Safrin’s gaze slid slowly from the stormy blue of Ronin's eyes to his mouth; a temptation so fierce that it whispered of soft, redemptive solace. For an eternal heartbeat, she seemed poised to bridge the distance between them with a kiss that might wash away salt and sorrow alike. But instead, she pulled her eyes away, nodding silently. Her fingers glided toward Seren’s shoulder, making room for Ronin to draw nearer.
Softly, almost inaudibly, she whispered, "I’m sorry… so sorry," and like the Knight, her apology held a dual meaning. Her voice trembled with grief and something else—an impossibility, a hope too fragile to be grasped. She took a moment to steady herself, as if gathering the scattered fragments of her divine resolve.
Then, with a hesitance that betrayed the weight of the unspoken truth, she spoke again, calling him the name she'd once used so often. "Sugar…" Her tone was both tender and tentative. "Without Seren… and now, with you marked as a demigod of Vi..everything is unbalanced. I'll need another demigod to stand with Vesper and Hadama." Her eyes filled with tears as she shook her head, gazing at him the way she once did when hope was as light as stardust, and they'd laughed together far more than they'd cried or yelled. "Seren was the best of them...and that was in large part because of you."
It's a terrible, horrible thing she's asking of him, but where his grief is mortal, hers is tinged with divine obligation. "The choice is entirely yours.." Unlike last time, and especially now that the Knight fell squarely under Vi's domain. So it was all the goddess could do was ask.
And hope.
Softly, almost inaudibly, she whispered, "I’m sorry… so sorry," and like the Knight, her apology held a dual meaning. Her voice trembled with grief and something else—an impossibility, a hope too fragile to be grasped. She took a moment to steady herself, as if gathering the scattered fragments of her divine resolve.
Then, with a hesitance that betrayed the weight of the unspoken truth, she spoke again, calling him the name she'd once used so often. "Sugar…" Her tone was both tender and tentative. "Without Seren… and now, with you marked as a demigod of Vi..everything is unbalanced. I'll need another demigod to stand with Vesper and Hadama." Her eyes filled with tears as she shook her head, gazing at him the way she once did when hope was as light as stardust, and they'd laughed together far more than they'd cried or yelled. "Seren was the best of them...and that was in large part because of you."
It's a terrible, horrible thing she's asking of him, but where his grief is mortal, hers is tinged with divine obligation. "The choice is entirely yours.." Unlike last time, and especially now that the Knight fell squarely under Vi's domain. So it was all the goddess could do was ask.
And hope.
