Forevermore

[It is a testament to Dion's stubborn determination that he makes it as far as he does in his rented boat. He's used to pushing himself through exhaustion- more than once, he's had to use his halberd as a support to keep himself upright after priming, so that he wouldn't collapse in view of his Dragoons.

He'd pulled the same trick when he'd hobbled away from the Hideaway's angry healer, Lady Tarja, though he doubted she'd been fooled, given the curses she's lobbed after him.

Dion really had thought... well, maybe the problem was that he hadn't thought... but he'd assumed he could paddle himself to shore and find his way back to Twinside, that the hard part would be what came after that.

More fool, him. His shaking hands can scarcely grip the oar of Obolus' boat, much less keep paddling. Everything hurts, except for his right arm, which is concerningly numb. He's too far out to call out to anyone on the Hideaway's docks, even if his pride allowed it, but the shore is still so far away. All around is blighted water, dark and poisonous.

He sits in the boat and bows his head, trying to keep his breathing steady. He's stuck. He needs to get home, needs to see what is left in the wake of his rampage, but he can't. It is beyond his reach.

So he sits, boat floating in the dark water of the lake, and cradles his head in his hands, trying not to break down.]

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[ It's only but a few short minutes after Joshua returns from Kanver with everyone that Tarja comes walking up to Clive, telling him how Dion had woken up and gotten straight out of bed, insisting he could walk, that he was fine, though she knew better. And now he's gone missing.

And it's then that Joshua feels it, the faintest sense of something--of aether coming from far off, but still close enough to feel it at all. It's Dion.

Joshua at least has the good sense not to fully prime and fly out to look for him, lest someone see the Phoenix suddenly flying out in the middle of the lake and give away the Hideaway (and also for the sake of his own health, that too). But that doesn't mean he has the good sense to wait for word to reach the cursebreakers for someone to try and spot him on the lake and then go after him. Worry grips him like a vice.

Dion's still gravely injured from their battle in the Dominion, no matter how much he might've tried to convince himself that he was well enough after resting for so long. And having to wake up, remembering, reliving the tragedies that unfolded there... between what happened to his people and his father most of all. Joshua knows, he knows that terrible feeling, that terrible weight of guilt and sorrow and he won't let Dion try and run off with it by himself.

So Joshua grabs Clive and--with some minor back and forth arguing about how Clive or the cursebreakers can handle it and Joshua can wait here at the Hideaway and rest, that Joshua can't wait while he's still injured and ultimately Clive agreeing only if Joshua let's him go with him, unable to deny his little brother anything--they take off down onto the docks to take one of the smaller rowboats out onto the water.

The lake is big and their only way of finding him being that faint trace of Bahamut's aether in the air, clouded and masked by Clive's presence as he now carries him with him, but still there, still a trail in this land bereft of aether all together. And thankfully, it leads them to him and they spot their ferryman's boat sitting still in the water with a figure hunched over inside ]

Your Highness! [ Joshua calls out, leaning forward with a hand grabbing the side of the boat, standing up just the tiniest bit before Clive chides him to sit back down and be careful ]

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[Dion startles as he hears the call. He drags a trembling hand over his eyes before looking up to see the Rosfield brothers paddling towards him.

...it would seem he is going to be even further in their debt.

He straightens his back and makes another attempt at gripping the paddle. At least if he can move to meet them partway, he might save a little face. But no, he can't get the oar to move properly, and he is forced to sit it aside again.]

I am... afraid I need... to rely on your aid once more.

[It is not an easy admission, but Dion must own it. He owes his saviors honesty, at least.]

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[ Watching Dion try to move to grab the oar, but ultimately setting it aside again only reaffirms Joshua's worries about his injuries and Clive sees it plain as day on his brother's face.

It takes only a moment before Clive brings the boat up beside the other, and immediately moves to grab onto the side of it because he knows Joshua's not about to waste time getting over there to join him. Which he does promptly as soon as Clive's grabbed hold to steady them, standing up a bit, mindful and careful this time as he does, but still with a notable sense of urgency and climbs into Dion's boat.

