Hero

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Grant hadn't been chocobo riding in years. He remembered it well, however. The speed of the giant bird, the wind in his hair, the rush and thrill of riding. The one thing he loved especially had to the riding against a clear sky.

The Westersand decided that clear skies were simply not in the forecast this day.

Harris had graciously paid for a pair of chocobos, and so he rode on one while Grant and Emiri rode the second. The brunette sat behind him, arms around his waist, head bowed down as the winds whipped sand from all directions. Their vision was probably only a few feet ahead of them, though by some miracle they had yet to run into any monsters, though he was sure the chocobo would give some warning. Harris himself stuck close to Grant, though as he squinted through the sands, he couldn't help but feel that perhaps this had been a lost cause.

Grant was thinking the same thing, one hand on the reins and the other trying to shield his eyes. This was completely hopeless. He had only kept going in the hopes that maybe Jaakuna would head back to Rabanastre for shelter. He let out a huff only to have a bunch of sand get placed into his mouth. He spat and sputtered for a moment, looking at Harris. "Perhaps we should turn back!" He yelled, hoping his voice would carry over the wind.

At that moment the blonde haired man said something, but Grant didn't quite catch it. As he was about to ask about it, Grant's chocobo began screeching at something. It then flailed its wings, rearing backwards somewhat. Grant nearly fell off, hanging onto the reins for dear life, and to his horror the stupid bird charged forward. Most chocobos ran from monsters; his decided to fight them. The sound of a rather horrid screech informed him that an Urstix was the victim of his vicious chocobo's attack. The monster attacked (obviously) and Grant was thrown off. He landed in the sand, though he scrambled to his feet as best as he could. He took out his gun, shooting at the monster, only to find that the sandstorm made his accuracy horrid.

Luckily for him, a familiar sword would help to arrive. Harris swung at the Urstix, cleanly slaying it. He petted Grant's chocobo, calming it as his own chocobo approached them somewhat nervously. "Are you alright?" Harris asked (shouted). Grant nodded, trying to dust himself off. Gods how he hated sand. Harris looked at him, a funny expression on his face. "My lord...where is the lady that was riding with you?" He asked him.(shouted again). Grant whipped around, expecting Emiri to have been right behind him. Oh no, she must have fallen off when his chocobo went berserk. He looked around, and to his absolute horror the brunette was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh fuck."

---

Nadeline was clearly giddy with excitement at this point. So many faces and personalities, every bit as genuine and loving as the next. They laughed, shouted, fought and more. She absolutely loved the toast, eager to drink and be merry with all of them. Why exactly was Wesley hiding them from her? She grinned at her fiance, happily clinking her glass with his before downing it. She watched the younger ones, and after a moment would scoot in real close to Wesley. She would put her lips to his ear. "I think having such a big family is wonderful." She half told, half shouted over the many conversations going on.

---

Ryua and Mtra's jaws dropped, something quite uncharacteristic for most Viera. Never had they been so insulted! After Jaakuna's little rant had ended, the two first looked at one another, closing their mouths, then they would turn their icy glares at Jaakuna. Clearly the two were not pleased that he had the gall after asking them for help that he would promptly explode at them like this. Truly humes were every bit as foolish as ever. Aloa lazily waved her hand for the two, a placid expression on her face, almost amused by Jaakuna's outburst. Mtra clucked her tongue, though she and Ryua would stand. They shot Jaakuna another look and turned on their heels, disappearing into the deeper parts of the village.

Aloa lightly clapped her hands together. "Now that we have no more distractions." She stated, as if what had just happened hadn't bothered her at all--for the record, it did not. "You come to me for help and ask a question, I give you an answer. I admit you had every reason for your anger at Mtra's rather idiotic suggestion. I fail to see why, however, you would direct the rest of that answer to the ones who would attempt to assist you. I was not the one that chose to dip myself in the pool of darkness that is the Keeper of Precepts." She stated rather curtly, her own voice raising slightly, though she would then stop to calm herself. "I will be completely straight with you, Jaakuna of Archadia. Leave now and your shame and guilt will prevent you from returning to the one you want to protect, effectively sealing her fate."

