songerein | { lindwormeo and juliet }

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{ lindwormeo and juliet }

LINDWORMEO & JULIET

It is the third dreamshift, and when everyone rouses and becomes aware of their situation, they find themselves dressed in Verona, a gothic city where night reigns everlasting and violence lurks around every corner. Not because of crime, but because of the two main families, the Montagues and the Capulets, everlasting feud. Fights break out almost every other minute and peace is hard sought after. However, peace is perhaps on the table, for the Capulets are hosting a grand masquerade in a gesture of truce. But it's difficult when one of Montague's sons is cursed as a Lindworm, one of the key reasons why there is a feud to begin with.

"But that's not really all that important," a voice echoes around them. It's a voice different from the tapirs that they've grown accustomed to, and after another moment it chimes in again. "Up here my fair little dreamwalkers."

And lo, high above in the permanent night sky is a moon so full and bright that it almost feels as if it could swallow them whole. After learning about the Story Eater's actions against Songerein's moon, the appearance of a face would certainly alarm many. But then the face seems to recede before it changes into a full person holding a quill and manuscript.

"Greetings! I am William Shakespeare and you are now within my own dream, a dreamscape I believe you call it. My works can be found in many places and in many worlds. Yet that accursed Story Eater has been devouring my masterpieces! I must now pen them all over again, but one of its minions is invading my mind and altering everything and I refuse to become a brainless puppet like Marlowe. I have isolated it within this place of my own design based off of Romeo and Juliet. However it seems after my reading of the Lindworm King, my visions have been affected a bit, but no matter. A playwright must find inspiration where he can!

But it is now up to you to see this play through completion. Doing so will help those outside draw out the fiend through the accumulated dreamotion energy, and if you could give it a few stabs that will help as well. Not all of you need to partake in my play, and I have already chosen my leading actors and actresses. You should find a brief copy of the script on your person, but you may act however you wish. However, I should warn you—this is a tragedy, so deaths are expected. But fear not, you will leave this dreamscape perhaps a bit tired, but unharmed. It's all a dream after all.

Now that should cover it. I look forward to seeing how everyone's tragic romances will play out. It may give me material for my next masterpiece!"

And just as suddenly as he had appeared, Shakespeare disappears from the moon, leaving it to loom brightly over the otherwise dark city.

I. GENERAL PROMPTS

Reminder that those cast as Romeo and Juliet can participate in most of these prompts, but the timing would be set early on before they move onto their designated scenes.

A. Family Feud. Everyone in Verona is randomly split in allegiance between the Montagues and the Capulets, and whenever they meet there is some kind of tension. It could be violent, hostile, passive, petty, or even attraction. Surely Romeo and Juliet aren't the only ones who can love across the aisle. If not pit against each other to fight or exchange snide comments, opposing parties can also work together to deal with Erasers posing as creepy looking family members/soldiers/knights/etc.

» BONUS: TO ARMS. A city-wide family feud makes for good business if you’re in the weapons-and-armor trade. Gather materials to help smithies in creating armor and weapons.

B. Masquerade. Almost as if it's the opening act, everyone, both Montagues and Capulets are to attend a masquerade held within the Capulet's ballroom. It's a momentary "truce," and though tension between the families is still rampant, everyone is welcome to wear the finest clothing they can imagine and to partake in the festivities. The masquerade itself is in the ballroom, but there are also gardens and large terraces that guests can go to if they want some fresh air.

» BONUS: PREPARATIONS. Any good party requires a lot of preparation, and all of Verona is abuzz with activity leading up to the big night. Tailors need help getting fabric, jewels, and other baubles to create the finest dresses. Caterers need quality ingredients for the food that will be prepared and served. Someone needs to step up and be the band for the night. There are plenty of ways in which Dreamwalkers can help make the masquerade a success!

