Flash of Courage

Naturally, Lumina nodded at the inquiry of "Her?". If she closed her eyes she could still see her, still hear her voice distinctly. How nonchalant she was and in turn, the desire to bring her to justice even now. In the aftermath of that day, now that she had the benefit of hindsight; Lumina had started to feel more like her counterpart. She was brave instead of overly cautious, willing to sacrifice herself to protect instead of being pragmatic. Even made a friend, who she wanted to guide to being more "human". Quite a story and she was quite willing to tell Caius everything, except...

In a rare demonstration of tact, Lumina blinked in surprise only to find herself rather please by his decision. "Full points~" she declared, as if she'd given him a sneaky pop quiz. True enough, she was very happy with his decision. "I'll show you my notes tomorrow, mixing business with pleasure suits me best." so now they had everything locked in for tomorrow, leaving Lumina a bit giddy. Enough to not press too much on why Caius party was affected by the charm. It was easy enough to come up with a reason off hand, such as mental state or the monster's lack of focus. Nor did it matter, for their date was about to get even more exciting~!

Their playful banter about Serah, especially after she was nudged, cause Lumina to giggle. "You are a survivor~" Lumina admits. "You've even made it through dinner, one on one. Except there's a...small difference, Caius." she notes before holding up her right index finger.
"That dinner was between friends and coworkers. Next time is a family dinner, meant to evaluate prospective partners. In other words...It's to determine if you're boyfriend material." which meant he'd not actually received Miss Meanie Farron's actual scrutiny yet~

"At least Claire believes in you. So, I'm willing to trust her; she hasn't exactly steered me wrong ever since we met." at this point in their date, she was past her initial embarrassment regarding being setup. It was better for her to keep an open mind instead. There wasn't much shame in learning from her past.

He squeezed her hand again and so Lumina turned to him with a very reassuring look. "This time, we're partnered up. Just don't let go of my hand, okay?" to further reassure him, she'd turn slightly to rest her right hand atop of the joined hands for a brief moment. When she turned to look to the entrance, she'd take the first step to guide them inside.

First impressions? Dimly lit, with magical effects all over. The entrance led to the Manor's foyer, where a glimpse of the upper level could be seen by way of a grand staircase. Beady eyes seemed to be looking down on the visitors. Music could be heard faintly, to set the mood but mostly it was the sounds of couples whispering or screaming whenever the jump scares got them. This only made Lumina laugh wholeheartedly. She was practically in her element and contemplating some mischief or another.

Radiance in Bloom

Had she been inhibiting herself from fighting this parasite? Yes. Lumina could not face the truth about herself, past or present. There was too much doubt, too much loneliness, self-inflicted though it may be; to properly deal with the situation that overshadowed her mind and heart ever so slowly. Until mere moments ago, when forced to face the truth, to ask the questions that riddled her mind with doubt and existential dread. Through a spark of courage, hidden truths were brought into light and the "lost sister" returned.

Lumina hadn't really thought deeply on her identity but not because of fear. She had faced this question before, of who she wanted to be and bravely replied, "I'm Claire Farron." Lumina, had already taken steps to reclaim her name, her identity, everything about herself. She just couldn't do this last part alone. Now the confusion and admittedly, some minor worries of being worthy were quashed. She could remember much more clearly what life had been like as a complete person. Not just flickers and sentiments as she had when speaking with Serah.

When Caius gently rested a hand on her shoulder, looking directly at her, she gave a warm smile initially. There was an invigorating sense of freedom, thinking about the future and what she could do. No longer bound by the shackle of losing everything and being a fragment. It was a powerful anxiety. One that kept her not just from her full power but from her true self. Amnesia was also to blame, having concealed much of her previous life. Only being clawed back in large swathes over the years in Zephon. To have such a feeling disrupted by a singular word, left for an abrupt pause.

Briefly, Lumina's sea blue eyes changed into a deep violet. She shifted her gaze skyward, eyes narrowed as she spoke with a stoic tone, "Focus, huh?" A familiar feeling of agitation that one would attribute to Light, had come over her. "Sure, I've got a few. Like who separated my heart in the first place?" being split up, again she realized, was painful. It had made her who she was, here and now, in Zephon but she couldn't shake the feeling of divine meddling. "Was this all...a test?"

Shaking her head, she decide to put that question aside. There was no way she'd get the answers she sought, at Plaisir de Magicka of all places. If anything, she'd likely need to go where her Zephon journey began...The Metaia Marshlands. Specifically, Marekaj where the people had taken care of her in her most amnesia riddled state. For a moment she rested her right hand along her chest. Memories had been dragged forth of being a puppet to the Gods and a chaotic spirit of rebellion had momentarily taken root in response.

