...I...I didn't realize it either. I'm sorry for ever doubting you, Zbridges.
[16] You take hold of his leash, deciding to take a jog through the town. You stop by to your room, changing out of the hospital tunic and pants and into a SEED uniform. Mitch follows, and you take hold of his leash. You body doesn't seem to have declined much. And with a little application of your willpower, you push through-- only to stop within one of the plazas of the town around the villa, as Mitch has to stop to catch its breath.
[19] It pants heavily, and you've only mildly exerted yourself. "Can't keep up, huh?" You ask, defiantly, and it growls, straining at the leash again. You and Mitch run through the streets, doing a few laps of the castle until Mitch plops down, exhausted, panting hard, spit gathering at the edges of its mouth. You're breathing heavily as well, but are not exhausted, the soreness in your muscles and legs are gone, replaced by a comforting ache of exertion. You plop down next to Mitch, and sit there together, catching your breath.
You pet him, and he doesn't have the strength to nip at you, laying back and taking it with panting stoicism.
[+3 respect]
You return to Emma's room, dropping off Mitch with a massive bowl of water. It sloppily drinks it all, and you're glad for the stone beneath your feet. When he's finished, he plops down in front of the fireplace and sleeps. You strip down, and step into the shower to clean yourself off. The warm water washes away grime and dirt and sweat, and you try to turn the heat all the way up-- only to find it has some sort of limiter.
Maybe I can break it...or asks the maids to draw up a bath of boiling water... You muse, soaping yourself up with the various soaps Emma or the household servants have gathered in the month you've been resting. You dry your hair as you step out of the shower. You're halfway dressed when someone knocks on the door. "Come in." You call as you tug on your shirt and strap it tightly to yourself.
Iyal steps in, dropping to her knees at the doorway at the sight of you. "[Fire-blooms-Flowers]," She addresses you, you're confused-- until you see the barker-bone handle of the knife sticking out from your equipment on one of the cabinets, "I'm glad to see you awake. I was told we would be leaving soon."
Iyal has changed as well. Gone is the skinniness of the steelworks, replaced by lithe muscle. Her clothing is a better fit, and is all Thornton reds and blacks, a military uniform reminiscent to SEED's own, with a little more pomp. She shaved her head at one point, and stubby brown hair is coming in, with no trace of the red of malnutrition. She switches to SEED dialect, "I wish for orders. Emma doesn't s-seem to know what to-to do with me."