The Fade did nothing kind for any of our faults. [ iorveth tells her after a time. even he's blurry on many of the events that happened there, but he does recall the sting of what she'd said. not even for the words, but what the revealed, and how casually it'd been done. either way, it's so distant now, all he remembers is the sentiment. ] I wouldn't ask you for an apology on it, but if you need it, you do have my forgiveness.
[ 'don't be' isn't ever a good answer for 'i'm sorry', as usually someone's saying it because they feel guilt. invalidating it just leaves it to stew. and like he'd said, the fade wasn't kind to any of them. ]
I apologize for any shortness I'd had, and... [ a beat, because he does recall this with startling clarity. haunting, really. aching. ] The battlefield.
[ it likely took such a great deal of plying from her to get him to leave. by the time gwen found him, iorveth was so engrossed, so panicked to see everything they'd slaved over come to ruin, again for some of them. to see saskia and geralt both running to their doom. to be utterly helpless against it.
to see isengrim again, and feel his gaze like the man knew he hasn't been doing enough. for a moment, he'd forgotten completely about thedas. ]
( she bumps him again, lightly, but this time she stays when she does it, always most comfortable closest— )
If you don't need an apology, then I don't need any forgiveness.
( simple in its truth; alarming, possibly, in what it (correctly) implies about her capacity for remorse. it bothered her, to think she'd inadvertently hurt him; if he isn't hurt, then what's to be bothered by? apologies are things she's learned to do when she was wrong, things she does for other people because she cares about them—it's rare that it's something she needs, and when she can't remember what it was that happened...?
she only has his reactions to navigate by. this one relaxes the tension lingering in her shoulders: ah, it's all right, and now behind her. )
And you don't have to apologize for the battlefield. ( quieter. ) You're here. Alive. Alive is what matters. Everything else...you have to be alive, for everything else.
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no subject
[ 'don't be' isn't ever a good answer for 'i'm sorry', as usually someone's saying it because they feel guilt. invalidating it just leaves it to stew. and like he'd said, the fade wasn't kind to any of them. ]
I apologize for any shortness I'd had, and... [ a beat, because he does recall this with startling clarity. haunting, really. aching. ] The battlefield.
[ it likely took such a great deal of plying from her to get him to leave. by the time gwen found him, iorveth was so engrossed, so panicked to see everything they'd slaved over come to ruin, again for some of them. to see saskia and geralt both running to their doom. to be utterly helpless against it.
to see isengrim again, and feel his gaze like the man knew he hasn't been doing enough. for a moment, he'd forgotten completely about thedas. ]
no subject
If you don't need an apology, then I don't need any forgiveness.
( simple in its truth; alarming, possibly, in what it (correctly) implies about her capacity for remorse. it bothered her, to think she'd inadvertently hurt him; if he isn't hurt, then what's to be bothered by? apologies are things she's learned to do when she was wrong, things she does for other people because she cares about them—it's rare that it's something she needs, and when she can't remember what it was that happened...?
she only has his reactions to navigate by. this one relaxes the tension lingering in her shoulders: ah, it's all right, and now behind her. )
And you don't have to apologize for the battlefield. ( quieter. ) You're here. Alive. Alive is what matters. Everything else...you have to be alive, for everything else.
( it was terrifying, but he's alive. )