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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As much as she was loving hearing him say all of this, it also made her long to be in his arms, or holding him. The little glances she gave him when she thought she was being sly, she couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to hold him when she wasn't in such an unpleasant situation. "You won't have to go so far again. I don't want to go anywhere else but be by your side." She paused, blushing at those words from her own lips. Oh she meant every one, but still...

"...yeah of course!" Oh god the beaming on his face had never been brighter and more boisterous. Because hearing Shionne say those words he'd hoped for for so long, it was like a dream come true for Alphen and his steps for the rest of the day were going to be much lighter.

"Have you um had the time to look around the rest of his huge palace yet?"

Oh god that beaming smile .. she was so very weak to it. She could stare at that smile for hours. Oh! He asked a thing. She blinked, realizing what he'd asked, and.. honestly she hadn't really looked around that much. "Erm.. no, actually..." she admitted, privately hoping he was asking because he wanted to walk around with her. "Have you seen a lot of it already?" He must have, having been looking for her.

He lightly laughed seeing that dumbstruck look from her but then smiled warmly again. Not fair with his face now completely exposed and no longer blocking out some of that natural charm of his.

"I have seen a pretty big bit but I still feel like I find something new every time I go wandering again. SO why don't we go look around some more too. Though lets just avoid the lower levels." Since he saw some...unpleasant places down there.

She smiled softly - dear lord why was he so attractive? She'd always suspected it with what little she saw before, and when it was a full mask she'd been very curious about his looks. "All right, I'd like that." Meanwhile Kisara and Dohalim probably already knew about the two of them, while Rinwell and Law were going to be the last to know.

Would make sense for those two to know since they were the grownups of the group. Even though technically speaking Alphen was very old indeed if you factored in his time spent froze in cryostasis.

"Great. I've actually wanted to try finding a rooftop for a while now." Alphen grinned and almost took her hand again before he caught himself.

"Ah sorry. Old habit. I can wait though." Strange. It seemed admitting to calling her cute had loosened the filter between his heart and his mouth even more.

The smile gave him back was still a little wistful - if he had the mask on - even half of it - they wouldn't have that problem. But that was an awfull, selfish thing to think, and like he said. They could wait a little longer. "Why a rooftop?" She asked instead, folding her hands behind her. At least she could hold her own hands, instead of longingly wanting to take his hand.

He'd love nothing more than to be able to hold her hand right now though seeing her like that also added to her charm in a sense. At least she was smiling more now and the liveliness had returned to her as well. A complete improvement to how he found her.

"I guess I just want to get a better look at what's on the other side of this tragic city." Honestly it was mostly just wanderlust and maybe wanting to be closer to the stars.

She chuckles, mindful to walk just close enough to feel like she's close to him, and not too close as to trigger the thorns. "That's so like you to want to know that." But she was definitely glad to be able to share that sight with him. Fortunately the hallways were lit, and she glanced around in spite of herself, ".. despite everything, it's surprisingly well maintained.." That's probably thanks to the brainwashed servants though. She glanced away at that thought, looking instead to their shadows ... huh.

Glancing at Alphen out of the corner of her eye, she slyly moved her hand just a little so her shadow hand looked like it brushed against his shadow arm. Haaa - she was being overly silly now.

It was so silly and cute. If only he'd noticed it. But he was too content just being able to spend time close to Shionne again. A brief moment of peace before they figured out where to go next now that things had settled into an uncertain calm for a while.

"Well all of this wealth should be put to better use. Especially since there won't be a new lord here."

She didn't mind -too- much he didn't notice - she was being sneaky about it, and the end result made her smile a little more to herself. Almost giddy with the hope that one day it won't be just pretend. "What will happen to the people here?" Someone will have to help them she's sure. Maybe the remaining members of the resistance will re-educate them. Kisara would certainly want to help them.

He would make it a reality one day. Soon even because he didn't want to keep her from enjoying that proximity and affection they had been reveling in before his seal was fully removed.

"I don't honestly know. It's been days and we haven't seen a single leader like figure among the people in this city. There might have been some once upon a time but now there might not be anyone." Alphen sighed softly. He did not want to don that mantle. He was not a leader of a country material.

