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* Jewel sits perched on a stool in Dawn and Dusk's shop, awaiting Angel's return. Idly, she turns her pearl pendant over and over on its chain.
* Dawn is sitting cross-legged on the floor, meticulously carving something out of a block of wood the size of his hand. Shavings litter the floor, his clothes, and his hair. He seems not to notice. From time to time, he compares his progress against a sketch. <Dawn> ::after a while:: Are you still moping? * Jewel sighs and seems to come back to herself, looking around the room. She covers her mouth with her hand and smiles when she spots the excelsior-covered Dawn. She stretches and slides off the stool to come peer over his shoulder. "Who said I was moping?" <Dawn> You're never this quiet unless you're moping. <Jewel> ::defensively:: I am too. I'm quiet when I read. What are you working on? <Dawn> ::holds his block up to examine it again:: Part of a trapdoor. <Jewel> I thought doors, trap- or otherwise, were just made of... well, planks. Unless... is that the handle-- er... trigger? ::studies it with a small frown, head cocked to one side, and mumbles,:: I'm quiet when I'm meditating, too. <Dawn> It's part of the trigger. Or will be. If I don't fuck it up. Again. What are you moping about? Andrial, still? <Jewel> ::quietly:: She never came back, that afternoon. I'd meant to... ::sighs:: well, it's probably better she didn't, at that. ::looks at Dawn:: She's going to work for us, isn't she? That's... what that was about? <Dawn> Aye. She's agreed to be our contact in the Infinity group. Well, mine. She thinks she probably shouldn't see Angel again. I figured you two would be fine with that. <Jewel> ::bites her lip and frowns:: Actually... Angel thinks she should be the one to undo... whatever it was she did in his head, that caused the link. If she can. ::a touch bitterly:: If she *will.* <Dawn> ::looks at her directly:: Link? There's a *link*? <Dawn> ::sighs:: Well, that makes certain things clearer. Fuck. <Jewel> He says, when she was... ::swallows, and continues woodenly:: working on him, they could feel each other. And when she took his pain away, something else happened. He thinks. They have a... bond of some sort. When he sees her... ::closes her eyes and stops:: <Dawn> ::growls:: She didn't tell me that. Well, maybe she did, and I just didn't understand what she was saying. Fuck. Well, she can endure one last meeting. How critical is it? <Jewel> ::flushes guiltily, and answers with great care:: I... may not be the best person to answer that question. <Dawn> Mm. I'll ask Angel when he gets back, then. ::eyes Jewel, then goes back to carving:: You going to cope with it? Her on the payroll? <Jewel> ::gathers up her skirts and plumps down on the floor next to him, heedless of wood curls:: I have to. We need someone inside, and she's been our best chance so far, hasn't she? ::rests her chin in her hands:: I don't... *hate* her. I really, really want to, but I can't. <Dawn> Glad to hear it. She's not really in love with him, anyway. She just wants to be. ::grins at Jewel briefly:: I wish I knew how he does it, I swear... <Jewel> ::with a touch of venom:: She does an awfully good job of fooling herself, then. <Jewel> ::winces:: Sorry, sor-- ::sheepishly:: Well, no I'm not. ::sighs:: But I still feel guilty when I do that. It's so... *selfish.* <Dawn> ::snorts:: She's seventeen. When you're that young, every little crush is True Love Everlasting. <Jewel> ::narrows eyes:: Seventeen isn't that young for some people. She's not a child anymore, for all that *both* of you seem to think she is. She's had a hard life. ::glances at Dawn sidelong:: And I was nineteen when I met Bastian. <Dawn> ::nods:: But she's had precious little love or affection in that life... How old were you when you had your first boyfriend? How many years of experience - and learning - came between that and *him*? The only one who's loved Andrial in her life is her cousin, and that's a child's love. She's both far too mature, and far too innocent, and in all the wrong ways. <Jewel> ::laughs a bit shakily:: *No* amount of experience could have prepared me for *him.* ::reluctantly:: But... you're right, I suppose. I'm not being fair. ::scowls:: I don't *want* to be fair, dammit. <Jewel> ::starts wrapping a bit of her skirt hem around her finger:: Angel... says I shouldn't be sorry that I'm jealous. He says... it shows that I still want his l-love. ::bends quickly and buries her face in her skirt:: <Dawn> ::snorts:: Well, you're going to hear two opinions on jealousy: One from people who are, themselves, jealous, and one from people who are not. ::grins:: <Dawn> But if it doesn't bother him, I don't know why you'd let it bother you. <Jewel> I... want to be able to be civil to this girl. ::sighing:: Or, well, I'd settle for not desiring to kill her when I'm in the same room with her and Angel. I don't... *think* she meant to do what she did. ::frowns thoughtfully:: I don't think her control is what it should be, yet, but I imagine she's be rather devastating when it is.... <Jewel> Anyway, she *says* she didn't, and I... really need to believe her. <Dawn> Just give her a little time to get over him and move on to someone else, and I think you'll feel much less antagonistic. ::grins:: <Jewel> ::bites her lip and nods slowly:: Even if she manages to undo their link, though... they'll still have a bond. She'll still have-- ::she breaks off and clenches her fists in her skirt, grinding her teeth:: <Dawn> Stop that. Broken teeth are very painful. ::he blows dust off his contraption, then slants a look at her:: You're not mad because she thinks she loves him. You're mad because she helped him when you couldn't. Hmm? * Jewel nods miserably. "I... I shouldn't be. I *shouldn't* be, dammit, she *helped* him. She saved his life!" <Dawn> Which is *your* job. I know. <Jewel> ::staring at the floor, giving no indication of having heard Dawn:: She was there for him, opened to him, at a time... ::whispers:: he can't even bear for me to *see.