Fantasy Howl's Flying Castle (Finished! ---Whoo! (*＾▽＾)／)

[Roleplay Skittle]

Lydia listened intently to what Renee said, though she already begun making plans after having dealt with Hisaya and then Greed, though any intention of mention this was interrupted because as her lips parted to make her suggestions Renee's hands found her cheeks, her brow furrowing as she batted Renee's hands away when she realized the Pendragon sister's own annoyance, a frown finding it's place on her lips.

"You and Seifer both were making me out to be the bad guy," she rubbed her cheek and stepped back next to James, "both of you by obviously getting irritated with me for pointing out that you can't take everything at face value. Just because something sounds like a good idea at first mention doesn't mean that it's still good when you actually think in depth about it. Just because the Nameless One would be a tree wouldn't make him any less evil, he'd just be an evil tree. So yeah, he wouldn't run as a tree, but that doesn't mean that someone or something like one of his followers wouldn't rise again to make him not be a tree and all they would have to do is create a reversal of the spell you plan to use. Sure it might take centuries, but in the Barrens there were creatures that had harbored hatred since the Nameless One was originally sealed... even after we defeat him now, even after we destroy Valdanr, it's likely there will still be creatures that want to bring the Nameless One back and would work towards that goal."

She then turned her glare on Seifer, "and you, there is a difference between being supportive and just being stupid. You clearly didn't think about anything outside of telling Renee what she wanted to hear and that's just deadly for all of us," Lydia's cheeks puffed up as she opted not to say anything further because there was no point in bringing up their shenanigans while he was a Deathknight. She didn't seem very mindful of James either, she was perfectly fine with standing alone on her opinions because she had done so for her entire life.

As Renee explained to Echo about summoning the essence of Draco, she shook her head, "we aren't summoning his essence, we are putting him back together and using the Nameless One's power after he is purified to bring Draco back. Something will need to be in control of the Nameless One's power or who knows what will happen. Draco's essence is already with us, it's inside of these relics," she then touched one of the earrings dangling from her earlobes.

She glanced at James as Renee asked the two their opinions, her face still serious and seemingly bothered before she shook her head, "James, this isn't something that can be decided after the war, this is what will end it. Once Valdanr is down, the Nameless One will still be alive and we have to have our plan in place before it comes to that," she glanced to Seifer for a moment, "especially with all of the things that will need to be done before, such as creating the barrier so we don't warp everything."

In that way she was agreeing with the snobbish Rathmore, after seeing the destruction caused the last time, they definitely had to take precautions and these things weren't decisions they could make last minute because they would need to start working on them immediately. Lydia remembered all the time it took to create the seal, the exorcism circle, the soul swapping circle and everything else she had worked on up to that point so she knew that working with something Renee had made and adding things to help alone with figuring out a way to quickly set up a suitable barrier around the Nameless One before drawing the evil out of him would take a longer time and the idea unnerved her, then she also wondered if the seal she had created to destroy Valdanr would work on the Nameless One, her hand holding up the branding iron she had conjured and looking at it studiously. In the event that they couldn't draw out the evil or something else went wrong, they would need to just destroy him.

Zer0 Katsuya

 

[Zer0]

- James Pendragon -
" Soul Room "​

"Erm." said James carefully, starting forward with a hand out when Lydia batted away Renee's hands.

Seifer let out a sputter of indignation, "I am not stupid, Dubois, and I honestly think Renee's ideas are good. I wasn't painting you out to be the bad guy, I know you're not a bad guy, you were just shooting her idea down with, 'things that can be done, can be undone'." he mimicked her voice. "Like a nay say-er, but not a bad guy." he emphasized with a hand. "And don't hurt Renee, he added, stepping forward, then hugging Renee from behind and rubbing the hands Lydia had batted away.

James carefully placed just the tips of his fingers on Lydia's shoulder, ready to pull away if she didn't want to be touched, as he looked at her confused, "Are we talking about the Nameless One sealed on the other side of the Storm Wall or its son in Paroosia?"

Roleplay Skittle Katsuya
OOC | Characters | Moments in Time
​

 

[Katsuya]

Renee leaned back from Lydia when she only got angrier, frowning as her wings stilled. "...Lydia, I never thought you were being the bad guy by pointing out the flaws." She said.

"I didn't even hope for James to say 'we'll talk it over after the war' or have Seifer supporting me. Defending my idea? That's just to let you know why I felt it was a good idea. It wasn't to annoy you or anyone else. Don't get me wrong, Lydia, I get it - I'm stubborn and tend to be hard-headed but I'm...I'm trying my best to just debate ideas back and forth here." She thought this was how people talked on ideas, by giving their side and then listening to someone else's, see if they can point out the flaws or not. Then once everything has settled into place, they'll be okay. She didn't know that it would irritated Lydia to give her own thoughts as to why she felt it was a good idea.

"and Lydia?" She calmly called out. "I only got annoyed because I didn't want you to feel like the bad guy at all. What's the point of me asking for opinions if I didn't want to hear it? None because that doesn't make any lick of sense...but I am sorry since defending my idea made you feel that way..." Renee blinked when Seifer hugged her from behind and rubbing her hands. She smiled hesitantly at him, blushing a bit but conflicted at the same time. So she lightly held his hands and squeezed meaningfully.

When James asked which one they were talking about, Renee pondered for a moment. "...I assume the son since he's at Paroosia and is the immediate danger...Though.." She looked at Lydia, still hesitant. "Chances are...we might need to worry about the Original Nameless one too..." Because he's sealed away...and like Lydia said: Things that can be done can be undone...

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

Lydia glared at Seifer for a moment longer, "you say that, but would you feel the same if things were still like they were before you were a Deathknight?" In other words, she didn't believe him, all he was doing was saying that he liked the idea and not actually giving any input and as far as she was concerned all that was doing was saying that he was blindly following. She wasn't trying to turn him against Renee's ideas, but she expected a little more from him, just like she would expect more from James, "and I wasn't shooting her idea down, I was just pointing out that if we can do it, someone can undo it and Renee understood that when she pointed out how what was done to us, you in particular, had been undone. It works both ways."

With a slight huff, she glanced away, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at James as he put his fingers on her shoulder. She didn't shrug away from him, her expression seeming quite neutral, "his son. He doesn't have a name either and he's our most immediate problem so he is currently the Nameless One," she figured that would be the easiest way to handle it. Though a permanent solution would be good for dealing with the original, that wasn't at the pinnacle of their issues at the moment.

Her features softened slightly at Renee's words and she was silent. There were things that she wanted to say in response such as, 'arguing what could make it better,' or, 'stopping to think about what points in the plan were flaws could have helped,' but she didn't say these things because they would just prolong a rather pointless argument that wouldn't actually get them anywhere because all it was about was who was on what side of the discussion and for what reasons so instead of saying anything that would make it continue Lydia simply pointed out what should be obvious to everyone, "in any case... arguing about whether or not it's a good idea doesn't help us. Coming up with a viable plan that utilizes everything we have available to us does."

