eighth imperial princess.

♥ Mitsuri deflated pretty quickly at the woman’s rather firm attitude. She’d looked so gentle from afar, so this bluntness had taken her a little off guard! “U-Uh… Um…” Yeah, why had she said that? Well royalty was really important right? But if she hadn’t actually been a royal then… As usual, she’d done goofed.

“S-Sorry… I was just thinking that you were really pretty, and I didn’t want to offend you in any way. People don’t even seppuku for things that minor where I come from.” Actually, it was what Tanjirou had promised to do if Nezuko ever attacked a human wasn’t it? “I’m sorry! Please don’t hate me or think I’m weird!”

She was weird though.

Her compliments, thankfully, don't fall on deaf ears. While the princess still certainly has some reservations about the girl's proposition of committing seppuku for something so minor, maybe it would be worth it to continue a conversation. After all, there weren't many who willingly gave her the time of day or talked to her because they thought she was the interesting one. "It's..." There's definitely a moment of hesitation, that much can be surmised from her momentary pause and her eyes looking the other over.

@seafavored / starter call. 

A familiar sensation, a whisper telling him one of his Kings was near - even without the ability to cast magic, it seemed the rukh was still on his side. 

Not Hakuryuu, he mused. Kougyoku, was it ? It had been some time since the magician had last spoken to her. Judar had certainly seen her before arriving here. Observation had been integral to their plans and he had not missed the opportunity to watch how things played out against the Medium. That said, their lack of interactions didn’t deter him in the slightest when approaching. 

‘ Slow down, old hag! ’ 

Walking around like this was exhausting - it was so much easier when he could just fly. Had he always been this weak ? Still, the rukh being a steadfast ally was somewhat comforting. Finding Kougyoku’s exact whereabouts was simple enough once he had felt it. She was his King Candidate, after all. Thankfully, she had slowed upon hearing the nickname he had so graciously given her. ‘ You still have Vinea, huh? ’ From a simple look in the hair pin’s direction, he could tell that the Djinn was residing within the metal vessel and capable of using some degree of power. It couldn’t be compared to its former glory, not in the slightest, but neither could Judar ( not that he’d ever say such a thing ). ‘ Good. I’d be annoyed if I went to the trouble of raising that Dungeon only for you to lose your Metal Vessel. ’ 

The Magi then pauses, expression turning thoughtful as he looks at her closely. ‘ So where are we anyway? Did the runt send you here too? ’

Though this was not her first arrival into the city, she still found it hard to gather her bearings when her prior housing was in a whole other ward--what was the name of this one again? Ah, yes, Golden Ward. Arguably the most modern of them all and even more confusing for the princess to navigate. It's only thanks to the directions of some helpful strangers that she finds herself on the right path. A lot weighed on her mind. Who was still here that she knew? And what was she supposed to do now that she had returned? As she tries to think everything through carefully, her thoughts come to a halt at his voice.

Judar's voice.

For a moment, she believes that it's her mind playing tricks on her. That no one from her home could possibly be here. But it's not a trick. It's not a cruel joke. When she turns, she sees him in all that he is. He looks the same with that ever-present mischievous look that spreads across his face when he sees her. All at once, her emotions begin to well up and before she knows it, she's pushing him into some forgotten alleyway and slamming him against the walls. Hands balled into fists, she holds onto him for dear life as tears well up in her eyes. "Judar-chan! I've waited so long! I was afraid that I would be all alone again in this horrible city and you..." She sniffles, finally stepping back.

Ripples drifted across the face of koi lake; petals lingering gently on the water’s surface. How calming it all was; the gentle plip of falling food crumbs across the surface the only real sound. Beneath clear water, the koi danced with hungry movements. They broke to the surface to catch the falling crumbs, then swim back below, sated for but a moment. 

Above, Rengoku hummed, delighted. “There’s something very relaxing about feeding the koi. Would you care to try, young lady?” The question was aimed at the young girl beside him, diligently gazing into the depths below. “You look like you do! Don’t be shy. Here, here!” Cheerful as always, Rengoku offered up his handful of goods.

