[If there was one benefit to the other scions being trapped in sleep, it was that there was nobody to scold Rose for getting captured. At least, that was Rose thought, until she woke up to a very angry lalafell standing over her bed. Tataru took two hours to get the screaming and crying out of her system, and that was soon followed by a litany of people from Ishgard.]
[According to what they said, Rose had slept for three full days. Rose could easily believe it. Her entire body was sore, and she felt like she had been hit by a cart. She had been malnourished before she started running, and the last spell she cast drained her of what energy she had left.]
[Still, it's good to feel safe, and after the healers usher everyone out, Rose has some time to herself. There's little she can do right now beyond sitting in bed. She's under strict orders to not leave her tent, and she isn't about to risk the wrath of Tataru.]
[The day after the rescue, Takame went into full seclusion. After the debrief where he spoke no more than necessary, he all but disappeared. It wasn't until the second someone swore they spotted "a man with a spiked tail" in a local pub.
The third morning he had to nurse an agonizing hangover. But even through it all he had made subtle requests inquiring the Warrior of Light's condition, concerned at how long she'd been asleep. He knew she was still alive when he handed her off, but he did not think she would be out this long.
It was why as soon as he received word that she had awoken, he went to see her. He still had to thank her. It took time for her many visitors to shuffle through, he did not want to cut in line as it were, and he had to negotiate with the healers but at least they recognized him as the one who saved her. It was not as difficult.
It took him a moment. A long one. Nearly fifteen minutes. Before he shyly brushed one flap of the tent's entrance aside.]
... Lady Rose? [At least he knew her name for sure now, they shouted it enough...]
[Rose isn’t sure who to expect when she sees her tent open yet again. She breathes a sigh of relief when she realizes that it’s only Takame. There are many people she’s closer to, and each one of them has come in to scold her already. It’s nice to have someone that isn’t going to remind her that she’s no longer allowed out of the house by herself.]
[There are a lot of emotions she’s still dealing with, but she’s brushing them all to the side for now. She smiles at Takame as he enters the tent. It’s a very earnest smile, the kind she usually can’t manage.]
Please, don’t call me ‘Lady.’ And don’t start with any ‘hero’ talk, either. I’ve spent the last two years begging the Scions not to refer to me as such, and now I have entire continents doing it.
[She pauses. There’s something she needs to say, isn’t there?]
Now that we’ve escaped the Castrum, I owe you a thank you. I don’t want to think about what would have happened had you not come.
[He hadn't stepped in fully yet, but when he did he bowed his typical Far Eastern bow. He'd learned a more standard Eorzean one, but habit got the better of him once again.
He was somewhat thrown off by how averse she was to be referred to with a proper title or as a hero. Was that not what she was? She deserved the titles the continents gave to her for all she's done. He would accept her wishes regardless, even if he was a bit confused.]
I see. Rose then. [That correction being done, he took tentative steps towards her bedside, not wanting to be too close without her consent. Not being worthy of being close.]
'Twas your spell that granted us the opportunity to escape. You needn't thank me. [A short pause, enough time for him to brush a long strand of hair away from his face.] I owe you my thanks if anything.
[Rose sees the bow, and it makes her feel more at ease. Very few here know that she was raised in Hingashi, and it’s not a secret she’s about to reveal. Still, there’s something to be said for familiarity.]
[Despite this, she still finds it within herself to wave her hand dismissively. If there is one thing she hates, it’s needleee thanks. Especially when she was the one who had seen him in danger in the first place. When she was the one who had killed his teammates.]
Yes, you wouldn’t have been able to escape if not for me. You also wouldn’t have been there if not for me. Had you not come, the best case scenario would still have me rotting in a cell. I believe I owe the thanks here.
[She pauses. There’s something weighing on her mind, and she’s sure it’s weighing on his even more so.]
I haven’t told anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about.
