Fantasy Moments in Time

[Zer0]

- Third Meeting -​

Rhea squealed in joy again and hugged Echo, "I love it so much!" she hugged her, a few strawberries falling and rolling away. "Daddy, mommy look, I have anters!" she smiled toothily.

"They're wonderful, Rhea." said Sophie, smiling at them. "What do we say?"

"Thank you!" she hugged Echo again. She took off her antlers headband and admired it. "It's real petunias! How didju-didju do this? Conation?"

"Conjuration." said James from the top of the tree, chuckling.

"Conjation?" said Rhea.

Up in the canopies, Johnny elbowed James. "Who's that?" he whispered.

"My sister's best friend. She just introduced her, did you forget already?"

"I wasn't paying attention. She's got fluffy legs."

"Yeah?" said James, wondering where this was going.

"I wish I had fluffy legs. Have you already grown leg hair?"

"No, I wish I did though, seems more manly."

"I know." Johnny pulled up the legs of his pants. "I have a little hair growing, how long's your leg hair?"

"You want to compare leg hair length?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." And so James and Johnny where showing each other their legs side by side and keenly looking at their growing leg hair which in all honesty were so sparse it looked like the rest of the usual hair on their arms.

Katsuya
The Story | Characters | OOC
​

 

[Katsuya]

-Third Meeting-​

Echo giggled, hugging Rhea gently as to not squish her while doing so, patting her head. "You're very welcome." When she asked if it was 'conjation', the fawn giggled again. "I can't tell you my secrets. It's a magician's swore oath to not spill the beans, Sugar plum." She lightly tapped Rhea's nose with a finger tip, smiling wide as her green eye glittered in mirth.

When Renee came back with the already frayed paintbrushes and pink paint, she blinked at the wooden antlers with real petunias and strawberries growing. Then she looked at her best friend with an impressed grin. "How did you do that?"

Echo covered her mouth with a hand, hiding her knowing smile. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"I do. That's why I asked."

"It's a secret. Magician's oath." Renee sighed, passing her art supplies to her little sister.

"I swear. Why don't you join a circus, Echo? If you like making magic tricks and all." The Pendragon teen commented to her best friend while looking at the headband, hearing Echo giggling. "I can't. I'm not that good of a magician." Renee shook her head and rolled her eyes in amusement. For someone who's not good, she's pretty good at making her sister happy.

That's when she noticed the little seeds that's interwoven between the braided wood, the hard shells opened and sprouted out of the barely gaping holes of the braids to bloom the flowers and strawberries. The wood itself is the same type of wood as the tree James and Johnny was sitting on....

"Well...I'll be a monkey's uncle..." Renee muttered before grinned widely and asked Echo if she can teach her how to do that because that's really neat.

The fawn nodded before looking up at the pair in the tree, blinking when she noticed that one of them has sheep horns and ears...then she looked away, amused by Renee and Rhea painting the headband together and creating a mess of things with pink paint splattering everywhere...

Including her hooves...

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Third Meeting-
​

"O-okay..." Lydia nodded slightly and began to rise to her feet. She paused a moment as she realized how many eyes were currently on her, stage fright was not a very fitting term to use for how she was feeling at that moment. She swallowed dryly and the corner of her mouth quirked into a nervous smile as she had a sudden sense of deja vu, one that she had never hoped to feel again, "u-um... don-don't get too excited... remember I-I have a-a lot of knowledge... in magic... but I-I'm n-not very practiced..."

At that moment Seth and Sen got up and left causing Lydia to raise an eyebrow. Why were they going to the bathroom together? Weirdos. But who was she to question it, they were twins and she didn't know much about the habits of twins, plus these two were always together... but they were still weirdos.

Lydia took a deep breath and chose where she would cast. She knew the chance of her miscasting and she didn't want hurt anyone, nor did she want to catch the cast on fire so she focused her intent on an area towards the outer edge of the balcony but still within its confines. Focusing her will and her thoughts, she began to cast her spell, "Darkness falls, it’s getting late. We’ll need light --" at that moment she felt the sudden smack of something on the back of her neck before it fell down the back of her dress and as she jerked to reach for the back of her dress with one of her hands, the other flung a large globe of light that smacked into the tree James and Johnny were sitting in before it shattered like glass and sent sparks flying in every direction.

