#cosmirror

"Um." She fidgets, fingers twisting into the hem of her shirt. "I just wanted to say — sorry. For my mother. I know that she's..." Manipulative, cruel, has a way of making her positive attention seem like it matters more than any anything in the world. "I know it must have been...hard."

...ah. Shit. This... is gonna be awkward.

“Yeah, she can be...” ...she can be? Come on Guzma, you practiced hard. You can be a little mean. “...a handful to deal with.” Close enough.

“...but. Hey, wait, no. Stop that.” he continues after a few seconds, squatting to get on her eye level and rocking the most serious and, hopefully, least intimidating glare he can “Shut up. ‘Cause if there’s a person who doesn’t have to ask sorry to literally anyone, here, it’s you! Like, dude! I literally kidnapped you and shit--”

Hm. He could rephrase that. Take two.

so anyway

❛    there’s no need for that.    ❜  their words are surprisingly gentle, an almost apologetic look in their emerald eyes. as much as malleus may revel in his own fearsome power from time to time, he doesn’t mean to actually harm or frighten anyone. well...not this time at least. & certainly never a child. the prince lowers his head both in apology & so that he may see the trembling girl more clearly.  ❛   are you alright, child? you’re shaking like a leaf.   ❜

Coco did not consider herself a soft hearted person. She presented herself as one, said she was one. But actually getting through the shield that she built around her heart was far easier imagined then done. She had little empathy towards her fellow man looking upon them with suspicion and cynicism which left her at a detachment from others feelings. Despite this she can read a person, noticing enough little details about them to put things together for her to make assumptions. Sometimes her assumptions were correct, sometimes they weren’t. Like reading a novel then trying to guess the end.

And it didn’t take a genius to read the child not far from her. She was wilting, shrinking away from the adults talking to her like a flower in the desert sun. Trying to make herself as small as possible in what Coco assumes is an attempt to disappear from the situation. Her head hangs low and Coco can swear she sees her shake. Coco is not soft hearted. But her blood boils when she recognizes the signs.

Before she knows it, she’s to her feet. Skipping to the strangers side like an excited friend. She doesn’t grab the others arm but in an obnoxiously loud voice declares

“There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you! We’d agreed to meet by the food carts, remember?”

She grins from ear to ear at the blonde girl acting like they’ve been friends for ages. The adults who’d been trying to talk with the girl look to Coco quizzically for a few seconds before shrugging then wandering off. Coco assumes they were trying to help with what, she can’t be sure. But whatever they were trying to do she wonders if it did more harm then help. Did they not see the girls reactions? Bitterly Coco wonders if they even cared had they noticed anything.

somewhere between ☰ and 💔 :( [ trust test ; ACCEPTING ]

☰  I am still trying to figure you out. I’m not sure if I can trust you.

💔  Something’s just not right. I’m afraid of you.

“...yyyyeah, that’s understandable.

I won’t mess with ya, learned my lesson, but. Y’know.”