...I don't think I've ever told you the name of the man who took me off the waterlogged dock planks of Limsa Lominsa and made something of me.
[He gives her a little squeeze.]
His name was Louisoix Leveilleur — an Archon himself, but more importantly, a man who believed that the accumulation of knowledge is meaningless in and of itself; its value comes only from using it to better the world. "To ignore the plight of those one might conceivably save," he would say often, "is not wisdom; it is indolence."
Louisoix believed that we must all protect that which we hold most dear in the manner of our own choosing. Regardless of what our affiliations believe. Regardless of what our loved ones think. Regardless, even, of the opinions of a grizzled old bard who's been taught his own hard lessons about seeking to dictate the choices of others, but has yet to even come close to retaining them. That's my justification for your mark. Mastery of the teachings of Archon Louisoix Leveilleur, despite never having been taught them to begin with.
[And he pulls back just enough to smile at her, softly.]
[thancred waters is very good at making gideon nav feel every emotion all at once, it seems, because there's a lot to unpack in this speech and she's not very good at doing it.
but - what she takes from it is that maybe, just a little, he thinks that she could be some sort of hero if she wanted, and maybe he's proud of her in some fashion, and that's... that's more than anything she's ever gotten. from anybody. she hopes that she isn't wrong. she hopes so bad that this isn't going to be taken from her. it's been a long few weeks, getting her to think it was even a possibility that she could believe this sort of thing is true.
so when he pulls back to look at her, she stares at him like she's not sure what to do, overwhelmed. it takes her a second to figure out what she wants to say to it.]
He doesn't sound so bad. [she says, lamely.] That's... it's a good enough reason.
[she's holding onto his arms tightly as she says it. not enough to hurt, but enough so that he knows she's having a moment.]
[Someday he'll tell her about the Warrior of Light, and about the meaning of Sundering, and how he doesn't know which star or shard or universe or whatnot she comes from, but that if somehow the Ninth just so happened to be a part of one of the shards somewhere out there across the rift, minding its own business, an unsuspecting part of a greater whole — that if he were taking bets on what color soul a visiting Ascian with the right sort of eyes might perceive in Gideon Nav, he'd be laying his wagers on Azem orange.]
I'll get you something to commemorate the occasion. I promise.
[that's how you kill gideon, right there. with that amount of kindness.
she sniffs a little, and then finally lets go of him. mostly. touch week means she keeps a hand vaguely on his arm. the hand with all five fingers. she's still keeping the other one mostly out of his sight.]
I've got something in mind for what I want you to have from me. [she says after a moment, trying to regain her composure.] ... Maybe we ought to not stand out here in the cold doing fuck-all.
[she'd planned on trying to go up the trail but really, she'd be fine with just going back to the resort. it's so much warmer, and her hands hurt from the cold.]
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[He gives her a little squeeze.]
His name was Louisoix Leveilleur — an Archon himself, but more importantly, a man who believed that the accumulation of knowledge is meaningless in and of itself; its value comes only from using it to better the world. "To ignore the plight of those one might conceivably save," he would say often, "is not wisdom; it is indolence."
Louisoix believed that we must all protect that which we hold most dear in the manner of our own choosing. Regardless of what our affiliations believe. Regardless of what our loved ones think. Regardless, even, of the opinions of a grizzled old bard who's been taught his own hard lessons about seeking to dictate the choices of others, but has yet to even come close to retaining them. That's my justification for your mark. Mastery of the teachings of Archon Louisoix Leveilleur, despite never having been taught them to begin with.
[And he pulls back just enough to smile at her, softly.]
He would have liked you.
no subject
but - what she takes from it is that maybe, just a little, he thinks that she could be some sort of hero if she wanted, and maybe he's proud of her in some fashion, and that's... that's more than anything she's ever gotten. from anybody. she hopes that she isn't wrong. she hopes so bad that this isn't going to be taken from her. it's been a long few weeks, getting her to think it was even a possibility that she could believe this sort of thing is true.
so when he pulls back to look at her, she stares at him like she's not sure what to do, overwhelmed. it takes her a second to figure out what she wants to say to it.]
He doesn't sound so bad. [she says, lamely.] That's... it's a good enough reason.
[she's holding onto his arms tightly as she says it. not enough to hurt, but enough so that he knows she's having a moment.]
no subject
I'll get you something to commemorate the occasion. I promise.
no subject
she sniffs a little, and then finally lets go of him. mostly. touch week means she keeps a hand vaguely on his arm. the hand with all five fingers. she's still keeping the other one mostly out of his sight.]
I've got something in mind for what I want you to have from me. [she says after a moment, trying to regain her composure.] ... Maybe we ought to not stand out here in the cold doing fuck-all.
[she'd planned on trying to go up the trail but really, she'd be fine with just going back to the resort. it's so much warmer, and her hands hurt from the cold.]