the ribs and used to lever away the pieces of them. It's never as simple as fearing something the way one might fear spiders, or heights, or the dark.]
[He's afraid to disappoint her. So what does it make him, when he no longer has to perform for her benefit?]
[He changes the subject. They do not elect to FIGHT it at the present time. Their smile is still too uneven, not nearly as poised and plastered-on as is typical, and they cannot for the life of them discern how best to correct it.]
Because things tend to come away from me broken, and I think it prudent to attempt to mitigate that damage.