nice to sea you again

Spider picks up on the suspicion in Strai's voice immediately and bites back a wince, their mind a twisting labyrinth of conflict. on the one hand, if they tell Strai he might think them weak or silly for their terror. on the other hand, if they don't tell him...well the boy has trust issues, and it won't take much for him to start suspecting they're up to no good. they've fought hard for this friendship, after all! they can't jeopardise it because they're feeling mortified a little embarrassed. besides, friends are meant to confide in each other about this these kind of things! they have to give Strai a little more credit. lifting their chin, they push aside their reservations and decide to boldly admit the truth. "i'm...scaredofthewater."

oh, yikes. that hasn't come out right - time to try again. "i'm scared of the water," they admit, this time slower. their shoulders rise instinctually, hunching up to their ears in a defensive stance. there's a trembling vulnerability in their voice, one they hate themselves for but can't seem to overcome. "there was a flood, and...and..." their voice chokes off, and it takes a few heartbeats before they can properly speak again. this time the words are barely a whisper. "i nearly died." it's the first time they've properly voiced it, this terrible thing that's been festering away inside them. it leaves them feeling light and bare simultaneously, like they've shed a burden but also lost a layer of armour.

"Speech"