[IC] Swords Beneath the Starlight

Casey and Lain

For a time, Casey simply stares back at Lain, who seems adamant about keeping her eyes shut in his presence. Fairly common treatment for one in his position; in Casey's experience folks don't like to face the things they dislike. They ignore them, as if doing so will one day make them disappear for real. He can feel frustration bubbling up; intrusive thoughts jumping to mind one after another, begging to be blurted out carelessly. Casey now closes his own eyes, drawing in a deep breath to try and settle his temper.



"Lain," Casey begins. His tone is sharp, but his voice is level.  "I....I'm really not sure what to say to that." His eyes slowly open, though his expression remains twisted up. 



"I know nothing of your father, but I...." A deep sigh can be heard as Casey runs his fingers hastily through his disheveled hair. His desire to remain tactful is fiercely fighting with his pride. "I don't mean to be disrespectful, but this is something of a difficult situation for me. I really don't mean to paint your memories of your father in such a grim light, but. I simply can't apologize for....well, for being here in front of you, really. My life is the only one I've ever known, and I'm afraid averting your eyes from it won't change that."

Ha. Ha. There is so much going on right now. A sword from the Goddess, a whole bunch of prayers and conflicts and tragedies all laid bare from every angle at the same time. And Logan... is really not prepared for any of this. They're used to days out on the field tending to scaly wingéd deathbeasts, not this kind of overwhelming fate-of-the-world type stuff. So, it takes them a good long while to feel comfortable enough to approach anyone. Still atop Morven, of course. Logan feels safer up there.

They approach Baylee first!



"So, uh... 'Ey, Baylee. This is... a lot, isn't it? Ye feelin' as overwhelmed as I am?"

---

At another ambiguous time in this strange liminal space, they approach Lucrezia!



"You, uh... said ye think they got some weakness? ...Sorry, uh, I'm Logan. Never got around to introducin' myself after all that."

Barnabas pondered again.



"Well, if the goddess supports you, then it's at least okay in your case, umm... Maybe ask her about how she prays? Like, it's a big world and religion, there's no guarantee that she prays exactly like the ways you were taught, and maybe she has her own quirks about it too? Test the waters a bit before you see if you can safely dive into a relationship between the two of you based on this." He eventually said slowly, thinking about the words.

"I could, ask her myself if you wanted? Then relay her style to you? She seems nice and I'd like to get to know her a bit more too anyway." Even if he didn't REALLY care too much about this goddess stuff, but he was beginning to think the opportunity to find out more about her would be good, considering she seemed to be so much more major to understanding humans a bit and their culture.

Lain & Mazelina:

"No, no, it's nothing to apologize for, I promise." Mazelina is quick to shake her head before smiling, taking a deep breath to center herself. "We'll work on our faith and steadfastness together, hm? Thank you as well. You've a rough lot, but you've been weathering it well already."

Mazelina and Baylee:

"Yea, It still must stink 'cause shes in yer same profession so it could've been somethin to build a friendship on. I think ya should try again anotha time. Ya both could use it. Maybe talk ta Barney after hes done talkin' wit her."

Dermid and Baylee:

"Aye.... I suppose when ya say it like that it does lessen the hurt of it all jus a bit. I dunno why a lass or lad would want to mess with that dark stuff anyways. Those damn Revotrian bastards.  It's their fault everyun's in this forsaken mess. Those livin' sacks of pigs shit. I'll make sure to hurt as much of em with my axe, fer me and the ones that fell by it and dint have to. I can't stop either now or else me killin would be fer naught. Fer better or worse I'm stuck down this path. Thanks for the soft words, Dermid. Did ya choose to be a warrior, or were you throwin into it too, like so many?"

Logan and Baylee:

Baylee watches Logan approach while still on their quite large and big wyvern. She starts to lift a hand for pets but she figures she should ask them first before doing so.

She nods and lets out a small chuckle at the understatement of the words 'a lot'. "Oh, oh yeah. It's makin my head spin! A few handful of days an we've been runnin into so many people  from places I've only every 'eard of from traders and royal bloodlines that I can barely grasp the significance of. Oh and like, you know, a sword from THE goddess too!! At this point I just figured I should just focus on when I need ta eat or sleep and then just run at what people tell me to fight." She lets out a laugh at her own plight.

"So if ya are feeling that then yea, were close mates in the overwhelming department. Fer what its worth though, I think yer handling it better than most would be in this situation. Ya still seem to have a calm head on yer shoulders and that's impressive! And ya cool lizrd seems to be takin it well too! Ya two move like the wind on the battlefield, its amazin! How long have ya two been together?"

