Scene Archives

Like lightning, Luĉja gets Ĉasid on his leash.

turns towards the sound. “Who is it?”

is shuffling three face-down shells around on the table, a particular and very certain pearl underneath one of them. “Okay, pick again,” he says to whoever’s across from him.

lifts his head from where he’s been…well, “meditating,” but from the way he’s blinking, it may have been more a very upright nap.

, without very much hope, picks up one of Awoken’s shells.

flinches slightly as she chose the correct one again, but there’s a quick burst of liminal gnosis and– “Ah, it’s under the one on the right.”

grins a little, becoming visibly more alert, rising to give a nicely respectful bow-to-honored-elder. “Madam!”

: “How may we be of service?”

tilts her head towards Ksenija, to show that she’s listening, but frowns at the Awoken. “Are you very sure?” There’s a flick of liminal gnosis from her, and then it’s in her hand. She tosses it to him with a wink.

smiles broadly. “Please, borrow away! Where to, what for?”

winks back as he catches the pearl, and swivels in his seat to look at Ksenija.

: “Is this about the new island? Solei briefed us somewhat, but there’s a lot I think you’d know better than him. I was practically begging him to let us come join you.”

: “Not like we’re doing anything else, really…”

: “… Well, actually, I told him that I was going to go on family business and that it was therefore none of his, in so many words, but.”

bows again, then cracks his neck and shakes out his shoulders, his grin widening. “The road opens? I, for one, am all for taking it.”

: “I’m game for a full-bellied laugh,” he says, pushing up out of his seat. “It must surely be weird if you came to us.”

stands and stretches. “Please let us help. I’m growing moss here I think.”

: “I will be happy to offer them treats for you.”

nods. “I intend to travel light, but there’s one thing I know I need to grab.” He smirks a little as he goes off in search of Caion.

disappears into her room for a moment, and reappears a moment later with her swords, her coat draped across her shoulders, and her pack. “If you’d be so kind as to pocket dimension this, Aury?”

twists on his feet, gliding to pick up the coral pole that hooks the dark lantern, and slings them over a shoulder. “Ready to ride the waves!”

pokes the stuff in Salme’s hands, and it vanishes.

packs up their gear, picks up the treats and places them in a very separate pocket.

: “Thank you, kulta,” she says, hopping up to peck his cheek.

: “No problem.”

gets his usual rucksack, makes sure his belt-pouches are stocked with the usual accoutrements, and that his blades and his flute are firmly tucked into his belt–then cracks his neck again, left then right. “‘Tis good to be back upon the wave-road.”

thinks the better of it, and instead grabs some spare writing material out of his quarters and returns with a new item hanging from his pocket. It resembles a pair of spectacles, but with far too many lenses, each in different prismatic colors. “Okay, I’m set.”

slips her arm through Awoken’s, and says, “So are you bringing that with you everywhere from now on, rakas?” looking at the lantern curiously.

: “Also, before I forget.” Aurelius moves over to Archie as they ride the elevator down and lowers his voice enough that it’s out of earshot of Ksenija, at least, “I have a few… messages to deliver, and I’d like to do so as accurate as possible. What’s the gylph associated with pellucid speech?”

shakes his head. “Not all the time, no, no. Some villains you just gotta kill.”

: “,” he says. It’s enough to make you take a moment to wonder how his mouth is doing that.

laughs. “True enough,” she says, and gives his arm a squeeze.

: “…Hmm…”

waves as she heads towards the two women. At least she’s not going to get lost when they’re in-sight.

: “…Again, but think about brackets when you say it?” He draws a [ followed by a ] in the air.

waves to the two women–though he looks a little sheepish at the sight of Silver-throat.

perks up at the smell of food, even having just eaten, but then slumps down ever so slightly realizing they don’t have time to stop to eat.

: “Is there anything we could assist with?” She asks. She means it, but as she watches the crew work she’s nearly certain she’d only get in the way.

boards the ship after greeting its crew. It’s a little lonelier to sit in the middle without Caion here, but he does it anyway, peering down into the depths, prepared to Circle.

settles himself up against a side of the bubble again–though from the line of his lips and jaw, he’s clearly girding himself NOT to fall into the ship-song again.

