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[wise_maiden]

[Action]

[That strange feeling is back... the one of the weekend being a blur. And outside, snow is piled a cushy few inches all around. A light storm over the weekend, most likely. The overcast skies certainly hold that much truth in them

Comments

[action] ......why is this so tl;dr I am so sorry

[imatreenow]

[Mithos treads deliberately through the village with great vigilance: eyes constantly surveying, ears alert, senses sharply focused. More than two weeks have passed since discovering the Cruxis Crystal to be missing. More than two weeks of meticulously observing the network through his journal, of hunting through the the village and surrounding woods for even the smallest scrap of information. All in vain, but there is little else he can do as is. It is much better than simply giving up, an option not even worth entertaining. He will locate it. He must. What would become of him, surrounded by enemies and unable to properly protect himself? And if Martel arrived...no, not if. When. When Martel arrived, how would he be able to protect her, her wishes, her happiness

[action] don't apologize 8|

[wise_maiden]

[Raine is not in sight for the moment, as she's gone somewhere warmer to relax a bit and have lunch, so she doesn't completely tire herself out.

Noishe's ears twitch at his name being called, and he moves forward -- but then his dark eyes look up and see Mithos, and they flatten slightly. He won't growl unless Mithos gives him a reason to, though there is something uncomfortable about the presence of this old friend.]

[action] SOR-- ...oh, right. :U

[imatreenow]

[He takes a few steps toward Noishe.] I'm not going to hurt you.

[Noishe is probably the single inhabitant of Luceti that Mithos can tolerate, ironic considering the Protozoan's close association with a certain traitor and that certain traitor's son. As much as he insists to himself and everyone else that the only person he needs is Martel, maybe there's a part of him that just wants some small amount of comfort in the familiar.]

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[wise_maiden]

[Noishe doesn't move away, though he watches him carefully. He'd run away if he were afraid, but he knows something's not quite right with his old friend.]

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[imatreenow]

[Mithos stops right in front of Noishe and holds his palm out absent-mindedly. The last time he had spoken with Noishe was during his infiltration of Lloyd's group. He hadn't really been himself at that time. The things he'd said, about giving up... How could he think such things?]

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[wise_maiden]

[Noishe whines a little, lifting his head to study Mithos carefully, before putting his nose slowly into the outstretched palm. Friend or foe? With Mithos, that was always confusing.]

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[imatreenow]

[Now stroking Noishe behind his ears. He's still very carefully tuning his senses to the surrounding area. Call it vigilance. Or maybe paranoia.]

You want me to protect Martel, right?

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[wise_maiden]

[Noishe whines again, though allows himself to continue to be petted. He wants Mithos to be happy, but not to do bad things in order to be happy. That's not exactly rejection, is it?]

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[imatreenow]

[More pets for you, Noishe.]

Of course you do... I'm not going to let anyone keep me from my sister ever again. [Nope, nothing disconcerting about that eerie, distant tone in his voice. Everything's perfectly all right here.]

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[wise_maiden]

[Noishe doesn't look too happy about that. But he does perk up at the feeling of someone saner returning to the area. They're not too far from that particular house, after all.]

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[imatreenow]

[What do you know Noishe. 8| Mithos too can sense someone approaching. His hand slowly drops from Noishe as his eyes scan the area...]

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[wise_maiden]

[But did you scan behind you, Mithos? That's the direction that Raine came from, after all. A soft crunching of snow beneath her boots before she notices Mithos, and stops.]

I didn't expect to see you on this side of the village.

[action] 1/2

[imatreenow]

[Hearing the sound of footsteps crunching in the snow behind him, Mithos whips around. Seeing who it is, he freezes momentarily. Raine. Genis' sister. Who he hasn't spoken to since the week he had not been himself. He really hadn't been himself then. The things they had talked about...he has tried to supress those particular memories, pretend that it had all been a bizarre dream. But seeing her now, it all comes bubbling to the surface of his mind. The awful things he had said. Learning to live without Martel? Forgetting about the past and just moving on? How could he even think about such terrible things? How could he be happy without Martel? Of course he can't, that's why he worked so hard to bring her back to him. Martel is the only person, the only anything, that can make him happy.]

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[imatreenow]

[His lips set into a hard frown, and his eyebrows follow suit.]

Why are you even talking to me?

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[wise_maiden]

[She shrugs a little.] It would have been rude not to greet you. Besides, it wasn't you I came here to see.

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[imatreenow]

[Raine may notice that a sword hangs from Mithos' waist -- lacking his angelic abilities, he's fallen back on more conventional methods of self-protection. Curiously, his hand hasn't strayed to its hilt.

He maintains his stony expression, though, carefully watching her.]

If you were planning on saying anything more about Martel, I have no desire to hear it.