[Emet-Selch's brow creases at that. 'Tis one thing to agree with or at least indulge his views, and quite another to cage him in with compliments. He has never accepted such words easily, preferring to ignore or deflect the praise of others instead. And this particular angle - to suggest that he is one overflowing with goodwill, with sentimentality - yes, it's a rather difficult one to swallow.]
[His mouth twitches into a frown, memory and sentiment, and the dull ache of old wounds warring with one another for an unspoken moment.]
I'm not certain I like where you're headed with this, but I can assure you that I have only ever "cared" as much as my duty required. Anything more was to my own detriment.
...
[He doesn't retract his hand this time, however. Instead, Emet-Selch lets out a low sigh of defeat and threads his fingers through Hythlodaeus's.]
...as we both well know. I once raged against the very thought that I would someday reanimate our home to sate my own whims, to fill the void of loss. And yet, every detail that was described to us that day came to pass precisely as foretold.
A megalomaniacal madman indeed.
And yet I ask myself: how could I have done anything less?
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2024-04-30 02:46 pm (UTC)[His mouth twitches into a frown, memory and sentiment, and the dull ache of old wounds warring with one another for an unspoken moment.]
I'm not certain I like where you're headed with this, but I can assure you that I have only ever "cared" as much as my duty required. Anything more was to my own detriment.
...
[He doesn't retract his hand this time, however. Instead, Emet-Selch lets out a low sigh of defeat and threads his fingers through Hythlodaeus's.]
...as we both well know. I once raged against the very thought that I would someday reanimate our home to sate my own whims, to fill the void of loss. And yet, every detail that was described to us that day came to pass precisely as foretold.
A megalomaniacal madman indeed.
And yet I ask myself: how could I have done anything less?