[Takame did not make it obvious, but the tension in his shoulders relaxed considerably when she said she didn't tell anyone. He let out a quiet sigh of relief, easily mistakable for a regular breath. It wasn't that he did not trust Rose to not share his affiliation with the Empire.
But she had every reason to sell him out to the Alliance, to kill him even. He did not know why she didn't, it baffled him. But he was thankful.]
... You have my gratitude. Truly. [He took a single step closer, then stepped back again. His tail quite literally started to tuck between his legs though he kept that same stoic demeanor.] Gratitude is not all I owe you... I must apologize to you as well.
[Rose is too tired to notice, or care, about the subtle shift in Takame's demeanor. The last thing on her mind was killing the person who had saved her; she isn't one who loves pointless bloodshed.]
[The look Rose shoots Takame is quizzical. She follows his line of thought, but doesn't agree. Contrary to typical Hingashi fashion, Rose is never one to hide how she feels.]
Don't worry about an apology. What you did was necessary. I'm not going to pretend to love battle, but I hold even less love for people trying to capture me.
[As much as he wanted to accept how easily she dismissed what happened, he could not. He gave a gentle shake of his head.] I lost control of myself.
[Behind him, his fingers curled into a fist and he averted his eyes, clearly ashamed of himself.] The reasoning did not matter. I should have stayed calm, but... ["I had to get out of there..." There's a quiet grumbling from him. Something mumbled that sounded like an aggressive self-reprimand. Then a deep sigh and another shake of the head.]
I should not have subjected you to that failure. For that I must apologize. [He bowed deeply again, the voices of a slightly younger Hyur and Sunseeker in his head being the only things keeping him from dropping to the floor to do so.]
[Rose waved her hand again. Really, people like this annoyed her. Why couldn’t they take the compliment and leave it? Sure, he had left a trail of dead Imperials in his wake, but Rose had been rumored to do far worse. Whether she actually had or not was another matter entirely.]
Yes, and I shouldn’t have ventured out on my own, even if it was only to the local pub. I am still at the top of the Empire’s most-wanted list, and I need to exercise caution.
[She’d had those words repeated to her no fewer than five times over the last twenty four hours. Gods help her, she’s likely to never get another moment alone.]
But I did, and I’m still fine. [Barely.] Perhaps you shouldn’t have lost control, but who’s to say what would have happened if you didn’t? There’s no point worrying about it. Besides, I’m not sure what history you had with that commander, but he certainly had far worse coming to him.
[She shivers. “There’s no use running. They’ll catch the eikon slayer.” The words haunt her even now, only because she fears they are true. It’s well and good to be safe with the Alliance now, but what’s to stop the Empire from attacking again?]
But I... [He was so lost now. How could she not despise him for such a display, how would she not do everything in her power to see that he was punished to the highest degree. It always happened when he failed, so why not now? Why not with the one woman who has the authority to do so? The damned Warrior of Light herself.
He didn't understand. He couldn't understand. But if this was what she wished to do, should he not just accept that? Why couldn't he now...
In the end it mattered little either way considering Yuzuka was little more than a stain on the wall. At least that's all Takame saw of him after he regained awareness. The fact that he survived this long and was called to Gyr Abania was all but a confirmation that the Empire had been combining forces for an All Out Ala Mhigan Assault. It did not bode well.] ... Indeed. He and his unit would have been executed for failing to capture you again.
Of course they would have. Hard to believe the Empire refers to us as savages when they go around killing their own people.
[Rose frowns. Even if they are her enemies, they’re likely to have their own families and loved ones. If the Empire had threatened her or her sister, Rose’s parents wouldn’t have hesitated to become soldiers. It was likely the same for the division that pursued her. Not to mention, if the Empire is so content to murder it’s own citizens, how would they treat the Scions? She had never let on to anyone, but it concerned her.]
What will you do now? The Alliance could use a soldier like you, I think.
