"No, you'll be my friend, I'm nice to you, so you should be loyal to me, besides, Grandmother won't be Queen forever, my mommy will be Queen and then, one day, I'll be Queen, don't you want a Queen that plays fair, and is nice to you, Is Grandmother nice to you?" Asmos tilted his head slightly, curiously. He was growing unsteady, and that unsteadiness only increased as the small girl suddenly put her palmes against the sides of his head. Asmos didn't have time to react at all, the entire motion caught him by suprise as the sudden intrusion pushed it's way into his mind

His mind was being invaded, it was so strange. A calming sense of peace reached through him, yet an alarming pain thundered through his body. His glowing pupils flamed up, like two torches illuminating Alice. It was not the same bright light of excitement. It was just pure suprise and adrenaline pumping through him. The guards were stirring now, But they were like faint birds in the distance, their words made no impact. All that was before him was that tiny face, focusing endlessly her way into his thoughts. Through all the chaos his mind had a erupted into Asmos wondered quickly.

"What in the World would she see in here?"

"She's not nice to you, She doesn't even know you" There was too much emotion flowing through Asmos. Too much for his system. So as the words reached him, blurred and hazy as their were Asmos embraced his most used emotion. Like a child trying to hide beneath the covers, but those covers was for Asmos the primal feeling, Rage. As she dug deeper into his head, deciphering him, his being slowly deformed. It was more his body making an poor attempt to shield him. But it would not help much, even with Asmos thoughts being so scattered in this stage the small girl before him simply waded through the maelstrom his mind was becoming.

Things where happening around him, He could pick up as Much, But he was too savage too see anything beyond the pale face in front of him. "You are my friend, You will be loyal to me." Everything's was suddenly so calm, Those gentle words echoing through him. "d-don't, I don't... My queen." Asmos voice was weak, more so than it had ever been, Just a faint whisper. "Grandmother will not be Queen and Mommy doesn't like you, but I do, so you'll be loyal to me. Okay?" Asmos, who was halway into letting his mind quiet down, and embrace his chaotic side. Half through his transformation which had triggered in a poor way to protect his mind started to revert back, His thoughts slowly gathering back together.

And following through that Asmos immediately fell backwards out of Alice's soft grip, Landing on his back in the grass. His eyes barely visible from inside his helmet. Both his hands gripping and then releasing. Like he was trying to clench his hands around something invisible. I, I, I don't want- argh. What, I'm not... Asmos sat back up again, as if in reflex, Cutting off whatever he was trying to say. Both his arms was trembling. The armor around his arms clacking unceremoniously against each other.

E I D A__I R I S

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Eida felt his hand on her suddenly, and she didn't even have time to look up before she was being pulled forward, held to him by a pair of thick arms that wrapped around her. With a relieved sigh, she wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up at him at long last. She was caught in his loving gaze then, and again had to remind herself to breathe.

"Never," he told her, his voice hushed to a whisper. "I will never leave you, I love you." It was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders in that moment and she felt lighter for it. There was still so much to worry about... Her daughter, this world, Mycah's newfound 'rivalry' with Kaenne. But right now she didn't care about any of that, she only cared that she was in Mycah's arms. She smiled a little, not breaking his gaze, though naturally she appeared confused as he began to lean down. As his lips met with hers she felt butterflies in her stomach, and for the brief duration she closed her eyes, practically melting into him. It didn't last very long at all, but she was satisfied nonetheless. At least he wanted to be with her again.

"Besides, you'll throw more rocks at me if I did. You know, if I wasn't in Dragon form, that would have broken a bone, or knocked me clean out," he suddenly joked. Eida raised a single brow, a hint of a smirk pulling at the corners of her lips. "You know, if you hadn't so tragically missed," he added. She scoffed loudly and removed her hands from around him, playfully pushing him back by his chest until she was free of his arms.

"Don't give me an excuse to throw another, I swear," she warned, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked at him for a moment, with something in her eyes resembling humour and admiration mixed together, before she shook her head with a smile. "I really missed you, y'know," she told him, her voice a little quieter than it had been moments before. Almost every day she wondered what their first encounter would be like after all that time apart, and in all the scenarios she dreamed up over the years, she never imagined she would fall for him so quickly, or that he would even give her the time of day, let alone confess his love for her on multiple occasions. Much that she couldn't knock it, there were still some things she had to discuss with him... Mostly regarding Kaenne, who was still very much an important person in her life.