She gasped, her green eyes widening as she wriggled around, shaking her dress to try and shake whatever had landed in it out and hopping around awkwardly as she looked to see if it had fallen out, but she was feeling that weird feeling one gets after they've had something unknown on them and it still felt like she was being assaulted. It was during this awkward hopping and wriggling like some sort of strange new dance that she spotted the twins, likely laughing at the show she just put on for everyone and gave them that deadly Lydia glare that they had probably come to recognize after their time spent pranking her since she had arrived at the castle.

"Seth! Sen!" she only shook her fist at them, but it was enough to let them know that vengeance would be had.

Zer0 Katsuya

 

[Zer0]

- Third Meeting -​

The twins slapped their knees, laughing, then scrambled out of view when Lydia yelled their names. Mrs. Pendragon rushed to help Lydia get the bug out, while Rhea hugged Echo, startled by the sudden noises. The boys had all leapt out of the way of the spark, except for Howl who just tilted his head back as the spell whooshed pass him.

The bushes, grass, and tree was catching on fire. And Johnny and James were looking down trying to look for a way out. The fire was still small, but they seem to think it was bigger than that, because then Johnny yelled, "Butters!" which was an odd thing to say at the moment, perhaps it was his curse word.

"Baa!" the giant ram that had been grazing, listening to Echo trotted forward, then lay down exposing its fluffy belly. "James, we have to jump!"

"Okay!"

Poof

They landed on the ram that cushioned their fall like a mattress, "Baa"; Frey anxiously came forward sniffing James, but he was alright. Actually he thought that was quite fun. Howl was able to douse the flames quickly, while the rest of the boys followed Lydia's gaze and were glaring at the window where the twins were, saying how dangerous that was. Only Felix seemed to find it funny as he was laughing at Lydia's hoppy dance.

Once Lydia was free of the bug, Mrs. Pendragon stormed up the castle and came down pulling Sen and Seth by the ear.

"Ow, ow! It was only a joke, mum, nobody got hurt!"

"You will apologize to our guests and Lydia this instant."

"Sorry." they mumbled, but as soon as Sophie's back was turned, they both stuck their tongues at Lydia, smirking; James bonked them both on the head.

Katsuya Roleplay Skittle

 

[Katsuya]

-Third Meeting-​

Renee and Echo flinched back when they saw that spark coming from Lydia's direction; the fawn hugging Rhea and picking her up, instinctively shielding her from the fire on the tree. Her ears folded back in worry but one of them perked up when she watched the large ram from before moved closer for the pair to fall off the tree and land on him. Then she looked over at the twins who were the cause of it all.

Renee sighed and smacked her face with a palm, her wings puffing up. "Brothers...Just why?"

Echo giggled. "Why not?" The Pendragon sister looked at her with a deadpanned face. Then she motioned her three brothers with a wave of a hand.

"That's why: trouble."

"You're the same though."

"I don't do it on purpose!"

"You exploded the herb labs all the time-"

"Because I like to experiment."

"Even when you're not suppose to?"

"...Yep." Renee blunted admitted it, smiling with a bit of mischief. "It's part of learning."

"That you can get from a textbook."

"I prefer real life experience. So sue me." Echo giggled behind her hand as she carried Rhea up on her shoulders to she can have a higher view. Renee helped her mother put out the fire and looked for something to help the tree be okay again after a few months of rest. The girls spent their time poking fun at each other as Renee helped Rhea paint her new antlers before letting the paint dry first.

"I hope you're okay, Lydia. I'm sorry about my ...silly little brothers and their antics." Renee told the new apprentice.

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Third Meeting-
​

Lydia was hu-mili-ated. Once she had displayed her ire towards the twins, her attention was immediately turned to the mild chaos her miscast had caused. Her expression was somber and her face bright red as she timidly accepted Mrs. Pendragon's help and thanked her when the beetle was finally gone before she covered her face in shame which wasn't lessened any by the fact that Felix was laughing about the whole ordeal.

She was glad for Master Howl, and thankful that even though he knew how dangerous her casting could be, he still encouraged her, knowing that he understood the only way to get better was to practice. She came out of her sulking as Mrs. Pendragon brought the boys down and made them apologize, though she only shrugged at them in return and when their mother turned away and they stuck their tongues out at her, her nose crinkled and she did the same at them.

Lydia smiled faintly at Renee as she apologized for her brothers and made her way to sit by herself, embarrassed. Though being embarrassed at a party wasn't anything new to her.

