#next is tius. oh boy

[fatestouch]

up next is siobhan!!

[kaoru-takaida]

Shadowbringers Chapter:

HOLDING ON

*Shadowbringers spoilers, blood warning*

Kaoru sighs, leaving the Inn room. She looks over to see Alphinaud and Alisaie waiting for her. She walks over to them. "You're both up rather early." She replies. Alphinaud smiles.

"Good morning." Alphinaud says. "I take it you've a mind to leave this morning?"

Kaoru nods. "That's right." She begins checking the straps and belts on her outfit.

Alisaie purses her eyebrows. "You've only been a day. Do you really have to go so soon?" Kaoru looks at them. "Can't you stay a bell longer?" Kaoru takes a second to show her surprise before smiling.

"I wish I could. I really do, Ali. But a day here is a week on the Source right now. And I can't risk being away for too long." She puts a hand on Alisaie's head. "Alas, we'll have ample time to catch up ere long. Promise me you won't be too reckless." Alisaie sighs before shrugging. She removes Kaoru's hand from her hair.

She then puts a smug look on her face. "I can make no such promise." She crosses her arms, scowling. "You've little right to lecture ME about recklessness... when YOU'RE the one who's chosen to face whatever your doing on the Source all by your lonesome."

Kaoru chokes. Her jaw drops and a look of surprise comes to her face. She looks to Alphinaud who gives a sad smile. "Did you really think you could trick us? Twas you whom we grew and studied with. Are you really so surprised that we were able to detect your lie as soon as you said it?"

Kaoru purses her eyebrows, now a saddened look on her face. "I did not lie, perse..." She puts a hand of reasoning out. "Everything I had reported to you all was the truth. Wholefully and unwaveringly." She drops her hand, looking away. "However... Aye, you've the right of it in a certain respect... There were things I had elected to omit. But they weren't things I can openly talk about just yet."

Alisaie scowls, clenching her teeth and fists. Alphinaud scowls too, but he crosses his arms and puts a hand to his chin, thinking. "Urgh! I knew you were hiding something from us!" Kaoru says nothing. "Stop talking around the subject and speak plainly! I know you only do that when it's about something you've resigned to not sharing." Kaoru scowls now, looking at Alisaie.

"Then on that point, I'll have you know that I HAVE resigned to not sharing!" Kaoru argues. "As I told you. I can't openly talk about them just yet!"

"Does it have anything to do with your sickly appearance?" Alisaie asks. Kaoru remains silent. "You barely ate anything at the banquet, you look as though you've yet to sleep, you appear like you're about to fall over after a spell, you barely spoke a word to anyone else-." Alphinaud places a hand on Alisaie's shoulder.

"Alisaie." Alphinaud interrupts his twin sister. She stops, looking over at him. Kaoru does too now, her expression softening. "I am sure you have your reasons. And that you wish to endure on your own..." Alphinaud sighs. "If that is your wish, then we will suffer this discussion no longer." Alisaie scoffs.

"Alphinaud!"

He faces her, a scowl on his face as well. "Let it rest, Alisaie!" He snarls through clenched teeth. Alisaie takes a step back at Alphinaud's sudden loss of composure, mouth agape. He closes his eyes, pursuing his lips and exhaling, slowly collecting himself. "Tis clear she's no intention of availing us the details." He gives Kaoru a bitter look. "Twould be useless to pry any further..." Kaoru gives them both a hurt look before closing her eyes.

She turns and walks away, not looking back... From the shadows, mere fulms around the corner, eavesdropping, Tius sighs. He crosses his arms and walks away.

Urianger exits the Crystarium and walks onto the grass of the farmland area. He spots Tius, leaning against one if the gates. "Ah, Tius." Urianger walks over. "Hath thou prepareth for the journey in return to the Empty?" Tius looks up at him.

"Not just yet." He stood up straight. "I had a thing I needed to ask you."

Urianger tilts his head in question. "Pray, avail thy query."