Wrapping her arms around her stomach, mostly as a force of habit, she gave a gentle sigh. "Look, Mycah... I am grateful you're here now, believe me," she told him. "Even more so that we could potentially become an 'us' again..." Her eyes drifted to the centre of camp, where Kaenne was no more. She knew he would be watching over Hotaru, as he said he would. "Kaenne is not your competition, he is your ally now... He's still my best friend and I cannot forget the times he and I spent together. I may not be in love with him as he is with me, but I do still love him and Hotaru has come to adore him, so it's important that you two are civil with each other," she explained, looking back at him with a saddened expression. "I don't know what he said to you, I only caught the end of that conversation, and I'm certainly not asking you to forgive him. But however hard it may be... Be the bigger man." As she spoke she stepped closer, one hand on his hip while the other she raised to his face, brushing her thumb across his jaw. "He likes to sit up on his high horse, it's in his nature to be so stubborn and jealous, and he'll likely hit below the belt any chance he gets. I believe either one of us would be bitter too, were we in his position," she spoke, her voice soft. She dropped her hand from his face to his shoulder. "But he will get over it eventually, so please be considerate of him. For me, at least."

"Don't give me an excuse to throw another, I swear," Eida said, feigning indignation as she shoved him in the chest. Mycah laughed. Her striking him like that. He could take until his dying day, so long as she was smiling. She shook her head. "I really missed you, y'know." She told him and Mycah nodded. "I missed you too, Day Girl, Like you wouldn't believe." He commented before she wrapped her arms around herself like she'd always done just before saying something she felt was uncomfortable. "Look, Mycah... I am grateful you're here now, believe me," she told him. "Even more so that we could potentially become an 'us' again..."She said and looked back toward the camp, Mycah's gaze never left her. "Kaenne is not your competition, he is your ally now... He's still my best friend and I cannot forget the times he and I spent together. I may not be in love with him as he is with me, but I do still love him and Hotaru has come to adore him, so it's important that you two are civil with each other," She said and he nodded. There was a small twinge of pride that came from her saying she was not in love with him. He swallowed it and tried not to look so pleased. "I don't know what he said to you, I only caught the end of that conversation, and I'm certainly not asking you to forgive him. But however hard it may be... Be the bigger man. She said and he rose his brows but say nothing else. Yes, she heard nothing he said because if she had, they'd both be sporting matching hand prints. She came close again, placing a hand on his hip and the other brushing against his face, so softly, he nearly purred. "He likes to sit up on his high horse, it's in his nature to be so stubborn and jealous, and he'll likely hit below the belt any chance he gets. I believe either one of us would be bitter too, were we in his position," she said and Mycah kept quiet on that note. He would be the bigger man like she asked but it was hard not to want to tell her everything that was said. It would only hurt her in the end so he wouldn't. "But he will get over it eventually, so please be considerate of him. For me, at least." she asked and Mycah nodded. "I will be civil, for you, Day Girl, on my honor." He told her. "I do have one question, though." He said and took a step back. And bowed gracefully, as he'd done what seemed like a lifetime ago. "Will you, Eida Iris, Allow me the honor of courting you? Properly, this time." He asked, ending with a dashing smile. The term meant that he would try his hardest to earn her hand, much like he had before, only this time, he wouldn't claim her as his own. Before when he had offered to court her, it had been more as if they were dating, this would not be the case this time. Often, Women courted many men at a time so it would be no different than it was now. He had the same chance as Kaenne. As much as he hated the idea.
Alice watched Asmos with an almost pleased look on her face. His reaction didn't bother her, nor did the images that she saw in his mind. She'd seen it all before and worse. Some of the men wanted to do strange things to her mother. She didn't understand what it was but in their heads Mommy was always happy to do it whatever it was. Wrestling? She didn't know. She'd have to ask her about that one day.

For now, she looked at Asmos, cocking her head. "Don't worry, Jabberwock" She said almost innocently. "I didn't make you do anything, I just wanted you to see, with your own memories that Grandmother doesn't like you, she's not nice to you, but I'm nice to you, and I'm your friend." She nodded. "Say we're friends, Jabberwocky, Say we're friends."

