RP:The Paradox Friends

Hildegarde is kneeling down in the middle of the cobbled – and snow dusted – street, hands gently dusting off the shoulder of a young Frost Giant lad whose face is red from crying or perhaps embarrassment; but those puffy eyes indicate it was the former and not the latter. “Hush now, Fjórr,” she says softly, “there is nothing wrong with wanting to share your sweets. It does not make you a ‘milk-drinker’,” she soothed. “Look there, your mother is coming,” she told him gently, her voice soft and sweet, “and she will take you home to dry your eyes. All brave warriors share their resources, Fjórr, sweets included!” she reassured him with a pat to the shoulder before rising to her feet. The Giant woman smiles at Hildegarde and offers her thanks, before taking Fjórr’s hand and leading him away. The lad seemed somewhat brighter for his small chat with Hildegarde, as if he took heart in his words. The knight watched the pair fade out of sight, standing in the middle of the pathway as if considering where she might wish to go next.

Tyler appears as if out of thin air to take the place by Hildegarde's side. The man standing with arms crossed and a heavy cloak hiding most of his person with the exception of his visage from the bridge of his nose down. "You'll have him soft, disappointed and dead in no time.", the human's voice calls out loud enough for only Hildegarde's ears in reference to the giant child who is now fading from sight. The harsh chill of Frostmaw feeling particularly nipping as those around the duo seem to brush right past them almost as if they didn't exist at all. If Hildegarde were wise to take notice, she would find the air distorting around them, the illusionist making no effort to mask his magic at work in some form though the intention was not yet seen.

Hildegarde looked to Tyler and offered a little shrug of her shoulder, “He is but a boy. Sharing your sweets does not make you soft,” she said, “and he is a child. He should enjoy his childhood, not grow embittered and alone due to the opinions of others,” she offered in a placid tone, a demi-smile on her face. If the knight was aware of Tyler’s obvious use of magic, she made no sign of it, nor remark. Indeed, she seemed as calm as ever. “What brings you to Frostmaw, Tyler? I admit, I have considered seeking you out again since our last encounter. Perhaps to talk as old friends again.”

Tyler remains motionless by Hildegarde's side as she speaks and for a moment after as his thoughts linger upon her confession of hoping to seek him out once more. What is shown of his visage is emotionless though it is damningly clear that his mind is lost for what falls short of an eternity before cracked lips finally peel apart. "Perhaps. But perhaps he should learn the weight of the world while his is still able to receive nothing more than a slap upon his wrist." The faultering of the world around them is stronger now, and a faint hum can be heard emitting from him. Her question is unanswered as he retaliates with one of his own, "Are all men born free?" A calm and curious tone accompanies the innocent question before being replaced by the hum once more.

Hildegarde offered him another demi-smile, “Just as before, we must agree to disagree,” she said, as if in pleasant conversation. But at his seemingly innocent question, the knight offers a shake of the head, “Unfortunately, not all men are born free. Frankly, I find it difficult to believe that anyone is truly born free. We are all held hostage to the ambitions and desires of another person; we are all…” she frowns, as if searching for the right words to describe her thoughts, “we are all held at sword-point to the values of the places we live in, those cultures. One culture permits what another forbids, so on and so forth,” she answered with honesty; a genuine insight into her thought process. Hildegarde offered a little wave to a market trader not too far away, taking a small step forward, “Won’t you join me?” she asked of Tyler, “Lynda sells absolutely marvellous food and fancies,” she informed him.