Mtra and Ryua would return at this point, no doubt not looking too pleased. They effectively ignored Jaakuna and would present Aloa two things: a staff and a small orange vial. Jaakuna would see that the two were also armed with bows and quivers filled with arrows. Aloa lightly bowed her head and the two would nod. She turned back to Jaakuna. "Now then, if you are willing to hold that tongue of yours, we have work to do. You can either follow us and go through with it, or walk away. It's your choice." She signaled the two to follow, though she did stop after a few steps. She looked back at Jaakuna. "Just so you and I are clear, were Nadeline in your shoes, she would not hesitate to do as I instruct. She would be severely disappointed in you." She stated, then continued to walk.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Before he knew it, the pair of Grant and Emiri were in Rabanastre. It had been some time since he had visited, though the heat was not something he missed. He understood why Emiri chose to change into something lighter, and once again her hair was neat and in its usual ponytail. Physically she seemed better, no longer sad or depressed or upset, though she was a little distant, like her mind was somewhere else. He didn't blame her, but as they walked through the streets he found himself often guiding her or preventing her from bumping into someone more than once or twice. A familiar face caught Grant's attention as they reached the Bazaar. He almost couldn't believe it. "Harris!" He called out.

The blonde haired man looked up, having just spoken with a viera. He waved as she left, watching her flip her hair before wandering over to him. "Highness, what are you doing here?" He asked with a slight frown.

"I should be asking you that." Grant replied. "Things aren't well in Stigma, I would have thought that you'd be with my sister."

"Her Majesty and the Council have reached a truce. She is in safe hands--more importantly, I have been looking for Aloa." He mentioned, scratching his chin. "The viera have been mighty helpful when it comes to Mist. Because of Zodiark some of the palaces' mechanisms have gone...haywire. Vlyn has done well to prevent any of them from breaking, but Aloa has that touch of hers...you know." He nodded, though he couldn't help but stare at Emiri for a moment. "Is she alright?" He asked him quietly.

Grant looked at Emiri, who was staring at something a distance away. "She's...going through some things." He explained. "We're actually on the lookout for someone. I don't suppose you would have seen a blonde man with green eyes and a red hoodie, would you?"

Harris scratched his chin again, thinking. "Well, I've only been here for a short while, but that does sound like someone I saw. I think they were headed out towards the Westersand."

The Westersand? Grant couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at that. What could possibly be out there for Jaakuna? Perhaps he had found his answers out there. Still, at least someone had seen him, so that was good news, right? "Thank you, Harris. We'll head out that way, then." He said, taking Emiri's arm.

"If you'l allow me, my lord, let me join you." He said, motioning for them to start walking. "Rumor has it a rather vicious Wyrm is out there. I don't doubt your swordsmanship, but..." He trailed off, eyeing Emiri.

"Of course. I could use the extra hand." Grant agreed, and the trio began to walk. "I can't help but ask, though, where have you been all this time?"

"Everywhere." Harris replied with a simple grin. Grant followed him through the streets and to the Chocobo Stables. "For speed. Shall we?"

---

Well, this side of Wesley's family was...eccentric.

There were so many people, the term 'clan' was entirely accurate. Nadeline made a mental note of every name, or at the very least she did her very best to. She had been somewhat trained to learn the many names and faces of the members of royalty that would often attend royal parties, as such this was not something too difficult for her. They were certainly boisterous for sure, but she actually found it somewhat endearing. It must be nice to have so much family. She had grown up an only child and Emiri was her only cousin, so to see so many cousins and aunts and uncles was thrilling. She found herself trying to see who was who's child, and her thoughts actually wandered over to how many children Wesley and her would have. Two? Three? Seven?

"Why, I thank you dearly." Nadeline replied, somewhat giddy. Their enthusiasm was infectious!

