WAR ♞ MARCH ON CENTRAL WEST PLATEAU

[boardmaster]

MARCH ON CENTRAL WEST PLATEAU
20 AUGUST (GLADIA) 2016

The quiet, seemingly unremarkable town of Friedgood doesn't seem like a prime target for a Noir attack. Ask any outsider what a Friedgood local's favorite activity might be, and they’ll likely respond "I don't know, digging?" They're not wrong: Friedgood's primary industry comes from the excavation of precious stones and minerals in the nearby mountain ranges and volcanoes. Those who don't make their living from mining most likely still enjoy digging, as the town is a hot destination for archeologists from the school of Pigeonsblood looking to uncover the ancient secrets of Gammon.

More important than shiny rocks, however, is Friedgood's strategic location within the country, specifically the checkpoint known as Platform 42 and 5/8ths. It forms a stark contrast to the sleepy town it resides in. This bustling travel hub is known as the "Gateway to Gammon", and boasts fast transport to almost anywhere in the kingdom. Security is tight here, with grim-faced Gammon soldiers working around the clock to ensure that criminal activity doesn't stand a chance. Keep your contraband at home — an infraction will cost you heavy jail time. Friedgood is also the only town with a road providing access to Grantebrycge, Gammon's illustrious University town.

By conquering Friedgood, Noir hopes for universal access to all of Gammon.

On the 20th of Gladia, amidst strong winds and persistent thunderstorms, Heroes will arrive to the Central West Plateau. Even surrounded by tall mountain ranges and ominous volcanoes, its ancient wall is truly a daunting sight. A marvel even by modern construction standards, it was built over 300 years ago to defend against hostile nomadic tribes, and remains as strong and sturdy as the day it was built. It also provides an important environmental buffer to the people of Friedgood — the wall is resistant to lava.

Basic info on the war can be found here. All OOC questions about the event may be directed to the thread below.

ONE ♙ The War of Three Armies
It’s time to head to the battle, Hero. You may be walking, riding a mount - your own, or a borrowed spider or boar - or hitching a ride from someone else. It’s a miserable trek to the plateau, but at least you’re not alone. Once you arrive, Verdoni is there to greet you, accompanied by another Gammonian, the commander of this battle.

Pinta [ so god damned salty about not being a naval tactician and assigned to ships ] Ah, yes, the vaunted Heroes I’ve heard so much about. The name is Pinta, ah... naval tactician to Gammon’s armed forces. Ask why and I’ll show you a bloody hell. Anyway, welcome to the Central West Plateau! During ancient times, the volcanoes were said to be a wall of flame that protected Gammon. But if that stopped the Othellians, I suppose I wouldn’t be here, ahaha! Now, with them dormant, we must instead rely upon our steel and our wall. It’s strong enough to protect Gammon even if every volcano in the area were to erupt all at once! At least that’s what the locals say. They didn’t sound too dodgy, but... moving on! If you have any questions, our men will be glad to explain; show you how the cannons work, where the traps are and whatnot. Again, this really isn’t my expertise—oh! Our wizards have been creative as of late. We’ve these wind platforms that will fling those Noirs up, up, up! Into the air! Try not to get caught in them, yeah? Our navy will take care of our seas. They’re an outstanding lot, they are. All we need to do is focus! Gammon shall not sink here!

You’ll then be handed a magical bracelet. The miners use it protect them from toxic air, so this is a precaution; should you need it, it should last for the duration of the battle. Now all you have to do is wait and prepare for the battle. Acquaint yourself with the battleground: explore the Defense Wall and see what traps there are. It may give you some ideas of your own. There are also war cannons aligned on the top wall and within its interior. Otherwise, check your supplies or rest and collect yourself for what will come. Your mount may also want attention.


TWO ♙ Fellowship of the Bling
Initially cloaked by thick fumes of sulfur, ozone and the dreary overcast of the storm, the Noir battalion finally arrives. Their general, Spicy Spice, steps, nay, struts forward.

