Elendor
Selfish? Or Hopeless?
Cordelia informs Keldean that his attempts at atonement are purely selfish.
Sort Date: no date set
Location: Bree, Prancing Pony
Description: [Cordelia(#24827)] The day has been hot, dry, and dusty, and though the sun has slipped below the edge of the world, the night now promises the same. And so, the Pony's Common Room is even more crowded than normal this night, as the locals seek to at least water their thirst with ale, if not the dusty ground. No fire burns in the hearth--it is too warm for that--but Cordelia sits at the end of a table that is close to the hearth, an ale before her. She watches, her foot tapping, as a group of happily 'watered' local farmers lead a rousing chorus of a drinking song.
Keldean heads into the common room with a grin on his face and a dish of some kind of pie in his hand. The smug, accomplished expression he bears suggests that he aquired his dessert through some unscrupulous method. He looks around the room, but when he spots Cordelia he moves to sit with her almost immediately. "Hello." He says cheerfully.
[Cordelia(#24827)] "Oh! Pie!" Cordelia chirps happily, reaching a hand out toward the teen and his dish. "Here, have some ale, and I'll eat some of your pie, Keldean?" She scoots over to make room on the benchfor him.
"Hey! Wait.. I'll share, but hands off!" It looks like blueberry pie, fresh and steaming from the oven. He grabs the plate before she can take it away from him, scowling, but moves to sit closer willingly enough.
[Cordelia(#24827)] "Did you bring a fork from the kitchen? All I have is my knife," Cordelia says, perfunctorily drawing a small utility knife from a sheaf at her belt. It's not much good for anything other than carving wood or eating--not like the knives she carried when her 'family' was around.
"Yeah.. it's right here." Keldean holds up the utensil, and pokes it into the pie so that he can get the first delicious bite. After that he hands it over to her to enjoy a bite. "How are you?" He asks.
[Cordelia(#24827)] "Good, good," Cordelia answers between greedy bites. She pushes the pie back the teen's way, leaving him more than half. "Don't finish all my ale or buy me another," she warns. "Acelen keeping you busy?"
Keldean reaches for the ale and takes a long drink, then hands it back and reaches for the pie. He takes another bite and chews it thoughtfully, "Yeah.. he's making me go with him on a trip to Archet, won't let me out of it."
[Cordelia(#24827)] "Archet?" Cordelia frowns. "He's not going to visit Rhifaroth, is he?"
"He talked about it.. But, I told him about how Muirgheal hates me. I think he wants to try. He said he thought he might be able to help, but I warned him that she won't let anyone near." After a couple more bites the teen pushes the pie over to Cordelia. "It's too sweet, you can have the rest."
[Cordelia(#24827)] "Really?" Cordelia asks, glancing at the pie and then taking up the fork again. "I think Muirgheal would be pretty angry at anyone trying to make Rhifaroth think about what happened. He's...well, he isn't all there."
"Yeah, well what if she's wrong? I'm not going near her again, though. I told Acelen I didn't want to go with him but he's making me go." Keldean sighs and reaches to take another sip of her ale.
[Cordelia(#24827)] "When exactly is he going?" Cordelia frowns, pushing the now empty pie dish out of the way. "I think she should be warned."
"You want to warn Muirgheal? Why? Acelen wouldn't -do- anything.. " Keldean says with a small shrug. "I already told him what to expect anyway."
[Cordelia(#24827)] "What did you tell him to expect, Keldean?" Cordelia laughs. "A sword slashed through his shoulder? That's what she did to me. Thought I would die, but I woke up in her house, all bandaged." She grins. "Want to see the scar?"
Keldean almost says that he doesn't, but his wits catch up to him at the last minute when his brain connects the words. "Uhh.. sure." He says, and reaches a hand up to scratch and the paltry bit of stubble on his chin that's begun to grow. "I told him that she threatened me with a knife."
[Cordelia(#24827)] "More than threatened." Cordelia pushes down one shoulder of her dress to reveal the straight line of a sword cut, from collarbone to her shoulder, healed nicely but the scar still white. "Bled horribly. One stroke of her sword." She pushes her dress back into place, with a small smile on her lips as she watches the teen. "Don't cross Muirgheal, Keldean. She is not afraid to use her weapons."
The teen watches her show off the scar with more interest than is neccessary, and rather belatedly pulls his gaze up to her face. "I left that day.. didn't I?" Keldean asks in a defensive tone. "What business does she even have, acting that way? She's as bad as Asht was.."
[Cordelia(#24827)] Cordelia is smirking a little as Keldean finally manages to meet her eyes again. "It's her husband. He was and is wounded. She was angry at me for my part in it. It was very much her business."
