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 Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:03 pm
Rhys sat up, lost in thought. Normally, by this point in the day--doctor visits to town, Rei going crazy, NEARLY losing his girlfriend with him being relatively (if not completely) powerless, healing other peoples' injuries... but something bugged him. Something was eating at him from the inside.
Siegell...
True, the wyvern lord HAD helped save their hides back during the winter, carrying all those supplies back in his wyvern. Back then, he had hardly seemed like a threat--at worst, he merely banded together with the group for his own survival. As Soren had always said, survival was an excellent motivator for anyone and everyone, and Rhys admitted he could understand that.
But he had also remembered another, darker side of Siegell... the March Host Club Dance. He remembered all too well the charge, the glaive swinging side to side, how he had attempted to kill BOTH--no. Not both. Modus operandi. Nothing happens without motivation behind it. He'd come targeting only himself and Amelia. Why? Well, let's see... he'd never had any dealings with Siegell in the past. He felt fairly sure Amelia owed him nothing personally, either. But, he WAS one thing... a man. A man with... natural urges. Urges that could be good, certainly, but also wrong.
Rhys couldn't be sure, but he had a vague feeling... that night, Siegell hadn't planned to kill Amelia. He'd planned to kill RHYS. Why? Because Rhys loved Amelia. Therefore, Rhys stood in the way of Siegell's plans. To Rhys, then, Siegell was an actual threat.
Worse... he was a STRONG threat. A battle-hardened Mad King Ashnard of a threat. Maybe not as brutish as Ashnard, but it didn't take a man of Ashnard's caliber to kill.
And what if this isn't the first time? OR last time? What if he tries to do it again? Or WORSE... what if he...?
Unpleasant images popped into his head. Granted, they would be far in the future and therefore an uncertainty, but still...
What if they actually got married, and Siegell did to THEIR wedding what he did to a Host Club Party?
What if they had children, and--and--he held them hostage, threatening Amelia kiss him!? Or even... GIVE HERSELF TO HIM for the safety of their own children!?
Rhys shook his head, scared now, not particularly rational. He looked upstairs, to the rooms where Siegell lay.
But he's not strong now. I don't know what Amelia sees in him, but I can stop this before it starts. I can act now... but I'm a Bishop! I can't do that! I can't kill people in cold blood! That's not me!
He kneeled on the dark floor. The lamps had been extinguished a little while ago, since after all--at this late hour, waste not candles, want not candles. Wh-what should I do...? This man tried to kill me! He could do it again! And they're LETTING HIM STAY HERE! This is blasphemy... this is madness! But I can't do anything because it's against my creed!
BUMP.
In kneeling, he moved his feet out behind him, knocking over a large, metallic candlestick, which fell over with a loud CLANG onto the ground.
Argh. I should be less clumsy, at least. The last thing I need is to wake everyone up with my carrying on...
(Umm... frick! Gimme some time to figure shiz out!
Okay, don't post unless thy name rhymes with "Sophelia" and starts with an "A"!)
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:43 pm
Sleep had initially come slow and easy after helping Siegell to his bed, but though Amelia had been exhausted (losing a considerable amount of blood and having to half-carry a muscular man who weighs much more than you would do that to you, too), she slept fitfully, tossing and turning. Her sleep was consistent merely of a pressing presence of unknown identity, and through it all, she felt... unsure. She couldn't figure out why. Siegell wasn't there to do any harm, and she and the others that had been involved in her fight with Rei were all right, but now that she thought about it... Rei was evil, who knew about the others, and many of them were still unaccounted for. Who knew about the others?
Bump.
CLANG.
Amelia shot up in bed, yelped in surprised, and crashed right to the floor. "Ow..." she muttered, pulling herself back up. Her chin ached now, hitting the wooden flooring straight on, but she certainly felt the difference in what rest she'd been able to get. She was still tired, and Amelia yawned as she got to her feet, but she decided investigating the source of the noise came first. Amelia smoothed down her shirt over the bandages she'd wrapped around her torso and made her way down the hallway. It was hard to tell in the dim lighting, but she could see someone kneeling on the floor, and what looked like one of the candlestick holders on the floor.
"What's going on in here?" she asked, keeping her voice down. A yawn crawled its way into her voice. "Who's there? I can't see."
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:48 pm
"Gh-ack!"
The owner of the soft voice jumped, startled. "Wh-who's there? Don't startle me like that! I'm not a burglar, I swear! It's just me--just Rhys."
He squinted in the dark, unsure who it was. He'd been to startled to think about the voice.
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:56 pm
Amelia smoothed the flyaway hairs on one side of her face, stepping into the main room. She managed to fumble her way to one of the windows, parting the curtains to cast more silvery moonlight into the area. It was enough to give the shadowy face before her some definition, and Amelia's nightvision was not so lackluster as to not catch the hints of orange cast upon the person's hair in the dim lighting.
