Harrowheart has his turn to be surprised by the mention of a sibling. Viatorus stood up for him? Against Isidor? He's equally guilty and honored. As he listens to Isidor talk he reminds himself that he's going to have to repay the favor some day.
And then she touches him, which is wholly unexpected. She looks him in the eye and he finds he can't look away. And what she says...
It's easy not to be ashamed of who you are when you're a Durant. It's probably the simplest advice and the greatest truth in the world for Isidor. But for him? His mind fills with the sort of doubts that always plagued him. A dozen reasons to rebut her leap forward in his thoughts until he remembers exactly what he'd just promised her.
Trust her.
He realizes then, past his doubts, the implications of it all. It isn't just a command for him to follow. She's passing her own judgement on him. She isn't ashamed of him. All at once it feels like the answer to so many questions he hadn't been brave enough to ask. His poverty. His history. His curse. His death.
He presses one hand to his cheek and tries to subtly wipe away the tear that's clouding his vision. Despite everything she's said it's hard not not to feel self-conscious about his emotions and he tries to hide them in a little laugh. It's not at all convincing and he knows it, so instead he hides his face by pulling her into a close hug and turning his head away.
It's a brief hold, and it ends with a determined nodding of his head and the hint of a smile despite the moisture at his cheeks. With another little laugh, this one more sincere, he says, "If you're not careful I'm gonna wind up with some self-esteem. I'll... Work on it. For you. Around you, anyway. I can't guarantee nothin' when I finally gotta make eye contact with your father."
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And then she touches him, which is wholly unexpected. She looks him in the eye and he finds he can't look away. And what she says...
It's easy not to be ashamed of who you are when you're a Durant. It's probably the simplest advice and the greatest truth in the world for Isidor. But for him? His mind fills with the sort of doubts that always plagued him. A dozen reasons to rebut her leap forward in his thoughts until he remembers exactly what he'd just promised her.
Trust her.
He realizes then, past his doubts, the implications of it all. It isn't just a command for him to follow. She's passing her own judgement on him. She isn't ashamed of him. All at once it feels like the answer to so many questions he hadn't been brave enough to ask. His poverty. His history. His curse. His death.
He presses one hand to his cheek and tries to subtly wipe away the tear that's clouding his vision. Despite everything she's said it's hard not not to feel self-conscious about his emotions and he tries to hide them in a little laugh. It's not at all convincing and he knows it, so instead he hides his face by pulling her into a close hug and turning his head away.
It's a brief hold, and it ends with a determined nodding of his head and the hint of a smile despite the moisture at his cheeks. With another little laugh, this one more sincere, he says, "If you're not careful I'm gonna wind up with some self-esteem. I'll... Work on it. For you. Around you, anyway. I can't guarantee nothin' when I finally gotta make eye contact with your father."