[ For the entirety of their friendship, Beatrix has been ever stalwart. It would be easy for most anyone to leave her at that. Strong, reliable, and proud. But for the entirety of their friendship, Oriphi has also seen glimpses of the woman beneath all of that armor. The woman who, perhaps in spite of herself, accepted a humble offering of chocolate. The woman who saw Ori fretting and working herself into a frenzy at what was intended to be a celebratory occasion and urged her to enjoy herself. The woman who visits these very gardens and tends to the roses even on hottest of summer days.
The woman who once told her not to speak of herself like she were âlittle more than an implement to be used and discarded.â
Shouldnât the true be the same of the general?
After all, Beatrix is, above all, a woman who protects, in Oriphiâs eyes. Whether she is protecting the princess of a land Ori will never know, or protecting her friends in this dream, it makes little difference to the tiefling. She is intimately acquainted by now of what happens when someone protects and gives and holds steadfast for those who cannot, when they stand alone and build walls to protect themselves. But the wall keeps them in the darkness and keeps others out, too⌠So what happens when they are drowning, alone, within those walls?
The protectors need protecting, too, donât they?
Beatrixâs voice falters ever so slightly as she speak, and it breaks Oriâs heart. She cannot even fathom how the general must be feeling at this moment, but she knows that of all things, the general does not have to— must not be made to feel alone in her pain. ]
I know itâs painful to hear it, but please listen to me, Beatrix.
[ Tentatively, her hand reaches for the other womanâs, her touch warm and kind and if she is so allowed, flowers would begin to bloom where their hands are joined. ]
Iâm not from Alexandria, and I canât pretend to understand even a little bit what happened. But I know that itâs tearing you apart, what that nightmare showed you. And what Eustaceâs waking nightmare showed all of us, too. But you are more than what you were made to do. Even when what youâre made to do is horrible, and ugly, and cruel⌠When it eats away at you the way that it does⌠Itâs because youâre a person and you have a heart. If you didnât, you would never care enough to look back on that cruelty.
And you would never care enough to answer your friendâs call when they need you the most. But you do both of those. You always show up. Because you have a heart. And I, or Dohalim, or Tifa and everyone - we will not let you forget that.
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The woman who once told her not to speak of herself like she were âlittle more than an implement to be used and discarded.â
Shouldnât the true be the same of the general?
After all, Beatrix is, above all, a woman who protects, in Oriphiâs eyes. Whether she is protecting the princess of a land Ori will never know, or protecting her friends in this dream, it makes little difference to the tiefling. She is intimately acquainted by now of what happens when someone protects and gives and holds steadfast for those who cannot, when they stand alone and build walls to protect themselves. But the wall keeps them in the darkness and keeps others out, too⌠So what happens when they are drowning, alone, within those walls?
The protectors need protecting, too, donât they?
Beatrixâs voice falters ever so slightly as she speak, and it breaks Oriâs heart. She cannot even fathom how the general must be feeling at this moment, but she knows that of all things, the general does not have to— must not be made to feel alone in her pain. ]
I know itâs painful to hear it, but please listen to me, Beatrix.
[ Tentatively, her hand reaches for the other womanâs, her touch warm and kind and if she is so allowed, flowers would begin to bloom where their hands are joined. ]
Iâm not from Alexandria, and I canât pretend to understand even a little bit what happened. But I know that itâs tearing you apart, what that nightmare showed you. And what Eustaceâs waking nightmare showed all of us, too. But you are more than what you were made to do. Even when what youâre made to do is horrible, and ugly, and cruel⌠When it eats away at you the way that it does⌠Itâs because youâre a person and you have a heart. If you didnât, you would never care enough to look back on that cruelty.
And you would never care enough to answer your friendâs call when they need you the most. But you do both of those. You always show up. Because you have a heart. And I, or Dohalim, or Tifa and everyone - we will not let you forget that.