Summary/Disclaimer: Time for another chapter of The Lioness and the Wolf. Enjoy the 9000-Word chapter. I do not own AGK, Takahiro, Square Enix and a few others do.
(Empire)
Jace stood in the knee-deep water, amusing to itself before now as of looking to the side before almost questioning before as of now, looking as of now, interesting more and more as Leone stood on the shore, amused and yet entirely exhausted for now.
"You are an evil person, you know that?" Leone asked, sitting on a stone next to the water. "Ugh, Lionel is odd for now… I can't feel anything like it." Leone stated before Jace looked to the side and yawned.
"Right… Right, that is why. We are well aware of it." Jace stated before smirking as of now.
"You want me to tackle you? You want me to try, and do it?" Leone asked, placing her arms under her assets.
"Maybe if you could swim you would but I know you aren't and I know you're going to do it for now… You won't, Leone… isn't your style. You know that well for now." Jace stated before smirking as Leone was going to be an amusing little thing for now.
To be fair? Jace was entirely knowledgeable about if and when she could fight back… It'd be a very interesting thing to try and do… But it was still part of life and still amusing to Jace Leone could at all be flustered and even given pause for now… Only being stopped for now.
Jace needed to be fully entire amused as of the moment. Jace stated before now. It slowly started to sink in if more and more and more amusing now, it was smirking, and Jace only watched as she reclined similar to a massive feline before now.
Still? It was a lot more to handle for now. Jace only smirked to himself before now, fascinated more and more by issues that needed to be done upon.
"You going to be ok to talk, or not?" Jace stated before now and looked up before yawning, only too amused before now.
It still needed to be interesting now, it was a lot more interesting now, Jace seemed to be a lot more fascinating, a lot happier, and almost entirely interested entirely for now. Jace was at least more capable than it appeared to be time for now.
Jace sighed as of now, it was clear Leone would only join him sometime soon before it ended. Leone was not at all interested in now… Jace yawned before slowly starting to sit next to her as if trying to find it more and more interesting before now.
Jace could only assume it needed to be ended and could be done with enough time and effort, for now, power was easily controlled and even bitterly managed for now.
Still? Jace was going to be amused for now, all too interested in life beyond life… It needed to end sometime soon, yet? Well, Jace found it more and more as of now…. It was a lot more to try and end it on good and better terms.
Yet Jace would not be ending it sometime soon, not without a good reason, and yet it became worse and worse of a problem. Leone would continue to grow as a person and look around, tired at the moment and unsure of what would come down for now.
"Are you so eager to be one of the soldiers in the fancy army? You don't all get to relax for now…. Or let's put it better, you don't let it come to relax, do you?" Leone asked, swishing her paws into the water, interested as of the time being.
"Don't know, I've never been able to relax like you think I can. I'm a warrior, I've been one since I was a kid. I didn't exactly get a happy ending. You are well aware how well that works out for soldiers who would go up against the wicked witch." Jace said, gesturing out into the deeper parts of the water for now.
"Maybe, but she's dead for now… Hopefully, I mean, I got back up and all that…. So maybe I won't stay dead for now just like she might not." Leone stated as Jace rolled his eyes and splashed some of the water on her. "I will do bad things to you if you do that again… Part of me wants to see what that Tengu can do when it's in overdrive…" Leone said as Jace turned.
The woman's smile which exposed fang-like teeth and looked OH SO lustful and mischievous scared him. This woman would probably eat him alive… And in a way that probably would leave him completely at her mercy.
"Maybe you should remember I'm the one paying for the bills of the house before you decide stuff like that… Isn't exactly easy to do that if I can't even get out of bed." Jace stated before looking to the side.
"You're no fun, you know that? You have no real fun. Sometimes I don't even know why we're doing this; I deserved a vacation." Leone stated before Jace only sighed to himself and looked around for now
"Maybe, but that implies you've done a lot since then to try and relax. We've not gotten to relax like that yet and like I said? You've not been alive long enough to relax since then." Jace said as Leone dipped a foot in the water, sighing as cold and wet liquid ran over her feet.
"You're impossible to work with at times, you know that?" Jace heard.
"Maybe, but if you go? You're missing out on all that stuff you want. You know more and more it's amusing how much you dislike details that later come back more and more of an issue than a solution… Life isn't that easy, you know." Jace said before he yawned to himself and slowly started to recline on the rock.
Leone sighed and simply decided to entertain herself by looking out and over the massive amount of river in front of them. She didn't like water, not when it wasn't a hot spring or something she could take full advantage of for now…. Still? she liked it when it was something that it could take full advantage of this for now.