@seafavored

In truth, she had wanted to try starting a conversation with him but hadn't seen the opportunity to do so. Instead, she casts her gaze intently toward the lake, occasionally glancing from the corner of her eye and stands completely still each and every time she tries to muster up the courage to say anything at all. When he finally speaks to her first, there is an audible squeak that escapes her. But she is quick to regain her composure and use one sleeve to shield her face. "...Do I?" She says, allowing herself to be seen but she still does not look at him directly.

♥ “H-Hello! I was wondering… Um!”  It wasn’t typical for Mitsuri to take the initiative when it came to meeting new people, but she’d been staring at this young woman for some time now within the bamboo forest of Cotes, and their eyes had finally met by chance. She probably looked very creepy unintentionally. “I-I was wonder… Might you be a princess!? I’ve never seen a real one before, but your beautiful dress and the way you carry yourself… It reminded me of one a little.”

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to be rude! If you want me to leave, I will! If you want me to commit seppuku, I also will!”

@seafavored

"Hm?" When Kougyoku finally meets the gaze of the girl who had been watching her for a long while now, she can't help but feel a bit nervous about it. But maybe whatever she wanted was a harmless thing and perhaps much like herself, she found it hard to approach others. For this reason, while a bit unsettled at this situation does Kougyoku opt to at least hear her out. "...That's right. I am a princess, yes." She sighs, fully expecting for the other to either pull a weapon on her or continue to act strangely but what she says next only serves to shock the princess further.

seafavored started following you

same voice?

          It wasn’t the first time someone lashed out, attacking the fierce corpses in a sense of fear. In fact, within the last twenty minutes or so, several people had. While he had known that their reactions were justified, he really had hoped people had at least paid attention to the corpses’ actions before reacting as such. A couple of times he thought to approach them to clear up the situation, and he had, only to been given glares in return. Even here people shunned him; he was used to such treatment of course, so he shouldn’t be fazed, however he still can’t help but feel a twinge of sadness. It reminded him of his past that he tried to forget. 

          Now sitting on the edge of a building’s roof, he stares down in silence at the fierce corpses and evil spirits that are controlled by him. Without lifting a finger, he manages to get rid of dozens of enemies. The expression he wears is blank, yet wistful in a way. It’s only when he sees a few large icicles piercing the chests of a few preoccupied corpses that his features shift to display slight anger. “Hey—” His gaze looks up to look for the source and immediately he fixes his stare onto the back of an individual that appeared to be a young woman with a mystifying appearance. 

          “What do you think you’re doing? You can see that they mean you no harm, can’t you? So why are you atta—hm?” Then she floats down to him and he’s able to see her face now; alongside that, he hears her voice—and a familiar voice that it was—he recognizes it almost instantly yet he still inquires out of habit. “Ah! Princess? Is that you?” Not waiting for her response, he offers a following reply immediately. “It really is!” For a moment, he wonders if her change in appearance was related to her own powers or the recent events that have transpired. He then means to ask her about just that, however she inquires for answers first.

          “Mm. That’s right. More or less anyway!” He had raised them from the dead, if that’s what she was referring to. Perhaps he should have felt hesitation in telling her, or even shame, but he doesn’t, he answers her bluntly. What he does do however is spare her the details about his powers. While he hadn’t known her for long, he knew that she wasn’t the sort to want to know about the gritty details—or maybe that was an excuse, since a great part of him didn’t wish to share any more than he had. Once he answers her, he quickly hops down from the perch he was sitting upon to switch the topic, in hopes that she won’t delve further in with her inquiries. Seizing an opportunity, he first begins to slowly encircle her before halting before her once more. “Hm… you’re not just a princess, are you?”

It really is good to see that he's unharmed. She did worry earlier about whether or not his safety was in jeopardy when the full-scale attack had started. And what an interesting ability he seems to have. While most would think manipulating corpses as something evil, Kougyoku knows better than to judge a book by its cover. He could have easily taken advantage of the chaos to send them into attacking innocent people and she too had mistaken them for enemies, much to her own embarrassment. "Ah, I see. What an interesting power you have! Above all else, I am glad that you are safe." That's all that mattered to her in the end, anyway. "I apologize for harming them. I hope you can forgive me." Really, she's regretful of her actions, so much so that aside from words she can only offer a smile in apology as well.

