Officer Judy Hopps

The Hunter

There was a giant crash from overhead in the hangar as Itano came hurtling through the window and onto the deck. It seemed Rastia was playing the rude awakening again. It sucked to be anybody who was sleeping in, but at least it meant they were going to get moving soon. Still, there was still one thing that was nagging at him about the whole operation, and it was actively preventing him from focusing. He looked around at everybody gathering to listen to Rastia, all paying attention to him and the questions he was answering. He told himself it was now or never, because once they all got on that airship all privacy would likely go out the window. But first, he touched his palm to his sternum and took a deep breath with his eyes closed, as if listening for something only he could hear. 

Yeah, I think I've got enough to spare for this.

Then he turned and walked into the Warlock's shadowy corridors. No more than a few moments later he came walking out again, wiping his hands on a rag and exhaling in the long breaths of a thief who has just pulled off a great heist at great personal expense. Without further ado, he resumed listening to L explain the details of the mission.

"Yeah, I've got a question, should we expect confrontation with any particular group, or do we just prepare for anything and everything?"

~~~Elsewhere~~~

At precisely the same time as the Q & A Session, there came a knock at the door of the cabin Remy had taken up residence in. If she answered, she would find nobody standing there at all. Just as she might assume it was a prank being played on her, she might chance a glance downward to the floor. There she would find a steaming hot plate of spaghetti and meatballs, topped with a spiced red sauce. She might remember something vivid from years and years ago, from a time when she was similarly distraught, but only if she decided to take a bite...

Time to Wake Up

February 3rd 10:35 AM

Strolling down the dorm hallway, Rastia was finishing up a hash brown he picked up on the way up, choosing to use that roughly half hour to eat something at the cafeteria. He was pleased that he saw, let's see... Remy, Geo, Kaal, Drexal, yadda yadda, a few unexpectedly early too. Well, pretty much most of the people he called up. If he recalled, that damn snake Hawthorne was slacking off again, well, he can take care of that later. The cakes he had to be delivered into the cargo bay of the ship should take care of it. He made sure it was limited edition and whatnot. Anyways...

THUD!

"Good MORNING!", kicking down the door of a subordinate by the name of Itano, he gave a hearty greeting before grabbing the poor guy by the collar, with one impressive rotation, swinging him around, he hurled him out the window, landing him squarely in the docks. Shortly after landing, Rastia proceeded to grab his guitar, which spoke. It's cries of protestation were ignored as the musical instrument suffered the same fate as it's friend and owner.

"Fortunately, glass is pretty cheap to fix fortunately... Well, I'm a bit late myself, can't seem to find Hawthorne at all", but the bait was set, it took him a few extra minutes, but it should work. Jumping out of Itano's dorm room window, he landed at the very edge of the group. Everyone seemed to be doing their own thing, up until he arrived of course.

"Ahem... Apologies for it being a tad late, it seems the Senator is also a bit late, so I'll take this moment to brief on our mission, assign you all your tasks while aboard the ship, etc. etc.", he began.

"The Senator I mentioned earlier, Wiscard, who funds and supports our operation will be attending a trade meeting with Sallator Cipher in a bid for a share of their technology and researchers. We are simply an escort. Because most of our other field personnel are already out on missions of their own, we are assigned to this. Managerial duties are handed to Hadrian in my absence, as I am going to be joining you all", there's quite a few people he doesn't quite trust to be at the library here after all...

"Any questions?", a lot of the people gathered put their hands up.

"Any intelligent questions?", he asked again, this time the people he expected put their arms down.

"Well then, ask away, while we wait on our Senator".

The Goddess

Mama's here, young one!

The magi politely took her leave with the hunter in tow. A mischievous grin lit on Kaal's face. Putting her hand around Geo's shoulder she said casually "Ah! this lovely feeling" smiling sheepishly at him and wiping a proverbial tear. 

Since Maiev has made herself scarce, I am left with little to no matter to work with.

I am lost as to what this is all about^^

 

Have you all gone in character in OOC.

 

That is funny of its own accord

In character banter in the OOC is the best way to keep RP alive while waiting for updates.

Don't believe that for a second.

 

 

Yeah, and from that we are drawn as mere psychopaths? Maybe, that's the point?

 

We'll be treated just as mere psychopaths, which only gives us the advantage. They think they know how we'll act, but they don't.

You Brit Valor?

