[closed] black invitation to this place that cannot change

[wotchesyou]

Who: Nymphadora Tonks and Theon Greyjoy
When: November 3rd, before the Twins party
Where: Anatole streets
Format: Paragraph to start, action or whatever to follow.
What: Tonks is going to try to attend the Twins party. She's going to run into Theon.
Warnings: Angst!

Comments

[turncloak]

The sky is a thick dark and full of scattered stars. Theon always feels misplaced at night: he has not had much time on the sea, but he learned to tell his way by the constellations when he was no higher than Cleftjaw's knee, so here, where all is unfamiliar, he can be disoriented by even a simple glance upwards

[wotchesyou]

It is a good thing that he is not wearing the mask.

Upon hearing someone speak to her, she flinches and then straightens. Tonks lifts her head in the direction of the voice. She recognizes him. Theon Greyjoy.

She remembers what he said, 'If I see you, Osha, I will kill you.' At the time, she had not been afraid of him. Tonks had even challenged him. It had been the right reaction for her in that moment. Now, the recollection causes her to take an involuntary step backwards. Her body presses back into the wall as though she's praying it will swallow her up and let her disappear.

He doesn't like her. She knows. It causes her to be hyper-alert, more defensive. Her hands splay against the wall. Tonks' right hand is dangerously close to her hip. Her wand is just a second away, it's within easy reach.

Tonks forces herself to look at him. She sees the mask and her bottom lip quivers again. While she is no longer sobbing, tears still fall from her eyes.

"Why do you care?"

[turncloak]

Theon doesn't even have to think to answer. "No man with any heart enjoys a woman's tears."

And because it confuses him. Osha? Not Osha? A test of his own mind? Well, whether it be pass or fail he shall not attack a crying, defenseless woman. Just as he would not raze Winterfell, or whip a man for no reason, or rape his enemy's sweet young daughters. He is not the monster they all think him to be.

(Abruptly he thinks of the faces of those sweet young boys as he'd had them killed, their mother's screams, shrieking animal things, so similar to the way she'd squealed when he fucked her. He shivers, draws the dark cloak to sit better over his shoulders, staving off the autumn chill.)

"Are you hurt?" For once he isn't smiling. "Shall I go for help? The Manor is near enough."

[wotchesyou]

Do you have a heart, Theon? Tonks doesn't know. She does know that he's threatened her. He's not the kindest of people. People from his world do not seem to like him.

"There are plenty that do."

It may be that he's just an average person that got caught in a very bad situation. Maybe his heart is three-sizes too small. She still doesn't know. However, Tonks is in no position to contemplate nor is she able to contemplate. It's the here and the now she has to deal with.

"No!" Her head whips around to face him. In that moment, she looks like a deer caught in headlights. "You can't. They can't know I'm out here." This had to be on her. She had to make it to the party herself, without help and aid. Why is he offering?

What color is your heart, Theon?

"I'm not hurt. I'm fine. Please don't get them."