anyway she misses her last chance to take him out ]
You looked like you'd had practice.
[ he's royalty, but he can take a guess what sort of child needs to be armed to earn their food. ] ...I imagine in a city like yours, not everyone could afford a comfortable life.
[ that shouldn't be an easy answer. his own father could be strict with him, but that's normal—that's the average sort of discipline a parent shows because they care enough to teach a life lesson. he never had to question whether he'd earned a place to stay or a meal to eat or if he'd feel the sting of a whip.
if he had a proper brow, it'd furrow, but instead there's a sharpness in his eyes; they're more sharklike when the usual, friendly sparkle isn't there. ]
Then I shudder to think what his punishments were like.
... That's all I've done my whole life. I'm assigned a target or a house that has angered the wrong people and I... clean. [...] I don't want to do that anymore.
[ he meets her eyes, letting his expression ease back into something warm. he feels outrage for her sake, naturally, but there's a natural priority to smile. ]
...Good. I hope you never have to raise your blade for any cause that isn't yours again.
[ no one should have their own family point a finger and demand death. this explains a lot about... everything he'd felt from her before. ]
You deserve your own life.
[ if you get rnged to kill i will be so sad so enjoy endgame ]
[ listens to this and immediately makes myself sad!! cool!!!!!
she still wears that collar; he sees her touch it from time to time, when she's drawn off in a thought. is it a symbol of restraint? something else?
he just hopes she really is free. ]
Kindness isn't a transaction. You don't owe me anything and you never will.
[ there is no favor here. he wants her to know that no matter what, there is no need for a give or take with him. HOWEVER, ]
But if you want to make me happy, you can do your best to keep the rest of your limbs. [ more seriously: ] What would bring me the most joy is seeing you safe. I... realize that's quite the ask. [ because they can't control anything here. ] But seeing you like this...
[ she's still covered in gore. thursdays are really hard! really bad. please don't get sucked into a cyoa black hole again. ]
kindness isn't a transaction, he says, and she thinks about that, looking down at her hands. at her remaining limbs. it makes her laugh a bit when he brings it up, just a little huff of a sound, but it's something.]
... I can't promise anything. [she says, finally, picking the dried gore off of her fingers.] But I'll do my best to keep my limbs.
[seeing you like this, he says, and she just kind of exhales, trying not to breathe too much of it in.]
Do you want to know something ridiculous? I don't like the smell of blood.
[she's an asssasin and yet. it makes her feel sick.]
he smiles, even if it's only got as much humor as her laugh. they're doing their best. ]
It'd be more ridiculous if you liked it!
[ what she really needs is to be thrown in the one working shower for three hours, but for now he goes to fetch one of those small, metal washbasins that come with hospitals, and a small towel, which he douses and wrings out as he speaks. ]
Here, give me your hands. [ he can at least clean those off. ] I don't think it's bad to find it unpleasant, no matter how often you've seen it. You said you're used to—so many terrible things. Isn't it good, that you never became used to blood?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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I was doing fine. [huff.] I've fought bigger.
[don't pout you were six]
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Yes, I'm sure you have. [ PATS HER HEAD LIKE THE POUTY BABY SHE IS he is definitely teasing now ] Consider, however, that you were barely a tadpole.
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she looks like she is considering biting him, now. she does not.]
... I fought plenty at that age. [she says, blowing her hair out of her face where he patted it.] I had to eat, after all.
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anyway she misses her last chance to take him out ]
You looked like you'd had practice.
[ he's royalty, but he can take a guess what sort of child needs to be armed to earn their food. ] ...I imagine in a city like yours, not everyone could afford a comfortable life.
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she's quiet for a moment, like she's thinking this over, and then:]
... Yes, but that wasn't the reason. [she absently touches the collar around her neck.] Father could afford to do whatever he wanted, I'm sure.
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his mind goes to the quote on her profile. ]
Then... why? If you don't mind sharing.
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[as she says this, one of her arms is shifting. turning carapace-like, brown. a little roachy.]
Food and a place to stay was decent incentive.
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he watches this transformation but doesn't react, not outwardly. a gift? he has so many questions. ]
...Your father didn't give those to you unconditionally?
cw: implied child abuse
she glances at him.]
No. [easy enough.] Father was kinder than Mother. She enjoyed any chance she had to use her whip.
... I preferred her punishments to his, though.
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if he had a proper brow, it'd furrow, but instead there's a sharpness in his eyes; they're more sharklike when the usual, friendly sparkle isn't there. ]
Then I shudder to think what his punishments were like.
They would have you hurt people?
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[she says, finally, tilting her head back.]
... That's all I've done my whole life. I'm assigned a target or a house that has angered the wrong people and I... clean. [...] I don't want to do that anymore.
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...Good. I hope you never have to raise your blade for any cause that isn't yours again.
[ no one should have their own family point a finger and demand death. this explains a lot about... everything he'd felt from her before. ]
You deserve your own life.
[ if you get rnged to kill i will be so sad so enjoy endgame ]
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Thank you. [she says finally, swallowing a little hard.] I want nothing more than to be free.
[she rests a hand on his arm.]
You've been so kind to me, Sidon. I hope I can return the favor.
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she still wears that collar; he sees her touch it from time to time, when she's drawn off in a thought. is it a symbol of restraint? something else?
he just hopes she really is free. ]
Kindness isn't a transaction. You don't owe me anything and you never will.
[ there is no favor here. he wants her to know that no matter what, there is no need for a give or take with him. HOWEVER, ]
But if you want to make me happy, you can do your best to keep the rest of your limbs. [ more seriously: ] What would bring me the most joy is seeing you safe. I... realize that's quite the ask. [ because they can't control anything here. ] But seeing you like this...
[ she's still covered in gore. thursdays are really hard! really bad. please don't get sucked into a cyoa black hole again. ]
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kindness isn't a transaction, he says, and she thinks about that, looking down at her hands. at her remaining limbs. it makes her laugh a bit when he brings it up, just a little huff of a sound, but it's something.]
... I can't promise anything. [she says, finally, picking the dried gore off of her fingers.] But I'll do my best to keep my limbs.
[seeing you like this, he says, and she just kind of exhales, trying not to breathe too much of it in.]
Do you want to know something ridiculous? I don't like the smell of blood.
[she's an asssasin and yet. it makes her feel sick.]
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he smiles, even if it's only got as much humor as her laugh. they're doing their best. ]
It'd be more ridiculous if you liked it!
[ what she really needs is to be thrown in the one working shower for three hours, but for now he goes to fetch one of those small, metal washbasins that come with hospitals, and a small towel, which he douses and wrings out as he speaks. ]
Here, give me your hands. [ he can at least clean those off. ] I don't think it's bad to find it unpleasant, no matter how often you've seen it. You said you're used to—so many terrible things. Isn't it good, that you never became used to blood?