Zer0 Katsuya

 

[Zer0]

- Third Meeting -​

"That was more powerful than the last one, Lydia." said Howl brightly, sitting next to her. Nearby, James was coughing at Felix who got the gist and stopped laughing.

"Hey, cheer up, Lyddie, it wasn't your fault you misfired." said Felix walking over to where she was. "It was a good try, at least ya didn't hurt anyone." he smiled. "Me and the guys can come visit on weekends and we can practice together if ya like."


Roleplay Skittle

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Third Meeting-
​

Sitting cross-legged on the ground with her elbows on her knees and her hands propping up her face as she slumped over slightly, she did perk slightly when Master Howl stated that her spell had been more powerful that time and looked to him, hopefully before smiling timidly, "y-you... you think so?" Her hands lowered and she sat up a little straighter, glancing to Felix, her smile remaining bashful as she nodded slightly, her cheeks darkening at the little nickname he called her. She didn't have the heart to say that it was probably her fault and that the only difference the twins made in her spell was where it landed.

She sighed slightly before a soft giggle escaped her and she nodded, "th-that... that would be really nice... I'm leaving tomorrow though," the idea of being around boys near her age that wouldn't make fun of the fact that she liked magic at all was welcome since she was used to Thomas' friends coming by her home, though usually they only bothered her when they had time and it had gotten worse since Frederick had married and moved out because he wasn't there to stop them and Thomas just laughed until he decided it was enough, "Master Howl is sending me on my first mission as his apprentice!"

Zer0

 

[Katsuya]

-One Shot-
-Polorius Marco's persistence-

​

A child's bedroom became a mess like a storm have passed by after creating a chaotic mark of it's presence. Little girl clothes were strewn about on the carpeted floor and hardwood fan above as it spins slowly. Her vanity tipped over, mirror broken from a music box being thrown and missed her real target. Cabinets opened wide with some of the girly items inside broken or dented from being tossed as well. One of the large windows in the bedroom is missing it's blue curtains as the rod that holds it is currently in the tiny hands of a nine years old girl; holding it over her head as if she's about to toss a mighty spear.

Breathing and panting hard, gasping for air, Serena's glare didn't move from one spot. She wanted this target to leave her room and leave her alone but this...this...stranger came in and declared that he's here for her. Oh she knows why. Her parents. They probably couldn't handle her anger anymore, always causing problems with everyone else around her. It's not her fault that none of the kids want to play with her or make her so angry and sad and alone when they pick on her and calling her names. She can't help but be so-! So angry at them-!

Then this man-this strange strange man- came to visit. He always visited her family for a month now and has been annoying Serena with a simple question. A question that she absolutely hated to hear because it meant that her parents set her up. They wanted this. They wanted her to go somehow. Well she's not going and she will let them know with broken vases and windows to show how much she's-

"You're hurting again, Seren-"

"SHUT UP!" Serena screamed, her tiny fists clenching tightly as her azure eyes darkened. Hate swimming around as she observed the calm and collected man who's sitting on her bed with a leg over the other. He sighed quietly.

"Come now, Serena. You know that's-"

"SHUT UP! You don't know me! So shut up!" She hissed viciously.

"Of course I don't know you. We met just a month ago." He said, pushing up the oval glasses up his aristocratic nose. "I still remember that day. You broke a vase with my hea-." His accent was light and Germanic like his sophisticated clothes.

"SHUT UP!"

"I'm here to ask again: Will you come with m-"

"NO! SHUT UP!" It's like her eyes were telling him that she really will spear him with the rod through his throat and out of his spine if he doesn't leave her alone. The man sighed again, his shoulders slumped for a moment before straightening up again.

"Serena, please. Will you com-"

"NO!"

"Even when I'm offering violin lessons?" The man sounded amused when Serena didn't interrupt him this time. He tilted his head, rich brown locks swaying a bit and cupping his cheeks. "Your parents have informed me that you would like to learn on how to play violin after noticing how you love hearing them."

"..." Serena's hateful glare softened up into a suspicious look, unsure, confused, and lost as she didn't know what to do anymore. The hand that has the rod lowered slowly as she relaxed her stance.

"I even have a present for you." The man said, pulling out the item behind his back, and placed it on the bed. It's a hard case for an instrument...He raised a fine and fleek eyebrow at her.

"Would you like to see? I promise it won't bite."

Serena stared at the case blankly, standing too still for someone in her age. Then she dropped the rod and hesitantly...came closer to the man and the black case. Frowning, half expecting the man to pull it away from her and saying it's all a joke, Serena held her breathe as she gently placed a hand over the case; feeling the leathery texture under her soft palm. The man smiled warmly.

