26 - Sand Thief

[radiantwingedone]

Who: Duke and The Vesperia Household (Yuri, Ioder, Dhaos)
Where: at the Vesperia House
When: Late evening?
Status: Closed
[ style ]

[ After that pair of moderately awkward voice-mails, Duke has packed a few things up - mostly clothing for the next day, a notebook or two, and almost hesitatingly a book on magic he recently received. That last probably wasn't smart of him, but... It was interesting, even if mildly painful. If he couldn't sleep...

If anyone was anticipating him arriving by searching with magic, he isn't giving his location away that way. He is trying to hide, after all, and if that means he has to be more careful while walking... well, its not going to be a speed reduction or anything.

But he'll be there before it gets too dark, looking a little worn, but not nearly as worn out as he'd been after the fear-curse. ]

Comments

[fortheempire]

Sounds good! Just pasta it is then. Bowls will work, in that case.

[radiantwingedone]

[ Then Duke will get bowls down and forks out and... Wait. ]

[fortheempire]

[Waiting is fine, but it's still going to be about 20 minutes before everything is ready.]

[radiantwingedone]

[ Guess what Duke forgot about food?

It takes forever to cook. ]

[fortheempire]

[Yes, Duke. It does.

But Ioder is wonderfully patient, and simply takes out a worn book and leans against the counter, reading in between occasionally stirring things.]

[radiantwingedone]

[ He should do that.

Only the book he's reading tends to result in some reading and some blank staring. It's related to whatever is making him uncomfortable... ]

[fortheempire]

[Nearing the end of cooking, Ioder finally passes a glance to the dining room.]

... is everything alright, Duke?

[radiantwingedone]

... Yes and no.

[fortheempire]

... that's still a 'no'.

[There's that worried look again.]

[radiantwingedone]

... Correct.

[ Stop giving him that look, Ioder. ]

[fortheempire]

[NOPE.]

... I'm willing to listen, you know.

[radiantwingedone]

If I don't share perhaps it will go away.

[ He's aware of how silly that sounds right after he says it. ]

[fortheempire]

... running away from it is hardly a solution.

[radiantwingedone]

[ But clearly it's worked so well before for him- ]

Am uncomfortable with... discovering feelings are not what I thought they were. And I do not know how to be rid of them.

[ Because he isn't going to give any other option thought. The feels to away. That's the answer.

Or he does. ]

[fortheempire]

Feelings... for some one else?

[It's not difficult to hazard a guess there, considering he was in the same boat not that long ago.]

[radiantwingedone]

[ Take Duke's further curling up as agreement, Ioder, because that's what it is, and why he wants to get rid of the feelings. ]

[fortheempire]

[Ioder sighs and closes his book, turning the temperature down on the stove so he can come over and sit down.]

It's difficult to make feelings like that go away.

[radiantwingedone]

It ought to, for there is no place for it.

[ Its hard when the target of your feels is already in a relationship... ]

[fortheempire]

Why do you say that?

[Ioder can't even guess who it is, and even if he could, he hasn't talked to Zelda in forever so he's not really privy to her current relationship status.]

[radiantwingedone]

Because.

[ Its the first word of all the answers. Because he's old, because he's stupid, because if he'd noticed earlier he wouldn't hurt this bad, because she seems to think something odd of him, because she's dating someone. ]

They ought to go.

[fortheempire]

... that's... not an answer, Duke...

[radiantwingedone]

There is no place for them. [ Way to be a broken record, Duke.

He's not sure he's hungry anymore. ]

Having them will cause a great deal of conflict. If they went away, or if I stay away, there won't be any.

[ Except for Duke, of course. He'll end up hurt, but that's one person rather than a bunch of them. ]

[fortheempire]

[Ioder really can't help him if he's going to keep repeating things and not give an answer that really clues him in to why it's such a problem. Ioder is smart, yes, but he's not a mind reader.

He sighs, putting a hand on Duke's arm.]

Well... you're welcome to stay here as long as you need to, alright?

[radiantwingedone]

Thank you.

[ He's trying not to be uncomfortable with the contact, and it might show with the set of his shoulders. ]

... trying... not to be terribly obvious in.. avoidance, thus may not come back some nights. But.... thank you.

[ He can't tell if his stomachs complaining is from actually being hungry, or not wanting anything to do with food at all. Duke rubs at his face a little with the arm Ioder doesn't have a hand on. ]

[fortheempire]

[Ioder just nods, and stands again.]

You should try to eat something. At least a little bit.