[3:49 PM] ColdToiletSeat: The floors of the Floribian castle would run red as Javier flew from soldier to soldier, running them through with his trusted Partisan and flying back above their heads with what limited space the ceiling had provided. Working both efficiently and effectively he started the process once more, locking eyes with an Ethysian swordfighter before spurring on Ferdinand to swoop down and help bring an end to the man's life.
With what little time he had left, the man raised his sword as if to stop his imminent demise. If only the block had worked, he might have lived a little while longer. In the next moment, Javier's weapon pierced through the sword fighter's chest, followed by a grisly howl as the man twisted the lance head within him. Noticing out of the corner of his eye that insolent wench from before, the dragoon looked up at the red-haired lass with a glare as she approached before retracting Partisan from the now lifeless Ethysian's chest cavity.
"You again..." He groaned, shaking his head as he flicked the bits of crimson off of his weapon.
[4:57 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: Cawdor's heir thought of nothing more than the swordsman before her, as their blades danced between their bodies, ringing out through the sprawling halls of the palace. The last time she'd been within these walls was as a prisoner of her own people. A hostage, whose only worth was in being thrown to the Ethysians like a plate of hors d'oeuvres. Momentary satiation to stall the charge of their cavalry - which came regardless of the capital's bleating and bargaining, devouring the kingdom outright.
Yet this time, Persephone was the one at the head of the charge, cutting down man and monster alike. And the walls were no more welcoming, the situation no less stifling than before. No amount of blood on her hands could douse that burning bridge, or return life to that which was long dead.
Parry-riposte. A turn of the wrists over-and-around the bewildered blade. Cut to the arm, cut to the gut, sending the swordsman staggering back. It felt so juvenile, now. Artless. A flip and a flourish to sheathe, as she switched to her brother's sword. Judging by the cracks in its saccharine steel, it wouldn't hold much longer, but she needed to end this quickly. Rabble like these weren't worth the--
"Gods, Persephone! You're-you're much stronger than-"
With a jolting shake of the head, the ranger gave the man a shocked stare. Just another soldier, head turned off to the side like a fool. With a cough of disgust, she raised Orpheus's breaking blade...only to see her foe impaled on the lance of that choleric oaf from before.
"I can hold this front alone, Arcian." She slipped her gaze from his glare, looking ahead at the advancing horde of hellhounds. Their numbers were concerning, but only a single knight sat at their command...just like the battle before.
"You've no need to interfere," she snapped, before charging abruptly around the corner.
[5:43 PM] ColdToiletSeat: "Oh would you look at that, you took the words right out of my mouth!"
Javier clenched his teeth, the grip on his reins tightening as Persephone rode past. She probably couldn't hear him, but he felt the need to make the comeback regardless. Was that a challenge? He thought, casting his gaze towards the oncoming pack of hounds. Did that girl dare to doubt the might of a true Arcian knight? How preposterous.
As the dragoon delivered a kick to Ferdinand, getting him back into the air, he gave their number a deeper look. There was more of the Ethysian monsters than one had initially thought, with another round of them bringing up the rear. Watching the red haired lass possibly ride off to her death was certainly a tempting possibility of going about the situation, but this force was small enough as it is. They needed all the people they could have, even if they were... whiny and... annoying.
With a quick lash to his pegasus' reins, Javier took off after Persephone. There wouldn't be much support coming from their rear--at least, for another couple of minutes or so. This skirmish would be a difficult one, but the Arcian knight rode forward nonetheless with a whitened grip around his weapon.(edited)
[11:10 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: The clatter of Yuridia's hooves on the Floribian stone was like the flam of a military snare drum to Persephone, centering her thoughts and spurring her soul. The tactician was far behind, working on the weird barricade whose conjuration Persephone could hardly comprehend...but no wall could stop her Arty for long. All she could truly offter was time - thrown before the dogs once more, but of her own will.