New word to me. XD

well he is Ian thorpe and Lycan mix. So we have a nasty super-swimming Wolf Sensation on our hands

辛費

His challenge unnerved the assassins, their courage failing them as they stood before the behemoth that slain their comrades in a single strike. The red eyes of their opponent blazed with fury and excitement, challenging them to step forward and prove their bravery by falling to his hand. None of the assassins moved to strike, but that would be their downfall. A guest had risen with bow in hand, striking down each one in quick succession from behind. Xin Fai silently watched as their corpses hit the floor. He smiled.

The battle ended as swift as it began. Sun Zhao called for the servants to begin clearing away the bodies, grimacing at the spoiled banquet laid out before him. Joshua Clement, a foreigner in service to the emperor, walked out from the side room; Xin Fai could make out the pool of blood slipping into the hall, and he quickly gauged that there had been more assassins than the motley crew of entertainers. Xin Fai held no doubt they were meant to be the distraction and that the other assassins Clement had put down were the main force that would ambush them from the flank. A sound strategy that failed due to the plot leader’s underestimation of the talents Sun Zhao had at his disposal.

Talent begets talent, Xin Fai thought. However, whose talent is the one that attracts? His gaze fell on Cao Mei as she approached him with the archer that killed the assassins.

“This is Shen Feng,” Cao Mei said, motioning to the youth at her side. “I’m appointing him as one of your officers. Specifically he is to answer to you as your second-in-command.”

If Xin Fai felt any displeasure of suddenly having an outsider join his army, he did not show it. He turned to Shen Feng and gave him a customary military bow. Let it be said that Xin Fai was nothing if not courteous.

“I’m sure we’ll work well together, General Xin Fai,” Shen Feng said with a smile on his face.

“I look forward to it.”

However, before any more conversation could be made, another assassin made herself known. Quick to react, he cast his attention to the newcomer, taking careful note of her actions. She used explosives, targeting the support pillars in the hall. She cares little about her life, Xin Fai concluded. She flung two gourds at him, but Xin Fai would not stand idle to allow her to hit him with some unknown substance. He jumped backwards, avoiding the splash of liquid. Sparks flew and a tower of fire formed.

As she drew her sword, a piece of cloth unravelled, revealing the words: This warmongering clan was put to death by Xin Fai! Love live the Sun Dynasty!

Xin Fai frowned, having never declared such a bold thing before. However, that cloth revealed the motivations of the assassin. Her aim was not to kill the emperor, but himself! He grinned; he could not believe someone would be so bold and brave! She rushed towards him, ignoring the others in her quest to execute him. A cowering official beside him watched in horror, frozen in fright. With a smirk, Xin Fai grabbed him by his robes and tossed the quivering man at the assassin.

He made the decision to retreat, moving ground and escaping the collapsing roof by taking refuge in the large balcony outside. With the woman’s momentum, he disrupted her flow by making sure he did not fall in line with her plot. In addition, by luring the assassin from the others, he would not only have a chance to avoid the dangers of remaining inside, but also allow the others time to retreat.

“You’re a bold one, assassin,” He smoothly said, complimenting her. A sneer formed on his lips as he continued on with his second tactic. “It is unlike your family who snivelled and begged for their lives at my feet.”

Xin Fai stood his ground, wielding his halberd readily. He was ready for whatever it was she would throw at him.

Y'KNOW for all this shipping. Noone has yet to take a shot at Jeanne, I think she's too scary.

That and her "armor" is a little impenetrable xD

<o.o>

I will not be cute. Will not be cute. Nope.

OH YEAH. LIAR. I've been working on a new cosplay for an upcoming steam punk ordeal. I've got the crimson contacts, the stuff to dye my hair platinum blonde,and I've gotten the flyers jacket and goggles. Guess who I'm going as.

Your favorite pilot. Annaveya. A pity Mr. Aehren Black won't be there to steal her away. :3

Aww yiss. Inu's gonna posty.
But yes, Liar. It is going to be excellent. Knee - high aviator boots, a leather flyer cap. GLORIOUSLY snug pants...A leather aviator jacket with fur around the collar. Hnng. Can't wait to wear it.

Just need to find a good corset...and then get my thread and needle going.

The City II

Seeker

"I am fine, sir." Were the first words out of his sister's mouth.

