Some changes hurt a bit

[alex]

Bryn chuckled. “Yes, quite an interesting conversation. That reminds me, why didn’t you tell me about them? You knew Caipra could help me, and that Rumina posed at potential threat.”

[Sinbad]

It was a rightful question, Sinbad thought, a question that deserved an answer. But when he thought about it, he couldn´t easily find one himself. “I didn´t think it was important.” he said after a moment. “we´ve not heard or seen any of the two of them for more than a year.”

[alex]

This made Bryn angry. “Didn’t think important,” she yelled. “You didn’t think that helping me to learn to control my powers was important. I understand that you have not seen Rumina in over a year, and therefore did not think it was important to mention her. Not to mention that it would have been helpful if I knew about her and could have at least been somewhat prepared if she attacked. But Caipra, you could have gone looking for her. Argh.” She used her hands as if she was going to strangle him. But instead of actually strangling him, she crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him before turning to the sea.

[Sinbad]

For a moment, her harsh response nearly triggered something very similar in him and he had already half turned and opened his mouth for a snappy response before he noticed what he was doing. He closed his mouth again. Bryn had never been one to yell at him or be mad at him which told him that what had happened these last few days and what had been set into motion did not only cause himself to act out of way.

He took a breath to swallow his snappy reply and didn´t even know why. Maybe, and some part of him knew that, because snappishness and yelling at each other connected to someone other than Bryn in his mind. He put his hands on his hips and looked to the ground, scowling at himself before he looked up and met her glare. “I was referring more to Rumina, not to your powers.” he said, his voice calm. “I know her, if she was in the condition to harm us, she would have done so already. She was constantly on our tails back then and hasn´t been ever since. I´ve had quite some enemies in my life that showed up and left again so there was nothing personal about not telling you.” He took a break, watching her, trying to see whether his words sank. “I´m sorry about Caipra.” he then said. He didn´t even know for himself why Caipra had never come up. Oh yes you do, his inner voice told him and when he considered it a little closer he came to the conclusion that he had not only avoided Maeve as a topic but also others that he connected to her. Caipra who was Dim Dim´s wife certainly fell into that category. As did Dim Dim. He had never mentioned him much either. Same with Rumina. All of them were people he connected to a time… back then. All of them were persons that connected back to Maeve in one way or the other. He sighed at himself when he noticed the extent of his attempts to avoid pain at all costs.

[alex]

Bryn looked at him and half-smiled. “Aw, forget it. The past is the past. We have to move forward. Apology accepted. Now the important thing is that I can finally meet Caipra. Hopefully she can help me.” She paused. “And as for Rumina, we will deal with her later, as you said, if she shows up.”

[Sinbad]

Bryn tended to quickly calm down again and she made no exception from that habit now. Sinbad was somewhat glad for it because he felt like he didn´t need a confrontation with someone who was mad with him because he was acting like he was right now (and he knew that Bryn had quite some reasons to be mad). On the other hand, he felt his bad conscience nag at him and something more, a long forgotten … drive to welcome confrontation as long as it was playful. He knew he needed someone to kick his butt not and then, but then again that only showed how unbalanced and incomplete he was without… her.

His lips curled into half a smirk. “We certainly will.” He assured her, reaching out to touch her shoulder and squeeze it gently, letting his hand rest there for a moment. “And I really am sorry, Bryn. There are reasons for the way I do things, even if they are not always logical to you. But you´re my friend and you know I wouldn´t keep things from you if I thought that might put you into danger. Trust me in this.” His eyes clearly told that these words were not just meant in a soothing way but that he also meant every single word. He wanted her to understand, he wanted to let her know that even though he might seem irrational and inconsiderate at times, it didn´t happen for reasons of mistrust or however she might interpret his secretiveness.

[alex]

She smiled. “I know. You are a good friend. And friends look out for one another.” She paused, thought a little, smirked, and chuckled. “You just haven’t been the talkative type over the past year,” she said sarcastically.

[Sinbad]

„I know.“ Sinbad said, averting his gaze to look out at the see, not because he couldn´t bear her gaze, but just because. “even though I wonder you´d know.” He added after a moment, raising an eyebrow at her. There was that certain spark in his eyes that would tell anyone who knew him a little that he was meaning his words in a slightly joking way, yet they held a tiny spark of truth. They had only met a year ago and whereas the change he had gone through was becoming more than apparent to Sinbad himself by now, the contrast to the man he had been had to be less obvious for Bryn. He had never seen him back then. With Maeve. Around her he had been different. He silently wondered whether she would even still like to be around the guy he had become. The thought had possible answers that hurt even when he merely considered them.

[alex]

She raised her eyebrow and smirked. "You wonder how I know. Easy, Dermott told me," she whispered.

[Sinbad]

There were to ways out of this right now. The first was to go deeper into it and ask what else Dermott had told her. The second was to take a more humorous route. And that one was the easier one and the captain chose it instinctively. Old habits died hard after all.
“The bird´s getting far too chatty.” he said, putting on a fake serious face.

[alex]

Bryn chuckled. “Oh, and is there a problem with that?”

[Sinbad]

„Well it depends.“ Sinbad said, keeping his nonchalant, slightly cryptic expression. „you see, the danger of having an overly chatty bird on board can be massive.” He was not serious about any of this, but it felt good to talk nonsense now and then.

[alex]

She chuckled. "Oh, and what are you going to do to fix that problem? Roast him? His mistress wouldn't be too happy about that, would she?"

[Sinbad]

The direct, unfaked response to that was a ´Well, if roasting him gets her back lets give it a try.´ but he didn´t say that. Oh how he would have loved Maeve to yell at him because of… well, because of what didn´t really matter. Just whatever. Anything.

His smirk looked a little off, but he somehow managed not to have it look completely off balance. “Probably.” was all he said to comment that.

[alex]

Bryn raised her eyebrow. "Probably? Is that all you can say? I would think definitely would be the proper answer." She smirked and patted him on the cheek. "Don't worry, we'll find her." She then strolled back below, leaving Sinbad just standing there.