E I D A__I R I S

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"I will be civil, for you, Day Girl, on my honour," Mycah replied with a nod, eliciting a small smile from Eida, relieved by the idea that she would be able to trust the two men alone together in the future without them clawing each other's throats out in her absence. "I do have one question, though," he continued. Eida's smile faded some and she raised a single brow, eyeing him curiously as he took a step back and proceeded to bow. The gesture in itself was just as amusing to her as it had been a year ago, but she kept her expression as straight as possible. "Will you, Eida Iris, allow me the honour of courting you? Properly, this time."

This caused her to pause some, a deep frown pushing her brows down for the shortest moment. "Mycah, I appreciate the sentiment, trust me... But do you not remember how difficult it was the first time you tried to court me?" she asked, trying to keep her voice as gentle as possible to make it clear she was not flat-out rejecting the idea. She'd made it known to him back then that she was very much interested, but she was not from a world where they had such traditions anymore, and despite being royalty, she did not want him to treat her as such. The two weeks they'd spent together were fun in some ways but they'd also been utter Hell in others, and if she recalled correctly, they'd both gotten far too impatient to wait any longer. Now, however, they had a baby together. That only made things all the more complicated.

"I suppose... if you feel more comfortable 'courting' me beforehand, I will not stop you," she continued, sounding a little hesitant, but not because she did not want to be pursued by him. It was more because she did not want him to feel that he had to tiptoe around her, trying to earn the affections she was already prepared to offer him, even now. A year ago the idea of it all was intriguing and she'd left him to his strange ways mostly because she was curious, but that was back when she practically lived for male attention. She cared little about any of that now, she just wanted her family to be safe and well. It was unfortunate that she ended up in this situation with Kaenne and Mycah, truly. But she was not prepared to let either of them down just yet.

Eida realised her eyes had wandered elsewhere, as had her thoughts, and she returned them to Mycah with a sharp breath. She worried he might've said something in however long it had been, but also didn't want to say she'd stopped paying attention, so she stood in silence for a moment or two. She still hugged herself but now it was not because she felt awkward, it was because the night air had finally reached her and she was getting cold. It was in this moment that she realised she'd been wandering around in barely anything at all, and with a quick glance down at herself she sighed. "Uh, perhaps we should head back now," she suggested, but without hearing his answer she already turned and began walking in the direction of the camp. She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Y'know, I don't think I've ever truly understood what you mean by 'courting'," she told him, wearing a soft, somehow innnocent smile. "I get the idea... I just don't know what it involves, exactly."

Asmos gaze flickered back up, focusing intensely on Alice. He was, well, confused. His thoughts desperately attempting to form. placing his hands on his knees, looking surprisingly childish. "Don't worry, Jabberwock" She said a sweet tone surrounding her words, Like she was lying, yet at the same time not.

"I didn't make you do anything, I just wanted you to see, with your own memories that Grandmother doesn't like you, she's not nice to you, but I'm nice to you, and I'm your friend." Her proclamation was painful, digging their way into his head. Every single word making him physically cringe. "You... You didn't..." Asmos rose his hand upwards, Covering the right side of his face

"Say we're friends, Jabberwocky, Say we're friends." Her words again, seemed to echo throughout his head. But it met no resistance. What she said felt completely natural, like she was stating something incredibly obvious. "Of course we are friends little one. I wouldn't be able to call us anything else. You are as dear to me as my..." Asmos thoughts moved together around his queen. She was dear to him, right? Wait, was she? Asmos rose up from the ground, Removing his hand from his eyes, Looking around like he was lost."Little one, Why am I so,

disorganized?

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"Mycah, I appreciate the sentiment, trust me... But do you not remember how difficult it was the first time you tried to court me?. " Yes, yes he did, and it didn't work out the way he'd expected but this time he was hoping for the route to take course again. He was hoping she would be just as impatient as she had before, sans the whole Pri-ya bit. Of course, he liked his teeth where they were, so he kept that bit to himself and only nodded. "I suppose... if you feel more comfortable 'courting' me beforehand, I will not stop you," She said and he arched a brow, she clearly wasn't really sure what courting was, she hadn't been before, but he'd for some reason expected her to get it now. His mistake. Her gaze drifted and Mycah just watched her, wondering where her mind had gone. She suddenly looked back at him, with a quick breath and he had an idea about where her mind had gone. To the two men, she was juggling if he had to guess. Then she hugged herself again, and for a moment he thought she was feeling odd again but then she turned, wordlessly back toward the camp. Perhaps he should have said something. Or, as evident by the way she looked down at herself, it was that she was still in the oversized night shirt she'd been sporting and it was just cold.

