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year 5, quarter 3
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Post by Caius Dragelion on Apr 19, 2023 11:56:24 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
“Hmm. I’ll admit, that’s a loaded question” Caius responded when Lumina asked about his education. That would take a lot of time, and considering the shoe that was about to drop, Caius did not have the opportunity to start. Especially since between his own big lecture on Lucian history and Lumina going into detail about the customs of wedding rings and why people did what they did regarding them. His answer to that, compared to all else, was quite simple and to the point.
“Ah. Capitalism. I see.”
That, he actually understood. Not even the end of the world had stopped the pursuit of the almighty gil, as he had learned growing up in the worst possible way. Having to fight at the age of 13 just to have the gil to survive. But it seemed that for couples, the custom itself was up to them. Lumina then proposed the possibility of building on their crystal rings. Caius quietly gulped, a bit taken off guard by Lumina’s forwardness. He really should know better by now. “If… That is your preference, yes, we can discuss that when we cross that bridge” he answered, too flustered to correct himself to say “if”. She’d probably be proud of herself for that one.
But the happy times didn’t last. Realizing what needed to be done, Caius unhooked himself from the saddle so he could turn fully and take both of her hands. Both to reassure her, and to ensure that the parasite couldn’t hurt Mog. Vordun seemed confused, having a hard time distinguishing between her calming presence and the parasite, which only made the dragon angrier. Caius meanwhile, kept his calm. He knew it was for the best, if he was to help her here.
“I’m not going anywhere” Caius promised her then. “Breathe. You can do this. You’re not alone. And you know how to fight this.”
Final Fantasy XIII
521
YEARS
Female
Caius Dragelion
Demisexual
179 POSTS
Destati
"Now that's not right. You're not supposed to throw your life away."
Post by Claire Farron on Apr 19, 2023 15:54:12 GMT -6
"Road to Dawn"
Light Saga: False Light, True Heir part 9; No Name.
Lumina certainly stored away that bit of curiosity surrounding his education for later. It was the kind of insight that would help going forward, even if it had to wait a bit. Certainly her discussion about rings proved to pay off in a victory she would absolutely take. When we cross that bridge, Mog's visible reaction of surprise contrasted Lumina's confident smile. There wasn't her usual smugness that would accompany the 'victory' of flustering Caius. Nor was she visibly bashful in light of the remarks, instead she just looked motivated. Maybe this was the hidden power of capitalism~?
Mog did his best to momentarily ease away, slinking to Caius shoulder once he turned around. Their conjoined hands helped to push back the Parasite's influence. A feeling as if it was receding, weakening...until it's presence was no longer sensible for Vordun. Now Lumina could focus a bit, reflect on what happened and the woes that were looming. Being asked to breathe, she complied without a second thought. "Alright, I should be fine now." she wasn't certain of her assessment.
If she went on what she'd been doing thus far, yes, it should be fine but as she looked into Caius eyes, the concern she had was plain to see. "This isn't how it used to be. She must have mutated...adapted really." this gave her pause, as she looked down to their hands. Lumina was distracted by the history lesson but she was certain that it didn't impact her ability to safeguard her heart and soul. This left her speechless, desperately trying to figure out the answers.
"It all happened so fast. Darkness got me..." and it was lights out for a time until she retaliated. This made her question if she really got her powers back? She was just left with so many questions involving herself, her physiology and her health and well being. Leaving her to be so overwhelmed that she could hardly finish sentences. Not until she felt she had every variable accounted for.
"...Is everyone okay? Sorry for the sudden scare..." the feeling of being so utterly suppressed. A mere voice, an ember of light amongst many was familiar thanks to the recovered memories. Where it was different was she felt a sense of equilibrium, complete with confidence in her own light. That did not waiver even as she was surrounded by that void. It was frightening to be isolated like that, powerless.
"...That was just a taste of my power, while you are past your own sources of power, aren't you? There's no Chaos here, no Bhunivelze, your precious Etro is dead. So long as you cannot understand who you are and how your powers work here, only death awaits you."
