They’d lulled to a stop by a crossroads while they spoke, waiting for a heavily-laden cart to trundle by. Gale’s hand half-raised, an aborted movement towards her, uncertain of what to do, before he gave in and pressed his fingers against Nepione’s shoulder — echoing her earlier gesture, perhaps. There was something to seeing her look so uncomfortable and diminished, which made him immediately want to reach out and bridge that gap.
“But if we’ve come so far and managed to make our way to the city after so many trials and tribulations, then what’s a little detour? It’s rare enough to come all this way, and—”
(and they didn’t know if they’d survive the next week)
“and, well, you wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to see them again, if— you know. Unless,” a more mortifying thought had now occurred to him, “unless it’s a sore point and you’d really rather not see them at all. I’m aware not everyone has a copacetic relationship with their family members. Not everyone can be the inimitable Morena Dekarios! So if that’s the case, then, please, you need say no more and I’ll promptly stop shoving my foot in my mouth, post-haste.”
no subject
“But if we’ve come so far and managed to make our way to the city after so many trials and tribulations, then what’s a little detour? It’s rare enough to come all this way, and—”
(and they didn’t know if they’d survive the next week)
“and, well, you wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to see them again, if— you know. Unless,” a more mortifying thought had now occurred to him, “unless it’s a sore point and you’d really rather not see them at all. I’m aware not everyone has a copacetic relationship with their family members. Not everyone can be the inimitable Morena Dekarios! So if that’s the case, then, please, you need say no more and I’ll promptly stop shoving my foot in my mouth, post-haste.”