Leone was silent before long and simply crossed her massive legs under her. She was all too tired, exhausted from lack of sleep, and eager to get back to normal and lazy.
She had waited long enough for all of it to end and yet it seemed to try and understand herself and hummed more to herself and cracked her fingers.
"So, what are you going to do when this war ends? It seems like we're going to be relaxing today and then constantly going onto the next war and all that?" Leone asked as she turned to look at Jace who sat on a rock similar to hers.
"Hey, I don't want this damn war but I'd rather turn to think on the war than the fact I have no idea what I want to do with my life," Jace said before he was poked in the side. "You know if you're going to tease me? I'll drop us both in the water, at least I'll get to laugh at the time being." Jace said before Leone almost pounced toward him.
Jace dodged which sent the woman into the water before Jace laughed, amused before a hand grabbed his foot and he was yanked violently into the water though not without getting to use his Tengu which turned him into his bestial form.
Leone growled playfully and tried to pull him to her which was dodged to the side and smirked to himself before sadly finding himself to be more and more terrified for now. She was eager to see it end today and end upon something that could become angrier and angrier about these problems.
Leone would continue to try and grab him as he dodged but grabbed her foot before she was tired of now, all too rude, all too amused, and all unsure of what to do next. Leone would only hope to see it go for far too long. She watched as Jace pushed away from him, surfacing as he rolled his eyes and looked around before she clicked her jaw shut and slowly climbed out of the water onto the rocks.
Leone was tired and amused, it'd all become worse and worse at a glance. She had no desire to fight him but it was so amusing to see him squirm under her power at the time. This was all so funny for now, a lot funnier when she managed to relax for now.
It was to be a glorious day when she could relax without fear of constantly being bugged by anything or anyone. It'd not help if such issues could be easily reflected upon the enemy and yawned to himself, curious only upon what may or may not be done next at the end of the time being.
He yawned to himself while he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, unsure of what to have done next… Matias wouldn't wait, nor would anyone hunting them down if it could be properly done.
Their enemies would continue stalking them, cutting through the bramble and thicket of smoke that he constantly had to set up to protect them which made him more nervous.
"If our enemies come after us? You should know they're probably going to kill you off for good. No, a stomach full of bullets, you're probably going back as a corpse their feed a dangerous beast or something… Matias isn't interested in slowly torturing someone to death." Jace said before yawning to himself.
Leone simply nodded, all too bored, eager to get to the end of the end. It'd not be something he could easily get over… But it was something she wanted to understand. Jace only seemed to view it like another war and yet it seemed to continue to grow considering the fact they'd be fighting a war against a brand-new enemy.
She looked to the side and almost tried to drag him into the water as she looked backward, interested in Jace's maneuvers, for now, looking to the side as she slowly started to climb upon the rock.
She was so bored, so interested in something else, and cracked her fingers before now. She tilted her head to the side as Jace sighed and smirked at her, rolling his eyes before clicking his tongue.
"Are you going to be, ok? There's a lot more to this than you think, you know that, don't you?" Leone asked as Jace stayed silent and shrugged before looking down at the ground.
"I don't know what to tell you, there are a lot more things on my mind. I have so many questions on my mind at a glance." Jace stated before shrugging and looking upwards and into the sky, unsure of what to tell her as she reclined, laying her feet under her, and began clicking her fingers on the stone.
"Maybe, but we have a lot more to try and worry about and yet you want to ignore the pretty lady sunbathing in front of you… Your either something else or something is off." Leone stated before she yawned.
"Oy… Your something else, Leone… Even off the battlefield, I want you to know that at the end, and yet I have so much to try and think about." Jace stated before crossing his arms across his stomach as he did so, knowing what was coming and just what to expect when all was said and done if she was utterly honest with herself and it all.
There was so much to try and understand at the moment. They had a lot more to harp on and do at the moment and this was… Well, becoming a bother at the moment. He didn't at all envy it nor did not at all amuse him, it did not at all tire him nor drag him downwards at the end of the moment. She did not once bow to such things nor did she once commit to being more or less.
He did not at all relax at the moment There was a lot more to click into place at the moment, something that could only be said and done with extreme pressure and control on their minds. It was easily something that transcended everything and everyone as of now. It was far too easy and far too hard as of now.
He had a lot more to try and look forward to. Leone was quiet and had a lot on her mind. She didn't get brought back to life so easily and it was clear more and more they had a lot more to try and do. She had a lot more to try and do at the time.
