Worried Friends Offer Help

[born_in_flame]

Caleb knew he was hard to read, even Nott couldn't figure out what he was thinking sometimes and she was the closest to him among the Nien. Caleb had to play things close to the chest, his past and what he was running from demanded it. But just because he wasn't open with his thoughts and feelings doesn't mean he doesn't have them.

He is currently in his cabin on the Ball Eater thinking about Fjord. Losing power after having it can be difficult and Caleb is worried for his friend. Then an idea occurs to him and after a bit of mental back and forth he gets up and goes looking for the half orc before he talks himself out of his plan.

"Fjord," he calls softly, "I was wondering if we could talk?"

Comments

[mayberaven]

Fjord stilled under the light touch, trying not to focus too much on the warmth of fingers around his wrists. Nodding at Caleb's instructions, trying instead to pay mind to the movements he was working on learning. He took it slow, brows drawing slightly in concentration, though Caleb would easily be able to spot the moment when it seemed his fingers started wanting to trip, especially as close as they were right then.

[born_in_flame]

The moment he feels Fjord start to hesitate Caleb's own hands are moving gently guiding their hands into the right position and holding them there so Fjord can feel the motions and his muscles can learn when to move and when to stop. He then pulls away and smiles. "Try again," he encourages, "trust your hands to help you."

[mayberaven]

It's easier than he expected, to relax and let those warm fingers guide his own, to allow Caleb to make the shapes that his hands and fingers needed to. Something in his expression softening as he smiled in turn, watching the movements before nodding.

"I know it's only cause you've done this a million times but you sure do make it look easy." Fjord teased in a light tone as he was slowly moving to start again, using the lingering points of warmth from the wizard's touch as something of a guide when he was getting to the spot in the motions that had given him trouble before.

[born_in_flame]

Caleb blushes and looks away. Praise will be forever hard for him to accept, he knows this, such words were just so rare in his younger days that hearing them now makes him uneasy like he will never truly earn them. "My mentor once told me it takes many, many hours to master a skill, you will get to where I am soon enough," he says, turning his gaze back to Fjord. Caleb doesn't mention the pain that accompanied that lesson and many others after it. The pain he spares his own students.

[mayberaven]

Fjord might not respond to praise in the same way that Caleb does, but it was rare to nonexistent for so much of his life that there was a hunger for it in him especially from someone important to him, clear enough in the faint brightening of his gaze at that assurance from the wizard, light as the encouragement was.

"Well... I don't mind puttin' the practice in," He replied with a faint, sheepish chuckle. "Especially if it means I get some extra one-on-one time with you."

[born_in_flame]

Caleb smiles feeling a blanket of warmth settle over him. He enjoys being around all the Nein now that he is loosening up a bit and learning to let people in. But Fjord being slightly closer to Caleb in age has been easier to get close to without things feeling weird. It helps that the half orc is charming where Caleb is shy and well spoken where Caleb is quiet and able to choose his words with care. "I...enjoy spending time with you Fjord...it has been a long time since I have had a friend close to my age." Nott is a good friend, but she is older and has had different life experiences than Caleb, so there are times where he is more her son than her friend.

"Do you wish to keep working on this spell or choose another?"

[mayberaven]

"I... well I feel kinda similar, to tell the truth. Didn't really have many friends before meetin' you all, so this is... well it's nice." He'd had companions and acquaintances but they'd all been superficial for the most part, kept at arm's length for his own well-being. And Caleb... he was finding himself growing more attached to the wizard than the others for some reason, not that he minded it especially.

"I'd like to at least get this hand motion down a bit more before we switch tracks."

[born_in_flame]

Caleb nods and moves back to Fjord's side reaching out to grip his wrists again. He's more comfortable with the motion this time around and he flashes a bright smile at the orc. "Whenever you are ready then," he says warmly, "Again you begin the motions and I will only step in if you need it."