Though their gallop kept a wide berth of the burning beasts, she could feel them - smell them - in the air itself. And leading the pack...
"They look pretty hungy, don't you think?"
With an anguished cry, Persephone hurled her sword aside at the imperial knight. Though it hardly even cut into his heavy armor, her blow managed to steal the great knight's attention - and that was all she needed.
"Warrior of Ethysia!" she called out to him, from within a circle of cream-covered columns. "By the Vengeful Spirit, I challenge thee to single combat!" In both hands Persephone held a gargantuan greatsword symbolizing the God of War himself, and on her back was a banner of the very Empire she was fighting against. The insult would surely be irresistable, she thought, and struggled to keep the oversized regalia upright as he turned back with a smile of pure evil.
"...Heh, screw that."
And the knight rode on by, leaving only a single crack of his whip to direct the Hellhounds. They circled ravenously around the pillars, eyeing horse and rider indiscriminantly, ready to strike...
Once more, Persephone was a prisoner of Florette, abandoned by the land of her dreams. But at least this time her deliverance would be swift.(edited)
[7:05 PM] ColdToiletSeat: Is that girl daft? Javier thought, sitting atop his steed as he watched the entire scene play out before him. From the moment Persephone had let go of her sword as a means of capturing the other knight's attention to the moment he had shook his head at her for doing so, the dragoon felt a slight tinge of pity in his gut. For a man of his caliber it was a rather foreign feeling to him.
The man had to catch himself for a moment, what was he thinking? He had no reason to associate or care for the girl, nor had he done that for any maiden in the past... Why was he starting now?
With another crack of his reigns met by the whinnie of Ferdinand, the man and his steed rode forward towards the pack without a second thought. A quick and simple exclamation escaped his fierce expression, one he'd shouted to other naïve soldiers time and time again not being a stranger to loss on the battlefield.
"Get out of there!"
Watching the houndmaster snap his guiding wand of leather, Javier grit his teeth knowing what would come next. As the voracious dogs of Ethysia circled the lass, the Arcian dived towards them, sticking his lance through the head of one, eliciting a rather satisfying yelp. However, this wasn't before another nearly took the duo out of the sky, where there was one there were very many eager to take its place.
With another set of kicks to Ferdinand's sides, the two flapped back into the safety of the skies before Javier looked over the situation once more. His eyes darted back and forth, looking for the right opening.(edited)
[8:45 AM] Time Travel? I'm in!: With a fearful, furious glance at that ever-present nuisance of a man, "Get back. This is my--"
It wasn't clear, even to her, what posession she would have spoken of. Her duty? Respite? Revenge? But her speech was cut off as a pair of hounds lept at her, only barely kept at bay by the flat of her blunted blade. A row of burning beasts now separated them, and between their numbers and ferocity she could hardly even see the knight.
Beneath her, the hounds nipped at Yuridia's legs, and Persephone could tell from her steed's whining that it would soon break to try to flee. No matter; riding around was no longer possible in such tight quarters. Kicking off from the stirrups, Persephone let the weight of Kyron's sword send her down into the fray, carving at one of the advancing hounds. But the blow was hardly fatal, and before she could straighten up from the fall Persephone felt the sizzling sting of a set of fangs tear into her back.
She cried out, like a craven, dishonored and distressed. The horse had left; escape was impossible, and at ground level there was hardly any sign of Javier. The young noble was suprised, as she struggled to lift the greatsword to counterattack, that his absence brought such sorrow. Were it a peer, or the general, or Alexandra she'd have understood, but that boorish brute? ...No more time to wonder.
But by the time she swiped back at her back, the hounds had all circled around, descending upon her in a maelstrom of claws and bites. Defeated, Persephone let the tip of the blessed weapon sink into the ground, clinging helplessly to its hilt. It was all she could manage now - to ensure that she would die standing.