Sir. She called me sir. Caius was upset by this. It was very rare he was offered a moment of familiarity, and Jeanne had seen fit to hold fast her military disciplines. However... The Courtier pondered that shift in her voice. Could something have taken hold of his dear sister, as it had done to him? Still, there were other concerns. As she reported to her younger brother as though it were a debriefing, Caius had to process this information. One survivor was already dead, and a child at that. The effect on morale could be anything from upsetting to devastating, and now a second survivor, also a child, has been stolen away. He riled them up by killing a child, then took another one. Anyone who chases after him is someone the girl would be an effective hostage against, and most would be going in angry. If people go, they die. If they don't go, they sacrifice some of their humanity by abandoning the child. It's an obvious trap, but a cruel one. I can't let them go. Once they do he'll just kill them and the girl...

"I am sorry sir; my use of healing magic and destructive magic alike have rendered me a little out of breath. May I have a moment of reprieve?"

"Take more than a moment. We'll need everyone back at full if we're going to make it through." Caius spoke in a composed manner. "And Jeanne, when I call you sister, I am speaking as your brother. This is not an army, it is a rag-tag band of survivors. I am not an officer here. I am your family."

Caius composed himself and waited for Garm to finish dusting off the large chunks of rotten door that covered him before standing at the entrance and turning to speak to the others. As he faced the interior of the church he saw Maiev carefully changing into fresh clothing that had apparently survived the crash, and Lady Kealdrinn quietly assessing herself and those around her. Clare was grinning almost perversely, though whether it was at the shielded image of a half-nude Maiev or at the idea of upcoming battle was unclear. The Necromancer was closer now, but still at a reasonable distance. Perhaps he felt no need to approach now that another had seen to lifting Garm from the rubble, but if he were simply being cautious of these new arrivals it would be fair. Jeanne was a paladin after all, and Necromancy tends not to sit well with such people. A rustling from the resting room brought Hamal back out into the grand hall to perch on a cracked bench and stare. Maybe Ahtashi was awake and scouting now, or maybe the cat demon was merely curious.

"Everyone take the time you need to prepare yourselves. Rest if you must. We wait for the others to rendezvous before moving."

Maiev had decided to take this time to actually bury her sister under the roses. The others went about their own preparations. Whether they intended to listen or not, it seemed everyone was at least wise enough to ready themselves as best they could before leaving. A single look at Garm's face revealed his emotional state, and a glance back at Jeanne offered hers. "You must leave this to me. I will find the girl, but we cannot allow anyone to charge into this trap. It would be the death of that child and all who seek her rescue."  Caius spoke softly to the two soldiers. "I'll need some time myself. When the others arrive, try to keep them here, and calm them." He rested a hand gently on his sister's shoulder. "I will find her, sister. You know I will. I have my ways." The Courtier smiled softly as he spoke to her, but his expression darkened as he walked past the grand opening. Caius had used his powers in the Dusk already, and it ended very poorly then, but if the choices were doing this or letting the kind and foolish rush off to die... One more try.

---

The exterior of the church reflected what had been in the nightmare, albeit dramatically more decayed. One nearby home looked like it had enough rigidity to at least hold him, and so he began to climb. This time the process was aided by considerable vine growth, though how deeply they were embedded into the home's structure did not bode well for the integrity of it all. Now, resting carefully on the decrepit roof in a divot between where there had been a chimney and the downward tilt, the Courtier wrapped his arm around a vine for support and closed his eyes.

The energies flowed through in a sudden rush. The senses vanished, and were replaced. Caius' mind raced flooded outward into this dark, hollow world. It sought out life. The roses, many in bloom, others still sleeping within their buds. Vines, some frail, others colossal, all far-reaching. Where is the mouse that sleeps in the hay? Where is the hawk that roosts upon the walls? Such emptiness. Caius dared not risk seeking further, not yet. For now, the vines that had dominated the landscape would be his senses. A pulse, and the surge ran through the roots of the city. Where is there damage to you? Where have beings tread upon you? Vines do not carry words. They answer with a feeling of pressure, and the sense of death at a terminus. Unless Yamato had cut his way through some vegetation or trampled the root-taken roads, there would be no finding him. It's not enough. I need something with eyes or scent, something that can recognize, something that can track.

He had almost resigned himself to seeking even further for a vessel, but before committing himself to such exhaustion a though occurred to the young Lord. If life does not prevail in this land, then perhaps death is the seeker we need. Perhaps the Necromancer has an answer to this problem...

---

[OOC] This time, and hopefully from now on, Caius is really him, but that color will generally denote the use of magical communication or inner speech.

