Traitors Never Win // Closed// O/O

Rael rolled his eyes then kept them staring down at the floor. "Fair enough I suppose.", he shrugged, "If I'm correct, there is a stop along my planned route in a village practically in the middle of nowhere. We can talk about the rest of that later." Guaranteed she won't or they'll forget about it. Most of what he can rant about will make him dig his grave deeper even if parts do not deal with him at all. Verbally decompressing in front of a spy is not what everyone in this country would call ideal. In fact, doing so will definitely going to lead him to being a prisoner in Outhila, won't it? Oh the irony in that.

Laughing to himself, he rubbed the back of his neck. Might as well do so if it gets them somewhere. "War is nothing but planned murder, that's all I've learned. And shame on me for thinking that my life was meant for this conflict, I let those close to me brainwash me into believing that. The Bajhe government, my father, my two half-brothers… Not only has my accomplishments brought down the people from your side, but it also completely ruins the lives of Bajhe citizens; practically everyone involved. And my higher-ups do not care, they want to continue full speed ahead till the end. They're so grateful to have me as one of theirs but once I make one miscalculation, I have to go on my knees begging for them to not kill me on the spot. I had to remind them of how I busted my ass to save their reputations while they just use this war as their entertainment. What's the point? Literally, has anything I've done been worth something? Now I'm being friendly with you, the enemy I've been taught to hate my whole life, but now I don't? I feel the need to be a decent human-being? I care? I swear something must be wrong with me, cause it isn't just the nightmare episodes keeping me up at night anymore."

His lips trembled after that last sentence. Pulling off his beret, Rael let it fall to the floor. Gosh, how stupid does he have to be? Leaning over, he bit his bottom lip hoping no one else was there. Every word he said can and will get him killed. Weird. In the corner of his eye, he looked at Nym. "Was that enough fill the silence? Better have.", he mumbled, "I won't tell anyone anything you tell me."

As she began to spoke, Rael's head shot up. His eyes stayed on her as she spoke. Any thought that had come to mind was pushed away. Nothing from him moved, he was stuck in place like a statue. On the other hand, his body wasn't stiff as usual. All he did was listen.

Carefully he processed every word she said. Hearing about the war from the opposite perspective was taxing, if not more, than knowing the other. The division between the two countries is not really Outhila's at all nor it is Nym's or all those soldiers. The two do have differences, but they weren't big enough for this conflict to be set ablaze like this. And it's disappointing too, Nym became a spy because she wanted to help her home country in some way, yet doing so also resulted in troubles as well. Rael assumed that there were others reasons she wanted to be a spy; it doesn't seem right to bring it up though.

One thing is for sure, her words have to be true. So many questions came up to mind. She just said a while ago that she'd only rant herself in another place, outside of the prison. Why now? Is it something that he said? Really is surprising of her to do so. He wouldn't have made a deal if she hadn't done it all; fine by him. And still, a part of felt thankful. In all of the turmoil, there was a piece of amity.

Unless he was seeing things, it appeared that her eyes were starting to get watery. Dubiously, he made his way over then crouched down in front of her. His hand shook as it gently took ahold of hers. "I know you're hesitant on trusting me, but just be aware I'm giving you mine not only cause I have to, it's because I need to. Do as you please with your own, soon enough you'll get out of this.", Rael whispered.

Verbally comforting people is what he is not good at, or just consoling in general. If any solider was on the brink of tears, he'd just give them a pat on the shoulder then tell them to get back to whatever they're doing. All he can do is just be there and offer physical support like hand holding and hugs. What even is a hug? Beats him, he cannot even remember the last time he had one that was happy. Nym wouldn't want one, would she? No no no. From what he has learned in the past, there are many ways to help someone without hugging. Rael felt like her crying is partially his fault and there must be a way to make her feel better.

Rael watched as the tears fell down. Something about it made his chest feel sore. Empathy perhaps. Using his free hand, he tried to look through his pockets for a handkerchief or a tissue. All of them are empty. Damn it. Already holding her hand made him worried if he was overstepping his boundaries, and thinking about wiping away her tears still left him with that same anxiety. To hell with it.

