[ He spots her right off, that T-shirt with its flowery print and incongruous lettering the absurdest kind of irony. Exhaling, he keeps his steps measured. Tries to function on that familiar dark calm that overrides everything. They'll both find a semblance of purpose, he tries to remind himself, drowning out how something in his chest gnashes its teeth at the idea. She'll fulfill the purpose she's practically been born for -- a living torch that would embarrass the enlightened. Hei, in exchange, will go somewhere he can seep into the background. Somewhere where he won't have to constantly look over his shoulder everytime he crosses the street, where his spine won't light fuses everytime he hears footsteps behind him. ]
[ It's a trade-off, not a trade-up. But it's the best they can hope for. ]
[ He knows all this. But when he steps beside Pai, he can still feel that crushing, speechless sense of loss lying open in his chest. ]
no subject
[ It's a trade-off, not a trade-up. But it's the best they can hope for. ]
[ He knows all this. But when he steps beside Pai, he can still feel that crushing, speechless sense of loss lying open in his chest. ]
All set?
[ What else can he say? ]