witchesreign | @Trabia | Not deaged

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@Trabia | Not deaged | Open to all

[Gwendolyn, not for the first time, is of the belief that her stay in this world is not the result of a loopy Sorceress kompressing time, but actually a punishment from her father. Having spent the past week and a half essentially babysitting what were normally fellow cadets, with some of the adults taking their being regressed to her age as an excuse to shirk duties, strikes her as the sort of ironic hell that would drive Queen Odette jealous for not having thought of it first.

Still, at least her fellow unaffected have taken to the task of looking after the afflicted well, to the point that by now they can afford to let some of them take time off. Which is what she'ss doing in Trabia Garden at the moment (well, that and keeping an eye in case the one guiding the children on a field trip missed one).

She finds the weather rather chilly today, to the point that she's wearing her cadet uniform - her wings come out of slits she had made on the skirt, but it doesn't seem to raise much attention, thankfully.]

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[Damian's been thoroughly enjoying his time as a teenager. Not only has the world taken him seriously - for once - but also he's finally able to do things he couldn't before! For instance, walk around town alone without people asking where his parents are.

Unfortunately? He also didn't have clothes that really fit... so he kinda temporarily "borrowed" Minato's Cadet uniform. (Hey, he'd wash it and pay the guy back later. He promised.) Noticing Gwendolyn, Damian gives her an acknowledging nod before he starts walking towards a local clothing store.

The sooner he gets himself out of these clothes, the better.]

[Gwendolyn notices Damian - one of the rare few who was aged up at the moment - and returns the nod. Out of curiosity, she decides to follow him into the clothing store.]

Good day, Damian. I see you are taking well to your current form.

Hey, Gwendolyn. [He slows down as they enter the store, and even holds it open for her!] Of course I'd enjoy this! People've finally stopped asking me where my parents are.

Slag, I didn't think I passed for a native that well.

[She gives him a hint of a smile for the gesture.] Well, you have no unusual features or powers, so few would consider you an offworlder.

'Tis odd that you're considered a child here - I suppose each world has different standards.

[Erk. She had to mention his non-meta status. Damian reluctantly nods.] Y-yeah... I'm not that special compared to the others.

Wait. I wouldn't be considered a kid in your world?

[Gwendolyn considers her response] You're eleven years of age, so you would be just short of a coming of age on most kingdoms. At the very least, people would be less concerned about your going about unsupervised.

... Whoa. [That causes him to stare at her.] In my world, "coming of age" means eighteen. So most people don't let kids run around unsupervised until they're like, thirteen or fourteen.

[Inspects a t-shirt and dumps it into his arms. Obviously, fashion's the last thing he's concerned about.]

I suppose it has much to do with a world's life expectancy. I've noticed people marry at an older age here, as well.

[glances back at her after he dumps more t-shirts and jeans into his arms. Maybe he should actually try this stuff on instead of just buying the first thing he sees.]

Probably. I know people don't marry until their early twenties in my world... and here too. Kinda.

[If Gwendolyn's outside, she might come across a cutesy doodle of a young man lasered into the snow, while her roommate stands over it looking rather mournful.]

[Gwendolyn does indeed notice her new roommate. She barely exchanged a few words with her when she had first arrived, but at least she seemed helpful enough during this event.]

Good day, Mikuru. Is the drawing of a friend of yours?

[Startled, Mikuru jumps before managing to turn around and face Gwendolyn.]

Oh! Hello, Gwendolyn-san... Yes, this is a...friend of mine. [But the way she clasps her hands together at the thought of him...]

[Gwendolyn notices the clasping, and is quick to associate the gesture to those bizarre books Terra had shown her when she was of the belief that Oswald was stalking her.

...she never really got what the plot of those books was all about. Something about heaving bosoms and deflowerings, and vile acts portrayed fondly... she has a feeling Terra never did understand them either.]

This friend wouldn't happen to be... of the stalking sort?

[Mikuru's jaw drops open. ~~Really, if anything, she'd stalked~~ him - but that was to protect him!]

No! Itsuki-kun would never do such a thing!

Ah. My apologies, I didn't mean to assume any ulterior motives to your friend - I merely heard that term used in the context of certain relationships.

What kind of relationships are those? [Mikuru is somewhat disturbed by this idea.]

