Cray couldn’t help the slight tension in his frame, even as he did something as usually relaxing as cooking. Cutting up vegetables and slices of chicken, throwing it onto a pan to cook, boiling some noodles...Each step allowed his mind to settle on the familiar motions, quietening the grasping desires of the Verse and his own harrowing memories.
But now...well, now his gaze darted from the pan to the door, to every corner of the room, and he remained constantly aware of where Moonpie was, unwilling to lose track of him. This heightened state of paranoia and wariness wasn’t a new one for him - Bystander had ensured that - but it wasn’t often that he felt this way in fear for someone else’s well being.