#rauta

SCENE

Kings Holm Palace Barracks courtyard, about mid-noon, sun is high and shining and it appears to be spring time. Rauta Skoll and someone else idk who else is there standing by a fence. Rauta leans against it casually, shirtless and popping little grapes in his mouth. Skoll sits at one of the fence posts, both watching a training ring a couple hundred feet away. In the ring is Iske, giving pointers to a few warriors using a sword to correct their arms and stance. Iske is also shirtless, but coated in sweat and his hair up away from his neck.

Skoll: I think its hard for me to grasp how cold it is where you guys are from.

Rauta: Oh yeah?

Skoll: Yeah like, I guess its kinda just strange cus its like….when you hear ‘tundra’ it paints a clear image in your head but if you’ve never been there I guess its like…..can’t really grasp the reality of it. I mean we get snow here, but not like up there.

Rauta: Mmm. Yeah we get ice. Falls from the sky more than snow I think. Keeps you ‘vigilant’. I’m not gonna say I miss it, even if it is a little sweaty down here for my tastes. Where my family is from I’m not even used to seeing the sun every single day. S’weird.

Skoll: [chuckles] Its not that hot, we’re not even into summer yet. Sometimes it’ll feel like the sun is two inches away.

Rauta: [playfully] Oh goodie.

[they watch Iske wipe sweat from his brow and roll his neck a little bit, affected by the weather. Even if it is mild.]

Skoll: …..he really seems affected by it more than you.

Rauta: YEAH thing is I’m not affected by much. I feel like I’m always shirtless but Iske isn’t. I don’t really think that its just the weather thats bothering him either.

Skoll: Mm. I guess that makes sense. It must be a really weird transition.

Rauta: Yeah but I’ll live. Iske may seem like the guy who’s not ready for change but he’s been really good about accepting it.

[he pauses in thought and pops another grape into his mouth as he watches Iske silently looking over the troops.]

Rauta: But I can tell hes bothered. He can be a bit dramatic to changes, but its because hes incredibly insecure.

Skoll: …...so hes….

Rauta: Flexing. Yeap. Big time. He’s trying to show off and hope nobody realizes how uncomfortable he is.

Skoll: …...huh. See I kinda got that vibe but I didn’t want to say anything or overstep somewhere.

Rauta: Nah you’re fine. He doesn’t like people knowing that about him at all. He likes to stick with what he knows cus he knows what to predict and expect, you get it. Used to, you couldn’t get him to do shit, but lately hes uhh-

[Iske looks up from his training and makes eye contact with Rauta. He has his eyebrows perked a little bit, as if subconsciously asking for validation. Rauta grins broadly and waves playfully at Iske. Iske’s expression runs a little embarrassed smile as he waves back. Rauta blows him a kiss, Iske responds to it by rubbing his cheek fondly before returning to work]

Rauta: I dunno, I’m proud of him.

Skoll: Awww look at you guyyyys. Big bad warlords givin each other flowers ‘n shit in your lil honeymoon phaaase~. So why air out your husband’s little dark secret?

Rauta: [without looking at Skoll continuing to watch Iske and grinning] When you put it that way it sounds insincere of me, but I do it cus it makes him easier to take. You’re gonna learn that he is all nerves sometimes, and it can get pretty overwhelming. In fact a lot of him is.

[Rauta hushes his tone and leans a little further over, but does not remove his gaze from Iske]

Rauta: Between you and me, sometimes he gets so wrapped up in what he thinks others think and believe about him that he can be really hard to sway unless you have proof. It drives me crazy because it really feels like sometimes he just won’t listen to what you say. No matter how reassuring you think you’re being, it feels like he just wants to be tied up and miserable in his delusions of worthlessness. Like he cannot believe it. It gets so frustrating trying to convince him of something he can’t hear and it starts to feel like he can’t believe me or doesn’t trust me and what I’m saying.

[Rauta looks contemplative as if it pains him to say these things, but shakes his head more reassuringly. Skoll looks to him, offering a sympathetic look.]

Rauta: Just when I think I can't take any more of this, I take a step back and I look at him and I think about how it must feel to be him. He can’t help that he can’t see what I want him to see, that he has to constantly prove himself. There is a great deal of pain being an enemy with yourself, and he just needs someone around to show him and prove to him that what he sees in himself isn’t the reality. And he always comes around. He tries. And that is doubly important that he tries to see what I see and believe me. And I know that being there for him when he is impossible shows him what he needs to see the absolute most, and that he will always be there for me when I’m being impossible. Not just me but others too. Its given him great patience in other people.

Skoll: [looking a bit relieved that that came to a clean conclusion. He chucks a small soft rock at the dirt] Marriage isn’t easy, huh.

Rauta: [visibly relaxing] Yeah I could also wax poetic about how its about loving someone at their worst and shit, but listen. You got that. It’s worth it. Love is worth it. Which is why in Skoggsden you can marry like a billion times and it always means something. It’s always magical and enchanted and whatever.

[Iske shouting at a warrior in the distance “PUTS YOUR FUCKING BACKS INTO IT. USE YOUR FUCKING ARMS.”]

Skoll: I can see what you mean by a little overwhelming.