C. EXTRA SCENES. There are a few specific "scenes" featuring key characters from the original play. Whether taken voluntarily or "beckoned" by Shakespeare, those who participate will have a little "essence" of the original character. No full personality change, but they might feel certain impulses or find it easier to slip into the role. Note: anyone can fill in the roles of "Romeo" and "Juliet" for the Paris scenes; it is not exclusive to those who signed up for Romeo and Juliet.

PARIS V. JULIET. Paris meets and dances with Juliet, taking a fancy with her. With his arrogance believing he can win over the Capulet princess, throughout the night he attempts to woo Juliet, either in the ballroom or the gardens just outside. Juliet must not be swayed! (Or maybe a little swayed, but try not go totally off-book here). Juliet can shut down Paris however they want. (This scene happens during or immediately after the "Masquerade", but before the Balcony scene.)
PARIS V. ROMEO. Paris bullies his younger brother about the Lindworm curse on a near-constant basis. And to add insult to injury, after meeting Juliet he’s decided that he wants Juliet for himself. Obviously, Romeo is not about to let his stupid mean brother steal the love of his life! They’re going to have to fight this one out, either with words or via fisticuffs. (This scene happens during or immediately after the "Masquerade" but before the "Balcony" scene.)
BENVOLIO'S ATTEMPTS. Benvolio is trying to find a cure for Romeo's curse, and after some research in the library he finds something! Good cousin that he is, he puts the theory to the test immediately. Unfortunately, his attempt backfires and he gets turned into a lindworm (fully or partially) instead. The poor guy is now out of sorts, and he needs protection so that someone doesn't mistake him for some monster and kill him. At least the transformation is only temporary.
TYBALT V. MERCUTIO. The infamous duel. Considering how much their families hate each other, the inciting incident can be just about anything. The original story has Tybalt goading Mercutio into a duel by calling Romeo a villain, Tybalt killing Mercutio, and Romeo killing Tybalt. But no one’s enforcing the particulars very closely here, so players are free to proceed with the fight any way they please. (If this fight does end in one or more deaths, please refer to the event details on how death works within the dreamscape.)

D. Love is a Battlefield. As if there wasn’t enough drama to deal with, a large, winged noctaere can be found throughout the dreamscape firing arrows at the residents, turning them into Erasers. It can summon smaller winged noctaere to fight for it, and if a dreamwalker gets hit by the arrows, they will slowly turn into a lindworm that is full of hate. It's difficult to combat the boss itself, but it can be weakened by defeating its minions and those hit by its arrows. Love of any form will be a powerful counter that will hit the boss as well.

» BONUS: ROSE COLLECTION. In the forests are white and red roses that are hidden under logs and stones. They will sparkle a bit to make them look different than other flowers. They must be collected before the Erasers can get to them. A white rose fed to a lindworm will return them back to normal. Eating a red rose will allow characters to turn into a pink, heart covered lindworm for ten minutes to fly up and try to combat against the winged noctaere or the Erasers.

II. ROMEO AND JULIET'S OBJECTIVES

The following objectives are locked to those who signed up for Romeo and Juliet. Please refer to the notes for all the stipulations and effects characters will experience as the tragic couple. Final reminder that the characters will be aware of the tragic ending as well as reassurance that they will awaken unharmed at the end of their final scene.

Click for objectives.

A. Love at First Sight. Time to get your party-crashing pants on, Romeo, because there is a masquerade that you are not invited to but are attending anyway. Who doesn’t love a good party? If you wear a mask, no one will know it’s you! Here Romeo and Juliet have the opportunity to meet and flirt and make goo-goo eyes at each other. And if they really want to get into the spirit of things, they can go into a laborious metaphor about how holding hands is super hot but kissing is way hotter. (Yes, really.) At this point Romeo's curse is only a partial transformation, something along the lines of scales down one side of his body.

B. Balcony Scene. The time for light flirting is over–this is where Romeo and Juliet get to declare their undying love for each other. Romeo really needs to work it as his brother, Paris, has also made moves on Juliet. There’s some strangeness in the dreamscape at this point that seems to have mistaken Shakespeare for musical theater, so the loving couple must sing their love for one another. With that spirit in mind, the moment should be suitably big and dramatic! Immediately after this scene is when Romeo and Juliet get married, so there’s no reason not to put it all out there. Shakespeare will lend a "helping hand" in giving them knowledge of the lyrics to sing, though they are free to create their own song and freestyle it. (Players can use existing songs or make it up as they go.)

