#commandant oc

Gray Ravens

Lucia: The only Construct he reciprocates romantic feelings for. Ever since they met each other in that darkened alley, they have grown together; some may say that they learned how to be the Captain and Commandant of Gray Raven together. With her by his side, he feels like it is only with her that anything is possible—and it is because of this that her death in CH31 ultimately broke him. On her side, Lucia knows Exekial almost as well as he knows himself and has vowed not to let anything get between them—even time itself. (She never fully forgave herself for the incident with Project ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉)

Lee: Initially suspicious of him due to his ties to Kurono and his own complicated past, Exekial has grown to trust Lee and regard him as a trustworthy and reliable companion. Prickly and stubborn at first, Lee has since softened towards Exekial, coming to accept Exekial wholeheartedly as his commandant

Liv: Exekial feels like he is deeply in debt to Liv, since she saved him far more times than he can count, and he can never repay that even if he gave his life a thousand times over. Liv believes that he already has, just by being himself, and it is in fact she who is in debt to him. Because of this, she works tirelessly to keep him healthy and safe. (She also doesn't like seeing Lucia sad whenever something happens to him)

Strike Hawk

Chrome: Exekial has come to regard Chrome highly and sees in him a kindred spirit, seeing as they were both Chiefs of F.O.S. Chrome is madly in love with Exekial. He is able to disguise it most of the time behind a professional facade, but there are moments where it slips. Unfortunately for him, Exekial seems oblivious to those hints... and it doesn't help that Chrome's own squad sometimes gets in the way

Kamui: Exekial has a soft spot for Kamui, often being the one to let his more childish side come out; even after Project ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉, when he became more stoic and cold, he tries to soften around Kamui, at least a little bit. On his part, Kamui adores having Exekial as a pal, sometimes dragging him into his own shenanigans

Wanshi: Exekial respects him as a reliable member of Strike Hawk, but otherwise doesn't have many more thoughts than that. Wanshi has heard about Exekial from Kamui and Chrome, but it wasn't until he paired up with Exekial during EX04 that Exekial earned Wanshi's own respect. Wanshi became interested when Exekial mentioned his Kowloong heritage and his ability to speak the dialect, giving them another connection they can talk about, and they paired well together during ER08. However, their relationship still remains as professional collegues

Camu: Exekial finds Camu too rough around the edges, and Camu in turn regards Exekial as too much of a goody-two-shoes to Babylonia for his taste. However, once Exekial returns to them from Project ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉ and begins making dark jokes, Camu is the only one to consistently find them funny—something that Exekial appreciates

Cerberus

Murray: Though he knows Murray is Lee's brother, Exekial finds him suspicious at best, correctly deducing that the Cerberus Commandant isn't likely to have the moral inclinations of the average commandant. On his part, Murray is happy that Lee has a commandant that he can speak so highly of, and as such he tries to be friendly towards Exekial

Vera: Even after getting over his suspicions of her ties with Kurono, Exekial initially found her personality off-putting. However, he quickly realized that Vera was only acting like that to mess with him; because of this, he could muster up the energy to ignore it. In combat, he wholeheartedly puts his trust in her, even when she warns otherwise. Their friendship is complicated by their shared past (which Exekial didn't remember until recently), but she continues to be reliable when he needs her to be

No. 21: Exekial has a soft spot for her. He tries his best to watch over her whenever Cerberus is put under his command, which is something that both Murray and Vera appreciate, the latter secretively. On her part, No. 21 has learned to associate his scent with "kindness," and whenever he's around, she perks up

Noctis: Their ordeal together in ER05 left them with a deeper understanding of the other and an ability to work together whenever the need calls for it. Sometimes, when Exekial is on bartending duty, he will invite Noctis to try the latest concoctions. Otherwise, they remain on professional levels of respect for each other

