Take Back the Crown

"Nah, I'm fine." He said with a slight nasally voice, "Just allergies." He crinkled his nose and sniffed for exaggeration. There was no way he was gonna admit to crying, that only led to people asking why, and he was not interested in explaining.

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@L1d1ja
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'Nice excuse. I'll remember it for when I need it.' Dorian stated. 'But as you are not being eaten by bears or anything, I'll just assume you're actually fine and crying because you are capable of empathy like normal people should be. Try to head back, I'm sure we'll soon finally get to eat.' He added before taking off again and flying off as he had understood that Hjalmar was quite similar to him, and just wouldn't share anything, especially something that anyone might consider a weakness.





@Lo Alyssa


 
Bo listened closely as Phaedra spoke quietly. She didn't wish others to overhear, and that he could easily understand. He noted Oceana's emotional song, and wondered if what Phaedra was describing now was something of an emotional response - but, it seemed to be more than that. It was always more than that. Everyone was much more complex than he thought he was capable of comprehending, but of course, that didn't stop him from wanting to help however he could.


He responded just as quietly, trying to be tactful and respectful of Phaedra's best attempts to keep it just between them, since being vulnerable was hard enough with just one person. "Not at all," He quickly assured her. "It's normal to feel homesick sometimes - to wish you did things differently. It's not silly, and... certainly nothing to feel guilty about. " He tried to give her a soft smile as he listened to Svetlana's orders to finish up. His attentions didn't leave her though - that is, until he felt a tap on his shoulder.


Here I was trying to you know, be nice, and like, comforting, and now there's an interruption. Maybe I should expect this from now on. He whipped around and back again, seeing no one at first, and then seeing Oceana's hint of a smile. It's... a joke. He smiled at her as she walked away, feeling kind of embarrassed. Apparently I'm easily snuck up on.


"Hah," He looked back at Phaedra as he dropped the last few berries in the basket. "So yeah. It's not silly."


(

@TeeKay @OlKaJa77 ? )
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Oceana was in fact just walking around to kneel next to Phaedra.


The elf had been intending to help with the berries but found Bo had beat her to the punch by a good mile.


"Sorry about that." She said to Bo with a rueful smile, meaning the joke.


"I had hoped to assist in someway but that time has passed."


Turning to the half-Sylph, still on her knees Oceana's face turned serious and she bowed low, forehead almost touching the ground.


"I am truly sorry for earlier. I did not mean to add to your stress."


The elf decided the best way to truly apologize was to explain.


"I had made a mistake during the hunt that made our prey suffer great pain. This is treasonous to elvish tradition and spirituality. I was in a foul mood. Please accept my apology."


Oceana knew herself to have a horrible temper, often picking fights or stomping off alone. Her age had somewhat tempered the inferno of her battle-born nature.


Somewhat.


But she always felt guilty when her anger brought true harm to those around her. Especially someone she respected. Someone who was a fellow knowledge seeker, like Phaedra.


She would not look up again until the other woman accepted her repentance.


She hoped she would.


@TeeKay @soundofmind
 
After finishing up his conversation with Svetlana and Foxrun, Pip listened intently to Oceana's haunting but beautiful song. In the distance, Pip observed Nameen @Rydellius inside of the supply wagon holding a small object. The stone imp's face hardened as he realized Gore was tenderly hugging the one-eyed woman. His nostrils flared up as he recalled Gore's previous ill-mannered behavior. Why would the imp captain do such a thing?


"I'm sorry!" Gore blurted out to Nameen, in between sobs. "I- I'm sorry! *sniff*"


Gore could not let go of the lady as her grip on her tightened. Tears streamed from her eye's as her sister's image flashed in her troubled mind. She had lost the only person who ever loved her. The imp captain needed someone to cry with; to confided in. In this moment, Nameen was not her enemy; she was a compassionate creature who wanted to help.
 
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Phaedra finished the last of her Jenber berries as well, contemplating his words. She nodded, about to go on, willing to open up a little more, until Oceana slid by. She raised an eyebrow at the Elven woman, curious - if hesitant to interact with her. The feeling multiplied upon seeing her low bow to the ground. She wasn't sure how to react. It was odd, if only because she didn't think the other woman would be quite so apologetic. A simple "I'm sorry about earlier" would have been what she expected, but Phaedra was seeing a wildly different display. It went to show the huge difference in culture they had.