"You plan on doing something after we kill Matias or is it nothing? Because I'm convinced you don't have a plan considering how much you are willing to defect at the end of the day… It's a lot more of a game than you think when it comes to who's going to win the war, it just depends on the stakes at the day's setting." Leone asked before falling silent.
It was a lot more to him than it seemed and it became a nice little distraction as of now. Something that may or may not be a nightmare.
It was something that he could barely control, something that was harder and harder to fixate upon than before.
"I've never given it any thought at the time being." Leone heard as she dipped a hand and then a foot into the water before she slowly started to sigh and looked down at the river.
There was a lot more to do at this juncture. she didn't at all know what to say or do at the moment. Leone slowly tucked her other leg under her as Jace only rolled his eyes at the woman.
"If you want to know? I wouldn't mind sticking with you… But I do want to try and survive it before now. It's just something that I've had I live with and we both know we might die sooner or later during this." Jace stated before Leone sighed.
"Life isn't fun if you aren't willing to risk it." Leone said as she kicked water to the side.
"It is when your alive to risk it again and again," Jace said as Leone was silent, utterly confused at the moment.
There were a few seconds of silence, something so easily bent away from it all. There was a lot more to try and fixate upon. It was going to be a while before he managed to get any type of peace or quiet from it all.
Yes. A lot more to do, they had to rally soldiers, find the base of this person and take them down, and make sure more innocent people were not killed in the crossfire… There was a lot more terrorizing on the mind to try and pull off and so much more to see and do that it became odd to think upon.
Still? There was to try and do, to say… To bring out from them all. If anything? All it did was ignite bigger wounds within him than usual and there was far more fear within him than before. It was a nice nightmare, something that could only exist if given proper form.
Leone shifted her weight, sitting closer to him as he fell silent, utterly curious or unsure to try to understand these sorts of problems.
"You're going to need to be able to relax before you fight a war, you know. You want to die here you know, acting like you don't give a damn about life… About winning or losing. You wouldn't even be able to kill him before he puts a knife in your heart, Jace… Then what? You want to die just because you don't know what to do without war?" Leone said as Jace fell silent, utterly tired, dragged down to nothing.
She slowly walked and scooted toward the former Colonel. It was clear Jace wanted more to lie to her, to see something within her that was there… It wouldn't end a certain way if he let it but it was clear she was interested in trying to protect him.
"If you want, spill the beans, Leone. I know you want to try and mess with me… You're tiring me out." Jace said before Leone offered a tired smirk at the moment.
"I'd like to tire us out in a certain way…" Leone said before she clicked her fingers on the stone and sighed. "Jace, I don't just want to date you or something. I've lived through one damn war far longer than I should have and I wasn't happy to try and relax back then and yet here you are burning yourself out like the boss did because you worry about everyone but yourself." Leone said before Jace sighed to himself and fell silent.
She rested a hand on him as the two sighed and looked down at the water. There was a lot more to try and handle at the end of the time.
He sighed and finally realized he could try and act like he was a commander of any army. The time had come and gone for military tactics. There was a lot more he could be doing at the end and the was something else he could do at the moment. It was a nice little bit of relaxation now.
He was all too amused to try and fixate such an issue. There was a lot more to try and understand what to try upon what to do next… It was a lot more understanding to say and do anything at this crucial juncture. It was just odder and odder to try and understand.
He let her set her hand on his still. he didn't deny her a day out and even if her antics drove him up a wall? He was still utterly exhausted and in no mood to trade barbs on such a level. There was a lot more to their game, something only he could attempt to try to understand, to bring downwards.
"You want me to say it or are you going to say it and force me to?" Jace asked before he raised an eyebrow and looked upwards and into the sky, he looked upwards into the sky more and more interested at the time.
There was a sigh as she rolled her eyes and scooted closer, leaning against him as he only seemed to sigh and looked around.
He has utterly amused more than anything at the end of the time being and it was clear more and more that it was funny to them.
"We can save the hugs and kisses crap when the war is done… But don't you think I'm letting you off the hook with all the teasing and mind games." Leone stated before she rolled her eyes and smirked to herself and looked to the side.
There was a lot more now to see at the end of the tunnel and it was clear more and more tiresome to try and look around at this second. There was a lot more to try to do at the moment.
"Well, I'm going to keep ignoring you and making you work harder as of now … I've been around your flirting enough to get used to it. You know more and more than just teasing having fun times isn't exactly working." Jace said before he followed up a few seconds later.
"If you were going to make a move? You'd have done something you know." Jace said as Leone sighed and looked to the side.