Post by Caius Dragelion on Apr 19, 2023 17:05:46 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
In time, as Caius knew that she would, Lumina began to settle. The parasite faded away and Lumina found herself again. But it was clear that they were growing stronger, even Caius could see that. Yesterday, there was practically no sign of them. Suddenly, they found moments where they were completely in control. Even Mog seemed to know it, considering the moogle had moved to safety the moment that Caius had taken her hands. Caius took a deep breath when she did, trying to relax a bit -- but not able to fully relax now that he knew what they were up against. Still, having Vordun here still brought him some comfort. He didn't have to worry when he had a 500 pound fire-breathing lizard backing him up.
Caius kept hold of her hands for just a bit longer, to ensure she had settled and would be ok on her own. He listened to her musings on the matter, considering possibilities. He nodded when she asked her question, however. "We're fine, Claire. Just keep up the deep breaths" Caius responded, squeezing her hands reassuringly in kind. "This is one of the few places that I feel the safest. Up here with Vordun, there aren't many things that can hurt us. Here, there's just us and the sky."
He cocked his head to motion towards the darkening sky around them. The stars had begun to come out, closer than one could manage to see on their own without flying. "It is here that I can relax. This is a safe place for me. So let it be a safe place for you as well. We'll handle the parasite in due time."
He smiled slightly then, as he slowly, gently let go of her hands. "Unfortunately, I'm going to fall off if I delay strapping myself back in any longer" Caius commented with a small laugh as he steadily turned back to face Vordun and began strapping himself back in. Well, if she was ok, he supposed they could get back to the date. Better to keep her mind off things, than to let her stress get too much. "Right. You were asking about my education?"
Final Fantasy XIII
521
YEARS
Female
Caius Dragelion
Demisexual
179 POSTS
Destati
"Now that's not right. You're not supposed to throw your life away."
Post by Claire Farron on Apr 20, 2023 13:48:29 GMT -6
"Road to Dawn"
Light Saga: False Light, True Heir part 10; Starfall
Just breathe, she could do that; with a brilliant backdrop that rather set the mood. Tilting her head upwards, she took this moment to gaze upon the stars. "Even in the night sky, there is still light to guide our way. Shining from afar in realms unseen." So long as there was someone with an outstretched hand to take her own in this darkness, there would always be hope. With hope, she'd find a way through this with a lot of help, of course. Speaking of help, there was one fundamental difference that was in her favour this time.
"A safe place, huh? It's nice. Up here, even in a moment of fleeting darkness, I was able to hear you. That's something that's different from last time too." A second after she declared such, Mog returned to her embracing her rather tightly. That was Lumina's cue to allow Caius to let go, so that he wouldn't fall off. Lumina chose to take part in sightseeing, relishing the benefits of aerial freedom. The sky showcased the start of transition, a sight she'd never get tired of seeing. Transitionary moments, whether it was night to day or day to night, were truly magical. Each were star filled and at certain lunar phases, even the moon would make its appearance. Remembering her words at the end of her final battle, Darkness would always threaten humanity. The relative peace which accompanied her amnesia, was lifting. Securing her future in Zephon meant was going to be an uphill battle. Some of it she prepared for; others like the mess from her prior appearance, she didn't. How could she secure the life she was very much enjoying?
The first step, was truly knowing your peers. Bonds were humanity's strength after all and this was a bond that she felt was very special. "I am. You've done pretty well for yourself, a mercenary has to have a well rounded background. More so when you're running a group, that's a lot of hats, speaking from...an entrepreneurial background." this was Lumina's basic assessment so far. "Since you mentioned archives there was probably a lot of knowledge at your finger tips but certain social sciences wouldn't exactly be a priority, I'm guessing? If it helps, I only ever finished High School."
After High School she needed to secure Serah's future, it was enough for one Farron to get a full education and there wouldn't be much free rides remaining from the social system. The way she threw herself at her military career, wasn't much different from Claire's magic education. This time, young Claire could get herself lost in it without too much worries. So, what about what she'd be doing? The Parasite was something to be dealt with in time. Having left her with a cryptic clue amidst the threat of death; it seemed knowing herself and her powers was the starting point. A Deep Dive into her own heart, to lay the foundations for the beginning of her journey.
