Tal listened, but at each word his chest tightened a little further. For his friends - well, for his friend and Sah never let the Jester know that he'd thought of him as a friend even for a moment or he'd never hear the end of it - things had been different. More serious, over the death of a family member, for one. But also the weight of both anger and forgiveness had rested in Delia's hands.
For Tal, it all rested with Deimos. It wasn't the Sword's fault, and never had been. Tal blamed the interloper, not his friend. But it was never that simple.
Delia continued and Tal's shoulders drooped as he nodded in miserable agreement that it felt like he'd lost his friend. That he'd pointed out things that Deimos didn't want to hear... but that he'd crossed that line with his usual social clumsiness, too.
Her hands closed around shoulders as tense as ice-covered stone as he swallowed back his immediate protest. He started to reach out and then hesitated, bringing his hand back to wrap tightly around his glaive again. "How do I apologize without lying?" he asked, stubborn and wounded and proud. "I told him--" he hesitated only a moment before barreling forward. "Told him I didn't like his... his new girlfriend. And why. And I still don't like her. Everything was fine until she came along an' now it's all..." He scowled fiercely down at his feet as if they were to blame as well. "'Course I want him to be happy! Just... just not with her!"
For Tal, it all rested with Deimos. It wasn't the Sword's fault, and never had been. Tal blamed the interloper, not his friend. But it was never that simple.
Delia continued and Tal's shoulders drooped as he nodded in miserable agreement that it felt like he'd lost his friend. That he'd pointed out things that Deimos didn't want to hear... but that he'd crossed that line with his usual social clumsiness, too.
Her hands closed around shoulders as tense as ice-covered stone as he swallowed back his immediate protest. He started to reach out and then hesitated, bringing his hand back to wrap tightly around his glaive again. "How do I apologize without lying?" he asked, stubborn and wounded and proud. "I told him--" he hesitated only a moment before barreling forward. "Told him I didn't like his... his new girlfriend. And why. And I still don't like her. Everything was fine until she came along an' now it's all..." He scowled fiercely down at his feet as if they were to blame as well. "'Course I want him to be happy! Just... just not with her!"