Not to mention that he, well, gave up his name.
"Rhys...! What are you doing up?" Amelia questioned. She shuffled over to him, trying not to lift her feet and increase the risk of tripping. Her feet were bare; there was little chance she'd catch enough static electricity to shock him. "I heard the clang..." She put a hand on his shoulder, glancing at the candlestick holder over his shoulder. With the added light, the metal gleamed. "It's me, Amelia. Are you all right?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:04 pm
"Well... you know how you... realize something after all this time that, until now, you were blind to?" Rhys asked, trying to find the words. "You see..."
He began retelling his thoughts grimly, though he took out the far-future-nightmare scenarios. Time alone knew all things, and he was no gazer into the future.
He wasn't that scared about the darkness appearing from Asami--he'd seen bad situations before and they'd always been rectified. But those times, the bad had BEEN BAD. He'd always dealt with problems from outside, never from within. This problem... was, in fact, new to him. And therefore potentially very very bad.
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:26 pm
Amelia listened in silence as he recounted what he had been mentally chewing over while she was asleep. She didn't speak up until he had fallen silent or, in the case that his rambling got the better of him, until he reached a suitable lull in his speech. "I think... maybe you're overreacting? I'm fine, and so are you, and..." Amelia hesitated. And Siegell wouldn't do any of those things to get at me. It was easy enough to say. But somehow, by now, after what had happened -- certainly after what had happened at their Host Club party at Christmas -- she wasn't sure if he didn't at least have those intentions.
The one thing I do know, though, is that Rhys needs to calm down.
Amelia put both hands on his shoulders. "Trust me when I say that everything is going to be fine, all right...? Whether or not what you think Siegell's intending is true, do you really think I'd let him succeed with any of it?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:36 pm
Rhys took deep breaths, trying to do just that. "Calm down...? Yeah... we've gotten through this much so far, but... it's hard. Sure, I've fought in wars before, but..."
He sighed.
"I never told you this, but do you know of the 'War of the Goddess'? Ashera fighting against us and all that? When the time came for Ike to choose who would come with us into the Tower of Guidance to stop the Goddess, I was... left behind. Ike never said a word to me, but I knew full well what he would have said if I'd asked him. Who went? Stronger men and women than I. Greater men and women. I'm just... not strong like them, not strong like you. I wish I were, but... I'm not. I feel like in this world, I'd just wind up slowing you down, or worse."
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:53 pm
Amelia frowned. She didn't seem to be helping; he was practically gasping for air, trying to calm himself. When he began to speak again, her expression only grew sadder, if not a little confused. "I never told you this, but do you know of the 'War of the Goddess'? Ashera fighting against us and all that? When the time came for Ike to choose who would come with us into the Tower of Guidance to stop the Goddess, I was... left behind. Ike never said a word to me, but I knew full well what he would have said if I'd asked him. Who went? Stronger men and women than I. Greater men and women. I'm just... not strong like them, not strong like you. I wish I were, but... I'm not. I feel like in this world, I'd just wind up slowing you down, or worse."
Amelia shook her head. Her own hands were trembling a little; was it fear or panic? What is he talking about? Not strong like me, slow me down? Where did all of this come from...? Amelia paused, gears shifting. The battle... the battle with Rei... was it that? I mean, I was trapped in there, but he was the one that got there first, if it hadn't been for his Vulnerary...
Amelia's head shook again. One hand reached up and pushed his bangs gently off of his forehead. "Never... listen, I don't... I can't imagine why you'd convince yourself of this. Even... in some bizarre world, that was true, that you'd slow me down... who's to say I'd even mind?" Amelia laughed weakly, and she found her eyes watering. Dammit! "If I was concerned with you slowing me down, do you think I'd have stayed...? I don't care about how strong you are, or if you can fight people, or any of that. You're a strong-willed man with a big heart, and... that's the man I love, all right? So stop with being so emo, please! It's... it's not like you and it's honestly kind of scary to see you so depressed."
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 8:21 pm
Scary to see me depressed? Whoa. She doesn't care about that stuff? She still... huh.
"Sorry," he said, smiling slightly as he looked into her eyes. They were different eyes than those of most people--most people in the past had always wanted to look after what he did, make sure he didn't push himself too hard, or get him into a bed to rest. He'd hated those looks, but after a while, they sort of wrapped you up in your own inferiority and made you BELIEVE you were inferior. He'd seen it even of the eyes of once-close friends, like Titania or even Rolf. Maybe they were right, maybe they weren't, but still.
Amelia's eyes, however--they spoke of caring, but at the same time...
She means it, he thought, a good feeling growing at the realization. She doesn't care about the muscles or the feelings of inferiority. She just... sees who I am and takes it.
