Corvin Estate, New Thessalonica, Planet Yuma, Coronado
evening of 11 Sept. 824 A.S.
After handing Doreen a cup of tea, neatly placed in a matching plate, Erik brought a cup for himself as well and took a seat in an armchair near the doctor. Happy to enjoy a quiet moment with her, he just leaned back, sipped from his tea and listened to her intently. As she spoke though, he noticed her to be a bit fidgety, which was uncommon. He kept looking at her, although his face drifted from his usual curious look to a more concerned one.
"this is good. Where did you get it?" she asked, regarding the tea. "We grow the hibiscus in one of the farm islands, although we originally brought the plants from Bretonia." he replied politely. In fact, both Erik and his brother Henry were tea aficionados, even before arriving in Sirius. If the circumstances were different, he would've loved to discuss this topic with Doreen, but right now he felt something was missing, compared to their usual interactions.
Observing Doreen a bit more, it became clear. Her eyes were set into the teacup. Someone who once asked him for permission to look deep into his eyes... was now avoiding his sight altogether. He leaned forward from his chair with disquiet in his mind and asked gently "Doreen... is everything alright?" His hand was moving towards hers, almost by instinct, as a sign of reassurance. Still, he stopped himself before touching her, recalling how the last time he took her hand it made Doreen uncomfortable.
