Mercenary on the Winds Posted March 12, 2023 Author Share Posted March 12, 2023 (edited) Tio picked up the tome, and studied it quickly before blinking. "...I shouldn't be surprised as she is a Lufirian noble woman... but this spell is... Anima isn't my forte, but even I can tell that this is an incredibly remarkable spell... a true blend of thunder and wind magic. I think Elisa would want to look at this..." Her attention turned back to the pin; Versaris has mentioned the chance of it being magical in someway, and there was... something. It wasn't clear to her, nor was it really reacting to Tio, or her magic; not in the way that other magical artifacts would. "...Odd. There's... something here, but its not at all reacting to me, or any magic in the area... It's not giving off any resonance either... I imagine if it is magical in some manner, I don't think anyone here could use it, and even if it was tactically sound to do so..." Tio pointed at the worn, and chipped nature of the pin, "Something tells me that if it belongs to the princess, there may be a large amount of sentimental value to it; a noblewoman of her stature could have--" Tio's sentence found an Aegean sized hole in it, as the merfolk clouded asked her to hold onto the pin. "...Well, that completely confirms that, doesn't it? Versaris, and I are spot on then, yes?" She looked at Aegean for a moment, before sighing, "I'm sorry we weren't able to give you time to speak with the princess. I didn't think about the possibility of using light magic in such a manner either, if I had, I could have stopped you from being... Mmm. No point in dwelling on that, I suppose, you're mostly alright, and so," Tio handed the hairpin over to Aegean, "It seems like you know more than anyone what that hairpin means, so you'll make sure nothing happens to it." Alriana's frustrated growls at Versaris's repeated squirming brought her attention back to the group. She'd opened her mouth to speak, but Lani's oddly unfocused steps towards Celine... no, towards the Escaflowne gathered the Evoker's attention first. "Lani? What are you doing?" Syta seemed to reverse on her insistence on waiting until they were alone to tell her what she'd learned. What followed however... was not anything that Celine could have prepared for. Syta had also encountered Lufirian Knights, apparently of high enough ranking that they knew the princess. This information made sense, and would have constituted her reason for refusing to speak with anyone but her about the situation; as was instructed. It was the conjecture that followed, that knocked Celine entirely off balance. She wasn't sure if it was the six hours of sleep over 3 days, or a side effect of the magic field that Tio had constructed, or what, but Chris, the Lufirian Knight, had asked for Celine's appearance, and somehow decided to trust Syta with information that realistically could have gotten Lufiria, and his princess in incredible trouble. The logical question, of course, was why, but Syta's suggestion had Celine physically recoil. "...What." She shook her head, and leaned back into Syta, "I... S-Syta. You're Lufirian. I'm Hecatian. Our countries are separated by Islexia, and the Sands. N-not to mention that none of my family has ever been further than Asqua in Islexia... W-what your suggesting... is impossible on so many levels that I can't even begin to... You... said that she was princess of Lufiria... That's simply not..." Celine's exhausted mind was sent in every which way trying to make sense of the possibility. She was so focused on Syta, and her words that Ren's mention of her birthday bounced right off, and the growing shimmer of the Escaflowne in her hand didn't even faze her. More importantly was Lani's outstretched hand not even noticed before she felt the hand on the blade. "Ah, what you--" The power... it must awaken... it must... They await... they slumber, but their power... Lani's hand touched the blade, and it shone brightly for a moment. The power... it slumbers in you... I remember it... Yes... What the world requires... The foundations of the world are called upon once more, lost, but must be found... This feeling... I know it... You carry the link they seek, the link that calls... to the... spire. The ripples... What comes? Why do they call now? What... am I? Why do I... know this feeling...? This link...? It calls to me...? Like you... ... ... Child of Gold, Child of Earth, Child of Gaia... Gaia...? What is... Neither is strong enough... Take me... Back... Help me... remember why I am called... why you are called... The spirits... call... I must... remember why I am called... I must... know why... you are called. Take me... back... find... find... find... find... find... Your power... their power... is called upon... You must... we must... must... must... The voice in Lani's head was fragmented, male, female, all, none... but it's words were clear. And for a moment, Lani could have sworn she saw a face in the distance, winged golden being, but it all faded long before any sense could be made of it. Gaia... you must... find... awaken. The spirit... calls to you... as I... They all... call... Edited March 12, 2023 by Mercenary on the Winds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcd900 Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 Laniva felt the voice - voices? - all at once, speaking, the the moment passing quickly despite the length of the message, finally fading back into reality only to see the blade glowing bright, her hand on it - when had that happened? She blinked, releasing the blade, taking a step back, having been totally lost to the questioning words of Tio and the Lady Celine; a shiver ran through her body, trying to comprehend what she'd just heard, or was it that she'd felt? She glanced around, realizing the gazes of several were suddenly on her - not for any undue reason, admittedly, but she felt the pressure of them nonetheless - and shivered slightly. "I-I... w-what just happened...? I was just over there a moment ago, a-and then the blade... it was... calling out to me?" She looked at her hand; by any measure she could know, it seemed perfectly normal, distinctly still attached, unblemished bar the marks and stresses of their previous battle. "It wanted me to... take it back, someplace. And awaken 'Gaia'..." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted March 12, 2023 Share Posted March 12, 2023 Gean clutched the hairpin close to her chest after taking it from Tio. "Yes, this is extremely important to her, and no need to apologize Tio. Just seeing her was more than I could ask at this point." Gean gave Tio a heartfelt smile. Having things resolved Gean followed behind as Tio joined back up with the Celine party. Their was a big eyebrow raised as Lani reached for the sword. Gean never pegged her for a person to insert themselves like this, or be the center of attention like this. It was like she was in a trance, and upon removing herself from the sword, the knight was shivering. "Hey, you ok?" Gean moved over and took Lani by the shoulder. Seeing this happened made Gean curious. "Did anyone else feel a weird tugging sensation earlier? Like something was pulling them towards where we found the princess?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 Miria dragged herself back up, and leaned onto Syndra, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "Thank you, sorry. I really appreciate it." Miria gave a smile. It was exhausting, moving her legs, but she had some solid support. The girl gave a sigh. "That spell she did, man... It really hurt, I'm surprised I took it," Miria admitted with a small laugh, trying to bury the fear it put her in. "I'll try not to put myself in a position to be hit with something like that, again." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 (edited) "Celine, I know it sounds crazy, but... Why else would they trust you specifically? I know you're much better than Artorius, but..." Just being a better person couldn't possibly have been enough for them to trust Celine's ability to stop a war, right? Syta was trying to think about it further, but Lani was suddenly beside them, Syta quieting herself before she could say... Wait, she's going for the-- Syta's eyes shot down, the Escaflowne was GLOWING, and it didn't die down until after Lani had touched it, the cat seemingly in something of a daze while doing so. Then she recoiled, not even remembering coming over... Kisara? What just happened? The fox was in a daze. She was piecing together the Celine puzzle, when suddenly a presence emanated from within the sword, that cat woman from before having touched it. Whatever she'd done had summoned it here, leaving the fox beyond befuddled. When Syta asked her what happened, for once, Kisara had nothing to reply aside from, I don't know... I... Some thing was there, and that thing is now gone... I don't know what it was. Or why it reacted to Laniva... I... It had been a long time since Kisara had been without answers, even hypothesis, and it was leaving her gobsmacked. "I... L-Lani, are you alright?" Syta could talk with Kisara later, the cat came first. "You're not hurt, right? Whatever just happened, you feel fine?" She'd stayed at Celine's side since the woman had leaned onto her, not wanting to accidentally let her drop-- "Huh, Ren?" Ren was at their side now, squeezing between Syta and Celine, propping the older woman up. "I've got her, go ahead and check on your friend. Didn't hear anything; don't worry. Come on, Celine, up on your feet. You look exhausted, but you can't rest here... I'm sure you can find a place to sit down soon." Syta nodded and moved over to Lani, checking her forehead, checking her pulse, getting a bit too into her personal space just to make sure everything was alright. "You seem fine... I really hope you are fine..." Mikoto was similarly flummoxed. It had felt something like when Mercuria was supposedly speaking to Alvira, yet still different in its own right. "Why is everyone in the Tigers special in some way...?" She whispered the question to herself, narrowing her eyes some. Between Alvira, Renais, the Evokers, Aegean, Versaris, Alriana, Iris... So many of them had special allegiances or powers that couldn't quite be explained. It was frustrating to not know, but it did solidify one thing in her mind: being here was the right decision. Experiencing all of these oddities first hand, seeing where they grew, seeing what powers manifested... All things worth protecting to see to fruition~ Hopefully someone had a better idea about this Gaia, though... The sword pulled something else out of its hat, Versaris getting rather concerned. "Tio, maybe we should all go along with Celine and see about a place to rest... I feel like some serious discussions need to be held, in private quarters, and some of us need the rest. Before anyone else shows up..." Edited March 13, 2023 by Nanami Touko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 Jesse had been quiet for the most part, letting the magic being used in the area return her strength. It seemed like Syta was finally giving Celine the info she had been holding all this time whe- "Hey don't touch th-" one of the Tigers had made a rather bold move towards Escaflowne, and was now having some sort of... experience. Whatever it was, it was enough to break the moment here, and enough of a push to try and move the conversation to an inside quarters. "I agree with mister carry over here. Plenty of people, our commander included, need some rest." Even if she looks like she's not gonna take it. Not unless someone holds her down. "There's a village nearby, I'm sure they could spare at least a room to talk. Sophia, could you help me bring one of these mercenary leaders with us? They probably have some of the answers we seek." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 Iris wasn't really sure what was going on with the knight lady, but it seemed like they'd done their job, handing the fancy sword over. Ullr made a comment that gave Iris a reminder of their meeting, that silly battle against a bunch of knights that honestly deserved worse than they'd gotten. He hadn't been able to do much that day, but today? "Yeah... It'd be really nice if good people like you got left alone from now on. Hey, Ullr?" Iris leaned down curling over his head, staring at him upside down. "You were really cool today! Fought really well~ Here's to winning!" She smiled bright, before leaning in and kissing him. It was an amateur kiss, just lips on lips, but it was the thought that mattered (or so the Sacred Texts had explained, in more words). "Heheh~ I hope we get some time to relax, now... I really pushed myself today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy12510 Posted March 13, 2023 Share Posted March 13, 2023 Miria had seemed shaken up by her experience with the Lufirian princess. She seemed resolved to not get blasted with magic of that caliber again, and thankfully for her Syndra didn't know any mages that powerful where they were going, but... "Thankfully I don't think we'll run into anyone of that woman's caliber in Islexia, the closest being my mother, but she's nowhere near the level of the person you just fought. Of course with her there's always the chance she just sticks a lance in you but that's not something we have to worry about right now. Oof, hang on a minute." Syndra could probably carry Miria all the to wagons herself, but since Nyxied had brought up hiding from their new guests... "Ugh, hey Nyxied, do you think you could give me a hand?" Syndra asked, but only loud enough that the three of them could hear it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xinnidy Posted March 14, 2023 Share Posted March 14, 2023 "Yeah... I hope it helped..." Thinking on the injustice with the knights before, Üllr's mind was wandering as Iris called for his attention, shifting his eyes to look at her as her face hovered close. "Hmm, thank you. I think I sti-- HnnNh?!" And just as suddenly, his lips were pressed, a chaste kiss, eliciting an uncharacteristic whine out of the wolf boy, "Hnn, w-what, was that?" He couldn't help a blush. Üllr was not ignorant of what Iris did, but that didn't stop it from being his first time. He couldn't exactly control his wagging tail, or maybe he wasn't aware of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JakezuGD Posted March 14, 2023 Share Posted March 14, 2023 "I'd like to say it was just doing our job, but I don't think that's entirely right. We're not sure if who we fought were aware of who the thief was, but it's probably a safe guess to say they did, just because of how multiple groups were targeting the same person, yeah?" Even in Glacies, where the mercenary business was highly regulated and there were official channels for assistance from other groups, Tasha hadn't heard of any incidents where there'd have been a large-scale offensive from multiple coordinated parties against a single target like this. Maybe that was in part because the island was relatively peaceful aside from the Islexian pirate incursions, but still. She took a glance at the tall man in slightly different armor, and Tio's confirmation of who he was made her faintly recall seeing a glimpse of someone like him, though they hadn't spoken back in Liste. Though things were winding down, Celine looked exhausted, and her Knights were attending her for the moment... then Laniva stepped up to touch the sword. Not exactly like Alvira had before, though, instead, it looked like she was in a trance, not paying any mind to others around her. And instead of what happened to the dragon, the cat mentioned something else entirely by name. She may have wanted to know more about that, sure, and Gean prodded about it further, but Versaris and Jesse had a more salient point for right now. "Gaia, Schmaia. Sure, I'd like to hear what exactly happened, if you can even say more than that, but right now we all ought to get some rest." She pulled her girlfriend closer, whipping her tail up to rub Alvira's. "Healing or not, we can't exactly march into Islexia with half of us half asleep," Tasha noted, nodding first to Jesse and then to Celine. "If there's something you'd like to ask of the Iron Tigers, we can talk about all that once we're all well rested." Elisa simply tried her best to make Renais comfortable, not pulling her in much. She had to go do her checkups soon enough and all... yet the question that came before their inevitable separation was a bit surprising. "What, are you thinking of wanting to be our successor at some point?" She giggled a bit, but went back to serious quickly enough. "To be honest, you're already more qualified than I was to start with. Before I went to Glacies, I was as magically inept as Natalya is now, or at least I thought I was. That was 15 years ago now, I think. I didn't know whether I had the potential to be anything or do anything, I just knew that if I wanted to get somewhere, I needed to work hard. So that's what I did." Her arms shuffled back, putting the tiniest bit of distance between her and Renais. "I didn't meet Tio until after most of my studies and training. By then I was a strong mage, but I wasn't anywhere near her level... and she brought out a kind of strength I had no idea I had within me. My path to getting where I am was far from normal, but we're all our own people, right? Who's to say you can't find your own way of becoming even stronger than we are now?" The strawberry blonde gave a couple pats to Renais's shoulders, letting her go for now. "Don't let your thoughts about yourself get in the way of working toward what you want to be. Trust me, I know what it feels like to doubt whether you're worth anything. Just keep moving forward and you can achieve your goals." For a moment, she held a soft, if slightly wistful smile for the healer, before turning around to head over to her wife's side once more. As she did, her eyes picked up on the tome Tio was now holding. It didn't look familiar, bringing the question of where she'd gotten it, since it seemed like an Anima tome, not something the light-inclined older Evoker could use in the first place. She'd missed the whole shebang with Laniva aside from how confused she looked right then, though she had felt a strange sensation much like earlier with Alvira... something to ask about later. "Am I interrupting something? What's the tome about?" Ferid gave the Evoker a simple nod again, not needing to elaborate any further than what was said already. He was a passing knight that happened to get mixed up in things at Liste, that was the long and short of it. He could let the knights who were closer acquaintances of Celine's take care of her, and he'd stay back to watch that nothing happened to them while they're resting and trying to figure out what to do about returning the stolen relic. At least, that's what he thought he would be doing. But the cat's touch on the Escaflowne brought about an unexpected dazzle from it, her rattling on about a 'Gaia', while seeming confused over why she was drawn to the relic to begin with. His eyes slowly drifted over the Tigers, now that he could see them all gathered, unlike previously at Liste. The thief, the blade, the Evokers' presence, the two strange Monsters with them. Many questions, all too few people who could give answers. Yet the only outward indication of his busy thoughts was a quick shake of the head. Hopefully he could make heads or tails out of what was happening without having to take months to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted March 14, 2023 Author Share Posted March 14, 2023 Almost as soon as it began, it ended. Lani's hand fell on the blade, and it started to glow brightly. When the light faded, Lani lurched back as if she didn't remember what she'd done before that moment. One thing was for certain, Lani remembered that the blade was calling to her. Tio thought to ask questions, but, this was not the place nor time to begin. "You're right, Versaris... we all need to find a place to break and catch our breath... and gather our thoughts. Too much has happened to just surge forward." Tio turned to Celine, "I'm assuming that's fine with you, Lady Altair?" Tio turned as Elisa popped into the conversation, focused more on the tome that she had with her now. Tio smiled, "I figured you might take notice of this Elisa... It's a tome that likely belonged to the princess; you'll want to take a look at it. It's rather remarkable. It's appears to be a blending of both thunder and wind spells, and while I didn't see the princess's magic first hand... judging by the issue she gave the tigers, I'd bet this is something rather special." Tio handed the tome to Elisa, "Just promise that you'll tell me what you discover, alright?" With that out of the way, Tio took a breath, and held her hands out and with practiced motions, not unlike a dance, Tio brought an end to the field of light that surrounded the party. "I hadn't wanted to use that right away... but I couldn't take any chances with that man." The vibe Tio got from that man was strange, dangerously powerful, but strange. Hopefully they didn't try and try to take the sword back. They fortunately had the advantage at a distance, but the Tigers had run into that group in an enclosed space... She shook the thought from her head. "Perhaps we can see about taking refuge with the village here... It might do to check up on them; they were the source of the smoke that brought us here. I'll leave that to you, Natalya." The feline laid her hand on the blade before Celine's body caught up with her, but she found herself also mesmerized by the light of the blade. She managed to shake free of the surprise a moment later, and pulled the blade away from Lani. The feline seemed... shocked that she was even where she was, or had done what she'd done. How she explained it was just a little too much for Celine after everything. "The. The blade? Was. Talking? To you?" Celine just blinked, and then just slid to her knees. "...This is too much. Too much right now. Way too much. How... how am I even supposed to..." Surely there were stories, and accounts of the blade supposedly speaking to Galari when she held it over a thousand years ago, but those were fairy tales, and legends. Ren was quickly at her side, helping her to her feet, and Tio seemed to echo the wisdom that so many around them were saying. "...Yes. I suppose it would be best for us to find a place to take a breather. Can't say I've had many of those... in the past week or so." Celine looked at Tio, and Natalya. "Is... she with you?" Celine pointed at Lani, still getting inspected by Syta. "I... can't say that I can make sense of the blade, you know, speaking to her, but I'd at least... like a little more clarity on such. Unfortunately, the moment is frankly awful for it... Though... Something tells me that what she's saying... could be true, in a fashion. We still don't know why the Princess wanted the blade so badly, do we?" Celine let the question hang in the air for a moment, before sighing, "That's something... we can discuss later. Let's see about the village. Diya, would you... be a dear, and take the lead on that? If the situation there was caused by rogue knights, tell whoever is in charge that I will personally... handle things." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ursali Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 It seemed like today would just not end! In the midst of her scolding of Versaris, Lani reached for the sword they'd gone through all the effort to retrieve and it started glowing. It lasted only a moment, but she was acting as though she'd moreso been compelled to touch the sword than wanted to. She spoke of something called 'Gaia", but this whole situation was already way over her head. But the day was still young. Whether Iris decided to take advantage of the extra bit of chaos Lani's blade touching had provided, or she just really wanted to kiss Ullr, the fact of the matter was that she did so very publicly. Alriana's tail slammed into the dirt, feeling her face heat up from a secondhand blush. Were she not restrai-- Holding Versaris, she probably would've elevated herself up to her sister to shake her shoulders. "Wh-What are you doing, Iris!? That stuff's supposed to be done in private!" She huffed, far more secondhand embarrassed than angry. It seemed there was talk of resting in the village for a while and that was all she needed at this point, carrying Versaris off ahead of everyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 "Okay, that's enough. Come on, Lady Celine. Let's get you somewhere to rest... You've clearly been working far, far too hard, for too long." Ren hoisted Celine up, arm over their shoulder, slowly starting to walk her along. "Lady Diya, Sir Ferid, if you could bring her mount along, it would be appreciated. Hopefully this village has enough beds for the lot of us..." It didn't look like that large of a place, especially with it being so out of the way in the mountain ranges, but they'd sent all those mercenaries packing before any harm could befall the people. Perhaps they would be gracious? "It's a kiss, Ullr! A kiss~ Heheheh. You're supposed to give them to people that you like, that aren't your family... Or at least, that's what I've come to learn. I hope you liked it!" Iris was beaming, feeling all sorts of giddy inside. Aly getting embarrassed by it was simply icing on the cake! "You're just jealous! Have fun with the notelf, Sis!" She was already walking off, but Iris had something of an idea of what was going to happen... Or, she assumed she did, the silly lizard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRoon Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 When Elisa finally parted she gave her an honest answer, and a little bit of her own history. "Elisa..." The advice rang with her too, keep moving forward. Renais probably would've put that aside some time ago, but she really did come a ways. Even if it wasn't all victories, it was still a road she had made for herself, and there was still much she had to do. "..thank you." The pinkette gave a wide smile to Elisa as she walked off, she felt a large weight lifted from her. "I'll do my best, I will!" With that said she turned back to go check on the rest of the Tigers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 Diya had been paying attention to too many things to notice the cat clouded approaching the Escaflowne until it