Description
Ithaca, now having a decent grasp on Roseland’s character, felt a sense of empathy for the downtrodden bounty hunter. She isn’t evil to the core like many other villains they had encountered. Rather, she is another young soul just like herself and Zenchi who had been treated unfairly by the world. She lightly waves her soft, green locks around as she says, “Oh...I see. Maybe we're not so different after all.” Unsure what she meant by the statement, Roseland asked for clarification, “How do you mean?” Ithaca motions to Zenchi to explain. She sighs, crosses her arms, and provides their side of the story, “*SIGH* We had a rough past too, due to the actions of...the Queen. She took everything from us. I've been on a journey to right those wrongs and put a stop to her and this world's madness.” Harking back to the massacre of Alleria-Sune, the duo’s home village, Zenchi briefly touches on the trauma they carried. The Hero Of The Lands becomes more personal, thanking her friend Ithaca for being at her side through recent times, “And for a while, I was on my own. But recently, I was reunited with my best friend here, Ithaca. I don't know where I'd be without her.” At a particularly low point, Zenchi thought about giving up her mission of justice and conceding that Queen Lapis had won. It wasn’t until she ran into her long-lost friend Ithaca that she was renewed with the heroic spirit that she had nearly lost. Simply put, the two needed each other in a world where it felt like everything was against them. Roseland vaguely knew about this tragedy thanks to her research on Zenchi as the bounty. In truth, she felt sorry for the two. “Yes, I'd heard of such rumors, but it's quite moving to hear it come from you directly. It's tragic.”
Sharing a moment of understanding, Ithaca takes a seat next to the bounty hunter. She places a hand on her shoulder and smiles, trying to instill confidence in Roseland that she was stronger than she knew, “It's tough, and we've lost a lot, but we don't let those scars hold us down. And you shouldn't either, kitty. I can tell you're still hurt by what happened in the past, but look at you now!” She continues to encourage the leopard, letting her know that, despite everything, she was still valuable and that she mattered in the world, “You're super strong and independent, and you built your own life from scratch.” From their initial encounter some days ago, Ithaca could tell that Roseland wasn’t as bad of a person as she let on. Touched by her kind words, Roseland nervously looks away, feeling as if she didn’t deserve it, “I appreciate the sentiment. I don't expect you to forgive me, but look, I assure you. I'm no criminal. Yes, I've dealt with some rather low-hanging individuals, but...” While explaining her side, she assures the duo that she is being truthful. Even though the bounty hunter’s lifestyle is a questionable one, she had a very strong conviction and set of expectations of herself. She’d never wish death upon anyone, not even those who shunned or manipulated her in her youth. Before she could finish her thought, she caught herself, still conflicted on her duty as a bounty hunter, “No, I shouldn't be doing this. I'm the most prominent hunter in the Guild. If they found out I'd backed out of the biggest bounty we'd ever seen, they'd have my head.” At this point, she was too deep in the Guild of Red’s pocket to skimp out on such an important mission. She fears that this may be the end of their comradery together, as she still has a job to finish.
But Zenchi, having heard enough about Roseland and the Guild, approached her. Roseland slumped her head, ashamed that things couldn’t have gone differently. Though instead of being angry, Zenchi offered her hand to the crestfallen hunter. At this point, Zenchi had made up her mind, and wished to continue things on a positive note, “Hey, I might not be totally sold on you yet, but I think your heart is in the right place. Besides, if worst comes to worst, we'll deal with the Guild ourselves. You said you wanted to be your own person, right? Then don't let that band of thugs throw you around. if you're looking for a place to go, or some friends, then we're open. Hell, we could use the extra firepower too. After all, you're Gifted like us and I'm curious about that power you used. You showed us the other day that you can definitely kick some ass.” Much to Roseland’s surprise, Zenchi asks the hunter to join her and Ithaca on their mission of justice. She was worth far more than the Guild’s golden puppet, and she knew that. The three had reached a mutual understanding of each other’s struggles in life and were connected at heart. Ithaca tilted her head and happily asked, “By the way, we never heard your name. What should we call you?” Nearly speechless, Roseland trips over her words, “...I-w-well...” After a moment of hesitation, Roseland speaks up. Pulling down her mask to reveal a smile, she notes the duo’s interesting mentality and approach to life, “...hmhm, you two are quite the interesting pair. Thank you for asking. My name is Roseland. Roseland...Mingwei.” For the first time ever, she told her real name to outsiders of the Guild. She hesitated over her last name, showing that, even though they cast her away as a child, she still thought of them as her true family even twenty years later.
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