Don't Make Me Break Into Song and Dance

[Kender Bard]

Locket had listened to Filly concerns with a bit of amusement, at first. 'Nagi may be working too hard.' To Locket, everyone worked too hard. It was just the way things were. But after Filly had gone, the thought wouldn't leave the priestess and she'd mulled over it until another concern (or two) came to mind. She decided it would be best to speak with Nagi about it; and if she could find some way to soothe him, then all the better. So, plan firmly in mind, she set about to do just that. A little inside knowledge of the more forgotten corners of the palace (thank you Harmony) and liberal stealing of idle servants let her get what would otherwise be quite a project done faster, but it was still nearing evening by the time she HAD finished.

I wish I had a Mind sign, she thought, for the millionth time, as she sought out Nagi on foot, checking the royal study first.

[Darastrix]

Nagi was in the study, as usual, curled up in a comfortable chair with a book balanced half on the arm of the chair, half on his hip. A plate with some sort of snack on it sat on a nearby table, mostly untouched. When Locket came in, he glanced up, then smiled slightly and set the book to one side.

"Good--" Nagi paused and looked out the window. "Evening," he finished. "How was your day?"

[Kender Bard]

"Busy," Locket responded, returning his smile. She glanced at the tray and picked it up, helping herself to a couple bites. "Are you skipping meals?" she asked, not sounding accusing but, well, curious. She swallowed and added, "And follow me, there's something I want you to see." She tried to pick up the book as well. "What are you reading? How was your day too?"

[Darastrix]

"Also busy," Nagi replied. He allowed Locket to pick up the book, quickly slipping a bookmark between the pages so his place wouldn't be lost. "It's a history book. I was reading some of the highlights of past kings' reigns."

"And I'm not skipping meals," he added. "I just forgot that was there. It's just a snack, anyway."

[Kender Bard]

"Sounds boring," she replied. "Well maybe not. Not if there's an interesting story about trapped queens and knights and defeating scary monsters." She tucked the book under her arm and continued to carry the platter with her as she led Nagi up a flight of stairs and down a hall that was generally used by servants. Stopping, she looked up at the ceiling and pointed to a wooden plank. "There it is. Here, love, hold this." She thrust the tray at Nagi and clenched her left fist, levitating up just enough to get her fingertips into a hole within the wood. Then with a hard yank, she pulled down the hidden staircase and landed back on her feet.

"This way," she told him with evident excitement, and bounded up the stairs as quick as she could.

The place was apparently a little storage room, not yet used for actual storage - or perhaps whatever it had been built for had simply been forgotten. It was small and dark, not even a window (for all the good it would have done at this time of day). However, Locket had spent time making it considerably more cozy. There was a very small brazier with some hot coals that, after sitting idle for a while now, had warmed the attic-like room to considerable levels. A very small nightstand held a couple candles to give the room some light as well. A couple pillows had been tossed casually against a wall and a comforter (heavens know what bed she stole it off of, as it wasn't the one currently in their rooms) was spread over the floor. Locket curled up against one of the pillows and nudged a stack of random books (a quick glance at the titles revealing they were a very strange mix: "Horizon's Light and other Poems", "The Mysteries of the Soul", and "Warfare: A History") with her foot.

"You spend so much time in the study," she murmured as she tried to get comfortable. "But I didn't want to really talk there, about important things, so I decided to make a little nook that was more fitting to having a heart to heart."

[Darastrix]

What was wrong with talking in our rooms? Nagi wondered as he looked around for a place to set the tray. He had to admit, though, the little hidden room seemed a more intimate setting to talk in than their guest chambers.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked, settling down on the pillow beside her. If he'd had more experience with courting and women in general, Nagi might have been nervous over Locket's mention of a heart-to-heart. As it was, he was merely curious and vaguely concerned. "Is something wrong?"

[Kender Bard]

"I'm just a little... concerned," she said, and sat up more, reaching out a hand to play with his hair. "You know Filly's here - and she told me that she spoke with you and was worried about you working too hard, blah blah blah." Locket waved her other hand dismissively. "She's too motherly. She worries too much, which is just as bad as what she's accusing you of. I told you once that you work too hard, and you said that you didn't, and I replied that, yes, you did, and so did I, and so did the rest of the world. I still stand by that answer."

