Hm. Evan wasn't sure how he felt about the possible implications of that. There was certainly jealousy, though he recognized that was a bit silly. But then again there was also pride - heh, imagine banging the same person as the king? Gods, some part of him even suddenly wondered if the king would find out about Evan's dealings with the goddess in the course of all this, which was rather exciting to think about - so much so that a lovely little shock startled and humbled Evan momentarily, reminding him that his dealings with the goddess were still risky to say the least. Though it also lead him to wonder whether the goddess ever had the king endure something like this... His cock swelled again at that thought, and this time he rode the ensuing shock pleasantly. He felt like he had a fascinating new window into the heretofore somewhat mythologized man whom they fought against. In a way, it made the king feel more human. Though, in another way... it made Evan feel a little bit... not. Which he couldn't say he didn't kinda like.
Aside from a slight flinch from the first shock and the beginnings of a smirk there near the end, Evan mostly managed to keep a straight face, though the bulge in his pants was certainly still visible. He assured himself again that the crone surely wouldn't be bothered, knowing all she knew about the situation, and that Mizu was at least close to understanding now that they'd talked. It wasn't like he was trying to shove it in their faces, anyway. To that end, it was probably about time to move on to the next question.
"What about the other gods? Will we be making any enemies, helping her return to the upper realms? Even if not, are there dynamics we should be aware of as we become more involved in her situation?"
Part 1 (Start Reading Here)
Moderator: On Dreams And Desire
Re: Part 1
"Dehaljadrun is a gatekeeper god. She is an entrance on the path to understanding the greater whole. But, she has largely become independent since creating her own realm. She has, in some ways, become lost in the process, and there are several gods who do not appreciate that. At least, if what the goddess relayed to her priestesses decades ago is any indication. But, unlike the gatekeeper gods, the gods of the upper realms rarely deal with humans, so it would be difficult to make enemies there. Dehaljadrun would be the one they would hold accountable."
Mizu nodded slowly as she took in this information, keeping her face neutral. At the very least, she was grateful that Evan had asked another question because she swore she could feel his pride from where she stood. Gods, he was going to be a difficult one to keep in check. Gods... there it was again, the invitation to start believing--no, accepting--that there were forces on much, much larger scales than Mizu had ever imagined possible. Still, she supposed that dealing with a lesser god was less intimidating. There was clearly some kind of hierarchy at play, and at least Mizu could understand that. And the being they were dealing with--even if powerful--was, by the sounds of it, flawed. This improved Mizu's mood. They weren't necessarily dealing with omnipotence here, at least not with this minor goddess. And the priestess sounded confident that they would not do enough to garner the attention of the gods of the upper realms, which did settle Mizu's nerves further. While she didn't enjoy relying on a sole point of contact for information, Mizu felt out of her depth here and was prepared to buy into the story she was being offered at least temporarily.
Mizu nodded slowly as she took in this information, keeping her face neutral. At the very least, she was grateful that Evan had asked another question because she swore she could feel his pride from where she stood. Gods, he was going to be a difficult one to keep in check. Gods... there it was again, the invitation to start believing--no, accepting--that there were forces on much, much larger scales than Mizu had ever imagined possible. Still, she supposed that dealing with a lesser god was less intimidating. There was clearly some kind of hierarchy at play, and at least Mizu could understand that. And the being they were dealing with--even if powerful--was, by the sounds of it, flawed. This improved Mizu's mood. They weren't necessarily dealing with omnipotence here, at least not with this minor goddess. And the priestess sounded confident that they would not do enough to garner the attention of the gods of the upper realms, which did settle Mizu's nerves further. While she didn't enjoy relying on a sole point of contact for information, Mizu felt out of her depth here and was prepared to buy into the story she was being offered at least temporarily.
Re: Part 1
Evan glanced to Mizu after the crone answered his question, curious if the commander had anything else she wanted to ask. He was pretty sure that covered all the concerns Mizu had brought up with him before, and she didn't seem too eager to jump in with any other questions at the moment. Evan gave some thought to whether there was anything else he ought to ask about for himself before tonight. Of course, there were a million things he could ask, but at some point it'd get tedious, and may not actually be the best use of anyone's time right now. He did think of one thing, though.
"I think all I've got left is if you know what to expect tonight. The goddess and I didn't exactly cover how or when I was getting back to her... Is there a way for me to get back to her on my own, or is that just a sit tight and she'll come get me situation?"