Untitled

"Death Would Have Been Preferred."

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Now possessed by the malevolent entity that just moments before had paraded itself around as a poor imitation of The Handmaiden during her developing years, Maiev felt her body move as if stuck on invisible strings she could not sever. Like a puppet, the creature forced her body to dance up the large steps towards the great doors of the cathedral - and the evil that lay beyond - as if she were on holiday. Maiev struggled valiantly but vainly against the demon's hold over her, while her mind was bombarded by the creature's constant and nonsensical words.

'Yesss.'

'Don't worry, my Love. We can kill them all later.'

'Soon we will be together again.'

'Shhhhh!'

'Only the pretty lady is allowed to stay alive.'

'Destiny is upon us!'

'Only the pretty lady...'

'Soon. Soon. Soon!'

'Almost there.'

'We shall be reunited with our Lady.'

'Sooon.'

'Yesss.'

Unable to purge herself of the parasite infesting her, Maiev endure the strange thoughts it whispered in her mind - and sometimes through her lips. The constant noise made it hard to focus, and concentration nearly impossible. The most frustrating of all was that none of her companions seemed to be aware of her plight. She supposed that, logically, they did not know each other well enough for that. Still, there were clues - her controlling the headless giant was a big one. Yet there was not a single comment, or suggestion of concern. Now here they were, moments from oblivion.

The creature had only gained in strength the closer it got to it's source of power hidden deep within the cathedral, while Maiev's consciousness felt trapped beneath it and growing weaker. At times it felt like she was going to be forced out of her own body, the way the entity overwhelmed her mind with it's presence. Death would have been preferable to this.

Through her flesh, the spirit gripped the large doors' pull handles and prepared to open them. This was it. The end of the journey. She had struggled long and hard, but ultimately to no avail. In her last few moments, she wondered if this was how it had also been for the others - The Warlocks of Dusk. Did they die screaming in their minds, while those they had once called friend cut them down to ribbons? Perhaps it had all been for the best. Living like this would be no way to live.

Maiev would later vaguely recall Caius' attempt on her life - perhaps he had finally noticed something - but it had all been much to late. Deep down she knew that even if he could behead her, the spirit would have willed her corpse forward and opened the doors regardless of Caius' sole act of defiance. Still, at least Maiev would have been free of the noise in her head - the whispers. But both their luck was sour that day. Instead of what might have been a quick death by blade for her, turned into a tackle for him as a large creature intercepted his axe and forced the poor man to the ground.

She knew this because while only temporary, the noise in her head had stopped while the pressure in her mind lifted. Seizing the opportunity, Maiev peered through her own fog-covered eyes as if looking through a dirty attic window. The real world seemed well below, and far away from her. She just barely made out what she would later decide was Caius' failed attempt at her assassination, before 'her' head swiveled back towards the large doors. The maddening whispers had begun once more.

______________________________________________________________________

'The fancy axe had come pretty close - actually managing to break the pretty lady's skin - before the kitty started chewing on his face. A few trickles of blood sprang up, but we mended the wound on her neck and sowed it shut with our fingers. The one inside the man was misbehaving again. Him not suppose to hurt the pretty lady! We deal with him later. We never forget. Back to work! The pretty lady we bring inside, so we open the door and more fingers come to greet us. We all excited to be home now. The outsiders try to run - they try to fight, but them too slow for us. Everybody go inside now. Bye Bye.'

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

Vindicated, At Last

Before Maiev knew what was happening, the memories flooded her mind and swallowed her again. Unlike before, the visions now made more sense to her. Instead of random scenes from different points in her life, what she experienced now was unadulterated and raw - the last moments of a life wasted for no apparent reason. An echo of a person long dead, stuck in time and space.

She could hear it, her sister's thoughts, along with the spoken words now too. The were so alien to her ears. Like flowers potted separately, though they had once shared the same stem, her thoughts and actions may as well have been those of a stranger. Maiev was barely more than a child when she saw Rosamond last. Now a woman herself, she wasn't sure what to make of the person before her. Some small part of her had always fantasized about the kind of things they might have had in common - like speech or sense of style. But watching and listening to this woman... Maiev realized that she had never actually known who Rosamond was.

And what little she could remember, she had obviously warped and twisted so heavily that now side-by-side they just didn't match up. This realization slowly killed what little affection remained in Maiev's heart for Rosamond, whom was now only a word on the former's lips. At least she was right, for what little that knowledge was worth now. She had been right all along.