: “Way-hey, The Glass Ship come / And bring us sugar and tea and rum…” he idly sings, finding a good spot on a rug to have a sit, gently lowering himself while still entangled arm-in-arm.

lets herself be lowered, her offer of help appearing even sillier.

chuckles, humming that melody a bit, rolling it around in his mouth and his mind. “Hmm, that’s a good one…”

scrunches into the bubble of the ship

leans over to the group, in general, but Aurelius in particular, and whispers, “⌬”.

blinks up at Archie. “It’s okay if we all have that?” softly.

: “…Yeah, glad I gave up trying to brute force that early on.” He laughs a bit, while shaking his head. “Thank you.”

headtilts this way and that, not unlike a dog trying to comprehend a command. “What a curious shape…”

looks at her and winks. “So long as you’re willing to entertain me asking to borrow yours in kind, I don’t see why not. We’re world-travelers, it’s only polite to speak the language.”

grins up at him. “I’d be honored to share with you. I didn’t know how at first but …” she looks at Awoken, “I think I can do it now. Or Wolf can have that honor. Thank you, Archie.”

turns towards Ksenija, a little embarrassed for all the whispering. “Can we have new friends and tea?”

turns and hooks her legs over the Awoken’s, much like she’s prone to do with Aury, resting her head on his shoulder and watching the Academy recede.

holds her legs with a crossed arm, and rests his head onto the top of hers, and for the moment, he forgets that they’re even going anywhere in particular.

briefly flashes a thumbs up towards the green rock.

doesn’t allow himself–doesn’t need, really–to immerse himself so much in the sight of the sea, and so turns enough away from the view that he can easily converse with Ksenija. His toe is gently tapping in perfect time with the ship-song, though.

allows himself to listen to the ship-song amiably, keeping an awareness of the surrounds, wondering if any Polite Visitors may arrive.

whistles softly. “Oh, goodness.”

: “The beacon?”

: “I suppose now would be a good time to ask what kind of beasts they are…”

nods at Wolf’s question. She’s been wondering the same thing.

is quietly excited about a Beast on Fire

: “Oh, they probably like it that way. I bet they’re worried stiff about being in a place with so much water.”

: “…Wonder if that means someone figured out we were here.” He taps his thumb against his mouth a few times, then lets them drop as he produces Salme’s dagger in one hand, and sword in the other.

keeps her mind clear but absently weaves the motions for Bubbling. Not the gnosis, just the motions.

eyes the trees with a frown, one hand dropping to a blade-hilt.

stands and goes and retrieves her weapons from Aurelius.

glances at Salme. “Those should not be here.”

nods slightly while handing them off.

keeps a tight grip on his eidesis as he begins to consider the possibilities. He knows those trees, too. He took samples of their leaves, studied them, and brought them back to the Academy.

: “No, they shouldn’t,” she says.

nods, once. “Aye. Quite.” Glances over at Aury, Luc. “And you? Beasts afire?”

: “I mean…” he slinks up to a stand, and rolls his head around his shoulders, limbering up with a few squats. “…is it a problem that they’re here?”

: “A problem? Who knows. But odd. Very odd.”

: “Depends on how they got here.”

: “Were the trees there when the island appeared?”

glances toward Lucja with a shrug…?

attempts to shrug while hunched down.

: “Saplings. That’s the term.” She hesitates. “Do you know what time of day the island appeared? I know it coincided with our arrival but …”

chews her lip.

: “Yeah.”

pops on the spectacles from his pocket and flicks through the lenses rapidly, one after another, looking at the trees.

: “Thaaaaaaaaat’s odd, yeah. Don’t even have to be a native to know that one.”

: “Not if you apply enough flourishing gnosis,” Wolf mutters. He moves to be near the door–he very much wants to be one of the first people out.

: “Okay, yeah, this wasn’t our fault at least we didn’t bring the Burning.”

whispers to himself. “It’s… both? But how? Why here?”

