Broken [Julian]

[Elhaym]

Elhaym was oblivious to Julian's entry as she lay twisted underneath the blankets of his bed. She'd started off on her back, comfortable enough so she thought. Apparently she'd found the thick mattresses meant to entice patrons into staying for just one more night a slight more comfortable than the spartan furnishings in the Monastery. Her coat had been bucked off, half falling over the other side of the bed while the majority of the pillows littered the floor. Of course, the blankets and sheets were mangled into an incomprehensible lump that no woman would ever admit to being the true source of to her significant other. Ever. Luckily, she had been alone. Curled into as much of a fetal position as her injured leg and sling had allowed, she was angled away from Julian with her back turned when he began to play. Her soft and wispy snores were drowned out by the onset of strings, a single hand floating into the air and swiping randomly as if to ward the sound off.

"Mmmm… Kota… I'm tired my heart…"

Her eyes fluttered open as she spoke, but she quickly realized where she was and what she had said. Well, quickly was relative to her lethargic mind's capability at the moment, for in truth she laid there staring at her reddened arm and tried to will the feeling back into it. The music wafted throughout the room, Julian playing and her hoping he wouldn't notice the slobber on one of his pillows. Elhaym pushed herself up a bit, casually flipping the pillow and turning to look at Julian. He seemed intent on the song, though maybe the awkwardness of waking her up this way had dawned on him when she had mistakenly called out Kota's name.

"I, uh… guess I fell asleep."

Elhaym snorted at her mastery of the obvious as she rubbed her eyes, slowly swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Where were her shoes? And her coat? Her eyes bulged and she noticed the disarray of her shirt, twisted oddly and revealing everything on one side of her torso up to her ribcage. Granted, not the most arousing area due to the billowing scar that dwelt there, but the principle seemed enough for her to straighten her shirt. Damn sling. The annoyance of having the use of only one arm hammered at her patience, and she very briefly considered calling on her projection again to aid her. Shaking her head and muttering, she resolved to keep that to a minimum after her earlier display. Julian's slow song came to an end, and she tried her luck at walking on her freshly stiffened leg.

She wobbled a bit as the dull pain swelled into something hotter and more fierce, but her composure remained solid. "Alright, well... I guess I should be getting back. No doubt Tatou was probably already switched for letting me leave."

Elhaym awkwardly limped to the other side of the bed to gather her jacket, snatching her shoes on the way. She had to lean against the bed to get her shoes on, and she didn't even bother putting the coat on.Slinging it over her shoulder was more than enough work in her groggy state. "Well? Come on, you said you'd help me to the Monastery didn't you? I at least need help down the stairs." She said while rolling her eyes and sighing in frustration.

"If you walk with me to the Monastery, I can tell you a few things to listen for from the workers here. You said you still didn't know Lhavitian, right? Oh, fine. Just help me most of the way there, I'm sure one of the Shinya can help me the rest of the way."

Well, he didn't really seem too enthused about the trip, but that last bit seemed take some of the droop out of his face. She honestly just wanted to get moving and talking about something. She was a warrior, and had little fear of battle. Battles were one thing, but upsetting your lover was something all together different and sometimes worthy of fear. She had been in pain and tired, and the projection probably had done little to ease her fatigue. Yet in the back of her now unclouded mind she knew that sneaking off to his room and sleeping there looked bad. If Kota caught wind of rumors from the staff, it would be even worse. A sinking feeling impacted her stomach so harshly that even grinding her teeth together did not help. Aside from that, there was the troubling comparison he had made of her projection to a double edged blade earlier. Long had she yearned to describe her fears to someone who could perhaps understand. Most Shinya were Lhavitians at birth and raised into the order. They simply didn't understand the struggle of someone pushed into such a position as using magic when everything they had ever been taught told them that it was madness.

"Come on, they won't miss you for a little while." She said, giving him a little time to ready himself and put his cello somewhere safe. "I'll teach you a few of the nastier insults on the way out, that'll make your friendly coworkers wary if they overhear I bet."