C. Elope. Being the very mature and intelligent lovers that they are, Romeo and Juliet decide to get married after knowing each other for a whole day. Time to get to the chapel, meet with the Friar, and exchange vows. Shakespear will lend a helping hand by providing wedding attire fitting for those who are cast in their role. That's right, every Juliet will have their own special bridal dress, isn't he so considerate? And then it’s time to do whatever it is that newlyweds do, if that's what they are into. Otherwise, Romeo and Juliet will need to return home to prepare for their future.

D. Runaways. Juliet learns that she is being forced to marry Romeo's brother, Paris, which is a problem because she’s already married and also she doesn’t like that other guy anyway. In a major divergence from the source material, Romeo and Juliet decide to make a run for it instead of that whole poisoning-yourself business. It’s just a better idea all around. The goal is to get out of town undetected, which means that this is a stealth mission. Romeo and Juliet must follow a path and avoid getting caught. Whatever it takes to get past the guards and would-be snitches that would turn you in!

E. Find the Cure. Even after making it out so far, fate is against them. At this point Romeo's curse is advancing, so they need to look for the cure. Just outside of town they encounter a very trustworthy set of three witches who provide a list of items for them to retrieve and mix into a potion: rainbow mushroom, feather of a dove, three snails, and lavender. No one said this was going to taste good. However, while it will work temporarily, only Juliet is told that the final ingredient must be the blood of his lover. It's a cryptic message, however they do not specify how the blood is taken. Do they mean just a few drops? Or her life?

F. Tragic Ending. Upon learning of the young couple's running away, the Capulets have declared war with knights out hunting to kill Romeo and bring back Juliet. They are soon found and no matter what they do, death will await them. But how? Players can direct this however they want. Did the soldiers catch them? Did they decide that the whole double-suicide poison thing was a good idea after all? Does one tragically sacrifice themself to save the other? Does Romeo go full Lindworm and eat Juliet? The possibilities are endless. At this point Romeo is capable of turning into a full lindworm if he's taken the cure without Juliet's blood. If he drinks the cure with Juliet's blood, then he will revert to a normal human (teenager) with no extra powers.

[Mod Note: Details on this event can be found here and we request all thread submissions to be made here.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Dutifully, the tiefling shakes her head. Were this encounter to take place outside of a dreamscape, Ori could have easily shifted into a larger form to help draw fire away from others, including Balthus, but she hasn't quite figured out how to make that happen with dreamotion alone. Still, she's got a few tricks up her (momentarily, for the evening) very long and flowy sleeves. ]

I can help you hold it off—

[ From the corner of her eye, Ori spies something writhing about on the ground. At first glance, she's horrified and gasps at the realization that a seemingly innocent partygoer has been pinned to the ground by the winged noctaere's arrows. But in short time, inky wisps begin to seep out of their body and their eyes open— red, and glowing. ]

Oh, I-I think— maybe you shouldn't try to get hit by arrows!

[He studies her for a moment before nodding in agreement— if she wants to fight, he's not about to stop her, but it was only right to give her the option to get to safety first. If nothing else, that impressive vine shield of hers was proof enough that she knows how to take care of herself.]

Alright, we can—

[Her reaction redirects his own attention; he follows her gaze to where the injured partygoer has begun to change.

Shit.]

Yeah, okay, that's— alright, that's not good!

[Obviously.]

How many people got hit? We're gonna have to deal with them, too— maybe we can restrain them? Those vines you've got!

I'm not sure how many others got hit—

[ Then her amber eyes go wide at Balthus' suggestion. ]

Great idea! I— I can try to hold them down!

