Lost in his own recollection of the charm and the woman he'd given it to, Jigano didn't realize Caiside had stopped working and reached towards him until the hand came to rest on his shoulder. He started, tensing for an instant, but a glance at his friend's concerned expression had him relaxing and offering a wan smile and nod of gratitude for the sympathy.
"Did you ever discover who your real father is?" Jigano asked softly, glad for the distraction but not wanting to trade his discomfort for his friend's, if the topic was too delicate. "Demigods are... a curious mix, on my world. Some have been sired by gods but others achieved that state of being through their own power, and many have gained followers of their own." He tilted his head with a wry smile. "Some believe that the powers of Oracles like myse-- like I once held," he amended, with only a slight hitch in his voice, "came from them, rather than the full gods." He didn't, but it was still an interesting hypothesis.
As Caiside handled the hardier bulbs and nuts, Jigano gently laid out some of the seedlings, choosing their positions with care and delicately teasing the roots free of their mudballs to set them into their new homes. Sometimes he dug deeply with his little shovel, while others he used his hands to scrape a shallower indentation for them, nearer to the surface. Between the two of them the work proceeded quickly, and the few times the bard checked on his friend the ex-demigod was doing just fine. Talk of the shrine, however, had Jigano's brow starting to rise at the faint blush that colored Caiside's cheeks. He smoothed it down quickly, considering. Not Ludo, then. Safrin or Frey... but since the other man didn't volunteer the information, the loreseeker nodded graciously instead. "If it's research you seek, you'd be welcome in Loreseeker Hall," he invited again, lips quirking. "As a client, if you're still feeling the waters out in the rest of the settlement. I know a bit, and our Librarian Amalia knows quite a lot more, being native-born. We can try and answer your questions, or point you towards some books that might help, if you'd prefer to look things up on your own."
"Did you ever discover who your real father is?" Jigano asked softly, glad for the distraction but not wanting to trade his discomfort for his friend's, if the topic was too delicate. "Demigods are... a curious mix, on my world. Some have been sired by gods but others achieved that state of being through their own power, and many have gained followers of their own." He tilted his head with a wry smile. "Some believe that the powers of Oracles like myse-- like I once held," he amended, with only a slight hitch in his voice, "came from them, rather than the full gods." He didn't, but it was still an interesting hypothesis.
As Caiside handled the hardier bulbs and nuts, Jigano gently laid out some of the seedlings, choosing their positions with care and delicately teasing the roots free of their mudballs to set them into their new homes. Sometimes he dug deeply with his little shovel, while others he used his hands to scrape a shallower indentation for them, nearer to the surface. Between the two of them the work proceeded quickly, and the few times the bard checked on his friend the ex-demigod was doing just fine. Talk of the shrine, however, had Jigano's brow starting to rise at the faint blush that colored Caiside's cheeks. He smoothed it down quickly, considering. Not Ludo, then. Safrin or Frey... but since the other man didn't volunteer the information, the loreseeker nodded graciously instead. "If it's research you seek, you'd be welcome in Loreseeker Hall," he invited again, lips quirking. "As a client, if you're still feeling the waters out in the rest of the settlement. I know a bit, and our Librarian Amalia knows quite a lot more, being native-born. We can try and answer your questions, or point you towards some books that might help, if you'd prefer to look things up on your own."