Tyler is unreadable as he remains vigilant in his stance during her speech. It isn't until Hildegarde moves toward the trader that the disruption in the air grows stronger and the sound of glass shattering would ring out to pierce Hildegarde's ears. The familiar territory around the duo fading quickly as a black canvas takes it's place. The humming would slow until it had faded from existence. It is only now, in darkness that Tyler would reach to remove the hood from his head. His features less than present as it becomes immediately apparent that the man hasn't slept in no less than a week. Heavy bags underneth his eyes don't help to draw attention from the bloody liquid that has taken the whites of his eyes as their own. Despite the world around them being unforgiving black, the two figures are still very much visable. The man begins to move toward Hildegarde slowly, an ungloved hand reaching out to the darkness and poking at small meaningless spots. As his flesh comes into contact with the walls stars would launch into the sky to the take their place. By the time Tyler has come within five feet of Hildegarde the entire scene around them is a flawless replication of the night sky above Frostmaw, including beneath their feet. It would appear as if the two were standing in space itself. Standing before her, Tyler shifts his eyes over her figure to take in the woman before him as if questioning his motives of being here very carefully. "If all men are not born free, then why isn't there chaos amongst the people of Hollow? Why do people stand idle and twiddle their thumbs despite holding knowledge of their brethren and kin being bound in chains?" Tyler pauses for a moment to run his tongue across his lips and take a soft breath. His eyes close in a longer than usual blink, hiding the abominable deformity that has claimed them long enough to refocus if Hilde had lost her own. Then, as suddenly as they vanished, they reappear. "Forgive me if I am mistaken, but you claim to protect the people of this land. I assume is doing so, you ensure all men are free? No? If this is true, then why does frostmaw have a system to hold prisoner those who they deem of wrong doings? Why is there a judicial system, of sorts, in place? For if you truly protect those about these lands, you would never see any of them in chains. As I'm sure you'd agree the life ending touch of steel is far more mericful than the bounding torment of iron, am I wrong Hildegarde?" The weight of his words is large, though the man's tone never changes to showcase any of his infamous emotions. It remains calm and collective. He stands now before the silver one, questioning her profession and perhaps morals. Those damning eyes piercing into her as he dare not break her gaze.

Hildegarde had grown into the habit of plugging her ears with a little touch of cotton; not enough to deafen her but enough to dampen her earing to what might be considered a human standard. Otherwise the hustle and bustle of the market might irritate her to no end! So as the noise rings out to pierce her ears, it makes her flinch and frown with distaste, but she does not flounder as she might have once done or scream and drop to a knee. She remains standing, instead looking to the scene that Tyler was creating. Though such scenery was an odd one to create, she did not question it. In fact, she spoke so very quietly: “I have always loved the stars.” Not that he needed – and probably didn’t want – to know that, but the knight could hardly stop herself from saying it nor could she take back words that had already been uttered. Once he finishes talking, however, the knight looks to him and offers him a proper and very true smile, the smile he must have seen upon meeting her for the first time: that friendly yet terribly sad smile; a smile that had braved unfathomable sadness and sorrows throughout life. “Even in your last incarnation, you liked to question my career, Tyler. Some things do not change, do they?” she said in a friendly manner. “Yet you still do not understand Frostmaw. We do not imprison people as some do; as I said earlier about cultures. Some do things that others would never dare to do. We do not imprison. We offer either exile to the western lands or we offer a trial by combat. If favour or skill keeps you alive, then you are excused. Some choose exile, some choose combat.” Then with a soft sigh, she looked him straight in the eye and frowned for a few moments. He was not the man she had come to like. Maybe that man was in there, somewhere. “Not all knights or those who attempt to take the law unto themselves are the same. It is my preference to give options: to either follow the customs of the land, be that trial and judgement, or to face combat if one is so determined to continue down a certain path. Even so, and as well you know, I do not like combat. I do not like to kill. I enjoy peace. I think more can be done through reparations than through imprisonment or death.”

