They say blood makes you related but
loyalty makes you family
Loren didn’t know how anyone could dislike the friendly, cuddly spiders. They were completely harmless, and while they looked monstrous, that was nothing to a summoner like him. However, the other man’s laughter soothed an ache deep in the Launceleyn’s soul, so he didn't press Sunjata on the comment. The one about scorpions, however, was another matter entirely. ”Scorpions? I’ve never actually seen one. And, if I may ask, where did you come from that had such dangerous wildlife.” Asking that question around the Hollowed Grounds was always fraught, but the other man had opened the door to it. Scorpions were not native to these parts, after all.
Sunjata laughed easily, it seemed. Loren might’ve been jealous, but he’d had more than his fair share of joy lately, given how he’d treated his friends, so he just smiled at the other man. Apparently the summoner’s guess was not too far off the mark. ”Wait, really? Well now I’m really curious what building it was.” However, when Sunjata agreed with the librarian’s assessment of his cousin, Loren had to pause. ”So uhhhh...did she ever you know, get you all hot and bothered?” Honestly, the summoner probably shouldn’t have said anything, but Edy’s sexual proclivities meant that pretty much anyone in the Hollowed Grounds could’ve been her partner at one point another (especially considering the orgies). And the Launceleyn wanted to know that sooner rather than later.
As the spider tried to get at wine that is not there, the Launceleyn smiled at it. ”Well, I suppose I could get a glass for this poor fellow.” It would cost the librarian basically, and he liked to think that even small kindnesses helped to balance his ledger. While he was too far in emotional debt to his former companions and his family to ever be fully comfortable here, every little bit helped fill in the void where his heart used to be.
When Sunjata’s drink arrived, Loren put in his own order, then settled in to wait, and to listen. Of course, then he felt incredibly silly when the other man poured some into the glass the spider had been attempting to get into; when the Launceleyn’s own drink arrived, he topped off the spider’s treat and then sipped slowly at it to cover his embarrassment. One not quite full glass wouldn’t kill him. ”Oh, that’s thoughtful of you. But I can safely say you didn’t miss much.” The sadness in his voice was apparent, so the summoner took another sip to cover it. ”Me? Oh I...didn’t really want to be home.” It wasn’t the most pleasant place for him at the moment.
Sunjata laughed easily, it seemed. Loren might’ve been jealous, but he’d had more than his fair share of joy lately, given how he’d treated his friends, so he just smiled at the other man. Apparently the summoner’s guess was not too far off the mark. ”Wait, really? Well now I’m really curious what building it was.” However, when Sunjata agreed with the librarian’s assessment of his cousin, Loren had to pause. ”So uhhhh...did she ever you know, get you all hot and bothered?” Honestly, the summoner probably shouldn’t have said anything, but Edy’s sexual proclivities meant that pretty much anyone in the Hollowed Grounds could’ve been her partner at one point another (especially considering the orgies). And the Launceleyn wanted to know that sooner rather than later.
As the spider tried to get at wine that is not there, the Launceleyn smiled at it. ”Well, I suppose I could get a glass for this poor fellow.” It would cost the librarian basically, and he liked to think that even small kindnesses helped to balance his ledger. While he was too far in emotional debt to his former companions and his family to ever be fully comfortable here, every little bit helped fill in the void where his heart used to be.
When Sunjata’s drink arrived, Loren put in his own order, then settled in to wait, and to listen. Of course, then he felt incredibly silly when the other man poured some into the glass the spider had been attempting to get into; when the Launceleyn’s own drink arrived, he topped off the spider’s treat and then sipped slowly at it to cover his embarrassment. One not quite full glass wouldn’t kill him. ”Oh, that’s thoughtful of you. But I can safely say you didn’t miss much.” The sadness in his voice was apparent, so the summoner took another sip to cover it. ”Me? Oh I...didn’t really want to be home.” It wasn’t the most pleasant place for him at the moment.
LOREN