The kind where one half has difficulties in communicating and so attempts to compensate by watching the other half silently, fumbling for an appropriate response when addressed to?

[She's... guessing that would be the type, since that's how Oswald has been described in the past.]

[She contemplates this, and ultimately decides that this is not the kind of thing she and Itsuki have. They manage to have conversations, really.]

... Personal experience?

...Perhaps.

How did you handle it?

[Mercedes was very, very grateful that she had not suffered being deaged. She didn't want to possibly end up so tiny that she might be eaten. c_c She's got enough problems as it is being trapped in this world!

Taking care of the younger ones wasn't that much of a problem for her, but mostly because her version of 'taking care of them' was by telling them what to do. Go there. Stay here. Talk to that person. Get me something to drink. Stop touching my wings. e_e Other than that, she tried to keep to herself and study as much as possible.

But she does go out on her own to explore the Trabia Garden. She did want to learn more about the place afterall. She might find something useful here!]

..? [Like... a Valkyrie? Wait. What?] !!!

[By some means, Mercedes had completely missed the presence of Gwendolyn in this world until this moment, and her first instinct was to think she was about to be ambushed. Acting on that, she suddenly leaped backward into the air and flew several feet until she landed within the branches of a tree she had passed moments before.

From there she looked around the area until she was sure that she didn't spot any other Valkyrie gliding about waiting to strike. She relaxed when there wasn't any other sign of danger... then when she looked back to the lone Valkyrie, the fairy started to see more of the Aesir woman. Like ... the fact she was wearing a cadet uniform just like Mercedes. How... did she not know about this girl training in Garden? Immediately she felt mopey because of her ignorance, and made her way back to the ground with a pout.

She tried to hide her feelings as she approached Gwendolyn, head held high and her feet landing softly as she strolled forward casually. She doesn't speak first, and just moves forward until she's noticed so that she can see what sort of reaction the other girl has. Then... she'll think of what to do next. Yes. That seemed like a good plan to her!]

[Gwendolyn had noticed sudden movement out of the corner of her eye, but made no sign of it. Any ambush attempt would be difficult to make in a moderately populated area such as this, after all.

Casually turning to look in the direction of the movement, she soon notices a sight she hadn't seen in eight months - four if she's counting the time compression-related dreams: fairy wings. The shape is different, but the blond hair and pointy ears confirm her suspicions.

She tenses briefly until she notices that the young fairy too is clad in Garden uniform - no doubt a recent arrival, since there's no way she wouldn't have noticed those wings before the mass deaging. She seems to be approaching without arrogance or fear, and decides to at least address her with the respect a fellow cadet deserves - she can divine her intentions from what she might have to say.]

Good day. You are a long way from Ringford, 'twould seem.

[Exchanging pleasantries wasn't quite what Mercedes was expecting... but she wasn't looking for a fight either. She nodded in response to Gwendolyn's greeting and also to agree with her statement.]

I am surprised to find out that I'm not the only one from Erion in this world.

[The only Aesir she really had a problem with was the King, so as long as this Valkyrie didn't show any interest in a battle, Mercedes was perfectly content with acting like fellow students rather than as opposing forces. But... even with that in mind, she didn't try very hard to come up with anything to say. Oh, but there was something else she wanted to ask.]

Was anyone else from your country brought here with you?

Not as far as I know, no.

[Gwendolyn pauses to consider things for a moment - should she inform the Fairy of Oswald being here? He's currently deaged, so she might not recognize him... but that effect will fade away eventually.

...yes, perhaps it's better she learn that early, as a show of good faith. More importantly, by informing her, she will also know that she knows.]

There is someone who was formerly affiliated to your country, however.

[Mercedes just nodded, but didn't show much more interest in questioning Gwendolyn about her countrymen. But after the Valkyrie mentioned a former affiliate of Ringford... Mercedes seemed a lot more interested in what else she knew.]

Who?

[Her tone wasn't cold, but there was a little urgency in her voice. Or maybe it was hope...]

[Gwendolyn notices the tone behind that one word. Well, no going back on this, now...]

...Oswald the Shadow Knight.

[A pause soon followed as Mercedes processed what she heard.]

...

[She looked just about every direction that she could as she thought to herself, and when she finally looked back to Gwendolyn she spoke.]

I do not believe he was ever allied to anyone other than Melvin. He may have lived in Ringford and served under the orders he was given... but the Shadow Knight showed where his loyalty truly was when my mother was no longer queen.

