born for burning

Feelings were complicated. Emotions, all of them... Viðarr would be the first to admit that he didn't know how to deal with them properly. In his eyes, they're something that he can simply bury under other things. Emotions were buried under things he understands-- bury them in alcohol, in plunder, in bloodshed. That is how the shadow handles feelings. All of those things had a price, but they were small in comparison to the toll that true processing would take. There's a reason that Viðarr is the way he is, after all.

Tenshi is cut from a very similar cloth. Still, her introspection is something that Viðarr doesn't envy. If she was trying to bury those feelings, it didn't seem to be entirely going her way. She wonders if she's made the right choice... but he does not pry. There was a fire inside her, and it drew him in. Had that flame gone out, or was it just dormant, somewhere beneath the surface? Though he could not make an enemy out of Hattori's pack, the shadow considers for a long moment. There are things they can do with that spark, and channel that energy into something that could benefit them both.

And there's the idea that she doesn't want to be alone. Viðarr nodded softly, as this is something he understands. There's safety in numbers, yes. Giving up happiness for safety, for stability? It sounded like a fate worse than death, at least to the shadow. Maybe she felt differently, and maybe it was a dramatic train of thought. Still, the viking studied Tenshi with an intense gaze. He was thinking, processing. "What if you were not alone?" It was a loaded question, one that came with an offer attached.

While she says she doesn't know where to go, he has an answer for that too. "You can come with me." Viðarr had already resolved to speak with Celeste about parting ways, especially with Rota's return and the impending mouths to feed. As soon as he was confident they were safe on their own, he would take his family and be out of their hair. The girl had come far, and Viðarr was proud of her. Spreading her own wings would be important, and he had his own quest to continue on as well. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself, but Tenshi's company would be more than welcome. Still, it would depend on what she had to say about it.

"Viðarr"