was too late. She had grabbed the sword as it suddenly glowed, leaving Diya grabbing for her spear, before as quickly as it started, everything was over. She frowned, about to start a lecture on how they should not approach the Lady Celine like that when instead Celine gave her orders. She nodded, swinging herself back onto her horse, and looking down at Ren. "Sir Ferid will need to do that. I will go talk to the villagers so they are aware of what is happening." She nodded to her leader, her mind briefly flashing to the wrapped package in her saddlebag, and then pushed forward. She turned towards the village, heading to inform them of Lady Celine's presence, and that they were soon to have a large gathering of friendly mercenaries and knights looking for shelter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted March 16, 2023 Author Share Posted March 16, 2023 Fortunately for the Tigers, with Celine's help, the village was more than willing to help the Tigers with a place to stay after the fierce battle over the Escaflowne. The Tigers found an inn which could accommodate their group, while Celine and the Knights were able to ask some of the villagers for their assistance. It was decided that both parties were too spent to continue their talks and investigations, and would be dealt with tomorrow; Lady Celine fell asleep twice in quick succession before they gave up. The two mercenary leaders were sore, but the both of them were alive, lucid, and were held to be interrogated later. While the main situation might have ended, there were still myriad questions flittering about before the Tigers and Knights. What exactly did the mercenaries know? Did they know that their target was a Lufirian Princess, or was it just the knowledge that she had the blade that brought them to her? More importantly, what were the Lufirians planning that a Lufirian Princess was out in Hecatia in the first place? Lufiria was famously isolationist due to the events of the Axios Record twelve hundred years ago, and the many purges that followed. Lufiria had only marginally opened its borders in the aftermath of the Islexian Collapse, when the small country revealed its technological advantage and allied with Glacies, one of two countries that chose not to engage in the Collapse. The fact that royalty was out and about, as well as a Royal Knight, was something to be concerned about. Equally as important for the Tigers was the realization that powers well beyond their level were starting to cross their path. Mikoto's reaction, Versaris's resilience, and the Evokers presence were enough for them to hold onto the Escaflowne, but any less than that, and things could have been different. A fact that many of the Tigers realized right as they stood on the border of Islexia; the place that would truly test their resilience. The night fortunately passed quietly; The Tigers were able to rest, and regain their bearings. Tio and Elisa checked on those they could, and then took turns on lookout--Tio was concerned about the possibility of Lucille's knights striking again to recapture the blade--but it appeared that her warning was enough to keep them away... for now. Celine finally crashed, and slept for most of the remaining day, leaving the other knights to handle what they could until she awoke again. Morning would come, and their duties would resume; the parties agreed to chat once more in the morning once everyone had awoken. After fights like that; there was no sense in trying to leave as soon as possible. The future would be difficult enough. May 31st, 9:00 am, 1218 PAF The small inn was a little cramped for the Tigers as well as the Evokers, but they made due, and slowly the groups filtered down to the lobby where they were supposed to meet with the Knights to discuss what would happen in the coming days. The Escaflowne was recaptured, but there was still much to do. Tio yawned as she leaned onto the table. She'd slept some, but not as much as she would have liked. Though, the Tigers need the rest more than she did after all of that, so she found herself less bothered by it, and less exhausted. "Mmm... I guess Celine really needed her sleep... she is the one who suggest we meet..." Tio looked about, and not many of the Tigers had risen, or if they had, they hadn't entered the lobby, or left before she'd gotten here. She sighed, there really was nothing to do but wait for the Knights to arrive, outside of think. Think about what happened to Lani, or about Lucille's involvement, or about what was to come. The Tigers really are in for it... I'll have to do all that I can to make it as easy as possible on them... Pfft... Haha... It's a wonder how bad you are at remaining pragmatic. They're supposed to be protecting you, not the other way around... I suppose you'll just have to do things your way, and make it work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 Versaris walked into the lobby not a moment after Tio had looked around, the man looking like he was staring off into space. Something was still on his mind; a lot of things were. Despite how he normally carried himself, his collar was askew, his shirt's buttons weren't all done up, his hair wasn't perfectly tied into his ponytail. He took a deep breath and clued into reality, glancing at Tio before absently waving at her. "Good morning. Tio. I... had meant to talk to you last night, but I got... caught up in. Things." Explain Spoiler Without a moment to ask her to set him down, Aly had continued into the village once they learned where they were staying, and pushed her way into the small inn with him in her arms. “Aly– Hey, wh– Sorry! We’ll pay, we’re with, the knights– Slow down–!” He did his best to squirm, but she wasn’t giving an inch, pushing them into one of the rooms and tossing him rather unceremoniously onto the bed. “Oof, ahh… G-Geez… Well. At least, you finally put me down.” He took a deep breath and did his best to sit up, shaking his head. “Alright… Wh-What, is it? That you had to drag me all the way to a room. I know you’re curious about my heritage, maybe?” He wasn’t sure what had spurred the rush for privacy, but here they were… “Mrahh!” Alriana tossed Versaris onto the bed with a growl, taking an almost defensive stance in front of the door to their room; her tail was in the very least preventing anything from getting past. She had a lot of unresolved feelings that she’d been harboring after the battle had started to wind down, processing them as aggression and annoyance. “You need take better care self!” She said with a huff, folding her arms across her chest. She was finally calm enough for her distaste of english to show itself, though with the questions she had in store for the not-elf it probably wouldn’t stay for long. “I, huh?” He slowly slid over to the edge of the bed, a bit confused. “I, well, I’m trying… I didn’t have much chance to react to what Tanvir did. I could’ve gotten out of most of it, but… I didn’t want Ullr to get hurt. Sorry…” He bit back a sigh. He was already beating himself up for not being able to perform well enough, struggling against the people guarding Lucille, and Lucille herself. Then there was the gap between him and Tanvir… He ran a hand over his face and into his hair, leaning back onto his hands. “I’ll, just… Try to do better. I’m sorry, for upsetting you.” “That not good enough!” Though she was yelling at him, her posture was getting progressively less aggressive, the worry she felt for him coming to the forefront now that she finally considered the environment one where she was comfortable with being embarrassed. “You made me worried! You supposed to be strong! Stronger than all the Tigers… Don’t need be like Evokers but still need to be enough!” The fact of the matter was that if Versaris had been brought to his knees with one attack, one of the Tigers could’ve just been killed outright. It was a frightening thought, one she’d never been forced to face; though, the fact that it could’ve been Versaris who died made it that much worse for some inexplicable reason. “I… Okay. I’m sorry… All I can do is say that I’ll do better. As much as I can.” It was a little… The feelings were mixed, seeing Aly both so upset and desperate, for a myriad of reasons, some he could only assume. It made him happy to be worried about, but that miniscule happiness was quashed by the reality of how serious the situation had been. “Are you going to be alright…? If there’s anything I can do to help, I’m a little tired still, but I’m otherwise okay.” “Mrahh! Your fault feel this way!” Though one could interpret her words as accusing him of getting injured, that was not the intent behind the words. “Why should you get comfort me when your fault, mhhrrr…” If this stupid not-elf would’ve just left me alone then I wouldn’t be feeling like this. At least, not about him… It was frustrating, but he was really the only one she was close enough with to talk to about these feelings. Except for Iris and Alvira, but neither of them were here and Iris was really annoying about the not-elf; almost as bad as the not-elf himself. “You owe me more than sorry. Explain self.” So it was about his heritage. Someone magical must’ve picked up something and tipped her off. It wasn’t like it was a big deal, but… If it would help her. He couldn’t help a few glances down, though. The wound from the battle… It looked like it would heal, eventually, but it would scar for a while, despite Tio’s healing. He sighed. “It’s, not really a big deal… I’m not an elf. I’m still Clouded, just… An Incubus. It doesn’t matter that much; I don’t have enough of that blood in me for it to do much, other than give me control over some unique magic, but, if it helps you… That’s, what I am. Was just hiding it because some people have… Negative preconceptions about this sort of thing.” “What Incubus?” Her anger towards the not-elf, no, Incubus, subsided temporarily as she was hit by something she hadn’t been expecting and knew nothing at all about. It was enough to trigger her curiosity. “What Incubus? Why would need hide what you are? I’m scary Creation but I don’t hide that.” “I, ah… Ugh.” He sighed and took another deep breath. “Because… Incubi, long ago, used to… Need to have sex, to survive. They got life energy through it. I don’t have enough of that in me to need it to get along, I, just… It’s like your mother told you. Those kinds of things, being naked, in front of other people, they’re perverse and wrong, right? Well… That’s the image it paints. That I’m, just a pervert… So I don’t tell anyone. So they can take me seriously…” He felt his face getting red, shaking his head and sitting up from his lean. “You’re right; it’s stupid, you’re… Facing so much worse than me, but you don’t hide any of it. I’m just a coward. That’s all…” “Need sex!?” Alriana’s face lit up blue, sporting the heaviest blush Versaris would’ve ever seen on her face; had this conversation happened just one night earlier the lizard’s reaction would’ve been much different. However, for better or worse, her knowledge had been expanded by the Sacred Texts, and she was too intelligent for her own good. Though the true meaning of the word escaped her, she knew that the things in the book mostly likely constituted ‘sex’, and he was claiming to be part of a race that once needed to do that to survive. However, he seemed really self-conscious about the fact; going so far as to lie about what he was to avoid misconceptions. Part of her wanted to say the first thing that came to mind, but given how sensitive an issue this seemed to be for him she restrained herself, as much as she didn’t want to with how mad she was still. “Grelbiria never said was perverse, just said not to do. But what pervert? Are you pervert?” “I– No? I don’t… I don’t think I’m any more perverted than anyone else, with a healthy interest in the subject…?” The fact that she was blushing, did she have some idea of what he was talking about? She didn’t seem to quite get it before from his teasing, but maybe something had changed. “And like I said, I DON’T, need sex to survive. I’ve been perfectly fine for twenty one years without it… I’ve… Done a few things with, someone before, but, never actually the real thing, just… A-Anyway! There’s nothing wrong with me and I’m not, someone messed up that needs it or is obsessed with it. I haven’t done anything untoward to you yet, have I?” He sighed and put his face in his hands, groaning a little bit. “Really wish Grelbiria had explained a lot more of this to you… It’s… It’s difficult to tell you what I want to do and how we should go about it without coming up on, basically, telling you your mother was wrong. But, she’s not, wrong, she just… Didn’t finish. Hahhh…” “So you still pervert. But normal pervert?” It was hard to take his words in any other way; he may not have wanted the branding of a pervert, yet that was what he was going to get if he spoke like that. And if not for the way he spoke, then out of spite. Alriana felt the, by now, common flare of jealousy as he mentioned a previous partner. “Who was it?” The words were out of her mouth without a second to think about it, the lizard more frustrated by the lack of logic for the feeling than the actual jealousy she was feeling. She shouldn’t care about