He immediately moves to sit himself down on the wooden bench in front of the prince's, gingerly touching the side of his shoulder with his hand as he settles there, a comforting touch and his voice soft. ] You needn't worry, my friend.

[ The obvious questions of why Dion tried to leave don't come first. Instead he looks him over, taking note of the obvious bandages still on his right arm and the ones peeking out from under his shirt. He doesn't really know the extent of the injuries he sustained from Twinside, only the few he saw for himself and the fatigue from priming like that, and the pain of the crystal's curse that accompanies it. ]

How do your injuries fare? [ Maybe it's a dumb question, all things considered, but he needs to know in case he needs to use the Phoenix's flames right now. ]

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[Between the fall of Rosalith, Sanbreque's fate, and Joshua's revelations, Jill's mind should be in a state of action, analysing and integrating new information and old. There's a need, she knows, to figure out where to begin making sense of the many implications now rising to the fore, and what role she and the others will play in encouraging the good and thwarting the bad.

Yet she struggles to grasp a single productive thought, never mind following it down however many tangents it may sprout.

Even as she and Clive leave the infirmary, even as they part to set the next stage of their journey into motion, Jill just can't summon together enough focus to try. Something else pulls at her. It's the tickle of Joshua's Eikon, the near impersonality that's defined their interactions thus far as tragedy keeps asserting itself over the miracle at its centre. It's the warmth and worry and love and light that guide her heart in a singular direction.

At first, she ignores it, prioritising the mission as she so often does. But as departure looms ever closer, and focus remains ever evasive, she does something rare for her: she asks Clive to go on ahead with Torgal, assuring him that she'll join him in Tabor, but that she has something to attend to that simply can't wait.

He understands, easily, even if she doesn't offer any specifics.

So, as Clive sets sail, Jill returns to the infirmary, carrying within herself a nervous sort of energy borne on the same excitement she'd felt when she'd learnt that Clive had survived all those years ago. And so it goes that as she had waited on one side of the infirmary door for him then, so too does she await Joshua on the other side, now.]

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[He lets out a deep sigh. Joshua has turned up once again in his time of need, with his gentle voice and his quiet understanding. Dion's heart gives a painful lurch, knowing he doesn't deserve all the warmth and kindness Joshua directs at him. He's a kinslayer, the destroyer of his people.

He does need worry, but he will try, at least, to not add to Joshua's worries in turn. That is a poor thanks for all Joshua has done for him, but it's all he can offer at the moment.]

I find myself drained. It is not an injury, per se, just... weakness.

[The remedy is rest, but in the wake of Twinside's destruction, how can Dion allow himself to stand idly aside?]

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[ Dion tries not to worry him further, but unfortunately it does nothing to quell it. Believing in what he says, but knowing there is far more than that just by looking at him in the state that he is, and that Tarja told them his injuries were not yet healed. Joshua's eyes flicker up to watch Dion's for a moment, and deeper still he can see a different pain too reflecting in his eyes, his face and heard in the sigh he releases which pulls at his heart.

He turns his head to look at his brother. ]

Clive, pray return to the Hideaway and have Lady Tarja prepare for Dion's arrival. We will return anon. [ Clive gives a clearly disapproving look, looking from Dion back to his brother. He can all but guess what Joshua means to do, which is row them both back in Dion's boat. Joshua's most certainly grown into his own strength, spent many years training under the Undying after he came out of the coma, his body even more frail than it was before Phoenix Gate. But the prison on his chest, Ultima, are now sapping all that strength away again, leaving him weary and with an exhaustion that takes him easily.

But Joshua's stubborn and they're all going to have to get back somehow with both boats. So he finally agrees with a stern "Alright. But you are to rest when you return too, Joshua."

Joshua nods to him with a small 'Of course' and watches as his brother let's go of their boat and start going back where they came from.