Saya and Roland

The prince frowns.



"I would not be so certain, my friend - I do not know the woman's name, and I doubt your mother is the only golden haired hawk-laguz out there. That said, I'd be happy to help, provided fate gives us a chance. The way you speak, it sounds as if you haven't got any idea of where to start looking. To launch a search now would be suicide. When the time comes, though, and we draw our blades across the continent and bring freedom back to Ilya, you have my word that I will do what I can to help your people. Injustice reigns across this land, and once my father's army rides once more, the blight of Revotria's empire will be cut away. If you're right, then perhaps the fates will smile upon us."

---

Sunny and Roland



"You'll find yourself surprised, I think, ma'am."



"'It is a king's duty to understand all paths. To rule in justice, you must understand those who have lived in ways you could hardly begin to imagine. From understanding sprouts compassion, and from compassion sprouts mercy.'"



"That was what my father taught me. He was fond of little speeches - he would repeat them over and over again. He did the same with jokes. Both were tiring before the war, but I find comfort in them now." He rubs the back of his neck, smiling warmly. "All of this is a long winded way of saying I will withhold judgment of you and your god until I understand your values. So... I would be interested in those you share with 'Nature' - that is your name for Saedore, yes?"

---

Casey and Lain

Lain's eyes shoot open and she shakes her head.



"I'm afraid you misunderstand me, sir. It is not an apology I ask for, but forgiveness. I closed my eyes, not to avoid seeing you, but to convey the depth of my shame. My father taught me one thing above any other: that it is the duty of the powerful to protect the powerless; the duty of those gifted by the goddess with a lucky birth to make the world safe for those who were not so blessed. Rich and poor, noble and commoner - he saw it his duty to see those lines erased under the law, to see people treated equally and given the opportunity to prosper in Achaim and beyond. It was the cause he fought for all his life."

She bows her head once more - not to avoid looking at you, but in deference. "...So when I close my eyes, please understand that it is not because I am too weak. It is because I have inherited his role as the head of House Altena, and as such, I must apologize for our failures, and reassure you that we will continue fighting for a better Achaim once peace is restored." She meets your eyes once more. "...It is not your lot to be the incarnation of my father's failures, and I apologize if that's how I came across. It's just... You doubted this when we first spoke - I sensed it in your voice. So I say all this to reassure you that I am committed to peace in the long term, not just the short - a real peace, in which the war for survival has ended for one and all."

---

Logan and Lucrezia

The woman before you nods. You sense a great deal of exhaustion emanating from her like the heat in Morven's breast.



"No worries. I'm not exactly throwing my weight around here, either. Lucrezia, by the by - in case you didn't catch it." She nods, closing her eyes and pinching her chin.



"I'd say so, yeah. They've been over the top this whole time - theatrical with their invasion, almost. That tells me they're afraid of something. Either there's a critical flaw somewhere in their line, or they understand there's something even bigger to fear - something they're hoping to scare off. It's like a lizard with a frill, or a frog with big red polka dots. They're trying to ward off predators, mostly because they know they wouldn't win."



"My guess? For all their bluster and bravado, they still can't take the Laguz kingdoms. That's the only justification I can come up with. It's either that, or their military's a paper tiger - no puns intended, in case any of your furry pals have their ears perked up. It's an absolutely terrifying juggernaut to look at, and it's torn through Ilya, but there might be something there that we can exploit. Something they don't want us to see."

---

Lain and Mazelina



"I'll do my best, provided you do yours."



"I fear this conversation has turned too deeply in my direction, though - was there anything you wanted to discuss?"

---

Baylee and Dermid

The old man chuckles.



"I've been a warrior longer than you've been alive, little lass. This isnae the first war I've seen, and I doubt it'll be the last. Aye, it's the worst, but that was bound tae come sooner or later. I'll make it through it, an' I'm sure ye will too - just have tae keep yer wits and nae give in ta despair. Through all the blood n' carnage, ye have tae keep in mind who yer fightin' fer - yer kin an' the bastard standin' by yer side an' all the bastards who didnae come along an' all the bastards who went an' died."

---

Barnabas and Lysistrate



"Yes!! That would be fantastic, actually!! Thank you, Barnabas!!!" She clasps her hands together and grins wide and bright. "Please let me know what she says!!! I don't want to make her mad, and I don't want to be rude and mean and walk away again, either!!"

