Harvest Sun [Open]

[Kyrie Blaze]

The blonde's brow furrowed, mostly in thought.

"...not currently. I know better than to presume I could handle it on my own. In the future? Time will tell of my capabilities and desire to have such a power."

Simple truths. She knew she wasn't able to, right now, and had no real desire to, either way. And in the future? She didn't know how she would feel, either, so she gave the best answer she could for the moment.

She needed to grow more, and more quickly, before reaching that stage.

[David B.]

David looked down, petting the little dragon more, scratching under her chin.

"I wanted it. When I arrived at 809, my school before 259, it was something I desired. I jumped at the chance to fight everyone, gather titles and accolades. I was two hundred fifteen fights without a loss before the principal asked me to be School Captain. I accepted proudly. And two months later, I fought against the students who wanted to overthrow the principal. And I killed my first person."

David looked up at the skyline, hair gently ruffling his hair.

"I quit, after that, and came to 259. I didn't...want power anymore. But I was strong. Strength is different than power, but in this world people want you to have both, or neither. So I became Captain when Mitsuki left, and again when the title was abandoned. I was Varsity Captain, Student Body President...power ran my life. I had no girlfriend, for a long time. When I finally found Bastille, she left not long after. The bombs fell, I came back to California and...what do you know. I took power again."

David turned his eyes to Kiyr.

"It's not about a break for me, Kiyr. Or about taking some time out for myself. I don't want to lead. I haven't for ten years. I don't want power, or fame, or...any of it. I acted as I have in order to...save face. To make the Dragons strong and...to make sure we were respected. But deep inside I always wished to leave. To get a house and rest, not having to worry about any of it. It seems...irresponsible. Lazy. And I know that no one seems to respect me anymore for it. I worry that Olesya may...berate me for others. Or maybe Delilah rolls her eyes. Or Kazuya grumbles about me being spineless. I don't know...I just wish, sometimes, I could be like Leon or Mathew or Unfettered. Never worrying about anything, but when challenged about it, defended with a fire by my friends and people. Apparently, I did something wrong in that department."

He looked away, back toward Scarlet, who was staring up at him dreamily.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kiyr pushed her feet down beneath the soil, but listened intently and watched equally so. She turned the words around. Perhaps a more apt question would be if she had wanted power; she could certainly empathize on one aspect, though she'd taken her first life before she was necessarily a leader. She had a question, as it all seemed to point to it, but, she didn't think that was the entire answer to this whole thing in the slightest. There would be other reasons, but perhaps it was a trigger. Or part of one.

She didn't speak for several long moments, simply watching as David looked back to Scarlet.

"Do you associate leading with having to kill, then..? That one experience, that first experience...and distinctly bitter and sour taste...would be enough to drive nearly anyone that is not sociopathic away. But understand...that I do not presume it to be that simple, even though that is what I ask."

She would wait, then, before she would continue. It gave her the chance to adjust what she wanted to say on what else she saw and thought.

[David B.]

David turned back to her.

"Killing is not required to lead. Being able to, and accepting that it comes with the territory is. If you would stand before a thousand men and ask them to kill for a greater good, you must lead by example. You, as a leader, must be able to walk at the front, and be the first with blood on your hands for the cause you fight for. If your not prepared for that, then you should let someone take over who is."

He watched her face a moment.

"My frustration is that I didn't and don't want to do it at all. I never did. And as such, I shouldn't lead."

He left unsaid that he killed even more when he left...such was the rage of the storm.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie nodded; this she knew. She just wasn't sure if - perhaps - that was an underlying problem despite the...rampage he had been on. Perhaps was still on.

"Perhaps...a portion of the reaction is from you stating you are leaving, then. To what I have seen for the amount of time I have been with the Dragons, neither Mathew or Leon have stated they were leaving or quitting. They just move away and fly under the radar, leaving things to you. So then, perhaps the reaction you get is because you have been there in a steadfast manner for the Dragons...everyone is acting out because the source they rely on has left. That could very well scare them, make them wonder of their futures and if they will continue to be able to choose what makes them happy. They do not know how to react, so they strike out, because they know you care."

She stared at him and then scooted forwards, feet unearthing themselves so she could sit, cross-legged, one knee brushing against the side of his leg.