It's only after a moment, making sure his brother's a fair distance away, out of earshot, that he looks back at Dion, his voice gentle ] ...Are you alright to return to the Hideaway, Your Highness?

[ Despite what he just told Clive, he's asking him now. Dion is royalty, no matter what may have happened in Twinside, and Joshua will always hold a certain respect that that's due, but more than that... Dion is a friend he holds dear, and a man who has done nothing and been through far too much and deserved none of it (if that can't be said for them all)

Joshua understands probably better than anyone, aside from Clive, how he feels, why he felt he may've had to do this. He'd much rather take Dion back, see him rested, healed, but he won't force him, lest he call himself a hypocrite for barely allowing himself enough time for his wounds to heal before he gets back up. ]

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[ Joshua's coughing fits come at the worst of times. As if proof to Clive and Jill both that he struggles to contain Ultima, that his strength is waning, he of course started coughing up a worrying amount of blood. And even better still, Tarja came in to see it for herself too. So she quickly shooed everyone out of the room, insisting Joshua needed to rest and take his medicine while the others talked about what to do next.

Typically Joshua would've fought against it, gotten up, insisted he was all right, willed enough strength to do so and join in planning, not wanting to stop moving, needing to keep going (not able to stop, not now), and though at first he tried... his body felt weighed down by a rock on the bed, his legs heavy and his head spinning from a sudden wave exhaustion and so, though a bit begrudgingly, he yielded to Tarja's demands to rest.

But, as always, not even that can keep Joshua in bed for long. So after lying down for a few hours, as Clive and Jill prepare to make their journey, Joshua finally gets up, feeling better now, puts on his boots and makes his way out towards the door while Tarja isn't in the room to see it.

But He opens the door to the infirmary only to blink as he sees Jill. ]

Ah--Jill. I apologize. Did you need to speak with Lady Tarja?

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Not exactly.

[Not at all, of course, but her mood is like a sparkler, bright and fizzy, and it makes her a bit playful herself. Like a child waving it in the air, knowing it will fade before long and enjoying it all the more because of that.

Still, though, the gravity of their circumstances doesn't linger in the shadows of that light, instead demanding an equal portion of Jill's focus, and so she holds it in esteem as well. In consequence, her smile is almost reserved and her posture just the slightest bit closed off.

But her words – and the tone with which she delivers them – are as open as they've ever been.]

We've yet to find the time to say a proper hello, and I fear that were we to wait any longer, then the opportunity would pass us by.

[And they would fall more firmly into the somewhat awkward steps they've been walking so far, reduced to two allies on the battlefield with a shared purpose and similar burdens, absent the familial bonds they'd once shared.]

So, hello, you. I'm so glad you're here.

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[Dion wishes he could sink into the dark waters and avoid Clive Rosfield's disapproving look. Ifrit helped stop Bahamut's rampage, and Dion owes the Dominant, but he can't help but notice the elder brother has little of the younger brother's friendliness towards him. Joshua does not blame Dion, but Dion wonders if Clive does.

It is a relief when Clive begins paddling back, leaving the two of them alone in the middle of the lake.

He nods at Joshua.]

Yes. I acknowledge my folly in leaving too soon. I'll not continue making the same mistake.

[Joshua asking him is a kindness, and Dion will not meet that consideration with stubbornness. Going back and allowing the healer to poke at him until his limbs have strength enough to carry him back to Twinside will set Joshua's mind at ease, so that is what Dion will do.]

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[ At first, Joshua has to blink as she starts, but almost immediately melts into a smile, so warm and bright, so truly genuine.

With everything that'd been happening, from their fight in the Dominion, returning to the Hideaway to practically collapse as they arrived, waking up and having to listen about what had truly happened to Dion, telling them of Ultima, and then thinking of nothing but what they're to do next while he rested, he hadn't thought... to say hello.

