The Otter

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@Raineh Daze@Psyker Landshark@HereComesTheSnow

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So that was the back of Renar's head he'd seen across the table from Gerard.

As the illegitimately-born nobleman took over the discussion for a moment, Fionn stepped to the side, deftly avoiding the young elf's nervous bow. "Already figured I'd take her along to see the captain," he said at the momentary lull in the conversation. "After finding the two of you. I'll have to stop by my room though and put this back...can you believe Tyaethe stole my favourite pillow?"

He held up the cushion for emphasis.

"Your mom ever say if she did that to her or the others back in the day?"

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@Raineh Daze@Psyker Landshark@HereComesTheSnow

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"Where's Renar?"

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@Raineh Daze@Psyker Landshark@HereComesTheSnow

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Covered it with a glamour. That explained it well enough, he imagined. "Magic, then? Something I need to figure out myself, now that Tyaethe's done me the favour of pointing out that I'm magical too." Just to emphasize that he wasn't pulling her leg, he held up the hand that he was about to open their way with, setting a fingertip to glow again for just a moment. Then—rather than listen to the nervous elf's protestations of not wanting to take up much time—he pushed the door in, stepping inside and holding it open.

"Now, don't mess with the seat with all the pillows, that's Tyaethe's and she—" He stopped mid-sentence, seeing a recognizable pillow in the stack. He stared for a second, before setting his jaw, walking over, and plucking his old favourite pillow out of the stack. "Takes pillows from the other knights, apparently. I've been wondering where this went for months." Taking a nap out in the sunlight one afternoon, he had gotten up for a short time to go and grab a quick drink of water. By the time he made it back his pillow had been gone. Now, though, now he knew the first place to look if such should happen again. Purloined head cushion secured under his arm, he started to continue back along.

"Of course, we've got all the relics, paintings of the founding knights, that sort of stuff. Better to look at when you've got Tyaethe out here like normal to talk about them, though. No real time to waste to see if I can remember it all off the top of my head, we've got to be quick..." He'd taken longer to get back than he wanted, anyways. Knowing his luck as soon as he made it to the dining room and glanced in, his day's next quarry would be long gone.

With that in mind, he rushed the poor elf woman along with barely any explanation or introduction to the castle itself, bursting into the dining hall at high speed with a heavy impact to the door, casting his eyes back and forth across the few heads still in there. Renar he couldn't spot easily—likely facing the wrong direction—but it didn't take much before he locked eyes with Gerard, waving at the man to get up and come over.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@Raineh Daze@Psyker Landshark@HereComesTheSnow

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"How'd you get that tan in just a week?"

Possibly one of the stranger questions he could ask, but perhaps it being almost utterly disconnected from everything else she was saying might keep her from spiralling off any further. "You can tell me on the walk around if you want. I've got to make my way back to the dining hall and see if a couple of people are there, can take you along to the captain after if you'd like."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@PigeonOfAstora@Raineh Daze@Psyker Landshark@HereComesTheSnow

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Lein's intentional lack of reaction was almost as good of a victory as him walking back over with his tail between his legs would've been. If anything, Fionn likely would've been disappointed if Lein had shown any genuine shock or similar. Now, though, with his first target for the day as taken care of as he could manage for the time being, it was time to end his impromptu morning jog and get back to the castle. By that point in the morning he'd completely missed his usual work with his training partners, after all, and that just wouldn't do.

So he melted into the stream of farmers and workmen himself, jogging along and weaving through the groups of people as quickly as he could manage. The carriage that Lein decided to stowaway on the side of was already long since gone, but more important now was getting back before Renar and Gerard could finish off their post-training drinks, lest he miss out on anything else he might want to accomplish in the day!

Splitting off from the main line of travel once his chance came and passing up the walk to Candaeln, though, he couldn't help but notice the loiterer by the entrance. In part due to her abrnomal dress, abnormal colouration for the area, abnormal...most everything, but also, as he drew closer..."Hey!" he called, raising a hand in greeting. "You weren't at that ball last week, were you? Trying to get inside the castle?"

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@PigeonOfAstora

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Lein wasn't half as surprising as he thought he was. Next to someone whose senses and instincts had been honed purely for reading other's movements, both large and subtle, the momentary tensing of his body, the slight shift in his stride—it was obvious what he was planning, even without the group of workmen to run into and try and throw Fionn off. He had half a mind to stop the 'escape' in its tracks, use the speed and reflexes he'd developed over the years, and prove to Lein and any onlookers that his physique wasn't just for show. But he didn't.