"Maybe but it doesn't mean I won't try anything in the future. I'm always going to try and get after you, you know." Leone stated before she fell silent and slowly started to think for a few moments.
It was clear at least amusing to her. What was going on and just how enjoyable it was to have a moment of peace in their minds. They had a lot more to deal with when it was all said and done. If it came down to it? They'd be able to relax.
Yet? So much more on his mind needed to add up at the end of it all and it became a lot more of a nightmare. He didn't at all know what to expect from her and anyone else.
"What did you have in mind? Knowing Najenda? She wants to probably deal with the facts and get it out of the way surely and silently…" Leone heard from Jace as she shrugged.
"Maybe but it isn't that she's been like when I saw her… Boss is many things, being the empress, isn't it? She wouldn't want all the power in the world and it's just more and more at the moment which takes away from her being in charge of the army. She's a soldier and it continues to be more, more and more tiring." Jace stated before she cracked her fingers
"So, you'd rather be nothing more than a simple assassin? it's a career, I guess." Leone heard from Jace as he sighed.
"You're a soldier, I'm the giant pretty girl who kills people and drinks. You know that since you brought me back to life." Jace heard as she continued to rest her hand on his.
"We both kill people, you just kill them a lot worse and for a reason, I'm not supposed to know about," Jace said before he clicked his fingers against one another.
"I want to go on a date tonight, a real one. One where I can deal with all the girly crap I don't have to deal with last time." Leone stated before she slowly started to put her feet under her, cracking her fingers before resting her hand on his.
"You sure?" Jace asked before smirking at her. "You and the word date do not get along at the end, Leone… But if it's what you get to relax at the moment." Jace stated before he focused on certain details.
"Very funny, jackass…." Leone muttered before she sighed. "I'm serious if we're going off into the death? I'd rather get the crap I want out of the way. I've already died once and I'd rather not get to relax at the end." Leone stated to which Jace fell silent, utterly amused.
"Sure, I'll do that… I have a lot more stuff I feel like crossing off his bucket list as of now. There's just a lot more I won't get to do at the end." Jace said before he clicked his tongue and fell silent, utterly worn downwards, utterly baffled.
He said nothing to Leone as he knew what to do at the time. It seemed to become worse and worse at the moment. He didn't what to tease her nor did he beyond what he was given by her.
He was utterly unsure as it all slowly locked itself into place, utterly tiresome to himself and her. It was just making him more and more tired of what was coming and what was going on as he slowly started to think of it all.
There was just too much to try and hope on at the time. Jace was utterly amused, thrown off at the end of the time as the woman slowly started to look at him. Jace looked at her with utter amusement, giving in to her advances if only just.
"What's going to be over and done with? What are you going to do, hmm? There's a lot more to think about, you know, just too much on the mind." Leone said as Jace sighed.
"You are driving me up a wall, Leone… Fine, I'll do things your way if you want me to try and do something. I am still going to warn you I SUCK at these sorts of things." Jace said before he yawned and slowly started to look downwards." Jace stated before
"You should know that more than anything that's coming and going." Leone said before she sighed. "But I'll make a promise as well, I'll do what we got to do and I won't do a lot to stop flirting, you should keep that in mind." Leone stated before she hummed.
She moved over a few steps and sat upon Jace's lap to which Jace sighed before he turned on his Tengu.
"You do realize you're taller than me and you might crush me into pieces if you were any taller," Jace stated before he clicked his tongue.
"You're not as funny, you know for a fact what's going to happen." Leone stated before she looked into the sky. "Ok, screw it… I'm terrible at this sissy flirty crap the way I've seen." Leone said before she hummed towards him.
Before Jace could say anything, she wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him into a searing kiss, Jace could only blink as she wrapped her hands around his throat and pulled him deeper into the action, utterly unsure of what to say and do. She didn't at all understand what to do and it's just more and more upon what to do at the time being.
The two separated a few seconds in the end, she wrapped her hands around his throat as he rested them on her hips and she utterly seemed to be able to relax. She didn't at all know what to do at the moment while they looked at one another, utterly thrown off, tired and yet thrown off, eager to try and get some words off. they were both in the same boat as they did so, utterly unable to really speak or even act.
They had a lot more to think of either way and it was driving them pretty damn crazy, hormones flaring as if they were on fire, burning and cutting them up all inside, utterly unsure of it all… It was just so odd, so very odd, and unsure of what to even try and say and do at the end of this moving tunnel, utterly confused.
They were all too amused, utterly worn down, and utterly tired at the decision's conclusion. There was a lot more to try and fixate upon certain things at the time and he was all tired at the moment.
