23.Jun.12, 06:09 AM
B'jin watched with a humerus smile ghosting over his lips as Talian took a drink from the wine bottle, brown eyes dark with his own self loathing as he waited for a verbal response from the young man. When it came, the dragonrider allowed the stumbled words to wash over him, gaze dropping to stare into his own lap at Talian's unhealthy laugh, wishing he had his own bottle of wine to drown himself in, but knowing if he started, he wouldn't stop. And Talian had seen him after serious drinking once, which was entirely too many times.
B'jin shifted subtly, and his gaze lifted to frown at Talian. His features were cautious now, wary of the way the healer seated before him would react. The problem being, of course, the simple fact that - "It's not all bad," which, in effect, made B'jin feel worse, and his guilt was fed into his voice, woven through every syllable. If he'd somehow come back with terrible news, perhaps he could have justified to himself the outcome of Talian's life, for in such a situation, would not Talian have been better at Katila with himself? Of course! But... the simple fact was, things back where Talian called home were good, but B'jin could only imagine they'd be better if he'd never brought Talian South.
"Y-you have a daughter," B'jin stuttered, gushing the words out as fast as he could, piling perhaps the most shocking piece of information he had to offer upon the boy whose life he'd single-handedly destroyed a turn ago. "I d-didn't see her up close, and I d-don't know her name." He was shaking, eyes wide as he stared imploringly at Talian, terrified of the reaction he was going to receive from the young man. "I couldn't!" He faltered. How was he meant to explain, to get Talian to understand that if he had so much as been within arms reach of the child, he would have swept it up and away, as if by bringing the child to his boy would make up for everything. How he knew it wouldn't, how that was the only reason the little girl wasn't wrapped up in his arms now?
B'jin wrapped his arms around himself, staring at Talian with wide eyes as he waited for an explosion he knew was to come, but unable to foretell what shape it would take.
B'jin shifted subtly, and his gaze lifted to frown at Talian. His features were cautious now, wary of the way the healer seated before him would react. The problem being, of course, the simple fact that - "It's not all bad," which, in effect, made B'jin feel worse, and his guilt was fed into his voice, woven through every syllable. If he'd somehow come back with terrible news, perhaps he could have justified to himself the outcome of Talian's life, for in such a situation, would not Talian have been better at Katila with himself? Of course! But... the simple fact was, things back where Talian called home were good, but B'jin could only imagine they'd be better if he'd never brought Talian South.
"Y-you have a daughter," B'jin stuttered, gushing the words out as fast as he could, piling perhaps the most shocking piece of information he had to offer upon the boy whose life he'd single-handedly destroyed a turn ago. "I d-didn't see her up close, and I d-don't know her name." He was shaking, eyes wide as he stared imploringly at Talian, terrified of the reaction he was going to receive from the young man. "I couldn't!" He faltered. How was he meant to explain, to get Talian to understand that if he had so much as been within arms reach of the child, he would have swept it up and away, as if by bringing the child to his boy would make up for everything. How he knew it wouldn't, how that was the only reason the little girl wasn't wrapped up in his arms now?
B'jin wrapped his arms around himself, staring at Talian with wide eyes as he waited for an explosion he knew was to come, but unable to foretell what shape it would take.