something that happened before she even knew how to think for herself. “Grelbiria never say anything about sex. Just said shouldn’t get naked with men or in public.” She raised a suspicious eyebrow at him. He was so adamant he wasn’t a pervert, yet if she was following his implications he definitely wanted to do something perverted. “Just cause you didn’t doesn’t mean you don’t want to.” “I– Mmmn…” Sari was making mistakes with his words. He kept forgetting that Aly was far from stupid; the way she spoke always threw him off. “Yes, I do want to– and who it was before doesn’t matter, it’s been years… Look, Aly, I…” He sighed, gave up, and flopped onto his back, staring at the ceiling. “I’m, too tired to keep playing this game… I want to do all of the perverted things with you. I want to kiss you, I want to touch you, I want to teach you what I know and experience all sorts of new things together. Call me a pervert if you want, it’s, typical to want to do these things with someone you have feelings for.” He finally sat up a bit and stared at her, serious, still red in the face but not afraid to push her now. “How do you feel about me, Aly? And be honest. You getting this upset that I was hurt means something; Miria was just as injured as I was and you weren’t running to her side and refusing to let her go. So explain yourself.” “Mrahh… Still have stupid feeling. Want know so it goes away.” She grumbled and growled at his attempt to move past his previous relationship, the feeling not assuaged any by the attempt. What she was not ready for, however, was his sudden upfront confession about what he wanted to do with, and probably to, her. The azure blue blush was back in full force, the lizard’s tail slamming into the floor of the room to vent her embarrassment in the form of aggression. “Wh-Who you think are, saying that!? Pervert! Definitely pervert!” It had been bad enough for the Creation just reading the Sacred Texts last night, and now Versaris was saying he wanted to, essentially, act out scenes from that book! Her face was beyond allight, tail slamming into the floorboards rapidly. “Mrrhhh…!” She didn’t have a response to his pushing, other than growling at him like a cornered animal. He’d teased before, but never actively pushed her for anything. It wasn’t as though she could deny it, her actions had spoken louder than her words ever did. “Th… That for me to know! Why should tell?” “Because…” He swallowed hard. She was acting stubborn about this, but it felt like it was worth pushing further… “If you don’t, I’m gonna get up, and I’m going to kiss you… I’m exhausted. You can easily stop me, with pretty much any part of yourself. Tail, hands, legs, you could probably headbutt me to the ground at this point. I’m not… I’m going to face how we feel head on, and if I’m wrong, I’ll, leave you alone about this from now on, but… You’re being stubborn, Aly. Anyone could tell.” “N, No! You need to stay in bed. Rest!” She continued to growl at him, unmoving from her spot near the door. She was caught between the embarrassing truth that her pride demanded she not cede to and the curiosity instilled into her by the book. “Y, You do no such thing!” She gulped, but refused to back up. Then, an idea struck, based entirely on his hesitancy from before. “Tell who was past, then I tell how f, feel.” “I don’t see why that matters to you so much…” Versaris sighed, hard. Aly was being really weird about this, and he couldn’t tell why… Was she just jealous? If she was, that confirmed things even more. Confusing lizard… “Her name was Seneca. Seneca Sumire. The chance that we’ll ever meet again is practically zero, so I don’t see why you care so much. Your turn, Aly.” He sat up and then got up, with a little struggle, considering how tired he was, but he was sticking to his small threat. “Wha–” She hadn’t anticipated this, staring wide-eyed at him as he said the name without skipping a beat. “Y, You not supposed to say it! Mmhhrrr…!” She growled, more posturing. “Not fair trade at all, wasn’t that important to you!” She shrunk back towards the door as he got up to approach her, her entire face now lit up azure. She owed him how she felt but I’m fine with being kissed instead… “But you wanted to know, so that was the deal. I didn’t think you were one to go back on things like this…” He smirked a little, taking steps over to her. He didn’t realize she’d blush so violently, and in blue, but she was peculiar in all sorts of ways; this being one more made enough sense. He placed a hand against the door above her shoulder, leaning over her, giving her ample time. “Please, push me away, Aly. If this isn’t something you’re interested in… Unless you’d rather be honest, right now.” “Mrraahh! Shut up!” She openly growled at him as he approached, being teased now after everything only making her act out. “Rrrrrr…” Though she did shrink back some as he placed his arm on the door she kept growling at him, a glare forming on her face. It made for quite the image, glaring, growling, yet blushing brighter than ice magic. “J, Just, stop talking…!” and kiss me… “Fine. No more talking.” It was a shame that she wouldn’t be honest, but if she was going to keep up the act, then… He closed his eyes and leaned in for a moment, stopping before reaching her to peek. Maybe she’d taken him closing them as her moment, but she was on her toes, leaning up for it, getting as ready as she could. You’re so cute, Aly. He slid his other hand behind her head and pulled her up into the kiss, holding it gently against her for a moment, then slowly letting it go. As Versaris began to lean in, the lizard let out an audible gulp, face completely lit up, and closed her eyes. Remembering one of the descriptions from the book she ‘stood up on her tiptoes and puckered her lips’, completely blind to anything Versaris was doing. Suddenly his hand was behind her head and then his lips were on hers, eyes snapping wide open. It lasted a moment and then he pulled away, the lizard left staring up at his lips. She averted her gaze after a moment, staring down at the floor. “N, Now you know, how f, feel…” “... Yeah.” He couldn’t help himself, still so close; he leaned in and kissed her again, longer this time, so very tempted to go a step further, only holding back because of her teeth. “Hah… Aly. Mm… I… Yeah. Do… Do you, want to sit down and talk, about this? Or… Is talking over? I’m not… I, well…” He let go of her head and stood up, still leaning over her, a rather complicated look on his face. Doing more than this would be wrong, right? Especially with her being so stubborn about how she feels… I… “Mmm… Mmm!” Her eyes snapped wide open yet again, staring at Sari as he kissed her again, a weird feeling dancing along her body, instinctively rising up on her tiptoes again. As he pulled away she landed back on the balls of her feet. “Hha, mmm… S, Sari…” The nickname she refused to call him slipped out, now that she had no way to conceal her feelings, as confusing as they still were. Moreso now than ever after the kiss. She didn’t understand what felt like electricity in her blood, her heart beating faster. “D, Did you want, talk more? Or do, more perverted things…?” A kiss was just the tip of the iceberg, and that the Sacred Texts had filled her mind with plenty of imagery for the curious lizard. “That’s…” He grumbled slightly, his bad thoughts being tested. At the least, he took her hands, leading her back towards the bed. He sat on the edge and let her stay standing, not wanting to pull her into anything right away. “”I… I don’t want to rush you, Aly. Especially for your first times. I want to experience them with you, yes, but… Rushing this, I, don’t want to hurt you. You understand, right? Even if we feel the same way… Especially if you’re still sorting through more feelings, I, just…” He squeezed her hands, swallowing hard. “You’re really, pretty. Right now, with the blue, on your face. You probably aren’t even aware you’re blushing… I’m doing my best to take this seriously.” Doing my best to hold back. Even the act of Versaris grabbing her hands almost made the lizard jump in place, the feeling that felt like electricity only growing stronger, her heart beating faster. She stared at him as he sat down on the bed, then into his eyes once he was eye level. What he was saying made sense, sort of. Actually not really. How could doing perverted things hurt her? “How could you hurt me? Book didn’t describe anything like that.” The blush only increased in hue, if it was even possible, as he started complimenting her appearance. One of her claws reached out and fiddled with the necklace he’d given her while she squirmed in place, the lizard not even aware she was doing it. It was like being teased, but the context somehow made his words more genuine. “If want do p, perverted things… Can. Was going ask you about book, anyway…” "I-I… T, Talking about them is, fine. I… Just… doing them, I…" His brain was fighting with him so hard. Aly was saying she was fine with it. Whatever wall was there had broken down and she was left wanting more, too curious or too excited by the kiss to think entirely clearly. On the other hand, her understanding of things was… Not there. She'd read a book about some of it, but a sex ed class right now, he wasn't sure if she'd follow along. He buried his face in his hands and quietly groaned, not sure which path to take before him… "Ahhh… mmmm… Gahh, fuck, I can't think straight about this…" He looked up at Aly, fiddling with her necklace. She really looked… Into, all of this. Maybe it's fine…? "Aly… Look, there's a lot about this that you don't know. A lot I could explain, either in physical example between us… Or without. So I just… need to know if you're truly okay with this." She could see Versaris’ internal conflict written all over his face, though she didn’t understand why this caused him so much strife. It wasn’t like it was the first time, however. She hadn’t understood it before, but now she realized that he tended to get like this when anything close to this ‘sex’ was about to happen. He’d been redder than a tomato when he asked if he could kiss her under his breath. Then he posed his question, one that didn’t really make sense to the lizard, but that was how Versaris was currently behaving. Why wouldn’t she be okay with it when she already said she was. A sudden recollection of one of the lines in the Sacred Texts jumped into her mind; there had been an adjacent situation described in the book. She stared the incubus right in the eyes and said, “So teach me then.” However, her voice was far from the proper tone, completely deadpan, almost annoyed, and not the least bit sensual. Sari, for a moment, felt rather small. Getting ordered to teach her in this situation was something unexpected, causing his brain to stop thinking for a moment. “I… Uh, I, th… I… O-Okay…?” He wasn’t sure how to take the sudden shift, but she was still blushing, so… He gave her hands a tug and pulled her closer, leaning back onto the bed and letting her fall on top of him. “If you’re that sure… Then I’ll teach you, everything I know. And then some…” The line seemed to have proved effective regardless of her sensual prowess, Versaris rendered dumbstruck for a moment. Clearly not long enough, however, as she was swiftly pulled on top of him. “Hyah!” She caught herself with her hands, leaning over the incubus with her hands by his head as she stared down at him. She was suddenly a bit intimidated, despite her position. “Y, You better do good job then…” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRoon Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 A certain pinkette stepped into the lobby herself, and much like Sari, she was a bit of a mess. Her hair was a barely brushed mess, her dress was a bit sloppy with a shoulder strap off her shoulder, and the most scandalous part of all...her neck carried a few small bite marks here and there. Thankfully that part was mostly covered thanks to a scarf she had with her. Still, it was clear she was a mess. Why was that? Well... After the Dust Settles Spoiler Night had fallen upon the Serido Mountains, and one girl was entering the sleepy village hidden within these mountains. Gean wrung out water from her locks as she returned from the nearby lake. She needed that swim. She had been needing that swim since Liste, but time and circumstance kept her from doing so. Yet with each passing day, more and more things appeared that Gean needed to think on, and what her next steps should be. She made her way back towards the inn the Tigers were now packed in. Looking up at the lights, she looked at the light on in the room she was staying in. There were a number of people she needed to talk to, but she knew who she would talk to first. “There you are.” Luckily for her she didn’t have to go far. The pinkette approached the mermaid as she walked to the inn, she saw her from the window. Renais took a good look at Gean and nodded. “Hm, should have guessed. Did you have a nice swim? I’ll bet you’ve been wanting one for a while.” Who can blame her, it was a long and rough day. “It was needed, not sure if it was nice.” It seems Gean didn’t have to go to the inn, Renais saw her approaching. Gean gave her hair one more good wringing