Dedication (Nina / BlueSlime)

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The doctor smiled as Nina remarked at her. "You're not the first person to tell me that. I've found out that closeness helps other people briefly overcome their loneliness when their proper loved ones are away." she told the younger girl her reason for acting like she did. They ate together, Shizuha eventually coming back to her senses as well. Not long afterwards, the wagon creaked forward to continue their journey.

As the hours crawled forward, the climate began to warm up as they closed towards the desert. This made the uniformed girl peel out from her stuffy costume, as she lowered the upper part of the one-piece onto her waist. Much like Nina had expected, the redhead had a firm, toned body underneath as she was now in a white tanktop.

Late in the afternoon, the familiar town was in sight.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina knew that she probably should have learned the soldier girl's name by that point in the trip and decided to go and introduce herself briefly to the soldier. She asked a few questions of the girl, such as why she was going out into the desert, what sort of soldiering had she done and whom for, and did she represent a nation who was concerned about the ogres in the neighboring land?

However, most of Nina's attention was directed towards the looming sight of the familiar town and the estate within it that she called home in this world. She needed to know that everyone was safe, or that spirit would have something to answer for...

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Once she was addressed in the proper manner, the female soldier was much friendlier than her stoic demeanor and previously witnessed quickly-flaring temperament suggested. "My name would be Karin, I'm a lieutenant in Lord Grimhorn's military organization. I'm here to meet with a local representive of the Einzberns, that's about all I can say about my purposes, restricted information you see. I've been in the military for some five years now." she too was pretty open in her dealings. Maybe there was something about Nina that made other people open up to her more easily.

As they talked, the wagon started to slow down. Soon enough, the green-haired girl found herself standing at the middle of the town. Something had happened here, a few buildings had suffered damages, but those didn't seem to be newly-caused. It looked like the holes and bumps were months old, for some reason or another.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"That's strange.... those damage marks look months old, but I was only here three days ago..." Nina confided in a hushed voice to Karin. "Unless the magic that teleported me away from these lands sent me through time as well..."

Nina had told Karin that she was a personal servant of the Lady Einzbern and had promised to help the girl meet with the lady so that she could complete her mission, so long as she meant no harm to her lady or land. Nina didn't think that Karin looked or talked like an assassin, but she had been a little unsettled by what the ranger Keene had told her about this Grimhorn. She didn't think reclusive leaders were all that good for the people they ruled.

But that was a thought for much later, as the wagon train pulled closer to the town. Was there any sign of life? Had the ogres attacked while she was away? What had happened? She kept her sword and shield close at hand and advised the other girls that they should be prepared unless an official town guard greeted them soon. This town had been prepared for an attack when she was last here, there should be a watch on lookout.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The town was pretty much the same it had always been, though there was somewhat less people walking the streets than usual. A pair of guards came over to investigate the wagon and the cargo, ignoring the passengers. It looked like the situation was similar to the one before the ogre attack, as there were only a few guards walking the streets.

"Maybe I should've been a bit more straight and precise with that reply... I'm not here to meet the regional ruler, but their representive in the military. A captain of the guard, also a former wartime leader." Karin added a little more to the previous statement as she pulled up her uniform once more to look good and proper. "Maybe I'll see you people some more, once I've dealt with the official business." were her words before she departed for the guard barracks.

The other two women went about their businesses as well, Faye leaving Nina with a promise to possibly see her after she had met up with Elise. Shizuha was not in a conversational mood, as she set out to look for different things in the town without a word. But maybe she would come to see the estate, like their conversation during the night had suggested.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Right," Nina said after saying her goodbyes to the traveling companions, be they open ended, temporary, or silent. "Let's go home Tiger."

Nina and the dog trotted down the familiar streets towards the familiar estate. She hoped to see Isaku guarding the gate as he usually did.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The dog seemed to sense Nina's uneasyness, and carried himself with a more restrained manner by the girl's side.

With the estate in sight, Nina was somewhat relieved to see that there wasn't any ice covering the building or the nearby areas. But the gate was an entirely different issue. While she was expecting to see the huge, blocky frame of Isaku standing next to the guardpost, it was not to be. In his stead, there was a young, almost beautiful-looking man there, clad in a heavily-decorated robe. On his sides were a pair of weapons, blobs of metal that had been shaped into resebling an axe and a sword. They didn't seem to possess any cutting edges, and looked like something made for crushing instead.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina walked up to the man whom she did not recognize. "What has happened to Isaku, the gate guard?" she asked.

She was bothered that she had never seen this man before, and his weapons were strange indeed.

"Please, I must know if something has happened to the Lady Einzbern and her household..."