As long as it was with him, she told herself she could wait by his side as long as it took. Even if it was difficult to remind herself she couldn't reach out and comfort him when she wanted to, .. like now when she heard that sigh. Her hand curled into a fist briefly, remembering the conversation they had about what Alphen wanted to do when things were taken care of. "I'm sure someone will stand up for them.. Kisara maybe.." She wasn't really leader material on her own, but her nurturing nature would certainly help the people here. Dohalim would probably help - and at least he did know what he was doing as a leader. Even if he had done it initially for the wrong reasons.

The sentiment was plenty right now and he could easily tell Shionne was there for him even in this way just by being close. He didn't mope on that for too long though instead he leaned on the railing as he looked out at one of the lower levels.

"Honestly I think most people would probably be better off just moving to Dohalim's kingdom though I suppose there's the matter of whether they can accommodate that many would be refugees like that."

She moved to join him at the railing, leaning against it with a relaxed sigh. ".. it -is- a big city. Wasn't Dohalim recently talking making room for a huge fishing pond? There must be more space there than even we saw... and here... there are too many bad memories for everyone. I can't imagine anyone who knows its history would want to stay."

Especially those who remember everything they have done under the orders of Vohlran." Alphen agreed with a grimace before he shook his head not wanting to ruin the mood irreversibly. This was still such a mess even though it was a brief period of peace as they figured out where to go next given Vohlran was supposed to be the final lord and yet things only seemed to get even murkier after his defeat.

Shionne frowned quietly for a second. If not for her thorn situation, this would be..

"Let's talk about something else." She suggested suddenly. As for what... um... their party formation? No. New combat techniques? No. Food? ......... that was just going to make her hungry. His training..? Well... that was a possibility but then he was going to start focusing more on that than her and...she couldn't help but want his attention fully right now. "Um.."

Alphen was also thinking things were taking too serious of a turn so at a loss as to what to talk about next he went for something completely random. "What do you think the king and Queen must be doing right now?" yes he was talking about the owl royal pair.

"Uhwa.." Shionne glanced at him in surprise for a moment - how odd that she had been about to mention them herself. "O-oh.. Um. I'm sure they're fine. We still have a few more of their friends to find, but there were so many the last time we were there. I'll bet they're cheering us on while at the same time saying not to push ourselves overly much."

"The king's probably feeling a little regretful they have to put that kind of task on our shoulders too but we're the only ones who can carry it out so he's got not choice." Oh no they were once again channeling those two as if they were somehow the owl counterparts of Shionne and Alphen themselves.

Shionne rested her chin against her hand with a faint smile, "But I know they appreciate the help we've lent them. The Queen is always kind, she probably worries about us going into dangerous situations and wants us to remember that it's just as important that we take care of ourselves." Surely it was the Queen OWL she's speaking of right? Fortunately (or is it unfortunately?) the others weren't here to watch the two of them channel owls.

Alphen chuckled, the silliness of this all getting to him a little bit.

"Sound strangely familiar. Can't quite put my finger where and how." He totally was not implying anything o rat least it wasn't anything untoward.

Shionne glanced at him with a soft laugh of her own, "No?" ALL of the skepticism in her voice, though it at least wasn't accusatory. She had a feeling he /was/ implying something, but she couldn't call him on it. Or even poke him for it. "I can't help but agree with the Queen's thoughts though." Her friends were important to her, but Alphen had taken a place even higher than that.

"Oh I'm sure. After all they've been together for so long there's no way the king doesn't know what's going on in his queen's head by now." Really were they actually talking about the two owls or themselves. Alphen would NEVER tell same way Shionne would never tell. Sides not like there was anyone here to call them out on it. Well no one they knew anyway.

"Maybe... I'm sure she's grateful to have someone so dear to her heart to know her so well. There'd be fewer opportunities for misunderstandings - of course I'm sure in their earlier years there were plenty of those but the King's persistance and calm prevailed over the Queen's..stubbornness." Yep, they're definitely speculating on the owls. "I think I'm a little jealous."