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Post by Jisui on Mar 18, 2016 21:37:10 GMT -5
"But I'll be ready. I know what he can do now after seeing you fight him. I may not be able to kill him but I'll at least be able to repel him."
For a moment, Tael couldn't find the correct words to respond. Until now, it was easy to see how much Triste was like her mother in her considerate, polite manner. It was obvious to him how much she had been influenced by being raised solely by Suna. Yet, he found it hard to describe the feeling that arose within him upon hearing her determined words. It was an abrupt reminder of who her father was. The king could not help but give a quiet chuckle at the thought. It was more clear to him than ever now.
She really was their daughter, both Suna and Carl's.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to look down on you. I know you can take care of yourself... just don't bite off more than you can chew. Just remember that there are people who are waiting for you at home."
With that, Tael turned an eye to the materialized spirits she had summoned, giving a hum in realization of how Triste had performed her shot earlier. So that was it... Suna had told him that Triste's powers were related to spirits. He guessed that it was something along the lines of self-possession... she allowed the spirits to inhabit her in return for their skills. Potentially dangerous, but clever.
The king flashed the spirits a friendly grin to greet them, before he was overtaken by an unusual urge in regards to the knight spirit kneeling to him. Pausing, he moved his hand to the knight's shoulder as if telling it to rise, although he obviously could not touch it. These spirits were once living on this realm as well. If they protected Triste, the least he could do was show them proper respect.
After a few minutes, Tael turned to his niece and gestured with his off-hand towards the house.
"Alright, kid. How about we sneak inside and get some sleep before your mom sees us? I look like I just fought in a war."
Makkura Household 9:00 AM
The scent of frying eggs and sizzling bacon began to waft through the Makkura house, no doubt tantalizing its occupants with the promise of breakfast. If one were to trace the smell, they would find the sight of the king of Jin whistling in a green apron, cracking black pepper over sunny-side up eggs and plating them with fluffy waffles.
A few hours of sleep did wonders for the body. Admittedly, Tael could have used more, but he had to prepare to head back to his kingdom soon. Plus, he figured he would pay Suna and Triste back for their hospitality with some breakfast.
Yes, the king of Jin was actually a decent cook. Even with all of the royal chefs and high class cuisine in Jin Castle, Tael was of the belief that at least one of the two in a marriage should be able to cook.
Elesia was supremely talented in a variety of things, but cooking was not one of them. He, along with poor Tsuki, could attest to that.
And so it fell on him. While he was no chef, Tael thought he could be counted above average at least.
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Post by SlvrNight on Mar 19, 2016 22:02:50 GMT -5
Suna walked into the kitchen wearing a dark grey robe, tightly tied around her waist. He cane tapping quietly against the floor as she walked, she sniffed the air and looked towards the stove and the king in front of it.
"My, my, what's this?" The emerald haired woman said with a chuckle. "You know you didn't have to do this. You're a guest here, Tael. The guest shouldn't have to serve the host."
In reality Suna was very thankful for the gesture. This was one of the mornings that she found it very difficult to get out of bed and cooking would have been seen as a chore for her. Of course, she wasn't going to let anyone else know such a thing. She simply made her way to the refrigerator, carried out a gallon of grape juice, and placed it on the table. She poured a cup for herself and took a small container from her pocket, opening it and placing a pill on her hand. She then placed the medicine in her mouth and took a gulp of the juice, swallowing both in a single motion. Suna paused for a moment before sitting down and looking out the window, admiring the sun's light showering the outside world.
"So how'd you sleep, Tael? I apologize in advance if the bed wasn't as comfy as the ones you have in Jin, haha."
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Post by Jisui on Mar 20, 2016 20:48:34 GMT -5
"Think of it as if you're letting me show off. Not everyday I'm allowed to cook after all." Tael replied with a grin, finishing up the sizzling bacon and plating it along with the food. The king walked over to the table and placed the dishes down before moving over to the sink to wash his hands.
