[Plot] The Emperor's Pleasure - Introduction

[Ignis of Animi]

Dante's comment drew a sharp look from Ignis, but Deni chided him before she could open her mouth and Aeria's chiding and sharp elbow drove the point home.

Amicus rustled in agreement feeling quite smug.

Hearing that going after Venus wasn't worth the trouble reassured the enlil that she had nothing to worry about and Aeria's displeasure with Dante admiring another woman struck Ignis as odd. Why did Aeria care who Dante admired unless… oh.

Ignis gave the kinchaa player another disapproving look for his disloyalty towards Aeria before turning her attention back to Deni. She took another sip of wine, eyes flickering towards Venus once more. Deni wasn't wrong about the curvy woman drawing the interest and admiration of most people around her, regardless of their gender. After another sip of wine, she stood on her toes to murmur in Deni's ear something to that effect.

Amicus tugged on her headfeathers, prompting his contractor to offer him some of her drink and giggle.

"You really do have the same tastes," Ignis told her leafy friend.

[176/914]

 

[Shadowthread]

His careless comment meant to tease Deni was deflected with ease and it had definitely bit him in the proverbial behind as he felt a sharp pain in his left ribs. The force that Aeria had used and the act itself had caught the athlete off guard so much so that he fell to one knee as he held his side.

”D-did you really have to shove me that hard? You really ought to control your emotions in public, people might misunderstand and start talking,” the athlete calmly explained while grimacing. Though he definitely should have held his tongue in the first place.

”But you were definitely right in disciplining me for the improper actions and for those I apologize, Miss Luxus,” he apologized after he had risen back up with a bow to the spurii.

 

[swaswj]

Another of the assembled warriors clapped a hand on Dante's shoulder. "Ware your words, now. I'm not sure about the laws in Terminus, but going after a young thing like her will get you locked away deep in the Empire, even if she wasn't a princess!" Seeing confusion on an onlooker's face, the first man laughed. "She's sixteen! Don't let the ass fool you."

"Sixteen? And you've got the gall to--" The speaker was a third man, older and with a drooping grey mustache, but still strongly built. Before he could get going, someone ushered him away. Before he left, though, the old man pointed to his eyes, then to Dante. The message was clear: I'm watching you.

Oblivious to all of the attention their older sister was getting, the younger royal children looked up and realized Aelflead had wandered off. The two got to their feet with only minor jostling and then ran after her, the older brother apologizing for his sister's behavior.

The unpleasant crawling sensation hadn't gone away, so Keydis abruptly stood up, tugging Red by the hand over to one of the tables, the same one Aelflead had gone to. "Hey, halfer," she said from across the table. Her smile said she was only teasing, but fights had started over less. "Good to see someone here who can fight. Looks like you're popular, too!"

Mitis looked from Aelflead to Keydis, her eyes widening. "You two know each other? Did you go on an adventure?"

Her brother sighed. "I can't apologize enough for how my, our sister is behaving," Cordatus said. "Please forgive her, she's just… really excitable about famous female warriors."

"Because I'm going to be one!" Mitis declared, grabbing a fork from the table and brandishing it like a sword.

Keydis smirked, regretting her earlier thoughts to avoid the kids. They made for a perfect distraction from her discomfort. "Better train hard, kiddo. I don't know about Aelflead, but Red and I? It took a lot of hard knocks to get to where we are now." Keydis threw an arm around her gun-toting companion's shoulder. "Also, this is Red! And she is why I don't call you Red. Your real name's too hard to pronounce, though."

Mitis piped up, "You mean Elfeed?"

Looking from one to the other, Cordatus pointed out the obvious, "But you're not even famous. I've never heard of you."

"Please, be seated or hold onto something, everyone, we are about to lift off!" a crewman called from the entryway, grabbing onto a convenient brass handle on the wall.

[425/2460]

Spoiler: Note

Every time I started on a turn, more would pop up. It's a good problem to have, though.

The next phase should start this coming Friday. Continue making friends (or enemies) until then or start thinking to the unknown trials ahead.

I'd like one or two volunteers (from this thread) for a one-shot bonus story. Let me know on Discord if you're interested.