	Why is it that every time I come around, that Cochrane Bridge wants to go down? [ ADJUSTS HER WORLD CUP BRA ] They can’t keep that wall up forever.
Let’s make this a quick one, so we can get out of this smelly rain! [ gets ready to fire her gun in the air when she remembers something ] And don’t forget, target their puny pathetic healers, first. [ raises gun high above her head, signaling for the attack with a BANG! ]

On her cue, the Noir Vanguard rushes forward with a fearsome war cry, followed soon after by the Rearguard.

ENEMY ♟ Mounted Noir Soldier
Weak against None	Strong against Fire	Immune to None
These soldiers gallop onto the battlefield with their imposing GOLDHORN GOAT mounts. These are bigger and stronger than the average goat, and their golden horns tend to ABSORB SPELLS directed at their riders. Some spells in a soldier’s arsenal: GRISTRELKI sets fire to the rain — literally. It converts the rain in the sky into a barrage of fireballs. Pray your umbrella’s fireproof! With the PLAMEVODA spell, they can turn hot water (i.e. those from geysers) into bubbling hot lava. When combined with a strong cooling spell, the spell can trap you in rock… That is, if the lava doesn’t kill you first! DVIZHE SMERTI is a dangerous spell that paralyzes its target, rendering them unable to even speak or blink. This can be cured with mana exchange. Hurry before Noir strikes with a rain of fire!Of course, the soldiers are capable of HEALING SPELLS to assist their injured allies and mounts. The VANGUARD is lead by an impressive wall of massive shield units, armed with various melee weapons: swords, maces, and daunting battle axes. Herd them into the traps around the battlefield to render them immobile! The REARGUARD, armed with bows and arrows, will try to overwhelm the HEROIC VANGUARD. HEROIC DEFENSE back them up with long-ranged attacks and the cannons! If they get close enough to the wall, the Rearguard will relentlessly attack the Defense! Both units are under strict orders to prioritize an attack on the HEROIC SUPPORT. If they see any Hero or Gammonian soldiers helping each other or performing rescues on the battlefield, they will give chase IMMEDIATELY. DROPS: Shield with Noir Emblem, Flame Staff, Assorted Non-Magical Weapons, Golden Goat Horns, Lava Lamp

In the heat of battle, you will feel the ground beneath you shake and tremble. In a turn of events neither side could have predicted, a dormant volcano in the distance erupts, raining down fire and scorched earth on the area. More alarming, however, is how the resulting earthquake sets off powerful, white-hot geysers on the battlefield. Stay alert! To make matters worse, the approaching lava makes Noir’s fire spells even more deadly, and Noir shows no signs of letting up on their assault.

Spicy Spice You think a little bad weather is going to stop us? Don't make me laugh. [ laughs anyway, then falls into a coughing fit ] Urghh, damn these fumes — Oh whatever, Send in the riders!

THREE ♙ The Desolation of Noir
Undeterred by the eruptions, the geysers, or the bad weather, they’ve called in their aerial units, fierce griffon riders who’re trying to fly over the wall and into Friedgood. Don’t let them pass! Make use of your resources and shoot them down: Heroes with long ranged weapons or magic will find their skills useful here. Learned how to fire a cannon? Now’s your chance! If not, protect your allies, Hero and Gammonian, as they line up their shots.

ENEMY ♟ Noir Griffon Rider
Weak against None	Strong against Fire, Lightning	Immune to Wind
For the first time, Heroes will witness firsthand how Noir’s legendary griffon riders—often called masters of the skies—live up to their name. A griffon’s powerful wings not only lets them soar at great heights; they can whip up terrifying BEAMS OF LIGHTNING. Griffon riders are armed with JAVELINS which they can also throw and cast the same spells as their counterparts on land. However, they share a closer bond with their griffon mounts. Upon losing their master, the griffons will go BERSERK and proceed to kill everything in sight. If a Hero gets caught in a griffon’s talons, the creature will drop them into their boiling demise at either a GEYSER or VOLCANO. DROPS: Mount Treats, Riding Gloves, Noir Lance, Harness, Griffon Feathers, Griffon Talon

The lava is fast approaching and Noir can no longer take the heat. The griffon riders are maintaining their assault, but the rest of their army is falling back to escape. Time for you to retreat too before Gammonian soldiers seal the wall and you’re trapped on the plateau side. Fried Heroes ain’t Fried Good.