She watched Renee for a moment before the slightest smile quirked the corner of her mouth and she shook her head, dismissing the whole thing because hurt feelings weren't important and if anything Seifer was the one that was making it an issue so she decided it was better to just ignore him and all of his ridiculousness, "a half finished plan is not a good one, but one that is well thought out with all the pieces... that's a good plan. That's what we should focus on. Making a full plan to deal with our generation's Nameless One," she added the prefix so that maybe there wouldn't be any further confusion and looked at James pointedly.

Zer0 Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

"...Actually, he would tell me if something is a bad idea." Renee piped up, frowning again. "While we were looking for you guys, we were starving. Then we found Sirius and a bunch of little pink eggs. I suggested we take Sirius with us and Seifer told me no, we shouldn't. He said if we take Sirius, then we have to make him our first priority and we couldn't do that unless we have magic."

"We thought we didn't have magic at all because of the cuffs...and I was ready to leave Sirius alone because Seifer was right. He was becoming a Deathknight and I still have Valdanr in me. Without magic, we wouldn't even be able to do anything for ourselves, much less for a baby dragon. I wanted to take Sirius, make him small, and give everyone a small portion of food, but Seifer told me that it might be harmful to his growth if we keep him small and not give him the amount of food he's suppose to have. That's bad parenting, he told me and when I thought about it: he was right. Of course...we didn't think about our use of magic then until like...the third day of being in the nest." Renee chuckled at that funny memory. Goodness they were so used having magic being there but not using it at all. It's so silly of them in a 'good but why?!' way.

"That's the only reason why we took Sirius with us; because we both agreed to take him if we have magic and we did. That was enough to support all of us in food, shelter, and other essential stuff like James' survival tips." This is why she wants everyone to see what she sees when it comes to Seifer. So they can see that he is a decent person, he's just awkward about it.

Then she sighed, shaking her head as if to let go of her stubbornness again. She had enough with the arguments but she couldn't help but defend Seifer when Lydia wasn't there to see that side of him yet. "Forget it...you're right; we need to concentrate on making a good and solid plan." Renee muttered, squeezing Seifer's hands as if she wanted him to not say anything about it for now. It's just going to make things worse...

"Anyways...So...We use Draco to defeat our generation's Nameless one. What about the last generation's? What happens if someone unsealed him too? We would already use Draco on our generation's nameless one- For buscuit's sake, we don't even know how that can even happen or how it got under Sunny too..." Renee pointed out quietly.

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- James Pendragon -
" Soul Room "​

Now it was James' turn to look annoyed. He had thought they were talking about the Nameless One in the Storm Wall, what with the talk about the last time he awoke ten thousand years ago, keeping the evil in him for that long, and saying they were dealing with an ancient being who had followers that would try to set him free if he was going to be sealed again. And they were talking about his son after all?

" . . . " He removed his fingers from Lydia's shoulder. What was she giving him that pointed look for, aarrgh, he just wanted a nice visit in his soul room, is it going to be awkward now? He was looking forward to snuggling with her tonight after they head out and fight in the front lines, is it going to be sour instead?

"Then, why don't the two of you have this discussion with Kenren?" he said evenly as his soul room started to become chilly. "And show him that spell you found, Renee, that'll turn the evil egg --- let's just call it the evil egg --- into that tree. Right now. Let's leave my soul room, I'm going to . . . go and bring my plate to the kitchens and prepare to head out to the front lines, while you two talk it over with him."

Meanwhile, Seifer had given what Lydia had said a thought and he was about to retort some more, when Renee spoke for him. His temper died down and for the first time, he didn't try to have the last word, but just squeezed Renee's hand back in understanding.

Katsuya Roleplay Skittle

 

[Katsuya]

When James' soul room became chilly, Renee was alarmed. She looked at her brother with distress, her wings fluttering anxiously. She didn't mean for James to be angry! She just wanted to hear everyone's opinions on her idea, not cause everyone to fight or argue like this! The Pendragon sister opened her mouth to say 'I'm sorry' to her brother but instead she closed it, apologetically staring at her brother with worry.

He didn't believe her when she apologized in her own soul room, an area where everyone is honest all the time. She believed that he wouldn't believe her now either. So instead of saying anything that might anger her brother even more, Renee tugged on Seifer's hands a bit. "...Okay...I'll go do that then..."

Before she left however, Renee tentatively hugged James, squeezing him tightly if he didn't respond. Then she let go to make a doorway out of his soul room so she can leave. She didn't force anyone else to come as usual, it's up to them if they do. Echo, who stayed quiet the whole time, stared at James then looked around his soul room as it got chilly.

Once outside, Renee sighed heavily and just leaned Seifer, her wings were limp. "...I'm sorry, James....." She didn't mean to ruin his joy of having Lydia in his soul. So she pondered on how to make it up to him...

When Seifer came to, Renee turned as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and squeezed meaningfully. "...You're not stupid." Her wings fluttered in agitation before relaxing. "...Do you want to prepare with me? I need to tell Kenren about the plan and ask him for his opinion too first but after that we can go pack together..."

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- James Pendragon -
" Soul Room "​

James' annoyed expression mellowed when Renee hugged him. He just hugged her back grumpily, but reassuringly, as he patted her back; Seifer felt the chill too, and followed Renee when she tugged at his hands.

Noticing Echo's expression, James seemed to look like he regretted letting his temper show, as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking to the side. He had invited Echo so that she wouldn't be alone and to have some comfort in the company of friends. "It's alright, Echo. Sorry, I'm just . . . Do you want to see memories of me and Johnny from out fifth to seventh years in the Academy?"

* * * *​

Outside, Seifer hugged Renee, "Of course I'm not." he agreed with her. "I wonder what got your brother sour? . . . Yes, I want to pack with you, Renee." he looked at the sun. It must nearly be time to head out. "Or, how about I pack our things and you talk to Kenren? I have this feeling your talk might take a while."


Katsuya Roleplay Skittle

 

[Katsuya]

The fawn looked on for a moment longer as an ear perked up from listening. Then she gazed back at James when she heard his tone, standing up to gently grab his hand. "Sure, James...and James?" If he looked at her, he would see Echo's warm and silly smile. Her ears twitching.

"It's okay to feel like this."She gestured the chilly feeling. "Don't be ashamed of it...I'll wait with Pond until you're done and then you can show me your memories if you like." After dropping his hand, she poked his side playfully. "That's if you are up for it. If not, then just let me know." With that, Echo left the center mural room to join up with Pond as she watered the plants and hippos there. Once again, she tilted her head to see if they copied her; they did.

"Hi Pond..."

***********************​

Renee nuzzled his cheek with her own. "...I think ...it's because of Lydia and me arguing in his soul room. He only wanted a nice visit and it just-" She sighed sadly before shaking her head again to get rid of a thought. Then she leaned back to look at Seifer when he mentioned the time and nodded with a small frown.

