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james nods along as dahlia rattles off a list of highly important itinerary to be scheduled, only half-listening as he absent-mindedly types reminders into his tablet. he can't help but feel how inappropriate and disrespectful this sort of casual discussion is in a place like this, ascending the steps of a mountain of graves, but jamie keeps his mouth shut and tries not to think about how soon, he will be returning here to say farewell to one of his own companions. [break]

this thought is what distracts him and he can't help but cast a glance at estelle, who walks beside him. her arthritis is clearing bothering her today with the way she limps slightly but she doesn't give any indication that she's ready to go back inside her ball or to be carried, and while it pains him to watch her struggle, jamie knows that the espeon is proud and any insistence before she's ready will only result in him getting swatted and hissed at. [break]

dahlia's question catches him off-guard and it takes a long moment for him to be able to respond, unsure what answer dahlia expects from him. mouth suddenly dry, he swallows painfully before quietly responding, "you forget that i was military, ms. goode." jamie decides to leave it at that, the long repressed guilt coming up to gnaw at him from within. noticing her discomfort, he removes his cape from around his neck and sweeps it over the commissioner's shoulders for warmth. [break]

satisfied, jamie flickers his gaze up to meet dahlia's eyes. "but i suppose i still am, in a way. you never stop being a soldier," he adds, voice tight and eyes swimming with regret. "ms. goode, tell me- are we here to visit someone you lost?"

dahlia goode

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james' face softens when she speaks, empathizing with that familiar ache of impending loss but when he opens his mouth to respond, he isn't able to find the right words to comfort her because he's never actually heard any that have provided any sort of salve to the open wounds death leaves behind.

uncertain, james shuts his mouth and looks away for a long moment before turning his gaze back to her, eyes widening a bit when she speaks her desire to get to know him better and instinctively he feels himself fold in on himself but that isn't the way this game he's got himself embroiled in is meant to be played. "i'm not very interesting, i'm afraid," he says in a light tone and a small half-hearted quirk of the corner of his lip.

dahlia goode