“Promise me you won’t vanish when morning comes.”
— SHI TO GALE MASON
GALE MASON WATCHES AS THE MOON TAKES ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE IN A SKY FULL OF STARS. There's a pipe hanging from his lips, blonde curls dropping down to hide the golden glow of his irises. A grimoire is sat on top of his knees as he glances over at the other, their expression almost pleading in the way the wizard accepts it. He stays quiet for a moment, contemplating his response with his ears zeroing in on the sound of the fallen rain outside.
"I can't promise you anything, love." Not because he's not capable of staying, his magic knows no bounds, but whether or not he is capable of staying in a situation that puts him out of his own comfort zone is enough to get the rabbit skittish on his feet. Shi is someone he's trying to trust, whether it works or not, he's trying. Gale Mason feels as if he's shoving himself into an even smaller box, gaze staying down, not looking at him.
"Rest now." Voice tender, blowing the smoke out in the direction of the floor, an anxious shake to his leg before he looks at the clock and back down.
"Morning comes quicker than you realize."
As tears fall from heaven, busy insects crawl about blades of grass, their rapid steps as steady as a military march. Trickling water flows in tempo with the sound of whispering wind. Everything is moving, yet a stillness permeates. Quiet, peaceful, lonely. Nature goes on undisturbed.
These timeless moments Shi hates the most when solitude consumes him, but he is not alone [for now].
He tries not to frown about Gale Mason's answer, but the gesture mars his face. “I am not tired,” he defies, though it's the truth. Shi never sleeps anymore. What use does an aimless spirit have for slumber?
Long arms hug longer legs, huddling with his knees against his chest and his head down. An obsidian gaze focuses on the wizard who shares time with Shi. He is gold saturation: an example of vitality—everything Shi is not. Envy flickers, gone as soon as it arrives.
Feeling unwelcomed, Shi unravels to stand, hair loose over the slumb of his shoulders. Grass gets dusted off his slacks as an attempt to maintain his dignity. Shi thinks himself pathetic—his desperation for companionship will always be his downfall—but he doesn't need Gale Mason to see that reflected so clearly.
“I will leave. I've taken too much of your time. You were kind to indulge me, although I shouldn't have asked for more than that.”
