"Huh? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Just thinking." She shook her head to focus herself again. "I thought I had an easy answer to your question until I began thinking about it. Because I like the way the promises work, you both agree to a couple of rules and you get hurt if you break them. Because you govern each other, no one has any actual power over the other. Except... then I remembered who we are actual swearing to. Namely, a king or queen. Still, they aren't directly interfering in my life." She took a moment to drink from her glass.
"And I don't think it's because somebody has the power and I don't. I don't want the power. I don't think you're corrupt either. Partially cause I haven't seen you in action."
Duncan listened, settling back in his seat. He frowned.
"Are you being serious? That's not Wrath, that's not what this is about," the Elemental replied, voice icy. "Unless I'm mistaken, you want to join the Crimson Spear, right? Am I right? Then you need to have a fire deep inside, kid. Something more than this pseudo-politic bullcrap. It isn't just about being upset about the status quo or who is in authority, it's about having the guts to tear through the Hedge and roar like a God-damned monster at the Gentry. It's about setting the world ablaze with your fury! It's about never giving up, never slowing down, never surrendering even when your back's against the wall and They are leering down on you. It's about fighting tooth and nail until either your enemy is broken or you are. Tell me, kid, can you do that?" Vapor flooded from his head as his Mantle grew, his crisp-blue eyes wide with passion in his own words.
Tessa was surprised by how keen he was about this. He seemed pretty easy going normally, so seeing so much passion from him was what she had expected.
"Well that certainly clears things up. Can I do that? No. Don't get me wrong, I would like nothing more than to do that, to bring the Gentry hell, to get revenge and tear Their throats out for all that they've done. But I don't have your passion for it and I don't have the courage to so boldly fight back. When the deck is stacked against me, I'm not nearly so eager to throw punches. I came here to find out whether I was fit for the Summer Court. And I have you to thank for showing me that I'm not."
Despite all the waiting and probably inconviencing of Duncan to keep the bar open, it took her very little time to get an answer to her question. And she wasn't even infuriated by the answer. Hell, she was actually glad to find out. She no longer felt conflicted over which Court to join and wouldn't have lingering doubts asking what if she had joined the other. It was with a slight grin on her face that she got up and left the Forge.
Duncan said nothing as Tessa stood and left. He held no disappointment, no hard feelings against the Beast. She simply did not have the heat of Summer, the sheer intensity of Wrath, to be a soldier the Freehold required.
The Elemental picked up his glass and tapped it on Wexler's. He offered the Wizened a shrug and a small smirk.
"Now then, onto other matters, buddy. Tell me about that amazing 'tache...."
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