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AlteredTundra
Kronshi
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21308
Qia
Lucid Dreaming
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LG
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Majoraa
Connections
location: Pasithea’s Apartment
interactions: Aphrodite | Pasithea | Psyche | Eros
interactions: Aphrodite | Pasithea | Psyche | Eros
Her blue eyes turned frigid as glaciers, glaring daggers as she stiffly sat with rage boiling just under the surface while trying to show some semblance of maintaining a regal composure. She scanned her gaze to the betraying goddess, the sweet girl unable to face her because of the crime she had committed against her person. How dare she bring this lowsome woman before her?! The one that had turned her followers' heads and made them abandon her shrines, resending their offerings to bestow them on a falsity. The one that had been painted as the Goddess of Beauty and Love in human form or by some miracle believed she had been the one to bless such a conniving harlot. This vile trickster who stole her beloved son’s heart and then instantly betrayed his trust. The one who burned him. The one who couldn’t even manage to complete her challenges to earn forgiveness without weakly gathering the sympathy of others to cheat and gain immortality. Psyche had never been good enough to be with her son and she couldn’t stand to be in her presence even if they were not speaking. Aphrodite couldn’t stand it any longer, a strict and harsh tone laced with a tinge of hurt was the voice greeting Pasithea as she made her displeasure known.
”Πώς τολμάς να φέρεις αυτό το παράσιτο μπροστά μου! Ποτέ δεν πίστευα ότι ήσουν ικανός για τέτοια προδοσία. Σε έχει αλλάξει τόσο πολύ ο χρόνος?”
(How dare you bring this parasite in front of me! I never thought you were capable of such betrayal. Has time changed you that much?)
”Με όλο μου το σεβασμό—“
(With all respect—), Psyche started, trying to come to Pasithea’s defense and spare her some wrath, only to be cut off abruptly as Aphrodite’s head and attention snapped to her suddenly.
”Δεν σου μιλούσα! Κράτα τη γλώσσα σου εκτός αν σου ζητηθεί.”
(I wasn't speaking to you! Hold your tongue unless asked.), came her words, vicious and dripping with venom. If looks could kill, Psyche was sure she would be dead and buried. It caused a chill down her spine, remembering all the attempts at her death during the challenges put forth by Aphrodite. Eros had kept her going then, made her fight on because he was worth dying for. Now, there was no one around to fight for and she felt far less brave than she once had when facing this woman.
Pasithea sighs as she hugged herself, looking pitifully sad and awkward by the encounter happening in her home. She knew this wouldn’t be easy for either of the goddesses but this was getting out of hand. She let some of her powers flow once more, Psyche seeming to take hold of that to smooth her frayed nerves while Aphro seemed more irritated, resisting against it. She figured it might be showing her a more negative side of things which was a problem.
”Πασιθέα, απαντά τώρα και μην προσπαθήσεις ξανά να μου αποσπάσεις την προσοχή.”
(Pasithea, answers now and do not try to distract me again.)
” Όσο κι αν μισείς να το ακούς, χρειάζεσαι τη βοήθειά της. Η Ψυχή ήταν απρόθυμη να βοηθήσει και παρόλα αυτά άφησε τις διαφορές της στην άκρη για να είναι εδώ.”
(As much as you will hate to hear this, you need her help. Psyche was reluctant to assist and still put her differences aside to be here.)
”Δεν θέλω ούτε χρειάζομαι τίποτα από αυτήν.”
(I want nor need anything from her)
Θέλετε να προκαλέσετε ταλαιπωρία στα παιδιά σας? Οι άνθρωποι εδώ δεν μιλάνε τη γλώσσα μας. Θα τους αναγκάσεις να σου ερμηνεύσουν? Αφιερώνουν εγωιστικά το χρόνο τους και φαίνονται αδύναμοι μπροστά τους? Η ψυχή θα σου δώσει γνώση χωρίς αγώνα.”
(Do you want to cause a hassle for your children? The people here do not speak our language. Are you going to force them to interpret for you? Selfishly take up their time and appear weak before them? Psyche will give you the knowledge without struggle.)
Aphro hated this. Pasi was right but she hated to admit it. She would do anything for her children. They were the joys of her life. They should be happy and surprised to see her but if she could speak this new language for them, that would make things easier. Her lips turned to a thin line as she shook her head slowly to answer the questions set before her, relenting to the words spoken.
