( old hag ) :
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.
“Yes, I still have Vinea! I worked hard to get her back!? Why would Aladdin send us here!? I don’t know a thing about what’s going on!” But she’s happy to see him, that much is clear.
' Hey, hold on— ’
He had half-expected this encounter to turn into Kougyoku scolding him, shrieking in that annoying ( and hilarious ) way of her’s and listing the reasons why he was bully. Instead, he was pushed against a wall, arms now awkwardly hanging either side of her torso and eyes wide. Despite all his self-professed wisdom, he wasn’t sure how to deal with the blubbering princess when she was holding onto him like this and getting his shirt uncomfortably wet. He certainly didn’t have the strength to break out of her hold. Sure, she had often cried in his presence ( a real crybaby through and through ), but she had never gone as far as to hug him like this - or would it be more accurate to say she was clinging ? Either way, physical contact was something Judar hadn’t exactly experienced before, at least not the affectionate kind.
‘ Kougyoku... ’
The Magi’s serious expression turns into a coy grin, hands moving to squish her cheeks together as he laughs loudly. ‘ ... Your face is all red! So much for being a strong and fearsome general, huh? ’ Comforting a girl delicately was not something Judar would pretend to know how to do, but at the very least he had called her by name rather than ‘old hag’. It was an attempt at comforting her, though not a very good one. Still, he releases her cheeks for a moment and pauses thoughtfully, one hand going to pat her head. What had she said ? She’d waited for so long ? She’d worked hard to get Vinea back ? ‘ Wait, how long have you been here? I’d notice one of my King Candidates vanishing and I hadn’t heard anything about you disappearing. ’






