"Uh, perhaps we should head back now," She said and before he managed a nod and a simple "Agreed," She was already walking toward the camp. Mycah, after grabbing his blade, hefting over his shoulder again, fell into an easy step beside her. He was tall, with longer legs, it took only a few of his long stride to match pace with her. She glanced at him. "Y'know, I don't think I've ever truly understood what you mean by 'courting',"She said with the softest smile he'd ever seen it made him chuckle. "I get the idea... I just don't know what it involves, exactly." She said and Mycah nodded. "I was beginning to figure that, yes." He confessed and then mused over a simple explanation.
"Well, I suppose it would be something akin to dating, only with much less touching and what's the word....hm, monotony?" He looked up in thought. "I suppose in short, it would be that I am a suitor for marriage, but you, as the woman, can have as many suitors calling on you as you like, so it wouldn't be as if you were tied down to one, basically you would be allowing me the opportunity to see you with the chance that one day, you and I, or whomever you were courting, would be fit for marriage." He said and looked around, grimly. "I suppose, at the time, it made more sense when the worlds were still whole." He said thoughtfully and before his thoughts went too dark, he looked at her with a smirk. "It's all the fun of dating without the commitment. And I can do this" He leaned over, stealing a quick kiss from her lips before pulling back and walking. "and be well within respectable perimeters, but I would be entirely out of line if I tried to take you to bed, or otherwise touch you in what would be considering inappropriate, for some, even a kiss or a front facing hug would be considered that but I imagine that's not your way, but please do correct me if I'm wrong."
"I'm afraid that version of myself is lost now," Alec explained and Sunday's brow creased. "Besides... My body will already have decayed beyond repair, even if I knew where it was," he said and Sunday's brow then rose. How was he capable of all this and was Alice? She had a strange ability, one that disturbed her but she knew it came from Alec at least they had an original, but Alec's? Where did Alec's ability come from? Was this innate or mastered? "But that doesn't matter now, because I would never want to go back to that body," He said and she nodded. It was probably for the best, even if by some strange twist of Fate, her father allowed him to live, there were very few others that would be so kind. "People will never forget what I have done, but maybe... if I prove myself, they won't look at me and only see the man that ruined their lives." He said and Sunday sighed, his arms were shaking around her, almost as if they were tiring but she couldn't bring herself to pull away .

"I also can't trust that Victoria wouldn't be able to find me, with her little scouts reporting my every move," he said and Sunday visibly flinched. She didn't like her mother's name being used. She hated to even call her, her mother. She didn’t stop him. He was being open with her, which was something she'd longed for. "She knows I won't let Alexis be harmed... Ever since she began using her as a method of manipulation, she's been practically untouchable. Who knows what else she'd make me do..." He said and she looked at him. "What else?" She repeated and shook her head. Her mother was the epitome of evil, cruelty, and malice, she could only imagine what she made him do once she had a hold of Alexis. She imagined that’s what was keeping Grandfather as well. What foul thing did she force him to endure? Could it be possible that she made him watch as his mother and father burned? Simply out of spite for his power and to show him that she held the reigns, that would be like her to do. "That's enough for now, I... don't want to--well, I want to know but not right now, you should, you should see Alice, talk to her as her father, just in case mine...isn't so forgiving." She told him and pulled herself away from him, wrapping her arms around herself. "Try to clear your mind when you talk to her, she reads minds, and she will try to search yours." She warned him before offering her hand so that she could assist him to his feet. She took a deep breath. "She's a lot like you, a lot."
"Of course we are friends little one. I wouldn't be able to call us anything else. You are as dear to me as my..." Alice watched him. She was dear to him now. That was nice. She was hoping that would happen, though she didn't make it. She wanted to play fair. She didn't like when things were unfair. Asmos stood up again, and she had to crane her neck to look t him."Little one, Why am I so, disorganized?" Alice looked at him then looked up as if looking in her own head. "Oh, well, I had to go through your memories, find all the ones with Grandmother, you have a lot of memories of just fighting, blood and other gross stuff, so you might be a little shuffled, it was like trying to find a card in a deck, but once you go to sleep, your memories will be back in order." she told him and wrapped her arms around him as best she could. His armor was cold and hard but that was okay. "I'm glad we're friends, Jabberwock, I really am." She said and hugged him as tight as she could without hurting herself.