"Well? Open it. Tis yours after all..." He quietly urged her, even so far as to unlocking it but didn't open it. That's the owner's job. Her job since this case and what's inside of it belongs to her. The little girl gulped as she tentatively opened the case, revealing a beautiful glossy rosewood violin, with strings already taut and tightly wound by the black wooden pegs on the side of the swirling head. Serena looked at the man, confused and guilty, dreading but hopeful of what this means.

The man smiled at her. "Do you like it Serena?"

"...Is...Is this really mine?"

"Yes, it is."

"I-I can really play it?"

"Yes, you can. With practice."

"But...w-what if I destroy it? What if I get mad and break it?!" Serena looked like she's panicking about her own emotions. The man shook his head gently.

"Serena, you must understand something." He started. "Artists of all kinds need strong emotions to create. That includes music, my dear. Use your anger to play this violin. Make it as part of your body and let everyone hear what you cannot express through words." He said, watching Serena's gloomy blue eyes brightening up.

"This is your first lesson: Always express yourself through music when you cannot with words."

"...What is your name, Sir?"

The man chucked, his dark eyes looking happy from the curious question. "My name? Why it's Polorius Marco, professional violinist and now your teacher."

Serena smiled. She finally smiled at someone as her disturbed heart settled, picking up her new violin to just play random notes. Polorius didn't judge, only listened to her trying to find her rhythm. He sighed, relieved and proud of Serena's excitement to play the violin under his teachings.

This is a good start on her second lesson too: to be careful of the strings snapping if she plays too hard-! They hurt.

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- Third Meeting -​

"Oh, you're leaving tomorrow." said Felix hiding his disappointment. "That's great!" he said hitching up his smile, "Braving the real world, eh?" he chummily gave Lydia a light punch on the shoulder. "What's your mission about or is it a secret mission?" his voice dropped to a whisper, as he looked around behind them to see who was listening in, but everyone was now going back to their own conversations or else going back to whale watching.

It seemed most of the giants had passed and there were now only stragglers passing by. Sen and Seth came up to Howl and begged him to take them up so that they can ride on a whale.

"You can cast your invisibility spell, dad! The guards won't know we are up there! Please, please, please?"

"Just five minutes, dad, we won't have another opportunity for another year, pleeeease?"

"Sophie?" said Howl turning to Mrs. Pendragon.

"I won't hear it. It's illegal." said Sophie in a tone of finality.

"We'll do our chores!" said Sen.

"We'll get our grades up!" said Seth.

"No pranks for a week --- okay a month! And we'll stop experimenting on Heen!"

Roleplay Skittle Katsuya

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-Third Meeting-
​

Lydia nodded her head slightly, peering at Felix curiously before her large eyes squinted slightly as she returned his enthusiastic smile, "you could say that..." there was a question to what the 'real world' actually was since her world was vastly different from their's which got her to thinking just how different this adventure might be from anything she had known previously, though she couldn't exactly say she had been on any sort of adventure previously outside of playing pretend with her brothers in the garden when she was a child.

She came out of her thoughts as Felix lightly punched her shoulder and gave him an awkward smile before shrugging her shoulders and laughing slightly and returning his whisper in the same tone, "I don't know, Master Howl didn't say," she smiled at him impishly, she didn't know if it was top secret or not, but she wasn't going to blurt out what she was doing if it was.

She looked towards Seth and Sen as they begged their father to let them ride the sky whales. Honestly, they just got in trouble and now they are asking for favors? She shook her head and placed a hand to her forehead, tilting her head downwards slightly as she giggled to herself once they started bargaining. Sophie was a lot like her mother on discipline, but less so like her in other respects.

Zer0

 

[Katsuya]

-Third Meeting-​

Renee looked at her little brothers, eyes wide when she heard about Heen's unfortunate fate of being their experiment. "You experimented on Heen?!" The idea of flying with the Sky Whales is tempting, very tempting...Oh so tempting...

She tipped toed to her father, biting her bottom lip as she looked at him with wide eyes; same to her mother. "...Can I go ride on the Sky whales too?" She shyly asked, her wings fluttering. It's a hopeful idea, one she's not that sure her mother would approve (or never as Renee thought about it more) but she really did want to fly too.

"Or we could fly with Dad along with the Sky Whales? So it wouldn't be illegal?" Renee suggested.