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The young man was quick to be of assistance, though he gave Nina a quick bow before speaking. "Good sir Isaku has been sent away on a mission. To search for a lost household member, or so the Lady told me when I inquired her about the reason. What's happened? Not much, since I've come to be here as the temporary gateguard." he replied.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Oh no... poor Isaku... Please, I will wait here, but I must ask that you tell Lynette or Valkenhayn or even Lady Iliana herself that Nina is here. I've managed to make it back without Isaku finding me..." She inclined her head to the man, some of her fears alleviated.

"I am the Lady Einzbern's newest maid. I haven't seen you before... you must have just started working here, Mister..." she let the sentence trail off as she sought after the handsome young man's name.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Anotsu is my name, and I've been doing this for a good two months now... I'm sad to say that Miss Lynette too is out there, looking for you. If you really are who you claim to be, sir Valkenhayn should recognise you. So no need to stay here, follow me." the man replied, looking somewhat puzzled by this turn of events. He politely opened the gate for Nina to let her in before coming after the girl.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Two months? It's been... it's been only a matter of days for me..." Lynette bit her lip. So both Lynette AND Isaku were out searching for her? What sort of trouble had she caused just by being here? Now she hoped that both of them would be okay as well.

Nina followed Anotsu down to the mansions door and when she saw Valkenhayn, she would smile and if the old butler allowed it, would hug the familiar face and introduce Tiger as well. She'd answer any questions he might have as best she could, and of course she would want to see the Lady and Iris as soon as she could.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"Well.. I've been at the gate for that long, and haven't seen you at all during that time so..." the young lad told her, not quite sure what to make of this girl's talk as he led them down into the mansion.

Valkenhayn was not hard to find, as he was at heading somewhere and crossed their paths almost immidiately. Once he saw Nina, the old man accepted her huggy attention, sighing briefly. "You better go see the Lady as soon as possible, she's been completely out from her usual mind since the incident with the spirit. Maybe your return can make her feel better."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

"I will see her immediately but... what exactly happened with the spirit, Valkenhayn? One moment I was there with the Lady and Iris, and the next I was gone... What happened after that?"

Once Valkenhayn had given her whatever information he could or would give, Nina ran to Iliana's study to knock on it and present herself, or if she was not there, she'd go look for the lady in her room. She would search until she found her.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

With his work done, Anotsu excused himself and headed towards the gate. After the young, beautiful man was gone, Valkenhayn took to talking more. "After your vanishing, Iris took up her sword to fend off the spirit, only to get frozen solid. Somehow the rest of us managed to fight back and force the thing into hibernation. But everyone took damage in the battle, and we weren't sure what to make of the situation. Young miss Iris eventually thawed out, but has been in a coma ever since. Losing both you and her seems to have affected the Lady's mind, as she hardly manages to govern the land anymore. She has also started giving unreasonable orders at times and punishing us staff members for the smallest slights. The ogres attacked a few days later, but the plans of Sir Haku helped us off with relatively small losses of life and property. The spirit and possessed body now hibernate inside one of the rooms at the basement, keeping it inaccessable with a ridiculously thick wall of ever-regenerating ice. I'll share more info later if you want, but please, see the Lady and make her come back to her senses..." the elderly man told her.

Nina went through to Iliana's study/workroom, but couldn't find the woman there. The bedroom proved to be the place to look, the girl found out as she entered. The room was messy, as if no-one had cleaned it in weeks. The Mistress laid at the bed, dressed in her business clothes and holding the comatose Iris deeply in her embrace. It looked like the woman hadn't been taking care of herself either, as she looked quite a mess, a shadow of her former imposing self. Signs of crying were clear as day on her features. As Nina closed, she could hear Iliana mumble in her sleep. "Iris... come back.... please..."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina was disheartened to hear of all the tragedy that had befallen the household because of that spirit. A spirit that she had let into their house. If Iliana was as out of sorts as they said she was, then Nina would have a lot of work to do to set things right.

She hurried upstairs and after quickly searching a disorderly study, she found her distraught mistress lying in the bed clinging to Iris. Oh Iris...

The sight of the blind girl lying motionless on the bed in a simulacrum of death was hard to watch. A lump formed in her throat, but so too did a fiery resolve. She'd find a way to solve this. She had to.

"Iliana... mistress?" Nina said quietly, with a touch of anxiety in her voice. Surely the Lady's blame must fall on Nina. It was only just. It had been all the green girl's fault. "Oh my lady..." Nina said, tears trickling down her cheek as she looked over the two bodies in the bed. "I'm so sorry... Iris... I'm sorry..."

She hung her head and put a hand over her mouth. Deep, throaty shudders gripped her, and her shoulders rose and fell in quick succession as torrential guilt climbed to the surface. This had been what she truly feared. This had been the repressed anxiety she had not been able to perceive until this moment. Guilt. Horrible guilt.

How could she face Iliana? How dare she face her? And yet, here lay her two loves. And between them, a stronger bond had been shattered, all because of her.

