Then you will need- well, perhaps you don't need it, but you will have my help, if you wish to have it. [ She is confident in her abilities, but even she would not presume to tell Paul what he needs and does not need. ]
Perhaps my abilities will be of use to you; if they are not, I intend to stand with you regardless, if only to be a listening ear if you should need one. [ Her gaze slides to the side briefly as she considers the wisdom in practicing her skills with weaponry and seeing them improved upon from where they are now. ]
The Landsraad should know what happened, and you should be the one to tell them. Is pursuing the throne what you want?
[ To a degree, Bastila wants what Paul wants. Her allegiance is to House Atreides, after all, and so her goals and wishes align there too. Perhaps the majority of her allegiance belongs to Paul, but Paul is as surely House Atreides as anyone else could claim to be. And she would argue that no one else presently living has that claim. ]
Is that so? [ A smirk of her own crosses her face and stays there as she looks at Paul. She feels complete when she is with him; she was lured by the Bene Gesserit and the strange, mystifying allure that they represent, but she never wanted distance to grow between her and Paul.
All she really wants, whether she feels free to admit it or not, is to be close to him.
She watches as his expression changes, the hint of a haunted look settling into his eyes, and then she sees his gaze move away from hers. Their brief moment of solitude has, for the moment, come to an end. How many moments like this will they have?
Bastila eyes the Fremen woman who has just joined them; she looks formidable enough, just as she looks at home here with its sand and sandworms and spice. She wonders if Paul would rather have Chani with him than her, his old friend from childhood.
Paul makes introductions, explaining the connection they have and their background, and Bastila is quick to offer a respectful sort of half-bow. If she did not know any better, she would assume that Chani has little interest in her, but then again, why should she? They are strangers, after all, and she is hardly a person of interest at the moment. ]
Lead the way, and I will follow you. [ For now, in her mind, it seems as though her job is to follow in step with Paul and let him take the lead while she offers her support when needed. ]
no subject
Perhaps my abilities will be of use to you; if they are not, I intend to stand with you regardless, if only to be a listening ear if you should need one. [ Her gaze slides to the side briefly as she considers the wisdom in practicing her skills with weaponry and seeing them improved upon from where they are now. ]
The Landsraad should know what happened, and you should be the one to tell them. Is pursuing the throne what you want?
[ To a degree, Bastila wants what Paul wants. Her allegiance is to House Atreides, after all, and so her goals and wishes align there too. Perhaps the majority of her allegiance belongs to Paul, but Paul is as surely House Atreides as anyone else could claim to be. And she would argue that no one else presently living has that claim. ]
Is that so? [ A smirk of her own crosses her face and stays there as she looks at Paul. She feels complete when she is with him; she was lured by the Bene Gesserit and the strange, mystifying allure that they represent, but she never wanted distance to grow between her and Paul.
All she really wants, whether she feels free to admit it or not, is to be close to him.
She watches as his expression changes, the hint of a haunted look settling into his eyes, and then she sees his gaze move away from hers. Their brief moment of solitude has, for the moment, come to an end. How many moments like this will they have?
Bastila eyes the Fremen woman who has just joined them; she looks formidable enough, just as she looks at home here with its sand and sandworms and spice. She wonders if Paul would rather have Chani with him than her, his old friend from childhood.
Paul makes introductions, explaining the connection they have and their background, and Bastila is quick to offer a respectful sort of half-bow. If she did not know any better, she would assume that Chani has little interest in her, but then again, why should she? They are strangers, after all, and she is hardly a person of interest at the moment. ]
Lead the way, and I will follow you. [ For now, in her mind, it seems as though her job is to follow in step with Paul and let him take the lead while she offers her support when needed. ]