04.Mar.12, 12:22 AM
Tal barely found time to flinch from the blow. It was a jolt to his already fractured body, but he barely seemed to notice, his head turning only slightly in response. He closed his eyes and took in a sharp breath, listening stoically as Valerian went on his rant. The words hurt, but they were exactly what Talian expected and figured he deserved to hear. He already knew it all, of course. He'd been repeating the same lines to himself ever since waking.
It was strange how someone could anticipate something and think they'd done it justice, only to find in reality they were so very far off the mark. He thought he was ready to face his friends' anger, like he knew what they would say and knew how to take it, but he found now that he really wasn't. He made no effort to defend himself as he listened to Valerian's words, heart throbbing uncomfortably in his temples. Tal feared horribly that the conversation would end with a severed friendship. How arrogant was he to think he could do something like this and not alienate anyone he loved?
He finally opened his eyes to see Valerian taking his seat again. The harper's words were soothing, and ultimately more than Talian thought he deserved after everything that had happened. "Thank you," he said, voice shaking in subtle fear, though he looked more at ease than he had in quite a while. "I deserved that. Everything you said is right," Tal said, eyes lighting up in empathy. He knew exactly those emotions Val had described, though he hadn't expected to see Valerian expressing anything like that. Val seemed so passive. Talian never would have thought his friend was hiding such pain.
"But you're right. We're all in this together," he said, distant hints of optimism lurking in his tone. "For the first time in a long time, I feel like I'm going to be all right. Thank you so much, Val..." He turned his eyes to Eri was well, his quiet way of saying that all his words were seconded for Erisi - and maybe even especially.
It was strange how someone could anticipate something and think they'd done it justice, only to find in reality they were so very far off the mark. He thought he was ready to face his friends' anger, like he knew what they would say and knew how to take it, but he found now that he really wasn't. He made no effort to defend himself as he listened to Valerian's words, heart throbbing uncomfortably in his temples. Tal feared horribly that the conversation would end with a severed friendship. How arrogant was he to think he could do something like this and not alienate anyone he loved?
He finally opened his eyes to see Valerian taking his seat again. The harper's words were soothing, and ultimately more than Talian thought he deserved after everything that had happened. "Thank you," he said, voice shaking in subtle fear, though he looked more at ease than he had in quite a while. "I deserved that. Everything you said is right," Tal said, eyes lighting up in empathy. He knew exactly those emotions Val had described, though he hadn't expected to see Valerian expressing anything like that. Val seemed so passive. Talian never would have thought his friend was hiding such pain.
"But you're right. We're all in this together," he said, distant hints of optimism lurking in his tone. "For the first time in a long time, I feel like I'm going to be all right. Thank you so much, Val..." He turned his eyes to Eri was well, his quiet way of saying that all his words were seconded for Erisi - and maybe even especially.