[As the spring shows her DDD there’s some amused laughter from the woman.] My heaven has networking capabilities? Perhaps I’m being rewarded for being so good in my life. No, that can’t be it. I was an ill-behaved little monster.

As the Organization used say, though. ‘When in Rabona…’

Little ducklings I shall call you until I can learn your names. Care to share some stories with me? I’m rather bored here Imagine such a thing, being bored in death, this must be Hell and wouldn’t mind some interaction. Perhaps you have a tale of grandeur you would like to share? I’m more than willing to listen.

Better yet, you could just explain to me who you all are. For convenience’s sake, please. I can’t call you all duckling forever now, can I? Though maybe you wouldn’t mind.

And before I forget my manners I haven’t had to introduce myself in so long…, my name is Teresa and it is a pleasure to meet you all.

[[ooc: strikes are thoughts]]

[Most of November had been a worrisome month for Kaelyn. It was the month Orion was due to be born, and she'd spent most of every day fretting over whether or not that would be the day she would give birth to Orion or not. On the one hand she was excited to meet Orion, to see the child her and Nox had made together. But then there was the task of raising him. And Kaelyn still wasn't sure she was up to the task. But she would do her best.

At the moment though she was laying in her bed, tapping her stomach lightly. Everything felt all right. But something felt especially strange about for today. Yet everything seemed all right so for now she only lounged about, as that was all her family and Nox would allow her to do.]

[He's still holding her. That's a good sign. That means he isn't completely willing to deny her. But she's afraid of what he might do when some of his other feelings take over, like let her go and avoid her for the rest of the night. Her arms wrap tighter around him, in fear of that possibility, a feeble attempt to keep him close to her.] Please... Grothia. For one night don't push me away. I know you don't want to let go... please don't....

[Leo was in high spirits for once. The weather seemed to reflect his mood and it made him feel confident that what he had planned for later would run smoothly. That is, providing the first stage of the plan ran smoothly. The Emperor had planted a cupcake for Kaileigh to find, under which rested a note that gave instructions and notified her that this was the start of a game. A game for which she would be rewarded should she reach her goal. Each note she found would lead her to another room in the castle. She would follow a trail of clues and eventually find a path through the labyrinth set out at the back of the castle... a place that only Leo ever entered. A place that few others wanted to enter for fear they would get lost. But Leo had walked it many times and knew it like the back of his hand. At the centre of the maze was a garden. His secret garden. And nobody alive now had ever set foot in it during Leo's lifetime.

Or at least, until Kaileigh, should she find her way here. He had made sure the instructions to the garden were precise and he hoped she wouldn't have too much trouble. While he waited, he reclined on an ornate chair, surveying the small picnic spread on the table in front of him and listening to the water trickling into the pond beside him. Flowers surrounded him, their scent making the air sweet. It was a tranquil place and a jewel among the industrial, dirt-stained city that he called his home. Not that he had seen much of the city yet, having only just started to explore... but he would much rather immerse himself in this colourful world than that of grey stone and cold steel.

Patiently, he took a sip of the wine he had already poured for himself, and fingered the hidden treasure - Kaileigh's true reward - as it sat, nestled in his pocket.]

[Sayuri had put a lot of effort into tonight for Siege's sake. Ever since the appearance of Kaya her whole family seemed to be losing it. Alix seemed to be upset over his half-sister's fate and desperately wanted to save her. And Siege seemed to be taking the burden of his step-daughter upon himself. It wasn't what she wanted for her family. It was why she had kept this secret to herself. Kaya was her daughter and her responsibility, not her family's.

That wasn't to say she wasn't concerned about Kaya either. It had been so long since she had heard from her second child, she had just sort of assumed Kaya had passed away without her knowledge. It was possible, Kraton was a dangerous place for all and Kaya had distanced herself so much from her that she'd never know the truth. But her reappearance had not only shocked her family, but Sayuri herself. And Sayuri still didn't know what to do to save Kaya...