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"I was beginning to figure that, yes," Mycah replied quickly, causing Eida to cut him a small and somewhat playful glare, before huffing and turning her head as he gave the answer a good amount of thought. "Well, I suppose it would be something akin to dating, only with much less touching and what's the word... hm, monotony?" he began. "I suppose in short, it would be that I am a suitor for marriage, but you, as the woman, can have as many suitors calling on you as you like, so it wouldn't be as if you were tied down to one, basically you would be allowing me the opportunity to see you with the chance that one day, you and I, or whomever you were courting, would be fit for marriage." At this, she looked at him again, a very slight frown pushing down her brows. She was beginning to understand what he was getting at by offering to court her. If he was to win her hand, it seemed he wanted to do so fairly, taking her relationship with Kaenne into consideration. She might've smiled, had he not mentioned marriage - a thought that seldom entered her mind, if at all.

She watched his expression turn as he gave a glance at the world around him. "I suppose, at the time, it made more sense when the worlds were still whole," he added, and she took a breath before turning away yet again, noticing they were quite close to the camp. It was a weird thought. When he'd first offered to court her, she didn't quite know his intentions were to earn her hand in marriage, of all things. She just thought it meant he had to buy her a fuck ton of flowers before he got to sleep with her.

"It's all the fun of dating without the commitment. And I can do this," he continued, before there was a pause. She felt his lips on hers suddenly and she couldn't help but gape at him a little as he returned to his place. "And be well within respectable perimeters, but I would be entirely out of line if I tried to take you to bed, or otherwise touch you in what would be considering inappropriate, for some, even a kiss or a front facing hug would be considered that but I imagine that's not your way, but please do correct me if I'm wrong."

Despite herself, Eida scoffed loudly, and let her arms fall to her sides. Even in the dark of night, her cheeks were evidently flushed and she no longer seemed bothered by the cold for all the warmth that ran through her. "Mycah, we had a child together... You really think I'd say a front-facing hug is too inappropriate?" she asked rhetorically, before an amused smile worked its way across her lips. She knew they were only getting closer to the tent, where she thought Kaenne might be sitting with Hotaru, but in honesty she was hoping to avoid him for a time - to save herself the awkwardness. Without realising, she slowed her pace a bit. "Honestly, I'm not used to this... Being courted, I mean... But for you I will try it, and we'll do it right this time," she told him, sounding sure of herself. Her smile became a little less playful and a lot more genuine as she stopped outside her tent, though it was quickly gone as a deep rumble filled the quiet of the camp.

Eida peeled back the entrance to the tent to see Hotaru sitting upright, staring directly at her, with several cracks in the floor nearby. She sighed loudly and stepped inside. Kaenne must have heard them talking and tunnelled out of the tent to avoid seeing either of them. She appreciated it in some ways, of course, but worried about how it might appear to Mycah. She still cared for Kaenne and as such she didn't want Mycah to see him as a coward, but it angered her that he was acting this way. He wasn't helping himself at all, at least in her eyes. "Well, he's certainly not improving his own chances," she murmured, hoping it might boost Mycah's pride a little bit to know she was already beginning to view him as the better man, while she sat herself down beside Hotaru with a deep exhale, running a hand over the girl's head. "I'm gonna try to get her to settle again if you want to go ahead and get some sleep," she told him, swiftly changing the subject.

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"What else?" Sunday asked, looking up at him. He steadily met her gaze, more than prepared to clear himself of the weight he'd been carrying on his shoulders for so long. Excuses were all he could offer, and he didn't want to seem like he was only shifting the blame onto someone else, but more than any of that he only wanted to clarify that he was not quite as cruel and unfeeling as people had thought him to be. He did not let his mother, father, and uncle die of his own free will, and he certainly did not hand the crown over to a known tyrant to rule a world he wanted to be peaceful. Victoria had always been a means to an end, nothing more and nothing less, but he'd made the horrible mistake of underestimating her.