as she approached the pinkette. “What about you? Been reading the night away?” Gean felt a little bit awkward, she wanted to approach the paper topic, but didn’t know how to start. Still, she did appreciate how the evening light fell on her girlfriend. Oh, right. She did say that earlier. “A little, I’m doing my best to relax…it’s just a little difficult.” She looked aside. “A lot happened today, too much really. But I feel like things could have been so much worse.” Renais wanted to get deeper into her feelings, but she felt like she would go on for a while if she did. She didn’t want that here. “Gean, let’s go to our room. We can talk there.” She turned to lead the mermaid along. “Mhm” Gean nodded and followed Renais into the inn. It was nice to see the healer take command like this. Then again compared to her feat from earlier today, this was just a drop in the bucket, honestly Gean was lucky to have made it out of that situation in the first place. The helplessness she felt, it gnawed away at her. She could discuss that later however. Closing the door once the two got into their room, Gean made her way towards the closet. “I’m gonna dry off, continue talking though.” Gean had only done the bare minimum of drying so she could return and use a towel to get properly dry. When the two had entered the room the pinkette took a seat on her bed and watched Gean. “Ok…” She nodded. “...well, a lot happened today. I felt like I was on the verge of tears if I’m being honest, I can’t imagine how you feel.” She leaned back a little. “How are you doing, Gean? I know your wounds are healed, Tio made sure of that, but mentally…is everything ok?” Gean gave a deep sigh as she removed her poncho and began toweling herself. “To be honest no. I thought I was ready, that I could finally see her again and speak with her honestly. Then I find out my best friend is moments away from sparking a war, stopping her almost gets my new family killed, and worst of all, I was completely useless. I couldn’t stop Luci, I got held hostage. I- thought I had grown but I’m still the same girl from ten years ago who can’t do anything.” Gean clutched the towel in her fists as she spoke. “I hate feeling like this. I swore to myself that the time I left Lufiria was the last time I’d feel this way.” Gean’s emotions were swirling inside her like a whirlpool. Renais listened intently to Gean’s troubles, she just nodded slowly as she took it all in. “...mm, Gean.” She narrowed her eyes a little as she tried to think of what to say. “Honestly…I know how you feel. We’re both surrounded by people much more powerful than us, and even when it feels like we won it also feels like a loss.” She looked up at the ceiling. “At least that’s how I feel. But the truth is we didn’t lose, we’re all still alive right? I think that’s the most important victory.” Gean let out another sigh and draped the towel around her shoulders. She walked over to Renais bed and sighed. “You’re amazing, you know that? You’re already looking past the bad thoughts trying to pull me up. Besides, you talked down a whole hostage situation without even using a weapon. I feel like I’ve fallen behind.” Gean was only half joking about that last part, but Renais didn’t need to know that. She watched Gean step over. “...honestly I wished I could have helped more. I did my best with what I had, but…even though we all came out of it alive it only motivated me to train harder.” She shifted a leg over her other leg. “I guess…that’s just how I am, I’ve been told I’m a little stubborn about end results in school too.” She smiled a little. “But you did very well too, Gean. Even if you were held as a hostage, I watched you fight after all.” “Mmm, not really, Miria and the others handled the bulk of things.” Gean looked downwards, before turning to look at her roommate for the night. “Renais, I- I’m sorry. For the way I’ve been acting recently. I’ve realized I’ve been a mess for a bit, and that’s probably not good when you want to ask someone to be in a relationship.” Gean looked serious. “I want to fix that, if you’re still ok with me being the girlfriend you claimed I am.” “Gean…” She watched her with a look of concern. “Truth be told I’m a bit of a mess myself, so I guess we have that in common. The important thing is that…if this relationship is going to work we have to be open with each other. It’s tough, because…I can’t change who I am so easily. I have a perverted mind, but I want to at least try.” “I know, and I’m not asking you to change. You did nothing wrong. I’m just, I’m worried about too many things right now and they’re bleeding over.” Gean caught herself before she let out another sigh, and chose to just hug Renais. “You looked very brave today though. If I wasn’t bleeding out or worried about Mikoto killing Luci, I’d be swooning over you.” It made Renais happy to have someone swoon over her, all this time she felt inadequate so it helped a lot. “Mm, well one thing at a time…” She leaned forward. “Speaking of Luci…mind if we talk about her for a little bit? You said she’s your friend, you two must have been really close.” Renais was honestly curious to see if she can remember something about Luci. “She’s one the closest people to me outside of my family.” Gean closed her eyes as she recalled those younger days. “My aunt and her mother went way back, and it was through her that I met her and her sister Anna. We were inseparable from that point. She was stubborn, but in a way that you couldn’t help but cheer her on about.” Gean grew a slight blush as she continued to speak. “She’s grown though, in many ways. Even though I could never mistake her, it’s still like I’m speaking to a different person.” Renais closed her eyes as Gean described Lucille, and then the name Anna popped up. That also feels so familiar…mm how frustrating. She was close to being able to recall, but was also just a breath away. She opened her eyes and turned to Gean again. “...it truly is a shame we lost her. I know we couldn’t have held the princess of Lufiria for long, but a conversation would have been nice…” She looked to the side. “A shame indeed…to lose such an impressive…back…” Oops. “...o-oh, did I say that out loud?” “Knock knock.” Mikoto spoke against the door, tails wagging. She hadn’t been eavesdropping conversations, but she could hear what sounded like both Gean and Renais talking in there. “My apologies if I’m interrupting… But I needed to speak with you. Both of you.” “Pfft.” Gean laughed at Renais’ slip of the tongue. “Well that’s not quite what I meant wh-” It seemed that they had a guest tonight. One who was wrapping her tails around the both of them. “Come in, and good evening.” Having gotten some things off her chest, Gean wasn’t feeling as wary as she was before around Mikoto. She was about to explain herself until her favorite fox stepped into the room. “Oh, Mikoto.” She turned to the tailed woman and then back at Gean. She didn’t bring up Mikoto’s feelings, she assumed Gean was too upset at the woman. She was surprised to find she let her in. “Sure, that’s fine Mikoto.” She looked back. “We’re all ears.” “Hello, hello…” Mikoto stepped into the room and shut the door behind her, eyes glancing around to Aegean first. She didn’t waste another moment, moving towards the woman and giving her a tight hug, squeezing her further. “I’m so sorry,” she blurted out, sinking into the hug moment, leaning back and letting her go. “I couldn’t do anything to help you in the moment… You’re okay, right? Gean…?” Gean had expected a number of things, ranging from the teasing to the serious. She didn’t expect to be pulled into an embrace. While her surprise was clear on her face, there was no animosity in her expression nor in her next few words. “I’m fine Mikoto. Methods aside, you did save our lives today, and we avoided the worst scenarios.” Gean reached out and touched the foxe’s arm. “I ask you the same, it feels like there were tense feelings for you too. I won’t pry for the reason, but I’ll still ask if you're ok?” “Yes… I’m fine. I, just…” She sat back, on her knees on the floor, looking between both of them. “Mmm… I have very, complicated feelings towards Lufiria… Ones that I have shared, somewhat, with Renais. I will tell Tio first, and… Should she feel it necessary, I will give her permission to share them with anyone that asks about today. Discussing them… Going over all of those memories, fills me with emotions I would rather not share. So I will, do it once, and hopefully not again.” Mikoto could only hope such an explanation would suffice. She hadn’t done true harm, today, but she’d been close to doing it… Much as I won’t admit it, I would have, if I thought I could and still survive. I suppose I’m glad I didn’t, but… Mmm… If Tamarinne is truly alive, maybe speaking with her isn’t a horrible idea. Renais was once again surprised at Mikoto’s hug, she really was a very caring kitsune. “...Mikoto, I know it was quite a risky play, but in the end you did it so we can survive. I’m grateful you care so much about us.” She gave her a smile. “Thank you.” Gean listened as Mikoto spoke, considering her outburst at the knight, there was truth in her words. It was a different feeling from her previous conversations with the fox. Just another thing I don't know about Lufiria, and list keeps growing. "Sharing secrets already? And here I was hoping our talk tonight would give me a leg up on my love rival." Gean spoke in a sarcastic manner, hoping to lighten the mood. "If we're all ok then that's all that matters for now. We all have a lot of things to think on going forward, and for now it's best we focus on Islexia." I say that but uncle is on his way. That'll be another hurdle to cross. Mikoto managed something of a chuckle. If Aegean was alright enough to crack jokes, then things were truly fine, weren’t they? Mostly. “You know, Gean… I’ve been thinking, since we last talked… Why do we have to be rivals?” Mikoto looked to Renais a moment, licked her lips, then pounced onto the girl with a hug, knocking her over onto the bed. “I say… Renais has two hands. So do we~ A lovely little circle… What’s the harm in that, hmmm~? Besides, if we’re talking about ‘rivalry’, you sure are one kiss ahead of me, aren’t you? Maybe I should take mine to catch up… What do you think, Renais?” Mikoto stared down at her with a raised eyebrow and a mischievous grin, tails wagging quite fiercely now. The pinkette was happy the two were getting along, it was a weight off her shoulders. That didn’t last long, because the fox quickly made her move and put her weight on the cleric’s shoulders. “Ack!” She squeaked out as she was pushed to the bed. She looked up at Mikoto with a big blush across her cheeks. “A-aaaah?!” She gasped out. “I-I well…maybe it’s not a terrible idea but…” She looked back at Gean. Renais’ pervy side went nuts in her head, but she did her best to contain it until she heard what Gean had to say.. Gean let out an even louder laugh as Mikoto quickly changed gears and went on the offensive. Renais was now the same color as her hair and looking for an answer. “It sounds like an interesting proposition, a two-for-one sale.” Gean laid down so now they were all eye level and she gave a smirk towards Renais. “I think this is a grand idea, and from the look on your face love, it’s not the only one running through your mind.” “Oh~? Getting ideas are you, Renais? What kind of ideas? What could you possibly be thinking about, with two beautiful women, alone, in your room… On~ The~ Bed~” Mikoto giggled louder, leaning down and kissing Renais on the check, along to her neck, leaving a little bite, nothing hard… Purposefully leaving her lips alone. “So… Why don’t you tell us, exactly what you’re thinking. Hmm~?” Renais had a dream about this once a long time ago, she never thought in a million years it would actually happen. The kisses Mikoto gave her made it hard for her to think, on top of Gean accepting all of this. She was entirely speechless, but she had to say something so she tried and… “Mgnghgm….girls…” She mumbled out with a huff. She knew her voice box was not going to cooperate tonight, so she decided to let her actions speak for her. The cleric wrapped one arm around Mikoto and her free hand grabbed at Gean’s shoulder. She attempted to pull them both close into a soft embrace. “...mm…you two…” She mumbled out. “I can’t believe you’re both ok with this…but since that’s the case who am I to say no…” She snuggled a bit. “You both wanted this dirty minded girl, and now you have her.” “Well when she reacts like this it’s hard not to want her.” Gean chuckled one more time, leaning in to kiss both of them on the forehead. It was nice, this brief moment of reprieve. They had survived, Gean still had a chance of making things right, and she still had a chance of being with people she loved, and wanted to love more. For the first time since Liste, the mermaid looked free of worry. “And to that matter, I hope you understand that we're not gonna let you go.” “Dirty minded? Oh, Renais. You’re just a little bit of a perv~ But don’t worry… We’ll teach you what having a dirty mind really means. Right, Gean?” She’d glanced over at Gean, but took the chance to lean in and kiss Renais properly, stealing her lips for a moment, before pulling off of her and shuffling over some. “Now come over here. We’ve a woman to cuddle with, don’t we? Can’t leave her wanting after all this teasing…” Renais would have thought she was dreaming if Mikoto didn’t kiss her, she couldn’t help but return it. “Mm…” When their lips separated she took a breath and looked at Mikoto. “Your lips are as soft as I expected…” As the two got closer the pinkette felt her heart pound, but she eventually accepted her position and…well she didn’t get much sleep that night, despite it being the best night of her life. "...." Renais did her best not to think about the best night of her life, but the blush was very apparent. After a minute she pulled her mind out of the gutter and walked along to get some breakfast. She noticed Sari and Tio not too far off and gave a tiny wave before she continued on to get food. 