• Defense, continue shooting at any enemy target in range! Be attentive and aid your allies as they retreat back to the wall. Do not fear, you have the advantage.
• Vanguard, fall back! Watch the skies for any griffon riders on the way to the wall. Once you arrive, take down enemies who try to breach. Letting even one enemy pass could spell disaster.
• Support, grab the wounded and check the wall’s condition! Any damages should be repaired immediately to prevent the lava from entering Friedgood.

FOUR ♙ There and Back Again
The wall closes, sealing the lava and ending the battle. Hopefully no one got left behind.

Spicy Spice Now I'm wishing that I didn't wear these shoes (I hate heels). Better get up out my face! [ trips on her way out ] Oh shit!

Catch your breath, Hero. You won. First, check up on everyone and heal your wounds. If you borrowed a mount you might want to take the time to say farewell, since the trip back to Friedgood means you’ll be parting soon.

The people of Friedgood are grateful. They know what would have happened if you lost. There’s no time for fancy parties. They’re pulling out whatever they can find for a makeshift street party right then and there.

You can find bowls of Splotched Richard - a dessert pudding - and Bangers and Mash. If you’re in the mood for something strong you can get pints of Guileless or Pale Noir, maybe a Lasker Train Bomb if you can find someone who’s willing to mix it. Or perhaps you fancy a CreamAle, the favored drink of Grantebrycge.

You’re welcome to stay out and party as long as you like - the party is for you, after all! In fact, the people will respect you more if you get drunk and pass out on the side of the street. But for Heroes who’re tired from the war, you’re always welcome to stagger into the Bollox Inn for a room, free of charge.

Comments

[likethelight]

[ Lux...

Don't look so severe.

Smiling, he reaches to brush some of the hair behind her ear again (ironically probably the same he'd mussed inadvertently earlier) and won't question about how that's a normal, reflexive gesture. And he does so like it's a small (fond) sort of admonishment.

Don't look like that. (Don't look sorry.) ]

An akuma.

It was [ complicated ] ... a hard fight for all of us.

[rememberher]

[ When did something like brushing her hair aside become so natural for the both of them? And why did he feel in necessary to use something that she had grown accustomed to as a means to scold her like a child?

You were worming away from something, Allen. She wasn't stupid. Quite the opposite, in fact. ]

An akuma wielding a sword.

[ Her voice dripped with skepticism. Like she actually knew what she was talking about. She didn't, but it was her own way of bluffing. Pressing. She may not be able to keep up in a card game, but he was quickly moving on to her playing field.

There was never a secret she couldn't figure out, couldn't uncover, couldn't take. She could never steal anything physical, but this. This was her playground. Finding and stealing secrets.

Now, what did she remember from that night? From what he told her? ]

[likethelight]

[ ow wow, so acidic, Lux...

She might be bluffing, but it doesn't mean she's any less right and while he will be dodgy and try to avoid telling her something that would only worry her, he isn't going to be so disrespectful as to lie outright, either. ]

No, not quite like that.

[ Is he squirming a little? He might be squirming a little. ]

[rememberher]

[ She wouldn't be Lux if she didn't worry about things that either didn't concern her, were somehow blown vastly out of proportion, or simply were not her business. This could be classified into at least two of these categories. Three, if she was lucky.

She was going for broke, apparently.

Sighing heavily, it was her turn to admonish him, by simply resting her hand on his shoulder (that shoulder), holding him in place and looking up at him through her eyelashes. ]

Allen...

You're not very convincing when you move around like that.

1/2

[likethelight]

[ .......... ]





[ urk ]

2/2

[likethelight]

[ Haaah...

She can be incredibly stubborn. And so, letting a bit of a sigh out, he has to smile, head canting to the side. Smiling... in a way that's a little hard to look at, even if perhaps there's nothing wrong, sad, or even strange about that smile at all.

Because her hand is also still brushing his shoulder. ]

In order to defeat it I had to strike myself as well. [ He says it... so simply for what it is. Smiling like it's nothing. Do you get it now, Lux?

