Here again

they know from experience how uncomfortable Strai is with emotion, so it means a lot that he’s willing to listen. that he wants to lend an ear. “Bas realised the love he felt for Hazel wasn’t romantic,” Spider begins, hiccuping slightly, “and she -“ they cover their eyes with a paw, as though to hide from the very words. “she scarred him, Strai. right here.” they trace the scar on their own face, stomach roiling at the memory. “and then…Bas fell in love with his slave.” that’s not entirely fair on Ignita, they know that, but they can’t quite keep the venom from their voice as they spit her name. “i thought she was my friend, and all this time she’d been…” fucking my dad. fury is a hot ball in their chest.

Spider pushes it down, rubbing at their ribcage as though to alleviate the ache there. and Ignita had had the audacity to call them her best friend. Spider has always been open, willing to befriend anyone they encounter; maybe they ought to be more careful. selective. “i don’t think there’s anything to be done. they’re going to just skip off into the sunset - they want to have children - and it’s…it’s gonna kill me, Strai.” the last bit is a whisper, and it’s both horrible and cathartic at once to give voice to the ugly thing at the back of their mind. “i can’t be happy for them. does that make me a bad person?”

"Speech"