But she knew what to do to help her family, starting with Siege. And tonight she had something special planned for them. She had left a note directing him to the hill outside of the city and above the clouds, just as he had left a note for her before. She went herself to set up their midnight picnic, something she hoped he would appreciate.]

[The proposition had been less than perfect, Orion knew that. At the time he hadn’t expected Cam to say yes. It was just an idea, a simple hypothetical situation in his mind. He never would have imagined that Cam would want this too, that she would agree so readily. Especially not after everything that had happened to her.

Well, now Orion wanted to complete their engagement. And in order to do that he needed a ring. It had to be the perfect ring and as such he had taken his time over choosing the right one. Finally though, he had spotted it. It wasn’t the most elaborate ring on the planet, but it was cute and the symbolism just… worked for them.

Of course now he had the ring he needed to give it to Cam. And even though she had already agreed to marriage he was still nervous about presenting this to her. Perhaps she wouldn’t like it… or she’d change her mind. It was funny… he felt comfortable enough to know that he wanted to share his life with her but at the same time talking about it and making it happen proved almost too much for him to handle.

In an attempt to relax himself before he did anything else, he decided to spend some time sitting out in the courtyard practicing on his guitar. It was the perfect setting with the soft sound of the flowing water in the fountain, the birds flying overhead and the soft rustling of the wind through the brightly blooming flowers.

It wasn’t long before Orion became lost in his music again. Relaxed. Anyone who approached now was sure to catch him off guard.]

[For once Deo was happy. Actually happy. Not just putting on a smile to keep the world at bay. And the reason he was so happy was for something as simple as cooking for a friend. Yes, Deo had feelings for Kaelyn and he knew not to overstep the boundary with her, especially not at this fragile time, but even spending time with a friend was enough to earn a note of happiness. He had few friends and many more enemies after all.

Being left with the choice of deciding what they were eating tonight, he had decided to keep it to something fresh and simple. He wasn't the world's best cook by any stretch of the imagination but he cooked well enough and had learned a variety of recipes from his time on the ground beneath Agkelos. Pasta with a lemon zest and large juicy prawns. Add to that some chopped basil and a pinch of salt and it was perfect to start off with.

Of course he had made sure not to over-romanticise the occasion too, choosing to leave out the candles and flowers and just make do with what they had. He had decided to bring some wine though. He couldn't do with dining with someone and having no wine to go with it.

Whether or not Kaelyn would appreciate this he didn't know, but he hoped it would help to take her mind off things. Off of him mostly. Not because he feared the competition, but because he feared what it might do to Kaelyn in the long-term. Hopefully if she spent time with friends, and continued her work at Neo Parsa, it would be enough to help her move on in the end.

The food was nearly ready, the table set out for them. All that was required now was the guest.]

[Even though Kaiba was not the most easily trusting of people, and he had been reluctant for Ammy to come here and learn about his beloved dragons, ever since she had arrived at his home he had found himself warming up to the girl a little. It was obvious that she was eager to learn and did have a natural ease around the dragons that the reptiles themselves seemed drawn to. Besides, she was probably the first person who had been at all interested in learning to care for the things, the rest of the city people and many others around Agkelos shunning him for his peculiar hobby. To them, he was rearing their feared enemy. He was some kind of freak, a friend to dragons.

But Amaranth saw him as a teacher. A person. She didn't care what he did with his spare time and only wanted to learn from him. What's more, he found it extraordinary that a princess from Agkelos should have such an avid interest in a creature that the capital had been warring with for centuries. She still didn't know what he kept hidden in one of the deepest caves, and he wondered if it might be an idea to show her now. If anything she might realise just what her people did to the creatures he loved. Who knew, perhaps she would endeavour to change things for the future.

Thinking this over with his favoured feathered wyvern Terra on his shoulder, Kaiba watched the girl curiously. Should he or shouldn't he? He wasn't sure what she would think... what he would think. It would be dangerous, but would it be worth it?]