The sword that struck him was his own. By his own hand. ]

[rememberher]

[ She was always rewarded for her tenacity, for her stubbornness. For sticking to her guns and not letting up.

But this was not the prize that she wanted. This was not it at all.

Her hand quickly moved from his shoulder, fingers curling inward, like it hurt to touch. He did this to himself... to defeat an akuma. This gash across his body, a wound that would (should) kill any other man...

He... he nearly killed himself to...

She looked up at him, his words sounding so matter-of-fact, and that smile on his face...

(She felt ill.)

The color nearly drained from her face, and as she lowered her gaze again to his shoulder, an icy chill running through her. This was what he meant. When he said he was just a weapon...

No. No no no. That smile, that matter-of-fact tone, that he could be so nonchalant about this. Stop it. Just. Stop it. Don't think of yourself that way. She didn't want that! ]

I won't let something like that happen again.

[ Her voice was soft but resolute. Emboldened by his complete disregard for himself, for how terrible he sounded, and by how much she hated that smile. It was different from the tragic, clown-like smirk he gave her from time to time, the one that made her heart sink and her chest hurt.

This smile. It made her angry.

Not at him. But at what he had to go through. What he was made to believe about himself. ]

Not while we're here. I won't let something like that happen again.

[ Looking up again, she would meet that smile that she hated so much with conviction. Determination. ]

I promise.

[ And she would move heaven and earth to make sure that she kept her word. Watch her, Allen. ]

1/2

[likethelight]

[ It isn't really... like all that. Nothing quite so dramatic. And the part he didn't tell her of course is at the time he didn't think it would actually hurt him (hadn't been thinking at all really), as Allen's sword would not harm humans and only cut that which is evil...

..and yet it cut him.

And now he realizes that day, that cut, that scar—is the day that memory first began to truly waken in him.

(But that as far as Crown Clown was concerned, he was already "that which is evil" before then.)

And that's why he won't tell her any of that. Even if it makes him feel a little guilty, seeing how resolute she gets. ]

It's okay.

It'd be hard anyway— [ It's light, soft, almost airy with the way his eyes warm in appreciation, gratitude, and he brings his right (human) hand up... ]

2/2

[likethelight]

[ ... and taps her very gently on the nose. ]

—since that sword is no longer here. [ ......did he?

he did

Ah, but then he can't help it anymore and smiles wide. ]

[1/2]

[rememberher]

[ How could she know? The things he was made to endure? The literal demon in himself that he fought, the thing that made him so dangerous to the people whom he called his family? How could she know? How much it hurt (physically, perhaps, but emotionally? Mentally? Never.), how much he cried, cursed the world, cursed fate, cursed God. Cursed everything.

How that scar, how that day, how that instant changed everything. How could she know? He would never tell her.

She didn't care about the damned scar at this point. She since stopped caring the moment she knew the true nature of why he got it in the first place. And Lux wasn't a stranger to seeing that sort of thing; a magician normally would never experience such a wound, and, if they did, live to tell the tale.

But she had seen what war did to a body. She was no stranger to it.

(Sion, the undying juggernaut of Noxus, his body reanimated even after being cut down by the first king of Demacia, only to return the favor. His body stitched back together by some dark magic, corruption and greed; and his insides practically hollowed out, replaced by a hellish magical furnace that kept the dead husk alive.

Urgot, the Noxian executioner who had sold his body for experimentation. And what was left, reanimated by gears and steel and wild Zaun magic, was a monster. A bloated, disgusting thing, with what "humanity" he had left stitched back together like an old doll.)

So Allen, you so thoroughly missed the point, if you thought she was fixated on your scar, the broken and ragged reminder of something that, in her eyes, had gone so wrong. No, that wasn't what set her blood to a rolling boil. She wasn't angry at him.

She was angry at the existence he was made to endure. That something like that could almost be a joke to him. That he could tap her nose and smile and laugh as if it was all right and this was fine, it was all fine.

And at that smile, that disgusting, sanguine grin, how practiced it was, how easy it was. How inhuman it was. ]

I know that.

[ She was strangely quiet then, her voice level and calm. Controlled. But could he see it, even in that briefest touch, how absolutely dark her mana ran? How it burned so cold that it was hot, nearly painful (...did it hurt her as well?). How all the colors that made up her entire being, the light shining so bright, so strong, only made that darkness more profound, more apparent.