"Okay...okay." She pecked him. "I'll be back as soon as I can from talking with Kenren." With that, the couple walked away from the others that are still in James' soul. Renee hugged Seifer when they reached their room before going to where Kenren is at. Chenglei is probably going to be there too.


Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

Lydia was quiet and just rubbed her temple. Renee basically just proved that she doesn't listen to Seifer unless she thinks it's a good idea, but the young witch wasn't going to argue it because that would just make the argument continue and the point of it had completely gotten derailed. She didn't even want to try and figure out why Renee brought all of that up when it really had nothing to do with what she had just said so she made no response to any of it except for the last bit, "we don't need to worry about the original Nameless One right now, so let's not talk about it until after the war, like James said."

This was when she looked at James and saw the annoyed look on his face, leaning back from him slightly, her brow furrowing as her hand lowered from her temple, her fingers curling as he withdrew his hand from her shoulder. To the sudden change in atmosphere and temperature made her realize that they had messed up, and in her mind she couldn't help but blame Seifer, he seemed to be a ruiner as far as she was concerned and she narrowed her eyes on him before she turned back to James to reach for his hand, though she was a few seconds too late as Renee hugged him.

Her eyes followed Renee as she departed with Seifer before her hand reached for James, again her action stopping as he began to address Echo, one of her hands still held the branding iron and she held the wrist of that hand with her free hand, looking down at the unfinished mural, her lips pulled between her teeth in a line as she bit down on them gently. It was definitely awkward. She felt like she should follow after Seifer and Renee but she really didn't want to, not until she cooled off some because she still felt irritated and she definitely didn't want to discuss anything with Seifer present. On the other hand, James' mood had shifted drastically and she didn't feel as welcomed as she had before.

Echo helped out with that a little bit as she said she'd like to see the memories but would wait until James was finished and playfully poked him before departing, she couldn't help but quirk a slight smile and raise her head to look after the fawn, she would have to thank her for the gesture later. He gaze than drifted to James, the branding iron she had been holding dissipating into a stream of black smoke before it was gone as she approached him tentatively.

"U-um... J-James... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to..." she sighed, "I just... Renee sometimes... well... I'm sorry."

Zer0 Katsuya

 

[Zer0]

- Command Center -
" Mill Fort, Bourgeaus "​

"Aren't you going to wait for Lydia?" called Seifer afterwards, remembering the conversation earlier, but Renee had already gone. He just shrugged, then went to the direction of the tents to pack up.

When Renee arrived at the command center, the door was flanked by two of Chenglei's men, one of whom was that soldier they had saved over at the Storm Wall and who had led that search for Kenren when he disappeared. This soldier smiled at Renee like an old friend, and quietly let her in.

The moment she entered she'd see no one was there, but she'd hear scuffling somewhere behind a desk stacked high with papers and old reports. "So, you can peck my cheek, but I can't kiss you?" came Kenren's voice from somewhere below. "What happened to our rules? You know how wound up I am from not being together with you for the last three weeks, five days, six hours, and twenty-eight minutes, Chenglei."

Katsuya

- James Pendragon -
" Soul Room "​

James hand flinched when Echo held it, and he glanced at Lydia worriedly for a moment, but he didn't draw away. "Alright, thanks, Echo --- heh." he chuckled, jerking to the side when the fawn poked a tickle spot.

He was aware that he and Lydia were alone now and felt awkward too. When she came close and spoke, he listened to her, then just rubbed the back of his neck again. "I understand. I was just annoyed you gave me that pointed look, Lydia, like you were annoyed I didn't get which bad guy you two were talking about. I thought you were angry at me too when I didn't do anything. Made me mad, 'cause I thought it'd be sour between us for the next few days and I didn't want that with all the battling we'll be doing, . . . 'cause you're my comfort."

That last sentence made him think a bit. Maybe he shouldn't be so dependent on Lydia, sure there was no place better than her arms, but this sounded like they weren't allowed to have an argument or something, like they should always be alright, which doesn't feel healthy and feels like a burden instead of a free supportive relationship.

Yeah, he was too dependent on her that losing her as his main comfort made him mad. So he added quickly, "Not that you should be, I mean, you don't have to be, Lydia. I was just looking forward to have a nice time with you --- but we don't have to have that all the time." he started to go off topic. "Arguments are okay . . . Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, it's not your fault."

Roleplay Skittle

 

[Katsuya]

Renee heard what Seifer said but continued on as she wanted a bit of time on her own. Her wings are puffy and fluttering in agitation again the more she pondered about Lydia and her reaction to the whole argument. So the Pendragon teen took a deep breathe and muttered what calmed her down over and over again until she saw the soldiers that's guarding the door.

Her wings fluttered happily as she smiled back at the soldier as he opened the door to let her in. When they closed the door behind her, Renee froze as she hears something from behind the desk...

Then she pinched the bridge of her nose as she hears Chenglei's grunt.

"Whenevah ya kiss meh, it's not a kiss anymore. It's goin' tuh da moon an' we nevah return!" Chenglei grunted again as Renee can see his fingertips peeking from behind the desk, almost like he was waving for something. "Besides! I only wanted a peck! A peck! Nothin' else! I just know ya are goin' tuh do more!"

Zer0

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

And here Lydia had thought that he was just mad about their arguing, she hadn't realized she had upset him with how she looked at him and her eyes widened slightly as she shook her head, now finally taking his hand in both of hers, "oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to... I was just... with Seifer and Renee... I wasn't annoyed with you, I was just annoyed with the conversation continuing as it had," she giggled slightly nervously, cupping the side of his face in one of her hands, now feeling relieved that it had really only been a misunderstanding.

She smiled and nuzzled his jawline before just listening to him intently as he spoke, shaking her head when he was done, "it's okay... I don't mind being your comfort," she smiled warmly to him, "considering the way things are, we all need to get comfort where and when we can, and if yours is me then that's the way it is."

It hadn't really been something she thought about, what her comfort was. She had things that distracted her when she was upset but never really comforted her. Reading, pacing, working, training, those were all things that kept her mind occupied on something so that she wouldn't think about what was bothering her, it was why she had studied so much before everything, before she had even been Master Howl's apprentice. She had gazed off for a moment but now turned her attention back on James and smiled, "you're my comfort too."

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Command Center -
" Mill Fort, Bourgeaus "​

"If you knew that your peck would have me sending us to the moon with no return, Chenglei, why'd you peck me in the first place?" said Kenren, as the desk budged from their struggle, papers falling. " Now just --- let me just, just one kiss --- alright, peck on your cheek too? Fine, I'm lying, I want to go to the moon with you."

Katsuya

- James Pendragon -
"Soul Room "​

"Oh!" said James in understanding, sighing in relief. Now he looked like he was feeling silly. "Sorry for interrupting your debate and getting annoyed." He squeezed Lydia's hand and kissed it, then with the other, hugged her; his soul room was warm again, as though someone opened a window to let in a summer breeze.