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Bluemask 96 Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 Gean hummed lightly as she moved throughout the breakfast area. The mermaid was surprisingly chipper this morning, despite the tumultuous day she had fought through. There were definitely things she would need to talk about soon, but for now it was nice to bask in the feeling of a good night. One of her nighttime companions had just arrived. Moving towards the pinkette, Gean took her by the shoulders and lead her to one of the far tables. "I already got plates for the both of you. Come sit." Sure enough there were a set of plates laid out in front of three seats. "What do you want to drink?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 (edited) Alvira stumbled into the room, not looking as worked over as Renais and Sari, but still seeming tired. She'd have a lot to think about that night after speaking with Tio. Guiding Light Spoiler Alvira was sure of only one thing as they finally got their quarters settled for their night at this village. She had to speak with the Evokers– Tio, specifically, about who exactly had decided to contact her during the fight. She was exhausted, physically, but she wasn't so spent mentally. She could talk, maybe a little more. With a hefty knock, she leaned near the door to Tio's room. "Miss Evoker? I've got something we need to discuss… Might get a bit serious, but I need your advice, specifically." Okay… Speaking with Celine again in the morning, I’ll have to see what Mikoto was talking about, checking up on Gean, Miria, and– Tio jumped a little as there was a knock at the door. She’d been idly pacing next to it, so the knock was almost in her ear. The voice that followed was easy enough to recognize. “Alvira? Ah, yes, hold on a moment.” Elisa was focusing on the tome they’d gotten from Lucille–the little that Tio had paid attention to seemed to indicate that this was an entirely custom spell, and might have been made entirely by the princess. Tio stepped back, and pulled open the door. “I was just about to go off, and check on a number of you, but this is as good a way as any to start.” Tio placed her hands on her hips, “Are you doing alright after that battle? What do you think my advice specifically can help you with?” "It's about Mercuria." Alvira stepped inside so they didn't have anyone else listening in, arms folded in her new, black sweater. It was comfy, mostly. She could feel the temperature difference from the holes for her wings, but that was all. "In the middle of the battle, I complained about her to myself– which I don't think is very weird, considering what she did to me… But she responded. To taunt me, I guess. It didn't do what she was hoping, I think; no despair here, just renewed indignation, so joke's on that bitch. That wasn't it, though." Alvira sighed, this was way above her head, but she had to do what she could. "When I grabbed the sword, I felt… a surge. Something. A flicker of my connection to my fire and Fomalhaut. It was there for only a moment, and I have no idea if it's repeatable or anything, but as soon as it happened, she spoke in my mind again. She was shocked. Surprised that it had happened at all. Like something wasn't going to her plan… I don't know what, though." She left it there for the moment. She had more to say, but wanted Tio's input first. Tio’s eyes immediately narrowed at the mention of Mercuria. “...I was concerned about that possibility… of course she can just speak to you.” More and more this Mercuria really was fitting more of the description of a god, and Tio wasn’t liking it one bit. Things she didn’t understand was one thing, she could take her time and figure it out if she had the head space for it. Things she didn’t understand, and had the power to threaten people was more than enough to press her buttons. “Sounds like she’s rather self assured, and frankly, with what happened in Cerezia… I can’t exactly blame her.” Alvira then mentioned something that happened when she touched Escaflowne. “...A surge?” Tio blinked, and then paused for a moment bringing a finger to her lips. “...When magic surges, it usually means that there is a similarity in between two sources of magic and when they blend, you get a stronger flash of magic. Let’s assume that Mercuria is a god, and stole your flame, and that blade, if even for a moment, was able to allow you to feel that flicker once more… it could mean that the blade has something that was reacting to you.” Tio held out her hand, “I didn’t have the time to touch the blade myself… but I can be fairly sure of that fact. Versaris held it and, as far as I know, nothing happened with him, same with Celine, and we can’t ask Princess Lucille… Though… Lani touched the blade, and said it was speaking to her… possibly linked to what you had done with Fomalhaut. Perhaps it’s an amplifying factor or something…” Tio blinked, “Oh, uh… sorry, I just went and blabbered on for a moment…” "No, it's fine. You know way more about magic than I probably ever will… So even if this God stuff is beyond us both, it helps. I don't know why the sword would react to me, though… Unless… Well… Mmm…" Alvira paused and thought for a second, grumbling out some suppositions. "Last time… Before she shut him away, when Fomalhaut was speaking, he, mentioned the term Overarch. Now… I don't know it he was talking to me when he was saying that, but, considering my reaction was way weaker to Laniva's… Maybe I just reacted because I'm, already connected to the Gods? Between him and Mercuria, if I'm whatever this, Overarch is meant to be, that could explain it… Though it, doesn't explain her reaction to it happening. She seemed genuinely shocked, and given how painfully cocky she's been, while I was happy to hear it, I never expected it." Alvira sighed. "I don't think either of us are going to come to any real answers right now, but I felt that you needed to know. Especially with this sort of stuff happening to other members… I don't know if this is all coincidence, or some cosmic web of fate, but now two members of the Tigers have heard voices from beyond, in their minds. It's troubling…" Whatever they were working towards was driving Alvira a little batty. If anyone else in the Tigers had some Godly experience and simply wasn't mentioning it, things would get even stranger. "The other reason I came to speak with you, aside from bringing up this idiot Goddess, was light magic." Alvira was going out of her way to insult the woman whenever she could, hoping it would spur her evidently petty side into speaking up. "If there ever comes a time that I have to defend myself against her, I can't imagine a world where her own magic will work on her… To that end, I'd like to seriously start applying myself to light magic, both in study and in practice. I need… anything, at my disposal, should it come to that. You're the best light mage here… So I figured you'd be the person to turn to." Tio tilted her head, “...I, hmm. That… would work, wouldn’t it?” If the blade was linked to the gods, and Alvira was also linked to the gods because of her prior experience, it could have been possible for it to react to her for that reason. “Then… why would Lani have reacted so strongly, and why would Mercuria have reacted so oddly? She’s been so far untouchable, but for her to be confused… are there things that she doesn’t know? Mmm…” Tio sighed, Alvira was right to say that they weren’t going to get anywhere thinking about this now. There just wasn’t enough information to work with. “If this is a coincidence, I’d like to tell whoever came up with it that I don’t like it. I already understand that our world, and magic, are far stranger than we realize, but this is far beyond that.” Tio’s brow then raised as Alvira changed topic into one that Tio knew that she was more than up to the task for. Tio did hesitate ever so slightly; she wasn’t sure that even if Alvira had other magic to use against Mercuria that it would amount to anything. The presence that Tio felt that day was crushing, and it took control of Alvira’s very being. “I’m… not entirely sure how much it would help you against Mercuria, but… you can’t ever know until it happens, right? I told you before that if you decided to apply yourself to your Light magic, that I would assist you, and I am a woman of my word.” Tio held out a ball of light in front of her, “It would be my honor as the Evoker of Light to help, Alvira.” "Yeah… I, don't really know if I'd be able to fight her. And… As much as I'd love to make her eat her words, I need to find that black spear more than I need to showdown with her." Alvira wasn't actually sure if she'd mentioned the spear to Tio, but if she hadn't, it didn't hurt to do so. "If you're willing to help me anyway, then… Gladly. I'm… I'm sorry our meeting was so rocky. Entirely because of me… But I'm happy we can talk now, Tio. You're truly, a good person…" Alvira blushed a bit, not used to complimenting others so honestly; it was a little embarrassing. "Uhm… Well. Just one last thing about Mercuria. I was still in fight mode, so I might be paraphrasing, but… Her confusion and surprise, it seemed to be completely on how the sword reacted to me. Then… Something about things having changed in her absence. There was more she needed to understand. So, maybe she isn't all seeing? And she can only see me so well because we're connected by, whatever happened in that mana storm…" “Black spear? This is the first I’m hearing of a black spear.” Alvira seemed convinced that this spear would give her an edge against Mercuria, so perhaps there was something that she’d gleaned through their encounters. Though, a black spear was unlike anything that Tio had ever heard. “I think we can accept that as a possibility… if Mercuria doesn’t know everything, then perhaps it may not be as implausible to overcome her in the future. Perhaps there’s a way to muddy that link too…” Tio then smiled warmly, “And… thank you for that Alvira. I didn’t help matters with our first interactions, but, I’m glad that things have worked out as they have. I aim to keep it that way.” The slightest blush came across Tio’s face, before a look crossed the older woman’s face. “Hmm… that… hmmm…” A thought crossed Tio’s mind, “...Alvira, could you tell me a little more about this Black Spear? I’ve never heard of such a thing, but… I did have a thought. Lani reacted to a relic of the Axios Record, the Escaflowne… Is it possible that the others might do something similar? If so… I can’t imagine that you mentioned that Black Spear out of nothing… Could it be a relic as well?” "Oh. I thought I'd mentioned it… Uh, well." Alvira sighed, claw on her chin, doing some memory digging. "It was when I was speaking with Fomalhaut before Mercuria decided to be the world's greatest cunt. I was mentioning things to him, like a relic, something like the Escaflowne, something from the age of the Gods… Something that might be tied to him. Interestingly enough, he said that, something named Escaflowne didn't exist back then… So either it was called something else long ago, or the Gods called it differently. That aside, he mentioned that something was calling to him. A black spear. And… me. That was right before Bitch Queen interrupted, put him back to sleep, called me a candidate, took away my fire, yadda yadda… But if things like the Escaflowne still exist, this spear has to as well. Especially if it was calling to him… I think…" Alvira sighed harder. This part would sound fishy. "Before the Mercuria mess, I, had a vision. I didn't mention it because I'd sound crazy, but after all this… I was… it was me. Surrounded by fire, holding a spear. A black spear. And then he mentions it and Mercuria gets all up in my business, the idiot that she is, calls me a candidate, spews a load of garbage about Fomalhaut needing to be asleep and sealed away… But that spear, I think it's the key. It's all I've got, at least… So if I can find out anything about the relics left of that age, I will. I need to. Fomalhaut, he… He was afraid of her, before she took him away. He's always been there for me, and I couldn't… I couldn't do anything for him. So I'll change that. I'll save him…" Alvira was looking away at this point, before glancing back at Tio. "You know," she idly thought, "Mercuria called you and Elisa candidates too. Dunno what for… But if weapons are talking