Cross sighed inwardly. He sighed outwardly too but he tried to keep it silent. It didn’t work but it was the thought that counted. Granted, he didn’t try very hard, because-

“Athalia,” he looked at the white she-cat that had managed to find herself a few tail lengths away from him, staring vacantly off into the distance, “You’re alright. Nothing will happen to you unless I create it. Go relax.”

Perhaps he’d no longer feel awkward sitting next to the she-cat if she got up and left.

His jaw clenched, even as a spark occurred in crimson eyes. He wasn't expecting his attempt at reassurance to backfire on him. Perhaps it assured her too much. Would a threat have been more affective? Maybe.

"Everyone's afraid of something, whether they admit it to themselves or not. Even gods are afraid of at least one thing on any plane of existence. I admire your attitude, but it's a courage born out of foolishness if you aren't careful." He looked back in front of himself. "You are safe with me for as long as your time ticks on."

He sat in silence for several moments before his curiosity got the better of him.

"You are the only one who hasn't questioned my allegiance to the League."

Going down a path we may never recover from.

"Why?"

Lips that were nearly turned up in the hint of a smile flattened into a line at her query. What do you think it is that death fears then? Crimson eyes dropped down to the ground, clouding over as flashbacks of a time long gone and trauma not yet healed crossed his mind's eye. He lifted his head and glanced at her.

"The world may never know." His tone was teasing, but the truth still lingered in it.

"You shouldn't trust so easily. You hardly know me." He scoffed. "Your naivety will be the death of you."

The tom stared forward. If I let you? he mouthed, blinking and glancing over to the side. She was either incredibly confident or absolutely daft. Either one could get her, and possibly himself, killed. He felt a headache growing behind his eyes. He knew he should have stood up and walked away. At this point he had noticed her eyes, seen the milky way they were formed, and understood she was blind. He wasn't sure to what capacity, but given she hadn't turned tail and fled as soon as seeing his eyes and the marks around them, he figured she didn't have much sight if at all. He could get away with it, if she didn't hear him and follow after.

"Do you always talk this much?" He sighed.

The tom paused and turned to look at her, blinking slowly. Why was it that after generations, a mere child, a small white she-cat who believed herself so much stronger than she was, caught him by one simple line? He could give any number of reasons, but he knew it was the way in which she allowed herself to be vulnerable. No smart talk, no smirk, no attempt at riling him. It was hollow, and lonely, and there was a lilt at the end like she was trying to come off as lighter than she felt, but he knew the truth.

He felt the same way.

He couldn't recount the days and nights he had slipped into the shadows, allowing his eyes and his bones to be soothed by the cold chill of the dark, and silently wished for companionship, of which he was given none, as they all appeared to be afraid of him. Whether it was the color of eyes, the pattern around them of which he was born with, or the aura he put off. He had spent so many seasons alone, he had forgotten what it felt like to share space with someone.

He had only very rarely experienced what it was like to share space with someone who genuinely didn't spend it for their benefit or to get his hopes up only to use it as a tactical advantage to cause pain.

"...I'm not." His voice was gruff, hoarse, as though he hadn't spoken in ages. He cleared his throat a bit. "I'm not here by obligation to keep you company. I hadn't meant to interact with you longer than to find myself alone again."

He drifted off and looked around in discomfort. "I suppose I've been alone so long, I've forgotten how to be with others."

He glanced at her. "I don't talk much either."

The tom looked away awkwardly, though he found himself silently agreeing with her. It was by no means a comfortable exchange, but it was the closest he'd been with another that wasn't Regulus in... He couldn't remember when.

"Yeah, well." He cleared his throat and shifted his paws a bit. "I think I've spent enough time not doing anything. I think I'll do my rounds, make sure everyone's alright." He glanced at her. "Unless you're on an off day, you could... accompany me. If you'd like." He tilted his head to the side and popped his neck.

Cross snorted, a sound he normally wouldn't be caught dead making with anyone, but he supposed there was something that transpired after bearing a bit of your soul to another. Still, there were nowhere near being friends, but at least he understood one of his league members a little better. Enough to say they could fight together and he wouldn't immediately think she was dead weight.

"Come on then." He padded forward, already having memorized the unmarked path after countless times tracing and retracing his steps. There wasn't much else to do when you were an outcast, even if you were a higher rank among the rabble. "Let me know if you need to lean on me." He glanced to her out the corner of his eye. "For guidance sake."

The internal affairs proxy watched the roller coaster of emotions flit across her face and turned back toward the front, a huff escaping him as the corner of his mouth curled in a crooked grin. He would've never thought given the spitfire attitude she'd shown earlier she'd wind up a blushing maiden just by offering to make sure she wouldn't fall on her face. She was certainly a strange one, though he found he wasn't particularly bothered by it, rather curious about her, which was new. He wasn't sure if he liked that just yet.

"How are your duties coming along?" He hummed, just to fill the air. Though he would rather complete his rounds in silence, he found himself experiencing an odd sensation: genuinely not wanting their interaction to end. There was concern in his tone as well as his curiosity, however. It was one thing to be new in a group and automatically handed responsibility and placed on a tier higher than the others, which came with its own struggles and need to prove worth. It was entirely another to have grown up in the league your entire life and given power when you struggle to see your way around the world. He found himself slowly getting lost in his thoughts. If she was able to make it as far as she already had, she was made of tougher stuff than he first gave her credit for. Still, he'd rather see her in action. Both for entertainment and to judge whether she would be a worthy battle partner.