[closed post: shadow and bone]

[ravkanwitch]

Nina is back in the library but with a different task in mind today. She has a couple books on weaponry spread out on the table in front of her this time and she's flipping through them idly, glancing at some designs. Weapons have never been her forte; who needs them when all you need to do is think and squeeze a hand and be able to incapacitate a man that way? But death - death is more fickle than life. She can't just defend herself with the concept of death, especially in a place that seems to lack it. No bodies to control, no graves with secrets to collect. She needs something more substantial.

And yet, it's a slow process. She finds herself distracted, thinking about the day of visitors. Seeing Kaz Brekker in the flesh again. Liu Mingyan. Speaking with Baghra about the Darkling. She's thinking about the long, long life that must have led to lead him to who he is now. She's not necessarily sad, just -- pensive. Lost in thought.

Comments

[ravkanwitch]

Nina grins at him, giving the dress another tentative swirl. “I’ll try and find a better color. Are you anxious about the dance at all? Excited? I mean, you’re already married — but the dance will be so symbolic and meaningful.”

[sagramore]

"Anything that pleases thee will suit. --This isn't the sort of thing that makes me anxious," with a laugh. "He knows I love him. I just want him to have a wonderful time. And, ideally, to dance with Enjolras."

[ravkanwitch]

“We’ll all have a wonderful time,” Nina reassures him, squinting one eye at the wardrobe. Maybe that will help. This time, she pulls out a dress very similar to the one she’s wearing — except in a beautiful burgundy color.

“And Enjolras? He and Laertes are… together?” She asks, curious. She rarely asks him about his romantic life and his partners since he can be so secretive about it — but they’ve only become closer over time.

[sagramore]

"Yes," his voice gone soft with affection. "Laertes loves him. I'm glad of it. We're built so similarly, and I wouldn't want him to think he couldn't love other friends or try out every possible way of enjoying himself. It's good. But," he adds, with a grin, "I do want to see whether Enjolras and I can fluster him."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina laughs approvingly, changing into this other gown. “You’re terrible.”

The burgundy gown on now, she gives him another spin. It fits about the same but the dark color of it goes well with her brown hair and emphasizes her green eyes. “Much better. The color, I mean.”

[sagramore]

"I like to be terrible. It's good for me."

And then, "Jesu, it's marvelous. It makes the color of thine eyes more rich."

[ravkanwitch]

“Thank you,” she beams, giving it another spin. “We’ll both look amazing at the dance.”

[sagramore]

"Thou wilt do me the honor of at least one dance, wilt thou not? That Zemeni one thou hadst instructed me in last time?"

[ravkanwitch]

“Of course! I’d be insulted if you didn’t ask me,” Nina huffs in faux outrage. “I’m hoping to dance with as many people as I can.”

[sagramore]

"As am I! We should keep track. A friendly competition?"

[ravkanwitch]

Nina makes a small face. "Well, you'll definitely win since it's your dance and you have so many friends here, but I can never pass up a friendly competition... so you're on."

[sagramore]

"Splendid." He begins putting his other clothes back on, and after a thoughtful pause, turns back to her. "Ah, I meant to ask thee-- didst thou speak to Asmodean about the talent show? I was surprised to see him there."

[ravkanwitch]

"You know," Nina says, thoughtfully, "I actually hadn't met him before the talent show, which was surprising to me. We ran into each other in the library, though, and we had an interesting conversation. Why were you surprised to see him there?"

[sagramore]

"He's-- I've thought of him as someone who keeps to himself, I suppose. Did he seem well?" His tone is complicated -- hopeful, cautious, a bit wistful.

[ravkanwitch]

She frowns slightly at the tone. "He seemed well to me. We talked about the differences between the small sciences -- Grisha abilities -- and his channeling, and... and about this place being a second chance. An escape."

[sagramore]

Sagramore nods. "He's-- someone I care about a great deal, but-- he-- I worry." It's probably the most tongue-tied she's ever seen him; generally he doesn't ever stumble over his words like this.

[ravkanwitch]

She puts her hand on his arm, slightly worried at this point. "What happened?"

[sagramore]

"Christ," in tones of disgust. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be an idiot about it. I just-- we were lovers, and I left him. But I worry about him, I worry about whether he's all right and whether he's lonely and whether-- if anything happened to him, I don't know that there's anyone he could look to for help, and I-- I worry."

[ravkanwitch]

"You're not being an idiot," Nina says, gently. "I think-- he seemed subdued, but that might just be his personality. He told me that he had done wrong things for wrong reasons and I told that I hope his time here becomes less of a trial soon."

[sagramore]

"Dost think he-- thinkst thou he regretted what he'd done?"

[ravkanwitch]

It takes her a while to think back to that conversation and exactly what Asmodean had said. She wonders if she should have asked what he did, if only to judge his reaction and if he would tell her or not. "I think he deeply regrets what it's caused," is all she can finally say.

[sagramore]

He nods, not trying not to look disappointed. "My thanks."

[ravkanwitch]

"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you otherwise," Nina says softly. Sagramore said I left him and now it's dawning on her the possibility of why -- coupled with the truth event a while back. "Is what he did truly that terrible?"

[sagramore]

Sagramore hesitates. He hates the idea of influencing anyone against Asmodean, as much as he hates that everything he's said about Mordred has made Laertes despise him. The theme of second chances here hasn't been lost on him. On the other hand, he's already said enough to Nina for her to draw her own conclusions, and she's been forthright with him about Aleksander.

"Yes," he says finally. "It was."

[ravkanwitch]

Nina nods, thinking about the same parallels that he is. "I hope you can make peace with it, whatever that looks like," is all she says. "I can try and check in with him if I see him again..."

She's made her peace with Aleksander's presence for the most part, ignoring him when she can. The difference is that Asmodean has already done whatever these deeds are. Aleksander has done some terrible things, if the legends of the Darkling are true, but his most terrible deeds are only potential at the moment.