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[ A stretch of quiet, turning the question over in his mind. ]
I think there is a chance someone is content to share their displeasure with a person they recognize as likely to listen and unlikely to ask anything of them.
I'm good at hearing people. I think that might serve us here.
I think there is a chance someone is content to share their displeasure with a person they recognize as likely to listen and unlikely to ask anything of them.
I'm good at hearing people. I think that might serve us here.
[ Yseult shakes her head. ]
As a child I had no reason to question it. And nothing to go on. By the time I had the resources, I knew nothing good motivates a woman to take to the road at nine months pregnant and join a traveling circus.
[ Her mouth curves, rueful. She drinks and shrugs. ]
I don't dislike the sound of it, at least.
As a child I had no reason to question it. And nothing to go on. By the time I had the resources, I knew nothing good motivates a woman to take to the road at nine months pregnant and join a traveling circus.
[ Her mouth curves, rueful. She drinks and shrugs. ]
I don't dislike the sound of it, at least.
[ Exactly, say the tilt of her head and the twisting gesture of a hand. ]
Though it could be she was hiding from someone or leaving behind a tragedy. Whatever it was, it's not a name she chose to give me. I was content never knowing.
[ But now--. The press of her lips and exhale are less than certain. ] What would you do?
Though it could be she was hiding from someone or leaving behind a tragedy. Whatever it was, it's not a name she chose to give me. I was content never knowing.
[ But now--. The press of her lips and exhale are less than certain. ] What would you do?
I would—
[ The beginning of bravado. He likes to know everything, he's claimed often enough. But he stops there, considers, takes a drink of his wine, and says more honestly: ]
I think my family is in Kaiten. But I've been here for three years, and I haven't gone to look. So I suppose that might be what I would do.
[ It's not a name, to make things fair, but perhaps it makes up a little for inadvertently collecting a secret even she didn't know.
He brightens a little. ]
But if I didn't know them, and there was a chance my father was daring adventurer—or a wealthy merchant with an emerald mine waiting for me to claim it—maybe I would want to know.
[ The beginning of bravado. He likes to know everything, he's claimed often enough. But he stops there, considers, takes a drink of his wine, and says more honestly: ]
I think my family is in Kaiten. But I've been here for three years, and I haven't gone to look. So I suppose that might be what I would do.
[ It's not a name, to make things fair, but perhaps it makes up a little for inadvertently collecting a secret even she didn't know.
He brightens a little. ]
But if I didn't know them, and there was a chance my father was daring adventurer—or a wealthy merchant with an emerald mine waiting for me to claim it—maybe I would want to know.
[ It's not a name but it is a confession, and she allows brows to lift in a courteously genuine show of surprise, turning that fact over before she files it away. And the possible fathers he imagines earn the suggestion of a smile at the corners of her mouth. ]
Possible, [ she concedes, ] if unlikely. It might be better to let it remain that way. Are you concerned what your family might think of you, or what you might think of them?
Possible, [ she concedes, ] if unlikely. It might be better to let it remain that way. Are you concerned what your family might think of you, or what you might think of them?
Oh, we all made it very clear what we thought of each other, the last time we talked.
[ An unfair assessment of everyone involved. His parents had been frustrated and overwhelmed; he had been fourteen years old; his siblings hadn't had a say in any of it.
But it's a difficult—good, but difficult—question that he doesn't otherwise have an answer to yet, so unfair is the best he can do. ]
Did your mother ever tell you what she wanted for you? What kind of life?
[ An unfair assessment of everyone involved. His parents had been frustrated and overwhelmed; he had been fourteen years old; his siblings hadn't had a say in any of it.
But it's a difficult—good, but difficult—question that he doesn't otherwise have an answer to yet, so unfair is the best he can do. ]
Did your mother ever tell you what she wanted for you? What kind of life?
[ The preceding pause suggests Yseult at least considers following up her own question before answering his, but elects against it for now. When her head tilts it's to shuffle through memory, but she's already shaking her head. ]
Not really. To be safe and happy and good. [ A shrug seems to acknowledge both the vagueness and the idealism. ] I was only eight when she died. [ She scrapes a thumbnail along her hairline at the temple, and combs whisps back toward an ear. The fine lines of a frown appear along her brow. ] Hopefully she'd understand what I'm trying to do. Though if she'd lived to see it I doubt I'd be here to begin with.
Not really. To be safe and happy and good. [ A shrug seems to acknowledge both the vagueness and the idealism. ] I was only eight when she died. [ She scrapes a thumbnail along her hairline at the temple, and combs whisps back toward an ear. The fine lines of a frown appear along her brow. ] Hopefully she'd understand what I'm trying to do. Though if she'd lived to see it I doubt I'd be here to begin with.
Closing the door behind her, Derrica crosses the room to place a little prayer book on Yseult's desk.
"Brother Gideon's prayer book," she explains. "He'd been taking notes on our sins."
Some faint disgust suffuses the word sins.
But then, a little hastily, "I'm not sure it's important, now that he's dead. But I thought you should see it."
"Brother Gideon's prayer book," she explains. "He'd been taking notes on our sins."
Some faint disgust suffuses the word sins.
But then, a little hastily, "I'm not sure it's important, now that he's dead. But I thought you should see it."
"That depends on what he meant to do with them," Yseult says as she picks up the prayer book. She thumbs through it, skimming through the notes in question. "But you were right to bring it to me."
"Did you collect the rest of his effects? I should see them before they're disposed of."
"Did you collect the rest of his effects? I should see them before they're disposed of."
Edited 2022-03-29 15:08 (UTC)
"I have a box," Derrica says, which has thankfully not been pitched into a fire just yet. "I'll bring it you myself."
Not that there's any sense that someone is dying to get their hands on Brother Gideon's leavings, but still. It's an easy offer to make.
"I spoke a little, with Bastien, about whether there might be another like him," isn't a question, but it's near to one.
Not that there's any sense that someone is dying to get their hands on Brother Gideon's leavings, but still. It's an easy offer to make.
"I spoke a little, with Bastien, about whether there might be another like him," isn't a question, but it's near to one.
"That it warrants scrutiny," follows a beat of uncertainty. Not for the delivery of their conclusion, but that she is being asked at all. "That we might start with his Chantry, and see where his trail takes us."
Without the rest of it, the question of what would be done if they leave all this unturned? How will they trust any other Chantry Brothers? Who else might be sent to finish what Gideon started?
"If you believe it worthwhile to pursue," she adds, eyes studying Yseult's face. It tells her nothing, surely, but one must try.
Without the rest of it, the question of what would be done if they leave all this unturned? How will they trust any other Chantry Brothers? Who else might be sent to finish what Gideon started?
"If you believe it worthwhile to pursue," she adds, eyes studying Yseult's face. It tells her nothing, surely, but one must try.
No.
[ He sounds maybe a little sulky about it. ]
Sort of. Not much. He is holding it for someone else—he wouldn’t say who. Could be some Warden thing. Could be one of his rifter friends. He seemed very confident it was the only one of its kind, so I’d be inclined to guess the latter.
[ He sounds maybe a little sulky about it. ]
Sort of. Not much. He is holding it for someone else—he wouldn’t say who. Could be some Warden thing. Could be one of his rifter friends. He seemed very confident it was the only one of its kind, so I’d be inclined to guess the latter.
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