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

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Master Warship-
​

The young witch flinched slightly to the tone that Serena used and she sighed slightly as she relaxed. She knew why that tone was used and it made her feel miserable that she was the cause of it. She didn't even know where to start at this point. It hadn't gone through her head what she should say to Serena when she confronted her, just that she needed to talk to her.

She slid in through the open door with her back to the wall, closing it after she was inside. She wanted to be as honest as she could be, "Serena..." her hands clasped in front of her as her fingers fidgeted, the gaze of her green eyes shifting to watch them, while at the same time not watching them at all, "Serena... I... I know what you must think..." it was almost like she kept saying Serena's name as though that were some sort of buffer for what was bound to happen during their interaction, but she remained firm in her decision to talk to Serena despite the shakiness in her voice, "I know you like James... I like him too... it's hard not to..."

She chuckled somewhat timidly before clearing her throat slightly and urging herself not to act so foolish when this was more serious than she would have liked, "I don't know what his feelings are though... and if you think he likes me... well I can't say he does..." she shrugged her shoulders slightly and risked a glance at Serena, "I was only with him because we were hiding from Chenglei."

As she continued to speak, her voice evened out a little. She wasn't using a challenging tone, but she was speaking with a bit more courage than she previously had, "when you... when you saw us... I had just accidentally told him..." one of her hands rubbed her arm uncomfortably as she looked away from Serena again, "well I miscast and the spell... I told James you like him."

Lydia then groaned and covered her face as she exclaimed in frustration and deep condolence, "I'm sorry Serena!"

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

Serena didn't react, the only indication that she's listening is the tilt of her head with her ear towards the little witch, however she didn't show her face. Once Lydia was done, the blonde was still quiet...

Then...she let out a snort...her giggles turned into laughs as she covered her eyes with one of her hands. Her shoulders moved as her harsh barks of ironic laughter continued before quieting down and looked over at the little witch. An obvious fake smile is on her face, masking how she really felt...or more like...she could no longer express how she really felt anymore and couldn't tell anyone for help. Not when she couldn't play the abandoned violin anymore.

The blonde finally moved, walking over to Lydia and stopped in front of her within arm's length. "Really? You're sorry? It doesn't matter anymore, Lydia."

"Even when you told James my secret, even when you tell me you're sorry, it won't change anything." Serena's frosty cold blue eyes looked down at the witch as her fake smile grew. "I don't know how to react to you or him anymore. I don't even know if I should trust you anymore. I don't even know if I even want to believe in anything anybody says to me."

"So forgive me if I find it hard to believe in your words. Actually, no. I don't care if you forgive me or not. I just don't trust anything you tell me..." Was her harsh and cheerful response. She had people come up to her before, tell her their apologies only to break the little bit of trust she had on them. There's no way that she's going to repeat on what happened in her childhood happen again now. No way.

Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Master Warship-
​

Lydia stood there in silent anticipation as she waited for Serena to respond. When she finally did make a sound, the raven haired teen balked slightly to her reaction. She was... laughing? Lydia didn't try to muster a smile. The sound of Serena's laughter was obviously forced and Lydia may not have been particularly used to socialization but she had been around people enough that she wasn't totally dense with it came to recognizing an evasive facade. Lydia's assumption was only confirmed when the blonde turned around and displayed the smile that went hand-in-hand with the laughter.

Lydia's green eyes widened in shock, her hands fiddling nervously with the hem of her skirt, she flinched slightly when Serena moved near to her and spoke again, as though her words had physically caused Lydia harm. Her eyes glistened gently as she stared at Serena, listening carefully to everything she said. She knew that this would happen. She had tried to not get involved in whatever semblance of a relationship James and Serena were forming. She had hid her feelings and tried to look at James as a friend.

Now, inadvertently, she had hurt Serena and that had been the last thing she wanted to do. Now, despite the fact that she had been honest and told Serena everything she knew and apologized, she had lost one of the only friends she has ever had. It was hard for her not to start crying then and there. Her fingers gripped the edges of her dress tightly as she tried to stay strong. The last thing she wanted to do right now was start crying. With how Serena was acting, she could only imagine that the formerly cheerful musician would just mock her tears, and that would leave her even more heartbroken than she was already feeling at this whole disaster.