She was a woman who felt everything so strongly and so brightly it's almost blinding to look at. Those were his words, weren't they? If he wanted, needed proof of that, he need only just touch her briefly. Even a tap on the nose would do.

Old anger. Old, newly realized anger. ]

[2/2]

[rememberher]

[ But it was only for that fleeting moment, in a gesture meant to pacify her, that he could see her true heart. And just like that, it was gone. Pulled back in, subdued, restrained.

Her voice was still measured, still eerily calm and quiet. Commanding in ways that it had never been before. You weren't the only one who wouldn't tell the whole story, Allen. ]

I know that. That isn't what I meant.

[ I know you know that, her tone said, clear as a bell.

Someone like me, he said. Don't give her that. She doesn't want to hear it. She won't hear it. Don't talk to her like a child, don't treat her like a child. Don't hide from her, Allen Walker. Don't hide behind that disgusting mask of a smile and expect her to just take it. ]

And I know you know that.

[ She hesitated again, before resting her hand back on his shoulder, gentle this time, practically hovering over it. (Her mana abated, calmed a bit, the warmth was gone. It felt almost like nothing, featherlight.) She couldn't look him in the eye, afraid that he was still smiling that weapon's smile. That inhuman, twisted thing. And she needed to focus. On her words, on what she wanted to say. ]

Our scars... they're a part of who we are, something we'll never be rid of.

[ And her other hand... slowly moved downward, resting just below her chest, hovering over her own torso, over her own, still recovering wound. ]

I don't understand your world. I... wonder if I even want to, sometimes. But while you're here, while you are with me, I will never, never let you suffer something like that again. Let another scar like that become a part of who you are.

1/2

[likethelight]

[ That isn't what he... none of that... He didn't mean it like that.

Someone becoming so upset—so sad—because of a wound he'd suffered (one he generally kept quite covered for the reason of not upsetting anyone, too) is something he... isn't used to. And couldn't bear to see her react to in such a way. Not to chastise her like a child then, but... better that she be a little mad at him for making light than feel so severe for a thing that's befallen him. For a promise they can't possibly make to each other, that something like that won't happen again.

(That backfired.)

(And it really isn't like that, Lux. His smiles. They're the most human thing about him purely because there's such tragedy behind them. Because if it's over something he can do nothing about anyway, isn't it better to smile and say "okay, it's fine" instead of feeling helpless and lost, instead of raging?)

But he is contrite for that. And seeing that she moves to touch where that javelin struck earlier (the one she took for him) feels a bit like a blow to the gut. ]

Lux...

2/2

[likethelight]

...

[ Haah. How else can he possibly respond to that? She's tied his hands.

(Ironic.)

His eyes hood a little, softening even as his expression falls. ]

Okay. [ Because could he even consider refuting that when she feels so strongly about such a thing? The thing Allen respects above all else. The strength and caring of the human heart. It's just...

...stunning isn't even the word for it. Having that turned on himself. And he'll lightly cover her wrist that's at his shoulder with his own hand. ] Okay then.

[ It's not the sort of promise he thinks she'll be able to keep, that he'll never suffer a scar like that again, it's not something he wants her to feel bad about when that day might happen—but he won't tell her not to. Not after that.

(Black... her emotions had felt black.)

But he'll move her hand with that delicate grasp on her wrist. Gently.

Just enough to bring it to his face to touch his nose against the back of her fingers in something quite small but quite tender, letting his eyes close. Like a promise highlighted by small acquiescence and apology. ]

Then I promise that, too. [ God help him.

Even if God never has. ]

I swear I'm not trying to wall of text you every time orz

[rememberher]

[ She saw it, even if just for a moment. Felt it. In all the times that he saw her, the cracks spreading over that porcelain doll smile of hers, for the first time... he had shown her something real as well. The way he held her fast, his signature trembling when his voice refused to...

Didn't he know much much he mattered? How, if they tables had turned, if he had taken that blow for her, how it would make her feel? Rank didn't matter to her. Specializations, training, none of that. If it had been him... If he had been the one in her place...

