@lockawayknight
He should have seen this response coming given the wretched condition the other man is in, but this certainly wouldn’t be the first time Creighton’s blissful ignorance has led to a metaphorical pike through his heart. The words hit harder than a punch, cut deeper than a knife, and infuriate him more than the death of kin. But, in a sense, isn’t that precisely what this is?
He stutters, eyes wide and enraged behind his mask. Leave it to the bitter, vengeful knight to find fury in the face of such tragedy… His next inhale is a hiss — threatening, almost, like a rattler’s tail in the once-a-thief’s face. “How… how could you…?” As if Pate could really know the answer. “After everything…?”
Pate’s expression grows more sympathetic as his brows furrow. His first instinct was to keep his distance, just on the tone alone, but something within him ached. If they had known each other before, surely they had been very close, judging by this one’s reaction. “I wish I knew...but time comes for all of us, eventually. Some sooner than others.”
Still, slowly, he holds out his hand in offering. “If you could...tell me about yourself?”