He stood still as Lein dived into the flow of farmers and workmen, jostling them about to come out on the other side, sleeve torn free and left hanging in Fionn's grasp. They all started to clear away faster at the sudden disturbance, even as Lein took a chance to stop. To turn and gloat.

For all the false malice that 'Lady Cteline's' gaze might have held at the ball, Fionn's grin, for just a moment, held ten times as much. His glare was downright predatory. His body poised to take off after the Hundi. Running calculations about how quickly he could cross the distance, longer legs and stronger strides covering more ground with every bound. Ready to tackle the other man down into the dirt.

You want to win. You want to dominate, don't you?

He relaxed after a heartbeat, though his eyes didn't leave Lein's. "I trust I'll see you tonight, then," he said, lazily waving at Lein with the ripped sleeve. "We'll have to continue our conversation, after all, and besides..." He breathed out, focusing his mind in another direction, muttering some nonsense syllables under his breath just to sell the act.

Clearly visible even in the morning sunlight, and unmistakeably magical glow enveloped his fingers and the tattered cloth within them in a viridian nimbus.

"Don't think I won't find you. You may be quick, but your man's got tricks of his own...and he's a lot more stubborn, like."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@PigeonOfAstora

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He listened quietly to Lein's tale, without passing comment on his confidence in his ability to escape from the grasp. His eyes quickly cast about to take in the sight of the children started to follow along with them, before Lein threw them off with the tossed apple. "And how much of your 'tying up loose ends' is just looking for more trouble to get into?" he asked as the crowd started to disperse from around them. "And how often do you end up dragging the likes of them into it, instead of out?"

No great effort needed to figure out which option might earn his ire.

Of course, the story, the absences (this one especially), the over the top acts, and especially the way that Lein had disguised himself and been acting at the ball, the near-perfect common Veltian that the lad could speak...once combined with some of what had passed between himself, Lein, and Tyaethe at said ball, certain puzzle pieces started to fit together quite nicely. Lein often tried to make himself intentionally dodgy. Aloof. Friendly, but not familiar; he had no qualms joking around with the others, but if he still had the arm he lost he might use it to keep them two arms' lengths away.

"What was it she said to you, again?" he mused to himself, before Lein had any good chance to respond to his earlier questions, his grip on the tunic tightening slightly. "I'm not banned from balls, like you're not a member of the nobility? Curious phrase, that."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@PigeonOfAstora

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"Guess we all fall back on what we know."

The knife was returned to its sheathe, the distinctly un-knightly response hanging in the air between them. It was just as nonsensical as Lein's own comment had been; idealistic as he was, Fionn's views of his position weren't born out of the utterly unrealistic expectations set by cheap romance novels marketed to young women of every class in society. True knights could just as often be firm and forceful as they were kind and gentle, given good enough reason.

Lein's general penchant for going missing at random times, combined with the recent absence and the state he was in once found gave Fionn more than enough concern to qualify for 'good reason.' More than enough reason to act serious for once himself, as well.

With a grunt he stood up, slipping his tunic-clenching fist under Lein's arm to pull him up as well. "Come on, then. You can tell me what you've been up to on the way back to the keep, and if you behave I might even help you get your dress back while saving face."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@PigeonOfAstora

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His grip relaxed, but didn't release, as Lein sank back down. "Must have been quite the visi—" He was quickly cut off by Lein biting directly into the standing crust, warning unheeded. With his free hand, he silently held over his utility knife, so that Lein might have something other than his fingers and tongue to pick the meat out of its shell. "Have you never broken a tooth? Your canines are delicate. Be more careful."

At least it confirmed another suspicion that Lein had barely eaten over the week.

"Not nearly as early as me for some others. Finish your breakfast; we'll head back to Candaeln once we're done so that you can get a bath and some proper sleep." Thus far, he was glad that Lein was just following along with what he said, even if he didn't expect it to last; still, he was going to make it clear with every sentence that there wasn't any room to argue with his pronouncements. "And that way we can keep you from having to entertain visitors that leave you in such a state."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fionn MacKerracher

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@PigeonOfAstora

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In the face of Lein's attempt to brush him off, Fionn held firm. As he'd expected, Lein wasn't exactly inclined to sit and eat. "This is unusual even for you, lad," he said in response to Lein's tired, curious look. "You normally have the sense to show up during the week, rather than leave the rest of us wondering." Let alone having one of us find you in this sorry state.

He tugged hard against the Hundi's tunic; not enough to drag him down to the ground, but enough to make his intentions clear. "Sit. Eat. I've got a knife you can use to crack the crust and pick out what's inside, unless you feel like breaking your teeth on a peasant's pie. We can get you to the baths after that."