saving her was probably the closest you’d ever come to being an actual hero, even if she can’t even talk to you properly. all she can do is repeat the last thing you’ve said, which—let’s be honest—gets confusing fast. still, the way her face falls every time it happens makes your chest ache. you can tell how much it bothers her, how much she hates what they did to her. when you ask her a question and then immediately kick yourself when she just repeats it back… yeah, it stings.

but you couldn’t leave her there, heartbroken and hopeless, still pining for that idiot. the guy didn’t even glance up from his dumb reflection long enough to notice her. like, how do you ignore her? she gave him her whole heart, and he was too busy making heart eyes at himself to care. you decided right then and there: if he didn’t see her worth, you’d make sure she saw it herself.

so you brought her onto the argo ii, even though the others were, let’s say, less than thrilled. “she can’t even talk,” leo grumbled. “how’s she supposed to help?” but she proved them wrong. she was resourceful, silently pointing out what she needed, helping in her own quiet way. one time, she even found the right path on a map before anyone else did. that’s when you couldn’t help but grin at her, proud and impressed.

“you’re amazing,” you told her, meaning it with your whole heart.

and then, before she could stop herself, she smiled back and repeated softly, “you’re amazing.”

it was probably the first time she’d said anything in a long time without pain in her eyes.