"An elegant way to avoid the question," Jigano agreed with a chuckle as he set the ankle to rights and sat back on his heels, meeting Aonghas's eyes frankly. "Though there may be ways to come somewhat close to what you had before. If I knew what it was you were missing I might be able to offer suggestions." He shrugged lightly, not wanting to press, but not wanting his companion in muddiness to lose all hope, either, when there might yet be a glimmer of it somewhere.
He nodded sympathetically to the feeling Aonghas described, knowing exactly what he meant. "It took me almost a year to come to terms with it myself," he admitted quietly. "And even then I still felt some envy for others. But now..." He hesitated, then shook his head with a sigh. "I don't know. I'd be lying if I said part of me wasn't elated to have back at least a semblance of what I lost, but the price was... it was higher than I would have willingly paid, had I been given a choice in the matter." Even now if he let his memories drift too far back he would find himself recalling the stellar shackles that had bound him, and the impossibly cruel choices Safrin had confronted him with.
The gratitude was admittedly welcome, and the bard smiled as he stood and offered the blond a hand back to his feet. "Loren's better at it than I am, and there are a few others running about with it," he offered with a chuckle. "Though they might not have been able to heal you quite as thoroughly. Still, I'm glad I was able to help after the way you helped me with the slide! Thank you for that. I've been sorely in need of a laugh and today was just the thing for it." Even if they were now wet and chilled in the early spring air!
He nodded sympathetically to the feeling Aonghas described, knowing exactly what he meant. "It took me almost a year to come to terms with it myself," he admitted quietly. "And even then I still felt some envy for others. But now..." He hesitated, then shook his head with a sigh. "I don't know. I'd be lying if I said part of me wasn't elated to have back at least a semblance of what I lost, but the price was... it was higher than I would have willingly paid, had I been given a choice in the matter." Even now if he let his memories drift too far back he would find himself recalling the stellar shackles that had bound him, and the impossibly cruel choices Safrin had confronted him with.
The gratitude was admittedly welcome, and the bard smiled as he stood and offered the blond a hand back to his feet. "Loren's better at it than I am, and there are a few others running about with it," he offered with a chuckle. "Though they might not have been able to heal you quite as thoroughly. Still, I'm glad I was able to help after the way you helped me with the slide! Thank you for that. I've been sorely in need of a laugh and today was just the thing for it." Even if they were now wet and chilled in the early spring air!