[Julian]

Though the cello's music easily engulfed the room with its rich song, Julian did manage to pick up Elhaym's silky murmur in between notes. His eyes glanced upward momentarily in acknowledgement, thinking little of her drowsy confusion, though it took some effort to quell the quiet burn that flared up in his chest for no reason. The brief twinge of emotion didn't manage to make it into his music, and it died before he had a chance to be greatly bothered by it. Perhaps two or three years ago, there might have been a time that Julian would have been charmed by Elhaym's innocent lack of grace - the same way a woman looks so much more lovely in a loose, oversized shirt and her hair in tousled chaos. Julian however was no longer young and bright-eyed. He'd been through marriage, he'd seen what a woman looked like every morning, Liara and at least a dozen others. Not all at the same time, of course, but the point is still the same. Instead, he regarded her sleepy disorganization as natural and forgave it instantly without judging her. If she had been last night's fancy, the case might have been different. "I, uh... guess I fell asleep." "Mhmm," Julian replied smoothly as he played, not wanting to speak too much for fear of losing his place in the song. As he continued sawing the bow across the cello's tired strings, thinking to himself all the while, he decided that that had been an adequate response and relayed everything he'd wanted to say to her. Yes, she'd fallen asleep, and remained that way for longer than Julian had expected, and was comfortable with. And yes, though he understood her circumstances, she had outstayed her welcome and now things had become awkward and he'd prefer if she left - meant in the friendliest way possible. No, Julian didn't mind having to come up to check on her and of course would be happy to see her out. After finishing his song, Julian glanced up at Elhaym to check her progress. His features softened and he felt a minor wash of guilt as he saw her struggling against the pain just trying to do simple things: putting on her shoes, retrieving her coat, walking, standing. Being an accomplished alcoholic, Julian had dealt with a broken nose once and broken ribs at least twice - those injuries alone had been enough to make him bemoan the world for all its cruelty and curse every god in existence. He couldn't imagine what Elhaym was going through. He politely stood up, leaning his cello against the wall and tucking the bow into the strings as he always did. A smile of acknowledgment briefly visited his lips when Elhaym spoke of Tatuo, and Julian clearly saw the image she described in his head. He felt a mixture of both envy and pity, not being able to decide whether he approved. Julian wasn't quite aware of the note Elhaym had the staff send to the Monastery, but he had guessed that Kota would have some way of knowing where she was. He wondered if his lover's visit would merit the gracious host to invite Julian for another friendly cup of tea. "Oh," Julian answered her flatly, a whisper of fatigue from the faded alcohol in his blood present in his voice. "Yes, I can still escort you. Are you feeling better?" The question was arbitrary and forced, but he did ask it with at least some genuine curiosity. Elhaym's injuries weren't the sort that would heal overnight, but he wasn't sure what he'd do if she simply collapsed on the street on the way back to the Monastery. Julian could tell that despite what he'd told her earlier, having seen her so often in an injured and disheveled state really had colored his perception of her, and he made a conscious effort not to let it. "You've been sleeping for about two bells. I expected you to show up before even one, so I came up to check on you," he explained, even though she didn't ask. Julian knew he sounded a bit a cold. Now that some of the alcohol had drained from him, the musician had become a little more rigid. He still remembered the exchange with the maid in the hallway and couldn't think of a reason why he'd actually done that with her - to her - whatever. Of course it was some self indulgent ploy for personal validation, but more importantly it was a very unnecessary risk of exposing himself. There was no guarantee that she would simply write off what happened as her own wild imagination. "Here, let me take that." Though it might have been presumptive of him, the cellist walked toward Elhaym and took her jacket from her shoulder. He held up the article and gave it a quick shake to straighten it, then neatly folded it in half and tucked the sleeves in together as he hung the coat over his forearm. Clearly he'd done this sort of thing before. "You can call me a dandy if you like but I've always had a partiality toward wearing silk and velvet. A side-effect of being born into wealth, I suppose. I seldom have the budget for it, so I've learned how to care for these fabrics and make them last longer." Sure enough, his expression did tighten when Elhaym mentioned the monastery. He thought of mentioning his experience with women before Liara - many of them having been involved with someone else. Even if nothing had happened, he knew better than to show up on someone else's doorstep to deliver their woman. It was impossible to stop a scorned lover from drawing the darkest conclusions. Julian resolved that saying anything to that effect would just spin him in a bad light. It surprised him how quickly she corrected herself just by reading his facial expression. Again, he smiled politely. "That's a good idea. It shortens my trip. The head waiter becomes annoyed with me when I'm not at my post when I'm supposed to be. It's not like my music is an essential service, but I think my pay is comparable to his and that irritates him." Julian swept his free arm and allowed Elhaym to pass him when walking toward the door. He gave one last look to the assorted articles on his desk: the ring, the journal, the finely decorate knife scabbard, and the half empty bottle of wine. There was probably something to be said about the story of his life, but he couldn't decide what it was, so he simply left the room, locking the door behind him. Immediately afterward, Julian turned to meet eyes with the wandering cleaning maid from earlier. Her face went bright red as she noticed him, and she jumped back in surprise. The musician raised an eyebrow, watching the cogwheels turn behind her eyes - she definitely remembered him. Previous thoughts of regret he'd had about hypnotizing her were instantly gone - he was thoroughly pleased by the power he still seemed to have over her, which held her in place. Before the moment could become awkward, he would free her with a polite nod of greeting. "Evening," he said gently. She replied with a quiet echo, and the exchange concluded as Julian turned to keep pace with Elhaym down the hall. "Do you want me to carry you like a bride or should I toss you over my shoulder?" Julian asked Elhaym when they reached the stairs. "Kidding," he added quickly with a fleeting look of trepidation. He reached out to take the underside of her good arm, giving her something to put her weight on as they moved down the stairs. If she had trouble walking on solid ground, stairs were probably hell. She had made it all the way here on her own, however. He was certain she was more resilient than she looked. Once they were outside in the open air, he was disappointed to find it was just as warm outside the inn as it was inside. He shouldn't have worn his vest. Even his forearm underneath Elhaym's coat was feeling hot an uncomfortable, but he ignored it. "Lhavitian seems like a delicate language," Julian finally said on the topic, uncomfortable with being overheard at the Inn. At least on the street, their conversation would melt into the general ambience of the crowds. "Why not start off with insults?" He paused momentarily. "Actually there's something I hear often among the cleaning maids when they're gossiping with the waiters. It sounds something like..." And then he embarrassed himself mimicking a series of foreign words. Soon enough they'd reach the bridge to the Shinyama Peak, and Julian once again dreaded that moment. He became more immune to his own hypnotism each time he beguiled himself into ignoring his fear of heights. Eventually it wouldn't work at all. "Elhaym." Julian reached out and took her shoulder, stopping her just before the bridge. This would be a good a place as any to drop her off. No need to exert himself. "I'm glad you returned the journal. Those issues... my father, his madness, they run deep. I know I don't have to ask you not to tell anyone what you know about it. It's very personal. I..." He cast his eyes downward, raking his fingers through his hair. "...appreciate what you said. I don't know if I could stand to talk more about it, but whenever you need to talk about your own problems, it would comfort me to listen to them. It does me good to remember I'm not the only one with issues in this accursed world. Humility isn't one of my strongest traits, I'm sure you've noticed." Shaking off the moment, he gestured toward the bridge with the tilt of his head. "I think I'll leave you here. Shinyama's bound to be swarming with your friends to help you to the Monastery." He hesitated, drawing in a breath and looking toward the bridge. "Besides, I'm bloody terrified of heights. You already know the bulk of my secrets, so I suppose I can entrust you with that one. I petching hate these bridges." Julian laughed off his humiliaton. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, Miss Furuma."

