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year 5, quarter 3
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Post by Caius Dragelion on Apr 15, 2024 15:12:21 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
How long had it been since he had seen Mu?
A question Caius wondered when said ninja, and his spirit partner, showed up at their doorstep. Because the very worker at the desk was, in fact, Caius himself. Easy not to recognize him in civilian’s garb and with his head buried in paperwork, granted. Today happened to be a day off for both members of their administrative staff. Chance for both of them to study for a test at the magic university that was coming up, and maybe spend some time together. Caius and Celes had offered it together, as a thanks for dealing with all the mounting bullshit that had come up during Celes’ time away, and then again during Caius’ time away. Including dealing with the Rest holding a criminal in house arrest.
So it was that Caius had taken the morning shift, while Celes would take the afternoon. Fortunately they didn’t really need administrative staff at night, since jobs and paperwork could wait until morning. So the both of them were free to go by the evening. For now though, Caius had found himself rubbing at his eyes as he steadily went through processing jobs both incoming and finished. Their job activity hadn’t really decreased much since slaying the Kraken about two years ago, so it was still as busy as ever.
They really did need more staff.
Either way, he really didn’t expect to look up and see a familiar face (or the closest thing to their face considering he wore a mask) and emna bowing to him, asking if either Caius or Celes were in. Had he met Celes at some point? That was a story he had to hear. Caius pushed back the chair and rose to his full height, in order to tell Mu right away who he was. The mercenary stretched out a bit, releasing the strain on his stiff joints. He really didn't like doing this.
"Celes is probably off to lunch right now, but I can see if Caius is in if you want" the mercenary would lightly jest with a small smile as he stepped out from a desk far too small for him. "You and Enma are looking well."
Post by Caius Dragelion on Apr 11, 2024 10:04:48 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
“Yes, he is. And no, the guy who stuck a knife between my ribs and offed me in my early 20s being here doesn’t give me any amount of warm fuzzies. Especially when he later admitted to hiring bandits to ransack my home over something he claims my father did. My family’s gone because of him. I intend to pay both him and Ardyn back in blood.”
“If there is any chance that you can save Lumina… I will be in your debt beyond measure. Leave the Lunafreya investigation to me. You save your friends.”
“Be safe, Your Highness. Please come back to us alive.”
That was roughly around the last things he remembered saying to Noctis. He had been upset, tired, and it had come off the heels of him yelling at the Crown Prince. And he wished he had been better. He wished he had been able to spend more time going fishing with him, not as his once-superior, but as Noctis, his friend. His friend who had selflessly volunteered to help the woman he loved in any way he could, no matter the risk, without hesitation. But business had come first, even as the possibility rang high he would never see Noctis again.
He’d worried all this time, and kept tabs best he could, until he received confirmation from Cindy that she had successfully extracted Noctis, Prompto and the others from the Sonoran gulag. As they needed rest and time to tend to the injured, Caius had decided to give them space. He needed to tend to Lumina in the meanwhile anyway. But then plans changed, and he’d found himself on a boat for a few days with Lumina. He had drained his stamina beforehand keeping the parasite at bay, which made it clear he couldn’t do this forever. They were running out of time.
Once off the boat, he felt enough time had passed that he could finally do what he had wanted to do. Which was to check in on Noctis and Prompto. And talk to them about finally putting that plan into place.
Celes had been informed of the situation, and understanding the gravity of what would happen if they failed, stayed in charge at the Rest while Caius went to Provo. He’d already spoken to Cindy, so he knew where to go. Once allowed into the garage home that Cindy had bought for herself in the area, Caius would call out.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Apr 8, 2024 7:40:19 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
While Caius wasn’t one for relaxing, especially without Vordun around to make him feel at ease. He was one thing, and that? Was tired. So he was at least able to close his eyes as he listened to the gentle eb and flow of the ocean waves. If he fired his flare, would Vordun be able to fly here? Would Vordun be able to detect its energy from all the way back in Torensten? They were still technically within the Torensten region, so it was possible, but… No. Vordun deserved a break. And not one spent cooped up in Sonora. A break that entailed being able to fly free in its own habitat. As much as Caius missed Vordun’s company and felt vulnerable without them, he knew he should be able to handle himself.