He leaned into her hand, and she could feel his cheeks moving as he smiled. "That makes me happy." he said, looking at her, and then touching foreheads. "Lydia, if you want to plan more about what to do with the evil egg, I can catch up with you at Kenren's office after showing Echo my memories with Johnny." he hesitated before adding: "And do you think I'm a big baby for needing you so much that I'd get mad like that if you're not there to make me feel alright?"

Roleplay Skittle

 

[Katsuya]

"H-Heeiii!" Then she heard a gasp from Chenglei. "I knew it! Nah! We can't-! Remember-?!

"...Yes, remember where you two are...right now." Renee deadpanned, however a smirk grew on her face as Chenglei's hand froze in mid-wave and it slowly hid behind the desk.

"...Hi Ren..."

"...You guys are so lucky that I'm the only one who keeps catching you like this..."

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Command Center -
" Mill Fort, Bourgeaus "​

The struggling stopped and Kenren's head quickly popped up from behind the desk, his hair messy and ornaments askew. He looked a little embarrassed. "Me and Chenglei were just . . ." he cleared his throat and got up, offering a hand to the swordsman. "Do you have something to report, Renee?" he straightened Chenglei's clothes before fixing his own, as he resumed his usual princely air.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

Renee's smirk softened into a kindly smile as she watched Kenren popped his head from behind the desk and sighed as her wings relaxed. She quietly chuckled when the Prince tried to explain himself as Chenglei grabbed his hand and pulled himself up.

"It's okay....You just wanted to go to the moon. Nothing wrong with that." She said comfortingly. As Chenglei, oh how red Chenglei's face is with eyes wide from embarrassment, let Kenren fix his clothes while he fixed his hair and ornaments. The soldier tries to compose himself with the usual charming smirk and Renee rolled her eyes playfully at their attempt to not acknowledge what just happened.

Then her smile shrunken a bit from mentioning a report, standing up straight with a dull look in her eyes. "Yes, I do but I prefer when Lydia gets here to explain." She said. Her wings are very still...

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

"Actually... thank you for that," Lydia said as she sighed softly and gave James a squeeze, glad that his mood had improved because she didn't want their visit in his soul room to be sour, "while it was still a debate, it wasn't really addressing anything that was of immediate importance so much as trying to prove a history of character."

Lydia's thumb rubbed James' cheek as he leaned into her hand and she smiled too when she felt his cheek plump from his own smile, nodding her head slightly. Her lips pursed slightly when he mentioned the egg, but she nodded slightly, her forehead rubbing against his, "honestly, I'd rather not... but I know it needs to be done," she leaned back from James then, sliding her hands down his arms to his hands and squeezing them slightly.

Sighing reluctantly as she began to slip away from him, she paused and laughed slightly as he asked if she thought he was a baby and she shook her head, squeezing his hands again reassuringly, "no, I don't think you're a baby for any reason. I know you can take care of yourself when it matters and I don't mind taking care of you when you need me to," she tilted her head to the side slightly, smiling sweetly at him, her eyes squinting just slightly, "besides... I've learned that I can rely on you to take care of me when I need it but I know I can still handle myself when you aren't around."

She squeezed his hand one more time and gave him a quick kiss, "I'll see you at Kenren's," she then departed from the soul room and once on the outside she collected not only her plate and mug, but James' as well and took them to the kitchen before making her way to Kenren's quarters.

Zer0 Katsuya

 

[Zer0]

- James Pendragon -
"Soul Room "​

"I like being taken care of by you." smiled James at Lydia fondly, closing his eyes lazily as he enjoyed her touches. "Especially, Lydia, when you feed me soup." He had promised not to joke about it, but once more he found himself looking forward to her care if ever he got sick or hurt.

He met her quick kiss with a, "Mwa", from his lips. "See you, my girlfries!" he called after her, grinning.

Feeling reassured, he made his way to where Echo was at the hippo garden with pond. The little planted things were mimicking her, and wiggled their little round ears whenever she did.

"Hey, Echo!" greeted James, bouncing on his heels. "Enjoying the sillyness of these little guys? They're my sense of humor."

Katsuya

- Command Center -
" Mill Fort, Bourgeaus "​

Kenren looked curiously at Renee, wondering if this was serious, but just nodded. "Alright then, take a seat." he bent to collect his fallen papers, then rearranged them back on his desk.

When Lydia arrived, she'd find the prince looking at a war map behind his desk and all the strings and differently collored pins that showed the position of the allied troops all around the different war zones.

Katsuya Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- Outskirts of Paroosia -
" Six Weeks Later "​

As James showed Echo his memories with Johnny, it was sort of strange and funny to see the two in the same room with their own friends oblivious of the other, passing each other in the hallways as strangers, not knowing that in the future they'd be together.

Johnny was a country bumpkin on his first year in the academy, taking off his shoes whenever he'd enter a classroom, and was like a curious sponge talking to everyone (except girls, he shied away from them) and listening intently to their magical experiences. They really found his clothes odd, and his allergy to girls funny, but he was a joker and interesting to be with, especially when he marveled at things common in the city: such as people always seeming to be in a hurry and how if you lost something like a ram, you cannot bother your busy neighbors to help you look for it unless you are friends. ("We asked him: you brought a ram from home?" said James. "And then he said: no I lost my Butters. And that's how we learned he had a guardian spirit already.") Johnny was so surprised to learn too that most of his classmates had never bled dry, skin, and then cut up a goat or a pig for a feast before, nor did they know how to make a fire using a bow drill.

"I learned how to make fire and catch, then cut up rabbits and a pig from him." James was telling Echo. "We were helping him prepare food for the academy holiday party and we were so freaked out when we had to remove the hairs from the pig --- just scraping it off with hot water and a knife. And then we didn't want to kill it because it was squealing so loud and we felt so sorry for it. But of course we had to kill it to make the food. "

After that, James caught up to Lydia in Kenren's office where they formulated a plan to use Draco's essence to transfigure the egg. This altered the prince's plans where he marked a spot in a map where their enemy was mining manna stones. They're going to have to capture it if they were going to make a powerful net like that.

That day, they won back land from their foes through Chenglei's leadership and were able to repair the railways after a few days. The now used the train that brought Lydia to Kingsbury and so often brought Echo to school to ferry supplies back and forth their fortresses and outposts, but they couldn't make it to Paroosia in five days.

As the war waged on, James got shot by an enemy sniper and fell from a tall tree when he was out scouting. He pretended to be dead for one whole afternoon, baking under the sun, before crawling away at night back to camp. The snipers became the greatest threat to the allies, so much that soldiers stopped greeting officers with salutes and the heroes had to wear disguises. That sniper had James out of commission for one week. Apart from the gunshot wound that messed with his hip, there was something in the bullet, some sort of poison that kept him deaf and unbalanced whenever he tied to walk and he could only hear through his bees.

