How interesting...

Greetings, and it is a pleasure to meet you. You'll have to forgive me mess, as the various tomes here seldom remain stationary for very long. Help yourself to any of the texts you require, though I ask that you are careful with them. Most are, unfortunately, difficult to replace. [Formally affiliated with the closed group FE:RP. Anons are welcome.] Mun's local time:

[shadedperseverance]

Breaking Point II Laurent & Lucina

[shadedperseverance]

"If we step outside and go around the back of the tent… it is closer to the trees and it might look to most as if we are taking a walk together. It may avoid attracting attention." There was a slight slur to his words, all of them coming out smaller and slower than was normal. His legs still felt weak, but the air outside was nice and cool and made him feel a little better, at least physically.

"…thank you for assisting me," he said. Had he already? He couldn’t remember. "I fear I’ve become something of a burden to you — ah, mine is just there. The dark one on the end."

[changeismybesthope]

"Sounds good to me. I’m just here to help make you feel comfortable." Lucina led Laurent to the back of the tent. He still didn’t sound very good, but the fresh air appeared to be helping a little.

"It’s no problem at all," she assured him as they made their way towards the dark tent. Why was it so dark, anyway? "YOu could never be a burden to me." Lucina squeezed Laurent’s hand as they stopped outside the tent’s entrance.

[shadedperseverance]

"If not metaphorical, them I stand as one literally for the time being," Laurent murmured, guilt still audible through his tired tone. "But I am still most grateful all the same; I was lucky that it was you who found me."

With a weak smile, Laurent tugged the flap of his tent aside and tried to pull away, not wanting to force his weight upon Lucina any longer. His efforts fell in vein, however, when he only made it a few steps before his knees buckled and he started to teeter again. His vision swam, making his stomach churn in protest as a hand flew to his head and his knees hit the ground.

Nothing about this day seemed to be going in his favour.

[shadedperseverance]

Breaking Point II Laurent & Lucina

[changeismybesthope]

Lucina’s face flushed. She wasn’t as affectionate with Laurent as some other people were with their partners, especially not in public. What would people think? Even worse, what if they saw her face and thought she was sick?

"No, don’t worry about it," Lucina said. It wasn’t really true, but it wasn’t a lie either. Lucina always felt like she had to be training or helping around camp, even if there wasn’t much to be done. But what kind of person would she be if she abandoned Laurent at a time like this? He probably couldn’t walk by himself anyway.

[shadedperseverance]

"If we step outside and go around the back of the tent... it is closer to the trees and it might look to most as if we are taking a walk together. It may avoid attracting attention." There was a slight slur to his words, all of them coming out smaller and slower than was normal. His legs still felt weak, but the air outside was nice and cool and made him feel a little better, at least physically.

"...thank you for assisting me," he said. Had he already? He couldn't remember. "I fear I've become something of a burden to you -- ah, mine is just there. The dark one on the end."

[shadedperseverance]

It's All in Your Head II Laurent & Morgan

[morganthetactician]

"What I do remember?" Morgan asked, furrowing his eyebrows. That was a pretty loaded question. After all, there were so many things one could remember. Obviously they were talking about the future that they came from, but even then, it was difficult to answer. Did he give a generalization? Did he talk more specifically. He wasn’t sure what sort of information Laurent needed here. Obviously there was a lot to be addressed with this matter, but Morgan wasn’t exactly an expert, even after all that reading, so he wasn’t quite sure where to begin and how much to tell.

That left the tactician at a bit of a loss. “Well…er…I’m not exactly sure what all you need to know or how detailed it should be…” He tilted his head to the side. “…oh, but I did bring this!” Morgan’s face lit up when he remembered something he’d brought for the purpose of this. Then again, he took it most everywhere with him anyways, for the purposes of keeping any writings and drawings and other things related to his memories in it. “It’s my memories journal…book…er…I’m not quite sure how to refer to it specifically, but we can refer to it as a journal mostly.”

Morgan produced a notebook that he had brought with him and set aside from all the other books. “I don’t know if you remember, but Lucina gave me this as a present when I was around 10…so I definitely remember at least that much, though having the journal may be the only reason why.” He chuckled. “But I’ve been keeping track of some things here ever since, being forgetful as I am.” Of course, what had happened to him when he arrived in the past took ‘forgetful’ to a whole new meaning. “As I’ve been reading over this, I’ve been gradually remembering things, and I’ve been writing in and drawing new things too.”

