Of the reactions to basic decency Len might have been expecting to see coming from the jaded and, well, bitchy person that was Keris Hammerfist, tears would not have been high on the list. She'd realized that the woman was probably going through some shit, having had much of her understanding of the world around her and any number of the foundations shattered, but still... one doesn't really expect to see a person like that lose it, especially not in public. After a couple awkward moments of seeing if she'd get herself under control, Len had to swap into defensive mode, clasping an arm around the woman's shoulder and steering her away from the public eye before too many people started taking notice.
This really wasn't her preferred situation. Theoretically, she wanted to be keeping Keris at arm's length and watching her for signs of treachery. She had an inherent distrust of tears from powerful women. They were a weapon that could be used to deadly effect if their wielder so chose, and she didn't have any real reason to assume that this was somehow a different case than any other. Still, there was a reason they were such effective weapons. It felt downright uncomfortable to observe, and there was an instinctive urge to protect her... definitely not friend but not really enemy anymore either, from the shame of being witnessed like this. If it was a ploy, it was a good one.
As quickly as she could, she got Keris inside and into her private quarters. Throughout it all, Keris bounced between a subdued, almost childlike, obedience as Len guided her and being wracked with sobs. Eventually, she settled down enough to just sit there in silence, not looking at Len or anything else, just... sitting there. Len gave her what she felt was more than enough time to compose herself then finally spoke up.
"So... that happened."
That got a sobbing chuckle out of Keris, who started crying again. Great.
"Dammit, we're really doing this, ain't we?"
"Doing what?" Keris managed.
"Do you have anyone left to talk to? Like, anyone at all? Forgive me if I'm being too blunt about this, but what I'm seeing from you right now doesn't really suggest a person that has anyone they can lean on."
"Of course I have people to lean on!" the woman snapped with acid in her voice. "Dozens of friends who would leap at the chance to defend me from harm, who'd stand beside me no matter how far I might fall. Friends who've spent a lifetime relying on my relationship with my husband to grow fat and wealthy as this city decays around us. Oh yes, I've got friends."
Len just gazed at her, trying her best not to let any judgmental feelings creep into it. The thing about watching someone fall from a great height thanks to their own choices was that it was really hard to feel too much sympathy for them. Still, from a manipulator's viewpoint, nothing would be gained by further shaming her at this point, to say nothing of the 'basic human decency' front. Every now and then Len had to catch herself. There was definitely something worrisome going on with her thought patterns lately. Problems for later.
"Every last one of them left me the instant I couldn't do anything for them. A lifetime of exchanges, of conversations, of social gatherings. All fucking meaningless as soon as I was out of favor. Not so much as an apology for it, either. Wouldn't want to jeopardize their station as they're all trying to figure out how to properly win your trust."
Again, Len had to bite her tongue. The idea that those people had ever had anything to do with Keris for anything beyond what she could do for them struck her as a little silly. Of course that was all they cared about. That's all that particular type of people ever cared about. More than that, if their roles had been reversed, Keris would absolutely have thrown them to the wolves. It was the way this game was played and everyone knew it. Of course, knowing that in your head didn't really do all that much to help with the feelings of betrayal, of loss, and crushing failure.
"And while all that is going on, my friends and family tossing me to the curb as though I'm a useless thing, you show up and demand my presence. You give me something to do that isn't whiling my time away in my cabin getting drunk on cheap wine and waiting for my husband to either kick me out or have me killed. You defend me in front of him and just... help. What the hell is wrong with you?!?!"
The desperation in her eyes brought a wholly inappropriate laugh to Len's mouth. She got control of it as quickly as she could, but the stricken hurt in Keris' eyes made her feel guilty. She offered a weak smile and held a hand up.
"Pretty sure I've been over this already but you know what, fine. If you need me to say it one more time to get it through your head, I'll do it. I'm a complete outsider to your culture, I don't have use for the norms or attitudes that you're so used to. I'm from a cutthroat society that often as not doesn't have time to waste on petty rivalries on the sort of interpersonal level that you're used to. The vast majority of my relationships are much shallower than the ones you had with your former friends. Any friendships I did hold were always at an arms length and couldn't hurt me if they tried. I'm using you in a mutually beneficial state because it's a lot more useful to me than some sort of revenge over what you did to me in the past. It's precisely because of how I look at the world that I'm able to shrug and let go of your past and look to how you can help me in the future."
She paused to take a breath. It didn't seem like those were the words Keris needed to hear right now. This whole thing felt... a bit twisted to her. The more she observed things from the more she felt like she was exploiting the woman's desperation. She somehow knew with absolute certainty that this was a chance to forever trap Keris under her rule. To turn her into a zealously devoted pawn that could be wielded as she wished. All it would take in this moment was an offer of friendship.
