Prose log with Euram Barows

[percivalthegale]

Who: Percival and Euram (falenas_fop)
When: July 16th - Luserina's birthday (backdated log)
Where: the corridor at the top of the stairs in the manor
What: bickering

Percival trudged up the steps, through the main doors, and across the foyer to the staircase that would take him to his room and the end of another long, hot day. He was baking inside his plate armor, the unruly mustang in the stable had tried to kick him, and he was still feeling a little bothered about having to let Luserina down the previous day. In other words, he was feeling less silly and more serious about needing to find his lucky cravat before things got worse.

Euram was walking through the halls, pen and list in hand. He had been making notes of all the things that could be done like Thomas had requested. He was carefully deliberating which color would best accent this particular stretch when the unmistakable clanking of armor took his attention. Any thought of art was thrown from his mind as he saw Percival. Luserina had told him not the think badly about him…but that was not going to stop him. Percival had obviously done something to make his sister upset just as he’d previously foreseen. “You!” he called out trudging purposefully towards the knight.

Lifting his head at the shout, Percival groaned inwardly when he saw who was addressing him. The last thing he needed right now was an encounter with the uppity noble, but being as Euram was placing himself squarely in the knight's path, he had no choice. He didn't dare assume what had gotten Euram's dander up this time, as pretty much every conversation between them since he'd come to Budehuc had not gone well - it could have been about anything. Percival sighed and came to a stop at the top of the stairs. "Yes, Mister Barows, what is it?" he said tiredly.

Unfortunately for Percival, Euram was filled with righteous rage and he was going to get the bad end of it. “I knew all of your talk about ‘knightly honor’ was just a ruse to keep those who knew better away from your dastardly plans!” He scolded him as he walked until he was right in front of the other man.

Percival's face contorted into the most amusing and painful expression of complete bewilderment; one eyebrow arched up, the other furrowed down, and his lips parted slightly as if he were frozen in mid-comment. It took him a minute to gather himself into an appropriate response. "I...beg your pardon?"

Euram was not fooled for one moment by the look of confused innocence on his enemies face. “By my pardon? Well it is most certainly not given!” He replied quiet loudly. “I demand to know exactly what you did!”

Frowning, Percival folded his arms over his chestplate as best he could, drawing himself up to stare Euram in the eye. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," he said, sternly but sincerely. "Perhaps if you could be less confusing and tell me exactly what I might have done to offend you this time, I could offer a better explanation."

“Forgotten already? It meant so little did it?” Euram asked none too kindly. He knew exactly what he was talking about, so therefore he wasn’t being confusing. “Very well, I demand to know what you did to Luserina!” He paused staring at him quite sternly. “She was in terrible spirits on her birthday with only your name spoken as a cause.”

Two words in that tirade hit Percival like punches, one after the other: 'Luserina' and 'birthday.' His face grew solemn and still, his eyes widening. "What? It's her...birthday? Are you kidding me?" He clapped one gauntleted hand to his face. "Oh dear goddess..."

Euram saw the affect his words had, and was quite pleased with himself. This tricky devil aught to feel ashamed for what he did…whatever that was as Euram still didn’t quite know. He knew it had to have been bad and that was all that mattered. “It was, and you still haven’t answered me!” he said voice edging on tantrum. “What did you do that made her so unhappy? I knew you were not to be trusted from the start.”

Dropping his hand to his side, Percival glared hard at him. "Maybe you ought to close your mouth and listen for a change, Barows," he snarled, "instead of jumping to the wrong conclusions. I know very well that I did something to upset Luserina, but it was nothing dastardly or deviant or any of those other things you like to accuse me of!" The hand at his side clenched into a fist.

Euram flinched back a little at the glare. It was possible that if he didn’t think he was so in the right he might have backed down, but instead he swallowed and glared right back. “Do not think you’ll escape through such a small act of denying the charges! There is enough evidence from her state yesterday to assert that something most dastardly and deviant was done.”

"It was nothing of the sort!" Percival cried, dropping any and all sense of formality in order to deal with this problem, right here and now. "If Luserina didn't tell you, that means it isn't your business, but fine. I would be happy to set you straight," he snapped, facing the nobleman squarely. "She approached me about dating more seriously, and I had to say no. That's all it is, was, and will ever be."

Euram was very taken aback by Percival’s answer. Even though they were about the same height, a fully armored knight snapping at him was an intimidating enough sight to make Euram shrink backwards. As usual the first thoughts of fleeing entered his mind. “Ah…well,” he started trying to collect his thoughts and where to take them. If what Percival said was true then that would mean it was Luserina’s fault…but that didn’t make sense.

