[open] went the distance, now I'm back on my feet

[onlyhymns]

WHO: Cade and you
WHAT: MEET HIM IN THE PIT
WHEN: A good while before the tourney
WHERE: the Inquisition training ground
NOTES: When in doubt you can assume there's a spotter so no one dies.

I. Sparring
If Cade is going to participate in the grand tourney, he needs help: help getting back in shape, help building his confidence, help learning to fight for fun and without actively trying to murder anyone.

He's holding court in the sparring arena for several days in a row, taking all comers, with the only rule being no magic usage allowed. He has a friend or two nearby at any given time-- yes, he has friends now-- to step in if anything gets out of hand.
Cade is still a veritable font of nervous energy, but he's making a good faith effort.

II. Archery

Any and all time is spent at the archery range, drilling. This is considerably less fraught with peril, since Cade is quite a decent archer, and the skill requires a lot more thought and precision before someone dies from it.
In addition to his own practice, he's willing to help others hone their abilities, should they ask.

III. Wildcard

For any other related scenarios.

Comments

i-ish

[limier]

She can’t be there all the time — even half — but she’s a few hours now to take a shift at this, and in truth, she needs it too. The wear of the past few months hasn’t been helped for sitting at a desk between.

There’s a lull in practice now, a break between cautious opponents and empty air. She stretches out an arm to ask,

“Any word from your brother?”

Okay. Apparently they’re having that conversation.

[onlyhymns]

All things considered, the practice has been going well: Cade hasn't tried to kill anyone, has only lost his focus a few times but was easily rerouted. Perhaps he can do this after all.
He's bent against the fence of the sparring ring, catching his breath, when he turns to Wren and his surprised by her question.

"What?" he asks, in a tone that suggests he knows exactly what she said, but isn't sure how it's relevant, why she would care, why anyone would want to think about Callum.

[limier]

"The tournament. Will he be attending?"

Rather: Does Cade think it likely. Which is about as useless of a question, probably, but she watches him impassive all the same. It's been almost a year since the man's disastrous little visit, and she can't expect it to go any better for a surprise.

[onlyhymns]

He hadn't even consider this. Living separate from his family has given Cade the odd privilege of never having to think about them unless he's feeling emotional, and now that Wren brings it up, he realizes Callum's presence at the tourney is.... entirely possible. He straightens thoughtfully, his face going a bit strained.
"I don't know," he admits, his whole body seeming to wince at the thought. "I... well no one has written me to say so." But as a rule they don't write him, so that's hardly unprecedented.

[limier]

"If you wish to see him," Does Cade ever wish to see anyone? There’s an uncharitable thought. He keeps friends enough. "I hope the opportunity presents."

And that someone warns her so they can attach supervision. But:

"I would — that is to say, if you do not wish to," A hand lifts empty, falls away. "This can be arranged."

She’s probably not offering to have him killed. That's Beleth's thing.

[onlyhymns]

At once Cade takes her meaning, and though he's red with mild embarrassment, more than anything he's relieved. "...thank you," he says, with the ghost of a smile, glancing at Wren only briefly before focusing on the ground, "it... should be fine." He's a grown man, he can handle his own awkward relationships. Kind of.

But all the same, something about Wren's offer has touched him. "...thank you," Cade says again, this time clearing his throat, raising his head, and holding her gaze a little longer. He doesn't elaborate right away, but there's a gravitas to the statement that suggests more than 'thanks for sparring with me'. She and Simon are the only people from the Order who stuck by him. Who continue to do so, despite everything. It hasn't gone unnoticed.

[limier]

Good thing they’re both awesome at emotional intimacy. Otherwise this would be awkward.

The impulse to thump a shoulder, to brush an arm, still stutters her motion. But it’s less halting than before. The hover of a hand in place, the way it falls instead to tug a glove Is so slight as to be almost natural. Almost.

"It is nothing that you would not do."

She hopes. Smothers the crawling in her gut for the held gaze. It's — a good thing. This is a good thing, progress. He's trying harder every day, and it tastes nothing like Averie's (like the demon's, she corrects) scorn.

Still too much the same.

[onlyhymns]

Fortunately, the gaze isn't held long. He looks away, and if he notices the strange hand motion, he doesn't comment. It's fine, Cade is tough to beat when it comes to total capacity for awkwardness.

There's silence for a few long moments, perhaps agonizing in that way, but then Cade clears his throat. "Do, um... you want to practice archery?" he offers.