“Odd that there is so much non-Pellucid gnosis in one place here.”

turns his mind towards his old work of mapping the gnosis-flows, trying to wrack his brain for anything that seemed notable about this location.

climbs out of the glass ship, then either on top of it or up a larger tree is if there’s one handy nearby to see about getting a better look.

rotates his shoulders and marches forward, onto the dock, and then off of it, straight into the thick of trees.

: “The world offers itself to your imagination,” she says wryly, mostly to herself. She hopes her intuition is wrong. Light she hopes it’s wrong.

: “Admittedly recon’s not going to help much, but you’re still supposed to pretend to go through the motions.” Aurelius sighs, jumping down and hustling after Awoken.

approaches one of the trees, placing his hand against the trunk–humming a soft tone he thinks of as “treesong,” trying to get the measure of what, exactly, is going on with it. Where it’s from, in particular.

is careful to bring up the rear. Watching for where she can be most useful.

Luĉja bears their shield, and adjusts their pack so that their crystal blade can be drawn in need. “Time to make some friends, then?”

: “The peak isn’t gonna investigate itself. Need to get closer, anyway!”

thinks, ‘of course it is. It could never be otherwise.’

then, to keep her eidesis strong, starts naming the trees as Ksenija looks at them, a soft narration. “Red oaks. Slow-growing. And pines, which are faster.”

jogs to catch up with the group after a moment with the tree, coming level with Salme. “These trees are…odd. The species is correct. But it feels like…” He shakes his head. “Mmm. There’s something off.“

follows close behind Ksenija, keeping his head on a pivot, looking for anything lurking in between the trees.

looks at Wolf. “Do you think it could have been that first day? When I sent that flourishing gnosis out into the sea? I hope it’s not but.”

: “No. Because…” He glances, briefly, at Ksenija, clearly debating how open he can be. “You would not, could not, make…copies…such as these. Like…something known from a tale told, not a true knowing.”

that you can hear, but not see, says, “hey, come on, we did our best!”.

brings his head up sharply, his hands going to blade hilts. “Well then.”

: “Who speaks?”

: “Wow- hello,” he says, reflexively, juking about to look around for the source.

: “That’s two tastes that go oddly well together!”

: “do you like it? Is it beautiful?”

: “It’s neat! It’s very bright!”

: “The locals seem enthralled, if cautious.”

makes a sound sort of like a laugh at that.

tilts his head slightly. “It’s got charm, but the best art is created to be seen in the context of its creation. It’s a rather interesting expression to put it here. What does it mean?”

else, different from the first voice, still unseen, says, “come play with us! we’ve been waiting so long!”

: “Sure! Where ya’ hiding?” He advances deeper into the forest, towards the blazing peak.

: “That is not creepy at all,” Wolf mutters, probably inaudible to anyone but Salme.

makes the same empty huff of a laugh at that.

laughs, “heheheheh! i think you know where.”

: “Further in, then.” Luĉja keeps their shield high, eyes burning bright.

: “It’s actually really easy to under- AND over-estimate what I know. But we’ll see.”

: “Quite the precarious balance, here.”

: “…one dislikes scenery that feels like a metaphor.”

: “Ah, yes, of course. A burning circle filled with enemies.”

: “I admit it’s a bit on the nose, but sometimes, subtext is for cowards.”

: “I cannot tell if everything with you is subtext, or nothing is.” His tone is light, but his blades are sliding free of sheathes.

waits for Lucja to get a bit closer, then climbs up to his shoulders to use his friend as a spring board as he hops over the flames and into the circle.

looks over at him with a faint smile. “If you don’t like metaphorical scenery it’s a miracle you’ve made yourself as at home in the Academy as you have. It was all the rage for a while.” He refocuses his attention on the beings before them.

As Aurelius climbs Luĉja, you could swear the Endjinn is smiling. “Just like old times, eh?”

: “It’s a classic!”

can’t help but flick a disbelieving glance at Archie. “The Academy had metaphorical decoration?”

stomps his foot once, twice, and covering himself with burning gnosis, hotter than the fires in front of him, he barrels through the growing blaze!

: “Luĉja, may I also be so bold?” she asks.

: “Always, Friend-Salme. As long as you keep your promise.”

