LOREN
Still holding the water in an orb, though it moved above his head, Loren regarded Zariah with an inscrutable expression. Then he sighed, and glanced back towards the Hollowed Grounds. It was just a quick aside, and his eyes quickly settled on her again. "Honestly?" His voice came out pretty normally, no posturing, no boastful confidence, just plain old normal.
Reaching out to give Astra a comforting pat, the summoner smiled faintly. "Peace. Happiness. Love without pain. All of which I have, now." He tilted his head at his cousin. "I assume you meant what do I want with you and the family, though?"
The smile, faint as it was, faded away. "Not to fight with you, as I said. But also to tell you that we don't have to follow the old ways. That there are other paths. That this new world grants us the opportunity to be different than we were before, no matter what we've done." Studying her features, he waited for the sharp words. "And to tell you that, regardless of what you decide, I have no intention of going back to that life." He paused to let that sink in, voice gentle and calming.
"However, I hope that we can still be a family." His voice still came out as soothingly as he could manage.
Reaching out to give Astra a comforting pat, the summoner smiled faintly. "Peace. Happiness. Love without pain. All of which I have, now." He tilted his head at his cousin. "I assume you meant what do I want with you and the family, though?"
The smile, faint as it was, faded away. "Not to fight with you, as I said. But also to tell you that we don't have to follow the old ways. That there are other paths. That this new world grants us the opportunity to be different than we were before, no matter what we've done." Studying her features, he waited for the sharp words. "And to tell you that, regardless of what you decide, I have no intention of going back to that life." He paused to let that sink in, voice gentle and calming.
"However, I hope that we can still be a family." His voice still came out as soothingly as he could manage.
But don’t be weary if it’s broken
Families are like that—
they’re split up and always torn.
