Welcome to Gaia! ::

Tucked as she was, he lowered his arm around her and cupped her opposite arm in gentle pressure drawing her nearness more secured. Sometimes people just needed hugs or closeness. It was natural, as much as the hierarchy of a group, the protectiveness and affection made by blood and family, or the tugs of romance between the glances of people who would become lovers for a time. Here was, beyond being Lady Ida, a girl who was in a great deal of confusion and pain- of life, of the machinations of others, and of her own making.

It was human.

When she spoke again, it was hard to tell if she was just confiding for the sake of needing to get something off her chest, or doing so because she was wanting advice. There was no questions posed, which gave the idea that it was just confiding, and words back would have to be very careful indeed to be taken right. The wrong words would be either taken as insensitivity and close the door left open, or as misunderstanding and equally close the door. Saying nothing? Most young people seemed uncomfortable with silences, even if he was fine with them, and read a thousand fictions into them.

So I must say something. I do not know what advice to give on such things. I am not so good at hard questions. He rubbed her shoulder lightly in the interim to wordlessly signal that he was thinking it over and still present in the conversation. Aware of her by his side.

"The difference between the truth of the heart and that of the head can be useful- sometimes one recognizes what the other does not. It takes time and work to heal some hurts. Maybe your heart was hurt when someone left because of you and it is trying to make that every reason. It is good your mind sees that is not true. "

"Take the time to heal your heart, Ida. It will be hard, but you must- it means you are not trusting people. "

"You are not trusting people who mean something to you to make responsible decisions to meet goals. All nobles are served by their knights and in turn also serve their knights. Everyone has a job, and must be able to do it. " He took a great breath, exhaling it in a sigh that creaked the leather of his belt fastenings. "It is very hard to trust. But you don't have to do it all at once. You can take time and do it right. Our scars are marks of our lessons, but they are also marks of healing that no longer bleed. You are still bleeding, maybe. "

"Not that I am any expert, " He looked down, gently mooshing her to side.

"Any time one or other is uncertain is a good time to question which to see through, I think. That is how I do it. " Not that he ever had much argument from his brain on most topics. He most often defaulted to following his heart with everything too complicated to reason out otherwise. And no benefit of a lord's clear will and guidance.

Obsidian was gone, the Konge were perpetually and completely busy, and Metallia was remote- absent excepting as her displeasure threatened. Only Laurelite had shown care and time, attending to the lesser vassals as befitted the idea he knew of the service of Sovereignty. Only Laurelite.

The chain of responsibility and duty was rusted and broken, indeed, as Drew had said. To be fixed, or to be abandoned- too many mistakes had rotted the faith of the throne. And now this. Cordiality with the very enemies of Metallia. "Do you accept you make mistakes? Being afraid that another will not- you are expecting they won't accept it. Even with a foreign soul, even with a noble destiny, you are a human. Humans are not perfect. What is done after is the cowardice or bravery."

"Is that the same castor prince who declared war on the Earth? " The image of Hvergelmir's panic as he'd pointed out how it was everything they'd expected of senshi came to mind. As did the distinct dull redness of her trying and shoes. "He can argue if he likes with your birth certificate, parents, and your blood. You are human. It is all that is left to be. And everything is supposed to come from that Cauldron, so he can't argue anyone's soul comes from someplace different. "

"I expect aliens were just people, too. They had families, made homes, traded art, and had a three second rule. Like going to another country, only further. Maybe sicknesses were harder, or air wasn't oxygen, but just mortal people who made mistakes and triumphs. Even the gods make mistakes." He wasn't sure what Idan's were, if there were like Pomona's ' space hobbits' or completely different. But the ruins there had been homes. They'd had gardens.

They were just a people, with maybe different values and goals and gods, but people. Idans were probably the same. Maybe. "A prince unfit to rule will always look for excuses to make gold out of his common wool. Or to fit a yoke to another's ox. "

It was risky, but it bore saying for them both. "Castor may not be the only one who has been determined to see things how they want them, rather than how they are."

My want to be worthy, to help, to find and serve a noble lord or lady. Others may have weighed prices offered them first, or continuously. A lord must gift his vassals, and Metallia has gifted power to warriors, but nothing to the land. That was a truth I would not see. She has only harvested and harvested. There has been no planting.

And you, Ida, seeing only that your self is hateful, imperfect, not doing enough, even while you fall off buildings and your fingers come to crack and bleed.

He heaved a long breath, trying to clear more echos of the missing name from mind. They would not clear. "There is much to do. It is hard to face it, with the rest of the noise and the city. "

"Will you be alright?"