lionel baines. (chivalries) wrote in emillion, @ 2013-10-09 08:58:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !log, almalexia lliryn, lionel baines |
WHO: Lionel Baines & Almalexia Lliryn.
WHAT: A reunion.
WHERE: Lex's room at the Grande Cathedral.
WHEN: Super backdated to after this.
WARNINGS: None.
STATUS: Complete.
Lionel had suffered from occasional pangs of homesickness, same as the rest of the Disciples. But those pangs were nothing compared to the suckerpunch that was being home. Taking in all the familiar sights and smells, knowing this time he was here to stay — it was all so overwhelming. There was no time to relax and absorb it all; there was still too much he had to do. Finding a room for the next few days had been his first priority. He'd received plenty of suggestions via the journal network and had ultimately settled on a cozy little inn near the House of Faram. He'd dropped off his two bags, changed from his traveling clothes into something a little less worn and dusty, and headed off in the direction of the Grande Cathedral. If his brother wasn't so hard to track down, a Baines reunion would've been Lionel's first priority. But he knew it would be easier to just shoot Miles a message and meet with someone a little more… anchored first. And so his second priority was his surrogate sister. He made a few inquiries as to where he could find her — the library was just as likely as her room — and, after exchanging pleasantries with a couple clergymen that recognized him, made his way up the spiraling staircase to her dorm. It had been a while since he'd made this trip, but he hadn't forgotten the way. The walls were adorned with portraits and ornate figurines of holy figures; despite seeing them all dozens of times, it was impossible not to be awed by them. Lionel only lingered outside her door for a moment. He wasn't nervous, per se, but filled with a giddy sort of excitement that bordered on embarrassing. "Almalexia?" He rapped twice on the wooden door. "It's--me." Should he add his name? She knew he was on his way. He assumed she would recognize his voice, but Lionel hated being presumptuous. Lex moved quickly from her desk and away from her studies as soon as she heard his voice at the door--at last Lionel had returned. A surprise it had been to see the message of his arrival on the network, as it seemed to always be whenever he came back to the city (and never for very long), it was nevertheless a welcome one. For there were few people indeed who Lex regarded quite as much, or known for nearly as long. She opened the door to her quarters then with nearly as much enthusiasm, smiling as she took in his appearance. "Welcome back," she said, feeling slightly overwhelmed as she always did, and trying of course not to show it. Lex touched his arm gently--quite the gesture for someone who wasn't prone to casual affection. While she hesitated, however, it was rather plain that she hoped for him not follow likewise. “You look well.” There was a brief pause as he looked her over, studying and cataloguing the changes that had taken place since his last visit. It was hard to reconcile the appearance of the young woman in front of him with his default mental image of her, the tiny young girl he'd met so many years ago. His surrogate sister. He grinned. “You too. Faram, you're all—wow.” Lex was notably reserved, but Lionel was loud, open, and physically affectionate — a comparison to an eager puppy wouldn't be out of place. He swept the petite blonde up as if she weighed practically nothing and stepped into the room, gripping her in a tight hug as he slowly swung her around. Lionel was laughing when he set her back down on her feet. "It's so good to see you." Once she was swept up in Lionel’s hug, Lex had no choice but to put her arms around his neck simply to brace herself. She felt at once much younger than her years. Once back on her feet, she continued to look up at him with an expression of barely contained curiosity. There were an endless amount of questions she wished to ask, and it was difficult to decide where was best to start. After finally pulling away, Lex gestured for him to take a seat if he liked. She hoped to herself that he wasn’t in a rush. “Much has happened since you’ve been away,” she said. “I wonder where we ought to begin?” Lionel gladly took the seat he was offered, though it was difficult to keep still — he was filled with a boundless energy that caused his legs to jitter, his fingers to tap on his thighs. He wasn’t sure where they ought to begin either, but he couldn’t stop himself from beaming at her. “Let’s start with the fact that you must be beating gentlemen callers away with a staff.” There was a pause before he added, in a mock serious tone, “Don’t tell me I’m going to have to interrogate some boyfriend, Almalexia.” Lex shook her head at the absurd idea. A faint smile lingered however, her spirits remaining high regardless of Lionel’s teasing. She gave him a mock stern expression in return. “Of course not,” she said with certainty. “The only men who bother me with any frequency are the Silver Blades, and he--” Lex took a moment to clear her throat, with what she hoped was some degree of subtlety “--they are dealt with easily enough.” She folded her arms across her chest and gave him another assessment. “Now you, however, must have a number of more interesting tales than I.” One eyebrow arched at the pronoun slip up, but Lionel didn’t push the subject. The Silver Blades were an honorable lot. If the only men she had any run-ins with were members of the Church’s own militia, well, there was practically nothing to worry about. “I’ve been in Ordalia for the past — I want to say ten months?” He scratched at the stubble on his chin as his face scrunched up in thought, trying to sort out exactly what he’d been up to since his last visit. “We mostly traveled up the coast, though we did head inland when we weren’t too far from a larger city. I should’ve taken photographs of some of the cathedrals we saw, you would’ve loved them. You would’ve loved all of it, really. You should’ve let me steal you away from all this for a few months.” Lex felt immediately proud and envious. As both a mage and a follower of the faith, was there anything greater that she could imagine? Traveling Ivalice, helping others in need--it was quite a romantic vision of course, but it was also one that even she was able to entertain. “You know I would have, if not for my studies here,” she admitted. Lex held in a sigh. She tried to imagine all the things he might’ve seen. “Perhaps when you…” She let the comment go unfinished. Reminding herself that while she often missed Lionel while he was away, and had wished to join him a number of times, there was no use making such gestures without proper care and consideration. After all, she thought, there were more than enough important matters to concern herself with here. “The city has undergone a strange amount of troubles recently, you know,” she said, changing the topic. “Perhaps you’ve returned at an unfortunate time.” Which was all the more reason she was glad to see him, Lex suspected. Lionel sighed as he leaned back, mentally adjusting to the shift in topic. “I think I returned at exactly the right time.” He gave Lex a long, earnest look. “I heard about what was going on—it was impossible not to. That’s why I decided to come back. I loved traveling, doing Faram’s work, but it felt wrong to be so far away when so many terrible things were happening here.” He believed in the strength of the guilds and their counsels, in the abilities of the EKP and Valendian Rangers. The city was in good hands. And really, he was only one man — the chances of him making all that much of a difference were non-existent. But he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he continued to rove around different countries while his home and the people he loved were dealing with such strife. The corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smile. “So I came back to help. And I’m here to stay, if you’re interested in having me around for a while.” “Of course,” she said without hesitation. Her smile strengthened at his words, and Lex moved over to rest her hand gently on his shoulder. There was little that compared to the reassurance of Lionel’s presence, after all, regardless of the troubling circumstances the city found itself in of late. “And if you should ever need any help yourself,” she added, “I will certainly do all that I can to assist.” “I’m certain you’ll get me out of any scrape I manage to get myself into,” he replied with an approving nod. Lionel didn’t know the full scope of Lex’s abilities, but he did know he could always count on her for help. “Speaking of scrapes,” he began excitedly, lighting up with renewed energy, “I have to tell you about something that happened in Kerwon. I still can’t believe it myself, really. First, there was this dragon…” |