[1:33 AM] ColdToiletSeat: As every pained cry rang out from the girl at the focus of the pack, a bead of sweat clawed its way down the man's face. He sat there, eyes straining as they zipped from place to place, spot to spot, trying to find a way to safely get to the girl yet continually yielding no results.
Javier swallowed what little spit was in his mouth as he steeled himself for whatever his next risky maneuver might entail. Leaning forward towards his pegasus' ear, a single command escaped the man's whispering lips. "Be strong for me, Ferdinand."
The next moment came, and with it the knight atop his pegasus diving into the fray. Several yelps sounded out the moment next as Javier drove his trusted Partisan through those damn hounds that dared to get in his way to the girl.
[12:37 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: The spear's tip tore through the surrounding hounds, penetrating Persephone's imprisoning pyre, and stopping just short of her neck.
And, just moments after accepting her fate, the wounded woman welcomed its challenge, and conceded to the Partisan's offer. She leaned out as far as she could manage, reaching out to it with an open hand. She couldn't see the man behind it, or even an arm in the midst of all the flashing fangs fiery fur. Nor could she understand why her heart was giving in so easily.
But nevertheless, Persephone gave him her hand, daring to let her fear match his folly, silently begging her goddess for their efforts to meet.(edited)
[2:03 PM] ColdToiletSeat: There was his target, within arm's reach, all he had to do was grab her and throw her onto Ferdinand's back and they could both make it out and win the day. Ripping the tip of his spear back out from one of the many Ethysian hounds that surrounded them, Javier disregarded the pained cries that sounded from his pegasus as he reached out to the girl.
Just... a little... closer... He thought, pushing his feet against the stirrups as his hand had almost met Persephone's.
However, it seemed as though the merciful blessings of the gods had turned away from the both of them as Javier's face contorted into an expression of pain. The knight's blood wasted no time flowing as the hellhound latched its maw onto his outstretched limb, blazing breath combined with teeth as sharp as a dozen daggers met little resistance from the man's gauntlet as they tore into his flesh. He let out a scream, something rare for a man of his caliber, while the fingers on his outreached hand curled sharply.(edited)
[2:38 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: Not a moment after his scream, a second bite followed. The lady's nails dug desperately into his hand, and Persephone herself was off her feet - having quite literally jumped at the chance to escape. Her other hand was no less willing to let go, dragging Kyron's sword through the stone behind her, but her face and focus were on that of the rider, just barely in view.
"....go..!" It was all she could choke out, an amalgam of gratitude, admonition and encouragement crushed together into a single word.(edited)
[7:27 PM] ColdToiletSeat: Feeling a second pain in his hand and hearing a single word reach his ears, Javier knew what needed to be done. Throwing himself back into his saddle, the man delivered two simultaneous kicks to his pegasus' sides. With several harsh flaps preceded and followed by the pained whines of Ferdinand, they began lifting off and away from the ground.
With a whiteknuckled grip and grinding teeth, he drove his trusted lance through the neck of the hound. A yelp sounded from it and caused the dog to loosen its fiery clamp, allowing the pink haired knight to wrench his arm free from the creature's maw at the cost of his lance. While a tad saddening, the two of them would be able to keep fighting... Hopefully.
Reaching down with his uninjured arm, Javier wordlessly pulled the girl up and onto the back of his pegasus, grabbing the reins afterwards and letting his mauled arm hang off to his side.
[7:51 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: Twisting herself out of the way of the falling hound, Persephone's muscles seized at the sudden ascent. Even as she was lifted onto the winged beast's back, all she could do was gasp for air as if they'd gone beyond the sky itself. For a first-time flier such as Persephone, they might as well have.
Even as her wits returned, she couldn't take her eyes off his mangled, bleeding appendage, still very much in shock from the events ongoing.
"Heavens..your arm, it's...augh!"(edited)
[9:21 PM] ColdToiletSeat: Javier's head swam for a couple of seconds as Ferdinand began to ease back into his rightful place above the battlegrounds. He started to blink and snap back into consciousness once Persephone made her exclamation from behind him.
