there will be scrapes and sutures; viciousness and victory
There's nothing quite like getting knifed in the heart by a little girl, and Ronin feels it keenly, though his hand remains nothing but warm and steadfast in her own as they climb. "Well, I love Aoife's mother and Seren's mother," he says slowly. "And I don't know yours all that well." And I think she's a reckless snake. "But I am beginning to understand that is not a very good excuse."
Pausing conveniently at the top of the staircase that leads into the shrine, Ronin turns to face Flora, crouching down before her. "The reason things are the way they are right now is not because there's anything wrong with you," he murmurs. "It's about something that's wrong with me, okay? It's like... You know when you get a scrape, and it gets a scab on it? And you know you should leave it alone, but you just really want to pick it off, even though it will make it bleed and take forever to heal?" Ronin smiles sadly. "That's what it's like for me, but with something on the inside."
He doesn't know if he's made any sense to the child before him, but gods if he isn't trying for the first time since he'd learned of her existence. "I think if I can let it heal, though, maybe things wouldn't have to be like this so much. But it's not to do with you not fitting in, okay? You should be yourself - you're fine just the way you are."
Pausing conveniently at the top of the staircase that leads into the shrine, Ronin turns to face Flora, crouching down before her. "The reason things are the way they are right now is not because there's anything wrong with you," he murmurs. "It's about something that's wrong with me, okay? It's like... You know when you get a scrape, and it gets a scab on it? And you know you should leave it alone, but you just really want to pick it off, even though it will make it bleed and take forever to heal?" Ronin smiles sadly. "That's what it's like for me, but with something on the inside."
He doesn't know if he's made any sense to the child before him, but gods if he isn't trying for the first time since he'd learned of her existence. "I think if I can let it heal, though, maybe things wouldn't have to be like this so much. But it's not to do with you not fitting in, okay? You should be yourself - you're fine just the way you are."
RONIN
