#earthrunes

"That..." She frowns. "What?"

"He has been avoiding me. I know he sought Almandine to scry..."

(Library) "He has been avoiding you because he thought he had been told to do so."

"I did not tell him that."

(Private room) "Clearly it did. But thank you for answering in a sentence and I'm not being sarcastic. August. We all grab the idiot ball now and then, but you're a smart guy, and you underrstand context. The fact that your brain went to the most... PALER like behavior imaginable and you attributed it to me, that I was holding her prisoner in a tower or something away from you... can you see why that would offend me on levels that ... god if you weren't a friend I'd be drawing steel and getting my ass kicked"

(Library) "No, of course not....I will take the brunt of the blame for the misunderstanding." Coradel looks regretful. "I believe this has caused you both great pain, and I wish so very much that it can be resolved....but pain is hard to heal."

She twists her fingers together, frowning.

(Library) "I want to be clear," she murmurs quietly. "He has not avoided you of his own choosing...and he has missed your company terribly."

"I am aware that things are different now. That he..." A frown.

(Library) A puzzled look as Zara leaves the sentence unfinished, but she waits silently for the next words.

"If you wish that satisfaction, I will oblige, Sir." Calmly.

"Things are different now." Resigned, regretful... sad.

"He need not avoid my company. You can tell him thus?"

(Private room) Earl says "So, I point out you treat me like I'm acting like Paler... and no apology. "A Sigh

(Library) After a moment of silence. "Things are different. They need not be terrible...but different. As for the rest -- I will not tell him tonight, for I don't expect to see him again before my servitude begins. But if he does not already know by tomorrow, I will tell him then." A pause. "You could tell him yourself. I left him and Earl in the privy counsel chamber...I do not know if speaking with them together would make matters better or worse."

"I know not."

(Private room) "I am sorry, Earl. I know it is not enough but.... I do apologize. I'm sorry."

(Library) "Now...I must go. Again, Miss Zara, I take responsibility for the pain caused in this. You make have your revenge on me this evening if you wish it so." Utterly serious. She rises to go, offering the librarian a graceful curtsy.

Zara places a hand on her chest, bowing over it.

And Coradel glides out of the library and goes directly back to the master bedroom, where her transformation for the night commences.

(Private Room) "It's got to stop, August. It's great you're sincerely apologetic, but ... you need to stop leaping to the worst case scenarios everytime things don't go perfectly. Because sometimes ine your effort to martyr yourself, you end up casting someonee else as the person who crucifies you. And this time is... I had no idea what happened. I walked in here, and find out that I'm being accused of stuff the opposite of wahat I've actually tried to do. I've talked to Zara, tried to get her to talk to you. I come in here, I'm a monster to you and her both I'm..." A breath "Sorry only helps so much and I'm starting to think maybe you..." A breath "No, that's not fair. I'm angry and shouldn't talk from anger . Just... think of whose honor you're stepping on as you walk to those crosses. Okay?"

He nods.

(Private Room) "I would ask if you're okay, but clearly, you're not happy either right now. " He shrugs "Just tell your busy body baroness to watch her mouth before she accuses folks next time"

(Private room) He looks up, his eyes hold a hint of warning. Yet, he holds his tongue.

(Private Room) "Good..for a moment, you actually stood up with a straight spine. You should have told me to fuck off, or the gentelman equivilent. " A breath "First, let me apologize. Coradel is a wonderful woman who is fighting for your happiness and I respect that. I just said that to see if you..cared about anything or had just sealed up, shut down, and gone robotic. I give you warning on how being a martyr is a self destructive situation for your friendships...and your response is to... resign yourself to the altar again. You hear my words, but they just go right through you..or that's how it feels to me. And I worry we're jut going to go through something like this in a few months again. And I value you too much as a friend to do that."

(Private room) "Thank you for that, Sir. Excuse me." He heads for the door.

(Private Room) A frown at the 'Sir' comment "THe name's Earl, August. My friends call me Earl."

(Private room) August shuts the door softly as he goes.

(Private Room) Earl takes a breath, and when alone, PUNCHES a hole in the wall's wood paneling.

(Private Room) he draws back bloodied knuckles, for a moment wonder if he's gone and broken something. Crap. Better get this healed. Zara's gonna be pissed at me

(End scene)