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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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[ 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.]

[ She will definitely take that out of context someday and it'll be awful. That said, Natalia smiles, shifting the rapier around in her fingers for a moment before she flips it in hand, taking hold of the "blade" (which only had a point, not a blade, so you can do that) and then reaching out to tap Lina's head with the pommel of it gently. ]

If you desire hammed burgers, then I shall have to enlighten you towards a path beyond the slaying of beasts.

[the bop to her head hurts only a little and she's giggling, breaking character for a moment at the idea of everything that's just happened here. she can't keep it in—hammed burgers? it's so ridiculous. but once the burst of giggles has run its way out of her system, she clears her throat and steadies her gaze back up at her highness.]

You are free to enlighten me however you wish, your highness. My growth as a knight is in your extremely capable hands.

[ Natalia... once more rests the rapier pommel on Lina's head and... ]

You're already something special, Lina. But I'll mold my knight into something truly amazing.

[ Was that... affectionate...? Or maybe she was fucking with Lina? ]

[there are a couple responses Lina could give there, and the flirtatious one is easy—and, of course, the one she'll go with. but it's hard to hide the way her whole face softens at being called special.]

I can't wait to find out all the ways you choose to mold me, your highness. I promise to make it easy for you.

[ Promising to make it easy for her... sheesh ]

Do I even need to win our game then, if you're making it so easy for me?

[and that's when Lina's grin gets a little more mischievous.]

I said I'd make it easy for you to mold your knight. I didn't say anything else was going to be easy. Now, your highness, do knights not receive salaries? I merely ask for one coin. A pittance.

[once she gets all of them, the hardest part will be keeping them, but... eh, she'll figure that out later. coming up with schemes on the fly has been working fine so far.]

Alas, I cannot give that, fair Carmelina. After all, you already have four times that pittance, and I would not to indulge your greed and besmirch your honor.

[ The rapier, now flipped to have the blade pointed at Lina, comes out again. This time she gently rubs the metal of the thing against Lina's cheek, as softly and gently (again, it has no "blade" other than the point, even if not the point is pointed... well, at the other) as if it were her hand there, a bizarre and perhaps threatening affection. ]

[haha... ha. oh. Lina will unpack, at some point much later on, the way she really enjoys the feeling of being talked to and treated like this. like she's staring face-to-face with a direct threat that is just toying with her and could end her in a moment if she were so inclined.]

[which is not always the vibe she gets from Natalia, but when she's like this, she feels to Lina like the reason the phrase "out of your league" exists.]

It was worth a try. [she breaks character with just a little bit of nervousness, definitely doing her best not to let her thoughts show, but slips back into it pretty seamlessly.] All right, your highness, from now on I will serve with utmost honor and respect.

It was worth a shot.

[ she'll agree, again nuzzling her with the rapier "blade" before she laughs a little, pulls the blade back, and puts it back in its scabbard with a fluid movement. smiling, she takes a half-step back. ]

But good, I'm glad!

[and Lina, still sticking to the bit (can it be called a bit anymore?), will not rise until she's been allowed to. but it does raise an important question.]

What does my fealty mean for the terms of our bet, then? [because this has definitely gotten a little out of hand by now.] Should I even bother trying to get that last coin from you when you could just order me to give them all back right now?

Mmm, probably not, to be honest. It wouldn't be fitting if a knight was able to order their princess to do anything. Who knows what untoward things your feelings might make?

[ But she motions to Lina.

Go on, Rise. It's fine. ]

[and Lina does get to her feet, and she regards her princess with the respect someone of her newfound position would deserve. by giving her a coy grin.]

But you were completely fine with any untoward things I might have done if I were not your knight? Maybe I made a mistake.

[that's a joke. you know, like this whole thing was supposed to be?]

Would I have had much choice in those circumstances?

[ She bats her eyelashes, the reality of what Lina's asking made significantly more unclear under the many layers of the bit here. ]

You always have a choice in these things, your highness.

[she's in way too deep but she's not sure she would want to pull out even if she remembered how. she's at least kind of steering this back towards actual, real conversation instead of jokes being taken way too seriously. she sounds as serious as she can while the memory of being knighted is still fresh in her mind.]

Your choice in what we do has mattered more than mine since even before today. You do know that, don't you?

[ Since before today... huh. Natalia gives a somewhat knowing look at that, but it dissolves into a giggle quickly. It's flattering, but it's also somewhat - she's not sure how fair she is right now. She's not sure how much she can commit, but she also wants and enjoys the idea of Lina committing to her. And as such she... ]

Have you always seen it that way?

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