[ shock ripples across his face, briefly - vulnerable, visible, and then it crumples, and he shakes his head with a messy exhale. ]
...Bloody hell. Hate to have that in common, of all the things. [ for a lot of reasons, the weight of it all fizzling out like sparks. noble sacrifices, good parents, and what it means to protect those who come after -- and what it means to be the one left behind.
there's a beat, and - he leans a little further into her, solid, too. ] You've got that right. [ quieter. ] Bit by bit.
she wishes they didn't have it in common if only because she wishes they didn't have to have experienced it at all, but. solidarity, she supposes. ]
I thought he was an idiot when I was fifteen. I couldn't see why he wouldn't fight back. [ she rests her head on strohl's shoulder briefly, staring at the ground. ]
He was, though. A good man. He was what was keeping us all together.
...yeah. I get that, trust me. We think we're so wise, when we're that young.
[ cringeworthy tbh!!! as vi sets her head on his shoulder, though, it's his turn to be steady - still and easy, something worth mooring upon. stroh's quiet, thoughtful, considering the weight of what she's sharing. ]
[ she really did think she knew everything at fifteen, but. that much has definitely changed. it's sooo cringeworthy, looking back at it now. huff.
she stays where she is for now. ]
Yep. He was - not in charge, nobody was in charge. But unofficially. The lanes respected him and he took care of us, made sure we took care of each other, since topside never was going to.
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...Bloody hell. Hate to have that in common, of all the things. [ for a lot of reasons, the weight of it all fizzling out like sparks. noble sacrifices, good parents, and what it means to protect those who come after -- and what it means to be the one left behind.
there's a beat, and - he leans a little further into her, solid, too. ] You've got that right. [ quieter. ] Bit by bit.
Your father must've been a good man.
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she wishes they didn't have it in common if only because she wishes they didn't have to have experienced it at all, but. solidarity, she supposes. ]
I thought he was an idiot when I was fifteen. I couldn't see why he wouldn't fight back. [ she rests her head on strohl's shoulder briefly, staring at the ground. ]
He was, though. A good man. He was what was keeping us all together.
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...yeah. I get that, trust me. We think we're so wise, when we're that young.
[ cringeworthy tbh!!! as vi sets her head on his shoulder, though, it's his turn to be steady - still and easy, something worth mooring upon. stroh's quiet, thoughtful, considering the weight of what she's sharing. ]
Us - those of you in the under city? Or...?
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she stays where she is for now. ]
Yep. He was - not in charge, nobody was in charge. But unofficially. The lanes respected him and he took care of us, made sure we took care of each other, since topside never was going to.
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[ it sounds like their dads would've gotten along, honestly - though that's hardly surprising. ]
...He saved you from an attack, right? Was it the topsiders? Or...?
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she snorts. ]
That would've been the easy answer, right? No, it was one of our own. Someone who thought he'd do it better than Vander.
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Dead wrong, if that's how they started.
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Yeah. [ ... ] It's a long story. Never got better, obviously. I just saw the aftermath.