She didn't know what she could say at this point. She didn't feel like she could say anything to make this right because she felt like anything she did say would fall on deaf ears or be callously mocked. All she could do was say it was a misunderstanding and that she was sorry. She still didn't feel like she had done anything wrong except for telling Serena's secret, but it was pretty obvious that it wasn't even seen that way.

Lydia could only nod her head and look to the floor as her hands loosened from her dress. She resignedly turned away and reached for the door.

Jealousy was a wicked beast.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

Serena's fake smile slowly faded away as she watched Lydia's slumped form walk back out the door, her face now impassive but her eyes showed that she's thinking hard.

The little witch didn't even try to fight back unlike the other people in her past who betrayed her trust many times, which is new to the blonde. She wondered if she was right and Lydia just gave up, thinking she's a lost cause of a friend or does Lydia honestly, truly, really...feel terrible for telling her secret and betraying her trust?

After all, the younger teen is like a mouse...Yes, Serena does compare Lydia to a mouse or rabbit or...maybe a very scared cat: a small creature who's scared of going out of bounds and gets nervous in anything strange to them. It's why she couldn't handle Lydia's quiet demeanor at Holt when they believed that Seifer has died. She preferred to have her friend be happy and try challenges with a confidence stance and a grin on her face.

Yet, here she is, backing away from Serena like a sad puppy because of her harsh words...

Releasing a loud and irritated sigh, Serena quickly reached the door before Lydia could leave and slammed it tight, making the room echo loudly. Then she looked over at the witch's green wet eyes with her own cold and suspicious blue ones.

"...Lydia, why don't you fight back?" She asked quietly though now it's more...confused? The tone is softer that's for sure. "Argue. Make your point. Do something to make me think that you really are sorry. Friends fight, so tell me how you really feel." Serena leaned on the closed door, not letting her leave.

"Or else. I'll never really know and I'm going to assume that I'm right about you and everyone else on this ship." What is she doing? Why is she trying to give another chance to the brunette?

Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Master Warship-
​

She had just pulled the door open when Serena reached out and closed it again. Lydia visibly flinched, her eyes squinting shut as though she were preparing to be hit. She actually thought the violinist was going to hit her over this ordeal. When she wasn't struck, she cautiously peeked past the long strands of her bangs towards Serena where she stood looking... confused?

Lydia's eyes widened slightly to Serena's questions and statements and she watched her for a moment before one of her hands moved to collect the tears gathering under one of her eyes as her gaze shifted back to the floor, she thought very carefully about her next words. She didn't want to seem indifferent, like she didn't care about how Serena felt towards her and she didn't want to upset her further. She felt a beam of hope when Serena said that friends fight. if friends fight, that meant she still thought of Lydia as a friend. She didn't outwardly show that hope, however.

After a moment, she looked up from the floor and her mouth opened briefly before closing again as her brow furrowed as she glanced away again before her eyes focused on Serena, "I told you the truth because I consider you my friend," she paused, if only to muster the strength to continue without stammering, "I didn't think that if you didn't believe me the first time, that you would ever believe me no matter how many times I said it."

She glanced away again, "I like James too... but I'd rather keep you both as friends than lose either of you... and that's why I hadn't said anything about it until now, and I really didn't mean to tell him that you liked him... I was trying to open a chest for him and I miscast," she looked down at her hands where they had clutched each other in front of her.

Zer0 Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

Serena's eyes narrowed when she saw Lydia's flinch, feeling even more irritated by how skittish she is as she wiped her tears away. Okay, she's angry but she wasn't going to punch her...

Fine, that's a lie. She wanted to punch her, but she didn't yet, so...good sign, she guessed, knowing her anger problem and it's limits.

The blonde waited as patiently as she could with her anger to let Lydia explain, listening carefully at the words she's using and the tone. Once the little witch finished, Serena sighed again and looked away, now wondering on how she felt this time.

So Lydia does think of them as friends and kept her own feelings at bay when she noticed Serena's feelings for James...wow...The blonde had to wonder why Lydia is so desperate at keeping friends then getting a boyfriend. She's beautiful after all and a guy would be happy to have her as a girlfriend, so doesn't Lydia get compliments at her hometown?

