<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/f/fd/Valdar.jpg)</div><strong>Character name:</strong>Galvren Valynar (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=234819.msg11585469#msg11585469)<br/><strong>Position:</strong>Valdar (Newly Risen)<br/><strong>Bondmate:</strong>Open<br/><strong>Tag:</strong>Theraeve Sedai<br/><strong>Time:</strong>Afternoon, Saven 6th, 990NE<br/><strong>Place:</strong>Southern District, near The Harbour.<br/><strong>Warning:</strong><br/><hr/><br/>Anybody else might have flinched away or recoiled from Theraeve Sedai's harsh reprimand, especially in that very specific tone of voice that every Aes Sedai seemed very good at producing; that is, one of both scorn and surprise, as if utterly shocked at your incompetence and childishness. An Aes Sedai's social power relied in large part on not only being the smartest and most capable person in the room, but also ensuring that everybody else knew it, too. If somebody is under the impression that you know more than them and can do more than them and are just generally more worldly and capable...well, they tend to treat you with a little more deference and respect, and with an Aes Sedai, respect and deference was everything. But Theraeve Sedai...well, she had an extra edge of anger that was almost certainly threatening and almost apocalyptic in its tone, as if promising imminent violence on the worthless, light-burned<em>cur</em>who had dared to defy or inconvenience her. And indeed, once upon a time, Galvren may well have shied away from such a voice as fearsome as it was, apologising profusely for his impertinence or any offence that he had caused, but now? Well, now that he knew her better, he knew the difference in her tones, and that was not the voice of somebody who was going to hurt him. She was more<em>hurt</em>than angry, he could tell, and hurt he could soothe...as soon as he explained that it wasn't anything to do with her, that she had just hit a part of him that was extremely tender and bruised, she would understand and she would hopefully cool down. An angry Theraeve Sedai was much more difficult to deal with than an upset one, at least in his experience. Hurt could be soothed and bandaged and treated, but anger? Anger had to be<em>endured,</em>with the hope that you didn't get swept away. She would calm down from anger, too, eventually...but when Theraeve Sedai got angry, truly angry, you had to let things take their course before you tried to calm her. At least, in Galvren's experience; it was entirely possible that there was a way to calm her down if she got truly furious, and he just hadn't discovered it.<br/><br/>Either way, it seemed that Galvren didn't need to prepare for either of those moods; even as he steadied himself and gradually managed to stop the world from spinning around his centre of vision, he heard a muffled curse from Theraeve Sedai shortly after her outburst....and then nothing. Was she simply cursing his incompetence or ineptitude and awaiting his apology? Or did he - the sickening thought suddenly occurred to him - actually hurt her in more ways than one with his aggressive shove? Ordinarily, you couldn't move Theraeve Sedai anywhere she didn't want to go, and as he understood it, that sparring match had become extremely brutal in the damage done to both combatants, so...maybe he, too, had managed to catch hold of a bruise or a cut or even - his stomach sank at the thought - a broken bone as he shoved her? That would explain the sharp, hissed reprimand and the curse, of course...his stomach plummets even further, a cold feeling spreading in his chest. Did he end up hurting Theraeve Sedai? That would be very, very bad...Light Burn Warder/Aes Sedai etiquette, she was his friend, and if he had hurt her....but no. No, if he had hurt her, he would know about it for certain. For one, he wouldn't still be slumped on the floor clutching his shoulder, he would be sprawled on the floor. So then...what was going on? He opened his mouth as if to speak, as if to answer her enraged query, but she beat him to the punch, speaking again in response to his questions as if nothing had happened...and he did mean that. Whereas before her tone was hurt, annoyed and indignant, now her tone had softened significantly. Though it was a non-answer, the softer, warmer, more friendly and "normal" tone - though not quite there, it was notably more accommodating than her tone up until that point had been - was comforting at the very least. At least, he thought, he hadn't harmed or offended her overly much....he breathed a sigh of relief. At least it seemed like he was getting somewhere.<br/><br/>He braced himself to attempt to stand - after a brief bout of dizziness that stalled him for a few moments - then glanced up....to find Theraeve Sedai bending down a little and offering her hand. He grimaced a little at a fresh wave of discomfort and throbbing pain from his shoulder then, without hesitation, reached up with his good arm and clasped her wrist, pulling slowly to help him get back to a vertical base. You didn't reject help when it was offered, after all, and if he was reading Theraeve Sedai right...then it was an olive branch. A "peace offering," as it were, as if she was agreeing to talk rather than trying to force him into an ill-advised public tryst. And whilst he had rejected her advances (for obvious reasons), he was not about to reject her help in getting up and getting stable. They were, after all, friends, and friends didn't disrespect friends without good reason. He swayed a little as a fresh bout of dizziness hit him, but it was only momentary and he managed to retain his balance, quickly getting used to being back on two feet. He blinked a little in order to clear his head. "My gratitude, Theraeve Sedai," he said quietly, following her gentle tug back out towards the main street. As they exited the alleyway and turned in towards the tavern - they didn't rejoin the main footfall traffic,  Theraeve Sedai instead pulling him in through the doorway of the inn/tavern that she almost rutted him behind - he glanced at her cautiously. "Are you....ok, Theraeve Sedai?" he murmured, only loud enough for her to hear; you never knew who was listening, even in Tar Valon, and somebody overhearing the wrong thing....well, it could cause more than a few issues later down the line. He may not have been the best at politics, but he was good enough to know to be careful what you said in a public place.<br/><br/>They stopped and slipped into a small two-person alcove at the edge of the floor, set into the wall. He eased himself in gingerly, making certain not to move his bad shoulder any more than was necessary, the arm still held along his chest protectively. Once he was settled, he looked across at Theraeve Sedai, his expression now more than a little sheepish. "I...apologise if I hurt you in any way, Theraeve Sedai," he said, more than a little contritely, his speech reverting as if by reflex to its formal, respectful pattern that he always used when apologising or showing deference to somebody. he didn't often use it with Theraeve Sedai when in private, but...well, this time it felt appropriate. "You just....caught me by surprise, and caught a sensitive area." He pressed his tongue to the inside of his teeth worriedly. "So....you said that there is a lot going on...may I ask if you need to talk about it? You seem more...perturbed...than usual." He had to choose his words carefully, but there was not really a delicate way to put it. She seemed more shaken up, more aggressive, more prone to outbursts of anger than she was the last time he saw her, and it was worrying him. He looked at her, concern etched into his expression. Yes, they were technically not supposed to be friends, but....well, how could he not care about somebody he'd known for almost a decade? It didn't matter how long the timespan between their meetings grew, he would always care about Theraeve Sedai, and that would never change. And right then? It was no exception. Something was eating at Theraeve Sedai, and Galvren fully intended to find out what it was and offer whatever help he possibly could...no matter what.