He yawned and looked upwards before blinking. Leone simply blinked before he slowly started to think of what to do at the second
"This is going to be awkward you know, really awkward going forwards and we both know that." Leone heard before she shrugged and looked upwards into the sky.
"Maybe, but it's better than nothing, you know. We've managed to relax so many times and I'm bored with not getting to live freely… Sides, you're stuck with me anyway. I'm interested in that fancy Tengu on your belt and you're a lot funnier than you think." Leone stated before she slowly started to yawn and look upwards into the sky.
Jace barely avoided being kicked in the face which made Leone laugh as she shifted herself over just a bit.
"You are not a damn house cat, Leone," Jace stated before snorting and slowly starting to look upwards and into the sky. "Oy, you are going to be the death of me, lady. You know that?" Jace asked before raising an eyebrow at her, utterly amused.
"Maybe, but you still stuck with me and you know that, partner. You knew that when you brought me back from the dead." Leone stated before she looked upwards and into the sky.
"Maybe, but there's a lot more to try and deal with… There's a lot more to try and figure out." Jace stated before she elbowed him in the ribs.
"Ow, my poor ribs." Jace joked before he looked down at the ground, utterly amused by her antics and it became clear he was joking.
"You keep it up and I'm going to crack your ribs." Leone stated before she hummed and looked downwards at the water.
"Very funny, kitty cat. I'm so scared of what you're going to do to the giant wolf who can easily turn you inside out." Jace stated before he hummed and looked downwards at the ground before he looked and smirked at her.
"You are an evil boyfriend, you know that? I like that, it's nice seeing you be so down to earth and not all soldier like when it comes down to it." Leone stated before she slowly started to kick her feet in the water, utterly amused by it all.
"You just bring me out of me, Leone. You bring that out of me." Jace said as she smirked at him and slowly started to look down at the ground, utterly tired.
He was utterly amused by her antics as he looked at her, unsure of what to do next.
There was a lot more to try and do and it became harder and harder to try and breathe at the time and he laughed to himself over and over.
He understood what was coming and what was going to happen without certain problems and complications, utterly amused more and more by it all and thrown off all the time by it. This was nothing besides busywork to him at the end of the time, utterly worn down over and over again as if he has been struck, still? So much the better did he get to relax and yet here he was utterly tired and unsure of himself at every juncture.
This was exactly why he didn't want personal feelings to get in the way, it made things messier at the end, and yet? Here he was, worn down by it all, utterly thrown off and utterly tired of it all, unsure of every little move he managed to make and not at all sure of a single step taken.
Well, he had chosen this path and it was the one he was destined to deal with. This was the path he had chosen right now and it was still what needed to be done.
This became harder for him to fathom now and it became at the time being as he looked upwards.
"I'm almost tempted to let you try and dump you into the ocean, it'd at least be the last thing I can do before you tackle me like a can of tuna." Leone heard as she snorted.
"Very funny, I could gobble you up if I wanted, might even be fun to try, you know. There are a lot of things I'd do if I could understand. I don't even know what to try and do next and all I'm going to tell you is that I still need to try and relax." Jace stated before he slowly started to look down at the ground.
"You are so on edge, you know, you aren't going to win a single war with your brain so wound up. We don't win by constantly rushing to the next." Leone stated before he slowly started to yawn and lean backward.
"Maybe because I have to worry about you almost dying all the time, not to be rude, Leone? But it took almost every resource I had to get you back in the fight and it won't be something I can do again. We're on our own considering most of your friends also dropped off the map." Jace stated to which she sighed.
She knew Jace was right despite what she wanted to argue, there was very little they could do against the armies of Matias without a plan. Jace also had a good reason to try and gain allies for his side as they needed all the backup, they could get their hands on, it'd be a short war if they had little to no help.
That and he knew better than to try and fight a war where they had little to no real advantage over the others. This needed to end, it would end over and over again and he'd see it through to the end if it killed him.
Leone simply squirmed in place, taking amusement in his discomfort as Jace tried to deal with the lion girl who was busy making his lap a throne. It was both disconcerting and made him eager to be anywhere else.
He sighed before slowly starting to look down at the ground, utterly sure more and more that if he did something to offend her? She'd have said something, not at all ready to let her have the high ground at the moment.
Still? He had a LOT more to do, a lot more to plan and it became harder and harder to focus upon. He glanced down at the ground before he yawned and slowly started to fall silent, utterly unsure of what to do next.
