26.Feb.12, 06:07 AM
Talian swallowed hard, his eyes shining brightly and full of fear as he thought about his father. "...You're right," he finally agreed, face twisting into a troubled expression. His own hatred of his father made him uncomfortable. Even as a fresh captive Talian had chosen to be afraid of B'jin rather than hate him. Talian wasn't good at hating people, and it felt positively wrong to hate his own father.
Then again, Talian had a very poor understanding of love in most contexts. He felt that way because he was supposed to. People were supposed to love their parents. Then again, parents were supposed to love their children, too.
Talian just smiled, this one weary and torn, but entirely sincere. "You're a better dad than he is," he murmured, looking deep into B'jin's eyes with meek gratitude. His expression darkened slightly at the comment about Fiora, but the healer seemed intent to accept it with as much dignity as he could. He closed his eyes sagely and nodded. "That's okay...I'm just worried about her," he said softly. "She is strong, though. She would probably be jut fine here, if our places were reversed..." he mused. He sighed. "Not that I want her here. I'd kill to see her again, but it wouldn't be worth ruining her life, even if it were possible..."
He shook his head and looked to B'jin again. He'd noticed the darkness in B'jin's eyes when the sister was mentioned, so Talian decided to say nothing else about it. He figured B'jin already knew anything he could say anyhow. Tal would be more than willing to listen, to help in any way he could, and a slight nod of acknowledgement served as his promise to that effect.
"You know," he said, shifting to the previous topic in a polite evasion of the taboo one, "I wasn't even thinking about dragonflight. I consider that just another reason to avoid Impression." His tone was timid as ever, but the faint bit of humor in his eyes betrayed that he was, at least on some level, joking. It was both a good and bad sign; good because it showed how comfortable he was with B'jin, bad because Talian typically only told jokes to cover up some sort of discomfort. Talian trusted B'jin totally, as evidenced by his sudden grin. "I hardly think piling on some stranger is liberating," he said. "Though I guess...Eri..." he trailed off suddenly, his mind suddenly seized by curious thoughts about Erisi.
Then again, Talian had a very poor understanding of love in most contexts. He felt that way because he was supposed to. People were supposed to love their parents. Then again, parents were supposed to love their children, too.
Talian just smiled, this one weary and torn, but entirely sincere. "You're a better dad than he is," he murmured, looking deep into B'jin's eyes with meek gratitude. His expression darkened slightly at the comment about Fiora, but the healer seemed intent to accept it with as much dignity as he could. He closed his eyes sagely and nodded. "That's okay...I'm just worried about her," he said softly. "She is strong, though. She would probably be jut fine here, if our places were reversed..." he mused. He sighed. "Not that I want her here. I'd kill to see her again, but it wouldn't be worth ruining her life, even if it were possible..."
He shook his head and looked to B'jin again. He'd noticed the darkness in B'jin's eyes when the sister was mentioned, so Talian decided to say nothing else about it. He figured B'jin already knew anything he could say anyhow. Tal would be more than willing to listen, to help in any way he could, and a slight nod of acknowledgement served as his promise to that effect.
"You know," he said, shifting to the previous topic in a polite evasion of the taboo one, "I wasn't even thinking about dragonflight. I consider that just another reason to avoid Impression." His tone was timid as ever, but the faint bit of humor in his eyes betrayed that he was, at least on some level, joking. It was both a good and bad sign; good because it showed how comfortable he was with B'jin, bad because Talian typically only told jokes to cover up some sort of discomfort. Talian trusted B'jin totally, as evidenced by his sudden grin. "I hardly think piling on some stranger is liberating," he said. "Though I guess...Eri..." he trailed off suddenly, his mind suddenly seized by curious thoughts about Erisi.