 

[MoonlitRain014]

Aeria’s face twisted into a smirk and after the others had said their piece to Dante and wandered off she patted him on the back. “Good work. You successfully managed to annoy the royal entourage.The guy with the mustache looks like he wants to strangle you. Also really? Staring at sixteen year old ass?”

Her attention briefly wandered over to Keydis and the enigmatic woman who she kept calling “Red”. They appeared to be in conversation and the spurii idly listened in for a moment before the warning was given about lift off. She sat down in one easy motion and relaxed, looking up at her companions. Her violet eyes moved from Ignis to Deni to Dante and she smiled. “It looks like we’re off on another adventure eh? I thought by now I’d either be dead or in jail, but instead I’m here with all of you again!”

Taking a glass of wine from the table, she lifted it to her companions. “Here’s to all of you and to us making it back in one piece!”

[1079]

 

[Valero]

When Dante got jabbed by Aeria, Deni wore an amused smirk. His apology was like a husband who had been in trouble with his wife. When the older man reacted, however, Deni cast his blue eyes at him. He was contemplating words with him to calm his ire, to explain how the athlete knew nothing of the Pelagian royal family and had no idea she was only sixteen. He also considered pretending that he didn’t know Dante and had never seen him before in his life, but he doubted that Aeria would have appreciated that.

When the agitated old man was ushered away, Deni shook his head and opened his mouth, but decided not to say anything when he realised Dante was still getting grilled by his spurii companion.

At the lift off warning, Deni grabbed onto a railing that ran along the wall he was leaning on. After a brief glance at Aelflead and Keydis with the royal children, Aeria’s speech drew his attention. With a grin, he tapped her glass with his own.

“We always make it back in one piece,” Deni laughed. “This time isn’t going to be any different. This will be nothing compared to the Black Portal. We’ll barely break a sweat. And look at us.”

He cast his vision around the room.

“We’re getting recognised for all our hard work. Recognised by the richest and most powerful people in Araevis. I can see the future and it’s shaped like an aurit. I can drink to that.”

He clinked his glass against Ignis’ and looked into her brown eyes. It was a short moment, just long enough for the affectionate gaze to be picked up on, before his eyes glanced amongst the rest of their group.

“To us!”

[293/1,327]

 

[Aelflead Kirastes]

Lost in thought and holding a plate full of food, Aelflead didn't notice the children, Keydis, and Red approach; and when they materialized in front of her, the woman had her lips wrapped around a latucha wrap.

Thankfully, for the sake of small ears, a concert of smoked fish, cheese, and and spiced ni'prot had taken up enough space in her mouth to render the spurii silent despite Keydis' tasteless greeting.

Rather than switch gears from eating to leaping on Keydis with her fists to detract from the boiling sensation in her belly, that'd conveniently moved from there to above her left breast, the spurii's green eye that wasn't being covered up by her hair flashed angrily for a moment at the brunette. From that, Aelflead became something akin to a swiveling spy glass, turning back and forth between Keydis, Mitis, Red, and finally Cordatus.

As the crewman finished speaking, Aelflead finally finished chewing.

"I concur, tiae." Aelflead said flatly, and set her wrap back onto her plate. "I'm not sure in fact how I know her, or her friend." She continued, turning her palm towards the pair of mercenaries casually. "Remind me of how we met... Whatever your name-"

"Please, be seated or hold onto something, everyone, we are about to lift off!" a crewman called from the entryway, grabbing onto a convenient brass handle on the wall."

"-Or perhaps we can reconvene at another time, " She said, picking up her plate and adding more steaming dishes and fruits to the disc. "I don't generally give much time of day to women with such weak tongues that they can't say simple words."

 

[Ignis of Animi]

The enlil watched as the older man scolded Dante for his remarks. She pressed scooted closer to Deni, glad she hadn't voiced her thoughts on the princess' appearance loud enough for anyone else to hear it. Fortunately, he was escorted away and the situation calmed.

Ignis felt a rush of excitement that replaced any worry she felt when lift off was announced. This would be the first time she had ridden in such a nice airship. She grinned at her companions and raised her glass.

"To us heading out on another adventure! May we have some stories we can actually tell afterwards." The engineer grinned at her companions and took a sip of her drink. What a time to be alive.

[121/1035]