For a moment, he silently took in the peaceful calm of the early morning. He took in the gentle rays of sunlight streaming into the kitchen, and the chirp of birds marking the beginning of the day. Truth be told, he slightly envied this lifestyle. Despite his personality, the quiet and calm of a small home like this seemed to suit him much more than a castle.
The sound of running water accompanied the morning as Tael ran his hands through the cool water.
"No, it was perfectly fine, thanks. Slept like a log."
Well. Mostly.
He didn't particularly enjoy not being entirely truthful to his old friend, but it was a tiny white lie. And the bed was comfortable enough when he laid on it. There was just the teeny, tiny problem of Howl ripping his bed sheets to shreds with a chainsaw.
Tael wasn't entirely too sure of how he was going to explain that one in all honesty, but he'd figure something out.
"...It was quiet when I woke up." The king suddenly mused, shutting off the water and wiping his hands dry. "In the castle, there's always something going on, or someone that needs you. I'm not complaining of course... but it was nice."
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Post by SlvrNight on Mar 21, 2016 20:11:33 GMT -5
Suna nodded in understanding. "I get it. A change in scenery can be nice ever so often. The inside of your castle is like the bustling of a metropolis while the inside of my home is like a small rural village. It can be a good thing to go to the opposite and experience it, to see how your life is and see how it fits you compared to the small taste of the other side."
She took another sip of her juice.
"I'm happy to hear you slept well at least."
At this point the third and final member of the household came shuffling into the kitchen, loosely wearing a bright purple (almost pink actually) robe. It wasn't even remotely tied fully, exposing the black nightgown she wore underneath with a single strap hanging off her shoulder. Her makeup had obviously not been applied yet, showing the light caramel color of her lips. Bluntly said, Triste looked like an exhausted mess.
"Good morning, love."
Triste simply looked at her mother, nodded a response to her greeting and sat down, her head falling onto the table and sinking into a pile of her own hair. If one listened closely they could hear her muttering in an attempt to say good morning to her mother and uncle. Suna drank some more of her juice and looked at the king.
"She's not really a morning person, unfortunately. I can understand why though."
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Post by Jisui on Mar 23, 2016 23:10:09 GMT -5
"Yeah... I can see that. Morning, kid."
The king looked on somewhat amusedly at the disheveled state of his niece, although he maintained some level of sympathy as well. After all, it made sense considering what he learned about her abilities. In addition to that, they had been up fairly early in the morning. The difference was that Tael was actually able to get sleep, while he guessed that Triste had barely gotten any at all. Perhaps some coffee or breakfast would help.
"Elesia is almost as bad in the morning to be honest." Tael admitted while glancing at Triste, thinking of his wife back in Jin. "Takes her a few cups of coffee to not look like a zombie."
Speaking of which, Tael hadn't checked in with his spouse yesterday due to the hectic pace of the day. No doubt she would be irritated about the lack of communication. A harsh scolding was probably in his near future.
...Man, did he miss her.
But he would get to see her soon enough. Now was the time to cherish what time he had left with Suna and Triste. And that could start with some hopefully decent breakfast.
Tael brought up the topic of possibly having the two move to Jin Castle in the middle of breakfast. He was careful to emphasize that it was completely up to them and that he wouldn't be offended if they chose to stay. It was directed more towards Suna than Triste however, as Tael expected the young woman to most likely be traveling around the world adventuring. It was in her blood after all.
When she did so however, Suna would be staying at home alone, and Tael reasoned that she might as well be staying with good company and friends in a plush castle then. Triste would be welcome whenever she wanted to stop by of course.
"...like you said, a change of scenery might be nice, and Elesia and I would be around all the time. I'd take care of all the transportation issues too." The king continued, pausing and taking a quick swig of orange juice. "Of course, its all up to you, and its not like this is a one-time offer. Take your time thinking about it."
