Halbarad and Gorlim? Fighting? Are we due another apocalypse so soon?
Halbarad: Stupid, idiotic, selfish ... *I have been ranting at the walls for some time now, slipping in and out of languages to achieve the full range of emotion, and I find myself wishing I knew more of the Black Speech so I could give full vent to my anger, frustration and ... No, not my hurt. There is no word in any language that could express that. I don't even know if I'm aware of the pain's full extent, so instead I substitute fury for grief, and in a moment of pique hurl a hunting knife across the room to lodge, quivering, in a table leg.*
Nadiyah: *I glance up, startled, coiling to fight until I realize it's you* Halbarad?
Halbarad: *flushing slightly -- I hadn't realized you were here -- I mutter an apology and stalk towards the table to retrieve the knife*
Nadiyah: *My hand is already on the quivering knife-handle, my gaze curious on you* What is wrong this time?
Halbarad: *still muttering* Gorlim. Or maybe me. Probably both of us. *waves hand in the air* I have him buzzing up here again.
Nadiyah: *I sigh* Halbarad. Explain.
Halbarad: *dropping into a chair, my fingers tapping restlessly on the table top, gaze directed anywhere but at you as I try to sort out what was said and done and whose feelings I'm dealing with at any given moment* We fought. He was angry. Angry that I wasn't here.
Nadiyah: *I stare at you, eyes flashing with indignant anger* He has no right to say that. He was the one who...he WANTED us to...he... *I splutter off into my own tongue for a few choice sentences* And what then? What did he do? Did he HURT you?
Halbarad: *winces* I had to pin him down. He wasn't thinking clearly enough to make a decent attack. *talking mostly to myself now* I should have noticed it. Should have known something was wrong. But I can't be there with him at every moment. He's a grown man! *slips back into Adunaic and roundly curses self*
Nadiyah: Yes. He is. *eyes narrowed now, flat and almost startlingly reptilian* And he should not have done that. Where is he?
Halbarad: I haven't a clue. *sounding bitter and hurt at once, angry but worried*
Nadiyah: *swinging one knee over yours and folding neatly into your lap* You should know. He is still in the city, at least?
Halbarad: Yes. Probably still in the Quarters. *wrapping my arms around you, finally calming down enough to feel guilty* I shouldn't be so angry with him.
Nadiyah: Oh yes you should. I love him too, Halbarad, but he. Had. No. RIGHT.
Halbarad: Didn't he? We told him we would only be gone one night.
Nadiyah: We are adults, you and I. And we were not far from the city. We would have heard a horn, in an emergency. *taps you on the temple* Or he could have called you.
Halbarad: *takes your hand and kisses the knuckles, then burrows face into the crook where shoulder and neck meet* I should have seen it.
Nadiyah: *dryly, kissing your hair* You are not perfect, and...you were distracted.
Halbarad: *distressed* I don't know what to do. He seemed all right. Better than usual. And then this...
Nadiyah: And you left him like that?
Halbarad: *so faint as to almost be inaudible* He told me to. He told me to just go, and I did.
Nadiyah: *I snort, sliding off of your lap* You follow orders too easy. Sometimes this is good. *caressing your cheek to draw the sting from my words* Sometimes this is stupid.
Halbarad: *forced, sad smile at what has become a familiar joke for us* I'm only a foolish Ranger.
Nadiyah: And somehow I am your wife. *I roll my eyes skyward* Halbarad...something bad has happened to him, yes?
Halbarad: He wasn't making much sense ... but I gather he proposed to Firiel, and it didn't work out.
Nadiyah: *thoughtfully* He would not snap over that. Not at you. Not that much. *grabbing your hand and pulling* Go to him. And do not come back until this is settled!
Halbarad: *blinks, stares* But...what am I supposed to do? To say? He made it clear he doesn't want me around...
Nadiyah: Oh? He missed you enough to shout at you. I say he lies. Badly.
Halbarad: *still protesting weakly* And what if he's telling the truth?
Nadiyah: *gently, setting my palm against your stomach, over your ugliest scar* What have you told me about what-ifs and might-have-beens?
Halbarad: *caught* They don't matter?
Nadiyah: Mmmm hm. *hand warm through your tunic as I lean forward for a light ghostly kiss* They don't.
Halbarad: *reluctant* And I suppose you will bodily remove me from this room if I don't go looking for him.
Nadiyah: Remove you? Hah! I am leaving. I have business in the city. You are in my way. *you know I'm teasing, of course, I always am when I use that tart tone*
Halbarad: *pretending now that you've distracted me from your orders to find Gorlim...stalling* Business? What kind of business?
Nadiyah: Woman's business. Icky, nasty, scary business. *starts shooing you from the room via good firm grips on your scruff and ass*
Halbarad: *jumping when you pinch me out the door* I'm going I'm going...
Nadiyah: You had better make up with him. *I look like I'm going to say more but then I don't* Be nice. But not TOO nice. He had no right to yell at you!
Halbarad: I'll try. *quick kiss on your cheek* Thank you.
Nadiyah: *smile tugging at the corner of my "stern scowl"* I love you.
Halbarad: I love you too. *puppy dog eyes* Are you sure I have to do this now?