---

Ryua and Mtra looked at one another, somewhat alarmed by Jaakuna's words. Aloa's own expression was somewhat grim as well. A silence followed, as if what he had spoken of was something rather forbidden. Mtra opened her mouth to speak, but found no words to say. Ryua coughed lightly, having a more optimistic expression. "Cleansing yourself properly is something you can do." She assured him somewhat, though she looked at Mtra. "Such a...noble cause. Truly, love does conquer all, doesn't it? You should know, that...that the cleansing process is not for the faint of heart. The Espers' magicks are ancient and have reached back in time farther than any of our mortal races. Of course that does not mean there isn't a way!"

"Ah, yes, she speaks the truth." Mtra hastily agreed. "We have Dream Powder...all that is needed is determination, really. Strength of heart and all that. Your love will...prove to be...useful..." She stopped, looking at Jaakuna. Her shoulders slumped and she fiddled with her fingers. "Although...perhaps it would for the best...The girl of time...were she not to exist, it would be a great benefit to all of Ivalice. The Wood tells us her existence comes in and out of Ivalice..."

Both Ryua and Aloa shot Mtra a look, and the viera shut up. "What she means is, what she is trying to say, prince of Archadia..." Ryua started slowly, trying to find the words. "You cannot falter at all to cleanse yourself. You must disconnect yourself entirely from everything in your heart. Only then will you obtain your strength."

Final Fantasy VIII: Tempus Veneficarum [7/10 Slots]

Well that's one way to drop a character. Bravo, Lennon.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Wesley's family's home was lovely. It definitely seemed like it belonged on the seaside port. As Ayane announced their arrival, another scantily clad woman came out of the house and tackled Wesley to the ground. Proper clothing was not something his family knew about, it seemed. Still, even that couldn't distract her from how stunning his mother was. She could see where Cassandra and Wesley got their looks from. She looked way too young, though, and she couldn't help but secretly wonder if she was a witch or something. Her antics reminded her greatly of her own father, and she couldn't help but smile a bit.

She has to say, though, her father definitely did not grope Wesley when he met him.

Nadeline let out a small gasp as her skirt was lifted, but as she attempted to pull it down she would grab her butt. And not just some quick little thing, it was full and lingering. When she thought the worst was over, however, she surprised her once again. She felt her breasts, lightly fondling them, and now Nadeline felt just a pang of regret. This must be how Emiri had felt anytime Nadeline felt particularly frisky. As Wesley's mother would give her approval, Nadeline felt somewhat violated. "A...pleasure." She replied, as if afraid her response would warrant another frisk.

---

The trio listened, and once Jaakuna had finished, Mtra would speak. "Let me tell you a little story or a tragic life, much like yours. Once there was a little girl who did not know her purpose in life. For most creatures, this thought does not come around until a much later age. One incident changed this: the destruction and utter obliteration of a small town called Senpal. You may or may not recognize the name. Despite its size, it was home to many a magicite mine. It was actually occupied by Archadia for many years despite being in Nabradia. One day, however, the people of Senpal decided to declare its independence from Archadia. How did the Emperor respond? By wiping it off the map."

Ryua would chime in at this point. "The people that had not fallen with their homes scattered themselves, though one thing was common: fear of the Empire. Out of a population of around eight thousand, only ten were confirmed survivors: five because they happened to have left to visit a neighboring village quite a distance away. The little girl was found underneath whatever remained of her house, comatose. It had been a miracle that she had survived. She was shipped off to Archadia, the very thing that she feared, for the only family she had left lived there. As the days went by, her fear turned into a seething hatred. She wanted revenge for her fallen mother father, she wanted to see the Empire burn to the ground in payment for her dead brother and sister."

"Like every other hume, she sought out power. Unlike every other hume, she realized that it was not enough. Nothing could be enough. No amount of power would bring her dead family back. But as the years rolled by, she realized that she was not alone. There were others like her, those who had lost everything. She gathered them with her, and sought to protect them from the rest of life's horrors. She did realize, however, that she was wrong in protecting them. They did not need to ask for an easier life, they needed the strength to endure a harder one. And so once again, she sought out power. She reached to the gods themselves, and to them proved her worth. They offered her power, and she declined it."