Then the portal opened and the giants came. They changed the war. They were all for the Nameless One's side and the conquering of this realm, and they matched the might of the dragons from the Storm Wall fist for tooth.

James got worse when he fought despite being injured, because Johnny had been captured and he stubbornly went to help get him back. The wound reopened and became infected and he was sick for another two weeks, thankfully the deafness was cured. He was afraid he would be deaf forever.

As for Johnny, he had kept all of Echo's letters, writing to her before how her kiss marks always made him smile and remember the last two weeks they spent at the Storm Wall. He did swell in battle, helping Lydia and Echo in garnering allies from the enemy ranks to their side.

It was during a siege in a mountain pass that his company was ambushed and he was captured. It haunted him after he escaped, and he swore never to be captured again and fought heroically. When the portal opened and giants started pouring out, he fought like a battle god in his dragon form. A fluffy dragon surrounded by water and ice elementals, that would breathe frost on his wet foes, freezing giants and shattering them into shards. He was really affected when James got hurt really bad and was so protective of him.

Kenren was doing fine, until an ambush got him. An ambush from his home country of all things. He called for Chenglei immediately, as he thought he was going to die again and he wanted to tell him how he felt about him, never thanking him enough for all he's done, and feeling proud and happy he's been his closest friend and love all these years.

When he got better, he didn't get embarrassed from his speech the night before and told Chenglei that he can now peck or kiss him if he ever wanted to and the prince wouldn't try to go to the moon with him. Because of his injuries he couldn't command his armies for many weeks, and so they were all led by Chenglei. The prince had also promoted Lydia, and Echo to higher ranks, giving them a battalion each under their leadership.

As for Seifer it went really bad for him on the get go. He hadn't been exposed to battles recently and this sudden foray got him injured as bad as James. Well, at least they were spending time together in the infirmary for a week. Then he got injured again, and was like, "Hey, James, I'm back." and they ended up spending time together some more for another week. When he recovered, he was more careful and wasn't such a show off anymore.

It took them six weeks of hard fighting to finally arrive at Paroosia, in the middle of the third month of autumn. The dragons bulldozed their way through their enemy's territory and now they stood at the outskirts of where it all had started almost a year ago.

Katsuya Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

During the discussion with Kenren, Lydia tried to stay as on topic as she possibly could. There was no sense in diverting from talking about the possibilities of handling the egg especially at this juncture in the war. Once it was decided that the would be using arcane rope to tie weighted seals out of manna stone together so that they could launch the seals from cannons in case the egg had hatched by the time they made their way to it, Lydia immediately set to work.

Drawing a 2d image was much simpler than a 3d model and Lydia had to work out maintaining the appearance of the seal they would use outside of the fact that she had to actually create the seal which really only required alterations to be made to the one they had created for destroying Valdanr. There was no time like the present and they didn't have much time in any case so whenever she had a free moment, she was hard at work creating the perfect design for the task.

So the plan was that they would capture the Nameless One's egg or the hatched 'prince' by using the seals to render him virtually powerless. After they were sure he was secure and there wasn't a danger to the surrounding lands, they would call on the essence of Draco to steal the power of the egg and once they were sure all of the egg's power was gone they would destroy it because even if it was powerless, its existence could still prove detrimental to the survivors of this war. What they would do with the newly powered essence of Draco once everything was taken care of had yet to be determined fully, but they would worry about that when the time came, much like they would worry about the Nameless One and his servants after the war had ended.

It wasn't just the need to defeat this enemy that sought nothing but ruin, but also a certain patriotism that fueled Lydia during the following weeks as they fought towards Paroosia. Sure, she was fighting with the entire world in mind, but she was also fighting for her homeland, for her family, and for everything that Valdanr had destroyed in the service of the Nameless One's spawn. However, she did want to limit the bloodshed and so before each battle she would use the ability granted her through the awakening she experienced on the other side of the Storm Wall and command every troop that could feel her and would bend to her will to stop what they were doing so that they could be addressed with the same courtesy and similar offer that had been given to the goblins, each collection of allies they gathered would be addressed by those that had joined them previously so that each time they would know that there was no dishonesty. Those that would not be swayed were treated with no leniency because the whole war was literally about life and death; would the world survive or would it perish?

Lydia had grown accustomed to James not always being near. She knew it was necessary and that was what comforted her; knowing that all of their efforts now, all of the time they spent apart, all of the fighting that they did - it was all leading up to them being able to be together always and in peace. What they did now was building the future. Of course this didn't stop her from being distressed at his absence and it was only by the fact that she had her work cut out for her with the seals that her mind was kept preoccupied, working with their friends, blacksmiths, and other witches and wizards in order to perfect what they hoped would not only save the present, but also the future.

When James returned finally after having been shot, Lydia's distress was evident. Her voice wavered when she spoke and her hands trembled as she tended to him, and she tended to him as often as she was able, granting his wish of being cared for by her while he was sick. She communicated to him with runes like they had when in Leviathan's stomach, though she had been working on learning Morse Code since he and his siblings knew it and it was much more useful for communicating in combat situations so every now and then she would insert a word or two in their dialogues just for practice while he was still without his hearing.

Because of the worry of the snipers, Lydia had opted to disguise herself by using the hair growth serum that seemed to be a frequently used accessory in their group to grow herself a beard, dying it and the rest of her hair red which went well with her green eyes. It was much easier to move about without worry in such an adequate disguise and this change in physical appearance was accompanied by always wearing a soldier's uniform and she had set aside her hammer for the time being in favor of a ball mace much like her original. Whenever James was resting and she wasn't working on the seals, she spent her time looking for snipers with other soldiers, blinding them long enough for their own snipers to take them out.

When the giants came through the portals, it seemed like there had been a tilt in the balance of the war, leaning towards the black army's side because these colossal beings of destruction were not to be swayed to their side so all they could do was fight and she was grateful for the dragons that had journeyed with them from the other side of the Storm Wall. It made it all the more frustrating to her that they hadn't made it before the portals opened and stopped it from happening because now they had this new adversary to contend with.

Lydia couldn't blame James for wanting to do everything he could to rescue Johnny when he was captured and while she didn't want him to over exert himself since he had just recovered from being shot, she new she wouldn't be able to stop him. Johnny was his best friend and they had been friends since before she even knew either of them so all she could do was support James as best she could, plus she owed it to Echo to make sure that Johnny was successfully rescued, not to mention that he was also her friend and like the others they had already lost and had yet to get back, she didn't want to leave him either and the fire that fueled her then was one that wanted to make sure they didn't lose anyone else, especially since they didn't know the circumstances that Seth, Sen, and Serena were under at that moment.

When James worsened his condition, Lydia was there to help him still, she had already completed the adjustments to the destruction seal for Valdanr in order to ward the Nameless One's egg, the 2d model done and she had already begun work on the 3d one, working with the blacksmiths to make sure that the design would be sturdy enough to be launched out of a cannon if necessary. She took any free time to take care of James because she wanted to be sure he was well, they needed his abilities for the coming fights.

