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drakengard 3: two

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So hypothetically, if you're an atheist (no judgement on people who aren't! ♥) and then learn your magic is the result of divine intervention, does that change things for you?

I happen to be in Enprise, so they can count as a debate!

Oooooor~! I might wander around and anyone can try to steal some coins [ inserted image of twenty weird coins ] from me if they can find me! I was a priness in another life and I'm the only staff member of the Stone Pegasus Casino left in town, so I count as double rich, maybe? Either way, it might be fun to see how daring people can get!

[ Feel free to respond with like action stuff about trying to find her, or have threads lead into that. she's being vague on purpose and moving around. ]

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[Lina won't be going for them until she knows where all five of them are. then her plan is to gather them all up and grab them at once, then, uh. uh... disappear? somehow. she'll figure it out.]

Maybe it has. Maybe I wanted a taste of what it feels like for you.

[she says it seriously, but there's no end to the amusement bubbling under her chest at every word. she knows she can't keep this up—not anymore, not now that she doesn't have to anymore. if Natalia keeps doling the coins out so slowly, she might break before then. speaking of...]

Having problems finding the other three?

Oh, no, not that hard! Just being deliberate.

[ She grins a little and... Well, the motions in her purse work. Lina might hear before she sees, scalpel-sized blades spinning into existence behind her back, with intent to zip forward and cut into the upper sleeves of Lina's top. A warning shot of sorts, but hopefully enough to spook her.

... Apparently, Nat's taking this far too seriously. ]

[it's a very effective warning shot; it gets a gasp from Lina and a note of silent relief that she's wearing something with a little more fabric to it to begin with so she's not walking around with her top hanging off her all day. (though it's close.) she puts her free hand to her mouth, then drops it in time for an evil grin to spread to her face.]

There are easier ways to see those if I really feel like disarming you. Keep casting magic and I might have to.

[she wasn't expecting it, no, but she's. well, her grip on the rapier has loosened and she's more caught up in finding a smug thing to say than anything else.]

Oh wow! That was an impressive lack of flinching!

[ and honestly, she's impressed with herself (not to mention relieved) that she didn't draw blood. That said, she brings her hand out of the purse in order to toss a third coin at Lina's feet before putting her hand back in. Still...

Tch. ]

[she has to take a second and compose herself while Natalia compliments her on her lack of flinching, so maybe Lina is sometimes a better actress than she gives herself credit for. maybe.]

[she glances down at her feet at the small collection she's accumulating, fully aware that even if she does get all five she'll have to keep them if she wants to win the bet and that's definitely going to be the harder part, and looks back up at Natalia with confidence.]

You can't have many more tricks left. You've already tried a couple different spells and attacking my clothes. And... [she leans forward, trying to keep the point of the sword where it is while giving Natalia a, um, better look.]

I still have some tricks of my own that might be a little more effective than yours. Why not just give me the last two right now and save yourself the embarrassment?

[ Her expression is the same poker face smile she's kept up most of this whole time. If she does glance at Lina's new view for her, it's subtle enough that it's barely there. She just keeps it up as she tosses Lina the fourth coin!

And then goes back in for the fifth? That said, ]

Oh, you thought clothes were the target...?

[ The implication there is dire, of course: she could have beheaded Lina, pretty easily. ... She wouldn't, of course. Never would, or so she tells herself. But still, she's trying to look as if not more intimidating than the rapier Lina has. ]

[Lina catches the fourth coin out of the air, but what Natalia says finally breaks the somewhat cool, collected image that Lina's been presenting until now. her spine jerks back up a little as she realizes exactly what Natalia's implying.]

[she never would. right? but she's not just... playing around. Natalia's taking this very seriously, and whatever they have going on between them isn't going to stop her. it's an impressive level of resolve, really. or maybe just an incredibly intense desire not to lose.]

Careful, Natalia. You know what Two's done.

[she's trying to be vaguely threatening, but the truth is that Lina doesn't even know everything Two's done, and none of it makes sense anyway. she hopes it works, but she's pretty sure she'll have to concede defeat on this particular war of the words to Natalia.]

I do, but I know what the Princess of Piena's done even more.

[ She's not sure, now she thinks of it, if that princess is named Natalia or not. Surely, she must have a different name than "Fairweather," given none of her family are in her memories. But she sticks her tongue out at this, amused at the two little shifts in Lina's behavior. How she's clearly off-guard now, and how she caught that coin as opposed to the other three she let fall to the ground. There will be a contest to get those three, she's sure of it, but...

Natalia's resolve does show here. Her red eyes glint.

If she's acting, it is, of course, quite the show. ]

The thought of ripping your enemies apart.

[ She says, coming back to that feeling Natalia of the other world had. The relishing of the idea of it. ]

[of course it is. and it's an act, if it is one, that Lina will not be able to pull off nearly as well. bringing up Two was her own mistake, and she expects she'll be paying for it soon enough as the memories seep their way back into her conscious mind.]

[Natalia could flirt with her for a month straight and still not be able to get them all of the way out of her head.]

Are we enemies now? Just because I stole a few coins? I've always known I would hate to end up on your bad side, Princess.

[and speaking of flirting. it's very possible Lina's being obvious, but if it gets Natalia to focus more on this part of things and not the part about murder, she'll count it as a success.]

[ Oh... that's a harsh question, but the payoff for it sends a chill down her spine, an excited note welling up in her heart. ]

I'm pretty sure my soul's a fickle one in the first place! So honestly, perhaps we could be, so quickly!

