Awakening Supports/Avatar(M) Gerome
C Support
Robin:
Say, Gerome? I've been meaning to ask you something for a while now...
Gerome:
......
Robin:
Why do you always wear that mask?
Gerome:
......
Robin:
Is it merely for show, or does it have a deeper meaning?
Gerome:
......
Robin:
I'd appreciate some kind of response, if it's not too much trouble...? After all, we are comrades-in-arms.
Gerome:
This will sound rude, but I have no desire to talk to you. Or anyone. I'm trying to associate as little as possible with anyone from this era.
Robin:
Oh? Why is that?
Gerome:
For people from the future, like me, this world seems unreal. A dream. We are not meant to be here. This is not our place.
Robin:
Yes, but—
Gerome:
No. The safest thing is to avoid contact as much as possible.
Robin:
I understand we are divided by time and history. But isn't that all the more reason to reach across the chasm and forge bonds?
Gerome:
What you suggest is impossible. Now leave me be.
Robin:
Very well. I will leave it there, for now. But we will discuss this again, you and I.
Gerome:
......
B Support
Robin:
Greetings, Gerome.
Gerome:
I told you, I want nothing to do with you.
Robin:
Yes, I remember. And I'll try to honor that as best I can. But, please, do me one favor—tell me why you always wear that mask. It has something to do with combat, doesn't it? That must be the reason.
Gerome:
It is indeed for battle. By masking my face, I can prevent the enemy from reading my emotions.
Robin:
Ah! To keep an enemy guessing about your intentions confers a decided advantage. Much like the "fog of war" that strategists exploit to confound and unbalance a foe.
Gerome:
It also makes it harder for the foe to read the target for my next attack. I'm prepared to exploit any tactic that gives me an edge in battle.
Robin:
But it must also narrow your field of vision, yes? Make it easier to be caught unaware?
Gerome:
And I must make up for that drawback through rigorous training. I have honed my instincts and senses to their absolute limits. The movement of the wind, the scent of sweat, the whisper of steel through air... I can sense these from any direction, even obscured by the mask. This is why I need no battle companions. My skill is more than enough.
Robin:
Hmm... The mask hides your emotions from foes on the battlefield... But I imagine it also serves to hide your inner self from allies as well?
Gerome:
I fight without allies.
Robin:
I know you have made yourself strong enough to survive in this world alone. But is mere survival the only goal worth striving for?
Gerome:
Of course not. My ultimate aim is victory over evil.
Robin:
Then you are going about it entirely the wrong way.
Gerome:
Explain yourself.
Robin:
It's obvious, isn't it? Imagine that you, and you alone, survive. Around you lay the cooling bodies of foe and comrade alike. You are completely, utterly alone. Now ask yourself this: is that a victory worth winning?
Gerome:
You twist my words.
Robin:
......
Gerome:
Hmph. Then the sermon is over? You weave a lovely tapestry with your words, master tactician. But talk is cheap. In the real world, where I must live, power is everything. Power is right, it is truth, it is victory. And I'll prove as much on the battlefield.
Robin:
Surely you do not truly believe that... I only pray he learns before it is too late...
A Support
Robin:
Gerome.
Gerome:
What do you want, Robin?
Robin:
I've been watching you more closely on the battlefield.
Gerome:
And?
Robin:
Your strength and ability are more than my words can do justice. Your battlefield feats would seem to validate your methods. I underestimated you, and for that, I apologize.
Gerome:
Actually...
Robin:
Yes?
Gerome:
Do you remember when I told you I wanted nothing to do with people from this era? It was true when I said it...but perhaps I went too far in avoiding your kind.
Robin:
Oh?
Gerome:
I've learned a lot from these grueling battles, about myself as much as anything. Why do I crave battle? Why do I seek power with such single-minded purpose? Once I thought to ask the questions, the answer was clear enough... I was raised in a nightmarish world haunted by the ghouls called Risen. I have SEEN the future and would do anything in my power to unmake it.
Robin:
I understand.
Gerome:
But I see now that I cannot build this future alone, no matter how strong I am. Until we unite, peace shall forever elude our grasp.
Robin:
You are wiser than I credited you, Gerome. The task before us is indeed far too great for any one man. We must transform this world, change history, AND overcome fate!
Gerome:
Do you think it's possible?
Robin:
I do, so long as we all work together. We must rely on the ties that bind us. We must lend each other aid, support each other, and act as one. Then, there is hope.
Gerome:
There is wisdom in your words, tactician. Perhaps I should spend more time listening to people of this age.
Robin:
Heh, I like to think we have our moments.
