[ If Carolina's guard were to drop entirely, it would draw Maine's attention far more quickly than what she keeps up. After all, he's never seen Carolina outside of a time of war. Never seen her attempts to learn how to relax, or the (perhaps dubious) results of those lessons. The tension that remains in her frame is normal, to Maine. It's readiness. Alertness. It's part of why she's number one.
(He hasn't seen her lose that spot. Hasn't seen her ambition turned against her. Hasn't been driven mad by a fragment of an AI embodying that same emotion.)
She slows as they near each other, and Maine does the same — though for an entirely different reason. Carolina's bangs conceal parts of her face, but he could swear that she looks ... different. Same eyes; same hair; same confidence and easy grace in her movements. But the closer they get, the more she looks older.
It's distracting. So much so that he nearly misses the hesitation before she speaks. And that? That's enough to give him pause as well.
When has he ever seen Carolina hesitate in anything?
After a moment of stillness, Maine lifts his shoulders in a slight shrug and nods. It's a strange way to phrase it, sure — but he did just "arrive" in this dream. ]
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(He hasn't seen her lose that spot. Hasn't seen her ambition turned against her. Hasn't been driven mad by a fragment of an AI embodying that same emotion.)
She slows as they near each other, and Maine does the same — though for an entirely different reason. Carolina's bangs conceal parts of her face, but he could swear that she looks ... different. Same eyes; same hair; same confidence and easy grace in her movements. But the closer they get, the more she looks older.
It's distracting. So much so that he nearly misses the hesitation before she speaks. And that? That's enough to give him pause as well.
When has he ever seen Carolina hesitate in anything?
After a moment of stillness, Maine lifts his shoulders in a slight shrug and nods. It's a strange way to phrase it, sure — but he did just "arrive" in this dream. ]