08-07-2016, 07:02 PM
“Oh, I don’t know.” I glance up at the sky, smiling. Let my eyes drift closed and just feel the rain still dripping from the trees, gentle droplets hitting my face sporadically instead of the lovely blend of rhythm and random chaos that comes with active rainfall. “It doesn’t seem ruined to me.” We got a pleasant shower, and now the land smells rich and green and vibrant
“The Tundra? I haven’t been there yet. That’s the cold one in the north, right? With the ice wall?” Grams didn’t bother showing me that kingdom, since she didn’t have any happy memories to share. Just an unpleasant encounter with one of the Brothers while she was pregnant with...hmm, Auntie Ryss, maybe? I have a lot of aunts and uncles. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the stories.
Oh, but the Deserts! “Yeah! Grandma took me there last year, to show me one of our family’s happy places. She lived there with Grandma Noct a long time ago, back when Grandma Noct was queen. Just for a little while, before the big Valley war. But it was so nice to see one of the places where they were together and happy, even if...well, even if there was a lot of less happy stuff going on too.”
A whole war, Grandma Noct bringing the world to its knees trying to bring Uncle Gendry home. And, of course, to avenge those whose blood the Valley had shed. But she would have done it just for Uncle Gendry. Or at least that was why Grandma Quark fought. Why her mom and her brother died. To find their lost firebrand and bring him home safe.
Even if it didn’t turn out that way, in the end.
“I was very sad to hear what happened,” I add, glancing over at Romek. “I only got to see the Deserts the once, but it was lovely. I know I’d be very sad if something like that ever happened to my birthplace. I’m sorry. And if you were close to Vanquish...I’m sorry for your loss. Grandma Quark was an old friend of his, and she said he was a good man and a good king.”
I’m lucky, in that I’ve never really lost anyone close to me. Well. No. I have. My papa was stolen away for a very long time. But no one close to me has died, and I can’t imagine how much it would hurt if any of them did. Still, my heart aches for Romek, for the pain he must be feeling.
It’s probably a good thing I settled down out of touching range, because the only way I know to comfort someone when they’re sad is cuddling and hugging and stroking their hair and murmuring soft things against their skin, crooning gentle sounds of comfort and love. And we aren’t exactly close enough for any of that. Clearly I spend far more time around my family than around strangers.
“The Tundra? I haven’t been there yet. That’s the cold one in the north, right? With the ice wall?” Grams didn’t bother showing me that kingdom, since she didn’t have any happy memories to share. Just an unpleasant encounter with one of the Brothers while she was pregnant with...hmm, Auntie Ryss, maybe? I have a lot of aunts and uncles. Sometimes it’s hard to keep track of the stories.
Oh, but the Deserts! “Yeah! Grandma took me there last year, to show me one of our family’s happy places. She lived there with Grandma Noct a long time ago, back when Grandma Noct was queen. Just for a little while, before the big Valley war. But it was so nice to see one of the places where they were together and happy, even if...well, even if there was a lot of less happy stuff going on too.”
A whole war, Grandma Noct bringing the world to its knees trying to bring Uncle Gendry home. And, of course, to avenge those whose blood the Valley had shed. But she would have done it just for Uncle Gendry. Or at least that was why Grandma Quark fought. Why her mom and her brother died. To find their lost firebrand and bring him home safe.
Even if it didn’t turn out that way, in the end.
“I was very sad to hear what happened,” I add, glancing over at Romek. “I only got to see the Deserts the once, but it was lovely. I know I’d be very sad if something like that ever happened to my birthplace. I’m sorry. And if you were close to Vanquish...I’m sorry for your loss. Grandma Quark was an old friend of his, and she said he was a good man and a good king.”
I’m lucky, in that I’ve never really lost anyone close to me. Well. No. I have. My papa was stolen away for a very long time. But no one close to me has died, and I can’t imagine how much it would hurt if any of them did. Still, my heart aches for Romek, for the pain he must be feeling.
It’s probably a good thing I settled down out of touching range, because the only way I know to comfort someone when they’re sad is cuddling and hugging and stroking their hair and murmuring soft things against their skin, crooning gentle sounds of comfort and love. And we aren’t exactly close enough for any of that. Clearly I spend far more time around my family than around strangers.