What she says humbles him into a quiet stupor. His mere friendship with her son and daughter makes Mrs. Durant so appreciative, who he is isn't a point of shame to her, and... And he impresses Isidor? His face shifts through a kaleidoscope of emotions – honor, shock, flickers of guilty introspection. Finally he settles on a smile that's far too warm for a cold face.
He tries to say something but finds himself still emotional. Instead he cups his cheek with one gloved hand and merely continues smiling at her as if she were his own mother.
Finally he says, his voice very quiet, "I can't believe I was scared to talk to you." He folds his arms in front of his belt and finds that when his cheek is free his smile only grows. "I was so afraid of what to say. I thought you might not like me. I thought I oughta impress you – Viatorus has been teachin' me German, and I thought if I spoke it to you it might make you like me a little more. But then I worried that if I wasn't perfect, maybe you'd think I was stupid, or the same as everyone else who's probably always tryin' to impress you."
He whispers a little laugh and shakes his head. It's obvious in hindsight that she wouldn't have thought that, or at the very least wouldn't have expressed it. A few moments of silently inspecting her face pass before he huffs a single laugh and realizes, "I guess I missed my chance to make a joke about how far I came from my beginnings, huh? It woulda been funny, since I'm from another world and all."
And having said that he leans in slightly so that he doesn't tower over her, though he doesn't look too eloquent posed with his hands on his legs as he bends to close those few inches between them. "Which reminds me: Did you get the gift I sent you? The little model airship?"
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2017-07-24 03:36 am (UTC)He tries to say something but finds himself still emotional. Instead he cups his cheek with one gloved hand and merely continues smiling at her as if she were his own mother.
Finally he says, his voice very quiet, "I can't believe I was scared to talk to you." He folds his arms in front of his belt and finds that when his cheek is free his smile only grows. "I was so afraid of what to say. I thought you might not like me. I thought I oughta impress you – Viatorus has been teachin' me German, and I thought if I spoke it to you it might make you like me a little more. But then I worried that if I wasn't perfect, maybe you'd think I was stupid, or the same as everyone else who's probably always tryin' to impress you."
He whispers a little laugh and shakes his head. It's obvious in hindsight that she wouldn't have thought that, or at the very least wouldn't have expressed it. A few moments of silently inspecting her face pass before he huffs a single laugh and realizes, "I guess I missed my chance to make a joke about how far I came from my beginnings, huh? It woulda been funny, since I'm from another world and all."
And having said that he leans in slightly so that he doesn't tower over her, though he doesn't look too eloquent posed with his hands on his legs as he bends to close those few inches between them. "Which reminds me: Did you get the gift I sent you? The little model airship?"