(curtains are passed by, some looked at with disdain for their embroidery or colour. voryn's hand hovers where he can feel their material as he passes by, and he stops at one whose velvet has seduced his fingers into grasping it in hand with a flap of its hem. sturdy, reliable—it's more mahogany than a truer red, but it looks richer than most while remaining affordable.

this one is offered out for liem to not only look at but touch, and voryn watches him patiently over the draping fabric.)

I would call myself spiritual, Talbott, sooner than I could call myself religious. My family is secular, unaffiliated with gods that tend to become meddlesome when too much attention is given to them. Our worship is for our ancestors and for philosophies and the sciences. (this explains a lot on its own, but voryn does not begrudge liem his beliefs. no, if he were to do that, he would be insulting someone who was very dear to him.

his eyes lower to the curtain's thick rope, wondering if he'll ever use it to let natural light into his chambers. unlikely.)

"Stern and sensible"... You seem to share his qualities. Though we are not well-acquainted, you have not treated me with disrespect as some others have done. Is solicitude also a tenet of your faith?