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

No More Tears

Watching her 'sister' make her way around the battlefield, blindly trusting that one woman might make the effort worth it, it didn't fill Maiev with the same feeling of pride as it had the first time. Instead now, she felt only contempt for Rosamond's naive actions and beliefs. Alluding to her little sister was one bright spot that made Maiev smile, but that was it. Rosamond was a fool: a fool for dying, a fool for believing in the empress as she did, and a fool for making promises she could not keep. Were they even related? Now that she thought about it, probably not. It actually hurt less to think that. So Maiev made that her truth.

______________________________________________________________________

"Maiev, you have returned to me..."

Her eyes fluttered open, but there was only darkness all around her. Maiev wasn't surprised, the darkness was her dearest friend - the only constant in her short life. It was the one thing she could count on. Sitting in the middle of it, on her make-shift throne, was The Handmaiden.

Little better than a living corpse, she looked as if she had just been plucked from the mud and placed before them. The others were there as well, none of them had escaped the trap despite all the warning signs. Now they hung in the air like cattle waiting to be slaughtered.

"Hey! Listen! HEY!! LISTEN!" Turning her head, Maiev saw that it was the chatty necromancer. She wondered if his time wasn't better spent begging for her life, than trying to get her attention.

"I know this would hurt you, but you have to kill your sister... How can you be forever with her with her in this state? Your sister is suffering, it's best that you end it for her." Sister? And how did he know that? Had she told him her name? It all seemed so long ago now, waking up on that stone fountain.

In retaliation for his cruel words, The Handmaiden squeezed them all painfully with her new Dusk granted abilities. From one of them she saw a dagger fall, surprising her. Mostly because she realized now that she wasn't being restricted like the others. But also, as she reached to retrieve the weapon, that her body was now truly not her own anymore.

Her hands, legs, and clothing were all those of the five year old she had seen in Rosamond's first vision. She didn't understand how this could have happened, but at the same time, Maiev no longer believed anything around her to be real anymore. It was all just an illusion, created by some sick mind for fun. Now that same, depraved creature sought to torture her with this deformed version of a woman she had never even known.

"Oh how I love you, little song... We shall be together from now on..."

Blood oozed from The Handmaiden's eternal wounds as she reached down and hugged Maiev with all the tenderness the living corpse could muster. Her eyes were empty, black sockets - probably taken shortly after her death. As The Handmaiden pulled away, she left Maiev equally covered in blood, and mud, and filth... Maiev couldn't even be bothered to be upset anymore.

It was just juvenile at this point. The same with her words. She simply had none for the thing infront of her. Whether she was real or a recreation, that didn't change the fact that she was dead. And you can't kill what is already dead. Only set her free. Embracing each other one last time, Maiev said the witch's prayer before plunging the dagger into the corpse's still beating heart.

"Time has passed, the Wheel of Life has turned. It is time for you, dearest sister,to move on. You will walk hand in hand with the Lord and Lady now, and with our ancestors who came before you."

"Great Earth Mother, welcome your daughter back into your womb. And Great Sky Father welcome her back into your divine instruction. Let her come to you and know that she was blessed by your gracious Gift of Life."

"Let my sister come into your Divine Love, and let her know that she has left behind a life of legacy that shall be remembered and loved. As she finally enters your realm, wrap her in your loving arms and welcome her back home. Goodnight, sister melody. Your little song will see you soon."

♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸❤¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪

We should keep our guard high until Kotei tell us who that is, and react depending on the info?

If we turn our back from the shadowy person to tend to Fei's wound now, we'll be sweet targets for his follow-up attacks

...

Jeanne's personality is rubbing on me .-.

Hidden Truth

The tale of Garm vauxof Bernard

Once again, none of Garm's words managed to reach the ears of Jeanne. The lady commander disproved all his actions as a suicidal ignorance. Explanations, words of concerns, subjective, yet undeniable truth; they were all lost in the sea of discipline and duty. She did not even try to stop and listen for the reason why Garm did things.

Careless as it may appear to be, the decision was not made out of ignorance. He was presented with a situation, and was made to think of a way to maximize the resources at hand to its best. The situation he was dealt was a wall no wider than 6 meters from side to side, two towers at each end, and unknown number of survivors that might be scattered all across the wall. The resources he had were five warriors, all with different background and fighting style, only one of which was the standard Empyrian combat training: his.

