vatheon | 09 - Knight Catcher - 10th of the Human Category

[ Not quite surprisingly, Duke is... just sitting there. Its arguable if he's even moved from sitting down there the previous day. A small dray of squirrels are trying to do their best to get him to do ... something, tugging on his fingers and coat tails and hair.

About half of them turn to look at Zelda when she speaks, Duke blinking once as he recognized words. ]

.... Learned things, grew irritated, sought to avoid, tried to force retreat, did not know. [ He sounds... dull. ]

So you were trying to get him to leave you alone, not injure him seriously.

[It's a confirmation of what she'd already thought, really. Duke is like a stray cat in many ways, he seems as if he'd only bare his claws to get someone to retreat. She walks over and kneels in front of him, waiting for a response.]

..... Would.. not have minded, terribly, if had. Due to things learned. Intent, correct, get him to leave me be. [ Wow, way to sound completely like an asshole. He doesn't look at her. ]

... minded, mostly due to making upset. conflicting. [ Making Zelda upset. ]

[That makes her smile a bit. Zelda is well aware that having friends can be a moderating force in one's life - even if a person does not care about many things, they care if their friends will be affected.

It's a great deal of the reason she allows herself to be so accepting of people who have committed (or attempted to commit) such terrible crimes. What's to stop them from doing so again if they lack a reason to not?]

He should not have tried to tell you to stay away from me. Whether we speak or not is for us to decide, not someone else. I was going to tell him as much myself...

[She shakes her head.]

I still will. He will be fine, the damage is repaired. He'll be back in five days.

.....I... do not know if I like that. [ It's.. very slowly said. ]

at risk of sounding as labeled. [ Like a monster. ]

I see. What is it that you learned that caused you to feel so strongly about him? You do not seem like the type to anger quickly.

[She knows a great deal about Zelos, but nothing that would warrant that sort of response. No matter how much the Chosen thinks it, he doesn't deserve anyone's hatred.]

..... Fairly certain there is more to story, but.. actions... [ Just.. Let him actually be visibly agitated about what he learned, squirrels finally leaving him alone as he brings his hands up to his head - and his head partially to them, elbows on legs. ]

Role played, learned from Mithos. Betrayed his friends. Cannot.... [ A faint shudder. He hates those who betray. ]

Betrayed... what? You can't mean Lloyd. He wouldn't...

[Not at this point, at least. But in the past, maybe he did. Maybe it happened. Wouldn't he have told her that during their confessions? No, probably not. There was much that he held back, she knew that now. Her calm is shaken at the thought.]

"Zelos himself was willing to sell his own sister's soul to Cruxis in order to save his own skin. So much so, that he betrayed his own friends in the process, by spying on them for me." [ Flatly repeated. Duke seems to have a rather good memory. ]

Words of Mithos. Another side, likely, however... [ He can't.. stand...

Duke gets up, to just... pace in a circle. He needs to get rid of the energy anger gives him somehow. ]

Yes, there is likely another side to it. I do not think that Mithos and Zelos care for each other.

[Maybe Zelos did do that, though. Maybe that's the thing that he can't forgive himself for, the thing about himself that he hates so desperately. She hugs her knees, watching Duke pace.]

You won't... seek him out again, will you? I care for you both, I would prefer it if you could not fight.

..... Do not want to hurt you, however history of hurting others, one close has. Aware of "keep friends close, enemies closer", however works best with those unlikely to stab in back. Aware of potential lack of reason necessary, however do not understand reason in first place, do not know... [ A short, hurt, frustrated noise in his throat. Zelos really bothers him. ]

[Zelda folds her hands in front of her knees and closes her eyes.]

No, we don't know the reasons. I will ask him and handle the situation accordingly. I won't cast judgement on him without knowing everything - truthfully, I dislike doing such a thing at all. We all have sins in our past, but I would like to believe that people can change. That people do change if you put your trust in them.

