shaft | hotel: bradley

[ Claude is looking around the tunnel, fond. ]

I think near the end? Maybe around week 5. It was pretty fun to sneak into my old dorm.

Didn't even know it existed.

[But he was fall dorm and so he'd never have a reason to check this place out.

He turns to look at him, and a memory starts to play.

It's freezing cold, winter, ice, and snow. You're in Northern Country, your homeland. You're with a younger Nero, looking exhausted from wherever it is you've just robbed. You pick him up and start carrying him back home. With one hand you offer him a ring with a dark black stone set into it.

"Here, it's that ring ya nabbed. You found yourself a real treasure. This right here's the Good Luck Ring. The savin' grace for us social outcasts. It'll protect ya no matter when or where, so it won't let its owner die."

Nero repeat it back to you, with wonder, "... The Good Luck Ring."

"Yeah." You figure you should tell him what kind of treasure he managed to find. It's his loot, despite him being part of your bandits.

A tired laugh from Nero, "Good to hear... If that's so... Then it's yours, Boss."

Of all the things you'd think to hear from him, that was certainly not one of them. There's a momentarily stunned silence as you continue getting back to your hideout.

"Please... make it out of here alive."

That's ridiculous. Nero absolutely doesn't need to give you this ring. You have no plans of dying anytime soon, and you're far too stubborn to need a ring like this. "Don't be a dumbass. I ain't got no need for someone else's luck."

Now it's Nero's turn to go silent.

Right, you should say something, make your thoughts clear. "If ya really wanna put that ring on my finger so bad, then ya better make it outta this alive, bend down on your knees and present it to me yerself. Selfless fools ain’t got no business bein’ bandits. Be greedy and cling to that life with all you’ve got. Don’t matter who condemns you. I’ll always have your back. Tell me ya don’t wanna die. Or, at the very least, tell me ya don’t want me to die." These are the things that matter to you. A bandit is somebody who selfishly clings to life, and takes for themselves and their own. It's that simple to you. Nero is yours to protect, and you mean every word of it. You will always have Nero Turner's back. No matter what happens in the future. It's not a promise, but between the two of you, it may as well be.

It takes him a moment to speak up, "I...I don't want you to die..." You feel him cling tightly onto you.

"Ahaha!! Then I guess we better make it back in one piece, yeah? You go an’ put that ring on my finger every time yer up for a big challenge, got it?!"]

[ Claude isn't surprised to see the memory play out, the chill in the air feeling real, and the weight of the small body warm and precious.

It's leaves him with a subtle warmth, even as the tunnel comes back into view around them, not unfamiliar with the feeling of leadership and protectiveness that thrums through Bradley.

He smiles, amused. ]

I see you don't have much patience for self-sacrifice. Were aligned in that respect.

Good.

It's ridiculous. The best possible outcome is everybody comin' back alive. I'm not gonna listen to somebody say "leave me behind".

Not a believer in sacrificing one to save many?

I've never seen that work out for anybody.

No? But you go to battle with others, don't you?

Yeah. Everybody's lookin' out for themselves.

[Well.

Mostly. The Southerners...]

Mm, but you don't think choosing to kill someone in a battle is sacrificing their live so you can survive?

That's the life they've chosen, yeah? A battle is a battle. Everyone is lookin' out for themselves.

It's not your own people who're sayin' shit like "leave me behind, Boss."

So you think sacrificing a life could be worthwhile as long as it wasn't one of the people you're responsible for?

[ for the record, he doesn't sound like he's trying to catch bradley in a "gotcha!" contradiction. he's just genuinely interested to know what he thinks. ]

That's how it is in North. It's either you kill or you'll be killed.

[Simple, no moralizing. If you want to survive, that's what you accept by living there.]