[center][h3][color=0072bc]Elyra[/color] and [color=darkred]James[/color][/h3][hr][i]Collab with [@Wick][/i][hr][/center]
James watched with gritted teeth as Elise ran away, unsure of how to proceed. He could see it in her eyes, [i]something[/i] was wrong. It wasn't until Elyra spoke that he made any move to react, relaxing his stance and wrapping his arms around her with a slight growl in frustration. The idea that the Citadel would do something like that to a person, Mage or not, was one that incited a mix of fear and rage. He gave the elven woman in his arms a final squeeze, mindful not to hurt her with his armour, before he dropped his left arm and turned to the direction of the camp with a cold look.[color=darkred] "Whatever they've done, I don't know if it can be fixed... For all I know, Athelia is still dead. As for how I'm holding up? I'm a soldier, or I used to be. I can't afford to let this affect me."[/color]

Elyra looked at him a little in shock. [color=0072bc]  "Wait a minute, how could this NOT effect you? You went nuts when you thought she was dead! Now you care so little about her because you are a soldier? You are hiding from the pain. She is having trouble remembering and you don't have that luxury you have the memories. I HATE that she just turned my world upside down, that I could actually lose you because you still might love her..."[/color] Elyra's voice broke and wavered slightly.[color=0072bc]   "You have to find out if she is still the girl you fell in love with. We can't move forward until you find out." [/color]Elyra was having trouble saying this last part because it hurt to think it.

James had to stop and close his eyes for a second. He could feel the mask cracking, but he couldn't let it fall apart now. [color=darkred]"I didn't say it didn't effect me, I said I can't let it effect me... I need to focus, so we can get out of this alive..."[/color] He repeated this last line to himself, but he couldn't hold it any longer. His arm slipped free of Elyra and he took a step back before his knees gave in and he knelt on the ground. His breath was shaking, and he refused to look up at her. [color=darkred]"Fuck... This is just... this all has me out of my head. I don't know what to do, and I'm too scared that I'll fuck everything up..."[/color] A few tears managed to escape his eyes and fall softly onto the ground. [color=darkred]"I don't know what to do..."[/color]

Elyra stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him and lifted his face to hers. Elyra didn't know how to tell him that what they did to the ones they experimented on was usually unfixable.[color=0072bc]  "James, sometimes they would test things on the mages and sometimes it was just because they wanted to figure things out. Either way there is almost every chance that her memories will never make sense to her again. She might be able to attach a feeling or emotion to your face but....she may never be able to remember properly."[/color] Elyra hated to tell him that. She would rather tell him something that would make him smile, even if it crushed her own hopes. [color=0072bc]  "I'm sorry, I know that is not what you would want to hear. If she will let me, I'll look at her and see if there is anything that can be done to fix it....I've just never seen a case where there wasn't permanent damage done." [/color]Elyra tried to hold her own tears back but was quickly failing at that. She wiped her eyes. [color=0072bc]  "I'd do anything to help you." [/color]She whispered.

He couldn't trust his own voice, so James just held onto her as he tried to control his breathing. After a few minutes, he pulled back. [color=darkred]"I... Thank you. This helped, a little. I... I'll try talking to her, to see if she remembers anything else. She has to remember something, I could see it. Every time I brought up the past, she was hesitant. Confused. Like two memories were fighting with each other...[/color] He made to stand up and offered her a hand. [color=darkred]"Still, whatever they did, worries me. Taking a minute to think about it, she was a Life mage so her reflexively healing herself isn't infeasible, but who did this to her is still an unknown, and the only one that knows is..."[/color] His blood-colored eyes widened slightly before they darted back towards the camp.[color=darkred]...Vladimir.[/color]. As if on instinct, his body began to move towards the camp, and his target. His expression turned dark, and it didn't bode well.

Elyra ran after James. [color=0072bc]  "James, what are you going to do? It doesn't mean that Vladimir had anything to do with it. She just got paired with him." [/color]Elyra grabbed the sword that was in its sheath off of his belt and almost fell over because of it's weight. [color=0072bc]  "How can you even carry this thing?" [/color]It didn't seem to phase him much so she ran and tackled him and found herself on his back on the ground. [color=0072bc]  "WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME?!" [/color]It took her a second to catch her breath.

[color=0072bc]  "For God's sake James. What are you doing and why are you doing it? Is it for your pride? hers? It can't be fixed at this point..."[/color] She toppled over backwards and landed on his arm. [color=0072bc]  "I can't let you attack an innocent man. Vladimir is just a templar. He wouldn't have had a thing to do with it."[/color]

[color=darkred]"He's got to know something. I'm not going to do anything stupid, but any kind of lead will help."[/color] He sighed and turned his head to look at his impromptu elf backpack.[color=darkred] "He's basically her handler, so they would have told him something in case she remembered something."[/color] She wasn't going to budge, that much was apparent to him so he slowly exhaled and looked back up.[color=darkred]"Fine, but if it turns out he knows something, you let me deal with it [i]my[/i] way. Deal?"[/color]

Elyra nodded, [color=0072bc]  "Deal."[/color] She got quiet a moment and in the moonlight he could see the raw emotion in her eyes.[color=0072bc]   "Would you rather I just remove myself from the ....If you want ...I could just leave and let you be together."[/color] Her eyes never wavered but she felt as though she was made of glass.

[color=darkred]"I don't want you to leave. If you go, I'll have nothing left. I'll become nothing more than a pair of blades the Empire has got chained up to make their own sharper. I can't lose you."[/color] His eyes were flickering with cold fire, fear and worry touching at their edges.

Elyra slowly leaned in and kissed him passionately. Her heart was an open book to him and she hoped he wouldn't break it. She pulled back slightly and said nervously, [color=0072bc]  "Are we looking for answers or are we looking for you and she to reunite? What happens if she decides that she wants you back?"[/color]

James watched her for a moment, an unsure and worried expression on his face. She seems so fragile, and that scared him because she was asking a question he didn't know himself. [color=darkred] "I don't know. I know that what they've done to her isn't right, and I know I want to restore her real memories, but I don't know what happens after. So much has changed, I love you so much and I don't want to abandon you. You know what I've done, and you still accept me. That's more than I ever asked for, and more than I deserve. But I don't know..."[/color] He dropped his eyes, frowning slightly at nothing in particular in the dirt.[color=darkred] "God, I'm pathetic..."[/color]

Elyra looked at him and raised his face to hers. [color=0072bc]  "I love you too and I don't want to leave but if you aren't sure who you truly love then I need to step back until you figure it out." [/color]Elyra stood up and wrapped her cloak around her as it was getting chilly. She raised her hood and kissed him once more and then she walked back into the camp.

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