[Wordlessly, he lowers his hand to the collar of his coat at the nape of his neck and pulls it down. A symbol sits adorned right at the crest of his spine, one that has been visible in every trial since they started.]
An agreement. That's all.
I have some protection to make sure I can do what I need to. If it's taken from me, that will affect Sika just as much as it might affect me. So playing dumb was the safest option.
Please. It's not like anything you saw on me outside of that seal was from Sika.
Like I told you, it's an agreement. They wanted a means of protection for themselves and their child. I wanted people to be guaranteed to be kept alive.
I didn't trust that they were telling the entire truth, nor that they wouldn't change their mind should we become nothing but collateral to their plans. So we sat and talked through a mutual understanding.
They are to bring as many of us to freedom, healthy and alive, as they originally promised. If they go against their word, they will be bound. If they are to attack any of the Troupe with intention to kill, even under the hand of Father, they will be bound. For sake of de-escalation of all side, I am the only one with the key to free them, if that happens. [The pen flicks once more in his fingers, as though to bring attention to it.]
I offer them protection when they ask for it, so long as doing so will not kill a Troupe member in the process.
[Char's eyes flick to the pen as it rolls between Solomon's fingers, his jaw tightening despite himself. He loathes that the sight of it stirs something so sharp in him, but he won't pretend otherwise. He already bloodied his hands over this once.]
So it's a safeguard, then. Insurance for both sides.
[The admission tastes bitter, but he forces it out evenly. As much as he wants to resent Solomon, he can't deny the logic behind binding terms. In war, trust is a luxury. Agreements like this are the currency that keeps people alive.]
I won't fault you for striking a bargain that spares lives. But I'll say this much: Sika isn't collateral. Whatever bond you've forged, it had better honor that truth.
[His tone stays measured, but the edge is there, quiet and undeniable. Not another outburst, not another swing of his fist, but a promise all the same.]
Our "bond" is between Sika and myself, at their precise request. [Calm down, man, he's just doing business.
He sighs, a brittle sort of noise, his gaze down at his lap.]
I'm not planning on harming them, if that's what you're afraid of. But I can't guarantee the same will be thought from others, especially if Sika shows their anger and desperation more openly. Sika is already not one to avoid self-destruction, whether it comes from themselves or another. Even with all the attacks already thrown against them, they have yet once chosen to request aid.
Why do you think I lied to you about the key in the first place, if not to avoid adding further fuel to the fire?
...
In addition to that, they're already finding loopholes around our contract. Small, but noticeable. I'm afraid it won't improve. But I am bound to them, as much as they are to me. And a bind like that will not break unless they achieve their goal.
So if you have concerns? Address them with Sika. They hold the leash in this, not me.
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[Sika... Just what are you thinking?]
Then you should have no problem explaining yourself clearly now. Go on.
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An agreement. That's all.
I have some protection to make sure I can do what I need to. If it's taken from me, that will affect Sika just as much as it might affect me. So playing dumb was the safest option.
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I knew I was right to strike you.
[Repeatedly. He should've allowed himself an encore punch.]
Well then, while you're being honest, tell me a little more about your agreement. I'd like to know what binds you to Sika.
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Please. It's not like anything you saw on me outside of that seal was from Sika.
Like I told you, it's an agreement. They wanted a means of protection for themselves and their child. I wanted people to be guaranteed to be kept alive.
I didn't trust that they were telling the entire truth, nor that they wouldn't change their mind should we become nothing but collateral to their plans. So we sat and talked through a mutual understanding.
They are to bring as many of us to freedom, healthy and alive, as they originally promised. If they go against their word, they will be bound. If they are to attack any of the Troupe with intention to kill, even under the hand of Father, they will be bound. For sake of de-escalation of all side, I am the only one with the key to free them, if that happens. [The pen flicks once more in his fingers, as though to bring attention to it.]
I offer them protection when they ask for it, so long as doing so will not kill a Troupe member in the process.
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So it's a safeguard, then. Insurance for both sides.
[The admission tastes bitter, but he forces it out evenly. As much as he wants to resent Solomon, he can't deny the logic behind binding terms. In war, trust is a luxury. Agreements like this are the currency that keeps people alive.]
I won't fault you for striking a bargain that spares lives. But I'll say this much: Sika isn't collateral. Whatever bond you've forged, it had better honor that truth.
[His tone stays measured, but the edge is there, quiet and undeniable. Not another outburst, not another swing of his fist, but a promise all the same.]
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He sighs, a brittle sort of noise, his gaze down at his lap.]
I'm not planning on harming them, if that's what you're afraid of. But I can't guarantee the same will be thought from others, especially if Sika shows their anger and desperation more openly. Sika is already not one to avoid self-destruction, whether it comes from themselves or another. Even with all the attacks already thrown against them, they have yet once chosen to request aid.
Why do you think I lied to you about the key in the first place, if not to avoid adding further fuel to the fire?
...
In addition to that, they're already finding loopholes around our contract. Small, but noticeable. I'm afraid it won't improve. But I am bound to them, as much as they are to me. And a bind like that will not break unless they achieve their goal.
So if you have concerns? Address them with Sika. They hold the leash in this, not me.