[ The answer is clear to Caelus, and he gives it without hesitation: ]
Stay here with me.
[ His warm golden gaze is steady on Aventurine's smile, and he doesn't move his hand, because the blond seems to be enjoying the soft touch, and there isn't anything that Caelus wouldn't give him, in this moment. ]
You don't have to go back to the IPC. You're free now — you could stay here as one of the Nameless.
[ Caelus does — wince and walk that back slightly, once it occurs to him that Aventurine might not want to swear allegiance to anyone or anything but himself, right now. But still. The reputation of the Astral Express and Akivili the Trailblaze probably speaks for itself. ]
Um, you — you don't have to belong to us if you don't want to. You could just be a guest, if you'd prefer that. But we always protect our own. Present, past, and future.
no subject
Stay here with me.
[ His warm golden gaze is steady on Aventurine's smile, and he doesn't move his hand, because the blond seems to be enjoying the soft touch, and there isn't anything that Caelus wouldn't give him, in this moment. ]
You don't have to go back to the IPC. You're free now — you could stay here as one of the Nameless.
[ Caelus does — wince and walk that back slightly, once it occurs to him that Aventurine might not want to swear allegiance to anyone or anything but himself, right now. But still. The reputation of the Astral Express and Akivili the Trailblaze probably speaks for itself. ]
Um, you — you don't have to belong to us if you don't want to. You could just be a guest, if you'd prefer that. But we always protect our own. Present, past, and future.