[ yes, yes— of course. it is a murmur that feels . . . rekindled, a bit disbelieving but only because this was more of a pleasant surprise than the worst he'd expected. maybe he could start anew. maybe like-minded perspective and fresh new eyes was what he needed.

maybe a friend was what he needed. ]

She's in good health. [ if that would quell any worry; jayce continues with a quick runthrough of his project with her, briefly flicking a glance to the door and lowering his voice into a bare whisper. he'll take a few steps closer if it meant he'd be heard. ] Her trim is too short, it compromised her posture and I can't rasp a thing without hurting her— I'm making new shoes, just for her— corrective ones.

[ in their day and age? there's no such thing as a therapeutic shoe approach. if she got any lamer with no improvements by the next competition prep (a little less than a few weeks on the horizon), they'd likely consider putting her down, unfit for sport and losing value. ]

I could show you, now if you want— I even did the math, it should work.

[ you have to believe me his colorless gaze pleas. ]