"She would discard her previous life and create her own army of sorts. She had connections in every country. Despite having such a large group they managed to stay discreet and would have sub divisions claiming to be different groups. They even managed to reach the royal families; each country would think they had their own group but the reality was that she was the one in charge of them all. That girl was now a powerful woman whose power was widely known and yet kept under traps. The stories have made her notorious--the Blue Rose, Shion of Nabradia."

"The fact that you faced her and lived is no small feat." Aloa concluded the storytelling session. "Like Shion, you have faced tragedy. Like Shion, you have realized that the power you sought is not what you need. What you need is true strength, the kind that no outside influence can give. She has yet to show her own power; in your battle she used outside resources."

"It may seem contradictory, but it isn't." Ryua said. "There's a difference between relying on something else's power and using an outside power. Once you get the difference, then you can know what strength and power are."

"But first, you must get rid of that poison in you." Mtra wrinkled her nose at him. "Zodiark's Mist is truly disgusting..."

Ryua finished Aloa's braid and the viera stood up. "So then tell me, what is it that you wish to do?"

Final Fantasy VIII: Tempus Veneficarum [7/10 Slots]

*cheers*

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

"If you would, then take us to Rabanastre. We'll start our search there." Grant would request of IRIS. He then turned to Emiri, who had a somewhat confused expression on her face. "We're going to go find your boyfriend. Go gear up--actually go sober up first." He retracted his statement as he imagined her shooting him with an arrow. "Come on missy, get moving, we'll get there before you know it."

The brunette was in some disbelief, but she did stand. "Okay." She told him, though she did make her way out. She stopped for a moment, and then went back to Grant. To his surprise she hugged him again. "Thank you, really." She smiled, she then practically ran out. He heard a thump and shook his head; he would bet that she probably ran into the wall in her haste. He would find Jaakuna, otherwise he was pretty sure Emiri would either die of alcohol poisoning or from a blow to the head from smashing her head onto various surfaces. He then took his leave as well, deciding to prepare for the journey.

---

Well, Ayane was certainly enthusiastic, that much she had to admit. How in the world was this girl related to Wesley, again? Cassandra wasn't nearly as hyper as this one was. She was pretty much dragged along, and she could see Wesley sweating profusely. He did warn her that his family was somehow worse than hers, but for some reason she just found it hard to believe. Albeit she did have to wonder. Her father was always eccentric and while humiliating, she was somewhat used to his antics. Still, it was nice to finally get a chance to visit Balfonheim, so she couldn't complain. She just smiled assuringly at her fiance and tried to keep up with Ayane.

---

The viera all watched Jaakuna as he walked. They were silent and disinterested as always, but the ones that did stare were somewhat alerted by his presence. They would whisper to one another and even those that were maybe close would get a few paces away from him. As a race that was in tune with nature and Mist, it was as if Jaakuna had painted the word 'Zodiark' to his forehead. If they didn't want him here, however, they would have said so. A huntress clad in black eyed him carefully as he walked by, bow in hand. He would then see his path interrupted as the one he sought out had decided to meet him halfway.

"And so we meet again, Prince of Archadia.[b]" Aloa greeted him, sitting on a bench with a pair of viera. The one clad in red--Ryua--was braiding several flowers into her hair and paid little mind to Jaakuna, focusing more on the lady before her, whereas the viera clad in silver--Mtra--watched him with mild curiosity, as if she was looking at a strange animal of sorts.

"[b]He reeks of that Mist that doesn't belong to him." Ryua commented rather dryly.

"Such is the nature of humes. They yearn for power that does not belong to them. It has been, is, and always will be that way." Mtra shrugged at the other viera. "What folly, one only needs to search within themselves. Patience has never been a strong suit of humes. Such impatient beings, they are."

"Not all of them. That is how she got her power."

"Ah, yes...her. You have met her, it seems." Mtra smirked lightly, crossing her legs. "Your Mist has traces of her magic. It looks like she tried to get rid of that evil within you. That woman knows what strength truly is."