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- Third Meeting -​

Felix nodded. "Anything I can do to help?"

Meanwhile, Sophie was now telling James and a Rhea whom he had surreptitiously coached to give their mother the puppy dog eyes that she will not allow the two of them to go too. No one was allowed to go near nor touch the whales, even feeding them was looked down upon since they are wild animals and the people who care about the wildlife do not want them staying around getting used to being fed by people. Then Renee joined in. Now with most of the family asking her, and even Master Howl gave his most charming smile, her resistance began to crack and she muttered, "Oh, alright, but only ten minutes!" she said grudgingly.

"Yes!" said the twins, pecking their mother on the cheek. Mrs. Pendragon placed her hand on her hips as she watched her husband transform into a giant bird, coaching Renee to try and do the same. Sen and Seth let two of James' friends borrow their flying brooms; James turned to Lydia and Echo eagerly, saying, "Lydia, Echo, want to come and ride the sky whales?"

Katsuya Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- A Rainy Morning -
" One shot "​

Six months had passed since Chenglei, Kenren, and his mother started secretly peeking and copying the plans of the Hakagami Clan through the secret hole they cut through the floor of the head officer's wardrobe. They had passed them down to the Taisho loyalists and were able to convince three hundred to follow them into battle. Chenglei and Kenren knew their enemy's movements and were rewarded with an overwhelming victory in the Battle of the Tung Shao Pass, that catapulted the prince's renown to great heights.

Now they had captured the lands surrounding Akihara, and Kenren's followers grew by the hundreds daily as he travelled from place to place, speaking to the people, winning them over to his side.

The loyalist leaders and the older freed Taisho family members were against wasting their limited resources and time capturing the surrounding lands, wanting instead to attack strategic locations, but Kenren was adamant that they "Secure their flank and capture the resources of the neighboring mountains and plains." And to their further surprise he had made Akihara his capital and spent gold to improve the economy, creating a school for the children there. The gold should have gone to the soldiers, and they thought Kenren wasn't right in the head.

Little they know how true that was, and that the prince was doing it all for three people.

Except for Kenren's most loyal followers, nobody knew where he was. Six assassination attempts, two of which nearly killed him had made him wary, and he kept moving from place to place. Secret spies and messengers kept him up to date on the goings on of his faction, and in the last six months with Chenglei and his mother's help, developed a network of secret agents all around the surrounding neutral an enemy lands.

It was currently early in the morning. Kenren woke up to hair tickling his nose. Eyes fluttered open and he saw the peaceful sleeping face of Chenglei next to him. He smiled, and carefully without waking him up, hugged him closer, pulling up the blanket over them more snugly.

It was raining and it was cold. The two were on a straw bed in a shack with a leaking roof. They had come here weeks ago, disguised as wanderers who earn their bread doing street tricks, odd jobs, and selling parts from hunted animals.

The cold nights had been pleasurable ever since they started their hot intimacy. Some nights they'd talk for a while, other nights Kenren couldn't wait to tear Chenglei's clothes off before they could even close the door.

At first when they got together months ago it was straight grinding, rough, and hard. Kenren would wait until the others fell asleep then sneak over to Chenglei's bed. At first, they'd talk for a little while then make out, ending the night in a frantic intimacy that left both of them sated.

Then one day the prince started to do it tenderly, building up to it slowly, the way lovers do. And now, recently, they found themselves talking for longer, Kenren telling Chenglei things he never thought he’d tell another living soul. He told him about how he had this fear of not having friends. Being a prince and a secret one at that for his own safety, he never left the Taisho house on his own and wasn't allowed to play out in the open with other children for fear of being kidnapped, and so he felt lonely a lot growing up, though the servants and the soldiers were very nice to him. There were also times where he wished he wasn't a prince and wondered what'd it be like to be normal. If he wasn't a prince, he'd be a wandering monk and travel from place to place eating all the different types of food in the Orients and when he was old he'd settle down and breed horses.

Those nights, there was no grinding, no physical release, nothing more than a few kisses goodnight once they'd talked themselves out, but when Kenren tiptoed back to his bed, he was just as sated and content as they were on those other nights.

The prince had been growing in confidence of late, their explorative touches guided by soft moans and gentle direction. Kenren admitted aloud, that he found what they did together far more appealing than being with a fair lady, startled that the roughened fingers, scratchy jaw and hard angles aroused more intense sensations than the softness of geishas he'd felt in the past.