Evan hoped there was a way to get there on his own, if only because it made it more likely that the goddess would wait for him to get there on his own time. If it was a matter of her fetching him at her whim, that made it more likely that she'd grab him at, quite probably, the most inopportune fucking time she could manage. He was getting close to wrapping up all the business he needed to today, but at the very least he did still owe Seth and Xavier some kind of debrief so they didn't feel left in the dark. As much as he wasn't necessarily looking forward to certain aspects of those conversations, he was starting to get antsy about getting them done.
"I think all I've got left is if you know what to expect tonight. The goddess and I didn't exactly cover how or when I was getting back to her... Is there a way for me to get back to her on my own, or is that just a sit tight and she'll come get me situation?"
Evan hoped there was a way to get there on his own, if only because it made it more likely that the goddess would wait for him to get there on his own time. If it was a matter of her fetching him at her whim, that made it more likely that she'd grab him at, quite probably, the most inopportune fucking time she could manage. He was getting close to wrapping up all the business he needed to today, but at the very least he did still owe Seth and Xavier some kind of debrief so they didn't feel left in the dark. As much as he wasn't necessarily looking forward to certain aspects of those conversations, he was starting to get antsy about getting them done.
Re: Part 1
The crone was silent for a moment, contemplating. "To be honest, I haven't been involved in a situation where the goddess returned a man to this realm before she was finished in her dealings with him. I had assumed she would have told you how she expected you to return. I would be anxious about performing another summoning so soon, so I suppose the best course of action would be to wait."
This line of thought made Mizu uncomfortable. To add to all the other factors out of her control, here was another way in which the situation was in the goddess' hands. Mizu let out a short and quiet scoff, unable to hide her frustration but not intending to be disrespectful. At least the crone had been forthcoming.
"What if she doesn't come for Evan?" Mizu asked, attempting to hide the anxiety from her voice.
The crone thought about this silently for another moment.
"The goddess can't go back on her word. And, by all accounts, she wanted and negotiated for Evan's company."
That didn't make Mizu feel better, but she was uncertain if there was anything she could do about it. Still, she felt finished asking questions. Apparently, waiting it all out was the only way to properly handle the situation, and while Mizu despised that as a plan of action, it seemed she had no other choice. Maybe it would give her time to think about how she wanted to handle knowing that the king had access to their location. She resisted the temptation to put her head in her hands and looked at Evan, ready to leave when he was.
This line of thought made Mizu uncomfortable. To add to all the other factors out of her control, here was another way in which the situation was in the goddess' hands. Mizu let out a short and quiet scoff, unable to hide her frustration but not intending to be disrespectful. At least the crone had been forthcoming.
"What if she doesn't come for Evan?" Mizu asked, attempting to hide the anxiety from her voice.
The crone thought about this silently for another moment.
"The goddess can't go back on her word. And, by all accounts, she wanted and negotiated for Evan's company."
That didn't make Mizu feel better, but she was uncertain if there was anything she could do about it. Still, she felt finished asking questions. Apparently, waiting it all out was the only way to properly handle the situation, and while Mizu despised that as a plan of action, it seemed she had no other choice. Maybe it would give her time to think about how she wanted to handle knowing that the king had access to their location. She resisted the temptation to put her head in her hands and looked at Evan, ready to leave when he was.
Re: Part 1
Evan's eyes narrowed in irritation when the crone indicated the best course of action would be to wait, though by gods her insisting that the goddess had wanted his company made up for it. It was also useful to know that, as far as this priestess knew, the goddess couldn't go back on her word. Data points certainly matched up with that, but it was nice to hear it said.
He turned his gaze to Mizu again, just enough to get the sense that she was also done. While some part of Evan did kinda want to bask in that 'by all accounts, she wanted him' sentiment, most of him was antsy as fuck to move on to the next thing before the goddess decided that 'night' started in the middle of the afternoon again.
The captain managed to keep his expression under control, and he nodded gratefully to the crone. He then turned more fully towards Mizu, intending to indicate he was officially ready to leave.
((OOC: And I think if he had it his way, he and Mizu would return to camp together in silence and then wordlessly part ways upon returning to camp, and he'd go find Xavier to get that whole ordeal started lol.))
He turned his gaze to Mizu again, just enough to get the sense that she was also done. While some part of Evan did kinda want to bask in that 'by all accounts, she wanted him' sentiment, most of him was antsy as fuck to move on to the next thing before the goddess decided that 'night' started in the middle of the afternoon again.
