[57.00] Backdated to the 27th
[Silence. Then...]
Mmhn...
Oh for the love of...
[A rustle as Erol lifts his head to glare sleepily at Link. His hair is mussed and his ears droop as he fights off the drugs. All in all, he looks like a dulled knife, it's kind of pathetic.]
You... mmf... do that again and I swear... I'll skin you by inches, orders or -
[And here's the point ( Read more... )
Mmhn...
Oh for the love of...
[A rustle as Erol lifts his head to glare sleepily at Link. His hair is mussed and his ears droop as he fights off the drugs. All in all, he looks like a dulled knife, it's kind of pathetic.]
You... mmf... do that again and I swear... I'll skin you by inches, orders or -
[And here's the point ( Read more... )
It wasn't as if Erol had to be asleep for him to get some sleep. The elf wasn't yet capable of sitting up by himself, never mind threatening the boy. And IF Link was serious about this little watch business, he'd have been far better to choose to sleep while Erol was awake so he could watch out for himself, and wake the boy should there be trouble.
But no. Link chose to have Erol sedated, while he himself caught some shut-eye, leaving the entire scene unguarded save for the robot which had an agenda of its own. Pathetic. Erol was hardly the strongest strategist in the Guard, but he'd have been flogged for making a decision like that.
With a snarl of disgust, Erol threw a cup full of water at him.]
WAKE UP!!
[Oh... ow, ow, OW. Throwing things was definitely out of his movement range. MotherFUCKER. Erol let his head thud back against the pillows, baring his teeth in a silent snarl as the pain ran its course.]
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What... what happened? Oh... right, he'd decided to take a nap. Blinking, he relaxes just a little and then looks down at the front of his shirt to realize he's all wet.]
...
[Crap. How long did he sleep for? He didn't mean for it to be more than a few hours' nap, but there Erol is, wide awake, now. He frowns at him and sighs in intense annoyance.]
...Sorry about that. Jerk.
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"Sorry?!" You idiot. What's to stop someone from coming in here and slitting both our throats?? I'd have you assigned to sewer patrol for a week if you were mine. Of all the idiotic - if you're going to sleep while the only other pair of eyes are bloody sedated, you're better off not doing this at all!
[Somewhere under the tirade, he notices that Link is... no longer a goron. And is young, quite young.
Well. Stranger things have happened.]
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...Excuse me, but I don't have to be here at all, Erol. I've been awake for three days protecting you, while every other person on the boat tells me you aren't worth it and you're totally ungrateful on top of it, alright?!
[In other words, cut him a break, asshole. He huffs and pulls on his wet shirt, puffing it out like he was fanning his face, as if it would somehow dry it off. Of course it doesn't, it's mostly a fidgety movement of annoyance at being wet and yelled at.]
I fall asleep for... a few hours, and you have the nerve to get mad at me about it?!
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I’m not scolding you for falling asleep, boy. I’m doing so because you disabled the only other person who could have kept watch and THEN chose to have your little shut-eye. I’d have kept watch easily if you wanted to cat-nap, but you made certain I couldn’t, didn’t you. THAT’S what I’m bloody upset about! You don’t - take responsibility for a situation and then drop the ball!
[The Krimzon Guard hisses through his teeth in irritation and takes a few breaths, trying to dispel his temper. This was a completely ridiculous situation, and he LOATHED being so out of control. After a moment his eyes are a bit calmer (no doubt aided by the downwards pull of the sedation AMU has him on) and he glances back over.]
Why are you doing this, anyway.
[Erol can’t understand why Link is looking after him in the first place; the fact that he apparently can’t be bothered to do it properly adds an entirely new level of incomprehensibility. That does it, he’s got to get an explanation for this nonsense.]
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Eyes diverted, the little Hylian definitely resembles a child that's been scolded for stealing cookies. He crosses his arms across his chest and pulls his knees up close, feet resting on the chair. Erol is chipping away at his resolve, but Link has to stick to his guns - he can, and he will, but it's hard.]
...Explaining it to you feels completely pointless.
[By giving that kind of answer and not replying to his accusations, he's basically admitting he was wrong. He'll need another push or so to want to get into that with you, Erol.]
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I'm bored, humor me.
*Either that, or he could find something else to amuse himself with, and chances were it would be targeted at making his self-styled guard miserable. Talking like civilized persons is your best option, Link. Give him something he doesn't understand to chew on for a while.*
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[His expression softened just a little. Link glances back at him, but looks away again when their eyes meet, the eye contact uncomfortable.]
Because... it's the right thing to do.
[It sounds like he might leave it at that, but then he continues, speaking slowly and deliberately, a few seconds later.]