[Elhaym]

"No, I'm not feeling any better… and you are a dandy." She grumbled as the coat slid from her shoulder. He did seem to know what he was doing however, so she backed off from commenting on it's expense. He probably knew better than she did in any case. They made their way out to the hallway, or rather she hobbled out with a grimace while Julian seemed to linger a moment in the stairway. It was enough of a lapse between them for her to reach the stairway and wait a moment, leaning against the wall with one hand to take as much pressure off her foot as she could. She heard Julian's low voice behind her, and twisted her neck to see Julian striding towards her while a maid of some sort scampered away.

Before she could make a derisive comment about it, he jokingly presumed to throw her over his shoulder. His wit was met with an expressionless face and a dramatic sigh. Har har. The pair made their way awkwardly down the stairs, Elhaym muttering curses while Julian did his best to steady her. The inn was bustling, but they seemed to work their way through the crowd without much notice. To Julian it may have seemed warm outside, but without that blasted coat Elhaym felt better once in the open air. Hiding her battered frame no longer seemed important.

"They said that, did they?" She said with a grin, slightly dampened as she took too firm a step. Her face tensed and her jaw clenched, but it passed after a few seconds. It was difficult to say with his gross mispronunciations, but it was obvious the maids were a bit perturbed at his elongated stay. They seemed to be calling him princess, though she didn't really know what that had to do with anything. "I think you may have overstayed your welcome in that inn's rooms, if not among the guests with your cello. I think they're just tired of cleaning up after you; they're just maids after all, not servants. Do the maids live in the inn? Maybe you should buy them a gift for putting up with you for so long. A ribbon for their hair, or maybe a flower. That would be nice. Say this the next time you hear them, okay?"