"Oh. That." He commented, looking down upon his lascerated limb with a dispirited look before wincing as he tried to move his fingers and hand around. "...Right."
"This's... this is nothing for a true knight of Arcias like me." The man responded woozily, a smile slowly forming on his slowly paling face as he turned back to look at his new passenger.(edited)
[9:35 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: Perplexed, Persephone watched his smile for a few moments. Even as clarity returned to her world, she only felt more lightheaded than before.
"S-stop that! Pay attention!"
She gave the woozy knight a sudden, sharp slap across the cheek to drive his face back to the matter beneath them.
"Lover and Warlover, you could have just been slain!"
Flustered and faint, the Floribian hurriedly pulled a silken handkerchief from her dresss, pulling it taut while she searched for the worst part of his wound.(edited)
[9:58 PM] ColdToiletSeat: "-Ngh" Javier recoiled, slowly locking his vision back onto the conflict at hand as the stinging in his face slowly went away.
"I am quite aware of that, thank-you-very-much." He responded after a breath, raising his mauled appendage for the girl to view in all of its glory. A small spurt of blood gushed from several of the bitemarks, to which the man winced once more and let it hang back down.
"But I didn't, and that's all that matters."(edited)
[10:08 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: Rolling her eyes at Javier's grotesque show of glory, she spoke back while he winced.
"And now you're pouring blood on me.."
Picking the most profuse of the punctures, Persephone wrapped her lacy cloth around his arm with precision ill-fitting of her current mood.
"The battle's hardly buried either...save the leering for another time." She blinked. "And another lady!"(edited)
[11:27 PM] ColdToiletSeat: "Right... The battle is still yet to be won..." Javier responded to the comment, staring down at the hungering jowls of the awaiting pack below them. Gripping the reins around Ferdinand ever so tighter, he shook his head.
"So long as you try to hold back that attitude of yours, we can have that arranged."
[2:40 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: Persephone tossed her hair back and nodded approvingly at his request.
"Finally, sensible speech. Let us go forth--??!"
A surrounding swirl of sparkling sorcery silenced her, as the pair and pegasus felt some sort of spell sink into them.
"Morarti, w-what is this?"
[8:32 PM] ColdToiletSeat: "Th-this is none of my doing!" The knight answered curtly, his eyes widening as his breaths hastened. He panicked somewhat before realizing the spell didn't seem to have any immediate effects, at least, any that he could feel in that moment.
"Is this some sort of cantrip? Are we being taken for fools?!" Javier exclaimed with a bit of excessive anger, straightening his back and looking around for the source. However, his search would not last too long as their surroundings changed. No longer were they above the ravenous beasts, instead they were above the main group keeping the charge.
"I... Wha..." He spoke, a dumbfounded expression upon his face.(edited)
[9:07 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: When the spell was concluded, and Persephone opened her eyes, she found herself doubled over, with one hand clinging to the saddle and her feet hooked around Javier's legs in lieu of stirrups. Hurriedly scooting back, she looked down just long enough to notice all their allies standing where once were Hellhounds, but turned back up to the rider as vertigo creeped up into her gut.
"My, this is....a sudden boon. We've somehow been plucked from peril." Her face was no less perplexed, even has her mouth mulled over the matter out loud.
[9:38 PM] ColdToiletSeat: As the realization of their new surroundings finally hit him, the corners of Javier's mouth curled upwards as he began to chuckle. Even amidst the pain in his arm, the man let go of his pegasus' reins to place a bloodied palm against his forehead as his chuckling quickly became laughter.
He continued for a solid half a minute before it tapered off as quickly as it came, leaning forward to issue the command Ferdinand had been waiting for. "We can go down now, no need to worry, friend." He spoke, making sure to stroke the winged horse's neck to help calm the beast down.