[It sucked how nearly everything reminded her of Nox, now. She couldn't look at anything without being reminded of the time she spent with him. And that he was gone now. For good. Returned to Agkelos to be their Prince. And she was left alone now. She knew she'd be denied access to Agkelos. That they would have to part there. But it still hurt, even now.

Kaelyn was heading back to Neo-Parsa. She did still have a war to fight, Nox or no Nox. And now Deo was with her. It didn't surprise her that he had showed up now. He was always there when she felt alone or like she had no one else. Even when Nox was gone Deo still lingered.

But she needed a moment alone. A moment away from anyone. She had told Deo she wasn't going to cry. In all honesty she hadn't expted to either, but seeing everything that reminded her of Nox. Of the first person she could open up to, the first person she could be herself with. The only person she had ever loved. She knew she couldn't fight.

She needed this moment alone, at the lake. A moment to allow herself to be weak and move on.]

[Xan was sick. He knew that. He had good days and he had bad days and usually made it worse for himself by doing what he did best - helping others. But if he didn't at least try and heal the wounds and illnesses of others he felt useless. If he didn't try... he might as well have just faded away then and there and given in to the curse.

Hé was like a new project to him. Since he couldn't heal people effectively anymore, he had decided to try to help people in other ways since leaving the village. And stumbling upon her he had found the perfect job. Yes, he could make her feel better when she needed it, but he had also helped to liberate her. And now he would deliver her safely to his village. He would feel satisfied for once.

At least, that's what he predicted... but in reality he wasn't sure how he would feel once they got there. Once they had to go their seperate ways. He had almost grown used to her presence as a kind of constant travelling companion. He felt protective over her. Even more protective than he was with most humans. She was still far too closed off and formal for his liking but... sometimes Hé reminded him of someone else. Perhaps that was why he was so curious of her... at the same time still unable to trust her completely. The events of their escape had not slipped his mind; the disappointment he had felt at the falsity of it all. But what exactly did that mean?

The spirit sighed at the thought of it, leaning back and closing his eyes as he let the warm water of the hot spring relax him, taking away some of his pain. After escaping with Hé he had led her into a bamboo forest, hoping the tall plants would shield them from view. Finding a hot spring here was an added bonus. Though Xan was a spirit, he had lived among humans for a long time. He was perhaps the most understanding of them among all spirits, and he had grown to enjoy many things that the humans themselves did. Even love... though his experience of it had been stunted, twisted into something else. Love and trust now eluded him. They left him confused and wary and he couldn't understand it.

Still, Xan knew that they would both need their strength for the coming journey. They would stop at the nearest town to gather whatever they needed before climbing the Kunjia Mountains. It was a harsh place and sometimes visited by terrible blizzards. They would have to be sure of their timing once they began their ascent.

For now though, Xan was content to just sit here in the water and let the spring do all the healing. Hé would not be too far away and they would both be protected under the shadow of the tall bamboo.]

[Three days. They had only gone three days without each others presence and it was killing them both. Everyone could see it too. If Eleytheria had come to her asking her to come back then it was more than obvious how badly they needed to see each other again. At least Eleytheria had given them a second chance. Even if it was thanks to this Hope girl... whoever she was. Kaelyn would have to ask Nox about that sometime.

But Eleytheria had promised to tell Nox to come to Neo-Parsa. She had something special she wanted to show him, something he would love. She didn't know why she hadn't shown him this before. Maybe she had just forgotten. But now was as good a time as any to show him, and she knew he would love it.

Currently, Kaelyn was deep underground with the other Nox in their cafeteria. She was seated at a rather large table with tough looking girls and rather large men all seated around her, Aidan and Dominic seated on either side of her. They were laughing, eating, sharing in jokes that Nox himself would probably shudder to hear. But this was Kaelyn's place. And this was where she felt most comfortable.

And there she stayed, waiting for her prince to arrive.]