She sounded out a phrase that essentially was an apology filled pleasantry, purposefully chopped. Elhaym thought it would be more believable if it only made half sense, instead of coming off as rehearsed. Once he seemed to manage the words fluidly, she told him what each word meant. It occupied a bit of time as she labored on. It must be obnoxious to walk so slowly. Elhaym knew it would drive her insane if he had been the one injured.

Once they reached the skybridge leading to the Shinyama Pavilion, Julian seemed hesitant to go any further. Rightly so in truth, but he could have at least seen her across the bridge. Taking her folded coat from his arm and duplicating the effort on her own functioning forearm, she listened without making eye contact as he spoke.

"You've talked about it more today than you have in a long time, I bet. I'm sure you'll want to again eventually, even if you don't think you will right now. That's how it was for me, anyway. I won't tell anyone Julian, it's not their business anyway."

Her voice was nearly drowned out by the distant ambiance of nightlife, and two crystal pillars topped with skyglass vases lit with fire flashed colors and shadows across her form. Her hair was still disheveled, but maybe it wasn't so detrimental. She wasn't the prettiest girl in Lhavit by a longshot, and having perfect hair wouldn't change that. There was still her nose to contend with, and her lopsided grin that crept across her face as he disclosed his fear of heights. Well, she supposed leaving her at the bridge was fine after all.

"I'm afraid I won't enjoy it much Julian, but thank you." She said, starting to turn towards the bridge. She stopped short, and turned around to address his back. "Oh, Julian. I really do think those maids were miffed at you for lounging around that inn so long. Really, go get yourself a real home somewhere. You're a grown man, and I think you'll enjoy this city a little more if you settle in. Think on it?"

She didn't exactly wait for a reply; he hadn't before turning so quickly to walk away after all. She struggled on down the bridge, her thoughts fading from Julian and replaced by the image of Kota awaiting her return. Would he be mad? She didn't know. Probably. Not mad for being with Julian; Kota was above trite jealousy unlike most men she had been involved with, which wasn't many come to think of it. He likely would be upset that she was pushing herself again. She'd learned her bloody lesson about pushing too hard, but walking around wasn't pushing it in her book. Still, her heart fluttered as she wheezed and groaned her way up the stairs. Just having someone to be mad at her when she arrived was enough to make her content.

* * * * *

"So, it was his journal?"

Elhaym and Kota sat at their low table, her leg's extending straight out rather than folded delicately beneath her. She felt like a child sitting there like that. Kota had of coursed inquired about her reason for leaving when she arrived, having received the letter she'd sent from the inn. She did not like to lie to Kota, and saw no reason to hide the journal's existence when it was the contents that had mattered.

"Yes, I recognized his family name on the front. I think he is a poet or some such, he talked about how important it was for him to keep so he could always jot down his thoughts."

Well, maybe just a little lie couldn't hurt.

"I see. I noticed it among the other books earlier. I don't read Common as well as I speak it, so I wasn't sure what it was. It was dutiful of you to return it Elhaym, but next time… El, Tatou could have taken it to him just as easily. If you want to walk so badly, I will go with you next time. Just ask me, okay?"

Kota spoke casually between mouthfuls of plain brown rice and seared vegetables, and his eyes carried no hint of mirth. He truly hadn't been angry at her for leaving, more worried than anything. His professional opinion was at times strained by his love.

"I will, my heart."

Elhaym rested well that night, arranged much the same as she had been in Julian's room with an arm thrown across Kota's bare chest. Her soft snores fulfilled him, and he would have been smiling had he not been so deep in thought. Elhaym had forgotten Julian's journal completely, abandoning the day's trials in favor of sleep. Hamado Kota had not forgotten.

[Legion]

Thread Award Elhaym Projection +3, Bodybuilding +3 Consequence & Commentary This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Thank you. Julian's retirement causes the only relevant lore I found applicable to become irrelevant. Thus it is excluded. I felt Elhaym's efforts of mobilization while injured and her endurance through it qualified Bodybuilding. The Projection is obvious. Finally, I'm excited you're back and glad to see Elhaym kicking about Lhavit. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. My PM box is always open.