Wait...Lydia barely mentions anything about her hometown, other than being with her mother who sent a letter to Howl Pendragon for an apprenticeship...That sounds very familiar somehow...

That's when Serena's azure blue eyes widened at a certain thought crossed in her mind. Her head snapped back at the brunette witch as she stared intently, looking for all the obvious clues. Desperate to have friends, awkward with strangers, quiet, pensive, rather stays in something she's comfortable with, only has one or two people in her life who believed in her abilities and sends her off to see a mentor who they never met in person before, creates mistakes with her magic as she's still new to them...

Lydia...is like her...when she was much younger, though Lydia would rather avoid conflict and attention while Serena looks for attention and makes conflict...

The blonde hesitated as she thought about what she was about to do, but then shrugs it off and walked over to the younger witch, closing off the space they had in between. Her surprisingly callous hands gently cupped over Lydia's small ones as she tilted her head again. Her face was still apathetic, but her eyes warmed up a bit.

"...Al-alright...I'll believe you...don't know if I should, but I do...but only a little bit-!" Serena quickly remarked, her fingers feeling twitchy as she wants to grab her violin, but resisted. "I'm not very...good...at accepting apologies like that...and it'll take me some time to trust you again, but...I'll trust you..." Then she looked over the small brunette to stare at her violin before looking down at the younger teen.

"Can...can you watch over my violin? I...I don't want to play it and let James know how I feel at the moment...nor do I feel like I deserve to play it after what I did to this room." She's talking about the scorch marks. "So...can you watch it for me? Until I feel like I got my head sorted out?"

That's when the other door of the training room burst open to a falling Renee that 'omph!' on the floor, with a laughing Chenglei leaning on the wall across from the door.

"I told you that you shouldn't lean on the doors, Lady Storm."

The white haired Pendragon glared at the soldier. "Are you calling me fat?!" He quickly waved his hands as a sign of peace. "No, no. Of course not. You're at a perfect weight with your figure, my lady of storms."

"Oh shush!....Hi guys...sorry to bust in?" Renee scratched behind her head, giggling a bit awkwardly as her wings fluttered.

Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Master Warship-
​

Lydia didn't move, nor did she look up from her hands the entire time Serena was silently considering what she had said. She started slightly as Serena's hands touched her own, glancing up to her an a somewhat wary look crossing her face after she noted the contradicting appearances of Serena's own. She just nodded as Serena said she believed her, looking back down at their hands.

She looked back to Serena before glancing back over her own shoulder as the violinist requested she care for the violin and only nodded again, loosening her hands from Serena's as she turned to collect the instrument. She carefully lifted both violin and bow before returning to Serena, "just until you get your head sorted."

She gestured with her head to beckon Serena away from the door before she would go to open it, only to have the door fly open from Renee leaning on it. Lydia's eyes widened in mild horror. Renee had heard all of that? How much had she heard? The young witch grimaced and her face reddened, the color only darkening as she heard Chenglei. She didn't say anything after that, only hurried past the two onlookers and down the hallway to her own chambers where she carefully set the violin and bow down on the table before she scurried under the blankets and curled up into a ball.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

"Ah! Wait! Lydia-!...I was gonna invite her to help with Echo's cake..." Renee muttered, her wings now wilting a bit. She needed help with the measurements of the flour and milk and other ingredients. So she looked for Lydia and followed the servants and guards' directions.

The blonde sighed as she watched the younger Pendragon look out at the now empty hallway. She can feel the headache coming on right now...

"How much did you listening in?"

"Hm? Oh, you mean about how she likes James and sorry for sharing your secret feelings to him? All of it."

And...that is why she can get along with Renee: She's honest and not afraid to admit her faults. Serena shook her head in disbelief, her blue eyes showing her mirth. As she watched the Pendragon sister stand up, the blonde soldier continued to laugh at the silly girl. "Lady Storm, you truly live up to your title: unstoppable no matter what you do and straight forward."

Renee glared at him again. "...I can't tell if you're being a sarcastic dork or you're complimenting now."

"Both...Woah! Now now, Lady Storm. No need to throw rocks at me."