A spirit which seemed to settle when hearing Caius response to not fighting the parasite alone. That certainly brought her to a more lighthearted state. Her eyes returned to their normal colour too, as she was left with a bashful expression. "...She set me up." Lumina admitted, grumbling cutely. Having one's past self guide her love life, made her feel slightly incompetent. Well, she needed the help, given what she'd been through. Still, a fifteen year old knew better than she did about love? That felt more embarrassing than everything she'd said today alone!

Thankfully, she could relate to keeping busy. Emphatically nodding in agreement, the idea of being idle was just boring. That was usually when her mischievous mind came forth to play. Plotting something to do that would be fun. Maybe that was why Lorenzo sneakily kept the paperwork coming. Without realizing it, she was always reaching for her clipboard to look things over. That madman had turned her idle whims into earnest work. She'd get him back for this, after she dealt with the changes she was undergoing.

First though, having met her match with another busy body; she'd need to work on him for awhile. She couldn't believe his response when asked how he was so calm. "We're practically made for each other." Lumina retorts with a sigh. She knew the place where his reply had come from after all. Had it been Light who was in charge of their heart (or perhaps it was influence and perspective? Lumina was trying to figure that out), there was no doubt she'd have been as calm as Caius was, when faced with such awe inspiring magic and spectacle. Alas, though she was older, the look she was giving Caius was precisely the same as what young Claire would do. Clearly questioning adult 'sensibilities'.

Well, she couldn't fix that in a single date. Plus, he was learning, he took her hand rather quickly and that made Lumina so happy she was almost skipping to their next destination. To her surprise then, when Caius saw the manor he shuddered. Squeezing his hand gently, much like she'd do for Serah when they were kids, she looked at him with a reassuring smile. Caius was rather forthcoming with what bothered him, causing Lumina to take a look at the attraction. "You know...I had a miserable experience at a manor myself, here in Zephon. I was invited to a fancy gathering at a manor just outside Provo. Only to be kidnapped for some experiment on outworlders. The place burned down in the end, all I could do was save others like us. Then get as far away from there as I could. I had help from a reliable friend, flew me right out of there."

Hopefully, sharing her experience, which should have been traumatizing would help Caius feel better. The only regret she had was the evidence of wrongdoing going up in smoke and that outworlder reputation took a hit. It wasn't the first time she was drawn into plots by the local populace but it was the more blatant attempt. Now she knew better and hoped Serah wouldn't have to go through the same. Hence taking the time to see how she was doing. Serah had her fair share of adventure and saving the world after all. Yet just like Lumina, she felt guilty about the past too. Taking the Blazefire Saber from Light was a bit extreme (yet totally necessary if she were to recover) but now, with memories returned; it felt nice to be asked to use her weapon. A passing of the torch as it were, even if Lumina was worried about her doing so.

Naturally, Lumina groaned at the 'suggestion' of Thunderr, covering part of her face with her right hand. "Don't encourage her, Caius. She's a teacher with a reputation to protect." Thankfully, she was doing well on this front and she was certain Caius would watch out for her, if need be. Not that Serah needed such anymore but a few lessons in not overdoing it felt prudent.

"Oh, the lines starting to move pretty quickly now. You'll protect me when we're in there, right~? I'm too old to be grounded by Serah. Part of me has experienced that already."

Radiance in Bloom

"Yes." she admits with a slightly annoyed but slightly endearing expression. "When we met in Sonora, I had just come from Metaia... He remarked on how I dressed, thinking I looked like an old fashioned aristocrat. My...mannerisms, given I looked about twelve; only exasperated that and so Mistress stuck. He took it upon himself to play the butler role, since it helped me to do business with adults." Caius was certainly being treated to a lot of backstory pertaining to Lumina's time in Zephon and her exploits to date. Though this was a story untold. Even if she hadn't meant to be secretive about it, as far as her family was concerned.

"You shouldn't say that~" Lumina remarks regarding Caius' nickname sense. "They're not quite the same as I mentioned. Lorenzo pronounces it Lumei, as in, Loo-Mey. You pronounce it, Loo-Mee, Lumi. I was just surprised by the similarities and that I've been nicknamed by men since I got here. I...scared men away before or they didn't approach, something like that...I do prefer Lumi, it's cute~" of course, when one was stoic, well toned soldier, with amazing talent...

Caius inquiry, innocent and resourceful, like a good student of lore should; seemed to blossom into an explanation that Lumina herself had not considered. Largely because she was afraid to think of possibilities, especially the idea of merging which frightened her here in Zephon. Now though, she didn't seem too afraid, outside of gently placing her left hand along her cheek in thought. Her immediate expression was one of being impressed, allowing with a sympathetic look about how much he must have retained to give such thoughtful insights and inquiry.

"You're right." she smiles sincerely before shaking her head, "You shouldn't apologize. My family and I have been through a lot. Honestly, you've done so well and your outside perspective is really helping me. I can't thank you enough. Let me try to go through your conclusion slowly."