[ Although using dreamotion doesn't require a staff, having it helps her better try to translate her spellcasting into dreamotion abilities. It's a force of habit, and as her grip tightens on the staff, a source of comfort in familiarity as she continues to wield this power that she hasn't had nearly as much experience in as her own innate abilities. Vines sprout from the ground around the newly-changed Eraser, lashing out and entangling its body in an attempt to restrain it. ]

Is it working? Please tell me it's working. We have to make sure they don't get inside to Juliet and Romeo..!

Edited (don't mind me :3) 2022-02-21 21:42 (UTC)

[This chick is a quick study! He nods his approval, flashing her a wide grin before he turns his back to her, facing down the archer above them as it prepares to let loose another pair of arrows.]

Looks like it's working pretty damn well to me! Nice job!

[She's quick on her feet— they're both going to need that here. The Noctaere takes aim, keeping Balthus in its sights as it fires, and the brawler opts to stand firm until its fingers leave the bowstring, only to drop down and roll out of the way just in time, forcing the shot to be wasted. Arrows might be fast, but so is he— though he doesn't think he'll be able to make many more calculated dodges if this thing stays fixated on them.]

Come on down here and face me one-on-one, yeah?!

Th—Thanks!

[ It's been a while since she was embroiled in an encounter such as this, and a small part of her feels she might actually miss fighting alongside someone like this - and her friends, too. But those are thoughts for later.

Ori is preoccupied with keeping her eye out for more emerging Erasers as Balthus draws the Noctaere's fire; she has to trust that he'll be able to dodge the arrows, but she keeps him in the periphery of her vision just in case, ready to conjure another wall of vines just in case. She really is reminded of her own brawler of a friend when he goads the Noctaere into attacking him, and she calls out: ]

Would you like a spear to throw at it?

[ Regardless of his answer, she puts her staff down onto the ground as she morphs it into something with a bit of a pointier end with dreamotion and then kicks it over to him. ]

[While Balthus is typically the first to say he doesn't need anything but his own fists, he's definitely not going to turn down some help! Especially with this Noctaere intent on keeping its distance— he flashes Ori a thumbs-up and dives to grab the spear she'd kicked towards him, pushing himself back to his feet and taking aim.]

Perfect! Let's ground that bird!

[He throws it with the practiced ease of someone who's spent plenty of time throwing javelins around in training, aiming for one of the Noctaere's wings— it pierces through and causes the creature to shriek as it recoils, one side sagging downwards while it hangs mid-air, but that doesn't stop it from raising its bow and letting loose another arrow, this time directly at Ori.]

Shit, look out—!

[He quickly moves to put himself between her and the attack, but whether or not he's fast enough remains to be seen, even as he raises an arm to try and knock the incoming projectile aside.]

[ Ori feels the swell of a small victory as she watches the spear pierce the Noctaere, although the feeling is short-lived as it prepares another attack. The moment that she sees it nock another arrow and drawing the bowstring back, her eyes go wide - even moreso when she realizes that it's aiming at her.

This is far from the first time that Ori has had arrows pointed at her. It wouldn't even be the first time that she would be hit by arrows. These things just happen, and more often than not she doesn't mind taking the blow. But she's just seen how these arrows have turned people into some kind of horrible red-eyed wraith, and that is an outcome she finds she would really like to avoid.

There isn't much time to act, however, and when the arrow is let loose, there's but a split second in which she hears Balthus call out and sees him dash towards her from the corner of her eyes, and in which she thinks, she needs a shield. But conjuring another wall of vines would not be fast enough - so she draws on a recent memory of somebody protecting her with a shield of flames, and that's precisely what her dreamotion manifests into just before the arrow reaches her. ]

[He's prepared for impact, for the arrow to strike against his bracer if he's lucky, but it sails past him and towards Ori— he hadn't been fast enough, and he lets out a wordless shout as he turns sharply to face her, just in time to see the arrow itself deflected by another shield, this one made of flames rather than vines.

Not what he'd expected from her, but it does seem familiar.]

That was way too close!

