The idea of building a relationship with another living soul was mostly foreign to Eden. She’d come into contact with plenty, sure, but their interactions were so brief. Most of them, meaningless. Nothing in her world needed to have greater meaning. Hell, life didn’t need to have any greater meaning. It was just taking things one day at a time, stumbling her way through. The circumstances of her creation, the circumstances of her birth, the circumstances of her upbringing-- none of it had any greater meaning. Eden wasn’t sure that she would make a greater meaning of her own life, either.
And that’s left her cold. She barely has a relationship with the woman who raised her, or at least… did something of the sort. Having connections, ties to someone else-- was it worth it? Eden’s distance kept her safe from affairs of family, affairs of attachment, affairs of the heart. She wasn’t sure she had any heart to speak of. Eden had never really… had to use it. The idea of being emotionally vulnerable makes her deeply uncomfortable as well.
He speaks of numbers. Eden thinks carefully as he does-- how many women did he have under his… control? No, that seems to be the wrong word, at least for this man. How many women did he have under his care? Solomon smiles when he speaks of them, and that’s a good sign. Eden feels a bit more at ease in that, at least. She’s calm, listening to him speak.
And there’s the idea of trust. Trusting someone enough to let them in? It seemed… well, it seemed far-fetched to Eden. Relationships are built on trust. She’s not one for relationships, after all. His voice has deflated some, and her gaze flickers back to his face. Eden is studying him, and… she’s curious. It’s open, and she hums softly. It pays to pick your friends carefully. The green eyed mare would hold onto that thought, carve it into her thoughts.
Solomon’s question leaves her thinking quietly. A breeze picked up, lifting her mane and tail, sending a shiver down her spine. Eden couldn’t wait for the winter to end. “Don’t be pretend to be something you’re not, especially to impress someone.” Her words are measured. It was all so deeply rooted in her insistence on being unapologetically herself, and her complete trust in herself. The only one she could ever trust was herself, and that’s… well, it holds her together.
Eden thinks of his words. He speaks of friends… when was the last time she had friends? A few questions collided in her brain, but one came to the front. “What is it that makes a good friend?” Well, may as well ask. She was asking about his opinion, and maybe his experience too. He was here, after all. May as well pick his brain.
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