to folks, and we're starting to experience these Godly encounters… Maybe a candidate means someone that can become linked to them. Maybe Lani is a candidate for whatever is housed in Escaflowne." “Hmm…” If it had been before all of the events at Cerezia, Tio would have likely written the vision off as a dream. But with what was happening now, it was better to take it seriously. “So you’ve seen this black spear in a vision, and when you mentioned it to Fomalhaut… he said it was calling to him. I think that… confirms that the spear is going to be important to the future…Though… hmm.” Tio pondered for a moment, “...Depending on several factors, you’re probably correct that Escaflowne didn’t exist back whenever… Fomalhaut did. Our history is rather fragmented; much of the knowledge from before the Axios Record is simply lost. No one quite knows how old the relics are, and how they were created… except for possibly the Lufirians. I’ve heard that Lufiria still has a large wealth of information from before the collapse of the Holy Lufirian Empire, and it was during that war that the Relics first appear in any recollection. I’ve only been able to see Glacies’s relics, but I haven’t been able to study them seriously, for obvious reasons. Kansei might have a little more information due to the number of ruins present there… But as I said, knowledge on these relics; what they are, how they were made, where their power derives from… all of that remains a mystery. Still… if it’s necessary to deal with a nosy, problem of a goddess or whatever, I can do my best, along with Elisa to see what we can find.” Tio then brought a finger to her lips, “She called us candidates as well?” Given what was happening, Alvira’s suggestion about what that meant was probably spot on, but the fact that Mercuria mentioned it worried her. “I’ll have to speak to Lani about that later… Though, I wonder… if candidate refers to being worthy of a “god’s” favor. Perhaps… I wonder if it’s related at all to the legend of the Three Angels. Galari and the two unnamed, who led the alliance to victory alongside the other relic wielders…” "With what we just did to their princess, if it's in Lufiria… I might be a little screwed. Hahhh… Fomalhaut was getting a bit clearer the closer we got to Lufiria, though. So… Mmm. Maybe…" Alvira needed a library, a big one. Some place with more information… "It might? You should get to talking to Lani, about what the sword said to her. You might be able to piece together some sort of answers… You're smart enough." Alvira winked and turned to the door. "I'll come back once everyone's settled and talked and see about light magic. Maybe tomorrow. I just wanna get to practicing… I need it to be as smooth as I can make it, and even if I never face down Frostass, I shouldn't be relying on her worthless magic, anyway." Alvira threw in two for good measure, heading for the door. "Thank you, Tio. A lot… We're all happy to have you and Elisa here with us." “Yeah that… might cause a couple problems…” Hopefully, just those, and not more concerning problems like them coming back… Tio and I can handle them but… I’m not concerned about us. The princess was struggling to stay lucid, and still gave the tigers that much trouble… I don’t want to find out what she could do when she’s rested. “But, if things go well, perhaps we’ll figure out everything we need without having to bother Lufiria. And perhaps Lani would be a good start.” Tio blushed a little more brightly as Alvira thanked her and Elisa for being with them, “Haha… We’re supposed to be the ones thankful for your being here. We’re just doing as we should, and in some cases, not enough. Well, I can start doing a little more with teaching you more about light magic. I’ll do my best, Alvira, and thank you for telling me about our lovely goddess of infuriation’s appearance. Perhaps one day I’ll get a chance to exchange words…” Whatever Mercuria was planning was beyond them all, and even with new experiences every day seemingly becoming more commonplace, it wasn't enough to place a trail. The best that Alvira had, was the black spear and it likely being a relic. "You hear that, Mercuria," she mumbled to herself, sitting down alone, for the moment, "I know what that black spear is. All I have to do now is find it... A selfish bitch like you that takes as she pleases and conducts plans above everyone, feh. If you refuse to explain yourself, then I'll do everything I can to stop whatever it is you're doing." She steeled herself again, something that was becoming a sort of mantra. Mercuria had chosen to show her presence at the most odd times, but Alvira had a feeling the nuisance was still listening to her. If she could vent into the 'Goddess'' ear, all the better for her own mentality. "Hahhh... Relics... Lufiria, but also maybe Kansei or Mura... Definitely not Glacies or, Tio would know about it. Hecatia, I can ask Celine... Islexia. Ugh. If it's there, and someone has it... Good luck to me getting it. Not that Lufiria would be any easier... Especially after miss princess. Hahhh... Fuck." She leaned back and let her head fall with the lean, staring up at the ceiling. Guess I try the sword today and see if 'Gaia' knows anything else... If they'll talk to me. Mikoto slid into the room with new clothes on, having ditched her shorts and blouse for the day. The fox was sporting a backless red dress, small ties across the back and around her neck, with one long slit on the left side. She wore tights underneath and some red high heels with a cross pattern over the front of the shoe, stepping up behind Renais. "Good morning~" she cooed, taking her spot at the table as Gean had outlined, idly crossing her legs, her tails splaying out behind her. "And good morning to you as well, Aegean~ You both seem well rested... Mhmhmhmhm~" Edited March 23, 2023 by Nanami Touko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemask 96 Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 "Good morning to you too, you should've told me the dress code was formal. I feel plain now~" Gean played back at Mikoto's greetings. It was interesting, the three of them moving in this way. The sight of the two of them right next to their half-here girlfriend was also amusing. Hopefully you can transfer some of that energy into love here." Gean teased as she moved some of Renais hair back into place, though she couldn't really blame the girl for her current state. Having had her fun, the mermaid went on and sat herself down to eat, Tio seemed to be waiting on the knights, so their future plans were ready to be engaged just yet. It seems a few of us had long nights. Sari and Vira look more tired than usual. Well, Vira at least lost in thought, this is the first time I've seen Sari unkempt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercenary on the Winds Posted March 23, 2023 Author Share Posted March 23, 2023 Tio blinked as the first group of tigers made their way inside the hall... looking like they'd forgotten themselves. Tio knew that yesterday had taken quite a toll on them, but to see Renais, and Versaris, especially Versaris, in an unkempt state was off-putting. "It... seems like it." She quickly looked him over, "It seems like you're not ailing from that attack yesterday... I'm glad I was able to do something before it hit. I had intended to speak with you before now as well, but I'd also gotten sidetracked; a lot to do after all of that." A sly smile slid across Tio's lips, "I'm not going to ask what exactly you got caught up in... I have a... fairly good guess, though. My questions might wait until you get some food and drink in you, I'm sure you already know that I'm going to ask about the man from before, and what happened with the princess. I felt a powerful spell from down there... I'm not as good at sensory as Elisa is but even I could tell that was an Excalibur spell. If she really was as injured and exhausted as she was when you all were holding her... then I'm very wary of what she could do if her wounds were tended to. I'd like your thoughts of whether she would be well enough to attempt anything on the Escaflowne; I can't imagine they're just going to give up on it." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanami Touko Posted March 24, 2023 Share Posted March 24, 2023 (edited) "I, uh... Got caught up. In. Yes." He left it there, suddenly 'waking up', doing his best to adjust his hair, fix his collar, do up the rest of his buttons. He was still halfway in a daze, but he had to be on point right now. "Right. Yes. It was an Excalibur... Miria triggered the princess; I'm sure it wasn't on purpose, but Lucille is deadly afraid of fire, and... Between her and Cinaed, she was going as all out as her body would allow without collapsing on itself. I had to tackle her from her mount to finally get her to stop... If she were to rest us and come after us at full power, only you, Elisa... Or Mikoto could stop her. Yeah, I think the fox would manage... I'd be dead. So would any of the Tigers. Lucille is incredibly strong..." Giving up on the sword, though... "They might. It depends on if they can get more support or not... If the sword stays with Celine and goes back into Hecatian care, they won't go after it; security measures will triple on keeping it safe after something like this. So... This might be the last we'll see of them. Hopefully." As Sari finished his speaking, Marigold walked into the room, sitting herself near the boss lady Tio. She kicked her feet up onto the table, ignoring her conversation with Versaris, which got the incubi's glare on her. "Sup? We're still on, right? Even after that scare? ... Didn't think Tanvir was that kinda guy, but I guess I clocked him wrong before. Didn't take him for the talking type, he just seemed more direct, y'know? Smash you in the face, face to face. But, we only talked once before, so," she threw her hands up, shrugged, "who am I to say? Hope next time he shows up, things are more favorable... Though, I... Have a feeling, they won't be." Edited March 25, 2023 by Nanami Touko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scorri Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 Koba had been up for a while, having spent the early morning wandering around the village. He wasn't looking to steal anything, he wasn't that dumb with Tio actively keeping an eye on him when he was with the group, but it was a habit he couldn't break. He needed to know the ways that he could escape if something went wrong, and that meant knowing the layout of the village. Honestly, that's one benefit to sleeping outdoors... Plenty of ways to get out. His stomach was telling him it was time to head back to the inn though, so he turned back, one hand idly fiddling with a coin, making it appear and disappear as he did. He hadn't been involved in the fight the previous day, but he had heard enough about it to start worrying. So many powerful players and here I am... I have to wonder if Tio just brought me along to my death... Doubt it's on purpose, but I wonder if she even understands how weak I am. I'm just stealthy.... Maybe I should run... Not that I have anywhere to go. He sighed, heading into the inn and quickly spotting the woman of his thoughts as he did, talking to Versarias. He made sure to give both of them a wide berth, heading instead to the food that was available to the group. He quickly filled a plate and settled down at a small table, positioned so that he could easily see everything that was going on in the room. The more he saw of this group, the more he was quickly realizing he was in over his head, but with the situation he had gotten himself into, he had no choice but to see it all through. Cin walked down the stairs of the inn, stifling a slight yawn as he did. The battle the previous day had been rough, and then everything after had just made it worse. Siorel had been exhausted, and he hadn't been much better. They had all made it out alive though, even if he'd been useless when everything had went down with those Lufirians. Walking into the dining room, he spotted Renais with Gean on one side and, curiously, the fox merchant, Mikoto, on the other side. He caught Gean's eyes and raised a questioning eyebrow at the situation, but moved on quickly. If his friends were happy and safe, who was he to do anything? After all, Mikoto's actions yesterday, while they had likely escalated tensions, had also played into the situation ending as well as it had. He still didn't know enough about her beyond her curious and worrying offer for discounted magical items, but he would give her the benefit of the doubt as far as her traveling with the group went for now. He filled up two plates, hoping that Siorel would be down before long, and made his way to an empty table, sitting down with a quiet groan. Everything was escalating so quickly, and he knew that as they headed into Islexia, it would only get more dangerous. I'm going to have to get stronger, quickly. Maybe Sari would help me train... Though, he probably has more important things on his plate than helping me. I'll just have to figure things out on my own. Time to grow up and find a way through on my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldsbroTSG Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 