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Polair struggled, practically shaking in his hold, and Cerpin tugged her against his chest in a fiercely tight embrace. She was falling apart. She needed something to hold her together. His hand stroked the back of her head, fingers combing gently through her long hair in a soothing gesture. Tevini was watching them, probably uncomfortable since she was constantly anxious.

"Don't be sorry. Nobody would know what to do in your position. You did the best you could." There weren't a lot of words he could give her that would take away the frustration, humiliation and pain that she had been going through. But he would try to help shoulder it a little. He held on to her for as long as it took for her biscuit to stop beating so fast.

"You're not broken. You're still alive. You're still smart. We'll find a way to help you somehow." He pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head. Cerpin didn't honestly know what they could do for Polair at this point. But that was okay. They had time and they had resources. They'd think of something.

"Remember, so long as you don't lose your ambition you'll always have a place in our stars. You haven't lost it, have you?"

Yes, she had done her best. But it wasn't even near to her standards. Polair slowly calmed down, hearing Cerpin trying to make her feel less shitty about her condition. It worked to some extent, even if that kiss on the top of her head made her freeze some. Polair couldn't really understand how he managed to subdue such emotional responses, and clearly she wasn't in the mood to figure out. Taking a deep breath in, she looked up at the purpleblood. "Thanks for..." Comforting her? She couldn't say that.It was humiliating to think someone had to calm her down for her to regain her senses.

"I--" She sniffled. "I haven't... I've been trying not to..." The seadweller frowned, remembering the discouraging things her peers had said to her. She couldn't do science, they said. There wasn't anyway she could with blind eyes.

Tevini spoke and Polair tried following the sound of her voice to focus her look on her. She seemed so lost at first until she managed to pinpoint her location. "Thank you for your offer..." She gave the redblood a small and weak smile. "But I don't deserve it."

I think I never will...

"Don't stress about it-- both of you. It's just, something I have to handle on my own."