"Tell me, Ser Aymeric." Sidurgu's voice was just shy of being curt and danced along a razor-sharp edge of feigned politeness and outward rudeness. If Rielle were with him he was certain she would have already tried to dig her elbow into his side to silence him, for all the good that would have done. "You certainly do a good job acting invested in the future of the Brume. How long are you going to keep pretending those... lesser than you deserve your concern?"
𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 , this looming figure filled with edge & barely contained malice , and immediately aymeric is alarmed . he’s never one to assume the worst , but a stranger coming up to him in this nature never really bodes well . and yet , he offers a cordial yet strained smile to pull at his lips as his attempt to seem amenable .
but he isn’t pleased by his words . his brow quirks upwards , a sharp look forming in his eyes offsetting the attempted smile . awkwardly standing here , in a public place , where eyes and ears might have already picked up on such confrontational words .
and all aymeric wanted was a good drink and time to speak to the soldiers . all he wanted was a moment to relax , and lift the mantle of lord speaker from his shoulders .
❝ you think of them as lesser ? ❞ he nigh mocked back , his tongue a little sharper than he really should allow it to be . aymeric was a politician now , after all , and his tongue should be lined with silver instead of iron . ❝ what , pray tell , do you have against someone caring for those who have been pushed down and disparaged by our leaders in the past ? i simply strive to bring the brume to an equal level as the rest of us , as they deserve . to elevate and repair the damage done during the attack that left the firmament in smoldering ash . ❞
his tone seems to become more heated , anger forcing his smile to fall into a frown . it seems like this stranger had picked and pulled at scabs , rubbing him rawly , and now frustrations ebbing under the surface seems to bubble up .
❝ how long will i supposedly pretend to care for the brume ? forever , if need be . until they are content & happy , as they deserve to be . when squalor is not what defines the brume .
❝ what did you expect to find from me by asking such a terrible question ? self satisfaction if i proved you right ? to know that the people who desperately need aid are being used by a fake ? or did you mean to be made angry , as you already are . ❞
his jaw sets , and he realizes that perhaps he has taken it to hard , too far , but it bristles under his skin . to speak of him , as people often do , as some crazed villian . as some selfish spoiled brat playing as a philanthropist like he’s bored . like he didn’t spend his childhood within the brume , or work his way from the bottom to the top , that he never had a single kindness in his heart .
that aymeric has remained kind and gentle despite it all has ever been his pride .
❝ shame on you . you’d push down and belittle someone who is genuine in their intentions , and for what ? you only harm everyone else . ❞