How strange to think that once, he was a lone survivor. Trusting nobody and looking out solely for himself. Now he was like a pack wolf, unable to even close his eyes and feel safe without a pack mate watching over him. Then again, back on Eos. When had he ever felt safe? Everytime he closed his eyes, was a risk that he would never open them again. That just as they had preyed on his family before, brigands - or maybe even daemons, would strike while he was most vulnerable. It had happened a handful of times, having his rest interrupted. And each time he had just gotten out by the skin of his teeth.
Truth was, the only change was that he now had the means to feel safe when closing his eyes — just not today. Even now, as the sloshing tides threatened to rock his tired body to sleep, he couldn’t help but listen for everything else. He remained still, the only sound that came from him was his own breathing. His inability to truly relax proved fruitful however, in that he could hear footsteps rustling against the sand, growing ever closer. He didn’t open his eyes at first, choosing to give his would-be pursuer a chance to turn away.
But they kept coming. His heart began to pulse at rapidly quickening beats. Whoever was coming for him did not speak. Did not announce their presence. Caius chose to feign ignorance to the approaching predator, to seemingly lie unconscious with his back to the skulking behemoth. He slowed his breath…
In-out-in-out… At a calm pace that obscured his intensely pounding heartbeat. Tailoring his body language while he still could from a distance, he pretended he was merely moving in his sleep as he slowly brought his preferred arm to his chest. It would only take two seconds to materialize a weapon if he had to. Two seconds and he would be armed. “Safe” wasn’t quite the word for it, but he could defend himself if he had to, and that was what mattered.
The steps stopped in front of him and he could instead hear rustling as they sat down on the beach lounge chair next to him. Did he dare sneak a peak? Why weren’t they attacking-
What if they were a magic user and planning to attack from point blank? An eye crooked open and quickly scanned the landscape, his hands clenching as he prepared his magic. That rock would be perfect for warping to and gaining the high ground. Caius decided immediately it was best he acted first, so he started to-
"Well call me a rats uncle, fancy seein' you here. Didn't really peg this your kind of scene."
That familiar southern speech shot Caius upright as he immediately found himself sitting up straight and jerking his head to look at Cindy. It was just Cindy. Not an attacker. Not an enemy. Cindy. It was ok, he had to tell himself over and over again, and Caius found himself choking and pounding his chest as saliva caught in his throat from suddenly unloading the breath he didn’t even realize he had started holding in.
Caius cleared his throat as he tried to formulate words, remember what she had just said and make it look like nothing was wrong.
“Lumey wanted to come. But I gave her some space to be with her family” Caius responded in kind. “She being the one I mentioned back in Sonora. The one in trouble.”
It took a few seconds more for him to get a few proper in-and-out breaths to regulate his breathing again. His heart was still beating at a mile a minute and he didn’t know when the adrenaline would start to calm down. So he thought it best to use a subject that would let her talk, and give him some time.
“I could say the same of you. What brings you out here?”
Post by Caius Dragelion on Apr 6, 2024 10:22:54 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
Why was he nervous, he had to ask himself? Lumina had already directly told him similar months before, it was him who had been dragging his feet. But on the other hand… A lot can change in a few months of spending time together. And maybe part of him had feared that while those months affirmed his feelings for Lumina, maybe they caused her to change her mind. But that was not the case. She said “yes”, so to speak, and as soon as she called him “boyfriend”, he… Well, he wasn’t sure how he felt. He could feel his face light up. He felt… Happy? Relieved, too, judging by him letting out the breath he didn’t even realize he was holding in. Was it normal for his heart to beat this quickly outside of battle? This was all very new to him — and very terrifying at that.
So that was that? Mutual confession and that made them partners? Romantic partners, he meant. Not business. It was an odd thing to think about considering the path life had taken him on so far. In truth, it had left him woefully underprepared to be anybody’s “boyfriend”. While he had read those books before, and had seen secondhand through those stories these passionate love confessions, he found himself suddenly stuck with the thought of… What do I do now? What am I supposed to do? Hug her? He had done it once. It was an emergency though. His inexperience with physical touch made it more difficult for him to make that first move, leaving him frozen.
A reward of some kind, she had asked about. It took Caius a minute to register she had said that, another to close his eyes. breathe, laugh in the midst of the same breath and push himself to find what confidence he could to answer. “And what did you have in mind?” he asked, figuring if he could glimpse what she was thinking, maybe this would be a bit easier.