The captain managed to keep his expression under control, and he nodded gratefully to the crone. He then turned more fully towards Mizu, intending to indicate he was officially ready to leave.
((OOC: And I think if he had it his way, he and Mizu would return to camp together in silence and then wordlessly part ways upon returning to camp, and he'd go find Xavier to get that whole ordeal started lol.))
Re: Part 1
Mizu took a moment to think over the situation and determine whether she had more to ask of the crone. After a short lapse into silence, Mizu decided that whatever remaining questions she might have regarding the gods in general were not strictly related to the situation at hand. They also weren't questions Mizu particularly wanted an audience for.
"Thank you for your time and for alerting us of the situation with the paladin. We'll be taking our leave, then." The crone nodded as though having suspected as much.
Turning to Evan, she stared at him with a hardened look before saying, "I hope you are taking this situation seriously. The goddess Dehaljadrun is not someone to be trifled with. Even her priestesses cannot fully predict her behavior. I'm sure you know what you are risking in returning to her." The crone did not seem to be interested in Evan's reply, were he to have one, and set about gathering supplies, assumedly for whatever burial rites she planned to perform.
Walking back through the meadow and around the burnt grass, Mizu contemplated the situation in silence. If the paladin had been telling the truth, the king had at least a minimalistic description of their location. However, Phantom had not attempted to contact her about a change in the king's plan, so at the very least, he wasn't launching a full-scale attack now. That didn't mean, however, that Phantom would necessarily know about smaller groups the king might send. Mizu immediately began to worry about the security of Ponderance. He was a crucial part of having the situation in control, as without him, Mizu and the other captains would have no say in the system of government the kingdom was subject to, and the citizens would be subject to the king's changing whims. As much as Mizu understood and appreciated established hierarchy, power needed to exist alongside balance.
She wanted to treat Ponderance with as much respect and dignity as possible given that they would be grooming him to be king and be working alongside him for the foreseeable future in the event that the rebellion succeeded. As such, he had significantly more freedoms than any other prisoner of war would have. Mizu suddenly wondered if that had been a wise decision, and she quickened her pace as they approached the camp.
Before parting ways with Evan, Mizu said, "I plan to call a captains' meeting tomorrow to discuss the situation and determine if it is relevant to move the camp. Until then, I would appreciate it if you said nothing of that incident. And..." Mizu hesitated, not fully certain what would be in store for Evan or if it was even appropriate for his commander to wish him well in such endeavors, but nonetheless finished with, "...good luck tonight, for what that's worth. There's a lot hanging in the balance."
Afterward, Mizu walked off toward the direction of her tent, stopping when she saw Captain Fujiwara and told her of the necessity to double the guard around the king's son and double the watch tonight. If the king was going to attempt a surprise attack, Mizu was determined to be ready.
--
Xavier sat around one of the camp's fires with some excess food from the kitchen, picking at it unconsciously as he stared into the flames. He had finished his daily tasks in half the time and regretted having extra time to think. He was torn between seeking Evan out and trying to forget about the whole endeavor, but who was he kidding, he wasn't about to forget that. He hoped that Mizu did not think less of him, and... nah, he wasn't even going to think about Seth. It had been exciting, though, hadn't it? Wouldn't he agree to it all over again?
A rush of blood flooded to his face as the memory of Evan running his fingers over his collarbone replayed in his mind. Well, that answered that question. Again. For the millionth time.
Evan wasn't going to avoid him forever, though, right? Xavier was his lieutenant, after all, and that had to come with some interaction. If there was anything that had the possibility of driving Xavier to insanity, it was keeping secrets, and Xavier was terrified that Evan would want to sweep everything that happened under the metaphorical rug.
But, there was an incessantly curious part of Xavier that also wanted to know what happened with the goddess. Some of it was obvious, but he wanted to know where they had gone, what it had all looked like, if the gods' realm was really everything his grandparents' stories had made it out to be. An absurd pang of jealousy hit Xavier as he imagined again some of the things the goddess almost definitely did to Evan in that beautiful place, but Xavier pushed it away, his mood still dipping again toward somber.
Finally, Xavier casually threw the rest of his food into the flames and started walking back toward his own tent.
"Thank you for your time and for alerting us of the situation with the paladin. We'll be taking our leave, then." The crone nodded as though having suspected as much.
