To Stand Where He Stood (Open)

[Bailey Oleander]

"Sometimes, maybe, but that's really only if you let your mind stay idle along with your body." She sighed and shifted, tempted to take a seat herself but deciding against it for now. "Sometimes a conversation is interesting, or important - or both." Bailey chuckled and shook her head, falling silent for a moment as she listened to Blake describing the cause of the change that had come to 63. Her smile warmed a bit further as she gave a hint of a nod, mostly to herself, then let her attention go back to the other woman.

"What would you normally do? If you weren't standing here."

[Katsu]

Katsu's eyes would follow as well, mostly in interest as to what the two were doing, though truth be told, there's a lot of inborn protectiveness in there, as well.

"You were exiled as well?"

And yet, he became king. How odd.

"I think you've gone in the right direction, then. Because I've heard nothing but praise from other people so far."

[Qi Yanmei]

"What I'm doing currently I suppose. Finding someone of my own to converse with~." she shrugs.

"Have you been with this crew long?"

She assumes at some point this lady had either left 63 and come back with some new stuff, or was previously an outsider. Or maybe she was just rebellious with her fashion.

[Blake Oleander]

He smiled slightly hearing that Katsu had only heard praise. That was a comforting thought.

"It's a long story, but in short I was exiled for having a Qi. I sought to find a way to be allowed back home and was denied and forced to leave once more. There I met others like me, and we banded together only to be attacked by the majority of the Elders that night. We learned that they were all Qi users themselves and that they were manipulating our people to keep them weak and blind so they could rule over them. We brought the truth to light before the rest of the Elders attacked us with their power and killed the majority of our people. I defeated him with the help of the others and a Qi user from the God territory. When I awoke the people had chosen me to lead them. And now here we are."

[Bailey Oleander]

"I see." Bailey let the explanation go at that, noting the way YanMei seemed to take things at her own pace, never still. Her expression softened as she looked out at the others that had either left or stayed, another glance at Blake. How long had it been?


"A couple of months now, I believe. Maybe longer." She shifted with a small sigh as she remembered. "There was a battle a couple of months back, though I'd met them before. After Blake became Elder and we fought in the battle to defend his home, our territories joined together. I've been with them ever since, until now.

"I imagine it would be different for you two, seeing it as it is now."

[Katsu]

"I see..."

He nods, frowning thoughtfully a bit.

"They must have chosen you for a reason, then. After all, you've never stopped loving Aurora. I can tell."

Or at least, that's what he thinks.

"That's why you're saving them now."

[Qi Yanmei]

"Very." Yanmei breathes out, her brows knitting in concern briefly, but being quickly replaced by her relaxed expression again.

"Not that I ever saw most of it with my own eyes~. I suppose a thank you is in order, however. Sounds like you had a hand in what it's become. Thanks to that, Katsu can have a place to go back to now, whenever he feels lost."

[Blake Oleander]

"It is home and they are family. Nothing can change that."

To him it was that simple.

[Bailey Oleander]

"You don't need to thank me. I did as much as anyone else." Bailey should her head, but otherwise accepted the thanks.

"But I hope he is able to. Everyone needs a place to call home."

[Katsu]

"That's all they need to be."

He nods.

"I can understand that."

[Qi Yanmei]

"Indeed."

She would pause a moment, as though she were processing something in her mind before smiling again like nothing happened.

"Say, I don't want to make assumptions but, the king is the one you're familiar with, right?"

Judging from the glances, he was the only one she was really interacting with.

[Blake Oleander]

Blake would turn his attention to Qi.

"It looks like you've found a family of your own though. Qi Sprite or Qi physical mutation I assume?"

Though she was bigger than Virgil, he'd never seen a person look like her.

[Bailey Oleander]

"The most of them, yes." Bailey nodded, her attention back again on the winged woman fully. "We were partners here first." She found herself curious about the woman and her thoughts, but left her curiosity at arm's reach for now. "Though I've had time to get to know the other survivors.

[Katsu]

"She is a Qi sprite, but one made of my Qi. She's been my companion ever since we were exiled."

And while nothing in this conversation would give him cause to be suspicious, he felt the need to speak the warning all the same.

"And I won't let anything happen to her."

[Qi Yanmei]

"I see, I see." she nods, before smirking a bit.

"So...just how close are you both, then~?"

There's an implied wink.