[Queen Hotaru was quite satisfied with her new addition to the Palace. Most satisfied in fact. Since she had already been previously owned by someone she had hoped that it wouldn't take much for her to fall back into compliance with her wishes. Of course this had proved a little more difficult than she had first thought. Freedom had obviously already got to the girl's head.

Still, she was too pretty, too cute to be made into a simple slave. Instead Hotaru addressed her as her own personal plaything. A doll she could parade around in front of guests to show off her eye for beauty. She tended to Hé every day, adorning her with new fine dresses and jewelery and testing different variations of make-up on her. And she was proud of her new possession. She made sure she had everything she needed. Fine food and a luxurious room of her own, all to make sure that radiant glow of health never disappeared.

And soon it came to be a very special night for Hotaru and Hé. The Queen loved dancing, and felt that since Hé had had a little time to settle in, now would be the perfect time to hold a ball. She would dress Hé in some of her best clothes and make her look perfect for the guests. Everybody would be jealous of her new partner. She would turn heads tonight and Hotaru loved the attention.

The dance was soon to start and Hotaru made her way to Hé's new chambers to see if she was ready yet and to help her apply any finishing touches she may need. Her happiness that she would be attending this event with her was plain on her face.]

It is almost time. I trust you are well prepared for this? Well, of course you are. You would never make a fool of me, would you?

[Even in the sunlight, the Prism Flowers were still a pretty sight, their white petals reflecting the suns rays back into the sky, pinpricks of light blue at their centres. Orion had come out here today to practice playing his guitar. He hoped that nobody would hear him out here. It was a big enough meadow and far enough away from the city so as not to attract attention.

He didn't really know what he was playing... he was supposed to have been practicing Cam's song, the one that he would play for her for her birthday, just before she left. Somehow though he had settled into another tune and just let it go. It was a sad melody, maybe a reflection of how he really felt about Cam's imminent departure. Yes they still had months together, but months just didn't seem enough.

Of course he would never show how he was really feeling to Cam. He wanted her to enjoy her remaining time here and he wouldn't drag her down. Out here, alone, it didn't matter to him. He could use this music as some kind of release, watching the sunlight reflecting off the white flowers and the fluffy white clouds rolling by the continent he called home.]

[The main entrance to the Imperial City was in sight now, and it was here they were headed to next. Nox had no idea what would happen when they got there. Presumably they'd recognise him as soon as he was close enough; the guards would pounce on him and he'd have to try and stop Kaelyn from doing anything stupid. Then he'd be dragged in front of the Emperor and... he didn't know what next. He didn't really trust that the Emperor knew what he was doing either. In all honesty, Nox had been reminding himself ever since they'd left for the city that there would be a possibility of death. Of course he was scared. But he tried his best not to let Kaelyn see that. He knew she suspected something all the same though... she was worried and so was he. If he went, Kaelyn could very well lose herself again and he didn't want that to happen...

Of course, he could turn back. But then they'd have to resign themselves to a life of constant fear, always running and hiding from potential enemies. Nox didn't want that. He wanted freedom and that kind of fear and oppression would not be a part of it. Besides... they had come a long way. Nox at least wanted to see what the Emperor had to say. Especially regarding his memories. If Eleytheria was half the deity his people apparently thought him out to be, he would be able to look after himself... but... Nox didn't know what would bring his memory back. If there was even the slightest chance that these people might know a way, he had to take it.

Speaking of memories... his head was starting to feel a little fuzzy. He put it down to stress, anxiety and the exhaustion that came from all the traumatic events that had happened recently.

It wasn't going away. It was getting stronger.

He paused for a moment, hand to his head, wondering why his vision was blurring like this, why he was having trouble focussing on anything right now.

Then he lost balance completely, fell to the ground and blacked out.]

[There wasn't much to do for entertainment, being the King of Agkelos. Nox couldn't go too far from the kingdom. He hated the lack of freedom of course but... this was how things were. Of course he was happy with Kaelyn and his family. If it wasn't for them he probably wouldn't be here in the first place. Still, that lack of freedom kept him from being truly happy in the end.

