There's a gentle knock at James' door late at night. Pel is wearing a nightshirt and shawl, her hair in a braid, looking contemplative. Her voice is sad.
James jerked awake at the knock on the door, before he made a noise and pushed himself up to his feet.
"Yes ... yes hold on." He pulled on a shirt, and unlocked the door, stepping back to let Pel in. He looked at her saddened expression, and his own became concerned, "What's wrong?"
Closed the door behind her, gesturing for her to sit on the bed.
She sits, wrapping her shawl tightly around her. She doesn't look at him, which could be a sign that she's more upset than she's letting on.
"I lost a friend today. He was probably the first real scholar I made friends with. He considered me a peer and our ideas sort of...bloomed, when we talked about them with each other. He was engaging, and we were inspired by each other. But we only ever spoke on the crystal. He didn't know I'm an elf."
"Ah." His face became sorrowful in turn, before he went to sit next to her on the bed. He held out his hand - she could hold it, or tuck herself underneath it, or wave it off. He would not press on her - this much he had learned.
The other part of that, was him not saying anything, but listening.
She winds up tucked underneath his arm, feet under her as comfortably as she can manage.
"This isn't going to get easier," she says softly. "You won't be able to take me to fancy parties, or to meet important people. My daughter will never inherit a copper from you; you might as well leave everything to a horse."
It's a pessimistic outlook; Marquise Briala has already gone several months without being assassinated, and in all likelihood, it's her children who will inherit her position. But things always get worse before they get better, if they ever do get better.
"I don't know what future a knight-commander can have like that."
He kisses the top of her head, curling her up close. One corner of his mouth twisted slightly, before he sighed. "Do you know that a Seeker is about to marry a Grey Warden mage? In the Free Marches, by Orlesians. Things will change. Besides, I loathe fancy parties."
He rested his forehead against her hair, "Beyond that, I'll rise up from my grave as a terrible wraith if they try to take a copper from Sina. She gets a future, damn whomever says otherwise." A pause, a longer one, and a heavy sigh. "There is no future for Knight Commanders who keep taking lyrium like I do, Pel."
"Well, then I shall be a proper old fart, your daughter will have diamond tiaras if she wants them, and you can throw your own fancy parties if you want to. Just don't invite that jackass. I won't be able to resist clobbering him properly in the nose."
A comforted smile. But it's a wan one, because she still wants Val's friendship. She still wants Val around and Val-ish and weirdly wonderful in his vain, cocky way. It's still nice to hear her boyfriend offering to slug someone who hurt her.
"Thank you," she decides is the appropriate response.
He kisses the top of her head, before giving her expression a long contemplative review. He squeezed her shoulder, leaning his cheek against her hair.
"I am sorry, Pel. Can I do anything, besides be here for you?" He has learned he cannot fix Pel's problems - although right now he feels the desire to do so. He supresses that urge, waiting for her to speak, to tell him what she needs.
He's not a slow man, but there are still some things that he knows he has to really learn. Pel's independent spirit would not be helped by him butting in without being invited in to help.
As far as she is concerned, he has been invited to help. And she looks somewhat distressed when he asks.
"I...I don't know. I don't know. I can't. I can't...dictate to you how to comfort me. I don't have those words. I've always been forbidden those words. I can't think for both of us when I'm already thinking too much on my own."
He pauses, before gently picking her up in his arms. "I think we need to go to a place where you can clear your head. Sina's garden is coming along nicely, don't you think?"
Get her out in the fresh air, closer to the earth. She always found it calming before. He carries her the whole way there, only putting her down when her bare feet can touch the grass and she can soak in the night air of the garden and the plants as well as the soil.
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judgemewhole) wrote2015-12-20 06:31 pm
backdated to Cloudreach
"Can I come in?"
Re: backdated to Cloudreach
"Yes ... yes hold on." He pulled on a shirt, and unlocked the door, stepping back to let Pel in. He looked at her saddened expression, and his own became concerned, "What's wrong?"
Closed the door behind her, gesturing for her to sit on the bed.
no subject
"I lost a friend today. He was probably the first real scholar I made friends with. He considered me a peer and our ideas sort of...bloomed, when we talked about them with each other. He was engaging, and we were inspired by each other. But we only ever spoke on the crystal. He didn't know I'm an elf."
no subject
The other part of that, was him not saying anything, but listening.
no subject
"This isn't going to get easier," she says softly. "You won't be able to take me to fancy parties, or to meet important people. My daughter will never inherit a copper from you; you might as well leave everything to a horse."
It's a pessimistic outlook; Marquise Briala has already gone several months without being assassinated, and in all likelihood, it's her children who will inherit her position. But things always get worse before they get better, if they ever do get better.
"I don't know what future a knight-commander can have like that."
no subject
He rested his forehead against her hair, "Beyond that, I'll rise up from my grave as a terrible wraith if they try to take a copper from Sina. She gets a future, damn whomever says otherwise." A pause, a longer one, and a heavy sigh. "There is no future for Knight Commanders who keep taking lyrium like I do, Pel."
no subject
"You have lots of future left. Plenty of old farts still serve as proper Templars."
no subject
"Well, then I shall be a proper old fart, your daughter will have diamond tiaras if she wants them, and you can throw your own fancy parties if you want to. Just don't invite that jackass. I won't be able to resist clobbering him properly in the nose."
no subject
"Thank you," she decides is the appropriate response.
no subject
"I am sorry, Pel. Can I do anything, besides be here for you?" He has learned he cannot fix Pel's problems - although right now he feels the desire to do so. He supresses that urge, waiting for her to speak, to tell him what she needs.
He's not a slow man, but there are still some things that he knows he has to really learn. Pel's independent spirit would not be helped by him butting in without being invited in to help.
no subject
"I...I don't know. I don't know. I can't. I can't...dictate to you how to comfort me. I don't have those words. I've always been forbidden those words. I can't think for both of us when I'm already thinking too much on my own."
no subject
Get her out in the fresh air, closer to the earth. She always found it calming before. He carries her the whole way there, only putting her down when her bare feet can touch the grass and she can soak in the night air of the garden and the plants as well as the soil.