Purifying Force

Bianca: Exekial regards her as one of his most trustworthy allies, easily leaving his life in her hands time and time again. At first wary of getting close to Exekial, Bianca has since come to regard Exekial highly, and she also begins to worry for his safety the more she gets to know him

Chiko: Exekial never knew her, but he could always sense the sorrow in Bianca's voice whenever she talked about her following her death in CH20. Later, when Exekial and Lucia meet her for themselves in CH31 onwards, Exekial has come to regard her as a pillar—strong, steady, reliable—and he felt a surge of sadness when she died for a second time in CH35, even if he couldn't understand why at the time

Issarius: Exekial and Issarius worked together a couple of times, although Issarius has made it clear it isn't what he preferred. Otherwise, they tend to steer out of each others' ways

Engineering Force

Karenina: Exekial appreciates Karenina's tenacity and determination to do whatever is right, although he thinks she is sometimes a bit too loud. On her part, Karenina has a small crush on Exekial and tries her best to impress him—with mixed results. (Exekial knows that she has a crush on him, but since it seems to be small, he decides to let it be, figuring that it will die out eventually)

Teddy: Exekial is impressed by her practicality and down-to-earth personality, finding himself agreeing with her on her views about Dominik. Teddy for the most part respects him, although she takes any chance she can get to try and fluster him—with limited success

Egret

Vanessa: They have an extremely complicated relationship, to put it mildly. They, along with Simon and Harley Jo, created a close-knit friend group during their first year of F.O.S.; however, a falling out between Exekial and Vanessa led to the group's fracture and their subsequent rivalry. The incident prompted Exekial to swear to never reveal his past to anyone, while Vanessa spiraled down into her incessant path of control and dominance. Even then, despite their less-than-warm interactions, they still seem to care for each other in some way, which becomes most apparent during the events of CH32-33

Bambinata: Due to his own past, Exekial can sympathize somewhat with Bambinata's situation; as such, he tries to help her however he can, though he keeps a professional distance due to her proximity with Vanessa. On her part, Bambinata is often confused by the relationship between Exekial and Vanessa, mistakenly believing them to be friends (even after being corrected several times by both of them)

Leia: Exekial doesn't know much about her, but he finds her to be rather amusing due to her bubbly personality. Leia has heard about Gray Raven from Vanessa, but despite the most likely less-than-positive reviews, she seems open to working with them

Dark Aries

Simon: Exekial holds Simon to be one of his closest human friends and regards him highly because of it. Simon had at first been afraid of Exekial, but once they became friends in F.O.S., he learned to become comfortable around him, to the point that they could both tease each other. However, after Vanessa's and Exekial's falling out, Simon became intimidated when Exekial was slated to become Chief, beginning to think of him more as an idol than a friend. Simon later comes to believe that this is his greatest mistake and thus the source of his deepest regret. Later, the incident with ▉▉▉▉▉▉ replaces that regret, and he feels he can never make up for it

Noan: Exekial and Noan both respect each other, although they haven't exactly worked together since Exekial found and extracted Noan. During a mission in which Exekial saves Simon from ▉▉▉▉▉▉ at the cost of ▉▉▉ ▉▉▉▉, Noan feels that he is deeply in debt to Exekial for his actions

Palma: Exekial tries his best to limit contact with her, believing her to be somewhat unstable. Palma has no interest in connecting with him

Lillian: Exekial pities her since she seems so young to be part of an Elite Squad, but otherwise doesn't have any other thoughts on her. Lillian is somewhat intimidated by Exekial, but she tries to get along with him, for Simon's and Noan's sake

Scarab

Valeria: Before the Gray Ravens ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉, Exekial didn't know her all that well, considering her efficient and a good commandant but not much more than that. After he was temporarily placed on Scarab and worked together with her on the ▉▉▉▉▉▉ ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉, Exekial has come to regard her rather highly, someone who can be calculating and efficient without sacrificing lives. On her part, Valeria has heard of Exekial's notoriety, but it isn't until she meets him that she realizes they are very similar in many ways. They have since become good friends, with Valeria allowing Exekial to call her "V"

