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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He'd held her hand so often before the mask cracked that it felt like something was missing now that he couldn't without hurting her heart with his own pained reactions. Honestly if not for that specific detail he'd brave the pain to take her hand anyway. But he knew that doing so now would just get him smacked and scolded by a teary eyed Shionne for being so reckless.

So he kept those feelings to himself as much as he could.

"Small is fine. Honestly I never wanted to be some great hero of legend. I just wanted to be me. I wanted the freedom to be myself."

He then turned that unfair smile now completely unfiltered without the mask.

"I only got that freedom because I met you."

Edited Date: 2022-03-19 02:40 am (UTC)

Oh that's an evil expression. Or not evil but it was definitely unfair, as Shionne caught her breath at the sight of the smile. "I..." She shook her head with a soft smile, "I didn't do that much." Although she had to admit that if she hadn't chosen to take that insane jump and luckily landed on the cargo train she'd never have met him. So maybe she did set things in motion to change his life, in a way. "You found your freedom because of me..and I...I found my heart because of you." ... that was a little cheesy - she felt herself blushing at even admitting that much.

IT was cheesy but it made Alphen blush just as much and this time he couldn't conveniently hide it inside of the helm like that one time early on when she first donned her dress.

"I...I'm happy I could do that for you." Though honestly he felt the only one who believed for a moment she didn't have a heart was Shionne herself.

"That..was too much wasn't it?" Shionne nervously tapped her fingers together, before leaning against the railing sheepishly, "It's just.. you always make me say such embarrassing things." Just by smiling or watching her, so technically he's not doing it, it was just her own self letting slip those feelings.

"Ah no no it's fine. I just...felt happy hearing that." Honestly he went from a lifetime of slavery to being able to make such a big difference for someone else's life. Before meeting Shionne he'd never even entertain that kind of thought.

Shionne let out a quiet sigh of relief and smiled, "..good. Then .. hopefully I'll be able to keep making you happy..for a long time." The implication is obvious, which might be why she's a little embarrassed saying it, but she meant the words she said, and she watched him rather intently to see his reaction. Partly to see that he understood what she meant, and partly..because she thought his reaction would be cute anyway.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about there." Since being with her was already enough to make him happy. Even if they were doing normal casual things now that they could not touch like they could in the past. Alphen could endure it when he thought of how much worse it must be for Shionne herself.

Shionne gave him a surprised glance at the confidence that he said that, though she glanced away with a soft chuckle. "You're really something else, Alphen..." He'd better be totally sure about being with her though, because the moment she was able to touch him again, she wasn't letting go. The craving to feel him again - just that thought made her flustered, but it wasn't going away, it was only going to get stronger the more they spent time like this together. "...do you want to wait until the sun goes down before we join the others..?" It's... sort of a joke, poking fun at him wanting to spend so much time with someone who couldn't hold him in such a romantic location, but she was also perfectly happy to spend time with him there.

There is nothing in this life he is more sure of than how much he wants Shionne to be a part of it. If not a crucial part even. Still seeing her smile like that and talking to him more was exactly what He craved for the most.

"Hm? Well I don't see why we need to rush to meet up with everyone else. There's plenty of time left before dinner." He was in no hurry to go back. Time with Shionne was precious even with them taking steps back whenever they almost touched now..

She clasped her hands, leaning against the railing, "Haha... you're... you really know just the right things to say." She smiled, tilting her head at him. It was crazy to think how he just.. spoke from the heart the way he did. It was no wonder she fell for him so hard. "You know it's.. almost strange to see you without it now." She lifted a hand as if she was going to brush her fingers against his cheek - caught herself and lowered her hand again.

"Knowing this is what you looked like completely without it.. it was a bit of a surprise." Once she'd recovered from everything /else/ that is.

Perhaps that was one thing that was good that came out of being a slave. Though considering how much Shionne seemed to appreciate it maybe it went a longer way to balance out all the bad. Still he was leaning into that almost touch yearning for it just as much as Shionne.

"Disappointed it doesn't match up to what you imagined I might look like?" Alphen chuckled deciding to be playful for once. Still after that chuckle he looked out over the horizon again.

"Honestly...It's a little embarassing to have my face out like this after so long."

She watched him with an affectionate smile at the chuckle, but she responded seriously. "No, never." she assured him firmly. "I don't know what I imagined you to look like, but.. it's certainly not a disappointment." She blushed a little at that, "If anything... I-I'm a little disappointed I wasn't able to see it sooner." But then she would have wanted to touch him even more.