It was now impossible to deny that the prince preferred this to being with a girl and his mind was gradually coming to accept that girls were never going to be an option for him again. He was also starting to want to try new things, to touch and taste Chenglei in different ways, but didn’t have a clue how to broach the subject with the other boy, who he was sure would react badly if he suggested going a bit further.

As the sun rose, Kenren slowly got out of bed, his toes curling on the cold floor and quickly put on some clothes, picking up Chenglei's and folding them neatly at the foot of the straw bed before tiptoeing out the door. He wanted to make breakfast for him today and surprise him by doing the chores the blonde usually undertook as he was more used to it than the prince.

The smell of rice, smoked fish and eggs wafted into the room as he placed it quietly on the table. Kenren lay back on the bed, and took to drinking tea to warm himself up. He could get used to this, he thought as he watched Chenglei sleeping again, slowly caressing his golden locks. He ran a hand down his cheek, neck, and back, and wondered if he would want to get used to this too.

 

[Katsuya]

-Blooming recovery-​

Once the Pendragon sister left the room, Chenglei sighed closing the door behind her as he hears her bare feet light tapping fade away. The blonde soldier didn't leave the room yet as he stared solemnly at the figure in bed. This is painful. This is much more painful then getting into battle without a weapon.

When Ymir asked him earlier about what's more important, Chenglei really wanted to say 'Kenren'. Not his country. Just Kenren. Don't get him wrong; his country is important and so is his family who's living in said country, but Kenren is important for reasons that he couldn't let the other men know about. So he had to say 'Our country' instead.

Locking the door to ensure that no one will intrude, Chenglei hesitantly got closer to the comatose Prince, gritting his teeth as once again felt the shame and guilt and self loathing. He couldn't save Kenren when he promised that he would. That's the reason why he is his guard, to protect him and he couldn't. Not against a girl who reminded him of Tsumiki and that got him and the prince in danger.

Taking a deep breathe, Chenglei sat on his knees beside Kenren's bed, crossing his arms to hide his pitiful expression; he muttered quietly. "I'm so sorry, Ken'en. I let ya down..." Some of the flowers fell from their stems, one landing on top of Chenglei's head and another close to Kenren's bandaged face.

Zer0

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-The First KO-
"Lydia Dubois"​

It wasn't until evening of the same day of the battle when Lydia woke. Gently at first, her lids slowly exposing her brilliant green eyes which shifted to look around, taking in her surroundings. The room was familiar but it definitely wasn't the same place she had been when she lost consciousness, it wasn't even the same time of day and both of these factors caused her to sit up swiftly, wincing as every part of her where the flames had touched stung from the quick movement. She felt like the princess and the pea, every nerve aching either from her burned skin or random bumps and bruises she had gained from both of her falls. Her shoulder where the dragon had grabbed her was the most sore outside of her skin and she had been unaware of just how sore while in the heat of battle.

Seeing James and Renee in her room her lips parted for a moment as she was about to speak before Renee began apologizing and thanking her. She shook her head, smiling faintly as if to say it was alright before she asked urgently, "is the gate still sealed?" Her forehead had a few superficial scratches over a bruise and her brow was furrowed with worry as her gaze drifted between James and his sister as she left the room, her expression growing dim, thinking that maybe they had failed as her eyes returned to observe James, a pleading glimmer in them, "did... did we win?"

Her fingers, which were mostly wrapped in bandages except for the tips because of the burns she had sustained from having blocked her face and head when the flames hit her, tentatively raised to her sore shoulder, her expression tensing for a moment as she put a little pressure on the sore muscle there.

Zer0 Katsuya

 

[Zer0]

- Blooming Recovery -​

Kenren stirred, he seemed to be having a good dream. "Morning . . . I made breakfast . . ." he muttered into his pillow. He rolled to the side of the bed, stopping where Chenglei was, and the movement woke him up. Kenren's good eye, the one that isn't bandaged opened blearily, wandering to the flower by his bed, then to the swordsman's face, he looked confused.

"Chen . . ." he closed his eyes as though trying to remember. "Chenglei." the prince looked down the blankets, then suddenly yelped. "My arms!" he stared, horrified, raising his stumps. "Where are they?! Chenglei, what happened, where am I?!"

Katsuya

- The First KO -​

"Yes, it's sealed." said James immediately, hurrying to the side of her bed, no longer sleepy. "And yes, Lydia, we won. How are you feeling? Is there anything I can get you?" he placed a careful hand on her good shoulder.