* <Dawn> ::nods:: <Jewel> ::drags a sleeve across her eyes, spreading wood grit on her face:: I love him, Dawn. I'd do anything for him... and... I *can't*. <Dawn> We can't all do everything. I know it's not a comfort, but I'm not a comforting kind of guy. It *is* the truth. * Jewel sniffles, makes a face, and brushes a splinter off the tip of her nose. "That's not true." Sniffs again and wipes her eyes a little more carefully. "You're very comforting." She looks at him, looks away. "One of the few solid memories I have from the day Bastian died is of your eyes, looking up at me." <Dawn> That wasn't comfort. That was worry. Do you know what he would've done to us if we'd let you commit suicide or something before he came back? <Jewel> ::smiles a little and glances around:: Do you think the walls will fall down if you admit to being kind to me? <Dawn> ::soberly:: They might. Dusk thinks he's funny, sometimes. * Jewel gives him a Look. <Dawn> ::grins:: <Jewel> So... ::picking at a stray thread in her sleeve:: What do you think I should do about this? ::shamefaced:: I haven't even... well, except when he first came home, just a quick peek to see that he was alright-- I haven't even... 'spoke him. I... I don't want to hurt him. <Dawn> I'm pretty sure talking of any variety won't hurt him. *Not* talking probably *will*. <Jewel> ::hesitantly:: I don't want to see anything he doesn't want me to see. ::sounds like she's trying to convince herself:: <Dawn> So don't look that deep. <Jewel> ::makes a face:: I can't probe, anyway. But if it's in his... hells. I *do* want to see. But I don't. I really, really don't. But... I do. <Jewel> ARGH. ::bonks her head on her drawn-up knees a few times:: <Dawn> ::laughs:: * Jewel scowls at him. "It's *not* funny." <Dawn> It is. But it's not. But... it is. ::grins:: * Jewel sticks her tongue out at him. "You're just trying to cheer me up. It won't work. I'm determined to mope, dammit." <Dawn> Oh. Well, if you're determined, then. ::smirks and goes back to his carving:: <Jewel> ::wrinkles her nose at him, and watches him for awhile:: ...Dawn? I've been meaning to ask you... what do you think of Iselyn? Would she be... safe? For me to talk to, I mean. I've had tea with her a couple of times. I really like her, but I wasn't sure if it was... alright to be telling her my problems. <Dawn> What, telling me about them isn't enough? ::he grins:: Safety is relative. She knows about the guild, but she'd rather not have too many details. But this sort of thing is probably right up her alley. <Jewel> Hmph. There are some things I'm sure you'd rather I *not* tell you. <Dawn> Well, there's not much doubt there. <Jewel> She doesn't know about Bastian though... does she? <Dawn> She doesn't know that Angel is Bastian, no. The Lady asked us to keep the number in the know as low as possible. Something to do with the way the magic works. I admit to knowing fuckall about clerical magic, and even less about *Hers*. <Jewel> ::nods vigorously:: Believe me, I have *no* difficulty with that. ::hesitates:: Has... has Andrial shown any sign of... knowing? <Dawn> She never knew Bastian at all. And she told me she couldn't read individual thoughts. Just emotions. <Jewel> ::raises her eyebrows:: She's... an empath? ::pursing her lips in a soundless whistle:: That... explains a lot. ::looking thoughtful:: <Dawn> Does it? <Jewel> Well, it does to me, anyway. Empaths are... well, not unbalanced, exactly. But... they have a hard time keeping their own centers, as I understand it. And they can be sort of... clingy. Val once had a little trouble with an empath friend, I heard... <Dawn> Mm. I'll keep it in mind. <Jewel> Although... ::makes a face:: I doubt she's the sort that's "on" all the time. If she were, I don't think she would've stayed in that room with me for a heartbeat. <Dawn> ::glances at Jewel from the corner of his eye:: ...Or she's perfectly used to people hating her. <Jewel> ::winces:: I deserved that. No... if I weren't shielding myself from *myself*, I probably would have gone at her with a dagger. ::hangs her head:: And looked very, very silly when three people took it away from me without even trying hard. <Dawn> Nonsense. Dusk says you're doing very well. Good chance that *I'd* have had to put some effort into it. * Jewel snorts. "So why aren't *you* practicing with me?" <Dawn> Because weapons work bores the living shit out of me. <Jewel> ::virtuously:: I don't much like writing reports, but I do it. <Dawn> Good for you. * Jewel wrinkles her nose at him again. <Dawn> Keep it up. It'll get stuck that way. <Jewel> ::sighs:: You're doomed to bachelorhood, Dawn. <Dawn> You make it sound like a bad thing. ::he stands and stretches, woodchips and dust billowing gently to the ground around him.:: My eyes are crossing. Want to go get some lunch? * Jewel nods and stands, ruefully surveying her skirts and doing her best to shake the sawdust and shavings off. "Fish place? Pretty pleeeeease?" <Dawn> ::laughs:: Sure. ::he offers his arm in a mock-gallant gesture:: |
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