Aloa raised her hand, bringing the pair to silence. "It would do the two of you well to listen to the entire story. Even our eyes only see what is in front of us, they cannot tell the entire story. Do tell, prince of Archadia. We are listening, and by doing so we may be able to properly offer aid to your tortured soul."

RWBY - Haze

Boom. Cool down. Boom again. Cool down again. Rinse and repeat. Rampion's cool down period between cannon mode shots was minimal so long as the amount of Dust used was minimal. Still, Aurelia made a small mental note that she would try to see if she could reduce the cool down period. It was funny, the two groups were probably in danger but all she could think about was that. Maybe it was just a way of coping with the danger around her. Still, she would see Randy begin to go down the path, and that was her cue. Firing off her last shot, she switched Rampion back to its usual staff mode, and she would look at Nevin. Surely he'd notice everyone else was gone. She took the chance and started going down the path.

Heights weren't usually a problem for the blonde, but falling was not something she wanted to do. She made her way through, though admittedly she chose haste over caution for once. The path wasn't too easy to navigate through, though she wondered if it was the narrowness or the fact that she was actually somewhat afraid of actually falling. It wasn't a paralyzing fear but it was prominent enough to make her slightly nervous. Would it be better if she was mauled to death by Grimm or falling and getting every bone crushed? Actually, at least she could combat the Grimm. Gravity was not very nice.

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Sister? Shoot, she hoped that she wasn't a mind reader. Wesley may not like the fact that she thought his sister had been a whore. This girl was also loud. She looked nothing like Wesley; her hair and eyes were much brighter then his. She did mention that she was his half-sister, so that may explain the differences. The enthusiasm was also not what she was expecting. Nadeline looked at Ayane for a moment, though she did recompose herself and nod. "I...see you've heard of me. Good." She replied, trying to take charge, though she did remember at the very least to tone down her voice. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ayane."

---

The sound of something crashing and falling to the ground startled Grant. It sounded like...glass? He blinked a few times and realized that he had somehow been laying down on the couch. He must have fallen asleep. Emiri was no where to be found, either. Perhaps she had been the source of the noise, maybe she had dropped a glass. He stretched his arms above his head, and let out a low groan. He closed his eyes for a moment, tempted to keep on snoozing, but something made him open them. Perhaps it had been instinct. Luck? Whatever it was, he then saw the brunette at the doorway. He noticed how she was leaning on it, almost slouching. Her hair was somehow messier then it was before, one sleeve hanging off her shoulder, and she had taken off her boots.

The prince had started to sit up but to his surprise Emiri waltzed on over to him. She apparently didn't see the small table close to him and banged into it. She let out a slurred yelp of pain and fell on all fours, though she just stared at the floor. She then erupted into a giggle fit, and made her way to Grant. He raised an eyebrow at her, half worried and half curious about her behavior. Maybe she had finally cracked and lost her mind. How was he supposed to handle that? She looked up at him, letting out a large gasp, and before he could act, she climbed onto the couch. This would not have really been such an issue if he still hadn't been laying down on it. She climbed over him and plopped her body on top of his. He wanted to get up, but he found that despite her small stature, the woman weighed a lot more than she looked.

"Grant...Grant." She called out to him, and he suddenly realized what had happened.

"Emiri, have you--are you intoxicated?" He asked, the smell of rum from her mouth slightly overwhelming. "What did you do, down the entire bottle?"

"Oh. No...maybe." She giggled again, though she ended it with a sigh, resting her head on his chest. "I just, I just want...I want to not feel like this anymore, you know? You know I thought...I hate--I don't want to be alone." She kept hesitating between her words, making it slightly difficult to understand her.

"You're not alone, Emiri, Ii told you that." He said as he tried to sit up. Wow, she was heavy. No, wait, she was grabbing onto him. He looked down and met her mischievous eyes, and she erupted into a giggle fit again. "Emiri...I need to get up."