Yata: Exekial first meets her when she was temporarily assigned to Harley Jo during CH16, which is an... interesting way to start off a meeting. Once they worked together and got to know each other better, Yata comes to regard him as the commandant she would trust the most after Valeria, while Exekial enjoys the outings she would take him when visiting Hydrangea Island

Shiva: Exekial and Shiva didn't really interact much, but they are professionally respectful of each other

Discord: Though Exekial initially found her a tad suspicious when she suddenly assigned him the mission to test the armor and took over taking Lucia away, Exekial accepted that she was just doing her job. When Discord's M.I.N.D. begins to go awry, Exekial is always there to help steady her, leading her to begin trusting in him

Shorthalt: Exekial never personally knew him, but based on his dreams of Clone!Exekial and Shorthalt, he thought of Shorthalt as a steady, down-to-earth leader whose life ended far too early. Based on the way Shorthalt treated Clone!Exekial, there might've been a chance that they could've been friends in a different life, or at least trusted comrades

WGAA

Ayla: Exekial appreciates her high-spirits and bubbly energy, oftentimes finding it refreshing compared to the more serious demeanor. Ayla loves to dote on Exekial, and she often drags him into her studio to try on her newest style of clothing (Exekial begrudgingly goes along with it—but Lucia definitely appreciates it)

Selena: Once pen pals, she disappeared from his life early on. At first, Exekial tried in vain to search for her whereabouts, but once he became the Gray Raven Commandant, he rarely thought about her, so heavy was his workload. He felt a huge amount of guilt when he thought he killed her as the Siren, but it isn't until she returns to them in the new timeline that the guilt is somewhat alleviated. Selena is deeply in love with Exekial, but every time she tries to make a move, Exekial either remains oblivious to it or gently turns her down. Even though she is often disappointed, she still holds on to the hope that someday he will reciprocate

Church of Machina

Nanami: Initially finding her to be too boisterous and bubbly for his taste, Exekial comes to deeply miss her when she departs, often wishing for just one more moment where he could spend time with her and is overjoyed at reuniting with her in CH32, even if briefly. Nanami adores Exekial like an older brother, often dragging him into her shenanigans, and continues searching for a future where he survives

Hanying: When they first met in CH28, Exekial didn't really know what to think of her, apart from being Pulao's companion and a member of the Church of Machina. Hanying was intrigued by Exekial's presence, having heard much of him from Pulao and Nanami. They got to know each other better during the events of ER07, but their relationship remains on professional grounds

Haicma: Like Hanying, Exekial doesn't have many thoughts on her apart from being a part of the Church of Machina. Haicma also doesn't know much about him apart from what Nanami's told her. As a result, they exchange professional greetings when they run into each other, but nothing much more than that

Veronica: Even when they clashed initially during ER07, Veronica sensed something intriguing about Exekial's powers and realized that they were derived from the ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉, making them kindred spirits. After they become begrudging allies, Veronica and Exekial both teach each other different techniques they use with their respective powers, forging an amicable bond in the process

ACA

Sophia: Initially finding her quiet and unassuming, Exekial was impressed when she decided to take charge of the ACA's people. Since she's still a kid in his mind, he dotes on her like an older sibling... although he draws the line whenever Sophia tries to dupe him into her marketing schemes

Changyu: SImilar to Sophia, Exekial thinks of Changyu as a younger sibling and treats him as such, with the exception of when Changyu affects his sly business persona and eggs on Exekial to buy from him. Deep down, Changyu appreciates the way Exekial treats them and vows to pay him back someday... after he gets Exekial to buy something from him, of course

Kowloong

Qu: Exekial is ultimately neutral towards her, although it borders on dislike since he doesn't appreciate how she uses her people like pawns in her games of chess against the Ascendants. Initially believing Exekial to be an ordinary human destined to end up six feet deep in the ground, Qu has since realized that he is so much more than he seems, which makes her equal parts intrigued and uneasy. Her feelings are complicated when it is revealed that Exekial is the new ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉ of the ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉ ▉▉▉▉, which further ties him to Kowloong's fate, a fact that she doesn't appreciate