[Behind him, the Noctaere is struggling to stay afloat in the air; it fires another arrow but this one goes wide, its current state making it difficult for it to aim properly, and Balthus is quick to look between Ori and their foe.]

I think we can probably restrain him the same way as the Erasers— if you can use vines to grab him, I could destroy that bow, take out his weapon!

[Which means no more people turning, if they're very lucky, at least for a few minutes. Enough time to get people to safety.]

Definitely way too close. Thanks for covering me!

[ She appreciates the gesture, regardless of whether or not it was successful. She often finds herself in similar situations in combat, and though she doesn't necessarily feel as though she's worth coming into fire for, she can still be grateful. Especially since she would really rather not turn into... whatever that poor soul turned into.

She likewise notices the Noctaere straining to remain airborne behind Balthus, but her mind is still racing from the close call, and it does not give her a ready course of action. Luckily, Balthus is as quick on his feet as he is big and strong, Ori realizes.

So at his suggestion, she hums affirmatively. ]

Okay. I'll do my best!

[ Now that the shield of flames has dissipated, Ori takes a deep breath and raises her hand, stretching it out towards the Noctaere. With its one wing growing weaker from the added strain by the second, it drops several feet closer to the ground and just barely manages to keep itself from falling entirely. It's at this moment that Ori's hand closes into a fist, and vines erupt from the ground once more to grasp and entangle the Noctaere as though to mimic the movement of her fingers. ]

Now's your chance—!

[It works like a charm— Ori's command of those vines is nothing short of impressive, reminds him of some of the more skilled mages he'd known back home, but there will be plenty of time for compliments later on. He nods sharply once she gives him his cue, barreling forward with both hands clenched into readied fists, and when he closes in, he grabs hold of the vines and pulls with all his strength, yanking the Noctaere the rest of the way out of the air so that it can be slammed against the ground, stunning it just long enough to give himself the opportunity to grab for it's bow.]

Nice work, hold it steady!

[The Noctaere is struggling to break free, but Ori's vines are secure, enough so that Balthus manages to wrench away its weapon and snap it in half, a task made incredibly easy by his brawn. He tosses the broken pieces aside— it doesn't change how dangerous those arrows are, but the creature is going to have a hell of a time shooting them without its weapon.]

Alright— I'm gonna knock it out! Think you can get it tied up afterwards? Then we can make a run for it, get the rest of these folks to safety!

[ Ori would like to say that she's not surprised by Balthus' power - but she is, and rightfully so! After all, the only other person she's seen fight things up close and with his bare hands is her very nimble and dextrous friend Mellon, from home. He's tall, but not nearly as massive as the brawler in front of her now. She blinks for a few moments in surprise at the takedown and subsequent dismantling of the bow, but she easily maintains her focus enough to ensure that the Noctaere remains entangled in the vines and steadily such that Balthus can do what he needs to do.

Still, she can't help but blurt out: ]

Wow, you're really strong!

[ Good for him! Once he's successfully ~~brought it below 0 hit points~~ knocked it out, she brings more vines up from the ground beneath the Noctaere to securely keep it pinned to the ground, binding its wings, legs, and arms in the process. ]

That was amazing...!

[There are a lot of perks to being a brick wall in human form— Balthus may not always be the brightest bulb around, but he's quick on his feed and good in a crisis, and those are damn good qualities to have in a walking shield. He can't help grinning at the compliment; even if it isn't necessarily the time and place for it, they've both had plenty to offer.]

These arms aren't just for show!

[With her on board, he launches himself forward to bring the Noctaere down for good— at least for the foreseeable future, and between the two of them, they make short work of their foe. It might get back up before too long, but for now, it's knocked clean unconscious and tightly bound— they'll have enough time to get bystanders and themselves to safety.

Once they're done, he goes to meet her and holds out a closed fist for her to bump.]

We make a pretty good team! You're real good under pressure.