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Post by SlvrNight on Mar 25, 2016 15:52:30 GMT -5
Triste agreed with the king for the most part. She had little intention of staying home all the time, although she was tempted to. She didn't exactly want to leave her ailing mother alone but she also found it impossible to sit idly by with groups like the Infernal Heralds and the Order of the Golden Cross about. The fact that one of their agents had made it into her home and attempted to assassinate her uncle had drilled into Triste's head that they had the power to do what they want, to kill who they wanted, whenever they wanted to. There may have been some paranoia influencing her, but she knew it was the truth. It didn't matter if she stayed with her mother all the time if Howl could just rip open a rift into her room, kill her, and be gone in less than a minute.
It was true that Triste wasn't sure where to start exactly, but she would worry about that later. Right now she needed to make sure her mother was in a safer place before leaving.
"Alright, alright." Suna said with a small sigh if resignation. "I swear you're treating me as if I had glass bones and paper skin. But I'm not gonna say you don't have a fair point."
She looked at her daughter.
"You did already go on two little journeys, both to different kingdoms. I guess you'll be adventuring a lot like I did back in my day. Hopefully you find as good a group of allies as I did, if not better."
Triste smiled in response, swallowing a chunk of king-made waffles. "I dunno, mom. From all the stories you told me, those are awfully high standards haha."
Suna chuckled and pushed herself from her seat.
"I suppose I should go and start packing then. May as well leave whenever you plan on leaving, Tael. You sure you'll be fine Triste?"
"Yeah. I've got some preparations to make and a few people to contact before I head out to see Oberius. I also gotta let Krizno know what's going on."
The emerald haired maiden nodded at the mention of her adopted son. "I should be sure to contact him before I leave. He may be a tough guardian now, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did get upset that his mother didn't say bye before leaving." She briefly looked at Tael, remembering their problems with the original holder of that name. "This one acts tough but is a huge softie on the inside, Tael."
Triste began to gather everyone's dishes together, preparing to dump them in the sink and wash them. "Guess it's settled then. I think this'll be good for you, mom. New environment and the company of old friends? Sounds like a great time to me."
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Post by Jisui on Mar 27, 2016 17:00:01 GMT -5
"Great! Elesia will be happy to see you too." The king grinned hearing Suna agree to the idea, quickly starting a mental checklist of what to prepare for his old friend when they got back to Jin. Tael hadn't been kidding when he said he was going to spoil his new guests.
Well. Within reason probably. Most likely. At the very least, he hoped Suna was ready for plush beds and good food.
"Yeah. Take your time with your preparations, there's no rush." The king made no outward reaction to the mention of Krizno, although inwardly he couldn't help but maintain some level of skepticism about the reincarnated demon. The old one had not left him with any pleasant memories. Even with the reassurance of Suna, there was a part of him that would never be satisfied until he met him in person. Perhaps he would get that opportunity in the future.
"Oh, before I forget. Here." Tael reached behind him on his belt link and slid a sheathed knife over to Triste.
"Sorry that its a bit crude, I didn't have anything else on me. Phones aren't perfect everywhere, so I enchanted it with a communication spell. Just channel mana into it whenever you need to talk, and it should open a link to me."
The king affixed the young woman with a meaningful look before chuckling to himself.
"Granted, you'll probably be too polite to contact me most of the time. Just keep it as a last resort if you need anything."
Pushing himself out of his seat, Tael gave a quick stretch and winced as he felt his shoulder pop. It was hard to believe that so much had happened over the span of two days. So many memories had been brought back, full of both pain and joy. And still, no matter what it brought in the future, he would not trade these past two days for anything.
But the future was a ways off. For now, it was time to take things one step at a time.
And the next step, was coming home to his kingdom and wife.
Several months later...
Geraltz General Hospital in Jin 2:30 PM
Breathe.
Don't panic. It would be okay.
