Thus do I exhort thee to spare no effort to keep thy loved ones safe.
It didn't take him long to find her, but once he did he wasn't quite sure what to say. He had never seen her look so small—curled in on herself, quiet sobs just barely audible over the din of the camp.
He was thankful she didn't try to seek solitude, the last thing they needed was for her to disappear, again. Instead she had sat herself beneath the window of the room her sister currently occupied in their makeshift infirmary.
It made his heart ache with understanding.
He approached, kneeling down in front of her, and though she flinched at the touch of his hand, she didn't pull away. But she didn't look up at him or acknowledge his presence, either.
"I know what you are feeling, truly I do. The helplessness, the guilt, the pain of hurting someone you love and swore to protect. But Robyn, it wasn't you. We all know it wasn't you, that you would never hurt any of us."
She didn't react, but he knew she was listening.
"And now that we know what to look for, he won't be able to trick us again. Y'shtola knows the color of your spirit, and I dare say the rest of us know you well enough to see through the mask as well."
"I wasn't fast enough," her voice was low and rough, but he was still glad to hear it.
"It was by their design! They never intended for you to stop him, and still you did! You kept him from doing far more harm."
"No, you don't understand. I wasn't fast enough because I stopped to help." She looked up at him with pain in her eyes. "There were people in the city fighting against magitek, they begged me for help. I tried. I tried but they all died anyways, and I was caught in the explosion…"
He was stunned into silence at the implications of her words.
"Everything Zenos has done has been to get my attention. All the destruction, all the death just to draw me here. And when I didn't give him what he wanted he attacked you. Using your trust in me as a weapon, using my love against me. No matter what I do, no matter how much I try to help and try to protect, I only make it worse."
She looked away, slumping like it took what little strength she had left.
"Zenos was tearing things apart long before he ever met you, and this place was designed to be a powder keg back before you were even born. The only thing that has changed with your presence is that we actually have a chance to stop him!"
He knew he didn't have the answers she needed nor the words to rouse her spirit, but if he could just get her moving…just get her back in the fight, the distraction might be enough, for now. In this they were both the same.
"Fandaniel made it clear that time was of the essence, and so we are planning an assault on the tower. All in, whatever it takes to stop them. We will be lost without you leading the charge."
"You would still fight beside me, even now?" She looked up, watching his reaction. His conviction.
"Surely by now you know, I will always stand by your side to face whatever comes our way. We have been through far too much for some maniac's stunt to break my trust in you. And there is no doubt in my mind that every one of the Scions feels the same way."
Tears started filling her eyes again, but this time she reached out and took his hand, squeezing it like a lifeline.
"And if I may be so bold, I don't think anything could break Osk's trust in you either. Though, perhaps a bit of explanation about what happened may be in order."
She snorted at that, and wiped the tears from her face. "Let us make sure she is safe first, then I will tell her everything."
Btw if you too want a Thancred Waters plushie with weirdly inappropriate "goes to a rock concert" clothes, there's at least some stil left in stock!
You, uhh, see what I mean?
Anyway. Find him here and free him from this.
Oh, and Alphinaud has one as well, although he looks like he's been dressed in something his mother chose for him... which does at least feel canon accurate?