"If I were to go to the beginning of my time on Zephon, as Lumina; I've passed through different archives of knowledge. Fought my way out of the first one, funny enough. With help from a Fire Drake. I then had the aid of some very...eccentric scholars, with rather eclectic tastes. One of them regaled me with tales of Bahamut. Seems he's Zephon's Bhunivelze and that has me curious, did the palace archive have mention of gods in your world?" fair's fair, she spoke about her foreign and convoluted gods. Now was the time to fess up on his worlds cosmology! Mostly, she wondered if Zephon had parallels to the worlds of Outlanders or if she was reading too much into it. The scholars she traveled with were...outcasts of society admittedly. Though she didn't want to cast a wide net of doubt given the lessons she obtained (for free too).
Post by Caius Dragelion on Apr 20, 2023 16:36:32 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
Once Lumina seemed able to relax and be herself, Caius settled himself back in. He didn’t think he’s ever be able to fully relax now that he knew the parasite had taken hold in the way that it had. A fact that would mar future dates now that Caius knew he had to keep his head on a swivel. But at least if there was something to sense, Vordun would know first and warn him. That helped a little bit. But Caius was too paranoid to be confident in that alone. As for Lumina, he talked about being able to hear him, calling it different from last time.
Well, last time he hadn’t been there… He wouldn't know how that would have gone. Right?
Not as far as he knew, anyway. He didn’t know that it had taken hold yesterday. Just the transformation that came from her regaining her abilities.
Lumina took the cue to ask questions, praising him for how he had done so far and raising the point that leading a guild like this took certain skills to pull off. “In terms of administrative work, I have had help in learning. From Celes, from Tomoe, and others, and I’m too stubborn not to quit until I could perform the needed tasks as necessary. And then teach the new hires to do so themselves.”
She said she had finished high school at least, lucky her. Caius hadn’t quite had that luxury. She also asked about the gods in his world. “The gods of my world are a loaded question in of itself, that could take awhile" Caius admitted with a light chuckle. "I’ll start from the beginning of my education first” Caius decided then, figuring that he might as well do things in order. "If we get to where it's too dark, there's always next time. It wouldn't do for me to tell you everything in one night anyway, would it?"
He grinned cheekily at that, before taking a moment to try and start finding the words. He leaned against Vordun again, taking a deep breath as he stared out at the stars. “Well... To start. I was homeschooled by my mother until I was 13. When the scourge hit, my parents tried to speed my siblings and I through the course as much as humanly possible, in case of the worst. Wasn’t the most detail-oriented thing, it had to be very straight to the point. Not very fun. The year we spent…” he trailed off, stopping cold as he realized he was hitting a very painful memory. “The year we spent in… Bandit captivity. We snuck in what speedy courses we could when they weren’t around or otherwise left us alone. When I was 13… I didn’t have anyone left to teach me and… Experience became my teacher.”
There was a long minute of awkward silence, sans if Lumina decided to say anything. The bandit memory was extremely painful for him, and he didn't like dredging it back up. Once he recovered, he fast forwarded a bit.
“After becoming a Kingsglaive and saving Lucis, I had two years worth of spare time between missions and training. I spent much of it in the archives of the Citadel. My goal was to learn everything about Lucis that my parents hadn’t had the time to teach me, to be better to serve the Crown. One of the citadel’s aides also let me use the facilities there to access these other, internet-placed databases to fill out my patchwork of knowledge at times that something in the archives confused me. Oftentimes there would he words or concepts I didn’t know, so I was able to solve any confusions case by case. It's like how I don't know how to pronounce the name of your god. Usually there was at least one database I could access to get an answer for questions I had, and corrections to make. Here however, I don't have a quick resource for how to do that, so... Trial and error it is. Bhubeebileeze will just have to wait a bit longer for me to get it right.”
That one was on purpose. She couldn't see his face at the moment, but he was beaming with pride over that one. “The aide also personally gave me a short course here and there, as they didn’t quite approve of how I did things like cleaning, or grooming my hair. Well, the first thing he did was chop my hair off. Said I did not look anywhere near presentable to serve the King" he remarked, making a face as he held out a hand to bring up a few strands of the back length of his hair. "So I didn’t have much hair to groom, and he’d always ensure I kept it short, but I did pick up some things. When my hair grew out again in Zephon, well… A lot of the Dragonblades are women with longer hair, some with more complicated styles. I started asking them for advice. Celes taught me how to braid my hair before we infiltrated a masquerade party, which is why I do it for anything formal.”