[Said half to himself just as a statement of fact. He may have no right to call them out on it, though. Having believed in that so strongly as well... Believed, was told to think, he didn't know. He didn't believe in anything.
He couldn't even work up the courage here to say something to soften the truth. It didn't matter. Rose already probably thought nothing of him.]
... Me? What will I...? [That was a question he never knew how to answer. He just went where he was told... but he came to Eorzea to find something he could do with himself. But even to this day he did not know. A millennia long war ceased, two lands liberated since he arrived in this realm. Even longer since the Crystal called to him. And he still didn't know. He never considered the Alliance. Their time was spent in Gyr Abania in these recent days. A land he'd only traveled to for this mission.] The Alliance could... Is that what I should do?
A cleansing, is it? Not what I'd call murder, but to each their own.
[Rose frowns. The more she hears about the Empire, the more afraid she becomes. What had she done to deserve this? She never meant to be the one foiling their plans, it just kind of happened. Repeatedly. And then she killed their prince.]
[There's a heavy sigh and she's lost in her own thoughts, until she remembers she has company. Rose looks at Takame, and shrugs her shoulders. She shouldn't tell someone else what to do. She does a piss poor job of it when she's telling herself what to do.]
Far be it for me to tell me how to live your life. It's ultimately your decision.
... My decision? Hm... [He noted that sigh of hers. He knew that sigh well, being frequently lost in indecision and having traveled alongside others who held much on their shoulders.
He never knew what to do save listen, offer an arm to curl into, a shoulder to lean on. But he did not feel worthy of touching Rose here. He didn't know her well. Perhaps it was just to avoid making his own decision, he never knew what the hells to do. He didn't know if he should enlist with the Alliance.
There is a long silence. The only shuffling in the room at the moment being Takame actually moving to sit on a short chair left by Rose's bedside.] Are you alright?
[The movement sets Rose on edge, and the next thing she knows, Takame is sitting beside her. Had she put off such an aura of concern? Usually, she’s better at hiding it.]
[It’s not that she wants to be a martyr, but there’s some things she can’t say for fear of worrying others. There’s some things she can’t voice for fear of worrying herself. There’s only one thing to do, and that’s pretend that she doesn’t understand the nature of the question.]
Yes. I’d be a rather piss-poor healer if I couldn’t heal myself, wouldn’t I? Besides, I’ve had enough people circling around me the last few days to staff a small hospital. I’m fine.
Well... I am glad to hear that. [A pause. He let out a huff, barely audible or noticeable, and shook his head softly.]
But that isn't what I meant. Hm... [He was quiet for a bit, unsure of how to ask what was on her mind. There were queues he did not always pick up on in social situations, to be sure. He admitted to being rather daft when it came to this, still learning what to do and how best to manage what gained Hina such a following.
He spent enough time around her and Zhian, however, to learn what people do when something is weighing on them so much that they can no longer carry it. Hypocritical of him to want to lend Rose his help, perhaps. But he's done nothing worthy of praise or aid.]
No, I don’t suppose that’s what you were talking about at all.
[Busted. Rose’s lips form into a pensive smile. If Alphinaud or the others had ever recognized her worry, they’d done a good of hiding it. Chances are the younger boy had noticed, and not know how to address it with her.]
[Either way, it’s more difficult to avoid the question when she’s faced with it directly. Perhaps it’s better to open to up to Takame; at least she can avoid seeing him afterwards.]
Your old companion wasn’t lying. I doubt the Empire will come after you or your friends, but they will certainly come after me again. They will come after me again, and people will die.
[Takame could say nothing to that. She wasn't wrong. The Empire would stop at nothing to catch the Warrior of Light, he needed no current affiliation with them or knowledge of their movements to know this. There was nothing he could say. Had the hands of fate turned a different direction he would only be thinking of the day that he saw Rose's lifeless eyes at the end of his blade as it pierced through her heart.
He wouldn't have cared if she was a good woman like she seemed to him now.