Actually, a lot of his writings had been about Amelia lately. The idea of Laurent seeing Morgan’s sweet, cheesy writings about his loved one dusted his cheeks with a slight blush, but whatever needed to be done, needed to be done. He smiled at Laurent nonetheless. “Maybe this can give us a place to start from, at least, and I can fill in any more gaps we need to cover as to what I remember.”

[shadedperseverance]

"It's a start," Laurent said with a nod, taking the journal. "It is far better to have at least a theory over entering the process blindly."

As he opened to the first page, Laurent began to skim over the contents inside, trying to pull out key words or symbols that might be of use. Reading the entire thing would likely take some time, but if his quick attempts did not offer any fruits, then he would take the time to read each and every word - or so he assumed he'd been given permission to do. He would at least make an effort to inquire before delving further.

Most of what he found was what one might have expected to find - admittedly with more small details - but given the situation, it was understandable. With each turn of a page, Laurent felt his brain desperately trying to put together pieces of a puzzle he couldn't make out; it was like trying to reassemble a blank canvas with only the different shapes of the shattered pieces to go off of - though by the time he reached the most recent entries, his cheeks had taken on a generous shade of pink.

"You said you received this from Lucina, did you not?" he asked, closing the journal and placing it in his lap. "Might I assume that you received it at the castle, perhaps? Assuming the bond your parent and Lucina's share, it would not surprise me if trips were frequent, though I admit, I was not fully aware of your living situation. I had heard rumours you and your guardian had opted to remain there, however..."

[shadedperseverance]

Breaking Point II Laurent & Lucina

[shadedperseverance]

His attention swam in and out of focus as he stared up at Lucina, trying to keep his concentration between her and holding up the weight of his own body. He couldn’t afford to collapse right now - not when there was just so much to do… but his body really didn’t seem to agree with the mentality in the slightest.

"Lucina…" he murmured, guilt beginning to form in his chest as he saw the look on her face. She was one of the last people he’d ever want to concern or burden. What would happen should his body give out? “…I must offer you my sincerest apologies. I’d not intended to cause you strife nor the burden of psychological stress.” His words were sloppy as he spoke, but at least he was still coherent. That was something to be proud of.

"Should it ease your concerns… I suppose it would not be detrimental to partake in a period of rest. Though I must admit… I do not have the full confidence that I might be able to traverse myself from our current location to a place of rest." His cheeks coloured faintly, the pink hue having nothing to do with his fever. Rather something between slight shame and embarrassment at how childish he must have sounded. "Would you be willing to act as my escort to see that my endeavours do not… fall short?"

[changeismybesthope]

"Okay, but…actually, I’m wrong. You shouldn’t just get rest to make me feel better. You should do it so you don’t make yourself pass out and…" Lucina was going to say die, but that would just make Laurent even more agitated. “So you don’t hurt yourself later on.”

Lucina would have found his pink face adorable if he wasn’t so sick. “Of course I can help you find somewhere to rest,” she said. “Here, you can lean on me.”

[shadedperseverance]

With a small smile, Laurent  hodded and raised an arm, wrapping it gently around Lucina's shoulders. Compared to his own, her body felt so cool and so incredibly comfortable. Even with their current standing relationship, it was so rare he allowed himself the grace of pressing close without valid reason. And yet, the more he found himself, doing it, the desire  to continue the contact was all the greater. A fevered mind didn't help the matter. It was truly a bizarre line of thought.

"I'm most grateful," he murmured, moving alongside Lucina as they left the tent. "I can only pray I am not keeping you from more important tasks. Should you be required elsewhere, I could find a way to manage on my own." Even if he didn't want her to leave, the mage knew well it would be selfish to try otherwise.

[shadedperseverance]

Breaking Point II Laurent & Lucina

[changeismybesthope]

"But it’s not even hot out…at all…" Heat-based exhaustion, indeed. Clearly that was Laurent’s fever talking. He didn’t seem to be able to process most of what Lucina was saying, so she wasn’t sure what the best way to deal with this would be. It was obvious that he wasn’t telling the truth, and he had to know that Lucina knew that, but how would she get him to admit the truth?

Lucina stood up with Laurent and took his hand to help him balance. Gods, why couldn’t he just conserve his energy? “No, you’re wrong. I do need to worry.” Lucina bit her lip, trying to keep her emotions under control. “Because you promised me you’d try to take care of yourself, and look what’s happening now. I can’t let you do this.” She wasn’t sure how much he was hearing, but she had to try. “Please, get some rest. For me.”

