24 - Dictated - Rogue

[radiantwingedone]

[ Duke is bored - and moderately pleased that he hadn't eaten any of the mysterious food, from checking the journal. Avoiding people on holidays - or maybe just avoiding the new things about the holidays - seems to be a good plan here. ]

A question born of curiosity; what do you all consider an act of betrayal?

[ His voice is carefully neutral - well, perhaps a bit flat. This is perhaps a bit tricky of a subject to get a long conversation on from him. ]

Suppose the follow up question would be 'what is an appropriate reaction to being betrayed'?

[ He'll do his best not to be biased at any responses. ]

Comments

[radiantwingedone]

[ Vanyel if you keep stroking his hair while trying to keep him calm he's just going to fall asleep. Right here. Awkwardly.

Maybe. After a bit of mumbling. ]

Should stay away because bad person.

[peacockherald]

I do not think you are a bad person, Duke.

_{[ He continued to stroke his hair, hating the other carried so much pain. ]}

[radiantwingedone]

That's because I don't talk.

[ But yep, sleepy. Definitely sleepy.

The secret to getting Duke to be okay with being close to people. Get him sleepy and continue petting his hair. ]

[peacockherald]

There are many bad people who do not talk, Duke. You are not one of them.

_{[ He continued to pet and reach out with his empathy to soothe the other, wishing he could do more for him. ]}

[radiantwingedone]

's because I don't talk about what I know. Good people wouldn't know what...

[ Very deepseated 'I am a terrible person' feels, along with a ball of embarrassment-shame-fear. He doesn't want to talk about it, because he does like Vanyel, and he's worried Vanyel wouldn't be okay with him if he told him. ]

[peacockherald]

_{[ Vanyel is quiet, considering things. It takes him a bit to work up his courage, because though Heralds knew back home, here he had kept that secret to himself, a dark thing encased in ice... ]}

Good people sometimes know bad things, do bad things without meaning to, or realizing it.

I... I helped...I helped my bonded, my lover, murder people who had wronged him. I didn't know it was what he planned, but I helped him. By the time I realize, it was to late. Everything was to late...

[radiantwingedone]

... Oh...

[ Sorry Vanyel, Duke has to think on that for a moment. ]

Think.. case of wanted best, wanted ... one tied to with strong bonds, happy, or feel better, or...

[ Words fall to silence again, because he isn't quite sure. ]

... Knew what was doing though. Made it. All the parts and what it would do and thought it best answer... ]

[peacockherald]

I know that now. And... I paid for that sin deeply.

_{[ Tylendel had died. He had died and a hole in his soul had been torn up that to this day was still not filled, if less painful. ]}

I still haven't really forgiven myself, for that. I had no idea, at the time, that's what he planned. I didn't understand, and that was my failing.

[radiantwingedone]

Hindsight.

[ Its lovely and painful and makes you want to die a lot. Or something close- ]

[peacockherald]

Yes, hindsight.

_{[ He smiled sadly and went back to stroking Duke's hair, letting the quiet envelope them in its heavy sadness. ]}

[radiantwingedone]

[ Duke tucks his arms under his head and... curls up. He might be keeping close to that stroking hand, though. ]

[peacockherald]

_{[ It was better than the other way around, with him pulling away, being curled up. He leaned back against the wall of the cave and continued to stroke, closing his eyes and just... calming himself. ]}

[radiantwingedone]

[ He's vaguely remembering that its nice. But not nice enough to actually turn toward Vanyel.

Maybe some other time. ]

[peacockherald]

_{[ And so they sat like that, saying nothing, not quite touching except for the slide of Vanyel's fingers over silver hair. What more was there to say, after all? ]}