Tius crosses his arms, scowling. "What is wrong with Kaoru?" Urianger looks like he'd been expecting Tius to ask, his face unmoving from the serious expression that was plastered there. "If there's anything I've learned about you since we first met is that your ability to hold secrets is infamous..." Tius looks down at the ground. "She told you what she refused to tell the rest of us, especially Alphinaud and Alisaie." He targets Urianger with his gaze. "And don't you try and lie. I'll know if you are."

Urianger sighs, closing his eyes and shrugging. "Aye. I am aware of thy uncanny ability to see through deception and falsehoods." Urianger looks at Tius, the serious face returning. "But answer me this, art thou truly ready to accept it?" Tius cocks an eyebrow. "Kaoru didst refrain on revealing certain tribulations. But only in hopes to lessen burdens on the minds of thee. She wishes to face her burdens alone."

Tius scowls, clenching his fists at his sides. "We're just worried! Especially Alphinaud and Alisaie!" Tius says. Urianger looks away, down at the grass, a pained expression on his face. "We just want to know what's going on..." He takes a second, closing his eyes before sighing.

"By thy wish, I shall bestow upon thee the truth." Urianger says. Tius sighs in relief now too. He then gives Urianger a determined looks and nods. Urianger scowls. "Twas on the eve of the celebration after the victory that was one in no small thanks of the efforts of thee and the other Warriors of Light." Urianger crosses his arms. "Kaoru then didst receive an urgent missive from Master Matoya. A missive that was sent in regards to a matter Mistress Krile and Tataru had unveiled unto her..."

A masked man steps into the darkened and quiet tavern of the Rising Stones. He looks around and spots the desk in front of the Solar. He remembers the info that was given to him. The targets were in the infirmary room next to the desk, to the left. If he pulled this off, he could earn his spot back in the Empire's Army. He pulls a pistol from a holster fastened to his belt. He turns the doorknob to the door, and gently opens the door. Inside, the targets were located. 3 Elezen, a Hyur, and a Mi'quote, all lie "sleeping" in beds, adorned in hempen medical attires.

He smiles. (This was too easy...) He thinks. (Whoever these targets were, they were fools to think they could stand against the Empire.) He looks to the smaller Elezen, both with the same face. But he could see a blue ribbon at the end of one of their braids. So HE was the one he'd heard of. The one who was responsible for the defectors in the Burn. He knew who his first shot would be. He aims the pistol, training it on the boy as he walked into the room. Twas hard to think him a political mastermind like the report said when he was sleeping soundly like a babe.

The man almost felt sorry for the kid. If only for a second. He cocked the hammer back on the pistol. He inhaled, placing his finger on the trigger. He began to exhale, and as he did, he squeezed the trigger. And a shot rang out. But the man chokes as a flash if pink light reflects the bullet. The pale pink light reflects over the boy and the bullet sticks into the wall above the boy's head. "What?!" The man shouts. The door creaks behind him and as he turned to see what it was, a flash of black and pink hair is seen.

It was the last thing he saw.

A short bit later...

Krile and Tataru run as fast as they can into the Rising Stones. A crowd has gathered a few feet from the door to the infirmary room. Krile and Tataru rush over and through the doorway. The scene made Tataru gasp in bewilderment. "Oh Gods!"

Krile gives a bitter look down at the scene. "Confound it..."

A bloodied corpse lay covered by a blanket in the floor. Arenvald is kneeling next to a very very deadpanned Kaoru, plopped on the floor and held in his arms. Her hands were empty but blood covered her gloves. And on the floor in front of her were glowing pink aetherial Chakrams, splashed with blood. Tataru puts a hand to her mouth. "K-Kaoru..." She says.

Kaoru looks over to them, mouth slightly agape and the same dead looking eyes trained in them, no expression in her face whatsoever. Krile scowls now. "Again?" She asked. Kaoru nods once, turning to face them. Some blood was splattered on her cheek and she chokes a bit before quivering. She then promptly faints into Arenvald's arms, her nose bleeding.

Arenvald tsks as her glowing pink Chakrams shimmer away. The second they do, five bubbles of pink light that were surrounding the Scions crack and shimmer away as well. "All this energy spent." Arenvald looks at Krile and Tataru. "She can't keep doing this! This is the third time!" Krile purses her eyebrows. She doesn't say anything. Only soaks up the horrifying scene. Tataru, teary eyed, steps forward.