: “The room we initially met with Solei in. It’s all in the details, but that room is full of it. Have to impress people as the Academician, at least from time to time. We can do the guided tour once we’re done with this, though.” He calmly walks directly through the fire making up the edges of the ring, using the lightest touch of Pellucid gnosis to keep himself from burning, the purple glow in his eyes starting to intensify.

swings easily onto their shoulders, and presses a kiss onto the top of their head. “Of course. Thank you, friend.” She springs off Luĉja and into the circle, defraying her momentum with a backflip mid-air.

simply crosses his blades in front of his face to shield it, and strides swiftly through the fire to come to the other side–speed protecting him from more than a couple of sparks settling on his coat, which he quickly pats out.

Fearing no fire, Luĉja charges in, waiting for Aurelius to spring forward.

: “Aye.”

: “Yes.”

: “Very well.”

: “Of course!”

salutes with a blade. “Aye.”

: “Aye.”

pauses, starts laughing.

: “Ha ha! The melody really resonates through the worlds, eh?”

loosens his shoulders, lifts his blades, his feet starting to move back and forth with light steps–in rhythm to the song, of course.

: “Why is it… why is it spooky,” He wiggles his arms in an absurd manner, “and then. the rest of it. Man.”

: “Hey I was using that.”

: “Pah! It’s fine!”

: “There’s something else we have to do first!”

: “Before buffing??”

: “Though with sufficient enough offense, it may not be neccessary…”

glances at Awa, nods. “Flourishing and fire–they’ll heal.”

frowning, throws a gnosis-dart straight through the center Itkijät.

: “Wise choice, Salme!” He taps the side of his temples with a finger.

tilts a smile at him. “Thanks.”

brushes the shells of broken seeds from himself, and stares back at Itkijät with intent, dividing and ascertaining its gnosis blend, how it dances and burns and grows and dies with each breath. “A paradox existing is just two known things dancing as one!”

: “First, can’t have you blasting us all with that, and just gaining it all back at the end of turn.” He whips his hand around- and a whip of blue gnosis coils out and lashes Itkijät, knocking a rite from its hand!

: “Those rites we discarded, everyone…”

: “Those discards tell their own tale, not unlike the flavor text on them.”

bows, elbows brought in tight, but hands out and up like he’s inviting trouble. “Let’s give these creations the attention they crave, and decode it right in front of them, yeah?”

looks with his eyes aglow at the beings before them, moving with a fast and erratic cadence you’ve come to find familiar over the past weeks. He [Feint]s in and quickly dodges back, assessing his opponents’ reflexes.

smirks a little and comes back in for one more [Quick Hit] on the Tulenkukat, shifting his momentum to continue the barrage of blows.

whirls around one more time and lands a [Shifting Strike], keeping his attention on Tulenkukat before dodging back to his side of the Rite.

eyes flash in sudden understanding.

: “Do you have some insight to offer us, Sininen?” She asks, voice strained.

: “I have a pretty good idea, yeah! Want to try it out?”

: “Recall Tasna’s tale… the one told on the Rites.”

: “It’s… not that!”

: “Helpful.”

looks as if he wants to facepalm, but he’s got a blade in his hand, so he doesn’t.

: “Wolf, if I may?”

makes a sweeping gesture with a blade. “Be my guest.”

: “Knowing the dance steps to not follow is equally good! But honestly… smash them up with a direct enough assault, and we’ll weather it without.”

puts the back of his hand to his forehead. “Oh… the paradox… of smashing the narrative, or dancing directly to it, because it was written for your triumph!”

: “Also, that one on the left is on it’s last legs, if anyone can reach across a lane…”

closes her eyes, and lets go, calling up a shield of pellucid-crystal gnosis around Awoken, Archie, and Aurelius.

: “Don’t think we’re in a situation where you relating your hunch clearly is going to cause problems with the opponents, you drama queen.”

darts forward, slashes at at the Tulenkukat in front of him, then kicks off of it and rolls backwards, blades coming up in a guard.

: “Anyway.” Aurelius rubs his hands together, quickly producing an orb of tenebrous energy. He then sets it on fire, before hurling it at the Tulenk in front of them.

No, it explodes. Violently.

is drawn out of her moodiness long enough to laugh at that. “Predictable, but sexy anyway.”