"I know you can dodge them. You'll be fine."

"Um...Do you want to ask Lydia to help with your cake or not?" Serena reminded the arguing pair, watching the tiny wings on her head fluttered in her realization.Orange eyes brightened up.

"Oh right! Let's go." The two blonds followed the tiny teen, one chuckling like an idiot while the other stayed quiet.

***

"Lydia, please open the door. I'm really sorry for listening in, but I didn't want to interrupt you guys until you were done and I could ask for your help." Renee pleaded quietly, knocking on her door lightly for the umpteen time. Serena stayed quiet while Chenglei leaned on the wall, observing how this will play out.

Serena sighed. "Lydia...pumpkin...Renee needs help with Echo's birthday cake. She doesn't know how much she needs to make a...seven foot cake? Why so big?"

"Cake for everyone on the warship." Renee happily answered back, smiling at the questioning blonde violinist.Then she pleaded to the shut door. "Please Lydia...I don't know how much I need and I know you're really good with the measurements."

Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Lydia's Room, Master Warship-
​

Lydia just didn't want to. She didn't want to at all. Anything. Her heart hurt and she couldn't stop it. She remained curled beneath her fluffy covers as she listened to Renee knocking on the door. Her arms hugged her legs against her and she squeezed her eyes shut, but it wasn't as though these actions were going to make the trio outside the door disappear.

Then Renee said she was sorry she listened in and Lydia realized she was acting as the catalyst for yet another misunderstanding and she sighed, reluctantly throwing the covers off of her as she sprawled out on the bed and stared that the ceiling for a moment before finally getting up and going to the door.

"I'm not --" she paused as she threw open the door, eyeing Chenglei. She wasn't sure just how much he knew of what was said in that room and while it didn't bother her so much that Renee had heard, she'd rather not a guy hear what she admitted, nor would she want him to have knowledge of it, "I'm not mad at you for listening in Renee."

Her eyes remained fixed on Chenglei for a moment before they turned to Serena and then rested on Renee and her lips quirked into a brief smile, "well... I have never baked before but I can measure," her tone sounded rather dry, but she was doing her best to put on a brave face.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

Renee's wings flapped joyfully as she hugged Lydia, squeezing her tight. "Oh! Thank you so much, Lydia! I wouldn't know what to do without you." She rubbed her cheek against the witch's, making a very cute picture to see.

Chenglei swooned, his flowery aura spread in the hallway as the petals appeared in the wind. "Yes! This is the most beautiful and warm moment in a girl's life: the tender moment of friendship! Oh, how lucky I am to guard you, lady Storm, for me to see your sweet moments of life!"

Renee glared at him, red dusted her cheeks as she, once again, suffered under the soldier's compliments. "I wish that you left me alone."

"You know, as well as I do, that I cannot leave your side. Prince's orders." Renee could only grumble, her wings puffing up in agitation, which just fueled Chenglei's coo-ing at the two small teens. He poked her fluffed wings gently, making the feathered appendage slap his hand away in protest.

Serena sighed again, shaking her head and stood in between the two arguing parties. "Now, now. We need to make the cake and I doubt Chenglei would help with this."

"Yes, for I do not dare get into territory that I do not understand fully. I will be standing by the kitchen door, however. To keep an eye on all of you."

"Fine...Come on, you two. Time to make Echo's cake and help Johnny's surprise birthday plan." Serena lightly pushed the two girls away from the soldier as she lead them to the kitchen. She let the soldier follow them and made sure he stood by the door and away from the trio.

Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Master Warship-
​

Lydia's big green eyes opened wide as Renee squeezed her, almost like the other small teen was going to make her eyes pop out. All she could do was squint an eye shut and smile slightly. She looked at Chenglei as he went on with his usual nonsense, but she didn't find it particularly funny at the moment and so she just stared at him in disbelief.