There was one thing he could do though. The Palace was well equipped to entertain the higher classes, and if there was one thing the noble people liked to do, it was dance. The ballroom took up a huge space. The floors gleamed and reflected the gold from the high ceilings, the soft lights from the fancy chandelier that adorned it. It was on this day that Nox had arranged one of these balls. Only those of high status were permitted to enter, though he hoped to change that in the future. He wanted everyone to be welcome in his Palace, no matter their background or blood. Small changes first though. Small changes like allowing Orion's new friend to join in with the dance, no matter what the others might think.

To be honest, Orion really hadn't expected Cam to want to attend this ball in the first place. And... he was kind of nervous. He had taken lessons in ballroom dancing as part of his usual training of etiquette as a member of the Royal Family but he was never very enthusiastic about it and hardly ever took it all that seriously. Now he was relying on that knowledge to show Cam a good time, to make sure things went smoothly. He wasn't even sure what she was going to look like. He had dressed appropriately, formally in an elaborate white suit, gold thread woven through the lapels and cuffs. It was what the prince of Agkelos would be expected to wear on such occasions.

It was too late now though. The music was playing, the gentle, airy music of Agkelos, and the people had already started dancing. All Orion could do was wait on the sidelines, keeping an eye out for Cam.]

[Today was a nerve-wracking day for Kaelyn. She was getting her first ultrasound. Really, her mother had said that most women do them earlier if they can. But with the sensitive nature of Kaelyn's pregnancy she had only done two. One at the very start of her pregnancy for reference, and one now to make sure the baby was developing healthily. She said any number of abnormalities coudl show earlier, and it was better to wait a little long to be sure of anything.

This ultrasound was important, though. She would know the sex of the baby for sure. She was positive it was a boy. She could just... feel it. It had to be a boy. Besides. They had chosen the name Orion for him. It fit him perfectly now. Of course he did. He would be perfect. He had to be.

But it was also scary. What if things weren't well? What in she found out she had messed up the pregnancy? What if all her stress and worries had hurt the child? She couldn't live with herself if she ruined him somehow....

She shouldn't think so negatively. This was a big day. And everything would be fun. Kat and Kaileigh had wnated to come with her, but really. Nox was the only one she wanted in that room. The only one she would allow to be there with her.

Kaelyn sat down at the chair now. Now she was waiting on Emma, who had run off to get something for her after helping her ease into the chair, and Nox. She wouldn't do this without him.]

[Siege wasn't sure exactly how long it had been since he had left the Imperial City to settle in Cambiare. Although he knew it hadn't been all that long, the place had become as close as a home as he could get right now. Agkelos was and always would be his first priority, but for now at least Cambiare was where he lived and worked. Well... lived. He hadn't been doing so well on the working part lately.

When he did work however, he mostly helped with manual labour, harking back to his days as a peasant child on his father's farm. Except this time he wasn't so lazy. When he worked, he threw himself into his work. When he drank he drowned himself. It was the only thing he could do to distract himself from the realities he was too afraid to face. Sayuri was dead. Agkelos might be deserted, even destroyed by now. And he could do nothing about it.

Ai was another distraction though... or was distraction really the right word? Before she was just a nuisance to him, but after learning more about her and coming to the extraordinary conclusion that maybe just maybe she was Sayuri reborn, he had found himself more and more curious about her. Maybe it was just a fantasy he was making up in his head. But if it helped him, was it really that bad? Either way Ai had no memories. Of herself or of anything. She herself had told him that he made something stir inside of her. She had found him almost immediately after Sayuri's death. It all just seemed like too much of a coincidence to him...

Hefting the last sack of maize onto the pile inside the barn, Siege gave out a heavy sigh. It was a warm day and it was dry. He had been helping around one of the farms on the outskirts of the town. Maybe later he'd meet Ai down at the tea shop where she worked.