"...I suppose not?" She wasn't an ordinary princess if that's what he meant. "This form has nothing to do with the world we were placed into. This is my own power of full djinn equip!" She states that proudly, finally, she'd be able to do more than just stand back and watch everyone protect her. This time, she intended to be the one on the front lines once more. "I never mentioned it, did I? That I commanded an army back where I originally came from. Such power is common among those who are able to wield it!"

"Ah--Wei Wuxian!" She calls to him before floating down toward the ground, weapon still in hand. It was good to see that he was safe though...what were all these corpses doing at his side? "Is this your doing?"

She was an otherworlder; a champion sent to defend this world's looming threat regardless of how she felt about it. "I don't know if I'm strong enough to save anyone." Not with how she was, anyway. Ever since being pulled away from the Kou Empire, she had never thought of just how powerless she was here. Though Vinea was still with her, Kougyoku could not properly utilize her abilities to their fullest potential. With only her djinn equip to rely on along with her brute strength, would that really be enough to stop the oncoming carnage a demon lord was sure to bring?

It seemed as though it were yesterday when they had tried to repel this same creature only to be torn away from their prior world of Spirale and to this strange kingdom. Placed in the middle of some war that none of them knew of, separated from those they had become close to. With no one to rely on, the Princess had ever so slowly broken began to falter. With everyone she had begun to become comfortable with being stripped away from her, it began to finally take its toll. Only the sound of Alibaba's voice calling for her every so often in the form of a warning for what was to come was the only thing to soothe her loneliness. Yet when he spoke those worlds telling her of what she must do, she wonders if it's something she's capable of.

Hands curl around her cup, gripping it as if it were going to slip from her grasp, a hand is placed over hers. Only then does she realize that she had been shaking and the warmth from the other makes her shiver in contrast with her own touch that is icy cold. From beneath her hood, she looks up toward the woman who had reached out to comfort her. With a stern expression, she places one arm around Kougyoku's shoulders. 'We won't let anything happen to you. Please save your strength for the final battle.' to which the voices of many others chimed in agreeance at the woman's words. One by one, each of them came and paid their respects to her. From gentle words of encouragement to silent head nods to the chipper and cheery sing songs from the children, it seemed the entire tavern had come to reassure her.

Kougyoku can't help but feel her eyes well over with tears. "...I'll do my best." She finally says through sniffles, to which everyone raises their cups in honor of her bravery. Though she was one of many, she was going to save them from whatever it was that was coming. It's only because of their encouragement that she finds the strength to go on. After all, she's not the only one that will be fighting this battle. It's something that everyone will face together head-on.

Oh no, she’s yelling at him now. He’s not sure if she’s upset at the moment that he had seen her, that he commented on it, or that she’s pretty. It seems as though it’s a bit of all of that, and so he covers his eyes with his hands as commanded by her. 

“You don’t look strange at all!” His own voice is up an register, primarily from being yelled at. A little because now that his eyes were closed, the minute movement of the dock below him registered in the back of his mind now that he wasn’t holding onto the railings.

“The color compliments your features really well. And the scales seem bright red at first, but you can see all of the other colors when the sun hits them just right.” In the moment, he uncovered his eyes without thinking, grasping the railing.

“Your scales are beautiful, it’s as though you’re watching every moment of the sunset all at once.”

What could she possibly say to any of his compliments? She'd spent most of her time wallowing in self-pity at her self-proclaimed horrid looks and there he was, saying something completely different. She could tell he was being honest, that he was simply speaking what he thought upon seeing her for himself. "You...you...!" The way he looks at her as if he's seen something truly beautiful is enough to make her eyes well over with tears.

"You can't just say things like that to a girl..."

“N-no! I’m not a voyeur!” Standing up and revealing himself, he clung onto the rail as she shouted at him. She was covering herself with her tail, but she wasn’t running away. In the sunlight, her scales shown like so many pretty gems.

“It- it was an accident!” He insisted, still staring at the mermaid. “W-well! It was an accident, and it’s uh, not an accident now! I’m sorry!” Ducking back down, he looked at her through the rungs on the railing surrounding the dock. This was a mess - what kind of emperor peaked in on girls? But he hadn’t really known this was some kind of mermaid cove…Well, maybe it wasn’t, because there weren’t any other kind of mermaids.

