[Rose smiles when she sees Takame wake. It would be easy to assume it’s because she’s happy her companion is hale and whole, and that wouldn’t be entirely incorrect. The other part of it is some sort of karma; Rose is happy that the echo is finally someone else’s problem, and not just hers.]
You have the echo. Honestly, I should’ve known as soon as I saw you weren’t tempered by Titan; he might be a brute, but he rarely misses.
[She sighs. This conversation is going to be long, she can feel it.]
You saw something when you passed out, didn’t you?
[His brows shot up, the most shock he's displayed since he rescued her.]
I have...? [He pauses, he was speechless really. She... knows what this is? This power he had? Was he not mad? And she knew he saw something... kami be good she's probably furious at him for lying now. He looked down at his hands for a while before looking back to Rose.
She addressed you, answer her. Answer the Warrior of Light.]
I... I did. I did see something. [Another pause.] ... You were there. Your hair was long. [He didn't say anything more of what he saw. He'd seen images of people's pasts before and whenever he would dare to mention them, it was always like opening old wounds for them.] This... it's called the Echo?
[Rose has been around Takame enough to know that he seldom gets surprised. Not that she can blame him, of course. The Echo is always nasty the first time. And the second. And every time after that.]
Yes, you do. Unless you can think of another reason you’re the only person from the attack that isn’t worshipping their new god.
[Or dead now. And dead now.]
[She sighs. If she had only listened to her mother, this could all have been avoided. “You’ll get tempered by a primal,” She always said. Nobody told Rose the alternative was worse.]
I’m not surprised you saw me. The Echo can give you a glimpse into people’s pasts, whether you ask it to or not. Judging by your reaction, I’m guessing this isn’t the first vision you’ve had.
[He couldn't think of any other reason. He wasn't that lucky, it was the only explanation why and yet. He felt stuck with disbelief not that he had this power, he's known of it for years, but that he even knows what it's called now. That it's somewhat explainable.
He never called it into question before but now he had so many.]
... It isn't. [He closed his eyes.] ... I've been having these visions for the past several years. I traveled to this realm soon after they began. [After he was told think...] I did not imagine I would ever encounter another with this power.
[Rose smile softens uncharacteristically. As much as she’s usually guarded, she understands the burden of the echo. She remembers what it was like, to first wake up to this power. It was scary for her, and she didn’t have a past with the Empire.]
Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me. There aren’t many who hold this power, but we do exist, and we congregate.
[She pauses, thinking. Perhaps...]
If you’d like, I can put in a word for you with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. They’re always looking for Echo users, and god knows they could use somebody with a good head on their shoulders.
Me...? [Once again, he's found himself speechless. There are others... and there is a group searching for people like him. Could he have a place among these Scions?
Someone like him who was only good at killing?]
If... if they would have me. ... If you believe that to be best. I would be in your debt. [It had to be the best option if it was coming from the Warrior of Light, right? He wasn't sure.
But he's had no one else who knew of this power. He had to ask... he had to. Zhian always told him the only way he would learn was to ask questions. He hesitated.] What is this power exactly? What is the Echo?
[Rose sighs and shakes her head. What is it with people entrusting their life to her? Had they met her?]
Far be it for me to tell you how to live your life. But if you want to join, they’ll certainly have you. The Scions aren’t a judging lot. Difficult at times, perhaps, but not judging.
[And now that Lyse is gone, they are much more palpable. They might be allies, but Rose could never tolerate the Hyur.]
As for the Echo, I can’t tell you anything about it, except that I also possess it. Some claim it’s a gift from Hydaelyn herself; I think it more of a curse.
Perhaps... I should. [He's only ever lived his life in accordance with what others tell him to do. He was little more than a vagabond in this realm now, an aimless ronin. He could learn more among them.
Maybe. But maybe not if Rose still did not know much of this power either. And their limited might stood as nothing to the threat looming over them.
Though many would get angry at him for voicing such a thought. Given what he heard her say of her position as Warrior of Light, it came as no surprise to Takame that she saw the Echo as a curse.]
A gift from Hydaelyn... [He went quiet for a bit.] Shortly before my first vision... [He hesitated again, still feeling like Rose would believe he'd lost his mind.] I... heard a voice call to me in a dream. [He looked to Rose, trying to gauge her reaction, trying to figure out if he should take back what he said. His tail flicked once and he pushed a loose strand of hair away from his face.] That voice... was it Hydaelyn?
[Rose shrugs. It’s ultimately Takame’s decision, but she can’t deny that she’d prefer for him to join the Scions. The more manpower they have, the better. The more manpower they have, the less likely a repeat of the Waking Sands is.]
