TIME STAMP
The man winced as his former mentor ran his palm over his scalp, fingers smoothing through his hair. He closed his eyes, then lowered his face, the bridge of his nose stiffening as air flowed through his septum. He was tense, even somewhat resistant, despite the trust they might've once had -- the trust they still had, in truth. Talon's opining against the Imperium had made him ponder some, but not very much; it was easy to discard it as the bitterness of a defeated adversary, as much as he held empathy for him. Aoren was different -- he was once the breathing incarnate of Imperial fortitude and loyalty, the man Asher looked up to with such great reverence, and esteem.
He did not necessarily command him to act against the Imperium, but to think. To allow his loyalty to be shaken. To survive that ordeal. All of these things were heavy, but also feasible. It was not wrong to linger on moral questions, only to act on their answers in a way that would bring about his detriment. Aoren was right.
The Knight reached out, gripping his mentor's forearm within his extended hand. "I cannot leave the Imperium," he said, eyes opening, though they narrowed as he peered blankly at Aoren's chest. "I will have children soon, Aoren. I must watch over them -- protect them -- as well as I can, even if that must be from a distance, looming like a crow. They will be Talon's children, too, and because you are his husband, they will also be yours."
He looked up, a single eye resting on the blond-haired Kathar. "The three of us, Aoren . . . in some strange way, we have become a family. It is strange to imagine that you and I might ever share a fate as we've been given, but it has been done. I... will need you, Aoren. To be a father to them -- if I die, or cannot be near. I am expendable, but you are Talon's companion. You will have the chance to guide these things, in a way I cannot." Asher cleared his throat, loosening his grip; his hand smoothed back, opening Aoren's palm, threading their fingers together. "I will stay with you today. Let's... watch over him together, our man. We can share stories, like we used to. I'd like that."
The man winced as his former mentor ran his palm over his scalp, fingers smoothing through his hair. He closed his eyes, then lowered his face, the bridge of his nose stiffening as air flowed through his septum. He was tense, even somewhat resistant, despite the trust they might've once had -- the trust they still had, in truth. Talon's opining against the Imperium had made him ponder some, but not very much; it was easy to discard it as the bitterness of a defeated adversary, as much as he held empathy for him. Aoren was different -- he was once the breathing incarnate of Imperial fortitude and loyalty, the man Asher looked up to with such great reverence, and esteem.
He did not necessarily command him to act against the Imperium, but to think. To allow his loyalty to be shaken. To survive that ordeal. All of these things were heavy, but also feasible. It was not wrong to linger on moral questions, only to act on their answers in a way that would bring about his detriment. Aoren was right.
The Knight reached out, gripping his mentor's forearm within his extended hand. "I cannot leave the Imperium," he said, eyes opening, though they narrowed as he peered blankly at Aoren's chest. "I will have children soon, Aoren. I must watch over them -- protect them -- as well as I can, even if that must be from a distance, looming like a crow. They will be Talon's children, too, and because you are his husband, they will also be yours."
He looked up, a single eye resting on the blond-haired Kathar. "The three of us, Aoren . . . in some strange way, we have become a family. It is strange to imagine that you and I might ever share a fate as we've been given, but it has been done. I... will need you, Aoren. To be a father to them -- if I die, or cannot be near. I am expendable, but you are Talon's companion. You will have the chance to guide these things, in a way I cannot." Asher cleared his throat, loosening his grip; his hand smoothed back, opening Aoren's palm, threading their fingers together. "I will stay with you today. Let's... watch over him together, our man. We can share stories, like we used to. I'd like that."