Turning to Evan, she stared at him with a hardened look before saying, "I hope you are taking this situation seriously. The goddess Dehaljadrun is not someone to be trifled with. Even her priestesses cannot fully predict her behavior. I'm sure you know what you are risking in returning to her." The crone did not seem to be interested in Evan's reply, were he to have one, and set about gathering supplies, assumedly for whatever burial rites she planned to perform.
Walking back through the meadow and around the burnt grass, Mizu contemplated the situation in silence. If the paladin had been telling the truth, the king had at least a minimalistic description of their location. However, Phantom had not attempted to contact her about a change in the king's plan, so at the very least, he wasn't launching a full-scale attack now. That didn't mean, however, that Phantom would necessarily know about smaller groups the king might send. Mizu immediately began to worry about the security of Ponderance. He was a crucial part of having the situation in control, as without him, Mizu and the other captains would have no say in the system of government the kingdom was subject to, and the citizens would be subject to the king's changing whims. As much as Mizu understood and appreciated established hierarchy, power needed to exist alongside balance.
She wanted to treat Ponderance with as much respect and dignity as possible given that they would be grooming him to be king and be working alongside him for the foreseeable future in the event that the rebellion succeeded. As such, he had significantly more freedoms than any other prisoner of war would have. Mizu suddenly wondered if that had been a wise decision, and she quickened her pace as they approached the camp.
Before parting ways with Evan, Mizu said, "I plan to call a captains' meeting tomorrow to discuss the situation and determine if it is relevant to move the camp. Until then, I would appreciate it if you said nothing of that incident. And..." Mizu hesitated, not fully certain what would be in store for Evan or if it was even appropriate for his commander to wish him well in such endeavors, but nonetheless finished with, "...good luck tonight, for what that's worth. There's a lot hanging in the balance."
Afterward, Mizu walked off toward the direction of her tent, stopping when she saw Captain Fujiwara and told her of the necessity to double the guard around the king's son and double the watch tonight. If the king was going to attempt a surprise attack, Mizu was determined to be ready.
--
Xavier sat around one of the camp's fires with some excess food from the kitchen, picking at it unconsciously as he stared into the flames. He had finished his daily tasks in half the time and regretted having extra time to think. He was torn between seeking Evan out and trying to forget about the whole endeavor, but who was he kidding, he wasn't about to forget that. He hoped that Mizu did not think less of him, and... nah, he wasn't even going to think about Seth. It had been exciting, though, hadn't it? Wouldn't he agree to it all over again?
A rush of blood flooded to his face as the memory of Evan running his fingers over his collarbone replayed in his mind. Well, that answered that question. Again. For the millionth time.
Evan wasn't going to avoid him forever, though, right? Xavier was his lieutenant, after all, and that had to come with some interaction. If there was anything that had the possibility of driving Xavier to insanity, it was keeping secrets, and Xavier was terrified that Evan would want to sweep everything that happened under the metaphorical rug.
But, there was an incessantly curious part of Xavier that also wanted to know what happened with the goddess. Some of it was obvious, but he wanted to know where they had gone, what it had all looked like, if the gods' realm was really everything his grandparents' stories had made it out to be. An absurd pang of jealousy hit Xavier as he imagined again some of the things the goddess almost definitely did to Evan in that beautiful place, but Xavier pushed it away, his mood still dipping again toward somber.
Finally, Xavier casually threw the rest of his food into the flames and started walking back toward his own tent.
Last edited by andrav on Sun Oct 27, 2019 3:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Part 1
Evan was a bit taken aback by the crone telling him to take this seriously. A part of him wanted to respond indignantly - yeah he fucking knew what he was risking - but he managed to hold his tongue given the context. And, given the chance to reflect on why the crone might've felt called to say that to him... he supposed he'd kind of given her call to.
A light blush settled on the captain's cheeks, his mind in its current state kind of embarrassed about his behavior towards the assassin, although he supposed he wasn't sure how else he should've handled it, exactly. Guh, it was just a bit uncomfortable staring down how easily that part of him had surfaced, right there in front of Mizu and the priestess without hesitation. He just hoped that by the end of all this, he'd manage to hang on to at least a sliver of Mizu's respect.