It almost makes him feel silly, and perhaps a little sheepish, that he'd forget such a thing ( and probably wouldn't have stopped to think of it until they didn't have chance to talk like this ), especially with Jill.

His childhood friend, someone he'd been separated from for eighteen years and cares for so deeply and had only barely spoken but a word to her when they reunited before having to flee the Dominion, and without a simple 'hello' or anything since he's woken back up. Maybe it's understandable why he hadn't thought of it, with everything that's on his mind, but he sees it as no excuse.

But the happiness of being granted this moment, happiness that Jill had stopped to find him and do this for them outweighs everything else. ]

As am I, Jill. I'm glad to be here--to be with you and Clive again. [ His voice soft as it always is, but there's no hiding his joy. There's the faintest whisper of sadness behind the smile. Sadness over a reunion nearly 20 years in the making, a reunion almost bittersweet, considering... everything.

But it fades within the next second as Joshua steps forward without a moments hesitation to reach out and pull Jill into a hug right there, one that's long overdue. There is no shyness as he does it, no reservations, Joshua has never shied away from these things, especially with friends and family, openly hugging Clive (and soon many others), kissing Jote's forehead, and Jill is family. No matter how long they've been apart ]

Hello. And, thank you.

Edited Date: 2023-11-03 02:48 pm (UTC)

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[Ever slightly, her breath hitches as Joshua pulls her into a hug, and the warmth of the gesture flows through her, manifesting as a crackling heat behind her eyes. She wills dry even these happy tears, though, and reciprocates the embrace in full as if they'd done this hundreds of times since parting all those years ago.

Even if now she has to rise up into this hug with Joshua, where before she leaned down into them.

Eighteen years worth of questions flood her mind, and choosing where to begin introduces itself as a daunting prospect. One that's made worse by the nature of the answers she might receive. But as large as their divergent histories loom, Jill's determination not to let them darken this moment overshadows them with ease. So, for a moment, she doesn't say anything. Doesn't need to, really, while the hug still speaks for itself. And in that silence, she remembers how it feels to be the elder between them and finds her words again.]

No, thank you for coming home so that I can tell you in person how proud I am of who you've grown to become.

[That Rosfield heart beats in his chest every bit as stubbornly as it does in Clive's, and perhaps even more so. Jill can think of nothing happier than to know that the boy she'd thought dead all those years ago, and who endured his own unthinkable hardships, emerged as someone who she can still recognise:

That little boy who held the future of Rosaria in his hands and the Phoenix in his body, but who still held others in the warmest regard. Their footing equal. Their value shared.]

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[ There's a relief to hear him say yes, that he won't do this a second time and will allow time to heal, but Joshua still can't help the small frown that pulls at his lips at his words. But still, he nods. ] Alright.

[ He reaches over to take the paddles from where they rest beside Dion. Placing one beside him on the bench, then reaches to take the other that rests closer to Dion on his other side when he stops as his fingers brush past Dion's arm and the bandages there catch his attention again. He almost retracts his hand a little, his fingers curling towards his palm loosely, but stops in a quiet contemplation, his lips pressed together.

Then he looks back up at Dion ]

Might I see your arm for a moment? [ As he says it, he moves and opens his fingers as if to cup Dion's elbow, but doesn't touch, leaving it to hover only closely ]

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[Dion hesitates. One of the earliest lessons his father taught him was to hide any sign of pain or weakness from others. For 'morale', so that the people of Sanbreque could trust in Bahamut's strength.

Few know about the stiffness spreading along his forearm, of the first hints of the curse affecting him.

Dion lets out a long breath and twists his arm closer to Joshua. Trying to hide his wounds is what got him stuck in the lake in the first place. He trusts Joshua not to spread word of his affliction unnecessarily.]

There's little to be done for it, I fear. It's not yet beyond use, but its strength fails me at times.

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[ Joshua's smile brightens as he feels her return the hug, his arms holding her only the slightest bit tighter.

