thenearshore | -Overflow- for 016

[ From here. ]

[ His reaction gets a laugh from her, one she lifts a hand to her lips to stifle as she takes in his exasperation. ]

I'm sure whatever has happened to leave you here with that responsibility will be resolved soon. But in the meantime, if there's anything I can do to help, I hope you'll let me know?

If you know of any foreign dignitaries who might have shown up while I was taking a nap, let me know! Otherwise I'll have to figure it out myself.

[He must have been napping, there's no other way he'd have missed Hiryuu and the others leaving.]

We really don't need another war, but that's the only time I get left behind, because I don't have any powers.

[He sighs.]

It's so sunny out, I just want to sleep, but if the others are gone, did they take their armies? I don't even like to drill my own army, am I supposed to be responsible for theirs, too?

[ No powers that he knows about yet. How long had it taken him to understand? And what had happened when he had? Her heart clenches but she manages a warm smile for him all the same. ]

I don't think there's anything official happening right now and I haven't heard anything about army training at the moment. [ That's not a lie, at least. ] I'm sure no one would mind if you wanted to take a nap in the sun. I can come wake you if there is anything important that needs seen to?

[...this is a trap. Back on the idea that one of the other dragons is pranking him, sending a cute girl to let him take a nap...]

If Hakuryuu and Ryokuryuu catch me napping again I'm never going to hear the end of it...

[Though he is eyeing a tree as he says it... longingly... he's always been a lazybones.

He's also always been an adult.]

There's probably at least paperwork...

[ She blinks at that, then glances around, as if considering that problem. ]

I can always warn you if I see them coming? Then they can't catch you, right? What's wrong with taking a nap? You're right, it's a nice quiet afternoon for it.

[ At the moment, maybe letting him stay nearby is a good idea, but she's worried what he'd think if he finds too much different about the castle beyond from the one he was used to. What had this castle looked like so long ago? Had it stayed like he remembered it? ]

...promise, whatever the others are paying you, I'll double it to get them back.

[Cute girls don't just tell him to take naps, sadly.]

Otherwise, I have my responsibilities if I can't dump them on

Edited (Phone artifacts I swear I deleted that ) 2017-06-06 15:40 (UTC)

[ That gets a blink and a laugh from her. ]

No one's paying me anything, but I promise anyway. It can be our secret.

Noooo, nothing works out this well for me! I'm the useless dragon, after all!

[That comes out a little more bitter than self-deprecating, but he doesn't exactly notice.]

One got claws that could rip apart anything, one got eyes that could see far beyond, one got a leg that could leap high into the heavens, and one got to be teased by the other three.

[ She notices and gives him a gentle smile, reaching out and resting her hand on his arm, even though there's something achingly sad in her gaze behind the smile. ]

I don't think you are useless at all. I'm certain that your power will be just as important as theirs. Possibly more so. The gold dragon gave you a gift. That in itself is something amazing. Besides, you are more than just that gift. You're a kind and friendly person even without sharp claws or keen eyes. Fighting cannot solve everything; often it harms more than it can fix.

[...is he blushing? He's blushing. The sadness makes no sense to him, beyond his usual desire for people not to be sad, but mostly, he's blushing.]

I don't feel so stupid for mistaking you for my lord now. He sounds just like that.

[Though he's biased.]

If I'm honest, I really hate fighting! I could never do it. It would be enough for me to protect the king, somehow, but...

[ He's allowed to be biased.

Still, she flushes a little, taking that as quite the compliment.

But it's the words that follow that have her searching his face intently, taking note of them. It's something she doubts he would have expressed to her if he were the Zeno she knows. ]

I don't like fighting, either. I wish there was less of it. But it seems that sometimes there is no other choice.

More than sometimes! It feels like we born for endless war.

...I say 'we.' I mean 'they.'

[He offers her a lopsided smile. ]

I know it hurts His Majesty, too. He's only here because he loves humans. We only exist because he wouldn't permit the other dragons to kill them all. That Hakuryuu, Seiryuu, and Ryokuryuu still have to kill some of them is probably something that hurts him deep in his heart.

I can believe that. [ She gives a small nod, her expression thoughtful. ] If he truly came here and chose to stay because of his love for humans, to have to fight them despite that would be a great pain indeed. But sometimes it is inevitable. Sometimes it is the only way to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Those who need it the most. Peace is never so easily attained as we'd hope, it seems.

What? It sounds like you've already come to terms with something I struggle so much with!

My king has never wavered, it's true. I think he understands that as well, but you can see that it pains him, sometimes. But he keeps true to his vision, which makes it all the more important for us to follow him and support him. Not just on the battlefield, but in peace talks and politics as well.

[Admittedly, Zeno is slowly realizing he'll do better in the latter realm.]

-Overflow- for 016 | The Good Old Days

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