He took some comfort in Mizu's silent lead back towards camp. She did seem worried, if he was reading her correctly, but normal enough towards him, at least. He took further comfort in how she addressed him just as he was thinking to part ways-- at least, the first bit of it. He nodded to acknowledge the plan to meet tomorrow, and to silently agree to not discussing the incident that had just transpired. But when she trailed off, he grew uncomfortable, and shifted his weight in a way that showed it. She ultimately wished him luck tonight, though, which... was awkward, and hilarious, and appreciated. Evan broke a very small sort of crooked smile, soft and uncomfortable, but hopefully conveying some gratitude, and he nodded again for good measure before Mizu started heading away.
Then, he let out a heavy sigh, as his mind officially started to move on to the next order of business.
On the one hand, Xavier might be all smiles and excited to see him, and lift Evan's spirits immensely. Gods, that'd be pretty fuckin grand. But on the other, Xavier might be frustrated with Evan for how things went, or uncomfortable around him now that--
Oh for FUCK'S SAKE, Evan had never been so FUCKING pissed at his dick as he suddenly was that moment, irritated at the shock and flooded with worry about whether Xavier's estimation of him would be lessened now, and shame in the sensation that he'd frankly deserve it if it was. Gods, as much as he didn't want to lose Mizu's respect, he was realizing that losing Xavier's would be even fucking worse. And his dick was NOT fucking helping here. Fuck, would he even be able to talk to Xavier without flinching every other goddamn word?
Course, then there was the errant thought that maybe, he'd just lay it all out for Xavier - the fantasies he'd had, the goddess' shapeshifting, the band on his cock - and maybe, just maybe, the situation would in fact make Xavier smile. That thought of course lit another shock, and sent a familiar splash of pleasure through his gut.
Gods, this was messy, though. Evan was his superior officer. They were in the middle of a fucking war. To say nothing of the ache that tugged at the middle of his chest, terrified by those errant fucking thoughts.
The captain did his very fucking best to shake all of that off as he caught sight of the lieutenant. He swallowed, and gathered resolve to just fucking deal with the situation like a goddamn adult instead of whinging like a fucking kid.
He didn't catch Xavier's eye before the lieutenant made it to his tent, which was probably for the best. This conversation should most definitely happen in private anyway, and he was just as glad to do away with any awkwardly-approaching-from-a-distance stints of time. But, gods, the moment he made it to Xavier's tent and faced having to actually act was fucking terrifying. Among other things, a debate raged about whether to call Xavier's attention with his name or his rank. Normally he didn't give that sort of shit much thought with his soldiers, he kinda just blurted out what seemed right for the occasion. But he supposed nothing seemed particularly right for this occasion. One could seem cold and needlessly impersonal; one could seem inappropriately familiar, given lines that may already have been crossed. In the end, though... Evan couldn't bring himself to be needlessly impersonal.
"Xavier," he spoke up, doing his best to muster a light tone of voice, "Mind if I come in?" By some miracle, he succeeded pretty well at sounding normal, though after that it was pretty much fucking impossible to breathe while he waited for Xavier's reply.
A light blush settled on the captain's cheeks, his mind in its current state kind of embarrassed about his behavior towards the assassin, although he supposed he wasn't sure how else he should've handled it, exactly. Guh, it was just a bit uncomfortable staring down how easily that part of him had surfaced, right there in front of Mizu and the priestess without hesitation. He just hoped that by the end of all this, he'd manage to hang on to at least a sliver of Mizu's respect.
He took some comfort in Mizu's silent lead back towards camp. She did seem worried, if he was reading her correctly, but normal enough towards him, at least. He took further comfort in how she addressed him just as he was thinking to part ways-- at least, the first bit of it. He nodded to acknowledge the plan to meet tomorrow, and to silently agree to not discussing the incident that had just transpired. But when she trailed off, he grew uncomfortable, and shifted his weight in a way that showed it. She ultimately wished him luck tonight, though, which... was awkward, and hilarious, and appreciated. Evan broke a very small sort of crooked smile, soft and uncomfortable, but hopefully conveying some gratitude, and he nodded again for good measure before Mizu started heading away.
Then, he let out a heavy sigh, as his mind officially started to move on to the next order of business.
