[action in Lindblum/ after the Shrines]

[stfuporom.livejournal.com]

[The Water Shrine? Piece of cake. Except for them almost drowning. And the near-dying. And the fact that Edge was the tank in their party-

Ahem. Like he said, piece of cake. A little waterlogged, Palom strode off the airship looking pretty proud of himself. The crystal had been placed within the shrine. Mission accomplished. He was waiting outside where the rest of the airships were when he saw a few guards carry someone off one of the ships.

Who had blond hair. Who suspiciously looked like Leonora.

They were calling for a healer.

Forgetting about everything at that moment, Palom rushed forward to where the guards were only to have his fears confirmed. Muttering something about guards and their inability to be gentle with anything, Palom took Leonora's unconscious body into his arms, turning to call out over his shoulder.]

Porom!

Comments

[dualcast]

[Well. That all went less well than planned. But they were still alive, which considering they'd faced Lufene was a small miracle in itself, and they'd succeeded. Porom isn't paying as much attention as she leaves the ship, more focussed on trying to wrong the last of the water out of her ponytail before it ruins her hair. The cries for a healer get her attention, though, and when Palom shouts she runs over to him.]

Leonora! Is she- Libra!

[There's a pulse, at least. She can do this.]

-Arise!

[stfuporom.livejournal.com]

[After the casting, Palom gently settles Leonora's body onto the floor, all the while still holding her. He's worried - oh man, is he worried.]

Come on, Leonora... wake up!

[dualcast]

[She crouches down by them, raising one hand to her head. She's really not in much of a state to be using magic as strong as Arise right now. But that's never stopped her before.]

Leonora. Leonora, can you hear me?

[epopt-trainee.livejournal.com]

Mmm?

[Leonora's eyes open slowly, unfocused, and what she sees confuses her.]

Palom? Lady Porom?

[stfuporom.livejournal.com]

[The mage let out the breath he was holding, a relieved look on his face. There might even be a smile. But as soon as the smile shows up, it's replaced with a frown.]

Didn't we tell you to be careful?!

[dualcast]

Oh, thank goodness!

[She sighs with relief but it doesn't last long. Fretting again now.]

What happened? Are you still hurt? Are you okay?

[epopt-trainee.livejournal.com]

[She's still so disoriented from being knocked out cold, having expended all her magic on healing the others while trying to keep the crystal safe. But all that's nothing to the trick she's certain her eyes just played on her. Palom frowning is nothing out of the ordinary, but just before that...]

You smiled.

[About that moment she realizes she's being held too. Leonora looks from one twin to the other, not at all convinced she's not just dreaming at the moment. Don't worry, Porom, she'll answer you once she's not quite so shell-shocked.]

[stfuporom.livejournal.com]

[That... was out of nowhere.]

Of course I smiled. I'm relieved you're alright. You still didn't answer our questions.

[dualcast]

How are you feeling? Do you need anything?

[epopt-trainee.livejournal.com]

N-no, I'm oka- The Crystal!

[She sits bolt upright so fast that it makes the room spins on her. Leonora grabs her head to try to make the dizziness pass, not that it helps much.]

I have to go back to the shrine! I can't be here, I need to stay with it!

[stfuporom.livejournal.com]

[Guess who forces you back down, squishy mage.]

You're not going back. The Crystal will be fine.

[dualcast]

Leonora-

[Porom's about to start nagging when PHONE IS CONVENIENTLY RINGING.

She sighs, taking what's left of her medicine - an ether and two bottles of hi-potion - from her bag and handing them to Palom.]

I have to- Palom, can you take care of her? She's not badly injured, nothing that Libra could detect. Just make sure she doesn't run off. Shout for me if anything happens.

[And Porom is dragged away to allow them to have their ~moment~]

[epopt-trainee.livejournal.com]

But Palom, I-

[Leonora blinks in confusion at Porom's phone ringing and moreso when the white mage up and leaves with those instructions. She can't really run anywhere when Palom won't even let her sit up, no matter how dizzy that's making her right now.]

I have to go back. It's my duty to keep it safe and I don't even know if it wanted to be there or not! I tried to listen but I didn't hear anything and I don't want to make it angry, or more angry if it was already angry.

[The more Leonora talks, the more frantic and animated she gets.]

[stfuporom.livejournal.com]

[Stuff shoved at him, Palom just sets the hi-potions and the ether down to the side. They weren't important right now.

He's trying to listen to Leonora, but he's just getting more and more frustrated. Going on and on about the crystal- he understands how she feels. The Water Crystal is his and Porom's responsibility, and instead of it being in Mysidia, it's in some shrine. But it's for the good of Gaia, and he can accept that. But she's fretting over it being angry and he can't stand her being so worrisome.

He knows she won't quiet down about the crystal either. She never could. He doesn't say one word to shut her up, but instead just leans down and kisses her.]

keywords~

[epopt-trainee.livejournal.com]

[Crystal? What Crystal? All thought about it goes skipping away the moment Leonora gets forcibly shushed by a kiss. It takes a fraction of a second more for her to realize what's happening and another still for her to acknowledge that she likes it.

However, Epopt 101 doesn't include anything about how to go about kissing people you're attracted to, which leaves her fumbling for what to do. One hand timidly curls around a fistful of Palom's jacket and she hesitantly presses her lips against his.]

[stfuporom.livejournal.com]

[Thankfully, Palom has little experience in kissing, thanks to him dating Luca. If this kiss didn't scream 'thank the crystals you're alive,' then he wasn't sure what did. He held the kiss for several moment, taking that precious time to just hold her close. To make sure she wasn't hurt and she was safe.

He pulls back then, slowly opening his eyes to look at her.]

[epopt-trainee.livejournal.com]

[Leonora chokes back a disappointed whimper when Palom pulls away and looks at him with eyes round as saucers. There's an alarm going off somewhere in the back of her head that she's breaking practically every rule, written and unwritten, for an Epopt to live by, but she's intentionally ignoring it in light of having just experienced the biggest thrill of her life. Of course, she's quite forgetting to breathe for the moment.]

[stfuporom.livejournal.com]

[He's searching her eyes for something, anything that would say she's okay with him kissing her. The silence from her is deafening.]

Leonora?

[epopt-trainee.livejournal.com]

[Air. She needs that if she's going to talk. Leonora gulps down a quick breath and smiles. He likes her! He has to, right?]

Y-yes?

Did... did I do that okay?

[Kissing is just as complicated as trying to learn black magic.]

[stfuporom.livejournal.com]

[He can't help but actually laugh at that. She was actually worried about the kiss.]

You were okay.

[epopt-trainee.livejournal.com]

['Okay' coming from Palom is a high compliment and Leonora immediately lights up. The fact he's laughing at something she's said isn't anything too out of the ordinary so she glosses over that to beam at him with unabashed delight.]

I'll keep working on it.

[stfuporom.livejournal.com]

You did perfectly fine. Now... think you can stand?

[epopt-trainee.livejournal.com]

I think so.

[Although it'll take two or three attempts and no small amount of wobbling once she's on her feet. She's still woozy from sitting up so fast and her first real kiss, so using Palom for support is vital.]

[stfuporom.livejournal.com]

[That's what he's there for! He stands first, then helps her to her feet, holding her hands as she stands.]

Are you hurt anywhere?

[epopt-trainee.livejournal.com]

No, not anymore.

[Porom took care of that.]

I ran out of magic though.