The only show of affection he could think of, was to gently lean his head on her shoulder. A show of trust, then. That was what came to mind as the “what to do now”. To just… Enjoy her company. That’s what he wanted to do.
While Lumina had tried to maintain her composure, even Caius could tell it was starting to slip. And eventually she just dropped it entirely. “Those are waterproof?” Caius inquired as he noted the glow from hers after she mentioned them, having safely stored his away to not risk damaging it. He would hold out a hand and after some concentration, his ring materialized from the glaive. As soon as he put it on, its glow betrayed how he was feeling quite quickly.
He tried not to be bashful about her immediately running to Serah the first chance she got. While Serah would never let them hear the end of it… She was already confident that he would be her brother in-law, so he supposed not much would change. Maybe he was overthinking this and shouldn’t be giving this the same stress as a marriage proposal. That came later.
“We’re going to be freezing when we get out, you sure you want to do that so quickly?” Caius brought up with a small laugh. He wasn’t sure how to amend that, they did have to get out eventually. He glanced about, until he noticed the smaller, steaming bed of water nearby. Was that the same thing as that boiling water pool from Sonora? While Alex had turned that into a disaster, he could admit it had nursed his aches a bit. And after all that… He supposed he could afford to spend a little more time, just the two of them, before they possibly ran into Serah and Small Claire while looking for shells.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Apr 2, 2024 15:30:43 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
So she did want to search for seashells. In private, where people wouldn’t judge her. Caius shrugged at that. “I don’t see anything wrong with looking for shells. It’s been some time since I have done it, but I don’t mind taking you sometime” he did offer, but remembering his objective, did add “Though I do recommend getting some time with your sisters. I’m not going anywhere.”
So there you have it. Stated bluntly he wanted her to get quality time with her family while they still had time. Caius had absolutely no idea what he would do here without Lumina, but that was for Caius to figure out.
Did... Lumina not know what he meant? Was he not direct enough, or was she messing with him? Caius didn't know. She even brought up the girlfriend word, which seemed more like she was messing with him, but who knows? But as nervous as he was, he knew that it was best to just come out and say it. He had already done the setup, after all. He just had to find his confidence, and...
“You, actually,” Caius stated, taking a deep breath as he would swim back to the pool’s entrance so he could sit down while still being submerged. “I…”
By the Astrals, was he really about to do this? Right here and now? He had never done this. With anyone. He’d never even considered doing this when he had his crushes before. He had been too afraid to even try, knowing that he wouldn’t like the answer if he did. But this was the right time… And the right person. And if he waited, he might not have another opportunity. But while he wanted to speak from his heart… All that came to mind didn’t sound right. It didn’t do this, or her, proper justice. That got a sigh out of him,
“We both know I’m not good at this,” he admitted softly, at first casting his eyes downward at his reflection before forcing himself to look at her, scratching and clawing to manage what little scraps of confidence that he could. This was the time. He had to do this. She deserved to know. “I am… Happy, when I’m around you. Happy in a way that I haven’t been in a very, very long time. I wake up in the morning and I look forward to the part of the day when I can see you. My work days feel slower than they ever did, because as much as I enjoy my work, I’ve grown impatient at times because I know at the end of the work day, you're waiting for me, and-"
His tongue caught in his throat. He didn’t know what he was doing, or if he was conveying how he felt very well. He suddenly felt really silly, and his nerves around failing and ruining everything they had built together began to run rampant. But he had to remind himself that Lumina was different from others, she understood his flaws and was patient with them. He needed to trust her, and understand that with her, he was safe. He could be himself, warts and all.
“I cherish you in a way that goes outside of family or friend. I find myself craving to be with you, even if we were only just together, then chastise myself for wanting so much of your time when you’re so busy and have your sisters to care for, and your businesses, and obviously you would want your own personal space that I know I would be disrespectful to impede on and-“
He stopped himself. This time, it hit him he was rambling. He needed to focus, needed to center. Caius took a deep breath and settled himself.
“… Sorry. I guess what I’m trying to say is, over a year ago, a friend and close confidante told me that love is…”
Another deep breath. This time because it just washed over him he wasn’t talking about familial or love for a friend. This time, it was exactly as Yuna meant it, and now Caius was more aware of it than ever before. And that fact? Was terrifying.