Roleplay Skittle

 

[Katsuya]

-Blooming Recovery-​

Chenglei looked up from his hiding spot, eyes widening as he watches Kenren rolling to the side. Then he winced as Kenren discovered his missing limbs. He needs to calm down first.

"Ken'en. We're back in Awashima Palace. You're safe." Chenglei started quietly as if he didn't want to startle the prince anymore then he already was with his missing limbs. He lifted a hand to place on the Prince's shoulder, caressing lightly as he watched his expression at what he was about to say.

"You were at death's door when your men found you. The medics here...they couldn't save your arms but they did tell us that we're gonna have prosthetic arms for you. Among other parts..."

Zer0

**************************

-The First KO-​

Renee left the room, saying to the couple that she will come back with food and something else. When she did come back, she carried a tray with a light sandwich and water; funny enough there was a jar of hair growth cream on the side too.

The Pendragon sister put the tray next to her brother as he worried over Lydia, grabbing the jar to hide behind her back and waited quietly for them to reconnect before she hinted something to the witch. She had a relieved grimace on her face.

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- Blooming Recovery -​

Kenren blinked. He shook his head, then lay back on the bed, staring at his stumps. "I lost my arms . . . I lost my arms . . ." suddenly he sat up again. "Chenglei, Bertrand, Historia --- they're going to open Gevurah's gate, you need to tell I-Isen," he was struggling to remember, "the king and queen of this place and stop them. They have an army ten thousand strong, there was a black dragon and he said, he said ---" he couldn't remember and he groaned in frustration.

Katsuya

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-The First KO-
​

Lydia's expression brightened once the initial relief cleared and she placed her bandaged hand atop his as it rested on her shoulder, though she did wince slightly from his touch, "good... I'm glad..." she shook her head as her gaze drifted away from him momentarily, though it shot back as renewed worry crossed her features, "Echo? Serena? Amaterasu?" she asked rapidly, her voice growing more and more high-pitched with each name, "how did we fair?" She was not used to this. At the end of every battle, she had always been awake, she had always been there to see the conclusion and this was just unusual for her.

Her gaze fell on Renee as she returned, resting on the plate she carried as her hand fell over the flat of her stomach, when she thought about it, she was really hungry. She hadn't eaten since before she left the barrens and even then it wasn't much and hadn't been since they had left Awashima to go to the barrens so her stomach cramped at the sight of the food. She graciously thanked Renee before she took small bites of the sandwich, not wanting to make herself sick my wharfing it down right there, her expression became perplexed as she watched Renee, shaking her head slightly. She hadn't noticed it before and wasn't really thinking about it, but her hair which had been pulled back in a ponytail and still was, though the length of it was choppy and burnt, ratty and matted and while it wasn't easy to tell because of the char, but there were a few small patches missing against her scalp.

She looked to James questioningly as though she was wondering if he had any idea of what Renee was trying to allude to.

Zer0 Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

-Blooming Recovery-​

Chenglei quickly sat on the bed, placing both of his hands on Kenren's shoulders to hold him still as to not aggravate his still healing injuries. "Ken'en. Listen." He said, still using his soft and quiet tone.

"It's taken care of. Bertrand is in a cell here, Historia is recovering as well. Serena and Echo got her out and sealed Gevurah's gates. Renee, Seifer, and I had to fight against Valdanr inside his soul just so he can tell the other kids to come where Renee and I were trapped in." Chenglei explained in the most basic way he could to Kenren, not letting go of his shoulders as he gave his report as usual about the whole small war. It's becoming a habit.

"So please. Calm down and don't open your wounds." Chenglei said gently.

Zer0

****************************************
-The First KO-​

Renee wasn't going to say it. Not with her brother there and can tell her the truth instead. She just stood there in the background as she tilted her head; wings fluttering a bit. "You're welcome Lydia."

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- The First KO -​

"You're bald in some areas." said James bluntly after he told Lydia, how the battle fared and all their friends were alright. Echo and Serena drove the Nameless One's servant back into the gates. It was epic, Johnny kept asking the two girls to re-tell the story.

He gently touched some parts of her head where his fingers met skin. "But still beautiful," he reassured her quickly, "in a shiny, baldy kind of way." he chuckled.

Roleplay Skittle

- Blooming Recovery -​

Kenren was glad Chenglei spoke the way he did, because he was having trouble understanding, as though he had become slow or everyone had become too fast for him to catch up. He nodded mutely, and lay back down.

