[ that half-second of silence is somehow poignant enough to ignite in sein a brief flutter of anxiety, that largely feels out of place in what should otherwise be a harmless endeavor. after all, he had been given a modest stipend upon arrival, and so the stakes set are quite low. failure would damage his pride more than his wallet, and considering he had never had much of the former, it stands to reason he hasn't really got much to lose here.

and yet, he finds something in that quiet that unsettles him. something both familiar and foreign, and for that moment he is suddenly a young boy again, sitting at the feet of a hero listening to tales of demon king so powerful just invoking his title struck terror in all who were unfortunate enough to hear.

he works the feeling out from his throat in a slow, rough swallow. takes him a second or two longer than he would have liked to remember where he is, and how long ago it'd been since demons so freely terrorized his world. ]

If you already know them, then why bother to ask?

[ well, if his co-star isn't bothering to stick to the script, then why should he? sein works his thumbnail into the small space between one wooden bead and the next, pulling the rosary's meager string taut. ]

Besides, my burdens have only ever been in the things I didn't do. Not in the things I've done.