The Grey Tower

He enjoyed her smile, it was quite charming given the way it spread to her eyes, themselves not the usual shade of blue. Small things indeed but he was also glad that he could provide a sense of enjoyment, or at the very least of amusement. Still he was quite aware that it was he being led rather than the traditional reverse, if the books could be believed of course. In his experience their words were worth less than a copper. He had no complaints though, the vantage spot chosen was worth it. He looked down upon the gathering, leaning his forearms upon the stone railing as he did so, eyes seeking and picking out those he cared about with a smile.

"Well, I do hope that I am not that, otherwise I shall have to do something drastic to salvage myself" he turned his head to look at her briefly, a flashed grin, she had turned towards him, perhaps watching him to match her words, "but I have to agree. I have lost count of the number of times it has warned me of a bad situation. Though to be fair it was probably my own fault for being in one"

"I did find that if you watch you are always more likely to be the watched too though, that was a valuable lesson though. I didn't really learn that until later than I should have," he shook his head, "mostly I like to watch my family these days, they are an interesting group though they do like such a dreary colour"

He pushed himself up after a few more moments of keeping an eye on them. He was happy for Alric, who had found himself quite the partner, if anyone needed some ruffling up it was him. As for the others, they were lost in the crowd now or had left for their own secluded places - if they had arrived at all. He turned towards Sadira and wondered what she saw had she been watching.

"I thank you, by the way, for bumping into me. This is probably the longest I have gone just talking to someone for some time, in peace and enjoyment, spending time. It is easy to be caught up in things long enough not to remember the feeling" he leaned against the railing as he spoke, a little more relaxed outside of the crowd and the dance.

She was correct of course, he would have put coin on her having thought upon such things for far longer and, like as not, deeper than he had. Truth be told he had only truly started thinking about things properly since arriving at the Tower, he had a long way to go before he could say he was truly smart. He'd likely never be wise, he was far too impulsive for that. Still there was a deep appreciation of his company. She listened and had to judge or contradict him. Her look was intent and interested too, it made him feel a bit better about himself for it. Perhaps he had a knack for meeting the good ones, he reasoned.

"Oh I tend to talk to them every day," he said wryly, "a lot of them are down there. It feels strange at times but I feel like a big brother. Adopted, of course, can't really watch the other one" he said with a hint of sadness.

He took the opportunity to study Sadira, properly. The initial meeting and the dancing had been quick and required his brain. Now he was more relaxed and had the opportunity to be a bit more himself and less routine movements, which was all dancing was at its core. Though it did help if you liked the partner. She had a good heart, that much was already clear and if nothing else he would have been happy to call her a friend. Yet she also was possessed of something he was not sure of. A certain grace or the way she phrased her words. And there was a beauty there that was not the classical.

In other words, unique. And worth knowing he told himself simply/

"I must admit I tend to try not to get lost in work but it has a way of dragging you in. I have no causes or drives but there are always those in need of a Gaidin it seems," he snorted at the world in general, "I gave up resisting a while back. Invested in trying to get a good record instead, seemed...prudent. I make do with rebelling every now and then. Keeps me sane"

"Sometimes work is a way of distracting yourself. It's not like we live normal lives," he noted, grinning and tilting his head to look at her, "I'd bet coin on there being a shortage of replacements willing to take our place"

"But...I would not change it. It would seem an insult"

"Delightfully so" he said with a slow smile.

This was why he liked meeting people, he knew, hidden depths. Not everyone had much of them but the rare few had what was akin to an ocean. Or what he thought an ocean was. He was ashamed to admit it but on the surface she seemed as if she could have passed him by without him even noticing. A good trait for her line of work assuredly but it would have been his own loss. Her bearing, the way the light glinted upon her hair and sparked her eyes. And the smile and laughter of course. And that was merely her person, nothing beyond, nothing of the years of service or her abilities. A truly deep person.

"But I agree, there is a responsibility to it. Even if half of the world doesn't really like that idea. I'm fairly sure most of us don't even like the idea when we're in the thick of it. I think I have probably cursed it at such times actually. But still, a gift. Though I think some have more of that gift than others"

He looked down into the crowd for a few moments as he pondered the words, they were truer than most wanted to admit to, perhaps. So many were rolled up in their own problems, ambitions and more. He was guilty of such things himself. How much they could get done if they just stopped and got caught up in others.

"It seems you have found your purpose, and it shows," he said, leaving her to interpret as she willed but he meant the words, "I envy you but sadly you're a minority. I am not sure people really think about what is moral. It's easy to say defeating the Shadow is right and go do it. Far harder to face up to the flaws in ourselves, I think. To solve everything you'd need to unify everyone...somehow...in purpose and direction"

"I do not envy being the Grey who would be given that task," he chuckled, "take swords and battles over courting nobility any day. More honest and less prone to death"