Pulao: Like Changyu and Sophia, Exekial has a soft spot for her and dotes on her as a result, though he doesn't hide how amusing he finds it whenever she gets dragged into their shenanigans. Pulao has much respect for Exekial and welcomes the familial affection, having missed it for so long

Ascendants

Alpha: In their universe, Exekial and Alpha met when Alpha was still Lucia of Gray Raven and Exekial had just run away from his home. Unknown to Alpha, that chance meeting is what propelled Exekial onto his path to becoming a commandant, shaping him to be the person he is today. Likewise, even after parting ways, Alpha never forgot him—which only complicates their interactions every time they meet each other on opposite sides of the battlefield

Luna: Though Exekial mostly feels pity for her as Lucia's sister, he tries to keep out of her way due to a natural wariness for the Ascendants' leader. This heightens after Project ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉, since he becomes much less trusting of all but those closest to him, though he still treats them like he would other humans. Likewise, Luna only holds him in high regard at first because of Alpha, and it's after CH13 and CH30 that her own respect for him grows. However, she also stays away from him, though she considers him the most trustworthy of commandants from Babylonia

Lamia: Since Exekial has no idea of the ordeal his clone and Lamia went through in CH26, he still treats her as an Ascendant, albeit more neutrally once Luna aligns with them. Lamia has conflicting feelings, having watched Clone!Exekial die and then realizing that she might never know the real Exekial. Still, she tries her best to protect him, even when he doesn't know why

Roland: Exekial considers him to be a clown, albeit a dangerous one, and can't stand him as a result. Though Roland likes to tease Exekial, his true feelings are neutral towards Exekial, only aligning with him because Luna needs him

Vonnegut: Initially only treating him as a dangerously smart Ascendant, Exekial's understanding of Vonnegut is increased during the events of CH31, and even a small part of him is sympathetic towards Vonnegut's goal. However, Exekial can't forgive Vonnegut for wanting to kill Lucia in order to complete his plan, and at the end of it all, he will do whatever he can to protect Lucia and the rest of Gray Raven from his schemes. Vonnegut considers Exekial a smartmouth who doesn't know what he's talking about, but nevertheless he needs Exekial for his plans

Gabriel: Unlike many of Luna's Ascendants, Exekial doesn't find anything redeeming about Gabriel—and his hatred only increased when he found out what Gabriel did to Selena. Gabriel considers Exekial nothing more than a human insect to be crushed underfoot

Cinderlik: They are only really opposed due to Cinderlik's alliance with Vonnegut. Otherwise, they don't have any opinions on each other

Lithos: Exekial considers Lithos to be extremely annoying in addition to being dangerous. Lithos considers Exekial an obstacle, but since Vonnegut needs him, Lithos only tolerates Exekial's presence

Babylonia

Hassen: Although Hassen is more pleasant to interact with than Nikola, Exekial knows that ultimately Hassen is using him as a political pawn. Paired with Exekial's own past of untrustworthy adults, he is not so easily trusting of the President. Hassen considers Exekial to be one of his people and tries to help him however he can, though he understands Exekial's wariness

Nikola: Exekial tended to butt heads with Nikola, especially in the beginning. However, after Exekial gained more experience, especially after Project ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉, he admits to himself that Nikola is ruthless but strategic, and often it leads to the least amount of lives lost. Nikola at first thought of Exekial as arrogant but has since come to view Exekial as a reliable and trustworthy commandant

Celica: Since Celica is closer to their level, Exekial feels more comfortable initiating a friendship outside of work. Occasionally, he'll invite her along when he is grabbing drinks with several other commandants, which she greatly appreciates