"Yeah, I really need to work on not being emo, huh?" Rhys grinned sheepishly, gently putting one arm over Amelia's shoulder. "I seriously need to avoid doing that... you know, Amelia? You're always courageous, going the extra mile to help people. It might scare me, but I can relate to that. It makes me glad I came here and met you."
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 8:34 pm
Amelia waited for Rhys to respond, her eyes still welling up with wetness. Then he apologized, and his expression lightened a little, and Amelia sniffed, laughing weakly as she rubbed her eyes with one hand. I... did I get through to him? she thought, uncertain now.
"...you know, Amelia? You're always courageous, going the extra mile to help people. It might scare me, but I can relate to that. It makes me glad I came here and met you." Amelia smiled, laughing softly at herself. I'd say yes...
"I am, too," Amelia murmured before pulling herself up, wrapping her arms securely around Rhys' neck to hug him. She felt warmer now; he was still in his robes, and with her in the skirt and shirt she'd changed into after bandaging herself up, feet bare, she vaguely realized how cold the room was. Amelia held tightly onto Rhys, face burying against the fabric of his chest, her eyes closing. She felt sleepy now, a relaxed expression shifting onto her face. "I'm really glad... I do love you, you know. So stop being so depressed," she told him, shifting her cheek against his shoulder to keep her voice clear, not laced with the same sleep that was starting to flit across her eyelids.
Everything's going to turn out fine. It has to. Amelia sighed against his shirt; he smelled like soap, she decided. Soap and Vulneraries. We can work everything out.
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Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 8:52 pm
Rhys smiled more warmly, bringing his other arm around her, lying her down on top of him. Without the armor, she wasn't terribly heavy.
At this moment, it occurred to him that it would be a bit more convenient if he was on top, but right now, the floor was cold. It just wouldn't be proper. Bed, maybe. Floor, no. Either way, it was about that time...
"Alright. Then I won't. I love you too, Amelia," he said, feeling much better, more secure. "Except... wait, can we move to a bed or something? It's kind of cold here," he added without much thought to what he'd just said.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:18 pm
Amelia's mind grew a little hazy as she felt sleep creep closer to her, her arms tightening just a little around his shoulders. Then her body was leaning down, and her eyes opened again. Suddenly he was lying down, she was still hugging him, but now they were both on the floor and she was on top of him and Amelia felt her face grow very, very hot.
"Alright. Then I won't. I love you too, Amelia." Then he paused, and added, "Except... wait, can we move to a bed or something? It's kind of cold here."
Amelia was silent for a few minutes. She didn't think this was a very... lighthearted question, actually. She could pretty much tell what he meant. Had they been speaking any other way, if he hadn't pulled her down so they were lying on the floor like this, Amelia might not have seen anything in that question. But as she thought it over, Amelia finally shifted until she had rolled off of Rhys' chest, now kneeling on the floor. She looked at him, then gently put a hand to his shoulder, the other at his hand, and helped him stand as she rose to her feet. "Yeah... good idea," finally came her response. Her face was still bright red. "I'm... kind of still really tired. You did wake me up, y'know."
[[SO I HERD U LIEK RHYSELIA :U]]
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:54 pm
One of these days, I really need to figure out Learania's official religion... figure out their marriage ceremonies and whatnot.
It seemed as though Learania was the melting pot of many religions across the universe. As a result, it carried important days of various religions. This particular month carried a day known as "Easter", where a mortal man who died for what he believed in rose as a hero in the eyes of many, if not all. He didn't use light magic, and he didn't use healing staves, but dammit, Jesus was a badass in Rhys' book.
"As am I," Rhys said, smiling. "It's been a long day."
He blushed, his smile growing wider. Wow... I didn't think I'd get THAT response. "Maybe another time, when we get everyone possessed back to normal. Right now, I just want to sleep until noon. And you should too! Don't make me lie on top of you to keep you rested," he said, chuckling.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:59 pm
Amelia laughed and rubbed the back of her neck, looking away from him for a moment. "Yeah, I--" she paused, a long lion's yawn pulling through her throat and interrupting her. When it subsided, her blush had turned a little darker. "Y-Yeah. Let's get to bed. You must be exhausted... I mean, how long have you just been sitting in here?" Amelia looked up at him curiously, slowly gravitating to the hallway.
"A-And don't worry, you don't have to do that," she stammered, looking away again. She laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck again, as if attempting to wear off all the tiny hairs at her nape.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 4:24 pm
Yawns are contagious.
As Amelia yawned, Rhys could start to feel one coming. It was slow, lazily strolling upwards, waiting for the right moment...
I mean, how long have you just been sitting in here?
"Hrrraaaaaarrrrrgh augh", Rhys answered in Yawnspeak, hearing something about not having to lie on top of her. "Right. That's good. I'm exhausted..."
He leaned on her a bit, careful not to put too much weight on her. He slid one arm down and around her waist, pulling her in closer as they moved towards Amelia's room.
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