"We should take her to Master Matoya at once!" She tells them, her hands up in panic. "She'll help her get back on her feet again. I know she will!" Arenvald nods at Tataru. She scoops Kaoru up into his arms and picks her up off the floor. He stands up, grabbing a blanket from the stack in the cupboard. He wraps the blanket around Kaoru, swaddling her, before covering the top of her head with the end, almost like a hood. He walks past Krile and out of the infirmary room, Tataru in tow.

Krile kneels down next to the man's body. She uncovers the side of the blanket. She checks the pockets. In the the pocket on his other side, a weathered envelope is folded. What surprised her most was what was on it. The Sigil from the Royal Family... of Garlemald. And inside was an order to find the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and terminate them...

[sueboohscorner]

#ThisisUs - "Clooney" S2/Ep 12 Recap & Review

Just as I sat down to watch last night’s TIU episode, “Clooney,” a meteor hit in Michigan!  From my spot on the couch, I saw a big flash of light, heard a loud boom and then the earth shook! It was all very dramatic but the last scene of last night's TIU was much more impactful!  But we’re not going to talk about that yet.   We have too much too much to cover first.  

So, lets begin...

The first scene is that of a stray cat wandering through the streets dodging cars and people. Turns out that this was William’s cat, Clooney.  William didn’t bring him when he moved in with Randall but William went back home at least once a week to check on him.  

It looks like Kevin is leaving rehab and his therapist is concerned about his return to his life in Hollywood so soon.  Flippant, “actor” Kevin is back. He tries to charm Dr. Barbara by calling her ? but she knows that he’s just trying to hide the fact that he’s worried about returning to his old life too.  So, Kevin will be staying with Rebecca and Miguel for a time.  Considering all the things that he said to his mom during the infamous therapy session and his animosity towards Miguel, oh boy, this is going to be interesting.

In this week’s flashback, Jack is building an entertainment center for Rebecca.  As they talk about it in the kitchen, Kate comes in and asks Rebecca to take her to the mall for a dress for the school dance.  Rebecca is thrilled!  Jack needs a new suit for work and they need batteries for the smoke detector. Randall wants to go too.  

Kevin is camped out on the sofa and in no hurry to leave it but Jack wins and the all of the Pearson’s head to the mall.  Once there, Kate and Rebecca head to the dress shop, Randall heads off on his own mission, Jack and Kevin shop for suits.  

Kate finds a dress and heads off to the fitting room with the same dress in several sizes. As Rebecca waits, Kate leaves the fitting room empty handed and bolts from the store without her mom.

Kevin and Jack run into Miguel at the mall.  Miguel tells them that his ex-wife is engaged. Miguel isn’t too happy about it.  Jack starts his usual, when God closes a door speech, Kevin speaks up and says that sometimes people just need a moment to feel bad.  Miguel agrees. Jack smiles and lets them have their moment.  As Jack, Kevin and Miguel have lunch at the Food Court, the conversation leads to Miguel’s revelation that Jack wanted to open his own construction business but didn’t because of his growing family, it wasn’t the right time.

Randall’s mall mission is revealed and it’s about asking a girl out.  First attempt was a fail. Second attempt seems to work.  It doesn’t look good at first but then he charms her when he says to let the 8 Ball decide.  She does and though she doesn’t actually say yes, it looks like mission accomplished.

As Jack and Kevin admire their choice of suits, they have a really good bonding moment. Kevin is pleased when Jack exuberantly tells him how great he looks.  You can see in Kevin’s face how much his father’s praise means to him.

Later, Rebecca finds Kate after looking everywhere. Kate tells her mom that none of the dresses fit.  Rebecca wants to try a different store but Kate refuses.  

Present day Kate is back at her group meeting and is telling them about her miscarriage and the junk food she’s been sneaking.  She also tells the group about the wedding and how stressed she is about finding a dress. Later, Madison tells her about a dress designer she knows that would create a dress for her.  Kate agrees to check it out and her and Madison head to the store.  Inside the store, Madison spies cookies and starts eating them.  As Kate talks to the assistant about a dress, Madison seems distracted and abruptly excuses herself to go to the bathroom.  Kate knows why and when they leave the dress store and Kate confronts Madison about her eating disorder.  Madison tells Kate to find her own way home and storms off.  

