Aymeric tries to pretend he is pragmatic and duty-bound and ambitious, and truly he is all of those things, but he's also idealistic and friendly and something of an incurable romantic, so he has been waiting for the moment his world filled with colour practically since he was a child.
He tells himself the reason he makes a point of noticing the people around him and at least trying to be kind to them is that he refuses to overlook anyone for the circumstances of their birth, that he knows he needs to acquit himself well and prove himself and getting people on his side is part of that, that you never know when a kind word or a friendly smile might completely change somebody's day... or any number of a dozen other reasons he could come up with if somebody asked, that didn't involve admitting the truth that really, truly, he was just looking for them.
He'd come up with half a dozen idle fantasies over the years, of how it might happen, but none of them had involved a group of temple knights sparring on a muddy training field and one perfect cheekbone smudged with rich, earthy brown. The colour has blossomed from there and it seemed to fill the world - even the chainmail shifted from grey to shining silver - but what had caught Aymeric's eye the most was the way one knight's hair remained snow-white, just as it had been before everything changed.
That knight, he later learned, was Estinien, who seemed to eschew company in all its form whenever he got the chance. Aymeric thought he was breathtaking, and found himself hoping against hope that he was the one who had sparked that explosion of colour, although it could well have been any one of half a dozen knights who had been fighting that day.
He'd been trying to make cautious enquiries ever since, slowly adding potential names to his list and then crossing them off one by one - in between training, of course, there was no way he was letting that slack.
He'd hoped to catch Estinien alone when they were put in the same unit, but the mission to Ever Lakes had come up before he had the chance and then... well, then he had to deal with all of that.
It hadn't seemed like the right time, when the dragon was defeated, so he'd made his invitation for a drink and hoped that soon enough he'd have his answer.
When the evening comes - once Estinien is fully recovered from the experience - he finds himself staring into his tankard and wondering if perhaps he should have paid closer attention to all those lone wolf allegations, until he catches movement out the corner of his eye and looks up to see Estinien - late, but here, and that's all that matters.
He smiles warmly in response to his name and nods.
"Estinien," he greets in return "Yes, thank you, though my injures were naught compared to yours. 'tis good to see you on your feet again, my friend."
Whether or not Aymeric considering him a friend so soon, even after what they went through, is welcome or not, it's happening. He motions for Estinien to sit and waves for the barmaid to bring him a drink.
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timeasmymeasure
and responding in kind...
Date: 2024-04-01 05:09 pm (UTC)Aymeric tries to pretend he is pragmatic and duty-bound and ambitious, and truly he is all of those things, but he's also idealistic and friendly and something of an incurable romantic, so he has been waiting for the moment his world filled with colour practically since he was a child.
He tells himself the reason he makes a point of noticing the people around him and at least trying to be kind to them is that he refuses to overlook anyone for the circumstances of their birth, that he knows he needs to acquit himself well and prove himself and getting people on his side is part of that, that you never know when a kind word or a friendly smile might completely change somebody's day... or any number of a dozen other reasons he could come up with if somebody asked, that didn't involve admitting the truth that really, truly, he was just looking for them.
He'd come up with half a dozen idle fantasies over the years, of how it might happen, but none of them had involved a group of temple knights sparring on a muddy training field and one perfect cheekbone smudged with rich, earthy brown. The colour has blossomed from there and it seemed to fill the world - even the chainmail shifted from grey to shining silver - but what had caught Aymeric's eye the most was the way one knight's hair remained snow-white, just as it had been before everything changed.
That knight, he later learned, was Estinien, who seemed to eschew company in all its form whenever he got the chance. Aymeric thought he was breathtaking, and found himself hoping against hope that he was the one who had sparked that explosion of colour, although it could well have been any one of half a dozen knights who had been fighting that day.
He'd been trying to make cautious enquiries ever since, slowly adding potential names to his list and then crossing them off one by one - in between training, of course, there was no way he was letting that slack.
He'd hoped to catch Estinien alone when they were put in the same unit, but the mission to Ever Lakes had come up before he had the chance and then... well, then he had to deal with all of that.
It hadn't seemed like the right time, when the dragon was defeated, so he'd made his invitation for a drink and hoped that soon enough he'd have his answer.
When the evening comes - once Estinien is fully recovered from the experience - he finds himself staring into his tankard and wondering if perhaps he should have paid closer attention to all those lone wolf allegations, until he catches movement out the corner of his eye and looks up to see Estinien - late, but here, and that's all that matters.
He smiles warmly in response to his name and nods.
"Estinien," he greets in return "Yes, thank you, though my injures were naught compared to yours. 'tis good to see you on your feet again, my friend."
Whether or not Aymeric considering him a friend so soon, even after what they went through, is welcome or not, it's happening. He motions for Estinien to sit and waves for the barmaid to bring him a drink.