Asimov: Like Celica, Exekial considers Asimov more aligned with the level of commandants to the higher-ups, striking a professional friendship with Asimov. Even so, Asimov doesn't allow their friendship to hinder his professionalism, which also means taking Exekial to be his lab rat whenever he can

Hippocrates: Though Exekial and Hippocrates don't know each other apart from Exekial's very recurrent trips to the Star of Life, they respect each other. Even when she lashed out at him in anger after he woke up from his coma, he understood that it was because she cared deeply for Liv and was worried for her. Because of his efforts to save Liv, Hippocrates has come to regard Exekial very highly, happy that Liv has a commandant who would go through hell or high water for her

Hans: Though Exekial and Hans initially butt heads, Exekial still respects him as an experienced veteran and leader. Though Hans initially thought of Exekial as an arrogant upstart commandant, Exekial earned Hans' respect when he put himself in harm's way to save his squad and obtain a sample of the Hetero-Hive Mother. When Exekial woke up from his coma, he was saddened to hear about Hans' death

Kurono

Collins: Exekial absolutely hates Collins, as Collins reminds him too much of ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉. Collins only sees Exekial as a prospective test subject and is eager to squeeze out as much potential as he can from Exekial

Rebecca: He also hates Rebecca for her role in keeping him hostage following CH13, which only intensified since it became a catalyst for his contact with associates of Project ▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉▉ once more. Rebecca dislikes Exekial's resistant nature, but because of Collins tolerates him to see if she can extract as much of that "potential" as possible

Others

Watanabe: Exekial considers Watanabe to be one of the greatest leaders he has ever witnessed in action, seeing how so many flock to him firsthand. Watanabe was the one who first impressed the type of life most refugees abandoned by Babylonia had to live, which deepened his understanding of those living on the surface. Watanabe considers Exekial the only trustworthy commandant from Babylonia, and whenever Exekial connects with Watanabe, Watanabe fully lends him his trust

Rosetta: Exekial has a great deal of respect for Rosetta, but he doesn't know much about her outside of their professional relationship. Rosetta was inspired by Exekial's tenacity and determination, which continually propels her forward

Harley Jo: One of his other close friends from F.O.S. Exekial found Harley Jo's boisterous, energetic personality to be rather refreshing compared to the seriousness of Vanessa and Simon, and Harley Jo thinks extremely highly of Exekial's combat skills. Like Simon, Harley Jo began to pull away from Exekial when their friend group broke apart, but since reuniting with him in CH16, he had sworn not to lose that friendship again. During CH21, Harley Jo ended up shooting Exekial in his Tower-induced craze, which left him feeling extremely guilty and ashamed of himself, but Exekial forgave him, leading their relationship to become closer

Sica: When they first met in CH21, Exekial marveled at how young she was, while Sica seemed distinctly nervous and wanting to impress Exekial. Exekial comes to regard her as a reliable commandant, albeit inexperienced, while Sica looks up to him unquestioningly. Since she is Vanessa's junior, however, Exekial tries to stay on completely professional terms, not wanting to incur Vanessa's wrath against him

Bridget: Exekial thinks of Bridget as an incredible ally, and he appreciates how she shows up when they need her most to deliver the gear that they need to accomplish their missions. Bridget considers Exekial a rather intriguing commandant and is open to becoming closer to him to understand the way he thinks and does things

Jetavie: After gaining back his memories of the Matrix and Jetavie, Exekial has grown to care for her like a daughter, taking her around Babylonia in his free time. Jetavie is obsessed with Exekial and keeping him safe, which often forces Exekial to de-escalate any conflicts she attempts to incite amongst everyone else (especially Ishmael - he still doesn't entirely understand what Jetavie has against her)

since i finally decided to commission someone to draw my OC, i thought it was high time i reintroduced him, this time with updated detailed lore!

