[With some reluctance, Mikleo hums his agreement, though for a long moment he's not sure how to respond. Talking about it is something he's avoided for so long, for this very reason- it's uncomfortable, an awkward, unpleasant subject. Maybe his problem is that he's giving these memories too much attention. Is that even possible? To try so hard to quell his own thoughts that he's making them come back twice as strong?
What a stupid question... of course it's possible. The evidence has been in his own head the whole time. The more he avoids food, the more it surrounds him; the more he tries to evade upsetting others or himself, the more uncomfortable it makes everyone involved.]
I thought it would be easier, since I don't have to eat, if I just... didn't. Like, maybe if I waited long enough, it would stop being a problem. "Time heals all wounds", or something like that. I wasn't thinking how much harder it would be for everyone.
[The kind gifts from everyone who knew he liked sweets, the offers for comfort food during his recovery- Belthazar's cookies, Stefan's drinks, Dezel's soup, Lailah's meals. He'd passed them all off to Sorey so they wouldn't go to waste, but they'd been meant for him, too. And he'd had to abandon the company of Allen and Clay that day he and Sorey had stumbled upon them, all because he couldn't handle the discomfort; he'd avoided the kitchen as much as possible, only making a handful of simple, easy sweets for the crew and leaving them without sampling any. And now this- Sorey, having to interrupt their exploration and his own unsated curiosity just to coddle him and make sure he's okay.
He hates it. He hates holding people back like this, disappointing them. Sorey's right- what he's doing... it isn't working.
He leans their body back, eyes closing, and they free float there for a long moment while he thinks.]
...hey... what do you like so much about ice cream? Why's it your favourite?
no subject
What a stupid question... of course it's possible. The evidence has been in his own head the whole time. The more he avoids food, the more it surrounds him; the more he tries to evade upsetting others or himself, the more uncomfortable it makes everyone involved.]
I thought it would be easier, since I don't have to eat, if I just... didn't. Like, maybe if I waited long enough, it would stop being a problem. "Time heals all wounds", or something like that. I wasn't thinking how much harder it would be for everyone.
[The kind gifts from everyone who knew he liked sweets, the offers for comfort food during his recovery- Belthazar's cookies, Stefan's drinks, Dezel's soup, Lailah's meals. He'd passed them all off to Sorey so they wouldn't go to waste, but they'd been meant for him, too. And he'd had to abandon the company of Allen and Clay that day he and Sorey had stumbled upon them, all because he couldn't handle the discomfort; he'd avoided the kitchen as much as possible, only making a handful of simple, easy sweets for the crew and leaving them without sampling any. And now this- Sorey, having to interrupt their exploration and his own unsated curiosity just to coddle him and make sure he's okay.
He hates it. He hates holding people back like this, disappointing them. Sorey's right- what he's doing... it isn't working.
He leans their body back, eyes closing, and they free float there for a long moment while he thinks.]
...hey... what do you like so much about ice cream? Why's it your favourite?