"That's enough for now, I... don't want to--well, I want to know but not right now, you should, you should see Alice, talk to her as her father, just in case mine... isn't so forgiving," Sunday suddenly spoke, cutting him off before he could begin his explanation. He frowned deeply, even more so as she pulled her arms from around him. Though he was in no real position to complain, so he merely nodded, his arms falling to his sides with an inaudible sigh. She was right; he needed to speak with Alice. Properly, this time. He'd been less than kind on their first encounter, and had since not paid her as much mind as he should have. Besides, Sunday still had to speak with Simon, and it would probably be best if he wasn't in their general area when she did. "Try to clear your mind when you talk to her, she reads minds, and she will try to search yours," she continued, and he nodded as if he knew that all too well.

Alec took her hand as she offered it to him, standing with her. "She's a lot like you, a lot," she added. Part of him wanted to smile with pride, but what became of his expression was far from that... He truly hoped that, as she aged, she would become more like her mother. For her own sake and, in honesty, everyone else's sake too. "Right," he murmured quietly, accompanying his words with a nod, before taking a deep breath and fixing his expression. "You're right, I should talk to her... I haven't had the chance to yet," he echoed, "And I hope we can talk more about this later, when- if your father allows me to stay... What I have to say, needs to be heard, especially by him." As he finished speaking, he realised he was still clinging to her hand, and so he let it fall to her side and he took a step back, focusing a little. He'd always been able to search out his family members, he was hoping he could do so with Alice.

When he locked onto a familiar presence, he looked back at Sunday. "I... I want to thank you, for listening to me," he told her, clasping his arms behind his back. "You remind me of Simon in many ways."

"Oh, well, I had to go through your memories, find all the ones with Grandmother, you have a lot of memories of just fighting, blood and other gross stuff, so you might be a little shuffled, it was like trying to find a card in a deck, but once you go to sleep, your memories will be back in order."

Finishing her proclamation she hugged him. Wrapped her tiny arms around his armored surface. Asmos didn't react in any way worth mentioning. He was thinking, long and hard about her words. Yes, She had indeed entered his mind. He managed to reassemble himself, Just a little bit.

"I'm glad we're friends, Jabberwock, I really am." She said as her surprisingly firm hug tightened. Asmos, well he was, Confused. Her words made him feel strangely emotional, more so than he had felt in a long time. Perhaps he was just torn and mentally tired after the previous struggle. But deep inside, he smiled, ever so slightly. He placed his hand atop her head, making a poor effort for it to be comfortable

It's funny. You have sweeped me off my feet, knocked me wordless and genuinely scared me more than anybody else ever has. And this is still our first meeting, along with, well! Look at you!

Asmos made an over exaggerated gesture towards Alice.

You aren't exactly the intimidating figure!

Asmos made a quiet sigh. It was quite obvious, even he could see. He was trying his very best to mask his anxiousness. His mind was centered on his queen. How had the trifling with his mind affected how he viewed her? He was too tired to try and make sense of this turmoil that was boiling inside him. And he was unsure if the child clinging to him made him feel at ease or only more worried...

It must be quite the surreal sight. The small girl hugging the armored demon, Surrounded by unconscious soldiers

"Right," He said as he took her hand, allowing her to help him to his feet. "You're right, I should talk to her... I haven't had the chance to yet," And she nodded. "And I hope we can talk more about this later, when- if your father allows me to stay... What I have to say, needs to be heard, especially by him." He said and she could only managed a small nod and a soft. "Of course," Even though, he'd be lucky if her father let him live let alone stay in the camp. Suddenly, Alec pulled his hand away and Sunday noticed that he had been holding on to it rather firmly. Her hand was a little colder for him pulling away. "I... I want to thank you, for listening to me," He said and she nodded. "You remind me of Simon in many ways." He said and she sighed and smiled. It didn't reach her eyes as she started walking. She wanted so to be like her father but the more time past, the more she was beginning to look like her Mother. She couldn't even look in the mirror anymore afraid of her reflection. She walked ahead, saying nothing to this.

