Welcome back(Hime/Elyss)

“...”

How is one supposed to respond? Belittlement? Disdain? Camaraderie? No… no… Nothing comes to mind. This is complex, maybe a bit too complex for the redhead. Finding herself unable to really respond, Elyss’ head would swivel away from Hime again, her eyes focused down into her lap once more. Weakness? Pain? Betrayal? Regret? There’s a lot to unpackage here. In frustration, her thumb is brought to her mouth, her teeth gnawing on its nail as her mind swirled with many thoughts. Her silence is probably doing nothing but adding tension to the situation. It’s impossible to know what’s about to come out of her mouth, if anything at all. It’s fully possible that she may just get up and just leave, just like that.

This situation is toying with emotions, and she hates that fact. As a person who believes that anyone could change if given the chance, she also believes that people should respect their own decisions and live by their morals until the very end. Being forgiven and given another chance at life is entirely determined by the grace of others. Some do not want that grace, but others need it. It’s a nigh impossible situation to be placed in: give mercy or withhold it. Now, it’s Elyss’ turn to give a verdict on Hime’s situation. Such a thing doesn’t matter in the big picture, but it does determine whether the two continue as they are or not. This requires a bit of thinking, and the deadly silence between the two shows that one is thinking heavily about all that has been revealed. This isn’t all about Hime. These are mistakes and regrets that Elyss could make and have, something akin to a mother or father warning their child about their past trials.

“...I… Hime… That is a tale…” A pause, her chest rising and falling as she dropped her hand and sighed. “The past is the past. You dug your grave, and only because of mercy was it filled without you in it. If we had met then, one of us would have surely died, but it is not then. It is now. You did not make it here alone. I understand that. Ya just want me to rely on others, huh? That’s not going to be easy for me or anyone else, but if you’ll have me, I won’t turn you away. We’re close, after all.”

She doesn’t feel the weight of the alcohol in her system fogging her mind. She feels, surprisingly, light. A small smile couldn’t help but form on her face. She doesn’t look at Hime, but she does lean back. Hime did offer the redheaded woman her shoulder. Why not humor such a thing while things are still sentimental? Surely, Hime wouldn’t mind the redhead’s person leaning against her, those red eyes slowly looking upwards. ”This what ya suggested, huh?”