#fenixtj

"Oh, I'm eclectic... mostly because I collect DVDs from the Bargain bins. "

"Does your leg hurt you?"

"No." he assures "it just ah doesn't walk as well"

"I hate that you got hurt."

"It was necessary" He says, "Pay it no mind. It perhaps makes me less than I was"

"It does not." Firmly.

"Mmm if you say" He shrugs "I thought perhaps...well, nevermind what I thought"

"What?"

"I thought perhaps my hobbling about would make me an object of ... " he cannot keep distaste out of his tone "pity"

She shakes her head. "Not here."

Duff takes a breath, and seems to relax on a different level "Thank you for that"

"You're welcome. I'm angry it happened, though."

"mm not the passion I seek to rise in you, despite what you might wonder" A glance at her and a smirk

She looks down, then up at him. "I don't want to take advantage."

Fangs show a bit now at that, "You should try to take advantage at least once. you might enjoy it." he sips a drink "I know I would."

"I... haven't treated you as you deserve. I'm sorry, Duff."

"Deserve has nothing to do with it"

"I think it does."

"One feels how they feel, Jessica."

A puzzled frown. "What do you mean?"

"You can't just create an emotion in someone" He says , he takes her hand, "If I win your love, I don't want it out of guilt."

She nods. "I won't do that."

"Good." A squeeze of that hand.

Jessica regards the entwined hands. She squeezes back.

"I'm glad you're all right now. They told me a lesser woman would be dead from the dose you took. I was not surprised you held on. "

She shakes her head. "It happened so quickly. I -think- I remember the blow but....." A scowl "I shouldn't have let it all get to that stage."

"How could you have stopped it? Try telling a headstrong Countess anything mmm?"

"Defuse, De-escalate, let her know about it before things got to that point, send an envoy to Summerstrike, just flat out -strike- at Summerstrike....."

"I still think you overestimate your power over fate or chance. Either way, it is the past. We must move on." A pause "I am sorry about Ricardo. He was... a good soul, and in the end a brave one."

The pain is still fresh. "I would never have thought he'd fight like that. I would rather it had been me."

"I know, " A soft squeeze, "He was your most ardent believer ... if one must go.. for something you believed in is not a bad way to do so."

She nods, and.... damnit NO Tears threaten. Again....

"I always found him a bit annoying, and now I regret I did not see past that." Duff admits. "it is difficult with pooka I know but still. I should have tried."

She nods, swallowing. "Y... yes. I did too. I should have, too. I didn't.... I never said....." She stops, her jaw clenching shut.

"A lot of that going around then" A sigh "The fact he left almost everything to Fenix in his will must have been hard to hear"

Of course, she hadn't heard that

"We.... we haven't read the will yet. How did you know?"

"As Steward, Diego was in charge of collecting his things and so he read the will. He..didn't tell you he had?"

"No. I haven't had much of a chance to talk to Diego." A sigh.

"My mistake, perhaps he didn't want to make things worse for you..and here I have."

"No, no, really. It's alright." Another sigh. "Ricardo was more selfless than I imagined. My loss."

"Our loss, his glory I suppose" he strokes her hair, "I know, you'd just as soon he be here sans the glory"

She nods, wipes her eyes. A sniff. "Knowing him, he'd love a statue up somewhere. I might just do it."

"That, or some portrait or something or maybe a plaque in his honor? Yes. He'd have adored it"

"Yes."

"Well, there you go... wait, what was that artist's name? Earnest? Early?"

"Which one?"

"ANother troll ah,, he's a DeBuke? Maybe he could do a commision for you?"

"Earl." A slightly damp chuckle. "Maybe. I like the idea of a statue though. I'm not sure."

"Statue would fit in nicely"