"And because you care, you feel. And it hurts, seeing these types of reactions, regardless of whether it is Olesya challenging you for a Name she knows little about, to potentially others shaking their head. They do not understand and can think of no better way to act, so they react out of instinct to provoke a reaction, hoping to...." She trailed off, eyes flickering. "Perhaps attempt to force you to stay. Regardless of the reasons they may have, you cannot hope to control their reactions, but you can control your own. I am sorry their lack of acceptance hurts you. And I am sorry if you feel I have acted untowards, at all, in regards to it."

Of course, she could be way off base, she knew. But she could think up other reasons, other ways of seeing things.

"...before I continue, I want to say...that undeniably, a very large part of me wants to get up and leave, like you. Set off to live and to love and to raise a family, eventually." She continued to speak, sharing some of her innermost thoughts. Dreams. Hopes. "Either with you, or...or if such circumstances came to pass that you do not want that, then in time I would perhaps find another and love him. Love and a family of my own...those are the things I have endured for and will continue to endure for. Perhaps elsewhere, overseas. Leave the war, the strife and the bloodshed behind, because I could not bring life to this world in such an uncertain place as this, with the conditions as they are. However...I am bound by oath to Mathew and the Dragons to remain...just as much as I am bound by my hopes and dreams. And if I was not here, if some small part of my strength would be enough to ensure we could eradicate the threats that breathe down our necks to see those dreams to fruition...and even if I were to die and never have them realized - if that is the price I have to pay so it could be safe for others - then that would also be worth it. It frightens me and saddens me, because those things are the things I want for the most...but I would rather die to bring safety than live in fear for the precious lives I brought into the world."

The blonde's expression turned thoughtful, and she repeated something quietly.

"They are afraid." As they should be. "...do you know why?"

[David B.]

David listened, eyes on the sky, on the sun and the trees around them. He helped usher a calm, cool breeze down from higher in the atmosphere, giving them a slight cooling as she continued on. She told him what she wanted, what she would like to have. A family. Love. A child. David would sit up and turn toward her a little, shuffling along the ground so he could see her better. Before she asked her last question, he would interject.

"And...how long will you wait for me on that? If I decided today wasn't the day, or tomorrow...would you wait for days? Or months? Or years?"

He wasn't asking her because he wanted her to, but because he was curious. At her last question, he chewed his lip and looked down, shaking his head a moment.

"I don't know. I think...they are worried. Perhaps that the whole thing will collapse. Perhaps...perhaps I need to talk to them and...remind them of who we are. Who they have become."

He sort of stared past Kiyr a bit, watching the city and listening to the silence and peace.

[Kyrie Blaze]

For a moment, she was quiet, looking up at David and considering how she could possibly answer that question. With honesty, obviously, but her answer she found surprisingly easily. Taking a moment to gather herself, she didn't know if she could or should, but... Reaching up, she touched David's jaw as she leaned up in her cross-legged position, lips ghosting against his ever-so-briefly, making even her wonder if she had done it. She receded and settled.

"...I could not give you any length of time, David, as an answer--it is not a deadline." She shook her head and then looked up, continuing to speak plainly, but very obviously from the heart. "I will wait until my hope dies."

And her hope, like the petite blonde sitting before the Storm Dragon, was quiet but fierce. It said nothing on her feelings dieing, however. Just her hope.

She smiled a quiet smile--not quite rueful, not even very happy, but a strange mix of them, as well as that hope.

"...before I share my thoughts, tell me of a normal day in your shoes as an Elder."

It would make sense, after, her gaze promised.

[David B.]

David, when she leaned in, didn't wait. He wasn't going to accept another brush against his lips. Always he was so unsure of this, unsure of whether he should make a move or hesitate or try and talk it out...this time, he just did what he wanted. His hand would come up quickly, confidently, to rest on the side of her face, fingers extending into her hair a little as he kissed her, full on the lips, making the contact very, very real.

When he pulled away, he would steady his breathing, letting her talk if she wished. Scarlet, meanwhile, let out a low whistle. David glared down at her before he sat back and stared at her, not embarrassed. He would answer her question calmly.

"To sum it up- I go to a meeting in the morning, a meeting at night. I take in visitors who wish to express a suggestion, a question or a concern to me for two hours. I visit the people and the children. I fill out paperwork. I attend battle meetings- two, sometimes three in a day. Then I make time to patrol with the men for an hour at night. I do all this to let them know I care, I'm involved. If im lucky, im home by eleven. Then i get up at five and repeat, with varying degrees of difficulty."

He waited, now, for the punchline.

[Kyrie Blaze]

--!?

