The Overlord's Castle [Active]

[overlords_wrath]

Character(s): Laharl and open!
Content: Come bug Laharl or do something else in the castle.
Setting: The Netherworld floor
Time: Whenever.
Warnings: DEMONS. :|b
Note: Can totally be a multi-threaded post for any who want to go up floors to Laharl's castle. And I'm willing to try NPCing some of the castle vassals even. :o (Zommie, Manty, etc.)


He hadn't expected to end up back here again quite this soon, but Laharl didn't completely mind it. It just still felt no less strange than the last time he'd been back here. Though it did feel like home, it wasn't really home. At least all the vassals that lurked there seemed as ignorant as ever of the situation, and he was happy to leave it that way. They probably wouldn't believe him even if he did tell them the truth.

At least now the whole human issue was solved. That would have been a huge problem if he'd had to return here like that. He was glad to be whole again, so to speak; a relief even.

Wandering to the throne room, Laharl hesitated a moment before slowly sinking onto the throne; his throne. Settling his arms onto the armrests, he sank back into the oversized chair. How stupid that something he'd been doing every day without thought, now felt so good... special even. If only it was the real thing.

Comments

[love_freak]

Laughing awkwardly with her arms straight and stiff at her sides, Flonne inwardly berated herself for her unnatural acting. "I didn't mean -- ah, ha ha, um, never mind." She lifted a hand to fiddle nervously with a lock of her hair, avoiding his gaze. "Everyone seems more relaxed now that we're back, but..." She sighed. "I think I need to go back to the city, Laharl-san."

[overlords_wrath]

Now she really had his attention. Sitting up, he frowned at her. "What? Why?" he asked, looking confused and even a bit worried. Laharl couldn't even begin to think of why she'd want to go back. She seemed nervous too. What the heck?

[love_freak]

Flonne looked down, fiddling her fingers together. "Well, I think...I think I could do more good and help more people there, as long as we're waiting to go to the next floor." She bit her bottom lip, glancing back up at him. "People still need help."

[overlords_wrath]

"...Didn't you read that message from the Mayor? They don't want anyone's help. They don't want us there at all," he said, assuming at least that she meant the city people. Sure there were other outsiders in their own camp, but surely they were doing fine.

[love_freak]

She shook her head. "I know what the Mayor said. I think I can help without them knowing about it, though." Flonne took a step forward, one hand over her heart. "The other outsiders like us need help, and I'll help them too if I can, but the ones who are hurt the most are the townspeople. They're scared so they're just doing whatever the Mayor says! But that doesn't mean they don't deserve to be helped."

[overlords_wrath]

Laharl couldn't help but sigh a little. He shouldn't have been even a little surprised to hear her saying this.

"Well... it's not like I can stop you," he replied after a moment. Not that stopping her had really occurred to him, but it was more the question of was he going to let her go alone. He really wanted to start looking around whatever was the newest floor to get to the top of this place, but he hadn't even thought he'd end up possibly doing it without Flonne.

[love_freak]

Flonne relaxed a little and smiled. "It won't take me long, Laharl-san. I just...need to do this. And then I'll join you again." She paused, her strong gaze wavering as she looked down. "Um, that is...if you want me to. After what...h-happened."

[overlords_wrath]

Not long, huh? Well, he supposed he could live with that. This sounded like one of those things he should maybe just leave to her to do, but if she needed him...

"Huh? After what?" he asked, genuinely not sure what she was talking about.

[love_freak]

She froze for a moment, staring at him blankly. Did he really not...? "You know," Flonne began hesitantly, trailing off to see if he'd pick up on it. When he didn't, she huffed indignantly. "I'm talking about the kiss!"

[overlords_wrath]

He didn't pick up on it, until realization flickered in his eyes when she said it. Right. That. How had he not realized she was referring to that? When had that become such a little a deal that the whole thing had slipped his mind?

Whatever the reason, it didn't matter much now. Now Laharl turned red. "O-oh... that..." he mumbled.

"What about that?" he then added, not sure how what to say about it.

[love_freak]

She sighed long and loud, shoulders slumping. Here she'd been so nervous and flustered about it and he wasn't even bothered? What a role reversal. "Oh...nevermind. I thought you'd want to avoid me or something, since I know you don't like that sort of thing. I guess I let my imagination get away from me..."

[overlords_wrath]

Laharl might've not been a moment ago, but he was certainly looking more embarrassed now, his face sinking behind the safety of his scarf to hide the growing redness.

"W-why would I do that? You've given me plenty of reasons to avoid you before and I haven't, why would... that make me start?" he replied, keeping his voice low and a frown on his face. Why was she sighing about it?