"Are you entirely sure that you want to be my partner that way? Because you know this is going to be a permanent thing, you don't know that, do you?" Leone heard as she shrugged and leaned backward upon Jace's chest as he sighed and slowly started to fall silent, utterly unsure of what to do next.
He didn't know what to tell her, he had a lot more plans to say next before he slowly began to question it all. She didn't at all know what to do next before yawning to himself.
"Are you going to be sure?" Leone asked before he shrugged.
"We got nothing to lose and despite dealing with it all? I'm not going anywhere and yet? I don't know what to try and tell you at the time being." Jace said before he slowly watched her grin.
"Leone… I don't want to deal with your flirting, your flirting is already too much." Jace stated before he hummed to slowly started to think more and more unsure.
It was just worth watching her smirk as he yawned before looked around before slowly starting to fall silent before it became too much he had fallen to the wayside and yet he utterly began to yawn over and over as she smacked him for it playfully, making him laugh as he slowly began to think more and more.
It was all too much, way too much, it'd always be too much for him, and yet he was growing used to it.
"You going to be fine with this all?" Leone asked before he slowly started to think more and more at the time being. There was a lot more to see and do.
"Yeah, what about you? Will you be going to be ok when we get to work fighting? We're going to throw everything at them that we can. You know that, right? There's a lot more to try and deal with and I don't know what to even say about it all." Jace asked before Leone hummed and looked down at the ground.
All of it became a lot more for the two to juggle before now while he clicked his jaw against the roof of his mouth.
"I'm comfy here." Leone said as Jace sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Of course, you are, you know what's going to happen next? I'm going to fall into the river." Jace said before he looked at Leone who hummed before he clicked his jaw. "We need to go home soon," Jace stated and fell silent, utterly so.
He was a lot more understanding as of now and he seemed to be a lot more eager at the moment. He didn't at all know what to try and do next before looking into the sky and seemed to get more and more unsure of what to do.
"Well, I don't want to go home yet." Leone said before he hummed. "Maybe I want to try and sleep soon before noon and I want to get more and more tired." Leone stated and clicked her fingers against each other.
Jace knew more and more that she was just going to keep teasing him and he was just going to think of it as amusing to some degree.
He knew was getting tired of others as it slowly began to take its toll upon the soldier and it wasn't exactly like he lied and backed down so easily. It was more and more of an amusing little trinket to deal with knowing that such a thing became harder and harder to deal with at the second.
Leone seemed to get more and more amused as the two looked over the river, unsure of what to try and do next at the idea. It was a lot more to try and take in regardless, he knew it was more and more exhausting to try and look upon such small little emotions at the end of today.
He was a lot more unsure of what was coming, unsure of what needed to be dealt with, and utterly tiresome at the end. He didn't want to try and think of what to do next. He was all too familiar with it at the moment.
"You know we're going to be dealing more and more with his elite soldiers next, right? There's far too many of them to just take down the right way which means we're going to be doing this the Night Raid way." Leone said as Jace hummed.
"I worked in a small little group, you know. I'm well aware of how to deal with being a rebel, I've done it before." Jace said before he yawned, tired and worn down by lack of sleep amongst other things.
Leone simply shrugged and leaned back into Jace who could only sigh and lean into it to try and not fall over from their combined weight than anything. He knew Leone was going to be like this the entire time they worked together and it wasn't at all like he minded trying to deal with her antics which if anything worked more to train him to relax under pressure than anything else.
"You're really fun, you know that? Most people hate me flirting and teasing them. All I ever got to do was drink and kill back then and it… Didn't help with trying to forget your part in a giant all-consuming war that will kill a lot of people and it." Leone stated before she hummed and started to tap up and down on her knees.
"Yeah, well. Considering we're probably going to die within a week? I don't mind your cat calls considering I'm probably going to be a corpse by the time this week ends. Could probably make a bet on it." Jace said as Leone poked his nose.
Still? He knew more than to bug her and more to let himself be discarded of some insane rules and customs at the end of it all. He was still only one person at the moment and it was driving him up a damn wall over and over again as if he could not afford to get anywhere doing it.
She leaned backward and Jace bit back a grunt of displeasure from where she was sitting. She knew she was teasing him and even the gruff and stone-faced soldier had his limits of how much he could take before he ended up snapping from it all.
Jace simply pondered if falling into soaking cold water which would drench him to the bone was better than dealing with her antics. It felt at least somewhat better considering how his alternate option was giving into his Tengu and letting Lupusnal run ragged over his emotions, a fate he did not at all wish to consider even slightly better at the moment considering it all.