Kinship. They were so similar in some respects, quick to hide away the shadows for others, and to smile when the world seemed so cruel. She hardly knew that cruelty that he had to face, but this place was different. Different for the both of them. But despite that, in this world, she could... she would hold to her word. Even for a little bit, in this place that they both called home...

(And when she closed her eyes, she could see so clearly. She finally understood his words that night, what it meant to fight to keep someone safe.)

But she was never good at expressing these things. It always seemed to come out wrong, especially in his case. Everything about him (about them) was strange and uncomfortable and yet still so comforting and wonderful. The greatest highs... and the lowest lows.

Was it like that for him as well?

She had been told that she shone so brightly, her light touching everything, everyone. That it was radiant and beautiful. So full of life, full of light, even in her own darkness that surrounded her.

But didn't he know that he...

His light was so beautiful, wrapping around himself and anyone who had the honor of experiencing it. It was love, in its purest form, so dazzling and real. And just as he felt it necessary to protect her (the way he held her, like he was afraid he would lose her. Like he had lost her), she felt the same.

She would never tell him, but if the fates put her into that position again, if she had to relive the pain, the fear, the uncertainty of the afterlife... she would do it again, if it kept that light of love safe.

And like that, he agreed, and it was as if the storm had never existed, and while the warmth from before would not return, he would finally feel her calm. She got what she wanted, the selfish thing that she was. And it was selfish, she knew, making such a promise. How could she expect to keep something like that, not knowing the full story. Not knowing how impossible it would be.

Even as he lifted her hand away, using it to gently tap his nose (and oh, the look on her face, the severity fading away almost immediately, leaving a resigned sort of amusement behind), it continued to drain from her. Still there, hanging on the edges, a gentle shadow ever present.

(Because he wasn't the only one who could be held captive by his demons. He simply had a name for his.) ]

Okay.

[ Her voice was quiet still, but the bite was gone, the tenseness in her body beginning to ebb and her smile growing fond. She nodded gently, her eyes closing as well, their little interlude tiring her out.

But that would be good enough for her. She could rest at ease. ]

with his idiotic oozing of feelings everywhere I expect it ✨

[likethelight]

[ Held captive by demons... What was it, that Marie had said to him once...? "You're both complete idiots."

"The darkness surrounding each of you is so deep... that I can't see how to pull you out."

Her eyes start to close so he lets her hands go, also quietly. Drained as well a little emotionally perhaps, beyond the bone-wearying extent of battle (and too, the first time he'd castled and that feels afterward like being hit by a truck). Because he's not sure how well he can keep the promise they won't get hurt like that, Lux... but he will try. Because what he was actually promising... actually promising...

...it's different than that.

More than he realizes, Allen Walker who also hasn't realized he's made a very singular sort of vow different from the kind he forever makes to himself and to the world, save somewhat for the reaffirmation of those vows he was still himself to Lenalee... and for the first one he promised the man who wasn't even actually his father, maybe never even truly adoptive father.

A very different kind of one indeed. But one, perhaps..

...one it'd be very nice if he could keep.

But he exhales quietly then, leaning over—away—and... reaching for his boots, the ones Gil got him. Undoing one strap, then another.. Taking off his boots?

Taking off his boots. ]

he's such a menace, seriously

[rememberher]

[ It was like they were drawn toward each other, by the light and the dark in each other. It was a strange connection, one that simply... made sense. One that she would fight, tooth and nail, to keep. But not now, thankfully; while she had been ready to charge into battle again, it was that sense of duty and the assumption that it was expected of her (as a Hero, as a warrior of Demacia). After all that happened, out there and in here, she could use a break.

A nap, maybe.

Feeling as his hands left hers, she very visibly deflates. The fight was over, and now that she could relax, she was exhausted. Like she hadn't slept for years. Her body still ached (although even just that bit of closeness helped. It wasn't healing, but offered something else: peace of mind).

Assuming that he was going to move on, off to the inn they had them settled into, she felt the mattress shift and opened her eyes, offering a tired smile. ]

Thank you—

[ ...What was he doing? Leaning over the bed, she canted her head at him as he began to unstrap and take off his boots.