The isolated hospital room was empty sans a few people, but its occupants would have stuck out no matter where they were. The king of Jin paced himself back and forth in a somewhat worrying manner, all pretenses of his previously cool and collected persona gone.
Nearby, a silver haired man around his age eyed the king in a concerned manner. Truthfully, the silver-haired man could have passed for a king himself. He was garbed in a robe of similar color to his hair, with dark black boots on his feet and a golden circlet adorning his forehead. Despite his regal garb, there was a gentle kindness in his visage and demeanor that seemed to make him approachable.
"Tael... relax. It'll be fine. And shouldn't you be in there with Elesia?" The man questioned, pointing to the connected room nearby. The addressed king snapped his head back, showing his old friend his set of hands silently. One hand seemed to be encased in ice, while the other hand was attempting to defrost it with a small fireball.
"I was."
"Ah."
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Post by SlvrNight on Mar 29, 2016 20:25:21 GMT -5
Geraltz General Hospital
The doors to the hospital room burst open and four people entered, the group immediately heading to the king. In front of the group was the brown-haired, heavy makeup-clad daughter of Carl Makkura while his emerald-haired mother stood to her right. A man with blond hair, a few inches taller than Triste, stood to her left. A lightning-shaped bang of hair hung over his forehead and he wore small glasses over his hazel eyes, with a brown trench coat hung over his shoulders. The final person was obviously not even human. He was a large hulking figure, at least a full foot and a half taller than Triste. He was a beastkin with white fur and the face of a tiger, with small spectacles hanging on the bridge of his snout. He wore a long blue coat with a golden collar, grey pants, and black boots.
Triste and Suna were both breathing heavily, although her mother was obviously breathing harder, making it obvious that they had arrived as soon as they could.
"Tael." The young woman started. "Sorry for being late. Came as soon as my mom told me."
Suna coughed a few times before nodding and standing fully upright, significantly calmer. "I also hope that you don't mind a few guests. You, unfortunately, weren't around when Triste was born so I knew I had to try and make that up to you with the birth of your own child." Before she could continue though, the blond man spoke first, nodding respectfully at the king with a small, but genuine, smile.
"Krizno Makkura. It's good to finally meet you, King Tael. I've heard a lot about you, to put it lightly."
"And this-" Triste spoke next, cutting her adopted brother off and indicating the beastman behind them with her thumb. "Is Oberius Greylocke."
At the mention of his name Oberius took a step forward and briefly looked down at the king before falling to one knee and respectfully bowing. He was the prince of the Greylocke Kingdom after all, so he had to have known some form of manners and protocol when greeting foreign rulers. His voice was deep and he spoke in a proper and educated manner. "An honor to meet you, your majesty. I hope my presence is not unwelcome. Triste and I were journeying together when she heard the news and I did not wish to let her come back alone. She is a dear friend of mine, after all."
Triste blushed lightly at the sentiment and slapped the beastman's shoulder in a friendly manner. Suna, however, looked over towards the silver-haired man and smiled at him. She walked towards him, passing Tael and gently patting the king's arm, and stopped in front of him. She clacked her cane against the floor once to get his attention before speaking.
"I knew you'd be here as well, Tsuki. No way you could miss something like this. How has it been so far? I see the king's currently trying to defrost his own hand."
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Post by Jisui on Apr 1, 2016 2:55:06 GMT -5
The pair's eyes snapped towards the door as it burst open, and not even in his panic-driven mind could Tael not feel shocked about the people who had just arrived. He had barely been expecting Suna because of how sudden everything was happening. Never would he have expected his niece, the prince of Greylocke and the guardian of JX City to show up too. Was this really even happening? Was this just some weird dream?
The king paused, taking a deep breath to realign himself. Turning to the new guests, he gave a warm if not somewhat anxious smile at Suna and Triste. It wasn't to say he wasn't grateful. The fact that they had came here to support him, even with Suna's condition and Triste not even being nearby, actually seemed to calm him down a bit.