[shadedperseverance]

His attention swam in and out of focus as he stared up at Lucina, trying to keep his concentration between her and holding up the weight of his own body. He couldn't afford to collapse right now - not when there was just so much to do... but his body really didn't seem to agree with the mentality in the slightest.

"Lucina..." he murmured, guilt beginning to form in his chest as he saw the look on her face. She was one of the last people he'd ever want to concern or burden. What would happen should his body give out? "...I must offer you my sincerest apologies. I'd not intended to cause you strife nor the burden of psychological stress." His words were sloppy as he spoke, but at least he was still coherent. That was something to be proud of.

"Should it ease your concerns... I suppose it would not be detrimental to partake in a period of rest. Though I must admit... I do not have the full confidence that I might be able to traverse myself from our current location to a place of rest." His cheeks coloured faintly, the pink hue having nothing to do with his fever. Rather something between slight shame and embarrassment at how childish he must have sounded. "Would you be willing to act as my escort to see that my endeavours do not... fall short?"

[shadedperseverance]

Breaking Point II Laurent & Lucina

[changeismybesthope]

Lucina swept aside the flap and hurried into Laurent’s tent. For some reason, she hadn’t been seeing him around camp as much as usual, and she had a hunch that something might be off.

The tent was warm and there was a strange smell in the air, but all Lucina noticed was Laurent looking as if he was fainting. She dashed over and took him in her arms.

"Oh, gods…Oh, no…Didn’t I tell you not to work yourself too hard? Get some rest." Lucina picked up Laurent’s glasses. "Do you want me to clean up some of this stuff?"

She felt his forehead. “Laurent, you’re burning up! Why didn’t you try to…oh, never mind. Just get some rest and I’ll try to find a healer.” She would have kissed him, but she was nervous that she might get sick herself.

[shadedperseverance]

The sudden onslaught of speech left Laurent's mind reeling. His thoughts felt like they were processing only halfway; forming in his mind and fading away before he was able to make sense of them. Each question made him slip further into his feverish daze, only able to take in a few words at random.

"I'm quite well," he mumbled, leaning into the cooler body supporting him unconsciously. He knew the voice speaking to him. It was gentle and comforting; someone he was more than certain he could trust. "I was merely suffering a slight bout of heat-based exhaustion. I am more than capable of continuing my chores and duties as needed and required." It was as far from the truth as possible, but he didn't need for this person to know that. There were only a small list of things to be completed left on his mental list - a small miracle that he was still able to mentally focus on - and he was stubbornly determined to finish them before his body would ever collapse. Or so he hoped.

"You need not worry," the mage continued, straightening himself slowly. Though he managed to get to his feet, his body still swayed precariously. His balance was long gone. "I assure you I health is of the most desirable conditions." Another lie, but he could hold a strong poker face. Hopefully.

[shadedperseverance]

Breaking Point II Laurent & Lucina

Another sneeze sounded throughout the tent as Laurent pressed a waded handkerchief to his nose. His eyes watered under the effort of trying to mute the sound, a soft and muffled groan escaping his lips. His skin, once healthy and slightly tanned, was pale, his cheeks flushed with a dark scarlet that contrasted harshly with his new pastey colour. The tome in front of him hadn't changed pages in over an hour, the same paragraph making no more sense in his fever-fogged mind than it had when he started.

Sighing, the mage leaned back, closing his eyes against the bright light filtering in through a opening in the tent flaps to his right. His head had begun to throb some time ago, fogging his vision and thoughts with every throb. It felt as if he were falling apart, lead-weighted limbs making his movements difficult and the heat, the heat was awful. What he would have given to take off his cloak and robe, but the threat of anyone walking in on him didn't dare allow the effort of trying.

There are still an ample amount of tasks I must complete before the sun sets, he thought, fighting against the urge he had to close his eyes. How nice it would have been to simply relax and sleep. Once he finished his studies here, he'd need to move to the barracks and take inventory in time for the trip into town for needed supplies. Which meant he'd have to check the medical supplies as well. Perhaps he could find something for his migraine while he was there. He'd be able to handle the rest... probably.

With a firm shake of his head, Laurent stood up. Almost immediately, his vision swam and his knees buckled, nearly sending him colliding into the floor. His hands hit the surface of the table as his glasses clattered to the ground. He didn't even notice the flap of his tent opening.