Later that evening, Kate gets a call from Madison and rushes to her apartment.  There she finds Madison on the floor of her bathroom with a cut on her forehead.  She tells Kate that when she came home, she started eating and then went to the bathroom.  She got dizzy and must have fallen.  This scared her enough to call Kate.  Kate shares her own story about how she once did lose all the weight and got really skinny.  But, Kate says, she wasn’t happy that way.  Madison tells Kate she’s her best friend.  Awkward.

Randall is helping the girls with a diorama for school.  Beth comes in to the kitchen and is upset about a failed business deal.  She is also feeling the stress of Randall not working and needs him to promise her that he will go to a job interview he has scheduled later that day. He won’t miss the interview but first, there is a box of William’s belongings that he is going to pick up at his old apartment.  At William’s old building, he picks up the box from a neighbor. Randall asks about Clooney the Catt and finds out that the cat took off a couple of weeks ago. Never fear, the man says, a stray always seems to end up just where he needs to be.  

In the car, Randall looks through his father’s things.  He finds a book of poems that William wrote and is surprised to find that there is a love poem that seems to be talking about a woman in the building that he was in love with.  Randall sets off on another mission – to find this woman!  He leaves a note on the bulletin board requesting info about this woman.

Randall heads to the interview but stops by Beth’s workplace first.  He’s going on and on about this woman and Beth is clearly irritated because she is slammed with work.  She scolds Randall a bit, telling him that lately he seems to be walking above the clouds and she needs him to come back down to earth.  During the interview, Randall gets a phone call and excuses himself to take it.  It’s William’s friend and he thinks the mystery woman may be the building super and Randall heads back to find this woman.  He knocks on the woman’s door, identifies himself as William’s son and the woman says that William was a pain in her ass.  She cracks up when asked if they were romantic and she tells Randall that William took it upon himself to let her know when building repairs needed to be made.  He was relentless.  Randall shows the woman William’s poem. She takes Randall back to his father’s apartment and Randall sees that the woman in the poem is Billy Holliday, whose poster is on the wall.  

We haven’t talked about Kevin yet!  Kevin arrives at Rebecca and Miquel’s home.  It’s a little awkward at first and Kevin is looking forward to the opportunity to have some mother/son time to rebuild their relationship after the therapy session.  So when Rebecca and Kevin plan a trip to the grocery store, Kevin is irritated when Miguel says he’s going too.  At the grocery store, Kevin confronts Miguel and asks him why he had to tag along when he knew that he wanted alone time with his mom.  Miguel tells Kevin that after what happened at rehab, Miguel came with them to protect his wife, should she be hurt again by Kevin.  I’m not sure but I think Miguel standing up to him earned Miguel a little bit of respect from Kevin.  

Back at home, Kevin walks into the room and finds Rebecca and Miguel sitting on the couch cuddling.  They pull apart when Kevin walks in.  Kevin is feeling restless so Rebecca goes to make Kevin some tea.  He uses this time alone with Miguel to apologize and asks him if he was in love with Rebecca even when Jack was alive.  Miguel says NO!  There was never any feelings other than friendship.  The thought of that would have never crossed his mind.  

Kevin has a moment to Rebecca alone and asks her about her and Miguel.  Rebecca tells him that after Jack died, there were things she knew she had to give up.  Happiness was one of them.  Getting from one day to the next was the most important thing for her and the kids. But one day, she and Miguel found each other and he makes her happy – truly happy.  Kevin finally seems to accept that.  

Clooney, the cat is being chased through the streets by children in an attempt to catch him. One little boy does and Clooney finds a new home.  

Randall has found his new purpose and is excited to share it with Beth.  Beth is not quite so enthusiastic but is there to support Randall.  They pull up outside of William's apartment building where Randall has spent most of his day. Confused, Beth gets out of the car as Randall announces that he wants them to buy this building and fix it up so the people that live there can have the home they deserve. 

