The giant Fellblood tries to be honest nowadays. There wasn’t a lot of honesty to go around in the Red Riders, and when there was, it was because it was required on threat of life and limb. Being vulnerable with feelings wasn’t exactly something anyone in the Riders really did because doing so was seen as weak. To Das, it’s kind of… nice to get to express his ideals without being made to feel foolish. Even if some of what he says or thinks is too optimistic to be practical.

He’s glad Eva seems willing to listen, too, and he appreciates the sentiment she expresses. A small smile pulls at the corner of his mouth. “If I’m being honest… I spent a lot of time pretending they didn’t happen. It starts eating at you after a while. Then you have to decide if you’ll let yourself be consumed and left a shell or if you’re going to do something about it.” In his experience this is true. He couldn’t stand by and participate in the things the Red Riders were doing. He couldn’t be a raider hurting innocents for resources anymore. He couldn’t hunt down people who made mistakes and needed another chance for forgiveness. Everyone makes mistakes, and if they want to right the wrongs, they should be able to. A certain amount of understanding is necessary.

But some would call it mercy.

He finally drew the line at holding a teenager responsible for something outside of their control.

“I appreciate it, Eva,” he says earnestly. “I hope that if you’re looking for inspiration to do something new that you can find it quickly. Take it by the reins and ride away to see new things. It’s been a humbling experience. I only wish I did it when I were younger and more spry.” The last words leave his mouth with a chuckle. Given the gray peppering his hair and beard, Das has been around for a while.

As honest as Das was, Eva was the complete opposite. Building a shelter of lies that protects her, whether the vulnerability she pretended not to have, or the instincts of protecting what's hers.

If she was honest, even her existence was not one that should've been lingering.

So while she appreciates Das's honesty, she doesn't have much to give in return. She's balancing everything she knows on a rope, a makeshift bridge of the connections she's building. But the difference between her and Das was that Das was risking more, with every new decision he makes. Das has more to lose.

All Eva owns right now is a bag of ripped posters, with scribbles and meaningless drawings on them. Low reward, low risk. But she takes comfort in the way that there's not a single doubt in the way Das looks at her. The power she feels when someone trusts her, is incomparable to anything else. It's intoxicating, stronger than a sip of wine. A weapon, more useful than anything else she has.

"You seem pretty spry to me!" She replies instead, hopping down with the last few posters she's gathered, stuffing them inside her bag. She has no idea what spry means, but it seems like a nice thing to say in the moment. It seems like the type of thing Eva sees people do, at least, when they want to be friendly. "But you have a point. Trying something new, and seeing new places... I think that's my next calling. Who knows, maybe we’ll even run into each other again somewhere."

She looks around in the alley, noting that she's gathered everything she can from the remnants of the festival. "I think we're done. Thanks for your help, Das. Luckily we didn't come across any rats, but it was comforting to know you had my back if we had."