24.May.13, 03:40 PM
"You'd better," Talian said, his tone warm rather than aggressive. He looked up at B'jin, his expression borderline teasing in spite of the seriousness of the day's events and his intended question. Something about B'jin made it hard for the boy to stress out these days. B'jin had long been a soothing influence on him, and his mere presence was often enough to draw a smile from the healer. Smiles came easier now than they once had, and even grumpy Khaduceth had to admit that Bjin was necessary in a special way.
"You'd better," Tal repeated, peeling away and poking B'jin's shoulder with his hand. The young man cleared his throat in an unnecessarily dignified way, glancing back at Khaduceth for a spilt-second of reassurance. Tal knew that B'jin could take things badly or even miss the point entirely, especially if it was something he didn't want to hear.
"I was just thinking, Dad...I wanted to know if Khaduceth...bothers you," he said, squinting awkwardly as he searched for the right words. How to articulate this? "I'm not mad or anything, I swear! I mean.."
And then the spiral began.
"...I know it bothered you when I was hostile to Larrikith, but Dad...I get it. I mean, I understand, I just wish I knew why? Because I don't, um." Um what? "I don't see as much of you anymore, and I know that you were kind of uncomfortable around Khaduceth when he was born...it's just little signs, I guess. I've seen you act like he upsets you or something...I mean, are you okay?"
Wow, I fucked that up
Khaduceth looked dispassionately at B'jin and huffed. He wanted to reassure Talian that he had not fucked up, but it was kind of hard to argue that point at the moment. Still, the ever-supportive dragon would find a way.If he were less delicate, you wouldn't have to explain in such a way the dragon grumbled.
"You'd better," Tal repeated, peeling away and poking B'jin's shoulder with his hand. The young man cleared his throat in an unnecessarily dignified way, glancing back at Khaduceth for a spilt-second of reassurance. Tal knew that B'jin could take things badly or even miss the point entirely, especially if it was something he didn't want to hear.
"I was just thinking, Dad...I wanted to know if Khaduceth...bothers you," he said, squinting awkwardly as he searched for the right words. How to articulate this? "I'm not mad or anything, I swear! I mean.."
And then the spiral began.
"...I know it bothered you when I was hostile to Larrikith, but Dad...I get it. I mean, I understand, I just wish I knew why? Because I don't, um." Um what? "I don't see as much of you anymore, and I know that you were kind of uncomfortable around Khaduceth when he was born...it's just little signs, I guess. I've seen you act like he upsets you or something...I mean, are you okay?"
Wow, I fucked that up
Khaduceth looked dispassionately at B'jin and huffed. He wanted to reassure Talian that he had not fucked up, but it was kind of hard to argue that point at the moment. Still, the ever-supportive dragon would find a way.