[Nexus] Mithar Keep

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

Harnel stands up slowly, using the wall to support him as he moves off towards the washroom to shower. Despite the fact that he's hurt and sore, he seems pleased with himself, "Impossible seems like overstating things. Nothing is impossible to kill. It was just difficult - Still, the fact that Conflict was the only thing I could hurt it with was interesting. Made it hard to fight him."

Unless stopped, he'll climb into the shower, and once he's finished cleaning himself he'll take out a set of stitching tools from under the sink so that he can stitch the massive gash in his wing closed - leaving that to heal as it was was just asking for trouble, even if it hurt to apply the stitches. Cessie, of course, will be allowed to come into the washroom while Harnel is stitching; he'll have pulled on some pants by the time that happens.

[Shadowcaller]

[Bedroom]

The sorceress will help him to the bathroom of course, and this was hardly the first time she had seen such wounds. She had even learned how to mend them but it looked like Harnel was able to take care of that already.

She stands in the doorway, shaking her head as she see his wounds. "The Katagi I think about was an insane weapon kami which tried to kill a man we protected. Aegnor banished him back to the spirit world and he would stay there for three hundred years. It can't have been the same one." And she couldn't imagine her husband killing it either. That thing had been resistant to everything.

Sitting down besides him she relaxes a bit, feeling relived that he was back home. She couldn't imagine why he had bothered to drag all those weapons with him either. If it was Katagi he had slain, was it an alternative version? Possibly.

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

Harnel winces as he stitches the gash in his wing, "Ack, skin's softer than I thought. At least there aren't that many nerves," he doesn't stop going about his first aid while he does this though, "We both know that it's not impossible for it to have been the same one, Cessie. The Nexus plucks what it finds interesting out of everywhere and anywhere. as a matter of fact, I'd say it's more likely that this is the same one, simply because fate knows I'm married to you."

His tail hangs limp at the moment, Harnel not really having enough energy to focus on it as well as work the threat and needle in his hands. He turns so that Cessie can see the wounds on his back, even as he works on a gash that marks his right upper leg. He's making it known; it's her choice whether or not she wants to help him with the wound, but he doesn't expect her to.

[Shadowcaller]

[Bedroom]

Cessie sigh inwardly and then asks for some needle and thread to mend the wound with. "You know Harnel, I don't think either of us were meant to settle down." Not that she had any idea how the void he could have slain that thing. He had probably just banished it somehow. "Too bad I couldn't have gone with you. But we have children to take care of, I'm afraid someone have to stay behind." Gods knows she didn't want to take them out of the keep (or alternatively GloG) just yet. They weren't even a year old.

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

Harnel is quiet for a long moment as he works on his leg, but his work slows to a stop over time, and he takes a deep breath.

"Cessie, I... I don't think I'm a very good father."

[Shadowcaller]

[Bedroom]

The sorceress stops with the mending for a moment and looks at him concernedly. "Harnel... I don't think I'm a very good mother either. I had to use a sleep spell to put the kids asleep last night since I couldn't think of a way do it the usual way. But we're new to this parenting right? It's different when you have children on your own. We'll learn eventually." He was the one wanting a lot of children after all.

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

Harnel sighs, "I was my father's only son. My siblings didn't live, so I was on my own; but father always seemed to know what to do, how to act. It was like everything he did was because he was a good man and a good parent. I don't know if that's something I can be like. I want to be like him. Cora and Bastion deserve it...

"...But I don't know if I can give that to them."

[Shadowcaller]

[Bedroom]

The mage shakes her head. "You're probably idolizing him Harnel, and he only had one child to take care of. So it's not fair you should try to compare yourself to him. You can never really live up to your childhood memories dear." She comforts him while slowly stroking the back of his neck, not reaching up to his head easily.

"You're a different person, but you're trying your best at least."

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

Harnel grunts, leaning into Cessie's presence readily, "Everything I did with my life, Cessie, was to be like him. He was a warrior, a general. He wielded a claymore, just like I do now, and he was a talented tactician and warrior. He taught me everything about fighting and how to live my life well and as a good person, and I can't help but feel like I'm not qualified for that with my own children now that they're here."

