Loki was right in that Chise stayed away from the wine, but she did enjoy the other options he had brought.
“I know. I know you’re right.” She stared down at her plate, thinking it through. Letting out a sigh. “I thought I was starting to figure it out… what I want… but overall, that doesn’t seem achievable here.” After all, the people that she considered her home were far removed from this place. But the long-term wasn’t only what Loki was asking about. Instead of answering, however, she asked a question of her own.
“How do you separate kindness from repayment?” It might have seemed obvious, from what Loki knew so far, but she was even having a difficult time telling herself not to figure out some way to ‘pay’ Loki back for the meal. That company and good conversation was probably payment enough for him. But she couldn’t help it. “Elias always says… as a mage, you can’t offer kindness without recompense. And while I’m not just a mage… I can’t help but follow those rules.”
And yet, even before she had been saved by Elias, everything in her life had been transactional. The people around her hadn’t wanted anything to do with her, so she had tried to make her existence so small so as to not be bothersome to others.
no subject
“I know. I know you’re right.” She stared down at her plate, thinking it through. Letting out a sigh. “I thought I was starting to figure it out… what I want… but overall, that doesn’t seem achievable here.” After all, the people that she considered her home were far removed from this place. But the long-term wasn’t only what Loki was asking about. Instead of answering, however, she asked a question of her own.
“How do you separate kindness from repayment?” It might have seemed obvious, from what Loki knew so far, but she was even having a difficult time telling herself not to figure out some way to ‘pay’ Loki back for the meal. That company and good conversation was probably payment enough for him. But she couldn’t help it. “Elias always says… as a mage, you can’t offer kindness without recompense. And while I’m not just a mage… I can’t help but follow those rules.”
And yet, even before she had been saved by Elias, everything in her life had been transactional. The people around her hadn’t wanted anything to do with her, so she had tried to make her existence so small so as to not be bothersome to others.