For a brief second, Luĉja remembers what they sacrificed in the depths. Their eyes flash with a tinge of Centrelight. They whisper “No, it isn’t.” Then the light changes to a starry, radiant hue, as their eyes and blade pulse with light.

: “…Even when Defeated? Ugh. Yeah, what was your little flash of insight Awa?”

: “There’s a pattern to the Rites they had us discard.”

: “I mean, they really don’t like us hurting them, but I mean, who does…? But maybe there’s more to that than it seems.”

screams wordlessly, furiously, aimlessly at the hit.

: “What, implying a Burning weakness despite that being half of their makeup…? Hm.”

reels back, skidding along the ground, and catches himself out of it, with dug in heels- he scrambles to his feet, still ready to fight! It allows Archie to act first-

bobs and weaves, not in between the foes, scrambling their defenses, but towards his teammates. “Your namedays came early this year,” he shouts playfully, [Defuse]-ing his Rites among the party.

: “Oh. Neat.”

picks up the [Trip] but doesn’t play it, instead [Feinting] into even more cards-

peers at it, eyes narrowing…then spins a blade into its sheath and takes the hand with a graceful bow.

: “I’ll hold out still, and…” He suddenly falls forward–

–but it was a trick, at the last second curling into a tumble, lashing out with a gleaming silver smallsword into the side of Tulenkukat A!

holds the blade in a defensive measure!

watches Wolf dance and says, loud enough for the rest to hear, “I think … an itkijä mourns. They sing laments. They weep. And a tulenkukka is … the flower which belongs to the flames. I wonder. Are they linked?”

: “…Really hope this isn’t a ‘kill them all at the same time’ kind of thing.”

takes a deep breath, trying to recenter herself. There’s a puzzle she doesn’t see the answer to here.

looks at both of them. “I feel a little targeted by whatever metaphor is happening here, but if the stakes are getting an answer, then I intend to win.” And then she hurls two knives at each of the creatures.

frowns at the enemies–“enemies?”–his hand still tingling from the strangely-burning touch of the Itkijat. For once at something of a loss, he takes a breath, exhales it, trying to center and settle himself–and prepare to act in Awoken’s defense, if need be.

walks out of the fire, made of fire, clad in vines. Her face is a wooden mask of tragedy. Turning, from one of you to the others, meeting your eyes.

: “Yes?”

lets her gaze settle on Salme.

takes a slow breath in, meeting the other’s eyes directly, and bows…not so much that he can’t keep his eyes on them, but respectfully nonetheless.

: “You, too, are made of fire. How do you know of these trees?”

: “That’s not how you greet a new friend, Aury.”

: “Sure it is. Not that I’ve decided which side of the friend scale this falls on yet, anyway.”

meets her eyes and does not bow. “Who are you?”

does not let the glow in his eyes dim as Melpomene meets his gaze, but he cautiously nods to her.

: “You know who I am.” She steps closer, head tilted to one side. Closer still.

: “Do I?” steps closer to meet her.

reaches out. Towards Salme, or towards her Mask. Wings of flame sprout from her back. “I am the answer to the question of fear.”

: “I am certainty. I am fire.”

’s mouth works, but he holds his tongue–eyes flicking between Salme and Melpomene.

lets Melpomene reach for her. Forces her to do so. “I believe we’ve decided the fire isn’t a given,” she says, but there’s a question to it.

staggers, briefly. Her hand reaches out towards Salme, towards Salme’s cheek, and it is gentle, and she laughs, suddenly, kindly, behind the tragedian’s mask.

: “Who are you?” Her eyes burn.

: “Salme,” she replies. “Just Salme.”

: “And yet.” She has not moved, other than to laugh.

could not, perhaps.

leans into the touch, and reaches up to cradle Melpomene’s hand with her own. “You asked for our acknowledgement. You are acknowledged. You told us your will, which is to make an island a refuge. You said I sung you forth but—I am no singer. What else is your Will?”

leans into the touch, and reaches up to cradle Salme’s hand with her own. “For things to be other than what they are. The will you kept hidden. The will which you howled. The will which you sung.”