Looking over his shoulder, he stared at the door for a couple of seconds. This isn't really the best place to cry, right in the middle of a cell in one of worst times to be in one. Yet there never are any good places nor times to do so. They still had plenty of time. No one should be coming over without advance's notice. A sigh left him as he gazed up at her. Rael cupped Nym's cheek using his thumb to wipe away tears.

"Go for it.", he whispered, "Either way, I am not going to stop being so damn nice. I want your voice to not be stuffy the next time you call me scrawny. Just let it out, keeping it all in is torture on its own."

The bleak curtain that hid most feelings behind was lifted. Rael took a deep breath following with a chuckle as he glanced down blinking quickly. Gazing back up, he gave a soft smile in hopes of brightening the mood. It went away in an instant seeing how Nym began to cry more. Going back to wiping away more tears, he kept making cooing sounds under his breath.

Glancing to the side, he wondered. Why wasn't he doing all those things? Day one he couldn't care less about her at all. In fact, the idea of comforting her was way out of the question. Helping her escape made him furious. A few days later, he's currently finding himself being unsure and lost. Even the fact Nym came from enemy lines isn't making him hate her at all. Not a drop of annoyance or anger is in him. There is no point in hating her because now he thinks differently of Nym. Something is making his heartstrings being pulled in a certain way. Gods what is happening right now?

Rael wiped another tear away. He let go of her hand using it to help him stand up. Taking a step back, he held his arms out. Really he isn't sure if Plan Hugging is going to work, but it is worth a try. He'll try to cheer her up no matter what and going back to what he was doing before wouldn't be a problem. "Cause you are a person and not just a way to get vital information. No one is trained to handle their feelings, that's why so many don't hold the honor that you do.", he assured then added, "I am using my own special training from someone as an advantage to make you feel better, Nym. Do you want a hug? I think you direly need one."

At this moment, Nym is sobbing her heart out uncontrollably, yet her mind is worrying about staining his uniform. Rael exhaled through his nose shaking his head for a quick second. She defiantly had gone through a lot then ended up having to hide all of it because no one else was there for her. Nice for her to be a bit concerned about his uniform, but he doesn't care. To be honest, that is the least of his worries. He wouldn't even get mad if someone spilled paint over it. What does matter is Nym. Making her feel better, not to mention happy too, and making sure that she escapes back home all in one piece a-okay. Even the thoughts of escaping weren't in front of his mind right at this moment. All he can wonder about is how she is feeling right now and nothing else.

Between the brief beam and her actually hugging him, he cannot decipher what is making him so frozen. Seeing the smile was like watching the sun being able to break out from the stormy sky but then covered by the rainy clouds again. Surely was a nice one. Is he doing everything correctly? His arms naturally wrapped around embracing her back. Rael made sure his embrace was not too loose yet not too tight as well, a somewhat perfect in-between. Usually it is obvious when to tighten the hug or not; he thinks it'd be best to know when the time is right. The idea of hugging someone who forced you to be waterboarded has to be the most absurd one ever.

Reminiscing about those few days ago felt like his past-self was stabbing him in the back. Gods, why did he do that? It is hard for him to tell whether that was a reason why she is crying or if he is one or more. Still, thinking about it made Rael feel terrible. "I'm sorry.", he sniveled. Out of all the consoling words or phrases he could've used, he went with sorry. Apologizing was all that managed to slip out of his lips.

Rael slowly patted the top of her head. The other arm followed tightening the embrace only just a bit. He said nothing, just gave a soft hum as response. Part of his thoughts were still thinking about the whole issue when they first met. On a side note, he also wondered what was making her breakdown. Being analytical about it isn't going to do anything. Trying to go out his way to help while stuck in this hell is only going to make escaping worse. Would it even be likely they'd have time to relax as the journey back to her home country? No, now's no the time to bring up escaping. It's too much.

His arms were still out as he looked away with a pouty look. They gradually recoiled back falling down at his sides. A part of him wished that embrace could've lasted longer than it did. Even though it was meant to make Nym feel better, it made him okay too. If he could say anything right now, it's that the embrace felt special to him. Different than when he'd hug his mom, yet serene if not even more. Hugs are more refreshing than sleep sometimes, that is for sure.

