Grace
Cephied Variable
Presea grows up almost too fast, with grace and poise and elegance. Her smiles deepen, her scars fade and she remembers all the little things- she used to laugh with the back of her hand over her mouth; she used to carry little Alicia up the stairs and across puddles when it rained; she used to berate the local bullies, tear them down with words until they cried. She's beginning to piece together what kind of person she was, and what kind of person she would have grown into and is surprised to find that it's not very different from what she is now.
(Regal says that she never really lost who she was, she only thought she did. She tells him that he's the same way and his face goes blank for a moment before he smiles warmly and nods his head resolutely.)
She begins to wear her hair down, or braid it behind her back in one long plait. She looks at herself in the mirror and wonders if she's betraying something- she always wore pigtails when she was young, afterall. However everyone else comments on the way the new style smooths her features, makes her look older.
Sheena sighs softly and says, "Wow, Presea. You're going to be a beautiful woman." a pause, and she ammends, "Well, you already are." and laughs weakly, touching her own unruly hair self conciously.
Zelos makes a grand show of dropping his jaw next time he sees her and promptly changes her nickname from "my little rosebud" to "the super gorgeous and glamorous queen of elegance!" ("Or," he adds, "If you prefer- the beautiful and charming Klonoa of Altamira!")
Genis is all shifting feet and stuttering the next time they see each other. Raine backs off a bit, rolling her eyes and smiling that soft, secret Proffesor Sage smile of hers. Presea sits next to the half elf boy expecting him to be all brimming energy and exciting stories, exuding his usual effortless brilliance. However, he is tongue tied and keeps trying to avert his eyes and hide the telltale blush staining his pale cheeks.
Presea folds her hands on her lap and is surprised that she finally understands what Genis' fumbling means without it having to be explained to her. She can see it- a tapestry of emotion, comradeship and honest concern threaded throughout. It almost causes her to lose her breath- she is taken aback at the force of her sudden empathy.
There is a sad sort of pang in her heart when she realizes that she can never be what he wants her to be. She is really very fond of Genis and doesn't want to break his heart.
She takes a deep breath and says: "Genis, I have missed you." he smiles and blushes and she adds: "I hear you've been studying the nature of Ex Spheres..."
When she gets home (because it has become home, that sunny little isle with the too-tall buildings), she is not surprised to find that Regal is still in his office- working late with the lights dimmed and the blinds pulled shut. She lingers in the doorway, watching him write with quick, steady efficiency. Once again she is surprised by the strength of her own emotions- surprised by how much she admires his strong fingers, wide shoulders and how he looks more at home behind that desk than he ever did in the thrall of a battle, no matter how easily either situation comes to him.
"I'm an adult." she says, not sitting down nor even moving. She simply stands in the doorway as if she is shocked by this sudden revelation.
Regal looks up- looks at her through those narrow eyes (which are hardly as guarded as he assumes they are) and simply replies, "I know."