#earthrunes

A long-suffering sigh. "Fine." And a pouty sip of her shake...which makes things better. "I just...I miss him. I thought they'd be back by now, and...they're not...."

"I know. You never know with these quests. " she agrees, "But he'll be back."

"Yes, of course he will, but..." Another pout, and she looks moodily out the window. "We just have this new house that we haven't been able to spend much time in together, and I've been planning redecorations of the manor but they have to wait until he gets back to really happen, and there's this school stuff, and the wedding planning of course, and...." She trails off and takes another sip.

"And it's all on hold and you feel like an animal who wants to run wild with her mate, but instead you're in this cage...pacing"

She finishes "Mangus has adventures too sometimes. Or investigations"

"Yes!" To the animal pacing feeling.

"And you're going to tell me how you cope perfectly well with those?"

"I could, but I worry I'll end up wearing your shake if I do" She admits

"Wise tactician." Another moody sip.

"Of course I get frustrated. I get..angry at him actually, even when he doesn't deserve it. " A shrug "The heart wants what it wants even for me. But when I married him I knew what I was getting into. "

"I'm not angry at August," she clarifies.

This she believes, "But you do worry and miss him, of course. Other kith don't.. quite understand. Time for sidhe is different... we can feel like a battle in Arcadia was just a minute ago, and lament the lover who left five minutes ago as if it was years. We are.. on a different sync. Combine that with the usual nature of missing loved ones and... agony."

Coradel presses her lips together and blinks a bit, still looking not at Claire but out the window. "He'll be fine. I...I know he will. He's got friends to help him. Good friends. Loyal friends." A swallow and a bit of a sniff. "He'll be fine," she repeats with a carefully perfect smile.

"He will be. He's the strongest willed man I've ever met." The Ailil says "Don't tell him that I said that."

A little laugh, and Coradel dabs just under her eye, checking her eyeliner, of course. "He'd never believe you did. Nor that it was true. But he is."

"And Sir Earl is a vexing but easly underestimated knight. Honestly, that whole DeBuke thing.. argh. What a waste"

"My point is, that's back up. We both know Vince is sneakier than he looks. And Zara is..well, lore heavy and potent in magic"

A smile. "Vince will do anything to protect August, I know. And Zara...." She trails off a moment. "Yes."

"Anyway...." Another sip of the wonderful shake. "I shouldn't turn to Bachdion when I'm missing August so much. It would be like using him, and he means more to me than that."

"Fiona logic makes my head hurt. Everytime I think it's mostly at the pelvis you get romantic even about friendships. Ailil are more... utilitarian"

A wry grin. "I'm not sure the word 'logic' really applies here," she admits.

"I was trying to be nice but now that you admit it..." a smile though

"Look, everyone turns to friends in hard times" She says "maybe you don't want sex with Bachdion because it would be using him... but you knwo if you don't make it an order he might boe kay wit hthat. OR... maybe you just want someone to lean on? Or snuggle with but nothing else. IT's okay to ask."

Another dab at her eyes. "Maybe. I...haven't slept well the last couple of days...." an admission.

"A few of us have noticed. " SHe says gently "And those few worry and care and why they sent an Aiil for the sentimental stuff I don't know but here i am. Sides, I worry too. Baroness.." A breath" Coradel. You give so much. You'd be surprised who would be happy to give back a little"

A bit of a smile at her daughter-in-law. "I believe you. I do. I just...I'm fine, really.... Just need a bit better sleep...."

"Then go ask Bachdion to be a pillow. He'd understand"

A mute nod as she looks at her half-finished shake.

"Something wrong with the shake?" She asks surprised . Normally they're amazing. Hers certainly is.

The flood of tears is immediate, along with a burst of sobs. Irrelevantly, she manages to shake her head, "No...it's delicious...."

"oh crap" The Ailil says, then takes a deep breath and hugs her mother in law

This is a good solid ugly cry...well, as ugly as a Fiona sidhe can get in a passionate outburst. She allows the hug as she sobs and sniffles, giving in to the passion of her worry.

And Claire says all the right things "It will be okay. Let it out. No shame" And so on. And, she means it. She's as good at maniuplating as the next ailil, it's lying she sucks at. "Yeah, there we go. If anyone gives you shit about this, that's what dungeons are for."

And whatever Coradel was trying to exhaust herself into through combat finally works through the chocolate shake and conversation. Eventually she subsides to soft sniffles and a beautiful tinge of redness to her features that speaks of sorrow spent.

"No wonder the other kith hate us" She observes the beautiful glow crying has left

She delicately wipes the tears away from her cheeks. "Claire...I'd like to go back, now. Thank you for the shake and the talk...but I'd like to go back now."

"Then we're going back" And she with things paid off, Claire drives them both back to the hold

(End Scene)

Finding Bachdion isn't hard...so Claire does, and tells him to get his ass to talk to Coradel\

The Baroness is in her chambers, according to the quiet comments and significant looks from the boggans, looks that suggest all is not well.

Bachdion comes to the door, dressed in court finery, but also with a look of concern. And he knocks. "My liege?"

A pause. Then... "Enter." Her voice sounds a little thinner than normal.

He comes in, and bows, then says "My liege..." The door closed behind him, "Coradel?"

She sits at her vanity, dressed attractively enough but with diminished enthusiasm. "Teacher mine," she says with a sad smile.

"Claire spoke with you, I'm assuming." She looks in the mirror and brushes her hair once or twice before setting her brush aside.

"She said you were in need, and not the need I might jump to the conclusion of" He says gently "I assume then, we will not be discussing philosophy"

"I don't know. Perhaps." A sigh, and she waves vaguely. "She may need to do a bit of damage control in town. I had...a made a bit of a scene. In public."

"You're a young woman, as far as most mortals are concerned, unfair view or not, a 'scene' is seen as not atypical." He moves to her and takes her hands.

A bit of hesitation, but not resistance. She meets his eyes. "I miss him, Bachdion. So badly. I didn't realize how much."

"Of course you do, you love him" He says "There is no shame in feeling absence, Coradel. Not in our House, and frankly, even outside of it. "