Nephry Osborne (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
silversnowfall) wrote2013-01-19 02:02 am
silversnowfall) wrote2013-01-19 02:02 am
74. [voice/written]
[Some say too much deep thought begets deeper problems.]
I've been thinking.
[Nephry has a piece of paper in front of her, as well as a book open to a marked page.]
Mm, I should say that reading has been making me think. Indulge me for a moment, if you will: there is a relatively small portion of our population living in this village that arrived more than three Luceti years ago. It's an easy number for me to choose, because I fall into that category as well. I don't know many of those sharing a 'cycle year' with me as personally as I might, but-
[Here she stops, taps the page of the other book, and tries a new direction. Included in her explanation is a description of the formula she mentions.]
Something I read about and didn't understand prompted a bit more research on my part. I'm interested in testing whether this...theory, I suppose, of mine happens to prove true. In another world, there is a kind of formula for determining how ready one is to accept the inevitable. I believe that, with some exceptions of course, one 'step' in this formula enacts itself in the space of one Luceti cycle year. [Then she illustrates what the heck she means by that, expanding upon a chart she found in her research.]
[A half-laugh. Actually it's quite a sad sound.] Doesn't that sound strange? And yet I remember being in complete disbelief that such things were possible, and then worrying about my friends and hating the Malnosso for what they do to us, and then wanting nothing more than to use our limited knowledge as some kind of wager for the chance to change-
And now...to a degree, I still feel all of these other things, and yet- [No. Perhaps it's best not to go into that so publicly. It's unbecoming of a governor for certain.] Well, now I'm asking the rest of you. No matter how long you have been here. Does this hold true for you?
I've been thinking.
[Nephry has a piece of paper in front of her, as well as a book open to a marked page.]
Mm, I should say that reading has been making me think. Indulge me for a moment, if you will: there is a relatively small portion of our population living in this village that arrived more than three Luceti years ago. It's an easy number for me to choose, because I fall into that category as well. I don't know many of those sharing a 'cycle year' with me as personally as I might, but-
[Here she stops, taps the page of the other book, and tries a new direction. Included in her explanation is a description of the formula she mentions.]
Something I read about and didn't understand prompted a bit more research on my part. I'm interested in testing whether this...theory, I suppose, of mine happens to prove true. In another world, there is a kind of formula for determining how ready one is to accept the inevitable. I believe that, with some exceptions of course, one 'step' in this formula enacts itself in the space of one Luceti cycle year. [Then she illustrates what the heck she means by that, expanding upon a chart she found in her research.]
[A half-laugh. Actually it's quite a sad sound.] Doesn't that sound strange? And yet I remember being in complete disbelief that such things were possible, and then worrying about my friends and hating the Malnosso for what they do to us, and then wanting nothing more than to use our limited knowledge as some kind of wager for the chance to change-
And now...to a degree, I still feel all of these other things, and yet- [No. Perhaps it's best not to go into that so publicly. It's unbecoming of a governor for certain.] Well, now I'm asking the rest of you. No matter how long you have been here. Does this hold true for you?
[Action]
What she will do is bring him a mug of hot chocolate and something for his headache, before she goes to her room for the evening. Thus, more knocking.]
[Action]
[He doesn't get up to open the door, perhaps because a part of him is expecting it to be Anise. He's laying on his bed, though on top of the covers and still wearing his clothes from the day. He also left the lamp of his dresser on, providing a dim light -- just enough to be able to see. By all means, he looks like someone who might be dealing with a headache. But that's not exactly the case here.]
[Action]
[She comes in quietly, setting the mug and the medicine within his reach.] Do you feel sick at all, Ion?
[Action]
Thank you, Nephry... but I'll be all right. I suppose... I was just thinking a bit too much today. It's too cold for a walk, so I thought laying down might help.
[Action]
[Action]
[But for now, he just nods.] I'll keep that in mind.
[Action]
I apologize for upsetting you earlier. Sometimes I want to do the right thing so much that I stumble over what the right thing actually is.
[Action]
[Sometimes he actually wondered which was more difficult for him.]
...it's all right. I'm sorry for worrying you. This is... just something I need to work through.
[Action]
[Action]
[But what choice does he have?]
Thank you, Nephry.
[Action]
[Action]
...I know.
[He takes a moment for a soft sigh, feeling perhaps it would be best if he just tried to sleep this bad mood off. Maybe he would better in the morning? He could only hope...] It's... getting a bit late now, isn't it? I think I might just turn in for the night.
[Action]
[Action]
[Action]
But she does go.]
[Action]
...a-ah, Nephry?
[Action]
Yes, Ion?
[Action]
[It takes a moment. He's not entirely sure how to say what he wants to say, nor whether he should even say it at all but--.]
...I don't know if this is something you'd want to hear or not, but I'm... I'm really happy you're here, Nephry.
[Action]
She comes back over to where he's sitting instead, not hesitating to crouch enough to embrace him.]
I'm happy we're here, too.
[Action]
[Yes, a hug is most certainly what he needed right now. Even if he hadn't thought to ask for one. He leans into it at first, but eventually he'll be returning the gesture as well.]
[Action]
[Action]
[But things weren't that simple. As much as the hug helped him feel better right now, it wouldn't be enough to change what had already happened. And it wouldn't be enough to change the way Nephry had been feeling, either.]
[Eventually he'll pull back, though somewhat reluctantly. It's small, but there's a smile on his face.]
[He starts to speak -- as if to thank her for the hug -- but... well. That's not exactly something he needs to thank her for. That's not something you thank your family for, after all. And so instead, he'll reach out to take her hand and give it a gentle squeeze.]
...good night, Nephry.
[Action]
Good night, Ion.
[Action] 1/2
[Action]