[ Inancha can hardly hear her over the shrill echoes of the darkness surrounding them, of the scraping of her armor and the way her heart pounds through her ears. In the blind shroud that has taken over her, Inancha has become more aware of the deep cut in her side, beginning to feel weak and ill. Blood pools around her armor in each corner Khara's attacks have reached, and she is successfully taken by the Xaela's grasp. She roughly growls, teeth gritting hard enough to make her jaw sore. ]
[ The way her heart aches completely overtakes her, the frustration of it all only causing her to become angrier and pained. Blind eyes widen when she finally hears Khara speak-- I never should have left you. Claims of failure and Inancha's success in abandoning her Raen roots completely, only bearing an incorrect shade of horns and scales. ]
[ Slowly, ever so slowly, her eyesight begins to return. A blurred visual of their surroundings comes back, clearing when she turns her gaze to see the battered woman releasing her and clutching her blade. Inancha breaks away from her, stumbling far back and exhaling a harsh, raspy growl. It is clear that the battle will not end the way Inancha wishes, and she will return home empty-handed. She will fail. It adds to the anger, yet the idea of actually killing the woman before her seems less possible than success. It makes the idea of failure unimportant. ]
[ When her sight is clear, she furrows her brows at Khara, unaware of the way her eyes begin to well up and overflow with tears that mix with the blood curtaining her features. ]
You...
You--
[ Inancha stumbles again, feeling dizzy. It is clear that she has lost a lot of blood, wasted her reserve of aether. Her magic is rendered useless, and she tosses her staff to the ground. ]
--Doubted me! I am...
A trinket to you! To Bastian! My novelty was worn and you left me!
[ Raising her voice is difficult, and her voice cracks. Where words are always so hard to form in the first place, Inancha suffers in sharing the source of anger that fuels her now. ]
[ She gestures to herself, holding her arm out before pounding her palm at her chest hard. Metal gloves clanking upon a metal breastplate. ]
[ Khara's had drops at the sight of Inancha's face. Her first impulse is to rush forward, to grab up the smaller girl in her arms, but she doesn't. Instead, she sways unsteadily on her feet as she watches her, her expression mirroring her old friend's.
She listens in silence, heat that has nothing to do with the fire thrown at her stinging her eyes and causing them to water. ]
I was weak, Inancha. [ Her voice cracks, and a mournful melody enters her tone as she speaks, rapidly, the words rushing together. ] I was weak and I knew how important this was to you, and I know you wanted this. You wanted their respect. You wanted--
[ Khara brings a hand to her forehead, rasping her fingers through her hair as she falls to her knees. Tisiphone rises to the forefront of her consciousness, in warning. Don't put yourself in such a vulnerable position.
... But Khara doesn't listen, and bows her head. ]
... You have my respect. You always have. I'm sorry I abandoned you. [ She takes a shuddering breath, tear tracks cutting swathes of grime and blood off of her face. ] I can spin it how I want and say I was trying to protect you, or that I was trying... trying to keep you from changing, but...
[ Khara chokes on her own breath, bringing a palm to her face. ]
I... just didn't want to lose you. I was selfish... But look at you now.
[ She looks up to Inancha and smiles through her tears. ] You did this yourself. Halone, you are gorgeous...
[ Khara remains on her knees, laughing, each heave a brutal assault on her ribcage. ]
... Your path is yours. It always was, even when we met that day in Ul'dah.
[ Tears are not an unfamiliar substance-- Crying is not an unfamiliar act. But it is something that occurs rarely and in very small doses. Inancha had once believed her tears had completely dried and withered away when the Collective had finally finished what the Malaguld started. So many months have passed where a feeling meant nothing more than fuel to her weapon, where she could separate the source of her pain from her heart and mind and could ignore her regrets. But that very regret stands before her, falls to her knees and pours her heart out. ]
[ Khara's words are wounding, but only in the sense that Inancha begins to realize the mistake she has made. The desire to have a closeness and family sparked from childhood, remained in her travels, yet she never realized she had obtained it well before joining the Collective. Somehow knowing Khara's feelings and the respect she holds solidifies that. ]
[ And Inancha cracks. ]
[ Those eyes that had began to well with tears squint, a pained expression coloring her the brightest it ever has in her entire life. Even through a blood-coated face, her eyes glow through the tears that flood through. That look of pain clear enough to be seen miles away. Inancha exhales a pained sound, choking on words that won't come as her dizziness over comes her. Such a great loss of blood and aether has destroyed her, and Inancha falls before Khara just the same. ]
[ What has she done? She's nearly killed her friend, her family. Had full intentions on mercilessly destroying her and bringing mere scraps to her superiors. The small Au'Ra falls to her knees, arms extended outward as her entire body flops. The torrent of emotions that completely wrack her at once have her in a guilt-ridden, terrifying panic and she clutches her head. Plated fingers cling and tug at her hair, and Inancha screams into the dirt. She sobs uncontrollably and shakes, unable to speak in kind to the incredible words Khara has shared with her. ]
[ What a mistake. What a failure. All this time, and here Inancha still has no idea who or what she is. ]
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no subject
[ The way her heart aches completely overtakes her, the frustration of it all only causing her to become angrier and pained. Blind eyes widen when she finally hears Khara speak-- I never should have left you. Claims of failure and Inancha's success in abandoning her Raen roots completely, only bearing an incorrect shade of horns and scales. ]
[ Slowly, ever so slowly, her eyesight begins to return. A blurred visual of their surroundings comes back, clearing when she turns her gaze to see the battered woman releasing her and clutching her blade. Inancha breaks away from her, stumbling far back and exhaling a harsh, raspy growl. It is clear that the battle will not end the way Inancha wishes, and she will return home empty-handed. She will fail. It adds to the anger, yet the idea of actually killing the woman before her seems less possible than success. It makes the idea of failure unimportant. ]
[ When her sight is clear, she furrows her brows at Khara, unaware of the way her eyes begin to well up and overflow with tears that mix with the blood curtaining her features. ]
You...