As Jeanne had pointed out again and again, they were in the middle of Dusk. Being alone would spell death to many, and thus, searching and rescuing any possible survivors at a shortest amount of time possible was imperative. Every survivor they could save would mean an increase in their fighting ability and survival chance. With that in mind, splitting into two groups did sound like a good idea back then. After all, all five of them are nimble fighters that would benefit more if given enough space to move. Moving in a group of five would be redundant, and might even inhibit their potential. A width of 6 meters could be covered easily by two or three people, and that would mean splitting into two groups would not reduce their power significantly.

Sure, he had underestimated the dusk and risked the safety of the people under his 'command', but to say that his decisions were ignorant and without merit, and even mistaking the very objective of the mission in the first place, is a little bit too harsh to take. Was it really that wrong to reconnoiter the area for survivor? Was it so wrong to wish for more survivors to be found? Was it so unforgivable to wish-

To wish for a chance to meet Aera?

Thinking back, maybe that was the main reason why Garm acted this way. Deep down, he was unable to let go of the hope to be close to her. He knew it was a foolish hope, a miracle that would never happen. The princess was flown away to safety by that captain of Dawn. But what if, by one in a quadrillion chance, the escape pod she rode on also fell to the power of the darkness? What if Aera was really stranded all alone in this dusk-tainted land? What if she was hiding on top of one of the tower, waiting for reinforcements to come?

You know what? Maybe Jeanne was right after all. He is just a fool that could not separate duty and personal matters. He is just a coward, content with hiding behind a wall that is a sworn duty of a guard. A hopeless man that used the mask of duty to wish for a chance to stay close to his loved one. He deserved to receive the harsh treatment. For putting his friends into a real threat of dying, for being immature, for being ignorant, for being a fool, and, most of all, for being a coward.

And thus, the young swordsman rose to his feet, dusted his clothes, retrieved his accursed blade, and silently walked behind the entourage that is now lead by the iron maiden. His thoughts, his feelings, his being, they are no longer significant. If the commander does not wish to listen, then there is no need for him to say anything any further. The team is in no need for another dissonance.

---

People, no, souls that resides in this world are born with a riddle... And live life searching for someone to solve them. Souls are riddles. They want someone else to solve their riddle. They live life wanting someone to solve the riddle that they are, the most difficult riddle in the world. They want someone to look at the riddle that they are. And they want that person to solve it.

Those are the words that her master, Camus of Leviathos, taught to her. It was the key to magic, no, was it the key to life itself? Camus had meant the lecture to encourage her to treat the soul of magic, the soul of Yukimaru, as a soul wishing to be understood by others. That they are not some sinister entity that is to be feared. But doesn't the same concept apply to human as well? Aren't they living their life, wishing to be understood by others?

Then, how would it feel to be a riddle that no one bothers to stop and listen to? Would it not be such a sad thing? Would it not be unbearably painful? Then how could he, the boy in blue whose being had just been blatantly denied, be able to move on as if nothing had happened? How could he stay silent after all his words were ignored? After he was labeled as nothing but failure, without him having a chance to explain himself? How could he, after such a harsh treatment, follow the order of the person who denied him?

There was no resentment in his eyes. They shone warmly just like the morning autumn sun, ever so gentle, ever so.. Sad. So this is the truth behind the nonchalant gatekeeper. He may not be guarding a physical gate any longer, but the gate of his heart, he still guard ever so tightly. Whatever feelings he might had stored inside, would always stay inside.

The thought of it caused Fei's chest to tighten. "This is wrong," she thought to herself. There must be something she could do to ease the boy's pain. But she simply could not understand what the boy is hiding. She was unable to solve the riddle that he is. And thus, she could not ease the sadness of the riddle no one cares to stop and think about. No, there is one thing she could do. As the iron maiden stride past her, Fei grabbed her hand as firmly as she could.

"Apologize," she said softly, yet firmly to the iron maiden.

Jeanne's limited relationships with people despite her rank and familial ties is why I insist she grew up on Gryphon lands from like fourteen on. Otherwise she would have ended up having a much deeper connection to all these people. I also feel like her military career needs to have started earlier than it currently has to be honest. One doesn't become an experienced military leader in a year's time of relative peace.

Personally I recommend the turning point in her life that ended up with her deciding to join the military be when the War of Petty Kings hit home. Something about seeing Linus and even Beatrice fighting off enemy assassins and leading troops in the defense of their home might have sparked it?