#{/and my other dod muse; urick; came by the day i was originally set to do this ask like 'heyyyy ;)' so ive been on there for a while QwQ}

[blindedguilt]

"WOW!" he cackles, practivally hyena-esque, "That was really something, cupcake! You really are a coward, aren't you?" (— @hyperionhandsome , from Jack, medieval Fantasy au?)

"I..."

The words had stung before Leonard could even realise he hadn't recognised the voice that spoke to him, though the way his expression had shifted had been miniscule in comparison - the way the hermit's head had turned away in both hurt and shame had been the most prominent, though there was the subtlest crease in his brows, the smallest tightening of his lips and the clutch of gloved hands on the hem of his coat which spoke volumes in the moment Leonard himself was unable to do much more than struggle for a response.

...Who was this man? The thought had just dawned on him as Leonard felt his heart pound with humiliation - he didn't sound like a faerie, though the laughter reminded him of his own pact-beast. He didn't even sound like anything inhuman, as a matter of fact, but still - remarkably cruel.

...Leonard supposed it didn't matter, though. If the goal was the simple task of sparking that sad flame of guilt within the hermit, it took only a glance to see his lowered head and the bitter pain on his face to tell this stranger had succeeded in their mission. A low mumble of response was the reward to inform this rather boisterous passerby of their victory.

"...You are right." Leonard acquiesced, bitterly. He couldn't fight or promise any improvement anymore. "I am nothing more than a fool."

How truly pathetic... Something in his stomach sank at the prospect that it would have only taken a glance to tell of his plight. Typically the harsh sting of such words would be curved hearing it from his pact-beast, or even the likes of Caim, but there was something about hearing it from someone like a stranger that served to dig especially deep into the hermit's skin. It seemed that all at once, the nightmare of the garrison, the failure of his brothers, the failure to his family, and the potential failure that had awaited Seere at each second, had come crashing down on his consciousness with those words. That reminder.

Coward... It was aptly fit.

Leonard's head dragged itself back up from where it had previously stared down at his lap, but averted itself slightly to the side - his blind gaze still couldn't bring itself to look towards the source of the voice where it stood.

"...Please, speak no longer." Leonard said, the softness of his tone in sharp contrast with the low rumble of his voice, "I know my sins well enough to bear on my own. So I beg of you... Show mercy."