#davin0s

such statements generally seem to request denial — an assertion of and insistence upon a light beyond that darkness, the end of grim trials. vaelus, however, has lived for centuries. any rose-hued idealism she may once have possessed belonged now to another lifetime — one before the fall of the gods, before the other inhabitants of this world sold them all out.

thus, she has no empty reassurances to offer, and does not think he would appreciate them if she did. in this, they are like. ❛ I would rather carve through the dark than sit and languish. ❜ than languish in the dark, certainly, but in the light too. they are weapons of a sort, the both of them, and not weapons meant to sit idle, decorative, but to be put to use. ❛ what would do we, otherwise? what other sense of purpose would satisfy? ❜

it is his shirt, and it is worn without shame. curving their back at the height of a stretch, florence smiles. “ it might be, but does it matter ? ”

because they needed something, and this is what they found. are they to blame for its careless toss? absolutely not, but they are the cause of its new purpose. and as content as a cat in the sun, they smile.

↪ @davin0s : if you repeat this, i'll deny everything.

their smile is genuine. “ sir julien. i think i fancy the idea of becoming a knight. ”

in his hands are two spell glyphs, and for a brief moment they weigh as much as they did when standing in the upper floor of the seven stars. he holds out the first one towards @frcmscratch. “ this one should fend off an attack, if something goes wrong. ” murray made that one, while the second holds a much more recent spell he discovered in front of a mirror.

“ this— ” and he holds the second glyph towards @davin0s. “ can physically alter your appearance and voice for an hour. it's not an illusion someone can see through. ” none of them want to bring attention to julien's return yet. and this was the best azune could come up with.

this was the familiar part; the contingency plans laid out beforehand, trying to prepare for everything that might go wrong in the evening. it's the personal that sends him spinning, like hal's generous offer prior.

there is perhaps an irony, but only, bolaire thinks, in the metaphor. and, really, that places the flaw in the language, not in what it describes. when it comes to the nature of sentient beings, it seems inevitable: strip away the watching eyes, the expectations, and you have a whole new person. one can be oneself, not what one is supposed to be.

though he would quibble with the sentiment in truth, he agrees, ❛ indeed. ❜ his smile bares too-perfect teeth. the words feel targeted to him, but he directs them rather toward a common foe.

☼ 𝑨𝑺 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑳𝑫 𝑭𝑨𝑳𝑳𝑺 𝑫𝑶𝑾𝑵

↬ are you the knight's type?