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"The night is quite pleasant, Bryn."
“We could sit outside for a bit.”
“Is it cold?”
“I don't think so. Are you cold?”
“No.”
“What’s funny? Sit over there.”
“I won’t sit with my bare ass, Brynjolf. Lay the blanket down.”
“Don’t sit with your feet over the water.”
“Why not?”
“You’ll catch a cold. Don’t laugh, I’m being serious.”
“Sit down, will you?”
“Aye, I will. Come here.”
“Do you have to leave early in the morning?”
“No, why?”
“I was expecting you’d say—Aye, lass, Mercer’s on my ass about something.”
“No need to mock me, lass. Besides, you could’ve been doing that with me.”
“I find my current association with the Guild to be just enough.”
“Aye, the sexual nature of the association is especially appealing.”
“Don’t be crude. It is beyond sexual.”
"In what way?"
"What do you mean by 'in what way'? I like spending time with you. It is beyond just sex—like now. What's that look on your face?"
"Hm—then why won't you join me in the Guild?"
"You know why. Seriously—what’s that look? I don't care about that line of work, Bryn. I'd prefer to stay in my own. Besides, I don't think I would fit."
"I must disagree. I think you would make an exquisite member. Perhaps I’ll convince you one day. What's funny?"
"Nothing."
"Why are you chuckling, then?”
“You are chuckling, too.”
"Because you are. Lie down."
“Why—do you want to stargaze? Tsk, don’t scoff—I will, but don’t lie on my hair.”
“I won’t.”
“Brynjolf, you’re petting me like a dog.”
“Don’t push my hand away. I’m being gentle.”
“Please, just be still.”
“Huh.”
“What?”
“Nothing, a torchbug.”
“Bryn—“
“Hm?”
“Kiss me.”
"Your nose is cold. Should we go inside?"
"It's not. I like it here. Oh, a meteor."
"I must’ve missed it.”
”Oh, I feel nauseous suddenly.”
“You must've stared too deeply into the sky. We brought tea, did you forget? It must be cold as ale now.”
“Hand me that. I’ll warm it up.”
“You are remarkable.”
“Don't drool. This spell is quite easy to cast, Bryn.”
“Who said anything about a spell? Don't be dismissive. I mean what I said.”
“I'm sorry, Bryn. Drink this while it’s warm.”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I'm thinking.”
“What about?”
“Nothing.”
“Don't do that.”
“Do what?”
"Play mind games with me, lass. It’s too late for that.”
“I'm not.”
"Then why are you smiling?"
"You're smiling, too."
"Forget it."
"Oh, come on now, don't wipe it off. Smile looks good on you."
"Lie back down. I stretched my arm out for you."
"Did you do something to your hair?"
"No. Where'd you get that from? Hey, that hurts!"
"Sorry! I could've sworn that there was a braid in it a few hours ago."
"Hm. Then you must've done something to it."
"I don't recall. Scooch over, I'm on the edge. That's good. Can I ask you something?"
"Aye. No complicated questions, lass."
“How’d you end up in the Guild?”
“What do you mean? How does anyone end up in the Guild?”
“Don’t mock my question, Bryn. I don't imagine you’d gotten in any other way. Don’t laugh now. Ugh, let me rephrase—why did you end up in the Guild?”
“Now—that’s a complicated question. I was young, lass. The Guild was quite prosperous back then, wealthy, glorious... You get carried away by such ideas when you are young."
“You speak of it as if you regret it.”
“Don’t get me wrong—I don't regret it. If I could go back in time, I'd probably have made the same choice. But, as I got older, I recognized that the young lad in me might’ve wanted something different for himself. Despite all of this now.”
“And, what happened?”
“I met good people along the way. Silly as it sounds, we are a family down there. This rough patch is a storm, but we’ll weather through it.”
“I understand. I don’t think you should regret it. A contentment at heart is what matters the most.”
“Are you?”
“What?”
“Content at heart?”
“I think so.”
“Why did it take you that long to answer?”
“I don’t know. I think this is the most content I’ve ever felt; if ever.”
“Do you not know if you’d ever been content?”
“It’s hard to answer that. Or no—it's easy. You can't know what you're feeling if you've never felt it before. One can only assume that they’re in love if they’ve never been before, but they can’t know.”
“See, lass, that’s where I disagree. You can’t not know whether you’re in love.”
“You think so?”
“I do. It’s a unique feeling.”
“The stars agree, Bryn. Another meteor.”
“Which one is that?”
“Where?”
“Over there.”
“I’m not sure. I don’t think that’s a constellation.”
“Hm. Just a star then.”
“No star is ever just a star.”
“My bad, lass. That one caught my eye.“
"Some believe they are powerful omens—the stars."
“Eh, I don’t know about that, lass. I like to keep my eyes on the ground.”
"You could miss out on beautiful things. What? Doesn't it feel beautiful now?"
"It does. But I don't think it's in the stars."
“What are you doing?”
“I’m kissing you. Your eyes.”
"Yes, I have a pair. I'm surprised you haven't noticed them. What?"
"I've never seen a color like that."
"Shut up. Is that a way to compliment me?"
"There's a torchbug in your hair. Don't squish it. Tsk. See? You scared it."
"It doesn't look scared to me. I think it likes you."
"Aye. All the gentle creatures do. I have a way with 'em. Is that funny?"
"A little. Oh, there it goes."
"Where was I? Ah, right, around here somewhere."
"Ah. Ah, Brynjolf!"
"Mhm-hm."
"Hm, that feels nice. Oh!"
"You're remarkable."
"So you'd said."
"You were right."
"Huh?"
"A star is never just a star."
"You were right, too."
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
"Pfft. Mind games, lass."