Like their dates, for instance. Where Caius had worn a braid both times he'd met Lumina, and would be wearing it again for the dinner. It seemed he did put some prep work into their time together after all. He did however, turn to Lumina for a moment to ask a question. "How do you prefer it looking, Claire? Short, long, braided?"
It was a strange question, coming from him. But he remembered from those books that partners tended to ask one another how they looked, or their preferences for their looks. He didn't know if the same rang true for a prospective partner, but it couldn't hurt to ask, he supposed. Keep her involved in some way since he was going long.
Speaking of books, the next part was a bit more... Personal. Caius scoffed and shook his head the moment the content came to mind. “So when I was sent to Zephon, I realized quickly that my… Cultural knowledge was largely left out of my curriculum, so to speak. I said some largely misguided things and gave people the wrong idea. A lot. I tried to amend this by reading books during my spare time. They were mainly stories, a few were romance novels. The latter didn't interest me very much, but I was tripping metaphorical wires that crossed into that territory unintentionally, and left and right was making matters between myself and my peers... Weird, so to speak. So I was hoping it would at least better my ability for basic conversation. Unfortunately, experience would be a far better teacher in comparison. Albeit a very... Agonizingly painful teacher, at that."
There was that face again, though by this point he had turned back to facing forwards. He really did not like thinking about his cultural goofs, especially the ones from the early-going. "The books… Didn’t fill in a lot of knowledge, much of it was idealized or fraught with subjective circumstance. But I did retain enough to connect a few dots, like with the engagement rings” he remarked, peering a moment at the ring on his finger. Lumina joking it could be tantamount to an engagement ring had gotten that connection stuck in his head now. “I also read skill books here and there. Taught myself how to repair the fabrics on my armor. I am still learning however, and my hands are too large to wield such tiny needles with ease. My Kingsglaive strength has also had the unfortunate side effect of having broken more than a few.”
Final Fantasy XIII
521
YEARS
Female
Caius Dragelion
Demisexual
179 POSTS
Destati
"Now that's not right. You're not supposed to throw your life away."
Post by Claire Farron on Apr 21, 2023 15:13:48 GMT -6
"Road to Dawn"
Light Saga: A New Journey
"A little tenacity goes a long way~" since learning how to do administrative tasks was very important. During her earlier time in Sonora, she was given tutors to teach her these skills and more traditional mercantile tactics used in Provo. Come the time of her test, to prove she could successfully divert the 'Dust' outside of Sonora's high security walls, she was competent enough to do business.
"So is leaving the audience wanting more, I do believe you're learning, Caius~" Lumina admits, somewhat impressed but still willing to tease. "On the other hand, that just means you want to see more of me." she smiled, feigning innocence. It was a welcome thing for her after all. Being the one that had made up her mind not quite from the onset but at a crucial moment in time. Now she just needed to piece together certain aspects of his life to date. Then maybe she could help him with this matter of understanding his feelings better. Lumina really did mean to lead by example, since she only understood her feelings up to the point of acknowledging they exist. The rest, with all the confidence she exuded, was just that she trusted in them to lead her where she needed to be.
Thirteen, a pivotal age and not far from her own life changing event at fifteen. She noted it because of how Caius paused. A year...? Spent in the captivity of bandits, the last bit of education was tarnished by the loss of his family. Her heart went out to him, that was a difficult age to lose it all. Lumina hesitated in speaking during the silence, opting instead to gently rest her right hand along his back. Mog did the same, for no amount of words could console such.
"...Careful, he might just hold you to that. Truth is, I'm not sure if we really defeated him or if he merely went to sleep." Lumina's world had become a world absent of gods, as humanity preferred it after the tribulations they endured. Even if most forgot the times of the gods and crystals. Her statement was lighthearted but there was a hint of truth to it all. An unknown factor that she couldn't account for. Light had believed she was still in Bhunivelze's employ and certainly seemed to have such powers. In the end, the crest of the Saviour was corrupted. Did all those souls return safely to her world? What of the hundreds 'harvested' from Zephon?
"Shame about the quick access but analog alternatives are more reliable. Unless of course you'd like to use a proper equivalent in Sonora~?" tutors weren't all she had access to. Ending up in Sonora put a lot of information at her fingertips. For that, she had to be grateful and the idea of loose ends there felt very uncomfortable.