“Love is how you feel when you are confident you want to spend the rest of your life with someone. Back then, I took that literally. There were people that I couldn’t see my life without, people I was close to, people I cherished. I… Couldn’t properly comprehend how romantic love worked, when I had never had the opportunity to learn. The feeling was there, but I couldn’t understand it. I tried, sure. But for the longest time, it never panned out. And I had resigned myself to the likelihood I never would understand. But being with you… I think I have finally come to understand.”
Had he rambled a bit? Probably, and even he was aware because he looked away a moment anxiously before trying again. He had almost forgotten how cold he had been feeling, but in all this, the cold had started to fade. Was that just normal, where they were, or was it from the quickening of his heartbeat with every sentence?
“I can’t imagine my life without you at my side. Regardless of what name you take, I feel… Like I’m at my best when I’m with you. When we’re apart for long periods, I don’t feel like myself. And I think that’s what Yuna meant.”
Caius managed a small sheepish smile. “She knew immediately when I told her about you. Even if I only told her you were special to me at first, she knew how I felt, subtlety is not my strong suit. And I didn’t have it in me to correct her. Because I knew how I felt. I have for awhile, I just didn’t know how to bring it to words.”
Here, it hit him. Here he was. Almost entirely exposed, no armor, no dragon, no hardened mercenary exterior. No walls, nothing keeping her at arm's length… As vulnerable as can be. Spilling his heart for her. Perhaps whilst being submerged was amongst the strangest places to say this, for someone who had been guarded his entire life? Symbolically, it was perfect.
“I understand now that there is one person in this world whose very presence brings you joy more than all else. Someone whose smile alone can brighten up your day. Someone you can close your eyes and envision yourself growing old together with as a partner. For me… That person is you. Whether you walk into the future as Lumina, or Claire, or both, I want to walk on that path with you for the rest of the way. Until we find that last carve of cobble at the end of the road.”
Lucis, that sounded cheesy didn’t it? But it was too late to take it back now. He laughed a hitch, nervously, as he thought back on it all. But Caius steeled himself, willing himself to look Lumina—-Claire, in the eyes.
“You decided what you wanted a long time ago. And I apologize for making you wait all this time for me to make up my mind. But I have… If you’ll still have me.”
Post by Caius Dragelion on Mar 28, 2024 13:37:06 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
While he wasn't keen on leaving behind his loved ones within the Dragonblades and returning to Sonora, Caius knew he had to go. Right now, Lumina needed him. And he needed to keep looking for a cure for her condition. Of course, right now his best bet to pull this off was currently nursing Ignis and Gladiolus back to health. It would take some time before he could get Noctis on board and confront this parasite directly. So in the meantime, he just had to do what he could.
He had, while making preparations to leave, been given a strange invitation. Some kind of pleasure cruise testing. Apparently, he had been invited in acknowledgement of all he had done for Torensten and its people. It sounded... Nice, but he had a job to do, and he couldn't see himself leaving his work in general, even just for a few days. Much less keeping Lumina waiting any longer for him than she already had. So he would just find someone to give the thing to, he decided. In passing, he had mentioned the invitation to Claire, hoping she might have a classmate that might be interested.
Of course, this proved to be a mistake. Because Caius had gotten partways to Provo when he was contacted to pick up Lumina and Serah, who had already made their way to Provo, and then the trio went back to Torensten to pick up Claire. Why? Because Claire had informed Lumina of the invitation, and, well... Apparently they decided they could all use a short getaway. And the invitation DID say you could bring your family.
Apparently the Farrons counted as family to bring, so here they were. On a boat.