She looked to Serena as the blonde stepped between he and Renee and she followed along as Serena led them. Really, Lydia being quiet was no new thing so it wasn't as though she appeared off, even though she definitely felt off. Serena seemed to recover pretty quickly though, so she thought she ought to try. Once they were in the kitchen, Lydia collected measuring cups of varying sizes and waited for more instructions because she didn't know what exactly needed to go into a cake.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

"Okay, so I need to measure the cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, oil, sugar..." Renee listed off the ingredients that was needed to make a Southern Red velvet cake, pre-heating the large oven. Once she was done reciting the recipe, the Pendragon smiled at her friends. She either didn't see Serena's raised eyebrow or she chose to ignore it as she knew it was a long list to measure, even worse when Lydia needed to measure the amount for a seven foot cake.

"Renee...you're insane."

"I have to be with my brothers...Anyways, I'll make sure that the cake's batter taste good and is baked properly."

"Alright...I'll go make the frosting then...You're going to have to tell me how to make that too, Renee."

"Sure! Lydia, pass me up the ingredients I need to make the batter and let me know if it's good or not. I don't want to make it overly sweet or bitter." Renee asked the quiet brunette as she looked for the equipment to make the large cake.

As the girls worked together on baking the cake, Serena sat on the stool as she stirred the white frosting in the large bowl absentmindedly. "Honestly...we're baking after having that...moment at the training grounds...This is weird..." The blonde quietly mumbled to Lydia as she flicked her frosting covered whisk into the bowl.

Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Master Warship, Kitchen-
​

Lydia stood at the ready with all of the measuring cups and spoons in front of her. She shook her head slightly and smiled a moment before she realized that she didn't have her glasses, "Oh... Renee... I forgot my glasses."

She couldn't really measure without them so she left the cups and went to the door, "I'll be right back!"

She whooshed out of the door and past Chenglei, running all the way back to her room, her granny boots clacking loudly as her black dress whipped behind her. On her way back she stumbled, but regained her footing after a moment and looked at Chenglei with embarrassment on her features before she came back into the kitchens with her glasses on her face, breathing heavily, "sorry about that... okay.. um... well..."

She paused a moment as she thought, doing the math in her head, she had to take into account how many people were in the Warship relative to the size that Renee wanted the cake. This was where Lydia was in her element. Working with her mind on something. It generally made her forget whatever was bothering her so she liked doing it, "Cocoa powder...." After a moment, Lydia measured out ten and a half cups of cocoa powder, "here Renee..."

After passing the cocoa powder to Renee, Lydia really set to work and started measuring out the one hundred and forty-one cups of flour Renee would need. Baking was tougher than she thought... at least baking a seven foot cake was. Lydia then wondered if Renee planned on making the cake tall or long and wide. meanwhile she was unintentionally sprinkling white flour all over her black dress.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

Chenglei smiled his princely smile at her, seemingly not bothered by her stumble as Lydia walked back in the kitchen. Oh he didn't know what the girls has said behind those doors, only Renee did and her expressions were really amusing to see. If only the prince knew how interesting the girl is...would he want to mess with her like he does or would he stand still and not know what to do.

He believed more in the latter than the former, considering how their culture is.

"Ah! Thank you Lydia!" Renee grinned before pouring in the cocoa powder to stir with the salt and vinegar. Serena checked to see where the kitchen staff had the pa-"Found them!...Hmm...maybe we should make our own pans?" The blonde suggested as she pulled out an 24 inch cake pan out of the cup boards.

Renee looked over to see the pan before shaking her head, smiling. "It's fine like that. We'll just stack it up. What do you think, Lydia?"

Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Master Warship, Kitchens-
​

Lydia balked slightly amidst her measuring of the flour. She had to keep in mind how many cups she had given Renee, otherwise there would be a huge mess since it was such a large number of cups and it wasn't like they had one gigantic cup to use, "Errrr....."

She went back to measuring the flour without giving much of a response. A seven foot tall cake was just insane, but she didn't want to mess up her measurements with talk about how absurdly tall the cake would be. How would they even secure it and make sure it didn't fall?

Her brow furrowed slightly as she shook her head, handing another cup up to Renee.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

Grinning, Renee took the cup from Lydia and poured it in the bowl. "I'll take that as a yes...What are your favorite cakes? Or sweets? I love strawberry shortcakes." She casually talked as she took another cup from the witch. Serena placed the pan on the table, thinking for a moment.

"...I love Key lime cake..." Serena said as she sat back down to whip up some more frosting. Then she noticed the flour on Lydia's outfit and passed her a napkin. "Here...there's flour on you."

Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Master Warship, Kitchens-
​

"Um...." Lydia took a cup that Renee had already emptied and refilled it as Serena answered before handing it back to Renee and then keeping track on her fingers which number of flour cups she was on, "my favorite is raspberry with lemon cream frosting."

She answered plainly, distractedly and took the cup that Renee had emptied prior to the one she just filled and refilled that one, again pausing after she handed it over to Renee, her fingers held up again to represent what number she was on as she looked to Serena before briefly glancing to her dress and taking the napkin, "thanks," she smiled and dusted the flour off, not that it would really help much because they were only on number forty-seven of their cups of flour so it was likely she would get more on her. Back to work, she picked up another cup and filled it up.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

Serena perked up a bit, her small smile appeared on her face. "That...sounds really good. Have you ever tried molten lava cakes? With ice cream?"

Renee took the cup again to pour it in the bowl and passed it down to Lydia, her wings fluttering and the breeze made the flour float up before settling down. "Hmm...that sounds really good."

Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Master Warship, Kitchen-
​

Lydia nodded, "with fresh fruit on it, it's the best!" She smiled and paused in her motions a moment as she ran out of flour, her brow furrowing as she kept her fingers splayed awkwardly, looking like she didn't know what to do, "erm... hey... uh...Chenglei!"

She waited for him to come into the kitchen before asking, "can you get some more flour, please?" If he was going to hang around, he may as well make himself useful.

After asking she turned to Serena, "that's my eldest brother's favorite... so we've probably had it at everyone of his birthdays," she smiled at the memory and laughed slightly.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

Chenglei peeked over his shoulder when he heard his name being called and walked in. When Lydia asked him to get more flour, the soldier, somehow in some way, made a Camille flower appear and tucked it in her hair. He smiled as glitter shined around his figure.

"Of course! I will be right back to bring more flour for you wonderful ladies." With that, he left.

Serena nodded, her dark blue eyes seemed to brighten up a bit when Lydia mentioned her brother. "Really? He has some good taste then." Her smile grew wider as the tension in her shoulders relaxed as they talked about more cakes.

"Oh! How about chocolate mousse cake? or upside-down banana cake?" Renee asked, now waiting on the flour as well. The bowl looked really full, so the Pendragon started to pour it out on the 24 inch pan, spread it out, and placed it in the oven to let it bake. Then she sat back down.

Chenglei was back with more bags of flour on his shoulders and drops them on the table. "Here you go. Is there any other items you need me to bring, my lovely trio of beauties?"

Renee deadpanned as her face blushed again from the sappy compliments.

Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Master Warship, Kitchen-
​

Lydia jumped slightly when Chenglei neared her and put the flower behind her ear, her green eyes watching him warily before she blinked several times, her face pinkening. She didn't say anything, didn't even move as she watched him leave. She laughed slightly to what Serena said, "I suppose so..." she didn't say because she thought it would be weird, but she remembered her conversation with James and smiled somewhat sadly to herself, her eldest brother was the one that thought she was adorable.

She blinked as Renee listed off the other cakes and while it seemed she hadn't completely forgotten the happenings of earlier in the day, she had possibly forgotten which number of cups she was on by the time Chenglei returned with the flour.

The expression on Lydia's face was much the same as Renee's. It was unnerving how free he was with the compliments. She just stared at him as she pulled the string holding he flour bag closed before she tried to recall exactly how many cups she was on. She was sure it was forty-nine or fifty...

Katsuya

 

[Zer0]

- Monsoon is Coming -
" Banquet Hall, Dinner Time "
​

As the warships sailed across the night time sky heading east across the Shoflo Ocean, rain began to drizzle on the rooftops as the wind picked up and rattled the windows of the hallways. All along the master warship, servants and crew men began running to and fro to furl the sails, cast strengthening enchantments upon the creakier, strained wooden bow, and prepare for a coming storm.

Miles below, the waves were starting to become rough, and flocks of birds crossing the sea from the east flew to nest inside the protective nooks and crannies of the warships. Many of them could be seen, shivering, huddled together on the rafters with their feathers sticking out the wrong way as though they had been through the storm that was heading the fleet's way.

