Pyrrha's ears flicker and her features for a moment are full of thought. The hands we've been dealt... That left too much to fate for comfort. "I suppose we must, but if a hand looks bad, we must change the game." Funny how that expression never really stipulates what game is being played. So, if the hand is small then let's play Uno. If the hand is a royal flush- Poker. And if all else fails any hand can be built into a house of cards.

"When I was young I met a prince of the Lagoon, Rohan Stärke. He then moved to the Mire, and then last I saw him he was back at the Lagoon. It'd be an awfully weird coincidence if two unrelated lions made that same journey at similar times." And, now that she has confirmation upon her suspicions, Pyrrha could see the same broody look in Mags's features as Rohan. It explained what she was trying to pretend and avoid, it explained a lot.

And now - would Mags disappoint Pyrrha like Rohan has recently? Was she a woman who withered or one who rose up? Pyrrha's gaze is growing intense, dancing between a soft pity of understanding and analytical judgement of whatever response was to come.

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"indeed." magdalena muses in agreement. "no use crying over what fate deals us." crying was not going to get anyone anywhere. in this moment, the woman decides that she rather likes @Pyrrha ♔, might even like to have her as a friend. "nothing is bad enough to warrant giving up." said with the upmost conviction, though maybe there was something - like death. even then, magdalena had seen people - her father for one - brought back from what should be lethal. so maybe even dying wasn't an excuse anymore.

so @Pyrrha ♔ had met one of her family before. "rohan is my brother." she says, lips pressed into a line. they had most recently run into each other in the mire, as the lagoon, the summit, and others had converged on ecrosia to free the remaining prisoners held within. though it had, as always, quickly gone sideways as the call for death had rung out. "he must have joined after we left the mire together last time." the memory is not a particularly good one - of rohan and their barely alive father.

though there is a secondary concern for someone that she has begun to respect. "hope he didn't cause too much trouble last time you met." magdalena knew as well as anyone how abrasive her brother could be, and it had only gotten worse with time and trauma.

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Nothing is bad enough to warrant giving up. Her gaze and expression grew warm with agreement. There is a quick nod to Pyrrha's head in return and in her chest she feels the swell of kinship, that bond that came between two who had similar ways of thinking and viewing the world. The sweet melody of an echo chamber. "Nothing." The single word is spoken with a steadfast steel tone. No question.

This is Rohan's sister she comes then to learn. They do appear close in age, and Pyrrha can start to see more and more resemblances between them now that she has this confirmation. "I am sorry for all that's happened to your family." She says softer now, knowing there's nothing to be done about it and the only path ahead was forward. Fortunately Mags seemed more inclined to walk it than her brother. She will survive this. Nothing will stop them right?

Pyrrha has been fortunate to not need to apologize for her brothers. Nor is she ever sure that she would- maybe they'd be better left stewing in what mess they'd made without her smoothing it over? But how would that reflect back on her? In this moment she feels appreciation to Magdalena for the question and concern. She's woven her words in so that they are not coming across to Pyrrha as any attempt to excuse any behaviors. "He was frustratingly broody but no trouble." Nothing that Pyrrha couldn't handle.

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@Pyrrha ♔ nods in response and magdalena lets a real smile pull at her lips in approval. not that pyrrha needed her approval, but she had it nonetheless. nothing, the other woman chimes in and with a sharp nod, she lets that be that. she could certainly appreciate the strength in another woman, had one day hoped to have some of her own as a child. it feels sweet to be seen as an equal.

though, no sooner has she started to lighten up than does her past rear it's ugly head, forever the shadow cast over her life. i'm sorry, she's heard it from so many people over the years. can see the pity shining bright in their eyes. sorry about your fucked up family. magdalena almost scoffs out loud. yeah, she was sorry too. instead, she schools her expression into something neutral and pleasant. "i'll be better off for it." someday, at least. she had to be right? surely, it couldn't all be for nothing. "what about you? i can't be the only one with a fucked up childhood." turn the conversation away from herself, a very tried and true tactic. obviously pyrrha had either been around for or had been told be rohan about everything that had happened and she doesn't like being the only one in this equation with skeletons in the closet.

as the conversation turns towards her brother, a grimace flashes across the woman's features. "frustratingly broody," she starts with an amused snort. broody was practically rohan's middle name. "sounds about right." he seemed to always be snarling or frowning these days, especially since the business in the mire. not that magdalena could blame him. "i wont hold it against you if you ever feel the need to fix his attitude." joking around, keeping things light-hearted, she could work with that.

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I'll be better off for it Pyrrha is quiet for a moment, her looks closely into @Magdalena's eyes and she tries to discern how serious this young woman is about this claim. Her brother had not wanted pity but boy did Rohan look like he needed some of it. Was she going to make something of herself not just in spite of what had happened to them but actually because of it? How hot was the fire with this newfound fuel? Eventually Pyrrha decides there is a chance that Mags will make good on that belief- that it will be up to time to tell. "You have me beat in the fucked up childhood department." She confesses with a shrug. The extent to which Pyrrha had seen growing up was a far more passive one and nothing she had had to engage or involve in. Not until recently. "My father is loooooong gone, my step father is a bit of a jerk but I think he's trying to work on it. He disappeared for while, and my mother went to look for him. He's back... she's not... don't know why." Not the same by a long shot, and far more recent than childhood. But that's the detailless version of it all.

"I have some younger brothers, the fixing of attitude is one of my specialties." She says with an equally as amused snort-laugh. In general it was no secret Pyrrha held quite a bit of disdain and low opinion of the rougher gender. The lot of them usually needed some attitude adjustment but the bond of sister and brother was special in ways she did not understand, and did not have the chance to fully comprehend. "I've met way worse than him though. I won't hurt him." Broody was easy. And given the situation he had reasons.

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there are days when she feels the lid on that volcano brewing inside her is on tighter than others. though the steam pipes out today, she doesn’t feel more than a slow, constant simmer under her skin. talking to pyrrha seems to bring the temperature down further - perhaps because she finally feels that someone might understand. “to be fair,” magdalena starts, an amused smirk pulling at the corners of her lips. “i probably have most people beat in the fucked up childhood department.” at least she had something to joke about now. @Pyrrha ♔ shares her own childhood trauma and magdalena nods along, listening intently. “yeah, those missing parents will really do it…” she muses with a soft laugh. though, at least pyrrha’s had just been gone - maybe they would come back in time.

it seems her new friend also has brothers in need of attitude adjustments. well, magdalena could certainly relate there. “if you’re a professional, you have full permission to do what you need to do next time you meet.” she’s mostly joking about that, of course and shares a conspiratorial grin with pyrrha. in truth, she’d never force that kind of job on someone outside of the family - rohan could brood all he wanted as long as he didn’t bother her about it. “well, i won’t tell if you do.” the woman lets out a proper laugh at this, chest squeezing as she does. speaking of rohan, the shadows were starting to get longer and it’s only a matter of time before her brother comes looking for her, the protective shit that he was. “i should get back to the lagoon,” she starts with a heavy sigh. “it was nice to meet you, pyrrha. hopefully we’ll see each other again soon.” a smile curves over magdalena’s lips as she aims an affectionate bump at the pink woman’s shoulder on the way out.

exit mags

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