Afterwards, despite Nocturnal's wishes, the three of them were not united. Karliah bound them together, as best she could, friendly with both Atria and Brynjolf, speaking to the latter at length, sometimes in the Flagon, sometimes in her reclaimed Nightingale Hall. At first, Atria thought it her own mind, but wasn't alone in noticing the distance that grew between her and Brynjolf.
"I guess I'll have to stop calling you Brynjolf's protege." Vekel said to her one night. Atria laughed sadly, she had no other appropriate response, save to wonder if Bryn had ever thought of her that way. He certainly was taking pains to avoid her now, protege, fellow Nightingale and whatever else they were to each other. He was always busy when she tried to speak to him and eventually, she stopped trying.
"You should talk to Brynjolf." Karliah said as a greeting when Atria came into Nightingale Hall. It had been weeks since they'd chased down Mercer and she'd entered the Twilight Sepulchre, and while she and Karliah were closer than ever, relations between Atria and Bryn had fallen apart.
It had gone from awkward to utter disaster, neither one of them being able to look at the other when they were in the Flagon. She would feel him staring her at her, looking at her with such ferocity that the gaze felt like a scorch, but he never said anything. When she returned his looks, he would find something to busy himself or strike up a conversation. It was maddening, mostly because she didn't know exactly what it was.
She suspected that he knew how she'd felt that night, and every moment since, but couldn't bring himself to break her heart. That was almost too gallant for a man that introduced himself as a thief, and despite the terrible irony, it made her like him more.
"I'd love to talk to him, but he thinks we have nothing to say." Atria explained tersely, her frustration coming out in the sentence. "I'm sorry, this isn't easy." She said to Karliah, who nodded.
"I know, but he's been here a few times, and I think you owe it to him to at least let him know how you feel one way or the other. That way he won' t go on wondering if he just imagined a connection between the two of you that night because he wanted one so badly." Atria felt shock ricocheting through her. Those were her thoughts, her lines, not his. He was the one leaving her out in the cold, letting her off gently. When she didn't answer, Karliah spoke up again.
"Look, I was the odd man out that night, no matter what it felt like, and I still managed to have a good time. Being driven out of your mind with pleasure isn't usually the way of Lady Nocturnal, but I'm glad it was this time. She was right, I do feel more - connected than I have in a while, but you two didn't really need that night to make a bond. You do need to talk to repair it, before Nocturnal hatches another plan for you two to win her devotion."
"Right." Atria said absently, missing the small jest. "I should get to the guild." She walked away, too lost in thought to hear Karliah's goodbye.
A Price to Pay 8/9
"I guess I'll have to stop calling you Brynjolf's protege." Vekel said to her one night. Atria laughed sadly, she had no other appropriate response, save to wonder if Bryn had ever thought of her that way. He certainly was taking pains to avoid her now, protege, fellow Nightingale and whatever else they were to each other. He was always busy when she tried to speak to him and eventually, she stopped trying.
"You should talk to Brynjolf." Karliah said as a greeting when Atria came into Nightingale Hall. It had been weeks since they'd chased down Mercer and she'd entered the Twilight Sepulchre, and while she and Karliah were closer than ever, relations between Atria and Bryn had fallen apart.
It had gone from awkward to utter disaster, neither one of them being able to look at the other when they were in the Flagon. She would feel him staring her at her, looking at her with such ferocity that the gaze felt like a scorch, but he never said anything. When she returned his looks, he would find something to busy himself or strike up a conversation. It was maddening, mostly because she didn't know exactly what it was.
She suspected that he knew how she'd felt that night, and every moment since, but couldn't bring himself to break her heart. That was almost too gallant for a man that introduced himself as a thief, and despite the terrible irony, it made her like him more.
"I'd love to talk to him, but he thinks we have nothing to say." Atria explained tersely, her frustration coming out in the sentence. "I'm sorry, this isn't easy." She said to Karliah, who nodded.
"I know, but he's been here a few times, and I think you owe it to him to at least let him know how you feel one way or the other. That way he won' t go on wondering if he just imagined a connection between the two of you that night because he wanted one so badly." Atria felt shock ricocheting through her. Those were her thoughts, her lines, not his. He was the one leaving her out in the cold, letting her off gently. When she didn't answer, Karliah spoke up again.
"Look, I was the odd man out that night, no matter what it felt like, and I still managed to have a good time. Being driven out of your mind with pleasure isn't usually the way of Lady Nocturnal, but I'm glad it was this time. She was right, I do feel more - connected than I have in a while, but you two didn't really need that night to make a bond. You do need to talk to repair it, before Nocturnal hatches another plan for you two to win her devotion."
"Right." Atria said absently, missing the small jest. "I should get to the guild." She walked away, too lost in thought to hear Karliah's goodbye.