The aid who seemed to take Caius in, was quite surprising. To fuss about his grooming, well...he was serving the King, that came with social expectations. Cleaning as well, that left an image on Lumina and all the more questions she desired to ask. Well, the questions could wait a bit, she was genuinely trying to imagine Caius with short hair. Seeing the strands where it was cut was one thing but...proper short, in a business professional look? Lumina was interested. More so at how he came to braiding his hair. It did lend a more professional look, with a lot of styling possibilities---"...I get a say?"
Lumina was bewildered and blushing all the while, as the gears were in motion the older Claire's excitement became clear as her expression changed. "Well, if you're willing to surrender such choice to me~ Partially braided. We style your bangs a bit at the front, let some of the hair on the side frame your face a bit. Then we braid towards the back. Best of all worlds and you'd look...like a worthy suitor in the event I ever present you to my..." she sighs, long and hard, only to mutter; "...Guardian." Once more, Lumina was reminded of her alternate life away from their home in Torensten. She couldn't pretend she wasn't hiding it either. Breaking Serah into that world and her ambitions, was more so she wouldn't be scolded.
Mog certainly looked surprised though but ever quick on his feet, "Oh~ Of course. There's no way a twelve year old could get around Zephon so simply. Even if she was a five hundred year old servant of gods, huh, kupo~?" Lumina had the decency to look embarrassed but didn't refute Mog's astute observation. It did feel selfish of her to experience having a 'Dad' again, while Serah...missed out. The circumstances for each of their arrival here was different. Compared to Caius' own situation, she couldn't hide flinching at the painful mistakes made. She could imagine without tactlessly asking for examples, based on what she observed so far. Well...to a point, there was some of it that was surprising even to her.
"Oh, so that's how you understood...parts of the engagement tradition." seeing how she had coyly teased on other parts yesterday. "How do you feel having the full context?" her somewhat smug, foxy grin was telling. Any progress was good progress and seeing how she was beaming, one of them was happy no doubt. This lead to a very impressed look regarding domestic skills. "It's important to have such skills, especially in a pinch. There are slightly bigger needles too but the smaller ones allow you to keep a repair kit and work with different fabrics and the stitching solutions required. Serah loved to run about a lot when she was younger so...you can imagine." ah the joys of being the big sister, she was lining up stories for that wedding night. Some that she wanted to share at dinner eventually too.
"Can't say I've broken any needles, that is an impressive feat, Caius. Might I make the recommendation to keep reading those romance books then? In return, if you do need any stitching help, you can come to me." helping out in this way was much preferred to being dragged back on the battlefield. That fate seemed to be inevitable in Zephon but she'd do what she could to make it count. She owed Serah that much at least. There was also one more thing she owed her younger sister.
"So, what about those Gods~?" gathering as much information as she could about their new home and any potential divine threats. She did promise they'd be ready back in their world.
Post by Caius Dragelion on Apr 21, 2023 16:19:43 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
Caius did not confirm nor deny that he wanted to see more of Lumina. She would just have to figure that out for herself. Considering he'd already agreed to another bout of time together, well... She could probably put the pieces together. As for his explanation of his education, it had been a rollercoaster of emotions for him to go into fully. From just humorously cringe, to flat out difficult to even talk about. At the end of it all, to be frank? He was tapped. He had talked a lot about Lucis and himself tonight, far more than he had in his entire life. So hopefully Lumina would leave the topic of gods for another day. She did say she understood wanting to leave the audience wanting more, after all.
It was a bit concerning, the idea that the evil god from her world might still be around. But hopefully he couldn't touch them here, anyway. Otherwise he might regret saying what he'd said. At some point in all this, Caius had leaned back against Lumina and Mog a little, just a little bit, to settle into their embrace. Not entirely just yet, but it was a show of some level of trust. Though when Lumina brought up that he could get the convenient information experience in Sonora, he made a face of clear distaste. "I would rather not. I've heard that information is tainted by government bias, regardless" Caius pointed out in turn. "Cannot trust a word of it. And I've had my share of dealing with fascist empires and their methods for one lifetime."