We end the show with Rebecca and Jack on the couch after the day at the mall.  Rebecca asks Jack to talk to Kate.  She knows that there’s something going on with her but Rebecca also knows that Kate won’t confide in her.  Moments later, Jack drops a bombshell announcement! He wants to quit his job and start the construction company he has always dreamed about. Rebecca is shocked but after a moment, she seems to be all in!  

This brings us to the final moment of the episode.  As the final scene fades out, we get a close up shot of the smoke detector with NO BATTERIES!  With so much going on at the mall that day, neither Jack nor Rebecca thought about batteries!  The camera hovers there for a moment to give us all the chance to realize what we’re looking at.  OMG! We don’t know the exact cause of the fire yet but now it appears that if the smoke detector had been operational, Jack might have survived!  The suspense is maddening. Slowly, TIU writers are giving us clues about Jack’s death, but the biggest mystery on television right now is still that – a mystery.

[kaoru-takaida]

Shadowbringers chapter

*contains Shadowbringers spoilers*

SELFLESS YET SELFISH

Hope steps into the cave, looking around. She spies Master Matoya and Arenvald discussing something towards the center. "Arenvald. Master Matoya." They both look over at her. Arenvald's face lights up with a big loving grin. Hope walks over to them.

"Hope!" He says. "It feels like it's been ages!" He says. He puts a fist out to her. She smiles and bumps it with her own fist. He places the fist to his heart before gesturing to her. "What brings you here?"

Matoya looks up at him. "Twould be plainly obvious what does, boy." She gestures at Hope with her staff now. "She's discovered our little predicament here on the Source."

Arenvald gives Hope an alarmed look. Hope smiles halfheartedly. "Tataru and Krile told me I could find you all here..." Hope frowns. She crosses her arms. "Unfortunately, Urianger isn't as tight lipped about such matters when the twins are involved. He told me what was happening in hopes we would help."

Master Matoya sighs. "I see."

Hope scowls a bit. "Where is she?" Hope asks. "What's she been doing that's hurting her so much?" Arenvald and Master Matoya exchange hesitant glances. Matoya scoffs.

"I suppose there's no point in hiding it anymore..." Hope cocks an eyebrow. Suddenly a familiar sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach starts and she inhales sharply. She glances to Matoya and her head throbs as her Echo sparks a memory.

And so she feels herself fade away. Into the memory.

Kaoru dropped the letter to the table. "This is bad... Why would the Emperor do something this dirty?"

Krile and Tataru were there as well. "It might not be the Emperor himself. Just because of the seal, it could be anyone within the Royal Family." Krile pointed out.

Kaoru scoffed. "Confounded Empire..."

Tataru gave Kaoru a worried look. "If they do manage to kill our friends' bodies while they're in their current conditions, then it'll kill them on the First?" Kaoru looked down at Tataru. "That's what you said, isn't it?"

Kaoru nodded. "When G'raha Called them from our world, the summoning was incomplete." Kaoru explained. "Their souls remain on the First, as sort of spirits everyone can see and even touch. But their bodies, here on the Source," Kaoru closed her eyes," empty vessels with a small tethered connection to their souls on the First." Kaoru put a hand to her lips as she considered the options. "We could use our time to find a way to bring them back to the Source..." Kaoru shook her head, pursing her eyebrows. "But I fear we have too little time and not the slightest semblance of an idea of where to start..."

Matoya tilted her head. "Then what do you propose, girl?"

Kaoru looked at the crone. "Might I suggest something brash and bold?" She asked. Master Matoya chuckled mockingly.

"Spit it out, now, will you?" She said. "I'm sure as Hells not getting any younger."

Kaoru nodded. "There was a spell that Master Louisoix was researching at one point. I read about it once..."

Matoya thought it over. She scowled suddenly with realization. "You don't mean Aether Field, do you?!" Kaoru didn't say anything. Matoya tsked. "Forget it. It requires too much energy to create just one bug field."

Kaoru put her hands on her hips as she leaned forward. "But what about 5 smaller fields?" Kaoru asked. She tapped her chest. "I've been practicing my manipulation of my aether. You yourself said that I've improved a great deal since we left the Source for the First..."

