bergamotrose | Inbox for Aef

And now that I've returned, I trust you'll pace yourself appropriately.

[Said as if he doesn't think Lorenz was pacing himself - the fact that he doesn't have skinned palms is evidence enough that he hasn't toppled over onto the ground - or at least not often or not on surfaces that could do too much harm - but teasing him does help to mitigate some of the lingering sensation of frayed nerves.

It's something like normal, something like the ribbing they usually give each other.]

They haven't. I'll look forward to trying it.

[And honestly, he means it. The implications of the lavender aren't lost on him - but Lorenz isn't bringing it up, so he doesn't have to pretend to be offended when he knows very well that any little thing could help.]

Has anything noteworthy happened while we were gone?

Yes, have no worries.

[Perhaps a small, white lie at the moment-- although the following question would reveal exactly why. Lorenz's motions didn't hesitate an instant, although the distinct thread of discomfort that coiled through his chest was likely evident through the connection of their Bond. He sighed audibly as he thought over the last week-- of people disappearing, of sudden visitors, of people dying and rising once again...]

Nothing earth shattering,

[Lorenz said airily, moving briskly as he spooned out the appropriate amount of the blend for two. The heady notes of the tart bergamot blended with the balmy lavender in a complex yet comforting aroma. He neatly closed up the package in a brisk movement.]

...There is reason to believe that Marianne is no longer in this realm.

[Despite it being clear that there was more-- like the terrified young girl who had arrived at his doorstep after nightfall, with only her stuffed bunny and her nightclothes in hand, in dire need of both comfort and an explanation-- Lorenz kept his lips sealed.

It wasn't his business to say. He would not speak out of turn.]

[That's the thing about the Bonds, isn't it? Even the small, white lie is obvious. Sylvain is sure such things won't always be, but considering the state they're both in, perhaps there isn't as much of a filter as there ought to be.

Or, perhaps something earth shattering really had happened, and he was making a considerable effort to hide it.

The offered answer is certainly some of it, though, so he hums, contemplates the strained tugging at the back of his mind. Perhaps it isn't Lorenz's place to say, but...]

That's not all that's happened, is it?

[He doesn't mean to lean so heavily on their Bond when finding reason to call him out, but for now... he does. Whether or not Lorenz actually tells him anything is up to him - he can't pry that deeply, yet, when he's still just getting used to feeling him.]

...If she has gone home, I hope she doesn't remember the ordeals she faced here. She has enough to worry about in the future there.

[The pointed, if gentle, question served as undeniable proof for why Lorenz had gone unbonded for so far. Though his hands remained steady, a keen eye would note his brows furrow subtly as he internally bristled at the push. Setting the teapot down, Lorenz then busied himself with the matching cups.]

I hope for the same, [Lorenz replied, his thoughts straying to the Marianne he recalled from his own history. Her quiet strength and poise had become a rock that they could all rely upon in even the hardest of battles.]

She becomes a fine soldier.... and an even more fine woman.

[Someday, he hoped to call her 'partner'. Until then, he was content to be by her side.

Until then, however, Sylvain was his partner. Lorenz did owe him an explanation.]

Regarding the rest, trust that you will know in the appropriate time.

[Lorenz said carefully, pushing away the recollection of Leslie's terrified eyes and trembling little voice. The tale she had told, of Hubert arriving like a shade and ordering her to flee in the aftermath of a horrid scream, was almost sordid enough for a tawdry novel. It wasn't difficult to imagine, but Lorenz felt terrible that a child had to go through such an ordeal.]

It isn't anything that directly involves myself, if you're wondering. Besides Marianne's absense, everything in my household is fine.

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