”Ωραία, θα δεχτώ για χάρη των παιδιών μου.Τι πρέπει να κάνω?”
(Fine, I will accept for my children's sake. What do I need to do?)
”Κλείσε τα μάτια σου και θα αναλάβω τα υπόλοιπα. Κάτω από το άγρυπνο βλέμμα της Πασιθέας φυσικά...για να είσαι ήσυχος.”
(Close your eyes and I will handle the rest. Under Pasithea's watchful gaze, of course...so you can be at ease.), she said softly, knowing full well that the goddess before her was going to flip her lid in a moment. Psyche could only hope that whichever child Pasi called earlier would arrive before their mother sent her to a hospital.
Aphro shot another distrustful gaze before closing her eyes, fingers curling into tight fists to control herself. She was just glad that Isa was asleep for now, not wanting to show the fragile child this side of her and also because the other needed the rest. It was probably the only reason she hadn’t fully screamed or shouted at this point. All she could hear was her own heartbeat in her ears, ringing as she worked to keep her frayed nerves and rage in check while waiting for the unknown at how to fix her current issue involving speech. The shuffling of feet distracted her for a moment, making her eyes almost open when a brush of lips pressed lightly against her own causing her to freeze for a split second, her mind clicking two and two together. The next moment, she yanked away as her eyes flew open, bringing up her hand and slapping the goddess in front of her across the face with her full strength before standing to tower over the woman now gripping her cheek in pain. She hadn’t even noticed the lack of Pasi behind the couch anymore or the fact that the front door was open as she focused in on Psyche. ”How dare you!”
There was silence from the doorway, until footsteps made their way across the wooden floor, stopping next to Aphrodite. A hand gripped her forearm and pulled it away, lest she try to harm the goddess again. The smile that Eros had worked so hard to plaster on his face had been wiped away, instead replaced by something difficult to define.
"...Mother?" Words finally managed to spill from his lips as he tried his best to avoid glancing in Psyche's direction. He daren't look and risk seeing that which he had always feared. It ended with him staring at his dear mother; irritation, confusion, and most of all sadness maring his usually good-humored features. "I…" He paused. He didn't know what to say. The temptation to just run was there but the dark haze that had clouded his mind since his encounter with Phobos lingered, making his clothes feel as heavy as lead and his legs as if in chains. "Why are you--what are you--what the hell are you doing?!" He finally blurted out, failing to acknowledge that she may prefer him to be speaking in greek. "Pasithea said you've only been back a day and you're already slapping people?" The god of love shook his head, trying hard to ignore the slight shakiness in his hand and the feeling of his heart beating uncomfortably fast.
Aphrodite was stunned to say the least when the hand wrapped around her forearm was that of Eros. She should have known wherever Psyche was that he would not be far behind which made the situation look negatively in her favor and once again made the other goddess look like a saint. Here she was being scolded when his wife had just kissed her! Sure, most of the Greeks were not very honorable when it came to spouses but she always thought these two had been (much to her annoyance since she couldn’t use that option in the past to cause jealousy or break them apart). She wanted to throw accusations, cause a fuss and scream but she knew it would most likely fall on deaf ears though that isn't why she didn’t speak. She looked at her son’s face, seeing the mixed emotions but honing in on the sadness there. Ignoring his questions, she cupped his face gently and asked softly, ”Who brought you such sadness? Was that my fault?”
Psyche couldn’t say she wasn’t prepared for retaliation but damn did it smart. She was probably going to have a nice mark for awhile with how bad it stung. She thought the footsteps were Pasi getting between them but when she glanced up and saw the shocked woman by the front door who instantly looked over apologetically at being distracted, she realized it was whoever Pasi called. The voice that spoke had her heart racing with only one word, butterflies dancing in her stomach, and hope gripping hold of her as she laid on Eros, the closest she had been to him since the fall. She almost thought he was an illusion, a hallucination from Pasithea’s power that had just kicked in late but then Aphrodite had reacted to his presence. He was real. He was right there and yet he still felt so far away, as if there was a wall between them. She wanted to get up, force him to look at her, demand the answers to the questions she had been longing to ask. She couldn’t bring herself to do it though, already feeling like she had ruined what was supposed to be a happy reunion with his dear mother. Psyche sat there, holding her cheek while her eyes never left the back of his form while praying just for a glance at what Aphro was seeing. She wanted to be the one to chase away his sorrows, to ask those important questions on who she should confront but it wasn’t her place. It hurt to think it but what else was there to think when your…well, was he still her husband if he ran at the sight of her. She bit her lip, trying desperately not to let tears build up or fall even if she could blame them on the pain. She had not let Aphrodite see her cry and she wasn’t about to start now, even if the ache in her heart was worse than anything else in this moment.