The fireball in Tael's hand seemed to dissipate as the king finished defrosting his hand, although he needed to move it around a bit to keep the blood flowing. Moving over to Triste, the soon-to-be father slung his good arm into a slightly uncomfortable, but appreciative half-hug.
"I'll admit, I didn't even expect you guys." He confessed, stepping back and chuckling lightly. "But it means a lot to me and Elesia that you're here. Thanks."
With that, Tael turned his gaze towards the other two members of their group who had come. There was no way he could have expected these particular two people to show up either. Still, even if they had only come because of Suna and Triste, their presence was appreciated.
"Prince Oberius... Krizno. Its a pleasure to finally meet you both." Tael believed himself to be a fairly good judge of character on first glance. Although he had heard snippets of Oberius from Triste (and obviously he knew about Krizno), it wasn't the same as meeting a person face to face. Thankfully, the king found himself agreeing with both of the men in front of him. Even Krizno, who he had been holding reservations about, truly seemed nothing near what his previous incarnation had been. Oberius on the other hand was more or less as polite and well-spoken as Triste had mentioned.
The king chuckled at the beastkin's bow towards him, if only because it reminded him of a certain other young woman in the room.
"...No wonder you two are friends." He commented, before touching Oberius' shoulder in a signal to rise. Afterwards, he gave the prince a friendly handshake before offering the same to Krizno. In the back of his mind, the king wondered how Elesia would react to all of the company that had arrived.
Meanwhile, the silver-haired man known as Tsuki was engaging in a friendly conversation with Suna while taking a relieved glance towards Tael. He was glad that the arrival of Suna and the rest of them had calmed him down a bit.
"I knew you'd be here as well, Tsuki. No way you could miss something like this. How has it been so far? I see the king's currently trying to defrost his own hand."
"Of course." Tsuki replied with a quiet laugh, turning his gaze back towards the green-haired woman. "The two of them are my best friends after all. As for how its going-"
Suddenly, a loud scream somehow pierced the walls from the room over, immediately silencing all conversation. It was an indescribable scream, something close to a banshee's screech mixed with the distinct feeling of swears mixed in.
"..."
For a long time, there was no movement or sound in the room, just an unnerving tension that was waiting to be cut into.
Tael lunged for the door.
Tsuki barely managed to intercept the king, holding him back to the best of his ability.
"Let... me... through!"
"Calm down first Tael!"
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Post by SlvrNight on Apr 3, 2016 10:04:16 GMT -5
While Triste had just arrived and still wasn't completely over the fact that Tael was the king of a kingdom, she joined in on holding him back from going to Elesia's room by wrapping her arms around his waist from behind and pulling back. She was joined by Oberius, who wrapped one arm around her own waist and stood perfectly still. His natural beastkin strength, beyond that of most peak humans, was likely more than enough to keep the king from doing something he'd regret. Krizno, meanwhile, folded his arms and simply watched. It wasn't his place to decide what the king did, but he also felt the others had it handled.
Suna sighed and walked ahead, moving in between Tael and the door.
"I know it's difficult, extremely difficult, to not be by her side and just hear her struggle, but don't worry. Elesia will be fine. This is, unfortunately, how it is. I mean, normally we'd probably just let you go to her but considering how she froze your hand when you were last there, it'd probably be best for you to stay here."
She smiled, filled with genuine confidence and hope.
"Plus, Elesia's one of the strongest women I've ever met. She'll pull through fine."
"Yeah!" Triste added on. "Have some confidence in your wife!"
"Not like you can exactly go on ahead with us all wrapped around you anyways, your majesty." Oberius said calmly as he adjusted his spectacles with his free hand.
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Post by Jisui on Apr 3, 2016 22:45:26 GMT -5
Slowly, the king's resistance began to ebb as the others latched onto him, his earlier panic settling. Deep breaths.
They were right. Charging in there wasn't going to do much for anyone. And if anyone could take care of themselves, it was Elesia. He was just making a fool of himself.