Barnabas and Lysistrate



"Oh." Hadn't really expected her to be that on board about it. Guess he was definitely doing it then. He put a hand on his knees and pushed himself up, tail wagging slowly now it wasn't resting on the ground. "Don't worry about it, I should be fine talking to her. Like I said, she seems reasonable enough to discuss with. So... Yeah, I'll come up with something."

Barnabas and Mazelina

So yeah, once it looked like Mazelina wasn't talking to someone, Barnabas would trudge over to her, trying not to seem too forceful or anything and catch her attention naturally.



"Hey! You got a minute? I got a couple of questions if I could ask?"

To Roland, Sunny awkwardly flaps her hand.



"You flatter me, your highness." She says. "You shouldn't need to worry about being long winded, I'm one much for chatter myself." She offers him a smile. "And you'll have to forgive me, as I'm not sure how apt the comparison between Nature and your 'Saedore' is. I'm not at all familiar with your religion. And unless it has a counterpart for Progress as well, then I don't know even how similar they could be..." Sunny trails off for a second, eyes flitting away as she thinks, though they quickly return to Roland.



"But yes! You have actually requested information on the primary difference between my Progress and that of the Revotrian Republic. For, you see, the Republic has, for the most part, cut Nature from Her role in Progress's existence!" Sunny lets out a fake gasp, covering her hand with her mouth. "This is the most telling aspect of their blasphemy, as Progress cannot exist without Nature, and Nature cannot exist without Progress." She clasps her hands before her and closes her eyes, face reverent. "Nature is the progenitor, the source of all. She is the great provider of everything we have. From Nature we originate, and to Nature we shall return. She is the world, she is our greatest resource. Everything in this world is a gift from Nature. Everything from our bodies and our voices to the sky above our heads and the ground beneath our feet are from Her. Nature is generous, and gives us full use of Her gifts... But She is also a dangerous pitfall.

"For you see, Nature's pull is absolute. From Nature we originate, and to Nature we shall return. Nature shall always reclaim what She has lent us, and that much is certain. Our bodies will always fail, our minds deteriorate and our souls lose grip on this mortal plane, and all aspects of our being return to Nature's loving embrace. So what is poor mankind to do, if everything is reclaimed by Nature? Do we accept this? Do we do nothing with Nature's gifts? The fact that we are talking right now speaks otherwise. Well, your highness, the answer to that is simple. We don't relinquish Nature's gifts, and we don't waste them."



"We make Progress." Sunny opens her eyes, and they sparkle with joy. "And those are the basics. Any questions?"

Casey and Lain

When Lain's eyes suddenly open, it catches Casey off his guard. Before he knows it, she's bowing her head to him, and by the time she's finished speaking, he's left at something of a loss. It takes him a moment to collect himself, and even then he remains feeling unsure of himself.



"Is that what this is about?" he asks, softening his voice as his brow furrows. "I may be....skeptical, about where I'll end up when this is all over, aye! But that isn't why I came here. To be honest, I suppose I just wanted to talk with someone, but. Well, it simply feels odd when you won't look at me. Even if you don't hold the same disdain some folks do, it seems to me that I'm still an outsider to you. The way you speak of me makes it sound like you find me pitiable above all else; closer to a problem that needs fixing than a real person. 'Powerless', as you put it. Not long ago I would've scoffed at that word, but now?"


"Now I'm not so sure. I certainly feel powerless in the face of all this. I'm beginning to wonder what else people say about me might turn out to be true...."



"Ah, but there I go letting my thoughts run away with themselves. I'm sure patronizing me isn't your intention, but it can be hard to see much else at times. So please, just. Don't feel the need to give me any special treatment, alright?"

---

Later in the evening, Casey spots Sunny on her own. He waves to her as he approaches, a warm smile on his face.



"Good to see you, Sunny! How are you getting on? I saw you talking with a few folks, but I didn't want to interrupt. I hope no one's been giving you any grief tonight."

Milo thinks on Roland and Abner's advice.


"Thank you for your advice, Prince Roland, Sir Abner.  I will take it to heart as I improve my own skills.  If I decide to follow either of you on your own paths... would it be alright if I sought further advice?"

---

At Lain's unwitting accusation, Milo suddenly falters.  He goes to interrupt, but instead silences himself and stares at the ground as she explains the Goddess' story to him.


"Thank you, ma'am.  That's... it's... I'll have to think on it."

Milo stands awkwardly, still failing to look up and face Lain.  He takes a step back to leave without another word, when suddenly he breathes in deeply and turns back.

