Eskel comes back to a room that has his things but is missing his charge. He sighs heavily and sits on the bed for a while. He doesn't think he did anything wrong, so he's not sure what he should apologize for. He knows he ought to apologize as a matter of decorum, as soon as he figures out what he's meant to feel badly about. Upsetting her, he supposes, even if he doesn't know how he managed to do that.
Eventually, he gets up to look for her, finding her in the stables fussing over Scorpion, who is melting into her hands like a spoiled dog, the stallion's ears pricked attentively to her murmurings.
Eskel clears his throat softly to announce his presence.
She knows there's an awful lot that comes with the care and keeping of a horse, that simply petting one and telling him how beautiful he is isn't even remotely what it's really like to be responsible for one, but she has to admit that she likes it so far.
Not that Scorpion's hers, of course. But he's a lovely boy, and a very good listener, and there's something soothing about his soft, whiskery nose nudging at her hands any time she slows down too much for his liking.
She hears Eskel long before he clears his throat, but still she doesn't turn to see him.
Absently, she wishes she hadn't left the shield in the room with all his bags. It would have been nice to feel her spine protected.
"Come back to the room, will ya?" He asks. "I don't want you to be off by yourself too much." That's probably just digging himself a deeper grave, but it has to be said. "I'll order a bottle and we can talk, okay? I can't promise I'll do it right or whatever but...I know it ain't right to just leave it as it is, alright?"
Maybe he has a point, but she doesn't want to hear it, her shoulders drawing tensely up closer to her ears as she stubbornly keeps petting Scorpion. She's spent so much of her lift fending for herself, resenting charity when it was offered, and surprise surprise, she's no different now.
"Alcohol doesn't affect me," she reminds him. "You'll be wasting your money."
"Shit, I'm not trying to get you drunk." He says, feeling stung that she would think that, or insinuate it. "Maybe it's for me, not for you. And it's good vodka." Okay, it's...middling. Whatever.
He stares at her back.
"Would it be better if I went and did something else?" He asks. "Scorpion's brushing stuff and some treats should be with his saddle, if you think he might like that. I'm...gonna go, I guess. Before I make anymore trouble for myself. Just know I wanna sort this out at some point, I guess." He shrugs, turning on his heel with the intent of going to change his shirt and dig out his Gwent deck.
"That is not what I said," she protests, finally turning slightly so she can look at him over her shoulder again. She knows he's not trying to get her drunk for nefarious purposes. Obviously. But if he's hoping some alcohol will soothe her sharp temper, if he thinks it might be easier to have a heart-to-heart when they're tipsy, he's wasting his time.
"And I don't know how to brush him, so knowing where his combs are isn't going to do much for me. Or him, I guess."
But maybe it would be good for them both to have a little time apart from each other. It's not exactly like they chose to travel together or anything. And if the next leg of their journey is going to be as isolated as he says it will, one last hurrah of civilization could be good. If that's what he wants.
"It's pretty intuitive." He says, of the brushes. "I'll probably be in the dining room, I won't go too far."
He'll certainly be easy to spot whenever she decides to come back inside, dressed in a flashy bright red shirt, hunched in a corner with his back to the wall. His Gwent deck and a rapidly disappearing bottle of pepper vodka on the table before him.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2021-08-24 03:56 am (UTC)Eventually, he gets up to look for her, finding her in the stables fussing over Scorpion, who is melting into her hands like a spoiled dog, the stallion's ears pricked attentively to her murmurings.
Eskel clears his throat softly to announce his presence.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-24 04:07 am (UTC)Not that Scorpion's hers, of course. But he's a lovely boy, and a very good listener, and there's something soothing about his soft, whiskery nose nudging at her hands any time she slows down too much for his liking.
She hears Eskel long before he clears his throat, but still she doesn't turn to see him.
Absently, she wishes she hadn't left the shield in the room with all his bags. It would have been nice to feel her spine protected.
"Yes?"
no subject
Date: 2021-08-24 04:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-08-24 04:15 am (UTC)"Alcohol doesn't affect me," she reminds him. "You'll be wasting your money."
no subject
Date: 2021-08-24 04:21 am (UTC)He stares at her back.
"Would it be better if I went and did something else?" He asks. "Scorpion's brushing stuff and some treats should be with his saddle, if you think he might like that. I'm...gonna go, I guess. Before I make anymore trouble for myself. Just know I wanna sort this out at some point, I guess." He shrugs, turning on his heel with the intent of going to change his shirt and dig out his Gwent deck.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-24 04:33 am (UTC)"And I don't know how to brush him, so knowing where his combs are isn't going to do much for me. Or him, I guess."
But maybe it would be good for them both to have a little time apart from each other. It's not exactly like they chose to travel together or anything. And if the next leg of their journey is going to be as isolated as he says it will, one last hurrah of civilization could be good. If that's what he wants.
no subject
Date: 2021-08-24 04:40 am (UTC)He'll certainly be easy to spot whenever she decides to come back inside, dressed in a flashy bright red shirt, hunched in a corner with his back to the wall. His Gwent deck and a rapidly disappearing bottle of pepper vodka on the table before him.