Because things... won't get better, until people can learn to always do the right thing. Not just some of the time - like... whenever it feels good. Or whenever we deem others deserving of it. It's not something that's "earned", it's something that should be automatic.
[He glances back at Erol again, feeling foolish about explaining this to someone like him.]
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But there was a route to pursue that might give him a better tack on understanding Link individually. And... not that he would admit it, not even to himself, but he wanted to understand what it was that he himself was missing. Erol wasn’t like so many other killers - he’d not been hardened by war, merely sharpened; no traumatic event had triggered his psychosis; his parents were neglectful but not abusive. On a good day, he thought of the difference between himself and others as something he had which they lacked, but on a bad one, he suspected he was the one missing something.]
What... does it matter to you, that “things get better.”
[His voice was quiet and serious, golden eyes watching Link with deadly solemnity; almost reminiscent of a child asking if God was real.]
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His question sort of catches him off guard, and Link pauses, trying to understand.]
What... does it matter?
[It's like asking why people are afraid of death. Or why we need to breathe and eat to stay alive. Because... just because. Well, what they're really talking about here is progressivism, but little Link wouldn't know about the technical term like that. It's just obvious to him: of course you want things to get better. Of course you always want to be striving to make the world a better place. Don't you?
He unfolds his arms thoughtfully, wanting to tackle this better. No one's ever asked him something like this before.]
...Because... Because if things aren't good... we should try to make them good. If there's a problem, and you can make it better, then why not do it?
[He's struggling with the question, he hasn't really answered it yet. With a sigh, he looks down at his lap.]
Or, at least, that's how I feel. That's... that's my job.
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Why not make things better? Plenty of reasons, actually - for one thing, it did you more good to look after yourself first. For another, problems provided opportunities; particularly Haven's problems, which Erol exploited to a T.
But that last bit catches his attention. THIS is something he knows, this is something he can relate to.]
I understand jobs.
However, with my job I answer to the Baron. Who do you work for?
[If it's Link's job, there ought to be someone at the top giving him orders and telling him what to do. Erol didn't suppose there was, but if that's the case, how could it be called a job?]
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The Royal Family - Zelda. The Goddesses. Myself.
[Link wouldn't do what he does if he didn't want to do it (although saying he likes it is a little bit of a stretch). There might have been a time, after being tricked and unleashing Ganondorf onto his home, where he could only motivate himself by thinking of the danger Zelda was in. But since then, he's much more settled in the title bestowed on him, and its responsibilities.
Even though it's robbed him of a normal life and most of the things that go with it, if he's doing the Goddesses' work and protecting the Royal Family and helping others, he's happy.
Link looks back at Erol and recrosses his arms, waiting for any kind of reaction from him. What's with all the questions and no comment? He's probably just going to use this all against him later somehow, isn't he? His patience is growing a little thin. Erol better be willing to answer some things if he's got the nerve to ask all this in succession.]
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The Goddesses? That he could just about see. If the Precursors came down in person and gave out tasks, Erol didn't suppose he could fault someone for taking them up on it. Apparently he himself struck a deal with the Dark Makers himself after his first death in Haven, so.
There was still something missing from this picture though. Erol took a vocation in the Krimzon Guard for the power and violence. What did Zelda give him? Or his gods? Link didn't seem to have much in the way of power. Some other benefit?]
What is it they give you in return.
[Oh, he will. He's just drugged up enough to give a few honest answers, too.]
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...
[He opens his mouth to answer, but then shuts it. What they give to him in return. Thinking about it... nothing, he's never received anything. And yet, this thought doesn't bother him. It's never come to mind before.
Closing his eyes, he sighs. That question... it's so Hylian. It's that expectation... that expectation of reciprocation, for everything you do. Where there's no such thing as a favor. When Link had first left the forest and gone out into the world of Hylians, the world of his real people, it'd been part of the culture shock. A stark contrast to the peaceful, innocent existence of the Kokiri.
Link shakes his head and shrugs, knowing that this will probably shock him, but not feeling terribly bothered by it because it's how he honestly felt.]
Gratitude.
[He's the Hero of Time, protecting others is why he's here. He's perfectly happy to do it even if they gave him no gratitude at all.]
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He has got to be kidding. All this for nothing more than a "thank you?"
Erol processed this for a few moments, then shrugged.]
Whatever makes you happy, I suppose.
[Not everyone wanted power, after all.]
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[Very suspicious. He might be protecting him, but that doesn't mean he trusts him or likes him or really thinks he deserves it.]
I find it hard to believe you have no comment on that at all. It's not like I'm going to get so angry over whatever you say that I'll attack you, you know.
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