He wasn't sure if he would have considered the aide as having taken him in, though. Their relationship was very professional, and Caius always got the impression that trying to teach him was more because he couldn't get Noctis to change his mind about him, than anything else. Speaking of, Lumina had suddenly become very, very giddy when he asked for her input. He knew that was a courtesy for partners, but... Actually hearing and even feeling the energy radiate from her when he did was quite the experience. And then she launched into a long vision of what she thought his hair should be. This was starting to sound very familiar, he noted. But the ending took him off guard, as the particular novels made it clear the significance of what she said next. Her guardian, essentially the substitute for her parent. That got him to take a deep breath for a short, flustered moment.
"We can... We can look into that sometime" Caius spoke in a quiet tone. But he did have to wonder what Serah would have thought of Lumina living a double life in Sonora, complete with a parental figure, of sorts. The fact he knew about it at all was still something he was surprised about. Having that exposed could severely compromise Lumina's operations in the region, if she was telling the truth about what little she had revealed so far on that matter.
She asked about how having the full context was like. Caius shrugged at that. "I still feel as confused by how complicated it is than I was when I was just reading books" he answered simply. No matter how much he learned, it still seemed like this enigma that he just couldn't understand fully no matter how much he tried. Lumina rotated between talking about the stitching, and on the topic of books... Recommended he keep reading the romance ones.
"Experience is the better teacher."
A repeat of something he had said before, but with more confidence this time. The meaning was definable if she considered it enough -- he would prefer to learn through what they were doing now, rather than a novel that he had little personal interest in. "But I will keep your offer in mind if I struggle with the stitching. Thank you" he at least said to that, though he wasn't sure if the offer still stood if he said he wasn't reading the books anymore. Though at the end, she touched on a topic he had been wanting to save for another day.
"Have to keep your audience wanting more, Lumey" Caius teased at that with a small smile. Again, way too tired to get into that. It also seemed he'd be rotating Claire and Lumey, depending on the tone. Lumey still remained a term of endearment, it seemed. "It's getting dark. We'll do that another time. But for now, I can say that we call our gods the Astrals. And Bahamut, who you mentioned earlier, would be the closest thing to the... Main god, or Bhenevilzefe, in our world."
Final Fantasy XIII
521
YEARS
Female
Caius Dragelion
Demisexual
179 POSTS
Destati
"Now that's not right. You're not supposed to throw your life away."
Post by Claire Farron on Apr 22, 2023 13:21:13 GMT -6
"Road to Dawn"
Light Saga: Prologue
Whether it was the filling food or bearing his heart in his own way, Lumina was beginning to suspect Caius might be running on empty. "Oh, sure, the public information meant for the average citizen..." not that she'd forgotten, it was more the curse of privilege. Seeing was believing on that one, so sometime in the future, maybe? His follow up on the other hand, gave Lumina cause for alarm. "That's...some empire. Humanity in the wake of our time without gods, had also broken into wars in my world. It's like humanity just can't help itself. Thankfully someone took up the torch to lead mediations. Hopefully she's doing well out there." closing her eyes for a moment, she wished Aoede all the best. Especially now that she could properly remember her.
Looking into meeting her Guardian sometime, was an entirely separate and big deal in and of itself. He reminded her very much of Lieutenant Amodar in their own interactions. Lumina could tell that her Guardian must have been close to the original that she was posing as. Sometimes, he slipped and acted as if Lumina was the real Clarissa. Lorenzo was different, Lumina had the impression he wanted to make sure that he did everything in his power, to prevent seeing Lumina as the real Clarissa. Perhaps that was just as well, given he did genuinely mistake her as Clarissa when they first met. Both of them were rather protective, given Clarissa was close in age to young Claire. Her birthday was on the horizon too.
"That'll make my third birthday in Zephon." so much complicated feelings and actual complications given she'd gotten her powers and form back. Compared to stitching and engagements, that was a whole other kettle of fish. Diverting her thoughts from future Lumina's woes, she tilted her head when Caius mentioned he still found himself confused and the matter of engagements, well more so the feelings she gathered, complicated."I think that's because you're trying to attach logic to it, in order to rationalize the subject. Feelings are meant to be explored and trusted. It's no different to the instinct of a warrior. You can feel when danger is coming, even if other senses don't back up the logic."
Coming from Light, that must have sounded rich, given she'd cut pieces of her heart in order to avoid dealing with her emotions. Well, come the Snowrun Escapdes during the annual Jäätynyt, it'd mark three years of living with all the parts she'd cut away. Experience, really was the better teacher and so Lumina nodded with a faint smile. "I just...enjoy reading said novels." she mutters before quickly jumping to her proposal being accepted. "You're welcome, I'm just happy to help~" this she said rather excitedly, projecting it a bit in contrast to her silent confession on a certain genre of books. In regards to the upcoming cliff-hanger then?