“And I’m staring now, but the sun looks pretty on your scales…” He scratched his cheek, looking away awkwardly.

When he finally reveals himself, he's not at all what she expects. Most people who noticed her were either average at best or not good looking at all. But, much to her surprise, he is someone that she'd consider...above average. So much so that it stops her from yelling at him. Really, had this situation been any different, maybe she wouldn't feel so...embarrassed.

Fine, maybe calling him a voyeur was a bit extreme but that doesn't excuse what he says either. First, it's an accident and now as he continues to stare he says it isn't, which only serves to infuriate her even further. "H-How can you just admit to something like that with no shame!?" She starts up again, voice just as angry and loud as it was before. The amount of nerve he had to say something so bold after being caught red-handed is unbelievable. "I doubt you're sorry, I doubt that you're sorry at all--"

@seafavored

He did not spend much of his time down by the shore, because despite the alliance and common goal between humans and merfolk, he was worried about the sirens. Or, well, offending any of them by staring.

A flash of bright and pink move by his field of vision, and he followed it down to the shore out of instinct.

“Oh,” a faint pink - nowhere near her vibrant colors - colored his cheeks when he saw her. The first full glimpse of a mermaid.

“How beautiful…” Realizing she couldn’t see him, and that meant he was peeping and he had said that out loud, his face did turn a brilliant red.

“Th-that’s! Um! I’m sorry! I haven’t seen a mermaid yet!”

After doing her best to stay completely out of sight, foregoing exploring the new environment properly all because of her extreme resentment towards being made in one of these...creatures, it seemed like the universe was against her. Most mermaids were beautiful, their scales and appearances extraordinary. And yet, Kougyoku had not been so lucky. At least, she wasn't in her opinion. When she hears the voice yet sees no one around, panic quickly consumes her. Hugging her tail to her chest in an attempt to cover herself--though she was by no means naked, it had everything to do with her poor confidence--she screams.

He finds himself pulled to the differences presented to him in this island than from what he’s used to ( he’s aware how big islands were to begin with, but different areas are vastly unalike compared to the others he’s visited. ) Cafes appear to be common on this one too, though, and the preparations and even how they shape certain foods that he’s seen throughout Phantagrande seem to vary as well.

What draws his attention from the window is the vibrant color that enters his field of vision. As if the very essence of a Skyrock Blossom were bloomed within the strands of her hair. From what he can tell on a glance, she’s focused on the items through the window display, showcasing the variety of different breads and pastries and — whatever else is only stuff that he could place a guess to, that they offer. He’s particularly interested in the fruits… but that’s another matter.

Trying to put himself in the shoes of how those who aren’t archangels — rather, even other primals who aren’t under that category, proves to be more difficult than he imagined. He doesn’t understand how she might be feeling, what she might be thinking, whether he’s even completely off base or what. Her expressions seem to allude to interest, and he pensively goes over the ways he could be completely wrong. But, this doesn’t stop him from attempting to engage her.

“Have you tried these? I’m unfamiliar with them,” he figures is a start, at least, “how would you say they taste?”

@seafavored​ liked —

At first, she does not answer him, not because she is purposefully ignoring him but because she does not think that she is the one being spoken to. It's only after there is a long pause does she realize that she, in fact, is the one he is asking. It surprises her, being talked to. Usually, she is the one who initiates conversations--only for them to fail miserably more often than not--with people. Thinking it only polite to properly apologize for not acknowledging him initially, she turns to face him, only to be at a loss for words more than she initially was.

As she looks upon him, it's as if looking at an angel that had fallen from the heavens. As if time itself has stopped in her own personal bubble. Perfect features that seemed to accent his overall already attractive features, a gaze that seemed indifferent yet soft at the same time whilst accompanied by eyes that seemed to be able to look into the depths of her very soul. It is not an exaggeration to say that he could possibly be one of the most beautiful people she's seen. Because of it, she can feel a strange feeling well upon within her. As if her insecurities threaten to burst forth all at once. But she will not let her feelings of inadequacy take hold now. Not when she was the one spoken to first. It has to count for something.