And yet she thought nothing of him save that he was a monster, he assumed. So it did not matter what he said to her now. Be it a sweetened lie, or the painful truth.]
... No. They will find me. They will find the ones most important to me, the daughter of a traitor and her associate. And they will destroy us, they will not even grant us the mercy of death. We who hold critical information of their strengths and weaknesses. [He's silent for a long while, clenching his fist in his lap at the thought of what they might do to Hina or Zhian.]
The Empire will always leave a trail of blood in their wake if it means accomplishing their goals. [Whatever they may be, he did not know, he did not question it.] Death is inevitable in the everlasting quest to silence their biggest obstacles. [And you, Rose, are that obstacle. He's silent again, feeling like something is caught in his throat. He remembered her look of horror when he cut the soldiers down in the Castrum. Warrior of Light she may be, accustomed to death she is not. He remembered the fear on the faces of others, hired light parties and even Hina and Zhian, when he would kill opposition without a speck of mercy or regret then they would avoid him, never hire him again. The next thing that comes out of him is habitual. And it's quiet as if he's holding back the urge to scream in frustration. Instead he shook his head again finding himself thankful that he could hide behind his long hair.] I'm sorry.
[Rose repeats his words, her voice hollow. For once, it’s nice to have someone that isn’t insisting everything is going to be okay. That isn’t insisting they’ll protect her no matter what, despite the abysmal odds of a small group taking down the Empire, much less one person. Rose may be strong, but she’s not enough, and she can feel Hydaelyn’s blessing weakening by the day.]
I don’t like fighting, you know, and I was against liberating Ala Mhigo. We didn’t have the strength to hold it then—we still don’t, no matter how the Alliance pretends otherwise—but I didn’t want to risk anyone I cared about getting hurt, and so I did what I could. I never wanted to kill the Empire’s crown prince, but he kept chasing me, and I was fighting for my life. I never even wanted to be the gods-damned Eikon slayer, but after Titan I had little choice. I don’t know what the Empire is planning, only that apparently I’m the only one who can stop it. I don’t know if the people close to me know how likely I am to die in the process. I don’t know if they’ve prepared themselves.
[Once she opens her mouth, she doesn’t stop talking. She can’t stop talking. One thing leads into another, and before she knows it, she’s blurted out her entire life story to someone she barely knows. She’d say it’s possible that he’s working for the enemy, but no sleeer agent would leave that many dead Imperials in their wake.]
[Hearing Rose unload like that took Takame by surprise, his eyebrows show up and he could not stop himself from frowning. The most expression she'd probably seen from him since his outburst. Kami forefend, how much has this woman been through? She looked like a Miqo'te like any other, but barely a fighter. She was brave to admit that she did not want any of this, that she never wished to be the Warrior of Light, essentially. A claim so bold and yet Takame found it respectable that she would want to badly to do anything but what was told of her. To not wish to passively accept the role forced onto her.
He had been a sound board for his companions before, but with them he had a level of familiarity. He did not have that with Rose. What could he say to her? Could he say anything?
He was so useless. Useless when it came to anything other than fighting and killing. He wanted to lament his lack of talent at comfort and not look anywhere else but the ground. But he would not disrespect her in that way. Though it took much of his willpower, he looked right at her, lifting his hand from his lap hesitantly and letting it linger in the air before putting it back down. And he shook his head again.] ... Please do not apologize. You've no need to.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
for tacomemes
[According to what they said, Rose had slept for three full days. Rose could easily believe it. Her entire body was sore, and she felt like she had been hit by a cart. She had been malnourished before she started running, and the last spell she cast drained her of what energy she had left.]
[Still, it's good to feel safe, and after the healers usher everyone out, Rose has some time to herself. There's little she can do right now beyond sitting in bed. She's under strict orders to not leave her tent, and she isn't about to risk the wrath of Tataru.]
taco
The third morning he had to nurse an agonizing hangover. But even through it all he had made subtle requests inquiring the Warrior of Light's condition, concerned at how long she'd been asleep. He knew she was still alive when he handed her off, but he did not think she would be out this long.