"As for your question, I..." Another deep breath.  "I am.  Was.  Whatever my home is now, I'm no longer a part of it, but I was... afraid.  I didn't want people to think I..."  He finally looks directly at her before continuing.  "I'm sorry, for everything."

With that he turns and walks away from her, not expecting an interruption as he does so.

---

Milo smiles briefly at Sunny.

"I feel the same way.  I hope we continue to have these conversations, it's... refreshing, to be this open.  I hope one day I can be less..." his smile twists for a moment, before coming back crooked and worried.  "Nevermind.  I envy your openness, maybe one day I can take a page out of your book and stop hiding."

Saya nods, a glum look on their face.


"I hope for the best."

To Casey, Sunny's expression grows similarly bright, matching his warmth.



"Greetings. I hope this strange time has been treating you well." His words prompt a laugh from her, and Sunny flaps a hand at him.



"Thank you for your concern! However, you needn't worry. I've been given no trouble that I haven't made myself." She takes a second to laugh at her own statement. "I've simply been working to... let our new allies know that I mean them no harm." Sunny pauses for a second in thought. "But I could ask the same of you! Surely our new friends have treated you with care?"

---

To Milo, Sunny simply offers a smile.



"Agreed. I value your insight, as well as... your presence. We are special, you and I. And I wouldn't have it any other way."

And then she's gone, head bowed in thought.

Barnabas and Lys


"Thank you thank you thank you!! Good luck!!!"

---

Sunny and Roland


"I see... so Progress is something akin to the spirit of ingenuity? An odd thing to worship, if it originates from us, but I am not one to judge. I think I can see how your values might differ from those of the Revotrians. My sole question is this: how do you see the rest of humankind - Beorc not from your homeland and Laguz both - fitting into the grand scheme of things?"

---

Lain and Casey

Lain flinches a bit at the word 'pitiable.' She frowns, all serenity draining from her face. Words roll around in her mouth for a moment, but they remain unpolished as they emerge.


"If... If that is how you see things, then I cannot properly object. I will do my best. My apologies."

And with that, she stands up to walk away, provided no interruption comes!

---

Milo and Abner and Roland

Abner answers for the both of them.



"Of course, chum! The two of us have your back no matter what!"

The prince, having been totally interrupted, remains somewhat annoyed looking but nods gently all the same.

---

Lain and Milo

Lain opens her mouth to speak, but soon finds it closed once more. She lets him leave without a word.



"..."

---

Saya and Roland



"As do I. May Dore be your shepherd. Goodnight, Saya."

And with that, Roland leaves!

Dermid and Baylee:

"Wow... That'sa long time to be fightin in wars. I can't imagine how scary ya are on the field. Seems if I jus stick wit ya I have a high chance of comin out of this alive." She lets out a chuckle. "But yea... Yer right. I just gotta keep in mind who I'm fighting for and I kin get through this. Thank ya Dermid."

Saya and Mazelina



Saya approaches Mazelina, hands behind their back.

"Thanks for having my back out there. Gives me a lot more confidence knowing there's someone out there to save my life whenever I get in a little too far over my head."

Casey and Lain

Casey opens his mouth to speak, but as he watches Lain walk away he can't seem to get any words out. This conversation was a far cry from how he'd envisioned it, and he's left feeling somewhat confused. 

---

Casey and Sunny


"I suppose that's one way to put it," Casey chuckles along, "Though I'd hardly think of it as troublemaking." When Sunny turns the question onto him, Casey's grin falters.



"More or less, aye," he responds flatly. It's clear he's feeling a bit tense about getting to know the others, but he decides against going into further detail for now. Eager to shift the topic off of himself, he puts a smile back on. 



"But enough about me! I've been meaning to ask, you fight with some kind of magic right? I've never seen the stuff before, mind, but I've never even heard of anything like what you've got. I thought it was all fireballs and the like, but the way you fight is.....indescribable, really. What is it, exactly?"

Sunny grins at Roland.



"Progress is so much more than simple ingenuity! Progress is advancement! He is what pulls humans from the muck, it is his wisdom and guiding hand that bring humanity to be more than the sum of their parts!" Her eyes shine as she speaks, evidently enamored. "He is the Push to Nature's Pull. Without Progress, nothing of ours would persist! His spirit stokes the fire of humanity at its core, and his gifts allow human kind to pull itself up, rung by rung!" She seems to lose herself in her excitement. After a second, however, she blinks and becomes aware enough to compose herself.