[7:26 AM] Time Travel? I'm in!: Persephone, meanwhile, felt her wounds start to catch up with her as shock gave way to shame. They were far too high up for comfort, let alone laughter, and even just drawing breath had become to her an ordeal and a luxury all at once.
Even if they reached the ground, the lady knew her legs couldn't even grant a retreat on their own, and her wits could hardly track the length of Javier's strange laughter. But they were safe - as were the rest of her comrades, it seemed, and the Imperial defenses were thinning.
But Persephone was especially surprised by the Morarti madman's demeanor following the laughs. She'd never imagined Javier to have a gentle bone in his body, and yet here he was with affection rivalling that of Cawdor's stablegirls....Perhaps he'd lost his mind sometime during their magical escape.
[8:15 AM] LadyDeme: As they landed, they spotted the source of that spell -- Delphine had a staff raised pretty far aloft as she stood in the mass of crowd; her hair afray, her eyes a little wearied above her smile. She has killed a man today, and is keeping that inside of her. An exhausted-looking man with a white mustache trailed a few feet behind her. As Javier petted his mount, Delphine waved them down.
"Sorry for the rude movement; I've been told by all sorts of people I shouldn't do that willy-nilly. Let me see those wounds a moment?"
She said, eyeing Persephone with more concern than she fully let play out across her face, keeping her tone light. Those...Did not look good. But they could have been much worse.
[5:43 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: It was Delphine's hair, not anything said or unsaid by her face, that Persephone took notice of. Her eyes darted between the healer's fatigue and her own wounds, taking only a moment to confirm which of them was worse off.
"You have my thanks, but don't strain yourself."(edited)
[6:19 PM] LadyDeme: "Don't worry about it! I'll need a long bath after all this, but really, I am willing to bear such a burden on behalf of my countrymen... Besides, Maurice needs to see how good I've gotten. Please act suitably healed,"
Delphine teased, throwing a nod to the man behind her, who Persephone might or might not have recognized as Amarana's seneschal, who gave the lady Cawdow a polite bow. If Delphine was fatigued, she was also overjoyed, and moved to begin healing Persephone with a small hum undercurrenting the glow of her relive staff, lighting up her face. Even this, the more powerful of staves, could only do so much: only halt the bleeding, only repair the worst of the damage done. It couldn't heal exhaustion, not when there was so much else to do, and Persephone was still banged-up and damaged... But no longer waveringly so, no longer ready to tip to one side or the other on a thinning line. She lowered her staff, taking an appraising look.
"I'll want a follow-up later, when we have the time: in this case, acting appropriately healed means not straining yourself, and not dying."
[7:45 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: With the staff's humble light pulling her further and further from death, Persephone felt the feeling in her flesh return with sharp tingles while her senses stiffened and stung.
But she smiled back, with a wincing wink, preferring the pain to perishing. "Such a pleasure, Amarana. Maurice. Seeing you has brightened the battle for me."
With renewed vision, Cawdor's heir looked to the fallen wall, and the crumbling lines behind it... Then to the idling rider beside her.
"Oh, tell me you're ready to back up your boasts..." Despite her downturned lips, Persephone's eyes held a glimmer of hope - one unlike the hope she'd held to throughout this journey. Clearer, and cleaner. "Tell me we can win."
[2:12 PM] ColdToiletSeat: With his mangled forearm returned to how it previously was, Javier gave it a few test flexings as Persephone exchanged a few words with the healer. Of course he had been grateful, but it was their job here and it didn't change the fact that there was still a battle in need of his efforts. He took off his gauntlet, ruined by the fiery mouth of the hellhound. He didn't need it, it only slowed him down.
Turning to meet the red-haired lass' challenging words, he narrowed his eyes before drawing another lance. "Hmph, are you kidding? I'm fighting on behalf of my country. There's no doubt in my mind that I'll win the day."
[7:02 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: A stern, slight smile formed across Persephone's face, relieved to see his wits restored. "Very well...May the Warlover grant our fury's fulfillment."
