sacrifice what you are for what you can become
Henry's attention sharpens as Azrael seems to have actual advice for him, rather than to simply be a target for his vents and vexations. It's... good. He prefers it this way. Productive conversation, not... furrowing deeper into his own regret and depression. So he gives in to the discussion Azrael prompts, in spite of his first instinct being otherwise.
"My mother was the organizer..." he comments at first, gaze drifting away thoughtfully. "I wish there was something of hers I could've salvaged. Notes, plans... I'm sure she had plenty." It drives a deeper hole in his heart, but the pain somehow feels lessened as he talks about it. "I will have to gather enough wood and stone, materials for rebuilding. Then I'll have to plot out how I want to build them. Blueprints, I think they're called?" He'd always been handed the hammer, the nails; the tools to build upon others' ideas, but never the means to construct those plans himself. He'd never wanted to.
His gaze flashes back up to spot Azrael's teeth as he smiles. "You would do that?" He asks, startled by the extension of kindness. Perhaps he shouldn't be. Perhaps he should think of it as Azrael owing him one, but he doesn't. What he had done to help the Hollowed Grounds had been.. out of duty, not to be owed anything. Still, he had lost much in return, it seems. "I know the land well... but if you want, I can take you there to see it. It's.. it was right outside of the settlements. Lots of pasture... some of it might be able to sustain crops, but... only once it's recovered from the fires."
"My mother was the organizer..." he comments at first, gaze drifting away thoughtfully. "I wish there was something of hers I could've salvaged. Notes, plans... I'm sure she had plenty." It drives a deeper hole in his heart, but the pain somehow feels lessened as he talks about it. "I will have to gather enough wood and stone, materials for rebuilding. Then I'll have to plot out how I want to build them. Blueprints, I think they're called?" He'd always been handed the hammer, the nails; the tools to build upon others' ideas, but never the means to construct those plans himself. He'd never wanted to.
His gaze flashes back up to spot Azrael's teeth as he smiles. "You would do that?" He asks, startled by the extension of kindness. Perhaps he shouldn't be. Perhaps he should think of it as Azrael owing him one, but he doesn't. What he had done to help the Hollowed Grounds had been.. out of duty, not to be owed anything. Still, he had lost much in return, it seems. "I know the land well... but if you want, I can take you there to see it. It's.. it was right outside of the settlements. Lots of pasture... some of it might be able to sustain crops, but... only once it's recovered from the fires."
HENRY