"Excuse me." Sunny says, offering a quiet laugh. "I got off track a bit. To answer your question... it's simple. All of humanity has received Progress's gifts. Even if they don't believe in His goodwill, it is His hand that guides us through our lives, and His efforts that push us to greater fates. As for the Laguz..." Sunny pauses at that. "From what I understand of them, they fall further under the domain of Nature than we 'beorc' do."

---

Sunny notes Casey's hesitation to talk about himself. Still, if he doesn't want her prying, she won't pry... for now. Besides, his question about her magic quickly distracts her.



"Ah, yes!" She grins, "Excellent question! Though the funny thing is that I am currently questioning the same thing myself!" Sunny takes a moment to reach into her bag and retrieve her tome. "You see, the magic you are most likely used to seeing is the typical 'anima'. It draws from the world around us, visibly manifesting in very understandable forms. So things like your fireballs, or in lightning. However, the dark magics I have been studying are... not quite the same."

She takes a moment to flip the tome open. Like in battle, she places her palm open on the page, and slowly raises it up, drawing the tubelike protrusions of darkness from its depths.

"Despite my hours of study, I am still only scraping the surface of this intense field." Her eyes focus on the tubes of darkness, and she continues to gently pull them from the tome. "Supposedly, the strength of this magic comes from knowledge beyond human years... Not from the world around us. This is why it manifests in such... strange ways." Sunny takes a moment to be enamored by the inky blackness of her spell, before she gently pushes it back into her tome, slapping it shut soon after.

"I believe I got a bit carried away in my explanation. Did that help your understanding any? From what I understand, such dark magics are not common outside of the Republic, correct?"

Lain & Mazelina:

"I suppose...perhaps, what the plan is? Where we are going to be going, if supplies are up to par..." Mazelina trails off a moment, brows furrowing. "Practical things, mostly, if you do not mind."

Saya & Mazelina:

As Saya approaches, Mazelina offers them a smile, nodding her head.

"Oh, anytime! I'll always try to have your back. It will be nice to have someone with...so much mobility around, as well! You seem much more competent in combat than I."

Mazelina & Baylee:

"I...I suppose it does stink?" Strange turn of phrase. Still, Mazelina takes a deep breath and smiles anyway! "I'll do just that, I think. How are you doing, Miss Baylee?"

Barnabas & Mazelina:

Mazelina doesn't seem to mind him approaching her! Especially not as gentle and catious as he's being.

"I have many minutes for you! You've-- ah--" Nope. Gonna keep that to herself. Instead she nods again. "Ask away, Mister Barnabas."

Barnabas & Mazelina

His ears perked a little at that moment she caught herself, then dropped back down a little once she continued, curiosity set aside. Barnabas's face was characteristically blank, and his tired, slightly squinted eyes stared calmed at her, the grey of his eyes blurring with the pupil and taking up most of the white of it. He was good at keeping a humanly neutral and receptive expression, which was something he'd been told to work on a bit in his past actually, so, he tried out a quick smile, flashing a passable pleased flash of fanged teeth at her acceptance.



"Thank you miss Mazelina." _He said in a slow rumbled voice, stepping a little closer and raising his posture a bit, standing a little taller and in a seemingly more natural stance with her welcome.

"I was wondering if I could...Ask about, how your relation to, Saedore works? I was curious about it since, well, your kind seems able to call down miracles with your prayers, and put a lot of value on the specific words used, right? I was wondering, is it, a personal thing or do you learn the right words to use and they work best? I apoligise if I can't communicate this question well..." He said, giving a little deep whine actually at himself, folding his arms with a little annoyance.

"Could you try to, put your, personal views on your relationship with her and how you talk to her, in words?" He asked, trying to narrow down his question to something more reasonable.

Casey settles into a calm silence as Sunny speaks, listening intently to her explanation while his eyes remain locked on the tendrils of pure darkness she conjures. The magic is much more subdued now than what he'd seen of it on the battlefield, so Casey is able to watch as the ethereal void responds to each movement of Sunny's fingers. As far as he can tell, he understands her words well enough, at least on the surface. Even so, there's something distinctly different about seeing something like this up close. Of course this only leads to more questions forming in his mind, but the sound of Sunny's tome slapping shut snaps him back to reality. 



"Aye, that's right," he replies with a hasty nod. He pauses for a moment, then quickly decides to amend his statement. "At least, I think that's right. I only know what my mentor told me, mind you, but I've never once heard of 'dark' magic before...." His eyes shift back to Sunny's tome for just a moment, twinkling with curiosity.



