She's been running this whole time, and now Mommy-- no, her [i]mother[/i]-- no, [i]Hermes[/i]-- has showed her that it was all a futile effort. That she could always take one step and be right by her daughter, her [i]disappointment[/i]'s side.

She shouldn't

She shouldn't still lean forward for the praise.

She's crying because it's hot in here. That's all.

Smoke stinging her eyes. Yeah. That's it.

It's not that her mother always wanted her to be more, to be better, to be smarter, to study harder, and to hear praise fall like rain from her lips threatens to turn her into a little girl beaming from behind a report on naval tactics in the Atlas Cultural Sphere.

For a moment, her heart is a burning rose being lifted to the lips of Love. For a moment, she almost takes the first step forward, even after it all, even knowing that they're here to stop the worst mistake Nero's ever made, a shortcut which threatens the souls of all of humanity. Despite it all, she still feels the impulse to bow her head and accept [i]acceptance.[/i] The praise. The [i]love.[/i]

The crack of Bella's palms against each other jerks her awake like a sleepwalker.

As her wife speaks, the color slowly rises in Redana's cheeks and her mismatched eyes widen. It's not every day that the heroine takes center stage, after all. It's especially rare to get teased by the heroine right before you have to speak to your mother again, and refuse the incoming regime of little treats (and very big fires).

When she's given the floor (right after Yue is tossed out like a card in some sort of battling game), she's shaking, but her hands are steady as she draws her sword, [i]Chalcedony[/i], the one Taurus gave her (which is, somehow and also, the sword she had before crossing the Lethe). The stance she takes is not one of the manifold openings she learned as a child, but one she picked up from the Silver Divers.

"...you [i]dumbass![/i]" Her voice cracks. "I'm not going to let you burn yourself up to make a future where we all make the same [i]fucking[/i] mistakes all over again! Do you hear me, [i]Mom?![/i]" The tears run down her cheeks. "I don't want your crown, and I... I [i]do[/i] want freedom, but I want you not to burn yourself up for this [i]stupid[/i] plan!! And now my friend Yue is going to kick your [i]butt[/i], and if she doesn't, I'll take you and Bella and the whole fucking Codexia on if it means [i]we all get a happy ending[/i]!!"

And there's your mistake, Nero. You haven't seen what she went through in the heart of the saddest little meowmeow to ever sail the stars. You don't know what she'll do in order to make sure everyone wins.

Redana throws back her head and [i]howls[/i]. And what's her mother think now that she's been blessed with Ceron's gifts, huh?