The walk was silent and Sunday appreciated it. Her mind had too much on it and she needed a mental break from it all. However that was short lived when she entered the camp where she'd left her daughter.Asmos patted her head and Alice knew he was uncomfortable with all of it but she didn't let go. It's funny. You have sweeped me off my feet, knocked me wordless and genuinely scared me more than anybody else ever has. And this is still our first meeting, along with, well! Look at you He said and gestured grandly at her. She giggled " You aren't exactly the intimidating figure! Alice laughed. "You don't have to be afraid, We are friends now." She said and before she could say more, she felt her mother and the world went static. "Alice!" Her mother snapped and Alice pulled away from Asmos, knowing she was in trouble. "Mommy, I have great news, Jabberwocky and I are-"
"Come away from there, right now." She snapped again and Alice frowned sadly. "But Mommy."
"Now, Alice!" She said and Alice dropped her shoulders and hung her head. "Yes, Mommy." She said and sulked over to her. Her mother then kneeled down taking her face in either hand. " Did he do that? Did he hurt you ?" Alice looked at her, not saying a word. "Alice, He is dangerous," Alice was again, silent. "I don't trust him and I don't want you near him" Her mother went on and Alice frowned sharply at her. She knew what was coming next. She was going to make her give her, her word and then she really couldn't be near him.
"He's my friend!"Alice shouted and Her mother blinked. " And I'm dangerous too, but he's not afraid to talk to me, not like everybody else. We read a book and he's not afraid to tease me a little. He's my friend." Alice told her, as she began to cry and her mother sighed and was watching her for a long time. "What about the guards? "I did that, they were trying to take me from him and I had to see in his mind, show him that Grandmother wasn't nice. They'll wake up soon, Honest!"[/b] Alice's tears weren't fake, she was tired of not having any friends, people being afraid of her, and Asmos wasn't afraid to at least talk to her. People here were afraid to even look at her most of the time. It wasn't fair. [color=#67ab90]He's here to help us, He doesn’t like that Grandmother doesn't play fair and he wants it to be a fair fight, like it used to be, so you don't have to worry, he's not gonna hurt me, or you." She told her and her mother sighed. "He told you this?" Alice tapped her head, looking down at her feet, sniffing. Her mother sighed again and looked up at Asmos before looking at her again. "Alright, I'm sorry." She told her and pulled Alice into a hug to which Alice was glad for. Mommy had the best hugs. Her mother pulled back and stood, looking at Asmos while Alice looked at Daddy who stood behind her but said nothing. She knew they were about to talk. He wanted to meet her. His mind wasn't very quiet. "For now, Alice, I want you to go into the tent with Rahmiel, he has something to talk to you about." She told her before turning to Asmos again.


"Asmos, you want to help? Her mother said, You belong to her that is your job from now until this is over. You've convinced her that you are her friend, you'll prove it. You'll play with her, you'll talk to her, you'll read to her, you'll keep her safe while the rest of us handles this war. If you've a problem with that, you may live."[/b] Her mother said and Alice smiled. She would get Asmos all to herself. She was glad for that. Alice then waved at Asmos and walked up to Daddy. She reached up and took his hand, leading him to the tent that she shared with her mother. Once there, she crawled onto her cot and looked up at him, waiting for him to start.

A L E C__I R I S

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Alec took note of Sunday's smile, but he didn't return it - perhaps because it didn't feel very genuine at all, which was fair enough. His words were intended to be complimentary but they didn't reach her as he thought they might, and that was fine.

Returning from his thoughts, Alec watched in silence as Sunday began to walk away from him, heading in the same direction that he'd sensed Alice only moments earlier. With a sharp huff, he nodded to himself and forced his feet to carry him forward in pursuit of his daughter, making sure that his pace did not exceed Sunday's at any time. He had unknowingly set himself boundaries and was now trying to mindful of them, whether he realised it or not.

As they approached the scene between Asmos and Alice, Alec felt a strange mixture of shock, panic, and a little bit of admiration. He was beginning to understood what Sunday meant when she said Alice took after him in a lot of ways. He fought to keep the smile from his lips, especially as Sunday began raising her voice. He knew better than to get in the way of an angry mother so he kept his distance for the longest time, but was taking in every word nonetheless.

Before long, Alice was staring directly at him. He watched her closely, his eyes lacking the same fear and caution that they'd held upon their first encounter out in the woods. This time they only held affection, though he couldn't help but feel like she might be poking around in his mind a little too. If nothing else, she was drinking in his thoughts, which he knew were loud.

"For now, Alice, I want you to go into the tent with Rahmiel, he has something to talk to you about," Sunday told Alice. Initially his eyes shot to Sunday, a little confused why she was still calling him by that name, before promptly remembering that he was to keep his true identity a secret for the time being. It was in this moment that he again became aware of Asmos' presence in the area. Sunday seemed to have dragged her attention to the creature also as she addressed him in conversation. As he listened in, he raised a single brow, but kept the slight irritation far away from his expression. It would be nice for Alice to have a protector, even if she really didn't need one, but were those tasks not supposed to be on his shoulders instead? He was her father, after all. He stayed his tongue only because he was hanging by a thin thread already and he really didn't want to be on the receiving end of Sunday's anger yet again.