Wait, taking off his boots? ]

Allen?

1/2

[likethelight]

[ One clunk as it hits the floor and then two... ]

Ah.. [ Turning back to her he gets a small sort of smile, scratching a little at his cheek for a moment in a sudden twist of boyish sheepishness. It's not hard to guess her question. ]

I said I'd stay, didn't I? [ Do not point out this is out of the norm. D o   n o t.

Because he's going to shift then, closer— ]

2/2 no. *now* he's a menace

[likethelight]

[ —in a way that's suddenly quite somber. Careful as much as close. He won't move to embrace her again or even take her hand, but there is a way his fingers pluck and smooth at her wrist for a moment. ]

Resurrection... [ It's the first he's said it, pale eyes ahead and fixed over her shoulder as he speaks by her ear, and he does get a little quieter for it. ]

...takes a very heavy toll, they said.

[ Going on quickly before she can protest or be burdened by that, he exhales and lets his eyes close. Speaking lightly; feathered. ]

It's alright, I don't mind. You should rest. [ Even Caren he stayed with and let recharge off him on the train while she dozed. And he already noticed earlier how stabilizing it was to her, Lux who woke up with such a fragile grip still on the world and herself.

(And Allen needs it nearly as much as she does, but he doesn't think of it like that.)

Maybe it's strange, but he doesn't really mind at all or find it scandalizing. It's... nice. ]

At least for a little while.

THE WORST.

[rememberher]

[ "I said I'd stay, didn't I?"

Allen, you... That boyish smile, the way that he hesitantly scratched at his cheek, shifting over...

O-oh! He was—

The mattress creaked again as he moved in closer, he spoke gently next to her ear, not giving her the chance to protest. Doesn't give her a chance to overthink things, as she is wont to do. She should question it, protest it; what would people in Demacia think?

...

In Demacia. Not Enprise. Not here.

She should be scandalized, but... she wasn't. She should reassure him that she was all right, that she could do fine on her own, but... ]

...Are you sure?

[ It must have been the fatigue, dampening her judgment. She was a proper woman, of noble birth, and there were certain expectations.

...In Demacia. Not Enprise. Not here.

Maybe... maybe this was all right. If it was him... it was okay.

Slowly, hesitantly, she let a hand rest on top of his, looking up at him, searching his face, giving him another glimpse within. Could he feel it, the bit of uncertainty, not at this (not at this), but at whether this was right to him. If he was alright if she just... even for a little while...

Looked to him for comfort. For reassurance. ]

1/2

[likethelight]

[ how is it any different from a few minutes before when she threw her arms around him!!! stop making it awkward!! it wasn't awkward with Caren and she'll kiss him without any warning!!! don't ask him "are you sure"—that makes this sound weird and it's not!! RIGHT

(god this place is ruining him. his pristine gentlemanly morality and decorum, where did it go...)

So he will huff lightly. At himself. And draw back— ]

2/2

[likethelight]

[ —to pat her hair lightly. Not quite ruffling it; just letting his hand rest against the crown of her head like that.

It's a little tired, his smile. Although from what exactly, it's hard to say. All she'll be able to notice from taking his hand... is an almost surprising lack of reaction. At-ease, but with peculiar sort of bone-weary that goes straight through to his soul. Already well and truly past any point where he'd get flustered and have protest because it's just been sapped right out of him.

And not by castling.

fuck his life ]

Mn. It's fine. [ It really is. ]

I'm a little tired too.

[ Even if that's said entirely for her sake. ]

[1/2]

[rememberher]

[ She apologized before! It had been rolled into a number of "sorry"s that she managed to work out earlier! It was his fault for not paying attention, don't put this on her!! It wasn't her fault that he took something that... honestly likely sounded fairly terrible the wrong way!!! ]

[2/2]

[rememberher]

[ ...is what she would say, had he pitched a fuss, or if she had enough energy to bite back. But feeling his hand rest on the crown of her head, feeling the complete lack of any sort of reaction, she... slowly, carefully leaned over, into him, resting her head on his shoulder as she had before.

It was calming, strangely calming, at how... normal this felt. No hitch, no sudden fluster of mana from him... from her.