"No, stay with me, I don't--No, no, no no." She stubbornly refused, holding onto him tighter and simultaneously (and hopefully unintentionally) pressing her chest against him. "No, no please I promise--no!"

Should someone have walked in and saw them, this would not have been a good thing. He could hear Nadeline yelling at him already. Savayna would kill him. Jaakuna would kill him. He briefly wondered who would kill him first as Emiri looked up at him. Oh god that expression--Grant managed to sit up but arguably made their position worse, as she was pretty much now laying down between his legs. Dear gods what had he done to deserve this? "You need to get up, Emiri." He told her firmly, lightly trying to push her off. He was met with her smacking his hand away and hugging him tighter. She was not only heavier but also stronger then he had anticipated. All those years away from Rozarria had gone to physical training, it seemed. "Emiri, stop." He scolded her, a little more firm.

"If I let you go, you'll leave me too." She whispered so softly he almost missed it.

Silence again. How was he even supposed to respond to this? No, he couldn't take what she was saying or doing seriously, she was clearly drunk and unaware of her actions. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I don't believe you."

"Well too bad." He replied, managing to loosen her grip.

"NO!" She yelled, though for some reason instead of holding on tighter she let him go, she backed off and promptly headbutted him. Tiny little stars popped into his view, and he let out a groan of pain. Great, now his head hurt. Emiri whimpered, rubbing her forehead, tears forming at the corner of her eyes. "My head...ow..." She cried rather quietly. This girl was crazy. As he rubbed his own head, he noticed her looking at him again. He raised his hands somewhat defensively, though she just took his hands in hers. "I'm sorry." She mumbled.

He shook his head at her, letting out a sigh. "It's fine. You just need to relax, alright?" He told her.

She looked up at him again. "I hate him so much right now." She admitted rather tearfully. "I shouldn't but I do and I can't stop feeling like this no matter what I do. I'm supposed to--I should be supportive but all I can think about is that he's gone. He's gone...he's gone."

"He's going to come back." He assured her once more. "He will. Just believe in him." Emiri released his hands, though she never took her eyes off him. Something in Grant's head went off, like an alarm. He recognized that look. Savayna gave him that same look before she--no, no, THIS was what Nadeline was talking about. She closed her eyes for a moment, though when she opened them Grant had turned his head to look away. "You still love him. I love Savayna." He reminded her.

"You still love me too, right?"

That question stunned him to silence. That was the million gil question, wasn't it? Still, out of anyone to ask, why did it have to be Emiri of all people? He looked back at the brunette, though he found that this time he had an answer. "Of course. You were my first love. I'll always love you. But you aren't the woman I want to be with, the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, the one who I want to marry, nor the one I would like to be the mother to my children. You aren't any of those. And I'm not the guy you want to be with, either. You want Jaakuna, but you've let your emotions get the best of you." He got up at this point, stretching again. He looked up at the airship. "IRIS, is there any way you could find Jaakuna, or know where he could be headed?"

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

The trip went well. That was amazing, considering all the crap they had gone through. Still, the walk was nice, and it felt good to fight without having to fear for her life. Sure there were monsters and the like, but they were no match for them. As they walked Nadeline let her thoughts flow freely. The best thing had to be the wind, though. It was almost a shame that they had gotten to Balfonheim so soon! She took in a deep breath, tasting the salt of the sea. It reminded her greatly of their day at the beach. Soon they would be able to go back to those happier times. She watched Savayna and Wesley, and she couldn't help but wonder if they were alright. They certainly acted like their usual selves, but as Emiri had demonstrated in the Ifrit, anything could happen.

The princess had almost missed when Savayna had called out to her; she was just enjoying nature in itself. Nature was also enjoying her fiance in the form of some woman on top of him. No strike that, women would not attempt to smother men with their breasts. Only whores and sluts and maybe Meli would do that. Meli was a total slut so she probably would. Except this woman was not Meli. Who the hell was this whore?! "Who is this?" Nadeline's voice squeaked slightly against her will, though it came out as absolutely horrified. "Young lady, do you mind?! Get off of him this instant!" She commanded her, summoning every ounce of royal willpower and authority in her voice now.