[shadedperseverance]

It's All in Your Head II Laurent & Morgan

[morganthetactician]

Morgan let out a more audible sigh than his red-haired friend across from him. Gods, they had purchased so many books and yet not a one of them seemed to yield anything quite what they were looking for. They had read through so many, and they were all very tedious for the most part. Even Laurent seemed to be getting tired of this, and it was difficult to make Laurent tire of reading. Usually Morgan didn’t tire of reading either, but this was another matter altogether.

"You’re telling me…" the tactician said in reply to the mage’s lamenting about how complicated this ‘project’ of theirs was looking to be. "I never imagined there would be so many books that even touched the subject, much less think that there would be books specifically devoted to it. So many of them have conflicting theories, though. It’s so…" Morgan tried to find the right word for it…until Laurent spoke up again.

The raven-haired boy dashed over to Laurent, a bit more spring in his step once again. He smiled and exchanged a glance with him. “Awesome! What are we looking at, Laurent?”

[shadedperseverance]

"I think," Laurent began as he pushed his glasses further up his face, "it would be wise for us to begin with the simplest of experimental theory before we allow ourselves to attempt more advanced and complicated endeavours." It wasn't exactly the most exciting answer, but if they could find the means of trying to fix the problem without creating more, it would be all the better. After all, there was no use in breaking a glass when it could simply be emptied out by hand - not to mention his current ideas would attract a great deal less attention.

"A number of these tomes referred to memory triggered by past objects and phenomenon based on one's senses. For example, if you were to have gained a positive experienced when the scent of flowers was near, your brain would then subconsciously associate that with the same or similar aromas."

The problem being he had no means of knowing what those aroma would be. Or any possible sound or tastes. Initially he'd not spent a great deal of time with Morgan - and his memories were sparse at best. Or so he believed. "To begin, I need you to tell me what you do remember. Perhaps if we might find a specific 'hole' you desire to fill, we could better assess the means of which we could do so."

[shadedperseverance]

It's All in Your Head II Laurent & Morgan

With a muted sigh, Laurent glanced over the pile of tomes sitting before him. Reading them had been more than dubious, and even with several days dedicated to the act, he'd only managed to get through about half of them. The information was much more complicated than he imagined it would be, and while some theories line up, just as many contradict one another and it felt as if all the efforts simply landed him back at square one.

Setting the book he'd just finished aside, Laurent removed his glasses and closed his eyes, rubbing the backs gently. As enjoyable as he found research to be, it was hardly kind on his eyes for prolonged periods. Small text was wonderful - so much information could be stored in a tome or scroll with tiny words, but he wouldn't have been surprised if his need for glasses were due to late hours in the dark squinting at small fonts over genetics. Or a combination of both - tch, and he called himself a scholar.

"This... is far more complicated than I initially anticipated," he muttered, picking up a long sheet of parchment he'd been jotting down experimental ideas on. His second theory had, most unfortunately, been proven too dangerous by at least two books, which left him with only three ideas left. None of them were phenomenal, but at least they were somewhat safe in comparison to most of the things he opted to try when on his own.

"Morgan," he called out, setting the parchment aside, "if you're still here attempting to practice your espionage amongst the tome piles, I believe I have procured a reasonable starting point for our experiments."

[shadedperseverance]

Hey your just in time for time stackers do you want to go first?

"Tome…" Laurent trailed off as his eyes widened a fraction. If it wasn’t one person giving him a panic attack, it was another, and the mere idea of the game made his stomach churn. The poor, innocent tomes so painstakingly collected doomed to a fate of disarray and damage from their forced involvement in the horrible game. Not that he wanted to see Morgan hurt either. But the tomes…!

"Of course not!" he replied, adjusting his glasses as he straightened his spine and looked upon the other with a frown. "There will be no ‘going first’ nor second, or any phases that might follow. Such a bizarre game is an outlandish endeavour. You risk not only the texts which we’ve collected for the purpose of knowledge and research, but yourself. I’ve said this time and time again."

[grandmastermoragan-blog]

Morgana blinks.Hearing Laurent speak to her like that hurt. “I’m sorry. I thought you would like to do something that I find relaxing- I wont bother you with my outlandish endeavor ever again.”

She turns away from the mage and collects the books into her arms. Hurrying to get them and and get out before he saw her cry. Morgana couldn’t understand why he was so set on this. However his words hurt.

