Hero

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Grant had a rather thoughtful look on his face. He was surely surprised by the general's actions, though for the life of him simply could not figure out why she abandoned her country as such. He knew Harris would never do such a thing; it was simply unlike him. And yet, the more he thought about it, there could have been one particular reason for her betrayal. It was something that Vlyn had mentioned to him, back when the viera pair had seen the general in Bhujerba. Normally, he wouldn't jump to conclusions, but the fact of the matter was that it was painfully obvious. Vincent himself had also commented on it, as well, back when they had met.

"The Sky Pirate." Grant murmured, a hand on his chin as he thought about it. That seemed to be the most logical answer. The little group seemed centered around him, after all. Princess Nadeline, Prince Wesley, Emelia...and now General Savayna. Those people were drawn to him in one way or another, it seemed.

---

Emiri had a moment to think to herself since yesterday's events. She let out a groan of relief as she stood under the shower. She had made the water as cold as possible, and it felt good against her skin. Still, despite it being refreshing, she wondered about the group. Putting aside the obvious dislike of getting stuck with Savayna as a partner, she really wished she had admitted to the group that she did not want to split up. She thought they were stronger together. The brunette let out a sigh, turning the water off and stepping out. As she dried herself, she looked at her aching shoulder. Now that she was calm, it still ached something fierce. She patted it dry as gently as she could, though when she looked in the mirror, she let out a gasp, looking at her shoulder.

She thought both Jaakuna and Nadeline's magicks were enough to heal Grant's cuts, but they had reopened, and what was worse, one could clearly see the word 'doll' on her shoulder. The girl was in disbelief, she was so sure it had healed up, but she could see it clear as day. Biting her lip, she continued drying herself hastily, quickly pulling on her dress. Her sleeve had covered the cuts, but she was absolutely certain that they were not there earlier. She closed her eyes, cursing Grant, but at that moment, IRIS informed her that they had arrived. Her injury would have to wait, she had business to attend to.

Jumping into her boots, she laced them up properly and stuffed her dagger into one. She picked up her pack, quickly inspecting her weapons. She looked at her own reflection in her Diamond Sword, noting that she looked nervous. She was so far away from Grant, but even now he still managed to strike terror into her heart. She was still so weak, even after all this time, after everything she had been through, she was still afraid of him. She sheathed her sword, exiting her room and walked down the hall briskly. She paused before the dining room, calming her nerves, and she stood in the doorway.

"I'll see you all soon. Wish me luck." She said, referring to the general, and gave them all a small wave (and a small smile to Jaakuna) as she continued to the Beaming Station. Of course Savayna was already there. She cleared her throat, looking at the blonde. "Ready when you are." She said.

Nadeline watched Emiri leave, and gave Jaakuna a wily smile. "Not your only baby, hmm." She said, nudging Wesley slightly.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Savayna seemed to share Emiri's opinion in going together. She raised her eyebrow at the so called insult (why did she keep calling her that?), though she said nothing. For all the spits and insults she threw, she was very compliant when needed. She was like a wilder, ruder Jaakuna. Maybe that was why they had gotten along so well, but Emiri personally couldn't stand her. But if it was for the sake of everyone, she would force herself to get along with her...until everyone else caught up. She perked up slightly when Wesley addressed her, though she wasn't sure what to really say. Go with her gut and object as Savayna did, or go along for everyone's sake?

She took in a breath of air, staring at the ceiling for a moment. "It can't be helped." She spoke with a small shrug. "We best be on our way, then." She got up from the table, lightly brushing her hair off her forehead. "I'm going to take a quick shower, let me know when we arrive."

Nadeline watched the brunette leave, turning to the group. "Alright then. We leave Savayna and Emiri at the Mosphoran Highwaste, then we go to see the Gran Kiltas."

---

So far, so good. Grant nodded, taking his seat, though he politely declined any refreshments. "It would seem that I am not quite used to travel." He explained with a small grimace, his face one of discomfort as he recalled the shaking and wavering of the ship. "Quite embarrassing to admit, but I don't do well on ships." He then cleared his throat, forgetting about the travel as he looked at Vincent. He pondered where to start, though he decided on one point and would see where to go from there, "Things were certainly shaken up, so to speak. I don't think one person's actions can create or destroy something so easily. In order for one person to have power, others must comply...it is all a matter of perspective."