But Caius wasn't really sure what to do on this ship. Because then came the kicker: Caius had never even taken a vacation before, much less done anything even remotely like this. Swimming pools, music, buffet foods and cruise liner scavenger hunts? This was all such a foreign thing to Caius, and he didn't know what to do with himself. He had done his best, mostly sticking to Lumina like glue, but there had been something on his mind. The intention had been for him to return to Sonora and meet her, waiting with her and keeping tabs on her until Noctis and his retinue had recovered from their escape from Sonora. Once they had, he would find a means to bring her to a secure location for them to meet, and Caius and Noctis would work together to try and drive the parasite out. However, with this trip… Going back to Sonora was likely no longer necessary. Noctis and Prompto had arrived in Provo safely, and would likely be ready to go by the time they returned. Which meant…
Caius was quite happy to spend all this time with Lumina and her family before everything goes crazy, even if he was still having a hard time with letting his hair down. But while the Farron family had essentially adopted him as their own, at the end of the day, those were her sisters, and he was still just the “prospective boyfriend”, as they called him. And Lumina deserved to have a little quality time with just her sisters on this trip before they returned. He’d already had adequate alone time with her, now it was her siblings’ turn. So Caius had signed up for an activity... Thing.
And it had been a disaster. Parasailing with a pyromaniac? Caius wasn't quite sure how he had gotten out of that one alive. But with the sun beginning to set, Caius decided to give Lumina just a little more time with her siblings before he sought them out again. He had found someone dispending drinks and had chosen something strong before then locating a free lounge chair at the beach. He didn't quite know how to relax, but he did know one thing. After that disaster, he at least needed a minute to recollect his thoughts.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Mar 26, 2024 20:42:58 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
“And could also make the job of getting you free, even harder” Caius pointed out when Lumina said she wanted to go on the offensive. “You were a soldier, once. You know how strategy works. There’s a time for offense and a time for defense. You need to pick your spot.”
Meaning there would be a time to go on the offensive. Just not right now. Though he smirked slightly when it turned out she really had been training. “Then perhaps you won’t mind if I join you for a session sometime?” he cheeked, though his bravado soon faded when Serah called him that. And Lumina had to bring up engagement, causing him to turn his head and quietly return to eating silently for a little while. Wifely duties she said, sheesh. So bold. He really wasn’t used to that.
When she brought up a concern however, he knew what “outcome” she was getting at. “Well, Lumey “dear”, I had a theory about that,” Caius interjected, shooting her a look as he decided if they were going to tease him incessantly about engagement, he was going to run with it while he still had some confidence left. “I don’t know much, but… By my experiences, I don’t think it’s a problem. Because the dimensional travel to Zephon was never a straight line… Instead, it’s a spectrum. Let’s take myself when compared to my former King and his compatriots. King Noctis and his retinue are here and taken from a point in their early 20s… Before Noctis became King. I would have been about eight years old at that point. Yet here I am, in the same space as them, yet older than them. That should be impossible. But also… One of them, Ignis, was blind when I found him. But Noctis and Prompto weren’t surprised when I brought this up. He was already blind when they came.”
Which was concerning. Because if there were branches… Then his future might not come to pass for Noctis. But that was something he didn’t want to think about.
“In my world, he wasn’t. In a time already a decade ahead of theirs. Meaning? We aren’t dealing with time travel alone. But alternative branches of the same world as well. Where different events take place. Then don’t forget Lumina originally came here as a separate entity, split from Lightning again. Something that didn’t happen in your original world state. She came alongside a Lightning who wasn’t merged with Lumina and hadn’t retired from fighting. Which doesn’t match up with Lumina’s story. Now, after Lightning was re-merged into Lumina before she could die, and Zephon then brought in a new Claire from a completely different and far earlier point in time…”
Caius motioned towards Lumina. “This new Lumina, who was also Lightning, her influence stopped this Claire from ever becoming Lightning and drastically changing the world state of her world if she were to ever be sent back. Which means? You two, theoretically, now exist as completely separate entities from entirely different worlds and timelines. You continue to co-exist because Zephon has designated you as different enough to do so. Either this younger Claire was always destined to have a different fate, or you and Serah changed her to where any threat has been stopped. Think about it, how many years have you all been here without a problem? If something was amiss, something would have happened by now most likely.”
And maybe he was in denial because he didn’t want to lose either of them. But that was the most plausible reason he could think of that they could co-exist this long. And he knew from experience that Zephon didn’t play by rules that anyone knew of. It was a wild beast, and it did what it wanted. All he could do was follow the patterns.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Mar 26, 2024 17:57:27 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
Wow, Yuna jumped to that conclusion really fast. He easily could have meant platonically. Considering what had happened the last time he had admitted to affection for another person however, maybe he should have seen that coming. Still… Despite them being only “prospective” partners, at this point Yuna wasn’t exactly wrong.