...something was wrong. Looking back to the barn door he sniffed the air. Smoke. It was dry and Siege supposed that there could be a risk of a natural fire, but it was unusual here. Good thing too, since most of the houses weren't built to withstand the flames and the fields of crops were precious to the townspeople for their own food and for money.

He had to check. Abandoning his work for now, Siege made his way out of the barn and it didn't take long for him to see the accumulating smoke in the fields. Looking to the town it was then he noticed the groups of men swarming towards Cambiare, blazing torches in their hands. By their attire he knew them to be from the Imperial City. They moved through the streets torching whatever they could. He could see the panic forming on the people's faces as they realised the reality of what was happening but didn't understand why.

For whatever reason, the Imperial Guard were burning down Cambiare.

Siege knew he should help the people, to try and stop the men, help put the fires out at least, but after everything that had happened his brain just shut down... he wasn't equipped to do things like that anymore. He had convinced himself that he was a failure, that he couldn't protect anyone anymore. Why should it be any different now? People would die and if he intervened it would likely be his fault.

It was then a selfish thought formed in his mind. Ai. He had to get her out of here somehow. He didn't really understand why but Ai was his focus. As long as she was safe, he could deal with this...

Maybe...

Siege made his way to the tea shop as quickly as his legs would carry him.]

[Now they were caught between Volkslied and the Imperial City, Nox had made sure to map out the immediate area and explore to make sure there weren't any other hidden dangers nearby. He dared not go back to the town for fear that the men who were looking for him may have already alerted the townspeople. To go to the Imperial City would mean walking straight into their hands, and though he was still uncertain whether he was making the right choice by staying here, he needed to do this for Kaelyn.

The continent they were on, though he did not know it by name, seemed to have a plentiful supply of wooded areas and an equally vast amount of fields and meadows. Hills could be seen in the distance, forming a valley, though Nox didn't know what could be found beneath them.

It was in one such wooded area that they found themselves now. One notable feature he had found was a small freshwater spring. It was deep enough to bathe in, but not so deep as to risk drowning. Though it wasn't a hot spring, the cool water was still refreshing. And it was pure, a lot cleaner than the water in the lake back near Volkslied, so it was a good source of drinking water too. Not to mention, the stream that fed into the spring produced a small waterfall that trickled down the rocks above them. It was pretty, and even if he wasn't using the spring, he liked to come here sometimes just to sit and think.

This time however, someone else had got there first. Darting behind a tree, he peered round the trunk to see who it was. When he realised what... who he was looking at, he didn't hesitate to hide behind the tree again, hoping she hadn't noticed. He heard no mention of his name though, no reaction at all.

As with most things, Nox's curiosity soon got the better of him. Noting that she hadn't seemed to have seen him and feeling that she probably wasn't really paying much attention in the first place right now, he leaned over from behind the tree again and just... watched her. He knew he shouldn't... but he somehow felt compelled to do so.

After all, she looked so beautiful with the cool, clear water around her and the waterfall falling down behind her.]

Siege, dearest~?

I think perhaps we should talk.

Irony!Verse

[Really, Cambiare was beautiful. And peaceful. Perhaps the best place for a girl with no memories to wake up in. She liked it here so far. Plus, there was that really cute boy for her to look at. She didn't know why, but every time she saw him it almost felt like she was about to remember something... Then the moment would pass and she'd be left alone with no memories to speak of.

Ai had found herself a nice tea shop to work in while she was staying here, just to give her something to do really. She was a little bored just watching everyone work. It wasn't as though the adults had much time for anything else, and children weren't always the best company to spend all your days with. So the tea shop seemed like a nice place to work instead. At least this way she could meet lots of interesting people.

The shop was closing up for the evening after little business today. Apparently the sky had decided to drop as much water on the town as possible, making business a little hard for the day. Ai pulled out her umbrella as she stepped outside and waved her goodbyes to her coworkers. Now to find a place to stay for the night...]