i may not follow, i may not lead, just walk beside me

Truth be told, Avantika often didn't even know herself why things that seemed to not mean anything at all to anyone else around her seemed to be so important to her. Maybe she was a perfectionist and maybe she was fearful of others' negative reactions to things she did, but why they felt so much like moral failings to her was beyond her. But they weren't right, either. She couldn't stand not being right. Mercury responded casually enough, like he hadn't noticed, which was nice of him if he was pretending or nice of the elusive fates if he wasn't.

She couldn't help but blink in surprise when Mercury continued. She knew exactly what he was talking about. His story. Where he'd been before the Hallows. She'd asked him why he'd left wherever-it-was, since he'd said that he'd been a prince there, and he hadn't given her an answer. She'd thought it a fair decision; she didn't like talking about many of her own experiences either. But he was reaching out now, and so she'd listen, whether she wanted to tell him about her story in turn. "If you'd like to tell it, I'd be happy to listen."

"Speech"