jane
Jane was not born with the natural ability to cover her emotions, something that could well have been her downfall if she had had a higher position. Sometimes she wondered about whether she would be in this situation if only she had hidden things better. She could keep secrets, yes, if they were politics, but her situation was nearly always written on her face like stone. As she stood, she felt Sebastien’s eyes on her, vibrant purple things that seemed to shine with a light not reflected but entirely his own. A mix of gratitude and insecurity woke in her stomach as she remembered that she had barely seen her reflection in months. The only time she could look was when she turned her head, and then it was not the prettiest sight in the world.
She saw his expression, searching for information. She thought about what her mother had said, that Sebastien would meet her at the entrance of the city, but not before sending word. Of course, all that had changed with the death of Hardison, when her health had been left in the hands of strangers and her own resources. Possibly a skill she needed to learn, but one undergone in unpleasant means. She was hungry and untoned, her body lacking the exercise it craved.
Truthfully, I didn’t know that you were coming. So he had moved to Denocte. She had moved to Solterra to stay with someone who wasn’t even there any longer. The knowledge tasted bitter in Jane’s mouth as she ran her tongue against her teeth. It tasted like aniseed, a sharp, irritating taste that demanded to be acknowledged. She saw the guilt in Sebastien’s eyes, but she knew that it wasn’t his fault. It may have laid with someone- but whoever it was, she had no idea. She would not blame him, but a sense of betrayal still lingered in her chest. “I haven’t been looking for too long,” she said, trying to assuage his discomfort, “I have been in the city for just over a day.” She neglected the three months it took to get to said city. Three months of a life may seem short, but it had been enough for Spring to turn to Summer, for her to cross her fourth year in the company of nobody at all. “I’m afraid I don’t remember the way,” she said, and it sounded a bit like a confession, although she wasn’t sure if she wanted it to sound that way.
Sebastien was her cousin, but above all, he was a closer cousin than those others she had met. He was related through her mother’s side, but there were enough relatives for her to run out of count. The House of Vogelstein spread through the lands, occasionally gathering for events. Jane had come to Solterra once or twice; once as a yearling, and the year after. These had been for a death in the family, as it was hard to justify the 3 months of travel, but before it had been multiple. She had been shielded by her mother’s body, had stayed close to hide from the sharp sun that seemed to burn her out of spite, these days.
Was your journey here alright? Jane didn’t really know how to respond to that. In all honesty, it was just… shit. She’d seen her first death, had been battered by weathers of many extremes. The teeth of the Sandwyrm had left their mark on her flank, although it seemed that it would heal without a scar. For now, four scabs lingered between the dark brown and the gold. In some ways, her coat had saved her, confused the wyrm enough to bite a smaller area. “It was… eventful,” Jane finally settled on, “But I suppose it doesn’t matter, I’m here after all.”
@[Sebastien] / speaks / notes