No, if anything? He was utterly prepared to dump himself into the river and let that deal with them both as they plunged into the icy depths of the ocean below.
At least then he'd not have to deal with her as she draped herself across his lap like a tablecloth.
"Is there ever a reason you want to flirt with me and not anyone else? You know very well you are getting to me… I doubt there isn't a large number of people who don't enjoy this." Jace said before Leone hummed.
She tapped her claw like fingers upon her chin, each time her fingers going back and forth between human like and not.
"You want to know why?" Leone asked as Jace shrugged and slowly looked at her.
"You are cute for one. That's certainly something I won't even try to deny. 2? You play hard to get; I know you like me because you smile around me and respond to my teasing by teasing right back. 3? The fact you get me, I don't get a thousand arguments about how 'Leone loves to drink and she's so flirty! Ahhh!' You don't beat around the bush." Leone stated as she tapped on her giant knees.
"4? I like fighting next to you. You have a goal and you only mind me killing guys if it makes it harder. 5? You don't get squeamish around me trying to drive you up a wall… And 6? You are nice, most guys that have tried to get with me want what is under these clothes. Not that I mind, but that isn't a relationship… It's fun." Leone said to which Jace hummed.
"And the fact you love someone who is going to drag you into a war that will probably kill both of us? I keep telling you we're probably going to die sooner or later. We both know how our line of work ends." Jace stated before he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
He was utterly unsure of what to do next and she seemed to try and understand it all plainly and clearly. It seemed to be utterly unsure of what her plans would be when it came down to trying and figuring it out at the time.
The woman grinned at his similar discomfort as she knew he was not at all denying he liked her, liked being teased by her and it wasn't like she couldn't stop and not relax at the end of the day. She knew more and more that whatever they did next? It'd be a lot of fun; a lot more than she was used to and could have been.
Whatever it was done with and all such problems as of now would be done and done before it caused a hitch.
He seemed to be more and more tired at the end of it all, however. She didn't blame him, she knew that she was similarly just as tired, utterly bored at the second. It didn't at all bother her but she knew it would tomorrow.
It reminded her of her drinking, watching more and more of the liquid vanish down her gullet and into her stomach. Drinks ate at her, cutting every single part of her body, feeling more and more exhausted by it all as she seemed to be unable to fathom it at the moment, utterly worn down by it all… Too unsure, uncertain of what to say, to do next…
She didn't even know if she'd be alive long enough to talk about this with her drinking buddies. He was right about the fact that she'd probably die within the day alongside him, they'd not get some happy ending.
However? She had long since made peace with the fact that she'd probably die sooner or later as it came down to it. All the roads out of her led to the death or victory and against the empire? There was no way out of it without being in a damn box. She knew more and more at the moment that such problems rarely came with a guarantee and she knew it.
This would be a hard little problem to try and deal with and she knew that more and more, it was harder and harder to think about but she still managed it at the moment. Those types of thoughts were easier to try and manage than whatever type of fairytale crap she had in her head.
That? And it sure as hell beat the hell out of trying to be the bigger person. She looked at Jace, her boyfriend, her partner… It was damn well funny that she cared so much about some army boy who came and picked up her corpse.
However? It wasn't that odd to her. Not when she put her brain to it.
She knew just as he did that part of him knew they'd probably be destined to meet sooner or later. She saw a glint in his eyes, a soldier who had long since accepted that he'd sadly perish in battle and then wasted away inside some cozy little house where she could and he could relax.
She'd kick around the stupid idea as long as it was entertaining as it would be and could have been, it meant little to her either way. This was a lot more to try to see upon at the second before now and all such steps.
Leone clicked her nails against the roof of her mouth and then at the rocks below as she made herself comfortable. Rather than let Jace be uncomfortable.
He slowly and simply rested his hands on her hips, knowing what to say before now as he clicked his fingers against her side.
"There's a lot more to try if you want, you want to keep pushing? Because I can drop you into the lake if you want." Jace said as he slowly started to be more and more tired at the day's setting, all too unsure before now.
This was a lot more to try and do next and seemed all too eager at the end of all days. He seemed all too amused at the insinuation of it all.
"If anything? I might just throw you into the ocean, it will be fun and I'll get to have some fun with you then." Leone said a fang-filled smile pulling and tugging at her lip as she slowly turned to look at her new boyfriend.
"See, that's right why I might just throw you down into the lake at the of the day. you constantly want to push us at the moment." Jace said before he looked down at the ground, utterly unfathomable as he slowly started to think of what to do next.
