Post by carcinoGeneticist on Oct 19, 2008 23:37:20 GMT -5
As requested by Natluff. Hope it's... accurate and all that. @_@
Characters: Mention of Lani and Hadrian, Bernard, Seth
Words: 1134
When he'd gotten wind of what had happened to Lani, Seth wasn't exactly sure how to react.
She was quite a figure around the Court of Hearts and was known of (at least by reputation) by all who called it hope, but the bat had never had a conversation with her. He had never even really met the young woman. She was vivacious and bright, with a sass that anyone with half a brain could see from miles away. It was no real surprise when Hadrian had come to him speaking of her greatness, her beauty, her perfection. It was even less of a surprise when the boy had come to him again years later, tail held low, speaking of his failure to impress and the pain of a broken heart. Seth had known from his very first mention of Lani that this would happen, of course. Lani was born a Queen of Hearts, a Highlander from a long and proud lineage. Hadrian was born a Jack, it was true, but far more importantly: He was a Club. At the time, he'd told the boy to suck up and find someone more worthy of his attentions, but he'd almost hated the girl for it.
After all, he was a father, and he would do almost anything to protect his children from ever feeling pain.
Years passed before he'd even considered the girl, now a young woman, once more. She was just as much a hellraiser as she'd been as a child. During his training with Bernard the two men often spoke of her, and Seth learned about the things she had been getting herself into, stories of how the older man worried about her. Seth had been concerned, too, but had told the mage to try not to worry. She was a Queen, after all, daughter of Gaston and Serafino. She was young and wily and she could take care of herself. And she had, for a very long time. Seth had done his continued duty as friend to Bernard, lending an open ear whenever the man had a new story about his niece's adventures, finding himself happy to see the way the man would smile and gesture enthusiastically whenever Lani had done something that he could be proud of. Seeing Bernard so happy made Seth's lingering upset at the young woman fade slightly. After all, the man had so little happiness left in his life, a massive source like Lani was clearly a great asset to the mage's life.
When he learned of her pregnancy, Seth had been there to assure Bernard that it would be a wonderful change of pace for Lani and all of her family. After all, children had been a wonderful addition to Seth's life, even when he had never dreamed he'd want them. He could remember smiling, clapping Bernard on the back and congratulating the man on becoming a great-granduncle.
When Lani began to grow ill, he'd done his best not to worry and had done everything he could to ensure the same for Bernard. Pregnancy was difficult for all, but even worse for many. It was this knowledge and knowledge of the skill of the many doctors that worked at the court that kept him confident that all would be fine, and he expected to gain news of her recovery once her body had begun to adjust to the changes it was going through, both physically and hormonally.
It never came.
When Lani gave birth, Seth accompanied Bernard to the medical chambers and stood awkwardly near the door. What more could he do? He didn't know the woman and was there only as a pillar of support for Bernard, so he waited outside. He was very quick to learn that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong, but the woman survived, and in the bat's mind, where there was life, there was hope. But he couldn't bring himself to tell Bernard that, couldn't bring himself to inflate the man's hopes just to see them come crashing down around him. Seth had only seen that much blood once before, and the person who it had come from had died soon after.
As a friend, where before he had listened to Bernard's stories and offered snippets of helpful advice, all he could do was try and prepare the man for the chance that his beloved niece wouldn't make it through.
When he learned of her death, Seth was not surprised. He'd heard rumors of her horrific children and the damage they had done to her during their gestation and birth. He'd found Bernard exactly where the pair had stood only a few short days before, staring blankly at the closed doorway that led to what had been Lani's room while she'd been alive. Now, her body rested there, waiting for family and friends to say their last goodbyes. Seth reached out tenatively to Bernard, his hand hesitating above the man's shoulder for a moment before touching him. He felt Bernard flinch and bit his lip as the King turned a completely hollow gaze towards him.
"You know...[/b]" Seth had said, shifting awkwardly. He had no idea what Bernard was going through and couldn't pretend he did, but he couldn't just sit back and do nothing. Bernard's face... Seth had never seen a expression so devoid of emotion. In all honesty, the man looked as dead as his niece did. "If you need someone to talk to about.. anything, I'm... You know.[/b]" It sounded lame to say, but he needed to extend the offer. After all, they'd spoken many times before about Lani, it only made sense that Bernard might need to speak now.
In response, Bernard had smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eye and looked as though it had been drawn onto his face. He shook his head, lightly shrugging off Seth's hand and silently moving towards the door, resting his hand on the handle before finally speaking. "It's fine." he said softly, voice barely audible over the general noise of the court. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."
He'd entered the room, leaving Seth standing alone in the hallway, watching the place where a moment before his friend had stood. The bat returned to his own chamber without another word. Late that night, he hadn't been surprised to hear his door open and had sat up when Bernard sat beside him.
He'd opened his arms when the King had collapsed against him, shifting into his larger and softer bipedal form and holding Bernard's frail and trembling body against himself, saying nothing but stroking the older man's hair soothingly. Neither man said a word, the large bat letting the small human sob into his thick fur until exhaustion and sorrow forced him to sleep.