..... [ Another short pained noise, and he's turning back to face Zelda. ]

You saw, dream, what became of friend - of Elucifur. Scene, not then that happened, however those who had, correct. [ He's distressed even bringing it up. But he thinks he needs to explain this to her. Further why he did not care for Zelos. ]

Humans, own country. We had just saved them. Might have even known, do not know but. [ Clearly distressed, okay. He's angry and worried and all of these emotions because he'd had what Zelos had done, only on a fatal scale, happen to someone close to him. He may not be crying, but clearly the idea of someone who would betray, close to a friend of his, with this in his past, is trying to bring him to that. ]

[At that, she stands, taking hold of one of his hands. It's strange - Duke has so much power, but it seems like he's really quite delicate emotionally.]

He won't hurt me. Whatever sort of person he was in the past to be able to do such a thing, he is not that man any longer. He's just as worried as you are. I won't ask you two to trust each other, but would you trust in me?

[ Just... a very conflicted noise, his hand more or less limp in Zelda's. He.. doesn't know. He wants her safe, in his mind that means at the very least a way from someone who had been a traitor, possibly away from himself as well - but he'd gotten more okay with that, hadn't he? But maybe she should still stay away, he'd gotten okay with that on a "my friends die" side, not a "because I can kill every human you know" way and -

He.. doesn't know. There are too many feelings running around in his thought-process and making it all jumbled and that is not how he's used to thinking. ]

I ... don't..... I want...... [ Look, he can't even get words to work. Zelda, did you take levels in "break Duke". There is a moment or two where he does grip her hand. ]

... Safe....

was my argument... [He needs to go shut down for a bit or something. Hard restart, pass out for a few hours, maybe he can make sense of things then. ]

[She took levels in "break everyone", actually. Zelda tries to peer up at him.]

Would you prefer it if I stayed out here?

[Truthfully, she knows her days of living peacefully with Zelos are numbered. He can't take it anymore, she can tell. Their bickering has become just a little more genuine in the past month.

It was always meant to be temporary.]

..... You... should be where you are comfortable. [ Yes. He would. But that would be awkward too because he's. weird. ]

I would be comfortable at home, but that is not an option. Vatheon doesn't allow us to come and go as we please.

[The princess takes a breath. How long would this city remain safe? She'd seen the glowing of the mark the night before, fainter than usual... and they'd been in that strange castle too, the one that felt so warped. Was the reality of this place going to fall apart entirely?

What would happen then?]

[ Duke doesn't know, okay? He wants Zelda safe, but he doesn't want to do something Zelda doesn't like to keep her so. He's used to having a lot of ability to move, and thus is fully aware that it wouldn't be good to try to keep her and...

He.. doesn't know. ]

I have... something I believe I need to research, somewhere where it is quiet. Once we're certain his crest is repaired so that he won't lose control when he returns, would it be alright if I came here for a little while?

[If Duke is going to waver on it, she'll just take the choice out of his hands. Besides, until Zelos returns, he's in danger ~~from Ky~~ from overzealous people and their sense of justice. It's better if she's here to deflect people.]

... If you want. Would not be hard to add room for you.... [ It is a good way to handle it when he's conflicted. ]

[Adding a room suggests permanency, and she's not entirely sure she wants that just yet. Besides... it's entertaining to wake up and see all the animals that have come to call Duke's pile a bed overnight.]

That's not necessary. It was fine before, wasn't it? I didn't mind. Though perhaps I should bring a few more blankets, you seem to get cold easily.

[ Zelda, it is a tent. Its not like he's really building another room, it's a couple of sticks and repurposing a few sheets of canvas to make another part of the tent. ]

.... true enough. [ ..... Shush. ]

.... Used to larger creatures sharing, true.

[A few sheets that would totally prevent her from seeing the nest of squirrels in his hair. This is an unforgivable crime!]

I will bring some of my own this time, then.

[She squeezes his hand once more briefly before letting go to head back home.]

I'll come back soon.

..... As you will. [ He's.. probably going to take a seat and just... sit here again. ]

o/

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