Tyler returns Hildegarde's stare though his expression is blank. It isn't until she is finished speaking that he moves closer to her and reaches out to take hold of her hand. His skin is freezing even by Frostmaw standards and the feeling of his knuckles is unnerving as little to no meat seems to seperate the flesh from bone. "There is no past me any longer. I am the man you saved from an frost bitten death, yet I hold the memories of our original meeting. There is no us, or them any longer, Hildegarde. I am simply Tyler." The first shown of emotion finally emerges as Tyler offers a shaken sigh and releases Hildegarde's hand, his eyes faltering from there stare to drop to the abyss below. It takes him longer than usual to pull himself back together and return his attention upon the night. "I came here to see you for two reasons. The first is to give you a second chance." The calming demeanor has reclaimed the human as he begins pacing slowly around Hildegarde's person. "You have the option, right here and now, hidden from the view of your people... to take my life. I will not fight you. I will not scream. I will not curse. I will simply kneel and accept my fate. However, something beckons to be that you aren't willing to do that until I harm you or your people. That's the other reason why I'm here." Tyler halts in front of the silver one yet again and holds his hand before her, a scene manifesting in his palm depicting the human murdering multiple people across Hollow. Some of them quick and easy such as an arrow to the skull while others are harder to swallow. The gouging of eyes, ripping ones throat from it's hold and another of him carving out a Cenril woman's heart and squeezing it until it tears in his grasp. As the illusions conclude his hand falls by his side. "I know all men are not born free. In fact, I believe no man is free. I believe the govenments, militaries and other 'political parties' of the world tend offer the illusion of freedom in an attempt to line their pockets with gold and fill their bellys until they are ready to burst." The man bites on his tongue as he hesitates to proceed with caution. "I, however, believe that every being. No matter what gender, religion nor race should have the right to freedom. The freedom to live their life as they see fit. To wake up every day and decide for themselves what makes them happy. As it turns out, the only thing that is going to make me happy is ensuring every single creature upon this realm of existance has that right. I refuse to allow any creature to suffer the feeling of suffering or illusion of destiny I had by the bastard that brought me into this world." Tyler inhales deeply yet again and kneels before Hildegarde, his arms cross upon his knee as he lowers his head providing her the only opportunity to freely execute him. "I come to you, Hildegarde, because despite what I had done in the past. Despite my evils and loss of light. Despite manipulating the one woman I ever truly loved and forcing her into commiting unthinkable evils... despite spelling slander upon your land and... and... and... everything. You've stuck by me. You said you thought of seeking me out again and that tells me that when you left me in the way the other night, you didn't intent for it to be the last time you saw me. You're the only one. You're the only one who remains a friend despite the hatred of others..." Another pauses as he shutters before falling perfectly still. "I am going to kill people, Hildegarde. I don't know how many. I don't know in what region and I don't know how violently. But I will provide the corrupted with a merciful end and I will allow the innocent to live their lives in true freedom. I will not discriminate on the wicked, no matter their age, race or anything of the sort. If you feel that this is something you cannot live with then do yourself a favor and end my life. For good this time. Because despite the atrocities I'm ready to commit, I could never bare the thought of hurting you."

Hildegarde did not tense nor take her hand away as she had done before, she merely stood still and said quietly: “You are cold, Tyler,” there was evident concern; a slight shuffling of feet as if she debated giving him her long-coat, but he was already moving and showing her the sickening sights. “Stop that,” she said quietly, “stop it!” she repeated with increased frustration. The knight listens to him with abhorrence and disgust, confusion and yet some kind of understanding on some level. Indeed, at some point in her career, Hilde had considered running off and slaying every exile for the sheer fact they were exiles; that they could potentially commit an evil. Not that they had, but that they *could*. Yet she had convinced herself that in doing so, she would be committing an evil and that would be something she could not possibly live with or bear to do. “Tyler,” she began, looking down at him with utter confusion. She had only ever executed someone once before. Even so, when she executed Pridak, she had vomited profusely afterwards and cried against Kirien. She was utterly bereft over a criminal stranger she had slain, yet she couldn’t explain why she felt like that. “You are a liar,” she told him sternly, “for you tell me you cannot bear to hurt me and yet you do!” she told him, her voice wavering for a moment before she too kneeled before him. “You hurt me by asking this of me, of putting this before me, as if I am judge and jury combined!” she told him, almost angrily but more upset than anything else. “How dare you ask this of me?” she said quietly. “Everyone wears their chains; everyone has different masters. But these masters do not determine our fate, Tyler! We are who we wish to be, we can be more than anyone can ever imagine us to be.” The knight looked at him, square in the eye as she settled a hand upon his shoulder, “Yet you tell me…” she shook her head, “You try to tell me that you will go on to kill people. Why, Tyler? Why would you kill people? Can’t… Can’t you leave them alone? Just do… do something different! Live a quiet life. Don’t kill, Tyler. Don’t you kill. If… This path you want to take, this path is hurting me, Tyler,” she removed her hand so she might press her fingertips to her breastplate; “it is hurting my heart.”