Brushing off his uniform, he laughed. If only he did have some tissues; not like it is a big deal to him anyways. No one is going to get close to him. The stain will just pass of as sweat or something. "We have ten minutes or so left, it shouldn't be much trouble. No worries.", he reassured, "I would rather have a ruined uniform instead." Uniforms are simple, unlike trust and comfort. Regardless all the uniforms in Bajhe could be burned yet they'd still be able to replace them in a snap. Finding someone you can open up to is difficult. Once you lose them, they're gone.

Oh where to take the course of this conversation to next? Immediately switching over to escaping would be too stressful. Anything else he is unsure of. His mind is blank slate at this point basically. Really all he can think about is the hugging and the comforting. Despite it happening just now, it's stuck with him now. Strangely unforgettable.

Rael could not help but freeze at noticing the brief small smile. All he could do was stand there and softly smile back. The beam did not last long though. Realizing what he was doing himself, he turned to the side to clear his throat then gazed back over at Nym.

"I am not sure whether or not to go back to talking about escaping, but really it is the only other thing I can think about right now. I'm sorry." , he sighed, "Everything should be planned. I have a route we can follow which will allow us to stop and rest for the evenings. Also I managed to get some combat boots for you, but wasn't really able to get clothes. Don't worry, I have some good shirts and pants that might be a bit big, yet they should be good. I can wash your jacket if you want."

Facing the left wall, Rael covered his mouth as he began to shake his head in self-disappointment. Gods, how stupid does he have to be? He should have just stood there saying random things. Doing that would have been better than bringing up escaping. Even bringing up something weird like a dumb thing he did when was younger would have been great. Likes and dislikes might've done a decent job if he went that route too. Why did he think that they could talk more about personal things when they get out? Changing course drastically is terrible.

His current thinking is just like the brain, there's two sides. One is going back to the plan while the other is still dragging him back to moments ago. The smiling, the crying, the hug… Those freshly new memories kept replaying in his mind over and over again. His heart was running all over the place trying to figure out what's going on and if what he had done was the best thing to do. Maybe it's not the plan that's making him stressed and his cheeks turn a slight tint. Whatever it is, he can get away with saying it is the heat in here. Sounds about right to him. Maybe.

"At every stop I've planned, I will either change the driver's plate or there will be a different car waiting for us.", he explained, "My car is going to be sprayed black, that way we'll be hidden as we drive west through the capital to our first stop. I was thinking we'd call it a night at the second one which is two hours and a half away from the capital as well as twenty minutes outside of Nuxvar."

Bajhe's capital is huge yet every single part of it is riddled with soldiers. Some he's even trained with or he has trained himself. Also the west side of the capital has so many of them, and it's full of criminal organizations too. "The only time we're stopping in that city, is when the traffic light turns red.", he stated, "No way in hell am I going to do something so frivolous." He'd be damned if he messed all of this up in the first few moments of it. Rael rubbed the back of his neck while suppressing a chuckle. Just the thought of seeing all those soldiers walking down the side walks is making him anxious already.

The mountain ranges is the least risky option they have. Walking through it is going to take a few days at the least, but no one ever really goes there. And the border is protected by Outhilain soldiers, not Bajee. One of the only border stations Outhila has control over. All Nym has to do is show her tags and she's safe. They might arrest him for just being him, but it wouldn't matter; she's back home then can help end the war. "Well, I would be alright with walking. There are still villages that we'll pass by. Not to mention it's safe. If you want to do that, I'll change the plan. It's more than fine by me.", Rael said. Vehicles might be a less energy spent option, yet they had to still be extremely careful with every breath they'll take. The idea is not that bad, he actually liked it. Whatever she decides, they will go with. He'll have to revise things; it shouldn't be any trouble.

Rael traced words on the back of his hand making mental notes of the things she said. Sticking with cars then possibly switching over to going on foot isn't bad. Changing methods can help cover up their traces. "Sounds perfect, I'll see to it when I get home.", he promised. Reworking the route will take him an hour or so to do. He'll have to check to see where soldiers are stationed when they are out. It is likely that the more farther they get from the capital, the less they'll have to worry about running into a soldier or some sort of official. Chances of them being caught in a village is low, unless somehow the escape is made public.