"Aww~" she wasn't serious, given she was worried he was getting tired. It'd be time to take him home honestly. She did get a very generous sampler, leaving her to gasp. "Bahamut is the main Astral in your world. In that way, your world has parallels to Zephon. Bhunivelze felt he had the privilege to be both Creator and Destroyer. Not that I haven't dealt with Bahamut in my own world too." she notes, crossing her arms briefly as she recalls...the other Caius in her life. She'd largely been trying to block him out, so that no bias impacted her...current pursuit.
All of this left her with much to consider, especially given Light's actions years prior. Did she want to save Zephon or just herald its end? Whatever the case, she was in way over her head. Given the time of day, Lumina was also in way over her head. "I should probably get you home. Well, more like Vordun should get you home. Mog and I can make it back to the capital after a night stroll. It'll be symbolic, our last journey together ended under a star filled sky. Now, our new journey begins the same."
Post by Caius Dragelion on Apr 22, 2023 16:26:50 GMT -6
The Dragonblade
Caius didn't really know what Lumina meant by "sure, the public information meant for the average citizen" because as far as he knew, that's what he was in Sonora, as would she be. Even then, even if she had connections, wouldn't Sonora's government only want information available that suited their needs? Why keep the "truth" on record anywhere where it could be accessed and leaked? Regardless, Lumina indicated that her world had also been plunged into war. Caius nodded slowly, though he was making a face even if she couldn't see it. The Empire in his world was probably best left as a topic for another time.
Though one thing he did understand was that it seemed she had gained some sort of false identity in Sonora in order to facilitate her operations. And that identity may now be just a bit harder to keep up now that she wasn't in her old guise anymore. Granted, he didn't know if there was anything stopping her from taking her old form either. She had been able to conjure this new one as an illusion before actually taking it, after all. But perhaps there was something specific to her natural state that couldn't be replicated? He wasn't sure, and didn't think too hard on the logic of it for once. Speaking of logic, applying it was apparently what was causing him trouble with the subject of love and romance. Feelings were apparently... Irrational, things that didn't follow rational lines of thought. Which was strange to hear considering there were a hundred sets of instructions for things to do related to acts of court-ship.
"I remember once being told that love itself is equivalent to being on a ship in a storm. It goes where it wants, and all you can do is guide it" Caius brought up at that. "But as confusing as that is on its own, court-ship itself has plenty of things you are supposed to do. There's a formula for going on dates, that changes as you get to know your prospective partner. That which would normally require logic, but there is so much and with so many variables, that using said logic is difficult to process" he did his best to describe where his head was at on the matter. However...
He took a deep breath, deciding to take her advice on this one and just say what felt right. "I think I see what you mean when it comes to correlation to a warrior's instinct. I've fared better, or at least things appear to go more comfortably, when I'm not trying to follow the book to the letter, and just operate as I am" the mercenary expressed softly, once he found the words. "Though my lack of knowledge and experience still seems to give me trouble. It appears that operating on instinct alone cannot do everything."
Following his instincts had certainly helped him with this whole Lumina thing. To be honest, he had done most of this by the seat of his pants. But he'd also had different experiences behind him, and the books. Even if the books had led to issues themselves. And of course Lumina had been giving him tips at each step.
"I don't know if you own them already, but I will lend the books to you if you are the type" Caius spoke then, figuring that even if he didn't have much use for them at the moment, Lumina certainly might if she was a genuine fan. She seemed happy about his accepting the offer either way though, so that was good. She also noted that Bhun-her world god, wanted to be a creator and destroyer. If Caius had more knowledge of Bahamut's true nature, perhaps he would see the similarities there...
It seemed Lumina figured it was about time that they wrapped things up here as well. They were both tired, odds were. Two episodes with the parasite, and a great deal of conversation between them. Caius had talked more here than he had in any scenario in his life until this point. He definitely needed a bit of a social recharge, even if he enjoyed Lumina's company. "Hmm, while a night stroll sounds nice... According to the books you enjoy, the right thing for me to do is to walk my date home after such. Torensten's a bit large though, so that walk might be a bit long, and my home is a bit of a commute in of itself. Why don't I treat you to a dragon's eye view of the city and get you back sooner so you can rest?"