The young heir steeled herself foor the ride to come. She didn't share in Javier's doubtlessness, but found his answer proper enough to trust him a little longer.
[7:42 PM] ColdToiletSeat: Javier raised the eyebrows above his narrowed eyes in mildly annoyed confusion as he looked at the heir to Cawdor.
"Our? I believe you mean my, I'm certainly not bringing you back into battle if that's what you're thinking."(edited)
[9:01 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: "The battle's covered every wall of the palace!" Persephone brought an arm out, motioning toward an oncoming pack of Tarvos. "And I can think of few places in it safer than this - behind your lance."
Her lightened eyes seemed to lean into his, pleading, full of hope.
"Please, sir...I won't slow you down. You have my word."
[7:00 PM] ColdToiletSeat: The man paused for a moment, holding his cold stare for a few moments more as he considered the current situation. The girl had a point, there was nothing but fighting upon casting a quick look around.
He sighed before shaking his head. This was a bad idea. But nevertheless, he overcame his concerns and leaned forward to Ferdinand's ear.
"Just hold on a while longer, my friend. I promise to get you an extra carrot by dinner time."
Leaning backward with a straightened back, he turned to Persephone with a single message before readjusting his grip upon his pegasus' reins. "I'd suggest you hold on."
And like that, he spurred the winged stallion back into the air with lance at the ready.(edited)
[5:39 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: Though her gaze remained unflinching, Persephone was no less apprehensive about her request than Javier was. But she wanted to see them take the throne with her own eyes, and she would never let herself be absent from her country's restoration. Hope alone kept her eyes open, and none but this brash rider could do it for her. When he gave his sudden message, the lady couldn't help but smile.
"As you will--"
But then their ascent came far faster than she'd expected. Stowing her sword, and fighting the urge to scream, Persephone complied, and clung onto the sturdiest thing within reach - Javier himself.
[12:40 AM] ColdToiletSeat: Javier shifted uncomfortably on Ferdinand's saddle as the red haired maiden clung desperately to his midsection. Thank the gods they weren't actually engaged in combat with anything yet, this sudden change might've just been the death of them both.
"Gh- Ease up, will you?!"
[1:02 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: The lady complied before she could voice a complaint, loosening her hold and looking to the forces ahead. She drew a humble throwing sword with her left hand, ready to cover any openings.
[4:56 PM] ColdToiletSeat: The man expected a sort of opposition to his request, pausing for a second as he received none. The air rushing past them ruffled his hair before Javier refocused on what was coming, his mouth opened and let out a rather low volume "thank you."
The two soon charged forward into the fray, their efforts combined into a rather vicious mixture of slashes and stabs from both lance and blade. Time passed, the blood of the enemy was spilled and before they knew it the battle was finished. Rieze had struck the final blow to the mounted commander as the duo drew near.
Giving their surroundings a quick scan, Javier let out a heavy breath and relaxed both his shoulders before giving Ferdinand a few pats on the neck and the instructions to finally descend. Turning around to the red haired lass behind him, he began to speak.
"Well, I suppose that's that, then."
[5:54 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: Persephone turned her head from the triumphant prince atop his father's throne, With a light expression sitting somewhere between exhausted and exhilerated. Even with Delphine's blessing, the battle had taken an obvious toll on her.
"That it is...."
She nodded unevenly to him, her eyelids sinking involuntarily, and didn't quite straighten herself before continuing.
"Thank you so....Sir....Mmoh...."
And what little bit of wits left in her departed, as the unconscious maiden drifted diagonally past Javier and over the side of the saddle, mere seconds from falling off.
[6:05 PM] ColdToiletSeat: His eyes widened as the girl had almost flopped right off of the winged steed. Moving quickly, Javier extended an arm to catch the lass before sitting there as Ferdinand continued to float towards the palace floor. With tightly pursed lips, the man spoke no words before blinking a couple times in disbelief.
