labyrinthus-magici:
χ Sinbad, the strange man who could make lightning and who had saved her, had told her that she would be safe here at his company, but she didn’t really know what safe even entailed. She knew these people were less frightening than Jamil, since they’d let her take her shackles off and Sinbad had been what one might call nice, but she had no way of knowing what they were capable of exactly. χ Sinbad had stayed long enough to introduce her to a few people, one of them a Fanalis like her, and show her around a bit, before he’d had to say bye bye and gone off somewhere again- something about looking for land still, she hadn’t really understood the reason she gave. Because she was overwhelmed, too many names and faces and rooms to remember, she’d gone and curled up in the corner where she could feel a little safer.
χ When he spoke to her, she flinched but managed to tilt her head up and look up at him. He looked friendly enough but if her past experience with people was any indication how someone looked didn’t tell her what they’d do. Afraid he’d be angry at her if she didn’t respond, she slowly nodded.
《…Not scared…》
χ Technically that was a lie, since she was always at least just a little bit scared, but he’d told her not to be and she didn’t want to upset him somehow. She glanced to his outstretched hand and then back up to his eyes and back a few times to try and figure out what he wanted her to do before she hesitantly let one hand rest on top of his, not touching him but close enough she could feel the warmth of his palm. She looked back up at him again anxiously, trying to see if she’d done what he wanted her to.
She seemed wary, but he could see why honestly. The girl was so young, and yet she had already been through enough. Experiences like that changed a person. Make them less trusting, less willing to accept help and that things were just okay. He knew the feeling, so he tried his best to keep himself as gentle as possible. Making himself smaller and less threatening-- like one might with an animal they were trying to coax out.
When she reached her hand out he gently took it, watching for a reaction. He didn’t want to scare her off, after all.
“It’s okay if you are scared.” he admitted, offering a smile. “Sometime’s new places are scary, and it’s really crowded here probably.” he admitted, glancing around. The size of the company was something he was very used to, but she probably would not be. “If you want I know some very nice spots nearby with less people. Would you like to go somewhere like that?” he questioned.
Ja’far at least had experience with former slaves this time. He remembered enough about the children they had taken in from the rebellion to offer her choices, to offer her her own pace. He didn’t want to rush her into anything, after all. That had always made the other children anxious. He hoped he was at least somewhat better this time.












