Mayerling smiles, lopsided and amused and fond. He brushes his hair back with his freed hand continues to do so because Sharon's hair defies neatness. He stops only to seriously answer Sharon's answers, themselves questions. His hand rests on her shoulder as a light touch.
"We spoke of my wife, six years past, who wished for me to move on and find happiness with another person, who I shared with you wished for that," Mayerling says. It may be terrible to bring Charlotte up more, but she's tangled up among them, a part of the conversation. Even her memory gives Mayerling the push to live his life. Can she do the same for Sharon?
"I wish I could share memories of her with you, so you could better understand," Mayerling says, "In lieu of that, I will share one memory in words, and with your permission, I will give you the advice I believe Charlotte would."
"Two of the Marcus brothers caught us on a bridge in daytime. They shot Mashira, who leaped over the side of the bridge, and pulled Charlotte out of the carriage. I came out of the carriage after her. Immediately, I began to burn. The elder brother shot me with four arrows. I staggered after her. They laughed. Charlotte broke free, ripped an arrow from me, and held it to her throat. She threatened to kill herself if I let myself die on the bridge, if I let them kill me there," Mayerling says, "No idle threat. Charlotte had a will of iron. She would have fallen through, and knowing that, I could not let that happened. Which was the point of course."
Mayerling smiles. Who couldn't love or at least respect someone willing to put their own life on the line like that?
"I understand if all this talk of her puts you off of me," Mayerling adds, "However, you sound confused and uncertain about what you want. Charlotte had a way of clarifying things, and I believe she could help you. I want to do my best, though it be a pale comparison, because I care most to honestly know which it is you want—a date or a friend date.
CW: references to Romeo & Juliet like suicide threat
"We spoke of my wife, six years past, who wished for me to move on and find happiness with another person, who I shared with you wished for that," Mayerling says. It may be terrible to bring Charlotte up more, but she's tangled up among them, a part of the conversation. Even her memory gives Mayerling the push to live his life. Can she do the same for Sharon?
"I wish I could share memories of her with you, so you could better understand," Mayerling says, "In lieu of that, I will share one memory in words, and with your permission, I will give you the advice I believe Charlotte would."
"Two of the Marcus brothers caught us on a bridge in daytime. They shot Mashira, who leaped over the side of the bridge, and pulled Charlotte out of the carriage. I came out of the carriage after her. Immediately, I began to burn. The elder brother shot me with four arrows. I staggered after her. They laughed. Charlotte broke free, ripped an arrow from me, and held it to her throat. She threatened to kill herself if I let myself die on the bridge, if I let them kill me there," Mayerling says, "No idle threat. Charlotte had a will of iron. She would have fallen through, and knowing that, I could not let that happened. Which was the point of course."
Mayerling smiles. Who couldn't love or at least respect someone willing to put their own life on the line like that?
"I understand if all this talk of her puts you off of me," Mayerling adds, "However, you sound confused and uncertain about what you want. Charlotte had a way of clarifying things, and I believe she could help you. I want to do my best, though it be a pale comparison, because I care most to honestly know which it is you want—a date or a friend date.
"Would that... be okay with you?"