[ Indeed, they make quick work of helping those who took refuge, and at the end of it all Ori draws in a deep breath and then sighs. She never really knows how combat encounters will go in dreamscapes - without access to her usual arsenal of spells, she can't help but feel like there's always something more she can be doing - but that familiarity with magic has, at least, made using dreamotion a bit more natural for her.

When she and Balthus meet up once more, she gives him a few slow blinks. The fist bump is returned in kind, even though her fist is probably like half the size of his. ]

I, um... I've had lots of experience with combat, so!

[ A beat, then she adds: ]

You're... Balthus, right? I'm Ori - a friend of Hilda's.

Guess my reputation precedes me, huh?

[He grins, sticking out a thumb and jerking it towards himself.]

That's me— the Iron-Fisted King of Grappling, at your service. Ori— I know that name. Yeah, Hilda's talked about you. Real fond of you!

[Hilda has mentioned her a few times, in fact.]

[ Ori always finds herself truly awed by people who have a strong sense of self-confidence, and Balthus is no different in this regard. She's all smiles as he introduces himself, title and all, and it only grows wider at his mention of Hilda. ]

Oh! Is that so? Well... I could say the same for you! She said that you two are close...

It's nice to finally put a face to the name.

Did she? I guess we are!

[He manages to say so with ease, though there's a brief moment where both of his eyebrows raise. Of course, there's no question about it, he and Hilda are close— they would have to be, after everything they've been through, and they were even before coming here, but he has to wonder what else she might have told Ori.

He hasn't mentioned that kiss of theirs to anyone, but girls... well, girls talk, right?]

We grew up together. I've known her since she was knee-high— she and her brother have always treated me like family.

[ Ori does indeed know more than she might be initially letting on, although any omission is completely unintentional on her part. It's simply not something that needs to be brought up in the moment, especially given that she knows that Hilda has... complicated feelings about what happened.

Still, though, there's a part of her that's really curious to hear about Balthus' side of things... For now, she responds, ]

Is that so? I bet Hilda was the cutest little girl back then!

[ Well, she definitely still is a very cute girl, but— ]

I'm glad you two have each other here, though. I'm the only one here from my world, but I can imagine how much easier coming into all of this must have been with someone else around, especially someone who's important to you.

She was a troublemaker, that's what.

[Still, there's affection in his voice as he says so— and a certain degree of pride. He and Holst had gotten her out of plenty of scrapes over the years, but it's not like they could point fingers, having gotten into plenty of their own. She was just following in their footsteps.]

It's... nice, having a friend. Someone you know has got your back. I can get by almost anywhere, so I'm sure I'd be fine if I was alone, but I'm glad I don't have to be. Good that she's made such good friends with you, too. I think— it's helped her a lot.

[Hilda is a social creature, and not as used to having to scrape by as he is. Having the support of multiple friends here, even if many of them are new... it's a big deal.]

Did she, uh— she use that word? 'Important?'

[ The affection that Balthus carries in his voice as he talks about Hilda doesn't escape Ori's detection, and she finds herself very much endeared to the gigantic man in front of her. ]

I know how you feel. Just because you can and have dealt with things alone doesn't mean that you have to keep being alone, right...?

[ She's learning as much with each day that passes here, herself, with the support of her partners as well as friends like Hilda. There's no hiding her smile when Balthus mentions their friendship having helped the other young woman— because Ori could easily argue that Hilda's the one that helped her more. ]

I can only hope that I've helped her as much as she's helped me. But— now, you and I can be friends, too! And...

[ At his question, she hums thoughtfully. ]

Not exactly, but I can't help but feel that you two must mean a lot to each other. I mean, you grew up together.

[ Plus, if he wasn't important to Hilda, then she wouldn't have been so worried about the weirdness between the both of them. Right? ]

[He takes on a thoughtful expression as he raises one gloved hand to rake his fingers through his hair, the tightly-bound Noctaere behind them forgotten for the time being— a certain evening shared between himself and Hilda has been on his mind quite a lot lately, though he hasn't made mention of it to anyone. Maybe if he doesn't talk about it, it wasn't real.

