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[Blade Master Model 42]

"Matilda?" Valor asked, holding his stance, but not advancing as Olison clutched at his wound. "You mean the woman Seyena rescued from the village? You two knew each other?"

[Gamerboy4life]

@Charlotte

"I'd suppose I would fit into the second group the most." Seyena said, after a moment of thought. "Though I don't usually categorize people into groups. It usually undermines the actual reasoning behind their actions."


"So, speaking of goals, what is yours? Why do you fight against Prixima?"

[CrimsonEon]

: Olison composed himself again with a nod, "I could hardly believe it myself. But she is the very same Matilda that served with us." He explained as he started his strafing motion again, this time in the reverse direction with his knees ready to spring, "Given how badly she was wounded when I left, I could call it a miracle."

[Powder Miner]

Alexander listened to Salvatore. ...And then he couldn't help breaking into a bit of a grin, speaking less questioningly, and with more of a confident, amiable overtone.
:"Salvatore. You've got to realize that noone will judge you on the color of your hair. A few of the others in the group have strange hair. Tantallos has blue hair, Riven has purple. ...Heck, Ami has pink hair, and frankly she can be one of the scarier people here. ...But, that's not all. This group has the most caring people I've met in my life. I can't imagine Gregor judging a man unfairly, he just... I'm not sure if there's a single one among us he doesn't like, I'm not sure if there's anyone who isn't a monster that he wouldn't be willing to be kind to. Charlotte too, really. ...And Olison, and, well... the list goes on. You wouldn't lose any respect, Salvatore. We have respect for you that isn't based on how you look. ...Admittedly, I was once one to judge, but... talking to people -mostly you-, and being with this group changed that. I can't see you ever being a joke." Alexander didn't catch the undertones, or even Salvatore talking to himself. He'd been a sociable squire once, but years of wrecking himself socially for the pure fitness to follow a cause had left him unable to catch some of the minor things in conversation.
:"We'd never only see your hair- we see people more than they look like. Salvatore, you're our friend. It's the merits of a man that matter. Not what they look like. Not who they work for. You taught me that. And now let's see if I can't show it to you, too.

...I can see a bit of ribbing for a while, but nothing beyond that. Would any of us trample over you because of hair? Would any of us abandon you because of hair? No."

[SeriousConcentrate]

Chris closed his eyes for a long time. He finally opened them with a sniffle, his eyes wet.

"Are you sure? My reaction to finding this cult was not to forgive and forget, come back to the people who needed me... but to slaughter every last one of them for what they had done to me. I'm not sure whether I blame them or myself for what I've done... or which one I even should."

He rubbed his eyes with his forearm.

"Maybe... Maybe you're right, Gregor. I have to let go of those thoughts and move on. Consider that the end of a long, dark, and bloody chapter in my life. I still have decades and decades ahead of me to spend doing better and not be who I have been."

For the first time since he had left the group, Chris smiled.

"I already have two things to dedicate the rest of my days too, and Plague Dragon willing, maybe that list will grow."

"If Ami will forgive me for running out on you all. I need to talk to her, to apologize for... for everything, I guess. And if she's mad... then I'll have to figure out how to make it up to her. And figure out how to be the man worthy of her hand."

He rubbed his face for a moment.

"Thanks, Gregor. I think I needed to talk to you more than anyone else."

[Blade Master Model 42]

"Seeing a lot of those lately." Valor said, keeping his eye on Olison, calmly keeping his blade between them. "Do you two have... History together?" Valor asked, the barest hint of innuendo rearing its head.

[freeformschooler]

@sey

: "Good question. I know olison thinks I am impulsive... the truth is, I do not focus on what is right for you or me. I try to think bigger. What is right for the world? They build statues of the best warriors, but those people were only thinking about the war. They were not thinking about the orphans that could have had fathers. You could say I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. Responsibility not to us but to our children and their children. "

[CrimsonEon]

: Olison's eyes narrowed. "No... We were just friends in the same unit." His eyes looked to the side for a moment. "If I could even say that. But..." He suddenly broke off his strafing, making a quick jump further towards his opponent's flank, using the momentum into a full swing at the swordsman's legs.

[Blade Master Model 42]

Valor turned away and back, coming full circle in an attempt to slam his shield into Olison. "But what?" He grunted, less focused on the conversation than the sparring.

[Sirus]

@ Chris

: "I'm sure. Like I said, I'm not going to judge you for your actions when my own record is hardly spotless."

: "Remember when that...man told me about how Prixima ordered my family killed? I hated him for that. I wanted to kill him for that, as painfully as possible. Some might say that such a thing was justified...but looking back I know that I wasn't myself in that moment. I don't like being so full of anger and hate."