Truthfully, Caius already knew what his feelings were now. After spending all this time with Lumina, he honestly could no longer remember a time that he didn’t see her in that light. The hard part was telling her that he wanted to be more than “prospective”.
“It’s… More complicated than that, but you’re not far off the mark either” he admitted softly, cheeks reddening slightly as he averted his gaze. At least she didn’t ask what happened with Celes. He didn’t think he was ready for that conversation. Not with Yuna, anyway. If that was to ever be hashed out, it was best hashed out with the lady herself. While Caius had thought that bit of business finished when Celes had adamantly stated she was not interested in a romantic relationship, in hindsight her behavior after the fact had been… Suspect. Caius had been too blind to see it back then, but he had a feeling that wasn’t over just yet. He wasn’t sure how, but…
Yuna did her best to comfort Caius. And he really did appreciate it. He didn't even stop her from touching him, though he tensed a moment as she did. Still, he took a breath and allowed the contact. She had initiated more than that before, and he understood the intention, even if he wasn't used to it. Her words rang strongly, considering if anyone here was the beacon of strength, it was her.
Though the thought made him smile slightly.
"You say that like you aren't literally the strongest person you know. Shiva summoning aside, nobody could have handled running the clinic the way you have. I've hung around enough to hear the stories. You really have done something amazing despite the mountain you've had to climb to do it, and I see why Celes believed in you enough to ensure it was funded" Caius did point out. Sure, it came out of any funding they had intended to try and start a proper Provo branch. Even had to sell that property they had been holding onto in order to ensure the clinic wouldn't go under. But after seeing all that? The strength Yuna showed? The people they had helped? It was worth it.
There was more than one way to accomplish their mission.
He let out a sigh, then. "I know he won't mind. He already agreed to do it. But that's the problem. I've worked so hard to ensure I never have to feel helpless again, watching the people I love die while I wait for Noctis to fix all my problems. I can't rely on him forever, and while I've done some..."
Wait, did he say people he loved? In regards to Lumina? Sure, there was platonic, but he knew Yuna wouldn't take it that way. And well, really...
She still wouldn't be off the mark.
He supposed he knew what he needed to talk to Lumina about, while he still could. So he decided to just... Speak candidly. "She has spent so much of her life protecting others. Sacrificed so much. She deserves the world, both as a person... And in a partner. She deserves for someone to step in and help her for once. How can I call myself her partner when I can't do that? When this parasite is threatening to take her away, and torch everything she ever worked for -- and I can hardly do anything? I've only ever been good at fighting, I'm not an amazing healer like you, or Celes, I can't even give your clinic patients more than field-level aid to relieve their pain for a bit, which you two could do in your sleep. I'm not able to use the light magic that Noctis can with the Ring, my borrowed abilities don't compare."
That was heavier than he had intended, but it was how he felt. His shoulders slumped as he stated what he had been hiding. "For the first time since I got here... I can't punch my way out of this problem. And I hate myself for it."
Another breath. That was hard to admit, but... It was the truth. It was a dark truth he had been holding onto for some time, bottling it up and letting it fester without release.
Despite it all though, he managed a smirk when Yuna demanded to meet Lumina when she was better. When, she said. He really did want to think that. Though he supposed it was about time he told her about the girl as well. And Caius' expression did actually brighten a bit as he began to speak on it.
“Her name is Lumina. After Cloud and Sephiroth leveled the square I did patrols for a few days to keep monsters from the city. I saved a girl from a Bomb, and she became… Partial, to me. When her family moved to Torensten she started visiting the Rest, and decided she was going to set me up. With her sister. Who used to be a warrior and her own world’s savior, but herself retired after coming here. We had a lot in common, and… She could understand what I’ve gone through in ways others can’t. We ended up helping each other out a great deal, and we wound up spending a lot of time together."
Caius scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "She… Decided fairly quickly what she wanted. But I needed time. I’ve never been in a relationship and was still coming to terms with what romantic feelings actually are. I asked her for patience, which she gave happily. Since I was still training the administrative staff while Celes was on her “vacation”, I ended up seeing her almost every day for some time. I… Wish I had known our time may be short. Maybe I would have worked up the courage to tell her how I feel sooner. I know now how I feel and what it means, for as much time as it has taken, but I haven’t confessed. Though I think she already knows, I still want to tell her. While I still can."