---

One minute. Two minutes. How much time had passed? How long had they been like this? It was just a hug. A comforting hug. Was there more to it? Maybe just a little. But if someone were to walk in on them, it wouldn't be a big deal, right? They all knew what had happened, how she felt, how devastated she was. Or was that justification for something that should not be happening? What was being said with the actions happening right now? There was something happening here. That much was definite. Emiri looked up at Grant. She looked so small. She was small, but she always had a way of looking like everyone else. She looked tired. Drained. What would it take for her not to look that way?

"It's going to be okay." He told her very softly, raising his hand and brushing her bangs out of her eyes. God how he loved those purple eyes of hers. As that thought crossed his mind, he briefly recalled Nadeline's warning. Oh shit, was this idiotic? But as he looked down at Emiri, for some reason he didn't think it was. She needed comforting. People hug when they need comfort. Except the last time he was comforted by Savayna they ended up making love. But that wasn't going to happen here. No, no way, that was idiotic. As if confirming it, he felt her back away from him. See? Everything was fine. He sat back down on the couch, Emiri joining him.

"What if he never comes back?" She asked, leaning against him. Grant lifted his arm around her shoulders, making her more comfortable.

"He will. He has to. He has someone to come back to." He assured her, offering her the clover hair tie. "Just wait. Alright?"

Emiri shifted and turned so that she was hugging Grant. She no longer looked desperate, just very sad. Grant didn't know which was worse. "I just...I need him." She admitted. "Without him I...you're right about before. I feel abandoned, like he just dumped me and left." She murmured to him as she fiddled with her hair tie. "Why would he just leave me like this? We didn't even talk last night...he went straight to sleep. I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye, he didn't even say anything...why am I such a terrible girlfriend?"

"You're not terrible, alright?" He found that comforting just meant denying whatever the person said. "He's lucky to have you. Any guy would be lucky to have you."

Silence. Had he said too much? Was this the idiotic thing? He looked down and saw her asleep on him. Well, that was good. Right?

Time Stops For Fire(Altered Tundra and Hero)

Emiri sat in the dining room, playing with the tip of her messed up ponytail. All she could think about was Jaakuna and why he had left her. Never had she felt so empty in her life before, like a part of her heart had been ripped right out of her chest. She should be crying. She should be angry. Frustrated. Confused. Enraged. Desperate. Anything, anything at all, anything to replace this desperation and loneliness she felt. She dropped her hair, letting the ponytail fall on her shoulder. It slipped over and down her back, though it was so loose and disheveled that her scrunchie dropped to the floor. Her eyes looked down at it for a second, though she returned to staring at the table.

At that point Grant walked back, cup in hand. He spotted the familiar clover hair tie on the floor, then looked at Emiri. She wasn't crying anymore, so that was good, but maybe he may have preferred that. She looked completely miserable. He sat down next to her, placing the cup in her view. "It's ginger." He told her quietly. For a moment, she only stared at it, as if it had been the first time that such an object had been introduced to her. She then shook her head, getting up and walking away. Where was she going? Grant quickly followed, though he did scoop up her scrunchie as he walked after her. He needed to say something. "Things will turn out alright, Emiri." He called as he chased her to the lounge.

The brunette sat down on one of the couches (well, rather threw herself on one) and she crossed her legs. "Leave me alone." She told him, running a hand through her hair. "I know it will be fine. It always is." She spoke, her voice lightly cracking.

Why was he so bad at this? Grant tried to remember everything Nadeline had said. "You don't want to be alone, do you?" He asked, sitting next to her. "You feel abandoned, alone...but I'm--we're all here for you." He quickly corrected himself, not wanting to insinuate anything. At the very least, that had gotten her to look at him. He scooted just a little closer, taking her hand. "I...I hate seeing you like this, isn't there anything I can do to make you better?"

"Grant, please, I don't..." She shook her head, though he noticed she didn't take her hand away.