"I guess. I don't know why she's so angry with me. All I tried to do was give back his knife and apologize." Keldean looks around and sighs. "It's too hot in here.. too crowded. You want to go outside?"
[Cordelia(#24827)] "No. It's not any cooler outside, and there is ale here," Cordelia answers. "As for Rhifaroth, Keldean, you have to understand that giving him back the knife will only bring up memories of what happened. Painful memories that hurt him. He is happy now--he doesn't remember, doesn't slip into days of staring at nothing, not eating, not talking. It's very selfish of you to want to force yourself on him and apologize because you feel guilty. It's all about making yourself feel better, with no consideratin of what it will do to Rhifaroth."
"No.. That's not the case. I want to do the right thing." Keldean says with a frown. "Giliath thought it was a good idea. It's the responsible thing to do. And how do you know that he's happy? Do you see him?"
[Cordelia(#24827)] "Stop being so selfish!" Cordelia says, anger rising. "I've seen him from afar, and I hear what Muirgheal tells me. He doesn't need you dredging up the past with your apologies and guilt! It's not doing the right thing if your apology only brings up more pain for the man--does Giliath want you to hurt him? To send him back into not talking to anyone? to staring off into nothing at all? That's what talking about last summer does to him! Muirgheal told me! She's his wife--she knows these things!" The young woman's raised voice draws stares from the nearby patrons, suddenly interested in this conversation.
As Cordelia yells at him, Keldean looks torn between irritation and hurt feelings. The teen looks down, breathing heavily as he tries to figure out a response to her accusations. "No.. I mean, I do feel bad, but I don't want to hurt him. I just want him to understand the truth of what happened. I think it might help if he knew. It isn't selfish to want someone to know the truth, Cordelia."
[Cordelia(#24827)] "It is selfish Keldean," Cordelia repeats the words slowly. She stands up and stares at the teen. "You are going to have to live with your own guilt in this and get past it. And leave Rhifaroth alone. He doesn't need to hear the truth of it. It won't help him. Stop being so thick headed. Any reminder of what happened just makes him remember how horrible it was and sends him off into a state where nothing reaches him. It doesn't help to hear you say you're sorry--it just makes him relive the nightmare all over again." Her words are calm, her voice controlled anger. "I'm going to work at the healers," she huffs, turning to go.
Keldean definitely looks hurt now, her words stinging against what he's tried so hard to show... that he's making a move towards what he hopes are better decisions with his life. "Fine, go work.." He mutters in a weak attempt at scorn. He shoves to his feet not long after her, but heads off to the stable instead of following her.
Keldean heads into the common room with a grin on his face and a dish of some kind of pie in his hand. The smug, accomplished expression he bears suggests that he aquired his dessert through some unscrupulous method. He looks around the room, but when he spots Cordelia he moves to sit with her almost immediately. "Hello." He says cheerfully.
[Cordelia(#24827)] "Oh! Pie!" Cordelia chirps happily, reaching a hand out toward the teen and his dish. "Here, have some ale, and I'll eat some of your pie, Keldean?" She scoots over to make room on the benchfor him.
"Hey! Wait.. I'll share, but hands off!" It looks like blueberry pie, fresh and steaming from the oven. He grabs the plate before she can take it away from him, scowling, but moves to sit closer willingly enough.
[Cordelia(#24827)] "Did you bring a fork from the kitchen? All I have is my knife," Cordelia says, perfunctorily drawing a small utility knife from a sheaf at her belt. It's not much good for anything other than carving wood or eating--not like the knives she carried when her 'family' was around.
"Yeah.. it's right here." Keldean holds up the utensil, and pokes it into the pie so that he can get the first delicious bite. After that he hands it over to her to enjoy a bite. "How are you?" He asks.
[Cordelia(#24827)] "Good, good," Cordelia answers between greedy bites. She pushes the pie back the teen's way, leaving him more than half. "Don't finish all my ale or buy me another," she warns. "Acelen keeping you busy?"
Keldean reaches for the ale and takes a long drink, then hands it back and reaches for the pie. He takes another bite and chews it thoughtfully, "Yeah.. he's making me go with him on a trip to Archet, won't let me out of it."
[Cordelia(#24827)] "Archet?" Cordelia frowns. "He's not going to visit Rhifaroth, is he?"
"He talked about it.. But, I told him about how Muirgheal hates me. I think he wants to try. He said he thought he might be able to help, but I warned him that she won't let anyone near." After a couple more bites the teen pushes the pie over to Cordelia. "It's too sweet, you can have the rest."
