All at once the confidence he'd managed to built up seemed to falter, and Corvus felt speechless, stumbling over the most simple words and trying to find something normal to say. It didn't help that she was so pretty - her markings far more unusual than anyone he'd seen, anyone in Abaven - and he suddenly felt like his tongue had gotten heavier. Hopefully he hadn't sounded rude, or too brash? Words had never been his strongest strength, but since when had he gotten so fucking awful with them?
She hardly responded to his stammering. He wondered, for a moment, if he wouldn't prefer a negative reaction to.. well, not much reaction at all. At least if he knew he'd offended her somehow he could apologize and be on his way, but be confronted with such unreadable seriousness was unnerving to him. She hardly blinked when he spoke, which only made his discomfort heighten.
When she finally spoke, she only uttered a few short, succinct words, which made everything worse. Did she want him gone? There was a hint of interest in her stare - or maybe it was hesitance, he couldn't really tell - and it was that reason alone that Corvus didn't instantly turn around and go back the way he'd came. "My name's Corvus, by the way," he offered weakly, trying to keep a tone of optimism in his voice despite the lingering feeling that he was completely socially inept. "Do you live around here?"
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