Lorenzo couldn’t help but let out a huff of indignance. The hell was he trying to say?! Wesley was LUCKY to have such a beautiful princess as his bride to be! The entire country of Dalmasca should be on their knees worshipping her! Before he knew it, his crazy father thoughts ran through his head at a million miles per second, and that was when he marched right up to Lannit, pointing a finger at him and letting out a rather loud and unnecessary laugh.

“[color=darkorange]Main squeeze…’MAIN SQUEEZE’?![/color]” He couldn’t help but shout, clearly unaware of exactly how loud his voice really was. “[color=darkorange]Oranges [i]wish[/i] they could do more than juice and go in a parfait, their mere existence is nothing more than a cruel reminder that they will never amount to anything in the world, and why you ask?! Because when Nadeline chooses to have an orange for the day, the unpicked oranges go and rot, killing themselves from the inside in pure fury that they weren’t even good enough to get so much as a passing glance![/color]"

Lannit looked at Lorenzo with narrowed eyes, as if trying to gauge what crawled up his butt. “What exactly are you on about?” Lannit asked, brow raised as he still tried to figure out Lorenzo’s deal.

Lorenzo seemed upset. No, he wasn’t upset, he just wasn’t thinking. So nothing out of the ordinary. “[color=darkorange]You’re the one comparing my beautiful princess of a daughter to an orange! What kind of lame-ass term is main squeeze, anyway!?[/color]” He huffed, clearly making more of a scene then needed.

“Lorenzo, I’m sure that’s not what he meant by it.” Jaakuna chimed in, hoping to get Lorenzo to at least see the [i]correct[/i] meaning of that term.

“Yeah, listen to Jax here! I wasn’t comparing your daughter to an orange - I was simply saying that Wesley is--I mean, that is to say, main squeeze is..uhh,” Lannit was losing his train of thought for three reasons: the way Jaakuna was urging him to shut up, the way Wendy was scolding him with her scary gaze at him, and the scenario he was playing through his mind of an inevitable beating he was going to receive from the Rozarrian prince in front of him.

To pretty much everyone’s surprise (save Jaakuna, who had seen this one too many times to take it seriously) Lorenzo would drop down to his knees. He was deathly silent, his head towards the ground, though he would then let out a loud wail. “[color=darkorange]I’ve failed you Nadeline! I failed to defend your honor![/color]” He cried rather dramatically, punching the ground. “[color=darkorange]Forgive your foolish father, I just wasn’t good enough to convince them otherwise! Now you’ll never come visit me after you get married and it’s all my fault! I’ll never see my grandkids! I’m gonna die alone![/color]”

Jaakuna felt like an awkward man right now. Lorenzo being how he had seen him be was making him feel bad for the guy, so much so that he kneeled down on one knee, and patted the man on the back. “There, there, Lorenzo. At least you got Grant and Reia.” Jaakuna said, hoping that would help.

“Geez, what a drama queen.” Lannit said nonchalantly, looking over at Wendy who was still giving him the death stare. He shrugged, and looked to Lorenzo. 

The man let out a sigh, indicating his pain, though he knew he had wasted enough time. “[color=darkorange]So…Jaakie…why are we here again?[/color]” Lorenzo asked innocently, outright ignoring the previous conversation. “[color=darkorange]I mean, besides your clear intention at breaking an old man’s heart into a million pieces.[/color]” His voice cracked at the end of his statement, tears welling up in his eyes.

[hr]

Nadeline clung to Wesley, her eyes focused on the due. Something was happening, though what exactly, she didn’t know. All she knew was that once that cloud descended, her head begun to spin. What was going on now? She could have sworn she heard a voice, and she heard Wesley say something to her, but she was reduced to gasping for air. Was this the power of darkness as well? Without thinking, her glyph appeared, though its effect unclear, and she would strain herself to see something in the distance with Emiri and Keiran.

Her vision blurred, her hand reaching out to her friend. She had failed her again. Why? As she would collapse onto the ground, the glyph glowed brightly, a soft light surrounding their bodies. Keiran colored himself impressed; that light would at least protect them from any roaming monsters. He looked at the Creature with some curiosity, rather surprised at his compliment.

“[color=silver]One Scion of Time,[/color]” Keiran said, as if introducing her, though Emiri seemed to be ignoring the pair as she stared at the fallen Wesley and Nadeline.

[hr]

Keiran took a look around the shattered remains of Emiri’s mind. A calm had taken over it, the once cracked, shimmering crystals glowing a soft, golden color. The cavern itself had gotten much darker, the only source of light coming from the crystals themselves. It was an unsettling calm, one Keiran was used to, though he wasn’t quite interested in his surroundings now. Instead, he was much more interested in the intricate cage in the middle of the room, holding its prisoner above the water. He peeked inside, spotting Emiri sitting in the middle of the floor. She had been fighting back for some time, though the more time passed, the weaker she grew. The darkness had already crept up her legs, binding her arms behind her, and as she would look away from him, he saw a tendril coiled around her neck. 

Her eyes were just as empty here as they were on the outside, though she would pull against her bindings as he would let out a chuckle. “[color=silver]You should rest easy, Scion. Your part in all this has only just begun,[/color]” He said, his hand reaching out and lifting her face towards his. “[color=silver]You’re only delaying the inevitable.[/color]”
Emiri narrowed her eyes at him. “[color=pink]You haven’t won yet,[/color]” She told him, defiant as always. “[color=pink]I won’t give up. My friends will—[/color]”

“[color=silver]Be very cruelly informed of your condition as your own body dives a blade into their hearts. Or…something along those lines,[/color]” Keiran interrupted her, caressing her cheek almost kindly. “[color=silver]My master has his plans for you, Scion of Time.[/color]” He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as Emiri would continue to glare at him, though she would wince as the darkness would wrap around her body more. “[color=silver]I love that fighting spirit of yours, really, I do. I’d just advise you to…prepare yourself, in case he decides to pay you a visit as well.[/color]

She didn’t want other presences in her head, she wanted them all out! Her frustration betrayed her, a tear unwillingly rolling down her cheek. She closed her eyes as Keiran would wipe it away, and was less then pleased when she saw him smile at her. She knew that fondness he had for her was little more than a fabrication, he only saw her as a tool.

“[color=silver]Your prince will come to save his future princess, this much I can promise,[/color]” He told her gently. “[color=silver]And when he does…all shall fall to Zodiark.[/color]”