High on one of the crow's nests stood Seth under the rain enjoying the strong gusts of the wind, looking very cheerful about something as he skipped along the edge of the slippery railings where one false move meant a nasty fall.

"Shall I compare you to a stormy day?
You are as fierce as the rough winds that are blowing my way
Oh what joy to see my rival fade
Though I am sad your heart feels betrayed

But fret not for soon he will be forgotten
For I am here to answer your heart's beckon"​

"Seth-san, we go now!" hollered a masked shinobi clad in black from below. They had just finished helping furl one of the sails, and a couple were already moving on with their acrobatic run across the tops of the ship, made more difficult with the slippery rain.

"Hai!" grinned Seth. He wore the same shinobi garbs and pulled a hood and kabuki mask over his face, before sliding down the pole then nimbly somersaulting down the lower sail poles to join them. "Ahh, brother, I am so happy you chose another." he smiled to himself.

****​

Meanwhile, Johnny was in the theatre troupe's room saying "Sayōnara!" to the kabuki dancers. He had been there for the past few hours helping make Echo's dress which was of Renee's, Serena's, and the troupe's design, while swapping stories with them in his Englishman accented Oriental tongue. He can have basic conversations now, though every now and then they'd laugh when his accent made "pen" sound like "pan", and they kept calling him, "Jani." or "Yukio", which meant, Happy Man.

He sat down to eat in the banquet hall where a sleepy James joined him.

"What's up, mate?" said Johnny, concerned. And pushed a bowl of rice and a plate of tempura and a bowl of ramen to him.

"I couldn't sleep."

"That's about three days of staying up late now."

"Mm." James passed Johnny some wasabi for his maki. "What were you guys doing in the reef?"

Johnny told him everything.

"So, you and Seth are sleeping in the barracks now?" asked James.

"Yes, it's co-ed, women and men together. There's twenty of us, not counting our party, who're training for the Storm Wall mission. A bed's been prepared for you near the bathroom." he chuckled. "It kinda' smells after the big guys are done with it, but first come first serve." he shrugged.

"Are the girls staying there too?"

"I don't think all of the girls in our party are. You don't have to sleep in the barracks since you'll still be working on Seifer."

"Good, because I can't be in the same room as Lydia and Serena."

"What happened down there?"

"I don't want to talk here."

Johnny thought for a moment. "Alright, then eat a quick dinner and then meet me in the gryphon aviary in half an hour. We're going out to get Echo's present."

"In this weather?"

"It's my last chance before the storm hits."

"Alright. I might fall asleep on my mount."

"We'll just take one, I'll be up front."

Katsuya Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Master Warship, Atelier-
​

After the cake was finished, Lydia made her way back to the atelier. Cake making was done and it was down to either moping or working and she chose working. Moping didn't accomplish anything and even if no one else did, Seifer still needed her. She had found James' note beneath her journal after she had begun situating her station and what she wanted to work on, a somewhat sad expression drawing across her features. She shook her head to try and reorient her mind, though the note was carefully folded and set in the cover of her journal.

if he was going to work on fixing Seifer, she would finish the spell circle to remove the soul fragment from the Libris Mortem.

It was some time after she had set to work that she inevitably went to the kitchen. She didn't want to eat with everyone else. She could handle being in the room with Serena, but she wasn't sure what to do around James. She didn't know if she could still act how she always did or if she would have to be colder, or even how he felt about everything. She wasn't very keen on mannerisms when it came to relationships unless they were very outspoken as with Serena. She had been able to tell how Serena felt, but she couldn't tell with James and that just made things more complicated for her.

She fetched herself a sandwich and some water before returning to the atelier, timing her visit to be before dinner would start, that way she would also be able to say that she had already eaten and it wouldn't be lying.

When she got back to the atelier, she ate in silence and worked on her letter to her mother rather than go straight back to work on the spell circle. She didn't know when she would have time to write again with everything going on. She paused a moment, as she wrote and recalled what she could for the trip and realized that she had never thought to ask what the others had been doing in the ocean anyway.

It was actually relatively hard for her to think about what had happened in the ocean that day as while the memory made her happy, it also left her feeling rather sad and then frustrated and before long, she found herself up and pacing around the room in irritation.