"You seem to be quite skilled wielding the stuff though! It's difficult to imagine controlling something so...." As he searches for the right words, Casey suddenly chuckles. "So magical, I suppose. It makes me wonder just how much else is out there that I've never seen, or even thought of...." 

Casey's voice trails off, his lips pursed in hesitation. His demeanor quickly turns sheepish, eyes drifting away from Sunny as he begins to speak.



"Do you think you might like to swap stories some time? I mean, so long as we'll be traveling together, that is."

Sunny simply nods at Casey. She lightly hefts the tome in her hand, her own eyes drifting onto the cover.



"Indeed!" She says, grinning. "From what I have observed, dark magic seems to be more of a... Revotrian specialty. Perhaps it is our pursuit of Progress that draws us to experiment with these arts..." The words seem more to be personal musing than anything else, and Sunny quickly snaps back to the conversation.

"I thank you for noticing my prowess! It has taken much intensive study to reach this point, and I am still on my way to mastering even these basic arts!" Sunny again hefts the tome for emphasis. She takes note as he glances away from her, and waits patiently for his question. His proposal makes her crack a smile on the softer end of things. Well, this was certainly a surprise.



"Well, I'm certainly not opposed to this endeavor." She says, then pulls her tome to her chest. "But you'll have to forgive me in advance. I'm sure I seem quite the anomaly, but in truth... I am not as interesting as you think. Outside of my devotion to Progress, I'm quite the simple soul. In fact, this is my first time being anywhere outside of the Republic." After a moment's pause, she continues. "Ah, but I'm more than willing to share any stories that might interest you. Exchanging stories is definitely an interest of mine..."

Saya and Mazelina



Saya gives a little laugh.

"Well, I am a trained warrior of the Hawks! But in truth, combat is an unfortunate thing. Without healers like you, we'd all be much worse off, whereas if there were no warriors, perhaps the world would be a calmer and more peaceful place."

Dermid and Baylee

Dermid chuckles.



"Aye, my bones creak but it's nae a problem, lass. Just keep takin' care o' yerself, an' I'll do what I can tae help."

And with that, he gallops away!

---

Sunny and Roland


"Mmm..."

Roland seems rather uncomfortable, visibly tensing with the last bit, but he nods anyways.


"Very well. I do not know if our worldviews are completely compatible, but we should be able to co-exist and fight together. I appreciate the explanation, ma'am. I'm sure it must get tiresome to have to relate the details of your religion to every passerby."

---

Mazelina and Lain

Lain's smile drops as she's ushered from personal mode to business mode. It's back to having to put up a serious, serene front.



"My understanding is that we will be following along with Prince Roland as he treks into the territory of the Laguz Kingdoms - for what reason, I know not. But I'm not a commander of anything. He's probably far more qualified and far more aware than me. I will simply follow, listen, and do what I can to support the company's efforts, same as anyone else."

Barnabas & Mazelina:

This is a very large man. Though, Mazelina has really only ever seen him be kind and gentle to their people. That's nice. It's not wild to imagine the teachings of her town and her people were, perhaps, off-base. That grin has her laughing, meeting it with one of her own a moment later.

The question that follows isn't an expected one, but she regards it with surprise for only a wide-eyed moment before the smile returns.

"Dore, specifically. It's all a bit personal, I suppose, though words and will work for me." Her weight shifts as she cradles her chin a moment, then nods. "Yes, it's will as well. Whatever I am feeling. If I truly wish for someone to be healed, wish to help ease their pains, then it happens. Though worshiping her is a bit different. I like to paint for her, carve little wooden things- though I'm hardly good at it- sing, dance...it all depends on the mood at the time. My personal relationship with her is...strange. It is not something I suppose would inspire confidence." After a quick laugh, she pauses again, looking to Barnabas with an arched brow. "May I ask why?"

Saya and Mazelina:

"Ah, we disagree there. It's easy to say peace would come without warriors, but people always want what others have, which is why protectors and warriors like you are needed." Her eyes crinkle as she smiles, lacing her fingers together. "Combat is unfortunate, but sometimes unavoidable, and I am certainly fortunate for you and the others being around for it.

Lain & Mazelina:

That shift is one Mazelina notes, but decides not to comment on. She's no stranger to putting on a brave front for others.

"Understood. Though...I do have a suggestion." Rather than waiting to get permission, she clears her throat. "You should...stop undermining yourself. Instead of saying 'he is probably far more qualified than me', try, 'his experience will prove useful and I will...do my best to assist.'" At that she pumps her fist, smile broadening!