 “This would not have happened had you not led her on!” Euram snapped back. He’d told him to just leave her alone, and now look where things were. Ironically it was all of the ‘help’ he’d been getting recently of being told he was nothing but a coward and wanting to change that was what kept him there antagonizing Percival when he probably should have just dropped it.

 "Had I...!" Percival seethed in silence for a minute. He felt bad enough about having to let Luserina down, but it was better that way - better than leading her on for real. He didn't need Euram compounding the problem. Fortunately, he was not the hothead among the knights. His anger turned into a cold, dark stare. "You know nothing," he declared in a low tone. "Less than nothing. You've accused me for no reason, you never took the time to see that your sister and I were friends, and now you're twisting things to fit your own bizarre view of the world all over again. I have had it with you, Barows. Get out of my path and leave...me...alone."

All of the people lining up to tell him he was worthless lately was starting to get to Euram. He still felt he had, at least some, right to call Percival out like this. He’d called this months ago; he said the game was a terrible idea, he’d told Percival to stay away from Luserina, they didn’t listen and now by trying to fix the inevitable problem something was his fault again. “I know enough,” he asserted much less forcefully than every other accusation had been delivered. “I know she was upset, by something that happened and I will set things right, so it does not happen again.”

Percival's expression remained cold, but he set his hands on his hips and lifted his chin. "Is that so?" he said quietly. "And just how do you plan to 'set things right,' Barows? What, exactly, have I done wrong? Declined your sister's advances? I thought that would make you happy, that I'm not interested in pursuing her."

“Well…” Euram floundered a bit at the direct question. He didn’t actually have a plan yet. “Yes it is fortunate that you are not…argh,” he made a frustrated sound trying to get his thoughts back in order. “Obviously something could have been done differently so that she would not have spent her birthday in such distress!”

A portion of Percival's anger deflated out of him with a heavy sigh. "I didn't know it was her birthday, I swear to the Goddess," he said as honestly as he could. "Had I known that...well, it wouldn't change my deepest feelings but I would have at least chosen a more tactful time in which to discuss the topic." He grimaced slightly. "She never told me. Now...I don't think I can even give her a present, it would come across all wrong..."

Percival’s deflating the opposite affect on Euram. It only raised his sense of being in the right if his adversary was agreeing as well. As it was he merely nodded along with all of Percival’s self-accusations. “No, no she will see straight through such attempts as deceit,” he stated very matter of factly, arms moving again as he gained confidence. “The wisest course of action is obviously to quit all contact, less the pain be only increased.” Like he wanted him to do in the first place.

Percival's eyes narrowed as he found a fresh wave of dislike to goad him on. "How dare you call my attempts at an honest friendship 'deceit,'" he breathed in a growl. "You may be her brother, but you are not Luserina's keeper, and you will not tell me what to do. I want to spare her feelings, but I'm not going to throw her aside like a callous jerk - she's my friend!" At least, he thought she was, but he didn't add that part.

It didn’t matter how right he thought he was, anytime the fully armored knight looked at him like that he took a step back. The fleeing reaction was back, and by this point he was finding little reason not to abide by it. However, allowing Percival to have the last word was also not acceptable. “Hmpf, you’re repeating everything you said before. I was right then that it was going to end terribly.” With a flip of his cape he turned to leave.

Percival eyed Euram's back. "You aren't even listening to me," he complained. "You've got this notion of me you formed long ago, and you'd rather cling to it than even try to understand. Fine." He huffed a sigh of finality. "People were saying you'd been changing a little, but I find it hard to believe. You can fool them by acting nicer and offering to help the castle, but you can't fool me. You're still the same selfish brat who cares more about his own sense of right than in his sister's loves and losses." He turned sharply to go. "She deserves better than you for a brother."

Euram froze mid-stride at the harsh words, but didn’t respond beyond a slight waiver. He’d been having enough trouble maintaining the conversation to begin with and being hit right in his every current insecurity was too much to break through and find a retort. It was a good thing Percival had turned his back to spare Euram some pride as he unfroze and ran away.

Percival glanced back only briefly when he heard the tap-tap of Euram's fancy shoes running away down the hall. It figured. He heaved a long sigh and continued on toward his room at the corner of the hallway, eager to put this behind him and get out of his armor. But now, he felt even worse, now that he knew it was Luserina's birthday and he'd screwed everything up.