Maraysa PoV

Grimm : Maraysa ?

Grimm's thought seems jumbled.

 Confusion. Fear. Relief. Happiness. Anger. Grimm's thoughts tinged with

contradicting and conflicting emotions.

Feelings wash into me through the link we share.

It's strange, being able to sense someone so ..intimately. Sharing thoughts, emotions, state of mind. If I can feel this much from a single word…how much can Grimm feel from me?

 How much does Grimm know about me? Does Grimm know what I am?

No if Grimm did….

No Grimm can’t know. I'm still alive after all.

I can’t let Grimm know..

I don't know if I can come back another time…

Maraysa: Yes Grimm, it's me.

I manage a smile, however underneath I can feel dread. How much of that did Grimm hear? Could Grimm hear my own thoughts outside my projections?

Grimm's tense body eases, relief escaping in a single sigh.

Grimm : I had thought it was… you nearly scared me to death!

Fear ? From me? Could Grimm kn-

No, Grimm was relieved to find it was me. Afraid of another reason…but

what?

Maraysa: I'm sorry Grimm. It was not my intension to startle you. But you didn’t notice my presence. You seemed panicked and I ..reached out without thinking.

The child looked liked it was fearing for its life, Grimm's heart was racing, chest heaving in laborious breaths. My inability to speak is yet to be resolved, due to this I was required to transmit my thoughts, the way

Grimm showed me.

Grimm's face ,that was twisted in anger, began to soften as understanding of this fact dawned on him.

Grimm : I'm sorry Maraysa… you were trying to help and I... I'm sorry.

Sincerity. That’s what I felt. How long has it been since I felt anything at all? Emotions . The touch of another person.

 Long forgotten things that seemed so alien to me now.

 I take a look at the small figure in front of me, so close to myself that I could feel it’s breath tickle my skin, the warmth of its body where our heads touched.

A child. It’s name is Grimm, it’s scarlet hair cascading over its face, like a curtain obscuring the finer details of its face, it’s amethyst eyes glinting through the strands, shining in the moonlight.

How much do I know of this child? How much could I trust it?

It hasn’t hurt me, quite the opposite really. I'm the one who hurt Grimm , and yet it's not been brought up once… no matter how I look at it.. I can find any malice, no hatred, no ill-intent. What does its eyes show?

Is it pity?

No it’s eyes show no condescension.

"I won’t let you be alone anymore"

The words resound in my mind. Alone .

Sympathy…understanding…

But why .. why would it be so trusting. Perhaps it is because it’s a child?.is it due to Naivety?

 Then why does it seem in front if Grimm..I feel just like the little girl again, crying out for her mother, her father , her siblings…won’t I be betrayed again? Cast aside..thrown away?

"I won’t let you be alone anymore"

The same words. Again." Won’t let be alone anymore"…can Grimm see I was alone too? Does Grimm know that I am a..monster?

No … Grimm can’t … I need to know about what it knows…what Grimm is..

Maraysa: Grimm ?

Perhaps it was the tone of my voice, perhaps it was the tension through the link, but Grimm notices.

Grimm: yes?

It's too late now.

Maraysa: Who…What are you?

=======

The question hangs in the room, the silence between us weighs down on us with greater force as the seconds pass. The only sound of the gentle wind blowing outside the window, rustling the tree branches painting strange and bizarre shadows in the room as they obscure dim light of the moon. Eternity passes and the silence breaks.

Grimm: I…don’t understand..what are you asking me? What I am ?

Maraysa: Yes.

More silence….

Grimm: Why are you asking me this? I don’t understand how I'm supposed to answer that…

Grimm trails off the thought growing softer and softer till it stops altogether. Grimm searches for an answer for my eyes, baring into them. Under the gaze I feel..exposed, like Grimm could see straight through me..through my darkest secrets, my past, my everything

Grimm: "What I am" not who.

Grimm eyes feel different . Even the thoughts are different. The tone..

Grimm: You asked what. Not who. You're not sure what it is I am. Though it should be clear I am human..but you're not are you?

It's as if it's reading off a list.

Like it can read me.

The tone shift jars me.

It doesn't seem right.

It doesn’t feel like Grimm at all.

Grimm: I think the better question is.

Grimm: What are you Maraysa Umbrezha?

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"another chapter later today"

Sorry about that.

having a little bit of an issue with character diologues in case it doesn't seem obvious from the exchange between these two. thing is Grimm is supposed to be very awkward in terms of talking and maraysa has been locked up for a pretty long time, being both subject to physical and psychological trauma .

Both have difficulty talking and trying to be as close to character as possible when writing these dialogues, makes my job painful. i'll probably do a little time skip in order to have some time for them to develop off screen, its a bit of a lazy way to tie it in, but i can't really see this going away in a few chapters, no matter how much magic memory reading dues ex machina i try to incorporate.

If any of you guys have a type of method you'd like to share please do give your input.