#interm

"I want to be loved. Cherished." 

Was there any other way?

Castellan had bit back the words when the statement had originally been suggested by none other than the infamous Susan Gampre. It was inhuman to admit your moral limits, but it was more monstrous to admit the thoughts that plagued midnight hours. Does one admit there and then whatever obsession had led to this path? The desire to be loved and love in return?

Golden eyes bore into a familiar reflection while these thoughts were mulled over in front of a body-length mirror. A tailor bustled their way around strong shoulders, measuring, fitting fabric and working at a pace that seemed borderline inhuman. The young woman’s agile hands found Castellan’s broad shoulders in a way that once inspired comfort, but now lulled the crusader into a false sense of security.

“Your mother would be ashamed of you.”

“What did you say?” A low timbre rose from a bound chest, her own voice- disguised with years of habitual dropping and magic alike. Evidently, this misplaced rage would be clocked- for her companion paused and looked up with none other than a look of confusion.

“Nothing, my lord- it’s just you and I, and I have said nothing. But, you are almost finished here, thankfully. You’re quite good at standing still, I must say!” Madeline clapped her hands together with these words, content with her own work-  and quickly excusing whatever insanity Castellan was presenting to this equation. She busied her way about the room, careful to pick up any pins that were wayward in her wake.

She left without another word, or farewell, evidently familiar with the strange habits of the family Imortis. Now, the young knight stood before their reflection, in solitude. A pinstripe black suit adorned their form, tailored to leave little to the imagination. The fabric hung favorably, tight around shoulders, cut into a slim waist.

Hands rose in tandem, first to run a thumb over that taught jaw- a trademark of not only the family one had been adopted into, but from their bloodline alone. Then, to straighten both sides of the suit jacket, careful to button its contents.

Weary, but finally coming to a proper rest, the Admiral eased herself into a seated position on the Arbiter’s portside weatherdeck. The Fourth War had finally come to a stalemate, causing many soldiers to return home to their loved ones, and veterans to find themselves without battles to engage in. For many, the conflict of life and death had not been kind, costing the lives of the innocent, as well as some whom Alexa held dear to her own heart.

Though those far above the Rear-Admiral’s pay grade demanded a ceasefire, one could not ease the tension and rage that burned bright in the seasoned woman’s heart. Resentment rose and often kept her pacing the quarters of her warship, now stationed far outside Nazjatar’s treacherous waters. But today, she simply sat and waited, alone, aside from the half full bottle of red that resided alongside her person.

“Oy, y’ gonna stare at th’ ‘orizon fore’er?” A deep timber boomed over her shoulder, released from the barrel of Lieutenant Ironedge’s massive body. Alexa did not yet shift her unwavering attention towards the inquiry, fully expecting her privacy to be further infringed upon. Sure enough, it did not take long for the man to mosey on over for a seat at her side by the rail.

Lips only showed amusement by the faintest curl of a smile, only to shift back to their solemn line once he sat beside her. She steadied back, then, posture only relaxing to cross a knee over its twin in turn. Her steel monotone of a voice did not yet rise, waiting for the man to state his purpose of invading.

“Beg y’pard’n, Adm’ral, but I’m just waitin’ fer y’ t’ give th’ official say on our orders t’ return us back th’ way o’ Boralus.” He noted, breaking the silence and subtly questioning the reason as to why the anchor had not yet ascended. Subtly, Alexa observed him from the corner of her vision, not yet giving her full attention. An obvious bout of inner turmoil had caused hesitation in the decision making process of when to cast off, for decisions were frequently made in haste.

The sturdy gentleman had been her closest companion in the journey out to deliver supplies and the Marines to the front, not to mention her successor in rank of this vessel. But both looked worn in their ways due to the stress presented from war, neither had had a solid rest in at least half a year.

“It’s over, Andvers.” She deflected expertly, before making note of her own reasoning to remain in contemplation. “For now, the battle has been won against a common foe... But not the proper one.” Another sip from the thin glass allowed a pause, as the wine once again steadied her nerves and quelled her rage.

“Wha’ ‘appens now?” An open ended question, one that Alexa clearly did not expect him to answer, for a hand rose, waving it away with a flick of the wrist, before plucking up the bottle to offer it in his direction.

Andvers collected the bottle, turning it about in his hands to observe the contents with a bout of seriousness. “We battle, we avenge, and las’… we don’ b’ forgettin’. Aye?” Looking her steady in the eye, a swig was taken from its contents, before leather boots planted to the ground once more.

Both rose to the occasion, for whatever moment of weakness had formed now passed just as swiftly in the temperament of the woman. She met his gaze, and offered a stern nod, arms then folding to their typical hold at the small of her back.

“Weigh the anchor.” Ordered in his direction, Alexa glanced only towards the horizon for a moment longer, before then heading towards the helm of the ship without another word. 

INTERIM PRESENTATION.

Today we had our first interim presentation where we showcased to the class what we had done so far in the past 3 weeks. We gained some valuable feedback from not only our peers but also from our lecturer on the positives and negatives of our application and how it functions so far. We’ve got a lot to do going forward but it was super beneficial being able to show what we have and to hear other peoples opinions on it.