s-peculation

it was no secret that stephen had a dislike towards his hands - once dexterous and capable of amazing feats (well, that part was still true), the appendages were now scarred and shaky, sensitive and unable to do even the simplest tasks, such as writing, or things that required precision, like playing an instrument. to her, it was very understandable for him to even abhor his hands, she honestly would have been surprised if he didn't once she heard of his life prior to the incident, yet it still saddened her all the same each time he would accidentally hurt himself or curse his fists. neither of the two were uncommon occurrences, especially the first, so it truly was no surprise when she heard him causing a commotion in the next room and grumbling - while it was inaudible through the walls, she was pretty positive that she knew just what it was over.

" i take it.. something isn't going the way you'd like? " she finished tentatively, unsure of how exactly to word the inquiry. there was no point in asking if he was alright or if something was wrong, the answer to those was obvious, but it was difficult to ask about the situation without mentioning his hands or that he couldn't do whatever the task was. her voice is soft, tone sympathetic and caring not only out of genuine emotion but also in hope of calming him or assuaging at least a little or his agitation - she isn't in any mood to hear yelling, or be yelled at, especially with how nasty he could be when angry.

she walked slowly from the doorway towards the table, nervously wringing her hands at her waist - a gesture she does without thinking, without even realizing it. once she reached his chair, she knelt beside it, looking up at him with a frown. " what happened? " mariona asked, turning her head to study the various objects knocked off of the surface - papers, mostly, though she can't spot a vase and suppresses a sigh at the thought of it being broken.