: “I—oh.”

: “Yes.”

places a hand over his face and groans.

looks at Salme cheerily. “Salme? What did you do?”

feels a flush of shame, hate, self-loathing when she hears Aurelius’ groan. She looks at Melpomene because she cannot meet anyone else’s gaze. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t—“

’s eyes burn brightly. Reflecting her own. (Willing it to be so.)

tilts his head. “Really? But I think it’s quite beautiful.”

: “I don’t know what I did. I was just … myself. I was myself instead of who I ought to be and I caused this apparently.”

: “Am I something to be ashamed of? Am I one to be feared?”

: “Salme.” Quietly. Looking at her with nothing but acceptance and compassion. “You were who you were supposed to be.”

places their hand on Salme’s shoulder. “Then this was meant to be.”

: “I don’t fear you,” she means that. Shame is harder.

: “Belief creates reality. My faith and fire and flourishing brought forth an island in a boundless sea! I will claim me proudly, if you will not.” She attempts to move her hand, independently of Salme’s will.

: “No.” She twists their fingers together, holds her in place. “No. Give me a moment.”

freezes, instantly, and the fires bank.

: “(There you go…)”

watches Salme, quietly, intently–heart in his throat, but…proud, too. Having faith, in her.

closes her eyes and takes a breath. Maybe this is where—maybe this is the part where they see, where they give up. Maybe this is where they hate her. Maybe this is an ending as well as a beginning. But she knows endings. She does not fear them. It could not be otherwise. “If I sung you into being, then you are mine and you will follow my Will, and we will change this world and others together.”

grins, fiercely and proudly, at that.

lets out a slow, shuddering, sigh. Of relief? Of pleasure? It’s impossible to say. Stands a bit taller. Smiles.

puts his hands on his hips and nods approvingly, smiling wide. Never had a doubt!

: “Say it.”

: “I will not apologize for this. I refuse.”

does meet the gazes of her companions then and there is a hardness in her eyes. A challenge that dares them to reach for her, instead of her chasing after them.

leans, close. “Fire does not apologise. And you are. We are. We are–!” –and her wings wrap around Salme.

grins at her, and meets her eyes unflinchingly, and the pride there shines like a flame. He needs not say a word.

: “We are fire,” she says, softly.

approaches cautiously. There’s still much and more about this that he’ll ask Salme to explain to him, in time, but for now he chooses to take the leap of faith with her.

: “You burn so brightly, sister of my soul.”

laughs, and laughs, and laughs. “We are fire,” grinning at Archie, and then Wolf, and then Awoken.

: laughs then, throwing his head back with it, in delight.

runs forward and throws herself at Wolf, clinging to him in a hug.

wraps her up in his arms, tangling the fingers of one hand in her hair, pressing his forehead to hers–laughing, and crying too, for joy. “Oh, bright star, bright star. Oh, love.”

jams his hands into his pockets, leans forward with a rakish grin, and there’s a playful snarl in his voice. “Ehhhhhhh–!!!! Think you’re gonna soar above all us, do ya?!”

: “Burning damn do I love to see it!”

laughs, still clinging to Wolf, and shakes her head. “Never. It will always forever be our story.”

: “I assume we’re good here…?” His hand drops from his face as the burning circle dims.

: “I am so fucking proud of you,” Wolf says, and laughs, and kisses her forehead–picks her up and spins her in a hug, and then just as gracefully, spins her from his arms and towards the Awoken, and Aurelius.

: “I think it … is actually an anchored island. Somehow a working of burning and flourishing gnosis, but anchored somehow.” She realizes she’s still hanging off Wolf, and that it isn’t very dignified, and drops to the ground, stopping to kiss Awoken on the cheek briefly.

goes low and scoops her up in a double-armed bearhug around the hips, lifting and spinning them both about, cackling as he goes.

yelps, as Awoken’s trap closes around her.

laughs, at that…meanders around the circle, looking around…a meandering that just so happens to take him past Aurelius…who he nudges, gently, in the direction of Salme. “(Go to her, eh? She burns bright in no small part because of you.)” And then keeps meandering a little more, until he can just turn and look at all of them and smile.

finally lets the glow in his eyes dim as he smiles at his Aunt. “I promise to ask you to give guest lectures at the Academy only as often as you want to give them.”