It was why as soon as he received word that she had awoken, he went to see her. He still had to thank her. It took time for her many visitors to shuffle through, he did not want to cut in line as it were, and he had to negotiate with the healers but at least they recognized him as the one who saved her. It was not as difficult.
It took him a moment. A long one. Nearly fifteen minutes. Before he shyly brushed one flap of the tent's entrance aside.]
... Lady Rose? [At least he knew her name for sure now, they shouted it enough...]
spicy
[There are a lot of emotions she’s still dealing with, but she’s brushing them all to the side for now. She smiles at Takame as he enters the tent. It’s a very earnest smile, the kind she usually can’t manage.]
Please, don’t call me ‘Lady.’ And don’t start with any ‘hero’ talk, either. I’ve spent the last two years begging the Scions not to refer to me as such, and now I have entire continents doing it.
[She pauses. There’s something she needs to say, isn’t there?]
Now that we’ve escaped the Castrum, I owe you a thank you. I don’t want to think about what would have happened had you not come.
no subject
He was somewhat thrown off by how averse she was to be referred to with a proper title or as a hero. Was that not what she was? She deserved the titles the continents gave to her for all she's done. He would accept her wishes regardless, even if he was a bit confused.]
I see. Rose then. [That correction being done, he took tentative steps towards her bedside, not wanting to be too close without her consent. Not being worthy of being close.]
'Twas your spell that granted us the opportunity to escape. You needn't thank me. [A short pause, enough time for him to brush a long strand of hair away from his face.] I owe you my thanks if anything.
no subject
[Despite this, she still finds it within herself to wave her hand dismissively. If there is one thing she hates, it’s needleee thanks. Especially when she was the one who had seen him in danger in the first place. When she was the one who had killed his teammates.]
Yes, you wouldn’t have been able to escape if not for me. You also wouldn’t have been there if not for me. Had you not come, the best case scenario would still have me rotting in a cell. I believe I owe the thanks here.
[She pauses. There’s something weighing on her mind, and she’s sure it’s weighing on his even more so.]
I haven’t told anyone, if that’s what you’re worried about.
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But she had every reason to sell him out to the Alliance, to kill him even. He did not know why she didn't, it baffled him. But he was thankful.]
... You have my gratitude. Truly. [He took a single step closer, then stepped back again. His tail quite literally started to tuck between his legs though he kept that same stoic demeanor.] Gratitude is not all I owe you... I must apologize to you as well.
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[The look Rose shoots Takame is quizzical. She follows his line of thought, but doesn't agree. Contrary to typical Hingashi fashion, Rose is never one to hide how she feels.]
Don't worry about an apology. What you did was necessary. I'm not going to pretend to love battle, but I hold even less love for people trying to capture me.
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[Behind him, his fingers curled into a fist and he averted his eyes, clearly ashamed of himself.] The reasoning did not matter. I should have stayed calm, but... ["I had to get out of there..." There's a quiet grumbling from him. Something mumbled that sounded like an aggressive self-reprimand. Then a deep sigh and another shake of the head.]
I should not have subjected you to that failure. For that I must apologize. [He bowed deeply again, the voices of a slightly younger Hyur and Sunseeker in his head being the only things keeping him from dropping to the floor to do so.]
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Yes, and I shouldn’t have ventured out on my own, even if it was only to the local pub. I am still at the top of the Empire’s most-wanted list, and I need to exercise caution.
[She’d had those words repeated to her no fewer than five times over the last twenty four hours. Gods help her, she’s likely to never get another moment alone.]
But I did, and I’m still fine. [Barely.] Perhaps you shouldn’t have lost control, but who’s to say what would have happened if you didn’t? There’s no point worrying about it. Besides, I’m not sure what history you had with that commander, but he certainly had far worse coming to him.
