Jigano met Loren's belligerence with a wry smile, blue eyes gentle in spite of the challenge. "I can't stop you from tearing yourself apart, Loren, but I can still worry about you and want you to come out the other side of this someday." It was too late to hope that he'd be whole when he did, but broken things could be repaired, and even if he was missing some pieces now, those that had belonged to Abasi and Remi, he could still add new pieces later to build on the foundations of what had come before. A metaphor that Jigano would have been rather proud of if he had believed Loren to be broken, which he didn't. Hurting, mourning, guilty, angry, wounded and hurting, yes, but not broken.
Jigano's Beastmaster ability kept some of the bloodsuckers at bay, but by no means all of them. Still, it was better than nothing - especially when he turned those insects whose minds he was able to influence into guards to chase off their brethren so that they ran interference on the bloodsucking divebombers who sought tasty Outlander juices. It gave him more chance to smile back at Loren, glad to hear that Astra was happy in Halo. "Isuma was born in Deepfrost. I don't know what the natural habitat of gryphons is, here, but she likes the snow. Especially in Longheat she might be able to withstand Halo's cold for awhile. I'll see if I can't smuggle the pair of us back to visit the Infirmary soon. Maybe I can bring you any seeds or seedlings you could use more of from the Hollowed Grounds?" Finding that he hadn't been able to create those plants in Halo or now in Torchline had been frustrating, to say the least.
Loren's admission on Astra's happiness was only to be expected, however, and the bard nodded as he looked back up to the blue sky above. "It's not easy seeing someone you care for going through so much pain."
Jigano's Beastmaster ability kept some of the bloodsuckers at bay, but by no means all of them. Still, it was better than nothing - especially when he turned those insects whose minds he was able to influence into guards to chase off their brethren so that they ran interference on the bloodsucking divebombers who sought tasty Outlander juices. It gave him more chance to smile back at Loren, glad to hear that Astra was happy in Halo. "Isuma was born in Deepfrost. I don't know what the natural habitat of gryphons is, here, but she likes the snow. Especially in Longheat she might be able to withstand Halo's cold for awhile. I'll see if I can't smuggle the pair of us back to visit the Infirmary soon. Maybe I can bring you any seeds or seedlings you could use more of from the Hollowed Grounds?" Finding that he hadn't been able to create those plants in Halo or now in Torchline had been frustrating, to say the least.
Loren's admission on Astra's happiness was only to be expected, however, and the bard nodded as he looked back up to the blue sky above. "It's not easy seeing someone you care for going through so much pain."
