(Untitled)

[faithful_slayer]

Faith wasn't in love with Hild

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[idealistvermin]

Dammit.

"Hey," says Wendell softly from the doorway.

It's not like there's anything he can do. He knows damn well there's nothing he can do, because he knows exactly where she is and he's in the same damn place.

Doesn't make it any easier to watch her suffer.

(And at least she doesn't have the guilt.)

[faithful_slayer]

"I should have been there."

Doesn't have the guilt? Oh Wen. How little you know her.

"If I'd been there...."

[idealistvermin]

"If you'd been there she still would've gone screaming in like she always does. Sometimes something comes along that's just too big for us, you know?"

Wendell was there, and all he could do for Jean-Claude was take advantage of his mortal wound to unload the rat-plague onto him.

[faithful_slayer]

"....yeah. Yeah."

Faith inhales, then exhales shakily.

"So, new guy seems okay."

[idealistvermin]

"Yeah 'en? I haven't spoken to him much since I brought him in."

To busy emoing in corners.

[faithful_slayer]

"Seems it. Time will tell. Bit bookish, but he'll get over that, I imagine."

Beat.

"Or, you know, snap, lose his mind, etc."

[idealistvermin]

"Last thing we need is another Félice."

Shudder.

[faithful_slayer]

"No kidding."

Faith shudders too, and then looks up at him.

"You gonna be okay?"

[idealistvermin]

He opens his mouth...

...closes it again, and shrugs, a little defensively.

Short pause.

"Don't know. Think I have to be."

[faithful_slayer]

"Yeah."

Faith nods understanding.

"I'd hug you, but I'm not the type."

[idealistvermin]

Wry smile. "I appreciate the thought."

[faithful_slayer]

Faith smiles back, equally darkly.

"Never buried a lover before."

[idealistvermin]

"Neither have I."

In an unprecedented show of openness: "Left one behind, though. In Fremmanland. His name was Tom."

[faithful_slayer]

"I'm sorry."

Faith falls silent for a second.

"I worked as an assassin, back on Earth."

This is unprecedented openness for her, too.

[idealistvermin]

"Yeah 'en?"

The first thing he thinks of is that he's known some assassins.

The second thing he thinks of is Redgrin.

There's a very complicated silence before heresponds, "I was a thief, mostly."

[faithful_slayer]

"I murdered people, when I was young, and went to jail for it. When I got out....assassin. That's why I was wearing a dress when I got here...infiltrating the home of a noblewoman..."

Another silence, this one also complicated - and pained.

"There was a time when I would be more likely to be the thing you should kill, than the thing that helps you kill it."