As she leaves the mess hall she drops one of her tomes.

[shadedperseverance]

Looking aghast, Laurent stared at Morgana as she made her exit. Isn't the first time he's caught someone playing the ridiculous game, and he thought he'd made the dangerous of it clear the first time he'd managed to stop it before it started. Logically, he knew this couldn't be forgotten so easily, but even in his rather questionable state of social skills, he could tell something was off.

"Mor--" the mage paused, looking down as he felt his foot hit something solid. A single book lay in the grass outside the tent he'd just left. He recognised the cover with ease and quickly placed where he'd seen it before. At the very least, he held comfort in the fact that he now had a reasonable excuse for following after her.

Setting off at a brisk walk, Laurent followed the sound of footsteps as best he was able without attracting extra attention. It was, after all, his respinsability to make up for this. Having someone stop him would only make that more difficult. "Morgana!"

[shadedperseverance]

Hey your just in time for time stackers do you want to go first?

"Tome…" Laurent trailed off as his eyes widened a fraction. If it wasn’t one person giving him a panic attack, it was another, and the mere idea of the game made his stomach churn. The poor, innocent tomes so painstakingly collected doomed to a fate of disarray and damage from their forced involvement in the horrible game. Not that he wanted to see Morgan hurt either. But the tomes…!

"Of course not!" he replied, adjusting his glasses as he straightened his spine and looked upon the other with a frown. "There will be no ‘going first’ nor second, or any phases that might follow. Such a bizarre game is an outlandish endeavour. You risk not only the texts which we’ve collected for the purpose of knowledge and research, but yourself. I've said this time and time again."

[shadedperseverance]

((My tumblr inbox just exploded and suddenly I have messages that were apparently send over twenty days ago.

tumblr r u drunk?))

[morganthetactician]

"Hmm, well let’s see…" Morgan furrowed his eyebrows. "I’m always looking for more books on tactics, so I can see if the bookstore is more stocked up on those. I reeeeeally feel like getting some marshmallows too…not to mention it’s about lunchtime. We could go get some lunch while we’re in town too!" Morgan smiled, excited at the prospect. "Er, do you think that sounds okay, that is?"

[shadedperseverance]

Marshmallows...? Laurent thought, confusion crossing his features. It seemed an odd urge to have without reason, but far be it from him to judge the wants of others. He wasn't exactly normal himself when he suddenly set his eyes on something. "I... suppose that will pass as reason enough to enter town without suspicion. Assuming no desire is expressed to examine the tomes I return with, we shouldn't arose any suspicions from our travelling companions."

[morganthetactician]

"Confidential? Hm, I hadn’t really thought about that, but now that you bring it up…" Morgan’s voice trailed off. There were probably quite a few people he couldn’t or at least shouldn’t tell. He knew that for a fact. But was there anyone he felt he should tell? Well…Lucina obviously trusted Laurent. He would be okay with either of them sharing it with her. He didn’t know who else would place their confidence in Laurent, though, and he wouldn’t want anyone hunting down the mage upon hearing about this. "Well, Morgana most definitely shouldn’t know. I wouldn’t want her getting mad at you or anything. She’s really sweet and protective of me but…sometimes overly so. My mother probably wouldn’t take too kindly to it either…I guess if you did want to share it with someone, you could share it with Lucina. It seems pretty clear to me she trusts you a lot. She knows I have a lot of questions about my past too. I hope she’ll be okay with it. I’m…not really sure if there’s anyone else we could share it with though. I wouldn’t want people getting irrationally upset at you, Laurent." The tactician frowned. "So…I suppose for the benefit of everyone, though I dislike saying this and dislike having to keep things this way, it’s probably for the best that we keep this mostly quiet until we at least figure out more about it."

[shadedperseverance]

Laurent nodded in agreement as he played the idea information over in his mind. Briefly, he considered asking permission to go to his mother, but really, in th end, the less excitement the better. He trusted his mother most explicitly, but he also knew her tendency to get carried away or excited. He had inherited that habit himself, though thankfully, somehow, he'd taken in just as much as his father's more down-to-earth habits.

"I am inclined to agree, until we are able to properly assess what is to come, it may be best to remain silent. Causing confusion or concern when there is already a great deal of stress upon the camp would only prove to be problematic toward current goals and affairs."