He didn't know what to tell her as she smirked, leering over him as she seemed baffled, more and more hopeful at the end. The tiresome part meant going back to war more and more and he gnashed his teeth, amused more and more at the end of all days.
He didn't at all know what to do next and he was all too ready to deal with something besides this monstrous problem. He didn't at all want to try and understand it, not at all before now.
"Are you going to be, ok?" Leone asked before she looked upwards and into the sky.
"Don't know, I don't usually get to deal with that," Jace said before he cracked his fingers and looked down at the ground. "You almost done at the moment? There's a lot more to try and it will be harder and harder to function at the juncture." Jace stated before he clicked his fingers against the roof of the ground and he smirked.
"I don't want to hear it, Jace. I don't, not when I'm going to be able to relax back in our nice comfy bed." Jace heard Leone say as Jace hummed to the time being as he snapped his jaws open.
He didn't at all want to avoid this but he would not at all fall down to the ground, unhappy with it all. He didn't want to handle it all, this came with a choice to make over and over at the end of it.
The ideas began to fester and grow more and more when it came over it. All of it was all too much and had been more and more at the end of the day. She knew what to try and understand at the moment.
He seemed before he sighed while he clicked his jaw against the roof of his mouth before now.
He didn't at all know what was coming and he didn't at all want to try and understand his options before he cracked his neck and yawned. He was going to be utterly amused by it all that he almost didn't speak but he'd know he'd have nothing to say or do.
This was a lot harder to deal with than anything he had dealt with before he was able to relax. He knew something else about Leone, she was very blunt, utterly blunt with all such measures.
"We should get going soon, it's going to be dark soon so we're not going to be able to relax. I don't want to try and understand at the moment." Jace said before he yawned and looked down at the ground.
He knew more and more that whatever came next would be utterly tiring, there was just too much at the moment, too much to understand. They had a lot more to deal with and it was baffling.
Still? There was too much at stake to try and understand at the moment, too much to fight with and he was all too amused at the second before now, and yet? She was too tired and he was before she cracked her fingers.
"All right, just let me swim a bit, and then we're going home." Leone stated before she looked at Jace. "You going to not swim with me? You're afraid I'm going to jump you?" Leone asked, wiggling her fingers at Jace before he hummed and looked down at the ground before he seemed to try and understand what he was doing.
She knew to a degree and she wasn't going to say much. She didn't want to say much, not just because she couldn't but because it was hard enough to figure it out without the indecent oddities of life impeding them.
She was still in this for the long haul. She didn't have anything else to do with her life and she knew more and more that would be coming to an end sometime soon, all beyond control at the end of the day, something that could be done… Dusted off and properly found and dealt with at the end of the day. The sheer oddity of it all became harder and harder to understand at the end of the day.
There was just too much at stake at the time to be brought down by so little and so late. It was not easy to contemplate, yet it was done and dusted, they had a lot more to see and do before today was said and done, she wanted more, and she'd get it. simple as that and more and more. Yes, whatever was going to come and whatever would go with time and effort.
Jace could only sigh, understanding what she had put into doing this, unsure of what to tell her awesome boyfriend.
"Am I going to have to carry you or something? Because I … Screw it, I will if I have to and you know it, Leone, I'm not going to just let you walk around with nobody supervising you. Giant freaking cat lady and me, sure, nothing can go wrong, nothing at all." Jace muttered as he knew more and more just what he was getting into.
She grinned and stood up and Jace was forced to try and do and she knew what she could do to him if she wanted. She hummed, spreading her arms wide as Jace simply rolled his eyes, not willing to do this and knowing where the path led. He knew it well enough not to fall for the trap and it wasn't going the same way she wanted it.
"Do you seriously want me to carry you the entire way back? Leone? You really who the hell am I kidding? Long as I blush and I get screed over you'd all be happy with it. Part of me just wonders what's going on in your head to get like that, you know, something I just don't need." Jace muttered as he sighed and looked around, too eager to say much if anything.
She nodded as Jace could lift her up and onto his back. He struggled for only a second, knowing that she weighed a lot more than she looked and he knew more and more what was coming and just what to say and do, something that was already too much and too little at the same time.
It was an animal thing about her, a very little animal-like thing that defined her and he knew it more and more than whatever it was.
She wouldn't or couldn't be contained at the moment, it struck her to her very being and she smelt like she had crawled around the entire area, clawing and biting everything she could find, too eager to admit to being defeated.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out next chapter will be delayed. The next chapter is in 2-10 months and will be 900-6500 words, showing Leone and Jace walking home and more about the villain's plan and Jace's to stop him. Until then, Lighting Wolf!