And yet...
It was a feeling that was hard to describe, and one that he felt only Suna would understand. The feeling of desperate need to rush to his partner's side was something that was indescribable. Or maybe it was simpler than he thought. For all of his life, Elesia had protected him. The desire to reciprocate that was something that could only be natural.
"...You're right. Sorry." Tael muttered, taking a deep breath and feeling the various grips on him slack in relief. The screams began to start again, causing the king to grit his teeth once again. This time however, he moved over to the seats nearby and sunk himself into them. It was fortunate that everyone else was here, especially Suna. She had always been good at calming others down.
If his wife called for him, he would come. Otherwise, he would follow the advice of his niece, and have faith in her.
The room had devolved in idle chatter to take the edge off of rising anticipation and tension in the room. Tael was engaging in conversation with Krizno, who he admittedly liked, as he reminded him of a younger version of himself in some ways. Tsuki on the other hand was in the middle of discussion on the topic of firearms with Oberius, although neither dared to actually bring out said guns in the middle of a hospital.
Still, everyone had the unanswered question on their mind.
The screaming had stopped for some time now.
What was happening?
And none were more on edge than King Tael Whitemane, although he hid it well.
At least until a nurse exited from Elesia's room, and the king's attention snapped to the poor lady like that of a hawk. To her credit, she held his gaze admirably despite her shock at seeing the various figures around the king, bowing to him gracefully.
"Your highness. You're free to come in now to see them."
Them. Them was a good word. Deep breaths. He could do this. He had faced Howl before. Hell, he had even fought a dragon once. This would be fine.
"It'll be fine, Tael. We'll wait outside for you." Tsuki gave Tael a calming smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. His words seemed to calm the king some, who paused before shaking his head with a light chuckle.
"...No, its fine. You all came all the way here for this, you might as well come in too."
Steadying himself, the king stepped forward and moved into the room next door.
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Post by SlvrNight on Apr 6, 2016 18:12:10 GMT -5
Triste looked at Oberius, a look of caution on both their faces. While she was happy Tael was okay with them coming with him, she was also a bit unsure of it. Part of her felt like the first meeting between a newborn baby and its parents should be with just them alone. But she also had never been in this situation before and had no children of her own, so perhaps her thought of the situation was simply tainted by ignorance.
Suna, on the other hand, simply smiled with barely contained excitement and Krizno nodded in appreciation to Tael. The guardian of JX City was aware of how large an honor this was, to see the newborn of a foreign nation's ruler. The group followed the king, anxiously awaiting the sight of his first child.
"Hope you've thought of a name for both genders, Tael." Suna said in a teasing tone.
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Post by Jisui on Apr 10, 2016 16:05:27 GMT -5
Tael's response was only a nervous chuckle in response to Suna, proving how anxious he was to see Elesia and their new child.
A name, huh...
It was like he told Triste when they first met. He had long thought of names for a while now. Despite his carefree attitude, Tael wasn't one to do things half-assed. A name was something you carried with you for life. There had been more than a few sleepless nights spent in deliberation.
He paused with his hand on the door, hearing the cry of a newborn child through it and realizing just how real it all was. This was really happening.
Composing himself, the king slowly opened the door and slowly began taking in the scene before him.
There was Elesia on a nearby bed, glancing at the party before her with a surprised expression. Before long though, her gaze settled onto Tael's, a warm and proud smile emerging that she rarely showed.
Doctors and nurses came up to him with respectful bows and celebratory words that didn't reach his ears. The nearby commotion seemed to fade away, replaced with the sound of his own blood rushing through his ears.
The king stumbled forward towards two wrapped bundles near Elesia's chest. Two tiny, pinkish heads popped out to greet him. One was a wildly wailing raven-haired child with ice-blue eyes that immediately reminded him of Elesia. The other had dark blue hair and black orbs that stared curiously at the king. Miraculously, that child was hardly making a sound in comparison to their sibling.