[She shivers. “There’s no use running. They’ll catch the eikon slayer.” The words haunt her even now, only because she fears they are true. It’s well and good to be safe with the Alliance now, but what’s to stop the Empire from attacking again?]
no subject
He didn't understand. He couldn't understand. But if this was what she wished to do, should he not just accept that? Why couldn't he now...
In the end it mattered little either way considering Yuzuka was little more than a stain on the wall. At least that's all Takame saw of him after he regained awareness. The fact that he survived this long and was called to Gyr Abania was all but a confirmation that the Empire had been combining forces for an All Out Ala Mhigan Assault. It did not bode well.] ... Indeed. He and his unit would have been executed for failing to capture you again.
no subject
[Rose frowns. Even if they are her enemies, they’re likely to have their own families and loved ones. If the Empire had threatened her or her sister, Rose’s parents wouldn’t have hesitated to become soldiers. It was likely the same for the division that pursued her. Not to mention, if the Empire is so content to murder it’s own citizens, how would they treat the Scions? She had never let on to anyone, but it concerned her.]
What will you do now? The Alliance could use a soldier like you, I think.
no subject
[Said half to himself just as a statement of fact. He may have no right to call them out on it, though. Having believed in that so strongly as well... Believed, was told to think, he didn't know. He didn't believe in anything.
He couldn't even work up the courage here to say something to soften the truth. It didn't matter. Rose already probably thought nothing of him.]
... Me? What will I...? [That was a question he never knew how to answer. He just went where he was told... but he came to Eorzea to find something he could do with himself. But even to this day he did not know. A millennia long war ceased, two lands liberated since he arrived in this realm. Even longer since the Crystal called to him. And he still didn't know. He never considered the Alliance. Their time was spent in Gyr Abania in these recent days. A land he'd only traveled to for this mission.] The Alliance could... Is that what I should do?
no subject
[Rose frowns. The more she hears about the Empire, the more afraid she becomes. What had she done to deserve this? She never meant to be the one foiling their plans, it just kind of happened. Repeatedly. And then she killed their prince.]
[There's a heavy sigh and she's lost in her own thoughts, until she remembers she has company. Rose looks at Takame, and shrugs her shoulders. She shouldn't tell someone else what to do. She does a piss poor job of it when she's telling herself what to do.]
Far be it for me to tell me how to live your life. It's ultimately your decision.
no subject
He never knew what to do save listen, offer an arm to curl into, a shoulder to lean on. But he did not feel worthy of touching Rose here. He didn't know her well. Perhaps it was just to avoid making his own decision, he never knew what the hells to do. He didn't know if he should enlist with the Alliance.
There is a long silence. The only shuffling in the room at the moment being Takame actually moving to sit on a short chair left by Rose's bedside.] Are you alright?
no subject
[It’s not that she wants to be a martyr, but there’s some things she can’t say for fear of worrying others. There’s some things she can’t voice for fear of worrying herself. There’s only one thing to do, and that’s pretend that she doesn’t understand the nature of the question.]
Yes. I’d be a rather piss-poor healer if I couldn’t heal myself, wouldn’t I? Besides, I’ve had enough people circling around me the last few days to staff a small hospital. I’m fine.
no subject
But that isn't what I meant. Hm... [He was quiet for a bit, unsure of how to ask what was on her mind. There were queues he did not always pick up on in social situations, to be sure. He admitted to being rather daft when it came to this, still learning what to do and how best to manage what gained Hina such a following.
He spent enough time around her and Zhian, however, to learn what people do when something is weighing on them so much that they can no longer carry it. Hypocritical of him to want to lend Rose his help, perhaps. But he's done nothing worthy of praise or aid.]
no subject
[Busted. Rose’s lips form into a pensive smile. If Alphinaud or the others had ever recognized her worry, they’d done a good of hiding it. Chances are the younger boy had noticed, and not know how to address it with her.]