By default, Lydia spent a lot of time around Seifer once he was injured because she was in the infirmary often with James. Mostly she just stayed quiet, not wanting to rile up either of the recovering patients considering the situation was still stressful and the last time she had really spoken with Seifer or Renee for that matter outside of planning hadn't really been that delicate. It was a strange thing sitting in the room with someone that might eventually be her in-law, which was a strange thought considering it was Seifer, not to mention the fact that one of them had seen the other in a state of undress, the whole memory was still unnerving to Lydia as much as she tried not to let it bother her, when she had handled Seifer's toilette, she had kept her eyes closed, she did take care of him like she said she would but that didn't mean she wanted to tarnish herself.

Zer0 Katsuya

 

[Zer0]

- Outskirts of Paroosia -
" Alliance Camp "​

James was very happy Lydia took care of him. He bracingly told her that his injuries weren't life threatening and that the doctors say he will be alright after a hip surgery. He told her when she first came to the infirmary that he took it all back when he said he wanted to get hurt. He didn't know what he was talking about. Not like this, not becoming useless and not being able to help, feeling like if he was there in the field less people would have died, not hearing the way Lydia's voice wavered and feeling how her hands trembled.

He became chipper every time she came to feed him soup, and greeted her with a big hug every time she visited, thanking her for taking care of him even though she was very busy, and invited her to come rest with him. Sometimes he was peacefully quiet as he stroked her hair or rubbed her back, other times he would talk about light things, such as how he got to know a fellow patient who told him about how their bread at home was hard, so their tables had hot plates that softened the bread.

When she got that beard he wouldn't stop laughing every time they got romantic, "Honestly, Lydia, you make me forget about all the bad things without even trying."; Seifer commented that James looked like he was hugging his short hillbilly boyfriend, which earned him a clonk to the head from a flying bedpan.

The archer was shocked when Lydia took care of him too and was sort of . . . moved. He at least stopped teasing her whenever she came by, and mumbled a grudging: "Thank you for, you know . . . passing me water and . . . everything."

One thing he and Seifer had in common during their time in the infirmary was worrying about Renee and the rest of their friends, and they were always anxious for news every time their friends went out on missions. Lydia was smart, careful, and hard-working so James didn't worry about her getting injures as much as getting sick from being overworked or note getting enough sleep, Seifer on the other hand worried that Renee might take care of others first before taking care of herself even though she'd need the care the most and overwork herself even though she needs the rest.

Because James couldn't walk without losing his balance, and the healers and doctors were always busy and spread thin with the never ending stream of patients, Seifer would help him to the bathroom and pass him the sponge whenever he needed a sponge bath. These simple gestures actually made them friends again, and James would write his letters for him to Renee since it was the archer's good arm that had been hurt bad.

When they were finally cured of their ailments, James took Lydia's advice and wore a disguise. His composed of gloves, an ordinary lightly armored uniform, military haircut, and a short beard. He now included beard kiss to the classifications of the kisses he shared with Lydia. They now had twelve! Scent inhale kiss, fart kiss, beard kiss, kiss rain, sweet kiss, happy smooch, plunger smooch, steamy snogging, quick pecks, glued-to-forehead kiss, I'm-fond-of-you kiss, and chin nibble! The last one he did when Lydia was sleeping. He held his breath as his nose hovered an inch above her cheek, then he promptly descended and nibbled it like a chipmunk.

Seifer's disguise was a bandit hat and hood. He was dismayed at the wrecking of his hairstyle and refused to dye his beloved white hair; Johnny who didn't want to lose his sheep horns took to wearing a hood and none of his jester face paint. He dyed his hair black again and didn't ride Butters to battle anymore as the ram was well known.

He was thankful to Lydia and everyone who rescued him, and vowed to protect them in turn. James didn't realize how seriously he took his promise until he gave his all during their skirmishes with their new foes the giants, fully supporting Lydia and emulating her by roaring for his foes' to surrender else he attack.

As a thank you, Johnny had gifted her with a journal cover enchanted to have a high resistance against flames and water, that also came with a floating quill she could call to her, and ink that was invisible except to the ones she wants her words read. Those who can read would be able to see the letters in glowing gold in the dark.

Katsuya Roleplay Skittle

 

[Katsuya]

Renee was mostly seen in the infirmary, tending to others as long as she can with Mica on her shoulders. She made pastes for aliments, antidotes, bandages, medicine for fevers and colds, food for those who are hungry and needed a good meal for their sensitive stomachs. She even made sure that they had a sponge bath even when there was too many soldiers and dragons to care for. Sometimes, she stayed up on nights to make sure every patient is well cared for and if they weren't, she would make sure that they are now. She even learned how to sew open flesh wounds from watching a doctor and did the same for others whenever her magic depleted from healing so much. If the soldiers lost a limb, she knock them out with a soothing herb that has chloroform in it and then numb the area to perform surgery. Whenever she heard someone muttering about the horrors they have seen, Renee would do her best to calm them down by listening and talking back just as quietly. Letting them know that their families will be looking forward to seeing them again and they would be proud, encouraging the beaten down soldiers with moral support. They can even tasted it in the food she gives them too.

Whenever she was sent out to fight, she wouldn't waste her magic unless it's for shields or a quick healing session on the battlefield; just her bow and arrows. She saved her magic for the patients back in the infirmary. There were times that she wanted to go in and save someone, but two familiar voices ringed in her head and she backed off, believing that they will be fine as along they played dead and tried their best to stay alive until help arrived. When she came back, Renee would ignore her own injuries to help the ones who are worst off then her; bullet holes and arrows sticking out of her sensitive wings were the worst ones as migraines pounded her head, dizzy on her feet while she wobbled around to pass the bandages. A few medi-witches actually had to pin her down to cut the arrow heads and pull it out just to bandage them while she cried out in agony. Then Renee continued to help despite needing rest. They were underhanded with medical staff as it is; she can still walk around to pass items they needed at least.

When James and Seifer came in, Renee was the first to help them. She thought the reason why James went deaf was because of the bullet being coated with a poison or was cursed to cause whomever it hits. Whenever she talked with James, it was with morose code. She even taught Lydia more words so she can talk with him too while understanding what he was saying back. The Pendragon sister even researched on what sort of poisons did her brother come in contact with just to create an antidote for it. With Seifer, she made him a sling to put his bandaged arms in and healed him with her kiss healing spell before heading off to another patient. She'd come back to check on them and leave another kiss on his arms and chest where his heart is gently before leaving again.