He had an idea. "Listen...how about you stay here in Archades? I'll go out and find Jaakuna." He told her, sitting up. "I'll bring him back to you, that would make you happy, right?"

Would it? Emiri couldn't help but wonder. She couldn't believe that he left her, would seeing him relieve her of the pain she felt? She wanted to think so. "We don't even know where he went." She replied. "He could be anywhere...if he wanted to be found...he would have left a sign, he would have...he wouldn't have left." She took in a breath, her voice coming out a little stronger. "He wants to be alone, then fine..."

"No...no, it's...he's..." Oh fuck, now what? "He's coming back."

"I'm not stupid, Grant!" Emiri suddenly screamed, completely surprising Grant and nearly sending him off the couch in shock. "People don't say 'I don't know when I will be back' and then show up the next day! They say that when they know they may not ever come back, so don't sit there and lie to me!"

"So what, you want me to say he's not coming back then?" Now it was Grant's turn to raise his voice. "I thought you knew him best out of everyone here. He made a mistake and he's trying to fix it, he's doing it because he doesn't want to hurt anyone!"

"Why did he have to leave, then?!" She asked, standing up. "Every time we have had a problem we always faced it together. Every time one of us had a problem we would go to each other. Instead all we get is a message, he didn't even apologize for it. He knew what he was doing. He abandoned us."

Grant stood up as well, placing both of his hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me, Emiri. Jaakuna will come back. I know it, you know it, Wesley and Nadeline and Savayna know it. What Jaakuna needs right now is for you to believe in him."

"He obviously doesn't need me if he left me." She snapped in response.

"Okay, so when do you plan on telling everyone about your issue, then?" He snapped back. "Jaakuna told Wesley and myself about your little problem with your powers. You're giving Jaakuna so much shit about him keeping his secrets that if it wasn't for Justine telling him we would never have found out, would we?!" He probably hadn't meant to yell, but he had just gotten so infuriated. With the information she withheld she had no right to criticize Jaakuna at all. She had every right to be upset at him, to feel guilty, and to feel anger. But that was it. The two looked at one another, clearly steamed, though after a moment Emiri looked away from Grant, trying to hide a guilty look. "What, no more fire now that I've called you out on your bullshit?"

Her purple eyes glared daggers at him. "You...You do not have the right--"

"No, YOU don't have the right!"

"You don't know what I've been through, you don't know what it's like to suddenly find yourself trapped in a space with no way of communication, or anything--"

"What happened to 'we face problems together' then?!"

"There's a reason I haven't told anyone--"

"So it's fine if you keep secrets then?!"

"So what do you want me to do?! Tell everyone and have everyone dote on me?! Because guess what Grant, look at where it's gotten us!"

"That doesn't excuse it!"

"I can't--I don't want anyone to know--because--"

"Whatever fucking reason you have isn't good enough, Emiri!"

"THERE'S NOTHING ANYONE CAN DO, GRANT!"

After that, the two looked at one another, breathing somewhat heavily from their screaming match. Emiri just had a look of desperation on her face, whereas Grant was just plain shocked. Third time was the charm, it seemed. Another moment of silence rolled by, and the brunette turned to leave. Grant whirled around and grabbed he wrist, halting her exit. "There is always a way, Emiri. You said it yourself." He spoke, his voice calm again.

"Not this time." She replied just as quietly. "Chaos said so himself...my body just can't handle my power. I can't just not use it, either. I do it without even thinking, I can't control myself. I'm going to keep using it, even if I try not to. And eventually, I'll just fade away and disappear forever. You guys can't help me this time. No one can."

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Jaakuna had mentioned that she would fade away, but he didn't think that she couldn't control it. So that was it, then? Yet as she began to walk away, her fingers trailing his and signaling her leave, he found himself acting without thinking. His hand took hers again and he pulled her to him. She stumbled slightly, and found herself in his embrace. It was odd, it felt so nostalgic. He had grown in the past six years, but he held her the same way he did so long ago. His arms were wrapped tightly around her body, effectively trapping her. "We'll find a way." He murmured into her hair.