[Lailah will always make the time to help Sorey. Even if it's something as simple as hanging out and talking about anything.]
Because you're still a young man fit to be the Shepherd.
[It's the simplest explanation in the world, but she elaborates on it. He deserves a full answer.]
A mistake was made somewhere, but does that make you a bad Shepherd? No, it doesn't. Do your feelings that led to your malevolence getting out of control make you a bad Shepherd? No, they don't even make you a bad person.
[She pauses for a moment.]
I must ask two questions of my own, however. Do you regret becoming the Shepherd? Do you, or did you, blame me?
[They're asked kindly and gently. Lailah sends Sorey an unwavering love and care for him regardless of his answers. Even if it's painful, they need transparency with each other now more than ever.]
[Sorey fiddles with their clothes, tracing their fingers over gold clasps and red threads that seem to flicker like firelight. He's under no illusions what might've given her that impression-
-but searching his heart now, there's no trace of it.]
I never blamed you. The hellion- [He clenches his jaw against the reflexive panic of trying to remember how he'd felt or thought, squeezing tightly to their chest their trembling fingers.] As a h-hellion, I was just...afraid. And-and ashamed.
Not regretful of becoming the Shepherd. ...ashamed I couldn't be different.
[Lailah's quiet, but doesn't let him suffer alone. Gently, she brings their other hand to rest on the one at their chest. Her feelings don't change, though. There's some sadness, yes, but it's because she knows that her help is limited when it comes to this. She wants to burn away his fear and shame, to purify it like they've done before, but she can't and won't do that. They're his feelings and he's free to feel them, even if they're painful.]
You wouldn't be the only human to have thought that.
[Even Michael had seemed ashamed when he left her, though she keeps that thought as far away from Sorey as she can. Still, her feelings make it clear that by 'human' she means 'Shepherd.']
That you're trying again makes you different, Sorey. And...I'm just glad that you could still be purified.
[Lailah sounds like she's choking up a little at that last sentence. She tries to keep her relief and anguish from Sorey, almost like she's curling in a protective ball around those emotions. It still hurts to think that she could've lost someone she's come to see as family.]
I know, I know, Lailah... [They're both hurting and both trying to comfort each other at the same time. It's making for a very emotional feedback loop, and though Lailah is much better at hiding her emotions than Sorey is, he still feels every hint of her grief acutely. He'd almost made her go through that again. She did go through it...with Mikleo.
Even though Sorey's resolved to live on without him, it's still so hard, too hard, sometimes. Their combined sorrow over the loss of Mikleo is too much to endure and he ends up sinking back further into Lailah's consciousness, their body slumping to the ground and curling up protectively as Sorey both tries to offer comfort and take it.]
I'm sorry. It's going to be hard, because of me. I'm going to rely on you so much, more than ever...I wanted to ease your burden, not add to it.
You're not a burden, Sorey. You never have been and never will be.
[...Okay, maybe her tone is a touch fiercer than she intends it to be, and she does send a wordless apology for that. However, she doesn't take back her words. Lailah means them with all her heart.
The seraph embraces Sorey's soul with the warmth of her fire. She appreciates the comfort he's trying to provide her, but she'll give him more comfort than she'll ever ask to receive. After all, Lailah's had to cope by herself more often than not. If she can, she'll spare Sorey that same suffering.]
I'm sorry. What I'm feeling...really isn't helping you.
No- [Sorey shakes their head into their arms, voice fading back into their head.] You shouldn't apologize for that. They're your true feelings.
[And she deserves to feel them, regardless of whether or not they're together right now. No- even moreso, because of it.] We're in this together, right Lailah? You and me?
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Because you're still a young man fit to be the Shepherd.
[It's the simplest explanation in the world, but she elaborates on it. He deserves a full answer.]
A mistake was made somewhere, but does that make you a bad Shepherd? No, it doesn't. Do your feelings that led to your malevolence getting out of control make you a bad Shepherd? No, they don't even make you a bad person.
[She pauses for a moment.]
I must ask two questions of my own, however. Do you regret becoming the Shepherd? Do you, or did you, blame me?
[They're asked kindly and gently. Lailah sends Sorey an unwavering love and care for him regardless of his answers. Even if it's painful, they need transparency with each other now more than ever.]
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[Sorey fiddles with their clothes, tracing their fingers over gold clasps and red threads that seem to flicker like firelight. He's under no illusions what might've given her that impression-
I̲̠̥͙̗̻̘ͬ̒ͧ͐ͩͮ ̤ͮͤ͋̐S̮͈ͨW̗̰͈̑ͣͧ́Ô̗̘͇͖̅R̫̳̰͇Ë̯̪̘ ̩̫̺̦̖̪m͚̠͍͍̮͎̚yͩ̃s̫̖̲e͔̼͓͍͚̝l͈̼͈̙͚͎̉̾̏͋f̹̦̞̳̳̅̽ ͥͦͣ͑ͮ̅t̫͎͔̣̓͛͐̔̐̎͗ö̱̣́ ͂͗̾y̤o̝̖̘͌͛ͨ̎u͚̗̭̙̱̇̍ͅ!͊̈́ͣ͊̚
-but searching his heart now, there's no trace of it.]
I never blamed you. The hellion- [He clenches his jaw against the reflexive panic of trying to remember how he'd felt or thought, squeezing tightly to their chest their trembling fingers.] As a h-hellion, I was just...afraid. And-and ashamed.
Not regretful of becoming the Shepherd. ...ashamed I couldn't be different.
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You wouldn't be the only human to have thought that.
[Even Michael had seemed ashamed when he left her, though she keeps that thought as far away from Sorey as she can. Still, her feelings make it clear that by 'human' she means 'Shepherd.']
That you're trying again makes you different, Sorey. And...I'm just glad that you could still be purified.
[Lailah sounds like she's choking up a little at that last sentence. She tries to keep her relief and anguish from Sorey, almost like she's curling in a protective ball around those emotions. It still hurts to think that she could've lost someone she's come to see as family.]
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Even though Sorey's resolved to live on without him, it's still so hard, too hard, sometimes. Their combined sorrow over the loss of Mikleo is too much to endure and he ends up sinking back further into Lailah's consciousness, their body slumping to the ground and curling up protectively as Sorey both tries to offer comfort and take it.]
I'm sorry. It's going to be hard, because of me. I'm going to rely on you so much, more than ever...I wanted to ease your burden, not add to it.
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[...Okay, maybe her tone is a touch fiercer than she intends it to be, and she does send a wordless apology for that. However, she doesn't take back her words. Lailah means them with all her heart.
The seraph embraces Sorey's soul with the warmth of her fire. She appreciates the comfort he's trying to provide her, but she'll give him more comfort than she'll ever ask to receive. After all, Lailah's had to cope by herself more often than not. If she can, she'll spare Sorey that same suffering.]
I'm sorry. What I'm feeling...really isn't helping you.
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[And she deserves to feel them, regardless of whether or not they're together right now. No- even moreso, because of it.] We're in this together, right Lailah? You and me?