You--
[ Inancha stumbles again, feeling dizzy. It is clear that she has lost a lot of blood, wasted her reserve of aether. Her magic is rendered useless, and she tosses her staff to the ground. ]
--Doubted me! I am...
A trinket to you! To Bastian! My novelty was worn and you left me!
[ Raising her voice is difficult, and her voice cracks. Where words are always so hard to form in the first place, Inancha suffers in sharing the source of anger that fuels her now. ]
[ She gestures to herself, holding her arm out before pounding her palm at her chest hard. Metal gloves clanking upon a metal breastplate. ]
I made my path! I... Wanted...
[ Inancha's expression tightens, lips quivering. ]
Respect.
no subject
[ Khara's had drops at the sight of Inancha's face. Her first impulse is to rush forward, to grab up the smaller girl in her arms, but she doesn't. Instead, she sways unsteadily on her feet as she watches her, her expression mirroring her old friend's.
She listens in silence, heat that has nothing to do with the fire thrown at her stinging her eyes and causing them to water. ]
I was weak, Inancha. [ Her voice cracks, and a mournful melody enters her tone as she speaks, rapidly, the words rushing together. ] I was weak and I knew how important this was to you, and I know you wanted this. You wanted their respect. You wanted--
[ Khara brings a hand to her forehead, rasping her fingers through her hair as she falls to her knees. Tisiphone rises to the forefront of her consciousness, in warning. Don't put yourself in such a vulnerable position.
... But Khara doesn't listen, and bows her head. ]
... You have my respect. You always have. I'm sorry I abandoned you. [ She takes a shuddering breath, tear tracks cutting swathes of grime and blood off of her face. ] I can spin it how I want and say I was trying to protect you, or that I was trying... trying to keep you from changing, but...
[ Khara chokes on her own breath, bringing a palm to her face. ]
I... just didn't want to lose you. I was selfish... But look at you now.
[ She looks up to Inancha and smiles through her tears. ] You did this yourself. Halone, you are gorgeous...
[ Khara remains on her knees, laughing, each heave a brutal assault on her ribcage. ]
... Your path is yours. It always was, even when we met that day in Ul'dah.
no subject
[ Khara's words are wounding, but only in the sense that Inancha begins to realize the mistake she has made. The desire to have a closeness and family sparked from childhood, remained in her travels, yet she never realized she had obtained it well before joining the Collective. Somehow knowing Khara's feelings and the respect she holds solidifies that. ]
[ And Inancha cracks. ]
[ Those eyes that had began to well with tears squint, a pained expression coloring her the brightest it ever has in her entire life. Even through a blood-coated face, her eyes glow through the tears that flood through. That look of pain clear enough to be seen miles away. Inancha exhales a pained sound, choking on words that won't come as her dizziness over comes her. Such a great loss of blood and aether has destroyed her, and Inancha falls before Khara just the same. ]
[ What has she done? She's nearly killed her friend, her family. Had full intentions on mercilessly destroying her and bringing mere scraps to her superiors. The small Au'Ra falls to her knees, arms extended outward as her entire body flops. The torrent of emotions that completely wrack her at once have her in a guilt-ridden, terrifying panic and she clutches her head. Plated fingers cling and tug at her hair, and Inancha screams into the dirt. She sobs uncontrollably and shakes, unable to speak in kind to the incredible words Khara has shared with her. ]
[ What a mistake. What a failure. All this time, and here Inancha still has no idea who or what she is. ]