<div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/aGEMUXm.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Temudaria Atanai<br/><strong>Race / Class:</strong>Human Ranger / Unchained Monk,<strong>HP:</strong>15,<strong>AC:</strong>21, MW Sheet (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1616222) and Forum Sheet. (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=289327.msg14212035#msg14212035)<br/><em>Renown archer, rider and lover. Good with her hands, in all senses of the word~~</em><br/><strong>Post Number:</strong>12<br/><br/><hr/><br/>It was no exaggeration to say that Tem really had no idea what to say. She stayed silent as Cass spoke - as you should, when somebody was bearing their soul to you; to talk over them or interrupt them or to just not pay attention was probably the worst sign of disrespect you could show them, and you deserved whatever you got for that show of heartlessness - and even for a few moments after she finished. She'd known, of course, that Cass hadn't had the best of childhoods, but to think that it had been so completely awful...that she'd lost her father in such a brutal way, that she'd been forced to see her mother reduced to selling herself to the men who'd taken her husband just to get by, that they were planning on doing the same thing to her...well, after all of that, the fact that she wasn't just a trembling, tear-stricken mess curled up in the corner most nights was a sign of just how much steel she actually possessed. She felt a huge swell of sorrow on her behalf, but also a...a good deal of pride, too. Cass was far stronger than anybody might suspect, and that such a woman might consider Tem worthy of the honour of being called her friend? Well...she wasn't about to lie, it did make her feel somewhat good about herself, even amongst the horror and anger and disgust she felt on Cass's behalf.<br/><br/>But this wasn't about her. It was about Cass, and honestly, she had no idea what to do at that moment. She was ordinarily very good at knowing what to say and when to say it especially with her friends, but at that moment...well, what did you say to something like that? When your friend was trembling with rage, when she looked the most shaken up that she had in the entire time you knew her, when she'd just bared her soul and was reliving the horrors of her past...well, she supposed there was really only one thing she<em>could</em>do. Words were powerful things, oftentimes priceless in what they could achieve, but that also meant that they were intrinsically worthless. And at that moment...they were the latter. So Tem didn't say anything, not at first. Her heart yearned to comfort Cass as best she could, and whilst she was beginning to work out what should be said, there was one thing she knew she had to do first. She took a step forward, catching Cass gently by the wrist. As Cass turned, Tem wordlessly took a step forward and wrapped her arms around Cass's body, pulling her into a fierce, firm hug. She didn't say anything at first, simply holding onto her tightly, trying to communicate just how...how<em>sorry</em>she was for being so thoughtless.<br/><br/><strong>"I'm sorry..."</strong>She murmured after a moment.<strong>"I...I know wha 't's like, y'know. Losin' m' family."</strong>She paused, hesitating for a moment as she pulled away a little, her hands still resting on Cass's shoulders. She didn't want to make it seem like she was making this all about<em>her,</em>but...well, sometimes what people needed to know was that there was somebody nearby who understood. That they weren't alone, and that they didn't have to struggle with things on their own, without help. Besides...there was...a point, kind of. And after such a heartfelt confession, well...maybe it was time Tem gave one of her own. She had to tell somebody one day...right?<strong>"M' tribe - The Atanai - are all gone, 'r near 'nough. Th' Kythians wiped us all out. Used s'm bullshit skirmish on th' borders'a our lands as 'n excuse t' invade, rather'n pick a fight wi' their Riverland Neighbours. 'N when th' l'il chick'nshits won, they round'd up all'a the men 'n boys that hadn' managed t' escape-"</strong>She hesitated again, a spike of anger and anguish echoing in her chest. Her breathing hitched, and a thin mist hazed her vision as tears began to form.<br/><br/>She blinked to try and clear them, but only succeeded in making her gaze mistier and more vague, turning Cass into little more than a shadowy figure in her vision.<strong>"-in...including m' pa...'n executed 'em. The women 'n girls..."</strong>She let out a bitter laugh, reaching up to scrub away the tears that were threatening to spill out over her cheeks.<strong>"...well. Y' c'n guess. 'N try as I might, I can' find any'a th' survivors, no matt'r how much I look."</strong>Honestly, she was beginning to wonder...if she was the only one. She wished to the Spirits that it wasn't the case, but...this long, with no word and no trail? It wasn't looking good. She paused, looking away, before shaking her head clear. No. There was a point.<strong>"I-I'm sorry. I didn' mean t' make this all abou' me. I...I'm tryin' t' say..."</strong>She looked back up at Cass, eyes firm.<strong>"I 'nderstand. 'N y're right, we're...we're both on th' same path. Bu' we don' have't' walk 't alone, right? We got each oth'r, after all, 'n Mira'll be there if we jus' say th' word. Y're my family now, Cass. Y're like a sister t' me, 'n your enemies'r my enemies. 'M sorry tha' 't took me this long t' say 't."</strong><br/><br/>She took a small step backwards, one hand leaving Cass's shoulder and gesturing at her barely-clothed body.<strong>"'N this? T' them, this might's well be Nimrathas, 'caus this's now a Hellknight-free Zone."</strong>She tried to offer a wan smile, tilting her head to one side.<strong>"'N if it helps 't all...all tha' armour 'n spikes 'n shit? They're <em>toooootally</em> comp'nsatin'. Scouts honour."</strong>She tried to offer an impish smile, like her old ones. The joke wasn't the best one she'd ever told, but hopefully it would get the message across. Though the Hellknights she'd interacted with weren't all<em>that</em>bad - she supposed either she caught them on a good day, or she'd just happened to come across the rare "decent" Knight - she couldn't deny that Cass's story was not even that uncommon...and it was about time that she showed some damn solidarity. Anybody belonging to the organisation that had put Her Cass through such horrors...well, it didn't deserve her respect, her obedience and definitely not her affections. Cass was Family. And that was that.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">TL;DR</div><div class="spoiler_body">All Da feelz. Tem shares her own history with Cass in the midst of a very affectionate hug, and vows that from now on, Hellknights are just as much her enemies as they are Cass's. Cass is family, and Tem stands by her family.</div></div>