[Either way, it’s more difficult to avoid the question when she’s faced with it directly. Perhaps it’s better to open to up to Takame; at least she can avoid seeing him afterwards.]
Your old companion wasn’t lying. I doubt the Empire will come after you or your friends, but they will certainly come after me again. They will come after me again, and people will die.
no subject
He wouldn't have cared if she was a good woman like she seemed to him now.
And yet she thought nothing of him save that he was a monster, he assumed. So it did not matter what he said to her now. Be it a sweetened lie, or the painful truth.]
... No. They will find me. They will find the ones most important to me, the daughter of a traitor and her associate. And they will destroy us, they will not even grant us the mercy of death. We who hold critical information of their strengths and weaknesses. [He's silent for a long while, clenching his fist in his lap at the thought of what they might do to Hina or Zhian.]
The Empire will always leave a trail of blood in their wake if it means accomplishing their goals. [Whatever they may be, he did not know, he did not question it.] Death is inevitable in the everlasting quest to silence their biggest obstacles. [And you, Rose, are that obstacle. He's silent again, feeling like something is caught in his throat. He remembered her look of horror when he cut the soldiers down in the Castrum. Warrior of Light she may be, accustomed to death she is not. He remembered the fear on the faces of others, hired light parties and even Hina and Zhian, when he would kill opposition without a speck of mercy or regret then they would avoid him, never hire him again. The next thing that comes out of him is habitual. And it's quiet as if he's holding back the urge to scream in frustration. Instead he shook his head again finding himself thankful that he could hide behind his long hair.] I'm sorry.
no subject
[Rose repeats his words, her voice hollow. For once, it’s nice to have someone that isn’t insisting everything is going to be okay. That isn’t insisting they’ll protect her no matter what, despite the abysmal odds of a small group taking down the Empire, much less one person. Rose may be strong, but she’s not enough, and she can feel Hydaelyn’s blessing weakening by the day.]
I don’t like fighting, you know, and I was against liberating Ala Mhigo. We didn’t have the strength to hold it then—we still don’t, no matter how the Alliance pretends otherwise—but I didn’t want to risk anyone I cared about getting hurt, and so I did what I could. I never wanted to kill the Empire’s crown prince, but he kept chasing me, and I was fighting for my life. I never even wanted to be the gods-damned Eikon slayer, but after Titan I had little choice. I don’t know what the Empire is planning, only that apparently I’m the only one who can stop it. I don’t know if the people close to me know how likely I am to die in the process. I don’t know if they’ve prepared themselves.
[Once she opens her mouth, she doesn’t stop talking. She can’t stop talking. One thing leads into another, and before she knows it, she’s blurted out her entire life story to someone she barely knows. She’d say it’s possible that he’s working for the enemy, but no sleeer agent would leave that many dead Imperials in their wake.]
I’m sorry, you didn’t need to hear all that.
no subject
[Hearing Rose unload like that took Takame by surprise, his eyebrows show up and he could not stop himself from frowning. The most expression she'd probably seen from him since his outburst. Kami forefend, how much has this woman been through? She looked like a Miqo'te like any other, but barely a fighter. She was brave to admit that she did not want any of this, that she never wished to be the Warrior of Light, essentially. A claim so bold and yet Takame found it respectable that she would want to badly to do anything but what was told of her. To not wish to passively accept the role forced onto her.
He had been a sound board for his companions before, but with them he had a level of familiarity. He did not have that with Rose. What could he say to her? Could he say anything?
He was so useless. Useless when it came to anything other than fighting and killing. He wanted to lament his lack of talent at comfort and not look anywhere else but the ground. But he would not disrespect her in that way. Though it took much of his willpower, he looked right at her, lifting his hand from his lap hesitantly and letting it linger in the air before putting it back down. And he shook his head again.] ... Please do not apologize. You've no need to.