"Are... are you okay?" The pink haired knight asked, raising his other arm to poke at Persephone's face.
[6:08 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: Even with his prodding, the lady only shifted in place with shut eyes, having lost the energy to stay conscious. An incoherent murmur trailed off into silence.(edited)
[6:20 PM] ColdToiletSeat: "Oh, I see." Javier commented, his voice at a lower volume as he looked around with a perplexed expression.
"...Right. Now then, how do I deal with this?" He asked himself, finally feeling the ground underneath Ferdinand's feet.
[6:34 PM] ColdToiletSeat: "Oh wait a minute." He suddenly chimed in, pushing the unconscious lass off of his pegasus and onto the ground with a rather cold look on his face.(edited)
[6:34 PM] ColdToiletSeat: "That works."(edited)
[7:04 PM] ColdToiletSeat: The pink haired knight sat there for a minute and watched as she landed flat on her back. Geez, that wasn't as funny as I had imagined it to be. He shook his head, placing his crewman's lance in the two straps on his backplate before dismounting.
He gave his pegasus a few pats on the head alongside a couple words of encouragement and a scratch or two on the chin before turning back to the knocked out girl on the ground before him.
"...Well, I suppose I can't just leave you here." Javier spoke to himself and Persephone, crouching down to lift the lass over his shoulder before standing back up and grabbing his pegasus' reins to make him follow.(edited)
[7:27 PM] ColdToiletSeat: There's gotta be someplace they're keeping the wounded by now... He thought, heading back through the halls to no avail. The mixture of cheers and groans he came across was nothing new to him, he'd been through his fair share of decisive battles before but the fact that he couldn't see any of the healers nearby was a tad worrisome.
Without much of an option, the dragoon headed towards the nearest wall and instructed Ferdinand to sit down. Removing the saddle, he set it down on the ground as a sort of makeshift pillow before trying as gently as he could to put the girl down this time.
"Just a little longer, friend." He smiled, scratching the underside of his steed's chin before sitting down and keeping an eye out while Persephone continued to stay unconscious.
[8:13 PM] ColdToiletSeat: "Just, a little, longer..." Javier repeated with a yawn. The battle had started to catch up with him, that much was certain. His muscles ached, his head throbbed and he couldn't seem to move his previously wounded arm. Ferdinand let out a snort as the man's eyes began to droop.
Just a little longer... He told himself once again, promptly passing out seated against the wall.
[8:29 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: Some time later, the sleeping knight was roused by the familiar clops and chomps of his steed, alongside a higher human voice. The saddle was empty by him, and both his companions stood a fair distance away, approaching at a leisurely pace.(edited)
[8:52 PM] ColdToiletSeat: The man mumbled something unintelligible as his eyes started to slowly come open, only to shoot open a moment later alongside a sharp gasp as he came to realize his situation. Looking up at the oncoming allies, his momentary panic ceased as he leaned against the wall to let out his held breath.
Rolling his head back forward as they drew near, he made eye contact and gave a small wave with what energy he could muster.
[3:10 AM] Time Travel? I'm in!: "Well fought, and well met."
Persephone looked into Javier's waking eyes, realizing just how much she'd taken them for granted. She kept one hand on Ferdinand's bridle as they came into view, while her other held his very own Partisan. Yet it was almost unrecognizable - free of blood, and immaculately polished, looking newer than when he'd received it except for the dulls and dents of the battle. The way it glimmered in Florette's torchlight was befitting of a museum display.
Its bearer, however, was in much worse shape. Her sunny expression clashed with the gashes across her legs, and the uneasy gait with which she walked.
"I hadn't the time to take it to the smithy yet, so this is the most I could restore it to...my apologies, sir." With a bow of her head, Persephone held the polearm out for him to get a clearer look.(edited)
[9:06 PM] ColdToiletSeat: Javier's gaze drifted a while between both the girl and his steed before finally fixating on the lance in her other hand. He rubbed his eyes to see if the sleep was still playing tricks on his vision, but was met with the rather pleasant surprise of his favorite lance in an at least presentable condition. A slight smile cracked the corner of the man's mouth before he looked back up at the maiden.