Nadiyah: Absolutely. Or I will have to go kill him on your behalf.
Halbarad: *blink blink ... you're kidding, right? You must be.* I really should, uh, go find him now. Bye. *darts down the corridor, dammit where is he hiding and why do I smell laundry soap?*
Nadiyah: *I glance up, startled, coiling to fight until I realize it's you* Halbarad?
Halbarad: *flushing slightly -- I hadn't realized you were here -- I mutter an apology and stalk towards the table to retrieve the knife*
Nadiyah: *My hand is already on the quivering knife-handle, my gaze curious on you* What is wrong this time?
Halbarad: *still muttering* Gorlim. Or maybe me. Probably both of us. *waves hand in the air* I have him buzzing up here again.
Nadiyah: *I sigh* Halbarad. Explain.
Halbarad: *dropping into a chair, my fingers tapping restlessly on the table top, gaze directed anywhere but at you as I try to sort out what was said and done and whose feelings I'm dealing with at any given moment* We fought. He was angry. Angry that I wasn't here.
Nadiyah: *I stare at you, eyes flashing with indignant anger* He has no right to say that. He was the one who...he WANTED us to...he... *I splutter off into my own tongue for a few choice sentences* And what then? What did he do? Did he HURT you?
Halbarad: *winces* I had to pin him down. He wasn't thinking clearly enough to make a decent attack. *talking mostly to myself now* I should have noticed it. Should have known something was wrong. But I can't be there with him at every moment. He's a grown man! *slips back into Adunaic and roundly curses self*
Nadiyah: Yes. He is. *eyes narrowed now, flat and almost startlingly reptilian* And he should not have done that. Where is he?
Halbarad: I haven't a clue. *sounding bitter and hurt at once, angry but worried*
Nadiyah: *swinging one knee over yours and folding neatly into your lap* You should know. He is still in the city, at least?
Halbarad: Yes. Probably still in the Quarters. *wrapping my arms around you, finally calming down enough to feel guilty* I shouldn't be so angry with him.
Nadiyah: Oh yes you should. I love him too, Halbarad, but he. Had. No. RIGHT.
Halbarad: Didn't he? We told him we would only be gone one night.
Nadiyah: We are adults, you and I. And we were not far from the city. We would have heard a horn, in an emergency. *taps you on the temple* Or he could have called you.
Halbarad: *takes your hand and kisses the knuckles, then burrows face into the crook where shoulder and neck meet* I should have seen it.
Nadiyah: *dryly, kissing your hair* You are not perfect, and...you were distracted.
Halbarad: *distressed* I don't know what to do. He seemed all right. Better than usual. And then this...
Nadiyah: And you left him like that?
Halbarad: *so faint as to almost be inaudible* He told me to. He told me to just go, and I did.
Nadiyah: *I snort, sliding off of your lap* You follow orders too easy. Sometimes this is good. *caressing your cheek to draw the sting from my words* Sometimes this is stupid.
Halbarad: *forced, sad smile at what has become a familiar joke for us* I'm only a foolish Ranger.
Nadiyah: And somehow I am your wife. *I roll my eyes skyward* Halbarad...something bad has happened to him, yes?
Halbarad: He wasn't making much sense ... but I gather he proposed to Firiel, and it didn't work out.
Nadiyah: *thoughtfully* He would not snap over that. Not at you. Not that much. *grabbing your hand and pulling* Go to him. And do not come back until this is settled!
Halbarad: *blinks, stares* But...what am I supposed to do? To say? He made it clear he doesn't want me around...
Nadiyah: Oh? He missed you enough to shout at you. I say he lies. Badly.
Halbarad: *still protesting weakly* And what if he's telling the truth?
Nadiyah: *gently, setting my palm against your stomach, over your ugliest scar* What have you told me about what-ifs and might-have-beens?
Halbarad: *caught* They don't matter?
Nadiyah: Mmmm hm. *hand warm through your tunic as I lean forward for a light ghostly kiss* They don't.
Halbarad: *reluctant* And I suppose you will bodily remove me from this room if I don't go looking for him.
Nadiyah: Remove you? Hah! I am leaving. I have business in the city. You are in my way. *you know I'm teasing, of course, I always am when I use that tart tone*
Halbarad: *pretending now that you've distracted me from your orders to find Gorlim...stalling* Business? What kind of business?
Nadiyah: Woman's business. Icky, nasty, scary business. *starts shooing you from the room via good firm grips on your scruff and ass*
Halbarad: *jumping when you pinch me out the door* I'm going I'm going...
Nadiyah: You had better make up with him. *I look like I'm going to say more but then I don't* Be nice. But not TOO nice. He had no right to yell at you!
Halbarad: I'll try. *quick kiss on your cheek* Thank you.
Nadiyah: *smile tugging at the corner of my "stern scowl"* I love you.
Halbarad: I love you too. *puppy dog eyes* Are you sure I have to do this now?
Nadiyah: Absolutely. Or I will have to go kill him on your behalf.
Halbarad: *blink blink ... you're kidding, right? You must be.* I really should, uh, go find him now. Bye. *darts down the corridor, dammit where is he hiding and why do I smell laundry soap?*