[She accepts the touch, as before. And what he gets back...there's almost a smile there, just almost. Definitely a touch of wryness about the look being shot his way, one that the slight headtilt seemed to emphasize.]
No, [she admits.]
Defeated me. That's true.
[You could argue it was 'disabled' rather than defeated, but it had lasted much too long to be dismissed as a momentary disadvantage. She had not effectively kept him at bay and he could've easily exploited her condition; even as far as she's concerned, she'd lost that fight.]
[...and it's a very good thing, she understands with no small amount of relief. Had she proven the stronger that day, she wouldn't have hesitated to kill him. And the Bastion may well have deemed her an enemy for it. She would've lost her sanctuary, her entire community right from the start, before she'd ever come to know it.]
[Yes. She is quite glad it turned out so.]
[...Still such a strange thing, when she thinks about it. Her old self would've never imagined a day when she was glad not to triumph. But then her old self couldn't have imagined many things about the here and now...]
mine's a bit graceless, but the inspiration came quickly. :|b
No, [she admits.]
Defeated me. That's true.
[You could argue it was 'disabled' rather than defeated, but it had lasted much too long to be dismissed as a momentary disadvantage. She had not effectively kept him at bay and he could've easily exploited her condition; even as far as she's concerned, she'd lost that fight.]
[...and it's a very good thing, she understands with no small amount of relief. Had she proven the stronger that day, she wouldn't have hesitated to kill him. And the Bastion may well have deemed her an enemy for it. She would've lost her sanctuary, her entire community right from the start, before she'd ever come to know it.]
[Yes. She is quite glad it turned out so.]
[...Still such a strange thing, when she thinks about it. Her old self would've never imagined a day when she was glad not to triumph. But then her old self couldn't have imagined many things about the here and now...]