"Would you ever hide it again, if you had a mask to? Obviously not the kind you were forced to wear before, I mean.." And not counting like.. a masquerade ball or something.

"No I wouldn't. Not since you seem to like me having it off so much." Alphen nodded with a boisterous grin before scooting a little closer but still not close enough to touch just enough to let her feel him just from being close.

That got a blush from Shionne, both at him acknowledging her liking to see him without his mask, and for the boyishly charming grin. Gods that was such a killer smile that he had. "W-well.. if you were uncomfortable with it off..." She wouldn't want him to go around without it just for her. "I mean... if you wanted, you could wear something in public, and ..just leave it off in private with me--" UH. Wait. That actually probably sounded...erm... she really had to start paying attention to her words.

"That is.. it's just as important that you're comfortable too.." She fiddled with her fingers slightly, though she leaned a little in his direction - just to get a tiny bit closer. Privately amused, in a dreamy sense, that the moment she could touch him, she wasn't going to be able to get enough of being close to him.

"It's not something I want to hide behind for any longer anyway now that it's off." He shook his head with a soft smile. He wasn't JUST trying to overcome of for her. Though that did play the majority part in the effort of such an endeavor.

Then she phrased things in a way that made him blush faintly but not in a bad way. When she followed up he smiled again and leaned in a little closer too, stopping short of touching.

"If it's with you, I think I'll get more comfortable faster, if you ask me~"

Shionne smiled, "Hah.. well.. I want you to be at your most comfortable with me, so .. that's good." She murmured a little shyly. "But honestly Alphen... you make me wish I can't touch you now." Even to just hold his hand, or brush her fingers against her cheek. She never thought such thoughts would run through her head, let alone...

A bit jokingly, she adds, "Although I probably wouldn't be able to let you go if I was able to." Just because she craved him even more knowing she couldn't touch him.

"I wish you could too." Because if it wasn't really a challenge for him to hold back that aspect when it came to their time together. Instead he pulled up closer still.

"What makes you think I'd let you go either~"

O-oh. Shionne felt her blush growing - she should probably turn the conversation to something more innocent and harmless as it really ...wasn't dangerously close to getting less so. "Alphen, ..be careful.." she cautioned gently when he pulled up closer to her. As much she loved him being close to her she didn't want him to push his luck and risk getting zapped by the thorns anyway! ... well 99% of her did, the selfish, needy part of her was willing to throw caution to the wind anyway.

"Ahaha... w-well...I .. don't think I'd mind that.."

The danger was damn worth it as far has he was concerned. Still the real reason he would pull back just at the edge of actually going for a touch was because he did not want to hurt her with his own pained reactions.

He would simply have to make it up to her in the future.

"Good because that's exactly what I'll do once this is all over."

Never let her go. She liked the sound of that. Shionne laughed, "W.. we should probably change the subject before it.. becomes too tempting to resist." Even if she /was/ mentally debating tiny touches might not trigger the thorns - knowing darn well it would. And with him being so close, and her wanting to move closer.. she shook her head quickly but - despite the risk, she didn't move away either. So maybe distracting themselves with some other topic would help that urge to hold him close?

"Mmm I don't really want to but yeah I can see the wisdom in that." He didn't have to like it. But their current circumstances just could not be helped. So he thought for a moment about what to talk about next.

"We're going to have to start thinking about our next step for real now that we uhm...sorted things out between us. I have a feeling everyone else was waiting on that while busying themselves with everything else going on."

Shionne hid a faint smile at that reluctance. Though blushing again for a second at mention of how things sorted between them, she glanced skyward. "Right.. which still puts us at square one. If that Red Lady went off planet with the Renas Alma.. I don't know how we could possibly follow her. We don't have a shuttle." Were they really going to have to just sit and wait for the end?

"Hmmm I can't shake the feeling there might be a way." Alphen shook his head. With everything going on he had yet the chance to fully peruse his recovered memories. Still with things seemingly winding down for a while it was the perfect time to get started on that.

"Heh.. well if you say that, then there must be something we're overlooking," Shionne mused lightly. Maybe there /was/ an old ship around somewhere? Stranger possibilities had happened. "Oh.. it's unrelated, but there was something else I was wondering..."

"Oh? What is it?" Honestly he often felt more inclined about hearing more from Shionne since she had clearly much more to tell than he did given he was learning things as he went really.