"We both know I don't always think things through, and I rushed you into having children because of my own selfish worries. I spent twenty-five years spending my life believeing I'd never find someone I could spend my life with, have children with, and sometimes it just feels like a dream. Every time I wake up and you're not in the bed next to me because you went downstairs to get food or went to go and do something, there's a frightening moment when I think 'I'm alone again'."

"My worst nightmares are when that's true."

[Shadowcaller]

[Bedroom]

"It'll take time to get used to Harnel, that's perfectly normal. You have only been in the nexus a few years while you spent an entire life back in your old world. I will try to remind you ever so often though." She says while giving his neck a quick kiss, her hands shifting back down to the needle and thread again. It was best to get over this while they were still talking.

"I think we both know that you're more then qualified to have children though. I didn't just do it because of your needs after all so stop blaming yourself for everything. After all, I doubt you have memories from when you were this little. Perhaps your father had the same problems as you have now back then? I know you can be a handful even as an adult after all." She says with a faint smile, the half-dragon probably feeling the pain of her slowly stitching the wound together.

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

Harnel doesn't say anything for a moment, just letting Cessie work. He winces once she starts again, but doesn't move away, doesn't even twitch. Cessie should find Harnel tail reaching back tiredly to go around her waist.

"Bastion is a lazy baby, sleeping all the time. Cora though... I really hope she doesn't end up like me. The Therishein line doesn't need any more morons." Harnel chuckles to himself at that.

[Shadowcaller]

[Bedroom]

"Perhaps she'll be a Mithar moron instead then. I know I feel like one at times. Like at the council meetings, sometimes I'm just not sure what to say at all. Or when I talked things over with Ilpholin, I can be really stupid sometimes." Cessie replies with a smile as she continues with the stitches no matter how much she wanted to caress other parts of her husbands body. She imagined snuggling would be a painful activity with all these wounds after all.

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

Indeed it would be. There's even a gash on his neck that needs to be tended to. "I should come with you next time, then. We have different world views; maybe if I came in as your bodyguard, we could discuss things mentally. That way we'd have two minds to work out what to say - a good team patches each other's weaknesses, after all."

By this point Harnel has picked up a needle and thread again to start working on his own wounds once more, though there's few left on the front of his body. He did a good job of protecting himself there, but his beck is a wreck, given that there had to be more openings to accomodate his wings and tail.

[Shadowcaller]

[Bedroom]

"That's an good idea actually, I'd be interested in what you will have to say about each meeting. We will need someone to take care of the children meanwhile though. I doubt we can take them with us after all." They really left them in the hands of others too much in her opinion.

Once she's done mending one wound she moves over to the next, taking a new thread. She might not be an expert but she had done this a few times before. While there were techniques for eldritch to heal people, she hadn't learned any of them.

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

I imagine they'll chat like this for a while longer, Cessie working the threads in Harnel's back. He seems both tired and a bit somber, probably due to the feelings of lonliness he mentioned feeling before, but he puts on a good face for it. No reason to be an ass about that sort of thing, after all.

After that, however, he'll want more sleep. This time, in his own bed potentially with Cora and Bastion if they're still asleep. If that happens, and nothing wakes him up, Harnel will sleep for a full day before waking up the following night, feeling rather refreshed.

[Shadowcaller]

[Bedroom]

As he wakes up, Harnel might note that neither Cora, Bastion or Cessie are in the bedroom. He's all alone for the moment, the stitches probably still hurting pretty badly as his muscles tenses from getting up from the bed.

If he looks outside he might note that all the weapons he dragged all the way from the hunting grounds are no longer there. Wonder where they went?

Once he made the bed and get's out of there he'll find Cessie in her own room breastfeeding the twins. She'll look slightly panicked until she realizes it's him but still removes the two babies from her to cover herself up. "...you're up." She states, not really looking sure what to say. "I was just trying to see..." A pause. "If they sleep better."

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

Bastion just pouts, but Cora outright reaches for her mother's breast once more once pulled off, making that noise that signals the prelude to crying. It seems they're both still somewhat hungry.

"They do say milk helps you get to sleep at night. I imagine it's the same for babies as it is for adults." Harnel says, smiling, "If nothing else, they can't cry while they're feeding."

He's not moving as slowly as before, having gotten a full day's rest, but he'll go to take The twins from Cessie so that she can get dressed once more. upon seeing her father, Cora will stop crying though, excited that he's there again.