When they first met to become Gray Raven, practically strangers to each other, Exekial thought Lucia to be distant, even a little cold, while Lucia thought Exekial to be a rather strange commandant and human being. However, as the months went on with just each other, they quickly became accustomed to each others’ presences, so much so that one could say that they learned together how to become an effective commandant and Construct

In their downtime, Lucia and Exekial would hang out with each other even outside of training—something that Lucia was unaccustomed to, as she felt that Exekial should have more important things to do. But the first (and last) time she brought it up, Exekial waved her off, telling her that he preferred her company to most everyone else’s

Around the last months before Liv and Lee would join the team, there was an incident in which a commandant challenged Exekial to a duel, a duel that Exekial ended up winning effortlessly. Enraged and humiliated, the commandant lashed out, leaving a scar under Exekial’s left eye—an action that Lucia didn’t leave unanswered. This was the first time in a long, long time that Lucia had felt so protective of someone else, and the feeling only grew as squad after squad tried to challenge her for his command

When Nikola asked Exekial to review Liv’s and Lee’s profiles, Exekial deferred to Lucia’s judgment, mostly out of respect for her capabilities and experience but also because of his complicated past and potential bias clouding his assessment

Despite having a bond that was closer than comrades but couldn’t quite be called friendship at this point, Lucia always seemed to display uneasiness whenever Exekial ended up physically close to someone, though she initially reasoned the feeling off as protectiveness

Exekial always noticed, however, and at the first chance he would get, he would break off engagement with the other party to walk over and check in on her. This would always catch her off-guard, and time and time again she would wonder why he would prefer the company of a weapon of war over “real” human beings

Though Lucia wouldn’t remember, a chance meeting between her and a young Exekial changed the course of Exekial’s fate forever, propelling him on the path to becoming a commandant despite his deepest fears and doubts

In the early days of Gray Raven, Exekial was observed by Lee to be avoidant to physical contact, only engaging in it either through professional gestures, helping others, or if any of his Constructs were assisting in tending to his wounds. However, if he sensed that Lucia was unsettled or distressed, he would reach out to hold her hand, long enough for her M.I.N.D. to stabilize, before he would withdraw it

Due to Lucia’s and Lee’s overly serious personality, Liv and Exekial often acted as their counter-balance between Liv’s gentle nature and Exekial’s casual, laidback demeanor outside of missions, with Exekial taking the liberty to tease Lee and Lucia. However, after the first few times, he realized that his teasing Lucia, far from making her relax, only seemed to make her self-conscious. As a result, he resorted to only teasing Liv and Lee

When they faced off against Alpha for the first time, the fight was more brutal than in canon, resulting in Exekial sustaining more injuries. However, when Liv fretted over him, Exekial pushed her away, worried for Lucia, and insisted that she checked on Lucia first. In turn, Lucia protested, arguing that her parts could be replaced, but if Exekial bled out, the Gray Ravens couldn’t find a replacement like him

Lucia and Exekial then began to argue with each other, with Lucia insisting Liv check on Exekial and Exekial insisting she check on Lucia. It was only resolved when an exasperated Lee chided them both for getting Liv caught up in their spat and told Liv to go check on Lucia, as he knew some first aid and could take care of Exekial

As they faced off against Tifa, Exekial suddenly realized that Lucia was right in the path of her rampage. He shouted her name in warning and lunged at her, clutching her in his embrace and rolling them both into cover, where Exekial ended up on top of Lucia. Stunned, Lucia looked up at Exekial, who looked down in worry and asked if she was okay. Before Lucia could say anything, however, Exekial noticed Liv was out in the open and shouted at her to look out, prompting Lee to jump to protect Liv

As Liv treated Lee, Lee made a comment that caused Liv to vow to become stronger to protect him, prompting Lee to become flustered as he tried to explain that this wasn’t what he meant. Exekial teased Lee, saying that he was envious that Lee had a pretty lady to protect him, and Lee retorted by saying Exekial was no better, clearly looking to Lucia when he said this. Embarrassed, Exekial coughed as he said he had no idea what Lee was talking about, while Lucia asked with confusion why Lee was looking at her