In layman terms, he was speaking directly about Savayna's betrayal: while he was quite sure that it shook things up, he ultimately left it up to Vincent to decide on how to react to it. Would he let her affect him or would he ignore it and move on?

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Here goes nothing. Grant thought to himself, thanking the woman. He entered the office, spotting Vincent at his desk. He bowed to him, though walked up to his desk. "I do hope you will forgive my intrusion, Your Eminence." Grant spoke, scratching his cheek somewhat. "I thought it best to do a follow up, so to speak. We haven't spoken in a while." Of course, a silence usually meant that one didn't want to speak, but as he said to Lorenzo, he needed to know the Emperor's position. His words were respectful, and Grant was not malicious. He was more curious then anything, really.

---

Nadeline listened to the two bicker, thinking carefully. After a moment, she looked at Savayna very seriously. "Like Jaakuna, I too hold power in my country." She admitted, placing her hands in her lap. "With a representative of the two opposing nations, as well as the Dynast King's descendant...I believe we will get the answers we seek." She speaks clearly and concisely. She then nods, looking at Savayna and Jaakuna, letting out a sigh. "Which means that will leave Savayna to accompany Emiri to get to Exodus. Hopefully our meeting with the Gran Kiltas will be quick...we can fly to the Mosphoran Highwaste quickly from Bur Omisace. I pray the enemy does not know the location of the Esper, but it cannot be helped. Both are too important to delegate and ignore."

Emiri's eye twitched ever so slightly, and she ended up looking at Savayna. She was getting stuck with her, alone? Seriously? What kind of crap was that? Surely Nadeline was joking, but she knew she was serious. She really didn't think it was a good idea: as far as she was concerned, the two women didn't really like each other or get along. What would they even say? Would they be able to battle well together? With Mateus she had been so weak she had to leave it to everyone else to fight, so she was unsure.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Anything was better then Savayna kicking a door open. Emiri grimaced as she recalled the moment killer, though once Jaakuna was ready, she nodded, following him to the elevator. It was funny, she never really had a good look at his tattoos. His hair usually covered his neck, so she never really looked around the area. She half thought he was copying her hairstyle, though she admitted she liked his better. Maybe blondes just looked better with their hair tied; she knew she envied Savayna's hairstyle. She took the chance to inspect the part of the tattoos closest to his head. As they went down, the brunette pondered why he got them. She would leave that question for another time, however.

The pair entered the dining room, and Emiri took a seat, looking around. Truth be told, she still wasn't used to having Savayna around. Quite frankly, the woman just looked so disinterested in everything. She turned her attention to the other blonde haired girl, who cleared her throat.

"We have reached a crossroads, so to speak." Nadeline addressed everyone at this point. "Exodus--the next Esper--can be found at the Mosphoran Highwaste. I am sure of it, and it is the only one there. However, this is also a good opportunity to seek out the Gra Kiltas on Mt. Bur Omisace in regards to destroying the Dusk Shard...we must not let what happened to Jaakuna happen again. We were lucky Aloa was there when she was." She stressed the importance of their safety. "And so, it is best that we decide as a group--we are going to split up, and we need to decide who goes where. The only person who is set in stone is, of course, Emiri. She will go to the Highwaste...without her, the Esper cannot be obtained."

Emiri listened carefully. In all honesty, she personally did not like the idea of splitting up, but she understood why it needed to be done. She remained quiet for now, as her position had already been decided.

---

The dark haired man stepped off the aircab, looking towards the large building. It seemed like long ago that he had been here. This time, he was not sure things would go smoothly, but he had to see. Reia was, apparently, busy with her own things: with war looming on the horizon, nearly everyone was on edge. The fact that she had no heir was also troubling the council greatly. Personally, he didn't understand how she could not have an heir with her many 'lovers' she would often have. The woman was quite loose, snatching any young man she deemed handsome. But that was none of his business, for now anyways: Lorenzo was the one the council wanted as Emperor, though they saw Grant had potential as he was still young and had time to marry and produce an heir of his own. There was also the option of going straight to Nadeline, but he was not sure how many supported that idea.