The voices of the doctors broke in for a split second. Twins. One male, one female. He steadied himself.
A king was a person who had to remain strong in front of others, no matter how weak he really was.
He had held onto that mantra for so long, as his father had told him. But, just this once...
"Hey..." Tael began, his voice shaky and laden with emotion. He managed a shaky grin, feeling a long forgotten sting of tears come. "Ilia..."
"...Carl. I'm your dad."
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Post by SlvrNight on Apr 14, 2016 16:42:53 GMT -5
Oberius raised a surprised eyebrow at Tael's choice of name for his son, but quickly understood the reasoning, thanks to some remembering of past conversations with Triste and his own knowledge of the tales of Carl Makkura's and Tael Whitemane's adventures together. He folded his arms and nodded in approval, looking towards Tsuki and commenting softly. "A fine choice of name. I'm sure he would be honored." The beastkin's orange eyes shifted towards Triste, keeping an eye on her reaction.
Krizno chuckled, satisfied with the name and saying little else. He would congratulate the king later, once his mind was back to its normal state and no longer drowning in the flood of feelings that come with holding one's children for the first time.
Suna placed both her hands over her mouth, her emerald eyes fixated on the two small bundles. The joy she felt of hearing Tael name his son after her lost husband filled her with emotion. Memories of her time with the undead man flashed within her mind and her intense desire to finally see him again threatened to burst through her in the form of tears, mixed with the overwhelming happiness of knowing that the son of the king of Jin would carry Carl's name. Perhaps he would end up being like Krizno, living a life that their original namesake should have, and deserved, to have. Suna quickly composed herself, wrapping an arm around Triste's shoulders and speaking to both Tael and Elesia.
"They're beautiful. Absolutely wonderful."
Triste's reaction was far more subtle. She was conflicted. The scene before her, the king seeing his two children for the first time and the joy that radiated from it all like a sun, was something of happiness. But that name. The name he chose for his son stirred uncomfortable feelings and memories within her. She knew Tael had been close friends with her father, even though she loathed to refer to him with such a term. But she couldn't deny that part of her felt that this child was going to be cursed with that name, and that the man he was named after didn't deserve the honor of having his name inherited. The daughter of Carl Makkura did her best to hide these thoughts and negative feelings, choosing the mask of a bright smile and small laugh of joy.
Triste believed she was being selfish, having such thoughts at this time. She would not spread it and would keep them to herself. Her bright green eyes briefly met Oberius's and a flash of sympathy crossed his face. He knew what she was feeling, even if he did not share those feelings.
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Post by Jisui on Apr 20, 2016 22:59:31 GMT -5
Tsuki nodded slightly in response to Oberius, a quiet smile of content on the silver-haired man's face as he observed the scene. Finding it hard to believe that his two closest friends were parents, he took a moment to wipe at his eyes for a brief moment and take in the moment. Despite the overwhelming joy welling up inside of him, Tael found himself asking the same question to the same person, as he had been doing for the past few years. Was this really alright? He didn't specify, but knew that he would be understood. Was it really alright? Living life like this, finding such a deep happiness in the sight before him that it frightened him... all the while...
"Yo, Tsuki." Tael was hunched over a desk in his room, scrawling hasty signatures over parchments of paper before glancing upwards from his work. "Good timing. Anymore of this paperwork and I would have-"
The prince immediately paused upon seeing a hooded figure form from the shadows, words cut off by the sudden appearance of his close friend. Burying his surprise, a grin appeared on his face as he stood up to greet him.
"Well... look who it is. Long time no see." The hooded man gave a quiet chuckle before catching Tael's hand in a firm handshake. Releasing it, he briefly took a quick glance at his surroundings. The room was well furnished but not excessive, similar to its owner.
"Yeah, sorry about that. Its been a while, Tael."