...I see.

[Gwendolyn takes a moment to process what Mercedes says. It seems to gel with what Oswald's claimed - though he never mentioned this Melvin, then again he had no reason to - and she sounds truthful enough.]

I suppose that would explain why he tends to do little but glare at most people who aren't Instructors.

[She nearly double-takes when the Fairy admits to being the current queen.]

..ah, I believe we haven't introduced ourselves. I am Gwendolyn, formerly of Ragnanival. [She does the standard SeeD salute.]

[A look of conflict passed over Mercedes' face when Gwendolyn said 'formerly'.]

I am Mercedes, Queen of the Fairies. While that doesn't mean anything to the other people of this world... that is who I am and who I will continue to be until I return my name to the heavens.

[It seemed that she thought the other girl had given up on returning and made this place her new home.] We may be in this world for now but that does not change where we belong.

We will return one day, and until then... [She paused a moment and looked away.] ... [There was more that she had to say, but instead she glanced back to Gwendolyn.] What do you plan to do with your time here?

True, a part of me will always belong to Ragnanival. However, even if we were to return to Erion tomorrow, my own return to my homeland would remain in doubt.

[That of course, is her way of saying she's exiled. She won't come out and say it, of course, since she's not about to open up like that to anyone yet, especially not to an enemy-turned-ally.]

In the meantime, I intend to become a SeeD and trascend as one. My pride as a Valkyrie would settle for no less.

[And Mercedes does not think to pry into Gwendolyn's affairs, but there was a slight tilt of her head as she stared curiously at the other girl for a few moments.]

I agree. There ways may be different, but there are many things that can be learned here that will be useful back home. [Also there's the thing about Mercedes wanting to be a SeeD so that she can keep her GF guilt-free. But... that isn't something she'll openly tell many people. If anyone at all.]

[She was silent for a short time, but soon enough, she looked back and spoke with a tone that was far more concerned than she would have liked.] Do you know what intentions the Shadow Knight may have?

[She takes a moment to consider the answer well. Obviously, Mercedes would want to be sure that he's not planning anything, so she can't just give a vague reassurance - both because that's not what she does, and because that'd be very hypocritical of her.]

If he has any long-term plan, he's made no show of it. Aside from observing me on occasions, he spends most of his free time in the Training Center.

I see.

[Mercedes doesn't know what to do with this information. Normally this would be the point where she would turn to someone else and get advice, that she may or may not ignore. It also doesn't help that there isn't an immediate threat for her to oppose. There is no Cauldron or war here for her, and as far as she is aware, King Odin is not here either.

When she started to adjust her momentum toward training as a cadet, it hadn't been too difficult because it didn't take long for her to realize that it was the best thing for her to do. She just focused on having a GF of her own and knew that she needed to do something instead of just being idle.

But this situation took her by surprise because she had not thought about the chance of running into anyone else from her world. It was strange enough that she came here... so she didn't even consider it would happen again. Now that she's come to face with someone else from Erion, she struggled with how to deal with it.

Does she go on like Gwendolyn is just like any other student? Should she go find the Shadow Knight to make sure he has no thoughts of avenging Melvin? And if all of them are now enlisted within Garden... does that make them all allies now? It would be good to stay close to one another since they are from the same world... right?

For a very long time she was silent as she became absorbed with her own thoughts, desperately trying to figure out what she should do next.]

[Nina is pleased to see someone else not battered about with the age change. She wanted someone to talk to. Her own wings were pressed against her body. They may have been eyesores, but at least they were warm]

Nice to see you're normal as well. Staying warm?

[Gwendolyn gives her a short salute, appreciating the pragmatic use of the instructor's wings. It's a pity her own aren't large enough to cover her in the same way.]

Indeed. Thankfully, 'tis not much colder than in my homeland.

[Nina stands next to Gwendolyn and nods] Some places at home are cold, some are very warm. Wyndia was a warm country. But it was breezy like this.

[she sighed and felt comfortable]

I trust you had time to prepare your classes before the de-aging?

For the most part, though if people don't age up soon I may have to adjust and buy some toy blocks instead.

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@Trabia | Not deaged | Open to all

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hello, roomie!

Oh, hi!

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sorry for delay! holiday

I promise that not all my tags will be this long. ._.

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