She could not say anything further. All that remained for the moment was Iliana's reaction upon seeing Nina. What must she be thinking in the state that she was? Oh Iliana, you need healing too, she thought.

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The current situation was intensely heavy, and Nina could feel it as she stood there for awhile, trying to somehow keep herself from completely breaking down. It took a while for Iliana to wake up from her crying half-sleep, much less even acknowledge that someone was talking to her. When the messy mistress got up to a sitting position, it looked like she had aged ten years, so unkempt was her appearance. She still held Iris in her arms, unable to let go. "It's... my little servant..." were the woman's first words, as something that barely resembled a smile formed on her features. "Something good... comes my way... once in a while... it seems..."

There was a brief silence, but to Nina, it felt like hours. There seemed to be some light in her Mistress' eyes now that she had someone back to the house.

"Come here now... give Iris some encouragement.... maybe she'll... wake up..." Iliana spoke up after a while.

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

Nina nodded vigorously and then rushed over to the bed side. Iliana had smiled... she was giving her a chance. Coming to a halt at the bed, she knelt beside Iris and used her hand to brush the blind girl's pale brow.

"Iris?" she whispered, then said the girl's name again, louder. "It's me, Nina... remember? The silly grass head new girl. You got mad at me once and kicked my ass... remember? You had to drag me across the desert and get someone special to nurse me back to health? Well I'm here again, and now that I've come home, that means it's time for you to wake up. They tell me I've been gone for months, but I swear I only woke up two days ago. Can you hear me Iris? I've fought my way back to you, and I'll do for you what you and the lady did for me not too long ago. I won't give up until everything is as it was. You'll see... You'll see Iris..."

She bent down and, her lips trembling, kissed Iris on her forehead. "I won't let you stay like this. Iliana's too upset. And if the mistress is upset, then I am upset, and I don't stay upset long... right? When I'm around, good things will happen... just give it time okay? You'll be right as rain in the springtime."

She had only a very small hope that Iris would respond to her words or her kiss, but what she said was also for Iliana to hear.

"I bring good luck with me, Iris. And I'm getting better with my skill all the time... I found a faithful dog who's as wonderful and as loyal as can be, I saved him from poachers who meant to do him harm. Oh and you'd be proud of me, Iris... I've charged recklessly into battle twice, being outnumbered by more than 3 to 1 and I've come out comfortably victorious. I think it's all been thanks to watching you fight... and I've kept my blade clean just like you showed me. " Nina sniffed as she rambled on. "Oh but here's the best news! I found a doctor - a correspondence of Elise's from her younger days. Her name's Faye and I think she's pretty smart. Maybe with her and Elise together, they'll figure out how to get you back into fighting shape... unless of course you get tired of hearing me ramble on like this. Anytime you want to just grab my mouth and close it, you can, y'know? You've got my personal permission to shut me up. I'm sure the lady would appreciate it... Oh Iris... you're going to be all right, I know you will be..."

Nina lay there on the other side of Iris from Iliana, holding the blind fighter tenderly. Eventually, as Iris still lay there, she looked to Iliana. "We'll get her back, my lady. It's only a matter of time. Iris still has things to do. So do you. I owe you my life, and I'll dedicate it to getting Iris back, so you and she can be happy. I'll do whatever it takes."

 

[Guan Yu]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

As Nina expected, all the words and gestures she showed towards Iris didn't have any effect on the comatose fighter. But they did seem to affect Iliana, as the mistress lowered herself down to the bed once more, next to Iris. "So me and the two of you can be happy, you silly thing. I already stated that a few times previously, we are all one happy family. Don't count yourself out of the household, even if you feel somehow guilty of this. Now, take a spot over the other side, let's give Iris some closeness." the woman told her returned servant.

After some time spent huggling up on Iris, Iliana spoke up again. "I need to take a bath, do I?" the mistress broke the silence. "The others tell me that I look like dirt."

 

[BlueSlime]

Re: Nina (BlueSlime)

The green haired girl took Iris in her arms and stroked her. She was pale and cold, but not so much that death had taken her just yet. Nina nuzzled close to her, just as Iliana had wanted her to do. Nina wanted to as well. The other servants had wanted Nina to talk the mistress down, but they misjudged how much Nina cared for Iris as well. She would gladly have joined Iliana in her wallowing for the girl - and it was perhaps because of seeing this, that Iliana managed to become aware of what she had become.

To see Nina become unhappy was as odd as seeing Iliana not in control - and it helped to bring the red head into a state of self awareness. She made her remark about looking like dirt and Nina gently nodded.

"You've been disregarding yourself, my lady. I will tend to you. We'll get you clean and looking radiant again. And then I'll prepare some food for you, to give you strength."

Nina's hand passed over Iris to clasp Iliana's hand tightly. "I won't let any of my family hurt themselves."