The kiss, literally, took her breath in surprise. She wouldn't have complained if the brush was all, but she certainly wasn't going to complain about more, either. And because she had initiated it, and because it was 'just' a kiss, and with David, she leaned up and into it. Her murmur was surprised...but content against his lips, and her eyes shut as much to enjoy as due to his fingers sliding into her hair. Her fingers feathered down against his jaw to sweep against his neck and curl around the back so she had some sense of balance. She eased back with a shiver and soft sigh, sitting upon the rich soil once more.

Her heart raced in her chest and as she worked on regaining her breath, one eye cracked open, followed closely by the other. With a long exhale and faint tinge of pink to her cheeks - from the kiss itself, mostly, but undeniably Scarlet's whistle had a handle in the colour lingering - she watched and listened as David gave her the gist of what he did on a daily basis. Obviously details would change here and there.

"Before I begin...I need you to understand that the things I say are simply thoughts I have had on the matter at hand. It does not reflect intent to drive you to stay, or insult you. Okay..?" She asked, before she settled to begin. It was important he understand, to see how she processed things once certain pieces of the puzzle were given to her.

As long as he agreed, she would lean back up, more sure and brave from his reaction just a few moments prior. The kiss was gentle but firm, and she took the time to finally do a little exploration as to what she liked. What she wanted. Whenever she had kissed, before, it was whatever she had been delivered she reacted to. So here, she took even as she gave. She pulled away, eyes opening a little more from their mostly-closed position and brushed her lips gently against his upon separating before settling.

Steadying herself, she blinked rapidly a few times.

And began.

"Mathew and Leon going off on their own is commonplace. Everyone has grown to expect it over the years. Yet you...do not tend to leave. You stay, you work with them on a daily basis, you live with them. Leon is the raw power. Mathew is the drive. You are the steady core. You have their utmost respect because they see you doing what you do, not being afraid to get your hands dirty with the daily things. You walk with them, scout with them, train with them...but most of all you show them that you live along with them, and that it is okay for them to live, too. You give them that peace of mind and safety, those choices and chances, just by standing tall with them as an Elder. Leon is MIA or holed up in his tower, wasting away on his throne and separating himself aside from contact with the guards and people that come to him so he can govern their issues. He shows people need to be governed and lorded over. Mathew leaves for long stretches at a time to live his own life, believing everyone should be able to govern themselves aside from major concerns and issues. In that he should be partially right. Mathew shows there should be no need to hold hands and make every single decision for everyone. And you show them how to live, by living alongside them, where they can see you, unlike Mathew and Leon. And in being able to see that, they have hope."

She paused long enough to breathe and pass the tip of her tongue over her lips.

"Mathew and Leon never say when they are leaving. When you left, once before, you did not say. We simply knew you had left, but to what purpose was not clear. There was not a huge backlash, then. This time, you left, saying you were quitting. Renouncing yourself. To them, giving up, when they see things as if you can stand alongside them, do what they do, then they have hope they can make it through. And if not make it through, then that we will triumph and everyone else can have what you have shown them is okay to have, permanently. You left, and it is quite possible some of them felt that loss. If you could not stay, if you were leaving and giving up, what chance did they have? And one of the catalysts was the argument between you and Olesya. You left her in charge, when she did not show respect for you, nor you for her. That lack of respect from both reflects onto the Core, and they find it hard to respect her when the one they respect did not, and when she disrespected you. Olesya has struggled and only recently started to request help; she should have started to delegate earlier. From what I know, she attends meetings constantly, and then...trains the new recruits. Everyone comes to her with the most mundane of things that can be solved by common sense. Once the day is done, she normally goes home. Olesya has the potential to be a good leader, but she does not possess what she needs to, right now, to make it happen. What she needs is time she does not have, on top of that, to regain some social skills. To show she cares for everyone in more than just a numerical or resource capacity, as she said when you called the meeting to discuss your tactic to mount an attack against Barker with the Crows."

She was honest. And that point that Olesya had made, when she said what she had so crassly, speaking of everyone like resources, had Kyrie's teeth set on edge. But she continued on, not dwelling on that.

"She needs to seize command and to delegate. If she does not do more of both, soon, then the consequences could be disastrous. Even I have struggled with my own respect for her."

She breathed, eyes flicking.

"Moments before you walked in to the War Room the other day," She blinked, momentarily seeing the room itself. The table. The desk. The chairs and on-- "We came to an agreement that personal feelings do not intrude upon Dragon business. Which is how it should be."

Her head tipped to the side. Her tongue slid over her lips once again. She had spoken a lot. More than normal. But she was sharing her thought processes with David, how she saw and took in information from what she knew, and how it translated to people and situations.

