There is a lot goin on over there, judging by that epic weighted silence. She looks back once, briefly, curiously, but he just looks surly and contemplative like always. Arista's body language is much more interesting and telling, in a way, but she doesn't want to stare.
"Okay," she says when he finally offers that. "Yeah, that sounds good."
She lets the silence linger for a few moments, and it seems even Aqil is not prepared to break it unceremoniously, like he does. There has to be a reason for his hesitation. He's just as obsessive as she is, if not moreso, about beating the puzzle the Rift presents - and she's seen firsthand how the fear (or even the promise) of grievous bodily harm is not enough to dissuade him from a goal. So what does that leave?
She can't ask blindly. He won't answer, or give her some non-answer, and the window will be closed. She has to come up with a leading question. She has to make a guess.
Aqil dips his head and nuzzles his beak against her temple, and for a moment it just seems like weird displaced comfort until she realizes he's whispering to her. Yeah, she'd considered that - well, naturally, since he's her or something anyway - but now the part of her that thought it is capable of prodding her, encouraging her to speak. Like having the little voice of reason (or lack thereof) externalized. Well, whatever works.
"What's the deal, man?" she says finally. "Do you not want to go home?"
It's not really accusatory - his reasons are his own, she imagines a lot of people are going to have reasons they don't want to go back. But it's something she, his colleague in 'fixing this', should probably fucking know.
no subject
"Okay," she says when he finally offers that. "Yeah, that sounds good."
She lets the silence linger for a few moments, and it seems even Aqil is not prepared to break it unceremoniously, like he does. There has to be a reason for his hesitation. He's just as obsessive as she is, if not moreso, about beating the puzzle the Rift presents - and she's seen firsthand how the fear (or even the promise) of grievous bodily harm is not enough to dissuade him from a goal. So what does that leave?
She can't ask blindly. He won't answer, or give her some non-answer, and the window will be closed. She has to come up with a leading question. She has to make a guess.
Aqil dips his head and nuzzles his beak against her temple, and for a moment it just seems like weird displaced comfort until she realizes he's whispering to her. Yeah, she'd considered that - well, naturally, since he's her or something anyway - but now the part of her that thought it is capable of prodding her, encouraging her to speak. Like having the little voice of reason (or lack thereof) externalized. Well, whatever works.
"What's the deal, man?" she says finally. "Do you not want to go home?"
It's not really accusatory - his reasons are his own, she imagines a lot of people are going to have reasons they don't want to go back. But it's something she, his colleague in 'fixing this', should probably fucking know.