Still, he found himself waiting anyway. He had requested to see the Emperor: he would have to watch and see if the Emperor would see him.

The Reversal - Puer Magi Madoka Magica RP [Spoilers Galore]

Waiting for me?

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Nadeline looked up from her book at the mention of her name. Savayna had suggested splitting up. While it seemed practical, she was unsure how they would go about doing it. Her main concern was who would go where, mainly. The only obvious thing was that no matter what happened, Emiri would have to go to get the Esper--sending her to Mt Bur Omisace was out of the question. Still, going after the Esper meant there was a chance that they could get attacked by the enemy, so they were going to need the strongest people to go with Emiri. Perhaps Jaakuna could go to Bur Omisace with this airship, and as soon as he was done he could fly to the group and perhaps join the battle. Something told her that convincing Jaakuna to separate from Emiri was not going to be an easy idea, however.

"Splitting up may be a good idea. The question is, who goes where." She sighed, looking up. "Miss IRIS? Could you call Jaakuna and Emiri and tell them to come down here? This is important."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Nadeline listened to Wesley and Savayna as she kept her eyes on her book. It was a dreadfult hing to admit defeat, but Savayna was right. Zeromus could have been excused, in a sense--they had to give it up in order to have been able to flee from Grant and save Jaakuna. It was a three way power struggle between themselves, Rozarria, and Archadia, and for the moment, they were winning, in a sense. Still, in terms of power, Archadia clearly had the upper hand, especially with their judges. Rozarria was more passive in their power, but she did not doubt that Aloa and Vlyn would be searching for Emiri, as the Espers were second place to her--whoever had Emiri had the key to unlocking the Espers' seals, after all. They had two, Rozarria had one, and Archadia had one...thanks to Savayna joining them. She looked at the book intensely, as if expecting it to give her the answers she wanted. As if on cue, she recognized one word: Mosphoran. Could that be referring to the Mosphoran Highwaste? She widened her eyes, but shook her head. No, she would not make a mistake again, she would translate the entire text to be absolutely sure.

"We almost lost Jaakuna to the Dawn Shard." Nadeline spoke in response to Savayna. "Which also brings the issue of the Dusk Shard, as well as the Midlight Shard. The Sword of Kings...perhaps there is a way to properly utilize it. I would think that perhaps we could find our answer in Mt. Bur Omisace, as the Sword of Kings was originally given to the Gran Kiltas." She paused. "I wonder which should be taken care of first...the Dusk Shard or the next Esper..."

---

Emiri was happy Jaakuna had agreed with her. It was always better to be safe then sorry. She began to pick up her hair when Jaakuna asked who wanted to shower first. As she thought about it, she noticed he had trailed off. She looked at him properly, following is gaze. Was he suggesting what she thought he was suggesting? She definitely recognized that sexy (did she really just think that?) suggestive smile of his, and she felt her cheeks flush lightly at it. She let out a small giggle as she finished tying her hair, flipping her ponytail off of her shoulder. A shower together could be nice.

"Mmm, I wouldn't want to get interrupted again." She mused lightly, testing Jaakuna's reaction.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

She didn't believe him. That isn't to say she thought he was lying--no, she didn't think he would lie about it. His words were sincere, as were his intentions. But when he said he would not doing anything reckless, she couldn't help but not believe him. Reckless was what he was, after it. Swing your sword first, ask questions later, right? She wanted to believe him, but she couldn't. If she was in danger, she was sure he would come rushing in and get hurt again. She supposed to avoid that, she would have to not get into any situations like that, then. She then nodded at him, smiling, though she paused. She then took her hands, lifting her left arm and showing him her inner bicep, pointing to a straight line. It was now white in age, barely visible against her pale skin.

