Come now, he's an angel, he's usually uncomfortable. Wedging a being not terribly unlike a star itself into a human body will make one dreadfully uncomfortable. A little more isn't going to kill him or even make him think less of Jon. No, instead Jon's reaction only made him more confused and that much was increasingly clear through their newfound bond. Murmur stared at him, brows furrowed as that deep confusion and concern roiled within him.
"Jon," He spoke softly, but with a certain kind of authority that could only come from something so far removed from the human sphere. "You are allowed to be upset when speaking of upsetting topics. Furthermore, I am allowed to be upset on your behalf. Who has instructed you otherwise?" He seemed so earnest in his words, as though Jon's reaction indicated a great injustice had been put upon Jonathan Sims. That's exactly how Murmur saw it.
Now, he could have poked around in Jon's mind and known precisely how to dodge tripping over that but that wasn't exactly polite now was it? Nor did it form anything akin to honest bonds. Murmur has done more than his fair share of digging, of carrying the pain of others and experiencing it as they do yet... it was not common to ever forge anything more than information out of that. It wasn't the same as words shared knowingly and deliberately. He wanted to do better.
And doing better meant not letting his thoughts wander off too far. He shook his head faintly, still deeply puzzled and concerned but at least trying to keep up with the mismatch between Jon's words and his emotions. "That had to be... terribly disturbing." The thing about Murmur is there was never a sense of pity from him. Not in his quiet monotone voice, nor through the bond in the least. That emotion that expressed an understanding of pain was not pity, but not one Murmur had an appropriate word for either. Jon's attempt to sound unflapped absolutely fell short of convincing.
As Jon spoke of Elias and the institute Murmur fell silent again, though now that sharp piercing gaze of his never left Jon for the sky. He absorbed this information, mulling over exactly how to tackle so much, and more importantly what might actually be important to the conversation at hand. Elias being the "beating heart" of the Institute did raise several questions, but they were unimportant at the moment. So too was the inability to quit set aside for the moment. Murmur wanted to know, absolutely, but he was trying to pick apart what was most relevant and most important to their conversation in the moment.
Saving the world though, that's a situation Murmur understands all too well. And once that was spoken there was a point where Murmur's eyes dragged away back to the sky, and his mind went out across the cosmos temporarily lost. The grief and pain that sparked through unbidden, that strange distance as the angel was temporarily pulled into everything and nothing was incredibly brief, but sharp all the same. He didn't let himself wander far before turning back to Jon to offer something of an apologetic smile. "Heavy are the burdens placed upon those wound around the threads of Fate. I understand your predicament and... I am afraid I have no guidance." He took a deep, unnecessary breath. A gesture he'd taken to that did seem to help calibrate him back to the conversation at present.
When the words shifted back to Elias he hardened some, that flicker of concern edged with a somber weight. "If he is the only one who knows what's going on, Jon, then he is the single most dangerous entity you are dealing with." He meant that absolutely, and with a gravity that was probably very strange coming from what had been thus far a very mellow angel. Suddenly there was an intensity and certainty in his words that spoke of grave portent and warning.
After all, there was a time where Murmur was the Elias in the story.
Jon's comment about not surviving was just met with silence, and again that sadness. They didn't know each other long, yet Murmur found himself already grieving over his eventual loss. For an angel, they were all eventual losses.
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"Jon," He spoke softly, but with a certain kind of authority that could only come from something so far removed from the human sphere. "You are allowed to be upset when speaking of upsetting topics. Furthermore, I am allowed to be upset on your behalf. Who has instructed you otherwise?" He seemed so earnest in his words, as though Jon's reaction indicated a great injustice had been put upon Jonathan Sims. That's exactly how Murmur saw it.
Now, he could have poked around in Jon's mind and known precisely how to dodge tripping over that but that wasn't exactly polite now was it? Nor did it form anything akin to honest bonds. Murmur has done more than his fair share of digging, of carrying the pain of others and experiencing it as they do yet... it was not common to ever forge anything more than information out of that. It wasn't the same as words shared knowingly and deliberately. He wanted to do better.
And doing better meant not letting his thoughts wander off too far. He shook his head faintly, still deeply puzzled and concerned but at least trying to keep up with the mismatch between Jon's words and his emotions. "That had to be... terribly disturbing." The thing about Murmur is there was never a sense of pity from him. Not in his quiet monotone voice, nor through the bond in the least. That emotion that expressed an understanding of pain was not pity, but not one Murmur had an appropriate word for either. Jon's attempt to sound unflapped absolutely fell short of convincing.
As Jon spoke of Elias and the institute Murmur fell silent again, though now that sharp piercing gaze of his never left Jon for the sky. He absorbed this information, mulling over exactly how to tackle so much, and more importantly what might actually be important to the conversation at hand. Elias being the "beating heart" of the Institute did raise several questions, but they were unimportant at the moment. So too was the inability to quit set aside for the moment. Murmur wanted to know, absolutely, but he was trying to pick apart what was most relevant and most important to their conversation in the moment.
Saving the world though, that's a situation Murmur understands all too well. And once that was spoken there was a point where Murmur's eyes dragged away back to the sky, and his mind went out across the cosmos temporarily lost. The grief and pain that sparked through unbidden, that strange distance as the angel was temporarily pulled into everything and nothing was incredibly brief, but sharp all the same. He didn't let himself wander far before turning back to Jon to offer something of an apologetic smile. "Heavy are the burdens placed upon those wound around the threads of Fate. I understand your predicament and... I am afraid I have no guidance." He took a deep, unnecessary breath. A gesture he'd taken to that did seem to help calibrate him back to the conversation at present.
When the words shifted back to Elias he hardened some, that flicker of concern edged with a somber weight. "If he is the only one who knows what's going on, Jon, then he is the single most dangerous entity you are dealing with." He meant that absolutely, and with a gravity that was probably very strange coming from what had been thus far a very mellow angel. Suddenly there was an intensity and certainty in his words that spoke of grave portent and warning.
After all, there was a time where Murmur was the Elias in the story.
Jon's comment about not surviving was just met with silence, and again that sadness. They didn't know each other long, yet Murmur found himself already grieving over his eventual loss. For an angel, they were all eventual losses.