Seth only wished that there was more he could do to ease the pain that Bernard felt.
Characters: Mention of Lani and Hadrian, Bernard, Seth
Words: 1134
When he'd gotten wind of what had happened to Lani, Seth wasn't exactly sure how to react.
She was quite a figure around the Court of Hearts and was known of (at least by reputation) by all who called it hope, but the bat had never had a conversation with her. He had never even really met the young woman. She was vivacious and bright, with a sass that anyone with half a brain could see from miles away. It was no real surprise when Hadrian had come to him speaking of her greatness, her beauty, her perfection. It was even less of a surprise when the boy had come to him again years later, tail held low, speaking of his failure to impress and the pain of a broken heart. Seth had known from his very first mention of Lani that this would happen, of course. Lani was born a Queen of Hearts, a Highlander from a long and proud lineage. Hadrian was born a Jack, it was true, but far more importantly: He was a Club. At the time, he'd told the boy to suck up and find someone more worthy of his attentions, but he'd almost hated the girl for it.
After all, he was a father, and he would do almost anything to protect his children from ever feeling pain.
Years passed before he'd even considered the girl, now a young woman, once more. She was just as much a hellraiser as she'd been as a child. During his training with Bernard the two men often spoke of her, and Seth learned about the things she had been getting herself into, stories of how the older man worried about her. Seth had been concerned, too, but had told the mage to try not to worry. She was a Queen, after all, daughter of Gaston and Serafino. She was young and wily and she could take care of herself. And she had, for a very long time. Seth had done his continued duty as friend to Bernard, lending an open ear whenever the man had a new story about his niece's adventures, finding himself happy to see the way the man would smile and gesture enthusiastically whenever Lani had done something that he could be proud of. Seeing Bernard so happy made Seth's lingering upset at the young woman fade slightly. After all, the man had so little happiness left in his life, a massive source like Lani was clearly a great asset to the mage's life.
When he learned of her pregnancy, Seth had been there to assure Bernard that it would be a wonderful change of pace for Lani and all of her family. After all, children had been a wonderful addition to Seth's life, even when he had never dreamed he'd want them. He could remember smiling, clapping Bernard on the back and congratulating the man on becoming a great-granduncle.
When Lani began to grow ill, he'd done his best not to worry and had done everything he could to ensure the same for Bernard. Pregnancy was difficult for all, but even worse for many. It was this knowledge and knowledge of the skill of the many doctors that worked at the court that kept him confident that all would be fine, and he expected to gain news of her recovery once her body had begun to adjust to the changes it was going through, both physically and hormonally.
It never came.
When Lani gave birth, Seth accompanied Bernard to the medical chambers and stood awkwardly near the door. What more could he do? He didn't know the woman and was there only as a pillar of support for Bernard, so he waited outside. He was very quick to learn that something had gone terribly, terribly wrong, but the woman survived, and in the bat's mind, where there was life, there was hope. But he couldn't bring himself to tell Bernard that, couldn't bring himself to inflate the man's hopes just to see them come crashing down around him. Seth had only seen that much blood once before, and the person who it had come from had died soon after.
As a friend, where before he had listened to Bernard's stories and offered snippets of helpful advice, all he could do was try and prepare the man for the chance that his beloved niece wouldn't make it through.
When he learned of her death, Seth was not surprised. He'd heard rumors of her horrific children and the damage they had done to her during their gestation and birth. He'd found Bernard exactly where the pair had stood only a few short days before, staring blankly at the closed doorway that led to what had been Lani's room while she'd been alive. Now, her body rested there, waiting for family and friends to say their last goodbyes. Seth reached out tenatively to Bernard, his hand hesitating above the man's shoulder for a moment before touching him. He felt Bernard flinch and bit his lip as the King turned a completely hollow gaze towards him.
"You know...[/b]" Seth had said, shifting awkwardly. He had no idea what Bernard was going through and couldn't pretend he did, but he couldn't just sit back and do nothing. Bernard's face... Seth had never seen a expression so devoid of emotion. In all honesty, the man looked as dead as his niece did. "If you need someone to talk to about.. anything, I'm... You know.[/b]" It sounded lame to say, but he needed to extend the offer. After all, they'd spoken many times before about Lani, it only made sense that Bernard might need to speak now.
In response, Bernard had smiled, but the smile didn't reach his eye and looked as though it had been drawn onto his face. He shook his head, lightly shrugging off Seth's hand and silently moving towards the door, resting his hand on the handle before finally speaking. "It's fine." he said softly, voice barely audible over the general noise of the court. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."
He'd entered the room, leaving Seth standing alone in the hallway, watching the place where a moment before his friend had stood. The bat returned to his own chamber without another word. Late that night, he hadn't been surprised to hear his door open and had sat up when Bernard sat beside him.
He'd opened his arms when the King had collapsed against him, shifting into his larger and softer bipedal form and holding Bernard's frail and trembling body against himself, saying nothing but stroking the older man's hair soothingly. Neither man said a word, the large bat letting the small human sob into his thick fur until exhaustion and sorrow forced him to sleep.
Seth only wished that there was more he could do to ease the pain that Bernard felt.