Very slowly, memories started coming back to him, hazy and distant. He remembered that night they were caught, how he told Valdanr everything, and how his plans had been undone. Suddenly he worried who else Seifer told about his plans, where was Greed's philosopher's stone, and he felt angry. So angry. This wouldn't have happened if Renee and Seifer hadn't left, he fell for a trap, and Chenglei didn't strike them down.

He glared at Chenglei. "Get out."

Katsuya

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

-The First KO-​

While she was glad that everyone was alright, and pleased that they had been so successful, thinking that maybe her knock out was the end of Lady Deathbane, her peace did not go uninterrupted as James' bluntly told her what Renee had been hinting at.

"Whaaaaaaaat?!" Lydia cried loudly as she dropped her sandwich before her hands shot up to her head and she felt around, the initial shock wearing off as James hand was also on her head and she looked at him entirely mortified, yanking the blankets up over her head and hiding beneath them, "you... you...?" newly made ghost Lydia's head shook under the blanket, "ooooow..." her sudden rapid motions didn't help her healing any.

She pulled the blanket so it would wrap over her head, her eyes the only part of her seen as she peeked from beneath the blankets, her brows drawn up in concern as she focused on James, "d-do.... do you mean it?"

Zer0 Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

-Blooming Recovery-​

"I can't." Chenglei said, his face blank from the glare. "Everyone else is asleep and it's my turn to watch over you." Then he sighed, looking away as he stood up.

"However...I will give you space." He grabbed Kurosaki and placed it on the bedside table where it held Kenren's get well flowers. There was another sword on his waist. One that he found lying around from somewhere. Then he quietly walked towards the door. Before he could even open it, Chenglei took another deep breathe and released it. Shoulders slumped as he whispered brokenly. "I'm so sorry, Ken'en."

That's when he opened the door to guard Kenren's room again.

Zer0

*************************

-The First KO-​

Renee had to resist smacking her face with her hand as they were having a moment here. Even if it was uncomfortable. Goodness, her brother is so blunt...

Zer0 Roleplay Skittle

 

[Zer0]

- The First KO -​

"Sandwich!" cried James, picking up the pieces, but the tomato slice rolled out of his reach when Lydia pulled the blanket up. "Lydia, don't move around so much, you're still injured." he said quickly, still holding the sandwich as he one-handedly tried to stop her from moving.

"Um." he said, hesitating for a moment. How does he tell her without hurting her feelings? "Yes." Then, realizing his hesitation gave him away, "Okay, it looks . . . assssymmetrical, Lydia --- but the rest of you is beautiful." he carefully made to uncover the blanket covering her head. "It doesn't look so good, but I think you're wonderful okay?"

Roleplay Skittle

- Blooming Recovery -​

"You can't?" repeated Kenren, outraged. "Watch over me?" At Chenglei's apology, his features softened somewhat, but as soon as he closed the door, angry curses burst from the prince and he started to kick the bed, kick the table, knocking the vase down, and just having a tantrum, reopening his wounds.

He thrashed there, looking at his stumps, cursing as the pain from his injuries came back anew. "Where's Seifer?! Who else did he tell?! " he cursed again, "Where's Renee?!"

He kicked more things as the noises brought the healers running to calm him down. "Don't say sorry!" he yelled at Chenglei, "Don't look like you're hurt, I'm the one who's hurt! I don't have pity to spare, all that we've worked for is gone in smokes, there's probably someone out there who knows what we're doing! Our enemies will know, what then? I won't get the throne! I won't be able to fulfill my promises! And now --- " he looked at his stumps. "Why didn't you strike them down, Chenglei!" he said, sounding betrayed, he must have been bottling this up for days. "Why weren't you there when they tried to kill me?! Why didn't you strike them down? Is Renee the one you like, huh? Or were you sparing her for James?!"

The prince kicked some more, and just cursed. All the pent up frustrations came out, from most of his men not surviving the cross through the Storm Wall, seeing them dead inside Leviathan's belly, seeing them petrified by Greed, wondering how his fleet was and if they were able to keep Lady and Levitas safe, feeling helpless that he couldn't do anything, being angry all over again at Renee and Seifer and yelling about how those two had been selfish, repaying all he's done for them with this, and thinking maybe he should have had Seifer killed in the first place, he had not benefitted them at all, and had been just a burden from day one.

Katsuya