Renee was so happy to see Lydia there for James and helping Seifer when she could not (even though all she wanted was to care for Seifer and James all day, but she can't with this many patients). So as thanks to the tiny witch, Renee would come up to her each day she visited, tap her shoulder lightly and pass her a tray with some of their favorite foods and drinks for all three of them with a little note saying 'For your break. Eat and drink. I'll come back to get the tray later so you can have your space back.' It's her way of reminding Lydia that she needed to take breaks while still supporting her work on the net designs. While she wasn't comfortable with talking to Lydia after planning with Kenren and James, Renee didn't want Lydia to think that she was avoiding her either. She just didn't know what to say to the little witch anymore as she just wasn't comfortable enough to do so. She was too busy to even talk with anybody, but she kept her ears open to listen in.

When the news of Johnny being captured by the enemy was heard and James, Lydia, and Minnie left to recover him, Renee wrote to Echo about what was happening. The fawn was out battling with Chenglei to have more leeway to Paroosia, so she couldn't leave her post to help the group even when she wanted to.

When James returned, with more wounds and reopened some but somehow he can hear again, she didn't scold him (she did glare at the blasted reopened wound however); Instead she just lightly patted his shoulder and told him to smell the knock-out herbal ball so she can sew his wounds closed again with bandages over the stitching. Renee, once again, depleted her manna for healing others that day. When he woke up, she smiled, kissed his forehead comfortingly, and left without a word.

For Johnny, she gave him Echo's most recent letters that's signed for him, giving her comfort and worries over Johnny's well being while telling him of her days out in the field. It always ended on a positive note with either her campy dad jokes or a strange funny thing she did to the enemy, a very familiar kiss marked at the corner of each page. When she came back from the battle with Chenglei, the first thing she did was hug Johnny tightly and tell him 'Love you' so many times in his ears while pecking his face all over. The fawn admitted quietly that she forced herself to keep fighting for his sake as he was part of her motivation. The other part is her father that she hoped to see soon at Paroosia. She thanked everyone who saved Johnny, hugging each one gently and nuzzling Lydia's head.

Minnie asked Echo if she can pass a hug to Johnny as she was really worried for the sheep-man; he knew about her fear of being touched and while she withstood hugging Echo for a few seconds, the little gunner flinched back, trembling as she ran off to be alone in the shadows. Once again, she left to the field and tried to look for Seth, Sen, and Serena without a second thought.

Talking about letters, Renee was surprised to see letters from Seifer with James' handwriting while she was out in the field. It warmed her tired heart dearly. It was a better reminder then a silly mantra of coming back safe and sound. She wrote back with drawings of funny pictures like Seifer giving a thumbs up or Hisaya as a golem dressed up by Serena in the most flamboyant costume ever or one of her brothers in a funny costume like pineapples and bananas and an apple. Sometimes she'd find a flower and pressed them to send it with the letters too.

Mica kept Seifer company while she was out and he was in the infirmary, letting him do whatever he wants with his fur as he slept or kept him warm. Whenever he was out to fight, Mica would keep James warm by curling around his neck too. He'd grumble a response whenever Lydia started to mutter about work like he was answering back, but his deadpanned stare is screaming 'Go eat something, you silly human that smells like that rude bird!' It seems that Renee must have asked Mica to remind her to have breaks too. Sometimes he would glare and he would run off to tug on the medical staff's cloaks to point out the mistakes as if he wanted them do it over again. Then he'd return to his spot on Seifer or James' bed with a watchful eye on the patients.

Renee would visit Kenren, often wanting to check on his prosthetic and wounds while he healed. There were a few days that she found Chenglei in his room. A rare sight really as he was too busy making the plans for the war and leading the men to battle each time. He was a careful leader, cautious and cunning when given the chance. Pretty crafty too as he preferred to set traps on the enemies when they least expect it like the prankster that he is. It's such a contrast to the always happy and smiling man, looking so grim and serious...unless he was with Kenren. On those days, he would unwind and just cuddle with the Prince, like he needed to energize first before leaving to war again. So Renee would just leave directions for Chenglei on how to tend to Kenren's wounds with the medicine and left the room quietly; before Chenglei can thank her for bringing his reports from his office too. Renee can tell that the blonde soldier was extremely worried and protective of the prince with the way he lovingly wrapped his new bandages and tensing up with a cold glare at the person who would dare come in. A hand right on the handle of his sword and ready to strike.

While running herself ragged and having a bad sleeping pattern, Renee had developed an odd habit...or more like the odd habit she had before came back up again whenever James and Seifer wasn't around. Her anxious habit of looking somewhere to sleep.

Lydia once found her sleeping under the desk she was using to design the net and she slid out of there, saying 'Morfin' Lydna. Oh...you don't hafe cookies in your glasses. That's good'. Another was in the archery practice range where Seifer, who came back from a winning battle, might have found her sleeping in the small square closet that the archers used to put away the targets. The oddest one had to be when Echo found her sleeping in the gardens, hidden under the tomato bushes and she spooked her by rising up like the un-dead and groaning like one.

Even with Minnie mentioned the odd habit to her, Renee honestly didn't know why she does that or how to stop it. So she grabbed a shirt of Seifer's or a book that James read before, thinking it might work with just the items that belonged to them nearby; but it didn't work as well she noted as she woke up in the kitchen cabinet.

She didn't ask Echo or Minnie if she could sleep with them because she's pretty sure that Echo would want to stay alone, together with Johnny and Minnie...just wants to be alone. She didn't want to ask Lydia either because she knew she wasn't comfortable around the tiny witch; even when she supported her with convincing some of the enemies joining their side. Just like how Johnny changed into a dragon, she changed into a giant griffin and stared ominously at the enemies who would try to attack the witch and her best friend before blocking them with her wings and sending them back with a strong gust of winds.

So Renee just quietly accepted her odd habit and waited to see where she will sleep next whenever her brother and boyfriend is out in the field. On the days, she knows they are nearby, she slept on a chair in the infirmary or snuggled next to Seifer like she usually would.

As for the disguises, Renee let her hair grow out and untamed like a wavy lion's mane, covering her wings while dyed in a dark brown (yes, her wings included). The dark color highlighted her tired orange eyes and the bags under them. She tended to use her hair as a beard that grew out and around her face like an old fashioned miner. The Pendragon sister asked Seifer if she can cut his hair in a certain way that she thinks he might like; so it can be shorter but he can still stylize it whenever.

Echo wore shoes, making her limp like she has a detrimental injury in her hip with baggy pants that itched. She dyed her hair, ears and tail black while cutting her antlers off again and having a fuzzy mustache and goatee. She'd wear a hat too.

Minnie only wore her helmet and long sleeves to cover her arms at all times unless she needed to fight while her hair was dyed autumn red, highlighting her teal blue eyes. Sometimes she would wear ram horns on her head too as a headband without her helmet.

Chenglei's disguise is more feminine; wearing woman's clothing that fit his tall stature and dying his now long golden locks into a cascade of black. It's always nice to scare the enemy with this surprising tactic. It helped that he was alluring too.