[love_freak]

She came closer, no longer nervous in her great relief and slight disappointment. Sitting at the base of the throne, she put her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands, back to him.

"Because a kiss is something different, Laharl! It's...it's just different." Flonne closed her eyes and smiled slightly. "I've never kissed anyone before. I don't know what came over me. I guess I was just so happy you were safe."

[overlords_wrath]

She was happy he was safe, huh? There was nothing he could do to escape the warm, fuzzy feeling; all he could do was try to ignore it. He also kept the fact it hadn't been the first time he'd been kissed by her silent too. She'd only start acting stupid if he did, he figured. "Flonne..." he began, trying to figure out how to respond to this. "H-how about just not doing it in front of others?" he suggested.

...Wait.

"N-not that I'm saying you should do it again!" he quickly added, realizing what he last said was implying.

[love_freak]

At his suggestion, her head popped up and a blush coated her cheeks. The implication made her heart race, but like a splash of cold water, his quick addition stamped that out quickly enough. "O-Oh..." Flonne twisted slightly to look up at him. "But...you really don't want me to stay away from you, then?"

[overlords_wrath]

"Tch! Of course I don't!" he said, without any thought. It was an easy question to answer. While, truthfully, he was confused of just exactly how he felt about her kissing him like that. There was never any question, however, that he wanted her to stay with him.

He lowered his voice down softly once more, so only she'd hear him. "...I don't want you going anywhere."

[love_freak]

She smiled at his immediate response, and her expression softened as his low words caught her ear. Flonne stood, linked hands over her heart as she took another hesitant step up towards him. "I don't want to go anywhere either," she replied quietly, ruby eyes glittering. "Laharl, I never want to leave your side."

[overlords_wrath]

He found himself smiling back at her. He couldn't help it when she smiled at him like that. Her words pleased him a great deal.

"Good. Now don't go forgetting that," Laharl said, meaning particularly what he just said. "Because... b-because that won't ever change," he uttered, lifting his head to meet her gaze.

[love_freak]

There it was, the way he smiled and the unspoken meaning underlying what he said. It was like she could feel their hearts resonating. "Laharl..." She finished the journey up to his throne and reached out to take his hand. "Thank you." She lowered her gaze shyly.

[overlords_wrath]

He let her take his hand, hesitating a moment, before he gently closed his fingers around her smaller hand. "T-tch... don't thank me," he muttered softly. He felt strange... a good strange. He didn't want it to go away, but... they were sitting in the throne room. It wasn't the most private of places. Suddenly feeling self conscious, he glanced around the room. They seemed alone, but... that could change.

Laharl glanced back at Flonne, then at their hands. He swallowed, trying to find his voice again. "...Come on." Rising, he tugged her hand to follow.

[love_freak]

Her free hand by her lips to hide her smile, she let herself be lead, only nodding her assent in response. The warm glow inside her heart left her head a little fuzzy and the feel of his hand wrapped around hers somehow felt different than normal.

[overlords_wrath]

Laharl hadn't really been sure where to lead her when he'd decided the throne room was not the place to be. In the end, he led her to his room. While it suddenly, for some reason, felt kinda a bit awkward to take her there, it was the one place he knew they'd have the best chance of not being disturbed.

Once inside and the door was firmly closed, he slowly turned to her, looking a little flustered once more. "I... just... was thinking maybe," he paused, struggling just to spit this out. "Maybe we should... y-you know... talk... or something."

[love_freak]

"Talk...?" Since he had reassured her that he didn't, in fact, want to avoid her, Flonne was now confused as to what he'd want to say. Seeing how flustered he was, she felt her own pulse race a bit in response. "Um...about what, Laharl?"

[overlords_wrath]

'Nevermind' was certainly on the tip of his tongue at this point, but after dragging her all this way, even he knew it would be a stupid thing to say. There was plenty he could talk to her about, but his ability to be able to was completely another matter, especially what with his mind going blank now that he had her here.

Swallowing, he looked back down, focusing his gaze on their interlocked hands, wondering whether to let go now or not for a moment, before focusing on what to say again. It took several long moments before he finally managed to open his mouth and make words form.

"Y-you keep acting weird!" he finally spat out.

"Is there something wrong with you? Or... t-this doesn't still have something to do with that stupid "other Flonne" stuff? Or... what?" he questioned. He'd never felt like that whole thing had been put to any closure.

[love_freak]

"Eh?" She blinked in confusion before folding her arms and falling into thought, brow furrowed. "Acting weird? I guess..." Flonne sighed, looking up. "I've accepted that there was some history with the Flonne that came before me, so it's not that. The only thing it could be is..."

She stopped and looked at him, her sheepish smile somewhat mysterious. "I realized something awhile back, that's all. About what you mean to me."