"I forgive you, Oceana." She began slowly, still contemplating whether she should explain herself. "..I was genuinely curious and I did not mean any harm, but my question was ill-timed. I knew it wasn't wise to ask at that moment, given the dark expression you had, but.. it is an impulse beyond my control, as unlikely as that sounds. Therefore, I must also apologize."

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, finding herself in the strange position of bearing someone else's heavy emotions. Grabbing the basket filled with the picked berries, she stood.

"Now pick yourself up off the ground. It's dinner time."

Phaedra offered a small smile and moved away from Bo and Oceana, carrying the basket to Svetlana. She didn't have the chance to speak her mind, but it was just as well. Despite Bo's comforting words, explaining that her feelings were normal, she still couldn't shake off neither her guilt, nor the thought that her feelings were nonsensical. Silently, Phaedra assured herself that with some rest, it would all disappear. She was simply tired.

@soundofmind @OlKaJa77 @Lo Alyssa
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"Honestly guys." Valeiah yawned. She wished people would pick up a conversation with her sometimes. "I'm so tired. Exhausted. I've never lost that much blood before. It would be nice to, uh, yknow, eat? When's the food gonna be done?" She had been sitting on a log, but now she was laying on it. On her back. She was looking at everyone upside down. If she wasn't crazy before...
 
Sitting in the dark, starless night and listening only to Gore's fitful cries, Nameen could not but help be reminded of a very different night. One that felt so long ago, yet felt close enough to nearly convince her that it had happened the day before.


She sat atop the bed, her knuckles white as they hugged her knees so tightly to her chest. She stared straight ahead at nothingness, her face sculpted permanently into an expression of shock. Her white hair was wild, and colourful bruises decorated her arms, her legs and the part of her face visible under the layers of thick bandages. Wrappings nearly as white as her skin bound nearly the entirety of the left side of her face, concealing what was left of the eye underneath.


The only movement that was visible from her was the steady, slow rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed. Occasionally, she blinked, with only the one eye of course.


"Nameen?" A calm voice came from the doorway at the edge of the room. The girl on the bed jumped visibly, whirling to face the newcomer. She relaxed slightly at the sight of him, but quickly turned away again, still not speaking.


It was an older man at the door. His kind eyes were lined with wrinkles, and at the moment, those eyes were set upon the girl with grief.


He did not say anything else. Slow steps sounded against the floor as he traveled across the room to sit on the edge of the bed next to the wounded girl. So far, she had not shed a single tear.


The two sat in silence for a painfully long moment.


"It's okay to cry Nameen," he finally said.


Upon hearing those words, the girl buried her head into his chest, collapsing into a fit of sobs.





Nameen peered down at Gore, still clutching her like a lifeline.


"It is okay to cry," she muttered softly, not sure whether she'd intended for Gore to hear it or not.


The others were just about finishing preparing their meal, but Nameen stayed where she was. Other things could wait.


@RP Marshall


 

"Ah, thank you, dear!" Svetlana said, daintily receiving the basket from the half-sylph. She looked around seeing that everything was ready to be eaten, including the meat. Yaroslav was already removing the spit from the fire, ready to pass it around to the people whose mouths were watering at the succulent aroma. She glanced around, using her fingers to count the people there, and it seemed they were one person short.


"People sure do like to wander off, eh?" She chuckled, "Ah, would someone like to retrieve the thief?" Yaroslav rolled his eyes and grimaced. He wasn't volunteering.


Noticing that Valeiah was quite bored, she decided to give her a task, "And Val, my dear, would you mind retrieving my basket of bowls? I forgot them! And I do not want us eating improperly." She said with a grandmotherly tone.
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Valeiah practically jumped up when she was given a task. "Ah! Yes! I'll go get the theif too! Hopefully he's not running off with anything." She said cheerfully.


@Lo Alyssa
 

"Don't be silly. He went in the opposite direction of the wagons. Utensils first, thief later." Svetlana retorted. "People are hungry!"


@Danika
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Lucasta simply sat with her hands in her lap. She studied how everyone was reacting, how most of them felt sad, or distant. She wanted to help them. At least help them be a little more happy. She stood from her log once Valeiah was stopped from getting Hjalmar and spoke up. "I can go get him..." She muttered. "I'll return soon..." She smiled. She stepped over the log and towards the direction that Hjalmar.