On the one hand, Xavier might be all smiles and excited to see him, and lift Evan's spirits immensely. Gods, that'd be pretty fuckin grand. But on the other, Xavier might be frustrated with Evan for how things went, or uncomfortable around him now that--
Oh for FUCK'S SAKE, Evan had never been so FUCKING pissed at his dick as he suddenly was that moment, irritated at the shock and flooded with worry about whether Xavier's estimation of him would be lessened now, and shame in the sensation that he'd frankly deserve it if it was. Gods, as much as he didn't want to lose Mizu's respect, he was realizing that losing Xavier's would be even fucking worse. And his dick was NOT fucking helping here. Fuck, would he even be able to talk to Xavier without flinching every other goddamn word?
Course, then there was the errant thought that maybe, he'd just lay it all out for Xavier - the fantasies he'd had, the goddess' shapeshifting, the band on his cock - and maybe, just maybe, the situation would in fact make Xavier smile. That thought of course lit another shock, and sent a familiar splash of pleasure through his gut.
Gods, this was messy, though. Evan was his superior officer. They were in the middle of a fucking war. To say nothing of the ache that tugged at the middle of his chest, terrified by those errant fucking thoughts.
The captain did his very fucking best to shake all of that off as he caught sight of the lieutenant. He swallowed, and gathered resolve to just fucking deal with the situation like a goddamn adult instead of whinging like a fucking kid.
He didn't catch Xavier's eye before the lieutenant made it to his tent, which was probably for the best. This conversation should most definitely happen in private anyway, and he was just as glad to do away with any awkwardly-approaching-from-a-distance stints of time. But, gods, the moment he made it to Xavier's tent and faced having to actually act was fucking terrifying. Among other things, a debate raged about whether to call Xavier's attention with his name or his rank. Normally he didn't give that sort of shit much thought with his soldiers, he kinda just blurted out what seemed right for the occasion. But he supposed nothing seemed particularly right for this occasion. One could seem cold and needlessly impersonal; one could seem inappropriately familiar, given lines that may already have been crossed. In the end, though... Evan couldn't bring himself to be needlessly impersonal.
"Xavier," he spoke up, doing his best to muster a light tone of voice, "Mind if I come in?" By some miracle, he succeeded pretty well at sounding normal, though after that it was pretty much fucking impossible to breathe while he waited for Xavier's reply.
Re: Part 1
Having only just arrived in his tent, Xavier had not yet managed to make himself comfortable and was still standing somewhat aimlessly in the center of it when he recognized Evan's voice. His heart hopelessly leapt into his throat at the unexpected sound, not to mention the way Xavier's own name sounded in Evan's tone. At least Evan wasn't addressing him formally, which seemed to indicate that they were still on good terms and maybe, just maybe, weren't going to attempt to forget about what happened yesterday.
"Uh... of course!" Xavier said, his voice wavering momentarily. He quickly ran his fingers through his hair as though that was going to fix anything and tried to appear casual. Gods, why was this so difficult? He looked around his tent, never having been so frustrated at the lack of accommodations--he was just a lieutenant, after all--and with a quiet sigh of desperation, sat on his cot in what he hoped was an appropriate position for the situation: legs on the ground, hands resting on his legs. Wait, should he be standing at attention? Where was Evan going to sit? Also on his cot? Ughhhhhhhh, Xavier's mind was already threatening to wander, and Xavier viscerally remembered Evan's reaction to the goddess' reveal. Stop! Stop stop stop stop! Evan was still his captain no matter what had happened!
When Evan entered, Xavier's face was already in full blush, and he looked up at Evan with something like hope.
"Uh... of course!" Xavier said, his voice wavering momentarily. He quickly ran his fingers through his hair as though that was going to fix anything and tried to appear casual. Gods, why was this so difficult? He looked around his tent, never having been so frustrated at the lack of accommodations--he was just a lieutenant, after all--and with a quiet sigh of desperation, sat on his cot in what he hoped was an appropriate position for the situation: legs on the ground, hands resting on his legs. Wait, should he be standing at attention? Where was Evan going to sit? Also on his cot? Ughhhhhhhh, Xavier's mind was already threatening to wander, and Xavier viscerally remembered Evan's reaction to the goddess' reveal. Stop! Stop stop stop stop! Evan was still his captain no matter what had happened!
When Evan entered, Xavier's face was already in full blush, and he looked up at Evan with something like hope.
Re: Part 1
Ah geez, Xavier was nervous. Right? That's what that tone of voice was? He supposed he really had been hoping on some level for happy-go-lucky Xavier, but that wasn't very fair. Evan shifted his weight, and tried to shrug off his own nerves. Ugh, this was so fucking stupid.