Eros blinked as he felt his mother cup his face, his eyes darting to the floor. "Nothing…nothing is wrong." He lied, though by the time he looked up again he had managed to smile. It was a smile that always eased her concerns and could charm even the most stone-hearted of men. "You worry too much as always. I was just surprised to see you here, though I'm so glad you are!" Eros chimed as happily as he could, taking her hands between his own and squeezing them tightly. It was his duty as a son to appear joyful, even if all he really wanted to do was sleep for a long long time. Since he was born that had been his role. To please his mother, though he had not always been able to manage even that. The thought made him acutely aware once more of how close to Psyche he was and his eyebrows furrowed as he realized that she was probably in pain. Without turning to face her, he addressed her, his voice monotone for worry that it might tremble.
"Are you okay Psyche? Perhaps Pasithea may have something to ease the pain…"
”If you are sure, my sweet! I have missed you so much and I’m so glad I was still able to give you a wonderful surprise! I did not realize that I would be seeing you so soon.”, Aphro smiled brightly, happy that her son was by her side. She wished all of her children could have been here but she was delighted one of them had appeared. She squeezed his hands back, trying to reassure him of her presence. She loved all her children but it was not surprising to most that the son before her had always been the closest to her. They were just similar and he had always been more on her side than some of her other children. She tried not to frown at the sudden concern for Psyche but it was fair she guessed. She had slightly broken the promise to not harm or interfere when it came to the other goddess after all.
Psyche was startled at being addressed, feeling tongue tied at the first conversation they were going to have and yet, she felt crushed. Tears built up in her eyes that she desperately tried to hold back at the monotone voice, how he was still unable to look at her, and finally asking Pasithea to help about the pain. Her cheek didn’t hurt anymore or at least she couldn’t feel it compared to the emotional pain in that moment. ”I’ll be fine.”, she replied weakly, trying to convince herself but also realizing that or more accepting that this was over. Whatever they had was gone at least for him. She had waited for so long and had gotten an answer without having to ask. She should have listened to Fen. She should have given up sooner and just found someone else to love but…she hadn’t wanted to, she still didn’t but…it wasn’t her choice to make.
Pasi knew the moment she saw Psyche’s expression that she had messed up. She had been so worried about keeping Aphrodite happy and honestly, she didn’t know much about the lives of Ares children. She had assumed
they were still a thing even with Eros' bizarre business. ”I-I’m sure that there is s-something I can do. Don’t worry!”, she answered also, trying to soothe over the awkward situation. She had a feeling she was going to be supporting someone falling apart soon while also looking after a patient that didn’t want to be one. This was not shaping up to be a pretty day. Pasi quickly scrambled to the kitchen, taking out an ice pack from the freezer and carefully wrapping it in one of her clean dish towels before returning to Psyche, offering up the item to help soothe the ache. ”Thank you.”, she said in a dazed tone, trying to keep it from shaking with the emotional strain of holding back tears before offering up a light smile as she pressed the cold compressed to her cheek.
Eros couldn’t help it. It had been centuries since he’d even been in the same room as Psyche and despite that, he still could not resist the urge to make sure that she was okay. He glanced in her direction, noting the tears that were welling up in her eyes and how beauti-- he looked away before he could dwell on that thought anymore than he already had. It would be too painful. He couldn’t…wouldn’t risk encouraging even a modicum of hope inside of him. Making sure to still keep his smile light, he gently steered his mother away from the other two goddesses, hoping that they would be out of earshot.
