[center][img]https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/935994562026016780/961080208788688926/KaiserHeadPic2.png[/img]
[h1][color=steelblue]K A I [/color][/h1]
[h3]Bed![/h3][/center]
[hr]
“I’ll call you Kai then, and you can call me Rossweine,” the Prince intoned calmly. “When you have time, you should duel Nathaniel. You two can match each other, and the rest of the squad can learn.” He tapped Kai’s shoulder before turning away. Nathaniel had touched his shoulder too. So what did that mean? His braid tapped the same shoulder from the back side, like a ticklish paint brush.

"Greetings, squad, I am Liese Victoire of House Brendorn, ready to depart." said the intense blonde before Kai could muster a response to the prince. Raw Swine (why did he want to be called that? Kai thought he could come up with a better nickname) kept his expression the same peaceful, in-controlled facade, but there was just a moment–a micro-change so subtle even Kai’s focused observation almost missed it. It seemed that maybe…Liese and the Prince didn’t like each other? Why was that?

“Good to have you join us, Liese,” said the squad captain. “It is a shame that I was unable to witness the full breadth of your capabilities during your duel with the Lachant scion, but you will have a wealth of comrades to hone your skills with among this squad, Light Willing.”

[@Izurich]“Ooh, ooh!” Kai started to bounce on the balls of his feet with a wild grin. The Prince had told him to fight with Nathaniel as a form of training–maybe he could do that same thing here, since they were talking about Liese fighting too! He suddenly set both of his feet in place, hands on his hips, with a confidently furrowed brow to match Liese’s own as he raised his voice. “I am Kaiser Sauvage, of House Sauvage! When you have time, Liese Victoire of House Brendorn, we should duel! We can match each other to show the full breadth of our skills!” His braid was poking up behind his head and “wagging” furiously.

But it seemed that the rest of the group was fully on their way, and no one wanted to be left behind. 

“Let’s be off.” said the prince, turning that tall back. He strode for the barracks, steps bringing him to the front of the squad in a graceful maneuver. Kai watched his feet with a raised eyebrow, struck by how smooth that motion was. But then another, far less skillful, movement caught his eye.

"Don't think you can just buy my forgiveness with food! Take that back!” A very angry munchkin hounded Signar Wayland’s heels like a particularly small, excitable puppy, practically running to keep up with him and bouncing up and down with each furious step. Kai grinned from ear to ear and bounded after them, shadowing Julian Baker’s movements. The bluette’s hair twitched playfully from side to side between his shoulder blades. Julian’s tirade continued, “Hey, are you ignoring me? Don't call me smaaaaaaaall!!!"

Kai snickered to himself. Despite all the people around, he was starting to feel at ease again–and he already felt like he had the promise of two challenging opponents. He couldn’t wait to see what else was in store…
[hr]
The wall their barracks was built into cast a shadow over the courtyard, and the inner wall on the other side limited the view of the sky from some angles. There were trees, but they weren’t big enough or thick enough to provide good cover. It felt…simultaneously too restricting, and yet too exposed. A boxed in cage where you had nowhere to hide from anything that might swoop down above, and no escape from anything else trapped in there with you. It made Kai feel itchy. But he told himself that Gramps’s house had felt like this too at first…maybe he just had to get used to it. Maybe if he needed fresh air he could just…scale the walls?

He looked at the bricks, with their smooth stone surface and mortared gaps. Then his gaze traveled upward to the ramparts, and the machicolations, and the arrow slits between the crenellations. It seemed a much harder climb than the trees.

The inside of the building didn’t make him feel so itchy, but it definitely didn’t feel like Gramps’s house either. He tried to remember the times since Gramps had brought him back that he was made to be around such large groups of people, or to be around smaller groups for a longer period of time. His squad seemed like a medium between the two–not a huge number of people, but he was going to be around them for [i]much[/i] longer. It turned out they were even going to share rooms together! The man handing out keys seemed to get angry when Kai closed one eye to mimic how the older knight glared at everyone, so maybe he should avoid that in the future. He scampered off like a dog with a treat as soon as he was given his key, and upon finding his room looked carefully at the sign. [i]Rossweine?[/i] Ooooh! That was why the prince wanted to be called…Hm. 

Kai shook his head. He could still come up with a better name than that.

But with his new living quarters identified, the bluette wasted no time in running inside and haphazardly checking all the containers, the side doors, the bathroom, et cetera et cetera. After several rapid circles, he then [i]leaped[/i] onto the comfy bed. The sheets were tucked too tightly–he had to loosen those up. There was only one pillow, so he rolled up the comforter to make another one. The headboard and the room’s wall made a nice corner he could put his back to, so he bundled everything into that and then wriggled his way into the wadded mess of blankets. 

After several moments, his head poked back out of the pile. His braid lay alongside his neck and shoulder, and repeatedly curled itself in content. He blew air between his lips with a soft “boof” sound.

Then Julian passed by the still-open door, and Kai’s braid pointed straight up as his head snapped towards the blonde. But Julian was already gone, and his ponytail dropped back down. Nonetheless the bluette kept watching to see if anyone else might look into the room, or if the Prince was coming…