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[SirAston]

"Alright, pack your stuff, boys and girls. Ain't nobody got time to miss the tram!"

Largo then walks closer to Nico, loosening his shoulders with a few rotary movements of his arms. He was one of her bodyguards, after all.

"We'll be home in no time, don't you worry."

[Dwarmin]

"Hey, did anyone see what spooked Bowler? I was away for a moment and now he's shaking in his pants...metaphorically."

"...It was me."

Xerxe cinematically let an empty snack bag drop from his hands, and float away on a well timed breeze. It would probably go on to blow across the city in a set of scene establishing shots before being crushed by the foot of the main villain.

[IcyTea31]

"Oh."

A moment of awkward silence. Lastelle's eyes follow the bag fluttering away.

"Why'd you do that, Xerxe? Bowler knows he's not supposed to eat weird stuff when there's a risk of combat and now he's going to feel guilty about it for the rest of the night."

[Dwarmin]

Xerxe had been upbraided many times before by his superiors-without thinking he went into parade rest and hung his head.

"I wasn't thinking of the consequences." He confessed.

He had realized as some point the extremely repressed society he had lived in before was something of a self perpetuating cycle-strict obedience was enforced harshly, but those measures made the strain so severe that enforcement had to *be* harsh, or the people who were wound so tightly, would...snap.

"I...am sorry. I did not judge things from the perspective of a rider. I only saw him as a friend, an idealized fiction-and not as a battle mount whom all needs must be well balanced, to maintain fighting form. The fault is entirely mine...there is no excuse for my actions."

[IcyTea31]

"Of course he's a friend and not just a battle mount!"

That came out louder than Lastelle intended.

What a mess. Now Xerxe's feeling guilty as well.

"Listen, it's not about the food. A few potato chips won't cause him to fall out of the sky. It's about trust; if we can't trust each other, there's no way we'll work as a team correctly when it most matters. Bowler's afraid he's violated my trust by going against a small rule. I know he won't, but it raises the question of whether he's next going to go against a big order, in his mind."

Lastelle realizes Xerxe hasn't changed his posture for the entire time she's been talking.

"Xerxe, you haven't violated my trust either."

"You only wanted to help a friend relax after a stressful situation. There's no excuse because there's no crime. You don't need to talk to me like to a drill sergeant."

[Dwarmin]

Xerxe could only relax an inch at a time, hands slowly dropping to his sides-he didn't know what to do with them. They felt twitchy. It was odd to be forgiven...for mistakes to not be so harshly punished...but he guessed that was part of having actual friends...and not commanders.

"I understand. I should have trusted you, as you trust me...I had no reason to be sneaky...I was just...afraid of being denied..."

For so much had been withheld...the Church warrior had an unspoken, unwritten rule...


"...Yes, 'It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission', was what I learned long ago to deal with my superiors...

...But among friends, those are selfish and dishonorable actions. For we are equals...and it is clear I have much to learn...I can only thank you, Lastelle. For bearing with me."

[IcyTea31]

"I think you're the only person I know who'd ever describe feeding a treat to a pegasus as 'selfish and dishonourable'. Anyway, as Largo said, we'd better get going before that tram leaves without us. We'll still need that weapon of yours for any more speed bumps in our way, so don't whip yourself too hard about this."

With those words, Lastelle remounts and turns towards the rest of the group with some of the vending machine 'loot' in her hands.

"Largo! Lagata! Got a book for you to fight over. Looks pretty watery. Also a bottle of brandy, if anyone's interested."

[Dwarmin]

"Hmph...puns." Xerxe stoically resisted cracking a smile for about 4 seconds or so.




...

Xerxe followed after the group, weapon in hand. Indeed, he would always have this...but now he thought he might have something more.

[SirAston]

Largo takes a glance at the book.

"Gata can have it. I'd be more interested in a second Yliaster, so I don't feel like having to hold back."

[Powder Miner]

:"Y'know, this whole thing actually makes me wonder what it is we did to get someone this mad at us?"
:"Like, y'know, framing for murder I could honestly get, some people are just nuts, and it could be somebody's idea of just fucking around with us, even if it gets us attacked, ehehehe."
:"Hypnotizing people to get them to fight us is kind of on the next level, though. Whoever it is really wants us dead or out of the way... and I guess this means that they're afraid of doing it themselves, 'cuz they probably rightfully know I'd give them crippling nightmares for the rest of their lives."

[Dwarmin]

:"Hypnotizing people to get them to fight us is kind of on the next level, though. Whoever it is really wants us dead or out of the way... and I guess this means that they're afraid of doing it themselves, 'cuz they probably rightfully know I'd give them crippling nightmares for the rest of their lives."

"I doubt it is fear or anger that motivates our primary foes. A wise leader uses all the resources available at his command-starting with the most expendable assets. No doubt they hope to wear us down with repeated skirmishes...and use our resistance as a rallying point that unites them."

[SeriousConcentrate]

"I'd guess maybe some jealous guy I turned down, buuuuuut I don't think that's an actual list?"

[Dwarmin]

"I'd guess maybe some jealous guy I turned down, buuuuuut I don't think that's an actual list?"

Xerxe pulled a long, trailing paper scroll from his belt pouch and read it silently.

"..." He shook his head in silent reproof.

Spoiler: Shopping List (click to show/hide)

Shopping List

~Milk (Skim)
~Eggs
~Energy Drinks (IMPORTANT!!!)
~Salt+Holy Sugar+Water
~Snacks (Variation)
~Whipping Oil
~Build-your-own-racing-kart starting kit
~Pegacards (value 10x pack)
~Repent-a-Stench Body Soap
~Rainbow Patterned Rain Umbrella
~"Boreas Big Fat Lies", "Debunking Serena Sightings", "Dancing for DumDums", "Blobs Approach: 10 most lovable huggles", " An Onis Lament"
~Cloak Thread, 10 spools
~Fairy Repellent (Does not work)
~Rainbow Chalk
~Nitro Boom Explodo-Stick
~Rowdy Keith Pipers Big Boy BBQ grilling sauce (non-licensed?)
~New Boots (real leather)
~Anti-Demonic Wind Chimes
~Printer Ink+Paper
~Cough Shots
~Telescope
~"Street Ninji" Official Battle Headband

[SeriousConcentrate]

"Are... are you actually keeping a list of the guys I've slept with?"

"First of all that's way too short to be that list and second, creepy, you don't need to be stalking me."

[Dwarmin]

"First of all that's way too short to be that list and second, creepy, you don't need to be stalking me."

"...Hmm? I was just innocently reading my shopping list just now. What were we talking about again?" He said, showing her the face of it.

...