: “How’s it feel to break all your oaths and promises?”

: “Probably better than it should,” she says a little breathlessly.

laughs, joyful and full, spinning twice more. “Knew it, knew you’d take the step. Knew it! Never lost a breath!”

: “Yes… it’s really quite distressing.” He sighs, walking over to Salme finally once Awoken stops spinning, staring her in the eyes for a moment, before flicking her in the forehead. “Alright. I get one Jorule. You get one Melpomene. No one else spontaneously bursting people into existence from here on, yeah? There are. So many easier ways of Dealing with Feelings.” He shakes his head a bit, then laugh quietly.

looks at Aurelius for a moment. And then bites at his fingers.

is holding her up to be eye-level with Aurelius, and he’s kind of crouched, a mechanization to her will more than a person right now.

: “Ow, little shit.”

: “I was wondering if you were going to say if this made me. Made us, a ‘no.’ That’s for making me wait.”

: “I have known you were a little shit for QUITE some time my dear.”

slips out of Awoken’s grip so she can stand on own two feet. “Which would be your right, you know. It seems like all you do is complain about me most of the time.”

snickers, just a little, as he comes to stand near Ksenija, and watches the scene with a smile so proud it seems like his face can barely handle it.

takes breath and … grounds herself. “Wait. No. I’m sorry that wasn’t fair.”

looks up, then back down, starts counting on his fingers a few times. “Some of the time, not most of the time. And usually - usually - about you being too pig headed to accept that people like you for the little asshole you were deep down inside.”

: “…Which, shouldn’t be a problem now?”

grabs his hands in both of hers. “I know, I know. And you show your affection with your actions, not your words. But occasionally, now and then, words are a little nice.”

looks at the rest of the party. “This uh. Does not need to happen here though.”

rolls his eyes fiercely. Then clears his throat as he laces his fingers through Salme’s.

chuckles, making a bit of a show of looking away from the three of them–and then he winks at Salme.

: “APPARENTLY I NEED TO SAY THIS OUT LOUD IN FRONT OF A GROUP OF PEOPLE. SO. I LOVE MY STUPID, IDIOTIC, IMPULSIVE, WONDERFUL GIRLFRIEND.”

: “There, happy?”

says, in an overblown tone. “He kept score and the score was right, yeah, it’s embarassing, why’d even even DO that????”

gnosis-laughs so hard they need to lean on Wolf for a second.

looks up at Aurelius, considering. “Hm. It’s a start. We’ll work on it.” But her eyes are gleaming.

blinks–then laughs, shaking his head, leaning on Luc, throwing an arm around the Endjinn’s thick waist. “Look at them. Mature communication at last. Only took a couple of world-threatening disasters, but…” He’s grinning shamelessly.

shakes his head with a loud sigh.

: “They grow up so fast.”

: “I know! I didn’t even have to spank any of them.”

: “(Thank you, kulta),” she whispers to Aurelius. And she does mean it.

smiles at Aurelius too, though, and…from his expression, it’s very clear–his pride and care is not just limited to Salme.

gives her the most gentle headbutt in the world, before leaning into it a bit more to kiss her in response instead.

: “Mm?” Wolf glances over at Ksenija, eyes still dancing with joy.

greets the kiss with plenty of flourishing and fire.

: “Alright, alright, get a room, you three…!” Wolf calls, voice full of warmth and laughter. “There’s probably one over across the bridge, plus tea for those of us who don’t have other things to occupy our time. C’mon, kids, chop chop!”

: “You think it’s that easy to move us along? Well, you’re right!”

: “You just really want someone to call you Dad right now huh…?”

: “So long as I can be the fun Dad once in a while, there’s worse things in the world.” He reaches out to ruffle Aurelius’ hair as he draws near. “C’mon, champ, let’s go.”

: “Y’should think about being the Dad-That-Has-Fun too, yeah?”

would press both hands into his face if they weren’t already preoccupied.

: “Who says I’m not having fun?” And he grins at all of them, just…happy.