"...You didn't have to do that, you know." He finally spoke, after a rather drawn out and awkward silence.
[11:21 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: "Oh, nonsense." Persephone knelt beside him, keeping Partisan parallel with a steady hand as she looked down on him with softer eyes than before. "I wouldn't dare sit by and let your poor pegasus....Fernand?"
She pursed her lips together, unconfident in her memory, before looking back to the beast.
"He was getting restless, and rowdy, and I couldn't let the sound stir you. So we went for a walk, and..." With a small smile, Persephone put the weapon beside him, giving it one last pat as her fingers floated from its shaft.
"I'd wager we're all faring better than before, sir."
[8:37 PM] ColdToiletSeat: "Hmph." The man replied, looking down upon his polished lance not with disdain, but with a softer expression and slowly growing smile.
"Well, you're right on that end." Javier properly replied, rolling his shoulders back and shifting his head from side to side letting a few of his joints crack. With a content sigh, the man grabbed the weapon on the ground and stood himself up. Placing his prized lance with his others on Ferdinand's side, the pink haired pegasus knight turned back to Persephone with a half-smile on his face.
"I suppose now's the part where I say 'thanks' isn't it?" He spoke, offering a hand.
[4:11 AM] Time Travel? I'm in!: "My, I hadn't thought you the sort to care for such decorum!" Her lashes gave a friendly flutter, either from being caught off guard by the knight's civility or poking fun at his remaining roughness. Whichever the case, Persephone's small smile grew to a girlish grin.
"It's quite the privilege to hold so much of your efforts in one day."
And she placed her hand neatly in his. Though it was small and unsuited for war, her hand kept a firm, proper hold the moment they came together - just as strong as it was during the prior catastrophe, but gentler and more precise. She made no further movements, letting him lead in the gesture.(edited)
[1:28 PM] ColdToiletSeat: With a firm grip, the man helped to lift the lady on to her feet before shaking his head. With a wave of his hand, the man commented.
"Don't think too much about it, I'm nothing but a soldier just following his orders."(edited)
[11:05 PM] Time Travel? I'm in!: "Perhaps to you it's nothing more."
Persephone rose and withdrew her hand, searching through her outfit for something else.
"Yet for me, it is my whole life. And I can't find the words to properly thank you, sir Morarty. Take this, in their stead."
The lady handed him a handwrapped sugary treat, with a hint of its ruthless red hue peeking out from within.
"This candy was made by my own hand. Save it for a time when duty demands your utmost effort once more, and it shall aid you."(edited)
[11:49 PM] ColdToiletSeat: Javier accepted the candy, taking it with his thumb and index finger before giving Persephone a rather confused look. Upon further examination it was rather strange, he had seen candy before but it was nothing like this. If there was anything this deceptively little piece of candy could make him feel, it was power.
"Thank you, it'll be put to good use." He replied with a smile and a nod, wrapping his other fingers around the sweet and stuffing it into one of his pockets. "When the time comes."
"...Now then, I should get going." The pink haired pegasus rider spoke, climbing back atop Ferdinand and grabbing hold of the reins before looking back down at the lass. "You have a meeting with someone don't you?"
[2:24 AM] Time Travel? I'm in!: "A whole county's worth, I pray." Persephone looked gratefully up to the knight. In truth, she'd need to rest more first, but this ruffian had done so much to impress her that day that she wasn't about to let him think her helpless, or feel obligated to do more favors. " But I leave knowing Florette is in capable hands."
Once they'd exchanged goodbyes, she began to walk out from the sprawling halls of the castle to find Delphine as promised.
[12:48 PM] ColdToiletSeat: =====End RP=====
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