It almost feels strange to think that the last time they hugged like this was eighteen years ago... before Phoenix Gate, when Joshua was ten and she twelve, when he was still a few inches shorter than her, and now standing taller, when they would sneak outdoors to watch Clive spar against Lord Murdoch, in times far simpler that feel so far away now.

But she isn't, she's here and hugging her feels like returning back to those times, like coming home and he too remains silent, letting that feeling fill the air around them, letting them enjoy it, take hold of it while they have it. Then, somehow, his smile grows wider, a sting in his eyes at her words, coming home, but he holds the tears back, even though his voice wavers the tiniest bit, softly and warm. ]

Thank you, Jill. And that I might say the same of you and Clive as well, and all that you have done. [ Because even though he hasn't been here, he knows of their exploits, of Cid the Outlaw and how they've worked so hard to free bearers, to build this Hideaway after Titan's attack, to try and help save them from the blight.

He pulls back slowly after a long, long moment, bringing his hands to rest at the sides of her shoulders. ] I would only ask that you forgive me in taking so long to return.

[ He's still smiling, perhaps a bit more coyly now like a child, but the sadness from before lingers behind his words again, along with a small hint of guilt.

He'd wanted nothing more than to be at their side, to be reunited with his brother and childhood friend who he'd thought both dead for so long. But... he had to stay away, there was still so much to be done before they could be together again, so much about Ultima he had to figure out, to protect Clive, so much he had to do on his own. And though he did so without regret, the guilt of not being able to come back to them still weighs on him, especially after leaving them at Oriflamme. ]

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[ Joshua very gently brings his hand closer to cup his arm as Dion twists his arm towards him. He brings his other hand over to carefully push back his sleeve just a little, light blue eyes taking a look at it up close now.

He remembers these very same bandages from when he'd first seen Dion near Ark, when he'd first asked him to hear his tale of Ultima. And though to others, they may seem as mere battle wounds (which... in truth, they are), Dion never needed to say what they were for, because Joshua knew immediately what laid underneath. Because it's a curse that they both share, a toll they both must pay as Dominants. And a price he's probably had to pay yet again because of the events at Twinside, along with the rest of his injuries.

His frown deepens. ] The Crystal's Curse has taken much... But though there may be little that can be done, there is something I can still yet do...

[ He closes his eyes and brings his left hand up to his chest, over his heart in a loose fist, holding Dion's arm in his right. Then he takes a slow, deep breath, allowing his lungs, his chest, his hands, his body to fill with the Phoenix's flames. A small flame bursts to life on the back of his hand and he brings his hand back down to hover over Dion's arm, exhales slowly, steadily, and spreads his fingers to allow the fiery healing magic to flow from him to Dion.

It's a warmth, like a gentle, soothing fire, like standing close to a hearth in the comfort of one's home. He of course can't heal the curse, nor can he fully heal his injuries as he is, but he can still heal some of it, ease away some of the pain and weariness from it all, especially having pushed himself coming out here when his body was far from ready for something like this.

Clive and Tarja would both kill him if they saw him using his magic to heal anyone, Dion or otherwise, but if this small thing is something he can do for him, then he will. Because Dion has suffered enough, and he won't wait until they get back to see him at ease, even just a little bit. ]

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[Part of Jill still bucks at the notion of being worthy of someone else's pride. Though the light of the Hideaway is among the brightest she's ever known, it doesn't cast away all the shadows within which the ghosts of her past still thrive, their hauntings so familiar now that she wouldn't know how to feel in their absence. That part of her is growing increasingly small, however, and she has the power not to let it show – a power that's bolstered by her urge to ground at least these early moments of their reunion in the six years they'd shared rather than the eighteen years that they hadn't.

So again, she doesn't speak right away after Joshua does, instead absorbing all the warmth and fondness and familiarity with which their embrace provides her before it reaches its inevitable end.

And when he pulls away with a smile, so too does she. Where she diverges is in what she does with her own hands. Reaching up, she takes hold of Joshua's, then lowers them between them, releasing her hold only to establish a more natural clasp.]

