Love mends even the broken parts
Hotaru was definitely wrong about not having other options: they could always dwell on the past, or wallow in grief and guilt, or remove themselves from the world and essentially stand still. Granted, those were bad options, but options all the same, and ones Loren had partaken in more than once. Now, it finally seemed like he was moving forward, though, and it turns out his future was bleak and lonely. Well, he deserved it. ”Guess not.” His voice was soft and weary.
As the woman spoke about Rexanna, though, the summoner relaxed imperceptibly. ”Yeah. They’re a good pair. Were you at the wedding?” He didn’t remember seeing her there, but he’d been a little busy not being noticed; granted, if Hotaru hadn’t been in Caido by then, that might’ve been why. Given how tight-lipped she seemed to be, he figured he might not find out. As she spoke about losing people to the portals, however, the Launceleyn looked away. ”I know what that’s like.” Astra. Sulis. Neron. None of them had come to Caido, and he’d given up hope of seeing any of them ever again. And with Edy’s death and Zariah’s disappearance, what remained of his family felt far too small and he felt far too lonely among them.
At her joke, he simply shrugged. Oh sure, it was funny—and he would always appreciate a bit of wordplay—but he wasn’t in a joking mood these days. ”It’ll have to be a secret club, given that most of them supposedly hate me. But I’ll join.” It wasn’t like he didn’t have good reason to doubt them. As Hotaru spoke about getting to know the ties that bound her family together, Loren hesitated. He wasn’t exactly beloved in the Hollowed Grounds, and he wasn’t sure if hanging out with Rexanna, Hotaru, Bastien, Deimos, or Kiada would bring them anything but the grief the summoner always brought in his wake.
And his dark mood worsened when Hotaru asked about his family. ”You could say that. The Launceleyns were bad news for a while. Probably still are. But most of us are dead, or gone, and the rest of us are mostly harmless. Well, to everyone but ourselves.” He didn’t really want to get into the whole ‘my cousin turned into a lunatic and a tyrant and then disappeared and my other cousin was a sex addict who died to a landshark’ story. It would just upset him further, not that he thought such a thing was possible.
As the woman spoke about Rexanna, though, the summoner relaxed imperceptibly. ”Yeah. They’re a good pair. Were you at the wedding?” He didn’t remember seeing her there, but he’d been a little busy not being noticed; granted, if Hotaru hadn’t been in Caido by then, that might’ve been why. Given how tight-lipped she seemed to be, he figured he might not find out. As she spoke about losing people to the portals, however, the Launceleyn looked away. ”I know what that’s like.” Astra. Sulis. Neron. None of them had come to Caido, and he’d given up hope of seeing any of them ever again. And with Edy’s death and Zariah’s disappearance, what remained of his family felt far too small and he felt far too lonely among them.
At her joke, he simply shrugged. Oh sure, it was funny—and he would always appreciate a bit of wordplay—but he wasn’t in a joking mood these days. ”It’ll have to be a secret club, given that most of them supposedly hate me. But I’ll join.” It wasn’t like he didn’t have good reason to doubt them. As Hotaru spoke about getting to know the ties that bound her family together, Loren hesitated. He wasn’t exactly beloved in the Hollowed Grounds, and he wasn’t sure if hanging out with Rexanna, Hotaru, Bastien, Deimos, or Kiada would bring them anything but the grief the summoner always brought in his wake.
And his dark mood worsened when Hotaru asked about his family. ”You could say that. The Launceleyns were bad news for a while. Probably still are. But most of us are dead, or gone, and the rest of us are mostly harmless. Well, to everyone but ourselves.” He didn’t really want to get into the whole ‘my cousin turned into a lunatic and a tyrant and then disappeared and my other cousin was a sex addict who died to a landshark’ story. It would just upset him further, not that he thought such a thing was possible.
loren