Taking off her glasses for a moment, she hooks them to the pocket of her shorts momentarily. Freeing her hands, she conjures particles of light to form an illusion of her other self, as she looked here in Zephon, standing by her side. "This is the adult Claire, just as you speculated. Before young Claire was summoned, she was out at the Cabin near Provo, recovering after a traumatic incident involving...a parasite." she flinched visibly at the mention of such, a hand moving to her temple.

"...Parts of who I am, did remain, yes. Even the memories of who I was, as Lumina, people still remembered me. I'm just trying to understand...how were we separated again, here in Zephon?" although she asked this question, she didn't expect Caius to have an answer but given his insight and intuition, it didn't hurt.

"...Did we...merge again, perhaps? That...would explain why Serah's memories of Light are still here. I'm just...shouldn't it have been...me, that faded away?" she looked absolutely pale even confessing that. All her worst fears, in Zephon at least, came to bear and though she'd been dancing around it, she could no longer do so.

Courage then and being so forward weren't Lumina's strong suit. Thanks to Caius, however, it seemed he was able to bring out sides of her that neither Lumina or Light, had expressed before. Moving her hand from her cheek, which had gotten a bit hot, she tried to settle her nerves by inhaling deeply and then exhaling.

"...I finished scouting earlier, before we got here." she remarks cryptically but then, feeling frustrated that such was her go to ploy, she opted for something more direct. "...Well, if I'm being honest, it's more like young Claire did the scouting on my behalf. What I'm doing now, is pursuing my romantic partner~"

Speaking of pursuit, given their discussion of their jobs and others worrying about them, Lumina realized they had some traits in common. "You and I can bear more than most ordinary people, mentally at least. However, that comes at the cost of not recognizing how tired we are as a result. That's why Serah worries about me and why Tomoe and Claire, would worry about you~" she explains with surprising rationality.

True enough, Lumina did understand the intentions it was so moving that she couldn't control or hide her emotions at all. Inexperienced Caius might be in romance, he certainly had the required thoughtfulness! As for Lumina's own thoughts, when he gazed upon the ring, it's interaction (the harmony resonating between the crystals), produced a spectacular if not more direct result. Blue draconic wings came forth from the ring and made a hugging gesture, one that was protective in nature. The beat of those wings scattering the flower petals about them for a moment, causing Lumina to gasp.

Maybe her feelings and thoughts were a bit too direct? She'd just shyly smile and look away for a moment.

Radiance in Bloom

Sure, she hadn't expected the nickname. What surprised her more was how familiar it was. "You sound like my secretary and butler, Lorenzo, even though he dislikes me calling him such." Lumina remarks flatly at first. "Mistress Lumei, you're required to attend this meeting. You've an appointment with this Merchant in Provo, our supply chain is being compromised..." she was imitating one Lorenzo, who probably just sneezed from being called secretary. He much preferred Treasurer and stressed as such. Didn't seem to mind the butler part, even if Lumina suspected he enjoyed teasing her as part of her cover story.

"The stress on the syllables is different but having two men come up with a similar nick name...Nevermind that. So, Serah did properly join the Dragonblades? I was hoping as much. She's been insisting on protecting me from now on. Not for a lack of interest in combat on my part, it's... She wants me to properly live my life, instead of being a heroine. She asked me about using my other self's gunblade, you might have seen her with such as of late. Can't do much fighting without it, in theory~" judging by her mischievous tone, she had other ways to go about combat.

"It does make me wonder, since she's been gone for awhile, how it managed to remain, while Claire is with us instead. Along with my memories coming back. Medically speaking, I should stay off the front lines until these changes are finished. I'll just rely on Serah and yourself for now. By coming over tomorrow, you get to check in on me, to make sure I'm alright and I get to reward you with proper ramen." remarkably, Caius intuition was pretty close on the matter, with the obligation part ringing so true that Lumina conceded.

"...I just didn't want to be selfish, with your time that is. I'm not the best at asking for what I want. I also worry...a lot." with that rare confession of her character aside. "I'll be sure to visit because I want to. Not an obligation. Likewise, company or not, I'll make time for you too, I promise. The key to running business is to rely on coworkers." not unlike the key to saving the world was relying on her friends along the way.

"As for Tomoe, if that's how she feels, I imagine Claire feels the same way. Likewise, Serah wouldn't let me drown myself in work either. She checks in on me. No doubt she'd much rather I be doing business than running around saving cities. All while helping you and teaching at the University." people were looking out for them, so it'd be rude not to oblige the care they were shown.

All the more reason to take a page from Serah's book and make sure Caius really enjoyed himself. Though it seemed she'd gotten so into things that there wasn't a matter of worry anymore. Especially once she received Caius' crystal turned ring. The shock washed through her as she put it on. "Jeepers, I...will always cherish this, thank you." excitedly, she moved to the crystals at the booth to figure out the reaction. The crystals here were green and just by holding out her left ring finger, flower petals gently filled the air, falling about them in a magical display.

"There's the magic of crystals at work. Try out your ring, let's see what effect happens for you~"