[She's quiet a long moment, but when she finally responds her mental "voice" is gentle and comforting.]
That's what you saw. And because you were trapped in that body, maybe you know it best, but you also only remember all the guilt of everything you did. But do you know what I saw? I saw a man who was bright, intelligent, and kind. Who loved his daughter very much and she loved him in return, someone wise beyond his years who strove to make the world as good of a place as he possibly could.
Someone who suffered too much, unfairly. Who no matter how hard he tried to better the world, it continued to beat him down until he broke. Who had a false god of death and madness whispering to him at his weakest moment, was manipulated until he was willing to do things that otherwise would have horrified him. I've seen monsters use good people to do bad things before.
Yet after everything he did, he still loved his daughter, and did everything he could to convince her to wait, to not audition for the play. But when he saw he couldn't make her back down with breaking her heart, he gave her the role that... That would, in its own strange way, protect her. Would both bring her the greatest honor in the eyes of his dark god and would give her a peaceful darkness instead of the madness and pain the rest of the town suffered. He tried to destroy the world but at least he loved his daughter with all of his heart. That's still so much better than my real mother treated me.
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That's what you saw. And because you were trapped in that body, maybe you know it best, but you also only remember all the guilt of everything you did. But do you know what I saw? I saw a man who was bright, intelligent, and kind. Who loved his daughter very much and she loved him in return, someone wise beyond his years who strove to make the world as good of a place as he possibly could.
Someone who suffered too much, unfairly. Who no matter how hard he tried to better the world, it continued to beat him down until he broke. Who had a false god of death and madness whispering to him at his weakest moment, was manipulated until he was willing to do things that otherwise would have horrified him. I've seen monsters use good people to do bad things before.
Yet after everything he did, he still loved his daughter, and did everything he could to convince her to wait, to not audition for the play. But when he saw he couldn't make her back down with breaking her heart, he gave her the role that... That would, in its own strange way, protect her. Would both bring her the greatest honor in the eyes of his dark god and would give her a peaceful darkness instead of the madness and pain the rest of the town suffered. He tried to destroy the world but at least he loved his daughter with all of his heart. That's still so much better than my real mother treated me.