Warren gazed at her for a long moment. He wasn't so arrogant to think that he was the only one to suffer pain and loss, and the obvious suffering this young woman was going through to tell him about her sister, followed by the defiant claim that said sister was still alive, truly played the strings of his heart.
He knew that there could be a possibility that her sister was alive, but she had no proof. However, love made people hold onto irrational thoughts and feelings, especially when there was no possibility of proof.
In his own case, he had no doubts that his wife was dead. It wasn't everyone who got to watch a soldier of war draw a knife across their loved one's throat. Even thinking it still pushed Warren to the brink of a blind rage, shades of red encroaching on the edges of his vision.
Slowly, Warren managed to wipe the snarl from his face, replacing it with a pained expression that somehow also managed to appear apologetic.
"I'm ..." he began, then paused to brush a hand through his dirty, unruly hair. "Sorry 'bout that," he murmured, just loud enough for her to hear. He looked up, the pained expression still there. "I understand what would make you hold onto the belief that she is still alive. Unfortunately, I don't have that luxury."
He paused again, then said, "What makes you think your sister is still alive?" He needed to change the subject before she began asking questions about his life. Warren wasn't sure if he could handle delving more deeply into his own mess of emotions at this point.
Terrible First Impression
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Warren Caylim
- Outsider
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 7:44 am
- Name: Warren Caylim
- Race: Human
Re: Terrible First Impression
Before she was going to ask Warren anything about his life, what he lived through, he had asked her about her own. Only fair, she supposed, she was the one who brought up the topic, not him.
"Well," Tasida let her green eyes scan the mostly-empty bar before she leaned in towards him more. "For one thing, my sister is not stupid. I know it's not always relevant if you're being threatened, but Caeda has never been afraid of authority. If someone was threatening her, she would have done something about it, or at least told me." She was not entirely sure of this confidence in her sister. Especially when magic - Tas shivered at the thought- was involved.
"Also, my parents were not at all happy about her decision to leave home to go study magic. They... did a lot of threatening, I remember." She nodded blankly at the aged table. "She wanted me to come with her, but I couldn't. On one hand I can't believe she left me and on the other hand, I really can't blame her. But, before she left she told me that if things were not going the way she planned them to, desperate measures were going to be taken for her own protection. I don't think she is dead because I think her 'death' might be one of those desperate measures." Their parents had certainly threatened enough.
At the moment, Tas wasn't entirely sure if she was making much of any sense. Here she was, at some tavern in the middle of Marn with a guy she just met through some unfortunate bar fight- that she almost lost, by the way- talking about her sister who had been dead for the past gods-know-how-long. Tas suddenly felt as though she needed more friends, and her leather armor felt more like a body shield to keep people away.
"Well," Tasida let her green eyes scan the mostly-empty bar before she leaned in towards him more. "For one thing, my sister is not stupid. I know it's not always relevant if you're being threatened, but Caeda has never been afraid of authority. If someone was threatening her, she would have done something about it, or at least told me." She was not entirely sure of this confidence in her sister. Especially when magic - Tas shivered at the thought- was involved.
"Also, my parents were not at all happy about her decision to leave home to go study magic. They... did a lot of threatening, I remember." She nodded blankly at the aged table. "She wanted me to come with her, but I couldn't. On one hand I can't believe she left me and on the other hand, I really can't blame her. But, before she left she told me that if things were not going the way she planned them to, desperate measures were going to be taken for her own protection. I don't think she is dead because I think her 'death' might be one of those desperate measures." Their parents had certainly threatened enough.
At the moment, Tas wasn't entirely sure if she was making much of any sense. Here she was, at some tavern in the middle of Marn with a guy she just met through some unfortunate bar fight- that she almost lost, by the way- talking about her sister who had been dead for the past gods-know-how-long. Tas suddenly felt as though she needed more friends, and her leather armor felt more like a body shield to keep people away.
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Warren Caylim
- Outsider
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 7:44 am
- Name: Warren Caylim
- Race: Human
Re: Terrible First Impression
Warren pursed his lips thoughtfully, thinking on what she had told him. It all made sense; magic-users were often capable of what looked like the impossible.
"I suppose she may have rigged somethin' up in order to make her death look plausible," he finally began. "I know that most places are much more lenient towards magic folk than Thar Shaddin is, in general. Perhaps she had some friends who were able to make it look like she was dead, or at least spread the rumor while she vanished from sight."
Warren paused, and looked at the girl. "Perhaps she used you, and maybe your parents, to help her death look more believable." He studied her reaction a moment before continuing. "Or perhaps she really is dead, and you need to move forward with your life."
He shrugged. "But you are entitled to believe what you will," he finished, smiling up at the waitress as she appeared at his side. "I'll have one more, my dear," he smiled up at her. "And another for my friend here, if she so wishes." He offered a small wink at Tasida as he rattled a couple Bishan in one hand, still holding the almost finished glass of ale with the other hand.
"I suppose she may have rigged somethin' up in order to make her death look plausible," he finally began. "I know that most places are much more lenient towards magic folk than Thar Shaddin is, in general. Perhaps she had some friends who were able to make it look like she was dead, or at least spread the rumor while she vanished from sight."
Warren paused, and looked at the girl. "Perhaps she used you, and maybe your parents, to help her death look more believable." He studied her reaction a moment before continuing. "Or perhaps she really is dead, and you need to move forward with your life."
He shrugged. "But you are entitled to believe what you will," he finished, smiling up at the waitress as she appeared at his side. "I'll have one more, my dear," he smiled up at her. "And another for my friend here, if she so wishes." He offered a small wink at Tasida as he rattled a couple Bishan in one hand, still holding the almost finished glass of ale with the other hand.