It's all right, Joshua. You let us know that you still lived when you could, and it was enough to breathe new life into us both.

[Clive especially, though not from a lack of love on Jill's end. No matter if or when or how Jill's relationship with Clive evolves, she knows the love the two brothers share is something special – transcendental, even – and she can already see the ways in which he's starting to change simply from having his brother within arm's reach once again.]

Given that, and what you've done to protect us both, I hope you understand that if you're ever in want of anything, you need only speak it, and we'll see it through.

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[Dion realizes what Joshua intends just a moment before the flame appears. He should stop him. He does not.

The fire warms, but does not burn. Dion can feel it, in spite of the numbness that has settled into the limb. It feels safe and inviting, like being pulled into an embrace, but amplified. The warmth of Joshua's soul, bared before him. He wants to curl up and bask in the intimacy of that flame.

But just as he has to measure out Bahamut's light where it is needed the most, the Phoenix's flame should not be abused. Joshua is too precious to risk.

He holds his other hand up, motioning for Joshua to stop.]

That is enough. Do not strain yourself.

[He gives his right hand an experimental flex, feeling his range of motion returning.]

This is more relief than I've known in a year.

From:

[ Joshua continues the flow of magic, feeling the strain as it slowly starts to pull at him, even just from this much, when Dion lifts his hand and bade him to stop. So he does, letting the last of the magic leave him gradually as the spell fades.

Releasing Dion's arm, he let's him flex and feel for himself, a small sigh leaving him as he does. A smile gently spreads across his lips, almost with a weariness that reaches his eyes now, but still with a soft and clear happiness and relief. ]

Full glad am I to hear it, Your Highness. The Phoenix can mend flesh, and in so doing, it too can ease the pain and weariness of the body. It was the least I could do until we return to the Hideaway and Lady Tarja. [ The rest he leaves up to Tarja and Dion's promise to rest.

He reaches now again to take the paddle beside Dion he'd gone to grab before, taking it this time and bringing it beside him. And taking both, he puts them into the water on each side and starts to row them back where he and Clive came from. His effort a bit slow, but still managing. ]

Edited Date: 2023-11-14 02:01 pm (UTC)

From:

'Dion', please.

[He wants no titles standing between him and Joshua. The other man has earned the right to familiarity.

He notes how Joshua seems drained by the magic. It would seem not even the Phoenix's healing fires could ease the burden of an Eikon's power on the Dominant's flesh.]

The Phoenix's fires are truly a blessing, but I know well the cost our gifts exact.

[He is grateful for the relief, but he'd not want Joshua harmed for his sake.

But what has been done cannot be undone. All he can do is try to make sure Joshua doesn't tax himself further. Reaching over, he tugs one of the oars out of Joshua's grip.]

Together. Between the two of us, we have perhaps the strength of one able-bodied boatman.

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[ Joshua let's Jill take his hands in hers, lowering them between them until she finally let's them go.

Would that I could've done more, sits on the tip of his tongue, but he swallows the bitter aftertaste of his regret down again, wishing he could've done more than that far sooner... but knows still that she's right. That just letting them know he was alive, in what small ways he could, must've meant so much in comparison to the thirteen years of silence, thinking he was dead. So his smile softens, the smallest lilt of a chuckle in his voice as he speaks ]

I don't believe I deserve it for something you both have done for me as well, but, I am still truly grateful. [ He pauses though, looking out onto the Mess below them for a moment, smile warming again as he looks back to her, like he's ten years old again]

Then... if we have time, might I ask for a brief tour of the Hideaway ere we depart? Though I know of the deeds you have accomplished, I have yet to see them for myself.

[ It's an excuse to talk to her some more, to catch up, for him to truly see what all they've built since he's been unconscious for a few days(/week) and has been since the moment he arrived, so the only thing he's seen is the infirmary. A part of him kicks back against the idea almost instantly, the part of him that's afraid to stop moving, that needs to keep moving because he has only so much time and strength left and if he wants to help stop Ultima, save Clive, save this world, then he can't stop.