“I sort of assumed you would go to father if you ever woke up.” He replied honestly, “Though, I…I don’t understand why Psyche is here.” Even saying her name tugged at his heart and the images that had flashed through his mind at Phobos’ hands flared back into life. “Or why you were kissing her.” He whispered, a pout almost forming on his lips. It’s not that he was jealous that his mother had gotten to kiss his wife…ex wife? But well, yeah he was jealous. “Not that I have anything against kissing people. Kissing people is great. Who doesn’t like kissing?” He was rambling. Stop thinking about kissing Eros. “But, well…it was pretty weird.”
Aphrodite raised a brow at his words, pouting with a hint of disgust as she crossed her arms. ”You act as if I was the one to kiss her. If you want answers ask your wife because I had nothing to do with that display. As for going to your father, I did but then he did what he does best and had better things to do. I was suddenly greeted by his newest child in the morning and she stated that not only is your father now missing but it wasn’t safe at his place. This was the safest place I could think of without spoiling the surprise for all my children. She had a prior injury and is currently down for the count in Pasi’s room now.”
A look of bewilderment crossed across Eros’ face. “Newest child? What are you talking about?” His mind ticked over trying to figure out what the hell his mother was on about. The part about his father going missing seemed to concern him less. Newest child…newest child…wait, did Psyche have a child?! Was she married? Was it to a god or a mortal? All these thoughts ran through his head, pushing past the heavy leaden feeling and spurring him into action. He took hold of his mothers shoulders and shook her dramatically. “Tell me!” He pleaded desperately, apparently having completely missed the part about the child being his fathers. “And I can’t speak to her! You have to do it. Please please please!”
Her eyes widened at the sudden desperation in her son’s voice, not understanding why he was so stirred up about a new half sister. Also, when had he ever not been able to speak to his wife…well, except after the betrayal of trust. ”What in the underworld has gotten into you? I didn’t think a new half sister would cause so much concern. Also, why do I have to speak with her?! The less we talk the better.”
Oh. A half-sister. Yep, that made more sense. His father had no qualms about keeping secrets from them all, so it wasn’t exactly a surprise. “She’s here?” He said curiously, peeking around her shoulder. “Is she hot? Wait, no, I mean…is she nice?” As much as the Greeks had blurred such boundaries, he was well aware that it was no longer socially acceptable. He’d probably need to make a note to tell his mother of this. Biting down on his lip, he once again steered Aphrodite even further away from the others. Spotting a closet door, he opened it and squeezed them both inside, letting out a small ‘ow’ when a mop handle fell on his head. He didn’t want to admit this to his mother, knowing how much she would likely bask in the news. But he knew he had to. Steeling himself, he took a deep breath. “I haven’t spoken to Psyche for two millenia. Well, I guess except for a moment ago…” He admitted sullenly, “So I was thinking maybe…you could…do it for me?” Eros shot her a hesitant smile.
”She is…very much your father’s child.”, Aphro answered in regard to Isa, feeling more confused by her son as the seconds passed. She felt like she was missing a key piece to the puzzle. It wasn’t long before she (unimpressed mind you) found herself in a cramped cabinet, led there by Eros and completely confused to the point of it all. She waited patiently, clearly wanting an explanation and boy was it worth the wait. She didn’t even bother to hide the pure delight and happiness about his statement. ”That is simply wonderful! I’m so glad to hear you came to your senses even if it was when I wasn’t aro…wait, why do you want me to speak to her? What is it that you intend to make me discuss with her?”, she questioned as a frown slowly etched its way onto her features.
“Oh I don’t know. How she is, what she’s been up to, has she met anyone, is she married…” He trailed off, there were too many questions to be asked and so little time. The change in his demeanor was dramatic but the love god had always been subject to such whims. “And I didn’t have any sense to come to! No, I mean, I just figured the arrow's magic wouldn’t be working anymore, so she wouldn’t love me after the fall. And I couldn’t risk her telling me that. It would be a disaster!” The words, which he had never spoken to anyone, spilled out of his mouth like water over a cliff. It showed how much he trusted his mother, even when she delighted in his pain. Unbidden, his eyes began to well up with tears, emotions that he had tried so hard to repress coming to the forefront of his mind & heart. “I know you never liked her but I need to know if she…” Eros swallowed, his mouth and throat feeling uncomfortably dry. “If she hates me…”
Her heart clenched much to her frustration as she watched her baby boy almost shed tears. She had never been able to handle his sadness let alone any of her other children and she wouldn’t be a love goddess without noticing the feeling that still was there. It annoyed her to pieces. Aphro couldn’t stand the partner he chose but she wasn’t going to make him suffer more. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and nodded in defeat. ”Fine….you know I can’t stand to see you like this…you owe me.”, she replied, slamming open the door in irritation before heading back into the room, taking a seat and crossing her legs as she stared straight at the other goddess.
