Kettle Blew

Writers: Chelle, Clancey
Date Posted: 13th May 2013

Characters: Chupsin, Makarl
Description: Chupsin talks to his brother-in-law after he returns about Sinla's birthingday and ends up getting upset.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 1, day 3 of Turn 7
Notes: Mentioned: Sinla

Makarl came into the kitchen for a little bit of breakfast. He had
been working early this morning, and had completely missed breakfast
in their quarters.

And, with Sinla angry with him, it was difficult to be around his family. He hoped
she would eventually get over it.... He sighed as he stepped into the
kitchen, not really looking where he was walking, or who was in view.

Gathering a few things to eat before he headed back to his duty
rotation, Chupsin saw the form of his brother-in-law enter. He let Makarl
begin his task, but as he passed the man, he made a polite overture.
"Good afternoon, Makarl."

Startled from his contemplation of food choices, Makarl looked
confused a moment. Afternoon? But it was breakfast time. He
pondered that and thought perhaps he had worked through breakfast
_and_ lunch?

"Hello Chupsin." He smiled in his absent-minded fashion to his wife's
brother. "Is it afternoon then? I must have worked through lunch
too. No wonder I am hungry!" The Master jeweler set about gathering
up some meatrolls and other snacks, generally left out for those Hold
residents with odd or busy schedules.

"It is afternoon, but this is when I have midday meal so you haven't
missed it." Inwardly he wondered how the man got anything done since
it seemed he didn't keep track of much. Not really feeling it was his
place, but knowing it might be good to give the man a heads-up, he
carefully steered the conversation. "So how did the birthingday
celebration go when you got back?"

He was not sure how it had become afternoon, he was quite certain he'd
only missed breakfast. But he _was_ sure that he often forgot the
time. So perhaps his wife's brother was correct. He was hungry,
though, and finished gathering up his snacks before turning back to
Chupsin. He flinched a little when the man mentioned the birthingday
celebration, and said uncertainly. "It didn't. I forgot the day,
even though I've been working on her present for quite some
time now. I had the day wrong. I said I was sorry..."

He sighed a little forlornly. "I've never forgotten. Ever."

A flash of anger came but it was quickly hidden. So the man wasn't an
entirely hopeless cause since he had been working on a gift. Still, he
wondered if Makarl only knew that just like that she might have been
gone and all that would have mattered was that he had forgotten and
neglected her? Chupsin was quiet as they got their food then he
followed the man to a table. "Sir, I know it obviously pains you that
you made a mistake. I will tell you, if you do not already know, that
it upset your wife greatly and I would suggest mending fences there
as soon as possible as well as ensuring that she is paid attention
to often in the future."

A flash of anger of his own surfaced, for the second time in as many
sevendays. It died quickly, as his flashes of emotion often did. He
_always_ paid attention to Sinla. And she didn't _want_ to be made up
to. "Chupsin, she didn't want the fences mended. I tried.... " He
sighed and looked away, losing his concentration again for just a
moment, trying to understand what had happened. "I will keep trying...
as I've done for all the turns we've been married. I do love her. I've always
loved her."

"Maybe, it'll just take something a bit out of the ordinary. Not the
usual gift or entreaty. What about you in the early days brought her
joy?" At least the man cared, that was more than he had known when the
time came. "Because Makarl-if you don't-if something happened, you
would never forgive yourself. Never. A family is a precious thing to
have and you must fight all you have for it. You must be the man-the
head of the house that you are-and put your house in order."

And then something inside him cracked, even more than it had during
his conversation with Sinla. "Cherish them. Do whatever you can,
whatever you have to." His bit his lower lip, his eyes becoming a bit
glassy. He wasn't seeing his brother-in-law or thinking of his sister.
"When you see them there, lying on the floor, knowing that you could
have had so much more...never holding the baby in your hands because
all you ever did was take...That is your punishment for taking. Your
wife and child gone in a moment and YOU COULDN'T SAVE THEM!" That last
bit was in a volume much higher than normal and his eyes had taken on
a bit of a stricken look. Then Chupsin realized where they were-in the
middle of the Great Hall eating and people were looking. They couldn't
know that their Hold Healer had cracked up. So he took his leave of
his brother-in-law and hurried out, leaving his food behind.

As he hurried through the corridors, he pushed past people without
looking at them. He felt suffocated. He felt a huge weight pressing
down on him. He had to get out. He couldn't stay here! Everything had
happened here. Growling, he finally reached the bright sunlight of
outside and began to run. **Don't stop running** And he didn't until
his sides hurt and he doubled over, gasping for breath and vomiting
into the grass.

Makarl was completely baffled by the sudden display of his wife's
brother and peered after him as he disappeared. He had started to
comment to Chupsin's advice about cherishing when he saw the man
become distracted.

People were looking, though thankfully, it wasn't full on midday meal time.
Makarl was not really equipped to deal with emotional displays such as
this one, but he did have compassion and kindness on his side and in
great abundance. He would not run after Chupsin, but he would follow
him, and see if he could help the man. He clearly needed some
help.... though perhaps a Mindhealer would be better. Without one
handy, though, there was only one Master Jeweler.

He had flubbed his wife's birthday, but maybe one way he could show
her he loved her and their family was by helping her brother.

So he followed after Chupsin, noting his path through the corridors
and making a guess on where outside the Hold he would end up.

He would see if he could find him first, then he would help him.
Maybe then Sinla would love him again.

Last updated on the June 4th 2013

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Kettle Blew