midnightstar | Shionne and Alphen in Menancia

They've all come a long way since Calaglia, both in terms of distance and... other things. Things Shionne was forcing herself not to acknowledge. Because what would the point be to acknowledge those thoughts when she couldn't act on them - when at the end of this journey, she had no future? Ah... but that was something she hadn't - couldn't - tell the others, who she's begun thinking of as more than just 'tools'.

Particularly Alphen.

It was the hardest to think of him when she knew how much she was keeping from him. Much to her frustration, however, the group had decided to take a break for a little while since Shionne's pace had been pushing the others quite a lot - and they did just gain two new companions. Shionne was avoiding them as much as possible, deciding to go for a walk through the city almost...baffled by how accepting the Dahnans and Renans were.

It was ... nice. But it felt so alien to her, at the same time.

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It was close enough for now. Definitely better than having her pacing away from him. So Alphen wouldn't be so stupid as to ruin that much.

"It's a little troubling how much of myself I see in him though." Alphen admitted with a sigh. After all he was older. [if only he knew by how much in actuality] "Still. Both them and everyone else. They're good people. Naturally that includes you too, Shionne." Yeah they might have done some questionable things or mistakes in the past. But deep down to their core, they were good people. Some of the best even.

Shionne gave him a sharp glance, not expecting the compliment, and then she quickly glanced away again. "I wouldn't say I was that good a person.." But she would agree that Law and Rinwell were good people. Even Dohalim and Kisara were - even though she had tried to kill Dohalim *cough*. That was before she knew the situation. And.. if it hadn't been for Alphen, in the end, things would have turned out worse. Heck, if she had made it this far without him, her journey might have ended here.

"Well I would." Alphen said with a frustrating finality for someone so determined to be their own harshest critic like Shionne. Still he said it because he meant it. He felt that way and no silliness would change his mind.

"Alphen.." Not frustration on her part, but Shionne did find his stubborn insistence that she wasn't that bad a person exasperating. But not in a bad way. "You're impossible, you know that? Why are you always like that?"

"I guess I'm just taking the role someone has to take in this group." That was a argument completely by the seat of his pants. Since he had a feeling asking what he did would not really give him a clear answer anyway at this point.

"Hnn... that's true." Neither Rinwell nor Law were 'leaders', Shionne knew that no one would be able to follow her - except maybe Alphen, as insistent as he was ons being close to her. "It helps that you're a natural leader too. You earn the trust of others so easily."

"AHahaha I'm still bumbling through it though. I'm nowhere near as wise as Zephyr was." A faint hint of sadness made it into his tone but it wasn't enough to completely sour the mood. Law's father was a great man that was taken from this world too soon. But everyone there at the time also knew that same man would not want his passing to become the anchor that stopped them from walking the long path of their futures.

Shionne's smile slipped for a second, then returned, her hand reaching over to hesitantly brush against his - intentionally ignoring the crackling from her thorns this time. "I know.. you really looked up to him." And Law never got his chance to reconcile with his father.. she knew he must be kicking himself for that. They just had to carry on and make him proud in the end.

"I guess you could say he was my second teacher since losing my memories." Doc being the obvious first. But Zephyr had imparted the kind of wisdom that would work far into the future while Doc taught him how to live in terms of surviving, not making...something more than a slave of himself.

His hand immediately turns to take hold of hers too when he feels her touch. The crackling for him was never a problem and he was not about to make it on.

"Though I also know he saw something in you too." After all the amount of trust he actually put in Shionne despite the frustrations of some of his own was nothing to joke about. Alphen was sure he had seen the same thing Alphen had. After all he was the wiser man of the two of them.

She glanced at his hand, how unhesitatingly he braved the thorns - well he couldn't feel the pain anyway. And for someone who's longed to feel the touch of another person.. particularly him.. she was reluctant to make that supportive touch brief.

She sighed instead, a thumb gently brushing over his hand, "..maybe he did. He ..was a mant hat was far more insightful than I thought he was originally." He certainly called Shionne out when she tried hiding what she truly felt.

It was so natural he could just do it without any real thought to it. Her hand also fit so strangely well into his own as well.

"I guess that's something else we have in common then." Aside from the goal of taking out the lords and the newest goal of saving Shionne from a fate of demise.

Shionne paused, almost surprised by that. "I.." hmm. "... I suppose it is. But..." Well, there is ONE other thing they shared in common, but Shionne couldn't bring herself to mention -that-. Actually, she wasn't quite sure how to approach the... well..whatever they had going on right now. She risked a quick glance over at him - maybe she could get an idea that way?

"Hm?" That glance got her a quizzical and almost cute tilt of Alphen's head at her. Since he wasn't picking up what she had started to hint at. Not that it was hard to do with him around.

"Ah -!" Shionne's free hand abruptly moved to her mouth in surprise. That... why did she just think that he looked really cute just then? Almost like how Hootle tilted his little head. Her face immediately turned red and she shook her head quickly. "N... Nothing."

"hm? Really?" He said leaning a little closer with a skeptical frown on his face. Shionne almost looked amused by something just now and that was setting off his curiosity quite a bit.

B-but leaning in closer like that... that brought on a whole other problem. Hopefully he didn't notice the way she got more flustered -- or the way she unconsciously glanced at his lips and then IMMEDIATELY looked away again. "R-Really, it.. it wasn't anything. Don't worry about it." Why did him just being closer always bring up these.. feelings she's never had before..

He noticed but he also had started to associate that with her not answering his question no matter what if he kept pushing when she made that kind of face.

"Really. You always say that even when there IS something. But fine." He said and relented as he leaned back to sit properly again though still not leaving her side.

Shionne let out a long sigh of a mix of relief and frustration, "Talking with you is so stressful.." she huffed. STressful, but she wouldn't pass it up for anything in the world.

For lack of being able to really hold anything.. the way she wanted anyway.. she grabbed for her pillow to hug it to her chest. It was a poor replacement for Alphen b-- whoa. Where did that thought come from?

"Well I'm not sure if I should apologize for that." Since it was frustrating for him too but just like Shionne he didn't want to stop. Not because she had some amazing worldly wisdom about the wider world. If anything it seemed she didn't know THAT much more than he did given she had lift on Lenegis.

He just...liked talking with her. No other reason than that.

"I don't think you should.." Shionne suggested after a moment. "Especially if you don't know why you'd be apologizing. But in this case.. you don't really have anything to apologize for. It's just..." She paused, debating on whether or not to finish that sentence.

It's going to be so nice the day she can actually finish sentences like that around him. Even if it won't always be positive. Still he knows not to put pressure on her more than he already has. Instead he leans a little further back on the bed.

"Then I won't. Probably best to save that for when I really do mess up." Since he was most likely going to do that from time to time in his ignorance so saying he was sorry all the time would cheapen the act anyway.

It WOULD be a nice day when she could bring herself to say those kinda things. "I don't think that day will ever come," Shionne smirked faintly, shifting to watch him as he leaned back that little bit of space.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Alphen chuckled but deep down he'd rather have that for a rainy day than really mess up. Even so he was feeling content just spending the next few moments in comfortable silence, his eyes often wandering back over Shionne, admiring her from his angle.

She leaned against the wall by the window, looking outside absently -b ut she could feel him looking at her. Eventually she glanced over at him with an embarrassed laugh, "What is it?"

Was it her imagination that he was looking at her? Why did she have such odd thoughts in her head when it came to him?

Sometimes being dense was truly a double edged sword. Because he ends up answering with things he did not want known.

"I was just remembering the day we went into that ruin to get you this dress."