She came upon the thief and cleared her throat once in his presence. "Hjalmar?" She asked for his attention. "We're about to start supper. Why don't you join us?" She stood beside him.
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Although Thora had enjoyed her snack of the waterlily, she found herself to be craving some of the delectable berries and cattails. She found her place near the fire, though not too close of course, and near Svetlana. Once the bowls were brought back she would take her small portion of food and dig in.
 
"Finally.." The elf breathed, stalking back towards the other side of the fire. She knew her apology hadn't been as potent in lifting Phaedra's spirits as she had hoped but she couldn't solve the sylph's emotions for her.


Sitting back down with her tea kettle, she poured more hot water into her cup and let it brew, waiting patiently for the bowls.
 

Yaroslav stood up in protest as the princess volunteered. He didn't like the thief already, let alone trust him. He felt as if it was his duty to keep the princess safe, so letting her go off into the woods to fetch someone he thought was dangerous didn't seem like a very bright idea. Before he could say anything, Svetlana pulled him back to the ground by his armor. She was quite strong despite her appearance. He growled, but knew better than to bicker with his grandmother.


Hjalmar looked up at the princess, already having heard her approach. He was quiet for a moment, casting his gaze to the ground, "I suppose so." He said lefting himself from the ground. He walked with her back to camp, not in the mood to talk, and took a seat next to Oceana; probably the only person in the group who at least slightly trusted him and didn't hate his guts.


@OlKaJa77 @Queen of Fantasy
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"Look I got the goods here you go." Valeiah set everything down. Then she set herself down. Back how she had been before.
 
Thora was the first in line to get food, making sure she declined the offer of meat. She most definitely didn't want any. She took a bowl of the berries and water plants and began to dig in, using her slender fingers as tongs. She was a few berries in when she felt the heat of the fire on her bare legs. It didn't hurt (for it wasn't even that hot) but it made her so uncomfortable that she paused her feast and scooted back until she didn't feel any heat on her body. She let out a really soft sigh of content and resumed eating her berries.
 
Seeing the sullen thief walk over and sit next to her, Oceana took this time to study him up close. He was quite young, five summers younger than her, and yet he had an air of...


Superiority?... No. More like a harsh sort of independence. An untamable spirit that spat in the eye of defeat.


Like me, the elf mused, smirking, perhaps if I had been male and Kigyo and I had a child they would grow up to be like this fellow.





She suddenly tsked herself and scowled at her hands, no longer willing to muse about Kigyo and the what-ifs that came with her.


The elf maiden continued to study Hjalmar silently, concluding that though the man was young and wry he also seemed tired and lonely. In this moment his haunted eyes looked ancient.


Perhaps we have much more in common than I ever would have thought.


"Honey cube?" she asked the human thief, holding in her hand the small, golden sweet.


Palm out and open, the elf looked at Hjalmar with kind, cerulean eyes, hoping he would understand the gesture.


@Lo Alyssa
 
"Thank you miss," Pip said to Valeiah @Danika as he took a bowl and filled it to the brim with the delicious smelling meal.


Bowl in hand, the stone imp marched towards the wagon where Nameen @Rydellius and Gore were.


With an irritated grunt directed at Gore, Pip said to Nameen, "Madam? The company is partaking together by the campfire. Please join us?"


Pip presented the food to the lady as he beckoned her to follow him to the campsite, away from the conniving imp captain.
 
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"Ah, thank you." Svetlana said as Valeiah plopped into her original spot. The old woman began taking bowls out and passing them down as if in an assembly line. "It is going to be good eating tonight." She said with a smile, "Better than the bread we had this morning."