Matoya shook her head. "One has nothing to do with the other." Master Matoya gestures to her. "That your skills have improved exponentially since last we spoke, there is no doubt. But to make those fields, however small they may be, you'll be taking months, if not YEARS off of your lifespan just to conjure the damned things, let alone KEEP then stable." Matoya scowled. "Are you really willing to make such a big sacrifice to prevent something that may or may not even happen?"

Kaoru slammed her hands onto the table, her hand on top of the letter listing the Scions as targets for termination. "I can not risk it!! I CAN'T LOSE THEM!" She shouted, her composure lost. This took even Krile and Tataru by surprise. She looked down, her bangs covering her eyes. "I..." Tears fell from her chin and Tataru choked back her own tears. "I almost lost them... on the First... I couldn't save them. I couldn't even save myself!"

"Oh, Kaoru..." Tataru said, misty eyed.

Krile gave Kaoru a bitter look. "But they aren't your responsibility alone... You won't be able to protect the Twins forever, you know?"

Kaoru sniffled. "I don't give a damn..." She looked at her, scowling with tears in her eyes. "I can still try! If I don't try, then what kind of Warrior of Light am I?"

The sound of static interrupts the vision and the memory blurs into another.

"Master Matoya!!" Krile shouted, dashing into the cave. Matoya turned to see the paniced lalafell woman. "We need your help! It's Kaoru!"

Arenvald came into the cave now, an unconscious Kaoru hanging limp in his arms. Blood dripped from her nose and down her chin. Matoya gasped at the sight. "Set her over here!" Arenvald set Kaoru down on the floor in front of Master Matoya. Krile joined them. Matoya looked to her. "I'll need your help. She needs your Blessing to help heal her."

Krile pursed her eyebrows. "My Blessing?"

"Of Light." Matoya said. "If she used Force Field, then her mind and soul must be in tatters right now." Krile looked at Kaoru. "Just focus on the color of her soul AND healing her. That should do the trick." Krile nodded. She kneeled down next to Kaoru. She powered her aether and closed her eyes, concentrating her healing.

Arenvald knelt down too on the other side and powered his aether too. "Let me help."

Half a bell later, Kaoru was breathing normally and sleeping soundly in a cot. "So the stupid girl had the right of it, is that it?" Master Matoya asked Krile and Arenvald.

"Aye, m'lady." Arenvald told her. "Kaoru had found and killed an assassin after the Scions."

Krile nodded. She removed an envelope. "An assassin with a missive." Krile scowled. "Bearing the Sigil of the Royal Family of The Garlemald Empire..." Krile sighed. "Kaoru had used the Force Field spell and was able to deflect the attack on Thancred. She was able to slay the assassin, but it left her in this state."

Master Matoya scoffed. "The bloody Empire sure have some stones to try this with one of my students." Matoya noticed the concerned look on Krile's face. "What is it, young lady?"

Krile hesitated before looking up at Matoya. "Her skin is paler than usual..." Matoya didn't day anything. Only looked down at Kaoru, a worried expression on her face.

"There must be another way..."

Hope removes the hand from her head as the memory fades away. Arenvald steadies her from staggering. "Judging by that, I take it you saw for yourself." Arenvald asks. Hope nods.

"That saves me the trouble of explaining. Good riddance." Hope looks at Master Matoya. She sighs. "Then you know that there was nothing we could do to stop her. Whatever happened on the First had scared her enough to risk shortening her own life to make sure the Scions stayed safe."

Hope scowls. "Why didn't she just tell us, though?" She asks. More thinking aloud and not really looking for an answer. "She told us she was just training with you."

"Oh, that was no lie." Master Matoya says. "She has been training with me. But protecting your friends came first. And even then, I'm quite sure the only reason she's been training with me is to use those skills towards safeguarding them all the same..." Hope doesn't say anything.

Kaoru pale and sickly appearance made more sense now... as did her strange behavior towards the twins, and her conspiring with Urianger...

What she wanted to know was why she wouldn't tell her best friend... or her significant other at that...