[ That said, in the moment here, Natalia reaches out her right hand, having not a coin in it, but instead intending to reach out and take one of Lina's. Not the one holding the rapier, but the other one which took the coin. Or at least, that is the plan, her cheeks blushing even through a smile. ]

[as she frequently does, Lina knows she's being played. she's absolutely being played as Natalia reaches out for her hand, and if it means she loses her fourth coin so easily then so be it. she'd much rather be taking Natalia's hand than her money anyway.]

You treat your enemies well, then. A gracious and dignified princess through and through.

[would it be too much to get on a knee in deference? probably. she keeps the idea in mind all the same. because she might have some way to get an upper hand here.]

[ Treat her enemies well...

Not really. She doesn't think so, anyway? Still, as she is asked that, she briefly entertains mulling it over, before she smiles a little bit more and she shifts the way she's holding Lina's hand a little tighter. ]

What does that make you then, Lina? Are you more a knight, a rogue, a fellow noble?

[ha! oh, that opening is too good for her to pass up. she starts off as normal, trying to keep her tone playful.]

Well, right now I'm playing the rogue, right?

[and she takes a beat, then slowly drops to one knee, keeping her hand grasping Natalia's. she bows her head, a crown of blue hair greeting the princess. putting on a pompous affectation, she continues.]

But I would be your knight without hesitation.

[ What a scene this must be, here in this abandoned street, miscolored and devoid of people other than them. Her, Natalia, held up with a rapier and locking hands with a blue haired girl kneeling before her, swearing to be her knight. Three coins on the ground, one in the held hands between them. A contest - victory and defeat floating in the air here.

And she feels...

Giddy. She actually starts to laugh ever so slightly at this, a feeling of strength power coming over her as she looks down at Lina. They had just threatened each other with the past lives... But. ]

That sort of oath isn't one people should make lightly, you know.

[they'd just threatened each other, Lina had stolen this rapier moments before, and yet here she was. not outright making an oath to her, just suggesting that she would, but, well.]

I don't want to be a rogue all the time, and I'm not comfortable calling myself nobility. That only leaves me with one option. But you don't need a knight to protect you when you're doing such a good job yourself. Do you?

[she's still trying to be playful, but it's hard not to take things a little seriously given everything else that's happened between them so far.]

It's just something you'd want to have.

[ She's a princess with no need for a knight to protect her...? That doesn't feel right to her on some level, but she smirks all the same because the praise does make her glow a little bit. Her hand still held there, she looks down at Linda and, ]

Even if I am untouchable, it seems all the better to me to have someone by my side, to guard me and watch my back.

I'd ask for you to knight me officially, but that's going to be difficult, isn't it?

[she grins and glances upward, only barely tilting her head, as she feels the weight of the rapier in her other hand.]

I hope you aren't as untouchable as you think, though. I wouldn't want to have nothing to do.

Then, should you allow for it to happen?

[ She tilts her head in the direction of the rapier. ... Heeeh yep. ]

Should I? Maybe not.

[but she follows Natalia's head and keeps the look on her face. this is interesting, all of this. it's not at all where she expected everything to go, but that seems to happen a lot with Natalia, doesn't it?]

But I can't deny there's something interesting about having a title like that. Even if you'd never need me.

[ Natalia breaks the connection of their hands! And ... she holds out her hand, open with the fourth coin, but also clearly expecting to get the rapier back. It's a squirming motion, but that said, she's grinning as she's looking at her and... ]

Even if you aren't called on for your life, that doesn't mean I don't need you.

Oh! You flatter me.

[though she wouldn't mind being needed, she does kind of think there has to be some sort of flattery going on here. Lina sees the transaction that Natalia clearly wants to make and wonders very briefly how she's going to get that last coin if she gives this rapier away now.]

[but decides that she'll figure it out later. her grip loosens a little on the rapier as she shifts it in her hand to make the hilt easier to take.]

At the same time, milady? [that may be presumptuous, but she's enjoying herself. and she has enough grace to say it without being creepy about it.]

Yes, as one!

[ Milady...

She actually looks briefly conflicted as a result of that word and then grins, dropping the stone for Lina and taking the rapier with the same hand. Her other hand does need to keep itself over the purse, after all! Still, with every intention to take the sword back in hand, she'll flip it around to correct her grip.

Assuming she gets it. ]

[of course Natalia does! Lina is a knight of her word, even if she hasn't been dubbed one yet, and she seems to be growing tired of the rogue role sooner rather than later. though she does have something in mind for that last coin if Natalia would like to make this official.]

Would you prefer milord? If I'm to be your knight, I should learn the royal address. [oh, she is gonna lean into this.]

[ Holy shit she...

Takes the rapier in hand, and she changes her tone just a little, sounding a bit more haughty as she corrects, ] Your highness, actually.

[ But she huffs that before placing the rapier to either side of Lina's head. ]

Well then, Carmelina Geteilt, just as the black knight Goldov once served the Princess of Piena, I shall have you adopt the same role for me.

[ This should have been Cleo, some part of her thinks.

But Lina was here beside her, and was still on the app. She could understand, and Natalia liked her a lot. Besides, she was still missing around. ]

[was she? because to Lina this all seems very formal and not at all like two friends goofing around in the middle of an empty street. she even looks up with reverence on her face.]

Your knight thanks you for this, your highness. I swear myself to your service.

[and here is where she lets her plan kick in. it should be immediately obvious what she's doing, but in that same inflated tone (because she was serious about leaning in), she continues.]

The joy of serving you is payment enough. [don't take that out of context.] But one cannot sup upon hammed burgers with subservience alone.

[her eyes flit down to Natalia's other hand as she tries harder than she ever has in her life to keep a straight face.]

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