"Speaking of home, if my assumptions are correct, we'll have enough time to stop by my apartment if there's anything else you might need. Some food, warmth for a brief moment, a shower, or anything really. I can work it into the plan if you want. It'll be awhile till we reach a stop."

Strolling back over to his previous spot, he let out a small sigh as he leaned against the wall. Four minutes left till this session is over, according to his watch. This might have been much better if they had more time or if his superiors would let Nym walk around outside if she was accompanied by him. Making a plan without getting much of the other partner's input is a bit confusing for him. Despite planning and strategizing being his job, this is not the typical winning strategy.

Honestly this session is leaving a remark on him. She really has left quite the impression him in just a matter of seconds. Although he is very puzzled with himself, he hopes for more moments like this in other places. Hopefully when Rael leaves he can figure out what is making him so lost. Setting up the stoic expression has never been this hard before.

His jaw dropped slightly in confusion. She doesn't know this country really well? And they decided to send her here? At least they did, thankfully, but they should've given her more guidance or a map to study from. Rael shut his mouth biting the inside of his cheeks. Without saying a word, he just nodded enthusiastically. Tomorrow he could bring in some maps then point her to specific places of importance. There is one in the main hall of the prison which has escape routes in case of emergencies. Placing that right where some prisoners can see it isn't a smart move, luckily it'll be very helpful to them.

"To be honest, I never really thought of you ditching me." , he admitted, "But tomorrow I'll bring in some maps for you to see. We'll have them on us the entire time just in case."

A knock at the door caused his shoulders to stiffen. Four minutes up already? Rael released all the tension from his body. "Goddamnit.", he muttered. Glimpsing down at his uniform, he brushed it off a bit. These sessions keep getting shorter and shorter as time magically flies by. He just hopes that they both will be ready for whatever comes in their way from here on out.

Looking over at Nym, he gave a tiny beam. Rael changed his expression quickly as he took the notepad into his hands. His feet dragged as he made his way over to the door. Using his right hand, he motioned for the guards to face away from them. Tipping the side of the beret, he gave a small head bow to Nym. "Will you be okay?", he mouthed.

Hit by a what now? His reaction was a combination of being dumbfounded and looking incredibly lost. Things sure did take a dramatic turn. Slightly opening his mouth, Rael tried to come up with something to say but ended up just pursing his lips together. First the words and the nodding right really In the peripherals, he noticed the other two in between him.

The guards were simply standing tall as statues with their eyes staring straight ahead. Not a single muscle twitching. Only thing Rael could assume right now is they're only waiting for him to go. It's hard to tell whether or not they are thinking something is going on. The light reflecting off their eyes made it difficult for him to guess.

Right, those two. Trying to communicate anything around these guards or anyone else is going to be hard as hell. Covering any spots up is the best thing to do. He can guarantee him and Nym shouldn't have to worry a lot about the guards. They will not come to a point where these human-versions of stone are going to talk.

Rael turned his head to the left. After clearing his throat, he let out a sigh then glanced over at her. "Oh I hope so too. Better than having to spend my time with you, Sunshine.", he nodded, "Have fun."

(Sure!)

One down and just a few more to go. Rael tried to grin but as the doors closed, he tilted his head down staring at the floor for a few moments. As he left, he started to reminisce. This session had took a drastic turn in just moments. Ranting turned into hugging which is leading them towards…what? He cannot find a word to describe it, but some sort of feeling that makes him want to hug Nym again. Of all the people he'd think, Nym. Does that even sound right? Anyone here would call Rael crazy just for saying that. Telling her that seems a little risky too. And this feeling just came out of nowhere in seconds too.

He wondered what this journey to the border would bring. Any more moments like the one they just had? No, that cannot happen. They have to focus on getting out of this prison and not getting caught once they're out in the country. On the other hand, he wouldn't mind it though. Anything more will lead to him acting weird with rosy cheeks. Embarrassing.

(Maybe further along? Whatever you think is best.)

(Yeah they day before sounds perfect! Lol, let's go!)