The letter would have to wait for another day, for now it looked like it was back to work, if anything just to keep her mind free of things that upset her.

Zer0 Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

Serena sighed as she walked in the hallways of the warship, her hair wet from being outside in the storm. Somehow the weather reflected on how she felt at the moment, feeling conflicted about James. She didn't know what to feel about him, her emotions always battling out and it drove her mad.

Mad as in angry enough to punch a soldier's tooth out during training. Yea, she wasn't focused at all. Always staring into space, not realizing what she was doing, the blonde didn't even want to hang out with anybody in the group as much either other than the girls. Yes, that included Lydia too.

The blonde made peace with her on the day they tried to bake a cake, only for it to explode in their faces when they took out the first layer. Quite literally, it exploded in their faces. Then the frosting tasted bitter and Serena realized it because she put salt not sugar. Basically, it was a mess...but they had fun doing that mess. Thankfully they managed to finish baking the cake on that day.

Serena giggled softly at the memory, her cold eyes warmed up as she stared out the window. Well...at least she has friends to cheer her up...even if she does feel stupid for opening up to James.

The blonde continued to walk to her private quarters to change her clothes, the dark but vibrant blue kimono contrasted with the light and soft pink obi well. It's pleasing to look at. Then she walked out and wondered around again, not as focus as she just wanted to think without anyone bothering her.

***

Renee and Echo, on the other hand, ate dinner together, sharing food and switching certain plates as Echo doesn't eat meat and Renee doesn't really like the natto beans.

"How can you eat that? It's sticky."

"Ren, it's just Natto. It taste really good. Try it."

Renee's nose scrunched up cute as she narrowed her eyes at the sticky beans. "Yea...no. Thank you."

Echo shrugged her shoulders as she ate the aforementioned beans. Her ears twitched. "More for me."

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- James Pendragon -
" Hallways "​

After accompanying Johnny in an adventure back to Holt, then to The Quarry, the Peponee Caverns, Farthing Plains where the ruined tower was, Binks Village, and finally the Misty Mountains for an entire night for Echo's present, James fell asleep on the gryphon on the rainy, windy flight back to the warship, and was not aware of being carried to his room at four in the morning, changed into some dry clothes, then tucked into bed by Johnny who asked for Chenglei's help.

For the next two days barely anyone saw of the two young men. Johnny had taken to training in secret and wouldn't allow anyone in his room because he was "busy". He skipped training most of the day to Master Sai's displeasure, and only appeared early in the morning went he went to the theatre troupe's living quarters, lunch time when he grabbed something quick to eat then went back to his room, and then evenings when he went to the barracks to sleep.

James was the rarest. He seemed to know exactly when to leave his room and when to enter it during meal times without encountering Lydia, Serena, Renee, Echo, and Seth.

In working with Lydia to bring Seifer back, there was a light tap-tap on the atelier's door one day when she was alone, and in fluttered Sasha, perching herself on to Lydia's shoulder. The small ethereal owl hooted at her in greeting.

"Morning, Lydia," said James sleepy voice from her beak. This was the morning after the bash at the coral reef. "Sasha will be my voice and ears, any questions or breakthroughs we have on our research we can tell each other this way."

He didn't mention what happened yesterday, and everything he spoke through his owl was all about the work they were doing. Sasha liked to follow Lydia wherever she went and sit some respectful distance away where she could see her face, and left only at meal times, thereafter she came back after an hour. Sometimes she would perch on her shoulder to see what she was writing, or play with some shiny pretty blue object when she was bored.

Roleplay Skittle

****​

Today was the very early morning of the second day when the rain and wind had grown fierce. They had made much progress and it seemed that the malicious soul in the book was ready to be taken out in a few hours. For once James did not send Sasha out to scout before he went to the kitchens for a meal, but it didn't faze him as it was still three in the morning, surely the rest were all still asleep by now.

He was striding back up the steps with a slice of blueberry cheese cake in a paper bag in one hand, and drinking some hot tea with cream and salted cheese in the other, when suddenly he bumped into someone as he turned the corner.

"Ah, gomenasai!" he said automatically as his tea spilled.

Katsuya