Tius watches as Kaoru takes a few dampened wash cloths to the Scions, wiping their arms, legs, faces, and necks. (She's caring for them like proper coma patients...) But she has yet to answer a question he'd asked her. Why didn't she say anything to him? There was more to it than just being a distraction... Kaoru stops as she reaches Alphinaud's cot. She sighs, standing there, seemingly unsure. Tius sighs now too. Bit more of an over dramatic exasperated sigh. "Gimme that..." he says, pointing to the freshly damp wash cloth.

Kaoru hands it to him. She watches him in surprise as he sat down on the stool in front of Alphinaud's cot. She smiles as Tius hesitantly begins to wash Alphinaud's face off with the cloth. "Thank you, Tius..."

Tius clears his throat, trying to feign bravado. "No prob. Besides," he gave her a wicked looking smile, "imagine his face when I tell him I helped wash him..."

Kaoru can't help but laugh. Tius laughs too. When the laughing fades, Kaoru takes a fresh wash cloth to Alisaie's face. She sits on the stool. "Thank you..."

Tius snorts. "You said that already, silly..." He says. But when he looks over, tears were rolling down her cheeks. "Hey... What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Kaoru sniffles, wiping her eyes. "I am... just so sorry..." She sobs. She covers her mouth with the back of her right hand, the wash cloth still in it. She clings onto her tunic with her left. "I should have said something... Aught would have been better than..." She sobs again.

Tius smiles at her. He reaches over Alphinaud to her and takes her left hand. "It's okay..." Tius tells her. She looks up at him. He stands up to get a better grasp on her hand. "It hurt when you chose to keep this from me. I won't lie... but I'm sure you had your reasons..." He looks at Alphinaud's resting face and scoffs. "Hells, two of them are laying right here..." Kaoru looks away.

"I..." She chokes on her words. "I just wanted..." She scoffs. "I just wanted to do it myself..." Kaoru says. Tius tilts his head, giving a curious look. She exhales a shaky breathe. "I couldn't ask you or Hope to shorten your life like this... And I thought that..." Kaoru looks over to Alphinaud. "You would get the wrong idea..."

"Since Alphinaud's involved?" Tius asks. Kaoru nods, looking at the floor. Tius sighs. He leans forward, over Alphinaud and pulls Kaoru's face to his own. He kisses her, much to her surprise. He holds her chin a bit longer and pulls his face away. "I want you to be happy... And if that means making sure the Twins are happy and safe, then that's what I'll do."

Kaoru's jaw drops. "But-."

Tius shakes his head, smiling at her. "I know your fate will always be intertwined with theirs. And it's not my place to try to make it otherwise." Kaoru's lips quiver. She purses her eyebrows, tears welling into her eyes again. "I didn't need Urianger's prophecy to confirm that." Kaoru chokes.

"He... actually told you about that?" Kaoru asks. Tius nods. "Tius... I-."

Tius shakes his head again. "No... There's no need for an explanation, Kaoru." He places a hand on top of her head. "I just want you happy and safe. That being said..." He points to himself. "Master Matoya is gonna teach me the Force Field spell. That way, you won't have to shoulder all of the burden."

Kaoru stands now, a panicked expression on her face. "Nay, you mustn't."

Tius scoffs. "Too bad. It's happening." Kaoru gives him a concerned look. He smiles. "However short my lifetime gets, I wanna spend it with you in it. You hear?" She smiles a sad but happy smile. She nods. "Good." Kaoru's chuckles once before a beeping sounds off. The sounds of her linkpearl.

She clicks the button and answers the call. "Yes?" She looks to Tius, a stunned look on her face. "Are you sure of this?" Kaoru pauses again. "I see. We'll make plans immediately. Thank you for this, Riol." Kaoru wipes her eyes, dropping her hands to her sides and clenching her fists.

"What is it?" Tius asks.

Kaoru scowls, but gives a determined smile. "Let us end this complication once and for all. What say you, dearly beloved?" She asks, balling her fist and tapping it into her other hand.

Tius gives a determined scowl as well. "I say Hells yes..."

====

Hope Gallant played by @louderthanthedj