(it is easy for any response to be waylaid by xiao. lessa was listening—is listening—and when his hand raises, all he allows himself to do then is stand before and between the temple and shrine in silence.

it is easier still to understand xiao's explanation. even the most devout follower of ra's principles has a dark murmur in their heart. this is not that. nostalgic, lessa's brow furrows; there is an aspect of his old self that he spies in xiao. though it is not fully formed, unable to do much more than acknowledge the pain of carrying something black and bitter within oneself, it is enough.)

... I understand, (lessa confirms. what wouldn't do is to keep xiao waiting and wondering if his presence was negatively affecting him, so he is quicker to respond to it than the other details he's shared. he looks at his hand, too, flexing his fingers before tightening them into a fist.) But I can feel nothing.

(his potentially tainted palm settles then over his shard, an experiment to see how his soul may respond directly to the essence of xiao's karmic debt. because it may trouble them both, it must be treated seriously.)

Am I meant to know when it is affecting me? What sins have you committed for the simple act of touching you to be... corruptive?