#earthrunes

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A few days after the Greening, a still-chilly Saturday, Coradel wanders the gardens, a book in hand, seemingly aimless.

Up on a stone wall, she sees Leonora. Patrolling it would seem, moving about the chill and bow and arrow ready. She's chosen high ground because, more fun.

A bit of a grin (target acquired), and she waves. "Leonora...wait there. I'd like to speak with you." And she makes her way to where the guard stands.

"Don't slip, Delores would give me such an ear ful" Her hair blows in the high wind, "Bit chilly."

"Ha!" Coradel manages the wall well enough, the wind catching her hair as well, a swirl of red.

She looks out over the garden from this vantage. "Any trouble?"

"Nope, this is pretty routine, but it's my job, and could be important any moment so..no harm. Besides, the Thanes get a bit too smug in their trolliness if they do all the guarding. Mind you, this is near patrol, the far ones are the ones that have a better chance of action."

"Well, the fewer incidents on patrol near to the manor, the better." A bit of a pause, then she says, "I've been wanting to talk with you. Personally."

"Fiona to Fiona." A bit of a grin.

A smile, and she says "Well, in that case," And takes a sit on the wall, 'Fire away, sister Lioness" while it is nippy, she enjoys the breeze

Coradel settles beside her. "It's about August." Still smiling, but it's a thoughtful smile. "Am I right that...that you have an interest?"

"Coradel, the ..blessings of Fiona hit us all in one way or nother. I used to joke that the worse idea a guy was for me, the more I would be turned on. Not sure it was totally a joke. When I knew August, at first, heck I don't think he was even SIR August. Oathbroken, removed, ironclad resolve, and a good boy waiting to be lured? Yes, he intrigued. Still does," She admits "Imean, now he's a TAKEN man and of course that adds a new level of wrong. But Fiona urges aside, he's a great guy, but you're myliege and I'm not a poacher as a rule. Tht and he'd hate himself. He's bonkers for you, you know?"

She smiles at that last and looks down at the book in her hands. "He is. And I love him very, very much." A pause. "Thank you for thinking of what harm it might cause...but I'm considering what good it might do. Our oath to each other is one that allows consorts, as long as the other approves." She looks at her. "If he decides he is ready...I want you to know that I approve."

"Wow, I should be weirded out, but instead I'm, yeah, pleased is the word. He's..fun." A sigh "But he says he's not interested in me."

"Hm." Coradel nods and looks out over the garden. After a moment, "I think he probably meant he was not interested in acting on any urges. He...is a man who is not comfortable with his own emotions." Looking at her again. "Do not press the issue, please, but...if he offers...."

She considers, "He..has given me reason to think he enjoys being with me, but he played it up as familiarity." blink, "Did I get told 'I'm not into you' by an altar boy and get fooled?" A bit miffed looking, "did I actually get reverse played?"

A chuckle. "I think maybe. He confuses himself. He's...exploring more. But still fighting against that priest-in-training mindset. Old habits."

"And..." she adds "...nothing may come of it. He may genuinely not want to take that step. But...I have. And I want him to have the same freedom, if he chooses."

A thoughtful wet of lips, then "Okay. So, I can flirt openly, and see if he approaches? he seems skittish. But he does seem to... "A pause, "Oh , uhm "concern, "Does he know you have? this must be a bit scary for you"

"He knows." Her smile is gone, and she looks out over the garden again. "That was a difficult conversation...but we know our oath."

She takes her hand, "Look, uhm may I make a crazy suggestion?" A bite of her lip, "Tell me if it would help or not?"

"Okay." A curious look, hands joined.

"What if you expressed an interest in me, him, and you together." She proposes, "What do you think?"

She tilts her head to the side a bit, considering her housemate. "I...could see that being interesting...." A bit of a grin. "Perhaps."

"A sort of a gateway to allowing himself to..." She trails off and nods. "That might help, yes."

"That's what I was thinking, he might give himself permission to be with me with you, then later...without. " A pause, "I do like him, you know/? Not LIKE LIKE, but like." She swings her feet a little thinking about it.

She smiles. "He's likable. When he's not being infuriatingly mired in denial, he's very likable. And...he is my husband. My oathmate. Playing with him, alone or with me, does not change that." A firm but not aggressive reminder of boundaries.

"Oh, of course. I mean, if I were oathed and someone tried to steal the love instead of settling for the sex, I'd shoot the bitch... twice."

Firm understanding.

A laugh, and she squeezes Leo's hand a bit. "It won't be right away. It might actually be a while. I'll have to...get a sense of when he's ready. Might be a matter of random opportunity. I don't want to push him into something he really isn't ready for. But...I don't want him to hide from himself, either."

"Fair, and..." A look at her, "I wish I could say more, but you have no idea how hard he strives for you. What he does to mke himself ..more pleasing. If you did? You'd steal him away for a week, leave Sparrow in charge , and not come up for air until the 7 days were up."

A curious look...and a bit of a flare in her eyes. "And how do you know this?"

"I'm...guessing?" She hems?

"Mm-hm. Sure. Well..." the flare dies back down to a glow "...I do get a sense of it. He and I do talk, you know, and...and he works so very hard at breaking down his old walls. I do not want to ask too much of him...but the glimmers of potential I see are..." she shakes her head in wonder.

"Well, Delories is observant and is loyal to a fault. She might have some insights if she hasn't given them already."

Then she smiles and leans in to kiss Leo on the cheek. "Thank you." She rises from her seat on the wall. "Keep watch." What she's to keep watch for is ambiguous at best.

Leonora rises, bows, and resumes her patrol.

Another look over the garden, and then she's heading back to the manor.

Leonora rolls her eyes "Way to go, Leo... your mouth."

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August notices Inish taking taking two aspirin

He taps at the door frame. "Herald? Do you have a moment?"

He winces, one eye getting larger than the other, then "Yes, yes, Sir August?"

He steps in, and speaks quietly. "Are you well?"

"Just a wee headache, Scribe. Now how can I help you?"

"I was wondering what you might know about my family. Ah, the Truthbranches."

"And... ah, well, anything you might know about... who I was?"

"oh, that," He says, growing serious, "Have a seat?"

August enters and takes a seat. "That bad?"