[Shadowcaller]

[Bedroom]

"Then any milk could do, but I read that breastfeeding might have an special effect." Cessie replies while trying to regain her decency, she still seem somewhat embarrassed over the situation.

"It's better then to put them to sleep using eldritch at least." And they appeared to like this type of food better then the usual replacement.

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

Harnel quirks an eyebrow, "Yes... I rather have to admit, using magic to put babies to sleep at night strikes me as a bit off-key." He's amused, at least, though it's clear he doesn't really approve. Cora is already pulling at Harnel's shirt, with Bastion falling asleep in Harnel's arm, "It seems to be working on Bastion. Not that anything doesn't."

"So, what did you do with all the weapons I brought home? They weren't there when I looked out the window."

[Shadowcaller]

[Bedroom]

"I had some earth elementals put them with your adamatite. There were a few of those weapons which were enchanted and one which had a primordial spirit inhabiting it. Nothing as special as your own weapon however which I were going to ask you about. What is it exactly? I know Genesis gave it to you as a gift but I have simply not bothered to look it up until now. Could you explain it to me?" She asks, trying to move away the subject from the breast feeding at the moment.

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

Harnel has to think about that for a moment as he puts Cora and bastion down on the bed, using his hands to keep the curious girl from crawling towards the edges too far.

How can he explain conflict?

"It is 'Sword'."

That's a terrible explanation.

"I mean, it's the concept worked into a physical form, and held together by conflict. It's really quite the impressive blade because of that."

That's a bit better.

[Shadowcaller]

[Bedroom]

"Is it a particular conflict or all conflict." She asks, a kami (concept) of all conflict would indeed be extremely powerful. She hadn't imagine her husband holding such powers in his hands.

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

"Well, that's the thing; it's not Conflcit, It's Sword, which is hardened and made more powerful by Conflict. I just call it Conflict because naming a sword 'Sword' is honestly pretty uncreative, and potentially just stupid." Harnel catches Cora as she tries to leave the bed again, plopping her down in his lap, where she sticks one of his claws in her mouth to start sucking on it.

[Shadowcaller]

[Bedroom]

"Ah, I understand. It's fueled by an kami rather then being it." That made sense though she wasn't sure how to enchant a sword like that. She imagined it was possible though even on her world. That would be a potentially interesting way to use aether while under effect of those fey fruits.

"I wonder if I would be able to mimic the process. Would you mind me having a closer look at the sword dear?" Cessie asks innocently.

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

Harnel scratches his chin for a moment, "I wouldn't say that. More like It's a kami that takes power from other kami, if I understand what kami are properly. Anyways, go ahead. Conflict should be... you know, I'm not sure where I put it, I was so tired. t should be around here somewhere."

Specifically down in the entranceway, leaning against the doorframe. Harnel was too tired to remember putting it down there, however.

[Shadowcaller]

[Bedroom]

"So the blade itself is created by aether? Like an manifested kami?" Cessie asks herself thoughtfully. This might prove to be a rather enlightening project.

"But thank you dear, why don't you try to put the kids to bed meanwhile. I think they should be sleepy by now." She says while giving her husband a quick kiss. She had seen Conflict earlier today which had piqued her interested.

[Halae]

[Bedroom]

Harnel nods, picking up the pair of children. Cora still seems to have energy, though Bastion is already fast asleep. Cessie will be free to grab Conflict from where it was left while Harnel is handling tucking in the twins.

[Gullara]

[Outside]

A dryad emerges from the trees behind Mithar Keep. It's not the dryad you'd expect to be visiting here, however, but instead Aeia. Presumably Bark is not too far behind.

"Whoa. Hey Bark, come and take a look at this place." She spins around to urge the tree to hurry up.

[Slii Arhem]

Outside

When Aeia turns around, Bark is literally right on her heels. He may not be running quite as fast as Aeia is, but his long stride and tireless motion means he's never far behind her.

And he is very, very grumpy. For once his emotions are as plain on his face as Aeia's usually are, distaste for the structure before him furling his brow.

"Yes... I see it..."

[Gullara]

[Outside]

"Ack!" Aeia steps back when she sees how close Bark is. "Don't scare me like that." She peers at him. "What crawled up your butt?"