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"We're not friends," she said, a touch coolly. "We may never be friends, I'm not convinced that our personalities will mesh that well and I REALLY don't think it'd be healthy for you to latch onto me completely right now. Frankly put, lady, you're a mess. That's not the greatest point to start building things from."
Keris looked faintly crestfallen at that declaration. She didn't deny it, though.
"None of that means that I'm going to abandon you. I really am dead serious about doing everything I can to protect you so long as you're working for me. Hell, even after you stop working for me, so long as you don't try to screw me over again. More than that, I'd say that your best bet to ever claw back some social standing is by my side, but if you're really uncomfortable with this situation, I think it'd probably be a bit too cruel for me to force you."
"So even you are willing to throw me away, fine. If that's how you want it," Keris stood up and moved to leave.
"Oh for fuck's sake, NO! That's not what I'm saying at all, you silly woman," Len grabbed her hand to keep her in place. "Do you really feel like you need me threatening you to stay to have any sort of reason to choose for yourself? I'm offering you the right to call your own destiny here. I won't pretend that you've got a ton of great options, but I'm not going to make you stick to a path you don't want to. If you want to work for me, you're welcome to. I'm just... having second thoughts about how I've been treating you, given your reaction here."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're looking at me like I'm your only hope of survival right now. That's almost certainly not true and it's definitely not healthy. The wrong sort of person could take advantage of it. You need to be able to stand on your own."
"Easy for you to say, you've had everything handed to you."
"Really haven't. I've had some dice-rolls go my way that probably shouldn't have, but handed to me? Hell no. Look, I get what you want me to be for you right now. I'm even willing to be a part of it. What I'm not willing to be is your sole point of focus right now. You've got a lot going on, it's probably driving you a little bonkers, but I need you to figure some of this stuff out on your own. I really would say that your first step is to talk to your husband and figure out what's happening on that front. Once you guys have decided on that, come back and talk with me some more. I promise you that I'm not going anywhere."
Keris looked at her for a minute, trying to decide whether to believe her or not. Eventually, she simply nodded and left, saying nothing more. As soon as her footsteps had faded, Len let out an explosive sigh of relieve and looked around.
"All right, jackass," she practically snarled. "Get your ass out here and explain."
It took a moment, but the shadowy form of Pitch split itself off from a darkened corner of the room and assumed the masculine form it had used before. It offered her a courtly bow and then returned her steely gaze.
"Whatever could you mean, dearest Lenore?"
"Oh, fuck off with that right now," she hissed. "What are you doing to my head?"
"Care to elaborate? I'm doing quite a lot to your head and the rest of you. Part of the pact that we've agreed to, I'm preparing you to survive."
"I knew every word that I needed to say to turn that fragile woman into a... I don't even know? A thrall? First off, how is that possible. Second off, don't you dare do that ever again!"
"You mortals really like to imagine that you're more complex creatures than you really are. It doesn't take nearly as much effort as you think it does to bend people to your will. I just helped you see the shortcuts."
"Bullshit. Even if you're telling the truth, you can't possibly know for certain. It's a trick. Nonsense."
"I assure you, it's not. Had you said the words I offered you, she'd be yours until the day she died. So grateful for this moment of kindness that gave her exactly what she needed. Instead, you abandoned her to the whims of chaos and told her to... ugh... simply talk things out with her husband. Do I even need to get into how boring that choice was?"
"Oddly, your boredom has never been my greatest concern. Whatever this gimmick of yours is, I don't want it. Take it back."
"We both know that's not the way my gifts work, Lenore. Never fear, though, most of the time all you'll be able to do is slightly nudge people in the direction you want them. Poor little Keris was just in such a state of despair that she became particularly open to suggestion. For the moment, at least, you've closed that door. No way of knowing what she does next. Why, she might even run to Claymar's forces tonight to give them all the dirt she has on you."
"Oh no, however shall I endure the terrible knowledge that I don't have absolute dominance over all of my surroundings. Fuck off, dude. You acted like this new version of you was some grand new experiment that would be so much different than the last, but you're really just the same douchebag trying to get me to dance to your tune."
"Oh no, dearest Lenore, I'm nothing like I once was. For example, I have a lot more specific plans that I need to implement for the sake of our mutual survival. And I will be taking the steps needed for them."
"Great, super creepy. Definitely something I'm going to worry about. For now, just fuck off, I've gotta get back to that damned paperwork."
With a mocking bow, Pitch vanished once more.