Except it was, and neither of them are talking about it, which means there's a lot of unresolved... something hanging in the air.]

I guess that part goes without saying, huh? She's always treated me kind of like another older brother.

[Which is definitely where some of the weirdness comes from. He's not sure he likes that.]

I promised Holst a long time ago I'd look after her, but I think she looks after me just as much.

[ Oriphi's lips draw into a thin line as she spares a brief glance to the bound noctaere within view behind Balthus, but it's with a thoughtful expression of her own. While she can't necessarily empathize with the troubling feelings that come with... kissing someone that you said is like your older brother... she can at least relate to having strong bonds of friendship, of promising that you'll look after one another. ]

That's not a bad thing, is it? That you both look out for one another... I think that's better, actually. After all, Hilda is a really strong young woman, so I can't imagine that she would sit back and let an important relationship feel one-sided.

[ Even if she might want others to think that. ]

Of course, I haven't known her for as long as you have, but I get the feeling that she doesn't just look after anyone, you know?

Yeah, definitely!

[Ori's perspective seems to reinvigorate him a bit, his expression brightening as he regains some of his energy. It's easier to think about it that way than to dwell on why certain events haven't sit right with him— there's a lot he still has to unpack there.]

We've got each other's backs. She's grown into one hell of a warrior, but she's just as good to have on your side off the battlefield.

[She's a good friend no matter where you are. He's grateful for that.]

Can't say you're wrong, though. If she doesn't like someone, she's not afraid to let 'em know if she doesn't think they're worth her time. If she does spend a lot of time with you, you know she thinks you're something special.

[Which means Ori would have to be!]

[ He already seemed like an upbeat kind of fellow to her, but when he brightens just a bit more, she can't help but do the same. She is easily swayed by others' emotions, and especially so in a place like this where they can coalesce in magical effects.

She nods along enthusiastically at his praising Hilda, and she makes a note to herself to remember what he's said. Just in case it's useful information For Reasons later...
(She's honestly dying to hear more of his perspective on what happened between the two of them, but she's only just met him and it would be rude to pry.)

Ori isn't expecting him to praise her though, so when he does, she blinks in surprise and pauses for a moment. Ordinarily she might shrink away from such a statement. She doesn't feel like she's anything special, most days. But she's had a long night of being showered in affection thanks to certain someones, and she can't help but feel like she could take on the world on the wings of those feelings - much like she and Balthus just took on the noctaere - and it shows in the way the flowers woven into her hair unfurl and bloom brightly. ]

... Ah, thank you, Balthus! That's really so sweet of you to say!

[ And then, because she really can't help but be at least a little nosy, and cheeky, ]

But the same goes for you, doesn't it? Hilda spending a lot of time with you means she thinks you're something special, too. So let's not forget that!

Hadn't really thought of it that way.

[Even though he'd been the one to give that assessment of Hilda and the way she shows affection in the first place, he's never really considered it from that angle— even after all those years apart, they'd kind of fallen right back into spending all kinds of time with one another after running into each other at the monastery again. Just felt like the thing to do, having grown up the way they did— he's always felt at home with the Gonerils, moreso than he ever has with his own family, except for his mom.

Did she really... think he was something special?

Maybe he shouldn't overthink that right now.]

I'm probably a bother to her a lot of the time, really. I promised her brother I'd keep an eye on her, but I'm sure that gets real annoying.

[Except she tells him straight out when it is.]

But... yeah, maybe a little?

[ Maybe he shouldn't, but Ori can't help but notice that he does seem at least a little bit uncertain about himself and perhaps his standing with Hilda, when he was perfectly self-assured while they were taking down the Noctaere. She would love to see him looking a little more confident like before, if nothing else for Hilda's sake...! It's hard to see a friend doubting themselves.

Which is why Ori continues to say, in a reassuring way, ]

Maybe... but, Balthus, you keep an eye for her because you care too, don't you? It's not just because her brother asked you to.

{ lindwormeo and juliet }

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steering them to a close since we have new stuff!