"A while? More like a year... what, been saving the world again? Or did Suna kick you out of the house?" Tael joked, not expecting the reaction he got from his close friend. Carl Makkura was a difficult person to read. It was hard to tell what he was thinking due to his quiet personality and hooded visage, but Tael was perceptive enough to read his emotions. And the quick flash of desperation and despair that he revealed from his words was something that Tael was generally not accustomed to seeing from him.
"What's wrong?" The prince asked in a serious tone, all pretenses of having a casual reunion dropped.
The undead man hesitated before speaking. His lips moved, uttering words that Tael swore he must have misheard.
"...Hah. I know you must have been joking just now. But that's a pretty bad joke, man."
Silently, Carl Makkura stared back at the prince, who's eyes began to widen with each passing second that he was answered with silence. Unexpectedly, the young man burst up from his chair, gripping the undead man's robe and lifting him upwards with surprising force. Anger flashed through Tael's expression like a storm, glaring at his old companion.
"I said not to fuck around, Carl! You think you can joke around with something like this after being missing for a year?! Don't screw with me!"
"..."The zombie didn't seem particularly bothered or surprised by his friend's anger, instead avoiding the prince's intense gaze as if thinking what to say. It was difficult to describe what he was feeling at the moment. While he obviously didn't want the prince distressed, in some odd way he was thankful that his friend was so emotional about the prospect of him leaving. It was somewhat disgusting, and he loathed himself for the thought...
...But it was a reassuring thought, when someone would miss you. He hoped... no, he was sure that Tael would retain this compassion for the rest of his life. He would be fine. So, there was really only one thing left to say, with the short time he had left here.
"See you, Tael. Look after Suna for me, would you?" The prince's grip slacked, eyes widening to the zombie's words. As if suddenly realizing what was going on, the energy and anger drained away from him and was replaced with growing horror.
"You... you can't be serious."
"Oh, and make sure you tell Elesia how you feel too. Most of us have a pool for when you two actually get together." Carl gave a small smile and clapped his friend on the shoulder, giving a rare joke in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"Wait-"
"And you should probably settle down already. Can't be adventuring forever."
"Wait!"
Still smiling quietly, the undead man turned to stare at the prince expectantly. At a loss for words, the prince stumbled over what to say. Was this really it? Was this really the last time? A flurry of thoughts and emotions ran through his mind, but the most prevalent one screamed out in the chaos.
If this was the last time... then...
"...See you, Carl." The prince numbly muttered, relief seeming to course through Carl's frame at those words.
"See you, Tael. And thanks."
Carl melded back into the darkness, leaving behind only silence. Seconds turned into minutes, and minutes might have turned to hours. As if finally realizing what had just happened, the prince sank to his knees and tried to stifle the wounded howl that threatened to emerge from him.
Was this really alright? Over the years, the question had been one that he found himself asking at his highest peaks, even his wedding. He had not even been able to protect Suna in the end. Was this happiness really okay, knowing where Carl was? But he felt like he had an answer now, at last. The tiny heads of Carl and Ilia peaked out from the sheets they were wrapped in. This was his answer, Tael thought, staring at his newborn son with a soft smile. He didn't desire for him to live up to his namesake or live as an incarnation of his best friend. But, if Carl... no, if both of his children could live happy and fulfilled lives, then that would be enough. Tael could not save him. But, Tael and his family could live content lives in honor of the one that he could not. That was tribute enough. The doctor's voice interrupted him, asking if he wanted to hold the baby. Nervously, the king carefully took Carl in his arms, where he immediately began wailing from being removed from Elesia. An accurate comment emerged from someone in the group, noting that he was clearly a mother's boy and earning various degrees of laughter in the room. Sharing a laugh himself, Tael snuck a glance at Suna and Triste nearby. Certainly, there might be painful times in the future, as well as difficult ones. But... for this one moment in time brought about by their reunion, it was worth it. It was alright now. He was alright now. fin
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