: "But you're right, you need to talk to Ami. She might be mad at you at first, but that's normal...I think. I know everyone else will be happy to see you, and Ami will come around eventually. And Chris, next time you want to talk..."

: "Knock on the door or something first, okay?"

[CrimsonEon]

: "Urgh!" The shield managed to connect to his back mid-lunge, pushing him back just enough for the axe to miss its mark. The force of the swing managed to put him onto the ground. But just as his open arm touched the ground, he rolled with the force and barely managed to put himself on his feet again. "Quite the natural..." Olison tried to steady himself again, pulling the axe on his shoulder and watching his opponent's blade again. "But to be frank, I don't deserve to even speak a word to her. Or anyone from my old unit, really."

[SeriousConcentrate]

"Oh, er, sorry. I'm sort of used to appearing in my commander's room unannounced. Prixima, somehow, could always tell I was there."

"I guess old habits die hard."

Chris didn't leave, though. Instead he walked over to where Gregor was and took a seat.

"...It's not really fair if only I have a chance to talk about my problems and get some advice or comfort from a friend. Is there anything you'd like to get off your chest?"

[Sirus]

: "Apology accepted. Anyway, just the same old worries about whether or not I'm cut out for being a leader. I don't think we'll make any progress on that front though, so I won't bother you about it. People seem to listen to me more often than not, so whether I think of myself a leader or not there's no point in trying to fight it, you know?" He hesitated before continuing.

: "There is...one other thing. I was actually going over it in my mind when you showed up, so maybe you can offer some insight. You can't tell anyone though, okay?"

He pulled out the parcel again, letting Chris get a good look at it. He didn't unwrap it, though.

: "I was thinking...of proposing to Charlotte. With this. Soon."

[Gamerboy4life]

@Charmander

"Ah, you goody-goody selfless types, making me seem selfish and self-absorbed."

"I want to help others, to save innocent lives, and stop those who do evil. But... it would be a comfort to me, to know that our fight wasn't forgotten. Dying unknown seems so much colder than dying alone, in an odd way. Like the stories my father told me when I was a child. I'd like to be in one of those."

[Xanmyral]

Salvatore listened, a bit shocked at Alexander to be frank. Once the man was done speaking Sal was quiet for a while, looking at the plate of partially eaten food in front of him, his expression a mixture of a man in deep contemplation, and a child who's been lectured on something that should of been obvious.

Finally the man sighed. "If'in Oi taught yah all tha', then maybe some good has come o' me loife. Yah know, yer not the first one ta tell me somethin' loike tha'. Yer ah good friend. Ta be honest, Oi think Oi'd probably be happy in this group if'in all 'ey saw was mah hair, 'er ah Berebian." With that, the man took his helmet off and placed it on his knee.
"Cause if'in 'ey don' look past tha', 'ey won' see who Oi be. Yah remind me ah lot o' him, an' Oi guess tha' be why Oi'm 'avin' such ah hard toime lyin' ta yah." Salvatore gave a soft laugh at that. "Yah never see it, he never did either. Oi could o' told 'em the sky was red, an' the grass white as the snow an' he'd probably believe me."
"Oi don' care about mah hair. It's jus' fookin' hair. Yah grow it, yah cut it. Yah may not see many o' people wit' pink hair but tha' don' mean much. Oi wear ah helmet 'cause it helps distance mahself from the others, an' 'em from me. Didn' work, else Oi wouldn' be 'aving this conversation."
"Oi ain' ah roightous man. Oi try ta be, but Oi ain'. Oi bluster an' rumble but Oi know tha' deep down, it just be the tollin' o' the bell on mah damned soul. Oi don' care if'in the group judges me on mah hair, Oi care if'in 'ey put toll an' judgement where it belong, mahself. If'in Oi told yah, yah'd judge me to, Oi would ta if'in yer shoes. Talkin' ta yah, bein' back 'ere in Berebia, tha' battle... Knock's thin's loose, yah know? Oi was thinkin' tha' if'in Oi jus' never told anyone, it wouldn' matter. Oi'd be wit' good company, 'elpin' others maybe. Drop ah few hints 'er be evasive if'in 'ey be curious."
"Talkin' ta yah, hearin' tha'... Jus' makes me realize Oi can' do tha'. Won' be roight. Not wit' this company, these... Friends. Oi'd jus' be stainin' black loike Oi did then. Oi need ta tell someone, else Oi feel loike... Oi don' even know. Wrong. Bad. Evil. If'in yah don' want ta hear, Oi'd understand. Oi'll put the helmet back on an' we'll jus'... Forget Oi said anythin'."