Her vaguely amused expression faded and she looked at him with open concern. "But I got to thinking. Ever since we got here, you have been busying yourself with things and, well... I tried to see them from your point of view and it didn't occur to me that anything we've done as of late - with few exceptions - was terribly pleasant. Here I am, gallavanting about Anarlina, happy to be with my friends, my family, and all that. But everytime I've gone somewhere with you - the temple, my parents' that time - you've been so wound up. Tense."

She looked a bit guilty and in a soft voice said, "You haven't been having a great time here, like I have, and I didn't notice. I should have."

[Darastrix]

"Locket," Nagi sighed, "you haven't done anything wrong. I'm not here to have a fun time. This, and all the other trips I'm to make, are for education, not pleasure. There's a lot I need to learn before I can take Lucifer's place."

[Kender Bard]

Locket gave Nagi an arch look. "Yes, and me too. But you're not here to suffer either." She blew her bangs aside. "There's no set time you need to learn everything by. Lucifer's still well and alive, and chances are that he will remain so for quite some time yet." She leaned forward, staring him in the eyes.

"Now if he did happen to die suddenly tomorrow, then you would be the King," she reasoned. "And you wouldn't be happy. I wouldn't be happy. Nobody would be pleased with how things are but there is one thing that I can say with absolute certainty. If you were rushed to Khelek and put on the throne tomorrow, Nagi Kazimir, you would make a good king. Because you have a good heart and a sharp mind and that's the most important thing when you come down to it. All your studying is just polish so that you can be a great king."

[Darastrix]

"You have more confidence in me than I do," Nagi murmured. "And that's my main problem. I know I'm smart and I know I'll do what I can to do good, but being sure of myself in a crowd? Speaking easily with complete strangers? Being able to command the attention of a room like Twilight? I need to be able to do that, too, and I'm not sure I can."

[Kender Bard]

"If you had to, you could," Locket said with surety. "But the point is that you don't have to yet. I know you're learning important things here, things you need to work on and that can be hard. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself too. You've got a lot of time ahead of you, Nagi. I've actually been thinking up something that we can do when we get back - you and me - that would both help you be more at ease around strangers and help me to... well, actually like Khelek."

She crossed her arms and let out a small sigh. "Come on; isn't there anything you want other than to study?"

[Darastrix]

Nagi closed his eyes briefly and sighed as well. He knew Locket meant well, but for Thuoth's sake, he wasn't "suffering" and he wasn't overworking. What he wanted was to be allowed to do the work he was given, let things settle into his mind, do a little extra reading, and maybe try to talk more with Twilight. He still wished Sunray was around--he thought the other man would probably understand where he was coming from a little better--but Twilight wasn't nearly as intimidating to converse with as Nagi had thought he'd be. And now he had to come up with some "leisure" activity that he didn't really want to do on top of everything else?

"I don't know," he murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose. "There's not a great deal to do around here that really appeals to me. I like to read and I enjoy using the sign-training field."

[Kender Bard]

Locket blinked and turned slightly away from him, her back up against the wall and she drew her legs up, lacing her fingers together around them so she could almost rest her chin on her knees. Clearly, talking to her up here wasn't really helping anything.

"Sorry," she said in a small voice. "I just..." I wouldn't want to do what you're doing. But you're not me and I'm not you, and what was I thinking? "...want you to be okay. Happy." She bit her lip, reached for the book she'd plucked from him earlier that was now resting with the others, and handed it over to him. "If this makes you happy, then... good."

She took a small breath and held it and was able to even give him a bright smile she didn't really feel. "I'm glad we cleared things up."

[Darastrix]

Did we?

"This isn't the happiest way to spend my time, but I'm fine. I'm just...it doesn't bother me to sit and study for long stretches of time. I don't know what gave Filly the idea that I'm being overworked, but I'm not," Nagi said, wishing he could explain himself better. A lot of the things he was doing, he wouldn't choose for himself, but it wasn't as though they were horrible ordeals.

[Kender Bard]

Locket's smile slid away, her resolve to hold it not that strong. She looked at him, silent outwardly while she was in actuality trying to sort her own jumbled thoughts into something a bit more coherent. It was as though several topics and replies were vying for her tongue at the same time, creating a cacophony in her own head.

This time she did move her head down to rest against her knees as she put the book down again. "She didn't... she just wanted me to watch over you. I'm the one that took it upon myself to..." She gestured to their surroundings.

She blinked and finally one of the strings of thoughts found purchase. "I just like to do things for you - with you; things that I at least hope we'd both enjoy. But my options are limited. We don't... we don't really like the same things, do we?" She looked worried, or perhaps just pensive.