”My son has brought it to my attention that I acted…out of place. I believe we have once again gotten off on the wrong foot…”, she said almost through gritted teeth and curled fists. Why did he have to ask such things of her? ”Perhaps, we can…start over. I know, why don’t you tell me how you have been? What have you been up to? Any grandchildren I should know about?”
To say she felt like she was walking on thin ice would be an understatement. First the two just randomly disappear, leaving Pasi and herself confused, both conversing between themselves and then Aphro just returns alone. Did Eros run again? Wait, did he go out a window? That was the least of her worries though. She felt like there was something deceptive and manipulative in the goddess before her. Had Eros not explained their situation? She would have thought Aphrodite would be tickled pink to not have to deal with her anymore. She awkwardly stared back for a moment and debated on if it was her place to inform her. Maybe she already knew and was just ready to rub it in her face while her son was out of the room. Yeah, that sounded about right. ”You don’t have to worry about grandchildren, at least not from me…Eros and I haven’t been together for quite awhile. I’ve been dealing with it and keeping myself busy with my bakery.”
”I’m so sorry to hear that.”, the false concern and the little smirk saying otherwise and ignoring the other comments to her questions. Hearing the news from her son had been nice but it was even sweeter to hear it confirmed by the one she despised. She took her earlier discarded cup of tea and took a sip. ”Anyone else filled his place yet? Human hearts are so fickle after all and easy to sway. Oh right, you are no longer mortal. I still forget at times.”
Aphro always did know how to grate her nerves and she wasn’t going to sit around and be insulted. ”Why don’t you say what you really want to say? If you are questioning my loyalty yet again then you should know better by now. No, there isn’t another and there has been no other.”
”Oh? So you don’t hate my son?”
”Are you seriously asking me that? Are you losing your touch?!”
”Perhaps I want to hear it from your own lips.”
”I could never. No matter how he feels about me.”, practically choking on her words. The spell was broken, Eros was free to do as he wanted and be with who he wanted. He could actually love another instead of a false love they shared. It had been real for her so the heartbreak she had alone was worse. At least he didn’t have to suffer like she did.
Aphrodite rolled her eyes, noting how these two were complete morons. It wasn’t her place to work it out for them and she sure as hell didn’t want them to. She could lie, just say that the goddess hated him and move on but she couldn’t crush her son in such a way. It was irritating that this leech refused to let up. It was even more so that the spell was gone and yet still the two were fawning. ”Excuse me, I think I’ll go check on Isa.”, with that exiting the room, planning on using that lie to inform her son if he hadn’t been listening in.
”Are you alright?”
”I’m fine, maybe I should go. I did what I came here to do and I think I am just making things worse.”
The words were barely audible from Eros’ place in the broom closet. And if anyone had peered down the corridor, they would’ve seen the god grappling with a set of precariously stacked boxes that were threatening to topple him to the ground. With a foot and an arm keeping them in place however, he managed to hear most of the conversation. His heart felt like a train thrumming through his body and for a moment, all he could too was stand there in the ridiculous position he had adopted, frozen in place. She didn’t hate him…she didn’t hate him but that did not mean she loved him. Would it be worse for her to feel nothing at all? To not care one way or the other? He was suddenly hit by a new, even worse fear. Ambivalence. It would make sense…for he had once been the monster that had stolen her away from her home and family. She had simply put up with his presence at first, and had only truly begun to love him after the mishap with the arrow.