This was... nice.

Even if it was just this once... just this one time...

Taking in a deep breath, she kept her hand on his, squeezing the top of it ever so slightly with her fingertips.

(Thank you.) ]

Me too.

[ Her voice was airy, nearly weightless. Similar to how she sounded when he first found her there, when she first woke up. Like she had been trying so hard to keep the exhaustion of resurrection at bay. But she couldn't hold it back much longer. ]

[likethelight]

[ Haah...

He exhales quietly at that, but says nothing. Just gets a flickery sort of expression that's hard to read, and it's a good thing her head's on his shoulder so she can't see.

(What's he thinking, really.)

But he will settle back, propped up against the pillows and mindfully atop the sheets while she stays under. So he can lean his cheek a little against her hair and let his eyes close. Because that...? It isn't a big deal at all really. Lenalee had slept on his shoulder before, too. And that hadn't even been for a reason like this beyond the fact they were comrades and comfortable with each other like that. (And for comfort as well, even if maybe neither of them would talk of it as such.) The reason he fussed—

...

Well, it doesn't matter now. ]

I think... [ He could almost sound asleep, so soft and at-ease is the murmur. And he'll turn his hand a little with how she lightly squeezes it. Not enough to clasp them; just enough to let their fingertips brush and her hand to rest in his.

(He knows.) ]

...it'd be okay to sleep for a while then. [ Peaceable and almost serene. After all, the battle is long over and everyone else is celebrating. And the brush of contact elicits only the gentlest cool wisps of his mana that hang close and tickle like the feeling one has when recalling the fondest of old memories. The ones you see behind your eyes as you drift off to sleep.

Like fragments of falling snow.

Because... only one singular pledge he'd made before? Ah, not quite... two to the same person. To Mana, to not stop, to keep walking. But also...

"Mana…playing in the snowy night with your dog, then going out in the streets with you—it was the first time I felt 'happiness' together with someone else. So this time it's my turn—"

...the first one. To acquiesce "okay, okay then" and willingly compromise part of yourself just for one reason...

"—to make you happy."

...is it ironic? (It has to be, because the realization actually leaves him a little sick to his stomach and why he'll stay awake for a while, even if she falls immediately asleep.)

He made the same vow twice. ]

[rememberher]

[ It was strange, this feeling, this sensation. Foreign. She didn't understand it, and even as she struggled to stay awake (she should let him fall asleep first... probably...), trying to contemplate what it was, trying to place it, trying to name it, she felt herself fall deeper into it.

Sleep. And this feeling.

She had never fallen asleep next to someone. Never even considered it. ...Well, no, that was a lie. In the early morning hours, in her early days at the College of Magic, when that wound was still so fresh, before it had been given time to fester, to worm its way in, to become a part of her, like an ugly black scar; she wondered, huddled in her bed, coiled in on herself under her sheets, exhausted after crying, after trying so hard to find something, anything to love about that place:

Why do I have to feel so alone?

And in nearly seven years, she had grown so good at avoiding that question, of ignoring the fact that it even existed. But knowing that there could be moments like this, moments that were so still and calm, so strangely natural as finding solace in someone else's company...

If only she could have told her younger self that. Perhaps she wouldn't have been so angry, so sad.

Ah, but that didn't matter. She assumed it would be difficult to sleep like this, rested against his shoulder, so close to someone else. But the opposite was true—it was so incredibly easy, that fighting to stay awake, to be the one to watch over him, that was the difficult task.

Stay awake, to protect this unfamiliar feeling. This sensation.

This person.

Feeling her hand dip into his, his fingers rested against hers, she slowly ran her thumb against his. Once, twice—a gentle press—before she fell completely still. Her breathing gentle and smooth, she held on for just a moment more. ]

Mm.

[ It was more of a sigh, a gentle murmur than an answer.

It was strange. Foreign. She didn't understand it at all, but she... she wanted to covet it, this feeling, this sensation, this moment of peace. And as she finally drifted off to sleep (first or second, she wasn't sure, and at that point it hardly seemed to matter), the warmth returned, subtle though it may be.

(I'm home.) ]