She bows to no one.
The flash of fire was as much a show of her own emotion as Maea's, lighting the blue blaze in her eyes to an iridescent glow, following the Ancient's every move. Her fangs were slightly bared and a growl of frustration broke from her throat, attempting to shake the frozen heart in front of her. Thal's bubbling anger was fortified by the encouraging presence of an incorporeal hand against her back.
"No matter how much you deny it, your presence here is a sign of your strength. It isn't a matter of ideas or definitions. Strength is measured by withstanding adversity - physical, emotional, mental, or circumstantial. You've done all of that. You've survived all of that!" She picked up a stack of papers and waved them above her head. Their flapping drowned out the rhythmic tempo of the rain, causing her to raise her voice more. "Not only have you survived, you're working to help make the world a safer place for others!" Thal scoffed in disgust and threw the papers back on the desk. It was another fighting statement and she knew that Maea would not take the words lightly, but she needed to hear them. "You disrespect the memory of your family by ignoring what they so clearly saw in you."
Turning her back away, Thal crossed her arms and lowered her tone. "You asked this 'slip of a girl' to help you because you knew that I would tell you the truth, so listen to me now..."
When she turned back to Maea, the loud and animated fury had slipped into a grim determination. Her eyes darkened but maintained a burning soul filled with passion for every word. "Lying about your own power won't change the fact that they're gone. You delude yourself into thinking you didn't have the power to save them, yet you believe your actions had the ability to determine whether they lived or died. So which is it? Do you matter or not?" She let a moment of silence echo through the room, stoking the flames. The grey bundle pacing the floor felt like an impenetrable wall. Every word got twisted to serve her pity-party. Thal knew that if these words didn't reach her, there was no point in trusting her to be resilient in the coming battles. If the Family was any evidence as to what was coming, more losses were on the horizon. They had to be prepared. "The real answer is that you are not a god." She pointed at Maea in emphasis, letting the words sink in. "You cannot choose life or death for people. Not even for yourself. The only thing you can do is use it as fuel for the fire. Honor their wishes and live a fulfilled life. Find joy in helping others or get revenge on those who caused them harm. Whatever it may be that gives you purpose. Just embrace who you are." Her final words were as much for Maea as they were for herself. "Don't let people - especially yourself - diminish who you are or what you've accomplished."
"No matter how much you deny it, your presence here is a sign of your strength. It isn't a matter of ideas or definitions. Strength is measured by withstanding adversity - physical, emotional, mental, or circumstantial. You've done all of that. You've survived all of that!" She picked up a stack of papers and waved them above her head. Their flapping drowned out the rhythmic tempo of the rain, causing her to raise her voice more. "Not only have you survived, you're working to help make the world a safer place for others!" Thal scoffed in disgust and threw the papers back on the desk. It was another fighting statement and she knew that Maea would not take the words lightly, but she needed to hear them. "You disrespect the memory of your family by ignoring what they so clearly saw in you."
Turning her back away, Thal crossed her arms and lowered her tone. "You asked this 'slip of a girl' to help you because you knew that I would tell you the truth, so listen to me now..."
When she turned back to Maea, the loud and animated fury had slipped into a grim determination. Her eyes darkened but maintained a burning soul filled with passion for every word. "Lying about your own power won't change the fact that they're gone. You delude yourself into thinking you didn't have the power to save them, yet you believe your actions had the ability to determine whether they lived or died. So which is it? Do you matter or not?" She let a moment of silence echo through the room, stoking the flames. The grey bundle pacing the floor felt like an impenetrable wall. Every word got twisted to serve her pity-party. Thal knew that if these words didn't reach her, there was no point in trusting her to be resilient in the coming battles. If the Family was any evidence as to what was coming, more losses were on the horizon. They had to be prepared. "The real answer is that you are not a god." She pointed at Maea in emphasis, letting the words sink in. "You cannot choose life or death for people. Not even for yourself. The only thing you can do is use it as fuel for the fire. Honor their wishes and live a fulfilled life. Find joy in helping others or get revenge on those who caused them harm. Whatever it may be that gives you purpose. Just embrace who you are." Her final words were as much for Maea as they were for herself. "Don't let people - especially yourself - diminish who you are or what you've accomplished."
Thalassa
