She takes another sip of tea, deciding to not press.
"Despite our lack of friendship, Erik and I trust each other, he felt you should know that. Thought it might make you feel more comfortable talking to me."
"It is not a lack of trust, Valdis." He says, and this time, he is being truthful again, "It is. I am not ready to talk about it yet. I think. Not right now. Not with someone I have just met."
It's a lack of familiarity, too, that plays a role, A lack of comfort.
"I'm not asking you to tell me, simply relaying a message. If I had wanted to use it to manipulate you, I would have led with it, and you probably would have trusted me less."
He thinks of the previous night. Of lying with Daniil, of him telling him how scared he is, how he's the only person he considers himself close to, and how about Artemy told him that he would help him with whatever he could.
And he will. The Haruspex doesn't make promises idly.
"I will do everything in my power for him." He repeats the same promise he made to Daniil behind closed doors in the upmost sincerity. In complete seriousness. Daniil really does genuinely mean that much to him, after all. He is the Haruspex's other half.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
She takes another sip of tea, deciding to not press.
"Despite our lack of friendship, Erik and I trust each other, he felt you should know that. Thought it might make you feel more comfortable talking to me."
no subject
"It is not a lack of trust, Valdis." He says, and this time, he is being truthful again, "It is. I am not ready to talk about it yet. I think. Not right now. Not with someone I have just met."
It's a lack of familiarity, too, that plays a role, A lack of comfort.
no subject
no subject
So she came here on her own merit. Did things her own way.
That he can respect. A lot, actually. Even if it wasn't the way he would have done things.
no subject
It's nice to not immediately be yelled at or the object of suspicion, even if their earlier conversation hadn't been ideal.
"Daniil could use a friend who is level headed right now. He's really struggling."
no subject
He thinks of the previous night. Of lying with Daniil, of him telling him how scared he is, how he's the only person he considers himself close to, and how about Artemy told him that he would help him with whatever he could.
And he will. The Haruspex doesn't make promises idly.
"I will do everything in my power for him." He repeats the same promise he made to Daniil behind closed doors in the upmost sincerity. In complete seriousness. Daniil really does genuinely mean that much to him, after all. He is the Haruspex's other half.
no subject
"Just don't lose yourself in the process."
no subject
"I wouldn't be able to if I tried."
Because truly, no matter how hard he loves, and how much of him is love, his duty always comes first. Even before Dankovsky.
no subject
But he seems to truly believe his words.
She takes another sip of tea.
"I should go."
no subject
"Ah- yes, uh. It is getting late, isn't it? I'm sure you have better things to do."
no subject
Valdis offers him a sly smile and heads out, leaving the mug on his desk as she leaves. Now to make this whole thing go away.
no subject