Hjalmar looked at the elf curiously, and then gently took it from her hand, sniffing it first to be cautious. It smelled good and he couldn't help but smirk, "Being given something freely twice in one day, that's a record." He stated with a genuine smile this time, "... Thank you." He popped it into his mouth, and his eyes widened. Truly, he had never eaten something that melted over his taste buds in a such a palatable wave of deliciousness. Maybe he was overreacting, but how could he know? He had a hard enough time finding scraps and leftovers in the dumpsters. This was heaven in comparison. He was sad it was such a tiny piece, but he savored it and was appreciative she was willing to share something he found so wonderful. He passed a plate to her, taking one for himself while he was at it, hoping that she didn't mistake his widened eyes for disgust and that he was just forcing it down his throat as to not offend her.
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Lucasta took a seat as soon as they returned to the group. She sat on the ground, and accepted the bowl that Svetlana was passing out to the group. She stared at the meal in front of her, not with hesitation, but deep in thought. She kept feeling as if the group was presented with a heavy burden, and it was. However, she did not want them to feel sad, or detached. They were a group, and were going to be for sometime. She didn't want them to be in this state for the whole trip. Not trusting one another, shunning those who are different from them, sulking alone with thoughts that haunted them with their past. She didn't want that. Lucasta put down her meal, and stood slightly above the fire. She cleared her throat to speak.


"I know some of you are having a hard time, whether it's this trip, or your past, or whatever else may be weighing you down." She started. "But I just wanted to see if there were some things I could provide that could make this company feel happier. For example..." She trailed off. "I never shared my passion for song. I enjoy songs, or music of any kind. I used to sing for my Mother and Father when I was younger." She explained. "It felt as if that was the only thing I was good for, to them..." She thought to herself. "What about you? What would make this trip feel great you?" She asked, eyes scanning the group.
 
"I'm sure Hjalmar would like more honey cubes..." the elf chuckled to herself softly, unable to contain her amusement at his expression. Letting out a bark of laughter as the thief's face twisted in amazement.


She slammed a hand over her tattooed lips, hoping she didn't interrupt the moment the princess was trying to achieve.


"I also love music." The elf maiden spoke up, making sure to cover herself after that slip-up.


"I can sing as well as play the flute" Here she narrowed her eyes "Except my flute was stolen last summer at a human festival." She accidentally accented 'Human' a bit sourly, forgetting she was among humans currently.


Coughing a little, hoping no one would notice she continued on...


"Although my absolute favorite thing to do is... teach... things... A-as funny as that sounds..." The elf stammered a little, trying not to look at Ayda, cheeks flushing. She still very much wanted to help the girl.


@Lo Alyssa @QueenSaiko
 
Bo had gotten his food and sat back down where he'd been before, choosing not to initiate any conversations as he ate. It seemed the princess, however, was intent on doing so. He thought it suited the situation, though. She was the reason they were all there, so naturally, her speaking up grabbed all of their attention. Even if she didn't know it, her very presence carried a certain weight of authority. Although, he wasn't sure if that was just because he knew she was the princess. If the title were taken away, would that still be the same? He wasn't sure.


As the princess spoke, he found himself in agreement with her. He too had noticed that the overall spirit of the group had become increasingly dismal as the day had gone by, and was wondering how they could perhaps mend whatever had gone wrong. (Specifically, he wished to help Phaedra, who seemed much more down than usual. Of course, she wasn't the most expressive person, and he'd only known her for a whole of a few days, but he figured... that's what friends do. For a moment, he had hope that she would have a chance to open up - which seemed very hard for her to do - but that moment was quickly snuffed out. Maybe later.) He had been actively restricting his thoughts from dwelling on things of the past in an effort to remain somewhat cheery, specifically because of the effects he saw it had on the group morale. Not that he considered their emotional turmoil to be bothersome, or to be a burden, but rather, he knew he wouldn't be able to help if he began to scrape off the scum of his emotions either.


Maybe when I put it that way it actually sounds bad. But before he could continue having an internal argument trying to justify and explain himself to himself, he was caught by the question that the princess posed at the end. It was... very practical, actually. And he was pleased to hear that she was fond of singing, and that Oceana was too (as they'd already witnessed). He wondered if there were any songs that they all knew and could sing together (if not soon, later). I could sing the low harmonies. Lucasta could probably cover the high ones.


"I also like to sing." Bo piped in. "A lot." He had been told he had a good voice once or twice. Not that he had many chances to get feedback, though.



@Queen of Fantasy [edited,,eh]
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Valeiah shrugged. "Uh. I tell jokes. To myself." She thought she was the funniest person ever. That's why she only told jokes to herself. Everyone thought they were stupid. Most of them her little brother had thought up, actually. He was annoying. But adorable. "So I'm not gonna tell any jokes to you. But if you hear me muttering and laughing to myself... Uh. Yeah."
 
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