"I don't need any calming tea!"
atla quote starters // @veratridine
“all right, duly noted. more for me, then. but, jay? i know that you’re angry. i’m not gonna pretend that i understand all of it, ‘cause i wasn’t there for some of the stuff that went down, but it’s valid. i don’t know if anyone’s ever told you, but your anger is valid. and i know a thing or two about living with anger burning underneath one’s skin, too.”
he scoffs, she dips her head and almost raises her hands in surrender.
“yeah, yeah, i know. i don’t look like it. at all. but you don’t grow up with a workaholic mom, and an absent dad, and grandparents who urge you to be strong all the time, fight in an intergalactic... war and not end up angry. at least to a---a certain extent.”
(she’s ended up being a pro at suppressing most of her negative emotions. she and kori are still working on un-suppressing all of them.)
the words are like ash upon her tongue. and belatedly, she realizes that it’s the first time she gave the battle of karka a proper name. for a moment she stares into her cup of chai. the world shrinks down to her memories and for a moment, she hears grishma screaming at her to find the nearest door and get out before the kindevas kidnap her or, worse, strike her down.
her tea splatters to the ground. it jolts her out of her memories and she looks at jason with wounded eyes. “jay, i was drinking that.”
“i’ll make you a new one.”
“do you even know how to make chai?”
“no. but i was hoping you’d teach me.” he’s calmer now. still pissed, because a part of him will always be pissed, but not as much as he was before. that’s a win, at least. it’s a start.
he extends his hand. she takes it without hesitation and says, ever so softly: “sure.”