Did the voice say something akin to “Hear...Feel...Think?” If so, that’s likely Hydaelyn.
I understand that she’s the Mothercrystal, but just once, it would be nice if she did her own work. Instead of thrusting the responsibility on us.
... Yes. [He remembers the words as clear as though it were yesterday. Clear as the crystal itself. It was almost eerie hearing them repeated now.
Rose's word against the Mothercrystal wasn't unexpected, but Takame was still surprised to hear it claimed so boldly. By the Warrior of Light no less.]
Perhaps you are right. [A pause.] ... I am not one to call into question the will of the higher powers. [Or anything else. But the fact that Rose did so openly made him respect her that much more. Because of that, her suggestion and the chance to work alongside her again...]
I... would like to lend my assistance to the Scions.
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no subject
You have the echo. Honestly, I should’ve known as soon as I saw you weren’t tempered by Titan; he might be a brute, but he rarely misses.
[She sighs. This conversation is going to be long, she can feel it.]
You saw something when you passed out, didn’t you?
no subject
I have...? [He pauses, he was speechless really. She... knows what this is? This power he had? Was he not mad? And she knew he saw something... kami be good she's probably furious at him for lying now. He looked down at his hands for a while before looking back to Rose.
She addressed you, answer her. Answer the Warrior of Light.]
I... I did. I did see something. [Another pause.] ... You were there. Your hair was long. [He didn't say anything more of what he saw. He'd seen images of people's pasts before and whenever he would dare to mention them, it was always like opening old wounds for them.] This... it's called the Echo?
no subject
Yes, you do. Unless you can think of another reason you’re the only person from the attack that isn’t worshipping their new god.
[Or dead now. And dead now.]
[She sighs. If she had only listened to her mother, this could all have been avoided. “You’ll get tempered by a primal,” She always said. Nobody told Rose the alternative was worse.]
I’m not surprised you saw me. The Echo can give you a glimpse into people’s pasts, whether you ask it to or not. Judging by your reaction, I’m guessing this isn’t the first vision you’ve had.
no subject
He never called it into question before but now he had so many.]
... It isn't. [He closed his eyes.] ... I've been having these visions for the past several years. I traveled to this realm soon after they began. [After he was told think...] I did not imagine I would ever encounter another with this power.
no subject
Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me. There aren’t many who hold this power, but we do exist, and we congregate.
[She pauses, thinking. Perhaps...]
If you’d like, I can put in a word for you with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. They’re always looking for Echo users, and god knows they could use somebody with a good head on their shoulders.
no subject
Someone like him who was only good at killing?]
If... if they would have me. ... If you believe that to be best. I would be in your debt. [It had to be the best option if it was coming from the Warrior of Light, right? He wasn't sure.
But he's had no one else who knew of this power. He had to ask... he had to. Zhian always told him the only way he would learn was to ask questions. He hesitated.] What is this power exactly? What is the Echo?
no subject
Far be it for me to tell you how to live your life. But if you want to join, they’ll certainly have you. The Scions aren’t a judging lot. Difficult at times, perhaps, but not judging.
[And now that Lyse is gone, they are much more palpable. They might be allies, but Rose could never tolerate the Hyur.]
As for the Echo, I can’t tell you anything about it, except that I also possess it. Some claim it’s a gift from Hydaelyn herself; I think it more of a curse.
no subject
Maybe. But maybe not if Rose still did not know much of this power either. And their limited might stood as nothing to the threat looming over them.
Though many would get angry at him for voicing such a thought. Given what he heard her say of her position as Warrior of Light, it came as no surprise to Takame that she saw the Echo as a curse.]
A gift from Hydaelyn... [He went quiet for a bit.] Shortly before my first vision... [He hesitated again, still feeling like Rose would believe he'd lost his mind.] I... heard a voice call to me in a dream. [He looked to Rose, trying to gauge her reaction, trying to figure out if he should take back what he said. His tail flicked once and he pushed a loose strand of hair away from his face.] That voice... was it Hydaelyn?
no subject
Did the voice say something akin to “Hear...Feel...Think?” If so, that’s likely Hydaelyn.
I understand that she’s the Mothercrystal, but just once, it would be nice if she did her own work. Instead of thrusting the responsibility on us.
no subject
Rose's word against the Mothercrystal wasn't unexpected, but Takame was still surprised to hear it claimed so boldly. By the Warrior of Light no less.]
Perhaps you are right. [A pause.] ... I am not one to call into question the will of the higher powers. [Or anything else. But the fact that Rose did so openly made him respect her that much more. Because of that, her suggestion and the chance to work alongside her again...]
I... would like to lend my assistance to the Scions.