@turnsorrow / cont.
SHE’S A BIT ASHAMED TO ADMIT HEARING THAT embarrassed her much more than she’d like : it’s not as clear as when he gets embarrassed, mind, but the crossing of her arms as she absently kicks dirt ‘pon the ground does not rightfully do anything to help her case. She’s not sure why hearing it from him makes her feel so on guard, but if she were to guess, she supposes their rather rocky start might have aught to do with it. As if she had been the only one nursing a grudge all this time, from the moment she’d stepped into the First, albeit against her will.
“Here I’d have thought our potential for friendship ruined for the future after how I treated you back then.” To the Exarch, she had been so exceedingly unkind. She knows now, she had blamed him for something he could not have rightfully controlled and it had been for the best, in the end, regardless. But hindsight does not heal past transgressions. She chews ‘pon her lip for a moment before sheepishly lifting her gaze to meet his own. “Had I been the only one angry, all this time? I had assumed you’d have not liked me very much after our first meeting.” It would be just like her, she thinks, to expect someone to dislike her and in the end, they had been her comrade all this time. She did seem to have a history of it within the Scions.
“I just — are you . . . making fun of me?”
alisaie’s reactions were— he supposed, normal given the unfortunate circumstances of how their relationship started, and it wasn’t exactly a pleasant start even to him. nay, far from it. when he did what he did, which was stupidly— accidentally summoned the scions of the seventh dawn, alisaie into the first whereas he meant only to call for the warrior of light, he still could not forget her terrified expression once the situation sank in and the way it reflected deeply in her soul. it wasn’t because she was scared, if it was, g’raha would have felt slightly less guilty than he did now, it was because she thought she had left the warrior of light to struggle alone again against whatever threats they were facing, and that she had betrayed every promise made. it broke his heart. so he understood the fury directed towards him back then. he accepted it willingly, deservedly and merely sought to aid her with adapting to the first to the best of his abilities as a means to ask for her forgiveness.
time flew, and here he was: reunited against all odd, side by side. throughout the course of their journey together, he had learnt much more of alisaie, of how she was always the bravest in the face of danger, how she never flinched from speaking her mind and how she refused to yield despite the constant challenges thrown at her steps, cruel and relentless as they tore her apart and chewed her alive. she persisted on, headstrong and full of passion. never afraid to stand her ground, never afraid to lend a helping hands to those in need. so strong and determined— how could he not love her? if alisaie thought he would let their rocky start, one whose fault was entirely his to bear, to get in the way of a precious friendship that promised so many things, and to deny himself of a wonderful companion, who cherished her friends and family more than herself, she was dead wrong. g’raha would make sure she understood that.
‘ i would never. ’ g’raha said, smiling. it was an absolute affirmation. he had never made fun of her, and never would. she deserved every bit of respect and admiration, every bit of love, so it saddened him, truly, to see alisaie’s first thought was to vehemently reject any possibilities of compassion, or downplay her importance inside his heart. it wouldn’t do. enough with lies, he had lied enough for a lifetime at the first and look where it got him in the end. everything he said was genuine. she was like a dear sister to him. ‘ i never quite have the chance to say this before, but i never held any grudges against you and i have no intention of making excuses for the atrocities that i committed. you had the rights to be angry with me, and i wouldn’t blame you should you wish for me to cease whatever foolish attempts of companionship i’m striving. ’ he then averted his gaze from her, unable to hold her big and unblinking eyes. ‘ but you should know that i hold you dear in my heart. after all, you are, if you would allow me, my little sister. ’