Spoiler: Idea of what Seifer's haircut can be

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- Outskirts of Paroosia -
" Alliance Camp "​

Seifer was upset that Renee was running herself ragged and scolded her, saying that she was going to get sick and her injuries will worsen if she keeps on moving. "Stop, sit down there and let the doctors remove the arrows and bandage you up." he pointed his good arm at a spare bed.

He looked at her sternly, a hand on his hip as he lay here on his cot. "Baby, you're wobbling. because. of. loss. of blood. and bullet holes on your wings. You're important too, so it's okay to take care of yourself, and let the others do the rest. Trust them."

Whenever she came by to kiss or check on him and he saw that she was running herself ragged again, he'd wrap an arm around her and tell her very seriously to stay and rest with him, and to stop being so stubborn to the point of hurting herself; James was worried about his sister too, but he had promised that he would let her do whatever she thought was best, and so he helped her by asking some soldiers to put a table and cauldron by his bedside where he made healing potions whenever he wasn't resting; Frey also went back and forth for Renee, getting her items she needed by letting her tack a list to his saddle, which those handling their supplies read to know which ingredients to put in his saddle.

Though, when James heard about her sleeping in odd places (which made him chuckle), he couldn't help but tell her one day, "Renee, everyone is so grateful that you're giving your all for us, but it won't do anyone any good if the only person who can cast Aqua Curare ends up getting sick because of overworking and not sleeping properly." he said gently. "You deserve a break. And if you don't have a place to sleep, you can sleep on my bed, okay?" he rubbed her shoulder.

The archer and her older brother liked receiving her letters and all the funny drawings. Whoever got the letter would read it aloud and show the other her sketches, though James would always hand the pressed flowers to Seifer, who kept it. The archer agreed with Renee cutting his hair shorter, her hands he trusted and soon he was sporting a new easier-to-hide, yet fashionable 'do.

Johnny yelled, "Echo Mello!" happily when he was finally reunited with his love and was positively melting when she said, 'Love you' so many times and pecked his face. "I love you too, I miss you, Echo." he snuggled into her arms. He hugged her tight every night and didn't let go. They had been apart for almost a month, and then apart for another few weeks when he got captured. He had this habit now of kissing the back of her neck while he held her and not removing his lips until she fell asleep. He told her all about what happened in Dalaran with Minnie, and his time being captured, which relieved him when he finally let his feelings out.

Meanwhile Kenren was adapting to just unwinding, being injured and not able to do much. He was restless at first, but having Chenglei around helped him learn how to slow down. For the first time their roles were reversed, the swordsman was now the very busy one. He wondered if this was what it felt like, mostly seeing the back of your lover as he leaves to manage an army. It made him wonder if he ever made Chenglei feel lonely even though they were together.

Because if this epiphany, Kenren started paying more attention to him, talking to him more, asking him how his day went and if he wanted a massage. ("We won't go to the moon, I promise.") He wrapped him in his arms and practiced not thinking about the war, just his protective purring dragon whose chest he rested on, and his beating heart. He started to talk to him about the different kinds of horses their army had, and about the book he was currently reading. Lydia and James had many books, so he mostly borrowed theirs. His penmanship was back to normal now too and he showed Chenglei the forms he can make now playing Cat's Cradle.

It did bother him a little that Chenglei's disguise was a woman, for one thing, he made an attractive woman and he could see that some of his soldiers were becoming flustered and soft-spoken around him. And he even heard of rumors of guys flirting with him, entirely fooled by his disguise. "Could you just . . . grow a beard?" The prince said to him one day, doing his utmost to keep his jealousy out of his voice.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

Renee froze when Seifer scolded her while struggling against the Medi-witches, her orange eyes lingered in his grey ones in a stubborn glare. Then after a few tense seconds of what they guessed she will do (the medi-witches held their breathe as she looked like she was about to struggle again out of spite), she softened her gaze and she relaxed; asking meekly at the medi-witch in front of her "Please take the arrows out of my wings?" and bringing the entire medical staff out of their shock. What amazed them even more is how she didn't even struggle against Seifer when he wrapped his arm around her. She just froze looking like she wanted to complain again only to nod quietly and rested next to him in his cot with a sigh of relief.

When she woke up, Renee tilted her head curiously when she saw James working on something by his bedside. After promising that she won't run around again to Seifer, she sat next to James and watched him...making potions. Her eyes widened and looked at James for a few seconds before leaning on him, nuzzling his upper arm with her cheek. It surprised her even more when Frey came by with a saddle, asking James why he was doing that before staying silent when she heard why. So after a few awkward moments of her staring at James, Renee wrote down all the supplies needed and tacked it on his saddle for the soldiers who handled them. She brought thin apple slices, wheat, and hay for Frey when he returned as thanks for his hard work.

The last stubborn straw for her was when James told her about his worry and letting her stay in his bed; Renee couldn't blink back the tears. She didn't make a sound other then sniffling as she hugged her brother tightly. "O-Okay..." She whimpered, wiping her tears away as quickly as she could. The reason why she wanted to give her all to the point where she doesn't care for herself was because she felt like she owe it to them; all of them. For all the trouble she put them through, so she wanted to support them with ways she knows for sure will work; healing, cooking, and fighting when she was sent out.

After talking with James, she did take small breaks in the weeks, resting when she started to notice her lack of magic again. She even tried to relax by the garden to draw some more. Her odd habit of sleeping in weird places is still happening but at least people can find her now; she's usually sleeping in James' room. Though they have to guess if she's in the closet or under the bed.

Echo absolutely did not let go of Johnny every night either, snuggling with him and tucking him with his blanket that she made. She loved feeling his lips on the back of her neck and she would hum a lullaby for him until she slept. While listening about his time over at Dalaran with Minnie and then his time being captured, the fawn decided to only concentrate on the good parts and gave him a tight hug. "This hug is from Minnie. She said she was worried about you before running off, shaking like a leaf."

Meanwhile Chenglei diligently worked hard on making plans with plans and plans after that as Kenren rested in bed and sleeping; taking his time to make sure everything was in order and keeping everyone in check by visiting or eating with them before battle. It gave the soldier a new point of view of Kenren and it made him wonder if he ever knew when to stop once he started. He knew the answer already; it was a 'no'.

Though when Kenren started to pay more attention to him, he got flustered and a bit amazed. Especially when he said that they wouldn't go to the moon after a massage. The prince always wanted a chance to go to the moon so to say he wouldn't...it was strange but comforting in a way. Chenglei, when he got too stressed out and his scales showed up, purred as he cuddled with Kenren, listening about the different horses in the army and the book he was reading. Then the blonde talked about his day, making sure he didn't stressed him out. It's a relief for him to finally talk his feelings out too. The blonde smiled proudly when he saw Kenren's penmanship and the new forms for the Cat's cradle.

One day, Chenglei looked back at Kenren with a raised eyebrow as he was putting his long hair in a bun. "Hm?...but...then my disguise wouldn't work as much."

Zer0