He listens better than any man she's ever had the displeasure of talking to, and it makes her feel strangely self-conscious, which was something she was most certainly not accustomed to feeling. Still, she preserves until he muses his own desires aloud again, offering both a destination and a purpose. The urge to deflect is foreign to her - to point out that she cannot offer him much guidance on the island she'd never seen - and so she ignores it, opting to instead nod once, wordlessly.
Sakir goes on then to explain more of what she is looking for, and each additional word makes her whole body feel warmer and warmer until she's certain that she must somehow look feverish beneath her fur. It is not the first offer of a home she has ever received (although she kept those carefully concealed from her father), but it is the only one she has ever truly considered taking.
And he didn't even have a home yet.
The red dun says nothing at first, only breathes steadily while her gaze memorizes each minute expression of his face as if by observation alone she will somehow reach the heart of him. She knows nothing about him, whether he will be worthy of her time or attention, let alone her loyalty or trust, and yet that same feeling at the back of her mind encouraging her to try something new was busy plastering neon signs all pointing toward yes
"I could give it a try," she answered nonchalantly, biting the inside of her cheek to restrict the giddiness of her smile. Salem as a whole didn't necessarily appeal to her, given that most stories of the desert island painted it as a hot and desolate place. Not exactly a land made inviting to travelers.
Osiris's fondest memories are of Atlantis, although she had not seen much of the jungle island. She'd been so young then, so unaware of the troubles that life possessed. Every day had been an exercise in learning and spotting something new: a new bird, a new flower, a new shell. Even while spending most of her time hiding from Temblor, Osiris had managed to have something of a childhood.
And yet, she had no great desire to return. Her apathy toward the three islands she'd seen had been the main reason she'd remained on the Crossing, going no further north or south than the borders of the Peak and Lagoon had allowed. She'd managed a trip or two to the Ruins, but the desolate, rocky remains held no allure for her either. Only Salem remained unexplored, but she had thus far assumed that it, like the others, would leave her feeling as apathetic as before.
Now though? Now she thought she'd rather like to see it.
As he spoke of other responsibilities she loosed a throaty laugh and nodded her head. "You are, in fact."Her voice was light and teasing, even though her heart felt like it was thrumming far too fast. "I'm not quite sure how new arrivals will ever figure out their way around. I'm afraid you've condemned them all to aimless wandering." She smirked again, warmth returning to her amber eyes. "Do you think you can live with that, Sakir?"
Osiris - Mutt - Adult - 15.3h - Red Dun Tobiano - Rehoboam x Celestine
we all eat lies when our hearts are hungry.