[That catches him unawares a bit, which is odd for a man accustomed to being aware of all the little details in a general area, usually the exits for the sake of being the first on a mission to know where the likely escape route is (there's a compelling need to run in an unwinnable situation- or hobble quickly, anyway- that he's never quite been able to shake and every counselor has said it's likely something he can't quite remember before the Veil, much like the gut instinct to keep looking for something he isn't sure of). In more ideal situations, it's just that details matter.
But this is one that he missed. Gingerly he picks up the fragment and studies it for a second before abandoning his maps to see where it came from.
And then he stares, as if transfixed.
Speaking of things that called from beyond the Veil. Not that he could place exactly why her face made his stomach drop into hos shoes, but it did. He brushes it aside- impulses he could trust from his half-destroyed memory. He was in control of those, because if he refused to give into the whimsy, if he grit his teeth and stood his ground when he deeply wished to flee, then all was well. A face in a crowd triggering a strong reaction- well that was something entirely different. It felt like a kind of manipulation.
And yet, he can't stop staring until he finally tears his eyes away and clears his throat loudly enough to get her attention.] "Let us read and let us dance - two amusements that will never do any harm to the world."
I THINK I LOVE YOU. SO WHAT AM I SO AFRAID OF.
But this is one that he missed. Gingerly he picks up the fragment and studies it for a second before abandoning his maps to see where it came from.
And then he stares, as if transfixed.
Speaking of things that called from beyond the Veil. Not that he could place exactly why her face made his stomach drop into hos shoes, but it did. He brushes it aside- impulses he could trust from his half-destroyed memory. He was in control of those, because if he refused to give into the whimsy, if he grit his teeth and stood his ground when he deeply wished to flee, then all was well. A face in a crowd triggering a strong reaction- well that was something entirely different. It felt like a kind of manipulation.
And yet, he can't stop staring until he finally tears his eyes away and clears his throat loudly enough to get her attention.] "Let us read and let us dance - two amusements that will never do any harm to the world."
[Nailed it.]