Alice approached him soon enough, and without sticking around to hear Asmos' answer, he was being led away. He went without any fuss at all, keeping a firm hold on her hand as she entered a tent. It didn't take long for him to figure out that this was the tent she shared with her mother. He stayed back a bit, watching as she crawled into her cot and proceeded simply to stare at him.

A long pause followed. Alec did not falter under her stare, but chewed his lip thoughtfully, as if trying to figure out the best way to begin. Unsurprisingly enough, he seldom interacted with children in general, so how was he supposed to suddenly maintain a conversation with his estranged nine-year-old daughter? She probably knew everything he was going to say before he even opened his mouth. "I suppose there's not much point in explaining the obvious," he piped up, breaking the silence at long last. He stepped closer then, kneeling beside her cot so that he was near enough at her eye level. "Of course you already know I'm your father," he continued, clearly not knowing where he was going with this. Perhaps it was his lack of experience with kids, or because Alice was wise far beyond her years, but he didn't see much point in sugercoating anything by this point.

"For what it's worth, I'm truly sorry I wasn't able to be there for you while you were growing up," he told her, his gaze unwavering. "Even more so for ruining the world you were born into." He paused for a moment, taking a slight breath. "If I even suspected for a second that Sunday was with child... I would have been there, whether she wanted me dead or not." Alec shifted a little so that he was sitting on the floor, his legs almost drawn up to his chest. he crossed his arms over his knees as he continued. "I already told your mother as much and I will tell you the same thing: I will make up for the things that I've done, even if it has to be little by little... But more importantly, I want to make up for the time I missed out on with you... If you'd have me?" he asked. In his mind he held little doubt that she would turn him away, but for the sake of being considerate of her feelings and allowing her to make that choice for herself, he asked regardless.

Asmos suspicions was realized. The moment was interuppted as Sunday entered the scene. Asmos made no attempt to struggle as Alice's grip on him loosened. He was in no way close enough to the girl to think that he should stand in the way between Alice and her own mother. Crossing his arms Asmos noticed how his mind seemed to clear an immense amount the closer Sunday got and the further away Alice was.

The feeling of being in control again pleased Asmos, and he was only further pleased as Sunday started questioning Alice like any mother would. Causing him to chuckle. "He's my friend!" Alice yelled, causing a satisfying wave of suprise to wash over Sunday "And I'm dangerous too, but he's not afraid to talk to me, not like everybody else. We read a book and he's not afraid to tease me a little. He's my friend." Her words did seem to have an suprising effect on Sunday. She continued asking a few questions, seemingly searching for confirmation. This was a new side of her, Asmos supposed this was her motherly trait, her protective side. Something she had not inherited from her mother.

She seemed to be satisfied from what Alice had said, ushering her to a figure standing behind her. there was nothing wrong with the situation. He seemed like any other left hand, another soldier serving the rebellion. But for the few seconds he was visible Asmos gained a quick insight, just something short. An observing, oppressing feeling of being watched. Far too alike of his queen. But again, It was just an instict, something which was quickly disregarded

"Asmos, you want to help?" Sunday proclaimed, suddenly turning towards him "You belong to her that is your job from now until this is over. You've convinced her that you are her friend, you'll prove it. You'll play with her, you'll talk to her, you'll read to her, you'll keep her safe while the rest of us handles this war. If you've a problem with that, you may live."
She finished her statement with no room for negotiation triggering another small chuckle from Asmos

"That's, Fun. For the princess to grant me such an honor. Me, a lowly demon who only works with blades and blood to babysit the queen's daughter herself. I must say i'm so incredibly thankful for you giving me this chance" Asmos kept a cheeky tone throughout the sentence. He strangely enough felt enjoyment when teasing her. Switching over to his demon heritage, Mostly to disturb the princess "The queen's bloodline sure has made some interesting development" Watching Sunday's face, hopefully getting a satisfying reaction Asmos couldn't help but feel slightly saddened about the fact that they apparently wanted to keep him from fighting. What a disappointment that would be...