Seen Through Anothers Eyes

A familiar blue-scale sits on a bench, seemingly unaware of the chilly temperature or the gray mist curled around his claws as he holds a cup of tea. The tea seems utterly forgotten actually, and his green eyes are far away in thought. A lunch sits at his side on the bench - equally forgotten as the blue-scale sits there. Obviously there is something on his mind.

The doors to the Temple of Eluna open, and Telamon steps out, dressed in an oddly casual ensemble -- a long-sleeved tunic in deep blue, trimmed at the cuffs with silver, over white trousers tucked into his black, silver-buckled boots. The sorcerer's expression is pensive, but in good spirits, as he begins to walk along the temple plaza... his pace slowing as he sees Zeke sitting by himself.

Deftly, the half-elf changes direction slightly, so that he approaches the makari cleric. "The Sky Dancer's light upon your path, shaman," he growls in Draconic, before switching to tradespeak. "You look like a fellow with a great deal on your mind."

Dirk comes lumbering out from the grove that rings Gilead's temple. He too is dressed formally, wearing his hunter-green frock coat complete with lace at the cuffs and handsome red cravat tied around his neck--although that article of clothing is barely visible beneath his freshly brushed and oiled beard. He sets his tricorne a top his head as he leaves the temple grounds, quietly whistling a cheery tune as he lumbers along his way. It's that moment that he spies friends, and he turns his steps in their direction. "Telamon, so good tae see ye," he says with a warm smile. He's quieter than usual, but no less heartfelt as he reaches out to claps his friend in a warm Dwarf Hug. There's many places where a booming greeting might be welcomed, but the Temple District probably isn't one of them.

Stepping back, he looks to Zeke. That smile of his never falters as he reaches out to clap the sith's shoulder. "Zeke, lad. Peace on yer nest. I hope ye've been keepin' well," he says. "But please, what is it that's got ye wearin' such a long face, then? Is there aught amiss? Is there anythin' we can do tae help?"

Zeke blinks away the thoughts in his mind as he is greeted, his tail shifting in distinct pleasure at the sight of Telamon. "Peasssce on your nessst Telamon." He says warmly, tilting his head a the man. "It hasss been a while sssince we ssshared wordsss lassst."

Embarassment flickers across the sith's features and he's glad that Telamon had drawn him out of his thoughts when Dirk appears and clasps him on the shoulder. The dwarf gets a calculating look and then Zeke nods. "Sssaaa. Thisss one isss thinking. Thisss one..." He glances at Telamon. "You have made cihuaa with Cor'lana yessss Telamon?" A slightly out-of-the-blue question.

Telamon gets dwarf hugs! But it never fails to make him grin, and he embraces Dirk back, clapping the sturdy khazad's shoulders. "Dirk! It's good to see you as well." Clearly he doesn't care about booming greetings, if it comes from a good friend. "Hope the world's treating you well. How is Lulu?"

When Zeke addresses him, Telamon regards the makari with interest, though the question makes his eyebrows rise and a touch of color appear at his cheeks. "Ah... yes. We are bonded and married. No more window-climbing." He smirks faintly. "We just celebrated our first anniversary, in fact."

Dirk rumbles a soft chuckle to Telamon. "Oh, she's splendid," he says. "Found 'er teachin' 'er wee owlets how tae fly. They're all naturals at it! Expect they'll be leavin' the nest sooner n' later. Maybe they'll find rangers o' their own tae partner with." Zeke's question to Telamon has the old ranger's shaggy white brows climbing with curiosity. "Thinkin', are ye?" he asks. A sly grin spreads across his leathery features, making the craggy lines of his eyes crinkle up. "Thinkin' about some bonny lass, perhaps?" Pause. "Or lad. Whichever ye prefer, makes nae nevermind tae me."

Zeke is glad, not for the first - and probably not for the last time - that soft-skins can not _smell_. His embarrassment is a thick cloud around him and he ducks his head slightly at the fact that he is so... obvious in his thoughts. "Sssaaa. Thisss one wisshess happinesss upon your nessst Telamon. It issss... a blessssing to have a mate. A cihuaa."

He nods here, but it's clear that he is drifting dangerously close to thoughts again. "Thisss one... isss thinking about sssome-one yessss. Cuemoni."

