Dux’s hand shot out, a forceful gesture that halted Midnight in her tracks, his eyes stern and unwavering. As she recoiled, attempting to break free, he raised a second hand, conjuring a visual barrier that materialized where the exit once stood. The ethereal barrier solidified, trapping Midnight within its translucent confines, rendering escape impossible. In that brief moment, the room became a cage, and Dux’s actions spoke louder than words, enforcing the unyielding restraint he imposed on her.
Dux’s voice cut through the tension in the room like a blade, sharp and unforgiving. “Midnight,” he began, his tone dripping with disdain, “If you get angry, at least get mad for the right reasons. Your feelings are valid. I’m not questioning your pain, do try to listen.”
Midnight bristled at his words, her eyes flashing with a mixture of hurt and defiance. But Dux wasn’t finished. He stepped closer to her, his presence dominating the space between them. “You think you’re the only one who’s lost something? You think your pain is special?” His voice rose with each word, a barely contained fury simmering beneath the surface.
Dux’s voice trembled with a haunting resonance, each word a testament to the horrors he had witnessed. “I’ve seen things you can’t even begin to fathom. I’ve held my comrades, my friends and innocent men, woman and children as they took their final breaths, felt the weight of their souls slipping away into the abyss. I’ve witnessed atrocities that would turn your blood to ice, seen multiple species wiped from existence as if they were nothing more than dust in the wind.”
“I know how painful it is, I know that feeling will eat you alive,” He paused, the weight of his words hanging heavy in the air. "What you witnessed was a glimpse of the reality this world has endured for five centuries. I’ve carried the burden of that pain, that fear, those memories every single day, for longer than you’ve drawn breath. Knowing that every mistake I made, is a loss in this world we will never get back, every decision I decided, so yes midnight, I know your pain”.
His voice grew fiercer, each syllable etched with the scars of his past. “Don’t you dare presume I don’t know the depths of your misery. Don’t you dare belittle my sacrifice or undermine my resilience. I live for them, I fight for them, I endure for them every single day. And I will not allow you to tarnish their memory with your cowardice.”
Midnight opened her mouth to protest, but Dux silenced her with a raised hand. “No, you listen to me,” he continued, his voice low and dangerous. “You’re not the only one who’s suffered, Everyone who has fought in that war has suffered…is still suffering. But instead of honoring the memory of your people with dignity and grace, you choose to dishonor them with your disgraceful behavior.”
He leaned in closer, his eyes burning with intensity. “You want to act out, so I will send you away? You want to run away from you’re the burden like a coward? Well, I’m not going to give you that satisfaction. You’re going to stay right here, and you’re going to learn what it means to be a soldier. What it means to be a leader”
Dux’s words hung heavy in the air, the weight of his authority pressing down on Midnight like a vice. But even as he berated her, there was a glimmer of something else in his eyes—a flicker of concern, of genuine desire to see her rise above her pain and become the warrior she was meant to be.
With that he undid the spell to allow Midnight to leave, an opening she took straight away. Dux’s shoulders slumped as he turned away from the door, a heavy sigh escaping him as her hooves echoed in the background. His frustration was evident in the tight set of his jaw and the tension that lingered in the air around him. He walked a few paces away, running a hand through his hair, his movements reflecting the emotional exhaustion that had settled in. “I admit I don’t like what I just did”.
He faced the other two with a weariness in his eyes, a silent admission that what had just transpired had taken its toll. “I don’t like leading with an iron fist,” he confessed, his voice a mixture of frustration and discomfort. "But sometimes, tough love is the only language some understand. She needs those chains of guild to break”.
As he spoke, Dux’s body language shifted. The hard lines softened, and he began to regain his composure. The armor he wore in that moment of confrontation started to peel away, revealing a leader burdened by the responsibility of guiding others through their pain.
He turned to Saoirse, a subtle nod of acknowledgment passing between them. “Saoirse, look after Midnight. There’s a bond between you two, a trust. Use it to help her find her way back. We can’t afford to lose her to the shadows of her grief.”
As Saoirse left, Dux returned to his desk. He sank into his chair, weariness etched on his face. His fingers rubbed his temples, attempting to massage away the lingering tension. In the calm aftermath, he addressed Calisa, his tone softer, inviting honesty.
“What are your thoughts on the situation, Calisa?” he asked. “I need people around me who aren’t afraid to speak their minds, to share their opinions openly. It’s the only way we can grow together as a team. Don’t hold back.”
@Bluecookies - poor horse girl
@eunoia - lizard bestie
@Kitastrophe - greenhorn that gets sucked into a mess she didn’t ask for lol.
At least it’s mostly reactions??
also, still figuring out you’re characters emojis 