Final Fantasy XIII
521
YEARS
Female
Caius Dragelion
Demisexual
179 POSTS
Destati
"Now that's not right. You're not supposed to throw your life away."
Post by Claire Farron on Apr 22, 2023 18:23:27 GMT -6
"Road to Dawn"
Light Saga: Prologue - Beneath the Stars
There was a stark difference between propaganda and intel. Intel must contain truth so that government might act. So that they may then disseminate that truth, to create the propaganda accessible for all. Leaks...were dealt with swiftly and with proper administrative procedure, one could identify the origin of any leak, leading to...unfortunate accidents. Still, no matter how much one wishes to conceal truth, it was...a necessary evil. Well, evil for those coveting it, for a freedom fighter, it may as well have been the Ark to lead Sonora to a new world.
Speaking of Arks or rather, ships, Caius mention an interesting analogy about love. Lumina nodded along, "That's how it feels, yeah..." she was taken a back because of how accurate that was. She would let Caius continue, keenly interested in what he had learned and how he was processing things thus far. Seems the protocols of dating he'd learned were confusing, she couldn't fault him, they'd likely confuse her too especially if she lacked much cultural knowledge. It meant that Caius would have to pick it up using his favourite teacher; experience. A harsh taskmaster that left one enduring many a faux pas and cheeks hotter than Torensten's summers. That's why she likened the beasts of feelings to instinct.
"Instincts help you to man the ship. The rules you've read surrounding dating, are more like protocols for guiding your ship in the storm. Every situation you face at sea won't be exactly as you're taught but it's a reference. Learn from it where you can but always be yourself and follow your feelings. Given how considerate you are, you don't need to be afraid of a mistake or two, not with me certainly. That's because...I'm the one trying to win you over. Which makes you the storm and me, the helpless Captain sailing the ship. Thankfully, I'm not afraid of a little lightning~"
As Lumina described so did she feel about the state of their relationship to date. It was quite exciting for her, especially because it was so new. The surprise of her own feelings through their date, as well as what she desired, told her that she wanted to experience new things. Specifically, interactions and the memories that came from ordinary things. If it weren't for the Parasite, she'd be even more carefree! That bug was certainly bugging her now. Dare she admit she preferred it's old arrogance. Especially now that she had a playbook on how it used to work. Now, she had to face a similar problem to Caius, it was presenting new variables and the memories she was getting always felt too slow.
"Ah, I probably don't own them, surprisingly. Erm...that's not the kind of stuff I keep at the house in Torensten, eheh..."translation: Leave evidence of her softer side for Serah to see? It was bad enough she was letting Mog hear, whom she turned to look to. When he whistled, seemingly inconspicuously she had the usual Lightning scowl on her face. "So, thank you. Who knows, it might help me to understand you more too."
Being a genuine fan was surprisingly a bit of an understatement, especially given her favourite song. Having the memories of teasing herself about such was surreal. Having to conceal it from everyone else was like a taste of her own medicine. Even if she liked to think she was much more carefree now (and given how she was handling her crush on Caius, she made great strides no doubt) but every once in awhile, she felt like being her old private self. Her entire second life was just fuel to the fire on that. Why she thought she could hide her grand plan from Serah for this long, was hard to say. That she was getting away with it, was a thing of beauty. Even if it was just ammo for the conniving Parasite to leverage.
No time for future dilemmas, Lumina was living in the present~! Present Lumina enjoyed that Caius knew the etiquette of dating quite well. Certainly brought a smile to her face. "Someone's been doing his homework, yes, that's how it's supposed to be. I'll even give you extra credit for an aerial lift home." she admits and that would have settled things very nicely, now wouldn't it? Alas, this was Lumina he was speaking to, there must be CHAOS...ahem something to keep him on his toes. In this case, Lumina was also very considerate!
"I'd rather see that you're home safe tonight. Vordun too~ The night stroll is an excuse to take everything in from our date, reflect on it. The stars are so beautiful too, they'll give me a sense of calm, so that I can rest better when I get home." plus she had Mog with her and he could and was likely more willing to fight. Nevermind the friends she could call on if she needed to.