In the wake of the mission to rescue Liv from the Forsaken, Watanabe invited them to spend the night at a nearby camp as part of an apology for the way they treated Liv. Throughout their stay there, both Kamui and Watanabe made comments on how Lucia had changed, noting that she used to be indifferent while they had been training together, but now she seems to care for Gray Raven and a lot of other people, especially her commandant. Lucia only stayed silent, unsure of how to respond to that

While they were at the camp, however, Exekial ended up in an altercation with a young Forsaken man, resulting in Exekial being shot. Once he was whisked into a tent, with Liv and a Forsaken doctor treating him, Lucia positioned herself right outside his tent, not budging an inch. When they were done treating him, she went inside to watch over him through the entire night, helping him sit up once he woke up

Once Exekial realized that Lucia stayed up all night to watch over him, he told her that he was grateful that she stayed up with him, but she didn’t need to do that, much to her confusion. She tried to point out that Constructs don’t need sleep to operate at full capacity, but Exekial refuted that he didn’t care about that, only her. Lucia went quiet at that, as if taken aback

Exekial reached over with his hand to hold hers as he said that he knows that while Constructs were created for the purpose of fighting the war, that should never be their sole purpose; after all, Constructs were once people too. He asked her to treat herself less like a weapon and more like a person—for him if not for herself. Stunned by his words, she could only look away as she mumbled that she would try

At some point, a banquet was held for all the Task Force squads, with Constructs being invited to it for the first time. Upon entering, all eyes turned to them and the whispers began. Feeling Lucia tense up next to him, Exekial only briefly grasped her hand as he told her that she deserves to be here, turning to look at Lee and Liv as he indicated that the words were meant for them too

When Lucia and Exekial get a moment by themselves, Lucia asked him why he bothered to stand up for Constructs like her, since Constructs have always been seen as mere tools and he risked antagonizing a lot of higher-level people. Exekial only replied simply that he knew what it was like to be seen as a mere tool as well. This was the first time Exekial even hinted at his past to someone else since he had graduated F.O.S., a sign of vulnerability that only deepened the bond between them

A strange feeling would well up in Lucia whenever she saw Exekial dancing with others, though she tried to stamp it down as best as she could, agreeing (a tad begrudgingly) with Liv and Lee that Exekial looked happier. However, when the banquet ended Exekial walked back to them, Lucia noticed the way Exekial’s smile slipped off his expression like a mask, making him look more tired than usual. When his eyes met hers, though, a small smile flitted on his face, and Lucia realized without a doubt that this was a real smile, reserved just for her and the other Gray Ravens

The first time Lucia hugged Exekial of her own accord was when they reunited on-board the Nighter after the mission in which Exekial was forced to go on a solo mission on Hassen’s orders. Just as quickly, however, she released him, clearing her throat and saying that she was glad he returned to them

After the battle with Huaxu and Villier, when Lucia was falling, Exekial reached out and caught her, holding her tightly in his arms. Surprised, Lucia told Exekial that she was fine, but Exekial only hugged her closer, telling her that he was glad she was alright. Unnoticed to him, a faint blush appeared on Lucia’s face upon hearing his words, but their attention was soon drawn away to Villier and Huaxu

During the battle of Kowloong Metropolis, as Exekial cradled Lucia’s broken body in his arms and watched Alpha step up to them, Lucia begged Exekial to run, but he stayed put. When Alpha questioned why he won’t run, Exekial kept his gaze on hers as he said quietly that Lucia was part of Gray Raven, and Gray Raven would always stick together

Enraged, Alpha lifted the blade, preparing to strike both Lucia and Exekial down. Lucia said his name again, sounding as if she wanted to tell him to run, but Exekial reassured her, saying that he was right here and that he wasn’t going anywhere. In the end, their impending doom was halted by Luna, who wanted Alpha to spare Lucia