It all made sense. Eros felt himself trembling and with that the boxes came crashing down on top of him. He let out a yelp as he fell to the ground, a moment of silence following before he groaned in pain. “Fuck…” He muttered to himself as he lay there, willing himself to move but not daring to go in the same room as Psyche. It was pointless though. He was so dumb to even expect her to hate him. He had been afterall, destined to never fall in love or be loved. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Psyche hadn’t even made it a step towards the exit as she heard the sound of something loudly crashing which caused her curiosity but at the yelp followed by a groan of pain had her completely forgetting what she had been about to do. Fear shot through her, her legs moving automatically as she roughly shoved past Aphrodite with little to no care as she rushed in the direction of the sound. Pasi quickly caught Aphro, making sure she didn’t tumble into the wall or slip more than she had in the startling action.
”Eros!”, Psyche gasped, seeing him laying there unmoving and quickly kneeling down next to him before removing some of the boxes in a panic. ”Are you alright!?! Are you hurt?! What happened!? Can you move?”, she asked, not really giving him time to respond as she checked him over with gentle touches before leaning over him so she could look at his face for injury but froze. Finally registering that not only had she invaded his personal space but touched him with all the familiarity she had been granted in the past and now was very close in a tempting way or at least tempting for her. She blushed brightly, nervously leaning back so her face wasn’t as close to his own. She tried to take her eyes off him but was unable to do so just like when she had first betrayed his wishes and gazed upon his beauty as he slept. It had been so long since she saw his face, she had almost forgotten how enchanting he was. Her heart went into double time, her hands shaking where they still sat on his form and unable to move, and bit her lip gently to keep from embarrassing herself more. He didn’t have feelings for her anymore and here she was fawning on him. Psyche was trying every second not to draw him into an embrace, kiss him passionately, and beg to give her another chance.
Eros never blushed. He rarely, if ever, had reason to feel embarrassed. But in that moment he did and his cheeks heated up in a way that was entirely foreign to him, and which matched the goddesses' own. He found himself staring up at Psyche, his gaze scanning over a face that had once been so familiar and which still had a hold on his heart. His skin felt as if on fire from her simple touches. Touches that had been no more than a kind person making sure he was not hurt.
Pushing a final box aside, he sat up, closing the gap between them once more. Close enough that he could see the complete lack of imperfections gracing her features. "I'm okay." He mumbled bashfully, a hand reaching up to rub the back of his head where it had collided with the floor. "I was just...making sure Pasi has enough cleaning supplies." Eros frowned at the ridiculous line and was glad that none of the acropolis boys were here to witness his abysmal state. His chest moved heavily in and out as he looked at her. Now they were face-to-face, he was having great difficulty in looking away and would've refused to in any other circumstances. Finally he leaned in closer, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a quick, if somewhat awkward hug.
"Thanks for the help." Eros mumbled before standing up and brushing himself down. Why the hell did he feel so awkward? This was not what he was meant to be like. The god of love was meant to be well...charming, good looking, full of grace. "I- I have to go." He added before turning to leave, not daring to look at her again.
Psyche actually giggled a bit at the comment, not believing for a second he had been worried about cleaning supplies but it didn’t matter. She could have been more grateful for the happy accident because she was here, in front of him, able to see his face instead of his form running from her or just seeing the back of him as he refused to even look at her. As he leaned closer, the blush of embarrassment quickly shifted to something real, heat rushing through her veins and relishing in the embrace as she leaned her head softly on his shoulder, her hands gliding to hold him closer but he pulled away too quickly. She wanted to curse herself for giving into a simple hug and almost getting carried away. She watched him stand, about to tell him it was no trouble when the words caught in her throat at his next words.
She desperately scrambled to her feet, reaching out to grab his arm with shaky hands. ”W-Wait! Do you really have to go? Can’t you stay even just for a little longer?”, Psyche asked, knowing that she was most likely setting herself up for failure but this was the first and maybe only time she would be in his presence again, to be able to touch him and see him if only for a moment. She had waited so long. She already cherished all she had gotten today but…for once, she wanted to be selfish. She wanted to be near him. She knew everyone pitied her. She knew things like this were the reason. That she couldn’t take no for an answer. That they all thought she should move on. They told her he had. Psyche wasn’t an idiot, she knew he could have anyone and probably did. Why would he have ever chosen her if it wasn’t for that arrow? She had been a maiden everyone sought out to see but never to wed. Never to love. Just a person to be admired. Eros had seen her for her. He had been a change for her, pushing away her loneliness. He had made her a better person.
