[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.
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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.