Telamon ahhhs, his expression clearing a bit. "May I sit down?" If Zeke lets him, he settles onto the bench next to the makari. "Cihuaa, mate, husband, wife. They're words, but they have meaning. Serious meaning. If you seek that kind of relationship, understand that it will change you irrevocably."

His lips curl up. "I'm not trying to warn you off. But it is a commitment to someone, someone you will have to devote yourself to." He regards Zeke with a wry grin. "As you are a priest, you will have to come to an agreement not just with Cuemoni -- who you will have to introduce me to, clearly! -- but with Draco Solis himself. I'm pretty sure he's not unreasonable, being married himself, but you may wish to meditate on it."

Dirk's smile turns wistful as the subject turns to marriage. "I was married once," he says. "An' Telamon here has it exact. It'll change ye. In ways ye never knew that ye could. -Good- ways. If the love is true, then it will be strong as a mountain an' deep as the forest. It'll lift the pair of ye up." His eyes glance towards the starlit skies above. "It's summat that'll last. Fer all the days o' yer life. Even if one o' ye should leave this life... a part of 'em will remain wi' ye. Forever. For love is immortal, like so few things in this world are. An' even if they're gone, they'll still be here, so long as ye never stop loving 'em." He pauses, then blinks owlishly. "Och. That took a melancholy turn, din't it? I beg pardon, friends, that was not my intention." He looks back to Zeke with a soft rumble of laughter. "I'm pleased fer ye, laddie. Yer a good soul. Ye give so much of yeself. Ye deserve someone tae share yer life with."

Zeke ducks his head further but nods, moving some of his things, actually he begins to pack them up so that there is plenty of space for Telamon to sit. "Thisss one..." He hesitates a long moment. "Thisss one hasss had a cihuaa before."

Where this would normally be a happy thing, it is clearly distinctly _not_ for Zeke. "We were together for... many yearsss, but... Thissss one wasss not good enough for her. Ssshe called thisss one the ssspawn of Forgotten. Sssshe... did not give care to thisss one. Thisss one cared for her a great deal. It... hurt to lossse her." He's back to staring at his tea.

Telamon nods to Dirk in agreement. "Seasons change, and so do people, especially in such a relationship." He rubs his chin, considering. At Zeke's confession, his eyes grow sad and gentle, and he reaches over to put a hand on Zeke's shoulder.

"Much like there can be false visions, there can also be foolishness in matters of the heart. Sometimes it is relatively harmless. Childhood crushes, pining that eventually fades with maturity. But... yes, sometimes it goes wrong, and it can be hard to open one's heart up again." He sits back on the bench. "Tell me about this Cuemoni. I don't know them, though I presume from the name they are also makari."

Zeke feels the weight of Telamon's hand on his shoulder and its... comforting. He gives the man a look of gratitude. It's clearly evident in his green eyes even if sith expressions can sometimes be hard to decipher. He nods to the other man's words slowly. That is in fact entirely what had been on his mind. Still... Cuemoni... "Ssshe isss yesss. Ssshe isss kind, and generousss. Intelligent and caring. Sssshe... ssseemsss to genuinely care for thisss one?"

It's clear that part of him is curious about this last part. "Thisss one doesss not know why." Ah there it is. Zeke does not think of himself as someone that others care about. Not in this way.

Telamon's expression lightens quite a bit, and in fact he grins. "Zeke, there is a truth: that often, those who love us do not see us the way we see ourselves." He folds his hands. "I actually had to be nudged into courting Lana, really -- because I could not believe such a beautiful woman did not have suitors lined up around the block. And -then- I started understanding her family and I -truly- wondered what I was thinking. She is, after all, the distant descendant of fey nobility, and while my pedigree is not exactly common serf... I felt at times I had reached for the stars and caught one."

"Ironically, she felt the same way. She had spent much of her early life... unhappy. Lonely. Fearful of the world. And here I come, and what she saw was this polished, elegant, completely at ease man who seemed to adapt to any situation. She didn't know why she was drawn to me but she knew what she liked." He tilts his head. "Why does it seem unusual that your lady, Cuemoni, should be intrigued with you? You are a good person, you've been a good friend to people I respect and care about."

Zeke blinks at the truth that Telamon gives him. _Those who love us do not see us the way we see ourselves_. He wondered then, how Cuemoni saw him. Did she see him as... something worthy? He feels his tail flicker in pleasure and he looks at Telamon and has a sudden small realization. Telamon sees him as other than he is too. He does not see a sith-makar who lacks limbs. Who is afraid. Who is weak.