But... Jill met him at the door and brought him to a halt, brought him back down to see what's right in front of him instead of looking somewhere across storm, to see what he could've missed had he just kept going. And if she's willing to do that for him, for them both, then he wants to return that favor. While they do have this precious time to spare. ]

Edited (AS I FIX A THING WHILE IM IN BED) Date: 2023-11-16 02:52 pm (UTC)

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[This time, the thought of giving Joshua a tour of their accomplishments doesn’t quite feed into that same nagging little feeling Jill had earlier regarding pride, if only because she still views the brunt of those accomplishments as being because of Clive’s efforts, not her own. So, where Joshua fixes her with a childlike smile, she nods brightly, full and head-on, and more expressive than usual. Besides, as daunting as the whole of the eighteen years unshared between them stands, when it’s sliced down to the latter five years, it feels far more manageable. More relatable, too, really, as all three lived them bound not to masters, but to purpose.

Any lingering tension she carries relaxes, and she looks off in the middle distance for a moment, a bit lost in thought. She’s never given a tour of the Hideaway before – has never really thought of it in that kind of way – so she needs to piece together all its looping pathways in her mind simply for the sake of efficiency.

If they leave Clive in Tabor for a short while, then he will have no choice but to rest. If they delay too long, however, then he’ll have no impulse but to worry. It’s a bit of a fine balance to strike, but she has no doubt they can manage.]

All right. Then, what say you we begin with the mess, then loop back around until we reach Clive’s chambers? Unless you’d rather tour them with him, of course.

[Jill wouldn’t be offended if he did; there are memories contained therein that she has no part of, and the ones she does, well, she can understand why Joshua would still rather hear of them from his brother.]

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[ Joshua offers another smile, a little brighter at his insistence at using his name instead, rather than title.

Showing respect to Dion's position as prince by only ever calling him by his title has only ever come naturally to him, it never felt awkward, but simply correct. Even after nearly eighteen years (or maybe thirteen is more appropriate, seeing how he was in a coma for five years), the etiquette that he was born and raised into as heir to the ducal throne has never left him, it's practically been burned into him.

So this brings a sense of... casualness and closeness he isn't used to outside of Clive and Jill... but, it's one he happily welcomes with Dion.

But then he blinks as the oar slips from his grasp and into Dion's. He wants to protest, to say that Dion's still far too injured to be exerting any more of his strength, because even though Joshua just healed him, it was only just. Most certainly not enough for him to be rowing some more when that's what put him in this situation in the first place.

But ultimately decides not to, knowing that he's right, and that a burden shared would be a burden halved, especially when they're both exhausted as they are. And perhaps they could make it back to Tarja without looking like one (or both) of them were dying.

So after a moment, he breathes out a small breath, a chuckle, his shoulders and head bowing a little bit, then he nods as he looks back at him. ]

Together, then. [ He thinks for a brief moment, then scoots over on his bench towards the side he still has his oar on. ] Perhaps you should sit here. That it might be easier for us both.

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[Joshua's smile and his breathy little laugh kindle within Dion an untapped reserve of strength. He'll find a way to at least carry his own weight, if only to spare the other man the extra burden.

He shifts so that they can sit side by side, their arms bumping against one another as he settles onto the bench.]

We'll take it slowly and not tax ourselves unduly.

[It's not easy for his exhausted muscles, especially the ones in his afflicted arm, to grip the oar and force it to move, but he reminds himself that there will be rest for him and Joshua both once they reach the lake's shore.

...and if they do not start making progress soon, there is the threat that Clive will return and retrieve them.]

This isn't quite what you had in mind when you suggested we ally ourselves, I'd venture.

[If he'd known what would become of it, Dion wondered if Joshua would still have chosen to force his way into his tent at the Dragoons' encampment north of Ark.]

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