[ when they exit, Rudbeckia makes no move to separate herself from Howl, but allows him to place distance as he pleases; she's so accustomed to being manhandled and letting others into her personal space that it doesn't matter to her either way. her upper class demeanour remains, though, more ingrained habit than deliberate. ]

Of course they aren't. Honestly, there's so little difference between the two that it's almost funny. [ they, she says, not we. Meridian will never be able to accept her as part of it, so she'll reject it too. ] ... It's not bravery, though. I told you, didn't I? I'm a coward.

[ even if she can no longer feel that overpowering fear, without any need to survive driving her onwards – Ruby doesn't think that makes her any less of a coward. this is cowardice too, isn't it? she's given up on everything because she can't overcome it, because she isn't brave enough to try. and that's fine. she told him that, too: she's never felt the need to be a courageous person.

she sighs, daintily linking her hands together behind her back as she walks. she'll follow wherever Howl leads, it seems. ]

It just doesn't matter. They can hate me. But as long as I'm a Shard-Bearer, I doubt they'll do anything too terrible to me. They'd be risking Set's wrath, too.