He blinks again, feeling a stirring in his chest of gratitude. Gratitude to Telamon and Seldan, and those few like them who do not see him with the eyes that he sees himself with. "Becaussse, thissss one ssseesss a ssself that isss not worthy." He admits this slowly, wondering for the first time in his life if his eyes are the wrong ones. If he sees himself falsely. "Ssshe isss young Telamon. Ssshe isss healthy. Thisss one... Hass many flawsss."

"Really. Allow me to be rather blunt, Zeke. Do you have some infirmity that would make impossible for you to act as her husband in all regards?" Telamon's eyes are full of stars, but they are not dancing, but perhaps a trifle stern. "Because if not, you're not just being too hard on yourself, you're also slighting Cuemoni as well."

He runs a hand through his hair. "We all have flaws, Zeke. You, me, Lana, Sir Seldan... everyone. Love is not about 'balancing' flaws. It's about caring for someone regardless. Maybe you try to help them overcome those flaws, or maybe you learn to live with them. And sometimes they're not even flaws at all. But when you bind to someone, that's part of the experience."

Zeke feels embarrassment threatening to overwhelm him and he is glad again that Telamon can not tell. - Or rather he assumes the man can not (although it might just be wishful thinking really). "Thisss one isss capable of sssuch thingssss Telamon." He utters, his voice a touch strained. "Though ssshe hasss no desssire for hatchlingsss at thisss time."

He shakes his head and sighs. "Thisss one isss not usssed to othersss... sseeing thisss one asss... in sssuch a way. But..." Zeke is silent a moment then he smiles in the sith-makar way, his tail shifting around his feet. "Thisss one isss glad to have friendsss, to have kin, to have a mate who ssseesss thisss one ass more than thisss one sseesss."

Telamon snorts. "Well, I meant more than -that-, Zeke, but that's a part of it." He looks up at the soaring temples. "And it's good to think before you sire children. That's a serious responsibility."

Tel steeples his fingertips. "You and Lana are more alike than I think you realize. She never considered that she could be loved, be cherished. And then she realized it and she is happier for it." He regards Zeke with a calm gaze. "If you need assistance in this endeavor, I would be happy to act as... I believe the egalrin call it a 'naesirs', for the two of you. For all you've done for my friends, you deserve happiness as well."

"Cor'lana?" Zeke inquires with gentle surprise. Then he lets his tail swish back and forth more in pleasure. "Thisss one hass not heard of 'nae-sssirssss' before. But thisss one thinkssss that you are right. Thisss one hassss been much blesssed by the Dragonfather. Thisss one thinkss that He mussst want for thisss one to be happy."

Telamon nods. "Precisely. I am sorry you've had such a rough road to get here. But the prospect of love, a mate... if Cuemoni feels the same way, you should take it seriously. And don't be afraid to try again."

His grin is a sunny thing, banishing any chill. "Naesirs. It's... well, a lot of people translate it as 'matchmaker' but I think 'counselor' might be better. A naesirs acts to help budding couples come together, understand what might be needed, and then stay together. If you wish my counsel in this matter, I would be honored." His eyes glint. "If you think someone else might be more suited, I will help you convince them to assist you."

Zeke blinks in surprise and then joy spreads across his features. "Sssa! Thisss one would be mossst pleasssed to have your assssisstansce Telamon! Thisss one would appreciate your council." Telamon and his own cihuaa did seem very happy together, though in truth Zeke knew little of their private lives. Still, he had seen them work together many times, and they both seemed the happier for the other. He does something then that would have startled his older self; he offers his flesh-and-blood claw to Telamon.

"Thisss one will asssk Cuemoni. Thisss one isss sssure that ssshe will sssay yessss." His heart felt light in his chest. This time, he would have help. This time... They would be happy.

"Excellent! I will be most happy to help. You'll find I'm willing to work for peanuts. Pothy, you see, he loves them." Telamon's lips twitch, his eyes dancing again. "Jokes aside, though, you may call on me at my home when you and Cuemoni are ready."

Tel takes Zeke's hand without hesitation, gripping the dextrous claw with his own nimble fingers. "Have faith, Zeke. There will be work, but the rewards are very great indeed."

-End