An Indecent Proposal [Reylan/Bridget]

[reylan]

OoC: This support takes place during the night-morning timeskip.


Reylan's eyes snapped open. The sky was still dark, and morning was still a few hours away. What a convienient time for insomnia,the young knight thought to himself.

Since Reylan couldn't get back to sleep, he decided he'd better make the most of it. Quietly, he exited his tent, taking care not to wake up the others. As he emerged into the open field, Reylan gazed into the sky. Even among the tall oak trees, the stars shined brilliantly in the evening sky.

As far as he could tell, everyone else was asleep. Reylan quietly walked towards the entrance of the camp. A brief walk would clear his mind, he decided.

[Bridget]

"Tis not a normal time to be awake."

Bridget emerged from the darkness, her red attire making her easy to spot. "I saw you leave your tent. I wondered 'Where could he be going? Why is he awake?'" she mused, playing with a lock of her hair. In the moonlight, her necklace gleamed, almost in a sinister fashion. Bridget leaned on a tree, watching Reylan. "If you wish to know why I am awake, tis not something you should concern yourself with. I was merely watching everyone sleep. I need very little rest myself, so do not worry about fatigue on my part." Bridget stopped leaning and looked into Reylan's eyes, her own violet set piercing. "I would not want to cause you any undue stress, good sir. So, if I may be so bold, why are you awake?" she asked.

[reylan]

The effects of insomnia were clearly plaguing Reylan, since he didn't notice the red-garbed thief step out of the shadows. As her voice met his eardrums, Reylan spun around, looking into her clear violet eyes.

"Oh, Bridget. I didn't expect to see you awake at this hour. No matter, it's none of my affair. As for me, I'm having trouble sleeping. Perhaps the burden of being a soldier is catching up with me. I decided to take a walk, and then you convieniently showed up."

Reylan paused, lowering the volume of his voice. "What did you want to speak to me about earlier?"

[Bridget]

"Do relax, Reylan. I will not harm you." Bridget said, laughing. She approached the knight, smiling slightly. "I have a gift. I can read people very easily. When I first saw you, I could see the burden. I thought once we rescued Balthier, it would go away- but no, it stayed. And you still carry it with you." she said. Bridget turned around and folded her arms. "I admit to being somewhat intrigued." she added. Bridget looked over her shoulder at him. "As for what I wanted to speak to you about..." She fully turned around now, arms still crossed. "I know many ways to relieve your burden. Perhaps not permanently, but nothing lasts forever." Bridget cocked her head and smirked. "We are the only ones awake, Sir Reylan, and we are both tired. You have a tent, and I do not." she said. "If you do not understand me, I can spell it out for you. But I do prefer to be subtle."

[reylan]

Reylan listened intently to the young thief's request. She seemed confident - too confident, in fact. Perhaps it was in her blood to be so sure of herself, but Reylan did know that she didn't have a tent.

Her request... the same thing happened when he was a boy. One of his friends were unable to make it back to her house, and therefore slept with Reylan for the night. The resemblance between her and Bridget was very close.

"Do you portray me as a blind man? I am not against you sleeping in my tent... however... it's just... you're a thief. I find it hard to believe you won't steal anything of mine... but Bridget, I trust you very much, to be honest. If you truly find intrigue in me, then you may sleep in my tent. The thing that's bothering me is not what you think it is."

[Bridget]

Bridget laughed and swept her hair behind her neck. "I am a very good thief, Reylan. If I wanted anything of yours, I would take it. I do not need to stoop as low as others." she said. "I am asking for companionship of the most sensitive kind. That requires trust." she explained. Bridget stared into the knight's eyes. "I trust you, for some reason that I cannot explain. You do not trust me, for reasons that are obvious. What I am asking is not something I just decided would be nice. I have travelled alone for a long time, searching for something. I am finally in a group of people that I can trust, and I have found one person that I trust especially, and now I am asking him, you, to let me have one night where I am not alone." Bridget shook her head and turned around. "I will not ask again. Give me your answer, and we will be done."

[reylan]

Reylan nodded at Bridget. "My sincerest apologies, then. I did not mean to be so... brash. The answer is yes. I do trust you, honestly..." Reylan paused again, adjusting his gaze, looking directly into her violet eyes. "I have a reason for it. It's indescribable though..."

At this point, Reylan's voice was barely audible. "I really do want to apologize to you. I've been skeptical of your abilities, and I'm deeply regretful. I'm sorry. Bridget, I find a certain uniqueness in you that is not prevalent in anyone else I've met. You remind me of one of my old friends back in Ostia... she and I were close."

[Bridget]

"Thank you." Bridget said. She leaned on the tree once more, now relaxed. "But how am I unique if I remind you of someone you have met before?" she asked, teasingly. Bridget laughed softly and shook her head. "I am joking, of course." Bridget felt curious now, in spite of herself. "You must have thought highly of her. I am flattered that you would compare us, but you do not strike me as the kind of person who would intentionally seek out friendship with someone like me." Bridget said. She thought for a moment, and then frowned. "I'm sorry if that sounded presumptuous. Forgive me, I would like to know about your friend, if you are willing to tell."

[reylan]

Reylan felt his confidence boost greatly. Looking into Bridget's violet eyes once more, Reylan told of his old friend.

"Don't worry. Curiousity is a natural quality. Her name was Eryn. I met her in childhood, back when I was in poverty. Her family had fled Sacae due to a bandit attack. She took refuge in one of the houses close to my own. You remind me of her looks. Her ash blonde hair was long and wavy, almost exactly like yours. The only difference was her eyes. They were blue, unlike yours. When I first witnessed you, I thought of her immediately. However..."

Reylan paused for a moment, contemplating whether or not he should continue the sentence.

"Although we became close friends, that pleasure was short-lived. Shortly before my father was arrested, which is an entire different story in itself, she and I were swimming in a nearby lake. At one point, she decided to dive in, but she was unaware of how shallow the water was. She ended up drowning."

Reylan sighed as he uttered the last part of the flashback.

"Yes, my past was grievous, which is why I feel sensitive talking about it. However... I'm oddly comfortable telling you."

[Bridget]

Bridget listened to Reylan silently, not offering any words until he was done talking. "Should you ever need someone to talk to, I am here." she told him. Bridget touched her necklace for a moment. "If it would make you more comfortable, you are welcome to ask me anything you would like to know. I will be honest." she added. Bridget didn't mind giving up information; nothing bad ever came from it, in her experience.

[reylan]

Reylan's eyes were still resting on Bridget. His heart was pounding. "Thank you. I am comfortable around you. There is a lot I'd like to know about you, but I'll save it for later."

In reality, Reylan wanted to ask about her motives and her childhood, but he was far too tired. However, his impression of Bridget drastically changed after their conversation. The young knight now saw her as a person he'd want to protect with his life.

"Before we head back to my tent, I want you know something. Bridget, whenever you're distressed, you can come talk to me. I know the battlefield can be arduous. It's a shame you had to be caught up in it. I'm someone you can trust. From now on, you can come to me for anything. Anyway, it's getting late now. Judging by the angle of the moon, morning should be arriving soon. My tent is right near this oak tree."

Reylan started towards his tent, motioning for Bridget to follow him.

[Bridget]

"I am no Etrurian wallflower, Sir Reylan. I can handle myself." Bridget said. "But if I do find myself overwhelmed, you will be the first to know." she added. With that, Bridget decided it was time to stop talking, and time to get some sleep. She didn't need much rest, but what little she did need was crucial. With no more words spoken, she followed Reylan.