Now... he just needed to figure out where to begin. He could set out into town immediately, but would that risk gaining attention? "Do you have anything you require in the town nearby? Should we go together under the claim of supplies, I may be able to get research materials sooner than later."

[shadedperseverance]

Midnight Terror II Open

[saigonosurvivor-deactivated2020]

Yarne nodded in confidence with a smile. “Indeed it has, my friend.” The taguel was silent for a moment of hesitation before finally gathering up his tea cup and everything. “We should clean up before morning. Naga only knows Brady or Maribelle will kill us if they notice anything amiss with the tea sets.”

[shadedperseverance]

Clearing his throat, Laurent nodded as he stood up and took the rest of the dishes in his arms. Both Brady and Maribelle were reasonable people on a whole, but he'd witnessed both their tempers before and the mage had no desire to be the target of such emotions. Risen looked kinder in comparison to some of the mighty forces the Ylissian army could offer. "Quite," he replied, glancing around the tent. It would be in poor luck should one of them have woken early. "Allow me to assist you in the sanitation procedure."

[shadedperseverance]

It was a split feeling when Laurent heard Morgan’s answer. The prospect of having someone willing to let him perform experiments was a new prospect. He didn’t quite have the fear factor or persuasion talents his mother had. Thus, most of his were done solo or with the assistance of one of his parents. Now that he had a chance waiting right in front of him, he hesitated. He didn’t want something to go wrong; the slightest miscalculations could bring great harm upon his friend.

"I understand why you want to do this Morgan," he began, lacing his fingers together, "However, as of my current abilities and knowledge of such topics, I am not confident that I would be of assistance to you. I am, of course, willing to research this and perhaps help once I have acquired a stronger understanding." A slight feeling of guilt built in the back of his mind; what if he was disappointing Morgan with his choice? Or what if the young tactician had thought he would know exactly what do to? "If you are willing to give me some time…"

[morganthetactician]

"Oh, of course!" Morgan said in reply to the mage, nodding his head vigorously. "I mean, I wouldn’t want to rush you or anything, after all. It’s better to be safe than sorry with things like this, isn’t it?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "I would imagine it would have to take a lot of work and research to figure it all out, all things considered. Anyways, I trust you to do this at your own pace and do things when you are fully prepared. I wouldn’t want to get too hasty with this or anything." I suppose memories and the human mind ARE tricky things Morgan thought. He really had no impatience about this. Maybe some people thought Laurent was weird, and Morgan guessed he was kinda quirky, but at heart, Morgan knew Laurent was a good person, and Morgan trusted him fully. Morgan was starting to think he very much was right to come to Laurent about this matter. At least, the way Laurent was approaching this sort of reinforced that idea in the tactician’s head, in any case. Lucina clearly trusted the mage a lot too, and Morgan always trusted her judgement with things.

[shadedperseverance]

Morgan was willing to wait, and for that much Laurent was grateful. His mind reeled, trying to work together in his mind where he could even begin. Their travels didn't make it easy to obtain new tomes. At times he would join his mother for a quick run into town, but seldom did he have time to do any true investigating. Putting in a request with to remain stationary longer would only gain attention that was unwanted, and given the circumstances, neither of them needed added pressure about this.

"Am I to correctly hypothesis you wish for our endeavours to remain confidential?" Considering it, he wouldn't want Morgan's parents to know what he was up to. He knew well what his own mother was capable of when he was endangered, and having their extremely capable tactician after his head was less than appealing. "Or is there someone who is aware of what we will be doing?"

If this was a secret, he'd need to plan accordingly; a tent would hardly offer them privacy.

[shadedperseverance]

Midnight Terror II Open

[saigonosurvivor-deactivated2020]

Yarne paused again after Laurent has finished speaking. He sighed as a tiny smile came across his face and his shoulders relaxed. He shook his head. “Somethings just don’t change, I guess,” he muttered before looking back up at the mage. He chuckled and nodded. “Yeah…I suppose it has,” he said softly. “Would you…perhaps be up for doing this again? maybe another night when neither of us can sleep?”

[shadedperseverance]

Sighing softly in relief, Laurent's expression softened as he offered his companion a light nod. This was a far more appealing turn of events than he'd initially imagined. His lips curved into a small, allowing his hands to relax and loosen their grip on the fabric of his tunic. "I would be most honoured and pleased to join you again, Yarne," he began. "I've found this to be relaxing both mentally and physically - has the same phenomenon befallen you?"