"They are afraid because things are not stable and the future is uncertain. One of the strongest people they know has left. Given up. And now they wonder what their fate will be when confronted by Barker. Though you have not abandoned them completely, they still feel the loss."

[David B.]

David listened quietly, and leaning forward, he hooked his arms around his knees. He hung his head and listened still, her words were...striking a deep cord in him. He knew they were true- it also left him with little choice.

"Would things be better if I led again? Not taking into account how I or you or Olesya feels just...do you feel they would be more right?"

He spoke softly, head still hung.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie's eyes widened and she slipped forwards, crossed ankles resting just against David's feet. Her head dipped and she gently brushed a hand up against his forehead and then down along his jaw, gaze hiding nothing.

"David..." She had seen him at some of his worst points. It would be good if he was back, even temporarily. "They need to remember their strength. This could be good for them, to push them to grow. Them, Olesya, all of us. I am handling it because I...I have had every last shred of stability stripped from me. And I survived. More than that, I know you. I know, and have for a long time, that you will come if we call. You have not abandoned us, nor would you. I believe we can pull through this. They just need to see it. Olesya needs to draw on confidence. We all do. It is possible that if you came back on a temporary basis things would settle if they knew what was going on. But, I will not force you to do something when I have asked and when I understand why you do not wish to lead, even though you can...you can live for yourself while doing so. You can have what you want, even leading...and and I am here I have no intention of leaving and would not abandon you."

[David B.]

David would let her lean forward, but didn't say anything as tears threatened him. Then...he felt nothing. He cut it off. Standing, he would take a deep breath.

"I should go. Tomorrow, I will take over the Dragons once again."

Simple. He had no choice in the matter. He never would. Lives were on the line and only he could save them. If he...lost out on life, on happiness...but saved everyone else? Who could not make that sacrifice? Olesya, apparently. And him, on occassion. The hypocrisy of everyone stamping their feet about having to lead, having no David to fall back on, complaining about being exhausted and unable to handle it, yet being okidory with him having that on his shoulders was...incredible to him.

He started to leave.

[Kyrie Blaze]

There was a glint of tears to his eyes and he blinked them away. She saw him close up. She watched as he stood, wide eyed and blinking owlishly before she pushed herself up with one hand, straightening her legs. She gave no care for the dirt that clung to her.

"David."

Reaching out, she would try to catch - not his wrist, but - his hand. Gently, her fingers would thread through his, holding on as she had done not long ago, when she called out to him in pain and fear after being attacked. After her soul was fused and rejected the bond to Levi's. Her eyes were soft, liquid.

"I mean what I say, David. I respect your choice to leave. I even support it, for you." If he did not pull away, she would step forward and look up, thumb stroking against his hand. "You do not have to close up with me. You know that I accept you for who you are, right..?"

Every part.

[David B.]

David turned to her, letting her take his hand but unchanging his expression.

"I've always wondered why everyone respects Mathew. Or Leon. Why they still look on them with awe and hang on their every word."

He let her hand go and walked forward a bit, to the edge of the roof, staring out over the city blankly.

"It's because, though deep down they are flawed or have great weakness, they never let it show. They display power and strength, and accept that both are needed to lead. Physical and mental. And they have it. The barricade themselves in themselves. And though they show affection, or love, to their children or people, they always bear the weight of whats required of the strong without issue."

He looked to her.

"No matter that they may want a slice of pizza or time away with their kids. They do what they want while making sure to take care of others. What I want is to be free. But in order to have that, I need to be a prisoner. I...accept that my responsibilities call for great strength. I can find it in myself. I'll be miserable. I'll hate every second of it. But I'll do what I have to. You and Bastille are right. There truly is no one else, and without me, it cracks. I-"

He looked down at the roof before turning his eyes back to the city, letting her rebutt if she wished.

[Kyrie Blaze]

He let go and moved, and she followed, listening quietly. Not looking at the city, but at him. She watched the shifts in expression, listened to the changes in wording and tone.

She would reach up as he finished, gently trailing her fingers against his jaw to turn his head.

She did not argue with him. There was no need. Many of the things he said were true.

"You have respect. Mine and theirs. Theirs you get in a different light than the other two Elders. ...I will find a way for you to have your freedom. You will not have to lead for long. I promise. Hold onto that I will fight for you." She would lean in, slightly. Not that she was indecisive, but that she was watching him. "You are not alone. I have told you before, and will prove it to you as well."