Tyler would flinch with force as Hildegarde placed her hand upon his shoulder. The human's fear clear for the first time as he thinks, if only for a moment, that Hidegarde had gone to make her move. However, she had chosen a far different path and now the tables had been turned. Tyler remains kneeled before the woman and slowly cranes his head so that the corrupted eyes might fall upon the knights hand that rests on him. As she pulls away, his gaze follows and after she's tapped against her armor his eyes flicker to make eye contact once more and he is shaken. Silence. It claims the two of them as Tyler is suddenly forced into the fierciest battle he's ever come to have with his own mind. His thoughts are still in a rage against the politicians of the world, the corrupt ones who hold a seat of power, those who lie and cheat their way to the top only to control and manipulate those at the bottom. However, the sense of guilt that fills his stomach and rips at his heart if far stronger. He knows that if he is to move on with his plan, he must eliminate Hildegarde from his life. She is weak. He thinks to himself as he provides the knight the once over. His muscles are spazzing now as he holds back from lunging out at her throat. He feels her manipulating him, perhaps she is one of them. Eyes fall shut once more and suddenly the shaking stops. The tension has risen to a new height as Tyler grits his teeth so loudly his jaw pops causing an echo in their own world. However, the man's eyes open and no longer are the disgusting blood filled hues menacing. Instead, they have been replaced by the familiar caramel glow. Mana rolls down the human's body starting from his head and ending at his toes. The wave erasing all negative features from his person until the youthful man with blue hair is all the remains. His choice has been made and the man releases a sigh while shaking his head. "I..." Is all that manages to escape his lips before he loses his voice in a crack. He reaches out and takes Hildegarde's hand into his own once more, the warmth restored. "I'm sorry, Hildegarde." He concludes with sincerity in his voice.

Hildegarde either didn’t view Tyler as a threat or she trusted him enough not to harm her, presumably the latter and not the former. Either that or she truly just wanted him to be a good man and understood that he might need a moment. She’d rather he hurt her than some innocent civilian. Even as her hands tense around his shoulders in an effort to steady him and keep him upright, she worries internally. What could possibly be happening right now? The knight can feel the surge of magic, like an animal can sense things, she too can sense magic rolling off the man in waves. She is worried; panicking internally but retaining a calm and composed face – if a bit of a worried one. As he regains his composure and his usual appearance, the knight offers a bright smile in relief, “Tyler, I ought to… I ought to slap you for frightening me so!” she said lightly, obviously relieved and happy with the outcome. “You are a good man, Tyler,” she told him after a few moments of silence, “you must remember that.”

Tyler ponders for a moment, upon confessing his love to Hildegarde. The human unable to keep his face still as she smiles. The feeling of his heart beating against his chest and the butterflies flooding his stomach to see her happy once more. However, as he rises to his feet he takes into consideration his condition. As of now, Tyler is content. He will steer clear of any trouble and simply continue making his living out in Kelay. Raising his tattoo'd arm, he stares to the sleeve to admire the work of Meri as his thoughts wander off in a desperate attempt to distract himself from Hildegarde. However, it is futile as he looks to her once more. Her words replay in his mind, how he was hurting her. Tyler know that no future the man may have, will ever involve a happy ending with the woman before him. When he is left alone, in the lawless town once again, his mind will retrace it's foot steps. He will be left to his own mercy and likely end up upon the path of vengence once more, and when that happens, Hildegarde would come to find nothing has ever really changed. So with a shaking sigh that he would play off as a heat of the moment he simply forces a chuckle to Hilde and makes some off joke about how her slapping him could of done him some good. He would wait for her to rise before allowing the veil of shadows around them to fall, placing the duo back in the bustling market of Frostmaw. "Well, I guess I better get back... Kelay's a long walk, and well, I don't think I want to be trapped out here at night." He forces a smile and wave before turning his back on the woman and moving to the exit of the market. His eyes fall shut as his boots crunch the snow beneath his feet. "I love you." He mutters to himself as he makes his leave. His mind still balancing upon the fence as he walks alone to make his way home and sit in the darkness of the sage forest left to his own thoughts.

Hildegarde is, obviously, none the wiser to these thoughts racing through Tyler’s mind, so his silence concerns her. “Are you okay, Tyler?” she asked him gently, before smiling at his little joke about her slapping him and how it might actually do him some good. The knight shook her head, even though she smiled, “I don’t think I could actually slap you,” she said softly, “I’d probably feel guilty if I did!” she confessed. As they began to walk away from the bustling market, the knight grasped his wrist to prevent him from leaving; just for a moment longer, “Tyler. Promise me,” she began, her brows furrowing with concern: concern for him, concern for embarrassing herself too, “promise me that you… that you will stick to this path. Find something, Tyler, anything but this path of ruin and destruction. If you go down that path… I… I cannot think of how it will crush me,” she confided in him. The knight released his wrist with a soft apology, “Be careful travelling down there. And come visit me sometime!” she said with a contented smile. The knight had thought she had done a good job: she had helped her friend, she had *saved* someone she cared for, finally. No more loss, no more pain. A victory at last.

Tyler wouldn't speak as Hildegarde begs for his promise. His right eye providing a light twitch from stress as he forces a smile and what some might call a nod in confirmation of her request. Once she's made her point and turns, so does he.