And there it was. The biggest, deepest thing he had been hiding. It really was a far-cry from the last time they had spoken of the subject. Now, compared to before... He actually spoke with real, true confidence on the matter. Because here and now, he knew what he wanted.
"I will do anything to save her. She's made me happy in ways that I can't describe... And I owe it to her to ensure she and her family can have that same happiness. No matter what it takes."
As for the Stones? Yuna felt guilty about the possibility of war, but Caius shook his head. "It won't be because of you. It will be because Alex was stupid enough to try. We'll try diplomacy. Bahamut knows we have enough problems as it is."
Post by Caius Dragelion on Mar 26, 2024 16:58:36 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
Caius tried to push his thoughts aside for now, knowing he shouldn't focus so much on what lay ahead. Instead, what was before him. His arms rested in Lumina's shoulders a moment as he righted himself, before letting her go slowly. He was still figuring out... Touch. And with his lacking much in clothing, it was all the more sensitive a topic. On top of what was already a sensitive topic when it came to the family that he had lost. Caius didn't really know right away how to respond as Lumina talked about a sixth sense for their sister to find shells. He had repressed his memories for so long that even now, it could sometimes be difficult to recall details.
"You sound like you want to join her" Caius pointed out, managing a small smile. "After this, we can go. I do need to get used to the water before we go diving into the ocean, after all" he then offered, figuring she probably wanted to spend more time with her family. It was for the best, really, and it was why he had ensured that he would be booked later in that random drawing. While the Farron family had essentially adopted him as their own, at the end of the day, those were her sisters, and he was still just the “prospective boyfriend”, as they called him. And Lumina deserved to have a little quality time with just her sisters on this trip before they returned. Especially considering what awaited them upon their return.
But until then, he wanted to stay here with her for a little bit longer. Even if he was struggling with the whole swimsuit thing, being here with her made it... Acceptable.
"Serah's likely going to mock us endlessly for being here alone if we linger too long. So I'll get you to that beach exploration 'er too long" Caius teased then, bringing his arms around himself to try and warm himself up until the water could take its course. His hand also hid the scar, suddenly a bit self conscious about the fact people had been staring at it. "Haven't spoken to her about the situation. Though I suppose a conversation about the "prospective boyfriend" thing is a touch overdue," he mused aloud, taking a deep breath as he thought back on what he had told Yuna. Because he wasn't talking about Serah.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Mar 26, 2024 16:10:29 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
Caius chewed the inside of his cheek when she talked about missing her chocobo. "Me too" he muttered under his breath. He missed the chocobos back home. He tried not to think about it, but watching what had happened to them all was...
Maybe they got away when their home was razed. He had to tell himself that, whenever he thought about it. The pain of his family's death was already hard enough on him. The thought of the chocobos being cooked too was too much to bear. It was part of why he had repressed those memories for so long. Albeit involuntary.
Renitra said something about a temple knight that made no sense to him, so Caius just nodded to affirm he was definitely not from her world. Eorzea was definitely where Alex and his motley crew was from, which might be trouble. Speaking of trouble, and speaking of Alex, it seemed this one had some trauma to offload, by the sounds of that sniffle. By Lucis, Caius was definitely not equipped for this. But he tried his best to listen nonetheless. At least until she mentioned Alex. Then his brows furrowed.
“That ‘Rising Stones boy’ is as far from an honorable warrior as you can get. Listening to him will do you as much good as taking advice from goblins” Caius remarked as blunt as a hammer. "Zenos doesn't sound like much either. Probably the type to raze a village for fun."
That had actually happened.
“In short? Alex is a prick. And a bully. Who is so desperate for money, and attention, that he hires serial killers for his Stones. And tries to sabotage local health clinics because they're taking attention away from him.”
Sure, Sephiroth’s situation was… Complicated. But he and Cloud still leveled the city without care. While Cloud’s deep trauma had been to blame, Sephiroth had done his part without thinking twice. Besides, Alex had talked a bunch of bunk about the Dragonblades. Maybe he should have a taste of his own medicine?
Amongst everything else he had done, Sorel could rot in hell for what he said to Renitra, too.