"This is scar number one." She explained, admiring it as if it were a cool tattoo. "Believe it or not, Nadeline was the one that did this. First time I ever wielded a sword...I became afraid and did not defend myself in time, and she managed to land a hit on me. Mind you, it was entirely unfair, she was so aggressive, ahaha." She giggled slightly, though she picked up her boots and began to lace them up. "In case I ever need it, I won't tell you how many scars I have, but I thought I would share at least that one." She then stood up and stretched. "Let's get going, hopefully we can find some answers from the Gran Kiltas."

---

"It seems I was right after all."

Nadeline looked rather defeated at the book in front of her as she ruffled her hair in frustration. She let out a groan of indigence, crossing her arms angrily. "Mateus was not the Esper I believed to be in the Stilshrine of Miriam." She told Wesley and Savayna, though she did lay a fist on the table. "I was a fool, I knew not of Mateus but thought I had been mistaken. The Esper I believed to be in the Stilshrine was called Zeromus, 'Honoring the law more than any other, a scion of holy order and condemner of criminals. Created in opposition to Knight-Star Pashtarot, scion of light. He turns his deep, abiding hatred for those who break the law into living darkness, therein to plunge the guilty in fell judgment. Over time, he came to care less for upholding the law and more for condemnation, and so tainted by hate, he sought to condemn the gods themselves to death. Thus, did he earn the title "The Condemner", and thus did he fall from grace.' I would not be surprised if that was the reason Grant never caught up to us--he was obtaining Zeromus, and because Emiri had passed through the Stilshrine, she may not have realized that she had unlocked it..."

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Nadeline grinned widely, watching Savayna struggle against Wesley. SHe was ipressed by his strength, she was sure him carrying the general was no small feat. She led the pair into the elevator, pressing the button needed. She looked at Savayna, a small smirk on her face, and she let out a small chuckle. "Now, now, Savayna, remember that you are a lady." She reminded her, raising a tantalizing eyebrow.

---

Emiri watched Jaakuna speak, though she was secretly glad as well. She would probably never admit it but she actually quite enjoyed their little escapade while it had lasted. She looked at her hands in his, then back up at his eyes. She was just so happy he was back. She wasn't sure if she would be able to go through that again, really. She then frowned slightly as she thought about the remaining Dusk Shard. The longer it existed, the bigger the chance of that happening to any of them. She let out a sigh, gently releasing her hands from his as she crossed her arms.

"I don't want anyone to get engulfed by the Shard's Mist." She said quietly, looking up at him. "Aloa said...that if I hadn't convinced you to come back, you would never have awakened." She informed him. "The Dusk Shard is too dangerous to exist...and yet even destroying it is just as dangerous. We need to get rid of it, somehow." She thought to herself for a moment. "Nadeline said the Sword of Kings was given to the Gran Kiltias of the time...maybe we can go to Mt. Bur Omisace and find out how to safely destroy the Dusk Shard."

She sighed again, looking at Jaakuna. "I don't want to lose you again. Don't you ever do anything like that again, okay?"

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Now she really felt guilty. Nadeline let Wesley pull her out of the room, though she did offer Emiri an apologetic look. Once the doors were closed, she let out a slight cough, trying to dispel the awkwardness. Now that it was over, she was horrified to find that she actually wished Savayna's question had been answered. Waving that thought away, she cleared her throat, turning on her heel. "I believe I still have some texts to translate...for...the next Esper...if you'll excuse me." She muttered, pretending that whatever happened did not just happen, and she began to make her way to the elevator.

As the doors closed, Emiri let out a low groan, hugging her knees as she tried to get her heart to return to its normal beating. Leave it to Savayna the moment killer. No, she didn't just kill the moment, she strangled it and brutally murdered it. How terrible! And yet, somewhere inside, she couldn't help but imagine how she must have looked, half naked on top of Jaakuna. For one reason or another, she found herself chuckling lightly. It turned into a laugh, and she let out a sigh as her laughing finished. Oh well. There was always next time. She looked at Jaakuna, still smiling from her laughter. "Bet you wished I would have said to go down to breakfast." She said lightly.