The captain entered the tent a bit abruptly, having to push open the flap and step inside all in one go before he lost the momentum. He let out an exhale as he did so, just realizing he'd still been holding his breath. Once inside his eyes took in Xavier's color and expression, and Evan swallowed a bit nervously. At least the boy did look glad to see him, he was pretty sure, even if he was clearly nervous. To be fair, that was pretty much exactly the boat Evan was in. For lack of a better response, Evan turned up a slight crooked smile to Xavier, to let the boy know that he was indeed there too.
"Ah, sorry for the abrupt goodbye before," he started lightheartedly, his weight shifting and his hand coming up to rub a tad nervously at his hair. His gaze blinked away from Xavier as he spoke, but then returned again, and his eyebrows raised a bit hopefully.
"Good news is, I made it through the night--" clearly, but that wasn't really the thought he was trying to get to, "-- and got an extra soldier back, to boot."
Aha, there the nervousness in his expression faded to a more familiar sort of glee, and Evan let his arm fall back down to his side as he stood a bit straighter and more confident. He paused there, hoping that the glimpse of more business-as-usual Evan would help Xavier relax.
The captain entered the tent a bit abruptly, having to push open the flap and step inside all in one go before he lost the momentum. He let out an exhale as he did so, just realizing he'd still been holding his breath. Once inside his eyes took in Xavier's color and expression, and Evan swallowed a bit nervously. At least the boy did look glad to see him, he was pretty sure, even if he was clearly nervous. To be fair, that was pretty much exactly the boat Evan was in. For lack of a better response, Evan turned up a slight crooked smile to Xavier, to let the boy know that he was indeed there too.
"Ah, sorry for the abrupt goodbye before," he started lightheartedly, his weight shifting and his hand coming up to rub a tad nervously at his hair. His gaze blinked away from Xavier as he spoke, but then returned again, and his eyebrows raised a bit hopefully.
"Good news is, I made it through the night--" clearly, but that wasn't really the thought he was trying to get to, "-- and got an extra soldier back, to boot."
Aha, there the nervousness in his expression faded to a more familiar sort of glee, and Evan let his arm fall back down to his side as he stood a bit straighter and more confident. He paused there, hoping that the glimpse of more business-as-usual Evan would help Xavier relax.
Re: Part 1
Huh, Evan was apologizing to him? Not what he expected, certainly, but he'd take it after the awkwardness with Mizu. Xavier shuddered slightly at the thought. Evan looked... nervous, too, and that made Xavier soften, giving up his stiff and awkward posture by pulling one leg up onto the bed with him and resting an arm over it. Not to mention that the way Evan's hand was in his hair... let's just say that there was more than one reason to put his leg up.
Xavier couldn't keep a neutral expression when Evan became proud and excited, though; it was contagious. What a bastard, Xavier thought playfully, takes what he wants and gets away with it, too. But he couldn't help but admire Evan for exactly that.
"Honestly, I'm more impressed you made it through Mizu's backlash in one piece. She caught Seth and I coming back from the forest. I might've... Well, Blake was..." Xavier briefly made a perfectly exaggerated version of Blake's disapproval. "...and I could practically hear them making assumptions..." Xavier hesitated again. "Look, I may have blurted out the whole thing." Xavier scratched the back of his head surreptitiously as he said this. "The bad news isn't that she stripped you of your rank, is it?" Granted, the fact that Xavier had REACHED OUT FOR EVAN'S LEG would be a lot less awkward if they were the same rank now, but Xavier forced himself to abandon that line of thought while he waited for an answer.
Xavier couldn't keep a neutral expression when Evan became proud and excited, though; it was contagious. What a bastard, Xavier thought playfully, takes what he wants and gets away with it, too. But he couldn't help but admire Evan for exactly that.
"Honestly, I'm more impressed you made it through Mizu's backlash in one piece. She caught Seth and I coming back from the forest. I might've... Well, Blake was..." Xavier briefly made a perfectly exaggerated version of Blake's disapproval. "...and I could practically hear them making assumptions..." Xavier hesitated again. "Look, I may have blurted out the whole thing." Xavier scratched the back of his head surreptitiously as he said this. "The bad news isn't that she stripped you of your rank, is it?" Granted, the fact that Xavier had REACHED OUT FOR EVAN'S LEG would be a lot less awkward if they were the same rank now, but Xavier forced himself to abandon that line of thought while he waited for an answer.