Aboard the Invincible: Head of State Meeting

[tidesnpcs.livejournal.com]

[Come one, come all. It's time for what Regent Cid expects to be the final council meeting before Garland is defeated. A good thing the airship is so enormous, because there are a lot of people here, all picked up the day before.

He stands up at the head of the table to greet everyone. There isn't sitting room for everyone, but the room is big enough for his audience. The meeting has now begun...]


[ooc: Party-style tagging! Please don't establish a posting order - tag in as you please to keep the discussion moving.]

Comments

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry.

[Have another hug?]

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

[Ursula isn't usually that clingy, but right now she needs that hug badly and returns the favor. There might be a sniffle involved, too.]

I'm...glad you're still here. I know that's selfish too, but....

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

[Ceodore actually enjoys the clinginess, even if he doesn't like what;s prompting it and what it's doing to Ursula.]

I don't mind. I wouldn't want you to face this alone.

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

[Ursula squeezes him in thanks, then reaches up to unsuccessfully brush her tears away.]

We'll do what we need to do to end this, and then...I guess we'll have to learn to live here.

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

[Ceodore reaches up to wipe at her tears himself, then extracts a hankie from his pocket to over to her.]

Living here... won't be all bad, will it?

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[Once her cheeks are a little drier, she nods.]

There are some good things about it. You....

[She manages a small smile, just for him.]

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

[His own smile is small and brief. He knows he's no consolation or replacement for her family.]

I won't leave you.

[It hasn't quite occurred to him that matters of state won't matter anymore. He shoots a glance off to the side, where he last saw his parents.]

I wonder what they'll do.

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

[Ursula leans up to kiss him upon hearing that first part, then pauses.]

They'll stay in Troia, won't they? They're needed.

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

I don't know. That leaves Baron without anyone.

[And while he'd entertained the notion of abdicating himself, he doesn't like the idea of leaving the country entirely leaderless.]

Besides, Leonora's here, right?

[Ceodore's only got half an inkling how the Epopts work and figures one is just as good as eight. Most he knows of them is that they pinch cheeks too much.]

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

Leonora rejects becoming an epopt; Porom told me as much. She...wants to become a sage.

[A brief smile at that, pretty certain of where some of that motivation stems from.]

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

Seriously?

[He's not getting the smile or the basis of that decision at all. Oblivious derp is oblivious and derpy.]

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

[Ursula knows, and just shakes her head.]

She wants to be with Palom.

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

Huh?

[He's not quite making the connection... oh wait. Now it's making sense!]

OH! Does he know?

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure, yet...but he's a bright person. He'll figure it out.

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

[Ceodore would happily help a bro out and tell the guy, but he gets a clue from what she said that maybe he better let Palom figure that stuff out for himself.]

Guess so.

You feel any better?

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

[Ursula leans in to brush her lips against his briefly. They can't get away with much where they are and she's mindful of that, but...right then, she just needed to.]

Yes. Thank you.

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

[Maybe they can't, but Ceodore's happy to take what he can get.]

Sure.

[He grows thoughtful, then leans in to speak quietly.]

You know... if we stay, there's no reason we can't be together.

[It's the only silver lining to be found in this whole mess.]

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

[That isn't enough to erase Ursula's misery entirely, but it does indeed give her something positive to think about, and she needs that badly right now. She nods slowly, a small hope dawning.]

That's true...and even if my parents do arrive, that wouldn't change.

[They aren't heirs to far-flung kingdoms, not here....]

[lunarianlegacy.livejournal.com]

Right. And we can make mine see reason.

[Ursula gets another hug at the mention of her parents. He understands how important family is now, and is grateful for the presence of his. Not that he'd wish Fabul leaderless, but he's holding out hope that Ursula's reunited with her own parents as well.]

[petalwhirlwind.livejournal.com]

[Hugs are always welcome. Ursula relaxes a bit more in that embrace.]

I think so. Besides, Cecil is my godfather, after all.

[So that makes him family in a way, already.]