A heavy silence lingered in the wake of Dawn's declaration. There was such confidence imbued in her words that it robbed Johnson from any response save for staring at her. Fragments of music from the nearby musicians drifted by while the man lowered his gaze to his one remaining hand. Even back when she had travelled with Verita Dawn could muster up a conviction that felt like it could stop the world in it's tracks. Faced with such strength of spirit, Johnson could only relent. "You want me to take you to find her? I don't think she's still in the area and she.... my body is broken, I can't be your guide. Nobody else here would go that deep in the wood for a stranger either."<br/><br/>The clinking of a mug on the table pulled Johnson's attention up. The fresh ale Dawn had ordered from him had just been delivered by the ramen tending to the bar.<i>"What about de stone lantern route?" </i>Gort suggested with his usual throat full of grit tone. Johnson's eyes flashed with anger, and he answered the ramen in a bitter, hurt tone. "Why do<b>you </b>want to help her?!"<br/><br/>At this, the ramen fell silent for a moment, before speaking in a whispered, worn voice.<i>"Because ah get what she's looking for and why. An' maybe, just maybe, this'll make you get over yah own pain and insecurity and make yah start looking back at me? Time is very cruel to meh kind, but yah were de crueler one because of how yeh let it affect yah gaze and feelings... Contrary to yeh, ah'll always love you no matter how much your exterior changes..."</i><br/><br/>The ramen was hissing by the end of his whispered tirade, and briskly walked away while Johnson averted his gaze in shame and guilt. A ramen and a human, two men together like this... probably not as strange  a relation as Dawn, Verita and Muse had. "Sorry..." he muttered embarrassed. "I'll take you into the wood in the morning... but only up to the river, I can't take you further than that."<br/><br/>Johnson pushed himself up off the table, rising to his feet with great trouble. The tailed child rushed in, helping Johnson by getting the chair out of the way and holding his crutch steady for him. Clearly this wasn't the first night Johnson had been drowning his sorrows and the child had to help. It was hard to miss how the man reacted either. Shock, horror and revulsion brought on by merely associating the child with his tormentor. At least the girl was still too young to read the darkness in men's hearts on their faces.<br/><br/>The tailed girl stepped aside and turned curious eyes to watch Dawn while Johnson tried to take his leave, having not even touched his fresh mug of ale, unable to bear facing Dawn after the little scene between him and Gort.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>