In reality, she rolls her eyes at the idea of him protecting her, but... she can't dismiss the rest so easily. She's seen his dreams β it's only a glimpse, not a way to understand everything, but it's enough to understand something about where he's coming from. ]
... I doubt I'm capable of that. [ At least she's honest. ] Your words are rather wise, however. Perhaps you should be a soothsayer instead of a knight.
[ Ryuji predicting the future....
Nah. ]
I will draw the sword from the stone. But after that... my father's reign was already perfect. All I can do is hope to become a different sort of king. [ For someone she's identical to in appearance, she's the opposite of in almost every other way. ] During my life, such a thing would have been impossible. My mother was an evil witch. My father never looked back at me even once. So if I want to learn, I need to learn from those around me.
I think that a king should be able to talk and laugh like anyone else. If my father was allowed that much, others might have understood him better. If he'd been able to smile just once... [ She trails off, clearly wrestling with her emotions. ] Sorry, Master. I know this is all rather sudden. But there isn't anyone else I yet wish to speak with about this.
[They've shared the worst of their experiences- both in the past and in the present. He's not going to give up on her now or leave her to think that she can't talk about this sort of stuff with him. He stops what he's doing, excusing himself from the public task he was performing, deciding that it's more important to just... well, be with her as she talks some of this stuff out.]
Well... I've seen you talk and laugh and you always kinda... you got this vibrancy to you, you know? You don't ever have to worry about getting the attention of a room to lock eyes on you.
[For better, or for worse, to be honest.
At least- to everyone else.
To Ryuji, she's perfect. What's the point in doing anything if you don't have passion?]
... Can I ask you somethin' kinda... well, just as touchy, I guess. Why do you wanna be a king, anyway? You're not your father, just like I'm not mine. I thought running was all I'd ever be good for, and when I fucked that up... Sheesh, what I mean to say is that.
Do it for you, if that's what you want. Don't go after it just because it's handed down to you by birthright or 'cause you want to be in his footsteps. You're the knight of treachery. Rebellion's your thing. Well, our thing, but. You know how that goes. You don't need a sword in some dumb stone to tell you who you are.
And then... y'know. When you do figure that love thing out, like, whatever that means for you, make sure you smile. All the time. Then you don't have to live in his shadow.
Back then... I wanted to be king so he'd look at me. So he'd accept me as his child instead of loathing me. [ In her room, she stops polishing her sword, and runs her hands along the length of it instead. A blade stolen from her father's treasury. Something of his β even if just like her existence, it was never given willingly. ] That must sound pretty stupid, huh? And in the end, I stopped caring about anything else but surpassing him.
It's like I said. A king should be able to laugh, and smile, and even cry. But my father didn't see it that way. I guess I thought that... if I was king instead, he'd be able to do all that stuff. Even if I could just pick up what he threw away, it might ease his burden. I don't think he ever regretted becoming king, but I wanted him to be happy.
[ She rubs at her eyes, and she's glad he can't see her sniffle just a tiny bit. Weakly: ]
Ah, dammit... it really was a stupid reason after all. Hey, you'd better not tell anyone about this, got it?!
Nah... I don't think it sounds stupid. It's up to us kids to take care of our parents when we're old enough to, anyway. It ain't wrong to want to lift their burdens up.
[He thinks about his mom... and ultimately, how much he really, truly misses her. Even if she was never home and holding down two jobs, just knowing the security of being in her house was a protection he... now realizes how much he took for granted.]
But you also gotta do what makes you happy, too. Don't forget that.
[ Thanks, Mordred. She takes a minute to compose herself a bit β it's ironic, admitting she wanted to help him when she ended up killing him. In his final moments, was he happy? Was he satisfied? She'll never know, and it burns. ]
Hey, Ryuji... thanks. My sword feels a little brighter now. I'm... glad you're my Master.
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no subject
In reality, she rolls her eyes at the idea of him protecting her, but... she can't dismiss the rest so easily. She's seen his dreams β it's only a glimpse, not a way to understand everything, but it's enough to understand something about where he's coming from. ]
... I doubt I'm capable of that. [ At least she's honest. ] Your words are rather wise, however. Perhaps you should be a soothsayer instead of a knight.
[ Ryuji predicting the future....
Nah. ]
I will draw the sword from the stone. But after that... my father's reign was already perfect. All I can do is hope to become a different sort of king. [ For someone she's identical to in appearance, she's the opposite of in almost every other way. ] During my life, such a thing would have been impossible. My mother was an evil witch. My father never looked back at me even once. So if I want to learn, I need to learn from those around me.
I think that a king should be able to talk and laugh like anyone else. If my father was allowed that much, others might have understood him better. If he'd been able to smile just once... [ She trails off, clearly wrestling with her emotions. ] Sorry, Master. I know this is all rather sudden. But there isn't anyone else I yet wish to speak with about this.
no subject
Well... I've seen you talk and laugh and you always kinda... you got this vibrancy to you, you know? You don't ever have to worry about getting the attention of a room to lock eyes on you.
[For better, or for worse, to be honest.
At least- to everyone else.
To Ryuji, she's perfect. What's the point in doing anything if you don't have passion?]
... Can I ask you somethin' kinda... well, just as touchy, I guess. Why do you wanna be a king, anyway? You're not your father, just like I'm not mine. I thought running was all I'd ever be good for, and when I fucked that up... Sheesh, what I mean to say is that.
Do it for you, if that's what you want. Don't go after it just because it's handed down to you by birthright or 'cause you want to be in his footsteps. You're the knight of treachery. Rebellion's your thing. Well, our thing, but. You know how that goes. You don't need a sword in some dumb stone to tell you who you are.
And then... y'know. When you do figure that love thing out, like, whatever that means for you, make sure you smile. All the time. Then you don't have to live in his shadow.
no subject
It's like I said. A king should be able to laugh, and smile, and even cry. But my father didn't see it that way. I guess I thought that... if I was king instead, he'd be able to do all that stuff. Even if I could just pick up what he threw away, it might ease his burden. I don't think he ever regretted becoming king, but I wanted him to be happy.
[ She rubs at her eyes, and she's glad he can't see her sniffle just a tiny bit. Weakly: ]
Ah, dammit... it really was a stupid reason after all. Hey, you'd better not tell anyone about this, got it?!
no subject
[He thinks about his mom... and ultimately, how much he really, truly misses her. Even if she was never home and holding down two jobs, just knowing the security of being in her house was a protection he... now realizes how much he took for granted.]
But you also gotta do what makes you happy, too. Don't forget that.
Don't worry- your secret's safe with me.
no subject
[ Thanks, Mordred. She takes a minute to compose herself a bit β it's ironic, admitting she wanted to help him when she ended up killing him. In his final moments, was he happy? Was he satisfied? She'll never know, and it burns. ]
Hey, Ryuji... thanks. My sword feels a little brighter now. I'm... glad you're my Master.
no subject
[So don't lob off his head??]
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Huh?! Idiot, you should have believed it the first time! And the second! And the third!