"Helping you?" the Bull asks, because offering condolences might make it that much harder for Dorian to get the story out the way he needs to. Some people do well with that sort of thing, need something softer and sympathetic, and maybe it's just the Bull's perspective, his need to power through his own shit and out the other side colouring his judgement, but right now Dorian doesn't seem the type. Clarify Dorian's story first, let him finish going over it. Figure out how much sympathy Dorian needs after that.
"This back when you came and warned us at Haven?" There's some stuff, still, that the Bull doesn't know about that time, some of the little details. He put enough together afterward to make a good report, but it's always good to put all the other pieces together when you can get them confirmed. Always, but especially now, when the Bull needs anywhere that isn't here to send his mind to while his body keeps on crawling though the dark.
"He must have been able to keep Felix going for a while, if it was Felix who was in contact with you then. So, you and Alexius argued, you had other shit to deal with for a while, then Felix was still able to get in touch with you in Redcliffe?"
Other shit to deal with. The Bull's control over his tone might not always be as tight as he wants it to be right now, but he says that part without a hesitation or a hitch. He remembers too well what Dorian looked like then, when they were in it together, when Dorian still thought it was real. He remembers Dorian standing guard in front of a body, remembers the magebane and the expression on Dorian's face.
Better gloss over that part of Dorian's history unless Dorian wants to bring it up. It isn't something that the Bull's going to bring up himself, not when the topic's already pretty sensitive as it is.
Might not be a lot about the last year or two of Dorian's life that isn't. Guy's had a hard time of it. That's not something the Bull's going to say either, that Dorian's had it pretty rough, but he wonders what Dorian would say to him if he did.
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"This back when you came and warned us at Haven?" There's some stuff, still, that the Bull doesn't know about that time, some of the little details. He put enough together afterward to make a good report, but it's always good to put all the other pieces together when you can get them confirmed. Always, but especially now, when the Bull needs anywhere that isn't here to send his mind to while his body keeps on crawling though the dark.
"He must have been able to keep Felix going for a while, if it was Felix who was in contact with you then. So, you and Alexius argued, you had other shit to deal with for a while, then Felix was still able to get in touch with you in Redcliffe?"
Other shit to deal with. The Bull's control over his tone might not always be as tight as he wants it to be right now, but he says that part without a hesitation or a hitch. He remembers too well what Dorian looked like then, when they were in it together, when Dorian still thought it was real. He remembers Dorian standing guard in front of a body, remembers the magebane and the expression on Dorian's face.
Better gloss over that part of Dorian's history unless Dorian wants to bring it up. It isn't something that the Bull's going to bring up himself, not when the topic's already pretty sensitive as it is.
Might not be a lot about the last year or two of Dorian's life that isn't. Guy's had a hard time of it. That's not something the Bull's going to say either, that Dorian's had it pretty rough, but he wonders what Dorian would say to him if he did.