Minor Misunderstanding (Akira/Solomon)

Solomon was unaccustomed to shame. He rarely committed any error that led to him earning the ire of anyone, let alone involving himself in a situation that invited trouble to his doorstep. When it came to imposing on someone else's day, engaging in a contest of combat without offering an explanation or asking for one in return, it could be said that his actions moments ago were an absolute first for him.

An anomaly. A rarity in his life. And yet, here he was, sheepishly smiling as he approached the table. It had seemed that Violet's description of the man was nothing close to what Solomon had observed so far. When their battle had concluded, he explained himself cordially, albeit in pain. Righteousness turned to guilt, and so he relied on the only thing that had carried him through life up until now - accountability for his actions. Sighing softly, he sat at the table as he requested a meal himself, offering to pay for the white-haired guest's tab as well.

"...Hm..."

What could he say, exactly? I apologize for wounding and nearly killing you if my spirit weapon hit almost any other part of your body? No, of course not. That was foolish. Outright stupid, even.

Solomon gazed at Akira in dumbfounded silence. Contrary to expectations, the words that gracced his ears were neither admonishing or infuriated. No, his words were gentle. Respectful as they were understanding. And so, Solomon could only regard the man with silence before shaking his head to avoid coming across as impolite. Ordering a cup of tea himself, Solomon sighed in relief. His cordiality in this matter was well appreciated, and he returned such etiquette in kind.

"Even so, I wish to apologize as a matter of honor and respect to a fellow member of our esteemed Vandenreich. That said, I'm thankful to know you're so forgiving about the subject. When I was told about what happened, she was speaking with such fear and panic in her voice that I felt I needed to defend and protect her. We're not lovers, but she is a dear friend of mine. Still, that doesn't excuse my actions for attacking a man in broad daylight."

"Considering what I thought I'd hear the moment I approached your table, I'll take being called odd over any other harsh statements I expected at first."

Solomon chuckled sheepishly as he shrugged his shoulders. A cup of chai was brought to his table as he leaned back to reflect on her words. It was a very dramatic retelling, and he wasn't entirely sure, looking back on it, what was true or false. Even so, the man deserved an explanation.

"During her explanation, she spoke with enough panic that I hardly understood half of it. What little I was able to gleam amounted to this; "a man in white had murdered men that were approaching her. He looked menacing, and I thought he might hurt me as well." As you can tell, I couldn't particularly find the men, so i decided to go to the next culprit from the scene."

"Ah, so it was a rescue on your end, then? I suppose that makes sense given the way she framed it."

Solomon lightly sipped his cup of tea. He supposed there was no particular issue in defending a woman, and the fact someone had to die likely occurred because they attempted to attack him. If he took a moment to look at it from a neutral perspective, he could see where all of that may have ended up misconstrued. After all, seeing someone die, regardless of their intent, was never an easy thing to swallow. Furthermore, Violet was fundamentally green. She didn't know the nature of battle, didn't know what came with fighting others outside of their spars. Sighing softly, he would pose a single question to confirm his theory.

"In other words, it came down to a matter of self-defense? In choosing to ignore your warning, they chose to attack you, and you had to retaliate in kind?"

"There is no fault in retaliation. I understand that the unwise and the unreasonable rely on intimidation, and when you resist, they attack. In most cases, self-defense is always warranted. In that, I can admit you did no wrong.

He was certainly a well-spoken man. His words were elegant and purposeful. His unassuming disposition was professional. On a fundamental level, he was a man worthy of Solomon's respect so far. He framed his explanation in a reasonably sound way without coming across as pompous or assured in his actions. In other words, Akira was a man who approached matters with a calculating sense of logic. Solomon thought himself almost a foil to such an individual, but he could certainly agree on the man's question. His words were undeniable,. Even if Solomon didn't exclusively rely on killing every enemy outside of Hollow, he would retaliate to protect Violet if the conflict escalated to such a degree.

"...I cannot deny that. This is why I apologize all the more for approaching you without properly clarifying your involvement in the conflict. If it escalated to that point, I would respond in kind."