Re: Where now, Prince? (Grave)
To say that the escape was hard on Grave's nerves would be a major understatement. The necessity of brawing the wilds was nothing new to him - he spent several years walking the earth all on his own, so the hardships of travel were hardly an issue. After all, he knew exactly what he needed and how to get it. Everything else, however... It didn't help his souring mood one bit. Cynder was getting a bit withdrawn, rarely speaking more than just a few words. He only got more talkative when someone started a conversation with him, and he never started one on his own. Most of his free time he spent practicing his magic. Aside of trying to figure out how to summon real fire, he also developed a habit of constantly making various objects, including weapons, dolls, small books. He worked on improving the quality first before moving on to increasing the speed at which he could summon well-made items. When asked, he eventually replied he was trying to develop his meager skills into something he could reliably count on. He also secretly hoped that practice would allow him to develop his magic senses better and eventually let him come up with new tricks.
Another habit Grave seemed to develop was that during rest, he'd often create an empty diary, some ink and a quill. He'd then spend some time writing down his observations on daily events. Asked about the sense of writing down something only to dispel it immediately afterwards, Cynder only shrugged. Those who managed to sneak a peek would notice several things he seemed to focus on, namely potential dangers and possibility of pursuit, the likelyhood of encountering the four assassins again, and Envy. Though he wrote down little more than facts, some of his companions could probably figure out his problems. The half-blood felt weak compared to the demons and other monsters, and while he lacked the proper conditions to train, his magic practice was done with the thought of improving his combat skills in mind. His sister was also something that deeply bothered him, and one could figure that out from the occasional glances he sent at Envy and the corruption left in her wake. He didn't want to kill her, but he could end up having no other choice...
For all intents and purposes, though, these writing sessions had their benefits. As he wrote, he could look at the thoughts he copied onto the paper with a more critical eye. The last few days impressed upon him the importance of making up his damn mind, and he approached the task methodically. While it obviously did his mood and feelings no favors, over time he seemed to start holding himself together a little better than before. The improvement came slowly, and occasionally Cynder would briefly fall into a really bad mood when confronted with something particularly unpleasant (like another hostile settlement), but he could feel something start to change deep inside. Another thing that helped him endure his soul-searching was company. Though he would not admit it, the presence of Club, Envy, Roy and Valencia seemed to lift some of the weight off his shoulders, and he found himself reassured by the knowledge that he wasn't alone in this. And despite the fact that he was still plagued with doubts and fears, the young man's resolve was ever so slowly growing stronger.
Grave raised his head as Valencia asked him, finally snapping out of thought. He got used to letting Club stay close to him, and seemed to be always willing to accomodate her. Her emotional support was a major factor when it came to his well-being, and sometimes the little girl could even get him to crack a small smile. He didn't shun others either - though he was silent most of the time, he did nothing to actively distance himself from them and was mostly open to being approached. Granted, the occasional worried glance at the trail left by Envy still happened from time to time, but in his defence, he had a practical reason for his fear as well - after all, a line of corrupt plant life would alert anyone who tried to track the group down. Cynder also made some small effort in order to repair his relations with Valencia and Roy, though he seemed rather timid about that. Partially because he didn't quite forgive himself yet, partially out of worry for Roy's worsening health.
"Guess it can't be helped." Grave replied, stretching his hands a bit. Sitting without moving in one place made his joints feel a little stiff at times, but he usually noticed that only when he tried to move. Considering he spent a lot of time thinking, he had to defuse them more than once. "I was hoping it wouldn't be necessary, to be honest... But if Roy really needs this, then I'll do it." Cynder didn't ask why Valencia wanted him to do this. She probably had her reasons, and he suspected he had much more energy to spare than the girl. After all, he managed to overload that binding spell placed on Envy fairly quickly. Perhaps he could give Roy enough of a boost to let her move on for quite a while.