[Cordelia(#24827)] "Really?" Cordelia asks, glancing at the pie and then taking up the fork again. "I think Muirgheal would be pretty angry at anyone trying to make Rhifaroth think about what happened. He's...well, he isn't all there."
"Yeah, well what if she's wrong? I'm not going near her again, though. I told Acelen I didn't want to go with him but he's making me go." Keldean sighs and reaches to take another sip of her ale.
[Cordelia(#24827)] "When exactly is he going?" Cordelia frowns, pushing the now empty pie dish out of the way. "I think she should be warned."
"You want to warn Muirgheal? Why? Acelen wouldn't -do- anything.. " Keldean says with a small shrug. "I already told him what to expect anyway."
[Cordelia(#24827)] "What did you tell him to expect, Keldean?" Cordelia laughs. "A sword slashed through his shoulder? That's what she did to me. Thought I would die, but I woke up in her house, all bandaged." She grins. "Want to see the scar?"
Keldean almost says that he doesn't, but his wits catch up to him at the last minute when his brain connects the words. "Uhh.. sure." He says, and reaches a hand up to scratch and the paltry bit of stubble on his chin that's begun to grow. "I told him that she threatened me with a knife."
[Cordelia(#24827)] "More than threatened." Cordelia pushes down one shoulder of her dress to reveal the straight line of a sword cut, from collarbone to her shoulder, healed nicely but the scar still white. "Bled horribly. One stroke of her sword." She pushes her dress back into place, with a small smile on her lips as she watches the teen. "Don't cross Muirgheal, Keldean. She is not afraid to use her weapons."
The teen watches her show off the scar with more interest than is neccessary, and rather belatedly pulls his gaze up to her face. "I left that day.. didn't I?" Keldean asks in a defensive tone. "What business does she even have, acting that way? She's as bad as Asht was.."
[Cordelia(#24827)] Cordelia is smirking a little as Keldean finally manages to meet her eyes again. "It's her husband. He was and is wounded. She was angry at me for my part in it. It was very much her business."
"I guess. I don't know why she's so angry with me. All I tried to do was give back his knife and apologize." Keldean looks around and sighs. "It's too hot in here.. too crowded. You want to go outside?"
[Cordelia(#24827)] "No. It's not any cooler outside, and there is ale here," Cordelia answers. "As for Rhifaroth, Keldean, you have to understand that giving him back the knife will only bring up memories of what happened. Painful memories that hurt him. He is happy now--he doesn't remember, doesn't slip into days of staring at nothing, not eating, not talking. It's very selfish of you to want to force yourself on him and apologize because you feel guilty. It's all about making yourself feel better, with no consideratin of what it will do to Rhifaroth."
"No.. That's not the case. I want to do the right thing." Keldean says with a frown. "Giliath thought it was a good idea. It's the responsible thing to do. And how do you know that he's happy? Do you see him?"
[Cordelia(#24827)] "Stop being so selfish!" Cordelia says, anger rising. "I've seen him from afar, and I hear what Muirgheal tells me. He doesn't need you dredging up the past with your apologies and guilt! It's not doing the right thing if your apology only brings up more pain for the man--does Giliath want you to hurt him? To send him back into not talking to anyone? to staring off into nothing at all? That's what talking about last summer does to him! Muirgheal told me! She's his wife--she knows these things!" The young woman's raised voice draws stares from the nearby patrons, suddenly interested in this conversation.
As Cordelia yells at him, Keldean looks torn between irritation and hurt feelings. The teen looks down, breathing heavily as he tries to figure out a response to her accusations. "No.. I mean, I do feel bad, but I don't want to hurt him. I just want him to understand the truth of what happened. I think it might help if he knew. It isn't selfish to want someone to know the truth, Cordelia."
[Cordelia(#24827)] "It is selfish Keldean," Cordelia repeats the words slowly. She stands up and stares at the teen. "You are going to have to live with your own guilt in this and get past it. And leave Rhifaroth alone. He doesn't need to hear the truth of it. It won't help him. Stop being so thick headed. Any reminder of what happened just makes him remember how horrible it was and sends him off into a state where nothing reaches him. It doesn't help to hear you say you're sorry--it just makes him relive the nightmare all over again." Her words are calm, her voice controlled anger. "I'm going to work at the healers," she huffs, turning to go.
Keldean definitely looks hurt now, her words stinging against what he's tried so hard to show... that he's making a move towards what he hopes are better decisions with his life. "Fine, go work.." He mutters in a weak attempt at scorn. He shoves to his feet not long after her, but heads off to the stable instead of following her.
Players: Keldean, Cordelia
