And even with all the missing portions of her prior life, she still seemed to be at peace. She still smiled, and it was still the same pleasant scene he remembered from back when. She still charmed those into coming to her aide with those doe-like eyes, although now she wasn't directing it squarely at him, more often opting to try to lure any nearby male, much to his dislike. Little reminders of what was once his scarlet starlet, now seemingly being borrowed by a complete stranger.
At the sound of footsteps, the former Legate's attention was ripped away from the flames. From his peripheral version, the form of figure crouched beside his seated form.
“You look like you're miles away.” she said, hovering in her crouched position for a few seconds before motioning to the once empty space next to him, “Mind if I join you?”
“You're free to do as you please... courier.”
If she noticed the slight hesitation, she gave no clue. Instead, she mimicked his pose in front of the fire and gave him a half-smile he never expected to ever see again. “Can't sleep either, huh?”
“It would seem that way.” The courier hummed quietly and Joshua merely remained silent. The longer they sat in complete silence, the stronger the urge to open Pandora's box became. Mutely considering the pros and cons of doing so, he almost completely missed a question from the woman beside him. “I'm sorry?”
“What are you thinking out?” she repeated.
The thought of lying was a passing thought, but instead what left his mouth was, “My daughter.”
The look of shock that passed through the courier was unmistakable. “You have a daughter?”
A hidden smile tugged at Joshua's burned lips, the look sending him to one of the brief moment they were able to share like this. Just the two of them without the prying eyes of the rest of the Legion, giving him an opportunity to see the true potential of his offspring. “Yes. I had a daughter.”
She shifted in her seat, looking a bit uncomfortable, but eventually her curiosity won out. “What happened to her?”
Not a thing. She's sitting next to me, he wanted to say, but instead answered with: “Last I heard, she had been compromised on a delivery she'd been sent to do.” The courier murmured her condolences, but Joshua continued on. “She would have been your age now. She was too hardheaded and resourceful to be broken, or shut away to be a submissive wife to simply bare and raise children. She could charm her way out of any situation – learned how to from her mother, God rest her soul. She had far more raw potential than some of the sniveling worms Caesar called recruits, but then again I might have been a bit bias.”
The courier chuckled, “I'm sure most fathers see their own kids as better than the rest of the world.”
He echoed the chuckle, “True, I supposed. I'm sure the two of you would have gotten along.”
“It would have been an honer to met her. Any woman that can show the Legion that woman aren't meek creatures and can come in handy given the right circumstances is golden in my book. She must be the woman that guy with the dog hat confused me with.”
Joshua narrowed his eyes as he stared intensely into the burning fire before them. Is she was speaking of Vulpes, then it would only be a matter of time before he realized her true identify. And knowing how resourceful the young man could be, the truth could potential put her at risk, no matter if the sly man decided to use it to his advantage or if he announced it to the entire camp. “How much to you remember?”
“You mean about my life before I was shot in the head?” Joshua nodded, unconsciously glancing at the scar marring her features. The courier shrugged, “I'd be lying if I told you I remembered much. I mean, I get little blurred moments here and there, but nothing that I could actually weave together into something that makes sense.”
Joshua nodded again. “And what are those brief moments?”
Re: Scarlet Starlet (1.b/1)
At the sound of footsteps, the former Legate's attention was ripped away from the flames. From his peripheral version, the form of figure crouched beside his seated form.
“You look like you're miles away.” she said, hovering in her crouched position for a few seconds before motioning to the once empty space next to him, “Mind if I join you?”
“You're free to do as you please... courier.”
If she noticed the slight hesitation, she gave no clue. Instead, she mimicked his pose in front of the fire and gave him a half-smile he never expected to ever see again. “Can't sleep either, huh?”
“It would seem that way.” The courier hummed quietly and Joshua merely remained silent. The longer they sat in complete silence, the stronger the urge to open Pandora's box became. Mutely considering the pros and cons of doing so, he almost completely missed a question from the woman beside him. “I'm sorry?”
“What are you thinking out?” she repeated.
The thought of lying was a passing thought, but instead what left his mouth was, “My daughter.”
The look of shock that passed through the courier was unmistakable. “You have a daughter?”
A hidden smile tugged at Joshua's burned lips, the look sending him to one of the brief moment they were able to share like this. Just the two of them without the prying eyes of the rest of the Legion, giving him an opportunity to see the true potential of his offspring. “Yes. I had a daughter.”
She shifted in her seat, looking a bit uncomfortable, but eventually her curiosity won out. “What happened to her?”
Not a thing. She's sitting next to me, he wanted to say, but instead answered with: “Last I heard, she had been compromised on a delivery she'd been sent to do.” The courier murmured her condolences, but Joshua continued on. “She would have been your age now. She was too hardheaded and resourceful to be broken, or shut away to be a submissive wife to simply bare and raise children. She could charm her way out of any situation – learned how to from her mother, God rest her soul. She had far more raw potential than some of the sniveling worms Caesar called recruits, but then again I might have been a bit bias.”
The courier chuckled, “I'm sure most fathers see their own kids as better than the rest of the world.”
He echoed the chuckle, “True, I supposed. I'm sure the two of you would have gotten along.”
“It would have been an honer to met her. Any woman that can show the Legion that woman aren't meek creatures and can come in handy given the right circumstances is golden in my book. She must be the woman that guy with the dog hat confused me with.”
Joshua narrowed his eyes as he stared intensely into the burning fire before them. Is she was speaking of Vulpes, then it would only be a matter of time before he realized her true identify. And knowing how resourceful the young man could be, the truth could potential put her at risk, no matter if the sly man decided to use it to his advantage or if he announced it to the entire camp. “How much to you remember?”
“You mean about my life before I was shot in the head?” Joshua nodded, unconsciously glancing at the scar marring her features. The courier shrugged, “I'd be lying if I told you I remembered much. I mean, I get little blurred moments here and there, but nothing that I could actually weave together into something that makes sense.”
Joshua nodded again. “And what are those brief moments?”