[Word travels quickly. Especially when those of them that are unaltered are supposed to be trying to lean on each other a little, these days. (He would argue he never wanted to be any part of that. But he knows now that the chips are already down, the truth is that frankly, he doesn't have any choice.)
Each person who has failed to turn up as themselves that would number among those somehow important to him has felt like a tiny loss. They marched away to battle, and despite him personally having felt like he 'won' at the time, not everyone came back again. It threatens to make him angry because it feels on some innate level like a trick.
But Abigail Hobbs was somehow one he wasn't expecting. Her having turned up 'wrong' snuck by him, somehow, in those early days. And that only makes him feel worse. Like he failed her. Like if only he had noticed earlier it would have made some kind of a difference.
How irrational and pointless a nuisance all these feelings of attachment are. If the right Abigail was here at least they could talk about that.
He owes this one nothing and his disdain makes him want to stay away on principle. But he has to see her, if only once. He wants to hear what she has to say, see how she reacts now that she knows she isn't talking to the Blight she's used to.
It's comically easy, to get a warden to let him in. All he has to do is find the right one and ask nicely. But he's in the good books these days; compared to the unwanted newcomers, he's downright sane and helpful. Once he steps inside he takes a moment to brace himself as his powers fade, his glow dissipating and then gone, reverting him to normal humanity.
He doesn't speak at first when he approaches her. His face is sharply, purposefully blank. He has a businessman's posture and his hands are folded together, concealing something from her behind his back.]
[zero spam]
Each person who has failed to turn up as themselves that would number among those somehow important to him has felt like a tiny loss. They marched away to battle, and despite him personally having felt like he 'won' at the time, not everyone came back again. It threatens to make him angry because it feels on some innate level like a trick.
But Abigail Hobbs was somehow one he wasn't expecting. Her having turned up 'wrong' snuck by him, somehow, in those early days. And that only makes him feel worse. Like he failed her. Like if only he had noticed earlier it would have made some kind of a difference.
How irrational and pointless a nuisance all these feelings of attachment are. If the right Abigail was here at least they could talk about that.
He owes this one nothing and his disdain makes him want to stay away on principle. But he has to see her, if only once. He wants to hear what she has to say, see how she reacts now that she knows she isn't talking to the Blight she's used to.
It's comically easy, to get a warden to let him in. All he has to do is find the right one and ask nicely. But he's in the good books these days; compared to the unwanted newcomers, he's downright sane and helpful. Once he steps inside he takes a moment to brace himself as his powers fade, his glow dissipating and then gone, reverting him to normal humanity.
He doesn't speak at first when he approaches her. His face is sharply, purposefully blank. He has a businessman's posture and his hands are folded together, concealing something from her behind his back.]