Armors of a Feather Spoiler Early morning had crept into the sleepy mountain village. A lone woman walked through the quiet houses to reach the stables, ready to check on her longtime travel companion. Early risings weren't something new to Jesse, farmlife demanded one to not sleep in, and she was used to it. "Hey there Charlon. Hope you got some rest buddy." Charlon the horse perked his ears at the sound of his rider's voice. With a small canter he turned towards Jesse with a small neigh. The knight gave him a few pats, a smile naturally forming on her face. "We're in the thick of it now bud. Helping Lady Celine, going on important missions, and more importantly, I'm not alone. I found another one like me." Jesse thought about the girl from yesterday. She was younger than Jesse, yet was bravely charging forward to protect her fellow fighters, both of them had taken a beating that's for sure. Not to mention the actions at the end of the day brought things into perspective. How strong were they actually? What depths could this armor truly reach? Jesse had more questions than when she started this journey, but at least she was on the path to answering these questions, and to start this path, proper introductions needed to be made. "Alright bud, I'm gonna go make friends now." With one final hug to Charlon, who was ready to eat more oats, Jesse made her way towards the inn where the Iron Tigers were lodging. Miria woke from her sleep with a sigh. There was still the soreness in her body, and her head still hurt. She could tell from the window, it was early. That made sense to Miria, she slept most of the evening. With it being early, that meant she was close to first in line for food. Food always made her feel better when she was down or exhausted. Hopefully. Hopefully… The girl stacked a dish with as much as she could. All of the protein and carbs she could ask for. Funnily, Miria did believe at the moment that if she was allowed, she could've eaten the whole inn's inventory and still have room for more in this moment. "Mmm… I can’t remember the last time I was this hungry," she plainly spoke as she took a seat to herself. She waited for anyone else to pile in. Jesse could hear the sounds of food being scarfed down as soon as she entered the inn. She was a little surprised that some of the mercenaries were up this early after yesterday. Turning the corner to the meal area, Jesse found a stuffed plate and a crop of orange hair poking above it. It was an odd case of deja vu, but it made sense to Jesse. “I guess we’re both big eaters then, I didn’t think we’d meet again this early.” Miria was so face deep in her food she was almost swimming in it. It was when the girl was addressed by someone else that she lifted her head up to see who. Unfortunately, the golden girl wasn’t exactly sure who this was. Then it started to click with how she explained herself. Miria’s eyes glew! “Oh! Greenie!” Miria offered a big smile to the other girl. Her mood perked up exponentially with this revelation. “Feel free, have a seat~ There’s plenty of room.” Miria caught herself, taking a deep breath. “Sorry, err, if you’d like. I’m just excited, I haven’t met someone like me until I met you today. My name’s Miria~” Jesse bit back a sigh at her new nickname, sure yesterday’s battle did lend itself to names not going through properly, but she wasn’t too fond of being called outside of her own name. Taking the seat opposite of her new friend. “Pleasure to meet you Miria. My name is Jesse. I can wait till you’re done if you want. I understand how hungry we get.” Jesse had already packed away her breakfast before going to check on Charlon, but the idea of getting another plate did seem tempting. “Jesse~ Now I won’t forget it,” Miria assured her new green-armored friend. The girl gave an excited laugh as she nodded at Jesse’s offer to go ahead and eat. The golden cub began to stuff herself full. The usual mess of things she threw on a plate together made for an experience. Especially after such a long and exhausting day like the one prior. By the time she was done, she gave a hefty sigh, “That was the best~” She smiled, “Seconds?” So this is what it’s like to be on the other side. Huh. Jesse felt like she had gained some new insight on herself watching Miria pack away the rest of her breakfast. “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass for now. The rest of your company needs to eat right?” Jesse returned the smile, her new friend seemed to be quite the cheerful one. “The Evokers actually told me about you. I wanted to come by today to swap stories and info. You might know more than I do though, I was almost clueless about this stuff until recently.” “Yeah, that’s fair.” Miria said with a laugh. “I just, food makes me happy~ And I guess you know that, it makes you happy too right?” If they were similar in having magical armor, they had to work the same, right? Miria liked this new friend of hers. “Oh, the Evokers told you about me?” She asked, though that made sense if she touched base with them first. “Well, I guess, I’m about as clueless, and have only learned more recently.” She put a finger to her chin. “I guess the best way is like,” Miria tried her best. “There’s this life energy called voima. It’s like magic but it’s like, life magic, something like that. And it has something to do with how our armor works. Apparently there are scattered stories through history of armors of our colors, and also silver.” She wondered if it mattered, but, “And to my understanding, either we, or the armor, are called Shrouds.” "Voima huh, I guess that's why we feel drained after having our armor on for a while. Oh my bad, our Shrouds?" This was all new to Jesse, some of it made sense, but the idea that this random glove she came upon being of legend was a little wild. Well, not as wild as what her Shroud can actually do. "And there's a third one of us out there? Woo." Jesse was definitely glad to have some answers, but it looked like Miria wasn't much more knowledgeable than she was. "I'm guessing there's more we haven't discovered about these too. Does yours have any special features? I'd demonstrate mine, but we'd have to leave out the inn, and I don't want to strain my arm this early." "That's my assumption yeah," she responded to Jesse's comment about their voima. "I'm sorry, I wish I had more to give you, Jesse." She picked at some leftover food at her plate as she continued to listen. Apparently, she could also perform some kind of trick involving her hand. Actually, "Yeah, that thing you do with your hand right? That was really cool~" She smiled, "I kinda, well…" she scratched her head, "I can angle myself, focus my energy, and generate a giant explosion behind me. The Evokers said it's like an arcfire spell. But it drains me a lot, so… Not a fan of using it. It's nothing like how yesterday exhausted me, but it costs a lot." "Huh, and it's always behind you? Strange." Jesse was curious about the specifics of Miria's technique, but if they could have two different colors it was believable that they have two different functions. "Well it might be cool, yes, but it does a number on my arm. I've learned I can bring about 5 shots before my whole arm is useless. Last time that happened I couldn't lift anything for about a week." Knowing that her armor used some form of life magic explained the forceback of the shots. Was she actually draining her life by doing that? The thought about it also reminded Jesse of her performance yesterday. She had been in combat before but never had a desperate time like that. It went to show how green she still was, for lack of a better word. The knight let out a sigh. "I guess we both still have more to learn, to get stronger. Don't be sorry Miria, you've given me plenty." Jesse wanted to ruffle the girls hair, but thought it was a bit too soon to be that familiar. "I guess if that's all we know about how they work, we could talk about how we got them. That is, if you don't mind me asking?" "Ooh, I see. Well, be careful, no one needs you putting your arm outta commission." She tried to be caring, keeping her smile. Miria got it, Jesse's weird powers were like Miria's, "That sounds like me over-exhausting myself, if I use my Shroud for too long, my body gets so numb and sore that I can't move for a time. That also happened to me," she chuckled a bit, "I can also set my weapons on fire. I forgot about that." Somehow I keep forgetting to do that, haha. Miria nodded at Jesse's next comment, "Thank you, Jesse, it's just… I know the feeling. It sucks trying to figure out something, I got quite a couple of things yesterday that… well, that Lufirian princess had. But she's gone, and I was left with more questions and prolly the scariest thing I've ever been hit by," she laughed again, but it was clear she was trying to hide something with how nervous it was. And of course, the big how. Well, this was fine to the golden cub. "Absolutely. If we're allies I don't mind sharing a bit." Her smile was back, even if the more she's learned has made how everything started that much more curious. "So? I'm from a pretty big trade town on the border of Kansei and Altair. My mama and papa own this little shop of cool trinkets and stuff papa would find in his adventures. I met a man who came to the shop when I was left in charge one day. He ended up giving my necklace to me, saying something about how like, 'a cute, kind little lady could probably make it work'. I took it to my room after, and, after believing I could do it a whole bunch. I was in my armor. Well, most of it." She held up her fist that had her custom gold gauntlet. "Had to fix part of it. And yeah, to be honest, I'm not very smart, but with everything I've seen, I wonder if that person knows more about me than I do, but I try not to think about it too much. And how about you?" It seemed like they both had their share of struggles. “Strange, my story is not that different. I was on my way back to my family’s farm when I stopped to help this old lady with her things. When we got close,” Jesse held up her gloved hand with the green jewel on it facing Miria, “she gave me this glove as a thank you. One night while in the stable I tried it on, and well you know how that goes.” Jesse chuckled lightly. “Though I don’t really have parts missing like you do, maybe ours are incomplete in different ways?” Jesse never felt like her armor was completely formed, that there was always something more to it, but she never needed to cover slots over it. “Maybe there’s a trick to unlocking more functions, or we have to find more jewels like these to complete the rest.” Jesse was pondering and throwing speculations out, but they were mostly just stabs in the dark. “Ah sorry about that.” Miria was, to be honest, poorly hiding some frustrations about things that happened yesterday. Jesse couldn’t fault her for it, they were all very close to death on multiple occasions. “Well Miria, how about we both work to learn more, and get stronger?” Jesse held a hand out as a way to seal the deal on this new venture. “I see, I see,” Miria listened, intrigued as she listened to the girl speak. They really are very similar. Trader and farmer, what a duo. “That’s cool, though, and yeah, I think Miss Tio explained it as like, if I can get stronger magically, or maybe as I break into my necklace, I can learn more about what it’s missing or what it can do. If I do…” She held that information off, they were having too fun a conversation for that part of Miria’s story. “Work together?” Miria pondered, and realized, that may be a perfect idea. Maybe even the two working together could awaken something in the two of them. “You know what, that’s a terrific idea!” She took the other girl’s hand, and shook it, “Pleasure to work with you, Jess~ Er, Jesse, is calling you Jess okay?” She sheepishly asked. Miria definitely could bounce back easy. Maybe that was what food did for her. Jesse scratched her face at the girl's energy. It seemed she had ideas on how to further empower their armor, something Jesse herself would have to look into. "Ah, sorry. I'm not a big fan of nicknames. Would much prefer plain ol' Jesse." No need to go into the why's on that, but the boundary was set. "Well I guess we just wait until everyone else shows up. Maybe I will get a plate…" Jesse mumbled that last part as she rose and walked over to examine what the inn had to offer this morning. "Okee doke, Jesse~" Miria gave a salute to the other girl as she left to grab food. Within the time she had been talking to Jesse, she noticed how some of the others were pooling in for the morning. She saw Sari and Tio speaking to one-another and Mari sittiing with them. Miria waved to her zombie friend, as she looked around some more, seeing Cin sitting by himself. Maybe he was waiting for Siorel. That made sense. The other that seemed both sensible and made Miria feel some relief was Renais, Gean and Mikoto all together. Looks like they had a night, she wasn't gonna bother them this morning. The girl was content with who she was with for the morning, it was just a matter of how long it'd last. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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